Traveling
Troubadour proudly presents
Cruising the
Great Land of
Alaska
July 1-8, 2012!
with optional land tour
(only
available in combination with cruise)
July 8-13, 2012
Watch in awe as we sail out
of Vancouver onboard Holland America's ms Statendam, bound for
forested isles,
icy-blue glaciers and charming frontier ports! Breathe the fresh air as we thread
through the Inside Passage where fir forests slip by seemingly close enough to
touch. Experience the wonder as whales, puffins and Glacier Bay National Park's
active tidewater glaciers come into view.
Travel
back in time to a land where Ice Age giants dominate the landscape.
Where whales, moose, bear and eagles roam free.
This truly will be the trip of a lifetime!
By Sea:
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Sunday-July 1, 2012 |
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
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5:00 p.m. |
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Monday-July 2, 2012 |
Scenic cruising Inside Passage |
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Tuesday-July 3, 2012 |
Ketchikan, Alaska |
7:00 a.m. | 3:00 p.m. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Wednesday-July 4, 2012 |
Juneau, Alaska |
10:00 a.m. | 10:30 p.m. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thursday-July 5, 2012 |
Skagway, Alaska |
7:00 a.m. | 9:00 p.m. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Friday-July 6, 2012 |
Scenic cruising |
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| Saturday-July 7, 2012 |
At Sea (Gulf of Alaska) |
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| Sunday-July 8, 2012 |
Seward (Anchorage), Alaska |
6:00 a.m. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
We
begin our cruise adventure in: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver
has been rightfully acknowledged as one
of the world's great cities. Beautifully situated between majestic mountains and
the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver boasts world class museums, galleries, boutiques,
colorful public markets, and restaurants of every ethnicity. You might
want to come in early and take a visit to vibrant Chinatown and Stanley Park,
with its 1,000 acres of forests, gardens, lakes and lawns in the heart of the
city.
Sunday you arrive at the cruise dock, board our luxury cruise ship and prepare
for
the journey of a lifetime! As we cruise through the Inside Passage the shimmering waterways,
towering mountains and ice-blue glaciers of America's
last true wilderness will unfold before you. The fabled Inside Passage is one of the
most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail
close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred
shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history,
culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the
Inside Passage is a lifeline to the outside world. All day long it hums
with activity. An
on-board naturalist will
be on hand to present intriguing commentary throughout your cruise.
Cozy up in a teak lounge chair and watch Alaska's majestic
scenery glide by. Keep your eyes open, you never know when an eagle will soar
overhead or a pod of orca whales will appear!
Ketchikan,
Alaska
Known as "Alaska's First City," Ketchikan is Alaska's southern most port and the
first major town pioneers and prospectors came to heading north. Built out over
the water and climbing weathered stairways, Ketchikan clings to the shores of
Tongass Narrows and drapes the mountains with a cheerful air. Besides the main
attractions - Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State
Park and Saxman Village, try a flightseeing trip to breathtaking Misty Fjords
National Monument--a transformational adventure not to be missed. These deep
water fjords left by retreating glaciers left granite cliffs towering thousands
of feet above the sea and countless waterfalls cascading into placid waters.
An exhilarating water landing in Misty Fjords gives you the opportunity to
experience the silence, serenity, and monumental beauty that surrounds you. We took
these pictures on a previous trip to give you an idea. The one on the right was
taken from the pontoons of our plane when it landed on a mountain lake in the Misty
Fjords. The one on the left is Creek Street.
Juneau, Alaska
Located at the foot of grand mountain peaks on the Gastineau Channel, the town
of Juneau, Alaska's capital city, has the massive Mendenhall Glacier and the
immense Juneau Icefields at its back door. Juneau is the place to let your
imagination run wild. Explore the lush Tongass National Forest. Visit the rustic
shops in town. Or get out and kayak, dogsled, raft, hike, whale watch, flightsee
or fish. There’s no end to the adventure because of the long daylight hours.
Climb aboard the Mt. Roberts Tramway for a great spot to hike and shoot a
souvenir photo.
Skagway,
Alaska
The sidewalks are all but rolled up in Skagway come winter, so you can only
imagine the frightful conditions endured by the gold prospectors who passed
through en route to the Yukon, with a mandatory ton of supplies to be hauled
with them over the steep and treacherous Trail of '98. Today, summertime visits
to Skagway require nothing of the sort, but you can still ride the antique White
Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway up through silvery-purple rock faces, past
Deadhorse Gulch, to see what it was like back then.
Take your time and poke into every little store from the Trail Bench to Lynch &
Kennedy's Dry Goods. The Red Onion Saloon, with its honky-tonk piano and
costumed barmaids, is a treasure trove of memorabilia featuring pictures of
Klondike Kate, Peahull Annie and other vintage characters. To complete the
picture of those rip-roaring days, visit the nostalgic Trail of '98 Museum. The
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park boasts restored buildings and wooden
boardwalks that invite you to take a stroll into the past.
Glacier Bay National Park
As
Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Glacier Bay National Park protects a
unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial
landscape. How does it feel when a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and
crashes into the sea? The sound is like thunder. The impact shoots water hundreds of feet
into the air. You hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it
all to happen again. And it does. Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers
than anyplace else in the world!
Gulf of Alaska Cruising
As
we make our way to Seward, the port for Anchorage, we will enjoy a day of cruising
in the Gulf of Alaska. Watch for wildlife, wonder and the kind of beauty that makes
your heart stand still. In this part of the world whales breach, eagles soar, and
pristine beauty can move you to tears. Sit back, relax and breathe in the fresh air.
Enjoy your beautiful floating palace and this natural wonderland for one more day!
Seward, Alaska%20Alaska.jpg)
The cruise portion of our adventure ends in Seward (Anchorage) Alaska.
Anchorage, beautifully situated on Cook Inlet and surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, is
a hub of activity with everything from fine restaurants and frontier saloons to museums
and art galleries. It is from here that those of you who have chosen to continue on
the land tour will prepare to immerse yourself in the wonder, magic and mystery of the
Great Land of Alaska. If you are not able to continue on the land tour, consider extending your stay in this cosmopolitan
city of Anchorage and take advantage of the many optional tours that spotlight Alaska's
history, culture and outdoors lifestyle. You may want to visit the Alaska Native
Heritage Center, where village elders and apprentice youth - known as Native
Tradition Bearers - demonstrate the time-honored customs and crafts of the
various Native groups.
By
Land:
(only available in combination with cruise)
Sunday, July 8, 2012 - Seward/Anchorage
Monday, July 9, 2012
- Anchorage/Denali
Tuesday, July
10, 2012 - Denali National Park Every turn on the Park Road brings a new wonder as you journey miles into this
astounding wilderness preserve with your knowledgeable driver/guide. Watch for ptarmigan,
Alaska's state bird, in the open valleys. See golden eagles patrolling the higher
elevations and ridge tops. And listen to ravens, magpies and gray jays chattering in the
brush. With any luck, you'll see grizzlies crossing braided streams, Dall sheep traversing
rugged cliffs and moose foraging in upland meadows. And this unfolding adventure leads to
the lofty, isolated grandeur of Mt. McKinley itself - a wonder to behold. Later
hike, river raft, flightsee or just relax at your cozy lodge.
Thursday, July 12, 2012 - Fairbanks
Upon our arrival, you will enjoy a morning in Seward and lunch aboard our ship. Then
say "hello" to your Tour Director and set off along the "All-American Road," traveling
past scenic Turnagain Arm and lovely Cook Inlet. Check into your downtown hotel and overnight in Anchorage,
soaking up the flavor of Alaska's most cosmopolitan city.
In the morning, board the spacious domed railcars of the McKinley Explorer
The next morning you will take the full Tundra Wilderness Tour into Denali Park. Get to
know Alaska as few ever do. Denali National Park and Preserve is a park of international
significance. It features North America's highest mountain, 20,320-foot tall Mount
McKinley. The Alaska Range also includes countless other spectacular mountains and many
large glaciers. The park was established as Mount McKinley National Park on Feb. 26, 1917.
The original park was designated a wilderness area and incorporated into Denali National
Park and Preserve in 1980. It is the largest continually protected natural ecosystem in
the world. Watch for moose, sheep, caribou and bear and marvel at massive icefields.
Wednesday,
July 11, 2012 - Denali/Fairbanks
After a morning and early afternoon at leisure, board our luxury domed railcars again for
the scenic journey to Fairbanks. Upon arrival in Alaska's "Golden Heart" city, you will be
transferred to your hotel for an evening on your own for frontier fun or optional
excursions.
When
all stakes had been claimed and the rush for gold had faded in the Klondike, the
sourdoughs headed west toward Fairbanks in the hopes of making their fortunes there.
Trouble was, the gold in Fairbanks lay buried deep under a layer of "muck" that had to be
dug out. Thus the gold dredge was conceived, a sort of floating gold pan that combined the
four parts of the mining process - digging, sorting, gold-saving and disposal of tailings.
One of these giant diggers was Gold Dredge No. 8, a massive four-story-tall machine that
was in operations right up until 1959. The dredge represents such a valuable landmark to
the historical archives of Alaska that it has been placed on the register of National
Historic Sites. Today it is one of the few gold dredges still open to the public. Holland
America Line purchased and restored the dredge in 1996. Now owned and operated by the
Binkley family of Fairbanks, a visit to Gold
Dredge No. 8 also includes the unique and
memorable El Dorado Gold Mine experience where guests are able to take a step back in time
aboard a narrow gauge railroad, explore a permafrost tunnel, and even try their hand at
gold panning – all accompanied by a hearty lunch. After lunch, you will complete your
adventure with a visit to a replicated native village and see a bush pilot demonstration
while cruising aboard the sternwheeler Discovery. Say a fond farewell
to your Tour Concierge and enjoy your last night in this magical land as
you prepare to leave the next morning with many fond memories of a most incredible
vacation!
Friday, July 13, 2012 - Tour Ends
Today you will
transfer from your hotel to the Fairbanks airport to board your flight home.
** Please note
that meals are NOT included on the land tour, except the one lunch as noted.**
Please call for current availability and pricing!
***Note:
All U. S. and Canadian citizens must carry a
passport
that is valid for six months beyond the duration of the cruise.***
Call
(800) 584-6724
or (540)
887-8491
©2011 Traveling Troubadour, L. L. C.