DIY land tour - is this reasonable?

[Dougles]

We are taking our 2 daughters (22 and 18) on a northbound cruise arriving in Seward (late August). The plan so far:

After getting off cruise ship: take the 6 hour Kenai Fjords tour, then the train to Anchorage. Pick up car at airport. Overnight Anchorage.

Day 2: Drive to Denali. We will take our time driving up, but hope to catch the last sled dog demonstration, check out the Visitors' Center and do some of the short hikes/walks near the entrance, Savage River. Overnight in Healy (rafting is a possibility, but will wait until we are there to decide).

Day 3: We will be on one of the early park buses to Eielson, maybe do a little hiking there. I am hesitating on booking the bus to Wonder Lake, as I am not sure the family would enjoy such a long day on the bus. Drive to Talkeetna for dinner/overnight.

Day 4: Drive to Matanuska glacier (2pm or 4:30 ice trek with Mica Guides - not sure which). Alaska State Fair is on, so we might check that out. Alternatives would be musk ox/reindeer farms. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 5: Independence mine, drive to Anchorage to return car and catch 3pm flight.

 

We have booked the car, hotels and train. We are considering flightseeing, but I think the timing might be difficult.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[AKStafford]

Your plan isn't bad... The last two days might really be packing it in... But doable.

[ubarpants]

For the shuttle, the cost difference between Eielson and Wonder Lake is pretty small, so you could book to Wonder Lake and just get off early if the mountain isn't out or if your family is getting restless. Otherwise, you could book to Eielson and try to add on a Wonder Lake shuttle at the visitor's center, but apparently that can be a popular idea if the mountain is out, and you may not be successful.

[mapleleaves]

We are taking our 2 daughters (22 and 18) on a northbound cruise arriving in Seward (late August). The plan so far:

After getting off cruise ship: take the 6 hour Kenai Fjords tour, then the train to Anchorage. Pick up car at airport. Overnight Anchorage.

(Price rental cars in town to save a trip out to the airport. Might be cheaper too since you'll avoid the added airport fees. )

 

Day 2: Drive to Denali. We will take our time driving up, but hope to catch the last sled dog demonstration, check out the Visitors' Center and do some of the short hikes/walks near the entrance, Savage River. Overnight in Healy (rafting is a possibility, but will wait until we are there to decide).

(There is always hwy construction and with only 2 lanes, there can be long delays, so check the DOT web site in the morning. To see the 4pm demo, plan on arriving at the park by 3pm at the latest in order to pick up tickets and get the shuttle to the kennel. I think the park web site says 40 minutes prior for a shuttle. Don't forget to pick up sandwiches/drinks for the Eielson shuttle )

Day 3: We will be on one of the early park buses to Eielson, maybe do a little hiking there. I am hesitating on booking the bus to Wonder Lake, as I am not sure the family would enjoy such a long day on the bus. Drive to Talkeetna for dinner/overnight.

Realistically, if you take the 8am Eielson shuttle, you'll need to be in line for good seats by 7:30 ... get seats on both sides of the aisle. By the time you get off the bus and back to your car it will be 5pm. Might as well have dinner at Glutter Gulch because you won't get to Talkeetna until 8pm.

Day 4: Drive to Matanuska glacier (2pm or 4:30 ice trek with Mica Guides - not sure which). Alaska State Fair is on, so we might check that out. Alternatives would be musk ox/reindeer farms. Overnight Wasilla.

(Palmer is a little closer. If you're going to the Fair only to see the enormous vegetables and flowers, the Showcase Garden in Palmer has a great display http://www.cityofpalmer.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={E5C383A1-8AA5-493C-95E3-9EB7C54E6A9F}

 

Day 5: Independence mine, drive to Anchorage to return car and catch 3pm flight.

 

We have booked the car, hotels and train. We are considering flightseeing, but I think the timing might be difficult.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

My comments in red above.

A very full itinerary but do-able. I'd rather run myself ragged and see everything rather than get home and regret missing something.

Have a great trip!

[Dougles]

For the shuttle, the cost difference between Eielson and Wonder Lake is pretty small, so you could book to Wonder Lake and just get off early if the mountain isn't out or if your family is getting restless. Otherwise, you could book to Eielson and try to add on a Wonder Lake shuttle at the visitor's center, but apparently that can be a popular idea if the mountain is out, and you may not be successful.

 

Thank you - paying a little extra to make sure we have that option makes sense.

[Dougles]

My comments in red above.

A very full itinerary but do-able. I'd rather run myself ragged and see everything rather than get home and regret missing something.

Have a great trip!

 

I sometimes think I try to fit too much in, but we are all used to this now when we travel. Our favourite family holidays had very little down time.

 

Those are great suggestions! We have prepaid for the rental car (fantastic deal through a professional association). We had to take the airport pickup because we wanted to get the car the night we arrived in Anchorage. That way we can get an early start the next morning.

 

We are expecting 6-7 hours for the drive up to Denali, including stops on the way. With an early start we should be able to get to the sled dog demo in time, but thanks for the suggestion to aim for 3.

 

We will have a cooler bag with us for breakfast/lunch/drinks on the shuttle. Our hotel room has a mini fridge so we will get something the night before. I have seen a couple of recommendations elsewhere for bag lunches, and we will probably stock up in Wasilla the day before.

 

I will check out dinner options in Glitter Gulch.

 

Thanks for the information about the showcase garden. That may be enough for us.

 

MapQuest indicates the drive to Independence Mine is relatively short. We are thinking a couple of hours to look around the site should be enough. We will be too early for the guided tour. If anyone thinks that is too tight for the last day, I am open to alternatives.

[Budget Queen]

One major clue- NEVER rely on Mapquest. :)

 

A lot of poor information. You need a two hour window at the Anchorage airport so should be in the city around noon.

 

I would not worry about, nor have a goal of making the Dog Sled demo either, in my opinion. there is so much to see and do on the drive. You need to allow 6 hours without any activity stops. As an example, Eklutna and Wasilla Sled dog Headquarters are informative. Eagle River Nature Center, Talkeetna for lunch and Park Service exhibits look etc etc etc

 

If you even remotely want to consider Wonder Lake, you need to book 4 tickets in advance. IF McKinley is viewable- there is little chance of getting a 4 seat upgrade together.

 

You need to be flexible, in my opinion and willing to cancel plans if need be. Your ideas are really for more time than you have.

[Dougles]

One major clue- NEVER rely on Mapquest. :)

 

A lot of poor information. You need a two hour window at the Anchorage airport so should be in the city around noon.

 

I would not worry about, nor have a goal of making the Dog Sled demo either, in my opinion. there is so much to see and do on the drive. You need to allow 6 hours without any activity stops. As an example, Eklutna and Wasilla Sled dog Headquarters are informative. Eagle River Nature Center, Talkeetna for lunch and Park Service exhibits look etc etc etc

 

If you even remotely want to consider Wonder Lake, you need to book 4 tickets in advance. IF McKinley is viewable- there is little chance of getting a 4 seat upgrade together.

 

You need to be flexible, in my opinion and willing to cancel plans if need be. Your ideas are really for more time than you have.

 

Thanks Budget Queen. I was not thinking that MapQuest times were necessarily accurate, just a rough guide - I am expecting we will encounter slow traffic and construction delays. I like your idea of seeing sled dogs on the way as I would prefer not to rush to make the demonstration time. Maybe 9+ hours with a couple of stops would be more realistic. That would still give us some time near the park entrance.

 

I will have to think about booking Wonder Lake. I am just not sure if my family would enjoy such a long day on the bus.

 

I am really wondering if Independence Mine is worth it given that we would only spend at most 2 hours there - maybe it would make more sense to visit the sled dogs in Wasilla before heading back to Anchorage. That would be easy to manage.

[leeives]

We just last week did a 6-day, 5-night DIY land tour, heading north: 2 nights in Wasilla, 3 in Cantwell, flew red-eye home from Fairbanks.

 

Our itinerary:

Day 1: half-day tour from Whittier to Anchorage (stopped at Portage, Wildlife Refuge, Beluga Point), pick up car at Hertz downtown, then the Reindeer/Musk Ox farms and Independence Mine hike in the evening (awesome hike)

Day 2: salmon fishing on Deshka with iFish Alaska, then Matanuska trek @ 4:30 with MICA (also awesome, and a beautiful, less crowded drive)

Day 3: flightseeing out of Talkeetna with Talkeetna Air Taxi (weather downgraded our flight path to South Face only, but still a wonderful experience)

Day 4: 8:30 Denali shuttle (that didn't leave until 9am due to bus issues) to Eielson where we did 1.5 hours on a hike up & back Alpine trail (stunning), ate at 229 Parks (fantastic farm-to-table food at around only $10 more per person than mediocre food in Glitter Gultch)

Day 5: 2pm dog sled demo at Denali, hiking around Visitor Center

Day 6: Chena Hot Springs and North Pole before red-eye home from Fairbanks

 

It was a full trip, but not completely overwhelming. We encountered quite a bit of construction, but it wasn't too, too bad. Personally, I think your plans are reasonable and I wouldn't miss anything on your list, if weather permits. Happy to share more if you have specific questions!

[Budget Queen]

Thanks Budget Queen. I was not thinking that MapQuest times were necessarily accurate, just a rough guide - I am expecting we will encounter slow traffic and construction delays. I like your idea of seeing sled dogs on the way as I would prefer not to rush to make the demonstration time. Maybe 9+ hours with a couple of stops would be more realistic. That would still give us some time near the park entrance.

 

I will have to think about booking Wonder Lake. I am just not sure if my family would enjoy such a long day on the bus.

 

I am really wondering if Independence Mine is worth it given that we would only spend at most 2 hours there - maybe it would make more sense to visit the sled dogs in Wasilla before heading back to Anchorage. That would be easy to manage.

 

It is not guaranteed that there will be sled dogs at the Wasilla Sled Dog Headquarters. The reason to go there is for the museum, in the past Tego was there- very interesting story.

 

If you aren't interested in Independence Mine, then I would not be staying in Wasilla. Staying in Anchorage would at least give you an opportunity for at least 1 activity.

[mapleleaves]

3 of us think your plan is do-able; very busy but do-able. It really depends on your travel style. You'll need to be up early, check the construction activity, then go go go, and you'll need to be flexible. That must be your style since you put the itinerary together ???

I read a trip report a few yrs ago where a couple insisted on visiting Denali but only had ONE day. Against all advice they got up at 4am, drove to Denali, did the shuttle and drove back to Anchorage. They had a fabulous visit, were absolutely exhausted but were so happy that they made the effort. Certainly not a choice many would make, but their trip, their choice.

 

No, you don't have time for the Eielson shuttle, AND a hike AND a drive to Talkeetna for dinner. So, you prioritize. Nor do you have time for 2-3 hrs at Independence Mine. You'll have to prioritize activities and see how your day unfolds. The Mine is about an hour from Palmer .... it's a lovely drive and if you're happy to spend 30 minutes enjoying this historical sight, go for it. Just remember that it's a 2 hr drive back to Anc so you'll need to leave by 10:30. And yes, you need a full 2 hrs at the airport. It is very busy, with many many boxes of fish being checked in along with luggage. Drop off your family and luggage so they can get in line, then return the car on your own to save a few minutes.

 

If seeing sled dogs are important. the Denali demo is very well done and worthwhile. You can easily get to Denali by 3pm, but are you willing to get up at 7am and be on the road by 8? Especially when the train didn't arrive until 10pm the previous night and then you drove to the airport to get a rental car ???? Why not try for it? If you make it, fantastic, but if you don't it's not the end of the world. Eklutna Spirit Houses are stopping point for me every trip .... it's 5 minutes off the hwy; you can see the church and 'houses' from the parking lot or you can spend an hr on a tour. Whatever you have the time and interest for. Your trip, your choice.

 

And have back up plans in case of foul weather. Do you want to drive to Matanuska if it's windy and pouring down rain? You might have glorious weather but you might not. Be prepared. My august trips have been stinkers, especially the latter half.

 

I suggest borrowing a copy of the Alaska Milepost from your library or buy an older edition off Amazon for $10. The mile by mile detail will help you with your itinerary .... maybe you'll be happy to rush off to the Denali demo or maybe you'll be happier to see other sights along the way and arrive late. What does the rest of the family think ?

Edited June 11, 2015 by mapleleaves

[lynncarol]

Frankly, the Denali dog-sled demonstration was the only part of our land trip we didn't love. The dogs pulled a sled for maybe 45 seconds tops then just lay on the ground chewing bones (or something) while the ranger gave a very boring 20 minute lecture as we all sat in the outdoor bleachers freezing. The ranger allowed us to pat the dogs before the show, however, and that was fun.

[Dougles]

Thanks to all for your comments. I think we will just leave it until the day of the drive to decide whether to take in the sled dog demonstration. Who knows what we will see on the way to Denali that will have more appeal. If the weather is good we will probably want to spend more time hiking. We might consider the Husky Homestead tour at 7pm instead. I think we will leave the Independence Mine decision until the day as well - if we are too tired from all of the early rising we can take our time, and just visit the musk ox and reindeer farms instead.

[Budget Queen]

Thanks to all for your comments. I think we will just leave it until the day of the drive to decide whether to take in the sled dog demonstration. Who knows what we will see on the way to Denali that will have more appeal. If the weather is good we will probably want to spend more time hiking. We might consider the Husky Homestead tour at 7pm instead. I think we will leave the Independence Mine decision until the day as well - if we are too tired from all of the early rising we can take our time, and just visit the musk ox and reindeer farms instead.

 

For hiking, I really like some of the Alaska STATE park hiking trails. Several you will pass by on the Parks Highway. Little Coal Creek trail, is very nice, as an example.

[clc6p]

We are taking our 2 daughters (22 and 18) on a northbound cruise arriving in Seward (late August). The plan so far:

After getting off cruise ship: take the 6 hour Kenai Fjords tour, then the train to Anchorage. Pick up car at airport. Overnight Anchorage.

Day 2: Drive to Denali. We will take our time driving up, but hope to catch the last sled dog demonstration, check out the Visitors' Center and do some of the short hikes/walks near the entrance, Savage River. Overnight in Healy (rafting is a possibility, but will wait until we are there to decide).

Day 3: We will be on one of the early park buses to Eielson, maybe do a little hiking there. I am hesitating on booking the bus to Wonder Lake, as I am not sure the family would enjoy such a long day on the bus. Drive to Talkeetna for dinner/overnight.

Day 4: Drive to Matanuska glacier (2pm or 4:30 ice trek with Mica Guides - not sure which). Alaska State Fair is on, so we might check that out.

Alternatives would be musk ox/reindeer farms. Overnight Wasilla.

Day 5: Independence mine, drive to Anchorage to return car and catch 3pm flight.

 

We have booked the car, hotels and train. We are considering flightseeing, but I think the timing might be difficult.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

 

The airport in anchorage has a lot more fees and can be a lot more expensive. We rented a car in enterprise in Anchorage near the airport and only paid $100 for a 3 day rental. We stayed overnight at our hotel in anchorage and then had enterprise pick us up the next morning to rent the car. This saved us about $160 over renting at the airport, we just had to pay about $12 to take a cab to the airport when we were departing!

[Dougles]

The airport in anchorage has a lot more fees and can be a lot more expensive. We rented a car in enterprise in Anchorage near the airport and only paid $100 for a 3 day rental. We stayed overnight at our hotel in anchorage and then had enterprise pick us up the next morning to rent the car. This saved us about $160 over renting at the airport, we just had to pay about $12 to take a cab to the airport when we were departing!

 

That is an amazing price. I just checked Enterprise online, and the price quote for our time period is much higher - more like $400 after taxes. We are paying $250, which looks like a pretty good deal.

[clc6p]

I actually rent them through carrentals.com mostly. You can get amazing deals if you pay attention and it locks in the price!!!