Alaskan Spring Break DO - March 2009
 

So I'm itching to return to Alaska for spring break next year, and I'm wondering if any FTers would like to go?

Alaska in March is simply amazing. The weather has been generally excellent the last two years I've gone, I've always seen Aurora, all winter activities are available but nothing is overly crowded, and rates for hotels and things are (more) reasonable.

If you've never been to Alaska before, this is an excellent opportunity. If you have, you know how awesome it is. :p

The trip is broken into two segments, so you can attend the first, the second, or both. The first segment is Friday, March 13 to Monday, March 16. You would need to catch a flight to ANC on Friday the 13th (creepy... ;)) in time to catch the Saturday 8AM train from Anchorage (west coasters can work a full day Friday and catch the evening flights to ANC). You would return to Anchorage on Monday evening in time for the midnight bank of departures back to the lower-48 (so west coasters could work a full day Tuesday). For many, this means only one vacation day.

The second half of the trip is a driving trip and covers Anchorage and points south (Seward, Homer [maybe], Whittier, Girdwood). This part of the trip starts on Tuesday, March 17 and ends on either Thursday, March 19 or Friday, March 20.

I still need to work out some details on both segments, but should be able to post a fairly detailed itinerary tomorrow.

Be warned: Those who want to go for the second half of the trip (or the entire trip) will have to stick with the group for most of the second half due to transportation arrangements (no slumming it in a hotel room all day long). The only required activities for the first half of the trip are a train ride to Fairbanks and a return flight - everything else is optional.

I'll post an itinerary, estimated costs, and photos from previous trips tomorrow.

reserved for photos, itinerary, costs, etc.
 

Trip Part 1:

Friday, March 13/Saturday, March 14 (early):
Arrive ANC

Saturday, March 14
7:45am - Arrive Alaska Railroad Anchorage Train Depot
8:30am - Depart for Fairbanks (11 hours enroute, food for purchase)
7:45pm - Arrive Alaska Railroad Fairbanks Train Depot - transfer to hotel
9:00pm - World Ice Art Championships

Sunday, March 15
11:00am - Lunch and shopping/browsing in downtown Fairbanks
1:00pm - GCI North American Sled Dog Open (watch the start or shop if you don't want to watch)
?:??pm - Depart for Chena Hot Springs Resort
free time - enjoy the hot springs, dog mushing, cross-country skiing, snow machine rides, flightseeing, aurora viewing, etc.

Monday, March 16
10:00am - Depart Chena Hot Springs Resort
11:00am - North Pole, Alaska (mail a postcard or three)
12:00pm - Lunch in Fairbanks
1:30pm - Museum of the North @ University of Alaska - Fairbanks
4:00pm - Head over to FAI for flight to ANC
5:00pm - Flight to ANC (if everything's on time which it hasn't been :))
6:00pm - Arrive ANC
?:?? - enjoy some great food and drink in downtown Anchorage
late - Those wishing to end their trip here can do so and return home on one of the late-night flights.

Tuesday/Wednesday, March 17/18
See Supplemental Post w/ Options -> http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11025587-post63.html

reserved for attendees list
 

Confirmed/Highly Probable:
jackal
vysean
aviationkiwi (FAI portion only)
FCYTravis (FAI portion only)
AKDan
monitor+1 (FAI portion only)
BOB W (FAI portion only)
SeeYa (FAI portion only)

Interested/On the Fence:
GoingAway
aSiAnRiCk
wsucougarchick05 +1
Seat 2A (FAI only)
beckoa (FAI only)


Friday Night Pre-DO Dinner @ BOB W's:
monitor+1
SeeYa
BOB W


Monday Night Official DO-Close Dinner @ ??? (in ANC):
vysean
SeeYa

Wednesday Night Post-DO Dinner @ ???:

Jackal's group discount opportunities

Please PM me if you are interested in any of the following opportunities:

• Alaska Railroad ANC-FAI for $75
• Potential discounts at ANC Homewood Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn, and Embassy Suites (for before or after the FAI portion)
• Discounted rental cars in ANC (for before or after the FAI portion)
• Discounted rental cars in FAI (we already have one 8-passenger SUV booked and can arrange additional vehicles if we need)

Alaska Railroad ANC-FAI participants
vysean (I'm assuming!)
jackal
BOB W
monitor +1
SeeYa
aviationkiwi

Group sharing a car out to Chena Hotsprings
SUV #1
Toyota Sequoia with 8 seats, though person #8 is going to be squished and luggage space is limited
Total estimated cost: $160.47, which equals $26.75 per person (based on the number of planned participants; not including gas expenses).
1. jackal
2. vysean (I'm assuming!)
3. BOB W
4-5. monitor +1
6. SeeYa
7.
8.


Vehicle #2 (TBD if necessary)
1.

--

Consider me your first confirmed attendee/chief DO supporter/co-planner/local arrangement maker/go-fer!

I'll join for the whole thing, including the trip to Fairbanks (been looking for an excuse to visit friends up there). I'll have to make arrangements for taking off of work, but as I work in the tourism industry and it's the off-season (though business might pick up if the Iditarod and Fur Rondy's around the same dates--things which might be worth adding to the list of official festivities), it shouldn't have a problem.

Looking forward to it!

Do you feel like a tour director? :o

This sounds wonderful ... as an "east" coaster, I'll need about 3 days off but am definitely going to try to make this work so put me down as a possible. I have what has become a MR to ANC next month (very quick in/out) because I was maximizing miles and couldn't do even an overnight.

BTW, how do we transit from FAI to the North Pole? Renting cars?

It's about 10-15 miles from Fairbanks, so unless vysean wants to charter a bus or something, it probably will be rental cars. There's no real public transporation between the two that I know of.

I will try my best to make it. So consider me Interested and highly likely to attend.

Shockingly, despite Fairbank's abysmal (and in the winter, miserable) public transit "system", there is indeed a bus to North Pole: the Green Line. Route map here, schedule here. It's probably a reasonably efficient way to get out there, honestly, and much cheaper than renting a car.

(Don't get me wrong, I lived there for 18 years, never once road the bus, and had to look this up online. I'm as surprised as the next guy.)

Not to be contrary, but if you are in the tourism industry in ANC, you should know that the start of the Iditarod is the first Saturday in March (3/7/09) and that Rondy is the 2 weeks before that. Shouldn't be a scheduling conflict if the DO starts March 13/14.

So if we went up a few days earlier, we might see the end of the race if we jumped over to Nome or some other spot en route? That would be pretty cool --- just need to see my options and look for award seats as the flights at least to Nome looked pricey (not suprising).

Are hotels totally impossible to find up there?

ps Still so far in the future, I don't know if I really can attend, but I do have an award ticket up to ANC just in case it works out

Hey...we just take the reservations as we get 'em...

Summer, yes. Winter, even during Rondy/Iditarod, no. There's a slight spike in activity, but it pales in comparison to the throngs of tourists that arrive June, July and August. Hotel and rental car rates might go up a few bucks, but availability isn't a problem that time of year.

Unfortunately, my spring break at the University of Alaska Fairbanks will be the previous week - the 9th through the 13th. :(

However, I would love to get together with everyone on the 14th, 15th and 16th.

If there's interest and time, I can possibly arrange for an hour-long private tour of my workplace, the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute, including the Alaska Satellite Facility, the Alaska Volcano Observatory and the Alaska Earthquake Information Center.

Yeah, but the Chena Hot Springs legs will require a rental car - there's definitely no public transportation up to there.

My award ticket is history along with UA in ANC :( ... I'll look into that later on if it looks iikely I can make this.

Well, if you can make it up, we'd love to see ya! ;)

Put me down as a maybe. I had fun in Alaska earlier this month. Let's hope there's another mistake fare from MIA on CO :D

US still flies into ANC year-round, I think... you could try getting a Star Alliance award on them, if you can stand to fly US for a few hours.

Just got back from ANC with really great memories. Put me down as a high probability maybe.

Great to see you folks wanting to come back! Enjoyed our visits and would love to see you all again! :)

Pass (was offered a US F as an alternative - also I'm hoping US will be out of *A by the time I visit ANC again)

happy to report that was able to use my DL Skymiles for a STL-ANC-STL Skysaver. I will be there Mar 13-16. Looking forward to my first visit to Alaska.

bump - any more news?

You'll have a fantastic time! I've done Fairbanks the past two March's (07 and 08). Both trips were timed around the Open North American Championships and the Int'l Ice Art. I had outstanding aurora photography opportunities in 07 but not so much in 08 (only one night out of eight).

I wish I could join your trip in 2009 but conflicts in dates and a trip to Flagstaff will keep me away next year.

I've written several journals that include photos on the travel site www.igougo.com. My guide name is MilwVon there. Here is a link to my writings and photos there: http://www.igougo.com/share/viewer.aspx?MemberID=347099 .

Feel free to write me off-list with any questions you may have :)

Von

Great idea! My track record to get to ANC or anywhere else in AK for Do's has been pretty dismal, but count me in for this one...I'll make it work.

We have always wanted to go to Fairbanks at the season of the Aurora but have always hesitated because of the weather.

Sooooooo, we would only consider the first leg of this trip (having visited the second half destinations a few times in the summer) but are still hesitating. Mark us down as observing what is going on but questionable. At the very least, I have bumped this very interesting thread up to the top.

There's no question about it. You're coming. Even if I have to come down to PBI and drag you back in my checked luggage. Or drive you back up the Alcan in a 12-passenger van... :D

Seriously, looking forward to seeing you guys again if you can at all possibly make it!

Put me and my Mom down as maybes. Don't know how long we'd be there or when, but we'll try to make it.

oh no... not the Cult Van! EEK!

Well, FT sort of is a cult, you know...

I do have a van here:p...
but probably will be in school:( since as FCYTravis reported earlier, the UA system is on break the previous weekend)...

I could join a couple in the BR though:D... and our school schedule is subject to change...

Speaking of which... isn't jackal supposed to be finishing his last semester then?

Well since jackal has no question, I decided to fool around with award availabilities and mirabile dictu, there they were, arriving ANC on Wednesday night and leaving on one of the Monday night redeyes.

So, whenever he gets around to compiling an attendee list, vysean can put us down as extremely probable for the first half of the proposed DO, since any more time than a few days in Alaska in the winter would completely congeal our South Florida blood. :o

My sincere apologies to all for the lack of routine updates - we've got about four months to go so I'll get some additional info on hotel options in the next week or two.

Looks like most people will be coming for the first part - which is a really spectacular time if the weather is remotely decent (and it has been the last two times I've done this).

For the second half, I'm going to play it by ear a bit more given the lack of interest. In previous years the second half would go like this:

ANC -> Seward
Kenai Fijords Tour
Tour Seward Sealife Center
Exit Glacier
Seward -> Homer (or overnight Seward)

Tour Homer
Pratt Museum
Homer -> Girdwood
Snowmachine trip (really awesome if the weather's decent - fun even if not)
Girdwood -> ANC
Earthquake Park
Art Museum
Mall (Iditarod Store there is great for souvenirs)

The Homer -> Girdwood -> Anchorage day is a long one, and I've nearly missed the snowmachine trip before because of it, so it would be best to make this two days (overnight in Girdwood before the snowmachine trip).

Additionally, the roads can be fairly treacherous between Girdwood and Seward, though they've been very good (in my experience) in and around Fairbanks and Anchorage.

Can everyone who has expressed interest in this review the attendees list on the first page and let me know if I've got you in the proper category and with the proper number of people?

Finally, is there any interest in a sled dog outing? I've done an overnight before and wouldn't recommend it unless you're very comfortable with outdoor camping in extreme cold weather, but a short day outing might be a possibility. It's a pretty incredible experience - gives you a lot of respect both for the dogs and for the mushers.

Once again, sorry for the delay in updates - I'll post some more updates very shortly... :)

Looking forward to seeing you all in a few months (if not before)!

Sean

I'm not sure of my March plans just yet (I may be in Florida camping in the Everglades and attending the Suwannee Springfest) It all depends upon what day I leave Fairbanks.

I'll keep an eye on this and hope to attend some of the Fairbanks area activities.

Thanks for the update, Sean. I'm afraid my plans for March have changed - my skiing group decided to go skiing that week in Co. Transatlantic on AA in Y - aaargh! (Thought about upgrading myself but didn't think that would go down too well with the rest of the gang ;) )

Unfortunately, you will have to count me out this time. Shame - I was looking forward to catching up with jackal and BOBWagain and maybe even managing the pint with aSiAnRiCk that proved so elusive last time around.

Hope you all have a great time. I'll be thinking of you

Too bad--but you're welcome any time! We'll miss you, though.

Would be great to meet Cholula and to see Seat 2A and monitor again if possible.

If we get a bunch more people interested, I have some connections in the travel industry here that might be able to get us group discounts on hotel rooms and rental cars.

Apparently jackal is present and accounted for but we have not yet heard from BOB W. He might as well declare himself in right now because we expect to spend much of the Thursday and Friday before the DO keeping warm by eating his food and raiding his wine cellar. :D

I just found out today, that it looks like I'll have 5 days of vacation rolling over to 2009 that I'll need to use in 1Q2009. This looks like a great (and productive) way to use those days.

Please add me as highly interested. I added a subscription to this thread, and will keep an eye out for updates, probably look at airfare after Jan 1. Main thing that would keep me away would be a cheap fare to Europe.

Looks like I'm in MIA for the 7th-15th... and then I have college upon returning to AK... so I might be able to join up for a dinner here & there...

It is an award flight I am on... so *maybe* I could change my flight to go MIA-FAI vs. MIA-ANC and join the FT crowd for monday... (but will have to see, as I am supposed to attend classes then... hmm...

Sorry to hear that, superscot, and I hope you have a great time on your trip! I have a feeling this will be offered again in 2010, and I hope that it's enjoyable enough for those coming in a few months that we'll see some of the same attendees at DO II.

Done, and I hope to change that to confirmed - would enjoy having you join us, though you might question that decision when you depart Phoenix's balmy spring weather for the cold reality of Fairbanks... :D

It'll no doubt be cheaper to fly to Europe than to ANC given the relative lack of lift up there. :(

How is there any question about this? :p Classes = every day. Random FTers not used to cold weather = once a year. If you're in town, you could at least join us the night we arrive and perhaps two days later before we hop the flight back to ANC.

I think a meal at the Turtle Club is in order since I've never eaten there but keep hearing how good it is. Otherwise, I've been somewhat unimpressed by the FAI dining options - Taco Bell, some steamship-looking thing, the pizza joint that's open late at night on the northeast side of town, the Princess Lodge, and Subway. I'm doing something wrong... :p

Oh well, there's a Thai joint one street back from where they run the dogs for the GCI sprint that was pretty tasty, and an Italian joint down the street that's not bad either (though I got it confused with the restaurant in the Marriott which is reputed to be one of the best restaurants in Fairbanks, if I recall correctly.)