We are a party of 5, including 2 seniors (75 & 80), and 1 teen (16). We will be cruising out of Whittier on June 4, and want to do a land tour prior to the cruise. We've heard connections to Whittier can be difficult due to the tunnel or train schedules. My father (80) wants to do the Alaska RR. I'd like to do Denali NP. We are considering flying into Anchorage or Fairbanks. We need help planning itinerary, activities, stops, lodging, meals, etc., for our varied age group. Is the long Denali tour too much for seniors? Thanks for your help!

Is the long Denali tour too much for seniors?
It depends. I know one 85 year old who is vivid hiker, diver, biker, independant international traveler. he just returned from 12 day long trip in Galapagos. Every summer, for the last four years, he backpacks and camps in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. His recent research has been just published in the last issue of the Science Magazine. On the other hand, my sister who is 49 never hikes, dives, travels only with groups and would prefer a short trip in Denali Park. Your father has to be the one who needs to decide what suits his interests and what are his abilities. After all sitting on the bus is not that difficult unless he has some health issues and won't feel comfortable. Regardless what we tell you here on this board it has to be his, his wife's and your decission.
Do search here and you will find endless posts on Alaska, get some ideas what you all are interestd in doing, then it will be easier to answer more specific questions.
You need to reserve your accommodations soon.

You could take train to Denali, then continue to Fairbanks, then train back to Anchorage or you could fly from Fairbanks to ANC. Renting a car in Anchorage would give you more freedom but again it has to be your choice. There is another option of renting RV. Many posters here love this mode of transportation. personally I wouldn't do it. You have to make many decissions in a short time. Make them as soon as possible. Have fun planning

You did not mention how many days you have in Alaska before your cruise. Maybe instead of going to Denali and Fairbanks you should focus on taking train or renting a car and heading to Seward. However, I think that for the first time visitor Denali is the must. We loved it and will be returning this year. It is a spectacular area. Seward too and drive from Anchorage to Seward is very scenic. Departure of your cruise fits the Whittier tunnel's opening. Don't worry about it. Just don't be late. Contact your cruise and get detailed information regarding getting to Whittier for your departure.

Thanks, earlxx. We have 4 or 5 days pre-cruise days. We were looking into land tours but after reading on this forum, that doesn't seem to be the way to go for the time and money. Is it important we go to Fairbanks as well as Denali area and Anchorage? Can anyone suggest specifics for a trip like ours?

The land cruise costs more money per person but will probably increase what you are able to do and see because of the efficiencies involved. They know how to get you from place to place quickly and they also offer many different options of activities for all age levels. For example, on our recent trip my husband went river rafting while I visited a sled dog kennel. The tour (Princess) provided transportation for us to go our different ways so we didn't have to worry about meeting or sharing a car. Think again about a land cruise. By the way, this was the first tour we've ever done but it was the right choice for us.

Another plus of the tour groups is that they have selected the top activities and providers. It seems like everyone in Alaska is in the tourist business and it's hard to know which are good and which are a waste of time. Either check out Alaska guide books or rely on a tour company's power (which is immense).

I haven't actually made it to Fairbanks so I don't know what there is to do there, but there is no reason why you shouldn't just do Denali with the time that you have. We did the summit flight last summer and it was spectacular. The train also goes to Denali, but I haven't taken it so I'm not sure about that part.

-Katie

Myself, I disagree- land tours by the cruiselines see little of Alaska. Those vast distances covered are missing some great touring options. They also certainly do not have the edge on tours either. They are very high cost especially for a group. It is simple to get around Alaska and it doesn't seem the above poster has traveled both ways?? Tours are well liked by a lot of people- great- but with this group- I think it's the wrong choice. Anyway- in 4 -5 days- I still say you are not budgeting enough time and no way would I recommend Fairbanks within that timeframe if you want to include Denali Park and Seward. There are plenty of "seniors" on the Denali Park buses- even riding to Wonder Lake, so only they can descide? If not- split up perhaps they would enjoy a flightseeing while you bus in?? As for the tunnel- it opens about 15 min. every hour- so you just have to wait in line, the train is scheduled for an opening, but you would be taking the cruiseline contracted train if you want to leave before 6pm- regular run. (and you don't have enough time to wait all day in Whittier).

Hi BayouGal,
Wow, this is a challenging one. As someone noted, a lot depends on what the seniors can handle.

It takes a long ride to get into prime Denali wildlife country and the buses aren't very comfy. Plus, you're looking at some long travel just to get to DNP from either Anchorage or Fairbanks. I wouldn't consider Fairbanks as part of this trip.

It's doable, but only if you have strong confidence that the seniors can tolerate some hard miles. Plus, as someone who's made a few trips with my aging folks, conditions can change all to fast, so I'm probably overcautious.

If you think Denali is too much, stick to the Anchorage-Kenai Pensinsula area where the trips are manageable and the perhaps the older folks can take a day off without forcing major changes.

Here's a possible plan that tries to build in flexibility without any overly gung-ho days.

Day 1 -- Fly into ANC and chill out the first day. Some folks -- perhaps not even the ones you expect -- might need longer to recharge from the trip. Those who don't can prowl around Anchorage.

Day 2 -- Rent a minivan and drive to Seward, stopping along the way along Turnagain Arm, Portage Glacier, Alyeska tram and Exit Glacier en route to Seward. Spend the night in Seward. Put dad and a few others (probably the one who might not like the tram) on the train. Celebrate with a dinner at Ray's.

Day 3 -- Catch the long Kenai Fjords cruise. If the seas look too rough, those you wouldn't be comfortable could stay on land and visit the Sealife Center and the Bardarson art studio.

After the cruise, mom and dad will likely be done for the day, but the younger folks might like to hit Exit Glacier and take advantage of the long summer night.

Day 4 -- Drive back to Anchorage. The Anchorage Museum of History and Art is a good option, especially if the weather is rough. If the older folks want to rest after getting back into town, others could take a short trip to the Coastal Trail, a medium outing to the Eagle River Nature Center or a longer trip to Hatcher Pass.

If you get lodging downtown, the seniors could stroll the shops and restaurants on their own.

Day 5 -- Your cruise line probably has scheduled tranfers from ANC to Whittier and I don't have much experience on that connection.

Hope that helps. If any seems too much or too little, let me know and this schedule is easy to tweak. I'm sure other here can improve it too.

Thank you to all of you for trying to help! As you read over this, please remember that our plans are not in stone. You all know what works, so I am open to suggestions, even to changing where we fly into in Alaska, where we go, or whatever, we just have to catch the boat out on June 4! Oh, and work in a good train trip (preferably one that is longer than a short touristy trip)We actually could travel in Alaska from May 29 till our cruise leaves on the evening of June 4. The land tour from Princess begins on June 1 so that's why we were planning around that date.

1)My dad wants to do a train trip no matter what. BudgetQueen said the trip is best from Anchorage to Seward. And Repete, is that the same trip you had in mind? Do I just call the ARR to set this up?

2)Even though my parents are older, they are travelers. Like Repete suggested, I want to work in rest stops. Hopefully some of the driving/train trip will be restful when you don't have to do the driving. (My dad is one who goes on long drives just to "look at the country" and he's lived in the same area all his life! =))

3) We are thinking of taking a flight from New Orleans to Seattle day 1, either May 28 or May 31, depending on itinerary & expenses. Staying near SEA-TAC (any lodging ideas?), and then flying to either Anchorage or Fairbanks the next day (again, city depending on itinerary & expenses.) I thought we should break the flying into 2 days to make it easier on all of us, but especially the seniors (although the teen can be a pain when overly tired!)

4)What about lodging in or out of DNP? Any recommendations?

5)We are doing whale watching with Capt Larry in Juneau, plus the 7 day cruise. Do you think we'd be burned out on cruises if we take the Kenai Fjords cruise?

6) I keep reading about Homer on posts here. Is this somewhere we should try to include?

7) Repete, could you be more specific about your Day 2 suggestions, especially the tram part?

8) Does anyone have lodging recommendations for any of these places? They seem to be filling up fast.

I know you all must get tired of all of us asking for help, but I deeply and sincerely appreciate all the help you are giving me. This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for my parents, and probably us too, so I want to get it right! If you check the boards here and at cruisecritic.com, I am trying to give back from my travel experiences as much as I am asking from you guys. I'm sure I'll have more questions, and I'd like to run the final plan by you all, so please check back.

Thank you and God bless you!
Tammi

PLEASE NOTE: There is a duplicate to this post on another thread because they were having some technical problems for several hours with this thread when I originally tried to post it.

My brother lives in Alaska. I have been and my parents, who are in the early 80's were just up last year. They are in relatively good health but are slowing down. They had no problems on the Denali bus trip and I noticed several seniors on it, when I went.
I would not take the cruise land trip into Denali. They cost significantly more than the park's buses and do not go as far into the park. We were told that if you take the first bus (6:30 a.m) you will see more wild life than later tours and that was my experience. We saw over 20 bears! Get to Denali the day before and spend the night. You'll be out of the park by 1 or 2:00. Sorry, can't remember where we stayed.The train trip to Seward is unbelievably beautiful and you will see sights you will miss be driving (this according to my brother, who went with me).Sorry, but in my opinion the Sealife Center was the only lame thing I saw in Alaska and is considered a huge folly by the Alaskians. Seward is adorable but there is not much to see. You could take the train, do some shopping and have lunch and train out the same day with plenty of time to relax. The Kenai cruise is fabulous but IMO I think you may be duplicating what your going to see on your cruise. Homer is cute too but is similar to Seward and since time is short I would skip it as I would Fairbanks. As said elsewhere, the distances are vast. That gives you one or two days to either hang out in Anchorage or drive a short distance to Musk Ox farm, feed raindeers at the Raindeer farm or as Repete suggested the Hatchers Pass, which is beautiful. I believe the Alaskan Rail Road has a web site and I know that Denali does. Gwenies (spelling?) is a affordable resturant in Anchorage and is very popular with the locals. Also, if you can leave the teen with the seniors, go to Mr. Whitekey's Fly by Night Club in Anchorage, which has the funniest commedy show. Try to go the last night you are there so you will get the Alaskan jokes. He also has a web site to make reservations. Whatever, you decide have a fabulous time, take bug spray and get a rental car with unlimited mileage. Good luck. It is a beautiful state.

BG,
A tired teen be a pain? You must be a troll

Yup, Anchorage to Seward was what I was thinking. It's a fun train trip trip.

As for Day 2, the drive between Anchorage and Seward is spectacular as well and it's got numerous opportunities for impromptu fun. Just south of ANC is Potter Marsh, which should be have a variety of activity, then comes the drive along Turnagain Arm, which is one of the best anywhere with the mountains on both sides of the water. There are often Dall sheep along the cliffs, at times in the ditch, and less frequently, beluga whales you can see from the pullouts.

Farther down is Girdwood and Alaska's major ski resort. The smooth, fast tram provides a gorgeous view. If it were evening, I'd add my standard Double Musky dining recommendation.

Next is Portage Glacier Visitor Center, not as spectacular as it used to be, but probably still worth a quick peek. Then it's a nice drive over Turnagain Pass and a drive past Trail Lake and into Seward.

IF the weather is nice, this is a great trip -- but that pretty much goes for all of AK. I suggest the car/train split because often the long Kenai Fjords trip might not be back until after the train heads back -- plus the drive is amazing. Exit Glacier is a fun stop.

IMHO, the train is scenic (mostly you can't see the highway), but the views go by quickly and having the chance to stop for sheep, whales, fireweed, tram, etc., makes the drive a better trip . . . unless your a train buff.

If you have an extra day or two you could put in Homer after Seward. The Kenai Fjords long trip will take you to some tidewater glaciers.

Or you could head to Talkeetna and do some flightseeing and then up to Denali.

Clueless has the wrong nickname -- that's solid info he/she provided. Gwennies is a classic Anchorage place, atlhough someone here says it's declined lately. It's dinner/roadhouse food and breakfasts are the only way to go -- try the huge crab omelet.

Also while Hobo Jim is the tourist favorite, Mr. Whitekeys' Fly-By-Night Club show is creative and gives some humorous insights into AK that works for both locals and visitors. A few of the bits can turn a shade of purple.

Musk Ox Farm is also a good stop. As for the Sealife Center, I only suggested it as an alternative if someone sits out the boat trip.

Having lived in Alaska, in the very region you will be visiting, I have many thoughts and ideas. I know the perfect activities to do, the best "Must See" places and the way to avoid all "tourist traps"! But the post would be days long. So feel free to e-mail me with your details and I can review it with you. But do try to avoid Fairbanks, as it just adds time to your vacation, and is not worth the time or money when there are so many better places in the area. I also feel that there are group tours that are perfect for a family of your size where you would be the entire group. You would not have to have one person driving, missing all the scenery. Plus you as the whole group would make the decisions as to how long to visit, what you want to see and do, and where you want to stay.

Since you want DNP, I think 4-5 days is not enough to add in the Kenai Fjords. You are right, you will have a 7-day cruise, plus your other 1-day cruise, so I think spending your time in the Denali / Matanuska Valley area will give you a better well-rounded vacation. There is so much to do in that area, without having to spend hours driving! Anyway, feel free to e-mail if you like.

First, the reason why I liked the SeaLife Center in Seward is because it is small and wasn't very crowded on the day we went. We could actually see the exhibits instead of just quick looks in crowded aquariums like we have on the East Coast. We did not take the behind the scenes tour. I understand this would include the wildlife rehabilitation area. Since a Kenai Fjords cruise might be ruled out, it might be a good idea to consider taking the train down and returning the same day. Driving back down as far as Portage and doing things repete suggested would duplicate the direction but the scenery is so beautiful I don't think anyone would mind seeing it again from a car. Of course, then going to Whittier for your cruise would make a third trip. So, maybe train to Seward. Rent a car and go north as far as Girdwood and return. I would include the trip to Homer if you think you would enjoy the Pratt Museum. It's small but very interesting. A new place opened last summer which I haven't heard any reports on. Sorry, I can't remember if it was a wildlife center or not.
I flew to Seattle to meet up with family and spent one full day exploring the downtown area. We lucked out on beautiful weather for exploring downtown and taking a Duck Tour. Your teen might enjoy the music center near the Space Needle. But, to simply spend the night near the airport I think would just drag out the length of time it takes to get to Alaska. Hopefully, the movie will be good or you can rent portable DVD players. Make sure people walk up and down the aisles a few times to stretch. Our connection this year was Chicago to ANC which took us over some incredible mountain ranges. This might be the same you would see from Seattle to ANC. We spent plenty of time looking out the window.
Sounds like whatever you choose, you will have a fabulous trip!

Ok - my take- their priority is trains. The Anchorage-Seward portion of the Alaska RR is by far the most scenic, however I never would recommend this as a day trip. And having been on 10 Alaska cruises- NO WAY does a Kenai Fjords boat tour even remotely compare to cruise ship sailing. You will never see any significant close up wildlife nor close up glacier views on any major cruise ship sailing. The scenery is spectacular and superior as well. But with only 5 days this is a difficult plan that would be far better if the sailing was out of Seward. I would suggest you perhaps consider just looking at a HAL sailing. This would certain make much better use of your time and allow Denali Park easier. You do not have time for Homer.

Thanks so much for all this help, you guys! I am really getting down to the nitty gritty and making more informed decisions, thanks to all of you!

What about luggage storage? Regardless of which cruise we go on, we still will have to store a lot of luggage so it won't take up all our room in a rental and it'll make it easier to tavel with just a few carryons. Is there a good place in Anchorage? Will the cruise line store it?

AlaskaSwed, I checked out your web site and may be calling your travel agency if I can't get some of this arranged on my own. Thanks!

Anyone have any lodging suggestions????