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DESTINATIONS — THE US
Into the wild
PictureS: TREK AMERICA/c knowlton; istock
Alaska is known as America’s last frontier.
Katie McGonagle finds out why
I
strokes, there’s time to admire
the extraordinary scenery. The
sun is starting to break through,
showing up the last crimson
wisps of Alaskan wildflower
fireweed between swathes of fir,
cottonwood and hemlock trees
lining the canyon on either side.
It’s September, near the end of
the state’s tourist season, but it’s
turning into such a sunny day that,
once the rapids are finished, I’m
persuaded to take another plunge
into those chilly waters and float
back towards the warmth of the
Chugach Outdoor Center.
It’s certainly been a more
exciting Monday morning than
I’m used to; but, as I will soon
discover, every day in Alaska is
pretty extraordinary.
l FLY AND DRIVE
The rafting (from $149) comes on
our first full day, having flown into
Anchorage on board Icelandair’s
seasonal service via Reykjavik the
night before.
It’s a straightforward journey
with plenty of scenery en route,
and an alternative to flying
via Seattle.
Our introduction to Alaska
includes learning the difference
between a local sourdough, who
has survived plenty of Alaskan
winters but is somewhat grizzled
and grumpy as a result, and a
cheechako, or naive newcomer.
The Alaskan sense of humour
also becomes clear on the drive
to Sixmile Creek; heading down a
road known as the Turnagain Arm,
we pass a roadside diner called the
Turnagain Arm Pit.
l WILD ABOUT WILDLIFE
Another day, another die-hard
adventure – though in slightly
calmer waters this time – as we
kayak from seaside town Homer
towards Yukon Island, the base for
True North Kayak Adventures’ day
and half-day tours ($105-$225).
Fully kitted out in wellies and
waterproofs, we climb into our
one and two-person kayaks and
set off, and it doesn’t take long
before the guide is motioning for
us to be quiet and paddle as gently
as possible. We steal one-by-one
towards another tiny islet, to find a
group of silvery-grey seals bobbing
around by the rocky shore.
Sample
product
Grand American Adventures’
11-day Alaskan Family Discovery
tour includes a Wilderness Camp
stay, glacier cruise, dog-sledding,
kayaking and Denali National
Park. Land-only prices start at
£1,449, or £2,729 with flights.
grandamericanadventures.
com
Alaskan Wonder, a 14-day Trek
America tour, includes a wildlife
cruise around Kenai Peninsula, a
visit to Denali National
Park and dog-sledding, with
camping accommodation, from
£1,539 land-only and £2,639
with flights.
trekamerica.co.uk
▲
t’s Monday morning, it’s cold
and wet and I’m staring up at
overcast skies.
But I’m soon reminded this is
no average start to the week when
a grey-bearded guide known as
Mudflap shouts “Swim, swim” and
I start a furious front-crawl across
a freezing torrent, trying to reach
the safety of a gentle eddy on the
other side.
I’m about to embark on the
grade five white-water rapids of
Sixmile Creek in Alaska, some of
the scariest in North America, but
first I need to show I’m a strong
swimmer in case we take a tumble
into the icy depths.
Thankfully, I make it across and
haul myself out onto the bank with
the rest of the Grand American
Adventures fam trip group. I’m dry
thanks to heavy-duty waterproofs,
but shivering with cold.
Those shivers soon turn to chills
of excitement as we climb into an
inflatable raft and guide Tommy
barks orders to help us negotiate
raging torrents with names such
as the merry go-round and zig-zag
and jaws.
Yet between our fast-paced oar
20 February 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 61
DESTINATIONS — THE US
BACK TO
BASICS
Eat Alaskan: wild
Salmon at Orso
Sun and sea: otters bask
in the warm sunshine
Anchorage
Sleep: Inlet Tower Hotel &
Suites, near the airport, features
large rooms with kitchenette, or
naughty-but-nice breakfasts of
waffles, pancakes, French toast
or biscuits and gravy.
inlettower.com
Eat: Orso steak and seafood
restaurant is known for fresh
ingredients and fine dining.
Look out for prosciutto-wrapped
Alaskan black cod and beers
brewed on-site.
orsoalaska.com
Drink: Darwin’s Theory
dishes out a slice of Americana
with its self-serve popcorn, retro
jukebox and dive bar feel.
They aren’t the only animals
we spot: next comes a playful sea
otter, floating on his back and
preening his mousy brown fur
under the warmth of the midday
sun; then a bald eagle perching
proud and alert on a tall tree
branch; and no end of native
Alaskan birds that our guides
identify with ease.
There are longer kayaking
tours available for those with
more stamina (and upper
body strength) than me,
which involve camping
on one of the many
uninhabited islands
and experiencing Alaska at
its wildest. But we are soon
on our way towards the next
adventure: touring the fjords
of the Kenai Peninsula.
If we thought we’d seen the
best of Alaska’s wildlife around
Homer, we were about to be
proved wrong. After a superb
behind-the-scenes tour of Alaska
Sea Life Center (admission $20,
tours extra) – home of sea lions,
silvery harbour seals and puffins –
we embarked on a
cruise around Kenai
Fjords National
Park.
Barely five minutes
out of Resurrection
Bay, we saw
our first pod
of orcas
swimming
through the
62 • travelweekly.co.uk — 20 February 2014
glacial waters, soon to be joined by
Dall’s porpoises playfully splashing
around, and another whale
breaching those chilly waters for a
picture-perfect moment.
Then we came across seals
reclining nonchalantly on
floating chunks of iceberg as we
approached the Aialik Glacier. Our
small ship crept between those
solid icy blocks, with a palpable
hush of expectation replaced by
gasps of excitement as a huge
slab of ice calved off and hurtled
towards the sea, creating a wave
of freezing water rushing against
the base of the glacier.
This spectacular sight certainly
helps explain the popularity
of Alaska cruises from the
likes of Royal Caribbean
▲
PictureS: State of Alaska/Michael DeYoung/reinhard pantke/FRANK FLAVIN/MARK KELLEY
Scenic route: the
road to Denali
Homer
Sleep: Set on The Spit, a strip
of land jutting into Kachemak
Bay, Land’s End boasts the best
views in town, especially from
its beachfront hot tub.
lands-end-resort.com
Eat: If it swims in Alaska’s
waters, it’s served on a plate
at Captain Patties Fish House;
top of the lot is Pattie’s baked
halibut in dill sauce.
captainpatties.com
Drink: Knock back a few
shots then stick up a signed
dollar bill at the weatherbeaten Salty Dawg Saloon,
formerly Homer’s post office.
saltydawgsaloon.com
Seward
Sleep: The Harborview Inn
isn’t exactly on the harbour,
but it’s not far off, with low-rise
motel-style standard rooms and
apartments.
sewardhotel.com
Eat: Fast food trucks rarely
come recommended, but Red’s
Burgers is an exception for
its freshly-made beef, buffalo
or reindeer burgers and thick
milkshakes.
Drink: Sit back with an
Alaskan beer or a creative
cocktail to enjoy the harbour
views from Chinooks.
chinooksbar.com
DESTINATIONS — the us
Cold feet: the group’s
glacier landing in
Denali National Park
Paddle power: get close to
wildlife on a kayaking tour
International, Norwegian Cruise
Line and Princess Cruises.
l GET HIGH
Once we’d regained our land legs,
we started the eight-hour drive
to Denali National Park, home of
North America’s highest peak.
Taking its name from the native
Athabascan word for ‘high point’,
Denali – also known as Mount
McKinley – can only be described
as a bit shy.
Its towering peak hides
behind cloud most of the
time, coming out to play for
only a third of visitors.
We were the lucky ones,
catching a glimpse
of its snowy top en
route to the supremely
well-appointed Grande
Denali Lodge at the
edge of the national
park.
It gets even better
up-close: while the
park bus tour
(a tourism staple, since private
cars aren’t allowed entry to this
protected area) was somewhat
underwhelming, we did glimpse
four of Denali’s ‘big five’. Instead
of lion and leopard, this must-spot
list is made up of moose, caribou,
Dall sheep, wolf and grizzly bear.
But the most impressive way
to observe the majestic beauty of
this landscape is on a flight-seeing
tour. It’s not cheap – Trek America
offers it as an optional extra
from $220-$460 – but it was
by far the most memorable
experience from our
Alaska visit.
In a 10-seater
aircraft we made our
way across valleys
covered in the fieriest
autumn colours –
carpets of rich sienna,
burnt orange, bright
scarlet, plum and primrose
yellow, mingling with
the last stalks of
emerald green and
64 • travelweekly.co.uk — 20 February 2014
the shadowy blue backdrop of
the Alaska Range, interrupted
only by tiny white dots where
distinctive Dall sheep graze on the
unforgiving terrain.
Thinking it couldn’t
possibly get better, all
of a sudden, it does:
FA
flying higher, those
A las ST FAC
fiery tones give
size ka is tw T
way to pure white.
of
ic
long Texas a e the
First it’s just a
nd h
e r co
light dusting,
t he r a st l i ne a s a
e st o
than
but then the
f
c
mountains’ jagged
om b t he US
i ne d
peaks are made
soft and smooth by a
fluffy mass of snow.
It’s the perfect way to
admire this landscape, capped
off with an unforgettable glacier
landing where we find ourselves
knee-deep in thick, white powder
in the shadow of Denali.
One thing is certainly clear: from
the lowest sea level to its highest
peaks, this is America at its wildest
and best. TW
TRADE TALK
Philippa Westwood,
marketing manager,
America As
You Like It
The flight-seeing with glacier
landing was one of the best things
I’ve ever done – truly a oncein-a-lifetime experience. It is so
often sold as a cruise destination
with hardly any time on land, but
you’d miss all the exciting areas
that make Alaska special.
On a high: the flight-seeing tour was
the most memorable part of the trip
Moose on the loose:
one of Denali’s ‘big five’
Donna Puffett,
Travel Counsellors
My highlight was
the kayaking – I
loved being out in the
elements, and it was a great way
to see wildlife. You have to be
prepared to travel long distances
between locations, but I was very
impressed with Grand American
Adventures and our guide.
20 February 2014 — travelweekly.co.uk • 65