Thinking Of Traveling To Alaska?(Part II)

Given the wide variety of travel options, it’s hard to be precise. If you can be flexible, you can often find a return flight from Seattle to Anchorage for around $250. Although it’s closer, flying to Juneau will cost more, from $50-100 usually--US dollars of course. From Vancouver to Whitehorse, return; expect to pay at least $200, Canadian.

• Drivers will find gasoline prices moderate in Canada and low to moderate in Alaska, thanks to the oil pipeline.

• Restaurant prices run higher everywhere; budget about 20% more than you’d need in urban Canada or the U.S. Motel and hotel costs are similar to those down south; don’t be afraid to bargain during the off or shoulder season.

• Cruise fares are complex and bewildering, but if you’re prepared to do the homework and cost comparison required, you can obtain remarkable deals. It’s possible to snag an inside stateroom for a seven-day cruise between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, for under $700 per person. This includes stateroom and meals, but no alcohol or shore excursions. Still, it’s a deal that’s hard to beat. For a romantic getaway, consider traveling in the early shoulder season and apply the savings to upgrading to an outside stateroom with a veranda.

Norm:

If you had to choose 6 unequalled venues in Alaska and the Yukon Territory for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or wedding destination, which would you choose and why?

I noticed that you had mentioned to me there is some great hot springs just south of the Yukon border on the Alaska Highway and in central Alaska. Perhaps, you would like to elaborate as how this venue qualifies as a unique romantic destination?

Nancy:

Only 6? That’s not easy; I’ll have to commune with my inner travel agent! OK, here goes.

For more information, my book Going Places: Alaska and the Yukon for Families explores each of these destinations in greater detail. Government Web sites are another good resource.

• Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska

It’s accessible (Alaska Airlines offers service to Gustavus, just outside the park) and offers a taste of just about everything the north has to offer. Although Gustavus has excellent B&Bs, for honeymooners I recommend staying at Glacier Bay Lodge, the only accommodation inside the park, which offers rustic comfort (get a room with a view of Bartlett Cove), fine dining, and activities like kayaking, fishing, biking, guided boat tours of Glacier Bay, and free guided hikes with park rangers. Go flightseeing high above the bay to get a look at the enormous icefields that generate the glaciers. If time allows, extend your trip to Juneau (a gorgeous, 3-hour ferry trip south) to visit Mendenhall Glacier, tour superb museums, shop for Tlingit art and take a boat tour to Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness. The lodge is open and tours are offered between late May and early September.

• Haines Junction, YT

Come again? You may never have heard of it, but this tiny town perched at the edge of Canada’s spectacular Kluane National Park has a lot to offer--location, location, location, as they say in real estate. It’s highway-accessible from Skagway (4.5 hours), Haines (3 hours) and Whitehorse (1.5 hours). The national park’s main visitor centre is in town along with a superb small European-style inn--the Raven--with 12 spacious rooms and one of Canada’s top restaurants. Also in town are several decent motels and an excellent bakery and cafe. From here, you can access excellent hiking trails for all levels of fitness, and explore the largest protected wilderness in the world. You will need a vehicle. If you don’t have one with you, rentals are available in Haines, Skagway and Whitehorse. Or book a stay with one of the area’s full-service resorts and let them take you exploring. NOTE TO CANADIANS: For reasons no one seems able to explain, Canadians are not permitted to bring a vehicle into Canada, which they have rented in the US. Luckily, Whitehorse has many rental outlets.

• Homer, Alaska

On the southwest of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is the better part of a day’s drive from Anchorage. It’s tiny (about 4,000 residents) but with city-sized amenities--such as one of Alaska’s best bookstores, a first-rate museum, and exceptional arts and crafts galleries. Homer Spit, which extends 4.4 miles into scenic Kachemak Bay, is studded with cafes and shops. At the far end, with Homer’s best view, is Land’s End Resort, a great destination for honeymooners. Book a suite or rent a luxurious condo. The restaurant is first rate. Soak in the hot tub at the water’s edge and watch the sea otters float by.

• Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska

First the bad news: Unless you are lucky enough to win the road lottery ...