Alaska Trip for two unskilled Women

[Pokette]

An older women and her much older mom are planning a trip to Alaska. Mom has already done the Cruise thing and doesn't want to do that again. Both are interested in Hiking and taking pictures and just in general enjoying nature. Neither have any survival skills, neither have they ever shot a gun, much less own one. So I was wondering what you all have to suggest?
I have looked at Denali Wilderness lodge and staying there for 3 or 4 nights. A couple of nights in Anchorage on either side of that. Anyone else want to weigh in?
What about Ultimathule? Anything to do there if you don't hunt.

Oh, and my Mom gets motion sickness so I do not take her flying - small airplanes will kill a whole day for her, flight/recovery.

[SteveE]

Ha, I thought you were talking about you and your daughter.

[aktango58]

Ultimatule, fly in deal there... otherwise after talking with Jason the little frog, I would say just do it!!!!

Lyn, (Mrs. Tango), and I are starting up a 'Farm Stay', (sort of a cast on a 'home stay' but on the farm; a home stay is like a B&B but with having to go outside of the bedroom to use a bathroom, IE staying in our home), and have a nice location with a beautiful house, fields, fish streams, moose, bears and the like around to see. Haines is a friendly place, small and easy to get around with a rental car. Eagles all over, (next to the critical habitat area of the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve). We can assist in helping find other tours if the want, or maybe set up the spotting scope outside to view the goats on the mountain behind...

Let me know if you want more info...
Alaska is not just Los Anchorage and a mountain north of it!!! Try southeast, all the best pilots stop here.

[aktango58]

Ha, I thought you were talking about you and your daughter.

I thought Pokette was coming with Eaton when she referred to an older woman...

[Bill Ingerson]

I think the train ride from Anchorage to Fairbanks would be neat. Then take in Denali Park and go on the long bus ride back into the park. Becareful about hikes and walking around not only in the woods but just about anywhere in Alaska. Moose and Bear are there and nothing to suprise. Have fun planning your trip.

[Steve Pierce]

Diana, You and your Mom would love Ultima Thule. Lots and lots of places to hike and things to see. It is a short hop from the highway and Chitina to the Lodge via airplane though. Cathy and I found trails all over from Anchorage and down at Seward. I thing there are neat places all over Alaska from the few places I have been.

[Pokette]

I wouldn't put my Mom in a small airplane to get to Ultima .... she would be very sick

[Steve Pierce]

What about a Turbine Otter? Some really awesome hiking but like I said i think they are all over AK.

[aktango58]

There are trails of some sort around every place of civilization. Some offer more company, (of furry and non furry kind), some offer different scenery...

May/June offer the best weather, and lowest fares usually, early is better for costs. Late in the year the weather turns terrible, or is grand... pot luck.

Southeast, come in may for the best of the best. A bit later for the north area.

More places to see, more to do that one trip will allow... lived all my life up here and still not get it all done... and I think I am older than Dave Calkins!

[njneer]

How much hiking is enough vs. too much? You can drive the the Eagle River Nature Center and stay in a Yurt at Rapids camp, if I remember right 2 mile hike on mostly flat ground. Very scenic, moountains rise to 6,000 on either side. The trail continues on another 23 miles to Girdwood if you are that adventurous/energetic. Even if you don't stay at the yurt, it is a spectacular day hike.

If you aren't familiar with the wildlife but plan to hike elsewhere in Alaska, I recommend one of their wildlfe saftey briefings as a good place to start. http://www.ernc.org/

Other places of interest: Hatcher Pass between Palmer and Willow, Byers Lake (spectular views of Denali, and cabin rentals). A good resource for planning trips is the Milepost http://www.milepost.com

I don't spend time in resorts or hotels, so I don't know much about pampered stay, I spend most of my time camping in the snow or on gravel bars, and in the mountains.

Lots of places in southeast too: Juneau, Wrangell, Ketchikan, Sitka, Petersburg are all easy to get to. Points west of Anchroage are great places, but expensive to get to.

If you mom can ride the ferry, I recommend a stop in Seldovia; a quiet, pictuesque town. If you want more detail, send me an e-mail.

[alaskaoe]

Denali Wilderness Lodge hasn't been in operation for a good number of years. The Denali area is a great idea, look at Skyline Lodge in Kantishna for a more DIY experience in the park http://www.katair.com/skyline.html. Also look at Alaska Wildland Adventures website :http://www.alaskawildland.com/. They offer some pretty spectacular all inclusive guided trips focused on the Kenai Peninsula.

[Pokette]

Thanks for all the good information. I'm really looking forward to this trip. We were planning on middle to end of July. I have a flyin in June to Johnson Creek if I can make it!!

[55-PA18A]

Diana,
Have you considered renting an RV in Anchorage or Fairbanks, then driving to a number of other places? The roads really are in pretty good shape, and you could head off in whatever direction the weather is best. There are a whole bunch of SuperCub.org members on the road system. They could point you in the right directions, suggest places to go, and maybe even offer a place to park for the night.

Jim W

[Flyin S]

Lived there for three tours in the AF---been back many times over the past 30 years----fours trips in my Cub---taken lots of folks with your sort of interests up there---here's what I'd do: Get a rental car: Denali Park bus tour---you bet. Great bang for your buck. Whittier (just outside Anchorage)---gotta take either car or train through the big tunnel---you'll feel like you entered another world when you arrive, and very quaint/quiet place. And if you're adventurous---take a 1/2 day kayak tour (highly recommended---sea lions growling at you from 50 ft---but totally safe in your 2-person boat w/great female guides to comfort you.) Gotta do it! Maybe a halibut charter out of Nilnilchick (down the Kenai Penninsula---JJ Smart Outfitters---$225/person) Even if not a fisherman, a great way to see the panorama and experience the sea ecosystem---the vastness really makes an impression. They'll treat you right! Ditto on everything else that's already been said:Ultimathule----you bet....Wrangle Mts....some of the best! You'll be blown away the moment you step off the plane in Anchorage.

[WIflier]

Diana on your way up to Denali stop at Gate Creek Cabins www.gatecreekcabins.com you and your Mom will love them. Off the main road and things to do. Their on Petersville road from Trapper Creek and Talkeetna is a nice stop on the way up also.
Si

[Toothcarpenter]

Don't know about now. Back in 05, July, I took a great tour on the Alaska railroad. I think they had all sorts of different outings available. Thought I'd hate it, hanging out with the unskilled, trapped on a train, but thoroughly enjoyed it. They did a good job, of hauling you around on the train, and putting you up at night. Very comfortable. Didn't require any skills. Some motion, no worse than a car, Nice sight seeing, both from inside the train, and when stopped over.

[njneer]

Don't know about now. Back in 05, July, I took a great tour on the Alaska railroad.

Link to the Alaska RR. http://alaskarailroad.com/

[aktango58]

First question: what is important to see.

Second question: Your own itinerary - adjustable, or a fixed tour...

With those questions clear in your mind, you can limit your efforts to the type of trip you want. There is way more to see here than you will have time for.

Anchorage is a BIG city. Great for aviation, and things to do close, but it is A CITY. If coming to see Alaska, run far and fast from there. The Park's highway, trains, ships, bus tours all offer seeing stuff on their schedule, but you are in a crowd. I don't like crowds. Yes, you meet great people from other parts of the world/country, but if coming to meet Alaskans, and not be hearded like an Oklahoma sheep, you might want to think about doing it on your own, rental car or RV.

The big rainforest is along the coast up into the Keni Peninsula. Tundra stuff is over most of the interior, wildlife is all over, just learn to drive early in the mornings, (as in 4 am or dawn) and be watching late in the evenings.

For me personally, I don't like the tourist crowds. If you can get a permit to drive to Kantishna, do it!!!!! But otherwise, if the weather is not good, the Denali Park is another hotel full of non-Alaskans. Your time might be better spent walking around outside of Healy, Talkeetna or just hiking up a side road anywhere without a crowd.

I do not know how much time you have, but Beluga Point just south of Anchorage, (before Girdwood) is a great spot to pull over and see Dall Sheep and Beluga Whales. (bring good binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one). If you decide to continue south to the Keni, consider traveling very early in the morning, and stay off of that road friday afternoon (southbound) and sunday afternoon (northbound) for traffic reasons... ask DaleC about that one!

Wittier has a tour to the Fjords and glaciers... take it if you can handle the boat and are there. We have glaciers here in southeast also, it is something you should see while here. Seward also has tours to the areas Wittier does.

Fairbanks has a gold dredge (Ester actually), as does Dawson YT. Both are left over from the gold days. My grandfather worked the one in Ester, his last trip up there he saw names of friends still in the tables at the Malemute Saloon there... tourist stop, but historic.

The pump house in Fairbanks has good food, was the actual pump house supplying water to the dredge nozzles.

My friends have a new B&B about 100 miles south of Fairbanks if you want the info let me know.

Circling through Delta and down the Glen Highway past the Matanuska Glacier is a nice drive... there is a little chinese place right after the turn south in Delta that is excellent.


So much land to see...

If you are going to drive on your own, head to the nearest book store, ASAP, and buy a MILEPOST. Simply, it is the bible for road travel in Alaska.

[Pokette]

Lets say I change our plans and leave on or about 1 June, fly to ANC, first night there. Head towards Denali, with a stop in Talkeetna for a cub ride to a glacier - who would I talk to about that? Then a few nights in Denali, and the train ride back. I talked with my Mom and she said she likes trains so that is a go. Thanks for all the help... keep it coming!
After reading AK's post I think one or two nights at the entrance to Denali, and then back to ANC and down to Beluga Point before leaving.. That is a great week!
I was also thinking of trying to get Paul Claus to give me a cub ride to a glacier. They have to get to ANC to pick up customers I think.

[Anne]

A terrific day trip: Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, then a ferry ride around Resurrection Bay with a stop at fox Island for a salmon bake, then the train trip back to Anchorage. Beautiful scenery along the way, and lots of wildlife in the bay to watch. Check with the train office downtown.

Have fun, whatever you do!

Anne.

[aktango58]

Narrow gauge rail still operates in Skagway...


Most of what you see in Denali can be seen other areas also... do the road to Kantishna if you want to spend time there, my friends that have taken the road have raved about it.

I believe I might talk to Talkeetnagotmycubback for a flight out of Talkeetna. The AK RR still does flag stops, you can have them drop you off somewhere, and wave the next train down!

You might also talk to Dave Calkins about a ride to a glacier.

Beluga Pt. is about 30 minutes drive from the airport if I remember correctly

[SJ]

She's a doctor Pokette, there are drugs for motion sickness..

Sent from a Droid Incredible with Tapatalk

[Pokette]

SJ: Oncology / Hemotology

And if you know someone who suffers from all types of motions sickness, you know that all drugs have been tried and they don't work

Not that I would do this, but maybe when I was younger my brothers talked me into it:
If the three of us would stand together and sway back and forth, we could get her sick just while standing still

Really love the way this community offers help! we have switched to early June and doing the railroad thing (Mom thinks she can handle the swaying on that)

[Nathan K. Hammond]

The wife and I spent a week in AK a couple years ago. She wasn't too keen on flying around, so we took day trips and several overnight trips out of Anchorage (Talkeetna, Homer, Valdez.) We both had a blast; point the car down the road and stop when we saw anything neat. Almost as much fun as flying, and Kelley was happy, which made the trip that much better.

nkh

[Steve Pierce]

Paul sends Tal to town to pick people up in a van.

[aktango58]

Paul sends Tal to town to pick people up in a van.

When did they get a Skyvan?

but the astrovan will only get so close, then you must boat/hike/fly the rest of the way!


Are the Pierce's making an appearance in Anchorage this spring?

[btracy]

Looks like I am doing a trip to Alaska with my parents this summer also. Is it better and more economical to rent a motor home or get the car and stay in Motels? Any ideas on the best place to rent a motor home. Tips on finding the best prices for Motels. Just looking for a bed and shower not the Hilton On a mega dollar lodge. I am jsut starting to look at prices and it looks like it would be cheaper to fly the cub up and stay in a tent. If it wasn't for traveling with my parents I would be taking the tent along.

[njneer]

ABC Motorhome Rentals (907)561-1982
Alaska RV&Travel (907)272-1436
Alaska Vacation Motorhome Rentals (907)243-1448
Alexander's RV Rental (907)563-5115
B&B RV (907)344-2021
Cruise America (907)349-0499
Murphy's RV Inc. (907)562-0601

I see lots of ABC, Alaska RV and Cruise America units on the road. Hotels/motels may be hard to get rooms in, in the summer. Send me your address in an e-mail to njneer@alaska.net, I'll mail you the Milepost, excellent travel guide in Alaska.

[tempdoug]

Where are the good iditarod and gold mining museums?

[btracy]

Njneer-- I already have copy of the mile post. Thanks for the motor home Phone numbers. I will give them a call and check on them

[aktango58]

Bill,

Down here we can figure a way to meet you in Haines... we have a pump out spot at the house, and real showers and beds if you like.

Call me next week, I am headed to Tok for the weekend in an hour

George

[Wingwrench]

I've used ABC in the past and renting again from them in July. Nice people good equipment and right on the airport.

[aktango58]

Come in May!

You should be here for the show and Valdez, then have the rest follow...

Nice weather usually, less bugs, less traffic, cheaper rates, and more wildlife out.

[Cub X]

We also are planning a trip to Alaska this spring May 16- June 6 time frame, pulling a small travel trailer. Anyone know if there is much for gravel roads or are they mostly paved. Looked at a few maps and can't figure out if Tok to Ancorage is paved or not. We are heading over the top of the world highway and i believe there is a small portion of gravel there. What can we expect for weather and who has the best Halibut charter out of Seward. Don't mean to hijack the thread but the info on here is great so far.

[moneyburner]

Drive south, turnagain arm, be careful of crazy drivers who sometimes ar overcome by their stupidity and pass when they shouldn't. Girdwood has some interesting things. The Jade shop is cool, there is a nice hoity-toity restaurant at the top of the tram, and another up Crow Creek Mine road (Double Musky). Back on the road, about an hour south, the road forks; straight ahead is Seward, to the right is Homer. Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing is very nice, then just drive to Homer. (go right through Soldotna, yuck). There is a pull-out at the top of the hill; the view is amazing. Its maybe a three or four hour drive from Anchorage. I don't know about places to stay; my sister lives there, so no clue. Leave mom at the Pratt and go take a float plane ride with Alex. On the way back, head to Seward. It rains and blows there, just like everywhere else, but when it's nice, it's real nice.

[hooligan]

How much hiking is enough vs. too much?

Other places of interest: Hatcher Pass between Palmer and Willow, Byers Lake (spectular views of Denali, and cabin rentals). A good resource for planning trips is the Milepost http://www.milepost.com

I second the above and just a drive to or through Hatcher Pass never gets old to me and I have lived her for 58 years. And yes the Milepost is a must have.

It is amazing the things you can do without breaking the bank.

[Ursa Major]

who has the best Halibut charter out of Seward. .

I've had very good experiences with profish-n-sea in Seward. Over the years I've got lots of 100+ lb fish. Book early. http://www.profish-n-sea.com/

[njneer]

Looked at a few maps and can't figure out if Tok to Ancorage is paved or not.

All paved, except after major earthquakes. We don't have any major EQs scheduled for this summer that I am aware of, so you should have smooth road. If you like bluegrass music, Mendeltna Creek Music Festival, Memorial weekend. Mile 153 on the Glenn. May 25th-27th. If you fly in for the festival, there are power lines over the highway 1/4 mile or so east of the lodge.

[mvivion]

If she gets air sick, don't take a boat trip......

I'd think about flying into ANC. One or two nights there, rent a car, and poke around, maybe down to Seward to the Sealife Center, Lake Hood, etc. Then hop on the train, and ride it to Talkeetna. Spend one night there, and You can jump on one of the flight seeing outfits to a glacier, while Mom explores the village. Back on the train, and get off at McKinley Park Station. Bus trip into the park, or Wildlife Tour. One or two nights there. If you like, get a reservation at one of the lodges near Kantishna, so you ride all the way to the end of the Park road, stay over a night or two, then back out to the park entrance. From there, you could either take the train north to Fairbanks, spend a night there, with a ride on the Riverboat Discovery for a quick sample of some interior history, then a jet out of FAI to home. Or, from McKinley Park Station, take the train back to Anchorage, and jet out of there.

Lots of places to hike throughout, and hotel/motel accomodations as well, so no camping required. Reservations for hotels are highly recommended, and same goes for bus tours of the park.

Motorhomes are another great idea, but the train is really relaxing, no driving to distract, and you both can watch the scenery.

MTV

[Cub X]

I've had very good experiences with profish-n-sea in Seward. Over the years I've got lots of 100+ lb fish. Book early. http://www.profish-n-sea.com/

Thanks for the info i will check out there web page. Not sure how much in advance i'm going to be able to book with us taking our time driving there.

All paved, except after major earthquakes. We don't have any major EQs scheduled for this summer that I am aware of, so you should have smooth road. If you like bluegrass music, Mendeltna Creek Music Festival, Memorial weekend. Mile 153 on the Glenn. May 25th-27th. If you fly in for the festival, there are power lines over the highway 1/4 mile or so east of the lodge.

Good to hear, no EQ's and paved roads... didn't want to go up to Delta Junction and then back down if i didn't have to.