graduation gift -a trip to alaska?
 

we will be travelling mid june with my parents to minneapolis for daughters graduation.i am planning a 8/9 day vacation to alaska as below:
fly into anchorage
day 1-anchorage
day 2-take train/bus to seeward(which is better?)
day 3-seeward(kenai fjords cruise)
day 4-back to anchorage or bus to talkeetna
day 5-flightseeing of mt.mcken
day 6-talkeetna to denali
day 7-denali shuttle bus upto eielson visitor centre
day 8-back to anchorage
day 9-fly out
do u think the trip will be too hectic for 80 yr old grandparents.if so what would u cut out ?

This is a doable 8 day itinerary - similar to that we did (and others) of a few days on Kenai Peninsula and then a few days at Denali. You might want to go a bit further into Denali - and if you parents are not up to hours on a school bus they could stay back.

Transportation depends on personal choice - I find having a rental car less hectic than taking train/bus - less hauling of luggage, can use trunk as permanent storage locker for coats, can keep a cooler or snacks in car. While I have not priced it, renting a car might be cheaper in Alaska than taking the various trains above for 5 people. Again, personal preference.

As far as too hectic - as an RN I see people who are 80 who can't leave their homes for physical reasons - or my 82 year old mother who still travels. So depends on their health and assessment of their own abilities. You have planned a trip where there is not a great deal of walking, and no hiking - so it could certainly work.

thanks for the input.we will however have to rely on public transport as we are coming from india and do not drive in the US.any idea on what kind of weather to expect?

Try to schedule a trip to the Alaska SeaLife Center http://www.alaskasealife.org in <b>Seward</b>. Two hours is plenty of time to see it all.

Also, you mention traveling by bus or train. As gail mentions, do you not want to get a rental car and drive? The roads to Seward and Denali are very easy and would give you so much more freedom in each location and even the opportunity to visit the Alaska Native Heritage Center http://www.alaskanative.net/en/home in Anchorage if you wanted. This is another attraction that can be completely covered in two hours.


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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

If the grandparents can tolerate sitting on a plane from India, they certainly can do this trip.

June is a fascinating time to go to Alaska. We were there over the summer solstice 2 years ago and it never really gets dark. Weather is variable, so you will unfortunately have to bring a variety of clothing - layers work best - and include a fleece or lightweight winter/fall jacket, rain jacket, comfortable walking shoes/sneakers. No one in Alaska gets very dressed up for anything - so even if you dine in a nice restaurant you can leave the jacket and tie home.

tks gail.is the flightseeing and talkeetna worth a stop or should we just come back to anc and take the train to denali.should we do the park shuttle bus or is it peak time and we may have to wait for place at the stops .do u think the park tour is better though more expensive?
tks orlando,i will put both spots down to see.we have a prob driving(used to right hand drive in india) so it has to b the bus/train.
any suggestions for accomodation at 100$ for a double or 4 in a room will b appreciated.
have shortlisted comfort inn,days inn downtown and susitna place in anc and holiday inn express in seeward.denali?..central location is imp as we do not have a car...

We did not do flightseeing in Talkeetna - one thing to consider is that Mt McKinley is often clouded/fogged over making flights impossible. Also, since we drove from Anchorage to Denali, Talkeetna was a nice place to stop for lunch and a little sightseeing.

We did a 13 hour Park tour. I am glad I did it since we traveled all that way (though not as far as you will all travel) - but while the scenery was beautiful, it was also quite boring at times. We saw quite a few animals - but if averaged over 13 hours... (you get the picture). Of note is that the dirt road on which the bus travels is about 2 cm wider than a bus - and there are no guardrails - in some places the look down from a cliff is quite terrifying (My adult son and I were scared - my husband and daughter thought it was great). Don't even get me thinking again about what happens when you encounter another bus going in the opposite direction. The bus stops about every 2 hours for a bathroom break and to walk around a bit - and there is a 2 hour stop for lunch within the Park. But except for that you are bumping along on a school bus. So glad I did it - but not all it was advertised as.

kalpana,
If you are referring to the Comfort Inn Ship Creek http://tinyurl.com/29s9lbq that is a good choice, particularly since it is near the Alaska Railroad. It is not a central location.

However, getting lodging reservations for less than $100 for a double (in June) will be very, very difficult. Summer is high season in Alaska and demand is very high. B&Bs would be cheaper, but without a car....

Have you considered an organized group tour?
Alaska Railroad has some:http://tinyurl.com/2fwq4cf

So does Gray Line: http://tinyurl.com/2335g58

Others too if you do a web search.


_______________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

i did check out the alaskan railroad tours but feel they pack in too much in too short a time like all other package tours.i would prefer to keep them as a guidance and do my own at a slower pace.