Itinerary Help/Advice

[PhotoGal07]

We're trying (again!) to get to Alaska in 2022, and I'm starting to look at nailing down an itinerary. Hopefully by next year cruises and excursions will largely be running normally. We'll be doing a short land portion before heading to our cruise departure port in Whittier. We have two kids, who will be 9 and 11 at that point. I scrapped Denali because it seemed like such a long travel time, and the main sightseeing to be had is the van tour into the National Park, which would likely leave the kids less than pleased directly after our very long flight from the East Coast (they are good travelers, but let's not test it).  So as of right now, this is what I have:

 

Day 1: Arrive in Anchorage

Day 2: Train down to Seward, rent a car, hit up lunch, Seavey's dog sledding (gotta see the puppies), grab a few sundries and head to cabin.

Day 3: Morning kayak with Sunny Cove, possible afternoon at Ocean Center or Exit Glacier if everyone is tired, head back to the cabin and chill/go tidepooling

Day 4: Return Rental Car, Private Tour Shuttle to Whittier, depending on families mood hit up wildlife center and Alyeska tram on the way to Whittier, otherwise head directly to ship, Depart for cruise

Day 5: Hubbard Glacier

Day 6: Glacier bay

Day 7: Skagway, Helicopter Glacier Trek

Day 8: Juneau, Whale Watching Tour

Day 9:  Ketchikan, Walk around see the sights (I imagine by this point we'll be starting to lose some steam)

Day 10: inside passage

Day 11: Cruise arrives in port, and fly back

 

My main concern is our Helicopter Glacier Trek getting cancelled due to weather. I really want to make sure the family gets to walk on and experience glaciers, and I know I would be heartbroken if we missed it due to bad luck/timing. So I'm assessing the following options.

 

Option 1:  Tossing in an extra day at the beginning and making our first day a trek out to Matanuska Glacier, and then heading down to Seward the following day. The obvious benefit here is that it is not nearly as weather dependent. The con is that it would then make our trip 12 days, which is a lot, and of course the extra cost involved in adding a tour and hotel night. It would also put three longer "sit and wait" travel days back to back (the flight, the 3-4 hours in the car on glacier day, and then the train down to Seward). Doable but not optimal.

 

Option 2:  We could simply try to rebook in Juneau, but I don't know how easily we'd be able to book last minute, and if we'd have to then cancel our whale watching tour to make it work.

 

Option 3:  Potentially book a trek out of Seward for Harding Icefield/Aialik Glacier. Pros, if it didn't work, we'd still have both Skagway and Juneau to try again. Cons, it doesn't seem as picturesque, and the place that I found that takes kids under 10 are more expensive with less time. I'd also want to find something to do in Skagway that's not the train. My kids are happy to take a train ride as a way to get to an excursion, they would be less thrilled to have our excursion simply be "go on a train and look at scenery".

 

Any thoughts on these options would be very much appreciated.

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, PhotoGal07 said:

Day 4: Return Rental Car, Private Tour Shuttle to Whittier, depending on families mood hit up wildlife center and Alyeska tram on the way to Whittier, otherwise head directly to ship, Depart for cruise

 

The Alyeska tram is not on the way to Whittier from Seward.  That is closer to Anchorage (Girdwood) than it is to  Seward.  

[PhotoGal07]

It looked like we'd likely have to backtrack a bit, but could still easily make the trip, its shows as only 20 minutes out from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on googlemaps, is that not the case?

Any thoughts on the various options?

Edited April 19, 2021 by PhotoGal07

[rkacruiser]

21 hours ago, PhotoGal07 said:

It looked like we'd likely have to backtrack a bit, but could still easily make the trip, its shows as only 20 minutes out from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on googlemaps, is that not the case?

 

I don't recall accurately the distance between the two sites.  There are some posters who are Alaska citizens that regularly visit this Forum.  Perhaps, they will be able to provide you with more accurate information than I can.  

[kamelia]

21 hours ago, PhotoGal07 said:

It looked like we'd likely have to backtrack a bit, but could still easily make the trip, its shows as only 20 minutes out from the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on googlemaps, is that not the case?

Any thoughts on the various options?

We have done a self-drive trip similar to the one you've outlined, PhotoGal07.  I don't know whether or not you can find a Private Tour Shuttle service to accommodate a trip to Whittier via the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and Alyeska.  What I can tell you, though, is that when we did our trip, we rented the car in Anchorage for four days, which gave us the time to go to Alyeska and the WCC on the way to Seward, and Exit Glacier the next day.  The following day, we took the Kenai Fjords Tour from Seward.  If we had had one more day, we would likely have added a stop at Portage Glacier on our way back to Anchorage.  Once we returned the rental car, we spent the night in Anchorage, and then took the train to Whittier the next morning to board the ship. 

 

By the way, as you are driving alongside Turnagain Arm, tell the kids to be on the lookout for beluga whales that are often spotted there.  There is a pull-off so you can stop and spend some time looking.  It won't be like sightings of other whale I hope you'll see on the cruise part of your trip - about all you'll see of them will look like a nearly-submerged white beach ball - but it's still fun to check it out.  Also, look for mountain goats atop the rocks on the opposite side of the road from the water.  You won't always see them, but it's worth looking.

[Northern Aurora]

Just some random thoughts organized in no order of importance:

 

Regarding Denali National Park I am of the opinion that folks who don't go into the park as far as Eielson Visitor's Center are cheating themselves.  And the trips in are done on buses (school bus type buses, not motor coaches).  While some kids handle it well, a number do not.  

 

From the Alyeska Resort parking lot, where the tram is located, to the Wildlife Conservation Center is probably 15 to 20 minutes drive time.

 

What is your attraction to Seward?  I love the town, but the main attraction for me are the day boat trips in to the Kenai Fjords National Park.  Since a on-glacier experience is high on your list of attractions would you consider scrapping Seward and heading toward Palmer?  There you could do a trek on Matanuska Glacier.  Would a visit to Independence Mine State Historical Park (Hatcher Pass) be of interest?  And there are a number of "pet a puppy" businesses operating around the state.  I don't pay  much attention to them but I am trying to remember if the Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum, which is located in Wasilla, offers such an experience.  With a rental car you could visit both the Alyeska tram and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the same day.

 

Through the years the NPS has been acquiring more and more buildings in Skagway.  A number of them are museums.  The National Park Service has been even has a junior ranger program located in one of the old saloons.  The Klondike Gold Rush National Park website is full of information under their "plan your visit" tab.  

[PhotoGal07]

13 hours ago, Northern Aurora said:

Just some random thoughts organized in no order of importance:

 

Regarding Denali National Park I am of the opinion that folks who don't go into the park as far as Eielson Visitor's Center are cheating themselves.  And the trips in are done on buses (school bus type buses, not motor coaches).  While some kids handle it well, a number do not.  

 

From the Alyeska Resort parking lot, where the tram is located, to the Wildlife Conservation Center is probably 15 to 20 minutes drive time.

 

What is your attraction to Seward?  I love the town, but the main attraction for me are the day boat trips in to the Kenai Fjords National Park.  Since a on-glacier experience is high on your list of attractions would you consider scrapping Seward and heading toward Palmer?  There you could do a trek on Matanuska Glacier.  Would a visit to Independence Mine State Historical Park (Hatcher Pass) be of interest?  And there are a number of "pet a puppy" businesses operating around the state.  I don't pay  much attention to them but I am trying to remember if the Iditarod Trail Headquarters Museum, which is located in Wasilla, offers such an experience.  With a rental car you could visit both the Alyeska tram and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center on the same day.

 

Through the years the NPS has been acquiring more and more buildings in Skagway.  A number of them are museums.  The National Park Service has been even has a junior ranger program located in one of the old saloons.  The Klondike Gold Rush National Park website is full of information under their "plan your visit" tab.  

Re the buses into Denali, I have a feeling that our kiddos would not be the ones to handle it well.  They would still be well behaved, but would likely be bored after the long flight, then the long trip up to Denali, and then the long day on the bus.  If it was just my H and I, I'd probably go for it, but it just doesn't seem like a good way to start off the trip.  We'll save Denali for another visit.

I liked the idea of Seward for three main reasons, 1) I hear the area is lovely, and we'd be able to do a boating/kayaking trip there through the Kenai Fjords.  2). I found a cabin rental there by the bay, and I'd love to have an evening or two for the kids to go tidepooling, have a small fire, roast some s'mores, and generally have some quiet outdoor time, some time to just "be" outside and enjoy the scenery.  3)  It'd give us an excuse to hop on the train along the coast. 

Edited April 21, 2021 by PhotoGal07

[cruisingrandy]

We did a 10 day self tour a few years ago and our then 5 year handled the 8hr bus trips fine.  Don't know if they still do it but back then you got 3 days for the price of 2.  We only used 2 of days because we got see Bears and plenty of wild life and also Mt Mckinley was very visible the 2nd day. We stayed 3 nights near the park, 3 nights Anchorage, 1 in Wasilla and 3 in fairbanks. Rented car in Anchorage dropped in Fairbanks.

[Coral]

I would look at another day in Seward. Do the Kenai Fjords boat trip and also the SeaLife Center.