Alaska 2007 precruise itin advice

My family (husband, 12, 10, and 7-year old kids) and I will take a princess southbound cruise in August 2007. We are flying into Anchorage on a Wed. and sail from Whittier on Saturday, which really gives us 2 full days pre-cruise. I was thinking about doing the Alaska Wildland Adventures Canyon River full day float trip on Thursday, and a Kenai Fjords Cruise and Ididaride tour on Friday.

We have booked 3 nights at the Alyeska resort. 1) Is it reasonable to sight see Seward out of Girdwood, or should we stay in Seward?

2) I am a little concerned about seasickness on the Kenai Fjords cruise, and my kids are concerned about boredom on a 6+ hour cruise. Given that we will be cruising through glacier parks on the Princess ship, and expect to do a whale watch trip in Juneau, should we plan a different activity? Thanks

Alaska 2007 precruise itin advice

All your activities, except Mitch Seavey%26#39;s IdidaRide Sled Dog Tour, are water related. Then you are taking your kids on a cruise. I think you got a good idea to consider something very different? Maybe you should base yourself i n Anchorage? Many options from there and kids can find activities not water related that interest them. Did you consult with your kids? Did you think about taking you kids on a day tour to watch bears? You can do that from Anchorage or Homer. While staying in Anchorage it is a short drive to Eagle River Nature Center. Great place for kids. You can go to Independence Mine, hike on tundra around Hatcher Pass, visit Muskoxen Farm in Palmer, then continue to Matanuska Glacier for a guided hike with crampons on the glacier. Fabulous activity for kids. Personally I wouldn%26#39;t base myself in Girdwood for activities in Seward. You can also do the tram ride on your way to Seward without staying in Girdwood.

www.ernc.org

www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/indmine.htm

http://www.micaguides.com/hiking.html

http://www.novalaska.com/glacier.htm

http://www.muskoxfarm.org/

Alaska 2007 precruise itin advice

I think in Anchorage great activity to do with kids would be renting bikes and bike as far as you want on Tony Knowles Coastal Trail with beautiful views and always present moose.

…state.ak.us/parks/…knowlsct.htm

For more options in Anchorage consult my post where I listed 63 ';Things to do in Anchorage';

You may also opt to drive for a day from Anchorage to Talkeetna and take a flight over Denali

www.flyk2.com

www.talkeetnaair.com

www.flydenali.com

Places made a lot of great suggestions. It%26#39;s really upto you and your kids to decide what activities you want to do most. Also, remember that you will have plenty of activities available during your cruise, so do something before the cruise that is different.

The Fjords 6 hours tour is great. Take the one with the park ranger on board. I think 2 out of the 3 boat companies have a ranger. Your kids will get special books with questions to answer while on the boat tour (about the glaciers and animals) and at the end of the tour have a little ceremony to become junior rangers. The ranger is there to also answer any questions you and your kids might have. We had some interesting conversations about whales, etc. and about Alaska in general. The time passed very fast. The minus of planning to go on this tour is that in your case you have to do it on a certain day. If that day the sea is too rough you can plan to do a different activity or your tour might be changed to a 3 hour bay tour, or you will go out and possibly get seasick. It%26#39;s really your choice of whether you want to take the risk and plan an activity that might not occur. For seasickness ask your doctor for a prescription for the patch that goes behind your ear. I read that it%26#39;s the best remedy. But ask your kids%26#39; doctor whether it%26#39;s ok for kids.

If you stay in Alyeska resort, how do you plan on fitting in both the boat tour and the Ididaride tour on the same day? Plan on a 2 hour drive and from Seward, so you would be on the 11:30 (to 5:30) boat, after which you can rush to the dog tour before dinner but make sure it%26#39;s available at that time - too much for a day in my opinion, especially with kids.

I agree with Places.......you will see glaciers, whales etc on your cruise, why duplicate it with a fjord cruise out of Seward ??

Eagle River Nature Center is great for kids (free except for a parking fee)......lots of hands-on activities indoors and hiking trails outdoors.....(bring rain gear and do the trails, lots to see and learn)........Biking the Tony Knowles trail with a trip to Earthquake Park would also be great for kids.....Not too sure about that ';full day'; rafting trip.....make sure to ask how much of that time will actually be on the water, and how much time on a bus ?......Kids need to move around to keep from being bored......

Thanks for all of your advice. I%26#39;m still overwhelmed by the number of things we can do, and the short time we have. I%26#39;m trying to focus in on what are the ';dont miss'; activities; they all sound good.

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