LAcouple

We are travelling to Alaska from June 29th till July 15th with our 1 year old boy. Because we have an infant with us, we don't want to feel like we are rushing around or being pushed through a grueling travel schedule. Does this look realistic or am I putting in too much driving to enjoy our trip? The driving is scenic and I am sure would be enjoyable but it still seems like there may not be anough time to stop and enjoy the time anywhere. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Itinerary
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Day 0 (June 29) - Late night arrival in Anchorage. Pick up rental car from airport. Night halt in Anchorage

Day 1 (June 30) - nchorage city tour (visit Alaska Native Heritage Center, etc). Night halt in Anchorage.

Day 2 (July 1) - Drive to Whittier in AM (65 miles). Take Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise (1pm). Night halt in Whittier

Day 3 (July 2) - Drive to Seward in AM (85 miles). Hike the Exit Glacier in the morning, and visit Sealife Center in PM. Night halt in Seward

Day 4 (July 3) - Kenai Fjords Cruises (6 hour). Night halt in Seward

Day 5 (July 4) - Spend all day in Seward. Night halt in Seward

Day 6 (July 5) - Drive to Homer in AM (180 miles). Kayaking in Kachemak Bay. Night halt in Homer

Day 7 (July 6) - Spend all day in Homer. Night halt in Homer

Day 8 (July 7) - Drive to Anchorage in AM (250 miles). Ride tram to top of Mt. Alyeska in Girdwood. Night halt in Anchorage or Girdwood

Day 9 (July 8) - Anchorage city tour. Night halt in Anchorage

Day 10 (July 9) - Drive to Talkeetna in AM (150 miles). Stop at Hatcher Pass. Night halt in Talkeetna

Day 11 (July 10) - Talkeetna - Flightseeing trip to Mt. McKinley. Night halt in Talkeetna

Day 12 (July 11) - Drive to Denali National Park (125 miles). Spend day at the park. Night halt in Healy

Day 13 (July 12) - Take the shuttle into the park. Night halt in Healy

Day 14 (July 13) - Drive to Fairbanks in AM (125 miles). Do Riverboat Discovery tour. Night halt in Fairbanks

Day 15 (July 14) - Arctic circle tour by bus or plane. Night halt in Fairbanks

Day 16 (July 15) - Drive to Anchorage early AM (350 miles). Flight back to LAX at 3pm
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Called up Emerald Air and found out that we cannot go on the bear viewing tour with an infant...too bad

Should I cut out the Fairbanks portion of the trip and spend more time in Denali? With an infant, we probably won't be able to do too many hikes/kayaking or any other things not recommended for him.

Any inputs/suggestions/help would be highly appreciated!

Thanx

LAcouple

dfrostnh

July 4th is the Mt Marathon race in Seward. There was a fairly recent post by an Alaskan about how much they enjoyed the event and the festivities. We spent July 4th watching the parade in Kenai in the company of a family with young children. It was a big parade. Maybe not something your child would enjoy but a good family activity. There's a small park where food stands were set up and if I recall correctly, a small playground. Kenai is next to Soldotna and sort of half way between Seward and Homer. You might find some additional simple things to do along the way. We've seen sled dog puppies at a shop in downtown Seward (think they belong to the Seaveys) and puppies at Iditarod Headquarters in Wasilla. Babies like seeing little animals. I would check the suitability of flights with an infant. We've only done a short flight out of Homer but remember the planes are small and unpressurized. They might not go high enough for ear problems. I would also check the public libraries for children's story times just because it would be nice to do something with other families and children. Sometimes the visitor centers have events. We missed a Hobo Jim concert at the Kenai Visitors Center by one day. Later paid a lot to hear him play at a dinner show. Keep in mind getting to Whittier requires going thru a one-way toll tunnel that is only open at certain times. There's a website with tunnel open times for each direction. For a 1pm cruise you might want to get there early so you can have lunch first.

caligirl56

LAcouple,

The drive from Whittier to Anchorage is not a difficult one. I might suggest overnighting back in Anchorage after the Glacier cruise in Whittier. Not sure that Whittier turns out to be the best place to stay.

Also, but this is just my preference--when my kids were little, I didn't like changing accomodations so much. I might try to add a day in Homer for that reason. Similarly , it's kind of too bad that you have to spend just one night in Anchorage after Day 8. I see why you're doing it--because Talkeetna is a long drive from Homer--but you might want to consider rearraging somehow. (again, that is must me--you may not mind packing/unpacking as much as I do!)

Not sure how taking the shuttle into Denali would work with a one-year old. Maybe if you plan to get out kind of early on and walk around there. It's a LONG busride, otherwise! Be sure to bring plenty of snacks, etc. --also distractions for if the little one gets cranky on the bus!

We met the nicest people in Alaska. And things are pretty casual there. For those reasons, I would think it would be a very welcoming place to travel with a young child!

BudgetQueen

Not to be flamed, but I think you are underestimating the tolerance of an infant. I would not consider taking the child on ANY shuttle bus into Denali Park except the free Savage River one, and that you can drive on your own. You have NO way out- if wildlife is in the area- silence is MANDATORY. You have no way out, since I doubt you are going to be getting off the bus too many times and be out on your own- completely.

Sorry, but same with a Kenai fjords boat tour and Prince William sound boat tour. These are too long for an unpredictable infant. Again no way out on an expensive tour others are also paying for.

You are underestimating the time for driving Fairbanks/Anchorage and expecting to fly out the same day?? You need a 2 hour window at Anchorage airport, and 8 hours for the drive with stops. You can NOT count on constant 65mph driving. Slow moving RV's construction etc is a given. You would be best to be closer or staying in Anchorage that prior night.

rm_mn

Budgetqueen is right about the speed on the Parks highway. I drove a small (22 foot) RV from Anchorage to Denali and back. No way was I going to drive the speed limit on that highway! Much of the time 50 was plenty fast with the RV.

LAcouple

Thanks to everyone for the valuable feedback. We will now not stay in Whittier, and instead drive to Seward directly after the 26 glacier cruise.
The idea of renting an RV sounds very very appealing mainly because we don't have to be tied down with any future reservations.
I am thinking of a car rental during the 1st leg of our trip, and then rent an RV from Anchorage during the 2nd leg (north of Anchorage).
Doing the RV only for part of the trip is because I figure Seward/Homer are towns, and we would require a car going from one place to another.
Now, is there a big difference in driving a 25' as compared to a 27' or even a 32'? Note that I have never driven an RV before...the closest to it is the 14' U-Haul truck I drove 70 miles during a move.
Also, what gas milage does a 25' RV give?

alaskangal

You could probably use an RV on your entire trip if you wanted to. In the summers all the towns from Anchorage to Seward to Fairbanks are full of RV's. You could get comfy and settle in without worrying about check ins or check outs. Of course, RVs don't have nice shower/bath facilities and that would be the only reason I'd consider an overnight in a lodge. If you've never driven an RV before I'd recommend a smaller one. They are easier to get used to and much easier to park. If you only have a family of 3 it should be comfortable enough.

rm_mn

Yes there is a difference driving a longer RV. The longer ones tend to have a different feel to the drive, especially on a bumpy road, plus they usually have poorer gas mileage and are harder to park. The advantage is inside space and more comfortable sleeping space and most times a bigger bathroom and shower area.

I found that using the shower in the RV, unless you are hooked to outside water and sewer, was less than desirable as the output of the pump was small and you used your potable water supply faster so you had to refill often and your blackwater had to be emptied too. If we were at a campground with showers, I used them. If not (and not all do) i used the one in the RV.