Post Trip Wrap Up

I want to first thank the Culberts and Cosmuttos for their friendship and willingness to help make our Alaskan Adventures the best possible.  We do not take lightly or for granted, that travel is a privilege and made possible through their graciousness. 

Since my cancer diagnosis and treatment some 16 months ago, remaining cancer free is still something I often think about.  None of us know what the future has in store for us.  I hope that my health remains good and that I'm able to travel independently and without restriction for many years to come.  Heck, I need at least ten more good years to get in all that I hope to experience especially since there are at least three more Alaskan adventures I want to have.

For those who are considering an Alaskan vacation, I encourage you to do your own research and plan your trip yourself.  So many people are intimidated probably because of the distance and sheer size of the state.  Every time we vacation in Alaska we hear horror stories from people who have had less than positive experiences thanks to the "herd them" mentality utilized by the cruise tour companies.

At the airport we sat with some folks who said that their "day in Denali National Park" was the four hour "Denali Natural History" tour.  When asked why they chose that one, they said because they arrived too late in the afternoon to do anything else; and they had to be ready to depart their lodge at noon the next day.  Literally, no time to really do Denali justice.  Of course, they were on a land package add-on to their Alaskan cruise.

Here are some facts to consider . . .

• The Natural History Tour only goes 17 miles into the park; just 3 miles beyond where private vehicle can go without the shuttle bus or tour.  The price for this tour is $77!  OUCH!!!
• The longer Tundra Wilderness Tour has been refined to allow guests to chose how far into the park they want to go:
• Tek - 30 miles/4 hours is $66.50
• Toklat  goes about 53 miles and is $112.75
•  Stony Dome goes about 56 miles and is $130.25
• If you want to have a decent opportunity to see wildlife, you need at least one full day on the shuttle system, at least as far as the Eielson Visitor Center (MM 66).  And on the shuttle bus system, the cost is just $34

Another drawback to the cruise land packages is the lodging they provide.  Each company owns their own lodges, many of them have fancy names created by marketing people but often are not even close to their namesake.  Trust me when I say you don't want to stay at a lodge that requires long drive times to the attractions you want to see.

The train trip that many package with their land package can typically be booked for less money as well.  Each of the cruise companies own a rail car and they simply hook up to the same Alaska Railroad train heading to popular destinations including Talkeetna and Denali National Park.

This photo was taken at the Talkeetna depot when the train arrived with a couple hundred visitors arriving via their cruise company's sightseer cars.  They were met by a large motor coach and then whisked away for a variety of planned excursions.  The Mahay's Jet Boat Tours are a popular option in Talkeetna.  Back in 2010 we were with a group of "cruisers" who had clearly been together far too long.  They were cranky and always in a rush.  Sorry, that is no way to experience Alaska!

I apologize for going on and on about it; but seriously, do not spend your precious time and money with those companies that focus on moving high numbers of people through Alaska on a sprinter's marathon race.

Once you have done enough research to understand your budget and time parameters, you can find great resources online to help with your planning.  Trip Advisor's  Alaska Forum is one of the best available.  Their "destination experts" are volunteers passionate about Alaska.  Many are local residents; others are experienced travelers who love all that Alaska has to offer.  They will help you make decisions in scheduling and routing.  But do not go there expecting them to do the work for you.  You will need to have reasonable expectations in terms of how much you can really do with the time (and financial) limitations you have.  It is this reality that has so many "trip of a lifetime" vacationers coming back within a few years.  There is simply so much greatness to experience and there is never enough time to do it all.  PERIOD!

RV travel can be one of the most affordable ways to vacation, especially for families that may need two rooms.  I've seen several families traveling together by RV; or two couples sharing the cost of a motor home.  Being able to be mobile and not dependent on lodging and restaurants can be a very attractive option.

Don't have sticker shock with prices in Alaska.  It is a remote place and requires shipping in most consumable goods including groceries.  Fred Meyer and Safeway/Carrs are the two grocery stores that you'll find in most cities/towns around the state.  We prefer Safeway and enjoy their points system to earn discounts on gas.  Our $225 grocery spend during the trip earned us a $.20/gallon discount.

Whether you are RVing, traveling by auto or some other means of transportation, you will want to be sure to have plenty of snack items and water.  Many places have limited food & beverage concessions; in particular Denali National Park.  Once you head into the park, there is nowhere to buy food or drinks.  You will be able to refill water bottles at the Eielson Visitor Center, however.

Speaking of gas, here is a recap of the gas prices we saw during our two weeks:
Saturday 7/16/16 in Fairbanks $2.69/gallon
Saturday 7/16/16 in Healy (just north of Denali NP) $2.98
Thursday 7/21/16 in Cantwell . . . not posted but it's always TOO HIGH . . . AVOID!!! 
Thursday 7/21/16 in Trapper Creek (just north of Talkeetna) $2.98
Friday 7/22/16 Talkeetna Junction $2.55
Saturday 7/23/16 Willow/Wasilla/Palmer $2.55
Saturday 7/23/16 South of Independence Mine and Hatcher Pass Rd $2.53
Sunday 7/24/16 Glenn Junction at the Richardson $3.01 (still that price on Friday 7/29/16)
Sunday 7/24/16 Valdez $3.07 (and dropped to $3.04 on Friday 7/29/16)
Saturday 7/30/16 Tok $2.79
Saturday 7/30/16 Delta Junction $3.04
Saturday 7/30/16 Fairbanks $2.66

We spent $406 on gas at an average price of $2.49/gallon (including 25 gallons at Safeway with the $.20 discount).  Having driven 1,267 miles, we averaged 7.8 miles per gallon.  Yes, the beast is a guzzler!

In terms of the propane we used, our fill-up at the end of the trip was 7.7 gallons at $2.89.  At no time were we at risk of running low as the RV tank holds something like 20 or 25 gallons.

So many of my travel tips have been incorporated into the individual blog posts, so I hope folks will read each of them to glean ideas on how to make your vacation enjoyable and stress free.

I will close this blog by encouraging folks to stop and take time to meet the locals.  We had several opportunities throughout our 15 days to chat with people. Some of the most interesting we met were the gold miners from Petersville.

They stopped where we were boondocked to let their dog take care of his business after a long two hour drive from their claim.  Here's David making friends with Larry the Dog . . . who was a friendly stray that has apparently been abandoned out near the river.  His new family loved him as though they had been together for years.