Itinerary – 2013 IDITAROD TOUR AND NORTHERN LIGHTS VIEWING

Winter in Alaska is a magical time, and the epic 1,000-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race is Alaska’s #1 winter event. Our Iditarod tour begins and ends in the small town of Nome in Northwest Alaska, the finish of the Iditarod. It’s quite an atmosphere up here at the end of the race, as the Nome community rallies around the race and takes the week to celebrate Alaska and the Iditarod! We will join in and participate in many of the events. March also tends to be a great month to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis), and we will go out every night, weather permitting, to view and capture the Northern Lights. I have lived in Nome for several years and have traveled, photographed, and guided all over the state. I can definitely vouch that ‘there is no place like Nome!’ While this is not a photo tour, I will happy to give you tips on how to increase your skill level and take you to some special places so you can capture that golden moment. The nature of this tour will allow for a good balance between group travel and individual time on your own. This is a participatory winter trip and though not overly strenuous, guests should be moderately physically fit and not averse to cold temperatures as this is an arctic environment. I hope you will join me for this unique and exclusive tour.                                                                                                                               – Laurent Dick, Wild Alaska Travel -

DETAILED ITINERARY

Sunday, March 10 – Welcome to Nome! Situated at the tip of Seward Peninsula and overlooking the Bering Sea, Nome may well be Alaska’s most exiting winter destination. This unique Alaskan town is rich in colorful Gold Rush history, and is the finish of the annual 1,049-mile Iditarod Sled Dog Race. Guests arrive on scheduled Alaska Airlines flights from Anchorage. Pick up at the airport, transfer to our Guest House. Introductions, shared dinner, orientation for the following week.

Every night during our stay in Nome, we will head out of town to capture the Northern Lights, weather permitting. Just watching the aurora borealis is an amazing sight. Imagine yourself standing there, mesmerized by the movement of the lights through the northern sky. During our photo tour, you will not only be able to observe but also learn how to capture this incredible natural phenomena.

Monday, March 11  – We fly with Bering Air to White Mountain, the last checkpoint on the Iditarod Trail. We will fly along the coastline of Norton Sound, and have opportunities to see spectacular sea ice formations. We will spend most of the day in White Mountain, waiting for  the arrival of mushers. Experiencing life in a small Alaska Native village may offer you one of the most memorable and eye-opening travel experiences you’ll have in your life. One reason a visit is so special is that these Alaska villages see very few visitors. In fact, if they see a few organized tours each year, it’s a lot. And the Inpuiat Eskimos of this region are among the state’s most welcoming native communities. We will return in the evening with Bering Air back to Nome.

Tuesday, March 12 - This morning local guide Richard Beneville will take us on a city tour. A former Broadway showman, he’s a man with a catch phrase (“Hello, Central!”) and a TV show, but his real performances are on his tours. He artfully employs his dramatic talents and in-depth knowledge of the area’s cultures and history, weaving the “short” 106-year history of Nome within the framework of 10,000 years of Eskimo culture. Richard’s passion for the Far North—his home for the past two decades—will rub off on you. Seeing Nome with him is a truly authentic local experience!

In the afternoon or evening, we will head for Front Street to witness the Iditarod Finish & crowning of the 2013 Iditarod champion.  The Iditarod Sled Dog Race is a mushing marathon traversing 1000 miles of North America’s wildest terrain in conditions best described as extreme.  Billed as the “The Last Great Race on Earth”, the history and tradition of the event help to support this claim. The annual race commemorates the historic serum run back in 1925, when a diphtheria epidemic threatened the town of Nome. With bad weather in the area keeping airplanes on the ground, the much needed serum was raced 674 miles from Nenana to Nome by dog team in 127.5 hours.

Wednesday, March 13  – Today we will go on a 5-mile sled dog ride across the beautiful winter trail on the frozen tundra! This experience provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about mushing basics combined with the exhilaration of a sled dog ride and driving a team. We will also explore the road system around Nome. We will head out the Teller Road, Kougourak, and Council Roads. What you’ll find is some of Alaska’s most captivating landscapes—a wilderness that draws you in quickly and holds your attention. Up here, less than 150 miles from the Arctic Circle, there are no trees, so you can see forever. We will  visit old gold dredges, look for wildlife and experience some of the unique scenery around Nome. We will spend quite a bit of time on the sea ice to capture the beauty of the frozen Bering Sea.

Thursday, March 14  – We will spend more time along the road system, and also spend part of the day riding a snowmachine into the backcountry to see and photograph  muskoxen & reindeer. The original muskoxen in Alaska died out in the 1800s, but a program to reestablish muskoxen on the Seward Peninsula has so far been extremely successful.  The latest count of muskoxen on the Seward Peninsula shows their numbers approaching 3,000.  We will also try to spot some of the 25,000 reindeer that roam the Seward Peninsula.

Friday, March 15 – Today is our last day to immerse ourselves in Iditarod week activities. We will watch more Iditarod teams arrive under the ‘Burled Arch’ and play golf at the Bering Sea Ice Golf Classic. Played on a six-hole, par-41 course laid out on the frozen Bering Sea, participants get shotgun shells to use as tees and “snake bite remedies” — small bottles of vodka — to ward off the chill. Farewell dinner in the evening and last chance to check out Nome’s famous bars on Front Street.

Saturday, March16  – This morning we bid farewell to Nome and ‘Iditarod Week’. You return home with a wealth of images and stories and new friendships. And you will have gained a better appreciation why people say ‘There’s no place like Nome!’

Tour Add-on:

Saturday, March 16 – During the day, we will continue to keep an eye on the race action between Safety and Nome, and enjoy the events of ‘Iditarod Week’ in Nome. Aurora viewing in the evening, weather permitting.

Sunday, March 17 – We will join the festivities of the 2013 Iditarod Finishers’ and Awards Banquet, which honors numerous mushers for a variety of accomplishments, including those related to speed, sportsmanship, and care for their dogs. It’s another great opportunity to get  up close and personal with the finishers of “The Last Great Race.”

Monday, March 18 – Time for the remaining guests to board their flight bound for home. All good things have to come to an end, but the memories of the 2013 Iditarod and Northern Lights Tour in Nome will last forever.

Included in tour package:

• 6 nights accommodation in a new state-of-the-art bed & breakfast with historical turn-of-the-century ambiance
• Tour guide fees
• All breakfasts, lunches & dinners
• All transportation
• Flight to Iditarod Checkpoint (White Mountain or Elim)
• Dog mushing experience
• Snowmobile rental
• City Tour

Not Included in tour package:

• Airfare to and from Nome
• Medical & travel insurance
• Personal expenses

Cancellations

We must receive written notice of your cancellation, at which time the following are nonrefundable:

120 days or more before departure: 100% of deposit

119 to 91 days before departure: 100 % of deposit + 50% of balance

90 or fewer days before departure: 100% of trip fee

Refunds for cancellations after January 31, 2013 are not guaranteed. For this reason, and for medical emergencies, we strongly recommend trip insurance as well as trip cancellation insurance. If we can fill the space with another booking we will refund the payments.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR RESERVATION FOR THIS TOUR NOW!