Help- planning DIY Alaska post cruise

[Bubbs33]

Just booked our first cruise ever. Vancouver to Whittier Voyage of Glaciers Northbound for July 2019. I had no idea there would be so many options and planning decisions.

We are travelling as a group of 4 adults ages 55-62. We like to be active, love nature, not super fit. I'm considering planning a DIY tour for 3 to 4 days after the cruise. In our group we have a photographer. We like glamping, cabins, hikes, ATVs, etc. Thinking of renting a car and going to the Kenai Peninsula or towards Palmer but totally open to suggestions. What was your must do in Alaska? Recommendations on where to stay and what to do?

[Kamloops50]

Just booked our first cruise ever. Vancouver to Whittier Voyage of Glaciers Northbound for July 2019. I had no idea there would be so many options and planning decisions.

We are travelling as a group of 4 adults ages 55-62. We like to be active, love nature, not super fit. I'm considering planning a DIY tour for 3 to 4 days after the cruise. In our group we have a photographer. We like glamping, cabins, hikes, ATVs, etc. Thinking of renting a car and going to the Kenai Peninsula or towards Palmer but totally open to suggestions. What was your must do in Alaska? Recommendations on where to stay and what to do?

 

 

With four of you. Have you considered renting an RV. It might work out cheaper than renting hotel rooms on a per day .

[donaldsc]

Wherever you end up going, don't make the mistake of going to too many places. Distances in AK are far and most people end up spending too much time getting from place to place and not seeing anything. If it were me, I would pick one location with interesting stuff within a short day trip driving distance and stay there.

 

DON

[Bubbs33]

Wherever you end up going, don't make the mistake of going to too many places. Distances in AK are far and most people end up spending too much time getting from place to place and not seeing anything. If it were me, I would pick one location with interesting stuff within a short day trip driving distance and stay there.

 

DON

Thanks Don. Agreed. Our thinking is to find a place to stay that can be our launching point for sightseeing each day.

[Bubbs33]

With four of you. Have you considered renting an RV. It might work out cheaper than renting hotel rooms on a per day .

I have looked at the RV option. Just not sure u til we decide on location and activities.

[Gardyloo]

What I'd do...

 

Rent a one-way car from Whittier to Anchorage (Avis is the only station in Whittier) for ONE DAY. Travel to Anchorage from Whittier via the Wildlife Conservation Center (at the junction of the road from Whittier and the Seward Highway). Turn in the car at Anchorage airport and get another one. The reason for this silliness is that you'll pay a very high daily rate for the one-way rental between Whittier and Anchorage, so keep that rental contract as short (one day minimum) as you can. However with four people, the per-person cost will be less than the train or bus options, and the car will give you the flexibility to stop and take in the incredible scenery between Whittier and Anchorage.

 

Once you have the second car in Anchorage, you've got a couple of choices - north or south. If you head north and want to visit Denali National Park, you can do so, but be aware that it's a minimum 3-day commitment - one to get there, one to visit the park interior by shuttle bus, and one to get back. If you don't want to visit Denali, then you can visit Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine near Palmer, or head to the Matanuska Glacier on the Glenn Highway. Both can done as day trips from Anchorage, or you could find accommodation in the Mat-Su Valley for the night. Consider stopping at the Eklutna Historical Park (a Native Alaska Village) between Anchorage and Palmer; the colorful "spirit houses" built over the graves are quite interesting.

 

 

If you head south, you'd retrace your steps to the Portage Valley/Whittier road (which is no hardship, believe me) possibly with a stop in Girdwood, where you could ride the gondola up to the top of the mountains at the Alyeska resort (fab views.) However the target would be Seward, where you could spend the night and take a Kenai Fjords cruise - glaciers, marine wildlife, etc. - before returning to Anchorage. You could also stop in the old mining village of Hope along the way.

 

Here's a map showing these various locations. Obviously doing the whole thing would involve a lot of hours wheels turning (and don't trust Google's drive times - they're very optimistic) but it would give you an idea of where things are and how to get to them. https://goo.gl/maps/T56ifgVfX5A2

[Anita Latte]

We cruised northbound and ended up in Seward on June 29, 2018. We had picked our flights based on the cheapest miles redemption while allowing for "a few" days pre and post cruise...so we were flying home very early July 2. That is 4 nights and 5 days if you count disembarkation day and travel home day.

 

We didn't do the Denali route because spending so much time in a vehicle was unappealing. When looking at distances in Alaska, it's easy to impose our lower 48 sensibility on it...but traveling time is exponentially longer in Alaska. The highways are largely 2-lane roads with regular passing lanes. There are many slow moving vehicles (RVs and trucks with camper trailers) which decrease the travel speed...so many that there are signs saying that if you have 5 or more vehicles stuck behind you, you must pull over and allow them to pass. SIGNS.

 

And flat out...there is so much to see along the journey...allow time to stop and see...especially if there is wildlife in the vicinity...or an outstanding vista.

 

This is why everyone says Denali is at least 3 days...one to get there, one to take a tour or shuttle bus, and one to get back. Denali isn't like other National Parks and you can't just drive yourself around in the park. There is one road and the pavement ends at mile 15, and so does your ability to drive into the park. Only the buses are allowed, so you either take a shuttle bus where you can hop on and off or you take a tour bus.

 

Either way, for us, this idea of seeing Alaska mostly from a vehicle was really unappealing and that's why we opted to spend our post cruise days on the Kenai Peninsula. It may seem small on the map, but that is because Alaska is just huge in general...there is A LOT to do on the Kenai Peninsula...there are tag lines that call it "Alaska's Playground" for a reason. Also...it really doesn't take that long to drive around the Kenai area.

 

I wrote a very detailed report of what we did here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2641355&page=14

 

That starts with our DIY land tour.

 

We did rent a public use cabin, which I don't necessarily recommend if you don't want to pack a bunch of camping things, so I'm not suggesting where we stayed. But we did a guided fishing trip on the Upper Kenai. WONDERFUL. We also did a kayaking trip out of Seward and a helicopter trip out of Seward.

 

Seward has a lot to do. If you want more glacier and wildlife sights...many take the day cruises out of Seward to the Kenai Fjords National Park.

 

Fishing the Kenai River was a MUST DO for us. DH is a frustrated fisherman...as in he used to fish a lot and since moving to warm southern waters...hasn't fished much at all. So that was a focus for us. Glaciers were another focus for us.

 

If you like camping and glamping...I did run across this option when researching our own camping options:

 

https://www.alpenglowluxurycamping.com/wickersham-tent/

 

These luxury camping tent set ups were beyond my budget, but I think they would be incredible. Matanuska Glacier is a roadside glacier and therefore is one of the most accessible glaciers. You can hire a guide and be able to walk on the glacier. Not sure what else is in this area in specific as I moved on in my research when I realized I didn't have the budget.

 

There is a whole site dedicated to such options:

 

https://glampinghub.com/unitedstatesofamerica/noncontinental/alaska/?checkin=&checkout=&guests=2&lang=en&page=1&sort=recomended&currency=USD&boundingBox={%22northEast%22:{%22lat%22:79.70096981920042,%22lng%22:-83.97796702833591},%22southWest%22:{%22lat%22:22.177372510782334,%22lng%22:-164.01611400099216}}&filters={%22categories%22:[],%22amenities%22:[],%22suitabilities%22:[],%22flags%22:[],%22genericCollection%22:%22AutoCollection-12%22}

[mapleleaves]

Alaska is a huge state but even with only 3 or 4 days, there are several options for you to research. If you prefer sea-based activities and scenery, the Kenai Peninsula is a good option. You could have a leisurely drive to Seward for a few days, or a longer drive to Homer (6hrs fromAnc).

http://www.kenaipeninsula.org/

 

OR for a more active trip, drive to Matanuska for an ice trek and white water rafting and take a detour to Independence Mine for some hiking. Some lovely cabins nr Matanuska.

Or drive to Denali (5 hrs from Anc).

Or take the ferry to Valdez from Whittier and spend a few days.

 

Lots of options but you need to do your research and determine which sights and activities are your priority. Sorry, but there's no shortcut for research. Plus it's fun ! Borrow some Alaska travel books from your library, look at the Alaska Dept of Tourism, read past trip reports here and on the Alaska forum of tripadvisor. Lots of on-line resources.

 

This mileage/travel time chart is helpful.

http://www.alaska.org/advice/mileage-chart

 

That web site has lots of good info .... look under THINGS TO DO for Scenic Drives to find suggested stopping points along the way.

 

When you have a better idea of where you want to go, post back for advice on fine tuning or lodging. Have fun with your research and planning !

Edited August 29, 2018 by mapleleaves

[Bubbs33]

Thanks all. Great resources. Love the link for glamping. Will read the trip reports tonight. Any particular vistas or tours in Kenai that others recommend.

[mapleleaves]

I assume you mean the Kenai Peninsula, not the town of Kenai.

Download the KP Visitor Guide for lots of info on sights and activities:

http://www.kenaipeninsula.org/about-kenai

[Bubbs33]

I assume you mean the Kenai Peninsula, not the town of Kenai.

Download the KP Visitor Guide for lots of info on sights and activities:

http://www.kenaipeninsula.org/about-kenai

Yes thanks. Using short cuts isn't clear.

[Heartfelttraveler]

We just got home from an Alaska land trip. (Two previous alaska Cruises.) if you are looking for wildlife I would suggest flying Ravn Air to Kodiak Island and renting a car. Also we stayed at a great 3BR/2BA VRBO.

If you want to go north to Denali you can check the McKinley Princess and Denali Princess Lodges for booking availability in November for next summer. Great prices.

 

 

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[Bubbs33]

We just got home from an Alaska land trip. (Two previous alaska Cruises.) if you are looking for wildlife I would suggest flying Ravn Air to Kodiak Island and renting a car. Also we stayed at a great 3BR/2BA VRBO.

If you want to go north to Denali you can check the McKinley Princess and Denali Princess Lodges for booking availability in November for next summer. Great prices.

 

 

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Thanks. I was wonduring why I couldn't find reservations for the Kenai Princess lodge online. I'll check again in November.

[InternetAgeTraveler]

There are a lot of choices. It’s a big place with a lot to do. Decide on your priorities and go from there. When we were planning, we gathered a variety of options and sat down and decided what we all wanted to do. It worked out for us and was a fantastic time. Although pretty sure we could have chosen something completely different and said the same thing.

 

Our review here, with the land portion starting on page 2

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2647072

[AKfamily]

Order a copy of The Milepost on Amazon. Browse through the different sections that you are interested in seeing. We live in AK and still pull it out several times a year as a great starting point for planning adventures!

[Bubbs33]

Just got Milepost in the mail. Great resource.

[Budget Queen]

If you want to go north to Denali you can check the McKinley Princess and Denali Princess Lodges for booking availability in November for next summer. Great prices.

 

 

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Sorry very poor advice above, to “recommend “ the McKinley Princess.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks. I was wonduring why I couldn't find reservations for the Kenai Princess lodge online. I'll check again in November.

 

I would never suggest staying at the Kenai Princess lodge. You are an hour away from Seward. Unless you are spending days fishing?

[Heartfelttraveler]

Budget Queen - explain why you wouldn’t choose McKinley Princess. We got it for $99.50 per night. We were not part of a cruise tour and booked on our own.

 

 

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[mapleleaves]

Budget Queen - explain why you wouldn’t choose McKinley Princess. We got it for $99.50 per night. We were not part of a cruise tour and booked on our own.

 

 

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I'm not BQ, but my guess would be because the hotel is very isolated. It's in Cooper Landing, which isn't really a town, but a scattering of cabins, fishing vendors, and restaurants along the Sterling Hwy. And the lodge is another couple of miles off the hwy. Seward is about an hour away, and Homer maybe 3 hrs so it's not an ideal place to base yourself and do day trips.

 

OTOH, it's a lovely place for a night or 2. Beautiful setting on a ridge overlooking the Kenai River. We've stopped there a few times to have a drink and appetizers at the Rafters Lounge just to enjoy the view of fisherman drifting down the river. We also stayed at their RV campground twice. High concentration of black bears around the lodge, so be bear aware!

[Jojo27]

We just can back from 2 1/2 weeks in Alaska a week + pre-cruise then a cruise from Seward to Vancouver. We drove down the Kenai Pennisula and stayed 2 days in Homer. Rented a wonderful and reasonable priced place thru Airbnb and also went halibut and salmon fishing. Per our fishing guide there are over 180 Airbnb in the Homer area. We left Anchorage in the morning stopping at Aleyska resort on the way down and were in Homer by about 3:30. Coming back we stopped along the way to check out other fishing locations on the Kenai and took the tunnel into Whittier to have a late lunch then we got back into Anchorage about 4-5. IMO a very nice a easy drive for a 2 night stay. Then spent a few days exploring the Anchorage before heading to Denali. So much to see no matter what you decide you will not be disappointed.

[1stTIMECRUZER]

We had 5 full days post cruise for our DIY land tour and did the following: MajorMarine 7.5 hour Kenai Fjords Nat’l Park Cruise (wonderful!), train to Anchorage, Denali National Park 8 hour tour, Denali NP sled dog demo, Talkeetna sightseeing, Matanuska Glacier, flightseeing out of Anchorage because our Talkeetna flightseeing was cancelled due to weather (we finally saw Mt Denali although only by air), Earthquake Park, Portage Glacier, Seward Highway along Turnagain Arm, and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. We had a wonderful time. Good luck with your planning!