Congratulations!  You are an official member of the 2022 Taste of Alaska tour!!  We’re heading to the stunning Kenai Peninsula by land and see to discover and photograph approximately 50-80 species of birds and wildlife!  We will search for moose, caribou, seals, otter, eagles, puffins, and so much more!  We welcome you with open arms to this wonderful adventure!

This photography-oriented tour is an unforgettable experience filled with excursions to various waters by land and boat in search of the best nature and wildlife Alaska offers.  We’ll also enjoy delicious meals, camaraderie, abundant photography, and the chance to see the stunning Kenai Peninsula—a true jewel of wildlife diversity in Alaska’s crown.

A couple of months prior to the tour we will have a group live webinar and meet-and-greet!  This will be a great opportunity to get to know your fellow tour-mates, ask questions, and prepare. Meanwhile, please review the information below so that you know how to travel, plan, pack and prepare for your exciting adventure!  I can’t wait to see you in Alaska.

All my best,

IMPORTANT:  All items on the itinerary are subject to change based on weather or other factors beyond our control.  If an activity must be altered or cancelled, every reasonable effort will be made to provide an alternative activity.  Your understanding and flexibility are always appreciated and expected during these times.  Safety is important to us and we will always take this into careful consideration when weather or other unforeseen circumstances influence our plans.

TRAVELING TO ALASKA:

• May 27, 2022: Unless you are already in the Anchorage/Kenai area, please book your flight to Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC airport code) in Anchorage, Alaska.  Most flights arrive from the lower 48 states and overseas later in the evening, so you will most likely need to plan to spend the night in Anchorage. Taxi and Uber transportation services are readily available at the Anchorage airport (ANC). Please book your travel and accommodations yourself as this is not included in the tour.
  
  
• HOT TIP: Hotels can sometimes get pricy as it gets closer to peak summer season. Consider trying AirBnB or VRBO.  If you have never used http://www.AirBnB.com , as a frequent user of this service, I personally recommend using homes that have “Superhost” status, have a  4-5 stars rating and consistently positive reviews.  Here is a code to use that will save you $40 off your first rental: https://www.airbnb.com/c/lisal1922?currency=USD

Mid-Morning Departure: Fly from Anchorage (ANC) to Kenai (ENA) on Grant Aviation https://www.flygrant.com/ or Rav’n Air https://ravnalaska.com/fly.  (You must book your own flights.  This is not included in the tour.)

This is a short, but STUNNING flight and you will arrive at the Kenai airport in about 30 minutes. If you can snag a window seat, it’s worth it for the view flying over the Turnagain Arm, Fire Island, Cook Inlet, Skilak Lake and Kenai Fjords National Park! 

• Grant: This airline tends to have a more flexible baggage policy (https://www.flygrant.com/flying-with-us/faqs/) and can easily handle a standard carry-on bag, plus generous checked baggage weights.
  
  
• Rav’n: Carry-on bags must be no larger than 14” L x 16” W x 9” D. Their baggage policy is here: https://ravnalaska.com/bags
  
  
• When to fly: These airlines have very regular flights to the Kenai—about every 2 hours. Choose a departure time between 9:00am -12pm if at all possible. It’s a 30-minute flight. We will pick you up from the airport in Kenai and transport you to the lodge (about a 30-minute drive).  

• From here you will join your fellow participants, some of whom opted for the Bear Extravaganza Extension prior to Day 1 of this tour. They will also be arriving at the lodge midday.
  
  
• Unpack, Lunch & Sundries: We will have lunch available for everyone and allow time for you to get unpacked and settled.  After lunch, we will also take a brief trip to the nearby Fred Meyer (attendance optional).  This is a massive supermarket and department store. You may purchase sundries and necessities here.
  
  

Afternoon Photography at the Lodge & Instruction: 

• Wildflowers, lilacs, Bonaparte’s gulls, Arctic terns, mew gulls, bald eagles, merlin, alder flycatchers, Stellar’s Jays, black-capped and boreal chickadees, violet-green swallows, several species of warblers, mergansers, common loon, wigeon and more that can commonly be spotted and photographed from the lodge property. Moose are occasionally seen on property or nearby as well.
  
  Get your gear and skills warmed up during this time by capturing what is right around us!  Practice your birds-in-flight photography or hone your exposure settings!  Go macro with the flowers, or capture a slow-shutter shot of the Kenai River! You are also welcome to spend time with an image review and processing session with those who returned from the Bear Extravaganza.  This is also a great time to get to know your fellow tour mates!
  
  

Dinner:  We will have dinner at the lodge. Prepared by our award-winning caterer, she will provide delicious meals each day that feature Alaskan salmon, halibut, and much more!

• Welcome to the land of the midnight sun! Weather permitting, we will drive to Eagle Beach and photograph an iconic, historic Russian Orthodox Church along the way. Then we will head to a favorite and photogenic spot on the beach for eagle photography! 
  
  Across the inlet from the beach, you will see several mountains and volcanoes!  All while photographing eagles in the evening “Magic Hour light” that lasts several hours here this time of year.  The sun sets at about 11:30pm, so get ready for a great night!
  
  
  • Eagles: Lenses with an upper limit of 400-600mm are recommended.  Tripod with gimbal head is suggested unless you are comfortable hand-holding for long periods.
  • For Russian Orthodox Church: Wide angle (e.g., 15-30mm, 24-70mm, 35-150mm or similar) are recommended. 
    
    
• Return to the lodge and bedtime. We will return from eagle photography and even though it is still light out, please make sure you back up your images and get some rest.  Your room includes blackout curtains and we have an early day tomorrow!
  
  

• Enjoy breakfast in your cabin. Promptly at 5:30am, we will depart for Homer, AK.  There is a good chance we will spot and photograph moose along the stunning 2-hour drive to Homer. This iconic town is the base point for our private boat tour in Kachemak Bay.
  
  Weather permitting, our captain and expert birder will take us throughout the bay to locations that are known for a variety of bird species including horned and tufted puffins common murre, pelagic cormorant, harlequin duck, marbled murrelet, black oystercatcher, bald eagle, pigeon guillemot, black-legged kittiwake, glaucous-winged gull, glaucous gull, and more.  If we are lucky, we will locate the elusive Aleutian terns, yellow-billed loon, and an active eagle’s nest.  Other species of mammals we may see include harbor seals and northern sea otter. 
  
  
• Gear: We will be on a boat for the first portion of the day; therefore, a tripod is not needed or permitted while at sea.  A lens with an upper zoom range of 400mm to 600mm is recommended, as well as a 24-70mm for seascape images.  You will want the reach of your zoom to photograph the smaller birds and puffins.
  
  
• Lunch in Homer: We will eat at a delicious restaurant in Homer so that you can capture some of the great local flavor this iconic town serves up. (Included in your tour package).
  
  
  
  
• Explore Homer:

There are several other locations in/near Homer we may explore for birds, mammals, tidepools (tide permitting) and more. Your 24-70mm lens will come in handy as well as your longer zoom lens to capture what is around you in the harbor, along the docks, water’s edge, townscapes and more.

• Return to the Lodge. We will take a break after such an early morning.  Use this time to review and backup your work, rest and rejuvenate. We will have dinner at the lodge.
• Dinner, then a dessert cruise on the Kenai River:

• Group 1: 7pm-9pm
• Group 2: 9pm – 11pm  
  After dinner, enjoy a dessert-to-go while boating on the Kenai River--one of the world’s most renown rivers, made famous for its king salmon fishing.  It is also is host to wildlife and birds, including arctic tern, Bonaparte’s gull, mew gull, common merganser, greater and lesser yellowlegs, spotted sandpiper, bald eagle (and nests), common loons, and moose if we’re lucky!
  
  We will leave right from the back yard of the lodge and explore the Kenai river by boat.  With the sun setting at 11:30pm, we will have plenty of beautiful light to work with on this tour. 
  
  We will also take a side trip up a serene portion of the Moose River to view possible sandhill cranes, red-necked grebes, and trumpeter swans.  Belted Kingfishers are also possible.
  
  While each half of our group takes their turn with the Kenai river trip, the other half is welcome to photograph nature from the lodge. 
  
  
• Gear (for boat): Lens with upper reach of 400-600mm.  A 24-70mm is handy as well for capturing the scenery.  No tripod.
  
  
• Gear (for lodge shooting): Zoom lens such as your 150-600mm, 100-400mm.  Close-up lens such as a macro may be useful.  Tripod optional.

• Breakfast in your cabins
• Depart at 5:30am.
• We will head to Seward, Alaska, entry point to Resurrection Bay and the Gulf of Alaska. The seaport boasts gorgeous scenery and more.  It is also home to our departure location for one of the highlights of this tour!
  
  We will board helicopters and head toward Godwin Glacier while we fly over incredible blue glacier ice and by immense waterfalls.  Next, we will stand on a real glacier and meet our sled dogs and mushers who will take us on a real sled dog ride for about 30 minutes while we explore the snowy glacier terrain.  Incredible photography opportunities exist here.  We will spend up to 30 extra minutes up on the glacier for photography opportunities with the landscape, dogs, and mushers.   The entire tour lasts about 90-120 minutes, weather depending.
  • Gear: 24-70 or similar wide-angle lens, 70-200 zoom (or similar).  Keep gear minimal for this excursion.  No tripod. 
  • Clothing: Hiking boots, jacket, rain coat, gloves. Hat and sunglasses.  It can be reasonably warm at sea level, but quickly gets cold up on the glacier!  The weather also changes quickly and the temperatures on the glacier can vary from 30-80°F due to the sun reflecting off of the snow. 
  • NOTE: If you are not comfortable flying in a helicopter, or your weight is over 300lbs (per flight safety requirements), you are welcome to stay at the lodge and enjoy the morning.  Our chef can make a special breakfast for you and we look forward to seeing you upon our return.   Or you can take the trip with us and sit inside at the tour base. Then rejoin after our flight is complete.
• Explore Seward and Tern Lake:

• On the return journey back to the lodge, we will stop by several locations in Seward for nature photography. We will focus on finding Trumpeter Swans, ducks, pine grosbeaks, chestnut-backed chickadee, various woodpeckers, and more.  We will also be on the lookout for moose, bear, and visit a fishing weir to watch salmon spawning upstream.
  
  
• Lunch: We will either have a picnic lunch in Seward, or depending on the weather, return to the lodge for a late lunch. 
  
  
• Afternoon: Download images and prepare for an image review session and post-processing tips.
  
  
• 6pm: Dinner at the lodge. 
  
  

7:30pm:  Evening land-based photography.

• We will explore the backroads, nooks and crannies of the Sterling, Soldotna and Kenai area to search for moose, caribou (which can be elusive), sandhill crane, semipalmated plover, eagles, greater and lesser yellowlegs, American wigeon, green-winged teal, pintail, a variety of other shorebirds, and more. There are also opportunities for photographing seascapes with the boats sprinkled around the mouth of the Kenai River.  It’s an iconic shot if the boats and weather cooperate.
  
  
• Return to the lodge.   This is our last night.  It is recommended that you begin packing tonight so that you can wrap up after lunch tomorrow.

Skilak Lake is a fresh-water, pristine 128 square mile lake located in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. It is both glacier and spring-fed.  It’s turquois blue waters offer beautiful landscape photography, compression landscapes, and abstract photography opportunities.  We will board the boat, 4 at a time, for an intimate tour as we hug the shore searching for wildlife.  Additionally, we will search for birds such as peregrine falcon, common merganser (often with babies), raven, bald eagle, Bonaparte’s gull, common loon, pine grosbeak, spruce grouse, Barrow’s goldeneye, three-toed woodpecker, and more.  Additionally, black bears are often spotted from our boat on the shores and mountains nearby.  If we’re lucky, a lynx will cross our path. 

• Gear: Long zoom lens (e.g., upper range of 400-600mm, wide-angle lens such as 24-70mm or similar; tripod not useful on boat, but may be useful for our shore-side stops.
• Return to lodge.
• Lunch and last goodbyes! We will return to the lodge for lunch.  After lunch we take you to the Kenai Airport so that you may take your flight back to Anchorage.

• May 31, 2022: Kenai to Anchorage flight: 
  Book your return flight to Anchorage International Airport.  Choose a departure time between approximately 2pm to-5pm from the Kenai Airport on Grant Aviation or Rav’n Air.
  
  
• Once you arrive in Anchorage, you may connect to your final destination. Most flights to the lower 48 states depart in the evening or overnight hours from Anchorage.  This should give you plenty of time to connect from the Kenai airport and board your next flight.  Check with your airline originating at the Kenai airport as to whether you can check your luggage “through” to your final destination.  Often, this is possible and makes it easier for you.
  
  
• Alternatively, you may continue your Alaska exploration from Anchorage to other locations within the state. If you choose to rent a car, I highly recommend Midnight Sun Car rental.   Feel free to use my name as a reference.