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“Alaska is too expensive” OR “Lies you can stop telling yourself”

Fish, Kayak, and Sight See Glaciers - Best of Alaska out of Seward, AK Tour at Miller's Landing

“Alaska is too expensive”
“Someday, when we can afford it, well go to Alaska”
“I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska, but I hear its really pricey”

These are a few of the things I hear when talking to people about what I do for a living.

It irks me, because it’s not true. It’s really not!   Many people assume that traveling to Alaska and going fishing, or kayaking by a glacier, or watching whales involves mortgaging the farm, or selling that dented but loved ’97 Dodge Neon in the driveway. The truth is it can cost about the same as going anywhere in the lower 48 – sometimes even way less.

Fish, Kayak, and Sight See Glaciers - Best of Alaska Tour at Miller's Landing

Our Best of Alaska trip takes you to the glaciers for an ice specific paddle, provides a meal, fishing for 4 hours for rock fish and salmon (in season), and sightseeing to the National Park, all in the same day, in a small group setting. It’s definitely the best deal around!

There are lots of ways get here and do that thing – the one you always wanted to do, the one you’ll be casually bragging about the rest of your life to family and friends.
This is what happens.
This isn’t a weird daydream.
We help people get here, achieve their goals within their budget, and get home every single day.
We’ve got good advice: and it’s free.
We challenge you to call or email us with your budget, your dates, and your desires and see what we can do for you.
Want to have an Alaskan adventure? Prove it.

Michael A water taxi & the catch from a Best of Alaska half day fishing, sightseeing & glacier kayaking tour

Our custom built water taxi takes people to wilderness hostels and remote public service cabins costing $20 – $60 per night. Camping on the many beaches around Resurrection Bay or the National Park doesn’t cost a dime. The boys clean Black Seabass caught on a half day fishing charter, probably caught the same day they took those folks kayaking in front of Holgate Glacier. That Best of Alaska tour saved them $450 per person and gave them the time of their lives. We have all the pieces in house, let us put them together for you!

One trick is to go early.

Right now, a quick search on a travel website, I found tickets for $345 per person.  This was leaving April 18th and returning May 1st from Minneapolis.  I chose a place in the middle of the country, tickets are often cheaper on the west coast.  Its worth mentioning, round trip tickets peak season are often found in the $500-$600 range. Sun Country, Alaska Airlines, Jet Blue, Delta and United all frequent the Anchorage airport.  Get to Anchorage, and we can handle it from there.
See – Seward is on the road system, you can take a bus, train, or rental car when visiting. Getting to the coolest places in Alaska doesn’t (necessarily) mean taking a bearded mans duct taped Cessna into the bush or leaning out the window at altitude to pour the half bottle of whiskey you found on the floor in the fuselage.  It’s funny how a word admittedly sounds less elegant when muttered through the hungover crusty lips of your war torn pilot as the engine putters to a stop through a scenic mountain pass. This isn’t necessary – instead A local guy named Bob will grab you from the airport in a Seward Bus Lines bus, and for $50 bucks you’ll watch moose devour grass along Turnagain Arm (he may even be sporting the beard – chills!).

Focus on Spring Dates – April – June 15th are the most forgiving for travel.

Which is great, because spring is a great time to be in Alaska.

The temperate rain forests are not overgrown with Devils club.  The animals are all shaking it off, wiping the sand out of their eyes, and gorging themselves on all the shoots coming up (not the people, don’t worry).  Also, from a budget perspective, things are just opening up and usually well discounted. Lots of vacation rentals are in shoulder season rates all through May, hotels are heavily discounted, and the people are going to be happy to see you and have time to spend with you. It’s a dark and lonely winter, fresh faces are always warmly received.

Kayaking in Aialik Bay

Early Season can be very still – still air means calm water. Crisp, clean, lush, vibrant, quiet – all great words to describe Spring in Alaska.

 The puffins are coming into their nesting colonies.

The land sea/temps are similar causing a lot of crisp, still days. The brush isn’t overgrown in the woods, allowing for tons of self guided exploring off trail systems, mountains, and area woods.

A Horned Puffin takes off from the waters in Resurrection Bay

This Horned Puffin is the very exact Horned Puffin that you are denying yourself the opportunity to see. Why do you do it!? See this Puffin!

 Whales are finishing the spring migration and after a winter in warm waters giving birth they are ready to dine and gain some much needed weight.

Watching them bubble feed and lunge feed is incredible, and can be done right from the beach sometimes in May. The goats are kidding (not joking, they’re kidding!) and thousands of sea birds are making use of the rookeries as the Gray Whales are migrate through.

Man paddles too close to lunge feeding whales and is surprised in his kayak

This humpback whale is lunge feeding. See that kayaker? He didn’t think he’d see that whale in Alaska either. Look behind him – that’s Miller’s Landing. You could stand on the beach and watch that whale try to swallow that kayaker, for free. Don’t deny yourself, it’s better than a movie and we even have popcorn in the store.

Juvenile Stellar Sea Lions are full of themselves, chasing kings and herring early season. We find them roaming around Resurrection Bay and see them from our kayaks daily. These boisterous teens cause general havoc wherever they go!
Stellar Sea Lion munches on Halibut Head mid air

This is actually an amazing photo. Stellar Sea Lion like to play with their food, they toss it up in the air, smash it back and forth on the water, you name it. This guy is catching a halibut head mid air from such a previous toss, but look at the expression on the seagull’s face -thwarted. @assulted_by_a_puffin

Dalls Porpoise love to bow ride, and when the water’s this mellow, you can stand up there and see them through the crystal clear pre-plankton bloom wavelets. Pro tip: use the video setting on your phone/camera – they’re so super fast it’s hard to grab a still shot!
Man paddles too close to lunge feeding whales and is surprised in his kayak

This humpback whale is lunge feeding. See that kayaker? He didn’t think he’d see that whale in Alaska either. Look behind him – that’s Miller’s Landing. You could stand on the beach and watch that whale try to swallow that kayaker, for free. Don’t deny yourself, it’s better than a movie and we even have popcorn in the store.

So yeah, there’s some cool stuff to see – What about where to stay?

Good news – right now, this second, we have lodgings that sell for $250 during the summer discounted to $75 per night. Right on the waterfront, within walking distance of our activities. The best part? You don’t have to deal with crowds – still not affordable? We have tent sites at $27 per night and camping cabins as low as $50 per night!

Seaside camping cabin seward alaska miller's landing

The Seaside camping cabin can be had for $50 per night early season. during the main part of the year, it’s $79, so there’s not a huge jump in price whenever you want to visit!

Camping in Spring is generally very private, affordable or free, and amazing also!

Tent camp on the beach out of Seward Alaska by kayak in Resurrection Bay

Camping on a lonely beach in the middle of nowhere that you kayaked to. This costs $45 per day for the rental kayak with a 3% tax, or nothing if you use the coastal trails to hike out. For the cost of filling your gas tank you could be taking this image of your own tent.

Fishing charters are at rock bottom prices.

One of our trips includes sightseeing and whale watching, kayaking by calving tidewater glaciers, and fishing! Reunite with that goldfish you flushed down the toilet 20 years ago!

Great Big Yellow Eye Rock Fish

This giant Red Snapper / Yellow Eye Rock Fish is probably not your long lost goldfish Flippy. However, I guarantee it tastes a lot better. These ancient sea monsters are as delicious as they are beautiful. Catch Halibut and Rock Fish of all different species on our early season full day halibut charters!

 Normally this Best of Alaska Combination Fishing, Glacier Kayaking and National Park Sightseeing trip would take about 3 days and cost $850 per person but we can do it for less than half of that, and all in one day!

Fish, Kayak, and Sight See Glaciers - Best of Alaska Tour at Miller's Landing

Our Best of Alaska trip takes you to the glaciers for an ice specific paddle, provides a meal, fishing for 4 hours for rock fish and salmon (in season), and sightseeing to the National Park, all in the same day, in a small group setting. It’s definitely the best deal around!

  Motor homes and car rentals go way down in price!

In fact not only are the RV rentals cheaper in the spring, but if you make your reservation before the end of January you can save even more! Huge discounts over peak season rates can be had early season – these rental outfits want to stay busy, and you stand to save a ton of money going this route that provides lodging and transportation in one comfortable package!

ABC motorhome rental anchorage alaska

The RV rental companies provide huge sales incentives for early season travel – park at an RV park or even along the road for the night. Save the cost of transportation/rental car and lodging – go with friends and split the cost to save more! Hit up the Costco in Anchorage before you leave and provision your meals and drinks wholesale and tax free – guys, you can do this.
PC ABC Motorhome Rental, Anchorage Alaska

Can’t afford a fishing charter?

Early season rates are between $250-285 per person plus tax.  Bring a few friends, rent one of our Stabicraft – they’re $400 per day for up to 4 people! You can bring your own fishing gear or rent ours, either way you’re saving a ton of money and you’re getting out on the water.

Stabicraft on the water

The Stabicraft are 20.5′ aluminum chambered skiffs designed specifically for self guided outings in Alaska! Miller’s Landing rents 2 of them.

To summarize:

  • A $345 round trip ticket from the Midwest
  • A $35 per day car rental
  • Kayaking by glaciers, whale watching and fishing $400
  • Camping style lodging $50 / vacation rentals ~$100
  • With a few friends pitching in on lodging and meals, you can do a week Alaska in the early summer/ late spring for less than $1000.
  • Renting an RV with 2 other couples or 5 friends makes the daily RV rental cost $26.50 per person ($159/6) – this covers transportation and lodging both!
  • Go to Costco and buy $1000 worth of food and drinks – sounds like a lot until you figure you just bought you and your 5 friends 3 meals a day for 7 days. Cooking for a group is cheaper because you can make bigger meals and buy larger portions to start with – when was the last time you fed yourself and drank your fill for $23 dollars a day?
  • Go fishing the first day you’re here and eat fresh Alaskan Halibut for lunch/dinner for the rest of your stay. Surf and turf your thing? Buy a Ribeye at Costco for $80 bucks and cut thick steaks for the grill each night- you get a solid 16 thick juicy Ribeyes out of a rack – that’s $5 bucks a piece!
A gorgeous morning meets this paddler ready for adventure- our Best of Alaska day trip is 12 hours long!

You can do this – Get your dates together, tell your boss you’re going away for awhile, call some friends if you want to split the costs – but mostly let us help you do this within your budget. We’re here to help!

Give us a call!  We can help you find something that works for you, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Can you put a price on THAT?