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Alaska with a Child


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I have a bunch of air mileage burning a hole in my pocket, and my

wife and I would really like to make a trip to Alaska, the catch is

we have a 18 month old baby. Has anyone done any travel in Alaska who

can comment on how insane we are for considering a trip there with a

1-1/2 year old baby? We would probably restrict ourselves to renting

a car and doing the Kenai peninsula, perhaps take in a day boat

cruise to see the glaciers, and maybe drive up to Denali for a few

days. Photography, day hiking and seeing the sites balanced with the

babys needs would be our goal. Any suggestions on if we should go,

where to go, when to go (we are thinking early september to avoid the

big crowds and insects), and things not to be missed would be greatly

appreciated.

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Not insane at all. My twins were born there, at age 9 months we took them to the Pribilof Islands. They flew all over the state with us and saw many sites. If you've traveled/hiked with them before this will be no different if slightly more rugged. On the Kenai you're always within a couple hours of Anchorage.

 

I do recommend a Kelty style baby backpack so you can keep going while the child sleeps.

 

As a side note, I went on a 1 week hike/backpacking trip to the Arrigetch Peaks in the Brooks Range...one of the most remote wilderness areas in the US. The friend's we went with took along their child who actually turned 1 during the trip. She had a blast sitting in the grass eating berries. I think you need to be prepared but going almost anywhere in Alaska with a baby (or two) is quite feasable and highly recommended.

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I lived in alaska for 3 years and oyu can make the trip anything you want it to be from very extreme conditions to pleasant easy going surroundings.However even the easy going footpath's on the foothills and woods can be demanding; very rocky terrain , high peaks and low valley's , swampy bullrush areas.I have been on the top of snow covered mountains at below freezing temperatures and been bitten by mosquitos,something to also keep in mind are grizzly bears i was walking down a trail near town and a grizz crossed my path about 6 feet away from me and a moose charged me once. I was lucky on both accounts but i want to let you know what you could possibly encounter,but don't let that scare you away it's the most beautiful place on earth as far as im concerned.The snow covered mountains,northern lights,wildlife-whales- wolves-bears and moose, glaciers and ocean.(i'm sorry you've touched my memories of alaska)go and i guarranty you'll fall in love with alaska but use caution in the woods.
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Lots of people travel with small children in Alaska. Alaskans do it all the time. It really isn't much different than traveling or camping in other places with kids. In September it will get cool and maybe even frost at night and the days won't be all that warm either, but if dressed semi-warmly, your baby will have fun. They take to cool weather better than many adults. Camping is certainly possible if you're interested.

 

Traveling with children is great partly because the kids like it, but there are some stressors that should be avioded. One thing for sure is that you will be forced to move less and stop more. Actually, that is a good thing, especially for a photographer. I personally like to keep moving until I drop, but that's a poor way to take a vacation. There is just so much more out there that I want to see that I have a hard time stopping to smell the roses. Bringing the kids, or grand kids in my case, forces me to enjoy the present instead of continually seeking what else I can find.

 

Along the same vein, make sure the child gets plenty of rest or they will ruin your mood if tired.

 

So I guess my advice is to plan on going, doing and seeing less, but enjoying the part that you do see & do.

 

All of Alaska is too vast to explore anyway. The road trip idea is probably the best and September is a nice time to do it. The leaves turn and fall during the last half of the month in Anchorage, but most other areas have a shorter growing season. This summer started earlier and has been warmer than most though, so maybe it will last a bit longer too. Yesterday we broke our all time record for July (84F), so hurrah for global warming!

 

I prefer the day cruise out of Seward more than the glacier cruise out of Wittier, but that's probably because I've seen enough glaciers. Also, the train trip, both to Seward, Denali and Fairbanks are great side trips. They aren't cheap, but you wouldn't have to rent a car for those days.

 

There won't be much in the way of salmon fishing available, Kenai River being the primary exception, but other fishing starts to get better in September. Also, Moose and other large animals are always interesting in September, but the opening of hunting season often drives tham farther from the roads.

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Thanks for the responses so far, I was reading some of the Alaska threads in the nature forum, one recommendation was to rent an RV for the duration, anyone have experience with this? Is it really cheaper than hotels after fuel and mileage? One advantage is that I was considering a car anyway, so that expense would be eliminated. Are there restrictions on where you can camp with an RV, or can you just pull over and spend the night most anywhere? I see huge advantages for getting to good shooting places and being there at the right time of day for the light.
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