Travel Notes: Alaska great travel spot, be prepared to rough it

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Alaska is a great summer destination for all ages. What a magnificent, beautiful place. Alaska covers a vast area that requires a minimum of two to three weeks to see the highlights.|ret||ret||tab|

The tour I experienced covered an area that is often missed, simply because most people don't have the time to see it all in one trip.|ret||ret||tab|

We flew to Fairbanks where it was daylight for 22 hours, and boarded a sternwheeler for a narrated river cruise. Along the river we saw elk, ravens and bald eagles' nests, and also salmon wheels with salmon drying, Iditerod dogs and their trainers, and some very creative housing by some of the unique individuals who live in Alaska.|ret||ret||tab|

The next day started a two-day motor coach trip through the Canadian Yukon. It sounded grueling until we saw the motor coach. It was complete with footrests, adjustable seats, VCRs and a lounge car in the back where refreshments were served by an attendant. |ret||ret||tab|

The Yukon was definitely wilderness it's very sparsely populated and hotels are much more rustic. Don't expect phones in each room or a selection of channels on television, but you are likely to see moose by the lakes you pass along the road and breathtaking scenery. |ret||ret||tab|

We knew we had experienced wilderness when many people in the group I traveled with wanted to take a picture of the stoplight in Whitehorse as we pulled into town. Upon arrival in Whitehorse, we boarded a narrow gauge railcar to Skagway. The trip was truly awesome, and was narrated with historical facts about Dead Horse Gulch and the gold rush days. We started out surrounded by patches of snow and ended in warm sunshine with miles of beauty in between as we wound around mountains and through valleys. |ret||ret||tab|

The highlight of the trip for me came in Skagway when I took a helicopter ride to a glacier. We buzzed over whales and Dall sheep on the mountainside before landing on the glacier. |ret||ret||tab|

Once there, we were greeted by a guide who claims he has the most glorious office in the world. After 10 years of educating people about glaciers, he had not lost any enthusiasm.|ret||ret||tab|

The next stop was Juneau. You can only reach it by air or water. There are no roads going into Juneau. Because of that fact, Alaskans have been debating about moving the state capitol to Anchorage as a more easily accessible, central location.|ret||ret||tab|

Juneau is a fun city many art shops and restaurants, free concerts in the park during summer months, and it is very picturesque. The Red Dog Saloon is a must-stop, sure to add to your cultural knowledge of Alaska.|ret||ret||tab|

The only wildlife I had hoped to see, but didn't, were bears. On the flight home I was informed by an Alaskan living in Ketchikan, that the best place to see bears was at the town garbage dump.|ret||ret||tab|

The people who live in Alaska were really fun to visit. They often have jobs that allow them to travel, or work in the lower 48 states during the winter months. Many seem to share a great sense of humor and a love of the outdoors.|ret||ret||tab|

(Linda Strait is president of House of Travel Inc., a full-service travel agency in Springfield.)[[In-content Ad]]