Alaska trip for dad

[thinksnow]

I am thinking of taking my father to Alaska for a vacation. He has talked about wanting to go for as long as I can remember. He isn't getting any younger (68 years old). I don't want to wait any longer to get this done.

I am looking for help as to the best plan of attack. I am not sure that a cruise is the best or not. I would really like to get in some fishing while up there (halibut, cod, ???). What times of year are best? Should we fly in and to where? Any charter companies that you recomend?

Please help as I have no clue what is the best way to do this trip. I am afraid that if I wait any longer, it might be too late. I really don't want this to be another regret in a life full of them.

HELP!!!!

 

[icr]

post in the Alaska section, you'll get plenty of advice.

 

[Mag]

I am thinking of taking my father to Alaska for a vacation. He has talked about wanting to go for as long as I can remember. He isn't getting any younger (68 years old). I don't want to wait any longer to get this done.

I am looking for help as to the best plan of attack. I am not sure that a cruise is the best or not. I would really like to get in some fishing while up there (halibut, cod, ???). What times of year are best? Should we fly in and to where? Any charter companies that you recomend?

Please help as I have no clue what is the best way to do this trip. I am afraid that if I wait any longer, it might be too late. I really don't want this to be another regret in a life full of them.

HELP!!!!

Homer or Valdez for a halibut and salmon charter's june thru sept. then a train trip from Anchorage up thru Denali to Fairbanks. Plane ride home. You'll get to see what we all love up here!

 

[m8magicandmystery]

Quote:
Originally Posted by thinksnow
I am thinking of taking my father to Alaska for a vacation. He has talked about wanting to go for as long as I can remember. He isn't getting any younger (68 years old). I don't want to wait any longer to get this done.

I am looking for help as to the best plan of attack. I am not sure that a cruise is the best or not. I would really like to get in some fishing while up there (halibut, cod, ???). What times of year are best? Should we fly in and to where? Any charter companies that you recomend?

Please help as I have no clue what is the best way to do this trip. I am afraid that if I wait any longer, it might be too late. I really don't want this to be another regret in a life full of them.

HELP!!!!

Homer or Valdez for a halibut and salmon charter's june thru sept. then a train trip from Anchorage up thru Denali to Fairbanks. Plane ride home. You'll get to see what we all love up here!
__________________
nuttin yet.......it'll come to me

sounds like mag has some very good advice...those cruise ships...Westours/carnival tours...they have their place...but your on their time and their agenda..your father will be thrilled with the trip...and guess what...he will be thrilled just as much with the knowledge that you are thinking of him and trying to organize this trip...good for you...i hope you are Blessed with it all..

 

[wickman]

Another option you can do is to take the Alaska Marine Highway through Southeast. You can get on the ferry at Bellingham WA or Prince Rupert BC. You take your vehicle with you and have an opportunity to see a lot of Southeast Alaska. You can take stopovers at any of the towns. I can hook you up in Wrangell for salmon and halibut charters and jetboat river charters. After working your way through Southeast, you get off in Haines and drive up into the interior. IMO, the best way to see Alaska.

Here is the link to the Alaska ferry system:

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

 

[Weekday Warrior]

I recently did an Alaska trip with my Dad, couple things I'd do again and some that sucked.



Train trip from Fairbanks, overnight in Denali then down to Anchorage was the highlight of the trip. Its a long trip for kids but I loved every minute of it. I'd reccomend a few days in Denali.

In Denali we did a plane trip over and around Mckinley- awesome! That country is amazing

White water rafted - funner than expected in the concrete looking river, I reccomend.

next time I'd like to take the bus trip up in the park, ran outta time. We didn't spend any time in the park itself so I need to go back and do the park right.


Fishing is Seward sucked, hated it. The fishing itself rocked, the area is beautiful....but the captian we had sucked, and the fish packing was hugely expensive to have it shipped back home...then the quality sucked once we got it because they didn't clean or prep it good. If you go fishing in AK be prepared to package the fish yourself and fly it home right away. Trying to mix fishing with tourism AK is not the way to do it, I'd reccomend a fishing only trip at a lodge or tourism trip or split the two accordingly with the fishing done LAST.


I think if I were to do it again I'd do an inside passage cruise 1 way(marine highways as mentioned above), get off in Anchorage and fly to Fairbanks and hop on the train to Denali..spend a few days in Denali then train down to Anchorage. From there you can go to a fishing lodge then fly home with your fish. When we rode the train we had the cars basically to ourselves, the cruise line cars were packed but the public cars were basically empty. I stood in the open air between the cars for a lot of the trip taking pictures. I'd love to ATV the whole length camping along the way. Also I think the train from Fairbanks back to Anchorage is less crowded then Anchorage to Fairbanks. Mebbe rent a car in Fairbanks and get you some Caraboo sausage breakfast Oh there is an awesome asian food resturant there best I've ever had and I don't normally like that stuff. http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...t=1&gl=us&view=text&latlng=301547350786044198

hope your wallet is fat, they are trying to make a years profit in 2-3 months up there (short tourist season)

 

[ouch]

sent you a PM. my buddy works a boat there.

 

[H2SNOW]

any good trip up here should include the Alaska Hiway ...he's an old timer and would really appreciate what it took to punch a road up here and then bank left at my house slip down to Sgagway ...take a boat ride over to Haines ..drop the car and take the ferry to Juneau.... charter a boat and go up to Elfin Cove ...drop some hooks and catch some Halibut ...will see most of what there is to see on the coast ..glaciers,whales etc ....then climb in a puddle jumper and fly back to Haines ..grab the car and beetle up to Fairbanks ...and then over to Anchor town .....then stick Pa on the big bird while you drive home ....or rent a car a drop it off at the airport on the way out ....thats what I would do ....time ..2 weeks

have fun ..PS ...do it in late July Early August for best results ...most of the tourists will be already up and you'll have a good road .......gobs of wild life too and the days are still long

 

[thinksnow]

Thanks for all the replies.

Looks like there are a ton of choices. I need to talk it over with him and decide if it is a site seeing trip or fishing. He is probably retiring in a couple weeks so time isn't a problem for him. For me it is a problem. I think we will probably fly up there and rent if we need to. We would waste too much time driving from North Dakota.LOL

I am leaning more towards a fishing trip. Go up and see some sights and bring home some fresh fish. Looks like it is going to be expensive, but probably a once in a lifetime trip.

Keep the options coming and thanks again to those that have replied.

Lance

 

[RIDECATS]

Lance,

I did this last summer and we had a blast. I used a travel agent to book the trip and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this approach. The agent knew the area - how long it would take to get around - the best route and had all the activities booked and we just turned in vouchers. I was very happy with all the lodging and recommendations. The only thing I would have chaged is less time in Anchorage

We did (in order)
Anchorage
Seward (day boat trip)
Talketna (flightseeing, fishing in river)
Denali (park, whitewater trip)
Anchorage

 

[thinksnow]

How long of a trip? I hate to go longer than two weeks. Really can't afford that long, but it might be our last trip. I think it will be well worth the money.

 

[AkMike]

2 weeks isn't alot of time to explore this place. Plan a month and it'll be a tad easier to direct you around. Are you talking 5 star living or slightly above back packing?