Itinerary Jul-Aug2015-12 to 15 days Alaska By rental Car -July-Aug2015
Jun 14th, 2015, 11:19 AM
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Itinerary Jul-Aug2015-12 to 15 days Alaska By rental Car -July-Aug2015
Hi,
We are planning to travel to Alaska this summer, I know it is too late to plan and but could not help it. Nothing is fixed yet, accept the fact that we are arriving at JFK 9AM 18th July2015, returning from SFO 14th August2015. Our earlier plan was 10 weeks East coast USA and Rest in west coast.
Now we decided to included Alaska this time for about 10 to 15 days either early part of our US trip (say Alaska from 19th July to 2nd August) or in between (24th July to 7th Aug) ,depending on convenience, our internal flight tkt cost, hotel etc. We will perhaps try to book it all during this week.
We are totaling 4 persons (2 adults in Early 40’s and 2 kids 10 and 4 ). We will be renting car from ANC Airport (may be a SUV for comfort sake of kids otherwise a sedan could have been fine for us). Our main interest is wildlife, glacier, occasional short walk/trek around (not more than 2-3 hours in a day) and whatever this beautiful place offers and is doable for our group. (We would like to do easy to moderate physical activities keeping view that we also have a 4 years old companion with us)
Budget – I do not think we have choice here, as in last minute either we go there or save money by staying at the place where we are. We decided to go there as such long holidays are rare for us.
I request some suggestions and advices from experts around, (thankfully a friend recommended this website and I could find some very interesting post here, which are already helping us plan in last minute. Thank you all for the good work at this site, may be some day I also contribute positively)
We need your suggestions on our rough itinerary below; feel free to comment and advice.
Our rough Itinerary is as below;
Day-0- arrive at ANC by midnight,
Day-1 Pick rental car in the morning and drive to Telkeetna, night stay at Telkeetna, may be flightseeing tour if possible or relax round there. Or if any one may suggest some specific activity. Any accommodation suggestion there.
Day-2- Drive to Denali, stay near park or in Healy, I find most accommodations are taken already, any suggestion on it.
Day-3 Denali national park tour, either shuttle bus or Tundra tour (With kids I thinks it may be more preferred – any suggestion)
Day-4- drive to Fairbank and in Fairbank
Day-5 Fairbank and around, river tour etc.
Day-6 drive via Delta Junction (2 & 4) and stop at Cooper center or Paxon. What can we do around this area?
Should we take route 2 & 1 via Tok to Cooper center, is it more scenic route. What activity we can do in Cooper center area.
Day-7- Valdez/Cooper center, or any one can suggest any other location
Day-8- Valdez-Take Alaska Hwy Ferry in the morning to Whittier. Is it a good choice to see PWS glacier or should be take special tour of PWS offered by Whittier based operator.
Should we drive to Seward after the ferry ride or should we stay at Girdwood and try covering Matanuska next day Or should we drive back from Valdez via Route-1 covering Matanuska Or should we skip Valdez drive and drive to Anchorage via Route-1 from Cooper center, may be staying one night in between. Which more is scenic Valdez or drive around Matanuska. We will be spending time in Seward in any case and may also visit Exist Glacier so should we skip Matanuska or MUST include.
Day-9- Seward
Day-10 Seward
Day-11 Travel back via ANC or proceed to Homer (option-2)
Day-12 Homer
Day-13 Homer
Day- 14 Homer /ANC
Day-15 travel back.
Can any one of you please advice, if these are doable with 2 kids of 10 and 4. Should we cut short some places or should be extend or stay to go to Homer or should we skip Fairbank and do Kenai Peninsula and going to Denial for 2 days after.
Can we skip after covering the most above? Is there some part a repetition.
Should we stay in Telkeetna or drive straight to Denali from ANC spending some time in Telkeenta, may be reaching there late but saving some time.
Questions are many and time is less, we want to get best of our trip to Alaska, knowing fully we cannot do every in one trip. I need help to firm up my plan. One thing is certain we are going to Alaska this July /Aug.
I look forward to your advice and better options, Thank you for reading this long post and for your valuable expert advice in advance.
Br
Zaf
We are planning to travel to Alaska this summer, I know it is too late to plan and but could not help it. Nothing is fixed yet, accept the fact that we are arriving at JFK 9AM 18th July2015, returning from SFO 14th August2015. Our earlier plan was 10 weeks East coast USA and Rest in west coast.
Now we decided to included Alaska this time for about 10 to 15 days either early part of our US trip (say Alaska from 19th July to 2nd August) or in between (24th July to 7th Aug) ,depending on convenience, our internal flight tkt cost, hotel etc. We will perhaps try to book it all during this week.
We are totaling 4 persons (2 adults in Early 40’s and 2 kids 10 and 4 ). We will be renting car from ANC Airport (may be a SUV for comfort sake of kids otherwise a sedan could have been fine for us). Our main interest is wildlife, glacier, occasional short walk/trek around (not more than 2-3 hours in a day) and whatever this beautiful place offers and is doable for our group. (We would like to do easy to moderate physical activities keeping view that we also have a 4 years old companion with us)
Budget – I do not think we have choice here, as in last minute either we go there or save money by staying at the place where we are. We decided to go there as such long holidays are rare for us.
I request some suggestions and advices from experts around, (thankfully a friend recommended this website and I could find some very interesting post here, which are already helping us plan in last minute. Thank you all for the good work at this site, may be some day I also contribute positively)
We need your suggestions on our rough itinerary below; feel free to comment and advice.
Our rough Itinerary is as below;
Day-0- arrive at ANC by midnight,
Day-1 Pick rental car in the morning and drive to Telkeetna, night stay at Telkeetna, may be flightseeing tour if possible or relax round there. Or if any one may suggest some specific activity. Any accommodation suggestion there.
Day-2- Drive to Denali, stay near park or in Healy, I find most accommodations are taken already, any suggestion on it.
Day-3 Denali national park tour, either shuttle bus or Tundra tour (With kids I thinks it may be more preferred – any suggestion)
Day-4- drive to Fairbank and in Fairbank
Day-5 Fairbank and around, river tour etc.
Day-6 drive via Delta Junction (2 & 4) and stop at Cooper center or Paxon. What can we do around this area?
Should we take route 2 & 1 via Tok to Cooper center, is it more scenic route. What activity we can do in Cooper center area.
Day-7- Valdez/Cooper center, or any one can suggest any other location
Day-8- Valdez-Take Alaska Hwy Ferry in the morning to Whittier. Is it a good choice to see PWS glacier or should be take special tour of PWS offered by Whittier based operator.
Should we drive to Seward after the ferry ride or should we stay at Girdwood and try covering Matanuska next day Or should we drive back from Valdez via Route-1 covering Matanuska Or should we skip Valdez drive and drive to Anchorage via Route-1 from Cooper center, may be staying one night in between. Which more is scenic Valdez or drive around Matanuska. We will be spending time in Seward in any case and may also visit Exist Glacier so should we skip Matanuska or MUST include.
Day-9- Seward
Day-10 Seward
Day-11 Travel back via ANC or proceed to Homer (option-2)
Day-12 Homer
Day-13 Homer
Day- 14 Homer /ANC
Day-15 travel back.
Can any one of you please advice, if these are doable with 2 kids of 10 and 4. Should we cut short some places or should be extend or stay to go to Homer or should we skip Fairbank and do Kenai Peninsula and going to Denial for 2 days after.
Can we skip after covering the most above? Is there some part a repetition.
Should we stay in Telkeetna or drive straight to Denali from ANC spending some time in Telkeenta, may be reaching there late but saving some time.
Questions are many and time is less, we want to get best of our trip to Alaska, knowing fully we cannot do every in one trip. I need help to firm up my plan. One thing is certain we are going to Alaska this July /Aug.
I look forward to your advice and better options, Thank you for reading this long post and for your valuable expert advice in advance.
Br
Zaf
Jun 14th, 2015, 03:50 PM
#2
Welcome to Fodors!
Some top-of-the-head thoughts.
After a day of flying, a late arrival, and a 4-hour time change from New York, I'd spend day one in Anchorage, skip Talkeetna, and just drive to Denali on day 2.
As for the Valdez options, if the ferry is possible I'd do that rather than driving back around to Anchorage via the Glenn Highway. (Note - nobody uses highway numbers in Alaska, only their names. See http://www.bellsalaska.com/ for a brief highway guide.) You can have an up-close glacier experience at Exit Glacier near Seward, or (very kid friendly and scenic) take a "26 Glacier" cruise from Whittier - maybe the day after you arrive on the ferry. Girdwood is a great place for the evening en route to Seward.
Frankly I'd consider covering your itinerary up to day 11 (Seward-Anchorage) then if possible instead of returning east, fly to Juneau or Sitka in Southeast Alaska for a couple of days before heading back. This will give you a sense of the variety the state offers - Russian influence, gold rush history... and not terribly expensive or inconvenient, with easy flight connections through Seattle for your onward trip.
Some top-of-the-head thoughts.
After a day of flying, a late arrival, and a 4-hour time change from New York, I'd spend day one in Anchorage, skip Talkeetna, and just drive to Denali on day 2.
As for the Valdez options, if the ferry is possible I'd do that rather than driving back around to Anchorage via the Glenn Highway. (Note - nobody uses highway numbers in Alaska, only their names. See http://www.bellsalaska.com/ for a brief highway guide.) You can have an up-close glacier experience at Exit Glacier near Seward, or (very kid friendly and scenic) take a "26 Glacier" cruise from Whittier - maybe the day after you arrive on the ferry. Girdwood is a great place for the evening en route to Seward.
Frankly I'd consider covering your itinerary up to day 11 (Seward-Anchorage) then if possible instead of returning east, fly to Juneau or Sitka in Southeast Alaska for a couple of days before heading back. This will give you a sense of the variety the state offers - Russian influence, gold rush history... and not terribly expensive or inconvenient, with easy flight connections through Seattle for your onward trip.
Jun 16th, 2015, 12:45 AM
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I did the very tour you are planning last August with my husband and two boys....it was amazing, the only place I wouldn't go back to is Fairbank but that means you have to take the Denali Highway which I think most hire companies do not allow due to it being a gravel round. However, if this is not the case then the Denali Highway brings you out at Paxson, which is a beautiful place for a one night stop....nothing there apart from a wonderful cabin but Moose everywhere and a river with spawning bright pink salmon. I still have the hotel/tour details if you need them, MB
Jun 16th, 2015, 04:35 PM
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Hi Gardlyloo, mamabearUK and all
thank you all for the great tips, specially to Gardlyloo for valuable link to download stuffs.
We have almost done with our reservations for 30-40% of intended trip plans. Due for flights, booking etc we made some changes in our plans- trying backward to the earlier plans (may have to do more changed - need some help here).
We have booked our flight to arrived at ANC on 23rd July evening, staying at ANC for the night, picking rental next morning and driving to Seward now.
24th - to Seward - could manage to get only 2 nights stay at Windsong Lodge there (24th & 25th).
25th July-booked major marine tour 7.5 hrs to Kenai Fjords departing at 10AM
26th July-could get booking at Hotel Alyeska-Girdwood and
26th July- 5:15 Pm Seavey's IdidaRide Sled Dog Heli Tours.
Rest we still have to plan and find places.
I would like to ask few questions;
Should we take the standard cruise to PWS or use Alaska Ferry to Valdez. The only reason I was planning this route was for drive to Valdez via Richardson Hwy,i heard is most scenic.
Should we skip this and take regular route to Denali next and to Fairbanks and return wia Glenn Hway to ANC. Will I miss something here.
We are also looking at the option if Rental company does not mind than we take Denali Hway back skipping even Fairbanks.
I need some advice on car rental - I am getting some 10-20% cheaper rate thru local rental company like Mid Night Sun, has any one tried them. Saving is not more than 20% I would say, is it worth chances.
Gardlyloo- I have seen some of your posts mentioning on taking some flight route to deep north , we are also contemplating on it. Can you guide further how to go about these routes. Will it be Ok with Children.
mamabearUK- I would love to get some details on your experiences on these routes, cabin/hotel details etc. It would help us alot.
We are all set and very excited to go, rest we would experience as it comes. Will have rental car and also prepared to carry couple of tents, just in case, if hotel/cabins could not be found at chosen locations.Denali is still looking tough to find one there in last minute)
Looking forward to some valuable tips all the time. Will post my final Itinerary before leaving and certainly a trip report after.
thank you
zaf
thank you all for the great tips, specially to Gardlyloo for valuable link to download stuffs.
We have almost done with our reservations for 30-40% of intended trip plans. Due for flights, booking etc we made some changes in our plans- trying backward to the earlier plans (may have to do more changed - need some help here).
We have booked our flight to arrived at ANC on 23rd July evening, staying at ANC for the night, picking rental next morning and driving to Seward now.
24th - to Seward - could manage to get only 2 nights stay at Windsong Lodge there (24th & 25th).
25th July-booked major marine tour 7.5 hrs to Kenai Fjords departing at 10AM
26th July-could get booking at Hotel Alyeska-Girdwood and
26th July- 5:15 Pm Seavey's IdidaRide Sled Dog Heli Tours.
Rest we still have to plan and find places.
I would like to ask few questions;
Should we take the standard cruise to PWS or use Alaska Ferry to Valdez. The only reason I was planning this route was for drive to Valdez via Richardson Hwy,i heard is most scenic.
Should we skip this and take regular route to Denali next and to Fairbanks and return wia Glenn Hway to ANC. Will I miss something here.
We are also looking at the option if Rental company does not mind than we take Denali Hway back skipping even Fairbanks.
I need some advice on car rental - I am getting some 10-20% cheaper rate thru local rental company like Mid Night Sun, has any one tried them. Saving is not more than 20% I would say, is it worth chances.
Gardlyloo- I have seen some of your posts mentioning on taking some flight route to deep north , we are also contemplating on it. Can you guide further how to go about these routes. Will it be Ok with Children.
mamabearUK- I would love to get some details on your experiences on these routes, cabin/hotel details etc. It would help us alot.
We are all set and very excited to go, rest we would experience as it comes. Will have rental car and also prepared to carry couple of tents, just in case, if hotel/cabins could not be found at chosen locations.Denali is still looking tough to find one there in last minute)
Looking forward to some valuable tips all the time. Will post my final Itinerary before leaving and certainly a trip report after.
thank you
zaf
Jun 16th, 2015, 04:48 PM
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sorry, please do not mind the typos and mixed up with sentences. It almost 4 AM at my location,was tried of calling hotels/tour operators in Alaska and working out our backward/forward plans.
thanks
Zaf
thanks
Zaf
Jun 16th, 2015, 05:00 PM
#6
The local rental companies are much more likely to let you take their cars on gravel roads like the Denali Hwy; look at their FAQs or send them an email.
Gardlyloo- I have seen some of your posts mentioning on taking some flight route to deep north , we are also contemplating on it. Can you guide further how to go about these routes. Will it be Ok with Children.
My usual recommendation for people who want to see what life is like past the road system is to consider flying to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village (really a small town) that lies on an arm of the Arctic Ocean above the arctic circle.
Kotzebue is served by Alaska Airlines using 737 jets - www.alaskaair.com - and return fares from Anchorage usually run around $320-$340 per person.
In Kotzebue there's a decent modern hotel, the Nullagvik - http://www.nullagvikhotel.com/ - that costs around the same as hotels in Anchorage, so in cost terms the main difference is airfare. Of course you don't need an expensive rental car for the days you're there, so that offsets the cost a little.
The benefit is that you get to see a part of Alaska that relatively few visitors experience; see how native Alaskans live in the arctic environment, visit the local native cultural center, or visit a subsistence fish camp, stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean... and yes, wonderful for kids. And of course in July you'll have real midnight sun (not 24h, but never dark.)
As for the rest of your questions, no strong opinions, except to note that the ferry across Prince William Sound with a car can be very expensive, and the drive to/from Valdez on the Richardson Hwy is gorgeous in both directions. If the Kotzebue option was still on the table I'd be inclined to drop the ferry idea and allocate those dollars to the airfare.
Gardlyloo- I have seen some of your posts mentioning on taking some flight route to deep north , we are also contemplating on it. Can you guide further how to go about these routes. Will it be Ok with Children.
My usual recommendation for people who want to see what life is like past the road system is to consider flying to Kotzebue, an Inupiat Eskimo village (really a small town) that lies on an arm of the Arctic Ocean above the arctic circle.
Kotzebue is served by Alaska Airlines using 737 jets - www.alaskaair.com - and return fares from Anchorage usually run around $320-$340 per person.
In Kotzebue there's a decent modern hotel, the Nullagvik - http://www.nullagvikhotel.com/ - that costs around the same as hotels in Anchorage, so in cost terms the main difference is airfare. Of course you don't need an expensive rental car for the days you're there, so that offsets the cost a little.
The benefit is that you get to see a part of Alaska that relatively few visitors experience; see how native Alaskans live in the arctic environment, visit the local native cultural center, or visit a subsistence fish camp, stick a toe in the Arctic Ocean... and yes, wonderful for kids. And of course in July you'll have real midnight sun (not 24h, but never dark.)
As for the rest of your questions, no strong opinions, except to note that the ferry across Prince William Sound with a car can be very expensive, and the drive to/from Valdez on the Richardson Hwy is gorgeous in both directions. If the Kotzebue option was still on the table I'd be inclined to drop the ferry idea and allocate those dollars to the airfare.
Jun 17th, 2015, 01:33 AM
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Thank you Gardyloo for this amazing suggestion. We certainly would like to touch Kotzebue, how many nights there should be plan, will 1 night in Kotzebue be Ok. Like we take onward flight on one afternoon to Kotzebue and return on next evening to connect to our flight back from ANC latenight/early morning same day or should we plan 2 nights there. For sure we are going there too, as it looks worth the pain and extra little dollars.
Please advise, if any better local itinerary we should follow there or just go around the town.
I would ensure we rent car from company which allows us to drive on Denali Hwy to save our time, I am thinking of skipping Fairbanks and may be Valdez to include Kotzebue,
Should we rather take PWS cruise from Whittier on 27th as we will already be in (Girdwood that day) and and go straight to Denali after the cruise (can we drive there in one day if starting around 5PM after PWS cruise or should we stay one night in between in say in Telkeetna or somewhere).
We already booked Kenai Fjord cruise , can we skip PWS, or should we take both. Most recommendations are for both but will we see something different in PWS which we do not in Kenai Fjord.
I am also thinking of taking the route back from Denali to ANC via Glenn Hwy, cutting across Denali HWY. Skipping Valdez part of the drive and Fairbanks to save time for Kotzebue.
Sorry friends, all the time I am posting tons of questions/confusions here, please do advise on few straight points below to help us plan better in last minutes,
(1) Should we must take PWS cruise or can we skip as we are already book Kenai Fjords cruise?.
(2) should we take drive to Valdez and back via Glenn Hway or going straight from Denali Hwy to Glenn Hway on our way back from Denali will also provide us more or less the same scenic experience we are looking forward to?.
(3) will 2 nights in Denali be sufficient as we do not intend to do big hiking out there for hours?.
Thank you
Zaf
Please advise, if any better local itinerary we should follow there or just go around the town.
I would ensure we rent car from company which allows us to drive on Denali Hwy to save our time, I am thinking of skipping Fairbanks and may be Valdez to include Kotzebue,
Should we rather take PWS cruise from Whittier on 27th as we will already be in (Girdwood that day) and and go straight to Denali after the cruise (can we drive there in one day if starting around 5PM after PWS cruise or should we stay one night in between in say in Telkeetna or somewhere).
We already booked Kenai Fjord cruise , can we skip PWS, or should we take both. Most recommendations are for both but will we see something different in PWS which we do not in Kenai Fjord.
I am also thinking of taking the route back from Denali to ANC via Glenn Hwy, cutting across Denali HWY. Skipping Valdez part of the drive and Fairbanks to save time for Kotzebue.
Sorry friends, all the time I am posting tons of questions/confusions here, please do advise on few straight points below to help us plan better in last minutes,
(1) Should we must take PWS cruise or can we skip as we are already book Kenai Fjords cruise?.
(2) should we take drive to Valdez and back via Glenn Hway or going straight from Denali Hwy to Glenn Hway on our way back from Denali will also provide us more or less the same scenic experience we are looking forward to?.
(3) will 2 nights in Denali be sufficient as we do not intend to do big hiking out there for hours?.
Thank you
Zaf
Jun 21st, 2015, 01:25 AM
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We've just returned from our 4th Alaskan trip, from Australia, and would like to add my thoughts to the great suggestions you have already had.
The road trip from Anchorage to the Portage Valley and beyond has lots for kids, as well as adults, and Girdwood is convenient for this. Looking for and finding sheep and bears on the steep hills behind you at the stops along the Seward Highway round Turnagain Arm, Potters Marsh Boardwalk, the Wildlife Conservation Park, walking to Byron Glacier and seeing its ice worms at the Begich Boggs Visitors Centre, the one hour boat trip to Portage Glacier or the climb up to the glacierfrom Whittier, and the trip through the long Whittier Tunnel itself are all things kids would enjoy.
At Denali, I think you need one whole day for the bus trip to Eilson, and another for time to explore in the driveable part of the park, to do the loop walk at Savage River, seeing the sled dogs etc. We drove from Kenai via Seward to see the excellent Sea Life Centre there, and on to Wasilla for the night, an easy drive to Denali the next day.We had found Talkeetna underwhelming on a previous trip, and not worth the extra miles, unless you plan to stay overnight, or do flightseeing from there.
Personally, I love Valdez, and would always include it in an Alaskan trip. I was hesitant about doing a third boat trip to the Columbia Glacier, fearing disappointment with its shrinking size, but the Stan Stephens Cruise was excellent, and Lady Captain Tracy got us quite close to the glacier, now actually three faces and 10 miles further inland than the first time we saw it, and it was still exhilarating.. much more wildlife on this cruise than on the one we did from Whittier to Blackstone Glacier.
The road trip from Anchorage to the Portage Valley and beyond has lots for kids, as well as adults, and Girdwood is convenient for this. Looking for and finding sheep and bears on the steep hills behind you at the stops along the Seward Highway round Turnagain Arm, Potters Marsh Boardwalk, the Wildlife Conservation Park, walking to Byron Glacier and seeing its ice worms at the Begich Boggs Visitors Centre, the one hour boat trip to Portage Glacier or the climb up to the glacierfrom Whittier, and the trip through the long Whittier Tunnel itself are all things kids would enjoy.
At Denali, I think you need one whole day for the bus trip to Eilson, and another for time to explore in the driveable part of the park, to do the loop walk at Savage River, seeing the sled dogs etc. We drove from Kenai via Seward to see the excellent Sea Life Centre there, and on to Wasilla for the night, an easy drive to Denali the next day.We had found Talkeetna underwhelming on a previous trip, and not worth the extra miles, unless you plan to stay overnight, or do flightseeing from there.
Personally, I love Valdez, and would always include it in an Alaskan trip. I was hesitant about doing a third boat trip to the Columbia Glacier, fearing disappointment with its shrinking size, but the Stan Stephens Cruise was excellent, and Lady Captain Tracy got us quite close to the glacier, now actually three faces and 10 miles further inland than the first time we saw it, and it was still exhilarating.. much more wildlife on this cruise than on the one we did from Whittier to Blackstone Glacier.
Jun 21st, 2015, 11:10 PM
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We've just returned from our 4th Alaskan trip, from Australia, and would like to add my thoughts to the great suggestions you have already had.
The road trip from Anchorage to the Portage Valley and beyond has lots for kids, as well as adults, and Girdwood is convenient for this. Looking for and finding sheep and bears on the steep hills behind you at the stops along the Seward Highway round Turnagain Arm, Potters Marsh Boardwalk, the Wildlife Conservation Park, walking to Byron Glacier and seeing its ice worms at the Begich Boggs Visitors Centre, the one hour boat trip to Portage Glacier or the climb up to the glacierfrom Whittier, and the trip through the long Whittier Tunnel itself are all things kids would enjoy.
At Denali, I think you need one whole day for the bus trip to Eilson, and another for time to explore in the driveable part of the park, to do the loop walk at Savage River, seeing the sled dogs etc. We drove from Kenai via Seward to see the excellent Sea Life Centre there, and on to Wasilla for the night, an easy drive to Denali the next day.We had found Talkeetna underwhelming on a previous trip, and not worth the extra miles, unless you plan to stay overnight, or do flightseeing from there.
Personally, I love Valdez, and would always include it in an Alaskan trip. I was hesitant about doing a third boat trip to the Columbia Glacier, fearing disappointment with its shrinking size, but the Stan Stephens Cruise was excellent, and Lady Captain Tracy got us quite close to the glacier, now actually three faces and 10 miles further inland than the first time we saw it, and it was still exhilarating.. much more wildlife on this cruise than on the one we did from Whittier to Blackstone Glacier.
The road trip from Anchorage to the Portage Valley and beyond has lots for kids, as well as adults, and Girdwood is convenient for this. Looking for and finding sheep and bears on the steep hills behind you at the stops along the Seward Highway round Turnagain Arm, Potters Marsh Boardwalk, the Wildlife Conservation Park, walking to Byron Glacier and seeing its ice worms at the Begich Boggs Visitors Centre, the one hour boat trip to Portage Glacier or the climb up to the glacierfrom Whittier, and the trip through the long Whittier Tunnel itself are all things kids would enjoy.
At Denali, I think you need one whole day for the bus trip to Eilson, and another for time to explore in the driveable part of the park, to do the loop walk at Savage River, seeing the sled dogs etc. We drove from Kenai via Seward to see the excellent Sea Life Centre there, and on to Wasilla for the night, an easy drive to Denali the next day.We had found Talkeetna underwhelming on a previous trip, and not worth the extra miles, unless you plan to stay overnight, or do flightseeing from there.
Personally, I love Valdez, and would always include it in an Alaskan trip. I was hesitant about doing a third boat trip to the Columbia Glacier, fearing disappointment with its shrinking size, but the Stan Stephens Cruise was excellent, and Lady Captain Tracy got us quite close to the glacier, now actually three faces and 10 miles further inland than the first time we saw it, and it was still exhilarating.. much more wildlife on this cruise than on the one we did from Whittier to Blackstone Glacier.
Jun 24th, 2015, 02:39 PM
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Hi All,
Thank you for all the inputs and suggestions; we are all set to explore Alaska, our revised itinerary is as below;
23rd July-2015- Arrive at ANC at 19:45, pick-up rental car, check into the hotel near to the airport.
24th July-15- Travel to Seward (hotel Windsong for 2 nights)
25th July-15-Seward, Kenai Fjord Cruise (Major Marine 7.5 hours)
26th July- Seward-Girdwood- Alpine air Heli Glacier dog sledding tour at 17:15PM. B&B Carriage House-Girdwood.
27th July- B&B Carriage House-PWS cruise -Major Marine (question which one we should take Major Marine or 26 Glacier by Phillips-Please suggest)
28th July- Drive Denali NP-B&B Park Edge at Denali NP
29th July-Denaii Np- B&B Park Edge
30th July -Denali NP-Copper center area
31st July- Matanushka Glacier via Glenn Hwy
1st July- ACN- Kotzebue
2nd July- Kotzebue
3rd July- Kotzebnue-ANC-Seattle.
I seek your opinion on;
1. PWS Cruise- Which is better Major Marine Surprise Glacier tour or Phillips 26 Glacier tour.
2. For 30th and 31 July-area to explore near Denali and Matanushka and places to stay in the area.
3. 1st to 3rd August-Should we also include Nome in our schedule- We are getting flight from Kotzebue to Nome and back, will one day in Nome be OK or we should have at least two days or should skip.
Thank you once again for your suggestions.
Br
Zaf
Thank you for all the inputs and suggestions; we are all set to explore Alaska, our revised itinerary is as below;
23rd July-2015- Arrive at ANC at 19:45, pick-up rental car, check into the hotel near to the airport.
24th July-15- Travel to Seward (hotel Windsong for 2 nights)
25th July-15-Seward, Kenai Fjord Cruise (Major Marine 7.5 hours)
26th July- Seward-Girdwood- Alpine air Heli Glacier dog sledding tour at 17:15PM. B&B Carriage House-Girdwood.
27th July- B&B Carriage House-PWS cruise -Major Marine (question which one we should take Major Marine or 26 Glacier by Phillips-Please suggest)
28th July- Drive Denali NP-B&B Park Edge at Denali NP
29th July-Denaii Np- B&B Park Edge
30th July -Denali NP-Copper center area
31st July- Matanushka Glacier via Glenn Hwy
1st July- ACN- Kotzebue
2nd July- Kotzebue
3rd July- Kotzebnue-ANC-Seattle.
I seek your opinion on;
1. PWS Cruise- Which is better Major Marine Surprise Glacier tour or Phillips 26 Glacier tour.
2. For 30th and 31 July-area to explore near Denali and Matanushka and places to stay in the area.
3. 1st to 3rd August-Should we also include Nome in our schedule- We are getting flight from Kotzebue to Nome and back, will one day in Nome be OK or we should have at least two days or should skip.
Thank you once again for your suggestions.
Br
Zaf
Jun 25th, 2015, 03:25 PM
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(1) Better? Would have no idea as I don't know what you like/don't like. I do not prefer the 26 Glacier cruise as I prefer to stay at one or two glaciers in hopes of seeing them calve.
(2) Exploration... I'd do a glacier trek on the Matanuska Glacier (see: micaguides.com) and/or visit the State Recreational Site for the glacier (see: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits...matsuglsrs.htm)
(3) More so depends on your travel style. I like more time in a location (even if its small); I'll walk every street/road/path/etc.; so I'd likely only visit one.
(2) Exploration... I'd do a glacier trek on the Matanuska Glacier (see: micaguides.com) and/or visit the State Recreational Site for the glacier (see: http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits...matsuglsrs.htm)
(3) More so depends on your travel style. I like more time in a location (even if its small); I'll walk every street/road/path/etc.; so I'd likely only visit one.
Jun 26th, 2015, 01:22 PM
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Hi Zaf - I just returned from 2 weeks in Alaska last week and covered some of your area.
Denali NP - we took the bus to the Elison Visitor Center one day but I'm not sure it would be best for you with your children. It's a long day on the bus - we had a group of birders who fortunately noticed lots of wildlife sightings and our driver stopped many times for photo opportunities. I'm not familiar with the Tundra tour but maybe that would be best for your family. I would recommend driving your own vehicle to the Savage River (that's as far as you can drive) and hiking the River loop trail and then visiting the Sled dogs for the demonstration. Before the demo some of the dogs are available for petting and photos - I'm sure your children would love it.
We took our car on the ferry from Valdez to Whittier and also did a boat tour with Kenai Fjords in Seward. The ferry cost was $244. for car and 2 seniors. The drive to Valdez is beautiful. We enjoyed the ferry, it did save us approx. 250 miles of driving. The Kenai Fjords boat tour(similar to Major Marine) was smaller and we were able to get close to shore to see wildlife, birds and the Surprise glacier calving. If you had to chose one - the smaller boat was more interesting.
We walked on Matanuska Glacier (off the Glenn Highway) and that was a highlight. We wore hiking boots and had our Hiking sticks. It was not slippery, sneakers would have been fine and you would not need the sticks but we wanted the extra stability. We did see tours with guides but the only one we checked the price of was $100.00 pp and we had a great time on our own as did many others that day.
WE had made copies of info from an old Milepost Book and were glad we had it. Lots of info on things to see as you drove along. In particular we enjoyed knowing where state parks were for picnic stops as we were touring.
Something your children would enjoy: Mile 52.6 Sterling highway - we stopped at Chugach National Forest for a lunch break and visited the Kenaitze Indian Tribe interpretive site. A delightful 16 year old native girl gave us a tour of the site and explained her tribes culture. It was so nice to see and hear how they are trying to keep their traditions and culture alive for the next generations.
There were lots of fisherman about on the Kenai River - and we found a spot off Bear Creek road in Seward where we could watch the salmon jumping up a waterfall to spawn. It was quite a sight to see!
Enjoy your trip - we found everyone in Alaska very friendly and willing to help or give suggestions.
Denali NP - we took the bus to the Elison Visitor Center one day but I'm not sure it would be best for you with your children. It's a long day on the bus - we had a group of birders who fortunately noticed lots of wildlife sightings and our driver stopped many times for photo opportunities. I'm not familiar with the Tundra tour but maybe that would be best for your family. I would recommend driving your own vehicle to the Savage River (that's as far as you can drive) and hiking the River loop trail and then visiting the Sled dogs for the demonstration. Before the demo some of the dogs are available for petting and photos - I'm sure your children would love it.
We took our car on the ferry from Valdez to Whittier and also did a boat tour with Kenai Fjords in Seward. The ferry cost was $244. for car and 2 seniors. The drive to Valdez is beautiful. We enjoyed the ferry, it did save us approx. 250 miles of driving. The Kenai Fjords boat tour(similar to Major Marine) was smaller and we were able to get close to shore to see wildlife, birds and the Surprise glacier calving. If you had to chose one - the smaller boat was more interesting.
We walked on Matanuska Glacier (off the Glenn Highway) and that was a highlight. We wore hiking boots and had our Hiking sticks. It was not slippery, sneakers would have been fine and you would not need the sticks but we wanted the extra stability. We did see tours with guides but the only one we checked the price of was $100.00 pp and we had a great time on our own as did many others that day.
WE had made copies of info from an old Milepost Book and were glad we had it. Lots of info on things to see as you drove along. In particular we enjoyed knowing where state parks were for picnic stops as we were touring.
Something your children would enjoy: Mile 52.6 Sterling highway - we stopped at Chugach National Forest for a lunch break and visited the Kenaitze Indian Tribe interpretive site. A delightful 16 year old native girl gave us a tour of the site and explained her tribes culture. It was so nice to see and hear how they are trying to keep their traditions and culture alive for the next generations.
There were lots of fisherman about on the Kenai River - and we found a spot off Bear Creek road in Seward where we could watch the salmon jumping up a waterfall to spawn. It was quite a sight to see!
Enjoy your trip - we found everyone in Alaska very friendly and willing to help or give suggestions.
Jun 26th, 2015, 01:32 PM
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One more thing....the roads in Alaska are all under construction. They only have the summer to do the repairs. We had long delays around Denali NP and we almost missed our bus for the tour. There were delays on all the roads we were on: Parks Highway, Glenn, Richardson, & Sterling. If your 4 yo is a boy he will love all the big trucks and construction equipment!
Jul 10th, 2015, 08:42 AM
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Hi there,
It sounds like you have your trip pretty well set but we just returned from a similar trip with our children (8 and 9) and wanted to share some thoughts that you may find helpful. We flew to Anchorage, drove to Seward for two nights, Homer for two nights, Girdwood for a night (just to break up the driving), Talkeetna for a flightseeing tour around Denali, Healy/Denali for two nights, then Fairbands for two nights and home from there.
Seward and Homer were by far our favorites!! The Kenai Fjords tour is spectacular and well worth the time. We saw tons of whales, sea lions, puffins, etc. It can get long though and there's some downtime so bring some activities for the kids. Good snack bar on board for the kids too.
The Iditarod dog sled ride was fantastic!! The kids loved it, as did my husband and I. Another fun thing to do within minutes of the kennel is hike to Exit Glacier. Fairly easy hike - kids did it no problem - and seeing the glacier up close is cool (seeing the glacier from your Kenai Fjords cruise will be even cooler!!). It's about an hour and a half to two hours, round trip.
Homer is just beautiful. We had fun just driving out and walking along the spit. One of our favorite things we did was take Mako's Water Taxi (no schedule - call ahead to get a ride - expensive but I don't know how many other options there are) across to Kachemak Bay State Park and hike the Glacier Lake Trail. We had no idea what the end would be like and it was breathtaking. That's all I'll say! Very easy hike - mostly flat, kids enjoyed it. Lots of bear scat but we never saw one there.
As for Denali, we did the shuttle bus and I do have to admit that our kids were bored out of their minds. I may have been from time to time myself (I'd rather get out and move than sit on a bus). The scenery was amazing, of course, and we did see a grizzly! But we hopped off our shuttle and got another one coming back long before the spot to which we had reserved (we went three hours in). That being said, I would still do it because it's the only way to see deep into the park. Just bring things to keep the kids occupied (you can borrow a backback at the visitor's center that's filled with activities - FYI - the visitor's center is a different location than from where the buses leave so plan extra time if you want to pick them up. We didn't. About a mile in between the two). The best thing we did in Denali was by accident -- we hiked the horseshoe lake trail, which is located fairly close to the visitor's center. So fun!! We found a series of beaver dams, then found the beavers themselves (who aren't shy). Ran into a moose too. Beautiful, peaceful day.
If we were to do it again (and we are planning another trip! Juneau and Kodiak Island next) we would skip Fairbanks, as someone else had mentioned. After seeing such spectacular scenery, Fairbanks was kind of a letdown. We did go to Gold Dredge 8 and panned for gold. The kids LOVED that, but it was a long drive to make just for that. There wasn't a ton of things to do there. We did do the Riverboat Discovery tour. That was fun and very educational. The kids really liked that too. But really, those are the only two things in Fairbanks that appealed to us.
The other highlight of our trip was the flightseeing tour around Denali out of Talkeetna. We didn't have the clearest day but it was still fun to be above the park, fly through the peaks (a little scary) and land on a glacier! Would do that again in a heartbeat!
Have a GREAT trip. Alaska is truly spectacular. Except for that construction!! Patience is definitely needed.
It sounds like you have your trip pretty well set but we just returned from a similar trip with our children (8 and 9) and wanted to share some thoughts that you may find helpful. We flew to Anchorage, drove to Seward for two nights, Homer for two nights, Girdwood for a night (just to break up the driving), Talkeetna for a flightseeing tour around Denali, Healy/Denali for two nights, then Fairbands for two nights and home from there.
Seward and Homer were by far our favorites!! The Kenai Fjords tour is spectacular and well worth the time. We saw tons of whales, sea lions, puffins, etc. It can get long though and there's some downtime so bring some activities for the kids. Good snack bar on board for the kids too.
The Iditarod dog sled ride was fantastic!! The kids loved it, as did my husband and I. Another fun thing to do within minutes of the kennel is hike to Exit Glacier. Fairly easy hike - kids did it no problem - and seeing the glacier up close is cool (seeing the glacier from your Kenai Fjords cruise will be even cooler!!). It's about an hour and a half to two hours, round trip.
Homer is just beautiful. We had fun just driving out and walking along the spit. One of our favorite things we did was take Mako's Water Taxi (no schedule - call ahead to get a ride - expensive but I don't know how many other options there are) across to Kachemak Bay State Park and hike the Glacier Lake Trail. We had no idea what the end would be like and it was breathtaking. That's all I'll say! Very easy hike - mostly flat, kids enjoyed it. Lots of bear scat but we never saw one there.
As for Denali, we did the shuttle bus and I do have to admit that our kids were bored out of their minds. I may have been from time to time myself (I'd rather get out and move than sit on a bus). The scenery was amazing, of course, and we did see a grizzly! But we hopped off our shuttle and got another one coming back long before the spot to which we had reserved (we went three hours in). That being said, I would still do it because it's the only way to see deep into the park. Just bring things to keep the kids occupied (you can borrow a backback at the visitor's center that's filled with activities - FYI - the visitor's center is a different location than from where the buses leave so plan extra time if you want to pick them up. We didn't. About a mile in between the two). The best thing we did in Denali was by accident -- we hiked the horseshoe lake trail, which is located fairly close to the visitor's center. So fun!! We found a series of beaver dams, then found the beavers themselves (who aren't shy). Ran into a moose too. Beautiful, peaceful day.
If we were to do it again (and we are planning another trip! Juneau and Kodiak Island next) we would skip Fairbanks, as someone else had mentioned. After seeing such spectacular scenery, Fairbanks was kind of a letdown. We did go to Gold Dredge 8 and panned for gold. The kids LOVED that, but it was a long drive to make just for that. There wasn't a ton of things to do there. We did do the Riverboat Discovery tour. That was fun and very educational. The kids really liked that too. But really, those are the only two things in Fairbanks that appealed to us.
The other highlight of our trip was the flightseeing tour around Denali out of Talkeetna. We didn't have the clearest day but it was still fun to be above the park, fly through the peaks (a little scary) and land on a glacier! Would do that again in a heartbeat!
Have a GREAT trip. Alaska is truly spectacular. Except for that construction!! Patience is definitely needed.
Jul 22nd, 2015, 09:39 PM
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Hi All,
Thank you for your valuable inputs, We are all set to travel and really looking forward to an exciting trip.
Will certainly post a trip report at the end.
Thank you once again
Br
Zaf
Thank you for your valuable inputs, We are all set to travel and really looking forward to an exciting trip.
Will certainly post a trip report at the end.
Thank you once again
Br
Zaf
Aug 16th, 2015, 03:57 AM
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We are researching next August/September drive trip. Let us know how your trip played out.
we need advice on our road trip also. Suggestions are welcome
day 1 arrive in Anchorage- pick up rental car
day 2 drive to Denali-Evening white water rafting
day 3 tour Denali park Kantishna wilderness tour 95 miles
day 4 Fairbanks Gold dredge 8
day 5 Fairbanks river boat cruise- evening Artic Circle Air Adventure
day 6 Talkeenta
day 7 K2 glacier Landing Flight
day 8 Girdwood
day 9 Alpine Hike-Alyeska Glacier
day 10 Seward Kenai Fjords Cruise
day 11 Alaska Sea Life Center
We actually would like to extend the time for some meandering and exploring to 14/16 days.
we do want to add bear viewing and a possible day fishing.
After reading that Fairbanks is just ok we can drop that but still would like the Artic Circle experience.
Any suggestions are welcome!
we need advice on our road trip also. Suggestions are welcome
day 1 arrive in Anchorage- pick up rental car
day 2 drive to Denali-Evening white water rafting
day 3 tour Denali park Kantishna wilderness tour 95 miles
day 4 Fairbanks Gold dredge 8
day 5 Fairbanks river boat cruise- evening Artic Circle Air Adventure
day 6 Talkeenta
day 7 K2 glacier Landing Flight
day 8 Girdwood
day 9 Alpine Hike-Alyeska Glacier
day 10 Seward Kenai Fjords Cruise
day 11 Alaska Sea Life Center
We actually would like to extend the time for some meandering and exploring to 14/16 days.
we do want to add bear viewing and a possible day fishing.
After reading that Fairbanks is just ok we can drop that but still would like the Artic Circle experience.
Any suggestions are welcome!
Aug 25th, 2015, 09:57 PM
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Hi All,
First of all, thank you fodorites for valuable advice and tips. We had great 12 days trip to Alaska and infact just back from our long 25 days trip of USA, would post Alaska trip report soon.
@MARISAL-3- I would suggest for better inputs from others post your itinerary as new post on the forum. We have not gone to Fairbank and flightseeing tour so can not advice much. BUT in short I would recommend two changes if you can manage (1) Take Denali Hwy to from or to Denali and back Anchorage byn Glenn Hwy via hattchard pass
- it is amazing.
(1) At Girdwood- take Alipne Air Puchbowl Glacier Sledgedog Ride, it is pricey but we enjoyed the experience.
I would post our trip report soon
Br
Zaf
First of all, thank you fodorites for valuable advice and tips. We had great 12 days trip to Alaska and infact just back from our long 25 days trip of USA, would post Alaska trip report soon.
@MARISAL-3- I would suggest for better inputs from others post your itinerary as new post on the forum. We have not gone to Fairbank and flightseeing tour so can not advice much. BUT in short I would recommend two changes if you can manage (1) Take Denali Hwy to from or to Denali and back Anchorage byn Glenn Hwy via hattchard pass
- it is amazing.
(1) At Girdwood- take Alipne Air Puchbowl Glacier Sledgedog Ride, it is pricey but we enjoyed the experience.
I would post our trip report soon
Br
Zaf
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