Tag Archives: Motorcoach

Denali Specials!

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At Alaska Denali Tours we have some spectacular specials!

Currently, at Denali Alaska Lodges, if you book 3 nights at the Denali Backcountry Lodge you get an $800 credit toward ANY tour or activity.  This offer is valid until April 23, and only applies to new reservations.  Cannot be combined with any other offer.

Enjoy the Denali Backcountry Adventure.  Save $268.40 per couple! Take the perfect two-day trip to Denali with our Motorcoach, and stay two nights at the Denali Cabins near the park entrance. This offer includes lodging at the park entrance, and the trip to Denali aboard the Motorcoach.

Save $80 dollars round trip as a couple on the Denali Motorcoach!

Always remember that at Alaska Denali Tours, ff you come across rates better than ours on any comparable properties on a given date, we will meet that rate. We will also treat you to free pick-up and drop off at the Denali train depot, and a deluxe continental breakfast!

Family trip

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I’m from the Space Coast of Florida.  My neighbor was an astronaut and I lived close enough to the beach that it took me 8 minutes to literally walk down the street to it.  The area is f-l-a-t.  When I say flat I mean the most elevation you can achieve within a 10-mile radius is when you go up the elevator at Ron Jon’s.  My dad was getting tired of all the people, and the muggy heat that we were constantly engulfed in.  He decided that we would pack up for a week and head to Alaska for a little refreshment.

I blended in pretty well with the people there, not your usual bleached-blond tanned babe.  Of course everyone was just as friendly to my sister, who fits into every stereotype that is ‘Floridian’.  She had issues with the idea of Alaska; the woods, and the man-eating mosquitoes weren’t her in bag of “fun stuff to deal with on vacation”. I, however, loved the idea.  Out rocking it with nature, that was my style.  I do remember how enormous the mountains were, and the smell of pine.  It was a little different than my elevation-less and moldy-musky smelling home.

When we landed in Anchorage I was stiff and thoroughly surprised that it was still light out at two in the morning.  This trip turned out to be a lot more exciting than realizing that your parents couldn’t tell you to be ‘home by dark’.  We settled into our hotel, and were off to Denali by morning.  After an entertaining trip by Motorcoach to the Denali National Park entrance, we boarded the bus to Kantishna and the Denali Backcountry Lodge.  We saw three Grizzly bears.  Three! I couldn’t believe how HUGE they were.  We also saw a few moose, and just one caribou on our way in from Anchorage.

We stayed at the lodge for a night, then went hiking the next day, my sister’s moment of truth.  As it turns out there are no man-eating bugs or too many claustrophobic woods for that matter.  She won’t admit it, but she enjoyed being out in the wilderness.  Florida seems so crowded now that I’m home.  It was pretty humbling to realize how small we really are compared to Denali.  I’m glad I’ll be able to tell my adventures at school next year.

- Felicia & the rest of the Rae Family.

Getting To and From Denali

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When traveling to Denali you have three options.  You can drive a car; take the Denali Motorcoach, or the Alaska Railroad.  All three have advantages, but for the whole experience of the scenic drive we recommend the Motorcoach to Denali and the Railroad from the park.  With these two options you don’t have to worry about missing a turn, or other drivers.  You can simply enjoy the beautiful ride.  Along the road to Denali Park entrance you can see cliffs littered with rusty rocks.  The trip is beautiful, and rare is the drive that lacks wildlife.  The Motorcoach is comfortable, air conditioned, and features an onboard restroom.  The driver will stop when a photo-op arises, and will explain various areas of the trip.  They will tell you what rivers you are crossing, and any questions you have are answered.  Want to know why caribou don’t loose their horns? Our drivers have the answer. When you arrive at the park entrance you have around an hour to mull around and get a quick lunch before taking the bus to Denali Backcountry Lodge at Kantishna.  By taking the Motorcoach to the park you eliminate the need to stay a night at the park entrance.

On your way home you should take the rail.  The Alaska Railroad is a slightly longer trip, but it is well worth the comfort.  You have the option of booking your seat in a car with the elevated viewing deck to see as much as you can.  Alaska is a vast land and there is much to see.  By taking another route back to Anchorage you can see the other side of most of the rivers, and plenty of animals.  The friendly local guides on the train will answer any questions you have; they can even point out wildlife you may have otherwise missed.  Travel in luxury circa-50’s style railcars and enjoy the fine dining aboard the Denali Star Train. With stops in Wasilla and Talkeetna you are guaranteed the trip of a lifetime.
Remember on your vacation with Alaska Denali Tours the most recommended way to travel to and from Denali is by Motorcoach and Alaska Railroad; you can’t go wrong with the style and comfort offered by our first-class transportation.

My Alyeska Pipeline Experience

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Last summer I touched the Alyeska Pipeline. I didn’t even know it was possible. Alaska Denali Tours made it happen though. My kids and I started in Anchorage, took in the sites and went to the Saturday Market down town. After Anchorage we boarded the Motorcoach and headed to Denali. After a night there, enjoying the sheer vastness of the country, we made it north to Fairbanks, a small town with a large attitude. The Fairbanks North Star Borough, which Fairbanks and Denali both reside in, is roughly the size of New Jersey, but the total population is less than 100,000. That means if you stretched every person in the area out evenly there would only be 11 every square mile. The town was founded around the gold boom, which started in 1902 and still continues today.
The first thing I did while I was in Fairbanks was the Riverboat Discovery tour on the Chena River. I was able to really soak in the heritage of the land. We saw a traditional fish camp and left the boat to learn about the way Native People live in the villages of interior Alaska. After a lunch near the river we headed north to the El Dorado Gold Mine, which has been mining for gold for decades. We took a train, complete with the operator singing us some Johnny Cash, into the mine to learn about the history of the industry. The guides were wonderful and really immersed you into the setting. After the train ride we panned for our own ‘flash’, and even made jewelry out of the flakes. The family who operates the mine was there and we got to touch enormous gold nuggets.
After the gold fever we departed on the train once more and made our way back to the busses. The bus took us up the Dalton Highway to a spot where the pipeline was near the road. My family and I headed right to the exposed pipeline raised five feet off the ground. There was no experience quite like knowing millions of dollars of crude oil was pumping through that enormous structure. We were even given the opportunity to take home parts of retired pipeline. What an adventure!

-Kira Elegy