Kathy's Tips on Alaska A must do in Fairbanks is to take the 3.5 hour trip on the stern-wheeler Discovery which travels on the Chena and Tanama Rivers. Not only is it educational, but a lot of fun with some surprises along the way. It is rated one of the top tours in the United States with a lot of bang for your buck. Just outside of Fairbanks you can view the Alaskan pipeline, an engineering marvel. Great dining is at the historical Pump House. The scenery in Denali National Park is absolutely spectacular along with the varied wildlife. The highest peak in North America, Mt. McKinley, is in the Park. Denali means "high one" to the Athabascan Indians. The park is home to grizzly bears, caribou, moose, Dall sheep and wolves, which we all saw on our tour through the park, and also smaller animals. On the tour buses going into the park, try and sit on the driver's side towards the middle of bus and the reverse on the return for best viewing and picture taking. The blonde colored rocks off in the distance are probably not rocks, but grizzly bears! A delicious meal is offered at the 229 Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant just south of Denali, at mile marker 229. This is where the locals go to dine. Fishing and the Kenai Fjords National Park are the main reasons to go to Seward. Seward is a small seaside town with the mountains behind. Fishing for Halibut is awesome and the marine life in the Kenai Fjords is incredible. The pictures to the left, as the ones above, were actually taken by me! You need to book your fishing way in advance and you can choose what type of fish you would like to catch. Even though this is what your fishing guide will concentrate on, you may also catch some others and maybe even some unusual fish! They take you out about 65 miles, so be sure to pack your own lunch, snacks, water and beverages. Another must is to take a boat tour of the Kenai Fjords. The marine life is abundant. We saw whales that even circled our boat, Orca porpoises, soaring eagles, sea otters, sea lions, the adorable puffins, bears, and numerous species of birds. We also viewed ice fields and calving glaciers. When you view the Kenai Fjords book one of the smaller boats to get the best viewing and be on your own itinerary, not the boat's schedule. My favorite restaurant for seafood was Ray's Waterfront. If you enjoy fishing for King Salmon or other types of salmon, the Cooper Landing area is a great area to base your stay. The mighty Kenai River and its various tributaries are all in this area. If you are not into fishing there are some great float trips down the Kenai River. A great hike is on a trail up to the Russian River to view the salmon swimming upstream. Most of the photographs and film shots you see of the salmon were photographed there. Alaska with its 3 million lakes, 3000 rivers, spectacular scenery, and abundant wildlife is an outdoor enthusiast's dream. I have to say that Alaska is one of my personal favorites and I am already planning where I will go on my next trip to Alaska. It is only 5 hours away! Please give me a call when you decide your next trip is to Alaska!! Kathy - 303 771-1178 For more information call the Travel Organizers or fill out our quick quote request form and one of our travel professionals will respond shortly. Call any one of our three offices: Denver Tech Center - 303-771-1178 Southglenn Mall Area - 303-730-7777 Downtown Denver - 303-383-5050 Travel Organizers/American Express who has been in Denver for over 24 years can help you make reservations with just one call. ---------