Fairbanks, denali, kenai peninsula
 

We are takiing a family of 10 (ages 6 to 70's) in July 2015. Trying to plan now. We are thinking of taking the train from Fairbanks (staying lst night there) and stopping in Denali for 2 nights. Then renting 2 cars to driive down to the Kenai Peninsula. We would like to fish 1 or 2 days seeing homer and maybe seward. Wud love to dog sled and cruise kenai fjordf national park. Any suggestions? Prices for lodging have been out of sight in Denalis and we are thinking of staying in Healy while at Denali. Any suggestions for one night in Fairbanks or shud we skip train, rent cars and drive directly to Denali?

How do we get into the Park and see some good sights. My husband and I were there years ago and saw very little. From Denali, any suggestions? We have a total of 10 days. Thanks you sooooooooo much. Betty

You can go the www.nps.gov site and put Denali into the search box. This will take you to the site which describes the trips into the park. I would suggest you use park service bus (not a tour) and go early in the morning. The busses are like school busses and all will stop for wildlife sitings, but you need to decide how far you want to go and you need to bring lunch, snacks, drinks etc. I would want to take the longest trip, but the kids might not want to do that long a day.

You cannot go far into the park on your own, it's all park service tours.

The train is slow and expensive and the better scenery according to the folks on this board is Anchorage to Seward, not Fairbanks to Denali.

It would be easier (and from a rental standpoint, less expensive due to no drop charges) to go into Anchorage and do two loops: to Denali area for two nights, back to Anchorage and then south to Kenai for a week or so.

Be prepared. Alaska's not inexpensive.

I am in shock looking at costs. First we wanted to stay in the park now we're looking outside the park. We're considering the Denali Cabins managed by Alaska Travel. Any thoughts? Should I really be booking this early?
I guess we'll fly into Anchorage.

Yes get lodging set up ASAP and lock down a rental car 6 months ago.

Thanks, I'm working on it. Was hoping I could take time off from doing reservations now but maybe I should keep on plugging away at it.

Heh. You think costs are bad now, just wait until you get to Alaska and see the gas prices and food costs. HOO boy. Plus, the restaurant food in Seward and Homer and Anchorage is inferior to what you'll find in equivalent places in the lower 48. (E.g.: We went to Captain Pattie's in Homer, which is one of the standard "best place in town" recommendations and it was remarkably unremarkable).

Fact is, you go to Alaska for the experience and because there's a lot of wow factor just looking around the countryside. But if you have a budget in mind, jack it up about 30-40%.

And if any of your brood is thinking of fishing and taking it home, then bring or buy (Anchorage has Wal-Mart and similar big box stores) a da-n good insulated or temperature-stabilizing carrier. The shipping costs for your catch are HUGE. The pescadores in the group should get their catches processed (not expensive) and then take it with them on the remainder of the trip. Just check in the processed, frozen catch as cargo on the return flights.

Alaska is expensive. But they only have a small window in the summer to make their living off of tourists. We went to the Kenai Peninsula about 15 years ago for fishing and some fun time. So expensive. We could of gone to Europe for the same expense.

What do you think of Denali Cabiins operated by Alaska Travek or McKinley cabins? Both have some good reviews and some bad? Any suggestions where to stay outside. We need 3 cabins. These are in the low 200"s. I want clean!!!!

Plus, I made a car rental today with Enterprise. Haven't had time to investigate any other car rental companies. Any suggestions? Betty

Keep checking car rental prices. For our trip in August 2012 I made a reservation in December and checked prices about every 2 weeks. Changed reservation several times. For an 8 day rental I was able to lower the price to around $350.

Check the Northern Lights and Tour Saver books. I ended up purchasing the Northern Lights book. We used a lot of their coupons for food, attractions, and got a 2 for 1 price for a hotel at Denali, although the price still was expensive for the quality. I would probably stay in Healy if I ever go again to Denali.

Except for Denali, we stayed in b & b's. However, there were only 2 of us and you have a large group. The b & b's were the least costly and at least provided some kind of breakfast, although only one served hot food.

As another person suggested, we flew into Anchorage, drove to Denali, taking a side trip to the neat town of Talkeetna.
We then drove south to Seward. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for Homer. The Kenai Fjords cruise was the hi-light of our trip. Luckily it was a beautiful day. Be prepared for rain. July may be better. We were there at the end of August and it rained at least part of every day, but two.

When figuring a budget for Alaska, figure hotels and food are going to cost the equivalent of the most expensive US city. And a rental car is going to cost at least twice what you expect - when I saw the per day rate, I was sure it meant per week (it did not).

There are the usual ways to try to cut some costs, but expense is added to by having to book other outings that involve additional transportation - wildlife cruises, scenic trains, helicopters to glaciers. All worth it, but start saving now.

>>>Plus, the restaurant food in Seward and Homer and Anchorage is inferior to what you'll find in equivalent places in the lower 48.<<<

I cannot confirm this. I found that restaurants in Alaska serve outstanding and extremely fresh seafood, also very good steaks and brilliant vegetables (at least in summer when vegetables grow to immense size, due to long daylight hours). I also found the restaurants reasonably priced.

In Seward, Ray's Waterfront is an excellent restaurant with inventive dishes and it would not break the bank. If you want to save $$$, you can go to a BBQ spot or to a Chinese or Mexican restaurant. You find cheap eateries everywhere in Alaska.

>>>figure hotels and food are going to cost the equivalent of the most expensive US city<<<

While food is o.k., hotels in Alaska are outrageously expensive indeed. And the quality is often questionable. You have to reduce your expectations and never think the "value for money" question - it is too frustrating.

>>>And a rental car is going to cost at least twice what you expect <<<

Yes, it can happen. Read my trip report "Bears and Traps" about or experiences with rental cars. We found that renting a car in Seward is suicidal, so we took a bus to Anchorage Airport to rent a car from there. (It has even been suggested to rent a car in Seward for one day just to drive to Anchorage Airport). Finally, we got a good rate from Enterprise - which was half price compared to the other rental car companies.

>>>What do you think of Denali Cabiins operated by Alaska Travek or McKinley cabins?<<<

We found McKinley cabins very agreeable. As everywhere in Alaska, do not expect luxury, but the cabins were large, clean and equipped with small pantries. We loved to sit at the river and have a drink there. Also, the restaurant, albeit rustic, serves good food at moderate prices. I wrote a bit about it in my trip report and wrote a review for tripadvisor.com.

Healy has simpler accomodation, but is also located in acceptable distance from the Denali park entrance.

Traveler59 has an odd view of reasonably priced.

Look: all you need to do to figure out Alaska restaurant pricing is look up the restos on line. They publicize their menus. And the prices are simply higher than in the lower 48 for equivalent dining experiences.

There is no way a $21 fish and chip dinner for cod (at Ray's Waterfront, cited above) or $34 fish and chip dinner for halibut is equivalent to what you find in the lower 48 at a similar setting. Not a chance. The food preparation tends to be basic and uninspired.

The BBQ and Chinese eateries are no bargains. This is a state in which the $6 Subway foot-longs are $8.75. Don't fret it, but do understand it.

Car rental...
Book a car now; then check weekly for a better rate. As you get closer to the actual trip dates, check more frequently. Some people get great deals. THose that wait until just before they travel seldom get a good deal.

Hotel/motel/cabin...
I'd budget about $200/night/room and if you end up dong better consider that good. In the Denali area (about 12 miles south); I'd go with McKinley cabins. They are simple and clean. They've good service and a good restaurant.

Food...
Like every where there's good food & bad food; but I've found that AK has really good food where ever I've gone. I find Seward to be my least favorite town to find anything decent in (can't stand Ray's). Virtually everything in Girdwood is top notch. I'm surprised about the poor experience in Homer (I've always had great meals in Homer). I've found high-end gourmet chefs in tiny places like Hope and Wiseman. For a great deal (and great food) if you are in Anchorage, head to China Town (near JBER, see: http://www.chinatownalaska.com/). Their lunchtime buffet is $8pp.

Prices...
Prices are typically higher up here; but if you live here, the wages are higher too. That doesn't make up the difference though if you are traveling (as BigR alluded too, good luck on the Subway $5/$6 sandwiches or McDonalds "Value Menu").

Good luck