We'll get started on the adventuring right away by driving to Whittier, a tiny town of 250 folks located 45 minutes from Anchorage. It's accessible only via boat or through North America's longest automobile tunnel, and nearly everyone in town lives in one high-rise building that seems very out of place in the gorgeous scenery!

On the way out, we'll stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to view bears, wolves, moose, and other native Alaska animals. Once in Whittier, we'll have lunch. (As you might imagine, the seafood is spectacular.) Then you'll have the option to take go sea kayaking, go on a hike, or just relax at the piers.

After our first adventure, we'll head a few miles back up the Seward highway to the town of Girdwood, home of Alaska's premier ski resort. We'll take the tram up to the top of the mountain to have our official welcome dinner (on us!!) at the famed Seven Glaciers restaurant before heading back to Anchorage for a well-deserved rest. 

Today we start heading north! For anyone who's up for it, we'll start with a pre-breakfast hike up Flattop Mountain, which provides stunning views of Anchorage and Turnagain Arm. After breakfast, we'll begin the 2.5 hour drive to Sheep Mountain Lodge in Glacier View. The glacier in question is the mighty Matanuska Glacier, which is over twenty miles long and parallels the highway.

Once at the lodge, you can relax, take in the view, and/or hike on the lodge's 12 miles of trails. We'll eat dinner together, and there will be a chance for tunes.

Today will be a highlight of the trip, and one of the most unique musical experiences you'll ever have. We'll be flying with Mark, the owner of Sheep Mountain Lodge, in a helicopter to either a nearby mountain ridge or the Matanuska Glacier (depending on weather etc.) to have a picnic and concert on the mountain or glacier!

It only takes a few minutes to get from the lodge to the mountain or glacier. Mark will ferry us out in a few loads, then come back to pick us up after about an hour. You'll have spectacular views from the panoramic helicopter windows on the way in and out, and everyone will have a window seat.

Weather will dictate the exact time that we have our mountain/glacier concert. It's possible we will do this on the 11th, 12th, or 13th depending on weather. 

 **Note: If you're not a fan of helicopters, don't worry! You don't have to do this activity. We'll have alternate activities available at the lodge. Or, if you'd prefer to just relax at the lodge, get in touch ([email protected]) and we'll give you a discount code that takes off the price of the helicopter/activities on this day. 

In the unlikely event that we can't do the helicopter concert due to weather, we'll enjoy an ATV ride into the mountains and do some gold panning. 

We've got a big drive today through some spectacular scenery, traveling north to Glenallen, then to Chitina (famous for its salmon dipnetting), and east to the old mining towns of McCarthy and Kennicott at the end of the famous McCarthy Road. (Click that link for more history about this copper mining area in the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.)

The McCarthy Road, which used to be a railroad bed and is now a dirt road, is only 60 miles long, but it takes about two hours to drive due to its conditions. The landscape is breathtaking, and we'll stop at numerous historical sites related to McCarthy's mining past along the way.

Once you get to the end of the road, you're not there yet! It's not possible to drive to McCarthy - all visitors must park and walk across the footbridges over the river in order to get into town. You'll feel as if you've stepped back in time.

We'll be staying at the historic Ma Johnson's Hotel. After the long drive, we'll have a leisurely evening exploring McCarthy, eating dinner at the saloon or restaurant. Tunes are possible!

There's far too much to do in McCarthy & Kennicott for the amount of time we have, but we'll squeeze as much in as possible. We'll start by heading five miles up the valley to the ghost town of Kennicott, the site of a massive copper mining operation in the early 1900's. We'll take a tour of the mine buildings as a group.

From there, you'll have a few options for the rest of the day. You can explore more of Kennicott and McCarthy on your own, if you don't want too much exertion. But if you're up for an adventure, you can take a guided hike with us out to the glacier.  Or if you're really adventuresome, we'll book an ice climbing guide or flightseeing trip for you (extra fees for those). 

In the late afternoon, we'll head back down to McCarthy for showers and dinner. Afterwards, we'll have a concert and tunes in the saloon. 

Our longest drive of the trip will be today, so we'll have a hearty breakfast and then get on the road, retracing our steps back to Chitina and Glenallen, where we'll have lunch and stretch our legs.

From there, we'll head north to Paxon, then turn west onto the Denali Highway, a 135-mile stretch of mostly unpaved road that's only open in the summer and will take us across the vast interior of Alaska, paralleling the majestic Alaska Range to the north. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to see some wildlife along the way. 

We'll end the day at the remote and cozy Alpine Creek Lodge, about halfway across the Denali Highway. After a well-deserved dinner, we'll have the option to play tunes in their awesome on-site bar. 

We'll start the day with your choice of a jeep tour (additional fee) or a hike into the breathtaking scenery of the foothills of the Alaska Range. Hopefully we'll see some of the wildlife famous for living in this area - caribou, moose, wolves, bears, etc.

We'll eat lunch at the lodge and then hit the road, traveling about 2.5 hours west and then north at Cantwell. We'll have dinner at Denali's premier restaurant, The Perch. Our accommodations for the next two nights will be just outside the entrance to Denali National Park.

Denali can be a bit of a tourist trap, but we'll stay off the beaten path and visit some local favorite spots in and near the park. We'll start by checking out the Visitor's Center and doing a short hike.

You'll have a few options for activities in the afternoon, including riding the bus into the park, whitewater rafting, wandering around the area Alaskans call "Glitter Gulch" (i.e., tourist central!), or a helicopter or bush plane tour (additional fee).

In the evening, we'll have dinner, a concert, and a session at the beautiful Tonglen Lake Lodge. This dinner is included in the tour fee.

We'll head north to Fairbanks, Alaska's second-largest city, this morning. On the way up, we'll stop for breakfast at Rose's Diner, and might pick up some beers for later at 49th State Brewing in Healy.

In Fairbanks, you'll have a choice of activities in the afternoon (or you can just relax and/or explore downtown Fairbanks). Visiting the UAF Museum, the Musk Ox Farm, Running Reindeer Ranch, Trail Breaker Kennel, panning for gold, kayaking on the Chena River, or going on a bike tour are some of the options.

We'll have dinner at the historic Pump House. Interested parties can head out with us to one of Fairbanks's infamous bars...or to play bingo!

On our last full day, we'll embark on one more adventure on Chena Hot Springs road  - a short hike at Angel Rocks, followed by a soak in the hot springs. This area is famous for moose sightings, and hopefully it will not disappoint. After lunch, we'll head back to Fairbanks, where you'll have the option of relaxing for the afternoon or embarking on one of the options listed in yesterday's itinerary.

June 21st is the summer solstice, which is a big deal in Fairbanks because it's the longest day of the year! You'll enjoy the full extend of Fairbanks' famous "midnight sun" on your visit.

In the evening, we'll gather for a goodbye dinner, followed by a short concert and final session with local Fairbanks musicians. 

You'll probably want to grab a flight on the early side in order to make it back home without having to take a red-eye flight...Alaska is very far from everywhere! But if you do have extra time today, we'll make sure you're kept entertained until your flight departs. After breakfast, we'll start taking folks to the airport.