Matanuska Glacier, located on the East side of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, is the largest road-accessible glacier in Alaska.  The glacier is easily seen from several locations along the Glen Highway which runs for 189 miles between Anchorage and Glenallen, Alaska.    The Glen Highway, a National Scenic Byway, is one of Alaska’s most beautiful highways and is well worth the time to experience for those who are touring Alaska by car on a self-drive itinerary and want to include such destinations as Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Valdez, Alaska.  The Matanuska Glacier State Recreation Site is located at mile 101 and provides some interpretive signage along with a short nature walk on a ridge above the Matanuska River.  The recreation site is well worth the stop to stretch your legs as it’s near the half way mark between Anchorage and Glenallen.  (more…)

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Alaska Tour & Travel is ready to help you plan next summer’s travel to Alaska. We’ve updated alaskatravel.com with all of Alaska’s best tours, hotel availability, and transportation options, including many Alaska Travel Deals. Among our new Alaska deals is the Park Connection Pass. The Park Connection Pass allows visitors to travel anywhere the Park Connection goes for 7 consecutive days. The Park Connection is a scheduled motorcoach service which travels daily between Seward, Girdwood, Anchorage, Talkeetna, Denali State Park, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. Also included in the Pass is 50% off travel on the Alaska Railroad between Denali and Fairbanks. (more…)

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Recently one Saturday afternoon we decided to visit one of our favorite hot spots the Alaska Live Steamers and the Transportation Museum of Alaska.  Both are located in Wasilla, about a 40 minute short drive from Anchorage.  Their location on the Parks highway at mile marker 47 makes it a convenient stop enroute to Talkeetna or Denali. 

If you’re a railroad fan then the Alaska Live Steamers is a must stop while visiting Wasilla.  The sound of train whistles and diesels engines will bring back memories for you and kids love them too.  Alaska Love Steamers is supported by a local group of railroad enthusiasts who build miniature scale replicas to scales.  When you first arrive you check in at the Alaska Central Railroad depot.  The ride is a modest $4.00 per person (2009 price).  Once you get your tokens you then board the train parked out front.  They can accommodate people with disabilities if called in advance.  (more…)

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To get some of the most scenic views of Anchorage many locals hike Anchorage’s most popular hiking trail each year, Flattop Mountain Trail. The Flattop Mountain Trail is located in Chugach State Park, a popular outdoor recreation area located in the Chugach Mountain Range. Chugach State Park is the third largest state park in America, and has multiple easily accessible trailheads located in Anchorage and Eagle River, Alaska. Flattop is known for its panoramic views of Anchorage and the surrounding area, including Cook Inlet, and on clear days views of Mt. McKinley, Mt. Foraker, Mt. Spurr, and Mt. Redoubt are very possible. (more…)

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When you think about an Alaska vacation it is natural to also think about visiting one of Alaska’s outstanding National Parks. Not only is Alaska home to Wrangell St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park in the country, we also have some of the country’s most spectacular Parks such as Denali National Park, Glacier Bay National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park.

So of course we are excited about the upcoming release of the latest Ken Burns documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea”. This six-part, 12-hour documentary series was filmed over a period of six years, and includes some of the Nation’s most stunning Parks, including a number of Alaska National Parks.

The series is coming to PBS September 27, 2009 or you can pre-order a DVD for release in early October. In fact, we are giving a way a DVD box set of the film each month starting in October through the end of the year. Just email us at parks@alaskatravel.com or follow us on Twitter and you will be automatically entered to win.

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The scenic Seward Highway in South-central Alaska has many stops and photo opportunities and one I would recommend for travelers doing a self-drive tour is the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center (AWCC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska’s wildlife through public education. Animals at the AWCC have been orphaned or injured and are not eligible by the Alaska Department of Fish & Game standards to be let back into the wild. AWCC is located at mile 79 on the Seward Highway or at the southern edge of the Turnagain Arm and the entrance to Portage Valley. The Center is open everyday, year-round and is a guaranteed way to see up close Alaskan wildlife in a natural setting. (more…)

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The Alaska Railroad has several different daily routes that passenger trains are operated on throughout the summer season.  One of the least well known is the Glacier Discovery train which travels a circular route between Anchorage, Whittier, and the Spencer – Grandview area within Chugach National Forest.  The Glacier Discovery originates and ends in Anchorage, but passengers can also board the train in Girdwood, Portage, Whittier, Spencer, or Grandview.  A return trip from Portage to Anchorage by motorcoach is available for those passengers who have traveled up to Spencer/Grandview for the day.  This is a nice feature as it returns you back to the Anchorage Depot about 2 ½ hours earlier then you would have if you traveled by rail. (more…)

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The good news is there is still plenty of time to plan your trip to Alaska this summer. The great news is there has never been a better time to visit Alaska and take advantage of special community events, great travel deals and excellent availability on some of Alaska’s most popular destinations and attractions. We are happy to share our short list of top reasons why now is the perfect time to book your Alaska vacation. We have also invited our fellow Alaska residents and travel industry partners to add their suggestions, so check back soon.

Reason 1 - Alaska’s 50th Anniversary of Statehood
Join in with Alaskans as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary of Statehood this year. Many communities and local tourism business are participating with special events and supper savings for Alaska visitors. Alaska Tour & Travel is sponsoring a photo contest for visitors and residents featuring a grand prize of a commemorative print by Sydney Laurence signed by all of Alaska’s living governors. Are you celebrating your 50th birthday this year as well? If so, you can ride the Alaska Railroad or Park Connection Motorcoach for Free.

Reason 2 – Freakishly Low Alaska Cruise Rates
It is no secret that cruise lines like to sail full, and will offer significant discounts if needed to make that happen. With the soft economy, and significant Alaska cruise capacity to fill, that is exactly what is happening now. It is still common to see Gulf of Alaska cruise promotions as low as $399 for a seven night cruise, even for peak season cruises for this coming June, July and August. Here is another thing to consider. Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, NCL and Carnival Cruise Line have all modified their 2010 ship deployment to reduce capacity of seven night Gulf of Alaska cruises to Whittier or Seward. With a recovering economy and reduced capacity for 2010, most travel experts expect higher prices for Gulf of Alaska cruises for next year.

Reason 3 – Excellent Availability and Prices on Alaska Land Tours
The savings don’t stop with cheap cruise prices. Unprecedented discounts and travel deals on Alaska hotels, activities, transportation and even complete vacation packages are still available for this summer. You will find savings of 30% or more for typical vacation packages or savings of over $100 per night on many hotels, in addition to specials like cash back rebates, double airline miles and contest giveaways. More importantly there is still excellent availability on hard to get reservations that are typically sold out by this time of year, such as peak season Denali National Park bus tours and hotels. There are even still plenty of rooms available in Seward for their famous Fourth of July celebration, a not to be missed event for visitors and residents alike.

Reasons 4 through 99 – You Tell Us
We need your help! Have you come across a great reason to visit Alaska this summer? Perhaps you are an Alaska resident whose community has a special event planned, or maybe you work in the Alaska travel industry and your company has a special travel deal for visitors this summer. Share your reason to visit Alaska below and we will let folks know and include a link your web site if you have one. (more…)

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