Welcome to the Alaska Travel Industry Association
(AlaskaTIA) Travel News Bulletin. AlaskaTIA sends this out
periodically to
keep media up-to-date on Alaska tourism and travel news. Media are
invited
to call (800) 327-9372 or visit www.TravelAlaska.com/media
for more information.
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In this November Travel News Bulletin you will
find:
Anchorage is gearing up for the 75th anniversary
of its
largest festival, the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous, or Rondy as the
locals
affectionately call it. The winter celebration began in the early
1930s
when the city of Anchorage now a busy mid=size city of
over 280,000
people E28094 was just a small town of about 3,000 resid=ents.
To help celebrate
winter, a group of locals created a three-day festival to coincid=e
with
the time that the miners and trappers came to town to sell their
furs.
Since then, the event has grown into a 10-day soirC3A9e earning
international
attention and welcoming visitors from around the world. The
extremely
unique and very wid=e-ranging festivities include a fur auction,
blanket
toss, snowshoe-softball tournament, outhouse races, ice bowling,
the
Miners and Trappers Ball and one of the most competitive
sprint-distance
dog sled races in the world, the Rondy World Championship Sled Dog
Race
This year, four-time id=itarod winner Jeff King, who normally
sticks to
long-distance races, will be competing in the Rondy race on Feb.
26 in
downtown Anchorage. Travelers who want to experience Rondy
firsthand can
enter to win a trip for two to the 75th Rondy festival now through
Nov. 30
at www.akrondy75.com.
For more information on the Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Festival
visit www.furrondy.net
.
Media information Contact: Jenny Evans,
Anchorage
Fur Rendezvous Festival Phone: (907) 274-1182 E-mail: jenny@furrondy.net URL:
www.furrondy.net
2. Sitka National Historical Park
breaks the
century mark
AlaskaE28099s oldest federally designated park
will turn 100 in
March 2010. The 113-acre park was established in 1910 to
commemorate the
1804 Battle of Sitka, the last major conflict between Russia and
the
Alaska Natives. Once the capital of Russian-owned Alaska, Sitka is
located
a short flight from Seattle and is a regular stop for the state
ferry and
cruise vessels. The park is home to an impressive collection of
Haid=a and
Tlingit totem poles and a museum containing an exhibit of Tlingit
and
Russian artifacts. The Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center
contains an
active Tlingit arts studio where the public can watch and talk to
local
Alaska Native artists and the parkE28099s Russian
BishopE28099s House is one of the
last remaining buildings from the Russian colonial period in North
America. Travelers can join the celebration in Sitka on March 21
for the
dedication of the RavenE28099s Tail robe E28094 an ancient
form of textile weaving
used in traditional regalia E28094 by prominent weaver Teri
Rofkar. The park
will host the opening of an historical photograph exhibit on the
parkE28099s
official birthday, March 23, and will continue the celebration in
July
with the raising of the 100th anniversary totem pole in the park.
While
exploring town, locals recommend checking out the eagles, owls and
other
birds of prey at the Alaska Raptor Center, visiting the bear
sanctuary,
Fortress of the Bear or seeing a folk dance performance by the
Russian New
Archangel Dancers and Shee'tka Kwaan Naa Kahid=i Dancers (summer
only). For
more information on the National Park's 100th anniversary
celebration,
click HERE.
For more information on traveling to Sitka, visit www.sitka.org.
3. Heliski for less with new Alaska
Powder
Descents packages
Now in its second year of operation, Alaska
Powder Descents
has introduced weekend and weeklong packages at the Aldersheim
Wilderness
Lodge near Juneau. The lodge accommodates 16 guests in log cabins
or
luxury suites and offers easy access to the Chilkat Range and
coastal
mountains for supreme heliskiing and snowboarding. The weeklong
lodge
package includes an all-inclusive seven-night stay at the
Aldersheim
Wilderness Lodge, three full days of heliskiing or boarding, two
days of
lift access at Juneau Eaglecrest Ski Area, use of powder
skis,
gear-certified guid=es and pilots and more. Weekend packages are
also
available. The lodge is located just 30 minutes from Juneau by
road and
open year round. After a day of skiing and snowboarding, guests
can return
to a bonfire or hot tub and enjoy cocktails and gourmet Alaska
cuisine.
The new packages are available in March and April. For more
information,
visit www.alaskapowder
.com.
4. New trail adds to winter
recreation in the
Mat-Su Valley
Snowmobilers in Mat-Su Valley have a new trail to
explore
as soon as the snow hits the ground this fall. The Valley Winter
Trail
opened in March 2009, allowing snowmobilers to rid=e 125 miles of
groomed
trails from Big Lake to Denali National Park and Preserve. This
trail
system E28094 also known as the Susitna Corrid=or Trail Project
E28094 is signed,
groomed and mapped to show rid=ers the way to gas stations,
restaurants,
lodging and connector trails. With moderate temperatures, tons of
powder,
cozy lodges and challenging mountain rid=ing, the Mat-Su Valley is
a
popular destination for exploring AlaskaE28099s backcountry by
snowmobile.
Travelers who need to learn the ropes should opt for a guid=ed tour
with Alaska
Backcountry Adventures in Palmer. If you prefer watching the
pros to
actual rid=ing, the Mat-Su Valley is also host to the longest,
toughest
snowmobile race in the world, the Iron Dog. The 2010 Iron Dog
starts on
Feb. 21, 2010. For more information on visiting the Mat-Su Valley
this
winter, visit www.alaskavisit.
com.
5. Spotlight on 50th: Talkeetna Air
Taxi offers
winter savings
Travelers can celebrate Alaska's 50th anniversary
by
exploring it from an aerial perspective. Talkeetna Air Taxi is now
offering 20 percent off regular flightseeing tour rates and is
open seven
days a week all winter. Guests can circle Mount McKinley, traverse
the
Alaska Range, and even experience a glacier landing. For more
information
or a live view of Mount McKinley via web cam, visit www.talkeetnaair
.com
.
Travel Information