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Alaska

On the Road: From Wilderness to Table in Alaska

Program No. 25496RJ
Embark on a truly unique wilderness-to-table look at Alaska’s culinary traditions as you forage, shuck and taste your way through the Last Frontier!
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Food & WineRegional StudiesOn the RoadSmall GroupNew
Length
9 days
Rating
New
Activity Level
Starts at
5,999
Special Offer
Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
9 days
8 nights
What's Included
20 meals ( 8B, 6L, 6D )
6 expert-led lectures
11 expert-led field trips
1 hands-on experience
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in from 3:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to meet with program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
Orientation: 7:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. We will learn from the Group Leader as well as local experts who will give lectures and lead field trips. Program-related travel and transfers will be via private motorcoach unless noted otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Activity Note
Walking up to 2 miles on dirt paths with uneven footing at times. Some small uphills. On your feet for an extended period. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll start our day with a lecture by our Group Leader on a topic relevant to the program theme. Following our lecture, we’ll be joined by a local expert who will take us out on a hiking adventure during which we will learn about Alaska’s edible plants. We will have a chance to forage for ingredients that will be used in making our lunch.
Lunch:
We’ll enjoy a lunch made with the ingredients we foraged.
Afternoon:
Free time. This period of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Please note that the period scheduled for free time is subject to change depending on local circumstances and opportunities for independent exploration.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 90 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Walking up to 2 miles on some uneven terrain. On your feet for an extended period.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll board our motorcoach and head to Palmer, AK for the day. Once we’ve arrived, we’ll be met by a local expert who will take us on an exploration of Palmer’s farms and homesteads. We’ll learn about the unique challenges Alaskan farmers face as well as the crops they grow and how they can do that successfully in harsh conditions.
Lunch:
We'll have a brown bag lunch that is catered by a local restaurant in Palmer.
Afternoon:
We’ll then make our way on our motorcoach to the Musk Ox Farm. Here we’ll have the chance to meet the herd while walking around the farm. Located in the Manatuska Valley, the farm is home to over eighty musk oxen. The musk oxen are Ice Age mammals that, at one time, roamed the earth alongside woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. We’ll learn from a local expert about the history of the farm as well as their commitment to the husbandry of the musk ox and production of qiviut. Qiviut is the soft under-wool that is produced by musk oxen and spun into yarn. We’ll then make our way back to Anchorage.
Dinner:
This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking for up to 3 hours on paved walkways. Standing for an extended period. Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 148 miles, under 3 hours riding time.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel and load our luggage before we make our way to the Anchorage Museum. We’ll be met by a docent who will take us through some of their permanent exhibits. The Anchorage Museum’s focus is on the art, history, ethnography, ecology, and science of Alaska. The upper floors have displays of clothing and everyday pieces made by the various tribes of Native Alaskans. Our docent will focus on farming, homesteading, and Alaskan cuisine. Following our time at the museum, we’ll meet up with a local expert who will take us on an exploration of the food scene in Anchorage.
Lunch:
We'll enjoy a sampling of the food options in Anchorage during our guided exploration.
Afternoon:
We’ll board our motorcoach and start our journey to Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula. Soldotna is located along the Kenai River and is a popular vacationing spot for Alaskans. Our Group Leader will provide expert commentary en route. We’ll arrive in Soldotna by early evening. We will check in at the hotel and have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach. Standing for an extended period. Walking distance based on personal preference.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll start our day with a lecture by our Group Leader. Following the lecture, we’ll make our way to the Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center for a self-led visit through its displays. This will provide us with historical information on the Kenai area. We’ll walk with our Study Leader through the old Kenai settlement, concentrating on the Russian influence in the area with the opportunity to visit some historical homes.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Back aboard our motorcoach, we’ll head to the Soldotna Homestead Museum for an expert-led visit. Soldotna’s homesteaders arrived in 1947, and the museum grounds include some of the early homestead cabins. We’ll see handmade utensils, pioneer objects, and Alaska native artifacts. We’ll then make our way back to the hotel for some downtime before dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 74 miles, approximately 1.5 hours riding time. Standing for an extended period. Walking up to 1 mile.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll start our morning by checking out of the hotel and loading our luggage onto the motorcoach. Then we’ll set off for Homer, situated on Kachemak Bay with an incredible panoramic view of mountains, snowy peaks, and glaciers, with our Group Leader providing expert commentary along the way. Our first stop will be the Pratt Museum for a self-led exploration, including short videos and exhibits on the Kachemak Bay region of Alaska. Exhibits focus on art, natural history, Native cultures, homesteading, fishing, and marine ecology. The adjacent Harrington Cabin reflects the life of early pioneers with hand tools, diaries, needlework and kitchen supplies. Outside the house is a small garden with a variety of produce, staples of the early settlers.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We will continue traveling down the Homer Spit, a long strip of land that stretches into the bay to the town docks, for a presentation by the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies. Their mission is to bring the coastal ecology to everyone. We will learn about sea life in the bay through their presentation on creatures of the dock. We’ll then head to the hotel to check in and freshen up before dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Walking up to 1/2 mile on even terrain. Extent and duration of walking and other activities during free time according to personal choice. Getting on/off a motorcoach.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will make our way via motorcoach to a honeybee farm. Here we’ll enjoy an expert-led exploration of the farm, learning about its history and what it takes to maintain a farm like this in Alaska. We’ll have a chance to try some of their products, including their fireweed honey which is considered to be the champagne of honey.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
Free time. Take the afternoon to explore Homer on your own. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Starting in May, the Homer Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays.
Dinner:
On your own.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.
Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving 227 miles, approximately 4.5 hours riding time with stops.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We will check out of the hotel and load our luggage onto the motorcoach before we begin our long journey back to Anchorage. Our Study Leader will provide commentary en route.
Lunch:
We'll stop along the way to Anchorage to have lunch at a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll continue our journey to Anchorage. Upon arrival we’ll make our way to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Here we’ll be met by a docent who will provide us with an exploration of the center. This is the largest cultural institution in Alaska, and while we’re here, we’ll learn about the unique Indigenous cultures that have shaped Alaska’s history. We will journey through 10,000 years of Alaska Native history and culture through art, dance, Native Games demonstrations, and exhibits, and walk through traditional Native dwellings. From there, we’ll head to the hotel to check in for the night. We will have some time to freshen up before our farewell dinner.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
After dinner, we’ll enjoy a wrap-up discussion. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 11:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
At the hotel. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to like our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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