Ride-sharing to Denali National Park and Preserve

Although the ASM Denali trip is completely full with a long wait list, there are still options for interested people to get to Denali National Park and Preserve. A number of registrants have indicated a desire to rent cars and drive to Denali (a three-hour drive, at most). There are several camping areas within the park (ranging from $14-$40 per night), or you can stay near the park at a number of different hotels. Accommodations in Healy are more affordable than those in Denali Village. Enterance to the park is $10 per person or $20 per vehicle. You can drive into the park to the Savage River pullout (mile 15) but the rest of the park is only accessable by Park Service bus or by foot/bicycle. A fee table for the bus rides is available here. Please place a post here if you would like to try to arrange to share a ride, a campsite, or a trip to Denali with other people.

Off-pavement vehicle rental? Sweet!

It turns out that there are rental companies in Fairbanks who are willing to rent vans, trucks, and small campers to individuals wishing to experience Alaska on and off the paved road system. If you have an interest in renting a vehicle to go up the Dalton Highway (to the Arctic Circle or beyond), on the Denali Highway, east to Chicken, south to Wrangell-St. Elias, or anywhere else that most rental companies would balk at look into GoNorth Alaska: http://www.gonorth-alaska.com/254.html. They're the only rental company that I'm aware of who are willing to rent for these sorts of trips, the prices seem reasonable, and it sure beats renting from another company and hoping that you don't break down while violating the terms of your agreement.

Activities for Children

Although the local committee won't be providing child care for the 2009 meetings, there has been some interest on the part of parent attendees to informally organize some family friendly activities. There are a number of fun places for families to visit around town (the University of Alaska Museum of the North, Pioneer Park, the Large Animal Research Station, the Riverboat Discovery, etc.). We suggest interested parties respond to this thread or email Pat Zollner (pzollner@PURDUE.EDU) to discuss possible group kid-friendly activities.

Roommates Wanted...

Our campus housing, in either the dorms or the Cutler Apartment Complex, is pretty standard in terms of the accommodations. The advantages include the proximity to the meetings (minutes away by foot), the proximity to the on-campus pub (which we are hoping to have open during the meetings), and the affordability aspect. As an added bonus, the on-campus rooms are also close to the starting line for the Gordon Kirkland Run for Research. On-campus room reservations for the Fairbanks meetings are a bit different they have been at past meetings in that you reserve the room not the bed (like a hotel room). Note, that this means only one room request form needs to be filled out per room!

The advantage to this is that you won't be assigned a roommate that you don't know. The disadvantage is that you will have to find your own roommate. That is where this blog comes in... If those of you who are seeking roommates would like to put a comment here others can reply (either directly to the person or with a post in return). If you have any specific requirements about gender or overall demeanor (quiet, night-owl, etc.) please feel free to include them.

Special deals on cruises

I'm told that the current economic downturn is taking a big toll on tour and cruise operators all over the country. Fewer people are booking cruises and the outlook is dismal enough that special deals are being offered (selling a discounted room onboard your ship is better than not selling the room). The Alaska Airlines website has a number of hugely discounted cruise deals (http://www.alaskaaircruises.com/) but you can also find a large number of offers by searching for Alaska cruises on Google. Whittier and Seward, the most common final or initial ports of call for Alaska cruises, are both connected to Fairbanks via the Alaska Railroad.

Ride-sharing

For those of you considering alternative travel options to and from Fairbanks, it may be cheaper to fly into Anchorage and share a ride to Fairbanks. Anchorage is 360 miles (about 6 hours) by road from Fairbanks (a beautiful drive through the Alaska Range). Another alternative itinerary to look into would be traveling the Alaska Marine Highway up to Skagway, Haines, or Whittier and share a ride to Fairbanks. Skagway and Haines are one long day or two easier days drive from Fairbanks. Whittier is about an hour past Anchorage on the Seward Highway. Persons interested in sharing rides can post information below about arrival and departure times to coordinate.

Driving to (or within) Alaska

People thinking of driving may want to purchase a copy of The Milepost, which features detailed up-to-date maps and mile-by-mile accounts of every possible route to Alaska from the Lower 48 as well as all state roads in Alaska. It is considered by many to be an essential road companion for travel to, from, and within Alaska. It comes out every year in early March and can be purchased from a number of online sites. The current edition can be ordered from Gulliver's Books in Fairbanks for 25% off the retail price (20.96 total plus a flat shipping fee of $2.50, plus any state taxes that may apply) by calling 1-800-390-8999.

Cost-saving ideas...

For those of you who are considering attending the meetings, you may want to consider applying for an Alaska Airlines Credit Card.  Alaska Airlines is the major airline serving Anchorage, Fairbanks, and several other towns and villages in Alaska.  Cardholders accumulate one frequent flier mile for every dollar purchase made on a credit card.  Members choosing to enroll at the Platinum Plus level and higher (which requires an annual fee) receive a $50 companion ticket, which can significantly reduce the cost of flying two people to Fairbanks.  For details, go to http://www.alaskaair.com/as/ww2/Promo/BoA_20K.asp.