Alaska ideas, anyone?

[Matthew]

Just wondering about Alaska in late Aug or early Sep.

I'm thinking about maybe next year trying to get a vacation for 2 up there. Any comments on cruises? Other ideas? I've never been there before, and never done a trip of this magnitude before either. I don't even know how to begin, so I thought I'd check with the "experts". I doubt we'd be looking for hunting/fishing/camping things, we're a little too domesticated by now but something like day-hikes might work.

Thanks,
Matt

 

[alaskaflyer]

Well, if you can't fly GA up here along the highway...

Do you think you would be into the "cruise thing" a la Princess and Holland America? Honest question.

For starters, adventurers sometimes like to use the state ferry system to tour SE Alaska. Get off, get on, schedule yourself. With or without a vehicle. Board in Bellingham WA or Prince Rupert north of Vancouver BC.

Plenty you can see and do with a rental car and camping gear in the interior of the state where I'm located. Fly into Fairbanks or Anchorage. Are you into backpacking and camping?

 

[Matthew]

Thanks,

I/we prefer to be a little more free-range than what you get on a guided tour. We've never done a cruise before either, but at this point all options are open.

Backpacking and camping are not going to be on the agenda. But getting to the interior sounds good. That might even be a GA job if there are charters or other ways to get in to a place with cabins or something.

This is way early, and Alaska is huge, I'm just trying to figure out a way to start a plan.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Decide if you want to do SE Alaska or the Interior of the state. More later...

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've done the cruise on NCL and we enjoyed it greatly. We had a balcony and watched the world go by. The ship went up channels I would have thought were too small for it- it felt like I could reach out and touch the shore at some places. We went up from Seattle.

Some of the criuse lines do a land tour in AK.

Tours can be good if you have limited time since you can see at least the highlights, some of the planning and execution has been done. The down side is you can't explore something in depth and you see the same things that "everyone else" does.

 

[Matthew]

Thanks guys, for the input. This was just something that I thought about for the first time this afternoon. We have a big anniversary coming up next year and I was trying to think of some ideas for a trip. I'm sure my wife will want to go someplace warm - with a beach.

I'll get back to you.

Matt

 

[MikePapa]

I've been kind of kicking around the idea myself for sometime in a year or two.

What's the most common or best route from the lower 48 to Anchorage? I'm assuming it would be along the coast, but I have no idea.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

I've been kind of kicking around the idea myself for sometime in a year or two.

What's the most common or best route from the lower 48 to Anchorage? I'm assuming it would be along the coast, but I have no idea.

Land, sea, or air?

If sea, seems like most people run up the inshore passage between the islands and the main land rather than going around the outside in the Pacific ocean.

 

[ScottM]

Just wondering about Alaska in late Aug or early Sep.

I'm thinking about maybe next year trying to get a vacation for 2 up there. Any comments on cruises? Other ideas? I've never been there before, and never done a trip of this magnitude before either. I don't even know how to begin, so I thought I'd check with the "experts". I doubt we'd be looking for hunting/fishing/camping things, we're a little too domesticated by now but something like day-hikes might work.

Thanks,
Matt

I did an Alaska cruise a long time ago and loved it. BUT I DID NOT GO ON A LARGE CRUISE SHIP!!

I think that is key. I went on a small cruise ship that drafted only 6 feet of water, had basically no cruise ship amenities and we even delivered the mail and picked up forest service people. But what we got was to go into some really cool areas that the giant ships could not.

This is who we went with http://www.cruisewest.com/

We would see the cruise ship people sometimes and they were always talking of their buffet, dinners, dances, etc. We were all talking about the wildlife we would see. The people/crew were as nice as can be, the rooms were adequate, the food great, and the scenery memorable.

I have a bunch of photos but have never gotten around to scanning them into the computer this was pre-digital camera days. I do want to go back. Considering the state of my spin these days I may do that for next years vacation instead of a scuba trip.

 

[Tom-D]

Just wondering about Alaska in late Aug or early Sep.

I'm thinking about maybe next year trying to get a vacation for 2 up there. Any comments on cruises? Other ideas? I've never been there before, and never done a trip of this magnitude before either. I don't even know how to begin, so I thought I'd check with the "experts". I doubt we'd be looking for hunting/fishing/camping things, we're a little too domesticated by now but something like day-hikes might work.

Thanks,
Matt

Make reservations on the Alaska marine highway from Bellingham Wa to Ketchican get a state room, and enjoy the trip up, it is 36 hours of great scenery, and from Kecthican on to other stops on the route, use the bed and breakfast inns in each town as you work your way north, then take the train from Seward to Fairbanks. it stops at every little town along the way.

The best way to see Alaska is doing it as you travel from one town to the next.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Land, sea, or air?

If sea, seems like most people run up the inshore passage between the islands and the main land rather than going around the outside in the Pacific ocean.

By land or air, you take the highway through Canada and hang a left at Toc. Can't miss it.

 

[AWACSEng]

By land or air, you take the highway through Canada and hang a left at Toc. Can't miss it.

I think it's spelled Tok, and yep, the ALCAN is the way to go via land/air. plenty of places to land and wait out the balmy Yukon weather delays. Plus, you can just fly IFR(I Follow Roads) all the way and enjoy the scenery.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I think it's spelled Tok,

My mistake, you are correct.

 

[Tom-D]

Land, sea, or air?

If sea, seems like most people run up the inshore passage between the islands and the main land rather than going around the outside in the Pacific ocean.

Well that's a great plan, but you best look at a map, the "Inside Passage" will only take you half way.

then it's rocks Ice on one side, and Japan on the other .

And you end up in Seward not Anchorage, unless you go all the way around the Kenai. and do the Cook Inlet thing.

There is a bunch of open water going up the coast to Alaska, in a small boat when the jet stream is comming ashore around the Queen charlotte Is. it is OMG where is the barf bag rough.

I wouldn't do it in any boat smaller than the marine highway ferry.

Cook Inlet, at Homer looking west
Cook Inlet, at Homer looking north

 

[Tom-D]

By land or air, you take the highway through Canada and hang a left at Toc. Can't miss it.

Why would you want to turn left at TOK (Toak) when the pretty part of Alaska is Fairbanks, down the Yukon to the coast, and back to the Kenai

or down the Southeast to Juneau.

If flying, it is always weather weather weather ....... yada yada.......

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Why would you want to turn left at TOK (Toak) when the pretty part of Alaska is Fairbanks, down the Yukon to the coast, and back to the Kenai

or down the Southeast to Juneau.

"What's the most common or best route from the lower 48 to Anchorage? "

Just answering the question...

 

[Tom-D]

"What's the most common or best route from the lower 48 to Anchorage? "

Just answering the question...

Weather Weather Weather where it will allow you to go.

The trench is very popular it causes you to cross the rockies once, rather than twice following the Highway thru Dawson Creek.

My Friend Roger says he has done the trip 90 some times, and says he saw the ground all the way once.

 

[Tom-D]

The highway fromTok to ANC
ANC to Fairbanks.

both were very nice days

 

[Tom-D]

Carcross Yk to Sitka (white pass)

 

[Tom-D]

Dawson Creek to Tok & Tok Airport

who can find the moose?

 

[Skip Miller]

I took my daughter on a cruise ship that carried only 12 passengers. It is partially funded by the McIntosh Foundation (A&P $$) and the purpose is to raise awareness of the ecology issues in Southeast Alaska. We were off the boat in small boats or ashore every day, fishing, tromping through the woods, etc. and returned to the boat every evening and greeted by a glass (or three) of wine and a fabulous dinner. Whale watching, up the Tracy Arm to the bitter end to watch the glacier calve, seeing Killer Whales chasing the seals, etc.etc. It was a fabulous trip. We took five days to go from Juneau to Sitka.

The Boat Company ( www.theboatcompany.com ). The ship we were on, the Observer, has been decommissioned and replaced by a ship about 2x as large but it is still a very intimate and fun experience. And expensive. This is a high end cruise but I am very glad I did it.

Here is a picture of our ship hard up by the glacier. It was truly an other-worldly sight. And yes, that is rain in the water. SE Alaska is a temperate rain forest.

-Skip

 

[AWACSEng]

My mistake, you are correct.

Didn't mean it disrespectful, just harder to find on a map without correct spelling is all. Then again, if one can't follow the black line and find Tok, perhaps they should stick to the cruise line!

 

[AWACSEng]

Tom, those pics are bringing up memories, as well as anticipation. I'll be driving the ALCAN southbound in the spring.

 

[Keith Lane]

A cruise to Anchorage then train to Fairbanks is nice. I've ridden every foot of the Alaska RR for work and some of the scenery is pretty awesome. Also there is this little narrow gage railway, A fiend of mine is their rules director and locomotive engineer trainer.

http://www.wpyr.com/excursions.html

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Well that's a great plan, but you best look at a map, the "Inside Passage" will only take you half way.

then it's rocks Ice on one side, and Japan on the other .

And you end up in Seward not Anchorage, unless you go all the way around the Kenai. and do the Cook Inlet thing.

Cook Inlet, at Homer looking west
Cook Inlet, at Homer looking north

I know that- I only commented on the part where there was a choice of routes.

Nice pictures, by the way.

 

[alaskaflyer]

As to the time of the year in the OP, SE Alaska isn't much different but you will be into early fall in the main part of the state. In some ways that is a good thing as the colors will be changing - and they are spectacular (will post pics later of a flight I made the other day.) Will be more rain and cool nights. Less people. Maybe cheaper rates.

 

[alaskaflyer]

Here's a slideshow of some pics my wife or I took in the last two weeks around Denali, either from the air or on the ground. Nice time of year.

 

[Matthew]

Here's a slideshow of some pics my wife or I took in the last two weeks around Denali, either from the air or on the ground. Nice time of year.

OP here - outstanding!

What are typical day/night temps for the first half of Sep in that area?

 

[alaskaflyer]

OP here - outstanding!

What are typical day/night temps for the first half of Sep in that area?

Right now at 2130 local it is 48F and sprinkling rain.

Typically high forties to high sixties during day, thirties to forties at night.