Day One (Thursday June 21)

5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Fly from Cedar Rapids to Anchorage on summer solstice--that means 19.5 hours of sunlight in Anchorage! Hotel: Aspen Suites or similar (Aspen Suites is comparable to an Embassy Suites)

Day Two (Friday June 22)

From 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. we'll ride the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Whittier. From 1:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. we'll be cruising on the 26 Glaciers Tour on Prince William Sound where we'll see the glaciers close up in a fancy catamaran. From 6:45 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. we will travel back to Anchorage by rail. Hotel: Aspen Suites or similar in Anchorage

Day Three (Saturday June 23)

From 8:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. we'll ride the rails from Anchorage to Denali National Park in a classic domed rail car. Late afternoon and evening will be at Denali. Hotel: McKinley Chalet Resort

Day Four (Sunday June 24)

Morning in Denali National Park, where they have their very own sled dogs as well as other animals. Possible activities include a visit to the sled dog kennel or white water rafting.








1:15 – 6:00 p.m. Motorcoach to Kantishna in the heart of Denali National Park

Hotel: Denali Backcountry Lodge, which features cedar cabins with private baths. Hot breakfast, soup/sandwich lunch, and family-style dinners are in the lodge, where they also serve up pipin' hot natural history presentations.

Day Five (Monday June 25)

Free day in Kantishna area for supreme naturey activities. Activities in and around the lodge include naturalist-led programs, guided hikes, gold panning, mountain biking and flightseeing. Hotel: Denali Backcountry Lodge

Day Six (Tuesday June 26)

From 7:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. we'll travel by motorcoach from Kantishna to entrance of Denali Park.
12:15 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. Rail to Talkeetna, a village at the base of Mount McKinley, North America's largest peak. Hotel: Talkeetna Lodge

Day Seven (Wednesday June 27)

We'll spend the day in Talkeetna. In the morning, we'll take a Jet Boat Safari of the three rivers that converge near the village. Possible activities for the afternoon include flightseeing to Mt. McKinley, fishing, hiking, boating, or simply laying about. Hotel: Talkeetna Lodge

Day Eight (Thursday June 28)

We'll have a free morning in Talkeetna for a last soak in the Northern-Exposure-style nature and culture of the area. At 4:30, we'll board the train for a four-hour trip back to Anchorage. Hotel: Aspen Suites or similar.

Day Nine (Friday June 29)

7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. We'll fly from Anchorage to Cedar Rapids, upload our pictures to our preferred digital processing website, and go buy Alaskan-themed scrap booking supplies.