Destination Today: Places to See Before You Leave This Life: Denali National Park

Getting in to this travel world on a professional level has been interesting and fun.  Being a die-hard Disney traveler, I know an awful lot about the various domestic Disney theme parks, resorts and destinations; and a good amount about the international locations as well.  But this whole business venture has challenged me about so many other destinations.


Prior to the creation of Neverland Adventures Travel, I used to pride myself on having been to 44 states within the U.S.; to Canada & Mexico; and having traveled a lot for both of the companies that I worked for over the past 19 years.  But I always lamented over not having yet taken trips to Europe, South America, Asia or Africa. I've dreamed of those places many times, but always figured I'd get to them... someday.  Fast forward to today, and here I am selling those destinations and so many others.  Time to take a crash course in destinations, as well start sampling them for myself - thus I've entered the world of FAM (familiarization) travel available to the professionals within the Travel Industry.  But FAM trips take time and effort on the individual professional's part to accomplish, time that isn't always a resource in plentiful supply when clients want to know about a possible destination they're interested in visiting themselves.

Over the past few months I have gone through various training courses with the various cruise lines that I market and sell, as well the land providers and other destinations, and I've learned a lot about the geography of the world that I never learned in school.  Not physical geography of the land - but rather PORTS OF CALL, and the numerous attractions to be found in and around those port cities.  Which has led to me do additional research on various "must see" attractions, in cities and destinations around the world.  While researching some of those attractions at my local Barnes & Noble store, I found this interesting little book standing on the shelf.   "1,000 Places to See Before You Die - A Traveler's Life List", by Patricia Schultz.  I was intrigued, and so I picked it up.  After thumbing through for just a few moments, I realized I must have this book.  And over the course of the past few hours, realized that I would incorporate a new feature into stopher's stuff, using this book as a guide - inspiration, if you will, for me, but also for you.  Places that Cruise Planners~Neverland Adventures Travel can help you get to, either by land, air or sea.  But even if you just plan it yourself, destinations of some historic, geographic, or visual significance that will enrich your life for having visited.


So welcome to the first installment of DESTINATION TODAY: PLACES TO SEE BEFORE YOU LEAVE THIS LIFE.  I'll be sharing destination information in the vein of the aforementioned book, without using or abusing the source material, all the while going in no particular order.  The book breaks down the world in the following chapters:

• Europe
• Africa
• The Middle East
• Asia
• Australia, New Zealand & The Pacific Islands
• The United States of America & Canada
• Latin America
• The Caribbean, The Bahamas & Bermuda

Today we'll take a look at Denali National Park in Alaska.

Mount McKinley, 20,230' is the tallest peak in North America, is the primary attraction in Denali National Park.  The mountain is named after the 25th US President, but is also referred to locally by indigenous Athabascans of central Alaska as Denali.


The park is located about 125 miles south of Fairbanks is accessible by car during the months of May-September.  The Alaska Railroad operates from June - early September.  The best times to visit are June for the wildflowers, or August & September for the fall foliage.


This 6 million acre park is filled with grizzlies, moose and golden eagles, and contains vast tundras of subarctic splendor.  The glaciers, massive peaks of the Alaska Mountain Range, as well as McKinley itself keep visitors returning year after year.  Throughout the summer you can enjoy 16-20 hours of daylight each day to take in the dazzling scenery as you cam or enjoy North Face Lodge.  Numerous plane and helicopter sightseeing excursions are available to get up in to the back country, not accessible by car or rail.  You might also enjoy the 365 mile rail journey aboard the Denali Star, which takes you from Anchorage to Fairbanks, traveling through frontier towns of Wasilla & Takleetna, along with numerous "middle-of-nowhere" stops along the way.


This is a national park not to be missed, and can be added as a land or cruise tour to many Alaskan cruise itineraries.