I just flew from Washington, DC, to Alaska. It was 10 hours more or less on JetBlue taking their brand new flight from Long Beach to Anchorage. The sun never set. We arrived at dusk/dawn and downtown Anchorage was still hopping at midnight with pulsing nightlife encircled by a magical ring of dramatic mountains.
This is Day One of five days on the ground in the vicinity of Anchorage. I’ll be filing reports each day. Having this much fun should be against the law. Here is my planned itinerary with links to the sights and tours.
June 2 Arrive on JetBlue at 11:30 p.m. and am staying at the Anchorage Historic Hotel. This place is the only historic hotel in the middle of Anchorage. Supposedly it is haunted, but last night I didn’t encounter any ghosts. It is a pleasant blend of modern and classic. A big flat-screen TV fills the corner of the room and free WiFi works perfectly while sitting in room cooled with a swivel fan and heated by an old radiator. The location is perfect, smack in the middle of at least part of the Anchorage nightlife scene.
June 3 Flightseeing with Rust’s Flying Service from Lake Hood in the morning and a visit to the newly expanded Anchorage Museum in the afternoon.
June 4 out to Alyeska Resort the top ski resort and a great summer destination as well. I will be updating my skisnowboard.com content for next year plus, discovering the joy of Alaska’s springtime.
June 5 Alyeska. Overnight at Alyeska
June 6 To Seward and the Kenai Fjord tour. Overnight at Kenai Riverside Lodge.
June 7 Kenai River Scenic Float in the morning and then return to Alyeska.
June 8 Depart on Delta at 9 a.m. for SLC and DCA
It will be a full trip, but I will be sharing it with you day by day as time and Internet connections permit. I’m looking forward to this!
Photo: Courtesy Anchorage CVB, Anchorage Skyline by Ken Graham Photography
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
