During a record breaking heatwave in Montana, I escaped to the cooler interior of Alaska to experience a cruisetour with Princess. While I didn't have time this trip for the 7 night Voyage of the Glaciers cruise which runs northbound and southbound between Anchorage (Whittier) and Vancouver, my tour would have worked perfectly either before or after the cruise.
Our trip began in Seattle. After a good night's sleep we rose early and shuttled to the nearby Seatac Airport for non-stop flights to Anchorage. While it was a beautiful day, our flight was delayed nearly 3 hours putting us into Anchorage behind schedule. This didn't really throw us off that much but I mention it because you never know what might happen. When taking a guided tour or a cruise, it's always good advice to allow plenty of extra time but even better if you can arrive a day early as you'll feel more relaxed and refreshed on the first day.
Our first stop was a lively brew-pub called the Moose's Tooth in downtown Anchorage. Afterwards, we strolled through the Hotel Captain Cook which would certainly be my first choice of hotels there. It's an elegant historic property in the heart of downtown.
From there, we boarded our comfortable motor coach for the ride the McKinley Princess Lodge - my favorite with the best views of the mountains.
Along the way, we traveled through mostly rain however once we arrived, the sun came out and everyone gathered on the expansive deck as if waiting for Old Faithful to erupt in Yellowstone. After several hours , it was still light though it must have been after 11:00 p.m. I decided to take a stroll through the brilliant fireweed on one of the many paths surrounding the lodge and about the time I returned to the lodge, most had left but those who remained were cheering. Denali had appeared! The staff told us it was the first time they had seen her all summer but I'm guessing they tell that to all the guests! 
The next day, we took a brief motorcoach ride and then boarded our traincar for the trip along the Alaska Railroad to the Denali Princess Lodge. On each motorcoach and also on the train, there were speakers who entertained us with their knowledge and sometimes corny jokes. The Princess trains have table seating so it was fun to ride 4 to a table and talk while taking in the amazing views. We initially had a perfectly clear day to enjoy riding through the expansive wilderness. Along the way, there were picture perfect mountain views and we saw moose, bald eagles and deer.By the time we arrived, it was a torrential downpour - weather changes quickly - so what better activity to do than whitewater rafting on the Nenana River equipped with a head to toe dry suit? After signing up at the Princess Activity Desk, I ran full sprint across the street to buy a warm hat and socks. Then we were off to the river rafting company's office to get suited up. My new friend Nancy and only a handful of others were brave enough to go when learning that the river was running at an alltime high after many days of rain. By now, it was pouring outside, we were freezing and headed off to get the aptly titled glacial facial! It was exhilerating fun - through the clack of chattering teeth... the hat purchase was the best I've ever made - a woman offered me $1000 dollars for it and I said no.
In the morning, the rain had not subsided but we boarded our bus at 6:00 a.m. for a wildlife tour in Denali National Park. We had to leave early as our train departed in the afternoon bound for Fairbanks and it was a 4 hour trip. Had the day been spectacular, I think my opinion of the tour would be better as our guide was wonderful. Unfortunately, we didn't see much - not even the wildlife wanted to stand out in the storm. Afterward, we got to tour the Denali Park Visitors Center which was fantastic with interesting interpretive exhibits and an informative short movie.
That afternoon, we boarded the train for the longest trip between Denali and Fairbanks. The views were again spectacular and we arrived in the late evening at the Fairbanks Riverside Lodge. In the morning, we went panning for gold and I took the prize for the least measurable amount. We then stopped to see the Alaskan Pipeline and went on a riverboat cruise in the afternoon. This event was definitely touristy but I have to admit that I had fun. Along the way, we got to see sled dogs and several homes which have planes, boats and cars as modes of transportation. Then, we stopped at a recreated Athabascan Village which had 6 different staions ranging from gardening in their climate to typical clothing to meeting the sled dogs. The last was particularly interesting to me as the iditarod racer, Jessie Royer, is from Ennis, Montana which is about 40 minutes from Bozeman where I live.
After another delicious dinner, we spent one more night in Fairbanks and flew out from there in the morning. If I had it to do over - any way I liked - I think I would have chosen a cruisetour which offered 2 nights in Denali and time at the Copper River Princess. Fairbanks works well logistically as you never backtrack but it is completely flat - so not what most expect from Alaska! For information about Alaska cruises and land travel, contact Caroline by clicking here. To learn more about Brownell Travel, click here.
