Will you evaluate my Alaskan itinerary?

[stilley9]

Well, since you guys started giving advice, I've come so far in my planning, and I dare to say that I'm almost finished. (I hope). But because we have such a varied group of travelers and we've never been, I would love it if the experts would take a look and let me know if there is anything glaringly missing (or if you have any suggestions).

 

The story on us - family of 10 across 3 generations. Youngest members 5 and 8 year old boys, and oldest members 60'ish year old grandparents. We have never been to Alaska and the oldest members of the group assume they may not ever get back, so we would like to see as much as we can. Biggest draws - wildlife, glaciers, and scenery.

 

Itinerary is as follows:

 

Arrive in ANC Saturday night, drive to Girdwood for the night.

 

Wake up Sunday morning, drive Turnagain Arm the rest of the way to

Seward for the Wildlife National Park cruise. Get off boat around 5:30 pm. Spend Sunday night in Seward.

 

Monday morning, drive to Whittier for the 12:45 Glacier cruise. Get off boat, and board the NCL Sun, which leaves at 9 pm.

 

Tuesday - cruise Hubbard Glacier

 

Wednesday - Icy Straits 9am -5 pm

we have a 1 pm private whale watching cruise

(any thoughts on what to do beforehand?)

 

Thursday Juneau 7 am - 1:15 pm

We're doing the Taku Lodge flightseeing and salmon bake which will take the majority of this very short day in Juneau

 

Friday Skagway 7 am - 5 pm

We're doing a Chilkoot Tours private train/bus trip that also includes the dogcart ride. I think it's 7:30 am - 3 pm

(anything to do quickly in Skagway at 3 pm until we leave?)

 

Saturday Ketchikan - 1 pm-8 pm

1 pm - 2 guys in the group are going on a private salmon fishing tour

4:30 pm - everyone else going on a private Misty Fjords flightseeing tour

question - before the flight, would like to do something with the kids. maybe the lumberjack shoe or the Totem State Park? Any thoughts on which would be better or something entirely different.

 

Sunday - cruise Sawyer glacier

 

Monday - disembark in Vancouver. We'll spend 2 days in Vancouver touring the city and Whistler.

 

The one thing that my kids have mentioned is gold panning - i only see it in Skagway and we're already booked all day. Is there another tour that i'm missing for gold panning?

 

Otherwise, anything obviously missing from this seemingly action-packed agenda. Thanks so much in advance! :D

[gjkubel]

Two things, first your itinerary is incorrect in that you are going to Sawyer Glacier (or at least Tracy Arm) in the afternoon once you leave Juneau -- not on Sunday, just FYI.

 

Second, I think Juneau has gold panning. While the reviews for Taku Lodge are definitely superior to the in-town salmon bake (Gold Creek), I think Gold Creek has gold panning. I've never done either, so I can't comment as to quality. But if your kids really want to do gold panning, you might want to consider doing Gold Creek instead of Taku Lodge. Certainly a lot cheaper, too.

[fishin' musician]

In Skagway there is a trail just off the dock that goes to Lower Dewey Lake. It has some great vantage points for photos high above the town. Here is a link:

 

http://www.nps.gov/klgo/planyourvisit/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&PageID=317114

[Travel beagle]

We are going in June - and booked the following from recommendations from CC for fun for kids - our son is 14

 

Ketchikan - the deadlist catch tour everyone raved to us about this tour - http://www.alaskacrabtour.com

 

Icy Strait- we are doing the zip line http://www.icystraitpoint.com/General/Zipline#3NIvN7Mo_w0

 

Vancouver - Capilano Suspension Bridge Park -www.capbridge.com - looks like tons of fun!

 

Enjoy!

[stilley9]

Two things, first your itinerary is incorrect in that you are going to Sawyer Glacier (or at least Tracy Arm) in the afternoon once you leave Juneau -- not on Sunday, just FYI.

.

 

you're right - sunday is a cruise day, but it's cruise inside passage. we'll probably need a day of rest at that point!

[mapleleaves]

What a memorable family vacation! What are the dates? and what time does your flight arrive?

 

Does the Kenai cruise start at 11:30am ? Giive yourself plenty of time to get there ... traffic can be heavy, especially if salmon are running. The Seward Hwy is the only route and only 1 lane in each direction.

 

Since you asked for suggestions .... I'd skip the drive to Seward. The Kenai cruise is wonderful, but IMHO it creates a hectic start to the trip. Instead, explore the Turnagain Arm; visit the Wildlife Conservation Center, pan for gold at Indian Valley or Crow Creek, visit Portage Lake/Glacier Visitor Center, hike at Byron Glacier, look for dall sheep along the ridges, look for moose at Potters Marsh, ride the tram at Alyeska. Or consider splitting up .... let the kids have their gold panning, plus they'll enjoy all the other activities along the Turnagain Arm.

http://www.alaska.org/guide/turnagain-arm-drive

http://www.alaska.org/guide/portage-valley

Edited May 12, 2014 by mapleleaves

[AryMay]

If you are staying in Girdwood, maybe you could visit the Crow Creek Mine for gold panning.

 

Crow Creek Mine website

 

I have never been there so can't give a personal recommendation.

[stilley9]

What a memorable family vacation! What are the dates? and what time does your flight arrive?

 

Flight arrives at ANC around 7:30 pm. Considering we're coming from the east coast, i fully expect to be completely exhausted by this point. :)

 

Does the Kenai cruise start at 11:30am ? Giive yourself plenty of time to get there ... traffic can be heavy, especially if salmon are running. The Seward Hwy is the only route and only 1 lane in each direction.

 

yes, cruise leaves at 11:30, and check in as at 10:30. i was planning to leave our hotel by 7:30 or so.

 

Since you asked for suggestions .... I'd skip the drive to Seward. The Kenai cruise is wonderful, but IMHO it creates a hectic start to the trip. Instead, explore the Turnagain Arm; visit the Wildlife Conservation Center, pan for gold at Indian Valley or Crow Creek, visit Portage Lake/Glacier Visitor Center, hike at Byron Glacier, look for dall sheep along the ridges, look for moose at Potters Marsh, ride the tram at Alyeska. Or consider splitting up .... let the kids have their gold panning, plus they'll enjoy all the other activities along the Turnagain Arm.

http://www.alaska.org/guide/turnagain-arm-drive

http://www.alaska.org/guide/portage-valley

 

thank you - this is perfect, just what i wanted. the only reason i booked it is because i thought it may be our best bet for wildlife viewing, since it is, after all, a wildlife cruise. we really wanted to go to denali, but couldn't due to time constraints and this is our compromise. what do you think?

[mapleleaves]

A 7:30 arrival time will feel like 10:30pm for your body clock Add 1 1/2 -2 hrs to get luggage, pick up cars and reach Girdwood. You'll be tired but you['ll also be excited about your adventure.

As I've mentioned on previous posts, I've attempted the Kenai cruise 3 times; on the 2nd try we made it out to the glacier and it was fantastic! The 1st and 3rd trips were downgraded to Bay tours due to bad weather. I thought the bay tour was boring. But then again I'm from the PNW so seeing rocky cliffs and deep evergreen forest wasn't anything special for me. Due to heavy clouds we couldn't see any mountain ranges.

As for wildlife viewing on the cruises.... on the glacier tour we saw a couple of whales. On the Bay tour we saw some mountain goats, an eagles nest, bald eagles, seals, and loads of birds including puffins. The Bay tour is also incorporated into the longer tours so we had the same wildlife sightings on all 3 tours; they must be typical. We only saw the whales on the long tour. For me the highlight was the glacier experience .... listening to it creak and groan and eventually calve was awesome.

That was MY experience. Others will have had different experiences. You know your kids best. But I wouold think several activities along the Arm might be more fun for kids. The Wildlife Center will provide them with MORE types of wildlife to view ... bears, caribou, musk ox, bison, moose, eagles, etc but they aren't in the wild.

Tough call. What do your kids want to do ?

[stilley9]

A 7:30 arrival time will feel like 10:30pm for your body clock Add 1 1/2 -2 hrs to get luggage, pick up cars and reach Girdwood. You'll be tired but you['ll also be excited about your adventure.

As I've mentioned on previous posts, I've attempted the Kenai cruise 3 times; on the 2nd try we made it out to the glacier and it was fantastic! The 1st and 3rd trips were downgraded to Bay tours due to bad weather. I thought the bay tour was boring. But then again I'm from the PNW so seeing rocky cliffs and deep evergreen forest wasn't anything special for me. Due to heavy clouds we couldn't see any mountain ranges.

As for wildlife viewing on the cruises.... on the glacier tour we saw a couple of whales. On the Bay tour we saw some mountain goats, an eagles nest, bald eagles, seals, and loads of birds including puffins. The Bay tour is also incorporated into the longer tours so we had the same wildlife sightings on all 3 tours; they must be typical. We only saw the whales on the long tour. For me the highlight was the glacier experience .... listening to it creak and groan and eventually calve was awesome.

That was MY experience. Others will have had different experiences. You know your kids best. But I wouold think several activities along the Arm might be more fun for kids. The Wildlife Center will provide them with MORE types of wildlife to view ... bears, caribou, musk ox, bison, moose, eagles, etc but they aren't in the wild.

Tough call. What do your kids want to do ?

 

thanks so much for this feedback. definitely something to think about...

[Eileen G]

While I love Seward I would recommend skipping the wild life tour there also. You will be doing the glacier tour from Whittier and two long tours two days in a row might be too much for young boys. There is so much to do near Girdwood and Portage it would be a shame too miss it. The Portage visitors center has a lot of hands on stuff for kids(as long as your trip is after labor day) and they would probably love the Wildlife Center. After your long trip to Alaska the boys might need a day to run around and not be confined to a car and boat.

[PandRBarry]

Well, since you guys started giving advice, I've come so far in my planning, and I dare to say that I'm almost finished. (I hope). But because we have such a varied group of travelers and we've never been, I would love it if the experts would take a look and let me know if there is anything glaringly missing (or if you have any suggestions).

 

The story on us - family of 10 across 3 generations. Youngest members 5 and 8 year old boys, and oldest members 60'ish year old grandparents. We have never been to Alaska and the oldest members of the group assume they may not ever get back, so we would like to see as much as we can. Biggest draws - wildlife, glaciers, and scenery.

 

Itinerary is as follows:

 

Arrive in ANC Saturday night, drive to Girdwood for the night.

 

Wake up Sunday morning, drive Turnagain Arm the rest of the way to

Seward for the Wildlife National Park cruise. Get off boat around 5:30 pm. Spend Sunday night in Seward.

 

Monday morning, drive to Whittier for the 12:45 Glacier cruise. Get off boat, and board the NCL Sun, which leaves at 9 pm.

 

Tuesday - cruise Hubbard Glacier

 

Wednesday - Icy Straits 9am -5 pm

we have a 1 pm private whale watching cruise

(any thoughts on what to do beforehand?)

 

Thursday Juneau 7 am - 1:15 pm

We're doing the Taku Lodge flightseeing and salmon bake which will take the majority of this very short day in Juneau

 

Friday Skagway 7 am - 5 pm

We're doing a Chilkoot Tours private train/bus trip that also includes the dogcart ride. I think it's 7:30 am - 3 pm

(anything to do quickly in Skagway at 3 pm until we leave?)

 

Saturday Ketchikan - 1 pm-8 pm

1 pm - 2 guys in the group are going on a private salmon fishing tour

4:30 pm - everyone else going on a private Misty Fjords flightseeing tour

question - before the flight, would like to do something with the kids. maybe the lumberjack shoe or the Totem State Park? Any thoughts on which would be better or something entirely different.

 

Sunday - cruise Sawyer glacier

 

Monday - disembark in Vancouver. We'll spend 2 days in Vancouver touring the city and Whistler.

 

The one thing that my kids have mentioned is gold panning - i only see it in Skagway and we're already booked all day. Is there another tour that i'm missing for gold panning?

 

Otherwise, anything obviously missing from this seemingly action-packed agenda. Thanks so much in advance! :D

Try to stop at the Wildlife conservation Center near Girdwood. Everyone will love it especially the boys. There is also gold panning in/near girdwood. I want to say Cold Creek? Also nice is the Alyska resort in Girdwood and the tram there that goes up the mountain with awesome views. Maybe these activities instead of the Whittier boat tour? You're already going on the one out of seward and then you'll be on your cruise. Did you buy the northern lights coupon book? There are coupons in there for the conservation center and the Alyska tram. 2 Bogo each. Also coupons for Mt Roberts tram in Juneau. As far as Icy strait, not really much to do but it's nice to walk around. Hope you are using Hoonah Adventures for your whale watch! They were great. I think the boys would like the lumber jack show in Ketchikan more than looking at totem poles. Just my opinion based on having 2 sons myself.

[Budget Queen]

With your short time, and wanting to include Seward, I do recommend it. I have sailed the area over 25 times, and never have been canceled. So, frankly it goes far more often then it is canceled. I do boat tours, days in a row, all the time. No issue to for, I have no idea how your group would be??? However- the alternatives listed above certainly are good choices as well, but IF your priority is wildlife in the wild, then the choice would be the Kenai Fjords tour over the Prince Willaim Sound.

 

In Ketcikan you have no time for Totem Bight- which by city bus needs 3 hours, by taxi 2 hours. You can easily occupy your time, by walking the downtown areas and Creek St.

 

Another possible wildlife option would be the Tracy Arm add on ship excursion. I'm sure you have read that it is grossly superior compared to the cruise ship transit.

[stilley9]

Well it seems that the Sun doesn't offer the Tracy Arm add on, from reading another thread. No wonder I couldn't find any info on it.

 

Considering the group, and especially the 8 year old boy's obsession with animals and my uncle is an avid hunter who has stated his priority is wildlife, I'm inclined to keep the Kenai park cruise. However I could possibly consider dropping the Whittier cruise to give us more time to explore the area. I know it's backtracking a bit, but would it be a bad idea to leave Seward Monday morning and head back up to the Wildlife Center? Or the gold panning places? Our boat leaves from Whittier at 9 pm. I guess we could also just stay in Seward and do the sea life center. I just want to try to do the most with our short time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[mapleleaves]

 

Considering the group, and especially the 8 year old boy's obsession with animals and my uncle is an avid hunter who has stated his priority is wildlife, I'm inclined to keep the Kenai park cruise.

 

However I could possibly consider dropping the Whittier cruise to give us more time to explore the area. I know it's backtracking a bit, but would it be a bad idea to leave Seward Monday morning and head back up to the Wildlife Center? Or the gold panning places? Our boat leaves from Whittier at 9 pm. I guess we could also just stay in Seward and do the sea life center. I just want to try to do the most with our short time. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

What wildlife do you expect to see during the Kenai cruise?

This is definitely do-able. You will have a full day to explore. Just be mindful of the hours for travelling thr the Anton Anderson tunnel .... only open on the half hour going INTO Whittier.

 

BTW, when is your trip?

Edited May 13, 2014 by mapleleaves

[stilley9]

What wildlife do you expect to see during the Kenai cruise?

This is definitely do-able. You will have a full day to explore. Just be mindful of the hours for travelling thr the Anton Anderson tunnel .... only open on the half hour going INTO Whittier.

 

BTW, when is your trip?

 

Polar bears mostly.

 

I kid. :)

 

I don't know - I guess sea life? Sea otters, puffins, eagles etc.

 

I would love the opportunity for sometime on our trip to see bears, moose, elk, etc. but I don't know how realistic that is from a boat? This was why we originally wanted to go to Denali.

 

What wildlife do you think we'll see (generally speaking of course, knowing no guarantees).

 

Our trip starts June 14 and cruise departs June 16.

 

Thanks!

[AmberCascades]

That sounds like an exciting itinerary. What a memorable family adventure you will have!

 

If everyone is up to it, you could just walk from the pier to Hoonah in ISP. We saw a bald eagle on the way and there was a whale playing in the harbour. It's not a real "happening" town, but if you want a nice walk and just to see what the town is like it was nice. We passed the high school and the city hall and spoke to a local along the way. It was nice and low-key.

 

In Ketchikan the kids might like the lumberjack show. We enjoyed just walking around the town. There are totem poles around town and you can see the salmon ladder and married man's trail.

 

We did the Taku Lodge flight in Juneau and it was great. Good food and we went on a guided nature hike (very short) afterwards. The bear came to bbq grill after we went inside so then we all went out to take pictures. And being in a plane and flying over glaciers was just amazing. We also went to Mendenhall glacier and took the trail to the falls. That was fun too, but I don't know if you have time in your schedule.

 

Hope you have a great trip.

[Budget Queen]

Polar bears mostly.

 

I kid. :)

 

I don't know - I guess sea life? Sea otters, puffins, eagles etc.

 

I would love the opportunity for sometime on our trip to see bears, moose, elk, etc. but I don't know how realistic that is from a boat? This was why we originally wanted to go to Denali.

 

What wildlife do you think we'll see (generally speaking of course, knowing no guarantees).

 

Our trip starts June 14 and cruise departs June 16.

 

Thanks!

 

 

You would likely see your above list on a Kenai Fjords boat tour, also you will see sea lions, maybe whales- both humpbacks and orcas.

 

IF "wildlife" is the priority, it's a shame you are missing out on the "best" place- Denali Park. If at all possible, try to add some days, and get there. You are already all the way there, how often do you think you will be back? There are huge expenses already spent, extending the time, is small expense compared to a whole another trip. I also would suggest splitting up, if some can extend.

[laughing husky]

Gold panning....There is a neat place to go in Indian right along the side of the highway....Called Indian Valley Mine.....Inexpensive...They teach the kids how to pan, and they always find gold.....It shouldn't take longer than 30 minutes or so and they are very cool people who run the place....They also have a B & B there too. I often take my grandkids there. Crow Creek is also a good place to be but at times the river can be high, and I guarantee that the kids will get wet....least all of my kids do....:) For smaller kids, I think that the Indian Valley Mine might be better. You can also do a cart ride at the Seavey's in Seward which is quite a nice cart ride, and I believe that it is cheaper than the one on the cruise, but you can check out the price...That would give you more time on your cruise stop...If you have the time after your boat ride with Kenai....

[mapleleaves]

<< I don't know - I guess sea life? Sea otters, puffins, eagles etc. >>

 

Sure, a 95% chance you'll see all those things. A good chance you'll see mountain goats and bald eagles too. Maybe a 50/50 chance for whales.

 

I think you're looking for an easy answer to your dilemna, but it ain't gonna happen :). You have a tough decision to make. My vote is still to skip the Kenai cruise ( or the Whittier cruise) in order to have a day exploring along the Arm. But I've been there several times and will also return so that's easy for me to say.

 

No chance you can get an extra day in order to visit Denali ?

Edited May 13, 2014 by mapleleaves

[stilley9]

you are missing out on the "best" place- Denali Park. If at all possible, try to add some days, and get there. You are already all the way there, how often do you think you will be back? There are huge expenses already spent, extending the time, is small expense compared to a whole another trip. I also would suggest splitting up, if some can extend.

 

you're right, of course. but it's more than expense. it's more about time off from work.

 

i will check to see what the charges are to change our flight. i would be open to an additional hotel night, but i wouldn't be open to a ton of airline change fees. i'll look into it. one more day would be as much as i could miss from work, for sure.

[mapleleaves]

I'm sure airline fees will be high, especially for a family. Just plan on coming back in a couple of years !! With 2 boys you could have a heck of an adventure in an RV for a week or more. (or with a hotel and rental car but I'm partial to camping and in Alaska, partial to RV'g). Enjoy your cruise! you'll be back.

[stilley9]

I'm sure airline fees will be high, especially for a family. Just plan on coming back in a couple of years !! With 2 boys you could have a heck of an adventure in an RV for a week or more. (or with a hotel and rental car but I'm partial to camping and in Alaska, partial to RV'g). Enjoy your cruise! you'll be back.

i like the way you think. :) i think this is the best option for us. focus on what we can do this time, and plan another trip in a few years. my kids are only 8 and 5 so i think some of this stuff will be even more fun for them as they get older.