Alaska Trip Report: RVs and Babies in the Last Frontier
Oct 1st, 2007 | 03:52 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
Alaska Trip Report: RVs and Babies in the Last Frontier
Hello everyone!
I know that my trip report is kind of “off season” for Alaska tourism, but hopefully our trip report will be helpful to those that are planning their 2008 trips, or inspire those still deciding on where to go for their next holiday. My husband, myself, and our 6-month-old daughter went to Alaska September 9-16th, 2007. And our trip went a little something like this…
Sunday, September 9th
We arrived into Anchorage on time (approx. 12:50pm) and ready to go! We had decided that with the baby, the best way for us to see Alaska (as well as many others it seems) was to do it with an RV! We rented a 25 ft. RV from Great Alaskan Holidays, which we were very happy with! We had a great experience with Great Alaskan. All of their staff were very friendly, and the rental process of picking up and returning was really quite easy. I would never look to rent from anyone else on our return trips to AK.
We had our rental around 2:30pm or so (if I remember correctly) and wanted to keep our activities simple for the day due to our long day of traveling. It was raining when we arrived (from what I hear, it’s most everyone’s welcome into Anchorage) but we continued along with our activities as planned. We headed north a bit to downtown Anchorage to take in the last day of their Farmer’s Market. It was okay, but something I think I could have skipped without regret. We did have a yummy halibut quesadilla and “killer shrimp” for dinner, which was both quick and very delicious! We then stocked up on all our groceries at the local Carr’s and headed south. We stopped at Bird Creek Campground for the night ($15, self registration, about 20 miles south of Anchorage), which was a nicely wooded campground. We didn’t get to explore much of it due to the weather, but we were mostly looking for a good night’s sleep anyways.
Monday, September 10th
After listening to the tap-tap of the rain on the RV during the night (ahh, it’s good to be on vacation), we were so pleased to find a beautiful sun-shiny day to start off our vacation! We left Bird Creek and motored our way down the road to the Alyeska Resort. We weren’t too interested in the trams, but we did want to hike the Winner Creek Trail (it’s just up the way from the tram ticket office). So, we packed the baby into the Baby Bjorn and away we went! It’s a very nice trail, very well maintained and a gorgeous hike through the rainforest! We didn’t see much wildlife here, only a pheasant, but enjoyed the trek and making it to the creek was a great reward! Oh, and it was about 5 miles round trip.
We continued south to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and toured through the park seeing the moose, bears, elk, caribou, bison, etc. A great chance to see some of Alaska’s most notable animals, and very close up in some cases.
Our last touristy stop of the day was a drive by of the Portage Glacier area. We stopped for some scenic shots, but made it short as the baby was sleeping and we still had to make it to Seward for the night. We camped at the City of Seward Waterfront Campground. And, as the title indicates pulled up into one of their waterfront sites (we opted for the hook-up section of the park offering water and electric, self registration, $25 per night). The waterfront site was great and we could watch the sea otters playing and eating in the water not far offshore.
Tuesday, September 11th
Due to our good weather holding out, we thought this a great day to take a Glacier Cruise. We booked with Renown Tours and did the 6 hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. What an awesome experience! Even with the baby getting seasick (apparently when you’re 6 months old, getting seasick is very fun, because after vomiting all over me, she was laughing and giggling and having a great old time, and thankfully she was he normal happy self for the rest of the day) it was an experience I would not have missed! We literally saw every kind of wildlife there was to see. Sea otters, seals, puffins, black bear, sheep, bald eagle, lots of orcas, and one humpback whale who even treated us to a breech and several fin slaps on the water! And the glacier was just breathtaking! We got to see lots of calving while we there. It was one of those experiences that was just so moving! I know it sounds silly, but it made me want to cry, just for lack of a more powerful emotion.
Wednesday, September 12th
Rain, rain, go away, come back another day! Well, it wasn’t the case for us today, so we had to do a bit of tweaking to our itinerary due to the weather conditions. We had planned to see Exit Glacier and the Sea Life Center, but had leave Exit Glacier off our to do list (we had been treated to such an amazing day at the Glacier the day prior, I didn’t feel too terribly disappointed) and just did the Sea Life Center instead. We enjoyed the Sea Life Center and loved seeing it all through our daughter’s eyes; she was so excited to see all the fish, birds, seals, etc.
We used the free dump station just down the road from the campground and headed out of town. We drove to Soldotna for the night where we had dinner with some family friends and spent the night visiting with them at their house.
Thursday, September 13th
After breakfast we headed out on our way to Homer. We made a stop along the way to see the Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, When we arrived in Homer, I have to say that we were kind of surprised that Homer is such a tourist destination, because we were a little disappointed with the town. Besides the uniqueness of the spit, it is not particularly attractive. There is kind of an industrial feel to the town, and although the mountains and horizons do offer beautiful views, it would probably not be a town I would return to on future visits. We camped here at the Mariner Park City Campground ($15 per night, self registration), which is basically a dirt parking area. There are no designated spaces, so I can imagine this being very hectic in peak season. However, for us and the two other RVers that were there, it was a great beachside setting.
Friday, September 14th
After a morning walk on the beach we headed back up to Soldotna for a quick visit with our friends again and to say our goodbyes, stocked up at the Fred Meyer there, and took advantage of their free dump station at the Fred Meyer’s too. We camped for the night at Kelly and Petersen Lakes. It’s the same turnoff for both lakes, just follow the appropriate road to whichever lake you prefer. We went to both, but chose to camp at Petersen Lake because the camping area was roomier and the mouth of the lake was larger at Petersen offering a broader view. And, on top of having a picturesque lakeside setting, camping here was free too! It’s a spot that seems to be frequented by locals (we were the only tourists there for the night). We saw a resident beaver here making his rounds around the lake, and even came up and out of the water for us to really get a good look at just a few feet from the RV.
Saturday, September 15th
Drove from Petersen Lake back to Anchorage. Stopped along the way to admire the Kenai River traveling through the Cooper Landing area. The water is such an amazing color blue here, really almost turquoise, and I’m sure it’s something like nowhere else on earth.
Once in Anchorage we found the best thing about the whole city – Moose’s Tooth Pizza! My husband and I quickly polished off a Medium pizza and were questioning ourselves if we should order another one!?! And you must try their house dressing; it was as good as the pizza, if not even better! We camped at Eagle River Campground, which is about 10 miles north of Anchorage for the night and got a nice spot that the river ran alongside (space #19, I think, $15 a night, self-registration). Saw one of the most spectacular rainbows here as the sun was setting; what a great memory to end our vacation with.
Sunday, September 16th
A beautiful sunny day made it hard to say good-bye to Alaska, but we returned the RV, were shuttled to the airport and off to Seattle for an overnight layover to visit with our family in Washington. It made it nice to break up the flights, especially with the baby.
Monday, September 17th
An early morning flight took us back to Southern California and completed our Alaskan adventure.
On some closing notes, we found our Milepost to be a great resource (those U-turns can be a real pain in a 25 ft. RV). To those that are wondering, the baby was really great the whole time! She is quite the traveler despite her young age (this was her 4th vacation), so I think she thinks this all quite normal, and she’s a very happy baby by nature. And I know I didn’t mention it nearly enough, but Alaska is so beautiful! Instead of the state nickname being, “The Last Frontier,” I think it should be, “Home of the Scenic Outlook.” It seems every 500 ft. there is either an actual scenic outlook, or there should be; it is a magnificent part of our United States! If we can help anyone out with answering any questions, we’d love to do so. Feel free to ask away… We hope you enjoy your Alaska vacation as much as our family did! We can’t wait for a return trip in the years to come, maybe next time with 2 little ones it toe…
I know that my trip report is kind of “off season” for Alaska tourism, but hopefully our trip report will be helpful to those that are planning their 2008 trips, or inspire those still deciding on where to go for their next holiday. My husband, myself, and our 6-month-old daughter went to Alaska September 9-16th, 2007. And our trip went a little something like this…
Sunday, September 9th
We arrived into Anchorage on time (approx. 12:50pm) and ready to go! We had decided that with the baby, the best way for us to see Alaska (as well as many others it seems) was to do it with an RV! We rented a 25 ft. RV from Great Alaskan Holidays, which we were very happy with! We had a great experience with Great Alaskan. All of their staff were very friendly, and the rental process of picking up and returning was really quite easy. I would never look to rent from anyone else on our return trips to AK.
We had our rental around 2:30pm or so (if I remember correctly) and wanted to keep our activities simple for the day due to our long day of traveling. It was raining when we arrived (from what I hear, it’s most everyone’s welcome into Anchorage) but we continued along with our activities as planned. We headed north a bit to downtown Anchorage to take in the last day of their Farmer’s Market. It was okay, but something I think I could have skipped without regret. We did have a yummy halibut quesadilla and “killer shrimp” for dinner, which was both quick and very delicious! We then stocked up on all our groceries at the local Carr’s and headed south. We stopped at Bird Creek Campground for the night ($15, self registration, about 20 miles south of Anchorage), which was a nicely wooded campground. We didn’t get to explore much of it due to the weather, but we were mostly looking for a good night’s sleep anyways.
Monday, September 10th
After listening to the tap-tap of the rain on the RV during the night (ahh, it’s good to be on vacation), we were so pleased to find a beautiful sun-shiny day to start off our vacation! We left Bird Creek and motored our way down the road to the Alyeska Resort. We weren’t too interested in the trams, but we did want to hike the Winner Creek Trail (it’s just up the way from the tram ticket office). So, we packed the baby into the Baby Bjorn and away we went! It’s a very nice trail, very well maintained and a gorgeous hike through the rainforest! We didn’t see much wildlife here, only a pheasant, but enjoyed the trek and making it to the creek was a great reward! Oh, and it was about 5 miles round trip.
We continued south to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and toured through the park seeing the moose, bears, elk, caribou, bison, etc. A great chance to see some of Alaska’s most notable animals, and very close up in some cases.
Our last touristy stop of the day was a drive by of the Portage Glacier area. We stopped for some scenic shots, but made it short as the baby was sleeping and we still had to make it to Seward for the night. We camped at the City of Seward Waterfront Campground. And, as the title indicates pulled up into one of their waterfront sites (we opted for the hook-up section of the park offering water and electric, self registration, $25 per night). The waterfront site was great and we could watch the sea otters playing and eating in the water not far offshore.
Tuesday, September 11th
Due to our good weather holding out, we thought this a great day to take a Glacier Cruise. We booked with Renown Tours and did the 6 hour Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. What an awesome experience! Even with the baby getting seasick (apparently when you’re 6 months old, getting seasick is very fun, because after vomiting all over me, she was laughing and giggling and having a great old time, and thankfully she was he normal happy self for the rest of the day) it was an experience I would not have missed! We literally saw every kind of wildlife there was to see. Sea otters, seals, puffins, black bear, sheep, bald eagle, lots of orcas, and one humpback whale who even treated us to a breech and several fin slaps on the water! And the glacier was just breathtaking! We got to see lots of calving while we there. It was one of those experiences that was just so moving! I know it sounds silly, but it made me want to cry, just for lack of a more powerful emotion.
Wednesday, September 12th
Rain, rain, go away, come back another day! Well, it wasn’t the case for us today, so we had to do a bit of tweaking to our itinerary due to the weather conditions. We had planned to see Exit Glacier and the Sea Life Center, but had leave Exit Glacier off our to do list (we had been treated to such an amazing day at the Glacier the day prior, I didn’t feel too terribly disappointed) and just did the Sea Life Center instead. We enjoyed the Sea Life Center and loved seeing it all through our daughter’s eyes; she was so excited to see all the fish, birds, seals, etc.
We used the free dump station just down the road from the campground and headed out of town. We drove to Soldotna for the night where we had dinner with some family friends and spent the night visiting with them at their house.
Thursday, September 13th
After breakfast we headed out on our way to Homer. We made a stop along the way to see the Russian Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, When we arrived in Homer, I have to say that we were kind of surprised that Homer is such a tourist destination, because we were a little disappointed with the town. Besides the uniqueness of the spit, it is not particularly attractive. There is kind of an industrial feel to the town, and although the mountains and horizons do offer beautiful views, it would probably not be a town I would return to on future visits. We camped here at the Mariner Park City Campground ($15 per night, self registration), which is basically a dirt parking area. There are no designated spaces, so I can imagine this being very hectic in peak season. However, for us and the two other RVers that were there, it was a great beachside setting.
Friday, September 14th
After a morning walk on the beach we headed back up to Soldotna for a quick visit with our friends again and to say our goodbyes, stocked up at the Fred Meyer there, and took advantage of their free dump station at the Fred Meyer’s too. We camped for the night at Kelly and Petersen Lakes. It’s the same turnoff for both lakes, just follow the appropriate road to whichever lake you prefer. We went to both, but chose to camp at Petersen Lake because the camping area was roomier and the mouth of the lake was larger at Petersen offering a broader view. And, on top of having a picturesque lakeside setting, camping here was free too! It’s a spot that seems to be frequented by locals (we were the only tourists there for the night). We saw a resident beaver here making his rounds around the lake, and even came up and out of the water for us to really get a good look at just a few feet from the RV.
Saturday, September 15th
Drove from Petersen Lake back to Anchorage. Stopped along the way to admire the Kenai River traveling through the Cooper Landing area. The water is such an amazing color blue here, really almost turquoise, and I’m sure it’s something like nowhere else on earth.
Once in Anchorage we found the best thing about the whole city – Moose’s Tooth Pizza! My husband and I quickly polished off a Medium pizza and were questioning ourselves if we should order another one!?! And you must try their house dressing; it was as good as the pizza, if not even better! We camped at Eagle River Campground, which is about 10 miles north of Anchorage for the night and got a nice spot that the river ran alongside (space #19, I think, $15 a night, self-registration). Saw one of the most spectacular rainbows here as the sun was setting; what a great memory to end our vacation with.
Sunday, September 16th
A beautiful sunny day made it hard to say good-bye to Alaska, but we returned the RV, were shuttled to the airport and off to Seattle for an overnight layover to visit with our family in Washington. It made it nice to break up the flights, especially with the baby.
Monday, September 17th
An early morning flight took us back to Southern California and completed our Alaskan adventure.
On some closing notes, we found our Milepost to be a great resource (those U-turns can be a real pain in a 25 ft. RV). To those that are wondering, the baby was really great the whole time! She is quite the traveler despite her young age (this was her 4th vacation), so I think she thinks this all quite normal, and she’s a very happy baby by nature. And I know I didn’t mention it nearly enough, but Alaska is so beautiful! Instead of the state nickname being, “The Last Frontier,” I think it should be, “Home of the Scenic Outlook.” It seems every 500 ft. there is either an actual scenic outlook, or there should be; it is a magnificent part of our United States! If we can help anyone out with answering any questions, we’d love to do so. Feel free to ask away… We hope you enjoy your Alaska vacation as much as our family did! We can’t wait for a return trip in the years to come, maybe next time with 2 little ones it toe…
Oct 1st, 2007 | 04:30 PM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 776
Likes: 0
Hi
I enjoyed your trip report so much. We camped in Alaska for 6 weeks a few years ago and would love to go back. It is such a long drive just to get up there so the idea of renting an RV is very appealing. Glad it was such a good experience. Keep on travelling! CJ
I enjoyed your trip report so much. We camped in Alaska for 6 weeks a few years ago and would love to go back. It is such a long drive just to get up there so the idea of renting an RV is very appealing. Glad it was such a good experience. Keep on travelling! CJ
Oct 4th, 2007 | 12:52 PM
#3
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 492
Likes: 0
Hi Coryandcarissa:
Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your trip report. We were planning to visit Southern California next year but, we are not toying with the idea of an Alaska vacation. After I read your trip report I contacted my friends and told them about your report and how great it would be to rent an RV. I have a couple of questions for you if you do not mind. Can you tell me around how much was it to fill up the tank? Did you ever drive it (we are all women) and even though I am not afraid of driving that type of car I want to know how manageable it is. Also how is it at night with the camp sites I understand that they have electricity (at least some that I have seen) can you just hook up the car and lets say turn on the heater (does it even have one?) sorry for all the questions, and thank you in advance for your help
Gina
Just wanted to let you know I really enjoyed your trip report. We were planning to visit Southern California next year but, we are not toying with the idea of an Alaska vacation. After I read your trip report I contacted my friends and told them about your report and how great it would be to rent an RV. I have a couple of questions for you if you do not mind. Can you tell me around how much was it to fill up the tank? Did you ever drive it (we are all women) and even though I am not afraid of driving that type of car I want to know how manageable it is. Also how is it at night with the camp sites I understand that they have electricity (at least some that I have seen) can you just hook up the car and lets say turn on the heater (does it even have one?) sorry for all the questions, and thank you in advance for your help
Gina
Oct 4th, 2007 | 09:18 PM
#4
Original Poster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
Hi Gina!
In answer to your questions... I can actually tell you the exact amount of miles driven and the total of our gas expenses for the trip as I just came across my paperwork while cleaning out my purse. Our itinerary yielded a total of 653 miles and our total fuel cost for our trip was $217.18.
In regards to driving the RV, I can't really speak as to its ease of driving as my husband did all of the driving (my strength is in the navigating and making sure the baby is kept happy). However, I would not have hesitated to take the wheel if my husband wasn't there. And, my husband (who had never driven an RV prior to our trip) has assured me that next time we'll definately be going bigger, which I think speaks to the driveability of the RV. Great Alaskan also shows you a brief video at the time you pick up the RV reminding you as to the main differences in manuvering a RV vs. a car, which is very helpful.
In regards to the heater, yes there is one, it has a thermostat just like at home, and it actually runs on propane. Your lights and TV/DVD in the RV run off of batteries, and anything like the microwave, coffee maker, etc. require you to turn on the generator for their use. However, if you do go to an RV park with electric hook-ups, then you eliminate the need to ever turn on the generator. For us, the only time we did have any kind of hook-ups was during our stay in Seward.
I think it sounds like a great adventure for you to go on, especially with your girlfriends! I think there would be a ton of laughs to be had amongst you as you learn to RV together! Hope this helps...
In answer to your questions... I can actually tell you the exact amount of miles driven and the total of our gas expenses for the trip as I just came across my paperwork while cleaning out my purse. Our itinerary yielded a total of 653 miles and our total fuel cost for our trip was $217.18.
In regards to driving the RV, I can't really speak as to its ease of driving as my husband did all of the driving (my strength is in the navigating and making sure the baby is kept happy). However, I would not have hesitated to take the wheel if my husband wasn't there. And, my husband (who had never driven an RV prior to our trip) has assured me that next time we'll definately be going bigger, which I think speaks to the driveability of the RV. Great Alaskan also shows you a brief video at the time you pick up the RV reminding you as to the main differences in manuvering a RV vs. a car, which is very helpful.
In regards to the heater, yes there is one, it has a thermostat just like at home, and it actually runs on propane. Your lights and TV/DVD in the RV run off of batteries, and anything like the microwave, coffee maker, etc. require you to turn on the generator for their use. However, if you do go to an RV park with electric hook-ups, then you eliminate the need to ever turn on the generator. For us, the only time we did have any kind of hook-ups was during our stay in Seward.
I think it sounds like a great adventure for you to go on, especially with your girlfriends! I think there would be a ton of laughs to be had amongst you as you learn to RV together! Hope this helps...
Nov 29th, 2007 | 05:28 PM
#6
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 34
Likes: 0
Hi coryandcarissa, loved your trip report. We did a similar trip several years ago and your reactions and observations are so similar to ours. We had a great experience with Great Alaskan, my husband has always wanted to take the trip where we pick up one of their campers at the factory and drive/deliver it to Anchorage. Now that we are "retired" we plan to do that next May.
