Explore Alaska’s Most Scenic Wonders in Winter

Alaska Awaits

Alaska is open, y’all, and it’s ideal for families and friends who dream of exploring America’s greatest wildernesses free of crowds and against a pristine white canvas. Imagine skiing through forests, wildlife spotting, flightseeing above multicolored geysers and glaciers cresting on the snow, and a vastness only available in the quiet of winter. Abercrombie & Kent’s U.S. Luxury Tailor Made itineraries, which can be customized to your private party’s interests, feature handpicked local guides, fun activities that naturally lend themselves to social distancing, and luxurious accommodations. You can even book with confidence knowing you can reschedule your journey due to COVID-19, and that they have enhanced protocols in place to safeguard your health while travelling. This is numero uno in my book since I’ve been sheltering in place for almost a year and need to know things are on the up and up.

Our recent travel dream favorite is their Call of the Iditarod series because I’ve always been obsessed with riding a husky driven sled through the snow like a Russian Bond Girl.

You too?

Well, we can celebrate Alaska’s famed Iditarod dogsled race, watching the participants prepare and depart from Anchorage on their 1,000-mile trek, witnessing their arrival at an important checkpoint near your remote wilderness lodge. You can dogsled yourself along the rugged Iditarod trail on this independent journey filled with the splendors of Alaskan wilderness.

The skinny:

• Join Anchorage’s Fur Rendezvous festival, giving the Iditarod teams a ceremonial send-off
• Take in the buzz of Iditarod mushers and their teams arrive at a remote checkpoint
• Choose from an array of outdoor activities, including the option to drive your own dogsled team
• Discover the history of Alaska’s indigenous culture and art in Anchorage

Itinerary at a Glance

DAY 1

ARRIVE ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 

DAY 2

ANCHORAGE | CELEBRATING THE IDITAROD

DAY 3

WINTERLAKE LODGE | SCENIC WILDERNESS FLIGHT

DAYS 4–5

WINTERLAKE LODGE | IDITAROD MUSHERS’ ARRIVE

DAY 6

WINTERLAKE LODGE | DOGSLEDDING & THE GREAT OUTDOORS

DAY 7

ANCHORAGE | EXPERIENCING INDIGENOUS CULTURE

DAY 8

DEPART ANCHORAGE

INCLUDED WITH EVERY LUXURY TAILOR MADE JOURNEY

• One-of-a-kind Itinerary Designed for You
• Driver-guide and vehicle
• Hand-Selected Accommodations
• Exclusive Insider-Access Opportunities and Inspiring Sightseeing
• English-Speaking Local Guides
• Airport Meet and Greet with Private Transfers
• Full Breakfast Daily
• Entrance Fees and Taxes
• 24/7 A&K On-Call Support

Want more info? I don’t blame you.

Check this link and get on it: https://www.abercrombiekent.com/tours/luxury-tailor-made-travel/2021/alaska-call-of-the-iditarod

Do Denali

Denali Lake (c) Aramark Parks & Destinations

Denali… so cool they named an all terrain vehicle after it. Located just south of the Arctic Circle, Denali National Park (Koyukon Athabaskan for “The High One”, Dghelaayce ‘e in Ahtna) is the highest mountain peak in the United States and sees about 20 hours of sunlight in summer.

McKinley Chalet (c) Aramark Parks & Destinations

No day is this longer than the summer solstice on June 21, when Denali sees a full 20 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. These extremely long days are a great advantage to visitors, who can experience enough activities for two days in one making the most of their vacation: by land, air and water.

So, for those looking for an adventure (and wanting to take full advantage of the light), the experts at Denali Park Resorts, operators of the park’s bus tours and activities, have come up with a kickass itinerary for you.

What are you waiting for?

6 a.m.: Breakfast at the Courtyard Café. Opening at 4:30 a.m., McKinley Chalet Resort’s Courtyard Café is the perfect way to start the morning. Shuttles to all park activates leave from the Resort making it a convenient place to start the day.

Alaskan Meadow (c) Aramark Parks & Destinations

7 a.m.: Board the Kantishna Experience Bus Tour. This is the only guided bus tour that travels the full 92-miles of the park road, ending at the historic mining district of Kantishna, where the park’s original residents, explorers and stewards called home. At Kantishna you will visit Fannie Quigley’s home and enjoy lunch, while along the way you will have ample opportunity to photography Denali’s wildlife and hopefully see Mount McKinley.

Big Horn Sheep ‘Bond’ (c) Aramark Parks & Destinations

2 p.m.: Leave Kantisna aboard a Kantishna Air Taxi sightseeing plane. Now that you have seen Denali from the ground it’s time to get airborne to see this beautiful expanse from the sky. Your pilot will expertly guide you through the Alaska Range over glaciers, rivers and animals below. Weather permitting; you will fly over the north face of Mount McKinley for a spectacular view. An on board naturalist will help interpret the scenes below as you soar over the park.

Rafting in Denali (c) Aramark Parks & Destinations

6 p.m.: After arriving back to the hotel around 4 p.m., you’ll have some time to rest and recharge before heading to Explore Denali Rafting to see this beautiful landscape by water. The glacial-fed Nenana River makes up the eastern border of Denali National Park and rafting is the best way to experience its wonder. Protected from the icy waters with dry suits, rafters have three ways to run the river: grab an oar and be part of the action with a paddle run, sit back and let the guide do the rowing with a canyon run, or have a peaceful and relaxing float on a wilderness run.

10 p.m. Return to McKinley Chalet Resort or McKinley Village Lodge and enjoy dinner on the balcony. Don’t worry about it getting dark… sunset is still three hours away!

Kantishna Air Taxi can be booked at www.katair.com or by calling (907) 644-8222. A discount will be given on tours for those who book the air taxi out of the park.

www.denaliparkresorts.com