Honeymoon Vacations

By Norm Goldman

Let's continue withNorm Goldman, Editor of [ http://www.Sketchandtravel.com] and [ http://www.Bookpleasures.com] his interview with Nancy Thalia Reynolds. Nancy's principal area of expertise is Alaska, British Colombia, and the Yukon Territory. Nancy is co-author of Going Places Family Getaways In The Pacific Northwest.

Norm:

You mentioned to me that you have traveled to the north by just about every means available: plane, cruise ship, sailboat, motoring. Which one did you prefer and why?

Nancy:

I enjoyed all of them. Driving is great because it allows the most access to the region. If you have the luxury of time, the options are infinite! For visiting southeast Alaska, travel by water is my top choice. The variety of options grows every year.

At the high end are small luxury cruise lines, or you can book a sailboat, complete with captain and crew, for your party and go exploring. For most visitors, especially those unfamiliar with the region, large cruise-ship travel is often the most comfortable choice. To experience Alaska as Alaskans do, I suggest taking the Alaska ferry up the Inside Passage; it combines the most access at the least cost in time and money. And to simply get north fast and start exploring, nothing beats flying.

Norm:

When is the best time to visit Alaska and the Yukon Territory from the point of view of weather, costs, crowds, and the availability of flights from the USA, Canada and Europe?

Nancy:

The most affordable time to visit is the so-called "shoulder season." Up north, that's May and September. Attractions are open and flights are available, but crowds are thinner. Mosquitoes, which can be a trial throughout the north, are scarce in those months, yet days are still long. Thrifty-minded visitors can find cheaper flights and often bargain for lower hotel rates at this time. Cruise fares tend to be lower as well. For a winter trip, avoid Christmas holidays and school midwinter breaks to obtain the best rates.

Norm:

How safe is it to travel to Alaska and the Yukon Territory?

Nancy:

Quite safe. The crime rate is low and human-generated risks are few. However, if you plan to get into the wilderness, you'll need to be prepared, inform yourself and take sensible precautions. Read up on the terrain and the wildlife. Learn how to handle bear and moose encounters. If you're visiting in January, you'll need cold-weather clothing suitable for average low temperatures of -22C/-9F. It's not unheard of for temperatures to reach -40C/-40F. On the other hand, it comes as a nice surprise to many summer visitors to the Alaska and Yukon interior that summer temperatures can soar to 27C/81F or even higher.

Norm:



Could you give our readers an idea of the costs involved if travel originates from the USA or Canada?

Nancy:

· Given the wide variety of travel options, it's hard to be precise. If you can be flexible, you can often find a return flight from Seattle to Anchorage for around $250. Although it's closer, flying to Juneau will cost more, from $50-100 usually--US dollars of course. From Vancouver to Whitehorse, return; expect to pay at least $200, Canadian.

· Drivers will find gasoline prices moderate in Canada and low to moderate in Alaska, thanks to the oil pipeline.

· Restaurant prices run higher everywhere; budget about 20% more than you'd need in urban Canada or the U.S. Motel and hotel costs are similar to those down south; don't be afraid to bargain during the off or shoulder season.

· Cruise fares are complex and bewildering, but if you're prepared to do the homework and cost comparison required, you can obtain remarkable deals. It's possible to snag an inside stateroom for a seven-day cruise between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska, for under $700 per person. This includes stateroom and meals, but no alcohol or shore excursions. Still, it's a deal that's hard to beat. For a romantic getaway, consider traveling in the early shoulder season and apply the savings to upgrading to an outside stateroom with a veranda.

Norm:

If you had to choose 6 unequalled venues in Alaska and the Yukon Territory for a romantic getaway, honeymoon or wedding destination, which would you choose and why?

I noticed that you had mentioned to me there is some great hot springs just south of the Yukon border on the Alaska Highway and in central Alaska. Perhaps, you would like to elaborate as how this venue qualifies as a unique romantic destination?

Nancy:

Only 6? That's not easy; I'll have to commune with my inner travel agent! OK, here goes.

For more information, my book Going Places: Alaska and the Yukon for Families explores each of these destinations in greater detail. Government Web sites are another good resource.

· Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska

It's accessible (Alaska Airlines offers service to Gustavus, just outside the park) and offers a taste of just about everything the north has to offer. Although Gustavus has excellent B&Bs, for honeymooners I recommend staying at Glacier Bay Lodge, the only accommodation inside the park, which offers rustic comfort (get a room with a view of Bartlett Cove), fine dining, and activities like kayaking, fishing, biking, guided boat tours of Glacier Bay, and free guided hikes with park rangers.

Go flightseeing high above the bay to get a look at the enormous icefields that generate the glaciers. If time allows, extend your trip to Juneau (a gorgeous, 3-hour ferry trip south) to visit Mendenhall Glacier, tour superb museums, shop for Tlingit art and take a boat tour to Tracy Arm-Ford's Terror Wilderness. The lodge is open and tours are offered between late May and early September.

· Haines Junction, YT



Come again? You may never have heard of it, but this tiny town perched at the edge of Canada's spectacular Kluane National Park has a lot to offer--location, location, location, as they say in real estate. It's highway-accessible from Skagway (4.5 hours), Haines (3 hours) and Whitehorse (1.5 hours). The national park's main visitor center is in town along with a superb small European-style inn--the Raven--with 12 spacious rooms and one of Canada's top restaurants.

Also in town are several decent motels and an excellent bakery and cafe. From here, you can access excellent hiking trails for all levels of fitness, and explore the largest protected wilderness in the world. You will need a vehicle. If you don't have one with you, rentals are available in Haines, Skagway and Whitehorse.

Or book a stay with one of the area's full-service resorts and let them take you exploring. NOTE TO CANADIANS: For reasons no one seems able to explain, Canadians are not permitted to bring a vehicle into Canada, which they have rented in the US. Luckily, Whitehorse has many rental outlets.

· Homer, Alaska

On the southwest of the Kenai Peninsula, Homer is the better part of a day's drive from Anchorage. It's tiny (about 4,000 residents) but with city-sized amenities--such as one of Alaska's best bookstores, a first-rate museum, and exceptional arts and crafts galleries. Homer Spit, which extends 4.4 miles into scenic Kachemak Bay, is studded with cafes and shops. At the far end, with Homer's best view, is Land's End Resort, a great destination for honeymooners. Book a suite or rent a luxurious condo. The restaurant is first rate. Soak in the hot tub at the water's edge and watch the sea otters float by.

· Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska

First the bad news: Unless you are lucky enough to win the road lottery that allows you to drive deep into the park in mid September, you will have plenty of crowds to contend with. The good news is that it's worth it. Not only is this closest you can easily get to Mount McKinley, wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery are among the best in Alaska, and accommodation choices are superb and varied. At the park entrance you can find many choices at all price ranges, some with views to die for. To get away from the crowds and closer to the natural world of Denali, consider a stay deep inside the park at the beautiful, rustic Kantishna Roadhouse or Denali Backcountry Lodge.

· Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska

This Japanese-owned hotel offers sheer, unabashed luxury. Plus it's 40 miles from Anchorage and a day trip from Portage Glacier and the Kenai Peninsula. In winter come for skiing, tubing and snowboarding, in summer, for golf, hiking and wildlife. Any time of year, enjoy the first-class amenities that include a superb health club and pool and a tram up to a mountaintop restaurant This is a popular spot for weddings, well equipped to handle even lavish affairs. The high season here is winter; summer stays can be quite moderately priced. For a cheaper romantic getaway,

· Muncho Lake, BC

OK, it's not in the Yukon, but so close! This gorgeous turquoise lake lies in the northern Rocky Mountains--a little-known but enchanted region where caribou and stone sheep wander the highways, fishing is excellent, and crowds are nonexistent. The Northern Rockies Lodge offers fine accommodation and European dining and arrange fishing and other excursions.

Hiking and fishing are great here, but the number-one romantic attraction is nearby Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park, 34 miles up the Alaska Highway. A boardwalk trail leads from the park's parking lot to two large hot springs pools. TIP: A short walk from the first, most popular pool is the second hotter and deeper pool that's more secluded and less visited, a great destination on a drizzly day. Stopping at the springs is a tradition for just about everyone who drives the Alaska Highway. If you don't want to bother with a vehicle, the lodge (it's owned by bush pilots) will fly you here from the US or Canada.

About the Author:

Norm Goldman is editor of the book reviewing site, [ http://www.bookpleasures.com] and the travel site, [ http://www.sketchandtravel.com]. Bookpleasures.com comprises over 25 international book reviewers and author interviewers who come from all walks of life. Sketchandtravel.com is a travel site wherein Norm's words are melded with his wife's artwork focusing on romantic and wedding destinations.