This was going to be a personal vacation, but it sounds like some FTers will be joining me and I figured perhaps others would be interested as well, if not for this trip, then possibly for the itinerary ideas for future trips...

Dates are fixed as they are during my school's spring break (sorry).

Friday, March 16:
Fly to Anchorage (arrive midnight Friday night/Saturday morning)

Saturday
Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Fairbanks (~12 hours)
World Ice Art Championships
Aurora viewing if weather cooperates

Sunday
North American Sled Dog Open (last day of a 3-day competition, awards are given at the end)
University of Alaska Museum of the North
Drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort?
Aurora viewing if weather cooperates

Monday
Dog sledding
North Pole, AK (good place to mail postcards to friends/family )
Sunset flight to ANC - great views of the Alaska Range and Denali / Mt. McKinley if weather cooperates.

Tuesday - Timing on this leg doesn't work - I'll have to re-think
Drive to Seward
Seward Harbor cruise
Alaska Sealife Center
Drive to Homer
Photography

Wednesday
Drive to Girdwood
Snow machine trip to glacier (~3 hours)
Alaska Wild Animal Preserve
Drive to Anchorage

Thursday
Earthquake Park
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Brewpub circuit (Sleeping Lady, Glacier, Moose's Tooth, Bear Tooth - start your pint glass collection if you haven't already )

Friday March 23
Slack day in case of itinerary changes?
Fly home (most flights depart between 12am-2am Saturday the 24th)

Last year's trip was jam-packed, but oddly relaxing and incredibly beautiful. The weather ranged from lows of -10 to highs in the 40s. The sun was out most days and made it very comfortable. I would expect similar conditions this year.

On the dogsled trip last year we went about 20 miles, camped out overnight, and returned the next morning. It was incredible but cold (we were in a regular Eureka camping tent) with temperatures dropping to -10. It was the only night that we had good aurora viewing conditions, and the display was mediocre (though it looks good in the photos).

If anyone's interested in dogsledding, I would probably pick a different location/itinerary, or at least ensure we had more adequate sleeping arrangements - all of our in-tent equipment was soaked, and the last thing you want on a -10 degree night is a soaked sleeping bag, etc.

For any Anchorage or Fairbanks-based FTers (or those residing nearby), we'd love to have you for any part of the trip that you can make.

We're currently reviewing options and hoping to arrange a mini-DO for dinner and drinks Monday the 19th or Tuesday the 20th in Anchorage, possibly at the Sleeping Lady/Snow Goose, Bear Tooth Grill, or Glacier Brewhouse (or another location altogether).

More info to come as details are finalized...

Confirmed:
vysean
uva185

Interested:
EdisonCarter
MapleLeaf

Not Able to Attend:
tmartazu
skye1
gforce

reserved for future use...

Dang and double dang!!
Why did I have to book a stupid BNA-LAX MR in the middle of spring break?
Can you move the events around a little bit? I might be able to join in from Friday through Monday. My school's spring break party begins the week before spring break.

I think I am going to go up Friday - Monday (possibly Thursday - Monday). We also talked about doing having dinner and drinks in downtown ANC after the sunset flight to ANC before I flew back home at midnight.

Now this sounds fascinating to say the least.

Apart from the flights, how much does all this cost?

train tickets?
accomodations?
dog sleds?
cruise?

Not sure if my budget can handle something of this calibre.

wow, this sounded so very cool....until I realized my school's spring break was the week after...great itinerary, 'tho, to keep in mind...

If you can fly out Friday night (as scheduled), you could still do all of the Fairbanks-area activities and meet everyone for dinner and drinks in Anchorage.

If you can fly out a day early (Thursday night departure, arriving ANC Friday ~1am), I would recommend one of the following options:

1. Stay in Anchorage - visit Earthquake Park, the Alaska Native Heritage Museum, the Anchorage Mall (it's a mall, like any other, but with a few unique/touristy shops like the Iditarod store), and drive towards Girdwood (turn around at some point and enjoy the view).

2. Go to Girdwood (45-60 minute drive from downtown ANC), stop at the Great Alaskan Tourist Trap / Glacier City Snowmobiles and do the longer snowmachine trip. It's awesome - they'll give you all the gear you'll need, and you ride along a marsh/frozen river to the edge of a glacier. Great photo ops and a cool experience. Runs about $200. This is the same thing we would be doing Thursday or Friday.

Depending on how you time it, you could conceivably do both options on Friday before the rest of us arrive.

Let me know if you're still interested and I'll update the attendee list.

Hope you can join us!

Sean

Train and one-way air transport are a package deal with the Alaska Railroad - they run $269 total (taxes/fees included). You could book the train and flight seperately if you found a better deal on the AS flight (AKRR charges $137).

Accomodations will depend on how nice of a room you want and if you want to share with someone else. Generally you can find nice rooms for $60-$85 this time of year. There are both a Hilton and a Sheraton in Anchorage, but to my knowledge, neither chain has hotels in Fairbanks, Seward, or Homer, and it will cost you more than $65 for a room. Last year my average hotel stay was $100, but I booked things last minute so I could change my schedule at any time and stayed at pretty nice hotels.

Dog sled costs also depend on how long you want to go and how much you want to do. Some are as cheap as $35, and the one I did last year was $500 - they go way up from there. Depending on group size, we may be able to negotiate a better rate. The introductory one offered at the Chena Hot Springs Resort is $60, but I think better deals exist.

The cruise is a day cruise only, a very basic lunch is included as is admission to the Alaska Sealife Center. The cost is $69 plus taxes and fees (I think it ends up being $76 total).

More info on the train ride is here:
http://www.alaskarailroad.com/arrc18.html#50

More info on the Chena Hot Springs Resort and other winter activities here:
http://www.chenahotsprings.com/splas...Activities.php

More info on the day cruise here:
http://www.kenaifjords.com/638.cfm

More info for the snowmachine trip ($225) later in the week or for those coming a day early can be found here:
http://www.summersnowmobile.com/winter.html

Assuming you do all activities, you'd be looking at $630, exlcuding hotels, food, and a portion of the rental car. You can skip any of the activities (and I found the day cruise to be the least worthwhile - but weather played a factor). Food is not unreasonable (plan on $10 for lunch, $15-$20 for dinner).

Museums/parks/places-with-admission-fees we would go to include:

Pratt Museum in Homer ($6)
Alaska Sealife Center in Seward ($included in cruise or $15)
Alaska Native Heritage Center in Anchorage ($20.75 for ANHC and the Anchorage Museum of History and Art)
University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks ($10)
World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks ($8)

In my opinion, the coolest "expensive" things are:
The train ride to Fairbanks/flight back to Anchorage ($269)
Snowmachining ($225)
Dogsledding ($varies)


The best cheap things are:
Viewing the aurora if the weather cooperates (free)
The Pratt Museum ($6)
Driving around Homer (free)
The drive between Anchorage and Seward (free)
Sampling beers and good food at the local Anchorage brewpubs
A smoothie at the smoothie place on the food court level of the mall ($4)

The Sealife Center in Seward is cool to see, but IMO very expensive for what you get. I guess maybe I'm just out of touch with admission prices at museums. I've never been to the ANHC, so I don't know anything about it.

Hope you can make it!

Sean

Sean,

This sounds like a great trip! Too bad I don't have a week available during that timeframe...otherwise I'd go!

tmartazu
PS. I'm going to save this thread as reference for a future trip!

Ditto....great idea. "Itinerary" cut & pasted & saved.

Sounds like a fun trip..put me on the 'maybe' list for now. I'll definitely post my final decision sometime next week.

I've updated the attendees list.

For those on the fence, you'll have a blast, even if you only show up for a long weekend (but I hope you're not paying much for the ticket if that's the case). ^ ^

For those wanting the itinerary, I'll dig out the copy that I used from '06 that has names, telephone numbers, and other useful information and email it off to you. I've got a great September itinerary too, if you're more interested in that timeframe (8 days, flexible start/end).

About the only difference you'll notice in going a week later in March is that the Fairbanks activities are curtailed (no North American Sled Dog Open and no World Ice Art Championships). However whale watching cruises start that week so you have something to look forward to. Most other activities should remain the same.

Just wanted to add I will be arriving late Thursday night (3/15) and leaving late night Monday (3/19). So if anyone else is doing the long weekend thing I'll be around all day Friday.

"Stealing the Itinerary"

....or, just "attending the second showing"