hot tubs anchorage image
David
I'm sorry! I already asked a similar question to this already but my budget is tight and I don't know what to do! Where are some must-visit-places I should go in Alaska? Again, I'm going during the winter but would be open to visit anywhere so long as it has (preferably) breathtaking views or (eh) cheap fun activities.
Is it worth going to Juneau? What's the likelihood of seeing whales during the winter and what else is there to do? I hear Anchorage is very popular but I don't quite understand why!
My final destination is Fairbanks Alaska for the Aurora but I'm whiling to go visit another place before that so please, tell me where to go! I am your human puppet! Through me across the State and sit me down at a cliff ledge as the sun sets and my eyebrows frost!
Again, thank you for taking the time to review my question.
Sincerely, David A. Perez.
Should I just go to New York for the Winter instead?
Answer
If your not keen on Anchorage why even bother with New York. Big cities can be found everywhere, Alaska winter is unique and beautiful.
And although Anchorage is a small city by lower 48 standards it is the biggest we got. So if you want city type stuff you might like it.
Juneau is going to be a huge expense. It is a kinda fun quirky place and the state capitol. But if you are on a budget stick to the roads or trains. And in winter the trains are a good safe option for long distance travel in AK.
If you are flying into Anchorage anyway take advantage of it and see some things in the area.
If you have not made flights yet, you could in theory fly in and out of Fairbanks and base yourself in the interior. Or fly into one, take the train between the two and fly out of the other.
In Fairbanks:
UAF museum is well worth it
Eat at Silver Gulch (Americas furthest north brewery also has great food) and a new micro brewery HooDoo just opened up here.
Chena Hot Springs, because, well where else can you soak in a hot tub outside while your hair freezes in sub-zero temps. They also have sled rides, an ice hotel, and other fun stuff to do on site.
Beads & Things on Second Ave has some wonderful authentic Native Alaskan crafts, actually there are a few places downtown.
First Fridays is a wonderful art series with showings of local artists around town on the first fri of each month.
Depend on when you come there are some winter events that would be great fun to check out.
Festival of Native Arts
Yukon Quest (starts in Fairbanks in Feb)
Open North American Sled Dog Race
*and on many weekend there are smaller local races at the Jeff Studdard Race Grounds, Alaska Dog Mushers site will have more info
World Ice Art Championships
Around the Denali Park area a lot of places are only open for the summer season. Which means you can get great deals on rooms at the local B7B's that stay open year round. There will be less touristy stuff open. But if you email some of the B&B's and ask you will find many offer unique activities for their visitors in the winter. Some to check out are:
Denali Touch of Wilderness
Earth Song Lodge
Denali Dome Home
Look for local owned places in the communities around the park, and make email contact. Part of the benefit for you is the local owners, who if they are cool and you get along, can really help you out. So find a place that appeals to you and people you think you will enjoy staying with.
To be fair, you are likely to have a wonderful adventure where ever you go in the state, Alaska is like that.
If your not keen on Anchorage why even bother with New York. Big cities can be found everywhere, Alaska winter is unique and beautiful.
And although Anchorage is a small city by lower 48 standards it is the biggest we got. So if you want city type stuff you might like it.
Juneau is going to be a huge expense. It is a kinda fun quirky place and the state capitol. But if you are on a budget stick to the roads or trains. And in winter the trains are a good safe option for long distance travel in AK.
If you are flying into Anchorage anyway take advantage of it and see some things in the area.
If you have not made flights yet, you could in theory fly in and out of Fairbanks and base yourself in the interior. Or fly into one, take the train between the two and fly out of the other.
In Fairbanks:
UAF museum is well worth it
Eat at Silver Gulch (Americas furthest north brewery also has great food) and a new micro brewery HooDoo just opened up here.
Chena Hot Springs, because, well where else can you soak in a hot tub outside while your hair freezes in sub-zero temps. They also have sled rides, an ice hotel, and other fun stuff to do on site.
Beads & Things on Second Ave has some wonderful authentic Native Alaskan crafts, actually there are a few places downtown.
First Fridays is a wonderful art series with showings of local artists around town on the first fri of each month.
Depend on when you come there are some winter events that would be great fun to check out.
Festival of Native Arts
Yukon Quest (starts in Fairbanks in Feb)
Open North American Sled Dog Race
*and on many weekend there are smaller local races at the Jeff Studdard Race Grounds, Alaska Dog Mushers site will have more info
World Ice Art Championships
Around the Denali Park area a lot of places are only open for the summer season. Which means you can get great deals on rooms at the local B7B's that stay open year round. There will be less touristy stuff open. But if you email some of the B&B's and ask you will find many offer unique activities for their visitors in the winter. Some to check out are:
Denali Touch of Wilderness
Earth Song Lodge
Denali Dome Home
Look for local owned places in the communities around the park, and make email contact. Part of the benefit for you is the local owners, who if they are cool and you get along, can really help you out. So find a place that appeals to you and people you think you will enjoy staying with.
To be fair, you are likely to have a wonderful adventure where ever you go in the state, Alaska is like that.
I am planning a cruise to alaska in the next 2 years, anyone have any advice or recommndations?
cindee p
Answer
I have been to Alaska twice, once on business for 2 weeks with some weekend sightseeing and a cruise on a small ship, and then on a Princess cruise-tour. In my opinion the best cruise for you would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. They typically afford an opportunity to stay a night or two in/at Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, or Fairbanks, Alaska. There are four cruise lines that use the train to transport you from/to the cruise point to/from the park and Fairbanks. The train ride is magnificent and when you do the cruise tour you will have the best opportunity to see wildlife like bears, caribou, moose, fox, wolf, and a few others. These cruise-tours can be from 12 to 15 days or more while normal cruises are 7 days.
There are several ways to have a cruise to Alaska. You can cruise north from San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver Canada or cruise south from Anchorage (Whittier or Seward). Cruises typically cruise the "inside passage" which is a waterway much like a river where you can in most places see land on both sides of the ship. It provides a very smooth ride on that part of the cruise. Cruises typically go to Juneau (the capitol), and Ketchikan, Skagway, and stop at one or more glaciers like Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. Some cruises do other port stops. So you need to pay attention to which itinerary (port stops) the cruises will have.
The 4 cruise lines which offer the cruise-tours and all would be good; Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America. We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good.
All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.
The best time to go on an Alaska cruise is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from mid-May to mid-Sept only.
The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Some cruise lines do have specials and do consider them as they can save you hundreds over the exact same itinerary on a different date. You will do well to book your cruise now or as soon as you can because all of the cruise lines give the best prices for very early bookings.
The cruises generally have more seniors and families. The ships generally have a solarium (covered pool and hot tub area) so you can enjoy the ship about the same as when you go to the Caribbean. It will be pleasant on ship while you are in inside area but breezy and chilly on open decks. When you get near the icebergs and glaciers it will be cold. And I mean like hat, coat and gloves cold. But the way to dress is layer your clothes so you will be warm enough when its cold but not too hot when you are in warmer areas. Instead of a ski jacket, take a lighter one that you can wear comfortably over a sweater or hoodie. Take some long sleeved shirts and slacks. Take a cap or hat and even gloves.
These are the other cruise lines that most people go on:
HOLLAND AMERICA
CELEBRITY:
ROYAL CARIBBEAN:
NORWEGIAN:
PRINCESS:
CARNIVAL:
I have been to Alaska twice, once on business for 2 weeks with some weekend sightseeing and a cruise on a small ship, and then on a Princess cruise-tour. In my opinion the best cruise for you would be a cruise-tour. The cruise tour allows you to see more of Alaska by land (bus and/or train) either before or after the cruise. They typically afford an opportunity to stay a night or two in/at Denali National Park, Anchorage, Talkeetna, or Fairbanks, Alaska. There are four cruise lines that use the train to transport you from/to the cruise point to/from the park and Fairbanks. The train ride is magnificent and when you do the cruise tour you will have the best opportunity to see wildlife like bears, caribou, moose, fox, wolf, and a few others. These cruise-tours can be from 12 to 15 days or more while normal cruises are 7 days.
There are several ways to have a cruise to Alaska. You can cruise north from San Francisco, Seattle, or Vancouver Canada or cruise south from Anchorage (Whittier or Seward). Cruises typically cruise the "inside passage" which is a waterway much like a river where you can in most places see land on both sides of the ship. It provides a very smooth ride on that part of the cruise. Cruises typically go to Juneau (the capitol), and Ketchikan, Skagway, and stop at one or more glaciers like Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. Some cruises do other port stops. So you need to pay attention to which itinerary (port stops) the cruises will have.
The 4 cruise lines which offer the cruise-tours and all would be good; Princess Cruise line, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Holland America. We did our cruise tour with Princess and it was very good.
All four of the cruise lines that I have mentioned use the train for the land tour. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, and Celebrity have special domed train cars that provide great visibility. Not all tour segments are the same so you really have to pay attention to how the land tour is organized and whether it uses the train or buses.
The best time to go on an Alaska cruise is when you can get the best price. The Alaska cruise season is from mid-May to mid-Sept only.
The best prices will be in May and Sept but you will see the same things as other times. The weather is generally warmer in June, July and Aug, but it can also be pleasant in May and Sept. When we went a few years ago in May it was shirt sleeve weather (70's) in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Some cruise lines do have specials and do consider them as they can save you hundreds over the exact same itinerary on a different date. You will do well to book your cruise now or as soon as you can because all of the cruise lines give the best prices for very early bookings.
The cruises generally have more seniors and families. The ships generally have a solarium (covered pool and hot tub area) so you can enjoy the ship about the same as when you go to the Caribbean. It will be pleasant on ship while you are in inside area but breezy and chilly on open decks. When you get near the icebergs and glaciers it will be cold. And I mean like hat, coat and gloves cold. But the way to dress is layer your clothes so you will be warm enough when its cold but not too hot when you are in warmer areas. Instead of a ski jacket, take a lighter one that you can wear comfortably over a sweater or hoodie. Take some long sleeved shirts and slacks. Take a cap or hat and even gloves.
These are the other cruise lines that most people go on:
HOLLAND AMERICA
CELEBRITY:
ROYAL CARIBBEAN:
NORWEGIAN:
PRINCESS:
CARNIVAL:
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Title Post: What should I do in Alaska this Winter!?
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Rating: 92% based on 9172 ratings. 4,3 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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