If you settle on Talkeetna, we LOVED staying here
https://www.denalioverlookinn.com

Photo taken from our room (early September)

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f6795dbb.jpeg

Mendenhall the standard tour only gives you two hours at the site, plus an hour's time for the transfer on a big school bus. it really isn't enough for more than a walk to Nugget Falls. The walk is fairly easy and there are some graded ramps to get down to the trail from the elevation of the visitor center. PS there is a lift from the level of the parking lot to get up to the VC and they do have proper restrooms.

The Kenai Fjords cruises are another way to see whales from a smaller boat. But you will see whales from the cruise ship regardless.

I like the four-hour cruise inside Resurrection Bay from Seward by Major Marine. It goes by two names depending on your date "Orca Quest" up until mid June and Kenai Fjords Wildlife Cruise after that. (I had good luck with humpbacks, orca and puffins on that one).
https://majormarine.com/tour/orca-quest-cruise/
https://majormarine.com/tour/4-hour-...ldlife-cruise/


JMO but since you are doing Denali with the HAL I think Talkeenta is redundant. It's half way between Anchorage and Denali and you already have a lot of nights near Denali. Scenery will be different in June (more snow and no fall colors). It would make more sense if you were doing Denali on your own first (and perhaps flying into Fairbanks). And no guarantees on clear days. As I mentioned above, HAL does not operate the TWT and it is something that you could have arrangedon your own if not already paying for their Land Tour.

(We stayed in Cantwell).

We also enjoyed the four hour cruise on Resurrection Bay. We had a beautiful day and our narrator was really good. We saw many different kind of sea-life - seals, puffins, a whale that swam alongside practically the entire time, eagles as well as a mountain goat and kid on one of the islands. We stayed at Harbor 360 Hotel as same owners as Major Marine and so you do get a discount on boat ride if you stay at the hotel.

That pic is amazing!!

Thanks,.

The more I review I'm hearing that we may see as many whales from our cruise and therefore I'm leaning towards shore excursions that include Mendenhall Glacier and either the Tram or gardens.

W

You can wait on the Tram because if you can't see the top from town, it isn't worth going. No problem just walking to the office and buying a ticket, they are good for all day. The lines move pretty quickly. We went in the afternoon and didn't have a wait.

It is officially called the Goldbelt Tram and is operated by the local tribe. The price is $60 for a day pass. https://www.goldbelttram.com/ There are some exhibits and a movie at the top and a bar/lounge. Honestly, other than the ride up and down, it's a little underwhelming. Easy walk from ship to the tram station.

There is a relatively easy half-mile loop trail at the top of the tram, to the Nature Center building. Unless you bring a hiking pole, I would not go farther than that due to the condition of the trails (ungraded with steeper steps and roots).

Hi.

Time for final payment for the cruise and we need to purchase insurance, Unfortunately we have to due to some family issues.

With that said, I have looked over the pricing and benefits for what both Holland offers under their Platinum Protection Plan and what American Express offers for their Platinum card holders,
The American Express appears to offer the same or more coverage for less money, I am leaning this way,

Has anyone used either of these insurances or others that cover Trip Cancellation, Trip Interruption etc?

Thanks, W

Yeah, I've also heard that the views are great there, but the rest of it is not that impressive. anyway, until you go there, it's hard to judge for sure until you get a feel for the atmosphere of the place.
By the way, how steep are the trails behind the Nature Center? We're thinking of taking the kids - is it feasible?

In Seward you can also do the Seavy Iditaride as the dogs must practice and so you are pulled through the woods in motorized carts. You lean a lot about the race and the life of a musher as well as the dogs and the training and you get to see and play with the pups.

In Seward, I recommend The Cookery and reservations are a must. We also had a nice dinner at Ray's Waterfront, no reservations and we waited about 45 minutes to be seated but this was in 2021 and everyplace as short staffed.

The Cookery is on wish list. Unfortunately they just changed to no longer accepting reservations. It's now all first come first serve.
We still plan on going and will wait it out. Thanks!