Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 Alaska - Yukon - Haida Gwaii

June 4th - 27th

Hosted by Colin & Dianne Markusson

Colin & Dianne Markusson invite you on a motor coach tour, for 24 days of some of the most majestic scenery and fascinating history.  Picnic lunches, swim in a hot springs, guided tours of Dawson City, Anchorage, Fairbanks and Skagway, Riverboat tour, Aerial Tram ride, entertainment that is reminiscent of the area’s Klondike history, incredible tales about the people that roamed these places during the Gold Rush.  Travel to Haida Gwaii, Canada’s Galapagos.  Beauty, unique culture and shores bathed in warm, nutrient rich waters.  Lunch at the top of Mt Alyeska.

Some of the most majestic scenery and fascinating history…

ALASKA - Landscape is as wild as it is beautiful. Impressive mountains, breathtaking scenery, wildlife and broad land that is larger than life.

YUKON - Towns important during the Klondike Gold Rush. Step back in time at the site where the first gold strike was made, learn how gold changed this land.

HAIDA GWAII - Shores bathed in warm, nutrient rich waters, makes it a Canadian Galapagos. Pristine beauty. unique culture. trails. magnificent beaches and exceptional birdwatching opportunities. Haida First Nations People developed one of the world’s most powerful and creative Aboriginal cultures.

(Location Descriptions provided by Val (2019) of Lobstick Travel & Tours)

ITINERARY

Meals as indicated: (B) Breakfast, (L) Lunch, (D) Dinner.

DAY 1, JUNE 4TH. SASKATCHEWAN - EDMONTON AB. Join our tour from Prince Albert, Saskatoon, North Battleford, Lloydminster, Vegreville or Edmonton, and if time allows places in between. Overnight Edmonton AB.

DAY 2, JUNE 5TH. EDMONTON - DAWSON CREEK BC (B). Travel through Whitecourt, Valleyview, pose at “Milepost 0”, the official start of the Alaska Highway. Nearby is the Alaska Highway House Museum. Commemorating the building of the highway and a tribute to the 30,000 Americans and Canadians that took part in the making. This 2,288 km road was build in just 9 months and see how it impacted the communities along its route. Overnight Dawson Creek.

DAY 3, JUNE 6TH. DAWSON CREEK - FORT NELSON BC (B). Pass breathtaking landscapes along the highway through the Rockies, past Pink Mountain and Prophet River Valley to Fort Nelson’s Visitor Center. It is unique in that it offers a space for local artists and artisans to display their work or other souvenirs. Overnight Fort Nelson BC.

DAY 4, JUNE 7TH. FORT NELSON - WATSON LAKE YT (B/L). Traverse Stone Mountain Provincial Park, Summit Lake Pass and Muncho Pass. View Muncho Lake. Enjoy a picnic lunch, relax and swim in Liard Hot Springs pool, then head to Watson Lake, Gateway to the Yukon. Visit Sign Post Forest, one of the most famous of the landmarks along the Alaska Highway. It was started by a homesick GI in 1942. Enjoy the unique Northern Lights Centre, which boasts a state of the art panoramic video, incorporating interactive displays that explain the science and folklore of the Aurora Borealis. Canadian rocket technology played in important part in early Northern Lights research. Overnight Watson Lake YT.

DAY 5, JUNE 8TH. WATSON LAKE - WHITEHORSE YT (B). Journey through the Cassiar Mountains and Big Salmon Range. Pass Teslin. Tour the SS Klondike Sternwheeler which greets most visitors as they enter Whitehorse. It represents an age when the city served a major function hauling cargo as well as passengers. This evening enjoy the gold rush themed vaudeville performances on stage. Overnight Whitehorse YT.

DAY 6, JUNE 9TH. WHITEHORSE - DAWSON CITY YT (B/L). Head north on the Klondike Highway. Through Carmacks, once notable for Yukon river steamers headed to Dawson City. Stop for a picnic lunch at Pelly Crossing. Arrive in Dawson City, the heart of the Klondike. The city appears similar to its boom town circa 1890s: clapboard buildings, boardwalk and gravel streets. No trip is complete without capturing a photograph of yourself atop the Midnight Dome. Follow the winding road to the incredible vantage point and take in the panoramic view of the region. Overnight Dawson City YT.

DAY 7, JUNE 10TH. DAWSON CITY YT (B) FREE AFTERNOON. Relive the excitement of the gold rush with your guided city tour. Pan for gold at Claim 33, tour of Dawson City & Gold Fields, and a visit Dredge No. 4 Historical Site. Take in the walking tour that compares Dawson then (1898) and now. Trek through back alleys, historic buildings and see Dawson City the way locals do… and did. Hear incredible tales about the people that roamed the streets during the Gold Rush. Tonight enjoy the entertainment at Diamond Tooth Gerties Hall - it is reminiscent of the area’s Klondike Gold Rush history. Overnight Dawson City YT.

DAY 8, JUNE 11TH. DAWSON CITY - FAIRBANKS AK (B). Cross the ferry at Dawson City to Little Gold, Alaskan border. Drive “Top of the World Highway” to the quirky town of Chicken. A community founded on gold mining and is one of the few surviving gold rush towns in Alaska. On a good day, Chicken is home to 7 residents, a gift shop, a saloon, liquor store and an outhouse. Stop in Tok. View the Trans-Alaska pipeline. Visit “Santa Claus House” at North Pole. Overnight in Fairbanks AK.

DAY 9, JUNE 12TH. FAIRBANKS (B/L/D). Guided city tour of Fairbanks, the heart of Alaska’s interior. Learn about the culture of this unique city and its beginnings in the Gold Rush era. Enjoy a family style lunch before taking a ride on the authentic sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery III along the Chena & Tanana Rivers. Witness a bush plane demonstration. Visit the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher. Visit a replica Athabascan Indian Village and observe traditional Indigenous lifestyles. Watch a fish wheel in operation and see the “Wedding of the Rivers”. Tonight in Pioneer Park, take part in an Alaska Salmon Bake, plus the number one show throughout Alaska and Canada - Golden Heart Review: a hilarious musical comedy that will leave you a bit wiser about life in the last frontier. Overnight Fairbanks AK.

DAY 10, JUNE 13TH. FAIRBANKS - ANCHORAGE AK (B). Spectacular scenery as you travel to Denali National Park, America’s highest peak. The Visitor Center is more of a campus and the Wilderness Center offers programs, exhibits, wildlife displays and a free film. Overnight in Anchorage AK.

DAY 11, JUNE 14TH. ANCHORAGE (B/L). Drive to Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which plays host to orphaned wood Bison, black and brown bears, moose, elk, lynx, caribou and muskox. Take the Alyeska Aerial Tram scenic ride to 2,300 feet in elevation and the top of Mt. Alyeska. From the Tram, you can see for miles including views of the Turnagain Arm, up to seven “hanging” glaciers, and endless peaks deep into the Chugach Mountain range. Don’t forget to look down! Moose and bear sightings are common on the aerial tram rides. You will have lunch at the top of the mountain before heading back down and continuing on your guided tour and sights of Anchorage. With Ulu factory/fish ladder, Earthquake park, Beluga point, and more. Overnight in Anchorage AK.

DAY 12, JUNE 15TH. ANCHORAGE (B) FREE DAY FOR ALL. Rest, shop, sightseeing on own.

DAY 13, JUNE 16TH. ANCHORAGE - BEAVER CREEK YT (B). A great travel day through Chickaloon, Glennallen and Tok. Overnight in Beaver Creek YT, the most westerly settlement in Canada. Spacious restaurant, cocktail lounge, gas bar, laundry and new rooms featuring full private bathrooms and satellite flat screen TVs.

DAY 14, JUNE 17TH. BEAVER CREEK - SKAGWAY AK (B). Travel through Burwash Landing, Haines Junction, Whitehorse and Carcross. Burwash Landing is situated on the western shore of the stunning Kluane Lake and is home to the Kluane First Nation. Haines Junction is a village in Yukon, Canada, at kilometre 1,632 of the Alaska Highway at its junction with the Haines Highway. Overnight in Skagway AK.

DAY 15, JUNE 18TH. SKAGWAY AK (B) FREE AFTERNOON. Skagway is a compact city in southeast Alaska, set along the popular cruise route the Inside Passage. It’s home to gold rush era buildings, now preserved as part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park. This morning you will tour Skagway with a step-on guide. This afternoon is free time for you. Rest, sightseeing on own. Overnight in Skagway AK.

DAY 16, JUNE 19TH. SKAGWAY TO DEASE LAKE BC (B). Traveling the winding road from Skagway to Dease Lake. You will enter BC, Yukon, BC, Yukon and BC again. Stop at Jade city, Mountain Jade store. Overnight Dease Lake.

DAY 17, JUNE 20TH. DEASE LAKE - TERRACE BC (B). Heading south through Kitimat-Stikine, Meziadin Junction, stop at Kitwanga’s Gitwangak Battle Hill National Historic site. A former fortified village on the Kitwanga River. During the late 1700s and early 1800s, Battle Hill was part of a complex trading network and the site of warfare. The village was burned and abandoned in 1835. Overnight Terrace BC.

DAY 18, JUNE 21ST. TERRACE - HAIDA GWAII BC (B). Sail from Prince Rupert on the mainland across the Hecate Strait to Skidegate in the breathtaking Haida Gwaii, formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands, renamed in December 2009. Distance: 93 nautical miles. Sailing time: 8 hours, but varies depending on sea and weather conditions. Overnight in Queen Charlotte BC.

DAY 19, JUNE 22ND. QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLAND sightseeing (B). This morning visit Haida Heritage Center - located in Skidegate, it is the premier cultural centre and museum of the Haida people. Travel north to Long house gift shop, Graham Island - Jungle Beach, the fine sandy beach stretches out for miles. At low tides it seems like you could walk forever. The upper shoreline is decorated with layers of smooth rocks, pebbles, and driftwood logs. Tlell, known for its art galleries, the Naikoon Provincial Park, and its long sandy and driftwood beaches. Port Clements, tranquil scenery on Rainbow Wharf. Masset is a small fishing village located on Graham Island - the largest of the 150+ islands that comprise the archipelago of Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People). Old Massett is one of 2 villages where the Haida Nation regrouped in the late 1800s, having been forced to leave most of their ancient villages due to their declining numbers, a severe consequence of smallpox introduced by Europeans. Overnight Queen Charlotte BC.

DAY 20, JUNE 23RD. HAIDA GWAII - PRINCE RUPERT BC (B). Sail from Haida Gwaii Island to mainland Prince Rupert - the land, air and water transportation hub of British Columbia’s North Coast. Sailing time: 8 hours approx. Overnight Prince Rupert BC.

DAY 21, JUNE 24TH. PRINCE RUPERT - SMITHERS BC (B). City tour of Prince Rupert and area. Starting at Port Interpretive Centre, Museum of Northern BC and North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site. Overnight in Smithers BC.

DAY 22, JUNE 25TH. SMITHERS - MCBRIDE BC (B). Traveling through Burns Lake, Fraser Lake, some time in Prince George. Stop at the Ancient Forest Trail - 2.5 miles if you are willing to walk it. Overnight McBride BC.

DAY 23, JUNE 26TH. MCBRIDE - EDMONTON AB (B/D). Spend mid-morning and lunch on own in Jasper AB. Afternoon stop in Edson. Windup farewell. Overnight in Edmonton AB.

DAY 24, JUNE 27TH. EDMONTON - SASKATCHEWAN (B). Homeward bound cherishing wonderful memories of your travels.

ITINERARY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

2020 ALASKA - YUKON - HAIDA GWAII TOUR INCLUDES:

• PA Northern Bus Lines, driver, sound and entertainment system, lavatory, comfortable reclining seats and coach cleaned daily.

• Hotel accommodations with luggage handling when available. 1 bag per person round-trip (weight 50 lbs/23 kg). Luggage heavier than requirements WILL BE DECLINED.

• Overnights in small town settings.

• 23 breakfasts (B) ranging from continental to full hot buffet.

• 4 lunches (L), 2 dinners (D).

• Guided tours of SS Klondike, Dawson City, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Skagway.

• Riverboat tour, Aerial Tram ride.

• Entertainment with Frantic Follies, Diamond Tooth Gerties and Golden Heart Revue.

• Opportunity to stroll through numerous shops and stores of crafts, carvings, jewelry and more.

• All tips for drivers, step on guides and tour directors.

• Two (2) Professional Tour Directors to welcome you and look after details. Their care and attention insure that you have a worry free tour.

  Make the tour fit your schedule - contact Dana (Prince Albert office) Toll Free 1.800.665.0171 or email dbayda@lobsticktravel.com for a fly option.

PRICE:

$5,199.00 Double | $4,999.00 Triple | $6,900.00 Single | $4,899.00 Quad

Deposit: $500.00/person to secure seat. Guaranteed Date: December 2nd, 2019. Balance Due: March 2nd, 2020.

Pay by CASH, CHEQUE or CREDIT CARD.   Tips, taxes & fees included in these prices.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

PASSPORTS - All passengers REQUIRE a valid passport for this tour and it must be valid for 6 months beyond the date of return.

INSURANCE - All passengers MUST have adequate out of country medical insurance for this tour.

MANULIFE WORLD TRAVEL INSURANCE - We offer the personalized coverage you need, to be financially protected against the cost of unexpected emergencies that happen prior to or during your trip. For your insurance rates call Dana at Lobstick Travel 1.800.665.0171. Passengers have the option to obtain insurance at their discretion. If you decline or purchase insurance elsewhere, we require our waiver form be signed and returned to Val.

CANCELLATION - If you must cancel for any reason, contact Dana at Lobstick Travel 1.800.665.0171 IMMEDIATELY.

CANCELLATION POLICY - Applies the day you notify us.

60 days or more prior to departure - loss of deposit.

59 - 31 days prior to departure - 50% total cost.

30 days or less prior to departure - 100% total cost.