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Alaskan DestinationsPerfect Trip IdeasSeasickness no problem when you visit Prince William Sound with Phillips Cruises and Tours A trip to Alaska isn’t complete without a wildlife- or glacier-viewing day cruise, but some visitors shy away from these experiences because of the potential for seasickness. But one Alaska tour company has the answer: a no-seasickness guarantee. If a passenger on Phillips’ Cruises & Tours 26 Glacier Cruise to Prince William Sound loses his or her lunch while cruising, the full fare will be refunded. The glacier tour departs from Whittier and takes visitors through Southcentral Alaska’s famed Prince William Sound, where they are treated to no fewer than 26 Alaska glaciers in College Fjord and Barry Arm, along with opportunities to see whales, sea otters, seals, sea lions and myriad other wild critters. The vessel Klondike Express is a 137-foot catamaran that cruises at 42 knots – nearly 50 miles per hour – but is very stable due to its wide, double-hull design. The company almost never has to make good on its no-seasickness pledge. For more information, visit www.26glaciers.com. Learn from the pros at the Kenai Fishing Academy When you were in college, did you dream of a masters degree in fishing? Here’s the next best thing: Kenai Peninsula College’s Kenai Fishing Academy. Instructors, including biologists and professional guides on the world-famous Kenai River, teach you to fish like a pro during five days of intense classroom and shore-side instruction in either spin casting using lures and bait or fly fishing. Although you won’t receive college credit, the class is more than worth the time spent. During the course, students fly in to remote locations for field experience to complement their classroom learning, and both courses of study culminate in a full day of guided fishing; general fishing students will fish for king salmon and barn-door size halibut in Cook Inlet, while fly fishing students will experience drift-boat fishing on the upper Kenai River. Classroom instruction covers topics like fish characteristics, lure selection, casting techniques, fly tying, fish biology and how to fillet, smoke, can and freeze your catch. The five-day packages include all instruction, accommodations and meals for just $1,370 per student with a 10 percent discount for registration before March 1, 2004. A day-student option also is available for $1,070. Fishing classes are available June 20-25 or July 4-9, 2004; Fly Fishing classes are slated for Aug. 1-6 and Aug. 15-20, 2004. For more information, visit the Kenai Fishing Academy on the web at http://kenaifishing.kpc.alaska.edu/. Northern Alaska Tour Company offers Arctic Circle aurora tours In winter above the Arctic Circle, the only sounds are the jangling harness of your dog team and the easy swish of sled runners on snow. The dogs’ breath hits the cold air in quick, visible puffs. After dark, the cold, starry sky yields to displays of the aurora borealis like none other on earth. This year, a Fairbanks-based tour operator, Northern Alaska Tour Company, is expanding its winter offerings to include this experience and others in four-day/three-night and three-day/two-night northern lights tour packages above the Arctic Circle. The adventure starts in Fairbanks and takes visitors either by road or airplane to the historic gold mining town of Coldfoot along the Dalton Highway, 259 miles north of Fairbanks and 55 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Upon arrival, guests choose from several tour options, including learning to mush their own dog team, exploring the vast, untamed Brooks Range or nighttime aurora viewing excursions. Northern Alaska Tour Company also offers trips to the U.S.’s northernmost town, Barrow, in the winter, hiking trips in the Gates of the Arctic National Park and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in summer and much more. For more information, visit www.northernalaska.com. ADA-friendly rail cars enhance visit for Holland America customers Holland America Line Westours, Inc. introduced four new passenger rail cars operating between Fairbanks, Denali National Park and Preserve and Anchorage last summer to improve access for visitors with disabilities. Now, wheelchair-bound passengers have a way to enjoy the magnificent scenery along the route of the Alaska Railroad. The company just added state-of-the-art railcars with lifts to ease the boarding procedure and, best of all, elevators to allow wheelchair access to the cars’ glass-domed viewing section. All bathrooms, dining facilities and viewing areas on the McKinley Explorer cars are ADA-compliant to make an Alaskan adventure comfortable for all guests. For more information on Holland America Line Westours packages, visit www.hollandamerica.com. Scuba diving in Juneau improved by state’s first artificial reef
Sleep with the fishes – and other wild critters – at the Alaska SeaLife Center The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward hosts fun student sleepover programs, which the Center calls “Nocturnes,” year round for students in grades K-12. Students come to the Center in the early evening and spend the night between the seabird, Steller sea lion and harbor seal habitats. Teachers or chaperones can choose from one of several different programs for the sleepovers that are tailored to specific grade levels and areas of interest. Topics include marine mammal adaptations, seabirds, careers in marine science, coastal archaeology, bioluminescence, “Meet an Aquanaut” and much more. For more information on Alaska SeaLife Center programs, visit www.alaskasealife.org. Edited by Dave Shultz |
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A Juneau scuba diving club has just created the state’s
first artificial reef by sinking a 48-foot motor sailor off the shore at
Auke Village Recreation Site. The heavily permitted process took local
volunteers more than a year to accomplish, but the goal to create a fun,
interesting underwater playground was well worth the wait. As marine life
begins to take over the vessel, divers will be able to see some of Southeast
Alaska’s abundant marine life up close while they practice safely exploring
shipwrecks. Where comfortable yachts, sailboats and cruise ships now ply the
waters of the Inside Passage, once vessels loaded to the gills with gold (or
more often empty-pocketed prospectors) also sailed. The sea bottom in
Southeast Alaska is home to many historic wrecks, which makes for great
diving and exploring opportunities, and divers interested in visiting the
new artificial reef or some of the authentic wrecks will find several local
dive shops open for business year-round with gear rentals and advice for
those unfamiliar with Alaskan waters. Believe it or not, local divers say
winter is the best time for scuba in Southeast – the water is very clear,
which makes the sea life easier to spot.