By Carol Watts Alaska, Group Travel, & Small Ship Expert,
That seems to be a question that is implied, if not asked outright lately. With volcanoes stranding people in Europe, social unrest in certain European cities, and robberies, kidnappings, and worse in Mexico and the Caribbean, it’s no wonder that people are concerned about their safety while traveling.
Two of our favorite destinations are Hawaii and Alaska, but anywhere in the US is not only safe but more affordable than overseas travel. We have seen an increase of bookings for Disneyland this year. Canada is safe also, now that the G20 summit in Toronto is over.
Following are some interesting destinations and unique vacations here “at home” and in our northern neighbor: Mackinac Island, San Antonio’s Riverwalk, New Orleans Chrsitmas, Churchill’s polar bears.
A lovely 7 day excursion to Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel can be enjoyed in September and October. Leaving from Chicago, you will stop at Traverse City to see the sand dunes along Lake Michigan, as well as the Soo Locks, built in 1791 to connect Lake Superior with the other Great Lakes. You can step back in time on Mackinac Island, since transport is by horse drawn carriage, since no cars are allowed . Fort Mackinac was originally built during the Revolutionary War when the island was a fur-trading outpost. Of course, the highlight is a 2 night stay at the Grand Hotel, known for its 600 foot front porch and beautiful gardens. Take afternoon Tea at the Grand, or just relax in a rocking chair. Frankenmuth is known as Michigan’s Little Bavaria, where you can stroll over a 239 foot long authentic 19th century replica of a covered bridge. Charming shops line the streets, the most famous of which is Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland.
San Antonio’s Riverwalk, once described by Ernie Pyle as “America’s Venice”, is beautiful any time of the year, but especially so when it’s all lit up for Christmas. From late November on, you can be serenaded by carolers while enjoying a dinner cruise on the river. Visit the historic Mission San Jose, or shop in the authenticate Mexican Marketplace. Remember the Alamo? The chapel and the Long Barracks are all that’s left of this famous place where Davy Crockett fought the Mexican army and died for Texas liberty. Tour the museum and watch the IMAX movie, Alamo - the Price of Freedom. You can also visit the LBJ Library and Museum in Austin, and the “Texas White House” at the LBJ Ranch. Don’t forget the German village of Fredericksburg.
Christmas New Orleans style can be experienced in late November or early December. Oaks Alley Plantation, located along the Mississippi and featuring a quarter-mile long canopy of 300 year old oaks, will be all decorated for the holidays. You can have a hands on cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking , located in an old molasses warehouse in the French Quarter. Also worth a visit is the National WWII Museum, with interactive displays and artifacts. But the main attraction has to be the Celebration in the Oaks, with its choirs, dance performances, seasonal displays, millions of lights, and real snow, set in the ancient oak groves of City Park.
If you want something a little more on the wild side, don’t pass up a trip to see the polar bears of Churchill, Manitoba in October. You can fly to and from Churchill from Winnipeg, once a 1920’s boomtown. Safely and comfortable view the polar bears, and possibly also Arctic foxes, ptarmigan, caribou, and ringed seals from the Tundra Bus. The large over inflated tires do not harm the Tundra ecosystem. The buses are well heated, have washroom facilities, and an outdoor viewing platform for that up close photo op. Polar bears can stand 10 feet tall and weigh over 1300 pounds. They return to the seal feeding grounds along the Hudson Bay every October in anticipation of the winter freeze. Enjoy true Northern ambiance and cuisine at Churchill’s newest accommodation, the Lazy Bear Lodge. You can also have an opportunity to witness the spectacular light show of the Aurora Borealis.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
All about Alaska Part 5 - Denali
By Carol Watts Alaska & Small Ship Specialist
Approximately 400,000 visitors go to Denali National Park and Preserve every year, most between late May and early September. The park can be reached by car or tour bus on the George Parks Highway, or by the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage or Fairbanks. There is a park entrance fee as well as a fee for park buses and tours, camping and mountaineering permits. As far as weather, you can expect, rain, sun, clouds, and wind, and all on the same day. Summer temperatures average around 55- 60 degrees, with the record being 91 degrees. Winter temps average around 2 degrees, with the coldest being minus 54. And yes, the park is open during the winter.
The park has one road, and only the first 15 miles are paved and open to private vehicles. Visitors are recommended to take the park buses, which are school buses, without facilities. The dirt road winds along cliffs and mountain passes, so driving is best left to the professional guides and drivers. Mt. McKinley can be seen as early as mile 9, weather permitting. Guides tell you that the mountain creates its own weather system, and can be seen only 25 - 33 percent of the time. The park offers both shuttle and tour buses that make several scheduled stops, and always stop for photo ops if wildlife is spotted. The shuttles go all the way to the end of the 92 mile road, with stops at Wonder Lake and Eielson Visitors Center, where you have great views of the Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. You can get off the shuttle buses any where along the way to go hiking, then flag down a returning green bus for a ride back to the entrance. Wonder Lake at mile 85 is approximately a 11 hour round trip, and offers full base to summit views of Mt. McKinley. Last on the road is Kantishna, once a gold mining town, that offers exhibits on early settlers, and air strip, and 4 private properties. This trip is about 13 hours long, round trip.
The park also offers tour buses with narration by a certified driver-naturalist on its tan school buses. The Denali Natural History Tour, approximately 5 hours long, is the one that is included in most cruise tour packages. It stops along the way at Savage Cabin, a ranger cabin that is still used today, and that provides a living history on park ranger encounters with poachers. At Primrose Ridge, a Native Alaskan does a presentation on the 10,000 year history of land use in Denali. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is an 8 hour excursion that goes 53 miles to Toklat River and provides a more in depth history of the park with opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography. The Kantishna Tour goes the full length of the park road, leaving around 7 am and returning at 7 or 7:30 pm. Park buses and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Prices for shuttles and tours vary according to destination.
The park offers FREE courtesy shuttles from the Visitors Center to 3 different destinations. The Savage River courtesy shuttle is a 2 hour round trip and great for people short on time, wishing to hike, or for access to the Savage River Campground. The Riley Creek Loop courtesy shuttle goes to the Riley Creek Campground. The Sled Dog Demonstration courtesy shuttle goes between the Visitors Center and the kennels. There is no private vehicle parking at the kennels, so this is the only way to see them. You can pet and visit with friendly sled dogs, and see a demonstration of their speed. The Park sled dogs are still used in winter by rangers patrolling the park.
Every bus trip into the park offers views of Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. It may be clear and sunny on the ground, but the summit can be shrouded in clouds. The most photographed image of Mt. McKinley is from Reflection Pond, just beyond mile 85. You will need the Kantishna shuttle or tour bus for this photo op. Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. From its 2,000 foot lowlands to its 20,320 foot summit, the mountain’s vertical relief of 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mt. Everest.
Mt. McKinley National Park was established in 1917. In 1980 the park size was increased to 9,410 sq. miles and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. For comparison, Denali is larger than either Massachusetts or New Hampshire, and just slightly smaller than Vermont. It’s wildlife consists of one amphibian (the wood frog), 14 fish (including 3 salmon species), 166 birds (including the endangered Peregrine Falcon and the ptarmigan, the Alaska State bird), and 39 mammals (including Dall sheep, grizzly and black bear, moose, caribou, wolves, lynx, red foxes, and hoary marmots). Black bears live in the taiga, forested areas, and grizzly, or brown bear, inhabit the open tundra. Ninety percent of a grizzly’s diet is vegetation. Any bears seen by park visitors are most always grizzlies.
Glaciers cover 17% of Denali’s land area. Ruth Glacier is the deepest at over 3,800 feet, and it moves approximately 3 feet every day. The park also includes 12,000 lakes and ponds, and 18,600 miles of streams. In 2005 a dinosaur footprint was found in Denali. It belonged to a Cretaceous Theropod.
Approximately 400,000 visitors go to Denali National Park and Preserve every year, most between late May and early September. The park can be reached by car or tour bus on the George Parks Highway, or by the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage or Fairbanks. There is a park entrance fee as well as a fee for park buses and tours, camping and mountaineering permits. As far as weather, you can expect, rain, sun, clouds, and wind, and all on the same day. Summer temperatures average around 55- 60 degrees, with the record being 91 degrees. Winter temps average around 2 degrees, with the coldest being minus 54. And yes, the park is open during the winter.
The park has one road, and only the first 15 miles are paved and open to private vehicles. Visitors are recommended to take the park buses, which are school buses, without facilities. The dirt road winds along cliffs and mountain passes, so driving is best left to the professional guides and drivers. Mt. McKinley can be seen as early as mile 9, weather permitting. Guides tell you that the mountain creates its own weather system, and can be seen only 25 - 33 percent of the time. The park offers both shuttle and tour buses that make several scheduled stops, and always stop for photo ops if wildlife is spotted. The shuttles go all the way to the end of the 92 mile road, with stops at Wonder Lake and Eielson Visitors Center, where you have great views of the Alaska Range and Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. You can get off the shuttle buses any where along the way to go hiking, then flag down a returning green bus for a ride back to the entrance. Wonder Lake at mile 85 is approximately a 11 hour round trip, and offers full base to summit views of Mt. McKinley. Last on the road is Kantishna, once a gold mining town, that offers exhibits on early settlers, and air strip, and 4 private properties. This trip is about 13 hours long, round trip.
The park also offers tour buses with narration by a certified driver-naturalist on its tan school buses. The Denali Natural History Tour, approximately 5 hours long, is the one that is included in most cruise tour packages. It stops along the way at Savage Cabin, a ranger cabin that is still used today, and that provides a living history on park ranger encounters with poachers. At Primrose Ridge, a Native Alaskan does a presentation on the 10,000 year history of land use in Denali. The Tundra Wilderness Tour is an 8 hour excursion that goes 53 miles to Toklat River and provides a more in depth history of the park with opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography. The Kantishna Tour goes the full length of the park road, leaving around 7 am and returning at 7 or 7:30 pm. Park buses and facilities are wheelchair accessible. Prices for shuttles and tours vary according to destination.
The park offers FREE courtesy shuttles from the Visitors Center to 3 different destinations. The Savage River courtesy shuttle is a 2 hour round trip and great for people short on time, wishing to hike, or for access to the Savage River Campground. The Riley Creek Loop courtesy shuttle goes to the Riley Creek Campground. The Sled Dog Demonstration courtesy shuttle goes between the Visitors Center and the kennels. There is no private vehicle parking at the kennels, so this is the only way to see them. You can pet and visit with friendly sled dogs, and see a demonstration of their speed. The Park sled dogs are still used in winter by rangers patrolling the park.
Every bus trip into the park offers views of Mt. McKinley, weather permitting. It may be clear and sunny on the ground, but the summit can be shrouded in clouds. The most photographed image of Mt. McKinley is from Reflection Pond, just beyond mile 85. You will need the Kantishna shuttle or tour bus for this photo op. Mt. McKinley is the highest mountain in North America. From its 2,000 foot lowlands to its 20,320 foot summit, the mountain’s vertical relief of 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mt. Everest.
Mt. McKinley National Park was established in 1917. In 1980 the park size was increased to 9,410 sq. miles and renamed Denali National Park and Preserve. For comparison, Denali is larger than either Massachusetts or New Hampshire, and just slightly smaller than Vermont. It’s wildlife consists of one amphibian (the wood frog), 14 fish (including 3 salmon species), 166 birds (including the endangered Peregrine Falcon and the ptarmigan, the Alaska State bird), and 39 mammals (including Dall sheep, grizzly and black bear, moose, caribou, wolves, lynx, red foxes, and hoary marmots). Black bears live in the taiga, forested areas, and grizzly, or brown bear, inhabit the open tundra. Ninety percent of a grizzly’s diet is vegetation. Any bears seen by park visitors are most always grizzlies.
Glaciers cover 17% of Denali’s land area. Ruth Glacier is the deepest at over 3,800 feet, and it moves approximately 3 feet every day. The park also includes 12,000 lakes and ponds, and 18,600 miles of streams. In 2005 a dinosaur footprint was found in Denali. It belonged to a Cretaceous Theropod.
Cruise Prices and Hidden Costs of Cruising
By Carol Watts Small Ship & Alaska Specialist
It happened again today. Someone called with a price they had seen online and asked if we could match it. He had a real low ball price from an ad he had seen on the internet. To his credit, he had the courtesy to ask what our price would be. So he at least tried to keep some money local by booking with us. When I gave him “our price,” it was substantially higher. That’s because we always quote the full price, including port charges, government taxes and fees. We also advise people that the price we give does not include gratuities and trip insurance. I explained to him that the “lead-in” prices you see in ads are always for the lowest price interior cabin. Sometimes they are for resident or senior rates that you might not qualify for. They seldom include the port charges and government taxes. So since we try not to mislead people, our prices appear to be higher. Once last year someone came in with a price that we really could not match. When Kelly asked if he could travel 2 weeks later, the price we had was actually $600 less than the online sale price he came in about. So it pays to shop around, and yes, that means calling a local travel agent. (By the way, the cabin price without the port charges and government taxes and fees, is what agents are paid commission on.)
So what are the hidden costs of cruising? As stated above, prices we quote do not include gratuities for your room stewards and waiters. These run approximately $10 per person per day. Then there is the fuel surcharge, which runs around $7 - $9 per person per day. As yet the cruise lines have NOT reinstated the fuel surcharge, although they reserve the right to do so at any time. And once one line says they are going to do so, the others all follow like dominos. They can impose the surcharge even after final payment has been made.
Naturally transportation costs/air fares to the embarkation port are not included, although we can certainly quote you a figure. You can book air through the cruise line, generally more expensive but guaranteed to get you to the ship or they foot the bill. You can book air with us for a $30 service fee, since no airlines pay agents commission now. Or you can book air yourself on the internet. A word of warning: all airlines with the exception of Southwest will charge a hefty fee to change a booking, whether it be date or a misspelling on a name. Our air prices through the consolidator are often less expensive that some internet sellers of travel, and most people would rather give us the $30 service fee than deal with the hassle of booking air themselves.
That brings us to the “optional expenses” that you can incur on a cruise. By all means, you do not need to purchase any of the following:
l. Alcoholic, carbonated beverages, specialty coffees, bottled water. Tea, iced tea, coffee, water, juice are available at no charge. Or you can purchase a soda or alcohol package with some cruise lines to lower costs if you are a cola-drinker.
2. Specialty dining. While this is a nice 3-4 hour experience, we always felt that the food in the dining room was very good.
3. Bingo and the Casino. These are the biggest money makers for the cruise lines. Payouts are not regulated as they are on land. Some cruisers believe that the slot machines pay out at the start of a cruise, then when you are hooked, they dry up toward the end of the cruise.
4. Photos. These are taken at every opportunity. You do not have to buy anything.
5. Internet packages. These are priced by the minute, and connection times at sea are very slow.
6. Laundry. You can rinse out your own in the sink if needed. Most Holland America and Princess ships have coin operated laundry services.
7. Gift shop purchases. Logo clothing, trinkets or forgotten toiletries, medications, and other necessities are all pricey.
8. auctions. These are the biggest rip off at sea. Should you get a steal on a reproduced “masterpiece”, there’s always the frame and shipping home to pay for.
9. Shore excursions. Cruise lines use the same vendors that you can book with online. Or you can be really adventurous and grab a tour on the dock. This is ok for Alaska and Hawaii, but I would not recommend it for foreign countries that might not have as stringent vehicle inspection laws as the US or might not have English speaking guides. One good thing about booking shore excursions through the cruise line: if you are delayed returning because of a breakdown or accident, the ship will wait for you, and all the other passengers booked with you on that tardy excursion.
10. Travel Insurance. This is one addition cost that we strongly recommend. You can purchase this through the cruise line, but if you need to cancel your cruise, you might only get a future cruise credit. If you can no longer cruise, or if the cruise/tour company goes bankrupt, you are out of luck. We always recommend third party trip insurance. And yes, they did pay for re-booked flights, delays, hotels and food for passengers stranded in Europe because of volcanic ash. And did you hear that Iceland expects the neighboring volcano, Katla, to erupt at any time, and this one will be huge. We have had customers who were hospitalized the day before their booked cruise was set to sail. The one lost everything. The one with travel insurance got a cash refund for the total cost of her trip. Which would you rather be?
When cruise lines were discounting fares like crazy last year, we often wondered how they could afford to sell cabins so cheap. The truth is that cruise lines rely on you purchasing many of the above optional items. The cabin fare makes up only 10 - 25% of the cost of a cruise.
We recently came back from a 7 day cruise to Mexico. Because of the turmoil in that country, we had decided not to get off the ship while in port. It was just a totally relaxing vacation, good food, good shows, played a lot of trivia, watched movies, and borrowed books from the library. No cost for any of the above. We met two couples who were on the same cruise, round trip from Los Angeles, for a total of 2 and 3 weeks. That might seem strange, until you consider the cost. There’s no way you could book 3 weeks at a hotel in a major city and eat for what they paid for discounted back to back cruises. They could choose to get off in ports of call or not, as the mood struck them. While they had to disembark in Los Angeles at the end of each cruise, they could leave their luggage in the room. I admit clothing for 3 weeks would be a problem, but on Princess and Holland America you can use of their coin operated laundry facilities. Gee, I can’t wait until I’m retired to cruise for 3 weeks at a time. The only thing better would be 3 weeks cruising to Alaska.
Give us a call before you book anything online. We will give you our best price. Our affiliation with host agency Americas Vacation Center provides us with access to many group rates, which provide discounted pricing and possibly on board credit.
It happened again today. Someone called with a price they had seen online and asked if we could match it. He had a real low ball price from an ad he had seen on the internet. To his credit, he had the courtesy to ask what our price would be. So he at least tried to keep some money local by booking with us. When I gave him “our price,” it was substantially higher. That’s because we always quote the full price, including port charges, government taxes and fees. We also advise people that the price we give does not include gratuities and trip insurance. I explained to him that the “lead-in” prices you see in ads are always for the lowest price interior cabin. Sometimes they are for resident or senior rates that you might not qualify for. They seldom include the port charges and government taxes. So since we try not to mislead people, our prices appear to be higher. Once last year someone came in with a price that we really could not match. When Kelly asked if he could travel 2 weeks later, the price we had was actually $600 less than the online sale price he came in about. So it pays to shop around, and yes, that means calling a local travel agent. (By the way, the cabin price without the port charges and government taxes and fees, is what agents are paid commission on.)
So what are the hidden costs of cruising? As stated above, prices we quote do not include gratuities for your room stewards and waiters. These run approximately $10 per person per day. Then there is the fuel surcharge, which runs around $7 - $9 per person per day. As yet the cruise lines have NOT reinstated the fuel surcharge, although they reserve the right to do so at any time. And once one line says they are going to do so, the others all follow like dominos. They can impose the surcharge even after final payment has been made.
Naturally transportation costs/air fares to the embarkation port are not included, although we can certainly quote you a figure. You can book air through the cruise line, generally more expensive but guaranteed to get you to the ship or they foot the bill. You can book air with us for a $30 service fee, since no airlines pay agents commission now. Or you can book air yourself on the internet. A word of warning: all airlines with the exception of Southwest will charge a hefty fee to change a booking, whether it be date or a misspelling on a name. Our air prices through the consolidator are often less expensive that some internet sellers of travel, and most people would rather give us the $30 service fee than deal with the hassle of booking air themselves.
That brings us to the “optional expenses” that you can incur on a cruise. By all means, you do not need to purchase any of the following:
l. Alcoholic, carbonated beverages, specialty coffees, bottled water. Tea, iced tea, coffee, water, juice are available at no charge. Or you can purchase a soda or alcohol package with some cruise lines to lower costs if you are a cola-drinker.
2. Specialty dining. While this is a nice 3-4 hour experience, we always felt that the food in the dining room was very good.
3. Bingo and the Casino. These are the biggest money makers for the cruise lines. Payouts are not regulated as they are on land. Some cruisers believe that the slot machines pay out at the start of a cruise, then when you are hooked, they dry up toward the end of the cruise.
4. Photos. These are taken at every opportunity. You do not have to buy anything.
5. Internet packages. These are priced by the minute, and connection times at sea are very slow.
6. Laundry. You can rinse out your own in the sink if needed. Most Holland America and Princess ships have coin operated laundry services.
7. Gift shop purchases. Logo clothing, trinkets or forgotten toiletries, medications, and other necessities are all pricey.
8. auctions. These are the biggest rip off at sea. Should you get a steal on a reproduced “masterpiece”, there’s always the frame and shipping home to pay for.
9. Shore excursions. Cruise lines use the same vendors that you can book with online. Or you can be really adventurous and grab a tour on the dock. This is ok for Alaska and Hawaii, but I would not recommend it for foreign countries that might not have as stringent vehicle inspection laws as the US or might not have English speaking guides. One good thing about booking shore excursions through the cruise line: if you are delayed returning because of a breakdown or accident, the ship will wait for you, and all the other passengers booked with you on that tardy excursion.
10. Travel Insurance. This is one addition cost that we strongly recommend. You can purchase this through the cruise line, but if you need to cancel your cruise, you might only get a future cruise credit. If you can no longer cruise, or if the cruise/tour company goes bankrupt, you are out of luck. We always recommend third party trip insurance. And yes, they did pay for re-booked flights, delays, hotels and food for passengers stranded in Europe because of volcanic ash. And did you hear that Iceland expects the neighboring volcano, Katla, to erupt at any time, and this one will be huge. We have had customers who were hospitalized the day before their booked cruise was set to sail. The one lost everything. The one with travel insurance got a cash refund for the total cost of her trip. Which would you rather be?
When cruise lines were discounting fares like crazy last year, we often wondered how they could afford to sell cabins so cheap. The truth is that cruise lines rely on you purchasing many of the above optional items. The cabin fare makes up only 10 - 25% of the cost of a cruise.
We recently came back from a 7 day cruise to Mexico. Because of the turmoil in that country, we had decided not to get off the ship while in port. It was just a totally relaxing vacation, good food, good shows, played a lot of trivia, watched movies, and borrowed books from the library. No cost for any of the above. We met two couples who were on the same cruise, round trip from Los Angeles, for a total of 2 and 3 weeks. That might seem strange, until you consider the cost. There’s no way you could book 3 weeks at a hotel in a major city and eat for what they paid for discounted back to back cruises. They could choose to get off in ports of call or not, as the mood struck them. While they had to disembark in Los Angeles at the end of each cruise, they could leave their luggage in the room. I admit clothing for 3 weeks would be a problem, but on Princess and Holland America you can use of their coin operated laundry facilities. Gee, I can’t wait until I’m retired to cruise for 3 weeks at a time. The only thing better would be 3 weeks cruising to Alaska.
Give us a call before you book anything online. We will give you our best price. Our affiliation with host agency Americas Vacation Center provides us with access to many group rates, which provide discounted pricing and possibly on board credit.
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