Destination Reports | Suzette Mack Travel

What You Miss in Denali If You Don’t Have a Car (Our Alaska Adventure Part 5)

The last leg our Alaska journey was three nights at Denali National Park. Most visitors arrive by train or motor coach, but if you have an independent spirit, I highly recommend renting a car. It’s a 4-5 hour drive from Anchorage, but allow a full day because there are lots of stops and spectacular Denali views along the way (weather permitting). If you have time, I recommend spending a few nights in Talkeetna. You can also drive south from Fairbanks, which is only 2 hours away.

Here’s what you miss if you choose to rely on the park and hotel shuttle systems:

1) A stay at Tonglen Lake Lodge – This is the newest and most luxurious lodging near Denali, in a beautiful and serene lakeside setting. It was perfect for our family, but as I always recommend when selecting vacation accommodations, do your homework to make sure it’s the best fit for you.

2) Avoiding busloads of people – Since most visitors are using shuttle buses, they travel in groups from place to place. Often we were in a café or the visitor center with only a few other people, until a bus pulled up, and then all tables were filled and lines went out the door. If you can work your stops around the bus schedule, you can have some of the exhibits to yourself.

3) Leisurely scenic drives– The 15 miles of park road out to the Savage Creek checkpoint are open to private vehicles. You can drive it at a leisurely pace any time of day. You never know what you might see!

4) Going on an impromptu hike – There are several trails that lead out of the park entrance area. But if you drive out to Savage Creek you’ll find not only a parking area with picnic tables and restrooms, but two trails that can be covered in just a few hours: an easy loop trail along a pretty braided creek, and more strenuous hike up to a panoramic view.

5) Eating at 229 Parks, the best restaurant in the area – This is a hidden gem, and since it’s 8 miles south of the park entrance, you won’t get there without your own car, as there are no taxis. The menu is full of interesting dishes made with fresh local ingredients, ranging from their own handcrafted lemonade to homemade pasta and pastries, and of course salmon, halibut, and king crab dishes.

6) Visiting the 49^th State Brewing Company– This is a local favorite 10 miles north of the park in Healy. They have good food in huge portions at reasonable prices, and of course, good beer (and homemade root beer for the kids). You can also see the infamous bus used in the film Into the Wild, based on the book by Jon Krakauer.

7) Spending quality time with the sled dogs – The kennels are always open to guests, and demonstrations are offered several times a day. Visitors are encouraged to take a shuttle from the visitor center, however there is limited parking within walking distance. If you can arrive before the shuttle, then you have the dogs and their trainers to yourselves. You can also stay after the demonstration if you have additional questions, and watch the dogs get unhitched, which was surprisingly entertaining, as well.

To view more pictures of Denali Park, visit my Flickr album. And stay tuned for an upcoming post about our trip deep into the park on the NPS shuttle bus. (Update: here is the post.)

I have traveled all over the state, so I am happy to help you plan an amazing Alaska adventure for your family. Just contact me at suzette@family-treks.com.

October 4, 2013/by macktravels

Timeless Talkeetna (Our Alaska Adventure Part 4)

I love Talkeetna because it’s an interesting and historic town. But also because, despite having lots of tourists, it does not feel as touristy as other popular Alaska destinations. Sure, there are signs hawking souvenirs and sightseeing tours, but most of the buildings haven’t changed for decades, and it’s a hub of activity for bush pilots and mountaineers, as this is the jumping off point for Mt. McKinley treks and flightseeing tours. (Talkeetna is closer to Mt. McKinley than the Denali National Park entrance, and has spectactular views on clear days.)

Our home for 3 nights was the charming Fireweed Station Inn, a historic homestead carefully restored and modernized, and now recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. We thoroughly enjoyed the company of our hosts, Hobbs and Tom, who shared stories of their life in Alaska, and cooked up delicious breakfasts incorporating fresh vegetables and herbs from their garden. And they will cook a private dinner on request as well!

Hobbs & Tom

Fireweed Station Inn

The inn is small so it’s imperative to book early. Two rooms on the main floor are comfortable and spacious, and families will find lots of space in the suite which takes up the whole second floor. A cabin is also available for guests who want more privacy.

Suite at Fireweed Station Inn

Talkeetna is not a large town, but it does offer several other accommodation options,. They range from the large modern Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge, favored by cruise passengers and escorted tour groups, to rustic cabins along the river. Princess’s Mt. McKinley Lodge is about an hour away, but it has a spectacular mountainside setting facing the Alaska Range, and they run regular shuttles to Talkeetna.

Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge back deck view

Though I am not much more than an avid day hiker, I am fascinated with the sport of mountaineering. So I found the Historical Society Museum especially interesting, as one building is dedicated to the history of Denali climbing. It contained an impressive scale model of Mt McKinley which filled an entire room, each layer cut by hand, using a topo map for reference. The museum is worth a visit for anyone, to learn about the history of the area and what life was like for early settlers.

Photos on the wall show the actual view from each angle.

We followed that up with a visit to the NPS station, where all climbers have to register and get briefed on mountain procedures. They have a very good film that details the route to the summit and the preparation required. I would imagine this is a fascinating place to be during climbing season (April through June), seeing both the climbers who are heading out, and the ones who’ve just got back.

There are a lot of fun activities available, another good reason to spend a few days here. Most popular are the flightseeing tours, for close up views of the mountain and optional glacier landings. Mountain weather is fickle, however, so travelers have to be prepared for last minute cancellations.

Talkeetna is located at the confluence of three rivers: the Susitna, Chulitna and Talkeetna, so travelers have many opportunities to get out on the water. Because the rivers are wide and braided, you’ll find float trips rather than whitewater rafting, which is available further north near Denali N.P.

Looking for wildlife on the Susitna River

Jet boat tours are an option if you aren’t comfortable sitting on the edge of an inflated raft for a few hours, and want more protection from the elements. And of course, there’s fishing, probably one of the most popular activities in the state. Off the river, travelers can visit a dog sled kennel, go zip-lining, hiking, or take an ATV tour (note minimum age is 16, per state law).

Small jet boat departing the dock.

If you have a car, check out Kahiltna Birchworks. It’s on the Spur Road just off the Parks Hwy, so a quick and easy stop on the drive between Denali and Anchorage. Every gift shop in the state seems to sell birch syrup products, and this is where they all come from. The presentation lasts about 10-15 min, and then you get to taste the different grades of syrup which have different uses, some of which can only be purchased here.

Getting to Talkeetna is easy – you can arrive by train, bus, car, or plane. But once you get there, if you don’t have your own vehicle, you have to rely on shuttles, as there are no rental cars or taxis in town. If you are independent and like to explore off the beaten path (and if you want to stay at Fireweed Station), then you need a car.

It’s easy, interesting, and fun to drive through interior Alaska. I am happy to help other adventurous families plan their own itinerary through the Great Land, just send an email to suzette@family-treks.com.

September 17, 2013/by macktravels

Destination Reports, Family Travel

The Anchorage Top Ten List (Our Alaska Adventure Part 3)

We left Juneau via a pretty flight over glaciers for our 2 night stay in Anchorage. Despite the fact that I have traveled all over the state of Alaska, I had never been in downtown Anchorage before. So I was excited to explore someplace new.

The Captain Cook Hotel is by far the favorite of most visitors, whether traveling by car, train, or cruise. It’s a great hotel run by a longtime Alaska family, and a major hub of activity. We wanted something quieter, so we stayed in a small B&B a couple blocks away, the Copper Whale Inn. I really enjoy the bed and breakfast experience, but it’s not for everyone. And since all inns are different, it’s important to know what to expect to make sure it’s a good fit.

Porch and garden at Copper Whale Inn

Room at The Copper Whale Inn

Captain Cook Hotel Lobby

Here’s my top ten list of things to do while visiting Anchorage.

1. Visit the Anchorage Alaska Center located in the historic Old Federal Building. I highly recommend the movie about the 1964 earthquake. It’s good to watch at the start of your trip so you can watch for sights mentioned.

2. Rent bikes for a ride along the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. You’ll find Earthquake Park interesting if you watched the movie in the visitor center.

3. Hike to Flat Top Mountain in Chugach State Park for 360 degree views.

4. Have a cup of coffee at the historic Fur Rondy shop, which is home to the Dog Mushing Hall of Fame. A statue outside marks the ceremonial starting location for the Iditarod, and on Wednesday afternoons you can meet a musher and his dog.

Statue dedicated to dogs & mushers,
often referred to as the “Balto Statue”

5. Spend a day driving south of Anchorage about 40 miles to visit Girdwood and Alyeska Resort.

6. Drive 9 miles further south to take the 1 hour Portage Glacier Cruise.

7. On the way back to Anchorage, stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see rescued bears, moose, musk ox, bison, caribou, and brown and black bears. There are lots of cute babies, too!

Brown bear at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

Bison at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

8. Visit the Captain Cook Monument on the waterfront at Resolution Park.

9. Drive 45 miles north to the Iditarod Race Headquarters in Wasilla. (This is also a good stop on the way to Talkeetna or Denali). You can see videos and memorabilia about the history of the race, see the actual trophy, and take a dog sled ride.

4 week old puppy

Original Iditarod trophy, retired in 1999

10. On weekends visit the Anchorage Market and Festival, Alaska’s largest open air market. You can grab a bite in the Eat Local section, and find souvenirs at good prices.

If you’d like assistance planning your own custom Alaskan adventure, just drop me a note at suzette@family-treks.com.

September 5, 2013/4 Comments/by macktravels

Destination Reports, Family Travel

In the Know About Juneau (Our Alaska Adventure Part 2)

After Glacier Bay, we headed to Juneau for a 2 night stay. Our destination was the Westmark Baranof, a full service hotel at the edge of the historic downtown. It was close enough to walk easily to everything, but with fewer crowds around. They had a room perfect for our family with a teen boy and girl: it had a queen bed, a single bed, and single sofa sleeper. Historic hotels have their shortfalls (like no A/C, which is really not an issue in Juneau), but also unique features which I actually found useful: a walk-in closet (it held a couple suitcases which kept our floor clear), built-in shelves in the small but modern bath (room for 4 toiletry kits!), and a full length shelf along one wall which was useful for stashing small items like books, backpacks, wine, etc. Parking and wifi were free, and breakfast in the café was very good. There is also a fine dining restaurant, bar, and meeting facilities.

“Standard Double” room

I like staying overnight in Juneau because you get to see how the vibe in the Inside Passage towns change when the cruise ships leave. On our first evening, we had dinner at the Red Dog Saloon. Most passengers had to be back onboard the ships by 7 pm, so the place was packed when we walked in at 6, but completely empty by 6:30. The second night ships were in port until 10 pm, so restaurants were full later in the evening.

Juneau with and without cruise ships

Ship getting ready to leave

Juneau is the most touristy town along the Inside Passage, with lots of stores selling jewelry, t-shirts, ulu knives, you name it. If you head out of town, you won’t necessarily escape the crowds, but you will find fun things to do besides shopping.

Almost everyone visits Mendenhall Glacier, and it really is worth a stop even though it can be crowded. Because we were there when the salmon was running, we had a once in a lifetime treat: watching bears catch salmon in the stream right by the parking lot!

Yes, these are wild bears, and one even had 2 cubs with her. Normally it would be unsafe to be this close. But these bears are habituated to humans, so as long as observers are quite and keep food put away, they can continue to watch from a boardwalk right above the stream.

Dinner!

A short walk leads to the visitor center, where you can get your first glimpse of this famous glacier. Then a 1 mile trail leads out to the edge of the lake for a closer view. To get right up close to the glacier, you can hike about 7 miles round trip on West Glacier trail located across the lake, or book a kayak tour for an easy paddle on the calm lake.

Best view from visitor center trails

Getting to touch some glacial ice

One of our favorite places to visit is the Macauley salmon hatchery which is especially interesting July through September, with tens of thousands of salmon swimming in from the ocean. The hatchery has an artificial ladder, so we spent a good 20-30 minutes watching salmon fight their way up with acrobatic moves. There is a short presentation outdoors by the staff at regular intervals, and then you can pay extra for a behind the scenes tour. Inside are salt water aquariums, a live video feed of the workers in back, a nursery for the babies, and a gift shop offering samples of salmon jerky.

Thousands of salmon are entering the ladder

He (she?) made it!

And no trip to Juneau is complete without a stop at the Alaskan Brewery Company. They have a storefront downtown, where you can catch a shuttle out to the brewery for a tour. But if you have a car it’s much better to go on your own and avoid the crowds.

Another popular attraction is the Mount Roberts Tramway located right at the cruise port. The ticket cost includes unlimited all day rides, a film, and entrance to a bald eagle display and nature center. There are also bear viewing platforms, hiking trails for all abilities (including a trek to the top of Mt. Roberts) and a bar and grill. Hardy travelers can also hike up from downtown and ride the gondola back for a much lower fee.

Two nights was just the right amount of time, and we headed back to the airport for the next leg of our trip: Anchorage.

If you’d like to plan your own adventure in Alaska, be it by cruise ship or on your own like we did, contact me at suzette@family-treks.com.

August 21, 2013/by macktravels

Destination Reports, Family Travel

Going Wild in Gustavus (Our Alaska Adventure Part 1)

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I just returned from a 2 week trip to Alaska. Glacier Bay was the starting point for our adventure, my kids’ first trip to the 49^th state. Most people visit Glacier Bay by cruise ship, but I wanted to spend several days there, to have more time to enjoy the unique beauty of southeast Alaska. Few visitors actually stay overnight, so this would give my kids an authentic experience in a small Alaskan town.

The “Gateway to Glacier National Park” is the tiny town of Gustavus, home to no more than 500 year-round residents. The airport in Gustavus is an interesting sight, as the tiny terminal stays empty all day until the sole Alaska Airline flight arrives (the TSA agents are flown in to meet the jets by a small local air service.) But that doesn’t mean it’s not busy, small private planes and charters constantly fly in and out. We were told that just a few weeks earlier, the airport was shut down because a bear ambled onto the runway, and it had to be shoo’ed away by a fire truck!

Arriving in Gustavus

The quiet Alaska Airlines terminal

Gustavus is the kind of town where the lone gas station has old fashioned pumps that you only see in museums these days, and everyone knows to watch out for moose #1 who’s really ornery. There are no rental cars, so lodges transport their guests wherever they need to go. We became quite familiar with one main intersection in the middle of town: one road led to the ferry, one to the airport, one to Bartlett Cove, and the last to our lodge. Nothing is more than 10 miles away.

Our wonderful home for 3 nights was the beautiful, and thoroughly Alaskan, Bear Track Inn. Meals and transportation are included. and we ate like kings. A chef and his assistant worked diligently in the kitchen adjacent to the dining room each evening, serving up 4 gourmet choices each evening.

Surf & turf night!

Breakfast was cooked to order every day, including amazing muffins made with wild blueberries, and the best pancakes my kids ever tasted. On the rare chance you were at the lodge for lunch, you got gourmet sandwiches, and if lucky, some leftover chowder from the previous evening. The owner, Janie, who opened the lodge in 1997, told me about some of the amazing experiences she can arrange for my clients, to create the trip of a lifetime.

The cozy lodge

Relaxing in the evening (yes, evening)

What to do in Glacier Bay? Enjoy the scenery – by kayak, boat, foot, or air. A must do, of course, is a full day glacier tour out of Bartlett Cove. On the small boats, you travel close to the shoreline so you can see the scenery up close, and also get a good view of the glacial silt and ice bergs. If there’s something interesting to see, such as a calving glacier, a bird rookery or wildlife, they have the luxury of stopping for a short while so everyone can get a good view.

Entering Glacier Bay

A brown bear on shore!

The scenery never ends

Then if you want more time on the water, I’d suggest a kayak tour. If you are experienced you can rent kayaks yourself, but you can’t get very far in a few hours. I’d suggest going with a tour operator who will take you by boat to more scenic location for kayaking, where you might even see whales. For the more adventurous, there are overnight trips kayaking & camping next to glaciers. You can also go whale watching, or go on a fishing charter. And then there’s hiking, either in the gorgeous rainforest along the waterfront, or up into the hills for panoramic views.

Paddling through a kelp field in Bartlett Cove

Boats ready for fishing & whale watching

Rainforest walk

We left via a slightly different mode of transportation. I originally planned to take the ferry to Juneau, but found it did not run on our departure day (oops). Instead we booked a flight with a local air service, which was actually cheaper than Alaska Airlines. Our family was the only passenger in the 6-seater plane, so hubby got to fly shotgun, while the rest of us took pictures.

Our plane has arrived

A happy husband!

It was a clear day with no turbulence, so our pilot took us right over the mountains, which was thrilling. Now THAT is the way to travel in Alaska!

On the way to Juneau

Glacial lake

Alaska is one of my favorite destinations. I’ve traveled all over the state, including above the Arctic Circle, and I’ve even driven all the way from California, returning via the Inside Passage ferry! So if you’d like to plan your own adventure in Alaska, just contact me at suzette@family-treks.com

August 14, 2013/by macktravels

Destination Reports, Travel Tips

The Newest Way to Travel in Italy

Last April, a new high speed rail service called Italo started operating in Italy, run by Nuovo Trasporto Viaggiatori (NTV). The Ferrari-red trains offers service from Venice to Rome (stops in Padua, Bologna & Florence) and from Milan to Salerno (stops in Bologna, Florence, Rome & Naples).

At at a recent presentation by Rail Europe, here’s what I learned about Italo:

– All employees speak English.

– It’s completely ticketless.

– They have 3 classes of service (they call it “ambience”): Smart (2nd), Prima (1st) , and Club (Premium 1st)

Club ambiance

Prima service

– Free WiFi is available in all cars.

– It stops at different stations than Trenitalia trains. In Rome, the station is further from the city center, but it connects to the airport and the Spanish Steps by subway.

– The power units are distributed under the cars, not located on the end cars like – traditional high speed trains. This gives a smoother and faster ride. For example, Italo takes 2 hrs to get to Milan from Rome, where Eurostar takes 3 hr.

– All stations have ‘Casa Italo’, a comfortable lounge with easy to use self-service ticket machines, a welcome desk, and free WiFi.

Casa Italo

– They have vending machines on all trains.

– Baggage lockers are available where you pay 1 EU to secure a cable around your luggage (and it’s returned after you retrieve your bags). The luggage storage area is also monitored by security cameras.

It’s fun and easy to travel by train in Europe, but it can be a little confusing.

For help planning a great vacation to Europe, by train, plane, or cruise ship, contact me at suzette@family-treks.com
.

May 24, 2013/by macktravels

Destination Reports, Family Travel

Seven Super Things at the Aquarium of the Pacifc

I am an aquarium snob. But who wouldn’t be if you have the Monterey Bay Aquarium in your backyard? This means I rarely visit aquariums while traveling, because I worry they will fall short in comparison

But last fall we found ourselves with a full day free in Anaheim with our 12 year old daughter. Our teen son was hanging out in Disneyland with his hockey team, but my daughter really isn’t into theme parks. So we decided to check out the aquarium in nearby Long Beach, whose waterfront location was very appealing on this sunny day.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is much smaller than Monterey’s, but that was a good thing, as we only had a few hours. And I quickly found that though smaller, there were actually many things that Monterey doesn’t have. You see, the Monterey Bay Aquarium features local marine life, where the Long Beach aquarium has exhibits showcasing the entire Pacific Ocean, from Baja to Australia to The Bering Sea.
Here were our seven favorite exhibits:

The Lorikeet Forest, where you can offer a cup of nectar to the brightly colored birds

The Blue Cavern, where divers hand fed giant fish including sea bass

The touch pond were we could pet jellyfish

The comb jellyfish with their beautiful “Christmas lights”

The shark lagoon, home to a freshwater sawfish

Exotic-looking sea dragons camouflaged as leaves

Cute, though sometimes deadly, frogs including the infamous poison dart variety

(I don’t recall if this guy was poisonous, but he had the best smile.)

February 15, 2013/by macktravels

Destination Reports

Family Vacation Photo Album: Denmark

One of my clients shared these pictures of her family’s trip to Denmark this summer.

Really great trip! It is truly a great family-friendly destination… Museums have kid areas with dress up, Legos, coloring, etc. Parks everywhere. Really felt easy to travel.

Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen

Guarding the castle.

Helsingor, with Kronberg Castle in the background.

The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen.

Climbing the 400+ stairs of Old Saviors Church tower.

Climbing the anchor by the canals in Nyhavn.

Legoland!

Bumper boats at Tivoli Gardens.

Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde.
Kids had a ball dressing up as vikings,
making their own boats, & learning to write their name in Rune.

Many thanks to my client for sharing these wonderful photos!

Let me help you plan a memorable family vacation, too. Just send an email to suzette@family-treks.com.

August 20, 2012/by macktravels

Destination Reports

A Memorable Family Visit to Pearl Harbor

I can’t think of a better topic to blog about on the Fourth of July than our recent visit to Pearl Harbor (which is officially known as the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument). It was a moving experience, and I felt so proud to be an American. Hopefully reading about our visit will help you know what to expect, especially if you plan to go with kids. In our group we had an 11 yr old, 12 yr old, and two 14 year olds, and they all really enjoyed it, despite some of them not really knowing what it was about before we arrived.

The first thing you should know is that very recently the National Park Service started offering advance tickets for visiting the USS Arizona. This is a HUGE deal! Previously, the tickets (which are free) were only issued on a first come, first served basis. So even if you booked a “tour,” the buses had to arrive very early to ensure everyone could get tickets for one of the morning departures. It’s kind of like the Disney FastPass system. Tickets are issued for a specific tour time, and the later you arrive, the later your tour starts, and they can run out early in the day. When we picked up our tickets at 10 am, the people next to us who didn’t have advance reservations were told their tour was not for 3 more hours!

However, note that the minimum recommended time for a visit is 3 hours in order to see all the displays, and in face we spent 5 hours there ourselves. The USS Arizona tour takes about 90 min, but the grounds are fairly large and filled with many displays and artifacts, a gift shop, and a museum. On arrival you can also buy tickets to tour the USS Missouri, the USS Bowfin Submarine, and the Pacific Aviation Museum, and visit the USS Oklahoma Memorial. They even offer a 2 day pass which I’d advise for WWII buffs who want to see everything.

Our day started out a little rocky, as it was hot and the kids were hungry. Our tour was at 11 so we wanted to eat lunch afterwards. My daughter was getting grumpy, so I was worried that she was not going to appreciate the experience. Finally our group was called into the theater, where we watched a movie recounting the events of 12/7/41 and explaining what we would see and memorial protocol. Then we headed to the boat, where we noticed an man wearing a ribbon & medals, and a Pearl Harbor Survivor hat. The entire boat applauded as he & his family were saluted and escorted to the memorial first. I was surprised when the youngest in our group insisted on getting a picture with him, and he was very happy to oblige. And I felt a little sorry for the NPS ranger who had the job of explaining what happened at Pearl Harbor with an eyewitness standing right next to him!

After returning to shore, I braced for complaints from hot, hungry kids that they wanted to leave. But to my shock, my 12 year daughter wanted to make sure we were going in the museum. (That is the first time either of my kids have ever asked to put off a meal for sightseeing!) She was fascinated and wanted to learn more. My second surprise was when we gave them the choice of going back to the hotel to swim or doing another tour, and they chose the submarine.

I was thrilled that my kids enjoyed & appreciated the experience, and I know that one day they will bring their own kids back because of their wonderful memories.
Here are some tips if you plan to visit Pearl Harbor with your family:

1) Read about the memorial so you know the rules and what to expect at the NPS website.
2) Book advance tickets here. (Note crowds are worse on the days when cruise ships are in port.)
3) Any type of bag (purses, backpacks, diaper bags, etc.) is prohibited on the entire site. You will have to leave them in your car or use their baggage storage. Strollers are allowed as long as the bags are removed, so you can leave diapers, bottles, etc. loose in the bottom. Parking is very close so it’s easy to run out to your car to get something.
4) Bring lots of water; you will do a fair amount of walking outside to see all the displays. There is a snack stand with drinks and grab & go items, and a hot dog stand which only accepted cash.
5) Go early to avoid the worst heat of the day, and plan to spend at least 3 hours, though you can easily spend much more if you want to see all the displays and go on other tours.

Stay tuned for more information on our trip to Oahu, including a review of Disney’s new Aulani Resort!

July 4, 2012/by macktravels

Destination Reports

My Biggest Mistake in Paris

If I could do it all over again, this is the first thing I’d do differently: I’d buy the Paris Museum Pass. But when I was planning our trip, I thought “We’re only going to be there four days, I don’t want to spend all my time in museums, I only plan to visit the Louvre.”

While the Paris Pass covers almost all of the most popular sights, a notable exception is the Eiffel Tower. So that also cemented my opinion that it just wasn’t going to be worth the money for our trip.

But what I didn’t realize is that how having the pass would have completely changed our behavior, and in fact would have encouraged us to visit more museums, without a huge time commitment or negative impact on our other sightseeing.

For example:

On our first day in Paris, we of course headed directly to the Eiffel Tower. But along the way, we passed by Hotel Invalides, which happened to have some cool cannons in the courtyard. After looking around a bit, I thought, this might be someplace the kids would like, but of course we weren’t going to pay the admission fee and sink a couple hours there when we were all itching to get to the Eiffel Tower.

On the way back to our hotel, we walked down the other side of Invalides, and realized that this is where Napoleon was buried. Without a ticket, I was able to stand by the open doorway and crane my neck to see part of the ornate decor. But again, it was way too much money to spend on admission, just to spend a few minutes inside. So we moved on. Hey, look, Musee Rodin is near here, too! Those are cool sculptures, the kids would like to see them. It began to dawn on me, I sure wish I had that museum pass.

A few days later, while on a sightseeing cruise on the Seine, the guide pointed out the Conciergerie, where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned, and he mentioned they had a replica guillotine. Now THAT I knew would fascinate the kids. But again, how much was it going to cost to get in??

If I had the Museum Pass, I would have visited at least 3 more museums (in addition to the Louvre for which we bought tickets), and maybe even more. The pass gives travelers not only the most access for the best value, but it gives you flexibility. And that’s important with kids. You don’t have to commit to a museum for a half day in order to feel you got your money’s worth. And also, you can split your visit up over multiple days. Maybe you arrive at the Louvre in the afternoon when you can’t get anywhere near the Mona Lisa, so you check out some less crowded areas instead. Then you can go back early the next morning, quickly view the more famous works, and leave before the crowds arrive.

The Paris Pass is available for 2, 4, or 6 consecutive days, so you do have to condense your museums visits, but that’s not terribly inconvenient. Also note that kids are free at most attractions, so you only need to buy passes for adults.

If I haven’t convinced you to buy a pass yet, at least take this piece of advice: Buy your tickets in advance for whatever museum it is you do plan to visit, especially when visiting during peak vacation times. Many people standing in line in the hot sun at the Louvre looked at us enviously as we walked directly into the museum’s shaded security line with our advance purchase tickets in hand.

May 9, 2012/by macktravels

What You Miss in Denali If You Don’t Have a Car (Our Alaska Adventure Part 5)

Timeless Talkeetna (Our Alaska Adventure Part 4)

The Anchorage Top Ten List (Our Alaska Adventure Part 3)

In the Know About Juneau (Our Alaska Adventure Part 2)

Going Wild in Gustavus (Our Alaska Adventure Part 1)

The Newest Way to Travel in Italy

Seven Super Things at the Aquarium of the Pacifc

Family Vacation Photo Album: Denmark

A Memorable Family Visit to Pearl Harbor

My Biggest Mistake in Paris

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