fti

In the end, only you can decide if Denali is a place to visit or drop.

I don't go to Denali to see the Mountain, though I have seen it every time I have been to Denali NP except once. However, I greatly increase my chances of seeing the Mountain by spending multiple nights near and in Denali - usually way more than most people.

Re: canceling a bus trip - generally that is a bad idea. One day we started at the entrance with dense fog and could see only a very short distance. Even the driver, who has been driving in Denali for over 20 years, was very pessimistic about the weather that day. By the time we got off the paved portion of the road the fog had lifted. The weather got progressively better the further we went.

treznor

Someone upthread suggested a flightseeing tour out of Talkeetna. I'd have to second that. It certainly isn't the cheapest at around $350-$400 (though I feel like we used some kind of discount so it was closer to $300, but don't remember), but was one of the highlights (along with the glacier trip out of Seward). We absolutely loved the bus trip into Denali, but agree with others that I'm not sure if kids would want to sit on basically a school bus for 4-8 hours.

Also, I'm a big advocate of craft beer and there's some good breweries in Alaska (some not very good one's as well unfortunately). Moose's Tooth in Anchorage is definitely worth a look and they have great food as well, Midnight Sun in Anchorage is also very good. If you get to Homer (we went to Seward via Homer), there's a nice brewery in that area (Homer Brewing Company) and there's a brewery near Denali that we really liked (49th State).

bryanwallace

thanks all for so many different ideas-all of them great!
it looks like we will go to denali as there is a fun run which would fit in with when we are there...
can anyone advise on which shuttle bus trip to take with kids?
does it get busy quickly/when do i need to book it?
and also is it poss to travel back to anchorage the same day after the denali shuttle bus trip?

any advice on cheapish places to stay denali would also be great!!!
(looks like will be there 2 prob 3 nights!)
thanks!

CPRich

Iirc, there were either large expensive resorts or cabins. We stayed at the Carlo Creek cabins, the large Cabin #1. 4 of us for $175-ish/night. Nothing fancy, but perfectly fine, assuming you're in Alaska for an adventure, not a resort. Book early though. This was one of my few options left in early March for a mid-August trip.

(EDIT: total was $355.78 for 2 nights, all in. 5% off for on-line booking, plus tax. Cabin + 2 extra occupants at $15 each)

We took the Toklat Shuttle bus , allowing us to hop on and off, do some hiking, etc., over one of the fixed-schedule Tours. We had plenty of narration from the driver/guides, and the stops/breaks made it fine for the kids. We didn't book that until 8 days before the trip.

We stayed in Denali the evening of the tour, as we were headed to Talkeetna the next day. You could drive back, but it would be late. The earliest bus, iirc, is 9:30a. With stops, hikes, etc., we were back by 6 or so. You could be back to Anchorage by 10-11p, according to Google.

fti

I always recommend booking the shuttle buses in advance. It only costs $4/person to change and often the buses get full. I also would recommend booking to Eielson. You can always get off early and catch a bus the other way if one of the kids gets cranky, etc. But the area between Toklat and Eielson is prime bear habitat. Well worth the extra 45 minutes or so each way. Also, Eielson has some excellent displays, running water and flush toilets. They also have rangers there who lead walks and hikes each day.

It is a 5 hour drive (minimum) from the Denali entrance to Anchorage. If you leave on an early shuttle bus, say 7am, you are back at the entrance about 3pm. So you could make it back to Anchorage the same day. Would I do it myself? Probably not and almost certainly not with kids in tow. It makes for an extremely long day.

CPRich

That's an option - it's only a few dollars more and it looks like you can get off at Toklat at 10:20 and catch a bus coming back from overnight at 10:50 if you need to (though if you miss it, or want to get off at another stop on the way back, it's a 2 hour wait for the first Toklat bus returning - there aren't a lot of buses coming back in the morning - only two stay out overnight).

bryanwallace

thanks all! my next question is what to do between anc and denali that is fun for kids?
thanks again

fti

Re: booking a shuttle to Eielson then turning back at Toklat. The 10.50am bus mentioned above is a camper bus and is extremely rarely full. I have taken that bus multiple times and have never seen it full. You can make sure you don't "miss" a bus in the opposite direction by just telling your driver you want to take a certain bus - "I would like to transfer to the next eastbound bus whenever it passes us." Your driver will then flag down the oncoming bus and you exit one bus and get on the other. Very easy.

The Iditarod HQ in Wasilla has a film and gives short rides with the dogs pulling you (on a cart with other people). That is about 45 minutes north of Anchorage.

Talkeetna is a funky town (the turnoff is at Mile 99, then another 14 miles into town) - you can go to the river and throw rocks while enjoying the view of Mt. McKinley if it is visible. There is a playground in town too.

Byers Lake has a trail around the lake if you like walking - a pretty easy walk around the lake. You can also rent canoes/kayaks and go on the lake (mile 147). The Veterans Memorial is also worth a short visit just north of the Byers Lake turnout on the same side of the road.

The Denali South and Denali North Viewpoints are good for views of the mountain range, depending on weather. McKinley Princess Hotel has great views too and maybe you can get hot chocolate there for the kids.

bryanwallace

thanks all for great ideas!im wondering if palmer-musk ox and reindeer farms are worth a visit as well..
also is there much of interest between anc and seward for kids?
im trying to determine whether to spend an extra day anc-seward or denali-anc..or if anc itself needs a day>
thanks again..

ps
any idea where might be good for wild fruit picking in mid aug?

Ps*2
was looking at the denali park hotel for staying at-as its cheap-would this be ok for kids?

fti

I have been to the muskox farm, but not the reindeer farm. But if you are going to spend and extra day with kids, I would definitely spend it along Turnagain Arm. That is the area that stretches about 60 miles south of Anchorage on the way to Seward. Tons of fun (and inexpensive) things to do with kids there. Here is a link to a great post on Trip Advisor about many of the activities:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic....html#47298453

If you go to the Wildlife Conservation Center, you will see muskoxen, reindeer and MUCH more. This plus the other activities would be a great way to spend the day vs. the muskox and reindeer farms in Palmer.

One of my favorite activities is the Winner Creek Trail hand tram. If you park on the Crow Creek mine side of the trail, it is less than a mile from the trailhead to the hand tram. Very unique and I am sure your kids would love it.

Personally I would not spend much time in Anchorage, but that is mainly because there are so many things to do/see just outside of Anchorage. During my trip in June with a group of teens, we spent a night in Anchorage and went to Glen Alps for views and a short hike, but other than that we were at Matanuska Glacier, Denali and the Turnagain Arm/Portage area.

I have no idea about berry picking. That is a new question to me for Alaska!

I have not stayed at the Denali Park Hotel, but I have heard good reviews about it. Basic, but if it fits all of you in one room, it might be just fine. You also could look at denalichamber.com for other options. Most lodging options near Denali are not on major online travel sites. Not sure of the prices or availability for a family of five, but I have stayed at the McKinley Creekside Cabins on more than one occasion. But they are probably more expensive than Denali Park Hotel.

bryanwallace

thanks for all your advice-regarfing the seward boat tour -im thinking of going for the 6hr one..is it worth purchasing the food option on the major marine tour or will this get in the way of the wildlife watching?

FlyForFun

I skip the food option on Major Marine cruises because of my personal eating habits (no red meat and allergic to fish). The buffet consists of prime rib, baked salmon, rice pilaf, salad, and bread. It is all you can eat and includes one soft drink or discount on an "adult" beverage. Dessert is included and consists of brownies, cheesecake, and jello. You can purchase the dessert separately on an all you can eat or per plate basis.

The meal service is usually during travel time so animals could be encountered during meal time. I remember one time when just as dessert was announced, we saw a pod of orcas. Most people still headed to the dessert buffet while I went outside to watch the orcas. It was one of the first trips of the season and the crew did not want to serve dessert; they wanted to see the orcas.

Regardless of the length of the cruise or the weather, I go outside and stay outside. The scenery alone is awesome and then we you are fortunate enough to see wildlife - the experience just magnifies in incredibility.

fti

I have only taken Kenai Fjords in Seward, but I have taken Major Marine in Whittier a couple of times. I also don't take the buffet, but bring my own food/snacks. I too spend most of my time outside. I am almost always the first one at a prime spot outside on the deck when wildlife is spotted since I am already outside. Food for me is a very low priority on these trips.

bryanwallace

thanks-can anyone advise other trips worth doing with kids in seward?
is kayaking worth doing>

bryanwallace

thanks-i thought for major marine everyone had a fixed table position?
or is this only if you take the food as well?