Planning Your 2011 Alaskan Vacation - Which Month is Best? (Part 3 - JUNE)

June is the month where Alaska explodes in green.  The cow moose have had their babies, and the little calves are always a treat to spot, hiding behind mother's legs, tripping along beside her as she walks, often with a twin brother or sister for company. 

Bear peeking his head up, just below Diamond M Ranch Resort

This bear (and his two brothers) came to visit the Kenai River estuary, just below our Viewing Deck, last May and early June.  The bears wake up hungry after a winter's sleep.  Omniverous animals, they often don't really mind what they eat, as long as they eat.  Sometimes the handiest meal available, especially before the salmon come in, is the newborn moose calf, many of which succumb to the bear shortly after their birth.

  Bears are usually not a problem for human beings, preferring to keep to themselves.  As the saying goes, "they are more afraid of us than we are of them."  It is always a treat to get to watch one of these amazing creatures moving, in that slow ambling way that bears do, through their natural environment.

In June, King Salmon begin heading up the rivers, many fishing enthusiasts delighting in the hunt for the "big one," barbeques sizzling with sumptuous the first fresh salmon steaks of the year.  Out in the bountiful waters of the Cook Inlet, halibut guides aid their clients as they pull in the large flat fish, the ocean and the surrounding mountains looking on.  And fishing for trout in a local lake or stream can almost be a magical experience during the month of June, the canoe floating silently along next to loons, lilly pads, and dragonflies, perhaps startling a family of ducks just around the bend.  The water everywhere is teeming with life, the surrouding forests as well, and it all combines to produce a feeling of wonder and awe. 

Kenai River, just below Diamond M Ranch Resort

Visiting Alaska during the month of June is a treat for the senses.  Whether you love to hike, fish, explore or take in the scenery, the wonders of the Far North are everywhere.   

Feel free to leave comments, thoughts, tips and suggestions in the comments box below.  Tell us what you know about visiting Alaska in June!  We look forward to hearing from you.

Planning Your 2011 Alaskan Vacation - Which Month is Best? (Part 2 - MAY)

Click here for Part 1 (with thoughts on Winter, and April)

May is an astounding month here in the Great North.  Snow may or may not be on the ground this month---and, even with the warmer temperatures, you still never know---snow may (or may not) fall from the sky at any time.  Alaskans, delighted at the return of the long sunny days and the arrival of summer, are all ready to hang flower baskets on their porches, hungry for the green and the happy blooms full of color, but all Alaskans know that baskets hung outside in May are not guaranteed.  A 60-degree day may still dip to below-freezing temperatures at night.

While the flower baskets might need to be brought in for the night, our native Alaskan plant species can handle the temperature dips just fine.  It is astounding, for those who take a walk through the spruce-laden forests during the month of May, to see the many varieties of plants unfurling their way out of the ground, often right next to a slowly-thawing mound of snow! 

The month of May is when the green suddenly explodes, the beginning of the month starting out with a mostly bare-looking earth, but within a short time-span, lawns are green, flowers are blooming and the vibrant richness of summer is fully engaging.  If you were an Alaskan who was tapping your  paper birch trees in April (see picture above), creating delicious syrups and wines from the bounty of birch sap gathered, you understand exactly why May culminates in an explosion of green.  With such a rich Spring-time gathering of water and nutrients from the soil, what plant wouldn't? 

Plants aren't the only things waking up.  Migratory birds are in!  It really is hard to describe with mere words the sense electricity and excitement that sparkles through the air when a huge flock of excited shore birds arrives.  On the estuary that the Diamond M Ranch overlooks, we watch large groups coming in, the neat and tidy flocks exploding with joy as they arrive, circling and dipping and diving through the air, all the once-perfect-V-like arrangements breaking into a thousand happy feathered individual birds, celebratory honks and shrieks and cries of delight filling the air. 

Alaska is the destination hot-spot for all sorts of winged species.  Beginning in April and continuing through the month of May, you may see swans, loons, robins, hummingbirds, and a host of other birds arriving "home" to nest and raise their young. (For an excellent article on this topic here, information on shore birds here, water fowl here, and general info here). 

One of the best things about visiting in May is that it will be friendly on your pocket book.  The tourism and hospitality industry here in Alaska does a fantastic job of helping travelers experience our great state, and in May, since most people plan their trips to Alaska around the salmon run in July, you will have them almost entirely to yourself!  Everyone is getting their cruises, guided tours and hospitality services ramped up and ready to go for the summer rush, but because of the smaller flow of people, May prices tend to be much lower than they will be in just a couple months. 

For those wanting to experience Alaska, but without a lot of spare spending money, a vacation here during the month of May could be just what you are looking for.  For example, here at the Diamond M Ranch, you could spend a week in a beautiful one bedroom apartment suite during the month of May, complete with a full kitchen and including your own private deck overlooking the Kenai River estuary, mountain ranges and more, and do it for about $200 less than you would in July! 

Alaskan-dweller Lynne, who blogs here, had this to say about vacationing in Alaska during the month of May, providing vacationers with some great money-saving tips!

"Sometimes breakup doesn't come until May. Might want to wait until first week of May. That is usually when they open Denali Park for first 30 miles to private vehicles. Just before tour buses start running. And May is great time to go to Homer for Halibut or salmon fishing. But don't rent an RV in May and expect many RV parks to be open. Usually not until Memorial Day. And if you drive north of Anchorage, dress warm. It has snowed and sleeted on us in May pretty often."

Thanks, Lynne!  (FYI, for those who RV, we are one of the few RV Parks that is open in May, and with great rates, too)!  If you live in Alaska, or have visited here during the month of May, please feel welcome to share your thoughts, suggestions and tips in the comments box below.

Planning Your 2011 Alaskan Vacation - Which Month is Best? Thoughts on Winter and April Vacations

Martin Family, Cross-Country Skiing, Alaska

One of the first things to do, when planning your Alaskan vacation on the Kenai Peninsula, is decide what time you will want to be here.  The following is the first post in a series filled with our tips and suggestions for finding the time that best fits your vacation goals.

 October through March - If you are a winter sports enthusiast, or have always wanted to experience Alaska during the snow-covered months, we recommend planning your vacation during this time period.  Snow sports abound, such as skiing (cross-country and downhill), ice skating, snow-mobiling (we call it "snow-machining"), snow-shoeing, ice-fishing and so much more.  The opportunities are endless, and if you're not sure which activity best suits you, talk to the operator of the accommodations you choose and get some advice from a real live Alaskan.  Looking for a romantic getaway in an exotic location?  Trust us.  It doesn't get much better than a warm cozy suite room, candles lit, wine glasses poured, all overlooking a beautiful snow-covered vista!  These words from Jack and Debbie Brown say it all,

"Jack and I spent New Years Eve at the Diamond M Ranch Resort. The scenery was just beautiful! Imagine watching fireworks bursting over the snow covered Kenai River valley ~ Fantastic! The Green Tree room is like a honeymoon suite with beautiful kitchen area, living room, and jaccuzi. Gorgeous furnishings in each room. This resort is as wonderful in December as it is in June. Happy Trails in 2011!"

April - While most people in the United States have this strange season they call, "Spring," we Alaskans have our own special time of year, a season unto itself.  We affectionately call it, "Break-Up," because this is the month where all the snow begins to do exactly that---breaking up, slowly and steadily melting, leaving an abundance of water in it's wake.  Mud abounds, as do puddles both large and small, as the earth begins to show her face again, the promise of green just around the corner. 

There aren't a lot of vacationers here during the month of April, so if you are looking for a real bargain on a room or cabin, this is the month to find it!  Take a walk through the thawing woods and be amazed at the hardy green plants that are poking their little heads through the slowly melting snow.  The sun comes up early and goes to bed late, its rays of light energizing each little Alaskan community.  Moose go ambling around the woods and neighborhoods alike, females all close to giving birth and more than delighted to munch on the willow stems emerging from the receding snow.  Everywhere, during the month of April, life in the Alaskan wilderness is beginning to stir. 

To be continued... 
Click here for Part 2 - MAY