The Glickman and Kaplan families from Jacksonville, FL and Woodbury, CT ventured to Alaska this summer for a two-week land tour through Alaska’s South Central, Southwest and Interior regions.  The trip included a wonderful variety of outdoor adventures to witness the state’s amazing beauty and wildlife.  The three generations ranged from age 11-81!  They flew into Anchorage and drove themselves to Girdwood to decompress for a few nights at the Carriage House.  This was their favorite accommodation of the trip with an excellent breakfast as well as kitchens in their spacious cottage rooms. They went to the Aleyska Resort to ride the tram that affords spectacular views.  At the top they took a walk to see the snow, and got to see where the melt was just emerging… the very beginning of a creek!  They also did a bunch of hikes and some geocaching in Girdwood, as well as visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. They were able to see the iconic animals up close and learn about them before they encountered them in the wild.

The trip moved south to Seward with a stay at the Seward Windsong Lodge.  They thoroughly explored the Kenai Peninsula with a fjords boat trip, sea kayaking, hiking and a visit to a dog sledding kennel owned by Iditarod winners.  The family explained that the fjords trip was a highlight and a very rich experience due to the number of animals they saw (eagles, whales, sea lions, puffins, sea otters and more).  They even saw a calving glacier! Their self-guided hike to a view from the top of Exit Glacier and the start of the Harding Ice Fields was also awesome despite the uphill and 7 ½ mile climb.  Unfortunately, their sea kayaking trip was a little short on water time.

From Seward, they drove back to Anchorage and stayed at the Lakefront Anchorage Hotel.  They appreciated the hotel going out of their way to honor a family birthday with cake and a “guest of the day” designation!  The following day they flew to Katmai for an awesome and once-in-a-lifetime bear viewing experience that included up-close encounters, watching the bears fish for salmon, playing on the beach and a seeing a mother and her cubs.  The travel to this remote peninsula was its own adventure.  The children got to sit right next to the pilot for the smooth flight! Some of them also visited the Alaska Heritage Center in Anchorage where they learned so much about the native peoples and saw some indigenous performances.

They boarded the Alaska Railroad train in Anchorage for a 7 ½ hour journey in the dome car to Denali National Park.  The 2^nd deck afforded them great views of animals, mountains, and rivers throughout the ride.  The train ride even included their own bartender and dedicated tour guide.  They enjoyed their meal in the dining car commenting on the excellent service.  Denali Park Village hotel was their home for the next few nights.  Not their favorite accommodation as it was several miles away from the park entrance without many food options nearby, but it was the only property available for their needs and dates.  Their activities included the full day Denali Backcountry Adventure through the park, ATV rides, a float trip, self-guided hikes and an interpretive hike through Rock Creek.  Evidentially, the ATV ride was only fun for the young adults in the group who enjoyed the speed.  The trails were unexpectedly dry and dusty and there wasn’t much wildlife in the area, but the float trip down the Nenana River was really lovely and they enjoyed the guides on their hike.  The Backcountry bus ride through the park is done on school buses.  Not the most comfortable for a 92-mile ride, but they explained that their driver was very knowledgeable and spotted bears, moose, caribou, eagles and other animals. The family noted that the parks in Alaska (and elsewhere around the US) are created for the animals; not for the tourists.  Experiencing the parks is not always easy.  Sadly, the weather did not cooperate for a view of Mount Denali even with a 4-night stay!

From Denali they took the 4-hour train to Fairbank for a night before flying home.  They stayed at the River’s Edge Resort.

Overall the family said it was an incredible trip and that they could not have organized it on their own.  Grandpa, who had been to Alaska before and done some of the same activities, said that the quality of tour operators used on this this tour made the trip extra special.  They thanked the Family Traveler for a family trip of a lifetime!