OUR PHILOSOPHY:

We have chosen activities in all parts of our trip that traditionally independent travelers choose to do. For example, in Southeast Alaska, we have chosen the smaller boats as opposed to cruise ships because we can get into many areas the large cruise ships simply can’t go. We feel it will give you a much closer look and feel of this magnificent and exciting part of Alaska. All of our boat trips are on U.S. flagged boats with U.S. crews. Two nights on Kluane Lake is significant, giving you time to hike in the Yukon Territory. As opposed to staying in Fairbanks, we have chosen the quieter Chena Hot Springs Resort. Our personal visit at Mary Shield's home is done on a small group basis. Our day trip in Denali is the best there is in the park. Long time Alaskans are excited that I’m taking you over the Denali Highway. This too will allow us to go over the Glenn Highway with its breathtaking views of mountains and glaciers. We feel we are offering a very CLEAR ALTERNATIVE to what the large corporate tour companies are offering, a more intimate, slow paced and personal look at this great state.

THE ITINERARY

Here is our 14-day/13 night Itinerary: (7, 8 & 10 days available, See the trip schedule or contact us for these. Also, please check our 2002 tour #4 for a new Fall Tour.)

If your tour starts in Anchorage, you will finish in Juneau. If your tour starts in Juneau, you will finish in Anchorage. All activities are the same regardless of where you start. Meals indicated by B, L, D are included.

Day 1. You will fly into Juneau. We will assist you in your transfer from the Juneau Airport to our hotel with views of the famed Gastineau Channel and majestic Mount Juneau. This evening we will have a get acquainted dinner. Meals: D

Day 2. In keeping with our theme of taking you off the most traveled path, we will do a 9-hour day trip out of Juneau. We will sail on one of Steven Weber’s two 56’ boats. Steve is a 25-year boat captain in southeast Alaska, who runs a small family owned charter business. We will cruise south of Juneau and into Tracy Arm Fjord. Today we look at Alaska’s largest icebergs, waterfalls that drop thousands of feet, snow-capped peaks, shear rock palisades and tidewater glaciers. We drift among the icebergs for the most close up view of Sawyer Glacier. We wait and watch for massive chunks of the glacier to calve into the water. The sound of the calving is incredible. If you wish, you’ll have the opportunity to touch an iceberg and get splashed by a waterfall. We will also be searching for whales, porpoise, seals, bears, mountain goats and bald eagles. We will spend a second night in our Juneau hotel. Meals: B, D

Day 3. This morning we will board our ferry, which will take us on a 2 hour and 15 minute ride to Gustavus (when the tour starts in Anchorage we fly from Haines to Gustavus). On this ride we will cruise around the northern tip of Admiralty Island National Monument where we will be searching for humpback whales, sea lions, seals, orcas, porpoises and bears. We will remain on M/V Auk Nu for our 3-hour whale watching and wildlife cruise. This cruise will be done in Icy Strait and by Pt. Adolphus. We will then be transferred to the Glacier Bay Lodge in Glacier Bay National Park, where we will have the evening to stroll the beaches at Bartlett Cove, or explore the lush rain forest that surrounds the lodge. There is also National Park Service Interpretive exhibit on lodge’s mezzanine. Meals: B, D

Day 4. This morning we will board the M/V Spirit of Adventure for an all day cruise into famous Glacier Bay. We will go all the way to the massive Grand Pacific Glacier. During this cruise we will watch for giant towers of ice to “calve” away from the face of a glacier and tumble into the water. We will cruise to a selection of the most active tidewater glaciers in the bay. During this cruise we will search for “local residents” of the area. They include bears, moose, mountain goats, sea birds, bald eagles, puffins, oyster catchers, pigeon guillemots, murrelets, kitwakes, cormorants, and hundreds more. Three species of whales will be on our list to find the humpback, orca and minke. We will also look for harbor seals and sea lions. Lunch will be served on board today. At the conclusion of this cruise we will take a scenic flight to Haines to spend the night at our hotel, which overlooks the waters of beautiful Lynn Fjord. Meals: B, L and D

Day 5. This morning we will board our bus and drive toward the Canadian Border. Our destination for our next 2 nights is Kluane Lake, located on the edge of Kluane National Park. Fortunately it is located on a stretch of the Alaska Highway that does not fit the efficiency of many tours. Who cares! It is beautiful and I would not even consider doing this tour without spending time in this jewel of the Yukon Territory. En route, the Haines Highway. climbs over Chilkat Pass, taking us well above tree line. We will do a short day hike. We will spend the next two nights overlooking Kluane Lake. Evening walks and optional activities. Meals: B, D

Day 6. On our second day here you’ll have great opportunities for hiking, relaxing or optional activities which include fishing, flight seeing and the Kluane Museum of Natural History. We have all day to explore as we spend a second night on Kluane Lake. Meals: B, D

Day 7. This morning we will leave Kluane and drive back into Alaska. En route we will visit the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. We will then finish our day’s journey and spend the night in Tok, a community of 1,405. Meals: B, D

Day 8. The next morning we will head for a 2-night stay at Chena Hot Springs Resort. En route we will stop for a walking tour of Rika’s Historical Roadhouse, located on the banks of the Tanana River. Lunch is at your option here. There is homemade soup and great pies! We also stop to view the Alaska Pipeline this day. While on the outskirts of Fairbanks we visit with Mary Shields. Then in keeping with our theme of taking you off the beaten path we finish our day by checking into Chena Hot Springs Resort. Two nights here give you time to relax, ample time to soak in hot tubs and swim in a pool fed by the hot springs. Yet it is an area full of activities too. There are hiking trails available, along with optional activities such as flight seeing, horseback riding, rafting and grayling fishing. Meals: B, D

Day 9. We will spend our second day and night at Chena Hot Springs. It will be your choice for activities. Included of course in our stay, are all of the hiking trails, swimming and soaking in the hot tubs. The optional activities listed above are available too. Meals: B, D

Day 10. This morning we leave Chena on our way to Denali National Park. We will do a short tour of Fairbanks and then head for Denali arriving in time for an afternoon walk. Having spent 25 years giving tours in Denali National Park I feel I have a certain expertise here. What Whitt’s Adventures offers in Denali is not your standard one night stay. We will spend two nights at the Park entrance, which will allow us to take the most extensive day trip available in Denali. Meals: B, D

Day 11. An early morning departure on the Kantishna Roadhouse bus will take us to the very end of the park road, 95 miles out to the old gold mining community of Kantishna (winter population 1) The National Park Service estimates less that 2% of the over half million visitors to Denali will go that far. The standard day tour in Denali is to either Mile 17 or Mile 53. On this trip we will cover all four mountain passes in the park. It will take us through the entire wildlife habitat in Denali that touches the road system. During this 12-13 hour trip we will search for moose, caribou, dall sheep, grizzly bears, red fox and the very elusive wolf. At the halfway point in this trip we will have lunch at the Kantishna roadhouse as we take a 2-hour break. After lunch, you can take some short walks, go gold panning, attend a sled dog demonstration or simply relax at the Roadhouse before our return journey to the Park Entrance. After returning to the Park entrance we will have dinner and spend our second night at our hotel. Meals: B, L, and D

Day 12. As we leave Denali, we are going to take the old traditional route to get from the Park to Anchorage. On this day we pass through my hometown of Cantwell. After a visit to my house, we travel over a favorite playground of Alaskans, the dirt and gravel Denali Highway. The Denali served as my winter dog trail for over 20 years as it is not plowed in the winter. I am excited to take you over the Denali, a part of Alaska very few visitors have a chance to see. During this day we will also stop for a day hike. This evening we will spend the night in the community of Glennallen, population 928. Meals: B, D

Day 13. This morning we will travel the scenic Glenn Highway with spectacular views of the Chugach Range and its glaciers. We will then travel into Anchorage for our final night where we will have our farewell dinner. Meals: B, D

Day 14. After breakfast you will go to the Anchorage Airport for your flight home. Meals: B

For those who do not have the time for our 14-day/13-night tour, we can on a space available basis blend you into a 7 or 8-day itinerary on one of our regular tours.

* Aug 20-30 trip does not visit Mary Shields, Chena Hot Springs, nor the Denali and Glenn Highways.

WHITT’S ALASKAN ADVENTURES IS NOT FOR EVERYONE
We are purposely taking you off the beaten path to broaden your Alaskan experience and increase your chance for adventure away from the road system and population centers. We have chosen what we feel is very appropriate lodging, but keep in mind we will be staying in some remote areas and small communities. Our stated policy is to book the best hotels available where we are. All have private baths. We are giving you unstructured time to explore and to relax. If you are seeking a faster pace, we might not be for you. If you’re looking for the more formal atmosphere of the cruise ship, we are not for you. We do not offer specific children’s activities. We do offer an educational opportunity for families with older children to vacation together. We have either all or part of 5.5 days of our trip set aside for walks or day hiking. You will be free to hike on your own, or we will always offer two levels of hikes led by us. Of course, nobody will ever be forced into hiking. If you would prefer to simply relax and enjoy a good book, that alternative is there too. So, don’t feel you cannot take this tour if you don’t wish to day hike. Use the extra time as you wish! It is your vacation. This is soft adventure. The goal of our tour is to show you the real Alaska, not just the areas deemed convenient, expedient and cost effective by the large, corporate tour companies.

Prices & Departures for 2002:

Available	Cost per person in double/single
July 09-22 for 14D/13N	$5595/$6595
July 23-Aug 05 for 14D/13N	$5595/$6595
Aug 06-19 for 14D/13N	$5595/$6595
Aug 20-30 for 11D/10N*	$3795/$4595
10D/9N, 8D/7N & 7D/6N	Inquire for rates & departures

OVERLAND TRANSPORTATION
While traveling overland you will be transported by our own bus, driven by myself. Since we are not relying on public transportation, we can be more flexible on where and how often we stop. Our bus is not as large or heavy as a 49-passenger coach is. Because of some of the highways we travel, we have a lighter gross weight vehicle. Our bus is equipped with large touring windows, high back reclining seats, air ride suspension, video monitors, a rest room and seats 36. However, the maximum allowed on one tour is 20. Two escorts for 20 clients is not a common practice in this industry, but in case you haven’t figured it out yet, Whitt’s Adventures is not in the business of doing its tour the way the others do theirs. The motto of our company is; “Let us bring you home to Alaska.” Those are far more than just words to us. I would indeed consider it an honor to show and share my state with you.

WEATHER
We will experience anything from +80°F with sun to 40°F with rain and wind. We must ALWAYS be mentally and physically ready for rain!

(Subject to change)