Travel

Alaskans, tour your own state

scott_mcmurren_logo_2.18.09It's a foregone conclusion that fewer tourists will be visiting Alaska this summer. But there still will be a bundle of them--scattered across the state. They'll still come on the cruise ships, on airplanes and by RV across the Alaska Highway.

Many of the hotels and tour companies, though, already have staffed for larger numbers. That means there will be plenty of bargains, particularly in Alaska's national parks. Let's take a look at some of the deals.

Wrangell St. Elias National Park. This is the nation's largest national park. Access the park by driving up to Glennallen, then take a right and head toward Valdez.

You'll pass the Copper River Princess after about 14 miles on the Richardson Highway. Even if you're not staying there, it's a great spot for lunch, especially after driving four and a half hours from Anchorage!

You can see the park from the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lodge, which looks out over the confluence of the Klutina and Copper Rivers.

Stay for as little as $89 on Wednesdays during the summer. Other early- season deals are available from $99 per night. And there's free wireless internet, too.

Drive from the Princess back into the park along the unpaved McCarthy Highway. I've driven the road four times now. You just have to go slow to avoid a flat tire. Deep in the heart of the park is the town of McCarthy. Stay at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge for as little as $99 per night if you're an Alaska resident. Make plans to explore the old copper mining district at Kennicott--and climb a glacier with St.

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Elias Alpine Guides. We loved our flightseeing trip with Wrangell Mountain Air.

Some of the best deals to Denali National Park include a train trip from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Gray Line of Alaska is offering a special that includes roundtrip rail on the McKinley Explorer--a full-dome private rail car with the restaurant on the lower level. For $399 per person, double occupancy, you receive the train ride in both directions and two nights' accommodations at Denali National Park.

Optional tours include the bus trip into the park, flightseeing--and more. Transfers between the train station and Denali hotels are included. I love riding the train, especially on a clear day when the mountain is out. Bring your camera!

If you're driving up to Denali, grab a bargain rate at the Denali Princess Lodge--as low as $99 per night in May. Or, if you're staying longer, when you pay for two nights, you get the third night free.

When you visit Juneau, take time to see Glacier Bay National Park.

There's a new "Day on the Bay" option available this year. The price includes roundtrip air fare between Juneau and Glacier Bay, shuttle service up to Bartlett Cove and the full-day Glacier Bay cruise. We loved this cruise. We saw bear, whales, seas, sea lions and much, much more. The cost is $370.15 per adult. Other rates are available from Haines or Skagway.

One of the closest national parks to Anchorage is Kenai Fjords National Park. Renown Tours is offering a 20 percent discount when you purchase your cruise for sailings through Sept. 20, 2009. The six-hour national park cruise is available for as little as $119.20 per person.

Other parks, including Lake Clark National Park, Katmai National Park and Gates of the Arctic National Park require a little more advance planning. But now is the time to start so you can make the most of this summer!

Online resources

Gray Line of Alaska: They offer rail/hotel tours up to Denali Park.

Princess Lodges: Princess has a network of five lodges: Denali Princess, Kenai Princess, Mt. McKinley Princess, Fairbanks Princess and Copper River Princess.

Kennicott Glacier Lodge: This lodge is located in the copper mining district near McCarthy. A great destination.

Scott McMurren

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based marketing consultant, serving clients in the transportation, hospitality, media and specialty destination sectors, among others. Contact him by email at zoom907@me.com. Subscribe to his e-newsletter at alaskatravelgram.com. For more information, visit alaskatravelgram.com/about.

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