(Important note: this is not your classic blog. In most blogs, the most recent posts are first - basically life in reverse order. I manipulated the dates on the postings, so that the oldest postings would appear first. This way, you can read about our trip as we experienced it.)
I'm writing this blog because I searched for this information online, and I couldn't find it! I want to share my family's experiences in Alaska with you. Alaska is an absolutely wonderful place to visit. However, it is comparatively expensive, and for most people it represents a big investment and a long plane ride. So, I hope to help you make the most of you time, and your money.
About us: we are a family of three - myself and my wife (both age 50) and our 24 year-old daughter. We live in Florida. We enjoy an active lifestyle and outdoor activities. We are all in good health, and usually ready for a 5-mile hike. My goal in vacation is to every day see something I've never seen before. So, we are mildly adventurous - not daring or careless, but we prefer activity to just sitting around.
I talked to several people who had been to Alaska on vacation. Not surprisingly, most of them had taken a cruise through the inside passage. One gentleman excitedly told me: "It's great - you never have to leave the ship. You have great restaurant food, and the local people come on-board to share their culture. You can just sit in a chair on deck and watch Alaska go by." That moment, I decided that I did not want to take an Alaska cruise. The thought of just sitting around is not appealing to our family. We like to get out and experience the places we're visiting. (I'm not knocking cruises - if that's what you want. Some people love cruises, and I respect that.)
Anyway, after much Internet research (more on that later,) we decided that our best plan was to fly-in to Anchorage and drive south, touring the Kenai Peninsula. The Kenai Peninsula is about the size of West Virginia. Of course, I've never been to West Virginia, but the point is made nonetheless - Alaska is a huge state (you knew that) and we couldn't expect to tour a large area in the two weeks we allotted for this trip. So, we focused on the Kenai Peninsula, and also the area between Anchorage and the Kenai.
A few things about this blog:
So, I hope you enjoy this information,and find it useful as you plan your great Alaska adventure!
I'm writing this blog because I searched for this information online, and I couldn't find it! I want to share my family's experiences in Alaska with you. Alaska is an absolutely wonderful place to visit. However, it is comparatively expensive, and for most people it represents a big investment and a long plane ride. So, I hope to help you make the most of you time, and your money.
About us: we are a family of three - myself and my wife (both age 50) and our 24 year-old daughter. We live in Florida. We enjoy an active lifestyle and outdoor activities. We are all in good health, and usually ready for a 5-mile hike. My goal in vacation is to every day see something I've never seen before. So, we are mildly adventurous - not daring or careless, but we prefer activity to just sitting around.
I talked to several people who had been to Alaska on vacation. Not surprisingly, most of them had taken a cruise through the inside passage. One gentleman excitedly told me: "It's great - you never have to leave the ship. You have great restaurant food, and the local people come on-board to share their culture. You can just sit in a chair on deck and watch Alaska go by." That moment, I decided that I did not want to take an Alaska cruise. The thought of just sitting around is not appealing to our family. We like to get out and experience the places we're visiting. (I'm not knocking cruises - if that's what you want. Some people love cruises, and I respect that.)
Anyway, after much Internet research (more on that later,) we decided that our best plan was to fly-in to Anchorage and drive south, touring the Kenai Peninsula. The Kenai Peninsula is about the size of West Virginia. Of course, I've never been to West Virginia, but the point is made nonetheless - Alaska is a huge state (you knew that) and we couldn't expect to tour a large area in the two weeks we allotted for this trip. So, we focused on the Kenai Peninsula, and also the area between Anchorage and the Kenai.
A few things about this blog:
- I am writing about what we did, not about what you should do. I don't claim that I had the perfect vacation, or that you should follow my itinerary. I just thought you might enjoy the information.
- I like to plan our trips pretty thoroughly, with a little "wiggle" room in case the weather doesn't cooperate, or if we're not having a good time.
- My philosophy is: the first time we visit some place, it is best to keep moving! That way, we get to see a lot, and if we're not enjoying ourselves, we'll have something entirely different tomorrow. (We're already planning our next Alaska trip - revisiting the places we loved, and skipping the places we didn't.)
- You won't see any photos of my family. Sorry - we like our privacy. I know this is unusual in the age of Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube, but we like it that way.
- Yes, all of the Alaska photos are original. I am not a professional photographer. However, I teach photography in middle school. My camera is a Kodak Z981, which is a $200 point-and-shoot (not an SLR.)
So, I hope you enjoy this information,and find it useful as you plan your great Alaska adventure!
