|
Alaska's Inside Passage Up Close |
 |
Program Number: |
11479RJ |
|
| Start
and End Dates: |
|
| Duration: |
8 nights |
| Location: |
Alaska
|
| Price starting at: |
$5,299.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city |
| Program Type:
|
Adventure Afloat Study Cruise; Small Ship Cruising
|
|
|
| Meals: |
23;
8 Breakfasts, 7 Lunches, 8 Dinners |
|
|
Famed for deep glacial fjords, spectacular coastal mountains and lush temperate rainforest, Alaska’s Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park offer natural and scenic gifts rivaled only by the rich histories of the indigenous nations who have lived here for millennia. Aboard a small ship, get within a stone’s throw of a glacier fed by a Connecticut-sized ice field, experience native Tlingit dances in a replica clanhouse, explore native-owned lands via ATV’s or kayaks and touch Alaskan sea life, all in the company of experts who narrate your experience with in-depth analysis of this yet untamed land.
Activity Particulars
Optional walking up to a mile at a time on maintained trails, some uneven or wet terrain on shorelines.
Itinerary At-a-Glance
Sitka, Alaska, 1 night; aboard Admiralty Dream, 7 nights.
Coordinated by Road Scholar.
Days 1-2: | Arrival Sitka, Alaska / embark Admiralty Dream: |
Enter the Sheet’ka Kwan Clan House for a colorful performance by the renowned NaKaHidi dancers. On a small boat excursion, look for whales, sea otters and Steller sea lions.
Visit this spectacular bay not open to the public to explore by ATV, kayak or zego runabout. Bears, moose and other wildlife abound.
Traverse the waters of this narrow, twisting 30-mile fjord through soaring cliffs of granite and glittering icebergs. Learn about the calving glaciers and the harbor seals that live on the icy surface.
Go back in time to the Klondike Gold Rush as you ride the White Pass and Yukon Route, a narrow gauge railway completed in 1901 to carry miners over the mountains to the gold fields.
Discover the famed Mendenhall Glacier and enjoy free time to explore downtown Juneau independently. Learn about Alaskan history at the Alaska State Museum.
Day 7: | Glacier Bay National Park: |
A National Park Service Ranger and a Tlingit Cultural Guide will board the ship at Glacier Bay to present onboard commentary on the park’s stunning scenery, including tidewater glaciers and the 15,000-foot Fairweather Mountain range.
Day 8: | Red Bluff Bay & Baranof Island Cruising: |
We spend the morning exploring this rarely visited part of Alaska. Rusted cliffs of Red Bluff Bay glow in the morning sun as you hunt for bears along the edges of the old growth rainforest, and view spectacular waterfalls from the comfort of the ship. As we make our way back to Sitka, we'll explore the remote east coastline of Baranof Island.
Day 9: | Sitka / disembark / departure |
Admiralty Dream
This three-deck American small ship is 143 feet long and can carry 57 passengers on exclusive sailings for Road Scholar. The comfortable, forward-facing Vista View Lounge is a great place for socializing, enjoying a favorite beverage and watching the magnificent scenery pass by, plus there is ample outdoor deck space.
|
| Road Scholar Instructors | | These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur. | Karen Christner
| | Karen Christner has made Alaska her home since journeying there with her husband, Jere, and their three children more than 26 years ago. After pursuing careers as an entrepreneur and substitute teacher, Karen became a Road Scholar coordinator through the University of Alaska. Soon, she embraced a role as a Road Scholar instructor and has shared her love for Alaska’s natural beauty, culture and local cuisine with lifelong learners.
| | | | Brenda Campen
| | A long-time resident of Alaska, Brenda Campen is passionate about the history of America’s “Last Frontier.” Her 33-year career in teaching social studies led her to Native communities in the interior and in the southeast region of the state. For 25 years, she taught at Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka, a state residential school for rural and Alaska Native students. Brenda’s expertise in Alaska history and contemporary issues has earned her multiple awards, including the first Governor’s Award in the Humanities for Alaska History Teaching, and the Alaska Historical Society’s Contributions to Alaska History Award. Brenda divides her time between Sitka and a cabin near the Admiralty Island village of Angoon. | | | |
|