Immersive Iditarod Check-Point Experience

A Winter Wonderland FUN Glacier Adventure❄️  

February 28- March 6, 2025
7 Days / 6 Nights

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Experience Alaska’s winter festival “Fur Rondy”  including snow sculptures, running of the reindeer (Alaska’s Wackiest Race)
• Blanket toss (an ancient Alaska Native tradition), and more
• Stay at Historic Rainy Pass Lodge and immerse yourself in an Iditarod Check Point 
• Get woken up to view the Northern Lights while at Rainy Pass
• Guided Glacier Tour
• Explore Alaska Back Country in Heated Enclosed ATVs
• Enjoy Alaska’s winter wonderland with Alaska-grown hosts!
• BONUS MAKE 12 NEW LIKE-MINDED FRIENDS

The Last Great Race on Earth

You can’t compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race covering  1000 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness and treacherous climbs and side hills, and you have the Iditarod. A race extraordinaire, a race only possible in Alaska.

*Itinerary is subject to change

Day One: Arrival Day – Welcome to Alaska!  

Fly into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport mid-day

• Airport pick-up and check-in to your downtown Anchorage hotel
• If time allows, tour downtown Anchorage and enjoy local shops
• Stroll around a winter wonderland of Snow Sculptures
• Welcome dinner at 49th State Brewery with stunning views
• For anyone arriving early, Suzanne and Mercy can offer plenty of suggestions for add-ons.

Day Two:  Watch the Start of the 2025 Iditarod and Running of the Reindeer

Highlights:

• Early raiser coffee walk or run
• Breakfast at the amazing Fire Island Bakery
• Watch up close the start of the 2025 Iditarod
• Take part in the Fur Rondy Festival including The Running of the Reindeer and Blanket toss (an ancient Alaska Native tradition)
•  Dinner at the locally-owned Crush Bistro and Bottles

Day Three and Four:  Rainy Pass Lodge Iditrod Check Point 

Highlights: 

• Early Riser Snowy Coffee Walk 
• We will fly to Rainy Pass Lodge and land on a frozen lake in a small bush plane equipped with skies. 
  • Rainy Pass Lodge is one of the checkpoints for ‘The Last Great Race’. Nestled in the most scenic and treacherous parts of the 1049-mile trail you will become a part of the race at this checkpoint.
• While at the lodge we will join in or watch all the excitement of the dog sleds as they come into the checkpoint after 140 miles on the trail. 
• Our group will experience wine and beer tasting, live music from Alaskan musician Ken Peltier, rides in a 1924 Model-T Snow Mobile, a special presentation from the race judge, and fireworks.
• We will be added to the wake-up list for the ‘Northern Lights’ viewing. *fingers crossed Mother Nature corporates! 
• After the mushers come through the lodge we will enjoy a wide variety of activities from snow machining along the Iditarod trail to look for left behind dog booties, take pictures of surreal scenery, searching for shed moose and caribou antlers, and or enjoy snowshoeing, cross country skiing, ice fishing, sledding and more. A fun winter wonderland excursion that you’ll always remember.

Day Five: Explore Alaska’s Backcountry and the Talkeetna Mountains 

Highlights:

• Breakfast and last-minute exploration at Rainy Pass
• Pack up and grab our charter scenic flight back to Anchorage 
• head to Glacier Suites in Palmer Alaska and Hatchers Pass
• Explore Alaska backcountry and take in some amazing views of the Talkeetna Mountains and Hatchers Pass in a heated and enclosed UTV’S.  Embrace the thrill of venturing into the Alaskan wilderness, you’ll be awestruck by the surreal beauty of nature.
• Pizza and wine party at Glacier Suites with a chance to kick your feet up and relax.

Day Six: Once-in-a-Lifetime Excursion to the Terminus of the Matanuska Glacier

Highlights:

• Breakfast at the Locally Owned Noisy Goose
• Guides will narrate the tour on the unique and beautiful Matanuska Glacier. At 4 miles wide and 27 miles long the Matanuska Glacier is the largest glacier accessible by car in Alaska along the Glenn Highway, a nationally designated Scenic Byway, it offers breathtaking views of the Chugach and Talkeetna mountain ranges.  
•  Head into Palmer stopping at a few local boutiques
• Final dinner together as a group at the Fabulous Feather and Flower

Day Seven:  Farewell Alaska and until we meet again new friends!

• Breakfast at Sophia’s before heading back to Anchorage to catch our flights.

Flexible pay-as-you-go payment plan

How it Works:

Activity Level – Moderate

This Alaska trip is an exhilarating blend of moderate to strenuous winter activities for those with good physical fitness. Highlights include the Iditarod start, Running of the Reindeer, snow machining, glacier hiking, and a Northern Lights tour. Participants will explore Alaska’s stunning landscapes, from Anchorage’s festivities to the icy expanse of the Matanuska Glacier, making it an ideal adventure for outdoor enthusiasts ready to embrace the cold and engage in diverse winter activities.

Role of a Beatrice bradley hostess

Beatrice Bradley is an Experience Company not a Tour Company.  The role of a Beatrice Bradley Host is to be warm and welcoming. To relate and connect. To have attention to details. And to manage the behind-the-scenes magic so your experience is one-of-a-kind. They are not local experts nor are they tour guides. We hire local experts, guides, and historians as each location warrants. They are expert hosts and manage the camaraderie and logistics of the experience. Our goal is that your hostess will make you feel welcomed, comfortable, and that you will walk away with new & lasting friendships made during an unforgettable experience.

Flight Details

Airport Pick Up is included when arriving at the designated airport within the specified pick up window.

Departure Airport: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC)
Departure Date:  March 6, 2025
Drop-off Times: Drop-off at noon. Flights no earlier than 2pm

Important information

As a solo-traveler, we need you to provide self-awareness and an understanding that you are fully responsible for yourself. This includes your possessions, your physical abilities or fitness, your attitude, and all other aspects that relate to traveling solo in a group. 

• Connect with our Members on our Private Facebook Group – Beatrice Bradley Member’s Only
• You must be able to manage your luggage and all of your personal belongings on this trip
• This is not a handicap accessible trip – you must be able to get in and out of a Large Passenger Transit Vehicle
• All Ground transportation is included on this trip
• Group Airport transfers are included in this trip.
• This trip will have a maximum of 12 women
• This trip will have 2 Beatrice Bradley Hostesses
• If you need a roommate, we will happily pair you with another Beatrice Bradley traveler
• Travel insurance is not included. Beatrice Bradley is not a licensed travel insurance operator nor is our staff trained to in travel insurance. You can choose to purchase travel insurance through any licensed provider you choose. We will ask you upon booking if you would like us to send you some suggested licensed insurance companies.