Help with Alaska itinerary

I'm being faced with the overwhelming task of planning a month
long sightseeing trip from Toronto to Alaska in the summer of
05. Planning to use VIARAIL from Toronto to Vancover but
beyond that it becomes very complicated.

Any help from someone who been there and done that would
be immensely helpful, indicating which modes of transportation
would be available AND preferable -- cruise ship, small boat,
car rental, train, or plane -- for each DESTINATION POINT in
Alaska.

Needless to say, cost containment is important but not
critical.

Many, many thanks.

hb

"Hockey Buff" wrote in message
...
I'm being faced with the overwhelming task of planning a month
long sightseeing trip from Toronto to Alaska in the summer of
05. Planning to use VIARAIL from Toronto to Vancover but
beyond that it becomes very complicated.

Any help from someone who been there and done that would
be immensely helpful, indicating which modes of transportation
would be available AND preferable -- cruise ship, small boat,
car rental, train, or plane -- for each DESTINATION POINT in
Alaska.

Needless to say, cost containment is important but not
critical.

Consider using the Alaskan Marine Highway system.

It follows the coast from Bellingham up to Alaska stopping
along the way. It follows much the same roue as the cruise
ships at a fraction of the price

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

Keith

"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message
...

"Hockey Buff" wrote in message
...
I'm being faced with the overwhelming task of planning a month
long sightseeing trip from Toronto to Alaska in the summer of
05. Planning to use VIARAIL from Toronto to Vancover but
beyond that it becomes very complicated.

Any help from someone who been there and done that would
be immensely helpful, indicating which modes of transportation
would be available AND preferable -- cruise ship, small boat,
car rental, train, or plane -- for each DESTINATION POINT in
Alaska.

Needless to say, cost containment is important but not
critical.

Consider using the Alaskan Marine Highway system.

It follows the coast from Bellingham up to Alaska stopping
along the way. It follows much the same roue as the cruise
ships at a fraction of the price

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

Keith
____



First move is to get a current copy of the 'Alaska Milepost' travel book.
It is available at any good Travel
Book store. Expensive but it pays for itself over and over. The State mile
by mile. Feature by feature.

Keith's suggestion is the most economical and scenic route to Skagway.
Bellingham is 55 miles South of Vancouver and can be reached by bus or
train.

When in Skagway take the White Pass Railway trip. A few hours of amazing
scenery and history.

There are Follies Shows in Skagway 5, Whitehorse 10, Anchorage ribald
and 8, Fairbanks 5. An evening's fun anywhere.

The best way to see the State at a pace that you can re-set at any time is
to rent an RV. This can be arranged at many spots in BC and in Whitehorse
for CDN $. Arrange to pick up and drop off in Whitehorse. Your first
concern of course is the cost. Consider the following advantages of Alaska
touring with an RV.

1. You can stop for the night wherever and whenever you want. No need for
any reservations.

2. Not having to cut an attraction or side trip you heard of because you
have a reservation at a Motel 70 miles down the road is a thing of the
past..

3. Very few over nite parking restrictions. A roadside gravel or borrow
pit. Down a side road to a wide spot by a stream. In Anchorage and
Fairbanks the Wal-Mart and Freddy Meyers parking lots (just go in the store
and ask which area is allocated for RV's). Some have a 3 nite max. My wife
and I traveled for 5 weeks in a rented 26' RV and paid for over nite parking
on only 5 or 6 nites. Paid nites are a definite advantage when visiting
Denali Park (make early reservations here).and Dawson City. Both are must
sees!

4. Food is not overly expensive but restaurant meals are wallet flattening.
The convenience of being able to cook your own meals as well as having
snacks and drinks as close as the fridge gives you new level of freedom.
You don't have to spend time searching out a restaurant 3 times a day. Eat
outdoors or indoors (if the skeeters get to thick).

5. The RV kitchen and bedroom can re-pay a good portion of the RV rental.

6. No packing and unpacking every day.

7. Motels are scarce and expensive.

8. The State caters to RV's. A city block in downtown Anchorage is
allocated to RV day parking.

9. RV living supplies some added adventure to the Alaska memory book.

Travel from Toronto to Vancouver on Via Rail and the AMHS to Skagway will
take 10 days out of your month. Have you considered flying to the West
Coast so as to have more time in AK rather than looking at 6 or so days of
prairie? The Via train no longer goes thru the scenic Rocky Mountains.
With decent accommodations and meals the train could cost more than air
travel.

Consider taking the AMHS again from Valdez to Whittier. A restful ferry
ride of a few hours and they take you into a bay full of icebergs that have
calved off the glacier at the head of the bay. If you do --- make
reservations for your RV as early as you can. Only one ferry each way per
day. The ferry leaving Valdez departs early in the morning. There is a
free over nite parking lot next to the ferry loading area. With your RV you
can board the ferry in your Jammies. If you plan on visiting the Kenai
Peninsula this will put you well on your way.

A trip to Chicken and Eagle gives you an insight into inner Alaska. The
Taylor Highway leaves the Alaska Highway 12 miles East to Tok. The first 20
miles is paved with the next 46 miles a 40 - 50 MPH good gravel read. The
mountain scenery is endless with your road in sight miles ahead in the clean
air as a scalped ledge amongst the trees. The road is well maintained by
Holland America as part of their Cross Alaska Cruise, Bus and Yukon River
Voyage (between Dawson City and Eagle). Do not be concerned with meeting
these large hiway busses on the Taylor Hwy. A pilot car precedes them and
is signed to let you know how many busses are coming. Lots of time to find a
wide spot for your wait. The Ranger at Eagle will give you a very
interesting tour of how it was in the 'Good ol' Days'. On your way back from
Eagle turn East on the Alaska Highway and travel the 'Top of the World
Highway' to the Yukon River crossing and Dawson City. A couple of days here
will let you go out and visit the gold dredge just East of town. Then down
the road back to Whitehorse.

We live in Vancouver and our itinerary was driving up to Skagway. 2 weeks
on the AMHS cruising the Alaskan Panhandle staying at Sitka, Juneau and
Ketchikan. Then North to Whitehorse where we picked up the RV. Then to
Haines- Gulkana-Valdez-Whittier-Hope-Seward-Kenai-Homer-Anchorage-Denali
Park-Fairbanks-Tok-Chicken-Eagle-Dawson City-Whitehorse. 3000 miles
(5000Km) on the RV in the 5 weeks we had it. June 1 -July 6. Total trip
was May 10 to July 15.

Get wide brimmed hats and head nets. I found that cutting the closed end
out of plastic bags and then putting them under my socks around my ankles
kept that area skeeter bite free.

Enjoy!

Thanks Keith and Don for the terrific insights and
very practical suggestions. Will definitely follow
thru in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, if anyone
else has any other ideas, I'm still around.

hb

As other Alaskans can tell you more than I can, the White Pass Railway
trip is absolutely amazing, but there is a short tour (which I took
and most tourists take) and there is a much longer trip that probably
would be absolutely wonderful! You might want to find out how to take
the longer one.

The White Pass Railway is one of the engineering marvels of the world!

DKM

On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 02:13:12 GMT, "Don Howe" wrote:

When in Skagway take the White Pass Railway trip. A few hours of amazing
scenery and history.


To contact me directly, send EMAIL to (single letters all)
DEE_KAY_EMM AT EarthLink.net. [For example .]

"Hockey Buff" wrote in message
...
Thanks Keith and Don for the terrific insights and
very practical suggestions. Will definitely follow
thru in the weeks to come. Meanwhile, if anyone
else has any other ideas, I'm still around.

hb

You should drive from Vancouver to Whitehorse to really appreciate the
beauty of the land, then return south by coastal ferry (either Alaska
Marine Highway or British Columbia Ferry Corp.)

Warning: the car won't be cheap (see my earlier note to "DD" under "Car
delivery to Alaska".) But you only live once ....


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The Cassiar Highway runs through BC (easily accessible from Vancouver)
up to the Yukon, and traverses some beautiful country. It's well worth
driving! If you wanted to do a round-trip, you could get off the train
in Alberta, pick up a rental care, drive up through Calgary and
Banff/Jasper national parks, drive the Alaska Hwy. to Alaska, tour
around there, then drive the Cassiar back to Vancouver. This is
do-able with five weeks (albeit a lot of driving).