Alaskan

Land+Sea Journey

August 1-15, 2021

Vast, wild and remote, and with abundant natural treasures concentrated along its

coastline, Alaska is an ideal destination to explore by land and by sea. By Land - Denali National Park and Preserve is the gem in the middle of Alaska. Denali is more than a mountain. It is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road. It is known for legendary wildlife and big adventures. Included is the Tundra Wilderness Tour that will give you a good chance of seeing the wildlife! Other stops in Alaska include the “Hub of the Interior”, Alaska’s second-largest city - Fairbanks. Alyeska Resort is Alaska’s premier AAA Four-Diamond destination located in Chugach State Park. It is located in a glacier carved valley in the heart of Girdwood, Alaska. From short nature hikes to their scenic Aerial Tram that takes visitors to see panoramic water views to hanging glaciers and the historic Roundhouse Museum. You can enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation or a full day of exploring. Don’t forget that the quaint Alaskan town of Talkeetna is also on our itinerary!

By Sea – We will cruise Alaska’s world renowned Inside Passage featuring incredible glaciers and unique small towns. There really is no comparable way to hop between these intriguing towns like Ketchikan, Juneau and Haines (Skagway). From the deck, we will admire the incredible scenery of the Inside Passage and Glacier Bay. Once on land, you will have the opportunity to choose from an array of unforgettable day trips that showcase wildlife on land and sea, with all the logistics covered than by cruising.

Full Itinerary

Day 1: August 1 – Depart Grand Rapids* to Fairbanks, Alaska. *Depart from airport of your

choosing, additional cost may apply.

Welcome to Fairbanks! Alaska’s second-largest city, Fairbanks, is the northernmost city of consequence in the United States. This city was born of gold rush fever and its history is celebrated at Pioneer Park which includes a Gold Rush Town with 35 restored buildings. The city's location on the broad Tanana River Plain between the White Mountains and the Alaska Range affords easy passage to the Arctic Circle and the Alaskan wild country. A Land+Sea Cruise Journey to Alaska with Holland America Line gives you the chance to head deep into the heart of the Great Northland.

Day 2: August 2 – Fairbanks – Take a step back in time aboard the sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery (lunch included) for one of the most unique Alaskan experiences available. We then will pan for gold at historic Gold Dredge #8. (L)

Day 3: August 3 – Denali National Park –Today it’s off to Denali for a two night stay at this magnificent national treasure. This afternoon relax, explore on your own, or take an optional excursion. Every turn on the Denali park road heralds some new astonishment. Watch for ptarmigan, Alaska's state bird, in the open valleys and golden eagles patrolling the higher elevations and ridge tops. With luck, you'll see grizzlies crossing braided streams, Dall sheep traversing rugged cliffs and moose foraging in upland meadows. Listen to ravens, magpies and gray jays chattering in the brush. And always present, there looms Mount McKinley, raising its massive alabaster bulk high above the surrounding plain. This Land+Sea Journey includes a scenic trip of breathtaking natural beauty and unparalleled comfort aboard the luxury domed railcars of our McKinley Explorer®. Your time at Denali includes a stay at the best resort property in the ideal location. The elegance of HAL ships follows us into Alaska’s interior at HAL’s own McKinley Chalet Resort. Perched on 60 sprawling acres across the Nenana River from Denali National Park & Preserve, this exclusive resort puts guests in the heart of the Alaska wilderness while maintaining the same quality and service they expect from Holland America Line.

Day 4: August 4 – Denali National Park – Today features the unforgettable Tundra Wilderness Tour. This 6-8 hour fully narrated sightseeing excursion is a deep dive into Denali National Park — the very best chance of seeing both the Mt. McKinley and Denali’s iconic wildlife. With more than six million acres of pristine Alaska wilderness, Denali National Park with its

abundant and easily viewable wildlife and North America’s tallest and most impressive peak will be sure to make your Land+Sea Journey experience one you’ve dreamed of. (Snack included)

Day 5: August 5 – Talkeetna- This morning, board the luxurious domed rail cars of the McKinley Explorer bound for historic Talkeetna. Talkeetna was selected by Budget Travel as one of the 20 coolest small towns in America. It’s no surprise to residents, who affectionately refer to Talkeetna as the town visitors most envision Alaska to be like: a turn-of-the-century gold-mining town with clapboard storefronts, colorful locals and bush pilots strolling the wooden sidewalks with Mount McKinley as a backdrop. A hand-painted sign— Welcome to Beautiful Downtown Talkeetna—on the main road sets the stage for what is one of Alaska’s most iconic small towns. Translating to “Where Three Rivers Meet,” Talkeetna sits at the confluence of the Talkeetna, Chulitna and Susitna rivers, halfway between Anchorage and Denali National Park & Preserve in the Mat-Su Valley. With a population of about 800, this former gold-mining town personifies all that is rural Alaska.

DAY 6: August 6 –Anchorage to Alyeska – Your journey continues today as you make your way through the renowned Matanuska Valley enroute to Anchorage. Anchorage flaunts its mountains: The Chugach seem to rise just like that out of the backyards of city's eastern neighborhoods. So much of the rest of the scenery is water. The west of the city is bounded by the Cook Inlet, the north and south by its two major branches: the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm. Hit Anchorage on the solstice and enjoy the restaurants, saloons, museums and galleries in round-the-clock sunshine. Day 7: August 7 – Alyeska Resort – Alyeska Resort is your 5-star base camp for optional excursions, fine dining, and luxurious spa services. Explore the Girdwood Valley on your own or choose an optional excursion such as taking in the views from the scenic aerial Tram. From precious metals to glaciers, Girdwood’s roots are anchored in its natural assets. The city was founded as a gold-mining town at the turn of the 20th century and the mining economy

Important Travel Notes:

We will make every effort to accommodate

your travel needs and make sure you have

the best possible vacation. At the same time,

it is important to note the following advisories:

Terrain & Transportation: Walking

over uneven walking surfaces on land

portion. Travel by ship, train, boat and

passenger coach.

Climate: Average high in the mid –

60’s and lows in the mid-50’s.

Passport & Visa Information: U.S.

citizens do not need a visa for this trip.

Your passport must be valid for at least

6 months after your scheduled return to

the U.S. It must have blank pages.

Pages must be labeled “Visas” at the

top. Pages labeled “Amendments and

Endorsements” are not acceptable.

Vaccinations: None

Disclaimer: weTravel reserves the

right to adjust pricing due to cost

increases regarding changes in

airfares, cruise fares, taxes, fuel

surcharges, promotional changes. Trip

dates and itinerary are subject to

change due to trip availability.

weTravel: Reserves the right to cancel

this tour due to insufficient registration.

Full refund of deposit if tour is canceled

due to insufficient registration.

buoyed the town through the ’30s. The downturn triggered by the mine’s closing didn’t right itself until the Seward Highway was built connecting the small town to Anchorage in the late 1940s. Surrounded by the mountains of Chugach State Park.

Day 8: August 8 – Whittier – The city of Whittier is a sleepy town on the west side of Prince William Sound, tucked between picturesque mountains where we will board the ship. (L,D on ship)

Day 9: August 9 – At Sea (Gulf of Alaska) – Enjoy a leisurely day of cruising. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 10: August 10 – Glacier Bay – Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates. If you didn't know any better, you'd think Glacier Bay ostentatious for the way it flaunts its ice. The glaciers practically terminate in your lap. A cruise to Glacier Bay National Park show you a UNESCO World Heritage Site that protects a unique ecosystem of plants and animals living in concert with an ever-changing glacial landscape. When a monumental chunk of ice splits off a glacier and thunders into the sea the impact shoots water hundreds of feet into the air. You hold your breath as you catch the moment on film. Then you wait for it all to happen again. And it does: Glacier Bay has more actively calving tidewater glaciers than anyplace else in the world. Cruise the ice-studded fjords of this national treasure for a full eight hours as a Park Service Ranger narrates. With the serene majesty of snow-flecked and forested mountains defining its shores, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve offers some of the most dramatic scenery and wildlife experiences in the world. Glacier Bay National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, is home to the mile-wide Margerie Glacier, highlight of your scenic cruise up this Alaskan fjord. Watch for breaching humpbacks alongside your ship, bears along the beaches, and so much more as Holland America Line and National Park Service Rangers guide you through the best Alaska cruise adventure you’ll ever have. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 11: August 11 – Cruise to Haines (Skagway) – There’s a reason Haines is known as the adventure capital of Alaska. Although many cities in Alaska feel different than those in “the lower 48,” Haines is more unusual than most with its unique rustic feel. It’s almost as if time has stopped and chain stores, and even stoplights, haven’t infiltrated this town of 1,300. It nestles on the shore of America's longest fjord, with the horizons bounded by the snowy heights of the Coast Ranges. Like so many towns, Haines got a jump-start supplying miners headed for the gold fields of the Klondike. Today, the town's chief exports are adventure and

scenery. Outside of town, you're likely to spot bald eagles, moose, bear, wolves, seals, and orcas. Inside of town, stop by the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, the Tsirku Canning Company Museum, or numerous local art galleries. The best of two ports - stay in Haines for an uncrowded experience, or go to Skagway for excursions and shopping. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 12: August 12 – Cruise to Juneau – No roads lead to Juneau, which gives the Alaskan capital a misty inscrutability. You need to come by air or water, but when you arrive, the place will delight you with its bounty of water, forests, and mountains. Squeezed between the Gastineau Channel and Coast Mountains, Juneau offers a lot of variety in close proximity. The

massive Mendenhall Glacier and the immense Juneau Icefields are at its back door. The vast Tongass National Forest stretches away to the northeast. You can shop downtown or get out and dogsled, raft, hike, whale watch, sightsee or fish. The adventures are as bountiful as the daylight. Juneau, Alaska may well be the most remote, most beautiful and strangest state capital in the United States. Surrounded by water, forest and mountain sigh ts, visitors seeking things to do in Juneau indoors and outdoors can hike a glacier, eat fresh -caught fish on a seaside patio and tour a grand capitol building all in one day. The city itself is pleasant, but the real highlight of a visit to Juneau is tracking down some wildlife. Most sightseeing and whale-watching tours head north to Auke Bay—bring a good pair of binoculars to get the best view of these majestic and surprisingly graceful creatures. If you prefer land mammals, catch a floatplane to a nearby wildlife reserve such as Chichagof or Admiralty Island to spy some bears lolling around. The sleepy, misty city of around 32,000—mostly fishermen and small-business owners—has a frontier town vibe, but welcomes more than a million visitors each summer to its natural attractions, cementing Juneau as Alaska’s # 1 tourist destination. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 13: August 13 – Cruise to Ketchikan – Ketchikan clutches the shores of the Tongass Narrows, with many shops and houses built right out over the water. The stairways are weathered and the vibe is cheerful in the town that calls itself the Salmon Capital of the World. Besides the main attractions – Creek Street, the Tongass Historical Museum, Totem Bight State Park and Saxman Village – try a flightseeing trip to Misty Fjords National Monument. These deep-water fjords were gouged out by retreating glaciers, leaving granite cliffs towering thousands of feet above the sea and waterfalls plunging into placid waters. Alaska’s “First City” of Ketchikan is so named because it’s the first major landfall for most cruisers as they enter the picturesque fjords of the Inside Passage, where the town clings to the banks of the Tongass Narrows, flanked by green forests nurtured by abundant rain. Ketchikan has long been an important hub of the salmon-fishing and packing industries. Visitors can try their luck on a sport fishing excursion or simply savor the fresh seafood at one of the local restaurants. It is also one of the best spots along the Inside Passage to explore the rich cultural sights of Native Alaskan nations like the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian. You can see intricately carved totem poles at the Totem Heritage Center and Totem Bight State Park, while the attractions of Saxman Village just outside of Ketchikan offers the chance to see Tlingit culture in action, with working carvers and a dance show in the clan house. And leave time to explore the sights in the town itself, including historic Creek Street, a boardwalk built over the Ketchikan Creek, where you can shop for souvenirs, smoked salmon and local art, while exploring gold rush–era tourist attractions like Dolly’s House Museum. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 14: August 14 – At Sea - Inside Passage – The fabled Inside Passage is one of the most scenic sea-lanes in the world, and one of the few where deep-draft vessels can sail close to steep mountain walls. The scenery is unbelievable, with forests in a hundred shades of green, tumbling turquoise glaciers, and evocative towns loaded with history, culture and adventure. With most of Southeast Alaska accessible only by boat or plane, the Inside Passage is a lifeline

to the outside world. All day long it hums with activity. Alaska’s Inside Passage is a protected network of waterways that wind through glacier-cut fjords and lush temperate rain forests along the rugged coast of Southeast Alaska. Arguably one of the greatest cruising routes in the world, the Inside Passage stretches through stunning landscapes, from Misty Fjords National Monument to famed Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Sailing the Inside Passage offers opportunities to spot some of Alaska’s most iconic wildlife, with humpback whales and orca plying the bountiful waters alongside the ships, bald eagles soaring overhead and brown bears lumbering on the shoreline. (B,L,D on ship)

Day 15: August 15 – Overnight cruise to Vancouver – Your Land + Sea Journey concludes this morning in Vancouver. After disembarking we will fly back to Grand Rapids. (B on ship)

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner designates included meals

Pricing $5099 per person double occupancy Interior Cabin “L”. Contact us for available cabins and upgrade pricing. Included ~Land and ocean cruise, roundtrip airfare from Grand Rapids, ground transfers ~Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner as listed ~ Port charges & tax are included ~Tour escort – Christine Friedt

Extra Options

Travel Insurance – starts at $424 contact weTravel for cost for your cabin.

Contact us for upgraded cabins, single pricing, Additional pre & post nights, fly from different airport and meeting up with group pricing. **Baggage fees are traveler responsibility

How Do I Reserve A Space? Please send a $600 deposit with reservation form to weTravel. If purchasing travel

insurance send check for that as well. We hold the checks until the trip has met its

minimum passenger requirement (confirmed trip) so please do not date your check. We

will notify you when the check will be deposited. At that point, the deposit is non-

refundable. When trip is confirmed we will immediately deposit all new reservations.

Complete the reservation form online & mail the deposit (see link below). Or, if you

prefer a printed reservation form, contact us to have it mailed or emailed to you.

Mailing address: weTravel, 4267 Four Mile Rd NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49525

Follow this link to fill out reservation form- http://www.wetravel.club/webook Final Payment due April 10, 2021. Checks preferred. Credit card payments will incur

additional fees. MUST have passport for this trip.

Dates, Itineraries, Prices, Escort subject to change.

CRUISE SHIP – MS NIEUW AMSTERDAM

MS Nieuw Amsterdam is a Signature-class cruise ship for Holland America Line. Capacity is 2,106 passengers with 929 Crew. Refined amenities and our signature Mariner’s Dream™ bed grace each elegant stateroom offered by Holland America Line. Complimentary 24-hour In-Room Dining. *Daily Housekeeping *Safes for your valuables *Nightly turndown service *Generous Storage *Elemis Aromapure bath amenities *Deluxe bathrobes *Complimentary fresh fruit/ice service

STATEROOMS & SUITES

Inside

Two lower beds convertible to one queen-size

bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed with

plush Euro-Top mattresses, premium massage

shower heads and a host of amenities are featured

in these comfortable staterooms.

Ocean View These expansive staterooms include two lower beds

convertible to one queen-size bed—our Signature

Mariner's Dream™ bed with plush Euro-Top

mattresses, premium massage shower heads, a host of

amenities and an ocean view.

Starting at $500 additional per person

Verandah

Filled with light from floor-to-ceiling windows

overlooking a private verandah, these staterooms

include a sitting area, two lower beds convertible to one

queen-size bed—our signature Mariner's Dream™ bed

with plush Euro-Top mattresses, and shower.

Starting at $1,100 additional per person

The Experience weTravel takes pride planning each group trip. Searching through the vast array of choices on the internet to provide their clients with wonderful experiences at the best value. We also provide a pre-trip meeting to go over every detail of the trip. Currency exchange, excursions, packing tips, trip details and much more to make sure all your questions are answered. weTravel escorts our travelers on every group trip, making certain that things run as smoothly as possible. Christine Friedt & Debi Termaat, the weTravel owners and trip escorts, advocate for individuals as well as the group to ensure that any problems which crop up are handled quickly, allowing you to enjoy the best possible experience. Our trips provide the best of all worlds, the ability to travel to domestic & foreign destinations in the most convenient, cost-efficient and stress-free way possible. Your experienced trip escort handles every detail, answers questions and connects fellow travelers interested in optional excursions and free time exploration. You will have peace of mind knowing your trip escort is available prior to and throughout the trip.

Reservations: For personalized service call Debi or Christine at 616-389-0589 Email at info@wetravel.club www.wetravel.club

Mailing address: 4267 4 Mile Rd. NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 When you travel with us, you travel with friends.