Alaska Master Thread

[Dani]

We flew Delta NYC-MSP-ANC using Skymiles.

how many? what class?

[Traveler718]

4 seats (2 adults, 2 kids), coach, forgot how many miles per ticket it was, but we booked somewhat last minute and it was by far the best rate. If you're planning for 2015 you're very late, if for 2016 you should be able to get a good rate.

[Something Fishy]

Random cool fact I recently learned:

Not only does Alaska have the northernmost and westernmost spots in the US, but it actually has the easternmost spot as well! The Aleutian island of Semisopochnoi is around 10 miles past the 180th meridian, making it east of the rest of the US.

(If your dividing line is the International Date Line, then this doesn't hold true, but only because the Line was arbitrarily deviated to accommodate precisely this island...)

[blue eyes]

I know this thread hasnt been posted in forever, but is denali an ideal place to spend shabbos? has anyone done that?

[LookBeforeYouLive]

Are you tenting, RVing, or looking for a hotel?

I know this thread hasnt been posted in forever, but is denali an ideal place to spend shabbos? has anyone done that?

[blue eyes]

Are you tenting, RVing, or looking for a hotel?

Looking for hotel

[blue eyes]

Has anyone tried the ranger led tour at exit glacier?

[Something Fishy]

Has anyone tried the ranger led tour at exit glacier?

That was my plan before I discovered Matanuska. It seemed quite nice.

If you have the time though, I would definitely recommend Matanuska over Exit.

[nafnaf12]

so here's my itinerary so far for this upcoming week
Arriving Tuesday night in Anchorage
Wednesday go to do some ice trekking in Matanuska
Paging SF anything else we should do there?
Thursday taking a 26 glacier cruise( booked not refundable)
Need some advice for Friday shabbos gets it at about 8-9 was thinking to take the train up to girdwood and maybe to whitewater rafting or rappelling. And other idea for friday?

[blue eyes]

That was my plan before I discovered Matanuska. It seemed quite nice.

If you have the time though, I would definitely recommend Matanuska over Exit.

I did both exit and MAtanuska and it's no comparison At all!!!!!!!!!
MAtanuska is 100000000 times nicer (especially if you take the mica guides trekking your)

[blue eyes]

so here's my itinerary so far for this upcoming week
Arriving Tuesday night in Anchorage
Wednesday go to do some ice trekking in Matanuska
Paging SF anything else we should do there?
Thursday taking a 26 glacier cruise( booked not refundable)
Need some advice for Friday shabbos gets it at about 8-9 was thinking to take the train up to girdwood and maybe to whitewater rafting or rappelling. And other idea for friday?

Not sure if it's still applicable but here is my suggestion assuming you are staying in anchorage
Hike or take the tram up to Alyska mountains in gird wood.
They have a gold mining tour for like $20 or something. I didn't do it but heard it's really cool.
On your way back you can stop on the Seward highway along the way. Like at the potters marsh - the bird point- mchugh creek etc
Also closer to anchorage you can hike the flat top peak. It's really cool even if you don't make it to the top ( which gets steep cliffy and extremely windy)
knicaid beach is cool and on sunny days you can see McKinley from genre
You can always do the zoo is supposed to be really good

[nafnaf12]

Not sure if it's still applicable but here is my suggestion assuming you are staying in anchorage
Hike or take the tram up to Alyska mountains in gird wood.
They have a gold mining tour for like $20 or something. I didn't do it but heard it's really cool.
On your way back you can stop on the Seward highway along the way. Like at the potters marsh - the bird point- mchugh creek etc
Also closer to anchorage you can hike the flat top peak. It's really cool even if you don't make it to the top ( which gets steep cliffy and extremely windy)
knicaid beach is cool and on sunny days you can see McKinley from genre
You can always do the zoo is supposed to be really good

too late but thanks!
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=65249.msg1547822#msg1547822

[Thingywingy]

Has anyone been up to Barrow? Is there anything to see this time of year? Can I find polar bears? I have seen some reviews on tripadvisor recommending taking a taxi around over one of the tour companies. Anyone have experience?

[Something Fishy]

Has anyone been up to Barrow? Is there anything to see this time of year? Can I find polar bears? I have seen some reviews on tripadvisor recommending taking a taxi around over one of the tour companies. Anyone have experience?

Everything I've researched (a number of years ago, to be fair) indicated that there's nothing really to do there, other than the slight novelty of the place.

Don't count on Polar bears, and there isn't any access to the Arctic Ocean either.

[mendy613]

Does it make sense to to Alaska during the 9 days?
We do a trip evrey summer (trying to visit all 50 states)..

We have two children, Ages 2 and <1

[Something Fishy]

Does it make sense to to Alaska during the 9 days?
We do a trip evrey summer (trying to visit all 50 states)..

We have two children, Ages 2 and <1

As much sense as any other trip would make during the 9 days. Nothing particularly different with Alaska.

[mendy613]

We go for the whole summer so we have to be somewhere then.
I am just starting to look into details, but i had the impression most activity's there are boating, extreme sports etc..

[mendy613]

I know this is from 2013, but what a great TR,

This last line stands out!

Some Motzai Shabbos reading:

Part one


P.S. A word about the state:

Alaska is not 'like the rest of the U.S. just with mountains'. It is very different, exotic even. Everything is different; the trees, the plants, even the weeds. Certainly the scenery everywhere is breathtaking. The Kenai peninsula, (where Seward is), is an actual rain-forest.

Along with glaciers and waterfalls everywhere and the fact that barely anyone lives there (the population of Alaska, an area twice the size of Texas is less than 3% of the NY metro area) the sense I got was that I was truly in another world, the last great wilderness.

Thus, I think it is a mistake to leave the U.S. looking for exotic locations internationally when you have a wonderland like this in your own backyard. Well - maybe your backyard's backyard.

[Lamppost]

Hey, Something Fishy, this is for you;
I have a Marriott 7 night cat 1-5 voucher. I was trying to figure out where to use it, id like to go somwhere in the USA thats got great natural beauty (we are a parks family, we enjoy hiking, etc...) that I havent yet been to. Problem is that after having been to 47/50 states there isnt much left to see. Also I need the parks or whatever to be reasonably close to the hotel if i am staying in one place the entire time. I thought maybe Id go to Banff but the closest hotel is in calgary which is 90 min away and the DDF seems to think that going back and forth is nuts.

So I was looking for some other inspiration and I thought that maybe Alaska might work... (its one of the 3 states not yet visited; OK,AR and the grand prize AK). My question is if you think its crazy to try to stay in Anchorage and drive around the local area (say within 2 hours)? We have a 2 year old and an 8 month old. They travel well. But i dont want to overdo things.
Also thought maybe skip Marriott and do an RV after reading your TR. Is that something tht could work with 2 Adults and 2 kids? Can a pack and play or crib (2 i guess) open up in there? Also would the crazy late sunset wreck havoc on bedtime schedules for them? Are attraction  really not nogea (Glaciers look really awesome but will it work with 2 little kids, say in a carrier)?
I'd love to hear your feedback, let me know if I have a chance of pulling this off or if i should just give it up.
Thanks!

[mendy613]

Hi all,
We are staying in Wasilla now and I am not sure if we should drive tomorrow to "glacier view" or to "Talkeetna".
 They are both an hour and a half from where we are now.
 We will be in Anchorage for the full week after, so we have to pick just one of these. It's the nine days so no boat rides etc. also we cant hike.

Thanks!