Boulder County Kids

Now is the time to plan your 2009 a trip to one of our national parks. We are only a one day drive to some of the most spectacular nature in the world, and some of the most spectacular lodges in the world as well. The wonders of Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone, El Tovar at the rim of the Grand Canyon, and the Awanee Lodge in Yosemite are incredible destinations. And each of these parks have other lodging as well in addition to a wide range of camping possibilities. The national parks do not take reservations for more than one year in advance. The secret is to plan for the next year, and one year and a day before you want to be at the park, call or go online and make your reservations.

Alaska offers a wide range of family-friendly vacations. Many people combine an overland trip to Denali national park with a cruise along the inland waterway. We shy away from the big cruise boat scene and combined a five day cruise in Prince William Sound. The America West Cruise ship which has only 100 passengers. We sailed through fjords narrow channels and close enough to glaciers and icebergs to touch them. We espied a feeding humpback, stopped and just hung out watching for an hour. We went near streams and watch brown bears chomping down on salmon. The wildlife was very close and amazingly plentiful. The cruise spent one day in Cordova. We hiked to Sherman Glacier, got in some rafts, hunted ice worms, and then did a thrilling white water rafting trip. After the cruise we rented a car and drove the length of the Kenai Peninsular and stayed in Homer for four days. We had a access to a gas grill and cooked and ate fresh halibut, salmon, king crab, and my favorite halibut cheeks. We then took the Alaskan Railroad to Denali. Denali is a difficult park to really experience. The standard two-night say included in the cruise packages allows a difficult bus ride through the park. We stayed four nights, did the bus tour, the jet boat ride and the flight over, around and through the south and north peaks of Mt. McKinley. This is one of the sightseeing highlights of my life. I have met several people who have had this experience, and we all agree it is the ultimate.

Alaskans are proud of their state and how they cope with the harsh conditions. Every venue has their own special way of telling you about them and Alaska. We met Bob the Oysterman on our cruise. He told us about how he harvesting oysters. Joe the fur trapper told use which of the animals he trapped were edible and which were tasty (he like the lynx best). And then there were the corny jokes at the Alaska night in Denali.

We rented a car in Fairbanks and drove about an hour to the Chenin Hot Springs. Visit the Ice Museum, and parents, do try their Appletini served in a martini glass make of solid ice. The overnight flight back to Denver was on the night of the lunar eclipse. Those on the left side of the plane saw the Northern Lights, those on the right side saw the lunar eclipse so if you are leaving Alaska in late August you might want to reserve your seats in advance.

Here are some phone numbers and Web sites for making your reservations.
Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone can be reached at (303) 600-3400.

Canyon de Chelly at (800) 679-2473, and Yosemite at (801) 559-4884.

Have a great summer!

Boulder County Kids • P.O. Box 17114 • Boulder, CO 80308
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Special thanks to Bear Creek Elementary School of Boulder for the drawings.

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