How Do You Get to Port Lions Lodge?

After much evaluation and comparison you have picked Port Lions Lodge as your next vacation destination. Finally, the decision is made. Time to kick back and relax while counting the days. Right? Wait a minute! How the heck do I get to Port Lions Lodge?

Port Lions Lodge in Port Lions on Kodiak Island

Port Lions Lodge is located on the north shores of Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska. Whale, Raspberry, and Afognak Islands protect Port Lions to its north. This offers some of the most protected waters in the Gulf of Alaska. (To be discussed in a future blog)

The writer will provide details of how to get to Port Lions Lodge along with information on what you should have with you once you arrive.

Port Lions Lodge

Getting to Port Lions Lodge Kodiak Alaska.

Travel will be via commercial air carrier, truck, and boat. You need only concern yourself with the commercial air carrier portion. Leave the rest to the crew and agents of Port Lions Lodge.

All travel will route through Anchorage. This is important to understand for cost savings. Two commercial carries, Alaska Airlines and ERA Aviation, fly into Kodiak; the largest city on Kodiak Island. While working online or with an agent it is important to ensure that you book your trip with the final destination being Kodiak. Even if you decide to layover in Anchorage on the way up you want to try to avoid having one itinerary to Anchorage with an entire separate booking to Kodiak. Separate bookings will only add cost to your trip.

When should you plan to arrive in Kodiak?

There are many options to your arrival time. Many like to arrive a day or so early to see the sights of Kodiak. There are many things to see. Museums, Churches, Fort Abercrombie, multiple harbors, and its all magnificent. (Look for future blog) Others prefer to land on the day the crew of Port Lions Lodge is picking up. Pickup is typically Sunday around 2:00 PM. Pickup will usually be at the Kodiak City airport but can also be downtown at a restaurant, hotel, B&B, or sporting goods store. Just make sure you have cleared the where with either James or Patti Stegall; owners of Port Lions Lodge.

What happens after you are picked up?

Once you are picked up staff or agents of Port Lions Lodge will provide the rest of your travels. Typically you will be picked up in our red Ford F350 crew cab so keep an eye out for it. It has a topper on it and is easy to spot. Once you are picked up you will have the opportunity to pick up any last minute items in town if desired. Keep in mind Port Lions is a damp community so no alcohol can be sold in Port Lions. We will take you to the store for any spirits you may want for your week. (Remember, we will not return to Kodiak for a week) After we have completed shopping we will make a 30-minute drive from Kodiak city to Anton Larson Bay. You definitely want to be on the lookout for deer, brown bears, and other critters on the hillsides. This is a very scenic drive so sit back and enjoy. Occasionally we will have Bonnie or one of her employees from her cab company pick up and transport to the boat at Anton Larson Bay. With groups over 6 we use her along with our own staff as two vehicles are needed.

Once you reach Anton Larson Bay we are loaded up onto one or two of our 30’ Armstong Catamarans and we embark on a 30-minute trip to the harbor in Port Lions. To say this is a scenic boat ride sounds redundant so get used to the fact everything around us is scenic. It is a good idea to always have a camera handy and make sure you bring extra memory cards or have a laptop to download.

One of Port Lions Lodge awesome 30' Armstrong Catamarans. The Rachel

At the Port Lions harbor we have a quick 5-minute ride to Port Lions Lodge. Once there you will be shown to your rooms where you can settle in for your adventure.

This is a good place to describe what lies in store for the next 5 days of fishing, hunting, sightseeing, flightseeing, bear viewing, kayaking, and many other adventures that lie ahead. However, keep checking, as these will be covered in future blogs!

Have I gotten you to Port Lions Lodge? Does this make sense? Have questions cropped up that I have not yet covered? If so please let me know in the comments section below.

Getting back home.

So you have had a wonderful week at Port Lions Lodge. The time has come to pack it all up and head out. Your return trip will be the reverse of your arrival but now there is fish to be concerned with. The crew of Port Lions Lodge will have you back to Kodiak on your day of departure at 11:00 AM. The typical day of departure is Saturday. Plan your return flights out of Kodiak for the early afternoon where possible.

The fish.

Each day you fish we will filet the catch and vacuum seal all the fillets. We will then freeze and mark on our daily sheet the total amount caught of each species in pounds. We keep a running total during the week. On Saturday while you are packing and getting ready to leave we will be boxing up the fillets in freezer boxes supplied by Port Lions Lodge and strapping them for shipping. Each box will be marked with species, weight, and the name of the person it belongs to. We will transport these boxes with you back to Kodiak city.

Tallent Group with Alaska Halibut from Port Lions Lodge

Once in Kodiak there are a few choices. Your fish can be shipped cargo, checked as baggage, or FedEx’d home.

Cargo, if you are flying Alaska Airlines all the way home your fish can be given to Alaska Air Cargo at the Kodiak City airport and scheduled for shipping home. Remember if you ship cargo you have to arrive at the destination airport at the time the fish arrives in order to pick up. The price for shipping cargo with Alaska Air is approximately $1.13 per pound with a minimum of $111. You can view their pdf of rates as it is a little different to different locations. See https://www.alaskaair.com/as/www2/Cargo/images/seafood-express-rates.pdf

FedEx, if you choose to FedEx your fish home you will be taken to Island Seafoods prior to the airport where you will check your fish in and provide your shipping address and pay them for shipping. The price to ship FedEx Priority One is approximately $170 for a 50 lb box. Island Seafoods will allow you to schedule your preferred delivery date so the fish stays frozen and is shipped to your home or business when you are ready to receive it.

Checking as baggage. The most popular method of getting fish home is to check it with Alaska Air as your baggage. Many bring a decent sized duffle that they take as much of their clothes and rain gear in as a carry on. The cost per bag/ box at Alaska Airlines is $20 each for the first three bags, and $50 for the fourth. For more information see https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/policies/baggage-checked.aspx?lid=JennWindow::ResponseLink#charges-waivers

Roland Stegall method.

The writer will give credit to his airline pilot brother, Roland, for this little idea he came up with years ago. Many client of Port Lions Lodge have adapted this trick.

When my brother comes up to visit he brings his clothes and whatever he needs in two ice chests. He selected these ice chests years ago by taking a scale and several ice chests to his freezer at home and pulling frozen meat out and filling each one and weighing it until he found one that would hold approximately 50lbs (including the cooler). He then purchased a second the same size. When he packs for his trips to Port Lions Lodge he packs in the coolers and adds a good sized duffle style suit case. On his return trip he packs the ice chests with the fish and packs his personal belongings in the duffle and uses it as a carry on. Even if he ends up needing to have one extra bag due to too much gear for the duffle he still feels that this method is the best for him.

Future blogs will provide information on what to bring and will re-mention the Roland method. If you have travelled to Port Lions Lodge in the past perhaps you can consider travel ideas that have worked best for you and comment below. Also, keep in mind what you have felt is important to bring and have and why and be ready to comment on my upcoming blog, What to Bring.

Hopefully this information has been helpful in your planning to travel to Port Lions Lodge. Your comments and opinions below will be greatly appreciated. The goal is to develop ideas that improve upon the overall experience of your Port Lions Lodge vacation. All comments will improve upon this goal.