Planes, Train, Cars, Boats/Cruise ship, and a RV – June 26th - July 12th 2014

Cruise critic is a wonderful resource for planning vacations, and I enjoyed and learned so much from reading reviews. As there are so many people who have written such great detailed reviews with great pics, and I am going to focus on just some of the things that I had gone back and forth on when planning this trip. Just one more perspective/opinion on stuff many people cover on these boards.

In a nutshell, we had a great trip with great weather. I had mentally prepared for rain every day so anything less than this was a win in my book. I think being prepared for the weather definitely helped us maximize enjoying the trip, whatever the weather.

A bit about us, I (48) traveled with my kids (15 and 13) and husband (51). We have lived in upstate NY for past 16 years so accustomed to and have high tolerance for snow, rain, and cold. Prior to the trip, I did do some hiking in forty degree weather to try to determine what clothing layers would work for me while on an AK glacier in the summer.

Clothes Related/Packing Observations:

From a layering perspective, this is what ended up working for me - just an example as I struggled a bit to figure out what to do/bring as I did not want to be too hot or too cold or carrying too much :-)

Layering for “stationary” activities such as tours on smaller boats where primarily standing and watching scenery (think Major Marine Blackstone Bay boat tour, Kenai Fjords boat tour, Hubbard Glacier day on Radiance)

-----Wore thin, long sleeved athletic shirt, sometimes packed a fleece sweater which could wear next but ended up usually not wearing due to weather we had, a Kohls brand Tek Gear thin, relatively flat version of “puffy” jacket, and a Marmot Precip rain jacket. Wore Eddie Bauer Travex fleece lined pants and used my ear warmers and rain jacket hood when in bow of boat. Layering two jackets gave me multiple pockets in which I stuck a camcorder, point and shoot camera, filters, gloves in case hands got cold, etc. I also liked being able to unzip and just take off the jackets, as seemed easier to me than trying to struggle in and out of fleece sweater over the head. Sure I could have worn less and many did, but it allowed me to be comfortable spending all my time outside on the small boats.

Layering for “active” stuff such as hiking on Matanuska Glacier, hiking to Anan Bear observatory, Knik Glacier Boat tour – hiking once got there, hiking around Independence Mine, etc.

-----Basically on some days I swapped out the long sleeved athletic shirt for short sleeved, and I substituted regular hiking pants with lots of pockets. I ended up really liking Eastern Mountain Sports hiking pants.

One thing confirmed to me during the trip is that no matter how warm/great it is on “land” it will probably be colder/windier on the water or next to a glacier, plus the weather really does change on a dime in terms of sunshine, cold, and rain. Now, I had read that here so I was prepared, but I didn’t truly believe it until saw in action. That said, I always had my Marmot Precip rain jacket and my low profile ear warmers with me, and carried it all in a handy packable Eddie Bauer small backpack with any other layers decided to pack for the day. I think it is better to bring multiple “thinner” layers so you can mix and match and never feel like carrying a ton of weight in your daypack, yet prepared for whatever the weather does.

For shoes, I brought one pair waterproof hiking boots and a pair of athletic shoes that somewhat waterproofed via spraying them. Just my preference, but I did bring SmartWool Mountaineering Socks which are very thick, and these did work very well with the boots that I borrowed from Nova for their Matanuska glacier hike. I found their boots very comfortable and did not get any blisters, but my husband and daughter mentioned they did get a blister or two by wearing Nova’s boots with thin socks. Skipping ahead I do recommend wearing Nova’s boots as 1) they are REALLY waterproof and work well with their crampons and 2) walking in a lot of water and “goo” (my technical term) so your own boots will get very dirty (if that matters, but on vacation, I liked not having to have to clean up my own boots after this great adventure). Another thing, I realized that when I wore my own hiking boots on the Radiance, the “grip” was making me almost trip when I was walking quickly up and down the stairs, (almost fell a couple times due to my clumsiness), so for my peace of mind, switched to wearing my sneakers on board.

Some other thoughts:

---I had brought a dress for formal night, but was not motivated to actually wear it. I ended up wearing dress black pants and a nice fancy (sparkling) top for both formal nights, and I was happy to see I fit right in with a big chunk of people.

---I did bring rain pants that didn’t need to use, but I am glad that I did have them as they were very light so didn’t take up much room. I don’t think any of us brought jeans (daughter brought jean shorts) and we didn’t miss them. All of us had some “weather-proof/water resistant” pants which were well worth bringing and very versatile.

---I did end up wear shorts at times, and I did end up fully bundled up with all layers at times. Packing a little of everything really seems to work. And it is good to bring from home those items that harder to get good fit right off the shelf vs. a lot of stuff you can easily pick up while in AK. I did see jackets for sale, plus due to warmer than expected weather, we did pick up t-shirts to wear and as souvineirs.

---Most of the stuff I picked up on clearance sales being ran right after Christmas through March. I shopped on line at Eddie Bauer, LL Bean, Rei, Amazon, EMS, Sierra Trading Post, Dicks Sporting Goods etc and also went into stores in nearby mall. Trying to pick up any last minute stuff closer to the trip was $$$ so in hindsight would have just waited and bought in AK. I would say I got 90% of good quality stuff on clearance.

Favorite items packed/bought:

---Marmot Precip jacket – just loved it and also so lightweight that didn’t bother me to bring along even if no rain

---Packable, light daypacks – we used Eddie Bauer brand

---Ear warmers (wrap around back of head) – low profile and easy to always stash in my day pack

---Travel clothesline & Travelon brand inflatable hangers – I rigged this up several places

---Travel power strip – It really helped with charging batteries. I got one which had a lot of “space” between outlets so could fit various camera battery chargers.

---Ahnu hiking boots – just loved them as so comfortable and in black, so went with all my black pants

---Insulated coffee mugs – picked up as souvenirs and used a lot

---Shower Curtain from Dollar Store – Used on Radiance and really did keep water from flooding bathroom (tip learned on this site). For last shower, didn’t use it as already had removed, and bathroom did have big puddle. Using clothes pins, you clip it to inside of the shower curtain provided and the extra weight keeps shower curtain off you and prevents water getting on rest of bathroom floor.

DIY Land Tour Observations:

Four nights in Great Alaskan Holidays 26ft rental RV:

---We were excited about vacation when got off the plane, but the RV orientation video they make you watch can be sobering. We were joking about the change in mood while watching it as my son said “think we are in for a disaster” because it shows you everything that potentially could go wrong. In hindsight, I think the video did a good job of highlighting some things to be aware of, and we did return the RV with no issues, got our deposit back.

---We stayed on their lot the first night. Think much more relaxing way to go as after long flight I would not have wanted to go set up somewhere else. We did stock up at the Super Walmart right down the road. One of the travel mugs sold on the ship was only $5 bucks at Walmart.

---We stayed at Grandview Café and RV park (our favorite and they gave us great directions to some of the harder to find hiking trail heads near Glenn Highway), Talkeetna Camper Park (just great that could easily walk into town from this site, and some trees as other places were more like parking lots) and Big Bear RV park (great big laundromat).

---Given I used points for all the hotels, airfare, etc, and had great corporate discounts for AVIS, we probably did not break even by using an RV vs hotels, etc. However, the family wanted to try the “Brady Bunch” RV type experience so we compromised for four days. I loved always knowing where the bathroom was, and having one teenage son who constantly eats, and one teenage vegan daughter, it was nice to be able to stock up on snacks, etc. and pull over and have a meal whenever we wanted. Also, it limited sticker shock discussion on the cost of eating out in AK until we turned in the RV. What I didn’t like is that it limited where could explore at times due to road restrictions. We gave up on finding the “Dr Seuss” house near Willow, AK as we were very close to it, but afraid to damage RV on the gravel roads – which were not suppose to drive on anyhow. It was cool seeing some of the houses back off main roads.

Places we visited while in the RV:

Knik River Bridge

By doing some criss-crossing, we did get to see how the weather changed the view:

This was on first day, mountains in background were not that visible

This was on a later day when went by again - said to my husband, were those mountains there the first time :)

other views of bridge:

like to walk on old bridges:)

Continued - Places we visited while in the RV:

Independence Mine/Hatcher Pass

Really wanted to see this and it completely lived up to my expectations. Just amazing.

You can see our clothing choices in this pic...

Some views from visiting Independence Mine

Regarding the RV, in hindsight, I wish we had bought foil wrap at Wal-Mart to cover up the skylights. We did end up duct taping towels to block the light, but another RVer gave us this tip right before we turned our RV in. Also, in retrospect, my husband wished we had gotten the disposable rubber gloves that I suggested, but he thought he would not need.

On our first full day, as we headed from Anchorage to Independence Mine, we did stop at Thunderbird Falls for a quick hike. After Independence Mine, we headed along the Glenn Highway. Great scenic driving, and we saw the biggest moose of the trip, right on the side of the road. I really enjoyed the views traveling both ways, but, fyi, the pull offs are all on the right side as traveling from Anchorage. I would have loved to do the Lion's Head hike, but adjusting to the time change caught up with us, so we skipped it. Maybe next time…

There are many, many places to stop an enjoy views along this highway. We also saw our first glacier, the Matanuska Glacier, which we would hike on the following morning.

From plane to Anchorage, sitting on right side of plane

On way to Independence Mine

from Glenn Highway

Matanuska Glacier Hike with Nova

Next day we used Nova for a Matanuska Glacier hike. They also offer a lot of rafting trips. Setting up this excursions was supper easy via their web site, and I had a couple of great conversations with people at Nova. We had one guide for the four of us, plus one other couple. The crampons made it very easy to walk on the glacier. Nova really exceeded my expectations, and happy to answer any questions on anything.

You can see people in the very far left of this pic

My daughter exploring. Our guide really went out of her way to show us some interesting parts of the glacier (while also being very safety conscious)

Dream a Dream Kennel / Vern Halter – Willow, AK

We did a morning tour here that involved taking a hike with the puppies, getting a ride with the sled dogs, and watched an interesting and informative presentation on the Iditarod. Our ride with the dogs was exciting as we went through water and up and down hills, ducking tree branches. My son said it was one of his favorite things we did on this trip. Cindy Abbott gave us part of the tour, and she had a very inspiring story about climbing Mt. Everest and then going on to compete in the Iditarod. Finally, this place was the farthest thing from a tourist trap, and the dogs all seemed extremely happy and well cared for. We stopped halfway thru the ride and got down and gave the dogs water, let them rest. We learned a lot as well as it being a lot of fun to play with the dogs. We also were the only people on the tour in the morning. Vern said a big group was coming in the afternoon. They offer both morning and afternoon tours, and will pick up from Anchorage if require transportation. Highly recommend if looking for a sled dog tour that does not involve flying to a glacier first.

We stood up here during the ride

Knik Glacier Tours – Palmer, AK

I have always wanted to see Knik Glacier since the Goo Goo Dolls performed on it as part of their Live in Alaska videos. While it was hot outside at the tour meeting place, it just happened to be much colder and much windier near the glacier. Most of the group hung out at the camp-site that was protected by the wind, while my family spent some time exploring the shore line. It was very peaceful/quiet to walk around exploring, feeling like you were the only people there. The hot chocolate offered at the camp-site was also great.

Wonderful photos !! really enjoying the review.

I was trying to stay organized and take screen shots of the weather by day, and I did manage a few before I just got caught up in the experience - which wasn't a bad thing anyhow. I don't have an iPhone but was using my iPad whenever had free wifi at the RV parks or hotels. Again I knew it would be light/long days but experiencing it in reality for the first time was pretty cool. I was trying to use this app to spark my memories years from now.

Our home away from home - we felt 26ft was a good size for our family of four as not too small but also not too big to maneuver for someone doing this for first time.

Was great to wake up to this, but we were at Grandview RV park on Glenn Highway so a bit weird that app called it Palmer.

You can see how close the Grandview RV park is to Lion's Head which is viewable in distance. Again, suppose to be a cool hike to top.

This is what the inside of the RV looked like (with me, but best pic that didn't have our stuff spread all over the place). This was a brand new RV, and I would not hestiate to rent from Great Alaskan Holidays again. We were early for our check in, and they let us check in early and everyone was very nice and friendly there - contrary to some of the reviews had read prior to our trip. One thing I will note is that RV storage is not built for short people like me! Constantly stretching to try to reach stuff so while airplane seats aren't too bad for me, this was the opposite.

Here we were at 10pm, I did like the trees in the Talkeetna Camper Park, though sites, like most RV places here, are closely spaced. We had to back in to the slot here.

And fireworks from the balcony at Holiday Inn in Seward

Wonderful photos !! really enjoying the review.

Thanks, and thanks for all your very valuable advice in this forum.

I know pics help me visualize stuff sometimes. I also know that many times on the trip I would come across something and think oh yeah, so that is what they meant by that on this forum. I can read it, but sometimes I need to experience it for myself to really absorb it - slow learner I guess:o. For example, I was really glad had sunblock and sunglasses, made everyone in family wear, as we were outside a lot, and I was amazed how bright it really was while walking on the glacier. We don't really get a ton of sunshine where we live now in upstate NY so my kids aren't accustomed to it.

Hiking on Matanuska Glacier with Nova

Vern Halter/Dream a Dream Kennel (you can see our lovely RV in background)

Knik Glacier Tours

Our last RV night was spent at the Big Bear RV Park. The next morning we got this view as leaving. We filled up with gas prior to turning in the RV. In hindsight, we should not have prepaid for propane as we barely used any.

Since we were turning in the RV for an AVIS rental car to be picked up at the airport, we stopped at the Alaska Aviation Museum which also gave us the opportunity to watch float planes take off. We had the Northern Lights Coupon book on this trip which had a 2 for 1 coupon for this museum. The museum was small but interesting to us.

We spent two nights at the SpringHill Suites Anchorage University Lake. FYI, the free shuttle runs on the hour in the morning so we had to take the 5am shuttle to check in by 5:45am for the 6:45am train from Anchorage to Seward.

While based out of Anchorage, we spent time exploring between Seward and Whittier, stopping at many places mentioned in the Milespost, etc. We did go to the Wildlife Conservation Center and spent some time around Girdwood.

Dall sheep up on hill

View - think near the Wildlife Conservation Center

Using the Northern Lights book coupons, I reserved the Blackstone Bay tour with Major Marine out of Whittier. I picked a day during which no cruise ships were in the Whittier port, and our boat was maybe 75% full. The Whittier tunnel was really easy to use, and it was interesting to watch all the vehicles line up.

For me, it was worth it to do this tour and then also do a 6 hr Kenai Fjords tour out of Seward two days later. About a year ago I signed up for the newsletter on the Kenai Fjords tour site, and on Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving 2013), I got an email offering 50% off on their 8am tours which I took advantage of. Also, I thought both tours were great but slightly different with one emphasizing glaciers slightly more (the Blackstone Bay one), and more chances to see wildlife on the Kenai Fjords one. We did see both glaciers and wildlife on both tours - just a matter of degree. I am glad that we did the Whittier one first though as my family preferred the Kenai Fjords one due to more wildlife sightings. I did get my best video of calving during the Blackstone Bay tour. I also am very glad got multiple chances to be up close to glaciers in small boats.

Blackstone Bay tour with Major Marine

Blackstone Bay tour

The day after the boat tour, we took the train to Seward. We opted for Gold Star service. I found my breakfast on the train to be a little lukewarm, but the rest of the family thought the food was good. We saw eagles, moose, and bear on the trip down, but I was too excited and too slow/unskilled to get any pics of these so just enjoyed the moments. Though, my two major moose encounters are etched on my brain – maybe due to not having any pictures. This train ride was my daughter's favorite excursion.

Thru the glass as at times needed a break from all the people standing outside at times...

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Seward. The luggage went directly from the train to the hotel which was nice. Using points, I had reserved a harbor side balcony room. We used the balcony a lot for the two nights we were there. I loved watching the boats and people come in with their catches. We also got a good view of the 4th of July Fireworks. Both nights we ate at Chinook’s which is right next door as wonderful, wonderful seafood served there.

Also, we just walked/wheeled all of our luggage over to the Radiance and checked it in with no problem. We were on board before noon. We had a great lunch in windjammer (no crowds). We dropped off our carry on luggage around 1pm in cabin 9076 (near the centrum), and then headed to the SeaLife Center for the Puffin Encounter. Husband also had a chance to watch the winners come in for the Mt. Marathon race.

from the balcony to the building on pier shown in above pic, with the zoom on my little bridge camera:

8am six hours Kenai Fjords tour

since not the quickest to take a pic and very much an amateur photographer, sometimes video gave me easier chance of capturing anything...

[YOUTUBE]mR9d1reduP0[/YOUTUBE]

think one of highlights of this tour was seeing this bear - made me wonder if we would see a lot of bears at Anan later next week...

I am really enjoying your review. Your pictures are wonderful! I especially love the swimming bear. I hope you will be posting more, particularly your trip to Anan. I have booked that for next year.

I am really enjoying your review. Your pictures are wonderful! I especially love the swimming bear. I hope you will be posting more, particularly your trip to Anan. I have booked that for next year.

Thanks very much. I hope to get everything posted this week. I did take some very shaky video of the bear swimming, so I tried to cut out the most shaky parts. He or she was not that close. The great thing about Anan is seeing them more up close.

[YOUTUBE]SOQuoER1JUU[/YOUTUBE]

So jumping ahead, here is little Anan clip from photo blind, a lot closer than bear swimming in water :). Though I was equally thrilled by both experiences.

Sorry, I range from taking shaky to very shaky video, and worse when I am excited :o

[YOUTUBE]BwhmHxCIT7c[/YOUTUBE]

How cool! It's got to be so much fun to be that close.

This is an excellent report with terrific photos.

Wonderful.

Keith

When I've used GAH the only gravel roads we had to avoid were the gravel hwys listed in their brochure. Some were prohibited and some had restrictions. We even attempted to drive the Haul Rd to Arctic Circle on one trip. Have the rules changed ? I was puzzled by your comment about the Dr Seuss house.

BTW, which activity did you prefer .... Knik Glacier or Nova ? or are they too different to compare?

When I've used GAH the only gravel roads we had to avoid were the gravel hwys listed in their brochure. Some were prohibited and some had restrictions. We even attempted to drive the Haul Rd to Arctic Circle on one trip. Have the rules changed ? I was puzzled by your comment about the Dr Seuss house.

 

BTW, which activity did you prefer .... Knik Glacier or Nova ? or are they too different to compare?

Yes, I am just a worrywart at times, and felt we had paid enough for the RV rental that didn't want to return damaged, even thou we got and I do recommend getting the maximum insurance options they offer. I was just worried about damage in general as I could hear stuff hitting the underside of RV, plus didn't want to spend a ton of time trying to find the place just to take a pic. My husband said I was overreacting :). And we did not have any damage when turned it in. Also the roads were getting more narrow, and dirt/gravel mix, bridge was out, and I was wondering if there would be space to turn around if we needed to turn around without scratching the vehicle, etc. I also didn't want to get to Talkeetna too late. Thanks for helping me clarify this so no confusion.

Have you ever seen this Dr. Seuss house in person?

So, not to confuse anyone, wasn't really thinking of "specific rules" at the time as believe they gave us a short list of roads which were prohibited-best to check with them for latest. I was just worried about damage when he was driving faster, and worried getting to Talkeetna later than expected when driving really slow on some sections of the road - he couldn't win with me:o and in the end, it was just to see if that house really did exist:)

I loved hiking with Nova, probably that and visiting Anan were my favorite things we did. Knik Glacier was a different type of activity, potential to be a much more sedate activity, and near but not actually on a glacier. Half the enjoyment of the Knik Glacier trip was getting the tour operator's opinions on what was going on in AK in general - interesting discussion on future of AK (though don't remember most of the details now, but was lively)

Yep, I reread what I wrote in that post, and it was not 100% accurate and more of my personal interpretation/"rule" of being extra cautious - my goal was to get our $500 deposit back and not damage anything not covered by their insurance offering as I do believe some things weren't covered (But I could be wrong).

Yes GAH does have some road restrictions but it is a short list that they will give you in writing. In my head, I was just trying to avoid any chance of getting, think it is called "undercarriage" damage by driving on roads if thought too rough for the RV and my piece of mind. I personally would have felt more comfortable in my own personal truck or jeep vs. a rental RV.

From welcome passport got from GAH, yep I was worried about undercarriage damage so why I was being cautious on rough roads even if not officially restricted.

Dream a Dream Kennel / Vern Halter – Willow, AK

 

 

 

We did a morning tour here that involved taking a hike with the puppies, getting a ride with the sled dogs, and watched an interesting and informative presentation on the Iditarod. Our ride with the dogs was exciting as we went through water and up and down hills, ducking tree branches. My son said it was one of his favorite things we did on this trip. Cindy Abbott gave us part of the tour, and she had a very inspiring story about climbing Mt. Everest and then going on to compete in the Iditarod. Finally, this place was the farthest thing from a tourist trap, and the dogs all seemed extremely happy and well cared for. We stopped halfway thru the ride and got down and gave the dogs water, let them rest. We learned a lot as well as it being a lot of fun to play with the dogs. We also were the only people on the tour in the morning. Vern said a big group was coming in the afternoon. They offer both morning and afternoon tours, and will pick up from Anchorage if require transportation. Highly recommend if looking for a sled dog tour that does not involve flying to a glacier first.

 

 

 

We stood up here during the ride

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knik Glacier Tours – Palmer, AK

 

 

 

I have always wanted to see Knik Glacier since the Goo Goo Dolls performed on it as part of their Live in Alaska videos. While it was hot outside at the tour meeting place, it just happened to be much colder and much windier near the glacier. Most of the group hung out at the camp-site that was protected by the wind, while my family spent some time exploring the shore line. It was very peaceful/quiet to walk around exploring, feeling like you were the only people there. The hot chocolate offered at the camp-site was also great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

So jealous it was sunny while you were at Knik. Everything looks bluer than when we were there. Really most people stayed at the camp site....we walked all over the place and loved it!

Great job.

Laura

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Seward. The luggage went directly from the train to the hotel which was nice. Using points, I had reserved a harbor side balcony room. We used the balcony a lot for the two nights we were there. I loved watching the boats and people come in with their catches. We also got a good view of the 4th of July Fireworks. Both nights we ate at Chinook’s which is right next door as wonderful, wonderful seafood served there.

 

Also, we just walked/wheeled all of our luggage over to the Radiance and checked it in with no problem. We were on board before noon. We had a great lunch in windjammer (no crowds). We dropped off our carry on luggage around 1pm in cabin 9076 (near the centrum), and then headed to the SeaLife Center for the Puffin Encounter. Husband also had a chance to watch the winners come in for the Mt. Marathon race.

 

 

 

from the balcony to the building on pier shown in above pic, with the zoom on my little bridge camera:

 

 

 

8am six hours Kenai Fjords tour

 

since not the quickest to take a pic and very much an amateur photographer, sometimes video gave me easier chance of capturing anything...

 

[YOUTUBE]mR9d1reduP0[/YOUTUBE]

 

 

think one of highlights of this tour was seeing this bear - made me wonder if we would see a lot of bears at Anan later next week...

 

 

Love your video of the Dall porpoise. Despite having 2 video cameras, I didn't think it use it them.

Thanks for sharing.

I loved seeing the swimming bear too!

Laura

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Thanks for clarifying. Yes, that's the same old list. Don't blame you for being a worrywart ... I think the scarey video at orientation is make you worry and think twice about doing anything silly. Plus it encourages you to buy the insurance !

On our first trip we tried the Dalton Hwy to Arctic Circle. I turned around because the commercial trucks were throwing up too many rocks and I worried the windshield would get cracked. We also saw a couple of overturned cars and I wondered what it would cost to get a tow truck out there. Plus it was noisey and uncomfortable on the gravel road. The 2nd trip I actually had a little accident. Backed into a pole at a campsite. Glad we had the insurance! GAH was great about it tho... told us some horror stories about what happens to those vehicles over the course of a summer.

I'm really enjoying your photos. They're great!

Thanks Laura and Mapleleaves. Yes, Laura, we also loved having the area around Knik Glacier to ourselves, as everyone else tucked away at camp-site.

On the Knik Glacier tour, you also get a relatively short ride in one of these thru a rather deep stream.

And I was happy there was an outhouse at the camp-site, plus good for some laughs on the windy day we had :o:). Maybe the curtain was temporary, not sure...