Okay you Alaskans, help a Texas family out - vacation ideas! (live in, cost)

[Metlakatla]

So what do you guys think of a short cruise from Bellingham (Washington) to some point in Alaska and then from there take an RV for some sightseeing in various parts of Alaska.

Well, you could take the ferry from Bellingham though I am not sure any cruises leave from there. Most of them seem to leave from Vancouver, CA, or Seattle.

The Marine Highway is a pretty good trip, though, but if you decide to go that route make sure you get your reservations early. I think I saw on their site the other day that they will have the summer schedule up by the middle of Feb.

Alaska Marine Highway System :: Alaska DOT&PF

You could take it to Skagway and go up through Whitehorse...very beautiful country.

What some people like to do, though, is save the cruise/ferry trip for the last part of their vacation, so they can relax after all that running around. You could fly to Fairbanks and make your way down to Whittier.

Everyone here has their favorite parts of the state---my personal one, as far as I'm able to think in absolutes, is around mile 150 on the Glenn Highway. Well, next to around mile 170 on the Parks Highway.

[warptman]

I like Thompson Pass going to Valdez, Copper Center and the whole Richardson Highway.

[Metlakatla]

And then there's that gravel road that goes east at Cantwell and I can't recall the name of it.

[warptman]

Denali Highway, hasn't driven it yet, its on my list though. I keep my truck in Wasilla. Its nice having a vehicle in town instead of renting. Alaska Highway from Tok to Delta Junction is great, too.

[rotorhead]

It's hard to say that any one spot has the prettiest drive, but some definately have more potential than others. I've RV's up and down the Kenai, it's great country for that but it's also pretty busy with other RV'ers in the peak summer months. Be prepared for some pretty ugly sticker shock when it comes time to fill the tank on one of those monsters, especially if you're planning on traveling through the Yukon at all. We just took a trip to Whitehorse and fuel averaged a bit over US$ 5.00/gallon there. Of course, it's up to right at $4.00 / gallon right here in Haines these days and that's without all the Canadian gas taxes. BTW, the exchange rate is not working in our favor these days and the Canadians are getting funny about some credit card purchases for US issued cards.

I've driven the Alcan a couple times now and my bet for the most scenic part of it is the road between Haines Juncition (Yukon territories) and Haines (in SE Alaska). It's really more of a side trip, unless you're taking a vehicle up on the ferry from WA in which case it's your route to the rest of AK.

The ferry ride (Alaska Marine Highway) up from Bellingham is sort of a "poor mans cruise ship" in some ways, though it's not all that cheap anymore and cabins do book up very fast for peak months. They go all the way up through the inside passage, some of the best scenery in the world. The food is decent and not TOO outrageously priced, but not anywhere up to cruise ship standards. The cabins are clean and secure but they're also small and windowless...pretty much just a place to sleep and store a bag. The ships themselves are old but well maintained and have lots of walk-around room and windows in the common areas. The ferry system is the lifeblood of many SE Alaskan communities and it's an interesting way to travel....often the only real option for the smaller communities in SE. If you want to bring along your own car, it might already be too late to book a spot...they fill up that fast.

Lots of people like the sightseeing flights but I personally tend to shy away from most of the Part 135 air-taxi operators; the floatplane folks have had an especially rough time of it lately accident-wise. That said, the small planes and helicopters are by far the best way to see much of the more scenic areas. You just have to accept that if you want to lay eyes on places like Glacier Bay or the Katmai from the air you're going to have to accept a bit more risk. If you've got your heart set on personally seeing the REAL bush areas of the interior or the more remote lodges they're often literally the ONLY way to get there. Keep in mind that the safety and equipment standards for regular Part 121 airline service and the Part 135 Air-taxi operators are WAY different. Thats true anywhere in the US but it's more apparent in Alaska since small-plane aviation is such a big part of the transportation picture up here.

If you've got some fishing on your mind, there are plenty of choices but the regular tourist hot-spots up and down the Kenai (Seward, Deep Creek/Clam Gulch, Anchor Point, Homer) are usually the easiest to book a last-minute spot since they have so many charter operators.

[warptman]

If you do take a commuter plane, ask if they are a part of the Medallion Foundation. here is a list of the members from across the state.
Medallion Foundation, Inc. (broken link)

This is an explanation of what the foundation is.

Medallion Foundation, Inc. (broken link)

[alaskarain]

We was took the ferry "The Columbia" from bellingham to haines. The cabins was decent size and entertainment was decent. It had 2 resturants, one cafeteria type and one sit down dinning area with servers. It was moderately priced, and a very nice experience.

[swsha4]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

And then there's that gravel road that goes east at Cantwell and I can't recall the name of it.

I consider the Denali Hwy one of the most beautiful places in Alaska. You go way up into the mountains and it's almost like being far to the north. Beautiful tundra. It's a beautiful side trip between the the Parks and Richardson Hwys, and it isn't much traveled because it is mostly dirt road, but it is fantastic and well worth the trip!

[ErikaKazan]

Ok, I was a cruise agent for a while. What you are probably going to really like is a cruise tour package. Several different cruise lines have them. Look for something that you either leave Seattle/Vancouver and have several days going up the inside passage with stops. Then you get on a train for an incredible trip to and thru Denali National Park. They usually have to option to fly to Anchorage and do it in reverse.

And this ain't your grandma's idea of a cruise. They have ships that offer A BUNCH to do. Shop on board, eat constantly see a Broadway play, you just have to check and see what is available.
Best time to come is July. But if you are looking for this year your REALLY going to be hard pressed to find the dates you want. They fill up about a year in advance.

The example I have is on Celebrity.

Vendor: Alaska Cruises and Discount Alaska Cruise Deals at AlaskaCruises.com
Ship(s): Millennium
Departure Date: Friday, May 30, 2008
Departing from: Vancouver
Prices start from: Inside
Oceanview
Balcony
Suite
$1,649
$1,949
$2,249
$3,599



7 Nt Northbound Cruise & 5 Nt Escorted Land Tour
Alaska is filled with adventure and awe-inspiring grandeur. While at sea, you can view the Hubbard Glacier as it sends sheets of ice crashing into the ocean. On land, enjoy breathtaking views as you soar 2,300 feet above the valley on the Alyeska Tramway or search for Denali's "big four": grizzlies, moose, caribou and Dall sheep on an escorted tour of the park.

Ports of Call: Vancouver, Inside Passage, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Hubbard Glacier, Seward

Land Tour Stops: Seward/Alyeska, Alyeska/Anchorage, Anchorage/Denali National Park, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Fairbanks

Day 1


Vancouver
---
5:45:00 PM
Boarding
Day 2


Inside Passage
---
---
Scenic Cruising
Day 3


Ketchikan
7:00:00 AM
3:00:00 PM
Docked
Day 4


Juneau
8:00:00 AM
10:00:00 PM
Docked
Day 5


Skagway
7:00:00 AM
8:30:00 PM
Docked
Day 6


Icy Strait Point
7:00:00 AM
5:00:00 PM
Tendered
Day 7


Hubbard Glacier
7:00:00 AM
11:00:00 PM
Scenic Cruising
Day 8


Seward
3:00:00 AM
---
Landtour Begins


This website has all big names in cruising.

Alaska Cruises and Discount Alaska Cruise Deals at AlaskaCruises.com

[zedzul]

Hay TexasNick

I took a road trip to Alaska last June, I have not done the cruse thing yet, was think of trying that for my next trip maybe. I'll copy and paste the itinerary i used (already posted it awhile ago so ill just recycle that post)
I brought my mid 50's parents with me and they loved the trip. no mater what you do you have a blast im sure


*disclaimer - The following is a recycled post from another thread

I had 10 days from June 7 - 17. Ill break the trip down in to days and hopefully that will help you out some and maybe give you some ideas I know I must have missed a lot Alaska is just to big to explore in 10 days but it was fun trying

day 1 - Flight out of Boston to anchorage then drive to Seward - Bit of a long day I think I was up for about 20 hours as a can't sleep on a plane

Day 2 Hung around Seward went to exit glacier and aquarium
Kenai Fjords National Park - Exit Glacier (U.S. National Park Service)
Alaska SeaLife Center Home Page

day 3 Glacier cruse to northwest glacier - 9 1/2 cruse (I would highly recommended this)
Alaska Glacier Cruises and Tours: Alaska’s #1 Wildlife & Glacier Cruise from Kenai Fjords Tours

day 4 drive toward Denali stop at independence mine / portage glacier /dinner at Talkeetna. Spend night at Denali state park
Independence Mine State Historical Park

day 5 get to Denali nation park, hiking / general exploring of the park
Denali National Park and Preserve - Denali National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)

day 6 bus tour into park ( did not get to see MT. Denali but saw lots of wild life)

day 7 white water trip then head out toward Valdez spent night in Glennallen
Went acrossed the old Denali highway very scenic but all dirt road

day 8 drive to Valdez (Great drive with mounting vistas and big water falls) stoped at Wessington glacier (sp?)

day 9 drive to Anchorage ( nice drive watch out for road work on route 1 between Glennallen and palmer)

day 10 hang around anchorage / flight home


I didn't have reservations anywhere as I like to be able to change my plans if I want and not be held to a time frame. I had no problem finding a hotel in Seward, first two I stop at in Valdez where booked full but looked like there were plenty of hotels there, glennallen only has one hotel but it's was almost empty. the only place I think you might have a problem is in Denali, I had camping gear with me and camped there so I don’t know about the hotels, I did hear that staying in Healy which is a 10-15 minutes away is a lot cheaper though.