How do you even start planning a trip to Alaska? This week Nancy Canter walks us through a two-week itinerary for exploring Alaska with kids.

Our presenting sponsor is LivItaly Tours. This family owned business offers over 140 tours and experiences all around Italy, and soon to come Spain. Dedicated to making travelers truly "live" the local culture, LivItaly keeps its groups small and intimate. Don't just visit Italy, live it!

ON THE PODCAST

00:32 - Presenting sponsor LivItaly

00:50 - Talking with Tamara and Kim about New Year's Resolutions

04:25 - Bullet journaling

09:30 - Alaska

10:05 - Talking with Nancy

12:53 - Land vs. cruise to Alaska

15:55 - Planning your trip

17:50 - What there is to do in Alaska

26:55 - Fishing experiences

27:36 - Viewing wildlife

32:45 - Venturing into Wrangell–St. Elias National Park

35:50 - Best times to go to Alaska

36:55 - Renting a car or not

38:55 - Staying in the RV vs. a hotel

41:10 - Restaurants

42:14 - Budgeting for your trip

45:50 - Where to take a family photo

47:45 - Nancy's favorite travel gear

51:35 - What is your favorite app?

ABOUT NANCY CANTER

Nancy is a happily married mom of two boys, ages 8 and 3, who lives in Washington, DC. Although a lawyer by trade, Nancy loves the outdoors and cherishes the opportunity to explore the world with her family. She blogs at We Go with Kids and you can follow Nancy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

PLANNING A TRIP TO ALASKA

• Summer is the best time to explore Alaska. Temperatures are not a brisk and the daylight hours will be longer, so you will have more time in your day to see the state.
• You will need to start planning your trip at least a year in advance. Doing this will make dates and times easier to book for your adventures.
• Visiting Alaska in the summer does not mean that you will not get to experience a winter activity. At Seavey's IdidaRide you can experience a dog sled ride. The dogs will pull you on gravel instead of snow. You will also be able to meet some of the new dogs and learn about the sport.
• If you would like a little more freedom to explore, visiting Denali State Park may be a better option for you and you family rather than visiting Denali National Park. At the national park you are not allowed to drive in the park and you must rely on the bus/tour transportation with set stops through the park. While in the state park you can drive to a trail and hike different areas of the park.
• Anchorage is a great location to use as a central port. You can fly right into Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and drive to the surrounding areas and explore.
• Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is a bit of a drive outside of Anchorage. Starting in Chitina is a 16-mile gravel path. You must be careful driving on this path. They warn you not to drive a RV on the path because if you breakdown you will not be able to get out. But you can park in Chitina and arrange a flight out of the Kennicott Glacier Lodge that will take you into the mountains. Once you are there it is stunning and you can book a different tours like a full day ice climbing tour, or a glacier walk, etc. .
• It is said that renting cars in Alaska is very expensive, but in reality it is not all that different then renting a car in DC. Especially if you book your rental in advance along with the rest of your trip. But a good tip would be too keep an eye on prices and if they drop rebook your rentals.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Nancy and her family hired a photographer to take their photo with Resurrection Bay in the background. This was a superb location with the crystal water, mountains and greenery.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR

Nancy and her family made multiple trips to REI before their trip to Alaska. Hiking boots were number one on their list of needed items, along with rain pants that came in handy for their time kayaking. They also made sure to wear layers during their trip so that they could shed clothes if the weather was a bit warmer.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

We Go with Kids - Alaska

Seavey's IdidaRide

Alaska SeaLife Center

Exit Glacier

Autoslash

VRBO

FOLLOW US AND SPREAD THE WORD!

If you liked this show, please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play and leave us a review! Have a question or comment? Send us an email or leave us a voicemail at +1.641.715.3900, ext. 926035#. You can also follow our travels on Stuffed Suitcase and We3Travel, or follow the Vacation Mavens on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Thanks for listening!