Arrive To: Gather at the Westmark Anchorage hotel to meet your coordinator and fellow participants. The group will depart for Talkeetna immediately after introductions. Note: We will NOT be staying overnight at the Westmark Anchorage. We will only meet here to board the motor coach for Talkeetna.

Morning: See the Alaska Range, and possibly even Mt. McKinley, on the journey north to the eclectic mountaineering town of Talkeetna, Alaska.

Lunch: A local restaurant

Afternoon: Catch a glimpse of Alaska's frontier history in the town of Talkeetna. This town is known for its commitment to historic preservation and self-determination. Learn about the town's history and historic structures from a local expert.

Dinner: Twister Creek

Evening: Learn what it takes to climb to the highest point in North America through a presentation by one of Talkeetna's most respected mountain guides. Afterwards, watch for the aurora, weather permitting.

Lodging: Swiss-Alaska Inn

Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Talkeetna Roadhouse (the world-famous local bakery)

Morning: Visit the Ranger Station to learn more about the logistics of climbing Denali.

Lunch: En route

Afternoon: Journey through the heart of the Alaska Range, through Denali State Park, across the Denali Fault, and into Denali National Park and Preserve. Arrive at the Park Visitor Center, see “Hearbeats of Denali,” the award-winning film. Explore Denali's winter trails (weather permitting) and learn about the wintertime habitat of local wildlife.

Dinner: Motel Nord Haven

Evening: A local presenter creates a window into the lives of those who embrace the challenges of an Alaskan winter. Afterwards, watch for the aurora, weather permitting.

Lodging: Motel Nord Haven

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Motel Nord Haven

Morning: Learn about the sometimes surprising, always extreme, conditions that shape life in Denali and define a subarctic ecosystem in “Welcome to the Subarctic.”

Lunch: Motel Nord Haven

Afternoon: Visit working sled dogs and learn about their home life! Be impressed by how well-adapted these dogs are to their wintry world.

Dinner: Motel Nord Haven

Evening: Gather round for an evening guest speaker. Afterwards, watch for the aurora, weather permitting.

Lodging: Motel Nord Haven

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Motel Nord Haven

Morning: Discover the extraordinary animals that call Denali home and learn about their marvelous adaptations to life at high latitudes in “Wildlife of Denali.”

Morning: Depart for Fairbanks by motor coach

Lunch: Lunch en route

Afternoon: Visit the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Encounter Alaska's stories through exhibitions that highlight state history and Alaskan art.

Dinner: Fairbanks restaurant

Evening: Free evening

Lodging: Westmark Fairbanks

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Westmark restaurant

Morning: Visit the University of Alaska’s newly-expanded Museum of the North and learn about the natural and cultural history of interior Alaska. Highlights include a light-and-sound display that interprets seismic vibrations and the dance of the northern lights in real time.

Lunch: In town

Afternoon: Visit the magnificent display of ice carvings at the World Ice Art Championships.

Dinner: Westmark restaurant

Evening: Program wrap-up. Afterwards, watch for the aurora, weather permitting.

Lodging: Westmark Fairbanks

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Depart From: After breakfast, independent departures from Fairbanks.

Breakfast: Westmark

Meals Included: Breakfast