Page 8 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – September/October 2018

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Unique Answers About Unusual Alaska
Alaska – A Different Experience Each Time
By Don Roebuck, Travel Agent (Hershey)
I have been fortunate enough to be able to visit Alaska and the Yukon four times in the last six years, and I would go back again if given the chance. Every visit is a different experience!
While Anchorage is the biggest city, it still
has a small town feel to it. It also has plenty to keep you busy, from visiting the Anchorage Museum or the Alaska Native Heritage Center to learn about the history and native traditions, biking or walking the Coastal Trail, visiting Ship Creek to see salmon, or plenty of shopping. Don't forget to try the local fare, including king crab, halibut and salmon. There's also reindeer sausage and caribou burgers, and numerous breweries like the 49th State Brewing Company.
Denali National Park is home to stunning scenery, majestic mountains and wildlife sightings. There is nothing like the sight of a mother grizzly bear coming down the side of
a mountain with two cubs frolicking nearby. I personally recommend three nights in Denali,
if you can. One day to do the Tundra Wilderness Tour that explores Denali Park and one whole day to do optional excursions (plane rides, helicopter rides, fishing, ATV tours, visiting sled dog camps, zip lining, white water rafting and more).
Over in the Yukon Territory of Canada is my favorite town of Dawson City. This is a gold rush town of the late 1890s. There is a lot of history relating to this area. It is still an "old west" town with dirt streets and rickety wooden sidewalks. You have to become a member of the "Sourtoe Cocktail" Club (ask your travel agent)!
For more great insight on Alaska, contact your local AAA travel agent today for more information about exploring this beautiful and fun area.
Dog sledding without snow? Snorkeling in Alaska?
These and other unique questions were answered by several of AAA Travel’s popular Discoveries Journey Managers, who have provided professional services to hundreds of happy travelers while on AAA’s escorted group tours and cruises in Alaska.
AAA Now: Do you really see dogs pulling sleds on dry land in Alaska?
Discoveries Journey Managers: Yes, because
sled dogs are such an important part of Alaskan life, year-round training activity is part of their routine. It is very exciting to see so many exuberant sled dogs and a demonstration of how they pull wheeled sleds as part of their summertime training. The puppies are so cute and they are raised with their siblings and parents to be part of the sled team. By the time snow is back in Alaska, the dogs are ready to resume their usual training for wintertime participation in races, as part of transportation services in remote roadless areas, and as faithful companions to people living in the state’s vast wilderness.
AAA Now: Can you really snorkel in Alaska? Discoveries Journey Managers:
Believe it or not, you can in
Ketchikan! This town is one of our
AAA travelers’ favorite cruise ports in
Alaska and it is where a dive center
offers this unique experience of a
lifetime. You are provided with an
efficient wetsuit, hood and gloves
to insulate from the cold water. A
professional dive guide walks into
the 55-degree water with you and
several other people and provides
close-by direction as you gently
swim and float in depths of 4 to
18 feet near the shoreline. There,
among the giant gold kelp, you see
huge blue starfish, sea cucumbers
and other live specimens the guide
brings up from the water to tell you about them. When some of our travelers snorkeled at Ketchikan they even saw a pod of orcas! Another popular adventure is a guided kayaking tour to get up-close to nature above the waterline.
AAA Now: Do past AAA travelers consistently comment on any favorite experiences when they tour Alaska?
Discoveries Journey Managers: Yes, there
are several that stand out. Seeing Denali, the 20,310-foot-tall massive mountain (previously known as Mt. McKinley) while in Denali National
By Craig Haberle, CTC, AAA Travel
Park is always at the top of travelers’ lists. Our travelers really enjoy the Discovery III
sternwheeler boat ride on the Chena River near Fairbanks. The boat’s captain is so knowledgeable and provides commentary about the wildlife
and history of the area. The river route features stops for a guided walking tour through a native Athabascan village and a visit at the kennels of an
Iditarod champion for a mushing demonstration; there is even a bush pilot demonstration that flies right past your boat.
Railroad fans are all smiles when riding the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad as the steam train chugs along the historic miners’ route from Carcross in the Yukon Territory, along Lake Bennett,
and down to Skagway, a restored Alaskan port town.
Travelers always appreciate their day in Vancouver at
the end of our cruise-tours. They can explore this friendly, cosmopolitan city by touring bayside Stanley Park, its totem
poles, and the lovely Queen Elizabeth Gardens.
AAA Now: So, with all this shared enthusiasm for Alaska, are you Discoveries Journey Managers looking forward to returning there with AAA travelers in Summer 2019?
Discoveries Journey Managers: We are always glad to go back to Alaska to assist AAA travelers with obtaining their preferences for wonderful and often unique experiences throughout our vast 49th state. Just as soon as we get more memory cards for our digital cameras or create space for photos on our smartphones we’re ready to go!
Contributors of these unique answers about unusual Alaska include Penny Corl, Tracy Huffer
and Randy Sibert, whose combined expertise as popular Discoveries Journey Managers covers more than 30 trips across Alaska to ensure extraordinary experiences for AAA Central Penn’s group travelers. For additional valuable information and professional recommendations for travel in Alaska, you are encouraged to attend a special On Stage Alaska presentation in September; please see the front cover of this issue of AAA Now! for details and RSVP to AAA Travel at 888-746-4566.
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