If you want to experience the best of Alaska from the coast to Denali, you'll need at least 9 days. This trip does a good job of providing variety without too much time on the road.

Day 1 – We’ll meet in Anchorage, and after a gear check and orientation, we'll look for Beluga Whales, bald eagles, and mountain goats as we take one of the most scenic drives in the world. We’ll drive THROUGH a mountain to the unique small town of Whittier, the gateway to Prince William Sound. The afternoon will be spent paddling past waterfalls and bird rookeries, a short hike and then on to our campsite in the rainforest.

Day 2 - We head into Blackstone Bay where we paddle close to several huge tidewater glaciers. It's a full day paddling but we still have time to enjoy ourselves and look for wildlife.

Day 3 – Finally we’ll reach our goal. Blackstone Glacier is an actively calving glacier and if we’re lucky while we’re watching for falling ice, we might see some seals playing in the icebergs. We’ll be picked up at a nearby beach by water taxi to take us on a quick ride back to town.

Now we’ll head north toward the Matanuska Valley. On the way we’ll stop in Anchorage for dinner at one of our favorite spots. Finally, a shower and a night in a bed at an historic inn in Palmer, about an hour north of Anchorage.

Day 4 – We’ll drive further up the valley to the huge Matanuska Glacier where we’ll don mountaineering crampons to explore and hike around. Bottomless crevasses and towering walls of ice are impressive for all of our guests. Then, back to our homestead for a big Alaskan barbecue.

Our homestead and Base Camp is about halfway between the Matanuska glacier and Anchorage. It's nothing too elaborate but a lot of visitors really enjoy staying with us and sampling a little of our lifestyle; solar power, a home-made water system, garden, greenhouse and a small log cabin we built ourselves. We have comfortable cabin tents equipped with cots and foam mattresses and a wood-fired hot tub for relaxing after a hard day on the ice. Our other guests sometimes include moose and bear wandering through our "yard".

Day 5 – An early start and we’ll head up into the alpine areas of scenic Hatcher Pass for a great day hike. Traveling fast and light we'll take in some exceptional views.

At the end of the day we’ll load up and head north, its about a 2.5 hour drive after which we’ll reward ourselves with a nice meal out, a shower and a cozy bed at an inn in Talkeetna renowned for its local color.

Day 6 – After a hearty breakfast at the inn, you’ll have a chance to wander round town. Talkeetna is a quirky historic town that, rumor has it, was the inspiration for the television show “Northern Exposure”. After lunch we’ll head north to Denali to set up camp at an established campground close to the park entrance.

Day 7 – We’ll get out and about in the park to see what we can find. There are no trails in Denali so we’ll be scrambling up river drainages and traversing ridges in search of great views. We’ll try and be quiet and see if we can sight some unsuspecting moose, caribou or maybe even a bear. If opportunity arises we might attend one of the educational lectures at the Visitors Center in the evening.

Day 8 - The bus is far and away the most reliable way to see wildlife in Denali, there is no other vehicular traffic and animals are accustomed to these non-threatening daily visitors. During the ride we’ll be looking for bear, moose, caribou, fox and everything else. A picnic lunch and hike before heading back for pizza out and a comfortable night in an inn or B&B.

Day 9 – Our last day, we’ll start with a raft trip on the exciting Nenana River before we head back to Anchorage to say our goodbyes. If the schedule allows we'll try and stop at the Iditarod sled dog race headquarters to break up the drive. Although the trip officially ends when we drop you at your hotel, good restaurants and nightlife are easy to find in Anchorage for those who choose to meet up for a last hurrah!