10 days in Alaska with 7 adults and a toddler

Every year someone in our family picks a spot and we all go as a family. It is no easy task (for me as I am the planner), but it has become a family tradition. This year, it was my dads dream to go to the 49^th State…Alaska.

So my parents and two siblings headed to Fairbanks, then Denali and would meet us in Anchorage 5 days later. My husband and 2 year old toddler headed to Anchorage and spent 4 nights at the Hilton Homewood Suites. I picked the Hilton based on the great rate I got ($110), an indoor pool (for the toddler) and the kitchen. We flew to Anchorage on Alaska Airlines. The airplanes aren’t anything special but because we have an Alaska Airlines Visa we got one of our tickets for $99 (Companion pass they issue once a year). If you don’t already have one of these cards, I highly rec’d it even if it is just to save you some airfare. In our case it saved about $500. I also kept finding lower fares on our flight (thanks to Yapta.com) so I would call Alaska and they would issue we a credit to use on the next flight. I did this about 3 times :)

We picked up our car through Alamo at a rate of about $485 for 10 days. Not bad considering it was for a mini-van because we had 3 luggage’s, a carseat, large stroller, baby carrier. I am so glad we got the larger car. The room was a plus. After we picked up the rental, we checked into the Homewood Suites to drop off our baggage and we off to Safeway (aka Carrs). Our GPS kept taking us to this place called Carrs and we couldn’t understand why until we finally saw the small print under the Carrs logo “a Safeway store”.

The breakfast at the Hilton was horrible so we just ate in the room. On Sunday, we went to the weekend market to pick up some gifts. It was a quick stroll through the market, but it was nice to get out and stretch our legs and soak up the sun. We were still adjusting to the 24 hours of sun, so we took a nap. For dinner we ate at Glacier Brewhouse. I had the crab which was great, hubby had the salmon, and our little one had the fish. He ate it all up (which is rare).

The next day we headed to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. I thought it was a little expensive but figured it went to a wonderful place and cause. Our toddler loved all the animals and we even got to see the Grizzly come out from the bushes. After a walk around the center we drove to Portage Glacier. How amazing to see these chunks of ice just floating in the water. Amazing and beautiful. We figured after that, we would head back to Anchorage because we were going to be heading to Seward later in the week. Every night we enjoyed the pool and spa at the hotel. This was a big plus!

The next day we went to the Elmendorf AFB so I could pick up a Toursaver coupon book. No such luck as they were sold out. We tried to go to the fish hatchery but it appeared that had construction going on all around it. So we just let our toddler run around and enjoy the airplanes taking off and landing. He loved it! After Elmendorf, we were told to try Barnes and Nobles for the coupon book. No luck again. I finally found one at Safeway; however we I went to book a glacier cruise using one of the coupons I couldn’t and was told I had to do it 2 weeks in advance. Since we were already in Alaska that was impossible and I returned the book because it was cheaper for us not to spend the $99 on the book and just use our military discounts. After all of that, we stopped and got a bite to eat and took it to the Valley of the Moon Park. I expected a great park and was disappointed by the old play structure. I was also nervous about the gravel that it was on for our little one. I am used to bark or plastic stuff under our play structures at home. We didn’t stay long because the play structure had too many older kids on it.

Tuesday was our last day in Anchorage before heading to Seward. My parents and siblings were driving from Denali this day and were staying the night in Anchorage before we caravan to Seward the next day. We went to the Alaska Zoo and had a great time. The animals were wonderful and the surroundings for each animal and the zoo itself were lovely. After the zoo, we headed to Arctic Roadrunner for lunch. What a cute little place and the outside area was lovely (near a river). It would have been nice to sit outside but I know my toddler would have ended up in the water.

Finally my family arrived from Denali and we had a “pool party” at our hotel after we ate at Humpy’s. It was nice to relax with the entire family and hear about their trip to Fairbanks and Denali. While in Denali they saw TONS of wildlife. Moose’s, bears, porcupines, deer’s, etc. We were a tad jealous because the only wildlife we had seen was behind fences/cages, until…..a moose appeared out our hotel window in the field. It was just eating away. It was so wonderful and my toddler loved it!

Wednesday we drove to Seward and stopped at Beluga Point (no whales) and a few other stops before we arrived at our vacation rental, the Fern Gully Retreat http://ferngullyretreat.com/ . OMG, it was amazing. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath with a full kitchen in a beautiful setting. The owner Kirsten was wonderful and I had been in correspondence with her for about 2 years over our vacation. We actually did a home exchange with them for our Lake Tahoe vacation rental. Kirsten rental is wonderful and would HIGHLY rec’d it for anyone looking for the amenities of home with amazing scenery. It is perfect for those with kids or little ones because there is a large yard and toys. I cant rec’d it enough and if we ever return, I would love to stay again. That day we ate lunch at Rays. Great, great food, especially the red snapper. Yum. Stopped at Safeway to get groceries for the rest of our week.

The very next day my parents, sister and I took the Major Marine Wildlife 6 hour cruise ($145 bought through military resort). This is also the same cruise as the 8 hour but the 8 hour didn’t start until the weekend. It is the same route just shorter because we took a high speed catamaran. This was such a beautiful cruise. We saw orcas, puffins, birds, seals, humpback whales, bald eagles, dall porpoises, dall sheep and of course glaciers. The Kenai Fjords boat was just ahead of ours and was viewing the glacier when about ¼ of it calved. OMG, it was incredible and scary at the same time because it appeared that the wave of ice was coming like a tsunami towards them. I think everyone on our boat that saw that gasp for air. What an incredible and loud site that was! I will never forget that! During our cruise, my husband, toddler and brother went to Brooks Falls to see if they could see bears. They didn’t but saw moose.

On Friday, most of the gang went halibut fishing with the Seward Military Resort ($155 each). They each caught their limit and we came home with 55lbs of halibut. My father who ALWAYS gets sea sick did not get sick once on the glacier cruise or the fishing trip. I drugged him up starting the night before each trip on natural ginger pills. He was hesitant to take anything else because he is also on other meds. I have used ginger pills when I scuba dive so I know they work. We cut up and vacuumed packed our halibut and stored it in the resort freezer. The resort has all the supplies you would need…Styrofoam boxes, vacuum bags, etc. They also would have shipped our halibut home via fed-ex overnight for $165 but we decided to check it in for our flight at a much cheaper rate.

During their fishing trip, I took my son and mother to the playground near the water/RV park. It was just perfect for him to burn off energy and I even taught him how to skip rocks. He LOVED that. Had lunch at Ray’s again- told you it was good.

Everyone was tired from our trips so Sat was a slow day. We all took naps and then headed to Exit Glacier. This is the only day that we got rain. The rest of the trip was warm and sunny.

Our last day in Seward we went to Two Lakes Park. This park was a perfect hiking trail for my little one. The two waterfalls were beautiful too. I just loved this park so much that I wish we had gone sooner.

On our way back to Anchorage we had 55lbs of halibut that had been frozen in the Seward Military resort freezer for free because we fished with them. They had suggested we store the fish with 10^th and M Seafood for the night before our flight just to ensure it was nice and frozen because we were checking it in as a baggage on Alaska Airlines. Well it was a holiday and everything was closed. By chance, when we stopped at Indian Valley Meats on the way to Anchorage someone suggested we could store it at the Continental/Delta Terminal 4 storage freezer. We did at $7 a day and picked it up the day we left. It was perfect.

The last night I got us rooms (3) at Ft Richardson military base. Figured it was just a place to stay before our flight home the next day. The rooms were nice, but HOT as hell. No A/C. We had a nice dinner at Ding How that night. Headed to the Bx at Elmendorf the day of our flight to pick up souvenirs.

All in all, our trip to Alaska was AMAZING! Such a beautiful place and I REALLY loved Seward. It reminded me a lot of the Lake Tahoe area. My dad’s dream trip was better than he ever imagined (his words). He didn’t have a “favorite” and loved Denali and Seward equally but differently. I think it is going to be hard to top this trip as far as scenery, wildlife and something for every single one of us to do from age 60 to 2 years old.

Oh and if anyone ever recommends not taking a toddler or little one to Alaska, think again. It was so amazing to experience this with him and to see things through his eyes. He really helped us slow down (literally) and soak up everything because we weren’t so rushed.

Reno- Grand Sierra

My 14 month old, my mother (aka Grammy), and I went to Reno for 2 days. We took Grammy to see Sylvia Browne (the psychic) and so I could do some outlet shopping (not the normal mall outlets either). I got a great rate for the Summit for 2 nights for $100 total, including 2 free buffet breakfasts and other coupons.

The rooms were nice granite, updates (as I heard that one has to stay in the Summit rooms at this location) and my son just loved exploring all the drawers. The best part though was the mini refrig and microwave-which are a must with kids!This hotel was a former Hilton (which I stayed at during my working woman days), so I knew it couldnt be that bad. I was happy they upgraded things. Also the smoke was NOT bad at all. I couldnt even tell and I am sensitive to that.

Reno, is well Reno. Not that exciting. But Grammy was happy to see Sylvia and gamble any time she wanted. There is an arcade (for bigger kids), bowling alley, and movie theater in the hotel. Also a spa, but it closed WAY TOO EARLY on the weekend (like 5 or 7pm). They have an outdoor heated pool which wasnt open for the season yet.

We went to Circus Circus so my son could see the games and "circus". He was more interested in the people at his age. I rec'd the buffet there (get there early and get a discount). Actually get to any restuarants early (esp at the Grand Sierra) or the lines are CRAZY.

Oahu and Kauai- Nov 2008

Trip report- Nov 2008- 10 days on Oahu and Kauai with a baby

DH, our 9 month old, and I flew n/s from SFO to HNL on United (used my miles) for 5 days. Stayed at the Bay Landing hotel in San Fran with a good rate and 7 days free parking. Paid an extra $5 a day for parking. The flight was not full, so we had an entire row (5 seats) to ourselves. Our son loved that! We stayed at the Hale Koa military hotel in Oahu, which I only booked 2 months ahead of time. We have been to Hawaii many times, but this was our first trip to the Hale Koa. We usually stay in Ohana hotels and get a great military rate. Decided to try something different this time. Rented a car through priceline for $100 (including taxes, etc) for 5 days and picked up at the airport. We like the freedom of having a car. Our baby is a great traveler and in fact, people on the airplane commented that he is better than most adults. This was his first trip to Hawaii, but he has already been many places in his 9 months. This was our first beach vacation with him and it was very different of course.

After arrival, our first stop was to the Hickam AFB commissary to pick-up snacks, water, formula, diapers. What a beautiful base! Also stocked up on Kona coffee which I love!

Then drove to the Hale Koa to check-in, which was extremely LONG wait. The Hale Koa was just okay to us. Their room keys never seem to work, which the bell man says was common. The rate was also very average compared to other hotels offering military discounts. We stayed in the updated Illima tower in a garden view room. We ate at Bibbas restaurant many times, which had a great curry dish surprisingly. We enjoyed the free firework display at the Hilton next door on Friday night. I would also take my son to see the penguins, flamingos, koi, parrots, etc in the early morning while my DH slept. Enjoyed the Starbucks at the Hilton, but the coffee at the Hale Koa was pretty good and half the price. The keikis pool at the Hale Koa was also nice. I really enjoyed the small Bx on site to get stuff. Good prices too (like the $0.35 laundry detergent compared to the $1.00 cost in the machine upstairs).

One day we drove to the North Shore so my DH could swim with the sharks with Hawaii Shark encounters. It was $90 with a military id. He really enjoyed it, even though their boat broke down out there. I took my son and drove to Turtle Bay to look around while waiting for my DH. We are avid scuba divers, but there was no diving for us this trip.

Another day we drove over to Bellows. It was windy, but the cabins are right on the beach! So gorgeous and would be a nice place to stay for some R&R if it wasn’t so windy. It is the windward side though. I took pictures and stopped by the info desk to get info on the cabins.

We also drove to Pearl Harbor navy lodge and the Pearl Harbor PX. It is HUGE! Sooo many people, but some great deals to be had.

Our romantic nights were filled with walking our son around to see the torches and lights and sounds of Hawaii. We had a wonderful anniversary dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. It was a long wait, but you really do get a lot of bang for your buck. Ahh, how life has changed :)

After 5 days, we were off to Kauai. Flew Hawaiian Air. I got a timeshare promotion for 6 days/5 nights and car rental, plus $50 at the Marriott in Poipu for $730. My parents met us there for a little R&R. The Marriott reserved a small Ford focus, so I upgraded us to an H3 Hummer (husband wanted to give it a whirl). We stopped and got groceries (wow-prices), since we had a 2 bedroom, with full kitchen at the Marriott. It is an amazing place, gorgeous grounds, BBQs, deli, etc! I would highly rec this place, especially if you have little ones.

I did have a hard time finding my sons formula (Good Start Natural Cultures) on Kauai, but finally found in Walmart and Safeway. Kmart and Big Save did not carry it, nor did the small Barking Sands Bx. Kmart was a great, cheap place to get souvenirs too. I SO suggest getting groceries at the Safeway near the airport before heading to the south shote. More selection and better prices.

We spent our days in Kauai driving to the North shore, checking out Barking Sands PMRF lodging (have pictures), swimming in the pools, Blow Hole, going to the beach to see the monk seals and turtles, and feeding the chickens. My son LOVED the chickens.

Barking Sands was a tricky base to get on. My DH is active and had his ID and I had mine. Both our names were on the rental car contract (which you MUST have), but his does not show up because it is just added through Hertz. My name was listed on the contract, so the guard made his switch and have me drive on base. The amenities on this base were little to none. Small Px, a subway, a gas station. The lodging looked nice, right on the beach. However, I have read this beach is not swimmable. I agree by the waves. It is also located at the end of a runway. As we were standing on the beach, I heard it coming and I thought it was just gonna plow us over. Ha ha Then it took off and and it was just overhead. It was a massive plane. Amazing. The beach is large and deserted.

In one of the few times we did eat out, I highly recommend the Puka Dog in Poipu. I thought a $6 hotdog was crazy, but it was great with the mango relish. Also the shaved ice (Wishing Well) was great on the North Shore.

All in all, we had a wonderful 10 days in Hawaii and of course will be back. Probably when our son is a little older to really enjoy the beach. My husband and I had a favorite island before our son and now have a different favorite with our son.

We have some great pictures, wonderful memories, and a little more travel experience with a little one under our belt. For anyone that discourages travel with a little one, do not listen. Just have realistic expectations that travel is different with them (not better, not worse- just different). If traveling is important to you before your child was born, then just carry on and adjust. :)

Alaska Bound 2010

Every year one of my family members picks a destination and we all go. Its pretty exciting because we all have different tastes. This year it is my dads turn and he picked...Alaska! Alaska is his dream trip. Its not our normal vacation of sand and surf, but we know we will not be disappointed.

So I am busy finalizing our trip to the 49th State. We are very excited! We will not be joining the rest of the extended family until later in the vaca because we realized traveling with a 2 year old is different than a baby. In order to save our sanity and his we are opting to just stick to two destinations (Anchorage and Seward) and explore those areas and really take our time. One of the requirements of this trip is an indoor swimming pool and a kitchen. Heck this seems to be the theme of most of our hotel requirements lately....good pool and kitchen.