Twodogs - we decided NOT to do Denali on our trip next summer. Read on for the explanation.
I've looked at all of the itineraries for Alaska and after a lot of going back and forth, decided to DIY the trip. Could not justify the premium to have ABD (or any other provider) transport me around. Also, none of the itineraries ultimately hit enough of what I wanted to experience in Alaska. A week just isn't enough time to even hit the highlights.
Instead, I'm planning a 10 day trip, for likely about half the cost and less transportation time. We are not doing Denali this trip (can't imagine my DH or 2 DDs handling a bus ride into the park for any length of time, and you aren't guaranteed to see the mountain or any animals). So, we are heading south from Anchorage and will experience Kenai NP (and Resurrection Bay), the Alyeska area (with many of the same things on the agenda as the ABD there). We will not have a white water rafting excursion, but will instead kayak in Resurrection Bay and do a glacier boat ride. We will see sled dogs, animals (including at the same conservation center), the same things in Anchorage (and likely some more), be able to enjoy the trip to Seward, and hike, at our leisure.
I love planning trips - and this all seems pretty do-able without too much effort. (Or maybe more accurately, I already did alot of the work trying to figure out what we wanted to see and whether any of the itineraries worked for us, so now it is just confirming the hotels and activities that I want.)
I've looked at all of the itineraries for Alaska and after a lot of going back and forth, decided to DIY the trip. Could not justify the premium to have ABD (or any other provider) transport me around. Also, none of the itineraries ultimately hit enough of what I wanted to experience in Alaska. A week just isn't enough time to even hit the highlights.
Instead, I'm planning a 10 day trip, for likely about half the cost and less transportation time. We are not doing Denali this trip (can't imagine my DH or 2 DDs handling a bus ride into the park for any length of time, and you aren't guaranteed to see the mountain or any animals). So, we are heading south from Anchorage and will experience Kenai NP (and Resurrection Bay), the Alyeska area (with many of the same things on the agenda as the ABD there). We will not have a white water rafting excursion, but will instead kayak in Resurrection Bay and do a glacier boat ride. We will see sled dogs, animals (including at the same conservation center), the same things in Anchorage (and likely some more), be able to enjoy the trip to Seward, and hike, at our leisure.
I love planning trips - and this all seems pretty do-able without too much effort. (Or maybe more accurately, I already did alot of the work trying to figure out what we wanted to see and whether any of the itineraries worked for us, so now it is just confirming the hotels and activities that I want.)