For those that have been to Alaska

DH and I have finally decided that we are going to plan a trip to Alaska during the summer or early fall of 2012. It seems so far away but I would like to start researching now. Any tips, advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Also, around how much did you spend and what did you do while you were there. FYI, DH is an avid hunter so I'm sure some sort of hunt will be involved.

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

Tips:

-Don't forget to bring long pants with you like my DH did It's chilly enough to need something more than shorts even in the summer, and Alaska is not exactly a shopping mecca.

-Expect rain. Hopefully you'll get lucky and have great weather, but it does rain frequently.

That's really all I've got. We went there on a cruise and enjoyed it a lot, so I hope you have a good time!

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

Thanks for the tips!

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

They don't have much of a summer.
My daughter lives in Fairbanks and it's in the 40's in August! Not much to see there either, so I would skip it...LOL!From what I understand it's also pretty rainy in August in the southern part of the state.

What you decide to do, you'll love it. It's a beautiful state.

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

DH and I went to Alaska for our honeymoon. We did one of the half land/half water cruise with Princess. If you decide to go that route, which we thought was awesome, they have a bunch of activities you could add to your package - we did deep sea fishing, river fishing, rock climbing, dog sledding, white water rafting, bear watching, whale watching, etc.

We were there for 2 weeks and spent quite a bit - but we also went all out (picked a room with a balcony, etc. - which I would highly recommend if you're doing a cruise so you can see the glaciers from your own room - completely awesome!!!) Feel free to FM me if you have any questions!

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

I've only cruised there, but did 3 land tours.
Bring warm weather gear.
Bring cold weather gear.
Bring wet weather gear.
BUG SPRAY !

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

My mom has gone in June and had cold, rainy weather. She's also gone in July and had perfect weather, mid 70s and dry.
I'd bring clothes for the cold and warm.

Re: For those that have been to Alaska

We spent two weeks in Alaska this past August on a road trip. They had a pretty awful rainy summer, so I second the recommendations for warm gear and rain gear. Not just a rain jacket either, get completely waterproof rainpants that are big enough to go over your regular pants. Since we camped the pants were a godsend.

If you plan on renting a car book it as soon as you know your dates. A year in advance is NOT too early. Car rates will get completely out of control the longer you wait.

Depending on what you want to do I'd look into the Toursaver and Northern Lights coupon books. These are 2 for 1 books that have coupons for lots of excursions, restaurants and hotels. We wouldn't have been able to do half of what we did without the coupons. And if you want to use the coupon for something book as soon as possible b/c some places only take a limited number of coupons for each day.

Lastly, if you decide on a road trip buy the Milepost book. You won't need it until closer to your trip, but it's really really helpful. It tells you mile by mile all the scenic stops, bathroom stops and other good info. It was definitely a lifesaver for my just for the bathroom info alone!

Feel free to FM me with any questions. It can be an overwhelming place to plan a trip to, but if you do it right you'll have the vacation of a lifetime