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!
Category Archives: Fairbanks Alaska
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!
Alaska, to scale.
So, ever sense I last went down to the ‘Lower-48’ a few things have bugged me about the way Alaska’s size is portrayed. I was asked ‘Why is it so cold, you are so close to Hawaii!’, ‘How come Google Maps doesn’t have images for Barrow and large chunks of Anchorage?’, ‘Is there a bridge to Russia?’. The answer to these questions have led me to believe that the way Alaska is put onto maps has made most people unaware of the vast scale of the state. I will explain these questions and more, with help from a few scale comparisons. Continue reading
Disk Golf in Alaska
Frolf. Yes, it sounds silly, and is quite the conjunction of mediums. It’s sometimes called Frisbee-golfing or Disk Golf. Not something that conjures up traditional images of plaid-wearing Floridians with carts. Nope, this past-time should instead fill your mind with college students flinging weighted disks into chain-clad baskets. This isn’t just a game though, it’s a real sport in Alaska. We have some of the nicest Frolf courses on the west coast (in my opinion). Small town parks are now being fitted with low cost and locally made baskets. Typically, this sport is much easier than traditional golf, as it requires little ‘form’ to get the basic idea down. Continue reading
Things to Do in Fairbanks Alaska
Go for the color!
1. El Dorado Gold Mine Tour: This is a family oriented tour. Visitors can learn about Alaskan past during the Gold Rush era and they can learn to pan for Alaskan Gold.
2. Historic Fairbanks Alaska City Tour: Traveling on a comfortable Motorcoach visitors can enjoy sights and sound that only Fairbanks can provide such as Historic Downtown Fairbanks Alaska, University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum, Trans-Alaska Pipeline, University of Alaska Fairbanks Botanical Gardens, and Downtown Log Cabin Visitor Center.
Riverboat Discovery & Susan Butcher Kennel
4. Arctic Circle Fly/Drive Adventure: This is a great one-day adventure. Visitors get to follow the trans Alaska Pipeline and cross the Arctic Circle in a ceremonious fashion. They even get a certificate of this milestone, and they will fly back to Fairbanks marveling the beauty of Northern sub-arctic tundra.