Drive from Anchroage to Seward

[Luxxmi]

We are planning our 1st trip to Alaska and have decided to spend a few days prior to cruise seeing a sliver of the interior...only have so much time off from work!

 

We are planning on leaving early in the AM and going stopping along the Seward Hwy to see the views and making stops at Alyeska Resort, Conservation Center and then doing a 12:45pm PWS cruise out of Whitter. The tour ends at 5:15pm and then I guess back on the road.

 

Here are my questions: Is behind the scene tour worth the $100 per person at the Conservation Center? Are there easy hikes by the Resort I can do with kids? Should I do 2 nights in Anchroage?

 

Is this doable time wise? How much leeway do I need for the tunnel to get thru? How early should we leave from Anc? :rolleyes: Are there stops after Whitter that I can include? I didn't find much information once I pass that area. We will have 2 kids with us 8 and 10yrs old if that matters.

 

thank you in advance!

Ritah

[Budget Queen]

You're a little mixed up with your ideas?? is this plan over several days? The Prince William Sound boat tour is in Whittier, not Seward. And there aren't any "behind the scenes" tours at the Conservatory. Those are at the Sealife Center in Seward.

 

What you have listed is about 3 days worth of time.

 

Are you sailing out of Seward, reason why you are making this "extra" trip to Whittier?

 

I would add all the extra time you can.

 

The tunnel TO Whittier is open, once per hour on the half hour for 15 minutes. Whittier is a 1 1/4 hour drive from Anchorage. You should be going through the 11:30am tunnel as recommended by most boat tour operators. So, adding it up, you don't have much, if any "extra" time for your list prior. You can be out the 6pm tunnel, and can do some sightseeing along the Arm.

[AkSusan]

We are planning our 1st trip to Alaska and have decided to spend a few days prior to cruise seeing a sliver of the interior...only have so much time off from work!

 

We are planning on leaving early in the AM and going stopping along the Seward Hwy to see the views and making stops at Alyeska Resort, Conservation Center and then doing a 12:45pm PWS cruise out of Whitter. The tour ends at 5:15pm and then I guess back on the road.

 

Here are my questions: Is behind the scene tour worth the $100 per person at the Conservation Center? Are there easy hikes by the Resort I can do with kids? Should I do 2 nights in Anchroage?

 

Is this doable time wise? How much leeway do I need for the tunnel to get thru? How early should we leave from Anc? :rolleyes: Are there stops after Whitter that I can include? I didn't find much information once I pass that area. We will have 2 kids with us 8 and 10yrs old if that matters.

 

thank you in advance!

Ritah

Ritah,

 

Not sure if you know this or not, but, you don't have constant access to the tunnel. You go in on the 1/2 hour and out on the hour. Here's a link to the tunnel schedule http://dot.alaska.gov/creg/whittiertunnel/schedule.shtml So, to make your 12:45 PWS cruise, you would have to do the 11:30 tunnel opening.

 

It will take you about an hour and 15 to get to the tunnel from Anchorage without any stops, or, any problems on the highway.

 

Why are you planning to stop at Alyeska Resort? There are trails around the hotel, where you could do an easy walk. But, if you get there too early, alot of the stores and such wouldn't be open yet. Looking at the tram, it doesn't go until 10:30, so, there is no way you could do that and make your PWS cruise.

 

I haven't did the Conservation Center behind the scenes tour, but, have done the Conservation Center, and, enjoy it.

 

If you can get a hold of the Alaska Milepost, I think it will really help you, especially, once you get past Portage. Great views in Turnagain Pass, the small town of Hope, Tern Lake at the Y, Moose Pass, etc.

 

All depends on what you all's interests are.

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[Glaciers]

Here are my questions: Is behind the scene tour worth the $100 per person at the Conservation Center? Are there easy hikes by the Resort I can do with kids? Should I do 2 nights in Anchroage?

 

There’s a very nice family friendly hike called the Winner Creek Trail that starts near the base of the tram at Alyeska Resort. The reward is a hand tram where you pull yourself over a creek.

http://www.alaska.org/detail/winner-creek-trail

[Budget Queen]

You're a little mixed up with your ideas?? is this plan over several days? The Prince William Sound boat tour is in Whittier, not Seward. And there aren't any "behind the scenes" tours at the Conservatory. Those are at the Sealife Center in Seward.

 

What you have listed is about 3 days worth of time.

 

Are you sailing out of Seward, reason why you are making this "extra" trip to Whittier?

 

I would add all the extra time you can.

 

The tunnel TO Whittier is open, once per hour on the half hour for 15 minutes. Whittier is a 1 1/4 hour drive from Anchorage. You should be going through the 11:30am tunnel as recommended by most boat tour operators. So, adding it up, you don't have much, if any "extra" time for your list prior. You can be out the 6pm tunnel, and can do some sightseeing along the Arm.

 

Correction- there IS, now, a behind the scenes tour at the Wildlife Conservatory. You don't hear of anyone taking this however? Check out Tripadvisor, which usually has more tour reviews.

[mollanjake]

There’s a very nice family friendly hike called the Winner Creek Trail that starts near the base of the tram at Alyeska Resort. The reward is a hand tram where you pull yourself over a creek.

 

http://www.alaska.org/detail/winner-creek-trail

 

 

Glaciers, the link says this hike is 3 miles...does that mean it is 3 miles to the hand tram and then 3 mikes back or round trip. Thanks!

 

 

 

Laura

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[epixx]

Using a 2 for 1 Groupon, we did the "behind the scenes tour" at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center with our 2 teens.

 

I definitely DO NOT recommend this tour for the original price. It was only marginally worth the price with the 2 for 1 deal. Also, I think kids of that age would mostly find it dull and would rather look at the animals on their own and at their own pace.

[Luxxmi]

Thank you all for your helpful advice! Most appreciated! :) I saw a news clip on an Alaska channel about the behind the scenes tour and they showed the animals being bottle fed and a very up close and personal on the bears behind the fence. So I wanted to see if anyone had done it to get actual feed-back so thank you Eppix for sharing your 1st hand experience. I think we will pass on that as well. But do we get to see the animals if we walk around? Is it recommended to drive or walk? How big is the actual area?

 

AKSusan- thank you for the tunnel schedule. Where do I get the Alaska MilePost from?

 

Glaciers- is the family hike at the Resort a 3 mile round trip? If it's 3 miles each way, that would be too long for DD, are there shorter ones?

 

Based on what everyone has said I think we will do 2 days in ANC since we probably won't get in until midnight and would only get a couple hours of sleep before we have to get up again the next morning. So I think now the plan is to do the PWS cruise the next morning and then head back to ANC and do the hike trails and the Conservation Center and drive to Seward next day since that's where we need to get on our ship from.

 

thank you,

Ritah

[Glaciers]

Glaciers- is the family hike at the Resort a 3 mile round trip? If it's 3 miles each way, that would be too long for DD, are there shorter ones?

 

thank you,

Ritah

 

It is about 3 miles to the tram one way. It does seem like quite a ways although the trail is mostly flat with boardwalks in some areas. It's nice hike even if you don't get to the tram. You can get to the tram from the Crow Creek side which would take transportation to get to that side. Probabably about 5 miles from Alyeska. The hand tram is about 1/2 mile hike from that side.

[frugaltravel]

It is about 3 miles to the tram one way. It does seem like quite a ways although the trail is mostly flat with boardwalks in some areas. It's nice hike even if you don't get to the tram. You can get to the tram from the Crow Creek side which would take transportation to get to that side. Probabably about 5 miles from Alyeska. The hand tram is about 1/2 mile hike from that side.

 

Much easier to hike to the hand tram from the Crow Creek side, but it sounds like the OP already has transportation (rental car) so it is a non-issue.

 

Personally I would not drive all the way back to Anchorage after the PWS tour. I would probably spend the night in Girdwood. That would give you more time to explore this area the day that you drive to Seward.

 

I assume you already have your one-way car rental booked with Hertz.

 

When does your cruise depart? You really don't need a car in Seward if you want to save some costs.

[AKStafford]

But do we get to see the animals if we walk around? Is it recommended to drive or walk? How big is the actual area?

 

AKSusan- thank you for the tunnel schedule. Where do I get the Alaska MilePost from?

 

At the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center: The road comes in and does a loop around. You could drive the loop if anyone has mobility issues. Otherwise, I'd suggest parking and walking. The total walk would be about a half a mile. And yes, you'll see the animals. If you do a Google Image search for "Alaska Wildlife Center", you'll see the pictures that others have taken.

 

Milepost: They can be purchased here in any bookstore, grocery store or at Sam's Club & Costco. I would recommend ordering one now to help in your planning. You can order them from Amazon or directly from their website. A new edition is published each year, coming out in March. If you buy an older edition, it should work. Some of the business's info might be out of date, and the road construction notices will be out of date.

[mollanjake]

It is about 3 miles to the tram one way. It does seem like quite a ways although the trail is mostly flat with boardwalks in some areas. It's nice hike even if you don't get to the tram. You can get to the tram from the Crow Creek side which would take transportation to get to that side. Probabably about 5 miles from Alyeska. The hand tram is about 1/2 mile hike from that side.

 

Glaciers and Frugal thanks for the info on the tram hike!

 

I am on the same cruise with Luxxmi, so I hope she doesn't mind me jumping in here.

 

Do you guys recommend the 1/2 mile walk to the hand tram. We are driving to Seward with planned stops along the ARM, at Crow Creek Mine and then Wildlife Conservation Center. We may stop at the Alyeska for the tram, but will play it by ear. I am traveling with 9yo DD.

 

Thanks

[Glaciers]

Do you guys recommend the 1/2 mile walk to the hand tram. We are driving to Seward with planned stops along the ARM, at Crow Creek Mine and then Wildlife Conservation Center. We may stop at the Alyeska for the tram, but will play it by ear. I am traveling with 9yo DD.

 

If the only goal is to get to the tram than the Crow Creek side and the shorter hike is perfect, particularly with your busy schedule. The longer hike from the resort side is very scenic and is as much a reward as the tram but would take quite a bit longer. We haven’t hiked from the Crow Creek side but see the trail head when we drive up that road. Parking might be an issue. Frugal will know.

[mapleleaves]

In this link look at the drives called "Turnagain Arm", "Portage Valley & Whittier", and Anchorage to Seward. There are suggested stopping points listed for each drive:

http://www.alaska.org/things-to-do/scenic-drives

 

The Begich Boggs Visitor Center has interesting displays and hikes; 'trail of blue ice' and ' ice worm safari'. Look under Related Links in this site:

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/chugach/home/?cid=stelprdb5251094

 

Why drive back to Anchorage? There's the Whittier Inn on the waterfront in Whittier or many B&B's in Girdwood ( Glacier View, Girdwood Guesthouse, Carriage House, or check the Girdwood Chamber web site for others). Or drive about 20 minutes (towards Seward) and stay at Summit Lake Lodge in a room or cabin on the lake.

[frugaltravel]

If the only goal is to get to the tram than the Crow Creek side and the shorter hike is perfect, particularly with your busy schedule. The longer hike from the resort side is very scenic and is as much a reward as the tram but would take quite a bit longer. We haven’t hiked from the Crow Creek side but see the trail head when we drive up that road. Parking might be an issue. Frugal will know.

 

Not an issue since they made a new parking lot a couple of summers ago. Plenty of parking spaces on the Crow Creek mine side.

[Luxxmi]

Nope don't mind at all Laura, the more we can learn from the "experts" the better enjoyable our trips will be! :)

 

I am taking your advice and looking into rooms in Girdwood, but most want a 2 night stay and others cannot accommadate the 4 of us...I have a 3 places which I'm waiting on a return phone call...fingers crossed I find a place there!

 

I will look into Summit Lake lodge as well today, thank you mapleleaves!

 

Plan is to turn car in Thursday night and spend one night in Seward and board ship Friday late afternoon. Thinking of going to Exit Glacier on Friday, would you say that it's fairly easy walk/hike to there? I've heard that's it's considered more "strenous hike"...not sure if DD could do it.

 

We were originally going to do a Fjord cruise but decided against it due to the choppy waters there (both kids have very sensitive stomaches). Doing the Ididaride tour and not sure what else to do...any suggestions here? :rolleyes:

[donaldsc]

We were originally going to do a Fjord cruise but decided against it due to the choppy waters there (both kids have very sensitive stomaches). Doing the Ididaride tour and not sure what else to do...any suggestions here? :rolleyes:

 

If you possibly can, dose them up with anti seasick pills and do the longest Fjord cruise you have time for. We have done it twice and it is great.

 

DON

[AkSusan]

Nope don't mind at all Laura, the more we can learn from the "experts" the better enjoyable our trips will be! :)

 

I am taking your advice and looking into rooms in Girdwood, but most want a 2 night stay and others cannot accommadate the 4 of us...I have a 3 places which I'm waiting on a return phone call...fingers crossed I find a place there!

 

I will look into Summit Lake lodge as well today, thank you mapleleaves!

 

Plan is to turn car in Thursday night and spend one night in Seward and board ship Friday late afternoon. Thinking of going to Exit Glacier on Friday, would you say that it's fairly easy walk/hike to there? I've heard that's it's considered more "strenous hike"...not sure if DD could do it.

 

We were originally going to do a Fjord cruise but decided against it due to the choppy waters there (both kids have very sensitive stomaches). Doing the Ididaride tour and not sure what else to do...any suggestions here? :rolleyes:

Someone mentioned you can get a Milepost on Amazon or at their website. It usually doesn't change alot from year to year, so, you might want to check on ebay for a used one. Just google and you'll find all kinds of spots that sell them.

 

In regards to Exit Glacier, if you're asking if you can walk from Seward out to the Glacier, no, as, it's a 12 mile trip one way. Now if you do it when you still have the car, then, yes, and there are different levels of trails once you get there http://www.nps.gov/kefj/planyourvisit/exit-glacier.htm

 

Susan in Anchorage :)

[laughing husky]

Actually, this is fairly new, and I haven't looked at Trip advisor about it, but the people who have gone on this have throughly enjoyed it and feel that it was money worth spending....

 

Behind the Scenes

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