Laurie2323

Have seen lots of itinerary advice but none about where to go with only 5 days and two kids (boys ages 11 and 14, and 1 husband as well). Picking up Celebrity cruise on August 6 in Seward. Tentative itinerary for Achorage/Talkeetna/Denali/Seward, but am very concerned about the boys getting bored with all the travel to Denali and hours on a bus in the park. Any suggestions for best way to spend 5 days with two active boys? Interested in both where to go and modes of transportation.

BudgetQueen

Strongly recommend your mode of transportation be a RV or rental car. A lot depends on your kids??? Are they interested in Alaska, have they traveled much before??? Frankly few kids are impressed with scenery- so best is to plan "small" attractions and frequent stops. Perhaps consider- overnighting in Talkeetna and take a flight, cont. on to Denali Park- only go as far as Eielson, have binoculars and extra batteries for game boys. The shuttle stops every hour and half and should be tolerated- bring plenty of food and drink. Consider a ranger led activity and include the sled dog demo. I would take the train Anchorage - Seward- very scenic but also varied, plenty of room to move about. If you drive, I would include a stop at Exit Glacier and Seavey's sled dogs- almost an interest to everyone. If you have even more time a Kenai Fjords boat tour is loaded with close up marine wildlife opportunities and bird sightings- you need at least 6 hours on the water. If going the rental car route (less then 7 day RV rentals sometimes have higher rates or surcharges) stay in B&B's a great way to expose kids to natives. A necessary reference is the MILEPOST, if purchasing a new copy do so after 3-04 for the newest copy. Consider a look at the following attractions if interested- Eklutna spirt hour tour, Eagle River Nature center, MICA glacier trekking, Independence Mine, Wasilla Sled dog headquarters, Beyers Lake Kayaking, Nenana river rafting, etc etc etc.

Laurie2323

If we overnight in Talkeetna and fly to Denali, what are our options for accomodations since we won't have a car to get around. Any suggestions on where to get off the shuttle bus and hike in the park? My boys have travelled extensively and that's part of the problem. I think they woud have to land on the moon to get excited. I'm stuck on needing lots of high activity events to keep them engaged but wanting great scenery and wildlife viewing as well

alaska_traveler

Just joking here but my first thought was 'bring them up here in January - temps not much warmer than the moon'... but I am exagerating.

A flightseeing tour out of Talkeetna is an excellent idea. Another good idea is the guided glacier trekking on the Mat-Su glacier. It is a different direction than Denali, but it's just a two hour drive from Anchorage. You would wear crampons and walk with a guide.. this allows you to see unusual ice formations you won't see from the road.

Have you considered fishing? There are some good charters out of Talkeetna. Catching fish is fun for all ages!

Laurie2323

All great suggestions. So with only five days and the need for activity, would we be better off doing an itinerary with Talkeetna/Denali and Seward, or Kenai Peninsula (GIrdwood tram/Sodoltna fishing/Homer bear watching/Seward? EIther way, we would do the Kenai Fjords cruise out of Seward and Exit Glacier

BudgetQueen

If we overnight in Talkeetna and fly to Denali, what are our options for accomodations since we won't have a car to get around


This is scenic flightseeing, round trip from Talkeetna. For clairfication- "Homer bear watching" requires a flight to the Clark area. Peak viewing is July and Sept. I would go with an overnight so to max. my sightings. You need to look over some travel books, head to your library and take out Frommers and Fodors Alaska. Also THE MILEPOST. Look closely at descriptions and determine your interests- involve the kids in the choices. Any trip will be a compromise.

freespirit61

Last Summer with our 13 and 11 year old(very Active) spent 6 days prior to cruise with this itinerary.
Day 1-arrived in anchorage rented car spent the night in anchorage
Day 2-drove from anchorage to Denali.checked in Denali Princess Hotel.
went horseback riding in evening(need insect repellant.
Day 3 -took 5 hour bus ride into Denali.Kids got restless but survived with the help of gameboy and cd player.Would not do bus ride longer than this with kids.
Day 4-went back to Denali Visitor Center explored nearby hiking trails and Dog Sledding Ranger Info(Dont Miss this Kids loved it)Drove back to Anchorage in Afternoon.Stayed overnite in Anchorage.
Day 5-Took Alaskan Train to Seward.The kids enjoyed this --gave each a camera to take pictures. Dont miss this the scenery is awesome. Checked into Hotel Edgewater.Great Hotel.Highly Recommend. - Same afternoon went on Kenai Fjords 4-5 hour trip glaciers/whalewatching. The kids enjoyed very much.
Day 6-Took helicopter up to glacier(Godwin Glacier Tours) and went dog mushing on glacier.We did this in Seward for 2 reasons.I bargained on the price and there are too many helicopters flying around other ports cruise ships stop in. The highlight of our trip. We also visited exit glacier and hiked trail about 2 miles.kids were able to enjoy and release energy. That afternoon we boarded the ship. Dont forget to take extra batteries for gameboys and cd players. also took yahtzee and 2 decks of cards. Hope this is helpful. We loved ALaska so much were going again this summer.