Optional Adventures

Your adventure awaits....our partner Char McClelland with Alaska Destination Specialists has arranged the below experiences at seriously discounted rates to experience the area. Reservation and full payment due during online registration.
Spots are VERY LIMITED.

The Pre-Con Tour
Sunday, May 31
9am-8pm

Resurrection Bay Cruise with Lunch on Fox Island $99 Planners/Sponsors|$159 Guests

part hotel for scenic 1.5-drive to Seward that travels along the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, up and over the Kenai Mountain Range and down into the port city of Seward.
Board a catamaran style cruise boat for a 4-hour sightseeing cruise of Resurrection Bay.
Stop for lunch at Fox Island Lodge and enjoy a salmon & prime rib meal in a private log lodge. Walk the beach and search for heart shaped rocks.

This unforgettable day will offer the opportunity to view puffins, sea otters, Dall’s porpoises, Steller sea lions, harbor seals and loads of whales— the mighty humpback whales and orcas. It’s a marine mammals delight out there in the waters off Kenai Fjords! In the sky above, keep an eye out for bird life—like bald eagles, black oyster-catchers, graceful murres and those adorable orange-footed and ginger-beaked puffins. Even if you didn’t see a single species of wildlife (and that won’t happen!) the jagged cliffs and rugged mountainsides, glaciers and panoramic views are worth the trip.

This is a day not to be missed!

Maximum 80 Participants.
Hotel room not included in this tour price. Book your hotel to arrive by May 30.

June 3
Options for Afternoon Free Time

iPhone Photography
Tips & Tricks
Cost: $5
Min: 2 Max:10

1:30 – 3:30pm. Your Alaska Photo Treks guide will pick you up at the resort for transfer to nearby Virgin Creek Falls where you’ll learn some cool new tricks for taking great photos with your cell phone. He’ll also take you to the Turnagain Arm where he’ll share some of his expertise on getting amazing scenic pics as well. The scenery is stunning and learning the tips and tricks – a bonus!

Summer Dog Sledding Adventure
$98 pp
Min: 6 Max:10

1:00-4:00pm. An 8-mile journey in an open air Pinzgauer takes you on the historical Iditarod trail where the mountains open up to one of the most scenic landscapes in Alaska. Meet 8-time Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit and his amazing sled dogs, observe dog handling techniques, and interact with the dogs that have run the Iditarod.

Feel the raw power of these sled dogs as you ride through trails high up in the mountains. The sled dogs respond to Nick's commands as a whole, moving and navigating as if they were of one mind. It’s a sight to see, and an experience you will never forget!

After your cart ride, you will visit the PUPPY PAVILION (!!) where you can cuddle and play with future Iditarod champions in their cutest and cuddliest phase. If you thought the sled dogs were cute, the puppies will surely melt your heart.

Girdwood Bikes and Brews
$15 pp with standard bike
$35 pp with e-bike
Min: 2 Max: 8

1:30 – 4:30pm. Join fellow SPINner (get the bike pun?!) and Anchorage resident, Mike Lessley, for a guided bicycle tour of Girdwood. Ride by Moose Meadow (maybe see a moose – it wasn’t named that because you see a lot of chickens there!), check out the original hotel site, explore “downtown” Girdwood and stop at the Girdwood Brewing Company for a brew.

3 hours (give or take) and there are a couple hills, but none seriously steep… if you bike occasionally, you can handle this tour. After the “brew” portion of the tour, a shuttle will transfer guests back to the resort.

NOTE: There is an option to upgrade to an electric bike if you don't wanna peddle!

Guided Winner Creek Trail Hike
Cost: $5
Min: 2 Max: 10

1:15 – 3:15pm. Meet your local guide at the trailhead (located right at the resort) for a guided hike on the Winner Creek Trail. The Winner Creek trail has gentle, graded and maintained sections with boardwalks, as well as plenty of rugged, rooty sections of trail.

Part of the original historic Iditarod Trail, this moderate and informative 3 mile (round trip) hike consists of a walk over the Winner Creek Gorge on a boardwalk for incredible views of the creek as it squeezes through a small canyon!

The Post-Con Tour
Thursday, June 4
6:45am-10:30pm

Planes, Trains & Sled Dogs!!

$449 Planners/Sponsors|$529 Guests in a Shared Room. Single Room: additional $132.
Registrants will be emailed a separate form to complete within 5 days of registering.

Motorcoach to Anchorage early a.m. and take a breathtaking domed rail car from Anchorage to Talkeetna. Keep your eyes peeled...you'll see beautiful views and wildlife.

Next is lunch at a beautiful log lodge in Talkeetna, with free time afterward to explore the town.

Hold onto your hats, it's then time for the flightseeing experience of a lifetime! We're off to Denali! We'll visit the kennel of an Iditarod Dog Sled 4-time Champion, followed by a tasty dinner.

Then, happy and exhausted, we'll return to Anchorage for your included overnight at Voyager Hotel/Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage.

Want to stay even longer to explore Anchorage? You can extend up to two additional nights at the hotel for $225 + tax. This is a long day, but it will be a bucket list, epic kind of day!

Maximum 40 participants!
MAXIMUM TWO PER PARTY (unless spaces remain after March 1)

Questions? Comments? Really nice compliments? catherine@spinplanners.com.