In This Chapter

• Planning a destination vacation

• Hitting the road to see America

• Enjoying a “volunteer” vacation

• Staying safe, saving money, and leaving the stress at home

One of the best parts of getting older is having more time to see the world, and in this chapter, we give you all kinds of options. Here, we've pulled together three amazing destinations — Alaska, Australia, and Cancún and the Yucatán. Plus, we give you the lowdown on hitting the road to see America — who does it, how, and where to go. If you want to use your vacation to give back to people in need, a volunteer vacation will be right up your alley — in this chapter, we give you ideas of places to start. Finally, if traveling makes you a wee bit nervous, never fear: We give you tips to follow to ensure your vacation is a memorable one — for all the right reasons.

Indulging in Adventure: Alaska

What better way to retire than with a true adventure? And what better place for that than Alaska? In this section, we whet your appetite for all things Alaska, filling you in on some of the best Alaska has to offer for that ageless adventurer inside you — the one who can't wait to retire so you can get out and live!

The best one-of-a-kind lodgings

When some people travel, they want to feel as though they've really gone somewhere. If that sounds like you, you'll appreciate these authentic places for visitors, all of which are brimming with local character:

• Alyeska Prince Hotel, 100 Arlberg Ave., Girdwood (800-880-3880 or 907-754-1111; www.alyeskaresort.com): Alaska's grandest luxury hotel, an hour from Anchorage, has a one of a kind location, in an unspoiled mountain valley among huge spruce trees. Skiers can go right from the door to Alaska's best slopes; in the summer, the aerial tram is an easy way for anyone to experience the crisp air and magnificent views.

• Land's End Resort, 4786 Homer Spit Rd., Homer (800-478-0400 or 907-235-0400): The hotel is charming, but the location is what makes it unique. It sits at the very end of a 5-mile-long point of land into Kachemak Bay, one of Alaska's most beautiful bodies of water. You can walk from your room to fish for salmon, or sit back and watch sea otters swim by.

• Aurora Express Bed and Breakfast, 1540 Chena Ridge Rd., Fairbanks (800-221-0073 or 907-474-0949; www.fairbanksalaskabedandbreakfast.com): A family hauled a collection of railroad cars — plus a locomotive and caboose — up a mountain south of Fairbanks and remodeled the interior into a collection of accommodations, some too cute for words, others heavily nostalgic for those who remember the golden age of rail.

The best uniquely Alaskan experiences

Alaska is an adventure because it's unlike anyplace you've ever been. Here are some ways to know you're in Alaska:

• Getting out on the big ice: More than 36 major glaciers around Juneau flow from a single ocean of ice behind the mountains, the 1,500-square-mile Juneau Ice Field. Helicopters from Juneau fly over the immense ice field that lies beyond the mountains bordering the town. Visitors can just look, or join guided hikes on the ice, or even get in a dog sled and go mushing on the glaciers. Contact Era Helicopters (800-843-1947; www.eraaviation.com) for copter tours and dogsled rides.

• Cruising Alaskan waters: Less than two hours from Anchorage, the port town of Whittier provides access to northwestern Prince William Sound, a world to itself — largely free of people, with 3,500 miles of shoreline enfolded within its islands and deeply penetrating fjords and passages. Glaciers loom on the mountains at the northwestern part of the sound, and on the way to see them, it's commonplace to encounter humpback and orca whales, dolphins, seals, otters, and a variety of birds. Day cruises from Whittier, easy to do as a day trip from Anchorage, compete on price, food service onboard, and number of glaciers you see in a few hours (up to two dozen!). Start with Major Marine Tours (800-764-7300; www.majormarine.com) and Phillips Cruises and Tours (800-544-0529; www.26glaciers.com). Expect to spend about $190 per person (between the train fare from Anchorage and the boat fare itself) for this full-day outing.

• Encountering indigenous culture: The cultural heritage and ways of life of Alaska's indigenous people remain largely intact in many areas of the state, and Alaskan Natives are often interested in sharing their traditions with visitors. At the Iñupiat Heritage Center, at Ahkovak and C streets in Barrow (907-852-5494), Eskimo culture is alive and well, and in Barrow you can often see subsistence hunters preparing or returning from hunts for whale, caribou, or polar bear. At the town's fascinating cultural center and living museum, you can also see exhibits and dance performances and meet craftsmen selling authentic Iñupiat artwork.

• Visiting a gold-rush town: The Klondike Gold Rush of 1898, when the non-Native population arrived all at once in search of riches, is the biggest event in Alaska's short history. Nome's gold-rush stories top all. Although most of the historic structures are gone, the town retains a free-wheeling frontier spirit, making it feel more like a gold-rush boomtown than other more tourist-oriented places. Small-time prospectors are still at work here, too. For more information, contact the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau, Front and Division streets (907-443-6624; www.nomealaska.org/vc).

Back to Top