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Alaska Iditarod Sled Dog Race Tours 2013
Choose from one of our 8 tours listed below to experience the excitement of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race
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This 2013 10 Day Iditarod Race Tour Package is designed to let you experience all of the excitement of the race start, plus visit with the mushers at checkpoints along the race trail and experience the lifestyles and cultures of these remote villages. At the start of the tour we frequently see Orcas, Humpback Whales, Sea Lions, Mountain Goats and Otters on our Resurrection Bay Cruise. Our visit to the Alaska Wildlife center will give us close-up views of Grizzlies, Black Bears, Caribou, Moose, Elk and Muskoxen. At the Iditarod Race Banquet you will mingle with the mushers, have photo ops with them and the opportunity to wish them well. Clients have the option to go through the dog handler certification that allows them to help bring the sled dogs up to the starting line at the Race start. How exciting is that for Iditarod fans! Optional activities at Alyeska include dog sled rides, snowmobiling, helicopter rides and of course skiing.
Once we leave Anchorage and fly over the spectacular Alaska Range to the village of McGrath, we will be in an area steeped in Alaskan mining history and Athabaskan Indian culture. In McGrath we will visit the remnants of Old Town McGrath, the jumping off point for miners headed to the gold rush in Iditarod, Cripple and Ophir. We will visit the McGrath Museum and the Fish and Wildlife office to meet local experts on the history of the area. We will also fly to Nikolai and Takotna, traditional Athabaskan Indian villages. You will find this tour to be richly rewarding in both the interaction you will have with the Iditarod racers and the local residents.
10 Day Iditarod Race Start and Trail Tour
Iditarod Start and Trail Tour Highlights
Include :
Attending the Iditarod Race Starts in Anchorage and Wasilla.
Sightseeing excursion to beautiful Alyeska ski resort.
Attend the Musher's Banquet
Opportunity to be an Iditarod team dog handler with VIP privileges.
Scenic drive along Turnagain Arm to Seward and boat cruise of Resurrection Bay.
Visit to the Iditarod Museum
Scenic flight over the Alaska Range and Rainy Pass.
Sightseeing excursion along the Iditarod trail.
Visit to the Athabaskan village of Nikolai.
Visit to the Takotna checkpoint in the historic Iditarod Mining District.
Optional Dog Mushing, snowmobiling and flight seeing activities.
Opportunity to be a volunteer checker at the McGrath checkpoint.
Itinerary
Day One Tuesday : Guests arrive and check into the Anchorage Hilton Hotel. Evening group
meeting.
Day Two Wednesday : Pickup at your hotel with a scenic ride along Turnagain
Arm to the port of Seward Alaska. Here we will take a 3 hour cruise in
beautiful Resurrection Bay . In the afternoon we will travel to the village of Girdwood
and stay at the magnificent Alyeska Ski Resort.(L,D)
Day Three Thursday : We will spend the day at Alyeska. Clients can book
optional activities such as downhill or cross-country skiing, flight seeing
by plane or helicopter, snowmobiling, dog sledding, exploring the village
of Girdwood or just enjoying the hotel amenities. In the afternoon we
will head back to Anchorage and attend the Musher's Banquet in the
evening. (D)
Day Four Friday : In the morning we will visit the Iditarod Race Headquarters and clients wishing to be handle the dogs at the race start will go through their dog handler certification training. Afternoon and evening are free. Clients may purchase tickets for the "Iditarod Fun Raiser Dinner and Auction" in the evening. . (L)
Day Five Saturday :Iditarod excitement clicks into high gear today with
the ceremonial Race start in Anchorage. We will get an early start and watch
the mushers unload their teams in the staging area and later join the
crowds cheering on their favorite mushers as they race down 4th Ave.(D)
Day Six Sunday : Morning departure to the official restart of the
Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Willow. Another chance to be a part of the
Race by working as a dog handler or security personnel. (D)
Day Seven Monday : Clients will
fly to the community of McGrath on the Kuskokwim River. You will have
opportunity to explore the town of McGrath, the old townsite of McGrath
and meet a lot of interesting and friendly people. Clients can book optional activities such as dog mushing . Lodging ; Hotel McGrath . (L,D)
Day Eight Tuesday : Today you will fly to the Athabaskan community of Nikolai and
watch as the lead mushers come in from their grueling travels through the
Alaska Range and the Farewell Burn. Nikolai is a great place to watch the
musher's care for their dogs and experience a little of bit of life in a
remote Native village. In the late afternoon we will return to McGrath and
spend the evening watching the lead mushers come into the McGrath
checkpoint. Lodging ; McGrath (B,L,D)
Day Nine Wednesday : The Takotna checkpoint has earned a reputation as the
friendliest checkpoint on the trail and the spot where many of the lead
mushers take their 24 hour layover. Today we take a short flight there and
spend the day watching the mushers and their teams. We will spend the
evening watching the lead mushers come into the McGrath checkpoint.
Lodging ; McGrath. (B,L,D)
Day Ten Thursday :Today is a free day in McGrath with teams entering and
leaving McGrath. We will work to schedule slots for clients who are
interested in being a volunteer checker. Lodging ;McGrath (B,L,D)
Day Eleven Friday : The tour comes to an end and clients return to Anchorage.(B,)
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| Start and Trail Tour |
February 26 - March 8, 2013. $4900 shared
accommodation, single supplement $750 - $1600 depending on availability. |
| Includes: |
Accommodations, pre-race activities, admissions, group meals as indicated, rt air transportation between Anchorage and McGrath, charter flights to the Nikolai and Takotna checkpoints. |
Alaska Iditarod Tours
Tel. 604-720-0744
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©1996 Alaska Iditarod Tours.
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