About Us

The Great Alaskan TourSaver is the end result of many hopes, dreams and desires for us. We've worked on this project for more than 12 years--but the team has collaborated for a little over 20 years here in Alaska. Here are the principals:

Gary Blakely. Gary arrived in Alaska after driving up the Alaska Highway with a satellite TV dish mounted on a trailer, towed behind a Chevy van. Residents of Alaska bush communities got to look at HBO and ESPN for the first time. From there, he went on to manage a local TV station in Anchorage and help run a full-service video production facility. Gary fosters his love of food and wine by traveling to Alaska's best resorts and destinations and exploring the country with his friends. He is the company photographer--and never misses an opportunity to share his images of Alaska with anyone who will sit still long enough to watch the slideshow! Gary is also the "internet guru" for the company--overseeing the development of the websites and promotional campaigns. His company specializes in internet marketing strategy and digital revenue counsulting.

Scott McMurren arrived in Alaska the day after he graduated from the University of Oregon (Go DUCKS!), with his backpack, his bicycle, a small band of merry pranksters--and little else. He went to work for the Anchorage Times. But he left that job to work for a string of retail travel agencies. For many years, Scott has written a weekly travel column for the Anchorage Daily News--and he publishes a weekly email travel newsletter called the Alaska Travelgram. His company, Shining Sea Communications, works on a variety of media projects. Scott spends a lot of time working with the participating travel companies in the Great Alaskan TourSaver. It's fair to say Scott is "Anchored Down in Anchorage" with a mortgage, a wife, two kids and a couple of dogs. Oh--and a place for his skis. You cannot have too many skis, after all. Like Gary, he loves to travel around Alaska and report back on his adventures.

Together, the team is committed to providing the best travel opportunities to discover the beauty and wonder of Alaska. We've hand-picked the participating vendors. Frankly, most of them are personal friends--and we have a vested interest in making sure you have a great time. We want you to return year after year to Alaska! The 2010 edition has more than $25,000 in travel savings. There are more than 130 2-for-1 offers: glacier cruises, rail trips, rafting, fishing, flightseeing, adventure trips, hotels, car rentals and cultural trips. We've tried to think of everything. Most of all, we want you to fall in love with Alaska--just like we did.

Don't miss the TourSaver video page!

This year marks the 12th edition of the Great Alaskan TourSaver. Choose from a wide variety of activities from around the state: a fishing trip in Kodiak, a sea-kayaking tour in Ketchikan, a flight over Denali, a riverboat tour in Fairbanks, a hiking or kayaking adventure in Lake Clark National Park or accommodations in every region of the state. Explore the website and find the right adventure for you and your family.

Travelers from around the world have used the Great Alaskan TourSaver, sending us "rave reviews" about the program.

Alaska is a big state with plenty to do. We've picked our favorite activities, based on our 50 years' combined Alaskan experience. We hope you'll enjoy our state as much as we do. It's our home--and we're happy to share it with you. And with the Great Alaskan TourSaver, you'll be able to travel more and spend less!

Great Alaskan TourSaver--1999-2010