Land Itinerary Before Cruise and Cruise Excursions

[Autumnz]

Hello,

I have been reading through Alaska Trip Reports and I love that many also include the itineraries for before/after cruising.  I was wondering if anyone would offer suggestions on this "on our own" land itinerary prior to the cruise (departing Seward).  If you have tips/suggestions/itinerary ideas- please share! 

 

 

About Us: We are travelling with our "turning 9 on this trip" kiddo and my retired parents.  We are in reasonable shape but have no interest in steep/advanced hiking- more like nice forest nature trails with a slow elevation increase.  🙂

 

 

Current Plans (But always modifying!)

Depart Day= Arrive Anchorage Late June 2021/Pick Up Rental Car

 

Night in Anc (Bnb or Hotel)

 

Day 1= Anchorage= Kincaid Park/Fish Ship Creek/Trolley Tour/ Walk part of C.Trail

 

Night in Anc (Bnb or Hotel)

 

Day 2= Native Heritage Center/Drive to Hatcher Pass/Hike April Bowl

 

Nt in Palmer (BnB)

 

Day 3= MICA Private Ice Trek/Explore Independence Mine

 

Nt in Palmer (BnB)

 

Day 4=Scout Ridge Loop/Pioneer Falls/Reindeer Farm/Thunderbird Falls

Drive to Girdwood and see Potter Marsh/Beluga Pt Bore Tide/Aleskya 7pm Tram

 

Nt Girdwood (BnB)

 

Day 5=Hike Winners Creek/See Crow Mine (?)/Enjoy BnB Reading on Deck+hottub

 

Nt Girdwood (BnB)

 

Day 6= Knik Glacier Tour/Eagle Nature Center

*I know this is more towards Palmer, but I love our BnB in Girdwood and already booked 5 nts there and didn't want to change it to stay an extra  night in Palmer, so we are doing the day trip over....

 

Nt Girdwood (BnB)

 

Day 7=Wildlife Center/Byron Glacier Trail/Stop over at Portage????

*Considered Spencer Glacier Ice Trek and River Float on this day, but pricey and not sure experience is worth the cost...???

 

Nt Girdwood (BnB)

 

Day 8= 26 Glacier Cruise

 

Nt Girdwood (BnB)

 

Day 9=Checkout/Hike Virgin Creek Falls/Drop Car off at ANC airport/Park Connection Bus to Seward (or keep car and drop off in Seward if not $$$)

 

Nt Seward (BnB)

 

Day 10=Major Marine Cruise

 

Nt Seward (BnB)

 

Day 11= Exit Glacier Guided Hike/Explore Area/Sealife Center

*Skipping Bear Glacier Kayaking I think.....

**Cruise Check-in 3pm..... Cruise Departs 8:30pm

 

 

Our planned excursions on the cruise (if you feel we are "doubling" up and have alternative suggestions for land/sea, please advise!)

 

*Hubbard- View from Ship- No Excursion

 

*Juneau-Tracy Arm Excursion not currently offered 😞

Visit Mendenhall Glacier/Nugget Falls/Robert Tram (Lunch on Ship)

 

*Skagway-Chilcoot Tours to Bennett Lake (or D.Dave)

 

*Icy Point- Considering Glacier Winds Tour,  but most likely will just walk around town, talk to locals, enjoy seafood lunch on land (?), and enjoy time on boat (easy on the budget)....  we do have 26 glaciers and major moraine in seward so thinking we can skip the whale tour here?  

 

*Ketchikan- I would love to get a deal on a rental car and drive to Lunch Falls Trail/Visit Totem Bight/Wander Town....  But most likely will take public bus to Totem Bight/Seafood Lunch in Town/Stroll Town/Taxi to University Library for Rainbird Trail  (Priced Tours- not sure we want to pay for a tour here)

 

*Vancouver- Departing- Hopefully off the boat/to the airport/1:30 flight home?

[1025cruise]

For your land tour, go north and work your way back. Don't plan on driving from Girdwood back towards Palmer for the Eagle center. Just because the maps give one distance, doesn't mean it won't take longer. In all honesty, I'd reconsider basing yourself in Girdwood if you need to go back to Anchorage anyways. Might make more sense to just stay in Anchorage and use it as your base.

[Cruise Suzy]

2 hours ago, Autumnz said:

Day 2= Native Heritage Center

 

You should enjoy this. An introduction to the various native peoples - nice walk around the lake to visit their dwellings and learn their similarities and differences. I think all three generations will find it very worthwhile.

[rkacruiser]

3 hours ago, 1025cruise said:

In all honesty, I'd reconsider basing yourself in Girdwood if you need to go back to Anchorage anyways. Might make more sense to just stay in Anchorage and use it as your base.

 

I agree with 1025cruise.  While in Anchorage, I'd recommend a visit to the Alaska Wild Berry Products store.  Excellent candy and jams/jellies with products that one can't find anywhere else, i.e. Fireweed Jelly.  Whenever I am in Anchorage, I make it a point to patronize them.  (I am partial to their Wild Blueberry Jam.)

[AKStafford]

So you'll be wasting a lot of time going back and forth... But you seem to want that.

And you are skipping Denali National Park?

So Day 1, don't spend that time in Anchorage. Do those activities coming back up from Girdwood on day 6. Then do your day 6 activities on day 1.

[Autumnz]

Thank you- I am going to play with the itinerary to try to get all the things I'd like to do done when we are in those areas- it is a lot of back and forth.  I'd also love to have the car to drive to Seward instead of going back to drop it off and then the same direction over again to go back to Seward (but if it saves a bundle, it may be worth it!).

 

I was not planning on going to Denali.  The idea of being on a school bus for a whole 8 hr day driving through the scenery with limited stops just didn't seem like something I wanted to do.  Is it a mistake to cross it off our list?

[Cruise Suzy]

40 minutes ago, Autumnz said:

I was not planning on going to Denali.  The idea of being on a school bus for a whole 8 hr day driving through the scenery with limited stops just didn't seem like something I wanted to do.  Is it a mistake to cross it off our list?

 

Only you and your family can decide. There are hikes/activities to take either the day you arrive at Denali or after the tour - assuming you spend 2 nights in the area. In addition to the scheduled stops, the bus stops whenever wildlife is in view. There is no guarantee that the mountain top will be visible. If the Palmer/Girdwood areas have attractions that better fit your family, then do them. It's your vacation. Who knows, you may return and can visit Denali then. 

[Autumnz]

Denali- To be honest, I am not really sure how this works- especially people saying how many days "in park".... I thought you had to go in/out and no where to stay in park unless towards the front or backpack camping.  I am not sure what it means when people say they have "3 days in the park".  Maybe this means they stay near the park and take the bus trips to different locations of the park on different days (?).  

 

 

I gather you take a bus (transit or tour) to different miles into the park (and you go out the same day unless you are backpacking).  Trips to Wonder Lake is about a 12 hour round trip and the Eielson Visitor Center (66 miles in and 8 hour round trip day- 4 hours there and 4 back).  We would have time here to stop/visit and explore the Eielson Visitor Center before taking another transit bus back (4 hr drive to the start of the park road). 

 

So, it is my understanding that Denali is mostly to be enjoyed as  the scenic drive to Eielson (or Wonder Lake), explore briefly (unless back country camping),  and then take another transit bus (or stay with tour bus group) back to the front.  The trip is mostly driving all day looking at the scenery with some stops to wander briefly at certain points in the park (but the focus is just enjoying the view) and drive back out (with a chance of wildlife viewing, but no guarantees).  Is this a good summary, or am I missing something?  Even looking up hiking trails Eielson Visitor Center was very few options (but they do promote the experience of wandering off -trail which is an experience to enjoy for sure), so mostly just "wander and enjoy the view" until decide to head back (maybe an hour or so at Eielson then return)?

 

 

Or am I missing something completely!

[Autumnz]

15 hours ago, AKStafford said:

So you'll be wasting a lot of time going back and forth... But you seem to want that.

And you are skipping Denali National Park?

So Day 1, don't spend that time in Anchorage. Do those activities coming back up from Girdwood on day 6. Then do your day 6 activities on day 1.

Thanks for that tip!  I was able to arrange things so we didn't have to back track!  We will have 1 day in Anchorage, go to Palmer for 2 nts, head back to Girdwood for 5 nts (stay in that region), see the Anc Native Heritage Center on the day we return the rental car (unless we can get a good rate for one way to seward), then take the Park Connection bus to Seward for 2 nts before our cruise.

 

[gwcruzer]

What BnB are you planning to stay at?  We too are planning on spending a number of nights in Girdwood.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

If the Palmer/Girdwood areas have attractions that better fit your family, then do them. It's your vacation. Who knows, you may return and can visit Denali then. 

 

I agree with this comment.  As a tourist as well as more recently because I have relatives that now live in Alaska, I have been there several times.  Never made it to Denali until 2019, but I am glad that I did.  The 8 hour bus trip was not unpleasant; it was scenic; we did see wildlife; the Mountain was in the clear!  It was a great day!  You may find yourself in the same situation after your first trip to Alaska.  Once is not enough!

[Budget Queen]

You have a lot of time.  🙂     But-  I do think-  that your Denali- ideas aren't accurate.   🙂    You are never "stuck on the transit bus.  "     I find the place magical and an amazing view of the expansiveness of Alaska.   I repeat Denali over and over.      Of course it isn't for everyone.    Do some more research perhaps   www.nps.gov/dena   

IF you include Denali-  you then have multiple opportunities for additional small sightseeing  areas to consider.  

[Autumnz]

2 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

You have a lot of time.  🙂     But-  I do think-  that your Denali- ideas aren't accurate.   🙂    You are never "stuck on the transit bus.  "     I find the place magical and an amazing view of the expansiveness of Alaska.   I repeat Denali over and over.      Of course it isn't for everyone.    Do some more research perhaps   www.nps.gov/dena   

IF you include Denali-  you then have multiple opportunities for additional small sightseeing  areas to consider.  

I understand the transit buses are off/on at your pleasure, but what is there to do once you get off?  Searching for trails yields a lot of information in regards to the beauty of Denali not having a lot of trails and offers wilderness exploration (limited info on easier trails for kids).  So therefore, I feel like we would get off at Eielson, stay for a few hours to see the visitor center and wander, and then take the bus back.  If it wasn't a 4 hr drive to get the the area, then another 4 hrs in and 4 hrs back after exploring  (I understand that there isn't any/very limited lodging in the main park), I'd definitely do a day of it - if we were nearby.  But it is so far from other places we'd like to see- that for this trip it just didn't seem like this"Wow!  Must Do!" with so much of it being scenery from a bus and limited activities.  I have looked at pics, read reports, etc.  It just doesn't grab me.....  but maybe if I saw it (and hopefully one day I will!), then I'd feel differently?

[Budget Queen]

4 minutes ago, Autumnz said:

I understand the transit buses are off/on at your pleasure, but what is there to do once you get off?  Searching for trails yields a lot of information in regards to the beauty of Denali not having a lot of trails and offers wilderness exploration (limited info on easier trails for kids).  So therefore, I feel like we would get off at Eielson, stay for a few hours to see the visitor center and wander, and then take the bus back.  If it wasn't a 4 hr drive to get the the area, then another 4 hrs in and 4 hrs back after exploring  (I understand that there isn't any/very limited lodging in the main park), I'd definitely do a day of it - if we were nearby.  But it is so far from other places we'd like to see- that for this trip it just didn't seem like this"Wow!  Must Do!" with so much of it being scenery from a bus and limited activities.  I have looked at pics, read reports, etc.  It just doesn't grab me.....  but maybe if I saw it (and hopefully one day I will!), then I'd feel differently?

You've made up your mind-   🙂   Certainly you'll have a great trip.    Alaska is just endless options and opportunity.    You've added some "off" options that are spectacular-  contrary to some visits that are point to point fixed group options.     I'd also suggest a look at Eklutna  since you'll be driving by,  that and Tunderbird Falls are maybe an hour-  that's all.  🙂  

 

I would also suggest-  if you haven't already-   be sure to check the tide tables.   Bore tides aren't common,  and  you have to be in the right place at the right time.    I have seen it several times.   a 1 minute "experience",  ok, done.   🙂    Not that exciting overall.    

[Autumnz]

7 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

You've made up your mind-   🙂   Certainly you'll have a great trip.    Alaska is just endless options and opportunity.    You've added some "off" options that are spectacular-  contrary to some visits that are point to point fixed group options.     I'd also suggest a look at Eklutna  since you'll be driving by,  that and Tunderbird Falls are maybe an hour-  that's all.  🙂  

 

I would also suggest-  if you haven't already-   be sure to check the tide tables.   Bore tides aren't common,  and  you have to be in the right place at the right time.    I have seen it several times.   a 1 minute "experience",  ok, done.   🙂    Not that exciting overall.    

Thanks for the Bore Tide info- I'm really intrigued by this and we will be there during the full moon week, so maybe we'll see it!  We do plan on trying to "catch" it!  🙂

 

 

I did have Thunderbird falls on the list, and maybe we'll catch it (a lot of time in ANC and Palmer area will be adjusting to time change).  I appreciate your insight and if you have any places/suggestions to stop and view on the way from ANC to Hatcher Pass (hiking April Bowl)- I'd love to know these spots!  🙂