Flutterby™! : Alaska Trip Planning

Alaska Trip Planning

2005-04-08 11:45:14.792919+00 by Dan Lyke 8 comments

Just a place to hang bookmarks for Dan & Charlene's 2005 Alaska Trip

[ related topics: Travel Dan & Charlene's 2005 Alaska Trip ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 12:32:47.662887+00 by: Dan Lyke

Travel: We take the off-road tandem, which incurs us a $50 surcharge each way (but not per leg) on the flights, and we'll have to buy at least one, maybe two, bike boxes at $20 each at Juneau, Alaska for shipment back. Need to pack extra tape. Call to the airline confirms what we've read elsewhere about bike shipments, and it's a 737 on both legs, so we should be fine.

Alaska Airlines flight 459 Oakland (OAK) 8:25 pm Fri, Aug 12 to Seattle (SEA) 10:14 pm Fri, Aug 12.

Still need an overnight in Seattle.

Alaska Airlines flight 65 Seattle (SEA) 7:20 am Sat, Aug 13 to Petersburg (PSG) 10:32 am Sat, Aug 13.

Still need to book nights in Petersburg, Alaska considering http://www.petersburglodgingandtours.com/ even though their B&B is a little more expensive than some of the hotels in Petersburg because we've been told that at least one of our whale watching trips must be with them.

Want to do 2 days of whale watching, 1 (short) day or other visit to Le Conte Glacier which is apparently extremely active, lots of calvings and icebergs, leaving other 3 days open to ADD adventuring. Possibilities inclued:

Fish processing plant tour.
Cycling Mitkoff Highway along the Wrangell Narrows. Great hiking, the remains of a DC-3 crash, a place where a bunch of swans congregate.
East side of Petersburg has lots of bald eagles and viewing of Frederick Sound(major humpback whale congregating area).
Sea kayaking or canoeing. Still looking for a 1 day kayak trek either with whales or among the icebergs of Le Conte Glacier.
Clausen Memorial Museum (whose web page still lists the 2000-2001 season...)

Alaska Marine Highway System leave Petersburg Thu, Aug 18, 2005 08:30 PM, arrive Juneau Fri, Aug 19, 2005 07:30 PM. Need to check on ferry dock (which I'm told is north of the airport, which would put it 7 or so miles out of town.)

We have a cabin with two extra bunks, this one takes the long way, through Sitka, so Friday sees us watching scenery go by. We've been told that we won't regret the extra time in transit. We've also been told to take rope to secure the tandem on the ferry, but the $16 surcharge for the bicycle applies to anything that looks like a bicycle with two wheels, so we should be okay.

Still need to book nights in Juneau, Alaska, considering Driftwood Lodge which I found because we were searching for bicycles and Juneau, and they rent bicycles. Odd, I know.

In Juneau, Alaska, take the 6.25 hour helicopter to glacier hiking and ice climbing tour with Northstar Trekking. Distinctly not cheap ($420/seat for The Level 3 trek), but we've heard from several sources that these trips are incredible and the longer we can spend on the glacier, the better. Talked yesterday with them via phone, and they assured me that Charlene should be able to participate, at least with the hiking part. Still an incentive to get her out a lot this summer (and we've been biking after work, a great part about living right next to Samuel P. Taylor State Park).

Other things to do in Juneau:

Bike or bus up to the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor's Center
Ride the Mount Roberts Tramway

Alaska Airlines flight 62 Juneau (JNU) 9:59 am Mon, Aug 22 to Seattle (SEA) 3:47 pm Mon, Aug 22.
Alaska Airlines 470 Seattle (SEA) 5:40 pm Mon, Aug 22 to Oakland (OAK) 7:40 pm Mon, Aug 22

Open known items to check off:

Confirm ferry and flight before midnight tonight.
Purchase Northstar Trekking trips.
Book a glacier tour with Kaleidoscope Cruises.
If no email response in a few days from Dave Ringle of the Juneau Freewheelers Bicycle Club, use the phone to ask about road conditions between ferry dock, airport, and Juneau proper.
Book lodging in Petersburg.
Book lodging in Juneau.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 12:57:19.744672+00 by: Dan Lyke

Just need a place to hang these for now, Petersburg, Alaska things:

Tongass Kayak Adventures has a Rainforest Hike/Le Conte glacier bay trip.
Tides Inn has rooms for $85 or so.
Other lodging options if we start calling down a list.
Tonka Seafoods has tours at 1:30, Mon-Sat.
Norquest Seafoods has tours, need to call to find details.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 13:03:49.716608+00 by: Dan Lyke

Dang it, somewhere there was a day trip charter that had what looked like some really scrumptious dinners prepared on-board. Still looking.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 17:07:28.567236+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]

Trips on Sunday, Monday and Thursday with Kaleidoscope Cruises, lodging at Morning Mist, and those folks have a pickup truck and it sounds like we won't be able to turn down a ride from the airport, so it's lucky we have accomodations for the bike on our ride.

And the ferry web page lost my reservation hold, luckily it was still in the system (we had the last room). Be warned about that, when the web page says "until 11:59PM April 8", it has some weird wacky idea of dateline.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 17:17:57.322133+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]

And we're booked un Juneau at Driftwood Lodge the proprietor of which says there's mixed bike path and road to and from the ferry terminal and the airport, both are bike accessible.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 22:30:26.763748+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]

So, checking off the list:

Flights booked.
Petersburg lodging booked
Petersburg trips booked
Ferry booked.
Juneau lodging booked.
Northstar Trekking confirmed for 8:30 Saturday morning August 20. They provide transportation to the airport.
Viability of tandem on ferries and as transit in Juneau confirmed.

Still need to do:

~~Book Seattle airport hotel. SEATAC Rodeway looks like cheapest convenient bet~~.
Mail check to Morning Mist B&B.
Mail check to Kaleidoscope Cruises.
Evaluate film and battery needs, put together B&H order sometime in late June.

To take:

Tape for wrapping bike at airport.
Rope for securing bike on ferry.

Damn. It's coming together. And I believe that this is the first vacation I've ever planned. Usually it's "when am I leaving" and "when am I coming back", and everything else is whatever happens along the way.

And if something happens and we have to cancel, this is going to be a bitch to unwind...

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-08 22:41:05.464148+00 by: Dan Lyke

And, anyone going from Petersburg to Sitka or Juneau on the 18th? We'll have two spare bunks in a stateroom.

#Comment Re: made: 2005-04-11 20:45:13.273662+00 by: Dan Lyke

The aforementioned Dave Ringle sent us back turn-by-turn instructions for a bike route from the ferry terminal to the airport, and shortly after the airport we apparently pick up a bike path into town:

Good news. There is a wide shoulder almost the entire way from the ferry terminal to the airport (one old narrow 20 ft. bridge). It is not well signed, but you would take Glacier Highway over a few hills, nothing too long or too steep. Once you pass Brotherhood Bridge, the road becomes a divided highway, but you will exit immediately with the first right. It's a matter of two rights, the first stop sign, then the first stop light. Not a difficult ride. I'd love to get our DOT to sign the route as it is also the best way for bicycle heading downtown (another 10 miles). It's a pretty simple route and there are no major hazards, especially early in the morning, except the occasional bear....