Need advice on Alaska Trip for family
 

We're thinking of a 10 day trip to Alaska next June, perhaps flying into Anchorage and then touring a bit, taking a cruise for 3-4 days, etc. Would like to get ideas on itinerary, lodging options, etc from veterans of this kind of trip. We'll have two teenaged boys with us as well. Thanks

Let me add that I'm not big on B&B's - prefer the resort type atmosphere with on-site restaurants, concierge, etc.

You better stick to an upscale cruise package. Not too much concierge service in Alaska. Is this a joke?

No joke - I don't want a Motel 6 or musty B&B. I'm not talking about the Westin Kaanapali or anything but something relatively nice - this may be crazy but is there anything like the wilderness lodge that Disney built?!?!

A resort in Alaska? I can't think of a single hotel that would remotely approach that description. Alaska is for getting outdoors and enjoying. In fact, with the exception of Anchorage, many hotels in Alaska will not have restaurants "on-site". And while Anchorage is a nice place, you don't want to spend more than a day or two there.

If you are cruising for 4 days you will have 6 days to enjoy what Alaska offers. If the boys are into fishing, I would recommend heading south from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula where you can find excellent salmon fishing or halibut fishing (in Homer). You can also take a day trip to Kenai Fjords.

If wildlife viewing is more interesting, than north to Denali and a few days there.

There is the Alyeska Prince in Girdwood, but that is about as close to a resort as Alaska gets. I'll agree with MileKing that Alaska is all about the outdoors and nature. It is a beautiful, amazing place if you go there with realistic expectations...

Try DisneyAlaska. Its right next to the Disney resort you stayed at.

I think you should first do research and find out what is Alaska about. You already got some great hints. I agree with others.

If you are looking for the resort type atmosphere with on-site restaurants, concierge, etc you better stick to cruise like Wemr suggested or even better go to the DisneyAlaska.

Thanks for the advice - smart alecks and all. I'm sure we'll find something with indoor plumbing, central heating and maybe even real mattresses. Last time I'll use this forum.

Don't be put off by a few remarks. I used to live in Alaska and frequently traveled to Anchorage on business. There are some nice hotels in Anchorage, with restaurants, or just a short walk from some very good eateries. Perhaps the best hotel in Anchorage is the Captain Cook. It should fit your needs quite well. Also there are some others I would recommend, like the Hilton,and the new Marriott. Most everything in downtown Anchorage is within walking distance, so easy to get around. There are some nice downtown restaurants also. Hope you have a great time and enjoy Alaska. I agree that you have to get out of Anchorage to really appreciate Alaska.

cmeyer54, I did not intend my comments to be smart alecky. Sorry if you took them that way. No need to leave; there is a lot of great info on these forums and most people are willing to help.

Alaska is simply not a place where you are going to find a "resort type atmosphere" or "concierges". If this is what you are looking for, you are bound to be disappointed with your trip.

The places BrendaM notes in Anchorage are all top flight hotels, but again, they are not resorts in any sense. And once you get outside of Anchorage, there are very few chain hotels and the overall quality of the hotels in general is somewhat lower than you would find in most other U.S. cities. This is not say they are terrible or anything, just more simple/plain and with far fewer amenities.

Do you have any plans for the 3-4 day cruise you noted? If you give us some idea of the types of things your family might be interested in (fishing, hiking, viewing wildlife, etc.), we can probably come up with some good suggestions on where to go and where to stay.

cmeyer54, there are plenty of places in Alaska that offer quite civilized accommodations, although like any small state (tiny population, big acreage) the choices will be limited.

There are excellent hotels in Anchorage, near Denali park, on the Kenai Peninsula and elsewhere. You can easily put together a comfortable itinerary for you and your boys.

The only short overnight cruises are on the state ferry system - basic accommodations but nothing to write home about. Instead, let me suggest that you consider a 14 day itinerary rather than 10 (awkward number of days for Alaska.) Spend the first week touring the interior of the state - Anchorage, Denali, Fairbanks, Valdez, ferry back to Whittier/Anchorage, then the second week on a southbound cruise to Vancouver via southeast Alaska. Pick a cruise line that welcomes teens - Royal Caribbean or Princess, maybe. You will enjoy the scenery and the relaxation (and luxury) of the cruise while the boys will have plenty of opportunity to see whales, pan gold, do climbing walls on the boat etc., that you won't be able to do during the land portion. Plus with careful shopping you can make that portion of the trip very, very affordable.

C'mon, don't let the you-know-whats get you down.

cmeyer54: Sorry but Alaska wouldn't be Alaska if there were too many resorts. It's a good thing you did use Fodors to get a better idea of what kind of vacation experience Alaska does have to offer. We camped a couple of times at Maho Bay on St John USVI and I always ran into people in the public shower who hadn't read the fine print that the campground did not have hot water. I wished we had done a little more research before we drove from Seward to Anchorage and managed to stop at the worst place for lunch. Of course, there's not a lot of choices on the 3-4 hour stretch of highway. In Skagway we stayed in a former bordello which had a great location, good beds, great breakfast but the plumbing needed updating. We loved traveling on the ferry but accomodations were very basic, cabins a little small and the food very ordinary. We would still chose the ferry over a cruise boat. Anchorage is a sprawling city with amazing scenery but most people recommend spending only a day or 2 there. The places that many recommend, such as Seward are very small. Skagway has a year round population of only 800. There's a lot of incredible scenery on the drive between towns but not much else in the way of conveniences. We drove about 800 miles from Skagway to Wasilla and probably didn't pass more than 3 or 4 motels. A week long cruise sounds like the best idea for you.