During the summer of 2021, my wife and I decided to take the kids (ages 34 months and 17 months when we traveled) on an adventurous trip to Alaska. Many of you know our affinity for wildlife, nature, and the natural beauty in every corner of our planet. With restrictions or logistical challenges for international travel still in place, we decided that visiting a destination such as Alaska was the best option to experience a pristine environment without worrying about testing positive for COVID-19 and quarantining on the way there or back. I simply could not afford to be in a place beyond my allotted vacation time for work purposes. Having been there in 2015, I fell in love with Alaska and longed to return. Fast forward to 2021, and I had the opportunity to visit again. Rather than opt for the 6.5-hour non-stop flight from Chicago to Anchorage, we decided to stop in Seattle for 2 nights (a fantastic city in and of itself) and explore a little before continuing. The kids tend to hit a wall on flights over 5 hours (the non-stop flight back was rough), and the 3-hour flight from Seattle to Anchorage was perfect for keeping them fresh on our arrival in Anchorage.
Background of Denali National Park
When you visit Denali National Park most years, there is about a 2 to 3-week stretch from the beginning of May until about May 20th, where anyone can drive their car on Denali Park Road, 30 miles into the park (Teklanika River rest area). Once the summer season officially kicks off and tour buses and camp buses start using the roads on May 20th, only those selected via lottery (this occurs in April) are allowed to drive to Teklanika, while others have to stop at the Savage River rest area (mile 15) and turn around. When the summer season ends in late September, the lottery restriction is lifted, and anyone can drive to Teklanika until snow closes the park roads. You must take a tour bus to travel beyond Teklanika to the Denali Road terminus at mile 92 (Kantishna). This is about a 12-hour round trip. With two young toddlers in tow, this was not an option for us, and I don’t recommend it for parents under the age of 5.
When the lottery occurred in April, I was not among the lucky ones selected via the lottery process. The only option was to go to the website and check every day if someone canceled their reserved time slot during the days that we would be there. If someone relinquishes their slot, that slot becomes open, and it’s first come, first served. From April 28th to Jul 13th, I checked every single day, multiple times a day, but I had no luck. I would see time slots opening up, but they would never be during the time frame that we would be in Denali. It wasn’t until after we landed in Alaska and were on the way to Denali that my wife saw a time slot open for the following day. I immediately pulled into a parking lot, paid the $25, and claimed that spot. It literally went down to the wire. Remember that the first 15 miles of Denali Park Road are paved, and it’s an all-gravel road thereafter. Having an SUV makes the drive to Teklanika a bit easier.
Day One: Arrival in Anchorage and drive to Denali National Park
Final Descent into Anchorage, Alaska
After arriving in Anchorage at around 1 p.m., we headed to the rental car counter inside the terminal, where we didn’t encounter any lines. Remember to bring your car insurance card if you are traveling to Alaska. This may not be the case with every car rental agency, but Budget demanded to see it. Even though premium credit cards such as Chase Sapphire Reserve and AMEX Platinum (among many others) offer primary rental coverage, there’s a possibility that the agent you deal with does not know this. Once we got our car, we grabbed a quick bite at a local restaurant before making the 4-hour drive north to Denali National Park. Even though we didn’t reach the park entrance until 7 p.m., the midnight sunset gave us plenty of time to drive 15 miles into the park. After viewing some wildlife, we returned to the hotel and rested the following day. Here is my rule for driving in Alaska, which I’d recommend to everyone: if you pass by a gas station and your gas tank is half full or less, pull over and top it off. Cell signal is spotty in many areas and almost non-existent once you drive a few miles into the National Parks. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you have to choose between staying warm (or cool) and conserving gas in case of a flat tire or, worse, a collision with wildlife.
The hotel we selected for our stay in the Denali area was McKinley Chalet Resort. We loved this accommodation with its rustic rooms, beautiful views, and dining. The dining will be a bit more expensive on resort grounds than in other places in town, but you are paying for the convenience. Their cafe isn’t a Starbucks, but they serve Starbucks products like a Barnes & Noble Cafe does. Most restaurants and eateries around Denali NP close at 9 pm, while a convenience store in town is open all night.
McKinley Chalet Resort
McKinley Chalet Resort
Day Two: Denali National Park
On our second day in Alaska, we had the coveted pass to drive to Teklanika River (mile 30) in Denali National Park. Fortunately, We saw a female moose with two calves on the trail near the park entrance. Having two kids who are animal enthusiasts made this encounter even better.
A mother moose (cow) keeps a watchful eye over her calves.
Remember to keep a distance of at least 50 yards. This picture was taken with a 200mm lens, but we were about 65-70 yards away.
The highlight of Zayn’s Denali visit. He bottled up his excitement and respected the wildlife. Great job kiddo!
This was mostly an overcast day, but we were lucky to avoid precipitation. Bring plenty of water, granola bars, a waterproof jacket, and hiking boots if you’re coming with young kids and want to hike a trail. If you’re here during the summer, bring mosquito repellent! They are large and aggressive in Alaska; I learned that the hard way. We hiked a toddler-friendly trail called the Savage River Loop Trail. This moderately trafficked trail is about 1.7 miles and mostly flat, with no steep incline or decline. You can also do a portion of it and just turn back. Any part of the park is fair game for seeing bears, especially near water sources. This particular area of the park was also near a wolf den during our visit, and although we didn’t see any wolves, we were told to keep an eye out for the pack. Bring bear spray and make enough noise on the trails so wildlife can hear your presence. If you see wildlife, give it plenty of space, especially bears, moose, and wolves. Always carry bear spray and know how to use it!
Day Three: Denali National Park and Anchorage
On our last day in Denali National Park, we got an early start to the day and drove until Savage River before turning back and making the 4-hour drive to Anchorage. The sun was finally out, but there was not much wildlife besides a lone moose on this day. The clear day gave us views of the beautiful vistas of Denali National Park. Mt. McKinley was mainly covered with clouds, which usually occurs for 70% of the year. The drive to Anchorage included some stops to enjoy the beautiful scenery all over Alaska. Anchorage was our stop for a night before continuing south toward Seward.
Day Four: Chugach National Forest and Byron Glacier Trail
After spending the night in Anchorage, we headed south toward the coastal town of Seward. We stopped by Chugach National Forest and hiked the Byron Glacier Trail on our drive there. I highly recommend this trail for everyone, but in particular, those who are traveling with kids. Make this trail a priority if traveling to Alaska over the next few years, because Byron Glacier is receding quickly, like most other glaciers. Hiking from the trailhead to the glacier is only 0.8 miles, and the trail itself is mostly flat, with slight inclines and declines at various points. There have been reports of bears in the area, but if you go between 8 am and 6 pm during the summer, the trail is heavily trafficked. You can climb the glacier, but be very careful when you get to the glacier. Even with my hiking boots, I maneuver slowly to avoid slipping. If you don’t have ice spikes, take your time since all the foot traffic on the glacier compacts the snow enough that you’re basically walking on ice. Although it is very tempting to go under the ice cave and see the deep blue hue, I’d strongly advise against that, as people have been killed by the ice shelf collapsing on them while being under the cave. The temperatures exceed 70 degrees during the summer, so ice shelves can melt and shift around.
The kids loved this hike! Walking on ice without needing a winter coat was a unique experience.
Ice caves of Byron Glacier
On your way to Seward, top off your gas tank at Girdwood, as there are no gas stations between Girdwood and Seward. Once we concluded our hike on the Byron Glacier Trail, it was time to make the 80-mile drive further south toward Seward. During our time in Seward, we stayed at an Airbnb, and you can click the link here to view it for yourself. Our host, Angela, went above and beyond to ensure we were taken care of, and if you find yourself in Seward, I recommend booking your stay here. Accommodations in Seward get booked months in advance, so if you’re visiting during the summer, you can start booking by mid-April.
Day Five: Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park Boat Tour
This was a day that I circled on the calendar and was really looking forward to during our time in Alaska. It would be my first time visiting Kenai Fjords National Park with my wife and kids. You can access Kenai Fjords National Park by car if you want to get up close to Exit Glacier, but the best way to view wildlife and multiple glaciers is by boat. We booked the 11:30 am Kenai Fjords National Park boat tour with Major Marine as our tour operator. You must get to the harbor area and check in 30 minutes before embarking. Parking in that area isn’t easy to find, so I would just factor in 15-20 minutes. The narrated tour is 6 hours long (they will push it a bit longer if it’s a beautiful day with calm waters), and it also includes complimentary lunch, coffee, tea, and snacks for purchase. It was the first boat tour for my kids, and we were fortunate enough to have picture-perfect weather. I was impressed with this same tour when I booked it in 2015, and since that time, the experience has only improved, with Major Marine taking delivery of two new modernized and spacious vessels. Whether you are coming to Alaska with kids or without kids, mark this down as a tour that needs to be on your list. You can opt for the extended 7.5-hour cruise, but 6 hours was perfect for us. We saw killer whales, Dall’s porpoise, puffins, seals, sea lions, and the highlight of our trip to Alaska, a humpback whale that breached the water about 150 yards away!
Seward Boat Harbor
Resurrection Bay
Transient orca
Sea Lions, Sea Gulls, and Cormorants at Resurrection Bay, Alaska
Adult Humpback Whale
An Adult Humpback fully breaches. I was not prepared for this capture, hence the blurriness. It was the highlight of our tour.
A pod of Dall’s porpoise followed our vessel for several minutes.
Holgate Glacier on the left, a transient orca on the right
We were fortunate to have a perfect day for viewing wildlife and enjoying the beautiful glaciers and mountains. If you decide to do this or any boat tour, remember to dress warm and bring earmuffs if you plan to be on the deck and in the elements for an extended period. Temperatures on the water are about 20 degrees cooler than on land, and the wind can make it feel really cold. You can still view almost everything if you stay inside the heated cabin. Remember to tip the tour personnel on your way out.
After completing this tour, we planned on having an early dinner at a well-known place in Seward called Salmon Bake. They do not take reservations over the phone or any website/app; you must put your name on a list and stick around. The wait can be extended to get a table, so be prepared — we had to wait 45 minutes, but it was well worth it. I got the coconut-crusted prawns and….wait for it……salmon! (Alaskan sockeye). Both were fantastic and as fresh as you will ever have. Try to have at least one meal here if you’re in Seward.
To conclude the evening, we drove a few minutes to the car-accessible part of Kenai Fjords National Park. This is where you can do the one-mile hike right up to Exit Glacier. And with that, a memorable and fun-filled fifth day in Alaska was in the books.
Day Six: Seward and Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Day six was our final day in Alaska. Since our flight from Anchorage to Chicago wasn’t until 11pm, we had most of the day for recreation. We spent the morning at Seward Waterfront Park to allow the kids to play before we had to get in the car to head north toward Anchorage. The views are beautiful here, and it’s also a place where you can view sea lions, otters, native birds, and, occasionally, whales.
Seward Waterfront Park
On our way to Anchorage, we stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This is another place that I strongly recommend for everyone, especially those traveling with kids. You can view just about any large land mammal native to Alaska behind the safety of a fence. This includes the Wood Bison, a species hunted to near extinction about 70 years ago, and cannot be seen in Denali. The animals here have plenty of space to roam, and their environment resembles their natural habitat. Budget at least 2 hours to comfortably see all the animals. After a memorable and fun-filled 6 days in Alaska, it was off to Anchorage to take our redeye flight back to Chicago (more on below). What we did in 6 days is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be done while visiting Alaska. In the end, we wished we had more time and could see other parts, but perhaps that would be a trip for the future.
Trip Breakdown
Since this trip required us to utilize multiple airlines and hotels besides Airbnb, we used a combination of Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, American Airlines miles, Delta miles, Choice Privilege Points, and cash to book our itinerary. To get to Anchorage from Seattle on Delta was just 7k miles per person. If you have AMEX Platinum, Gold, or Green — either the personal or business version of the three — you can transfer points straight into Delta’s frequent flyer program 1:1. The Chase redemption for American Airlines on the way back to Chicago allowed us to get 1.5 points per cent and book a $400 one-way ticket for 26.4k Chase Points. Since my wife has gold status with American, we could move up to main cabin extra and check bags at no charge. Since Chase treats Ultimate Rewards points redemptions for airlines like cash purchases, we also accrued American Advantage miles for this trip. Using Chase Ultimate Rewards points to book at the McKinley Chalet Resort got us the best value in Denali since large chains such as Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Hyatt, etc, do not operate there. When I first got into the points and miles hobby about 13 years ago (the golden era before several airline/hotel devaluations), I used to loathe Choice Hotels. I didn’t care for their portfolio of hotel brands or rewards programs. Since that time, my view on Choice Hotels has evolved as they have really expanded the footprint on their upscale properties (Cambria and Ascend Collection) and have also invested in updating their mid-tier properties (Comfort Inn, Comfort Suites, Sleep Inn, Quality Inn, and Clarion). Their mid-tier properties are perfect for a one or two-night stay to break up a road trip. When traveling with kids, having a complimentary breakfast on-premises can save you considerable time and money. The Comfort Inn Downtown – Ship Creek in Anchorage cost us 10k Choice Privilege points for a one-night redemption when cash prices were over $220. Perhaps shortly, I’ll dedicate an entire post to Choice Hotels.
Lessons We Learned While Doing This Trip with Toddlers
Since this trip involved a lot of driving — about 850 miles in 6 days— the biggest challenge was keeping the kids entertained and preventing them from getting restless. We would stop every hour, letting them walk outside and be active. We also downloaded kids’ shows and movies onto the iPad before arriving in Alaska, knowing cell service can be very spotty. Whenever we spotted wildlife, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, or anything interesting, we would point it out and give them some tidbits about what they were looking at. Later on, if we saw it again, we would quiz them and test their recollection. These trips have incredible educational value; we always aim to treat them like field trips.
One lesson we learned with our kids is that redeye flights are challenging for them— as it is for most kids—and something we will try to avoid moving forward. I certainly don’t blame them, as it’s hard to get into a comfortable sleeping position in an economy seat during a time when they’re used to sleeping comfortably. Our flight left Anchorage at 9 p.m. and landed in Chicago at 6 a.m. Most non-stop flights from Anchorage to the Midwest and East Coast will be redeye, but a few flights depart before 10 am and get to their destination in the evening. These flights will cost more but are worth booking if they allow your kids to be comfortable, and no tears are shed.
If you plan on following our itinerary with kids, bring an iPad, plenty of snacks, water or juice, a baby carrier if traveling with an infant, hiking boots for toddlers (and yourself), raincoats, warm clothing, and a stroller if you plan on walking around Anchorage or Seward. Denali National Park does not have any trails I would feel comfortable pushing a stroller on, but if you have a rugged stroller with larger wheels and shocks, you may come out of it okay. Do not forget to bring mosquito repellent for kids. We chose the Babyganics Deet-free repellent for both of our kids, and it held up very well. As always, thanks for reading. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments or email me, and I’ll try to respond as soon as possible.
Miles for places 