Alaska Photos

[Bobo912]

I promised some photos from the Taming the Last Frontier adventure, so here is a link to a slideshow of just a few on the many, many pictures I took in Alaska (maybe not the best ones, but I had to pick out a few quickly). The trip was absolutely spectacular! The weather was beautiful and the wildlife cooperated fully by showing themselves. I won't be doing a trip report, but if you have any specific questions I will try to answer them. Here's the link - hope it works.

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af203/Adventure_album/Alaska%202009/?albumview=slideshow

[sayhello]

I promised some photos from the Taming the Last Frontier adventure, so here is a link to a slideshow of just a few on the many, many pictures I took in Alaska (maybe not the best ones, but I had to pick out a few quickly). The trip was absolutely spectacular! The weather was beautiful and the wildlife cooperated fully by showing themselves. I won't be doing a trip report, but if you have any specific questions I will try to answer them. Here's the link - hope it works.

http://s1008.photobucket.com/albums/af203/Adventure_album/Alaska%202009/?albumview=slideshowAaaaaaaaah! This looks fabulous!!! I can't believe the incredible shot of Mt McKinley and the whales!!!! What kind of camera did you use? Just spectacular! Were you in a helicopter or something for the McKinley shot?

Can you at least give some general impressions? I am *SO* looking forward to this trip! Who were your guides? How were the Hotels? What did you do during your "time on your own"? Did you do pre- or post- days?

I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the trip. The pictures are just marvelous!

Sayhello

[Tozzie]

Those photos are amazing looks like an awesome trip!!

[redzinner]

Glad you had great weather! Oh but we do want to know about the Disney details! Your photos are great. Thanks for posting them.

[marcemch]

I am SO anxious to hear more details too, as we leave in a month for Alaska adventure (we start our 30 day countdown tomorrow!) What were the highlights, without giving away too many surprises? How did it compare to other ABD trip(s) you've done? Your photos were fabulous - I can only hope we get the view of the whales that you did!
Any packing hints? I don't want to bring too many heavy clothes - will I need them? How did the adults spend the free evening in Girdwood?

[SLK1]

Absolutely stunning...thank you so much for sharing! It'll be hard not to choose that adventure next!:)

[Bobo912]

Our guides were Mike and Carlene. They are both awesome!

The Sophie Station Hotel in Fairbanks is just your basic hotel, but it was nice enough and very clean. The staff was very friendly. I had dinner in the restaurant on the night of our arrival and it was one of the best meals of the trip. The Grande Denali Lodge was somewhat rustic, but quite suited to it's location. It's built on a ledge on the side of a mountain and the view is impressive. The rooms were just average. We didn't spend much time in the room anyway. The lobby is nice. The restuarant was okay, but I thought overpriced for what we got. There are a lot of other restaurants in the canyon just below the lodge where you can have dinner when you're on your own. The Aleyaska Resort was a step up from the other accommodations. Nice rooms and grounds. Very friendly, helpful staff. Several restaurants on site. Definitely the most comfortable beds on the trip.

And speaking of rustic, there are several occasions on the trip when the only toilets availale are of the non-flushable variety.

During the afternoon on our own at Denali, we did a white water rafting trip through the river canyon. Some of the adults in our group skipped the Denali Exploration Hike earlier in the afternoon and took a tundra tour where they saw a lot of wildlife. It was long (I forget exactly but something in excess of 6 hours I think) and on a school bus, but I believe they thought it was well worth the time. One family did a covered wagon trip that had a dinner show and another family did an ATV tour. Mike and Carlene can make suggestions, as well as the front desk staff at the lodge. On the free day in Girdwood, our wonderful guides led us on an optional hike at Byron Glacier which ended at a spot where we were able to play in the snow. It was beautiful and the kids especially loved it. There is paragliding and helicopter tours near the hotel, if you aren't interested in the hike. And the spa, of course. We didn't do any pre or post days, but if you have the time and the expendable funds, I think it would be worth it to take a helicopter or plane tour. Either a flyover or one of the tours that lands on a glacier.

On the fjords cruise, the whales, porpoises, and otters came very near the ship, so it was easy to get good photos. You just have to keep snapping. Most of the pictures I took with a Canon Rebel XTi and a few were taken with a Canon Powershot SD600. The photo of Mt. McKinley was taken from a Boeing 737-400 on our flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks. The pilot announced during the flight that, since the day was unusally clear and we were ahead of schedule, he had a surprise for us. He slowed the jet and flew at a lower altitude so that we could get a good view of the mountain. He tilted the wings so we could see the base camps and the climbers footprints through the snow. It was amazing. There were maybe 30 people on the plane, so we were able to move around to get the best view. The pilot was on the PA sytem the whole time playing tour guide. I'm so glad we had this opportunity, because there was a huge forest fire in Denali that started our third day in Alaska, I believe, and it made the air a bit hazy everywhere we went. When we got to the spot where we should have been able to see Mt. McKinley, it was obscured by the haze.

We had an amazing time! Our guides and our fellow adventurers were fantastsic. It was sunny and in the upper 70's for the entire trip, which definitely made the experience more enjoyable. We felt like we were living a charmed life. Those temps are a rarity and all the Alaskans we encountered kept saying how hot it was. Temps at home were upper 90's so it felt great to me. Chances are you will encounter variables temps, so you have to bring clothes that you can layer. Bring some warm clothes, because you will probably need them at least part of the time. Unless you're charmed like us. :-)

My one regret is that I didn't bring a stocking cap or some type of hat with ear flaps for the fjords cruise. The ship goes quite fast, so it is windy, and I wished that I had brought something to protect my ears.

[HappyGrumpy]

Was this a ABD Trip! Just wanted to make sure because now the decision just got WAY harder!!

[Bobo912]

Was this a ABD Trip! Just wanted to make sure because now the decision just got WAY harder!!

Most definitely. Sorry, I guess your decision just got harder. :-)

[Bobo912]

I am SO anxious to hear more details too, as we leave in a month for Alaska adventure (we start our 30 day countdown tomorrow!) What were the highlights, without giving away too many surprises? How did it compare to other ABD trip(s) you've done? Your photos were fabulous - I can only hope we get the view of the whales that you did!
Any packing hints? I don't want to bring too many heavy clothes - will I need them? How did the adults spend the free evening in Girdwood?

Hope I answered most of your questions in my previous looong post. We've only done one other ABD trip (although we definitely will be doing more). We went to Costa Rica last year. Both trips were absolutely great. I tend to think Alaska was a bit better because the scenery is just so awe inspiring and the sites and experience are so unique. It was easier too because I spoke the language and understood the currency. :-) I would highly recommend either itinerary though. I'm sure all the other trips are fantastic too - and it makes it so hard to choose.

[HappyGrumpy]

Thank You so much for clarifying and WOW your pics are fabulous!

How did you feel about the hotels and the food?

What was your favorite excursion?

If you could do something or ask ABD to improve something what would that be for this trip?

[sayhello]

Thanks, Bobo912. Sounds fabulous! (Except for the non-flushable toilets! Oi! Did the guides warn you about when that would be true?) The hotels pretty much fit what I'd heard. When I was at Denali 3 years ago, they were just building the Grand Denali Lodge, and the location up on the hill just looked spectacular! But those places tend to focus on the lodge, and the room tend to be just OK. That's fine, it's the location for these! Although there were NO restaurants really in the area (we ended up doing Subway) so it's nice to know they've added stuff. I was wondering about "dinner on your own in Denali". Now it makes sense.

That is so cool about the pilot giving you the fly-over for McKinley! So few people get to see it that clearly (the statistics are 70% of the people who go to Denali never see it at all, 20% see it somewhat obscured, and only 10% see it clearly). So you are in that 10%! (for the record, I'm in the 20%!) Spectacular! How wonderful that your pilot gave you such a treat!

Man, if you had the 70's, and they said it was hot, it may be *really* chilly when I go in September! Must get more layers!

Thanks for all the info! I'm so excited!

Hewene

[Bobo912]

Thank You so much for clarifying and WOW your pics are fabulous!

How did you feel about the hotels and the food?

What was your favorite excursion?

If you could do something or ask ABD to improve something what would that be for this trip?

I thought the hotels and food were fine, but they definitely won't satisfy someone who requires a 5-star hotel and fine dining. We had some nice meals, but we also had box lunches and deli style meals, which were totally appropriate for the activities we were engaged in at the time.

I enjoyed all the activities, but I would have to say the Kenai Fjords Cruise was my favorite. Whales and sea lions in the wild are not something I see every day and it was just amazing. And the Ailiak Glacier was like something from another world.

I would love to see an excursion where we actually walk, or ski or maybe go mushing with sled dogs across a glacier. But that would be a very expensive addition to the itinerary, so I can see why it's not included. Maybe we'll go back someday and do the things we missed this time around.

[sayhello]

I enjoyed all the activities, but I would have to say the Kenai Fjords Cruise was my favorite. Whales and sea lions in the wild are not something I see every day and it was just amazing. And the Ailiak Glacier was like something from another world.The one time I went to Alaska, the one thing I regretted not doing was the Kenai Fjords Cruise! I am so glad it's on this itinerary! It's one of the things that sold me on it.

*bounce* *bounce*

Sayhello

[tigger_ttfn]

Awesome pictures! It just makes me want to go even more badly now. I love wildlife and mountains. Thanks for your report and sharing these amazing photos.

Glad you had a good trip with great weather!

[jjb52]

Your pictures of the killer whales are great. I have been on a couple Alaskan Cruises and on the first one we sailed from Vancouver to Seward and stayed a few days in Seward on our own before flying home. We did the Kenai Fjords day long cruise and it was the highlight of our trip. It is so great that ABD has included that-it was a fabulous day out on the water. This is were we saw the most wildlife. We were there in July and the weather was sunny and in the high sixties-low seventies. It was cold on the cruise so bring a hat and gloves and layers. You will need to be out on the deck to see the wildlife but can get warm inside. I loved Seward and Alaska but won't be doing the ABD-too many other places I have not seen.

[Tink_Taylor]

Awesome Pics! Looked Like A Lot Of Fun :-)

[kristilew]

Bobo - thanks for the amazing pictures. Post that link on the "animal pictures" thread and you will definitely be the "winner!"

[aspen37]

Wow what great photos! It looks like you had a great trip.

[PrincessSitka]

I live in North Pole if I can help answer any question.

[divawife]

Hi,
The trip sounds wonderful! May I ask about the number of kids and when did you go? I would love to go in July next year with 2 girls ages 8 and 10. I am hoping there will be kids on this tour.

Thanks so much for the info

[Bobo912]

Hi,
The trip sounds wonderful! May I ask about the number of kids and when did you go? I would love to go in July next year with 2 girls ages 8 and 10. I am hoping there will be kids on this tour.

Thanks so much for the info

We were there July 1 - 8. There were 30 people on the trip. Five were young kids - two 11, two 9 and one that was probably around 6. There were 4 teenagers. The younger kids bonded early in the trip and had a great time together. Our guides told us that there were 16 kids on the trip prior to ours. I think this itinerary will be popular for families with children.

[Icemann]

Tryed but need a pass word or do I have to sign up for an account ?

[behappy]

When I follow you link, I get a message to enter a password?

[Bobo912]

Sorry, the album was accidentally set to private. I tried to change it, but photobucket is acting up and gave me error on page. So, I'm not sure if it worked. If the original link doesn't work, try this one...

http://s951.photobucket.com/albums/ad353/ABD_public/Alaska%202009/?albumview=slideshow

[hockey_chauffeur]

Just curious if you felt the Disney pixie dust was worth it vs doing the trip on your own?

[Bobo912]

Just curious if you felt the Disney pixie dust was worth it vs doing the trip on your own?

I think it was totally worth it. It would have taken me months to research all the accommodations and activities, and even then I wouldn't be confident that I had made the right choices. I guess I could have just followed the ABD itinerary on my own, but it wouldn't have been the same. I am responsible for everything at home, and for me it is absolutely priceless to be able to relax and enjoy myself, knowing that our guides are going to take care of everything. And we received special treatment everywhere we went. For instance, on the fjords cruise, we boarded before any of the other guests and had a private meeting with the captain. The visit to the Alaska Sea Life Center is after hours, so we were the only guests in the building. There were special touches every day. Also, the other families were just great and that made the experience even more enjoyable. My son is an only child, so having the other kids to hang out with was very important for him. Also, besides being so good at their jobs, the guides are just delightful people and it was great fun to spend time with them.

[AKGAL]

Nice to see the pics of home. Kind of funny thinking there is ABD in AK.
Glad everyone is coming up north to see there is more to us then what is on the news this last year. We truly are the last frontier and by the way non flush facilities are a bit of a luxury in the bush. We work on the 4 plunger awards.

[Bobo912]

Another good thing about this trip...now that I've been to Alaska and know my way around a little, I would be perfectly comfortable going back on my own someday. There are a lot of other activities that I would like to try. Just loved all the Alaskans we met. They were so friendly and laid back. Many of them told us that March is a beautiful time to visit. I would love to go back sometime when we could see the Northern Lights.

[sayhello]

Another good thing about this trip...now that I've been to Alaska and know my way around a little, I would be perfectly comfortable going back on my own someday. There are a lot of other activities that I would like to try. Just loved all the Alaskans we met. They were so friendly and laid back. Many of them told us that March is a beautiful time to visit. I would love to go back sometime when we could see the Northern Lights.I've been told there's a possibility I may be able to see the Northern Lights while I'm there in September. That's been a life-long dream! I am *so* stoked about that possibility!

Sayhello

[Bobo912]

I've been told there's a possibility I may be able to see the Northern Lights while I'm there in September. That's been a life-long dream! I am *so* stoked about that possibility!

Sayhello

We were told by the locals that as long as there is actual darkness, you can see them. If you go to this link http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=81&month=9&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1 it shows the sunrise and sunset times in Fairbanks. Looks like you will have some nighttime while you're there. That should be an amazing sight!

[sayhello]

We were told by the locals that as long as there is actual darkness, you can see them. If you go to this link http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=81&month=9&year=2009&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1 it shows the sunrise and sunset times in Fairbanks. Looks like you will have some nighttime while you're there. That should be an amazing sight!*bounce* *bounce* *bounce* !

Sayhello

[becky_AK]

Love seeing the Alaska photos. I have lived up here for the past 10 years and continue to be amazed at what a truly beautiful place it is. :)