Coming to Alaska aboard one of many incredible Alaska cruises, cruising through the Inside Passage and visiting ports like Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Glacier Bay is without a doubt a once in a life time vacation experience.Alaska cruises are very popular; no other cruise on earth can match the experience of witnessing the pristine beauty of Glacier Bay, and College Fjord. Floating glaciers and marine wilderness all around, it is truly an experience one should not miss. Continue reading
Category Archives: Seward Hotels
Most Liked Alaska Tours & Hotels
A few months ago, we added Facebook like buttons to all of our tour, and hotels pages at AlaskaDenaliTours.com. It’s been really interesting seeing what everyone likes the most, so we thought we should share our most liked tours and hotels in popular destinations.
Denali National Park Tours & Activities: Continue reading
Seward Alaska Hotels
Seward is a quaint little town, set on the shores of Alaska’s Resurrection Bay. It has become a popular tourism destination for many good reasons. It is a major Cruise Ship Port of call, and many Alaska Cruises, either begin or end in Seward. It also has some amazing surroundings; there is so much to explore in and around the city of Seward, and out in beautiful Resurrection bay, that it can take some time to Continue reading
Alaska – Season Ending?
It is not the end it is only the beginning! Saving all year to come to Alaska, it’s been a dream for a long time to visit this last frontier. Don’t wait any longer, you can start your planning now, Alaska Denali Tours is ready for you.
Take a cruise to Alaska through the inside passage with a few exciting stops in remote locations – but not so remote like Juneau, our capital city, only reachable buy Ship or Air. How about a flight to Fairbanks a tour your way down to Anchorage, staying at all the best locations, such as Denali Backcountry Lodge deep inside Denali, or tour the town next to Denali Cabins. Next, stop in the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge and grab the Alaska Railroad for a fun filled train ride to Anchorage where you can visit the Alaska Zoo or our unique Museums -best shopping by the way! Then again, you can continue on to Seward and visit the Alaska Sealife center and also go dog sledding all in the same day.
How about going backwards and end your cruise to Alaska in Whittier or Seward. Stage yourself on the train to Anchorage – shop a little – catch the Anchorage Denali Express to one of the remote Denali Lodges. Jump on the train bound for Fairbanks to do some gold panning in an active gold mine – the Eldorado, ride the Riverboat Discovery before catching your plane home or a flight further north to the Arctic. I see no end to the choices,
what are you waiting for!
Spotting the difference in Alaska Birds
Alaska is home to a wide variety of birds and with 471 species positively identified, Alaska is a popular destination for birders the world over.
Let’s start with the Gulls. Quick differences in Arctic Terns (the longest flight migratory bird) and Bonaparte’s Gulls – The Gulls have black heads and bills, whereas Arctic Terns have black heads and orange bills. The distinguishing plumage between the Herring Gull is black primary feathers (the wing tips), whereas the Glaucous-winged Gull has gray to white primaries. It is important to keep in mind that these two species interbreed and hybridize in Alaska
Mew Gulls are common on the Kenai Peninsula and in Denali National Park. They can be easily distinguished from other gulls by their small size and their yellow to yellow – green legs.
Let’s move on to the Eagles. Golden Eagles are typically seen in mountainous areas, whereas, the Bald Eagle remain along coasts, rivers, and lakes. Rarely, if ever, are Bald Eagles spotted in Denali. The younglings of the two are a little more challenging. In Golden Eagles, look for two distinct, small white patches on the underside of the wing. An immature Bald Eagle has a mottled white and dark underside on its breast and wings.
Ptarmigans are often spotted while visiting Alaska. The Willow (the Alaska state bird) and the Rock Ptarmigan are found in lower elevations of tundra, especially in shrubby areas of Denali National Park. The male Rock Ptarmigan does not possess the reddish colors to its summer plumage like the male Willow Ptarmigan. The White-tailed ptarmigan is usually found in the tundra above tree line, and often on high, rocky slopes. It can be distinguished from other Ptarmigan species by its white tail, which remains white in all seasons.
I hope I have stirred your curiosity to learn more and to visit Alaska’s birds….Only 461 to go!
