The Great Alaska Summer of 2013 is breaking all sorts of records, including the most days over 80 degrees in Fairbanks. It's a little cooler here in Anchorage, where the record fell for the most consecutive days over 70 degrees.
It's time to move into the "Bonus Round" of summer. Already, some of the college kids are headed back to school. And the deals are popping up around the state for the late-bloomers who want those end-of-season specials.
There still are a few weekends left before the snow flies. Let's make the best of the Bonus Round in the Great Alaska Summer of 2013!
Head to Denali on the railroad. You can drive--there's nothing wrong with that, especially if you're the passenger taking pictures! But for a great adventure, take the train. Some of the best package deals are with Princess. Princess has private cars pulled by the Alaska Railroad. One of my favorites is "Tour 02G", which includes roundtrip rail from Anchorage to Denali Park, plus two nights accommodations at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. The cost is $359 per person, double.
It's important to stay two nights so you can take advantage of the bus rides into the park. One of the more popular bus tours is a trip all the way to the end of the park road at Kantishna. This is a 92-mile road, and the tour takes 10-11 hours.
Princess also has a great rail/hotel package at the Mt. McKinley Princess, which is located on the Parks Highway north of Talkeetna. Take the train to Talkeetna, then board Princess's bus for the 60-mile drive to the lodge. It's interesting that the Mt. McKinley Princess is the closest hotel to the mountain -- even though it's 105 miles from the park entrance. And you'll get a million-dollar view from the deck which sits high above the Chulitna River. The two-night special costs $199 per person, double.
Speaking of Talkeetna, don't miss the special "Hurricane Turn" train which runs Thursday-Sunday north from Talkeetna to Hurricane Gulch. More than just a train ride, this is the last "flag stop" train in the country. For many homesteaders along the route, the Alaska Railroad provides an important link for supplies and transportation to and from town. Fishermen, rafters, hikers and hunters also use the train to access special locations. The roundtrip fare from Talkeetna to Hurricane and back is $96 per person (Alaskans get a 20 percent discount). Although the passenger cars are comfortable, conductor Warren Redfearn invites travelers to join him in the baggage car. There, the adventurers store their rafts, backpacks and dogs. The side doors are wide open (with a safety gate), so it's like riding in a boxcar. In fact, it is a boxcar. "This is where the action is," said Redfearn of the baggage car. Indeed, photographers can get some excellent shots of Denali in the background and the Susitna River in the foreground -- without the window in between.
There's no food service aboard the train, so stop in at the Talkeetna Roadhouse beforehand for a "Hurricane Box Lunch" that owner Trisha Costello puts together for travelers.
Your Talkeetna train adventure will take a full six hours, so you may want to stay over for another day of adventure. Choose flightseeing around Denali with Talkeetna Aero Services, K2 Aviation, or Talkeetna Air Taxi. Go on a jetboat ride up to Devil's Canyon with Mahay's Jetboat Adventures. Or go on the zipline course with Denali Zipline Adventures.
Have you seen the bears of Katmai National Park? There are several places in the park to see bears, some of which are accessible by air from Homer or Kodiak. I've been to Brooks River Falls, which is accessed via King Salmon. Brooks Lodge is located right on the river, which is popular with anglers and photographers. Travelers can also camp in a National Park campground, which is surrounded by electric fencing to keep the bears out.
When you land by float plane, your first stop is "bear school," which is operated by the National Park Service. You'll learn to keep your distance from the bears. You'll also learn the protocol for when you do encounter a bear (don't turn and run, for example).
The bears are everywhere. Whether you stay at the lodge or the campground, you're likely to see the bears walking along the beach, swimming in the river and lounging in camp. Most photographers bring their telephoto lenses. Honestly, though, they're not essential to get good bear photos!
Brooks Lodge offers some special rates until Aug. 25, which works out to the third night free at the lodge. For airfare and lodging, the cost is $1,341 per person, double. If you get four people to share a cabin, the cost drops to $1,040 per person.
Be sure and budget one day to go on the "Valley of the 10,000 Smokes" tour. Katmai National Park originally was formed because of the giant Novarupta Volcanic explosion in 1912. On this day-long tour, you'll see the valley which was covered with hundreds of feet of pumice and ash. Hike down to the valley floor. It's a great trip, which costs an extra $96 per person.
Whether it's for fishing or a glacier cruise, don't miss out on a trip to Seward this summer. Stop in at the Alaska Sealife Center and see "Ellie", the new sea lion pup (Woody is the dad, Eden is the mom). Ellie is frolicking in the water--and Eden is an attentive mom. The sea lions are just one of the big attractions at the center. The kids love the "touch pool" with the tidal invertebrates, the aviary with the seabirds--and the harbor seals. Plan in advance for the popular "back of the house" tours to learn about the research and rehabilitation missions at the center.
Do you want to spend the night in Seward? I recommend it. The Seward Windsong Lodge has a special "Room with a Cruise" package, which includes overnight accommodations and a six-hour cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. Cost for the room and cruise is $233 per person, double.
Cruise-only fares are available from either Kenai Fjords Tours or Major Marine Tours, for $144-$169 per person.
Day cruises are available all over southcentral Alaska. Sail with Stan Stephens Cruises in Valdez out to Columbia Glacier. In Whittier, Phillips Cruises offers the 26 Glaciers Tour. And in Homer, cruise over to Seldovia on the "Discovery."
One of my favorite cruises is over in Kodiak. Marty and Marion Owen offer a "Galley Gourmet" cruise from the Kodiak Harbor. There's only room for six people. Marty takes the boat out of the harbor and almost immediately sneaks up on a gang of sea lions pulled out on one of the floating platforms.
If there are whales in the area, they'll cruise in the "Sea Breeze" to look for them. Otherwise, there are many sea birds, eagles and other wildlife to watch as Marion prepares a gourmet meal. In addition to the locally-sourced seafood (halibut, salmon and cod), Marion grows organic vegetables for her meals. "I'm really into the edible flowers this season," she said. "But we're also enjoying late summer greens, including some delicious parsley pesto."
One of my favorite national parks is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. You can drive to Chitina from Anchorage in five hours. From there, it's slow-going on the Edgarton Highway to McCarthy. Thirty-five miles per hour is a good speed. Or, fly back with Wrangell Mountain Air on one of their twice-daily flights.
McCarthy offers a spectacular setting: the Wrangell Mountains are in the background, with the Kennicott Glacier rolling right to the town's edge. Go hiking around the historic copper mining town of Kennicott. Or, call St. Elias Alpine Guides and get set up with some crampons to walk on the glacier with a guide. There's flightseeing and fly-out camping. Stay in town at Ma Johnson's Hotel and enjoy some delicious meals. Or, stay up the road at Kennicott Glacier Lodge, in the middle of the old mining district. Kennicott Glacier Lodge offers a $99 per night between Aug. 20 and Sept. 14. Meals are additional -- and are served family-style.
This is just a short list and doesn't include the great adventures in southeast Alaska, up in Fairbanks or Nome. But it's enough to get you started on your "Bonus Round!"
Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant who has lived in Alaska for three decades, spending much of that time traveling the far-flung corners of the state or Outside. Visit his website at www.alaskatravelgram.com or follow him on Twitter for breaking travel news.