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KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Looking for a Christmas gift that will provide a lifetime of memories? Then Kansas City Kansas Community College’s summer trip to Alaska is right for you.
A 12-day trip starting Aug. 4, 2015, the adventure starts in famed Denali National Park outside Anchorage and concludes with a seven-day cruise on the Celebrity Millennium ending in Western Canada’s largest city, Vancouver.
“The greatest gift you can give yourself (or others) is the opportunity to see the world,” says trip organizer Alan Hoskins. “Alaska is widely known as America’s most popular place to visit and a ‘must-see’ if you’ve never been there.”
A five-star trip receiving 100 percent recommendation on Go Ahead Tours website, it’s travel pace is rated “comfortable” as opposed to active or challenging.
Highlights of the land portion of the trip include transfer by Alaska Railroad to Talkeetna, the small community that inspired the TV series “Northern Exposure;” a full day in Denali National Park dwarfed by Mount McKinley, North America’s tallest mountain; an exploration of the Kenai Peninsula for views of the Explorer and Portage glaciers; seeing wildlife in the Big Game Alaska Wildlife Center; and a stop at the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet, known for its dramatic tidal “turns” that create 10-foot walls of water.
Once upon the Celebrity Millennium stops will be made in the Alaskan capital of Juneau, often referred to as “little San Francisco;” Skagway, the starting point for prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush; Ketchikan, the ancestral home of the Tlingit people and site of the world’s largest collection of totem poles; and Vancouver and its charm of the Gastown district, Chinatown and Little Italy.
The cruise will also pass the spectacular North Hubbard Glacier, North America’s largest tidewater glacier; the Icy Straits, waterways which provide an ideal environment for several species of whales; and the Inside Passage, a collection of waterways, inlets, fjords and bays that make up the Southeast Alaska Panhandle.
The cost is $4,179 for an inside cabin (double occupancy) and includes round trip air from Kansas City, seven nights aboard the Celebrity Millennium in cabins with twin beds and private bath and shower; all shipboard meals; daily breakfast, one lunch and three dinners on land; tour director and a professional guide in Denali and baggage handling.
Outside cabins and a two-day extension in Vancouver are available along with several optional excursions while aboard the Celebrity Millennium. Temperatures in Alaska are at the warmest with highs of 64 and lows of 48.
“While this trip is still eight months away, space is limited and it will fill up and quickly so early signup is highly recommended,” said Hoskins.
A deposit of $450 will assure cabin space and guarantee no price increase. Brochures are available and can be requested by contacting Alan Hoskins at ahoskins@kckcc.edu or by phone at 913-687-6426.
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PHOTO: Whale watching, magnificent glaciers, picturesque fjords and waterways and wildlife are some of the attractions on Kansas City Kansas Community College’s summer trip to Alaska and Denali National Park Aug. 4, 2015.
