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Post by teamcoychev on Oct 30, 2006 9:14:16 GMT -9
My goofy daughter (37yrs) has this hair brained idea for six of our family members to visit Alaska next August, can you imagine that! What the heck is in Alaska? I've never been out of Michigan, for God's sake. We already said a cruise is out, we want to SEE Alaska. Her thoughts are: * Fly out of Metro Detroit to somewhere in Alaska. * Rent a 6 or more passenger SUV * Rent a cabin/house near or on water, for a week with a great view like mountains in the background. * On one day, visit a preserve or scenic area where we can see an assortment of Eagles, Moose, and other live free roaming stuff. * Of course all of us are geocachers, so nice caches in the area, with scenic views, of nature, animals etc. you know, the stuff that makes caching so great in Alaska, the caches that take you to places that give that wow effect. Of course I can get a pocket query when I know more. * My other crazy daughter (44yrs) wants to boat somewhere to see whales, You people have whales? LOL * When is the northern lights? can we see them? * Any ideas? I'll be checking back every week. Thanks for any help you can give us. P.S. were a blue collar family. We're all paying our own way and looking for the lower cost adventure. Gary Scramling President Michigan Geocaching Organization teamcoychev@gmail.com
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Post by ladybugkids on Oct 30, 2006 13:34:08 GMT -9
Hello TeamCoyChev: Have fun planning your trip. There is more than enough to pack a lifetime up here, nevermind a week or two. 1) Out of Detroit, NW Airline can connect you to MSP for a direct to ANC painlessly. During the summer, NW also offers direct flight to FAI. 2) You won't need an SUV unless you are going to get real adventurous and drive to McCarthy or some other place off the beaten path. A van or minivan will be cheaper and work fine for you. 3) We always use a tent, so I can't help much with cabin rentals. 4) Don't have to plan a special day for moose, eagles, etc. Just get out and drive around to see the free roaming critters. Eagles are just about everywhere, moose wander the residential streets of Anchorage, and you can see sheep above Turnagain Arm outside of Anchorage. 5) Check out the bookmark lists at the GeocacheAlaska! website for a starting point for caches in various Alaskan locations. Also, visit the Alaska Cache 'n' Dash thread on gc.com to get the perspective of Moun10bike, Cent5, Prying Pandora, and other Washington-based ubercachers. 5) Whales can be seen from Seward and Whittier. My wife's and my best whale watching experience was out of Sitka, but that's a bit off the beaten path. 6) Depending on how late in August you come (it doesn't really get dark during May, June, July and the first part of August), you may be able to see auroras. Check out the photos posted by Verbumsap after she and a bunch of other cachers completed my Operation Arctic Knights night cache on September 3. The first photo of the batch has made several appearances on the gc.com home page banner. 7) Hope the above gets you started. Don't hesitate to ask for help as your trip comes together. 8) Be prepared for sticker shock up here. Almost nothing comes cheaply except for the views, critters, and of course, geocaching!!! The whale/critter watching cruise will run about $100/person for a half-day trip. The mini-van will be about $80/day (SUVs are probably $100 or more a day). Gas is $2.69/gallon in FAI. On the other hand, entrance to Denali National Park is only $20 per family. Highly recommend getting a copy of The Alaska Milepost. It has lots of sightseeing and lodging ideas in it for the luxury to the budget traveler. Amazon.com offers it at a good price.
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Post by oleruns on Oct 30, 2006 14:21:29 GMT -9
Oh I have some ideas! Do you like to fish? How about take the train to Whittier from Anchorage and take the 29 glacier tour ( I do this a lot) $180 per person and you get a meal ( not the best last time but okay) I have some pictures from our last trip I can send if you like. Or if you are looking for Alaska on $18 a day, we can have some ideas but a tent will be part of them ;D
Rent a motorhome? I think that is in the $200+ range a day but I can give you companies to call. We rent motorhomes every year but we pool our money for 30 people to get three and I don't remember the price. That's a relay race that we run in and put in three teams.
let us know - Ole
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Post by oleruns on Oct 30, 2006 14:27:38 GMT -9
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Post by NorthWes on Oct 30, 2006 16:15:30 GMT -9
A visit to Homer AK would handle all your requirements!
The Ladybug Kids' plan sheet is excellent, and Oleruns has a good plan for you as well.
I'd visit Whittier or Seward for a half-day or full-day sightseeing cruise aboard one of the sightseeing company boats. There's great caching in both towns.
Whittier's just an hour south of Anchorage on arguably the most scenic road in the world, and you have the added benefit of driving thru some amazing tunnels to get there. That's the home turf of Bengeo'n - former town mayor and one of the friendliest guys you'll ever meet. If you like waterfalls, there are a couple of superb caches with the most photogenic waterfalls!
Seward's gorgeous too - about 90 miles south of Anchorage, and the access point to the Kenai Fjords Nat'l Park. Seward's home to Ridgeseeker and Suzaru - who happen to like caches on summits! At Lowell Point there are cabins you can rent...
Homer's my favorite waterfront town on southcentral Alaska's road network. It's about a four hour drive to the end of the highway... and it's stunning. There's a great assortment of sightseeing and fishing options (my favorite's aboard Rainbow Tours' boat, for a half-day halibut hunt - darn near guaranteed to get fish, and they almost always see whales - we were just feet from them this June). Caching opportunities along the route are great, with lots of new caches being placed in the Soldotna area enroute. Lots of rental cabins in the Homer area; many are back from the water, but you can visit the Homer spit daily to beach comb and enjoy the wide tidal variation too.
Keep in touch - we're full of advice on this topic!
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Post by oleruns on Oct 30, 2006 17:15:34 GMT -9
Here is the other company: 26glaciers.com/They have a price list on their website. Here is my picture: Wait that's not a picture of me... That's a picture I have taken on the Whittier trip ;D -Ole
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Post by teamcoychev on Oct 30, 2006 17:29:03 GMT -9
I appreciate the info, keep it coming.
I'll have my daughter login and read some of this stuff. I already ordered the book mentioned on Amazon.com trains, waterfalls, fishing, RV's and all are possible, we want an adventure every day!
Gary
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nan1
Copper Cacher
Posts: 2
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Post by nan1 on Oct 30, 2006 18:11:41 GMT -9
Hello all! I am the hairbrained daughter of "President Gary" (LOL) aka TeamCoyChev who so very badly wants to come and see your beautiful Alaska! Thank you all so much for your warm welcome to my dad, and also for all of your traveling tips. I've already purchased a few books on travel in AK and I'm thinking that we should fly into Anchorage and stick around the general area of Kenai Penninsula... maybe head up to Denali for a day. Any other tips, hints, pointers etc. would be greatly appreciated! We would love to meet you all while we're there... and we WILL be there, lol!! Thanks again! Nan1 aka Nancy
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Post by oleruns on Oct 30, 2006 19:59:32 GMT -9
Sounds like a geoevent... as good a reason as any ;D
You can prospect for gold at Crow Creek mine in Girdwood $8.00 pre person and you can park the motorhome there over night for a small fee. Or go there to look around it is free!
Double Muskey is one of our top places to eat just down the road meals are $20-$30(ish) YUM! Just open for dinner and you HAVE TO GET THERE EARLY. Appetizers are about $10
Mount Alyeska is there and they have tram rides to the top... I'm not sure how much, I have not been on it in a long time. A few caches in the area!
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Post by teamcoychev on Oct 31, 2006 11:04:27 GMT -9
Wow! A geo-event in our honor?!! Now, that WOULD be an honor! And to have the possibility to meet with some of you that we've made coin trades with would be terrific. I sure hope that this trip pans out; I'd love to share the experience of visiting Alaska with our kids, and also to meet our Alaskan geocaching 'family'.
Donna/Chev Team CoyChev
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Post by teamcoychev on Oct 31, 2006 15:41:03 GMT -9
I'm startng to like the idea of renting a motorhome and moving around Alaska.
Can you give me any names and address of rentals around Anchorage?
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Post by oleruns on Oct 31, 2006 16:24:17 GMT -9
ABC - 279-2000 ( We have used with no problems) Sweet Retreat 344-9155 ( We have used with no problems) And I think we used: Alexander's 349-1704 It was a few years ago so I don't remember so that's a good thing ;D You might try A&M 279-7255 or Clippership 562-7051 Area code for Alaska is 907 on all numbers. The rates are not all the same so it pays to shop around. I like the 29'(ish) size, it's big enough but still fits pretty well in most places. Try all memberships you have -AAA or whatever, every penny helps. Have you used motorhomes before? I have a checklist of things to look for that we have used over the years like to make sure the poop tube is with the motorhome and all the glass is not cracked etc...
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Post by oleruns on Oct 31, 2006 16:39:54 GMT -9
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Post by teamcoychev on Oct 31, 2006 16:43:08 GMT -9
I've driven big stuff before and am great at backing up most things, but for a checklist on the motorhome Im clueless. I saw one place online that has a fleet of there own equiptment and advertizes generators, air, all self co taned and no need to empty anything. Any info is appreciated.
Gary
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Post by oleruns on Oct 31, 2006 17:07:02 GMT -9
[ftp]http://home.gci.net/~oledi/04MotorhomeRentalChecklist.pdf[/ftp] See if that works it's the rental checklist
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Post by knappling on Nov 1, 2006 6:50:19 GMT -9
This might not be so helpful, but if you stop by Anchorage there are plenty of caches you can do in a very short time like the ones in APU and Connors Bog.
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Post by New Yorker on Nov 2, 2006 18:06:17 GMT -9
Your daughter has definitely chosen a great place to vacation. I have been very fortunate to be assigned to Alaska for a year. There is a lot to see & enjoy here. As far as whales…. Wow! I got my dose just visiting a very memorable Anchorage cache (South Beach Anchorage)I was in search of a white jeep and BAM I found it and more of a BAM I heard a strange & (for me) a unrecognizable sound. I stood up a saw about twenty beluga whales swim by. What an experience. The photo below shows their white backs but seeing them in motion was a lot better. But this is one a the many great experiences I had in Alaska in the time of year you are planning to be there. It is my home away from home and I will always come back to be home! As you now by now know you'll also meet so much friendly cachers here!
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nan1
Copper Cacher
Posts: 2
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Post by nan1 on Nov 10, 2006 11:29:34 GMT -9
Wow, this forum sure stalled, didn't it!! I was really hoping for more tips and info.
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Post by oleruns on Nov 10, 2006 12:47:44 GMT -9
You guys are driving a motorhome when you get here. You can go to Hatcher's pass, there are a few caches there plus it's a state park with lots of mining information and awesome views. Drive to Seward - Sealife center, kinda spendy but great information too! Homer or Seward, go on a halibut charter and catch the big fish! Kenai river drift boat type charters would be a blast. Denali flight seeing or drive up to the park - That's a long day there. Crow Creek mine Alyeska tram ride to the top of the mountain. Lots of hiking trips. The state is BIG BIG BIG! it take time to drive places so to plan your trip Anchorage to Fairbanks is at least 8 hours Anchorage to Homer is around 5 hours. When you run into road construction, it's more time. All those trip you'll see things you'll want to stop for as well. We could give the name of some caches that would be great hikes. Let us know how long of a hike(s) you want to go on. 5 minutes to a couple days, it all can be had. Do you want to climb mountains or an easy city park trails. It'll be fun to meet you guys! Ole
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Post by NorthWes on Dec 5, 2006 13:31:31 GMT -9
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Post by knappling on Dec 10, 2006 12:57:39 GMT -9
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Post by gettinaway on Feb 12, 2007 11:38:01 GMT -9
I wish you guys had this board up and running back in March 2006 when I came up.
But a big THANK YOU goes to NorthWes who answered my emails and steered me in the right direction for my brief visit to Anchorage.
With my daughter in her second year as a special education teacher in Bethel I'm looking at returning as soon as possible.
In the mean time take good care of teamcoychev... Gary and Donna are great people who have done wonders for the Michigan Geocaching scene.
gettin-away
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Post by oleruns on Feb 12, 2007 11:49:05 GMT -9
Maybe you can make one of our few events - See you then - Ole
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Post by Forum Admin on Feb 12, 2007 16:35:45 GMT -9
I wish you guys had this board up and running back in March 2006 when I came up. But a big THANK YOU goes to NorthWes who answered my emails and steered me in the right direction for my brief visit to Anchorage. With my daughter in her second year as a special education teacher in Bethel I'm looking at returning as soon as possible. In the mean time take good care of teamcoychev... Gary and Donna are great people who have done wonders for the Michigan Geocaching scene. gettin-away Welcome to our forum! Hope to see you in Alaska soon!
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Post by gettinaway on Feb 12, 2007 18:42:20 GMT -9
Thanks for the welcome I do hope to return soon. My daughter is in the middle of her second year teaching in Bethel and she is hinting around that maybe I should consider relocating to Alaska again. I almost transfered to Anchorage a few years ago with my work. Had things almost all lined up. But at the same time my daughter was in college and facing a surgery, so I decided being a single parent I needed to be close to her and stayed here in Michigan. Now that she graduated she took a job in Alaska and left me behind. Kids gettin-away
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Post by shop99er on Apr 5, 2007 8:08:23 GMT -9
Cruisin' up in late May
We are going on an Alaskan cruise the later part of May this year. We have been on one before but we stuck to the packaged tours and what not. That was before caching!
This time around we would like to meet up with a local cacher in each port if we could. Our schedule is:
Ketchikan May 28 Juneau May 29 Skagway May 30
If you're in those ports and free we would love to meet up and cache with you.
We'd also like information on caches in those ports that are close to the cruise ship docks in case we're on our own.
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Post by teamcoychev on Jun 11, 2007 5:50:00 GMT -9
Well we took a bunch of suggestions and liked a few. We finally decided on an itinerary:
Air tickets, and rental car and cabin rentals are now set in stone.
9/06/2007, 3:45pm We'll be arriving in Anchorage. 4:00pm Pick up rental van from Alamo at the airport 8:00pm Get the keys to our centrally located rental cabin in Sterling.
We have a week to play around the peninsula, we will drive everyday to different locations and return to the Sterling every night.
We want to fish for a day in Homer.
I want to hit a few caches but not a ton, I would rather explore the beauty of Alaska with a few scenic stops. I'll have all the caches along our route loaded just in case.
How about a few good fish buffets somewhere along our way? any known good and cheap eating spots.
9/13/2007, 9:00am Check out of the cabin and explore along the way to Anchorage. 7:00pm Return the rental Van to Alamo at Anchorage Int. 9:45 Fly back to Detroit.
Anything exciting you think we can visit or see in our path?
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Post by FrostG1anT on Jun 11, 2007 12:33:48 GMT -9
We want to fish for a day in Homer. any known good and cheap eating spots? Fat Olives and The Homestead in Homer are top notch. The Homestead may be the best place to eat in the State, they are only open for dinner and are not cheap, but well worth it. Worth driving from Anchorage just for dinner....they are that good. Sourdough Sal's in Soldotna is good roadside dinner food...about the only thing worth eating in Soldotna. Homer, Girdwood, and Anchorage have the best food. The Double Muskey in Girdwood is quite good...again though, not really cheap. No "Alaskan" food is going to be cheap anywhere. There used to be a really good Fish-n-Chips place in Seward, and the Railroad Cantina in Seward has Great halibut Taco's. Christo's has good pizza as well. There used to be a salmon bake out by Tote Road in Soldotna/Kasilof, but I'm not sure if it is there anymore. Enjoy your stay.
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Post by Forum Admin on Jun 11, 2007 12:40:49 GMT -9
We want to fish for a day in Homer. any known good and cheap eating spots? Fat Olives and The Homestead in Homer are top notch. The Homestead may be the best place to eat in the State, they are only open for dinner and are not cheap, but well worth it. Worth driving from Anchorage just for dinner....they are that good. Sourdough Sal's in Soldotna is good roadside dinner food...about the only thing worth eating in Soldotna. Homer, Girdwood, and Anchorage have the best food. The Double Muskey in Girdwood is quite good...again though, not really cheap. No "Alaskan" food is going to be cheap anywhere. There used to be a really good Fish-n-Chips place in Seward, and the Railroad Cantina in Seward has Great halibut Taco's. Christo's has good pizza as well. There used to be a salmon bake out by Tote Road in Soldotna/Kasilof, but I'm not sure if it is there anymore. Enjoy your stay. Then there is FrostG1ant's house. I hear he is a master griller and could probably do a killer king salmon.
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Post by oleruns on Jun 11, 2007 15:35:30 GMT -9
Susies in Sterling ( N60 32.190 W. 150 46.719)* is very good too and it's on the main road. The clam chowder is awesome. From Anchorage, it's just before Scout Lake Road. It's not big $$ but the food is pretty darn good.
*Coords should be very close - Ole There is a cache close by as well.
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