Mush!

…But only in March.

The Iditarod, Alaska’s annual sled dog race, is one of the world’s most arduous and exciting sporting events. This year, on Saturday, March 3, 2012, the ceremonial start takes place in Anchorage marking the 40th anniversary of the race.  Over 70 tough mushers and their dogsleds race along the 1000-mile powdery trade path from Anchorage to Nome — a peak lifetime thrill.  But instead of packing your pooch and taking off by yourself, contact the highly-experienced Sky Trekking Alaska Company and join one of their small groups.

“On you huskies!! On King!” Dash along in the sled tracks of the childhood radio hero, Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police, and his top dog “Yukon King,” back in the days when they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness.

Chief Pilot and Guide, Ms. Lori Egge, founded the company over 15 years ago. “Fly” low over the snow on the Alaskan tundra with a team of lovable, incredibly powerful huskies for three, four or twelve days. And the weather?  Cold but dry and often sunny, the temperatures range from -10 F to a toasty +25 F and prices start at $4,725. pp (plus air).

For the 12 hours of daylight sunshine in Alaska in March, sunglasses are heartily recommended. For the other 12 hours, gape in awe at the Aurora Borealis, the great Northern Lights show.

For the big picture click: www.iditarod.com.

Click: www.skytrekkingalaska.com (includes a great 1-1/2 minute video with marvelous music by “Pumya,” Inupiat Eskimo group. Or call 907-315-6098.

Another option: Alaska Sled Dog Tours, set on the fringes of Chugach State Park, is a new company is run by old hands: the Seavey family who know mushing inside and out. Three generations of Seaveys have competed in the Iditarod. www.aksleddogtours.com.

 

Choo Choo Overview

Train travel all over the world is almost limitless, and there is something mysteriously alluring with a whiff of romance (or at least foreign intrigue) in the puff of a train. Some are expensive and luxurious, like rolling, well-appointed 5-star hotels with exceptional staffs and food, but many are basic and good choices for the budget-minded. In addition to saving the cost of hotels, overnight trains deliver the thrill of waking up in a new city or even a new country.

Ideas:

Colossally fascinating and endlessly-intriguing, www.seat61.com is the cryptic name for the website for train travel throughout the world. Get schedules, costs, connections, and every inch of train travel in Europe including such off-the-beaten tracks as those in Macedonia, Cyprus, Andorra, and Belarus AND onward into Iran, Cambodia, and even Cuba (the Ferrocarriles de Cuba. which offers no official website and no toilet paper.)  Tap into this site and run the risk of getting lost in it!

The Good Web Guide UK says www.seat61.com “…has all the mystery of  a Le Carre epic. Who is this mysterious man who always books Seat 61 on the Eurostar and why has he set up a site devoted entirely to world rail travel? His name’s Mark Smith and he is passionate about long-distance rail travel….”

Alaska: For mesmerizing, non-stop beauty, check out the award-winning upper-deck domed window cars of the Denali Star during the 12-hour trip between Fairbanks and Anchorage. www.alaskarailroad.com

The Alps: Rocky Mountains Highs

In Switzerland, the Rhaetian Railway offers the highest rails in the Alps: the Albula and Bernina lines which are stellar examples of technical, architectural and environmental brilliance. In the northwest, the Albula pass wends through 42 tunnels and over 144 viaducts and bridges. The Bernina train “sails” through 13 tunnels and over 52 viaducts and bridges. And the gorgeous (usually snowy) area between Thusis, rich in forests, rivers, glaciers and gorges, and the tiny town of Tirano in northern Italy has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Click: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1276

P.S. Don’t forget the train trip between Switzerland’s two top ski resorts, St. Moritz and Zermatt, is simply a glorious 7-hour whiteout ride on the Glacier Express. Click: http://www.glacierexpress.ch/

From Adelaide to Alice Springs to Darwin, the Ghan crosses the spectacular transcontinental heart of Australia, north to south, in a 48-hour one-way ride with two nights on board. www.gsr.com.au

Although many trains stop running during their freezing winters, others chug along splendidly through great drifts, mounds and mountains of ice and snow.

Out west, the award-winning Rocky Mountaineer toot-toots through the Canadian Rockies on a variety of wintry routes. Phone 877-460-3200. www.winterrailvacations.com.

In Eastern Canada, look into the Agawa Canyon Snow Train which starts in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – for a 4-hour, 114-mile rail cruise through rugged snowscapes and “diamonds of ice,” wildly colorful fall foliage as per season; chug 500 feet down over 10 miles to the floor of the billion-year old Agawa Canyon. To know more, phone 800-242-9287 or www.agawacanyontourtrain.com.

VIA Rail operates about 480 trains per week over a vast 9,000-mile network that spans and links all of Canada. This is huge. Excellent website makes it easy to navigate their fascinating network. http://www.viarail.ca/trains/en_trai_tous.html

India anyone?  The royally luxurious Deccan Odyssey departs from Mumbai and visits towns and villages all along the gorgeous coastline of the Arabian Sea for 8 days, including hottest beach spot on the subcontinent, the intensely sensual sandy city of Goa. http://www.deccan-odyssey-india.com.

…and stay tuned for more…