Alaska!
San Francisco to Seattle in 5 weeks
Areas traveled through: California, Oregon, Washington, Canada,
British Columbia, Yukon,
Alaska, Kenai Peninsula, Alaskan Inside Passage
If you want to actively experience the awesome rugged beauty, amazing wildlife,
and rich history of Alaska, this trip is for you!
Week one begins in the great city of San Francisco.
Some of the highlights in this California city include
Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Chinatown,
Fisherman’s Wharf or a bay cruise. We enjoy
stunning views of Mount Shasta in northern
California and the natural beauty of Oregon as we
head north. We pass through Portland before
leaving Oregon and head toward Mount St. Helen’s,
Mount Rainier and Seattle in the state of Washington.
Crossing the Canadian border we have time to check
out the cosmopolitan city of Vancouver. Here you
can roller blade in Stanley Park and check out the
historic Gas lamp district. Leaving city life behind
us we head out into the serene wilderness of Wells
Grey Provincial Park. Here we treasure amazing
canoeing and horseback riding in an area full of
Canadian loons and other wildlife.
Week two we will pass by the highest point in the
Canadian Rockies, Mount Robson. Our journey takes
us northward through small towns and villages along
the Yellowhead highway. Our first port of call is the
funky little Alaskan town of Hyder and the Bear
Glacier. On the Cassiar Highway we enjoy Dease
Lake and pristine wilderness. Amid spectacular
scenery, we head to Watson Lake on the way to
Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon and home to the
paddleboat steamer the “SS-Klondike”. Following
the Klondike up river we come to Dawson City
where the streets are “paved with gold”. Check out
Jack London’s Cabin, Bonanza Creek or Diamond
Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall.
Week three we travel along the Top of the World
Highway and pass historic towns like Chicken and
Boundary. Marvel at the Alaskan Pipeline. Cruising
between mountain ranges we come to Denali national
park. Options here include whitewater rafting, hiking
or flight seeing over Mt. McKinley, North America’s
highest peak. Watch for grizzly bears, Dahl sheep,
golden eagles, moose and other animals that live nearby.
We head south to explore special places such as Kenai
Fjords national park, Seward, old gold mine camp on
the
beautiful Kenai Peninsula.
Week four discover Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska,
which is, nestled on the edge of the Chugach Mountains.
Walk or bike to Earthquake Park for a nice view of Turnagain
Arm. We can view the mountains of Wrangell St. Elias, the
largest national park in the USA. Traveling along scenic
by-ways we have the chance to explore the beauty of the
Matanuska Glacier up close. We travel though the
unforgettable Kluane national park.
Week five we step back in time as we enter the gold rush
town of Skagway where it is easy to experience the 1890’s
like the gold miners did. Once on board ship, we sail through
the majestic coastal waters of the famous Inside Passage.
During our 3-day cruise we pass by such places as Haines,
Juneau, Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan. We have
many opportunities to view coastal wildlife such as the
bald eagle, tufted puffins, gray whales, killer whales,
Dahl porpoise and wildly beautiful scenery. Soon we reach
Seattle, home of the Space Needle, Microsoft,
Pike’s Place Market, Starbucks coffee, and Pioneer Square.
Included
in the Price
2 Hotel nights, 29 Camping nights
3 day ferry passage
Entrance into National parks and monuments
Approx.
50 group meals
Highlights
San Francisco, Cowboy ranch, Bear Glacier,
Dawson City, Kenai Peninsula, Seattle,
Klondike, Gold rush
Anchorage, Kenai Fjords, gold panning,
Whitehorse,
Yukon River, Golden Gate bridge
Optional
Activities
Horseback riding $75
Denali flight $200
Whitewater rafting $50
Space Needle $11
Gold panning $ 5
Overnight
canoe trip $100