Alaska, Is It In Your Budget

[Bill Babler]

Gents, this is what I'm looking for, very nice keep it coming. Keep this in mind, what does it cost to come to Branson for 5 days and 6 nights, staying at BC or the villege at Indian Point or Indian Hills Resort, or my place for that matter? Eating all meals out and taking full day guide trips for 5 days.

This will kind of help you compare apples to apples as far as lodging and amminities for what we are thinking about. Put a pencil to that kind of a stay at home vacation, and you may be amazed at what you see.

Any comments really help us. Keep her a commin Thanks Bill

[Micheal Kyle]

House is located in town and is in walking distance of everything.

I forgot about COCKTAILS I will have to be on the wagon for the week

For the ability of renting a boat I bet we can still keep it under 3,000 dollars/ person with a group of 5 people

I think I might take my own Pepper spray next year

[duckydoty]

You can carry heat next year!

[Gavin]

My intial estimate was way to low...Now that I've had a chance to think about it...My last trip I made to AK cost me around $4,000 including airfair and the bill to ship our fish home.

Airfare-$1000

My share of the cabin on the Kenai-$500

2 fly outs across Cook Inlet from Soldatna $8-900

Halibut Charter $250

My share of the SUV rental $250

Groceries & booze $200

Fish Bill (around 80lbs of salmon & Halibut) $250

2 Nights on the town in Anchorage $200

Lodging in Anchorage $100

Gas approx $150

Fishing Tackle Purchases while in AK $150

Back out the expenses from Anchorag and the airfare, and I come up with around $2700 of fishing related costs. Considering that we cooked our own or ate out most of the time and spent a ton of of time driving around the Kenai instead of fishing......$3500-4,000 a pop, plus airfare seams pretty reasonable...More relaxation and fishing, less work. Cheers.

[duckydoty]

Big Cedar lodge summer rates for cheapest one room cabin averages about $200/night.

full day boat guide service on Taney or Table Rock $325/day

Meals in Branson $50.00/day

$575/day for Branson fishing vacation

$3450 for 6 days 6 nights in Branson, with no bears

[Phil Lilley]

Gavin- you're right in the ballpark.

[Bill Babler]

DD, take another look at single cabin rentals at Big Cedar for any month July thru Sept. Lowest price for the week is $2,796.00 for 5 days and 6 nights. Not including a sir-charge and tax. That is another 300 clams. About 3 grand a week for a cabin at BC during the summer. We are about $1,500 for a week at the lodge here, in our two bedroom suite. Indian Hills and he Villege are somewhere inbetween.

We have folks staying with us now, that could not get in at BC, they are FULL. They wanted a 3 bedroom cabin, over the Christmas holidays. $750.00 a night. They have no openings, lets you know the economy may be in trouble, but some folks don't seem to be feeling it so much.

I know we are suspose to be having a recession, but almost every lodge in alaska I've looked at, increased prices from 2008 for the upcoming season. One of our poster's said he thought there may be some deals out there to haggle on. Maybe????? With very few exceptions, what it is, is what it is, when it comes to alaska, and that is usually more than what it was suspose to be.

Check out Bristol Bay Lodge, One of my best clients and his wife stayed 14 days last year and did about 4 packages they offer. They were with a group from St. Louis, of 8 couples. They did lodge fishing, a glacier tour, a tour to Mt. McKinnely a tent camp for Kings and a deep sea fishing day for halibut.

Cost $17,000 per person, or about $40,000 for my friend and his wife for the two week Alaska Adventure. Here is the kicker; At the end of the trip they were asked if they wished to book for next year at the 2008 price, as the lodge on this package was going up 20% for 2009. 6 of the 8 couples rebooked.

Gavin was pretty right on, the only difference were amminities, ie guide service and meal prepairation. And another big factor, expenses on the Keani and the anchorage area are really about the same as here at home. When you get out on Bristol Bay or in the Bush, things change in a hurry. Last year when I was in Anchorage, gas was a few cents a gal cheaper than here. We also went to Sams and Cosco, and the prices were the exact same as home.

A 300 mile flight to KS or Naknek will bring reality home when you go to buy that 12 pack of mountain dew and that loaf of bread or can of beans.

Guys, this is great, we really appreciate your participation.

[duckydoty]

DD, take another look at single cabin rentals at Big Cedar for any month July thru Sept. Lowest price for the week is $2,796.00 for 5 days and 6 nights. Not including a sir-charge and tax. That is another 300 clams. About 3 grand a week for a cabin at BC during the summer. We are about $1,500 for a week at the lodge here, in our two bedroom suite. Indian Hills and he Villege are somewhere inbetween.

Your are correct Bill. My price quote was on a cottage, not a cabin.

Here are all of their rates accourding to their website.

BC Rates here

[jscheetz]

Hey Bill,

Looks like an awesome trip - have never been to AK - Never played there with the band (usually I can finagle an extra day or two to go fishing if we get a gig) !!! )

But everyone is really answering in one of two ways - one is what is this really worth - which is what you asked, and for that it looks to me like the 3k plus per person seems in keeping with what you are describing. The other thing you asked is what price would it have to be before a person said "I can do that". So for me those are two vastly different things. The airfare is the added thing that really kicks up any fly in type of trip. Especially with gas cheaper now driving out west or something isn't too bad. So it would have to be a really cheap price (too cheap for you guys) for me to do it once you add the airfare. In other words it's worth more than I would expect to pay. But for me - the whole nice lodge and meals thing is a non factor. When I am on a fishing trip I am fishing - not vacationing. So for me - I eat trail mix and the occasional hot meal and I am fine - When my wife is with me we have to have nice rooms etc etc - but when I am going to fish it is all about the time on the water - - - then just sleep anywhere - get up and do it again. More rustic like some of the trips up there would be more affordable and realistic for me, and really more like what I prefer to do when I am spending a week with my line in the water. Of course if I win the lottery this may all change and I may want to know what kind of down is in the comforters on the beds, and what time is afternoon tea!

It really depends on who you are catering to - the posh everything included stuff is mostly rich guy fare and thank goodness there are lots of those out there - your buddy who spent 40k for two weeks vacation is not the normal trout bum that I hang with - but since there are that kind of people with that kind of money, I think offering them the "ultimate" package is the way to go. Those guys usually want the "best", and what it costs isn't really that much of a factor. Those fine folks keep the rest of us with food on the table!

But while jj can chop wood and do dishes - I have the added bonus of being able to be the after dinner musical entertainment while you sip your evening brandy and talk about the ones that got away.

At any rate - as long as you send pics back to OAF you are doing the Lord's work imho!

btw - Merry Christmas everyone!

JS

[Phil Lilley]

JS- I always enjoy your posts...