Originally Posted by
ethan
Hi All
I will be traveling to ANC with my 5 year old daughter in Mid September.
My planned itinerary includes a day-trip rail ride from ANC to Seward (and back) and a half-day cruise with Kenai Fjords cruises (as suggested in other threads). The option seems to be between the Kenai Fjords National Park Tour and the Resurrection Bay Wildlife Tour - with Fox Island. What are the main differences between the two? Also, is it better to book the rail & tour package through the rail or tour company?
I was thinking of hiring a bike from alaska-bike-rentals for a few hours in ANC (one with a "trailer" for my daughter) Any recommendations for scenic bike trails that could be done in 3 hours easily (including stops)?
Does anyone offer 'all-inclusive cabins' accessible from ANC or Seward? The kind of place you can just turn up without having to worry about sleeping bags, stoves, etc.
Also, neither of us have been fishing before/ don't have any equipment. Again, is there anywhere in ANC or Seward that would 'show us the ropes' and/or cater for children?
Finally, is there anywhere near ANC or Seward where we could see Huskies?
Thanks
Hi ethan,
Glad you decided to come to Alaska!
I'm not personally familiar with the Seward day cruises, so I'll have to lave that for someone else to answer. I've only done one cruise out of Whittier. I've heard excellent things about the ones out of Seward, and I know people who have been on both of the ones you mention, but I don't know which is better. (One thing I have heard: the Fox Island one comes with an all-you-can-eat seafood lunch; the quality is fairly good, although you can get better fish at some of the nicer restaurants in Anchorage.)
I'm also not sure whether it's better to book the package through the railroad or the tour company. I'd say price it out both ways (including also maybe booking them separately) and see what comes out cheaper.
I have heard of some "all-inclusive" cabins, but unfortunately I don't know any specifics. Again, I'll have to leave that for someone else who has more experience with those.
Seward is home to many good fishing charters who are completely equipped to take people out who have never been fishing before. I don't personally know which ones are the best ones to use, but I do know that probably dozens of thousands of people who have never fished in their lives go out on these charters and have a blast. You'll be a bit late for the peak of the halibut season, but it might still be worth going out. Try Googling "seward fishing charters." I don't have a specific recommendation on a particular charter to use, but maybe someone here knows a good one.
Last, I think there is a sled dog demonstration in Seward run by one of the Iditarod regulars. I don't know how much time you'll have because you'll be doing the day cruise, but I've heard good things about it. I know that he came to Anchorage this year and did some shows in Anchorage, but I don't know if he'll still be in Anchorage that late in the tourist season or if he'll have retreated back to Seward. If I run across the name of the guy or his show, I'll post it here. Otherwise, try Googling "sled dog show Anchorage" and "sled dog show Seward" to see if anything comes up.
Happy travels and best of luck--I'll be down in your neck of the woods while you're up here!
