Alaska Vacation Overview

For a few years, my parents have been wanting to take the family (Mom and Dad, Julie, Grandma, Mark, and me) on a big family vacation. This winter, after much discussion, we decided to go to Alaska. My mom took care of booking the trip and making the main decisions about the itinerary, and Mark and I researched and recommended the excursions. We were gone from June 9-20, and it was an amazing experience! I've got a ton of pictures and lots of memories that I'd like to document here, so apologies in advance if you get Alaska overload!

The trip had two main parts: land and sea. Here's an outline of our itinerary:

• Day 1: Travel to Anchorage, where we met up with the rest of our family. We spent one night there at the beautiful Captain Cook hotel. 
• Day 2: A bit of time to walk around Anchorage in the morning before a 3.5 hour motor coach ride north to the McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge near Denali National Park. Later that afternoon, we enjoyed a lovely nature walk around Byers Lake.
• Day 3: Some time to relax and explore the Lodge in the morning, a movie there about the Northern Lights, then a 2 hour drive to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge. In the evening, we saw the Husky Homestead tour.
• Day 4: We were up early for the bus tour of Denali National Park. In the afternoon, we spent some time shopping at the lodge and in the touristy shops across the street. 
• Day 5: Another early morning to board the 9 hour scenic train back south, from Denali down to the port at Whittier where we boarded the cruise ship.
• Day 6: Scenic Cruising at the Hubbard Glacier. 
• Day 7: Scenic Cruising at Glacier Bay National Park. 
• Day 8: A day in Skagway, kayaking and riding the scenic railroad. We also did a bit of shopping in what turned out to be my favorite port. 
• Day 9: A day in Juneau. We started with a float trip down a glacier-fed river, then did some walking near the Mendenhall Glacier. That evening, Mark and I watched The Imitation Game on the ship's outdoor movie screen (they call it "Movies Under the Stars").
• Day 10: A day in Ketchikan. We took a small boat called a "Seahawk" to an island where we had a guided walk through the rainforest. That evening, Mom and Dad made reservations at one of the ship's specialty restaurants (the steakhouse) to celebrate my birthday and Grandma's birthday.
• Day 11: At sea--we enjoyed some beautiful coastlines and saw some porpoises from the deck. 
• Day 12: The end of the adventure in Vancouver (though we didn't see much of the city, as we simply boarded a bus to the airport). 

Overall, we had such a wonderful time! It was great to see my family during the summer, and also to experience the beauty and magnitude of Alaska. While the trip was long (and I think we were all a bit worn out by the end!), there's not a thing I would skip. In fact, I hope Mark and I have a chance to go back, either to some of the same places or to see another part of the state. So, if you're interested in more details about the trip, read on. Also, if you've ever considered visiting Alaska--save up the money and DO IT! You won't regret it. :-)