Alaska Skating Tour Itinerary

Day 1: You will need to arrive in Anchorage the day before the tour and we will give you the name of an Anchorage hotel to stay. We then meet in Anchorage in the morning and drive south on the Seward Highway. En route, we stop to skate on the Six Mile Trail, actually about nine miles long but named after the creek beside which it flows. After a beautiful skate with options for varying distances (there is a connecting road for those wishing to skate longer), we continue to Seward and check into our hotel. That evening we take a Resurrection Bay Wildlife Cruise, with dinner on the boat and opportunities to see sealife from Orca whales to the many seabirds in the area. We know it is only Day One, but this might actually be a highlight of the tour for some. For others, the highlight could be when we return and do a late night skate under the summer Alaska sun up to Exit Glacier. What a day!

Day 2: Those who elected not to do the late-night skate could get up early and skate to Exit Glacier this morning. After lunch, we all head back up the Seward Highway to Girdwood, home of Alaska's most famous ski resort, Alyeska. Girdwood is a fun town and also the start of a 34 mile paved trail. Those with extra time in the afternoon could take the tram up Aleska Mountain and we end the day with a meal at the local favorite, Maxine's.

Day 3: In the morning you have the option to join us for a short hike in the Girdwood area. Others can wander around the small town to sightsee or shop. We then depart for Anchorage, check into our hotel, and head out for an exploration of the city via the network of paved trails. Anchorage is truly amazing for its paved trails and we connect a few of them, such as the Campbell Creek and Chester Creek paths. We aren't skating downtown but are instead enjoying the green belts that are the veins of the city. In the evening, we eat at another local favorite, Humpy's.

Day 4: This morning we head north from Anchorage for a day trip on the Glenn Highway Trail. This trail runs along a main road but is a great way to get some excellent skating mileage on a smooth, paved trail. The short and medium routes start with a shuttle and skate back towards Anchorage and the hotel. The long route skates out and back for a total of 44 miles! There is a nature center along the path that makes a great stop and you'll have time in the afternoon to check out downtown Anchorage on your own before dinner.

Day 5: Our final morning we skate on the most famous path in Anchorage, the Tony Knowles Trail. The trail runs along Cook Inlet and has excellent views of the water. Other portions are forested and people often see moose grazing on the side of the path. We skate the trail, return to the hotel for a shower, check out, and then head to the airport to say our goodbyes and take a flight home.