Land tour on our own

[GORDONCHICK]

We are in the beginning stages of planning another Alaskan cruise, but this time it will be a one-way so we can do inland touring. We have a DS who will be 13 by this time and I don't want to do a cruise line tour with him.

 

Where/what is a good source for helping us plan the land portion? Most of what I see on this Alaska board is ship excursions (which we don't do anyway) and cruise tours. I need help/guidance on selecting lodging, routes and comparing things/places to see/do to maximize our time since we likely won't be doing it again. We don't yet know if we will cruise or land tour first - we are waiting for our DS's boy scout summer camp to be scheduled/booked before we can get that part settled. Our timing would be in June, though.

 

Would some of you who have done this let me know what sources you used in planning & booking?

[AKStafford]

I think you'll find the Trip Advisor forums for Alaska to be a great resource:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28923-i349-Alaska.html

[DragonOfTheSeas]

I agree that Trip Adviser is a good source. Also, once you make a couple of basic decisions you can get good specific advise on CC.

 

For example--

1--Do you want to visit Denali?

2--Do you want to travel as far north as Fairbanks. . .or take a trip all the way to the arctic circle [this is on my bucket list--but, not for everyone]?

3--Do you want to concentrate on the Kenai Peninsula?

 

Have fun planning--it is half of the fun.:D

Edited November 27, 2013 by DragonOfTheSeas

[GORDONCHICK]

According to DH, Denali is an absolute must. Since we will only have about 5 -7 days, I don't think Fairbanks is in the picture.

[Budget Queen]

I recommend you head to your library and take out Fodor's Alaska and Frommer's Alaska, and any other Alaska travel books.

 

Read up on the specific areas and determine where YOU want to go. Plenty of people have wonderful trips without including Denali.

 

The wildlife jack pots, which are a priority for a lot of people is Denali park, at least 2 nights there, and on the shuttle bus to at least Eielson, is my min. recommendation, and Kenai Fjords with at least 6 hours on the water with a boat tour.

 

First order of business for you, is to determine how many days you have. This will eliminate a lot of options if you don't have a lot of time. It doesn't really matter the direction of the cruise, unless May or Sept. Go with the itinerary of your choice, both directions have pluses. You will find the "trip reports" will claim their direction the "best" with some not even having done the other direction. :)

 

Key in your planning, do NOT underestimate time and distances. It is a poor plan to be on a marathon driving trip with no time for any delays or activities.

[Busman723]

Gordonchick

This is our third trip to Alaska. We do a northbound cruise first, then do a seven day interior trip after. Here is what we do. ( Doing the complete circle of the interior this August)

 

Arrive Seward 7am

Take Alaska Cruise Transfer to Anchorage Airport (arrive about 1:30pm)

Pick up a van at airport and drive north to Wasilla. (about a 60 mile drive, a easy 1 1/2 drive) Stay the night in a b&b

Get up about 7am and have a good breakfast.

Tour the Iditarod Race Headquarters

Drive up to Talkeenta (about 2 hour drive) We stop 3-4 times for pictures and snacks. Arrive about 1pm. Have lunch at the Boardhouse. (A must) The pie are out of this world.

After touring we then drive on up to Healy. Arrive about 5pm

Stay the night in b&b

Next day tour Denali ( Go in park as far as Elelson Center)A 6-7 hour tour.

Stay the night in Healy in b&b

Drive on to Fairbanks ( a 3 - 4 1/2 hour drive according to amount of stops)

Stay the night in Fairbanks

Tour Fairbanks

Stay the night in Fairbanks

Head towards Delta Junction

Stop in North Pole and tour (a must)

Return to Fairbanks and drop off van at airport and then fly home.

This is a fun extra 5 day interior tour.

 

We have also added two more days and went from Fairbanks to Delta Junction, Glennallen then to Palmer and then back into Anchorage. ( We feel a lot of people miss some of Alaska's most beautiful area by not doing the whole circle of the interior)

 

If you want a complete guide to Alaska, The Milepost is the one you need. You can get a 2012 edition on Amazon for a great price.

Hope this helps.

[donaldsc]

We are in the beginning stages of planning another Alaskan cruise, but this time it will be a one-way so we can do inland touring. We have a DS who will be 13 by this time and I don't want to do a cruise line tour with him.

 

Where/what is a good source for helping us plan the land portion? Most of what I see on this Alaska board is ship excursions (which we don't do anyway) and cruise tours. I need help/guidance on selecting lodging, routes and comparing things/places to see/do to maximize our time since we likely won't be doing it again. We don't yet know if we will cruise or land tour first - we are waiting for our DS's boy scout summer camp to be scheduled/booked before we can get that part settled. Our timing would be in June, though.

 

Would some of you who have done this let me know what sources you used in planning & booking?

 

Couple of general thoughts based on our 3 month driving trip to and through AK -

 

1) Do not try to do too much. Pick 2 or 3 places that sound interesting and spend more than 1 night in each place.

 

2) Do not stay in hotels or motels. Stay in B&B's. They are cheaper, much more interesting, and you get to meet real people. Use Trip Advisor to pick the B&B's. You will have to reserve at the best places early. We called some places in February and they were booked. B&B owners also know the good local places and the less well known interesting spots. For example, in Fairbanks we went out to a great blues bar with our B&B owner that we would never have known about in a motel. She even was the designated driver so we could drink.

 

3) I assume that you will be traveling by car. Do not travel by train. Trains give you know flexibility.

 

4) Do not over plan. Allow time for interesting things that come up unplanned.

 

5) Remember that distances between places in AK are long so allow enough driving time to get from place to place.

 

6) This should be obvious but allow your son to have input into what you do. He may want to do some kid stuff.

 

Hope this helps.

 

DON

[Budget Queen]

Gordonchick

This is our third trip to Alaska. We do a northbound cruise first, then do a seven day interior trip after. Here is what we do. ( Doing the complete circle of the interior this August)

 

Arrive Seward 7am

Take Alaska Cruise Transfer to Anchorage Airport (arrive about 1:30pm)

Pick up a van at airport and drive north to Wasilla. (about a 60 mile drive, a easy 1 1/2 drive) Stay the night in a b&b

Get up about 7am and have a good breakfast.

Tour the Iditarod Race Headquarters

Drive up to Talkeenta (about 2 hour drive) We stop 3-4 times for pictures and snacks. Arrive about 1pm. Have lunch at the Boardhouse. (A must) The pie are out of this world.

After touring we then drive on up to Healy. Arrive about 5pm

Stay the night in b&b

Next day tour Denali ( Go in park as far as Elelson Center)A 6-7 hour tour.

Stay the night in Healy in b&b

Drive on to Fairbanks ( a 3 - 4 1/2 hour drive according to amount of stops)

Stay the night in Fairbanks

Tour Fairbanks

Stay the night in Fairbanks

Head towards Delta Junction

Stop in North Pole and tour (a must)

Return to Fairbanks and drop off van at airport and then fly home.

This is a fun extra 5 day interior tour.

 

We have also added two more days and went from Fairbanks to Delta Junction, Glennallen then to Palmer and then back into Anchorage. ( We feel a lot of people miss some of Alaska's most beautiful area by not doing the whole circle of the interior)

 

If you want a complete guide to Alaska, The Milepost is the one you need. You can get a 2012 edition on Amazon for a great price.

Hope this helps.

 

Always- be advised and plan for construction delays. But there are some errors above. Wasilla/Talkeetna, is an hour, and Denali/Fairbanks is 2 1/4 hour driving. (not a lot of stops on this segment, in my opinion) Eielson Visitor Center, by shuttle bus, is 8 hours round trip, IF anyone is driving to Delta Junction, then be sure to stop at Rika's Roadhouse. The most scenic section of the Richardson is Glennallen/Valdez, needing another 2 days. The Glenn Highway is especially scenic in May. :)

 

Loads of options, with TIME the major determination on what you can do. :)

[Busman723]

I am sure glad that I am not traveling with Budgetqueen. I would miss a lot of Gods great works. We are here to smell the roses and see Gods Handy work. But to each his own. Slow or Fast. ENJOY

[Budget Queen]

I am sure glad that I am not traveling with Budgetqueen. I would miss a lot of Gods great works. We are here to smell the roses and see Gods Handy work. But to each his own. Slow or Fast. ENJOY

 

I do not state to drive by anything, and you have no idea what my travels are like, which are multiple and suit me just fine. The information is for accurate trip planning and travel transit times. Independent travelers, hopefully do their homework, and allow extra time for plenty of stops along the way. But there are people who are short on time, and giving them the actual time needed is more accurate. I repeatedly recommend not to do marathon trips. Yes, "to each his own".

Edited November 28, 2013 by Budget Queen

[GORDONCHICK]

I consider ALL of the suggestions and advice helpful. Yes, we always consider what DS would like to do (hence the no cruisetour). We will always stop for scenic views and photos - ALWAYS!

 

I do like the idea of B&B's but wonder how conducive they are with a 3rd person/teen in AK?

[kennicott]

We see it all the time up here, folk simply try to cram too much in, regardless how much time they have. Sort of like going to one of these smorgasbord, all you can eat, places and overloading your plate.

 

Budget Queen is spot on. Relax and enjoy.

 

My advice is to get your hands on a copy of Milepost. You can have a lot of fun just planning your trip using it. Not all enterprises buy advertisement in it so once you decide on a place or attraction to visit, Goggle it or use Trip Advisor for more ideas. You really don't need a current issue as things don't change all that rapidly. BQ has pointed out before that many public libraries have copies.

 

Here is a link http://www.milepost.com/

Edited November 28, 2013 by kennicott

[donaldsc]

Gordonchick

This is our third trip to Alaska. We do a northbound cruise first, then do a seven day interior trip after. Here is what we do. ( Doing the complete circle of the interior this August)

 

 

Stop in North Pole and tour (a must)

Return to Fairbanks and drop off van at airport and then fly home.

This is a fun extra 5 day interior tour.

 

We have also added two more days and went from Fairbanks to Delta Junction, Glennallen then to Palmer and then back into Anchorage. ( We feel a lot of people miss some of Alaska's most beautiful area by not doing the whole circle of the interior)

 

If you want a complete guide to Alaska, The Milepost is the one you need. You can get a 2012 edition on Amazon for a great price.

Hope this helps.

 

What is there to tour in North Pole but a bunch of tacky souvenir shops that sell Christmas stuff all year round and way too many Christmas lights in July and way too many Santa's. North Pole is not even worth getting off the highway to spend 5 minutes visiting the place. You are in AK to see AK, not a strip mall town pushed by the local Chamber of Commerce.

 

Skip North Pole.

 

By the way, you can hardly do a "whole circle of the interior" in 7 days. You may be able to do it in a few months but 7 days, no way.

 

DON

[donaldsc]

I do like the idea of B&B's but wonder how conducive they are with a 3rd person/teen in AK?

 

Call the ones you are interested in directly and ask them. The owners are always very friendly and will tell you whether their places work for teens.

 

DON

[teachatthebeach]

Thanks for this information. I am planning a cruise and land tour (land on our own). I just checked out the Milepost book from the library and agree it's a great resource.

[kennicott]

Haw, I have to chuckle at donaldsc's comment: "What is there to tour in North Pole but a bunch of tacky souvenir shops that sell Christmas stuff all year round and way too many Christmas lights in July and way too many Santa's. North Pole is not even worth getting off the highway to spend 5 minutes visiting the place. You are in AK to see AK, not a strip mall town pushed by the local Chamber of Commerce." As I spent five winters in Fairbanks attending the U of A and with the exception of driving through North Pole on the way to a from college (via the Richradson Highway there was no "Parks" in those days.), I never stopped there once.

 

However, a decade later, when our kids were 6 and 9, and we had a camper on our pickup, we went out of our way to visit North Pole, even took their picture in front of the huge Santa along side the highway and used it for our Christmas card that year. So, if you have young ones, it is a must, long in the toothers like me, forget it.

 

The kids are 48 and 45 now, we are going to enjoy Thanksgiving with them in a few hours and I'm going to ask them if they took my grandkids to North Pole.

Edited November 28, 2013 by kennicott

[Budget Queen]

What is there to tour in North Pole but a bunch of tacky souvenir shops that sell Christmas stuff all year round and way too many Christmas lights in July and way too many Santa's. North Pole is not even worth getting off the highway to spend 5 minutes visiting the place. You are in AK to see AK, not a strip mall town pushed by the local Chamber of Commerce.

 

Skip North Pole.

 

By the way, you can hardly do a "whole circle of the interior" in 7 days. You may be able to do it in a few months but 7 days, no way.

 

DON

 

Come on Don, it might be worth a 15 minute stop. :) My nephews, when they were elementary school aged, were "scared" that I "knew" santa, after, I sent them a post card from the North Pole, At the time I was staying near there in March. I reminded them the rest of the year. :) :)

 

But seriously- :) if any kids involved, it could be very worthwhile to some.

[donaldsc]

Come on Don, it might be worth a 15 minute stop. :) My nephews, when they were elementary school aged, were "scared" that I "knew" santa, after, I sent them a post card from the North Pole, At the time I was staying near there in March. I reminded them the rest of the year. :) :)

 

But seriously- :) if any kids involved, it could be very worthwhile to some.

 

I will grant you 15 minutes if you include the restroom stop at McDs. That was the high point of our tour of North Pole. LOL!

 

DON

Edited November 28, 2013 by donaldsc

[Budget Queen]

Haw, I have to chuckle at donaldsc's comment: "What is there to tour in North Pole but a bunch of tacky souvenir shops that sell Christmas stuff all year round and way too many Christmas lights in July and way too many Santa's. North Pole is not even worth getting off the highway to spend 5 minutes visiting the place. You are in AK to see AK, not a strip mall town pushed by the local Chamber of Commerce." As I spent five winters in Fairbanks attending the U of A and with the exception of driving through North Pole on the way to a from college (via the Richradson Highway there was no "Parks" in those days.), I never stopped there once.

 

However, a decade later, when our kids were 6 and 9, and we had a camper on our pickup, we went out of our way to visit North Pole, even took their picture in front of the huge Santa along side the highway and used it for our Christmas card that year. So, if you have young ones, it is a must, long in the toothers like me, forget it.

 

The kids are 48 and 45 now, we are going to enjoy Thanksgiving with them in a few hours and I'm going to ask them if they took my grandkids to North Pole.

 

Have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving, hopefully, with those Kids, Ken. :)

[Busman723]

My posting was to give Gordonchick a sample of what we do on our trips. I lived in Sitka for six years and traveled the interior many times in those six years. Both Summer and Winter trips. So I do have some experience on travel times there.

You may bash my comments, but I was trying to help a cruiser with a question.

Budgetqueen has some good answers. I am not a penny pincer, thats not traveling is about. Take the time to see Alaska and don't do it on a shoe string. This may be your only trip there.

 

Gondonchick, may your trip be a one to remember

Edited November 29, 2013 by Busman723
spelling

[Kansas Lady]

While researching places to stay for our 2014 trip to Alaska I have found several B&Bs/cabins that have extra beds in a loft. That might be something your DS would enjoy - having his own unique space.