lkdrill

I am planning a trip to Alaska in July 2007 with my wife and 3 boys, ages 14, 11, and 11. We will fly into Fairbanks and leave on a cruise out of Whittier 12 days later. So far my thinking is:

- 3 days in Fairbanks with a day or overnight trip to the Artic (Kotzbue? Barrow? ANWR?)
- 3 days Wrangell-St.Elias
- 2 or 3 days Valdez or Cordova
- 2 or 3 days Katmai or Kodiak

Our interests are wildlife viewing, sightseeing, native culture, nature. I would like to camp, but am not going to bring camping gear for 5. And I am unsure of how to get from one place to another. I don't want to spend days doing nothing but driving.

If anyone has suggestions on where to go, what to see, how to get around, I would greatly appreciate it!

GBelle

Rent an RV. That way you can "camp" without bringing all the gear.
We rented through Great Alaskan Holidays several years ago. They had many RV sizes to choose from and the RVs were very clean and well stocked. We did a one week trip from Anchorage to Fairbanks and back so you have to check their website to see if they have an office in Fairbanks.

GBelle

ooops I hit post instead of preview.

So you'll have to check their website and see if they have an office in Fairbanks. Others will have to comment on your itinerary.

caligirl56

Have you thought of visiting Denali on your way south from Fairbanks? You would need to borrow 2-3 days from somewhere in your itinerary, but it might well be worth it.

Beautiful scenery--and lots of wildlife: you will almost certainly see caribou and dall sheep(although the sheep will probably be white dots on the mountainsides at that time of year). Also, good chance to see grizzlies, moose, wolves, fox, arctic hare, beaver, ptarmigan (Alaska state bird).

Might be worth looking into.

dfrostnh

First, I haven't been to the places you listed but as a previous poster pointed out, it seems odd to be so close to Denali and not visit. Since you are going to Whittier you should allow some time to sightsee along the Seward Highway. Not sure about sealife cruises in other places but I would not miss taking one out of Seward esp since it is so close to Whittier. I also really like Independence Mine where they are doing a great job showing what life in a mining town was like. Even now it's not very close to another town yet it was a self-sufficient town when the mine was prospering. It is amazing for me to think about what it must have taken to get equipment, building materials, etc to that area. Whittier was built as a secret military base. The town of Portage was abandoned after the 1964 earthquake. Hope appears hardly changed. Don't miss out on Alaska's history. Due to distances, maybe choose on the last three on your list, keeping in mind the travel time needed to get there. Many people devote most of a day just getting from Anchorage to Seward.

earlxx

you got many good suggestions already. Agree 100% about Denali National Park. I think with only 12 days available I would skip Wrangell-St. Elias and go to Denali National Park instead. Denali NP would fit into your itinerary well.

2 days/nights Fairbanks

3 days/nights in Denali (one day shuttle into the park for wildlife, hiking, nature all around and scenery, another day rafting, kennels, day camp for kids). Check www.nps.gov/dena for more information

2 days/nights (at least) in Anchorage for native culture, nature, wildlife, sightseeing, hiking, biking. Native Heritage Center has lots of activities for younger kids and teens.

3 days/nights in Homer for scenery, nature, wildlife and a flight to Katmai National Park for a day trip to watch bears.

2 days/nights in Seward

Contact REI store in Anchorage for info on rental of camping gear 907-272-4565.

Renting RV is a good choice.

Read posts here on the listed above destinations

To visit Kodiak you would have to fly. Around $300 per person rt
There is also the ferry but it takes about 10 hours from Homer and it has limited schedule.

GBelle

Since you'll be starting in Fairbanks, a fun thing to do with your boys will be gold panning. There are public places to do this or a touristy one near Fairbanks (El Dorado Gold Mine - but you're guaranteed to "find" something). We took our boys to North Pole, Alaska for about an hour or so. It was fun for them to see a place that was dressed for the holidays 365 days a year (and "Santa" was in residence too).
If you are into the northern lights, visit the Univ of Fairbanks and see their slide show. They also have a small museum on campus.

BudgetQueen

I too would highly recommend an RV as few lodgings have room for 5 and needing 2 rooms vs a RV would be preferable for the meals on wheels too. BUT, there are NO one way RV rentals that I know of. Plus the drops are significant- same with a car- did you find a one way rental yet??

So I suggest if you haven't gotten your air yet- definately switch to Anchorage. It's just as easy doing a loop which doesn't add that much time.

I too would definately recommend Denali Park, far more developed and accessable than the Wrangells.

lkdrill

Thanks for the suggestions!! My concern about Denali is spending 8 hours on a school bus, and the unpredicable weather. I have read that only 30% of visitors actually see the Mt. I am sure the scenery is spectacular, but won't it be at Wrangell-St.Elias? Am I missing something?

nkd

You seems to made up your mind already so do what you want to do but remember that all suggestions came from those who visited Alaska already and BUdgetQuuen who is the expert on Alaska.
First, Denali is accessible much easier than Wrangell-St. Elias. Second, there is much more to do in Denali.
Third, 8 hours on a bus is not just sitting if you decide to take the shuttle.
Fourth, are you planning on driving to McCarthy and subject your young boys to this road? Good luck.
Fifth, you cannot drive to Kodiak.
Sixth, you are trying too much in 12 days.
Seventh, look at a map of Alaska and get an idea where all those places you want to visit are located.

caligirl56

Far as I can tell, ALL the scenery in Alaska is pretty spectacular. It's just that the scenery in Denali is different than other places.

And it's still amazing without seeing Denali. The mountain was never entirely out while we were there (we saw different parts at different times, depending on where the clouds sat) but just don't make that your goal. There's so much else to see.

You can get off the buses and take hikes--then get back on. The bus drivers narrate the trip--and there's always animals to stop and see.

I would consider it a "must see", and as earlxx suggested, there's a lot to do that doesn't involve sitting on a bus all day!

Something to think about anyway!!

oleg

-lkdrill:

After few visits to Alaska I still had my reservations about Denali. For exactly the same reason that you do. But BudgetQueen (who we are fortunate to have on Alaska board) urged me to go.
My next visit, in August 2006, I spent almost entire week in Denali - doing bus trips, driving my rental car up to Savage River Campground, hiking.
I do not want to repeat the postings I did on the forum after the trip. But I can tell you that if I hadn't followed the advice on this forum I'd have missed a trip of lifetime. Many travellers just visit Denali Park for a day or two. In so doing, they are doing themselves disfavour. IMO, 5-7 days is barely enough for DNP and surroundings (i.e. Healy,village of Nenana,Denali State Park, etc.)
My modest pictures do not even begin to do justice to the DNP but may give you a general impression:

http://lempert.smugmug.com/gallery/1802997

You have the luxury of planning almost a year ahead. Good Luck.

lkdrill

Oleg - I am awed by your photos. And I am awed by the level of help and information that all the other posters have offered. The concensus is clear: DNP it is. Since the flights and cruise are set, the current plan is:

- 3 days Fairbanks (we definately want to go above the arctic circle).
- 4 days DNP
- 4 days Kenai (with flight trip to Katmai).

Any more suggestions?
Thanks to all!!

Pat2003

It is great to see how helpful and generous many posters still are. Are you planning on staying in Kenai on Kenai Peninsula? Maybe you have in mind another town on Kenai Peninsula?
Why do you want to fly to Katmai National Park and Preserve?
If you are planning to go bear watching for a day then stay in Homer for at least three nights.

You should stay at least one night somewhere between Denali and Homer if that's where you decide to stay on Kenai Peninsula.

You came up with a very reasonable plan for your trip, it looks like you did your homework. I like your spending a few days in each place instead of running marathons. I suggest

- 3 days Fairbanks
- 4 days DNP
- 1 day Anchorage
- 3 days Homer
or
- 3 days Fairbanks
- 3 days DNP (you can leave Fairbanks in the morning and still have almost all day inside Denali NP or time to go water rafting. It usually takes only a little over two hours between these two destinations)
- 2 days Seward
- 3 days Homer

It would be a long day of driving from Denali to Seward but you can take all day to do it and include many scenic stops. Don't miss your only chance to take your boys on a day cruise to Kenai Fjords National Park to see marine wildlife and very unique scenery. Reading posts on Seward can help you figure out why this cruise is so highly recommended. I too vote for RV for a family of five but maybe impossible if you are flying to Fairbanks and flying out of Anchorage. I wouldn't wait too long with booking your accommodations if you have specific places in mind. Have a great trip.

Pat2003

I just reread your original post and realized that you'll be leaving on a cruise from Whittier hence maybe staying in Seward won't be really necessary although it is very rewarding to go on a day cruise to Kenai Fjords NP. Instead stay in Anchorage for a couple of nights. If you have to include a visit to Arctic Circle then consider flying from Anchorage with Alaska Airlines. In Anchorage take your kids to Native Heritage Center and maybe biking along coastline trail.
I am glad you chose Denali over Wrangell-St. Elias NP. After several visits to each, Denali wins hands down, IMO.

First I suggest check your car or RV rentals options if you want to drive one way. It may not be as easy as you think. Then work out itinerary of your trip. How are you planning on getting to Whittier from your last destination and after dropping off your rental?

Do you have your plane tickets purchased and to where?

BudgetQueen

Also realize, in plenty of options, getting above the Arctic circle is nothing more than getting a certificate. I never recommend Barrow as a day trip. I also never recommend the one day, Circle, bus tours out of Fairbanks. You will NOT be able to drive yourself, UNLESS you get a special "Haul Road" car. None of the major rentals allow it. It also is a very LONG day, that you have to be well prepared for breakdowns, flats etc, and usually no assistance.

As an alternative, the fly/shuttle tours are very good, I've done that the last 2 years. But best flying scenery is to Anaktuvak Pass. But overall a VERY costly tour for crossing the circle with 5.

Pat2003

I agree with BudgetQueen about visiting Arctic Circle. You can learned even more about native culture and history while visiting Native Heritage Center in Anchorage.
www.alaskanative.net

BudgetQueen, please tell me more about flights to Anaktuvak Pass. Always looking for something new. Thanks