Need excursion ideas on a budget

[katanna]

Hey all,

 

Our whole family is going on a Cruisetour in Alaska in late June (Princess Cruises) and while a member of the family is paying for the cruise, each member is responsible for excursions. I have some money I can spend on the trip but I want to keep it as cheap as possible.

 

Our (general) itinerary:

 

Day 1 - Travel Day.

Day 2 - Morning bus ride, afternoon McKinley Princess Lodge: Possible excursion, or maybe just rest/enjoy the sites. Are there places to scenic hike at the lodge (for free)?

Day 3 - Morning train ride, afternoon Denali: Possible excursion, may do the dinner theater with family.

Day 4 - All day train ride / first night on ship.

Day 5 - At Sea.

Day 6 - At Sea.

Day 7 - Skagway: Excursion with entire family is already booked.

Day 8 - Juno: Possible excursion.

Day 9 - Ketchikan Port: Possible excursion, was looking at the lumberjack show and/or Totem Pole Park.

Day 10 - At Sea.

Day 11 - Travel Day home.

 

Notes:

1) At least once I want to do something that will get my blood pumping, something exhilarating/exciting. ATV riding, JEEP riding, whitewater rafting, (fast) downhill biking, and "active" hiking would all fit into this category.

 

2) I don't want to do anything without family, so nothing that would require me to go alone. (Don't think there would be many things like this, but still wanted to point it out.) Good news is that there is a wide range of ages in our family going along on the trip so I should be able to find someone to go along with me no matter what I am doing.

 

3) As said before I want to keep costs to a minimum, so I am thinking 3 or 4 excursions, hopefully nothing more than $100.

 

4) I am all for the safety of "official" excursions but I also like supporting local businesses, so I am open to non-sanctioned excursions (which I would guess are often times cheaper).

 

So there you go! Am I missing a "must-do" activity? All thoughts / comments / recommendations are welcomed!

 

Matthew

[bqkali]

My first suggestion would be to include the Mt. Healy overlook trail in Denali. If you can catch a shuttle from the hotel to the park entrance area, you can do this hike for free :D Moderately strenuous "active" hiking with some great views at the end. Totally dependent on a shuttle (or taxi?) between the hotel & Denali park. Normally I'd suggest this in addition to a full day shuttle into the park, but you have such a tight timeframe and seem more interested in active touring than sitting on a bus...but if you have time for both (or a preference for wildlife spotting), the shuttle is a great option.

 

Sounds like Skagway is planned, but if you have time afterwards, there are lots of great hikes you can do on your own for free. If you only have a short amount of time, Yakutania Point was nice and I've heard good things about Lower Dewey Lake and Lower Reid Falls. A quick search will bring you more information and you can decide yourself how to make your day in Skagway more active and fun.

 

Juneau is a great place for an affordable day. You can take a shuttle to Mendenhall Glacier and do some hiking there (not ON the glacier, but near it with great views). You can take the Mt. Roberts tram, or even hike one-way ;) There are some museums ($5-10), a brewery you can tour for free (take the city bus for like $2-3pp round-trip), and a walking tour of the city past some of the historical and government buildings.

 

Ketchikan also has affordable options. The city bus ($2pp) will take you to Totem Bight park to see the totems and for a pleasant walk. In town, your own two feet can take you to a ton of small museums ($5-10) ranging from historical to totems to eagle rehabilitation, or to watch the salmon jumping, or to look for seals playing in the water.

 

If you are already planning on a group outing in Skagway, plan on $25 for one other day in port (for miscellaneous bus/shuttle/tram fees and a museum admission or two), and use the remaining $75 for your adrenaline-racing excursion day. Take a look at the excursion offerings to see what sounds the most fun in either Juneau or Ketchikan and enjoy!

[Budget Queen]

There is a trail, that is next to the McKinley lodge, but little else there. I would suggest you consider an early shuttle bus to Talkeetna the next am, and do a walk around. The National Park Service has an informative climber's exhibit.

 

With your current schedule, it is a shame you probably aren't getting into Denali Park???

 

Being that that is a highlight, I would recommend you might want to consider a free Savage River shuttle bus, rather than making a costly dinner a priority?? Verify the hours of operation, but at least, this would give you an added opportunity for a chance of wildlife sightings. Or consider any late scheduled ranger activities, visitor center.

 

A unique hike, may be, a ground access to Mendenhall Glacier, available with Above and Beyond. Otherwise there are several hikes near Mendenhall. Be advised however, the above post references "views". The Nugget Falls trail is not really very "challenging", and takes maybe an hour. Other more intense trails, don't have good Mendenhall views, meaning the East Loop.

 

Totem Bight is a cheap option. :) But if you consider a rental car, you could include that and some excellent hiking, making better use of time for both- depending on your port schedule.

[bqkali]

A unique hike, may be, a ground access to Mendenhall Glacier, available with Above and Beyond. Otherwise there are several hikes near Mendenhall. Be advised however, the above post references "views". The Nugget Falls trail is not really very "challenging", and takes maybe an hour. Other more intense trails, don't have good Mendenhall views, meaning the East Loop.

 

The hike with Above & Beyond is a great one...highly recommended. But unfortunately at $200pp, it does not fit the OP's budget.

[frugaltravel]

With your current schedule, it is a shame you probably aren't getting into Denali Park???

 

Being that that is a highlight, I would recommend you might want to consider a free Savage River shuttle bus, rather than making a costly dinner a priority??

 

A shame is right. And not only that, going all the way to Denali NP basically for a dinner theater that one could do anywhere. Please reconsider this. I would be on the next Toklat shuttle bus after the train arrived if it were me (if there is one that late).

[Budget Queen]

A shame is right. And not only that, going all the way to Denali NP basically for a dinner theater that one could do anywhere. Please reconsider this. I would be on the next Toklat shuttle bus after the train arrived if it were me (if there is one that late).

 

I don't get it either. :) That is why I am so critical of some cruisetours, which are nothing more than a Parks Highway road tour. (or rail tour). So close but so FAR. All the way there and missing the main feature.

[CruizinSherry]

You should try a zipline tour, I think that would be thrilling!

[laughing husky]

I agree with Budget Queen, I think that I would forgo the dinner theater...which is certainly ok to do but with all of Denali it does seem a shame to miss most of it...You can do a shuttle bus...you can see the Denali dog kennels for free. They have several shows at various times...The park rangers use these dogs during the winter to patrol the park....You can also go to Husky Homestead which you can book at any hotel in the area. I believe that it is well under $100.oo and you get to hear about Iditarod....and pet puppies....Jeff King has won Iditarod 4 times and it is quite a story...If you go, tell him Bonnie said "Hi"...You can also get off the shuttle and go for a short walk at the interpretive center....and go to the visitors center there...It isn't much...you can spend years there.....but it gives you a tast. If you go to the Savage River stop, there are usually Dall Sheep in the mountains...