More I research Alaska, more I wonder...

[CRB#33]

Since we have under two weeks vacation, if I should just bag the cruise portion at the end of it and stay in Alaska travelling around for longer. You can do all the excursions from land that you can from the cruise ship, just in different places.

 

I would just miss Juneau, Skakway, Ketchican and Victoria. Don't think that's too bad.

 

But I could get to Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound, Seward, Kenai Fjords, and Fairbanks. All without rushing so much and including things I would have to skip if we cruise.

 

Plus in the long run, it would probably be a lot cheaper!

 

But my teenagers would kill me.

 

Hmmmm. Thanks for letting me think out loud. :o

[grouchy]

and make everyone happy. Next year do the land portion. Let everyone pick one activity they want to do-like dog sledding-and have fun!

[42trvl]

You raise a very interesting point and something we were just discussing since we finished our trip to Alaska last week. It really depends on how much you want to cruise, but honestly, we found the cruise after our week in Alaska rather anti-climactic. Don't get me wrong - the cruise was nice as a cruise. But, felt completely different than the week we spent in Alaska prior to the cruise, and we could have really done without most of the ports we stopped in. Of the ones you mentioned, Skagway was our most favorite (and mostly for the excursions, not the town itself). The rest we would not have missed at all. As a town, really did not care for Ketchikan. We had three days in Vancouver at the end of our cruise, and feel that we wasted one of them by going to Victoria.

 

So, you are right - you will definitely see and do more of the "real" Alaska in Alaska itself prior to the cruise. I will be posting a review of our trip later today, but if you want me to be completely honest, I will tell you that the cruise was just a cruise that you could really do anywhere (yes, different scenery and excursions, but...) and we enjoyed Alaska itself much more and felt that we were in Alaska much more before our cruise. The cruise was a nice way to "wind down" and hang out with other relatives we met up with, but really two completely different trips and experiences. We also took over two weeks to do the whole trip and still felt like we could have used more time.

[tinydancer21]

Since I have lived in Alaska my whole life and I love cruising I would say keep the cruise!

 

 

For one, I think Juneau and that whole area is the most beautiful part of Alaska, that and the Kenai Peninsula. I live in Fairbanks and though it has its beauty (Mt. McKinley is only an hour and a half away) you get to see so much more wildlife, and beautiful scenery from the ship. Anywhere near the ocean you’re more likely to see eagles, of course whales and stuff too.

 

Personally, I wouldn't miss the cruise, just don't let this be your last trip to Alaska and you'll see it all! :)

[Paulmj]

We take cruises often. Last week on our Serenade cruise to Alaska was our 23rd.

 

Don't overlook the considerable advantages of cruises compared to going by land:

 

Better food, every meal, all the time

Unpack and pack only once

Sleep in the same bed

No in-and-out of hotels

Travel while you sleep

 

and so forth.

 

Even forgetting all the entertainment and other amenities on a ship, all of the above makes it a much easier, much less energy-intensive way to travel.

[kkorman]

I would question if this would indeed be less expensive. WHile I think an AK land vacation would be nice... transportation and food is quite expensive. You can get a room on a cruise for waht you would pay in meals for a week. I also like the SE AK cities... especially Juneau and Ketchikan. Most people would do the opposite and bag the land portion due to all the moving around and the fact that Alaska is BIG and it takes time to get from point A to Point B. BEst to do this travelling on a ship.

[Budget Queen]

Frankly- BOTH are excellent touring areas. BUT it is very important to invest enough time for interior touring - 10 days is great and allows time to do the big loop. As for the cruise ports- they are being over run- more and more mega ships sailing does not paint a pretty picture. I remember being on the Sky when they were promoting the Sun- (which I have sailed 3 times to Alaska) That was the BIGGEST ship then sailing- now it's one of the smallest. :( Do some good planning in ports and you will be greatly rewarded with Alaska gems- you just have to know where. Head to your library and get familiar with areas.

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are probably looking at 2 rooms - since you mentioned tennagers - for 2 weeks.

Meals for 2 weeks - expensive in Alaska - and how much do your kids eat? Big eaters? Then they will probably want snacks while traveling in the car - more money.

Cost of gasoline???

Stay with the cruise for now.

[Palomino]

We came back last week after doing a 2-week land only vacation in Alaska. It won't be our last trip. We started 2 years ago with a Vancouver Roundtrip cruise. We loved it, but wanted to see more. The next year did a one-way cruise Vancouver to Seward and then spent 3 nights on the Kenai Peninsula. That trip was even better but....we wanted to see more. So, this year we skipped the cruise and flew into Anchorage (there were 15 of us all together..all related in some way or another). We rented a 15 passenger van (had a seat removed) and one family rented their own car. The cost of the 15 passenger van for 2 weeks was about $1600.00. A regular car would have been about $900.00.

We stayed in Healy (for Denali), Talkeetna (love this town), Girdwood, Homer (could I live here every summer?), and Anchorage. Our lodging averaged about $150.00 a night. This trip was the best vacation ever! Not that I regret doing the Alaskan cruises, and I would do one again, it is a different kind of vacation. I feel I definitely saw more of the "real Alaska" on this vacation.

We fell in love with Homer, and I could honestly stay there for a week, actually a whole summer. Of course, the Lodge we rented at Land's End probably had something to do with it. Nothing a panoramic view of glaciers, volcanos, and sea otters from your living room. Talkeetna was great too. It is such a unique place, and the Chinook Wind Cabins were perfect. We walked to the rivers, saw Mt. McKinley....loved the town.

I am rambling here and I really should write a proper review.

I wouldn't do a land vacation counting on it to be cheaper. Gas was cheaper there than in Southern California...especially the diesel the van we rented required. We tried to go conservative on food. We bought an ice chest for snacks and drinks and other foods. We went out to dinner each night, but not necessarily out for breakfast and lunch. We did go a little crazy on dinners. There are some great restaurants in Alaska even in little towns like Talkeetna. I had the best meal of my life at the Seven Glaciers Restaurant at the Alyeska resort, the best crab legs and filet mignon...yummy.

Where we spent the most money was on excursions. Many worthwhile $$$ were spent here, but I won't be able to spend this much money on a vacation for a while. I was paying for 6! The excursions made the vacation though.

The list:

Bargain Shuttle trip into Denali (the animals really came out for us!)

Circle Denali Flight in Talkeetna (perfect weather, great views, we had a coupon)

Portage Glacier Cruise (ok..I wouldn't do it again..there are better glaciers..but it was cheap and we had people in our group who hadn't experienced it)

Bear watching/salmon fishing from Soldotna with High Adventure Air (truly amazing, I am so glad I learned this excursion from these boards)

Kayaking in Homer (incredible scenery)

Halibut charter in Homer with a stop in Seldovia (what fun, we had to buy a freezer when we got home for all of our salmon and halibut...we want to get back to Seldovia)

 

And though I thought this would be our last trip to Alaska for a very long time, it won't be. There are still more places to see and places we would like to return to. I might just turn into the next Budget Queen. :)

 

Thanks to all of you who over the last 3 years have made our trips to Alaska just fantastic!!!

[JohnQ]

Palomino,

Welcome back. I know how you feel about your regular trips, as we were there for two weeks two years ago and are doing the same in a week. We will do denali and the denali flt as well as Homer this time. Will do bear viewing tour with Hallo Bay for a full day in Katmai. Did you do a bay tour or just go over to the St park to walk around? Who did you kayak with? Our BnB also has a glacier kayaking tour. It would be nice to think about moving there but I guess we would have to try winter a few times to find out what it is really like!

[CRB#33]

Thanks Palomino! Where did you stay in Healy and what did you do in Denali?

 

I just looked into the Chinook Cabins and they look wonderful for us. I'm glad you said something because there is nothing about them in this year's Milepost or Frommers.

 

I was thinking of doing what another poster is to save money. Stay at these cabins in Talkeena. Take the Aeoro tour to Denali (upgrading to flightseeing) and then the Shuttle bus tour to Eielson and then flight back to Talkeena. The next day we would do the jetboat tour and then probably head out somewhere else.

 

If we do this, we may not even head up to stay over night in Denali, unless we don't cruise.

[Gardyloo]

But I could get to Glacier Bay and Prince William Sound, Seward, Kenai Fjords, and Fairbanks. All without rushing so much and including things I would have to skip if we cruise.

 

Getting to Glacier Bay is a bit of a prob. Consult a map.

 

It sounds as if it's the time constraint more than any lack of desire to see Southeast. If that's the case, then consider splitting the difference and call your TA or Alaska Airlines and see about a flight itinerary that involves a 2-day stopover in Juneau on the way up (or back.) You can see some of the sights around Juneau, take a one-day boat or flightseeing trip to Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm. Then fly on up to Southcentral, get a vehicle, and off you go.

 

At a minimum, even if you don't want to spend time in SE Alaska, and if you're coming via Seattle, then ask the airline to put you on a flight that stops in SE Alaska en route. That way your flights will hug the coast instead of crossing the Gulf, and you'll have a good visual sense of what SE and the Inside Passage look like, even if you don't get off the plane. (You can ask for the "milk run" and see everything, good if you like takeoffs and landings.)

[boten]

Homer (could I live here every summer?)

Hey, me too. Every summer, ALL summer.

And wasn't that day in Talkeetna just perfect for the mountain? Not a single cloud in the sky!

 

You can see my story - the whole thing, including everything related to the cancelled cruise here.

(this is the most recent part, with links to previous parts).

[CRB#33]

Getting to Glacier Bay is a bit of a prob. Consult a map.

Yes I see that now. I was confused as to where Glacier Bay is.

 

Well it looks like we're going to cruise, so I've posted a new thread for Princess cruisers ;)

 

Thanks for all the advice. I did learn a lot here because we will take 5 days or so on our own to travel before the cruise. It's definitely cheaper than Princess cruise tours :eek:

[Palomino]

Palomino,

Welcome back. I know how you feel about your regular trips, as we were there for two weeks two years ago and are doing the same in a week. We will do denali and the denali flt as well as Homer this time. Will do bear viewing tour with Hallo Bay for a full day in Katmai. Did you do a bay tour or just go over to the St park to walk around? Who did you kayak with? Our BnB also has a glacier kayaking tour. It would be nice to think about moving there but I guess we would have to try winter a few times to find out what it is really like!

 

We didn't do a bay tour, we chartered the Halibut boat and then they just took us to Sedolvia. I would like to take the ferry and do the hike to Grenwick glacier. We kayaked with True North Kayak, the 3/4 day tour. The glacier kayaking looked interesting, but it looked to me like they used inflatable kayaks which aren't as stable (I am a klutz), maybe the one your looking at is different. Let me know for my next visit. I envy your day Katmai with Hallo Bay; that will be next trip too. We did love the bear viewing and salmon fishing out of Soldotna too. I am going to quote from an e-mail I received from Alison at True North before we went. The things she mentioned that we didn't do this year, we'll do next visit:

Other great stuff to do in Homer...

*Horseback riding with Mark Marette at Trails End Adventures. His most popular trip is a half day excursion. He is a great story teller and the scenery is beautiful.907-235-6393.

*There are lots of hiking trails in Homer and across the Bay. The hike to Grewingk Glacier is about 3 hours hiking time and is not difficult at all. This does require a water taxi 907-235-6384.

*The Pratt Museum is a great small museum with lots of birds and animals and homesteading exhibits.

*Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies features tidepooling across the Bay. You check out huge sea anemones and sea stars.

They are at 907-235-6667.akcoastalstudies.org.

*Bear viewing with Emerald Air (emeraldairservice.com). Not cheap, but an incredible experience.

*Flight seeing in a 1929 Travel Air float plane with Kachemak Air. http://www.alaskaseaplanes.com.

 

There are the top 6 ,in my opinion, of awesome activities in Homer. Hope that helps!

Alison

 

Have a great trip!!!

[Palomino]

Hey, me too. Every summer, ALL summer.

And wasn't that day in Talkeetna just perfect for the mountain? Not a single cloud in the sky!

 

You can see my story - the whole thing, including everything related to the cancelled cruise here.

(this is the most recent part, with links to previous parts).

 

Boten,

It was great running into you at Talkeetna Aero!! Talk about a small world! My family was amazed how I ran into some guy that knew me from the internet! How did you know it was me? Did you hear them say my name? I am so glad that you finally got your Alaskan vacation. I have begun to read your story. I am so glad you have taken the time to write it.

 

It was a perfect day for a flight. We were so lucky with weather in Alaska this year! The day before, when we were in Denali, the weather was cloudy which was perfect for animal viewing. We saw bears, wolves, a lynx, dall sheep, caribou, and more! Then the next day (when I am just giving up ever seening the great one) the sky clears and we get not only a great flight, but views from the ground as well.

I am glad to hear you enjoyed your stay in Homer as well.

Say hello to your wife for me. I am happy to now put faces with the name.

Palomino

[Palomino]

Thanks Palomino! Where did you stay in Healy and what did you do in Denali?

 

I just looked into the Chinook Cabins and they look wonderful for us. I'm glad you said something because there is nothing about them in this year's Milepost or Frommers.

 

I was thinking of doing what another poster is to save money. Stay at these cabins in Talkeena. Take the Aeoro tour to Denali (upgrading to flightseeing) and then the Shuttle bus tour to Eielson and then flight back to Talkeena. The next day we would do the jetboat tour and then probably head out somewhere else.

 

If we do this, we may not even head up to stay over night in Denali, unless we don't cruise.

 

We stayed at the EarthSong Lodge in Healy http://www.earthsonglodge.com . Check out their website. I chose them because they are on the tundra, an unfamiliar biome to us. The kids enjoyed picking lots of blueberries. I also like the idea that it is family owned and Jon has built all of the cabins. Karin has decorated each one with loving care, she even made the quilts. They have a dogsled kennel on the property and they do winter trips. They are great people.

The only thing we did in Denali (besides walk in the tundra, actually try to walk...I never imagined that tundra was soooo spongy) was the shuttle to Eielson. The shuttle was worth it and the time went so quickly. Even my 5 year old behaved like gem. As I mentioned above we saw lots of animals. We couldn't hike or walk outside at Eielson because of an agressive bear in the area. We had to go straight from the bus to the building under ranger supervision. There wasn't anything else in Denali that I felt I missed. The only other thing that Jon at EarthSong Lodge mentioned was the river rafting, but we weren't interested.

I think you'll like the Chinook Wind Cabins. Jane is very nice and helpful. Like I told the other poster, I think the idea of staying in Talkeetna and flying to Denali sounds like a good one, but I've never tried it. I just know that I really enjoyed Talkeetna. The only disadvantage that I could see with the flight to Denali is a possible cancellation because of weather.

The jet boat tour has gotten mixed reviews, so we didn't do it. It is a good price using the Toursaver, but throwing rocks in the river was enough for me.

If you do decide to stay near Denali, but you don't want to go up to Healy, you might consider staying at the McKinley Creekside Cabins in Carlo Creek.

http://www.mckinleycabins.com . It was on my list of places to stay, but the EarthSong lodge made the cut. We did stop there for lunch on the way to Healy, and the food was very good. I walked by the river and tried to peek into a cabin that looked nice from what I could see. I think they have different models. I was looking at one near the creek with a private bath.

Happy planning!!

[SightCRR]

Here is a link to the short version of our photos. Click on the album and then slideshow. We skipped the cruise and drove from Seattle. The trip to Katmai was the highlight and next was walking on the Glacier outside Glennallen. Homer was very nice .... the list goes on and on.

Take Care

SightCRR

 

http://photos.yahoo.com/genepsns

[CSloan]

Loved your photos of Katmai. Can you tell me what tour you took? Any details you can share about the tour?

 

Cathy

[OldBaldGuy]

We are taking an Inland Passage cruise (our first) next June, then after my wife retires in Feb of '06 taking our RV to Alaska for the Spring, Summer, and Fall. We plan on following the thaw north and having the snow drive us out later. We figure that way we can see as much as possible, since we will probably never make it back up that way again...

[natesfirewife]

You could also take the ferry system through the Inside Passage and that way you could stay in each town for as long as you like. We plan on doing that when the kids are in High School. We would like to drive up the coast to Vancouver and then take the ferry up to the main part of Alaska, drive around and come home. We of course plan on spending two months doing the whole thing. I figured if we're going to do a land trip we might as well do it right the first time!!

 

Misty