Page 12 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – May/June 2019

TRAVELER’S GUIDE
Consider an Alaskan Cruisetour
By John T. Garcia
Cruising the Inside Passage of Alaska is one thing, but one of the best ways to see the rest of Alaska is by taking a cruisetour. Several cruise
lines, including Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises, offer cruisetours for their Alaskan season, which usually runs from April through September.
These ultimate Alaska immersion tours begin
in either Seaward or Whittier, Alaska, across the peninsula from Anchorage, Alaska. You will either
fly in to start your journey and finish with a cruise headed south, across the Gulf of Alaska to the Inside Passage; or land here following a voyage through the Inside Passage and across the Gulf of Alaska.
Either way, your tour will usually include visits to
sites in Anchorage and Denali, and some will head to Fairbanks in the interior of the state. In Anchorage, make sure to check out the Alaska Native Heritage Center as a launching point to learn about Native Alaskans. Besides exhibitions, it also has a display of indigenous housing. If you are traveling with children, they will enjoy the Discovery Center in the Anchorage Museum where you can learn about the northern lights, earthquakes (Alaska has about 1,000 per month) and tidal pools in a hands-on environment.
Leaving Anchorage, your tour will most likely be by The Alaska Railroad to Talkeetna or Denali. Here
you will have a chance to experience Denali National Park and Reserve, home to Denali (formerly Mount McKinley), the highest mountain in North America
at 20,310 feet. The park and preserve are equally
as impressive, covering an area the size of the state of New Hampshire. This area is perfect for spotting wildlife such as bears, moose, caribous, wolves and sheep. For the more adventurous, you can climb
into a helicopter and tour the area from above or be taken to another location and head out on a hike. Or you can go white-water rafting and see nature from a different perspective.
If your tour takes you to Fairbanks, you might
have a chance to see the northern lights, depending upon the time of year of your visit. You also can take a riverboat cruise along two of the rivers or take a plane heading north into the Arctic Circle to receive your official Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate as well as exploring Alaska from above along the way. And from Fairbanks, it’s not that far to the North Pole. No, not the north pole, but North Pole, Alaska, home to Santa Claus House, where it is Christmas every day. It features the world’s largest Santa statue and North Pole merchandise to purchase.
All this and a cruise, too? Where do I sign up? With your travel agent, of course. Contact your AAA Hudson Valley Travel Agent to book your Alaskan adventure.
12 I MAY/JUNE 2019