Anchorage Daily News

Summer's gone and winter's coming, along with the low- and shoulder-season travel specials. Bargain-hungry travelers can choose from a variety of specials between now and mid-September. That's when the cruise ship business dries up -- and seasonal businesses start to close up shop.

At Denali National Park, you can stay at one of five hotels near the park entrance for as little as $99 per night. These special prices are available through Sept. 17. "There are just a couple of dates that already are sold out," said Mark Roetto at Denali Park Resorts. "But most dates still are available." Hotels include McKinley Chalets and McKinley Village.

If you want to let someone else do the driving, consider Gray Line of Alaska's package, which includes overnight accommodations for one night at Denali Park Resorts and round-trip motor coach from Anchorage. The cost? Just $99 per person, double occupancy.

Ninety-nine dollars seems to be the magic number between here and Denali.

A little more than halfway up the Parks Highway, Princess' Mount McKinley Wilderness Lodge also is offering a special $99 rate. The hotel is close to the mountain, but it's 105 miles from the park entrance. Nonetheless, you can get beautiful pictures of McKinley right from the deck. Princess also offers rail tours from Anchorage to Talkeetna, where travelers catch a Princess coach for the 50-mile trip to the lodge. Special one- and two-night packages are available for as little as $119 per person, double occupancy.

In the other direction, Phillips Cruises and Tours is offering a combination deal with the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Whittier. There, travelers board the swift Klondike Express for a tour of College Fjord. Through Sept. 15, the cost is reduced from $213 to $159 per person.

If you like to travel around the state (who doesn't?), it's a good idea to sign up for Alaska Heritage Tours' online newsletter, the Puffin Pass (www.puffinpass.com). Here, AHT lists exclusive deals for Alaska residents. Special discounts are available for Kenai Fjords Tours, Seward Windsong Lodge and Fox Island Wilderness Lodge.

Through Sept. 12, there is a two-for-one special on select departures for Prince William Sound Cruises from Whittier. There is a code on the Web site that you need to get the deal. Also, you'll find descriptions of the upcoming food and wine extravaganza at the Talkeetna Alaska Lodge. Learn all about it online. It's free to register.

Farther down the Peninsula, Renown Tours has a package deal with the Park Connection and the Alaska Railroad that features Renown's six-hour National Park Cruise.

First, catch the Park Connection motor coach at 7 a.m. downtown at the Egan Center. You'll arrive in Seward in time to board the Glacier Express for the trip inside Kenai Fjords National Park. Ride back to Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad, arriving in Anchorage at 10:15 p.m.

Because Gov. Sarah Palin decided to send out Permanent Fund dividend checks early, airlines are scrambling to put together timely specials. They need to. Bookings for fall and winter are pretty light, even with flight reductions. Travelers are waiting for a deal --and they're going to get it. Watch for specials on Alaska Airlines and Era Aviation. In the past, other airlines that serve Anchorage, including Delta and Northwest, have matched Alaska's special rates on a route-by-route basis. But we've never had high fuel prices like this before -- so we'll see in the coming weeks if any other airlines want a slice of the multibillion-dollar PFD travel pie.

Scott McMurren is an Anchorage-based travel marketing consultant. Contact him via his travel blog, www.alaskatravelgram.com.

Scott's tips

• PUFFIN PASS: Sign up for Alaska Heritage Tours' online e-mail blast for Alaska residents.

www.puffinpass. com

• ALASKA AIRLINES: Watch for PFD bargains soon.

alaskaair.com

• DENALI PARK RESORTS: The fall colors are out now in Denali. Book the $99 rate online.

denalipark resorts.com

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