Husband and I want to take a trip to Alaska. We live in Michigan. How much should we expect to spend? What would you recommend and what would you not recommend?
Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!
Check Orbitz.com or similar for plane fares; we paid $550 each from NV. B_Bs/rented cabins cost $80-$120/night. I, personally, am not a cruise person. My husband and I flew up and rented a car, which was pretty expensive - around $1200. We got lucky and they were out of the cars we chose, so they upgraded us to an SUV at no charge. Even if we would have paid $2000 for an SUV it would have been worth it. There are many unpaved roads here that you will want to drive, like the Denali Hwy. Not that you necessary need a 4-wheel drive, but it_s nice. We spent 10 days driving a small part of the country (it_s HUGE) and loved every minute of it.
Here_s what I think you shouldn_t miss:
Homer for fishing - expensive but worth it. We went out in a 6 person boat (us, 3 other people and the captain). We caught not a lot of Halibut this time of year, but enough to send home over 30 lbs. The whole fishing trip including shipping the fish back cost around $850, but it was something I_ll probably not do again, so it was worth it.
Denali National Park - You have to take a bus in to the park. I recommend that you take the Park Service bus, which is what we did. It costs $40/person to go in around 80 miles to Wonder Lake - the 2nd to the last stop. You have to pack your own food and water and it takes 11 hours. It was well worth it - we saw bears, caribou, moose, etc. There are also tours where they serve lunch and have someone narrate, but they cost around $135/person. Totally not worth it in my opinion. Our bus driver had worked there for 9 years and provided plenty of information.
Fairbanks - We were lucky enough to stay at a small lodge about 25 miles outside the city that had a dogsled team. We were close enough to Fairbanks to drive in and see the University of Alaska Museum. It was incredible. Admission was $10 each and well, well worth it.
There_s so much that we didn_t see! I_m actually typing this from a little bar in Healy - we_re flying out tomorrow. My husband got a cold so he went to be early. I would be happy to tell you more about our trip if you_re interested. You can email me at ldg.eal@gmail.com, I hope you get a chance to come up. We_re talking about our next trip already!How about a cruise? You can take a cruise to Alaska starting at about $750 per person for a 7 day cruise round trip from Seattle. If you prefer a longer cruise then do a cruise/tour which starts at about $1,750 per person. This would include several days on land either before or after a cruise. I recommend Princess as they can take care of every detail and give you the vacation of a lifetime.
