Alaska suggestions?

[kemaji]

I want to plan a trip to Alaska (I'm aiming for next summer) and would love to hear about other people's trips. My biggest question is whether we should book a cruise and see Alaska that way, or drive ourselves around and perhaps go to Denali. If you've been to Alaska, what did you do?

[MsPeachy]

DH & I went last year and it was a wonderful trip. My recommendation is to do a land portion (either on your own or through a tour company) and a cruise. The cruise ships take you into Glacier Bay which is not accessible by car. Also, Juneau is landlocked - you can only get in there by plane or boat. But if you do cruise only, you will not see the fabulous interior - including Denali.

You can't see this from a cruise ship -
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3B%3B92323232%7Ffp54%3Dot%3E2329%3D949%3D%3C74 %3DXROQDF%3E2323%3A%3A%3B478332ot1lsi

And you can't see this from a car -
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3B%3B92323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2329%3D949%3D%3C74 %3DXROQDF%3E23235%3C79464%3A3ot1lsi

[kemaji]

MsPeachy - How long was your trip?

[MsPeachy]

MsPeachy - How long was your trip?2 weeks. 2 days of travel - up to Anchorage, back from Vancouver. 7-night cruise. And the rest was the land tour which we booked through the cruise company. But there's no reason you couldn't do that part on your own if you wanted to.

[emmjay]

My family took a trip to Alaska 3 years ago - we just went to Glacier Bay. We didn't want to do a cruise, so we flew from Juneau into the town of Gustavus (at the base of Glacier Bay) and did day trips from there: whale watching, sea kayaking, a boat trip into the bay, hiking, etc. I would love to go back to see Denali one day, but we decided to just concentrate on one area for that trip since it was only for 1 week.

Gustavus was great - the harbor isn't deep enough for the cruise ships so there aren't very many tourists and it's minutes from Glacier Bay. Also our excursions were really personal, just for our family, which was awesome. Oh, and we saw a ton of wildlife: bears (black and brown) including a mother bear with 3 cubs, tons of moose, bald eagles, humpback whales, otters and sea lions.

It was one of the best trips I've ever been on. If you go to Gustavus and need a hotel recommendation, we stayed here: http://www.beartrackinn.com

[Elenna]

I grew up in Alaska. It is a beautiful place. I really, really miss it.

I recommend doing both a land tour and a cruise. Some cruise companies have a package that takes you by train into the interior to see Denali. If you decide to do the land tour on your own there are plenty of small boat tours you can take out of Valdez or Whittier that will take you to glaciers. (I think the Whittier tours are better.)

Have fun!

[tinkerbelljenny]

We went there in June. We flew in to Fairbanks and drove all the way to Seward. We stayed in Talkeetna, Palmer, Hope, and Fairbanks. We went to Denali a couple days and also went to Anchorage for the day. We went there for the Summer solstice. It was an amazing trip. In Fairbanks we saw the Alaska Pipeline, ate at the Salmon Bake, and also went on a gold panning tour. We were in Alaska only for 7 days but we did a ton of other things while we were there.

[kemaji]

Oooh...I love the Gustavus suggestion! I've never really been a cruise type person and spending a few days there sound way more up my alley. Thanks for the suggestion!

[emmjay]

You will love it! Actually some friends of ours went to Alaska last summer and I told them about Gustavus - they said it was the best part of their whole trip (they also went to Denali). I think they stayed at the Gustavus Inn (http://www.gustavusinn.com/) and they said it was really nice. The Bear Track Inn was one of the coolest places I have ever stayed.

I did love the personalized, smaller aspect of it - for our "cruise" of Glacier Bay we had a young couple take us around on their small boat. The husband grew up in Gustavus so he had a lot of info about the area, and we were able to get really close to the glaciers. Actually he pulled the boat up next to a big, flat iceberg and my whole family stood on top of it while he pulled the boat away and took our picture, just floating in the middle of Glacier Bay! Our whale watching tour was another highlight - the guy had waterproof microphones hooked up to speakers on the boat, and when the whales would dive he would put the microphones in the water so we could hear them calling to each other.

Anyway, I obviously loved Gustavus - I think it's a great alternative for non-cruise people to see Glacier Bay! :) I'll see if I can scan some pictures tonight if you want.

[MsPeachy]

emmjay - I'd love to see some of your pics.

If DH and I went back, we might look into something smaller & more personal. But I am glad to have seen all the stuff they cram into the land tour & cruise.

[KarenS]

I lived there for a while. I personally would not do a big cruise becuase I feel you miss out on so much and are so rushed. I'd fly into there and then plan on taking a day cruise from Seward or some place like that to see the tidewater glaciers and the marine life.

I plan to take my husband for our 10th anniversary (he's never been) and right now the plan is to fly into Anchorage and base there, rent a car, and drive to various locations. We'll probably spend at least one overnight in Seward (that's where I lived) and take the Kenai cruise from there, then drive back north and head up toward Denali and spend at least one overnight at Talkeetna Lodge.

I ahve a photog friend in Wasilla whose father owns a flight charter business - so if you're interested in gettting some information, I'll be happy to send you his info.

Karen

[kemaji]

emmjay ~ I'd love to see some pics as well. How far in advance did you make flight/hotel reservations? Also, did you just play it by ear when planning activities, or did you have to make reservations for that in advance as well?

I know we won't be able to see a whole lot of Alaska but I really want to see Glacier Bay & Denali for this first trip.

Karen ~ We are in the very beginning planning stages of this trip (wishlist planning), so I don't know if I'm quite to the point of specifics but it would be great to have their information on file for future reference. Thanks!

[KarenS]

I really want to see Glacier Bay & Denali for this first trip

Glacier Bay and Denali are really FAR apart from each other. Glacier Bay is in the panhandle part that runs parallel to Yukon and BC, Canada. Denali is in the mainland part, several hundred miles away. Transportation to the two places are completely separate and depending on how much time you have, you'd spend as much time travelling as you would actually seeing the sights.

I'd recommend picking one or the other - the mainland or the panhandle - for your first trip and really planning to spend a lot of time exploring those areas.

Karen

[emmjay]

emmjay ~ I'd love to see some pics as well. How far in advance did you make flight/hotel reservations? Also, did you just play it by ear when planning activities, or did you have to make reservations for that in advance as well?
My parents actually made all of the reservations because they paid for the whole trip. My mom works for an airline so she did the flights - I don't know how far in advance. For the hotel: I think the Bear Track fills up pretty quickly in the summer. Actually I saw a show on HGTV about the place and emailed them almost a year in advance, and then my mom ended up making the reservations. I seem to remember doing everything in the winter before (we went in early July), but I'm not sure of the exact month.

We booked all of the activities through the Bear Track. They have sample itineraries on their website with various activities, but you can customize the itineraries to your preferences. I think we told them ahead of time what we were interested in, but didn't make any final decisions until we got there. The hotel worked out the schedule for us once we confirmed our choices. We did a Glacier Bay trip, sea kayaking in the bay and whale watching. We also did a couple of hikes on our own, and spent the 4th of July in the town at their celebration. Sorry, I know that doesn't really help since I can't remember exactly how we did everything!!

I'll scan some pics tonight!

[emmjay]

Bear Track Inn:
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B665242%3C4ot1lsi

Glaciers:
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E2323%3D%3C57%3D4%3B5 %3D3232%3C573%3C48%3B%3Bnu0mrj

http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B664%3B9288ot1lsi

We saw this grizzly from our boat while touring Glacier Bay:
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp64%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B664%3B9298ot1lsi

[emmjay]

Whale tail:
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B664%3B9292ot1lsi

Moose and baby at the playground:
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp45%3Dot%3E2334%3D%3B%3A5%3D4%3 A4%3DXROQDF%3E2323%3B664%3B92%3B6ot1lsi

Otter saying "Hi"!
http://images.snapfish.com/344%3C372323232%7Ffp7%3Enu%3D3243%3E%3A%3B4%3E3%3B 3%3EWSNRCG%3D3232%3C573%3C8396nu0mrj

[tinkerbelljenny]

spend at least one overnight at Talkeetna Lodge

That is where we stayed at the Talkeetna Lodge. We were able to go horse back riding in Talkeetna which was AMAZING! Also, every night my DH and I would buy a bottle of wine and some mussels and eat them outside. It was so beautiful. We also went to Wasilla to see the sled dogs.

[kemaji]

emmjay ~ Wow, your pictures are fabulous! I really want to see a grizzly bear when we go.

Karen ~ I know that they are far apart, but I don't forsee going back a second time anytime in the near future and if we can figure out a way to see both, then we will. It looks like we will have to fly from Juneau to either Anchorage or Fairbanks and then drive into Denali. Since we're going to far, we'll probably go for 10 days or 2 weeks to make it worthwhile. DH is a teacher so the only schedule we have to worry about is mine.

[KarenS]

I know that they are far apart, but I don't forsee going back a second time anytime in the near future and if we can figure out a way to see both, then we will. Gotcha! :) Yeah, if you can swing 2 weeks, that would be great. I have a TON of slides at home from when I lived there. However, I have a wedding in Savannah this weekend, so I wont' have time to scan any - but I'll try to get some done next week and post a few! :)

Karen

[Elenna]

Karen, I grew up in Wasilla! And I've been to Seward a lot. We kept a boat in Seward. We went there every other weekend. I really miss Alaska. I want to take my DH up there, too (he's never been).

[kemaji]

Karen, I'd love to see any pictures you have the time to scan. thanks!

[RobynScott]

*bumping* this thread to see if there is any other advice. I am training for the Midnight Sun Marathon in Anchorage on June 17 and plan to take about a week after that to travel.

Tips / advice / planning information welcome - we've got to start thinking about booking tours and whatnot now.

Thanks!

[tinkerbelljenny]

Do you want to stay around Anchorage or travel to other places?

[RobynScott]

Do you want to stay around Anchorage or travel to other places?

I think we'd like to travel around. we'll have a week and probably try to pack in as much as possible.

[RobynScott]

Bumping again - we're starting to make plans for our trip and I could use some advice :)

We will be in Anchorage for the marathon from Thurs - Mon (morning) - after that, I'm open till we leave the following Sat night.

Can anyone give me suggestions as to what we should do with our week? Is a week enough for just sticking to the mainland? (most likely) too much?

any tips, advice info - anything - would be much appreciated.

Thanks :)

[Kellie]

I really enjoy the coastal areas of Alaska vs. the inland areas, but that's more of a personal preference. If it were me I would take the train down to Seward (beautiful ride!) and spend some time there. It's probably my favorite place in Alaska. I would then rent a car in Seward and check out other places of interest on the Kenai Penninsula. Homer is nice, but is about a 4 hours drive from Seward, so depending on how much time you have it may be too far. Let me know if you have any specific questions, I will be glad to try and help.

p.s. my avatar pic was taken in Seward

[RobynScott]

Thanks Kellie - pretty picture. So, if I have Mon-Sat to travel, can we do Seward and Denali?

[Kellie]

That really depends on how much time you like to spend in each place. IMO it is totally do able, but you would spend a lot of time traveling. Train from Anchorage - Seward is around 2 hours. The drive from Anchorage - Denali is somewhere near 7 hours. There is also a train available from Anchorage to Denali, but I hear it's not as gorgeous as the train from Anchorage - Seward.

If I were you I would take the train to Seward and spend 2 nights there. While in Seward I recommend staying at Alaska Saltwater Lodge. It's a few miles out of town, but the best place IMO to stay. I would recommend booking a full day whale watching trip with them. The trip takes you into Kenai Fjords National Park. It is some of the prettiest scenery I have EVER seen!! In the Denali area I would recommend staying at the Denali Lakeview Inn.

Let me know of any other questions. We spent 10 days in Alaska in June 04, and went back again last Summer and spent over 3 weeks traveling around. I would be happy to help if I can.

http://www.alaskarailroad.com/
http://www.alaskasaltwaterlodge.com/index.html
http://www.alaskaone.com/lakeview/

P.S. What time of year are you planning on traveling?

[RobynScott]

Thanks Kellie. I will be there 6/15 - 6/25 (popular time) - so I fear a lot of this will be booked up.

Someone else on the trip is planning a Day Trip to Seward (on Sun) - then going to Denali on Monday, returning by Wed (leaving Alaska Wed night) - hoping to stop in Talkeetna before she leaves. Guess it made me wonder if I needed less time than staying till Sat - more time?

I dunno - thanks for your advice!

[Kellie]

I definately think Seward deserves more time than just a day trip. You would be missing out on so much by just spending a day. We spent 3 nights in Seward and 3 nights in Denali. I would have liked more time in Seward and one less night in Denali. I think Mon-Sat is a good amount of time. Alaska is so beautiful. You are not going to want to be rushing around like crazy. There is lots to see and do, and having the luxury of being able to stop and check out places you come upon in Alaska is very much a part of being there. Trust me, once you experience Alaska you are going to wish you had more time! There is something so special about Alaska! :) I would book ASAP, because you are right, that is starting to be a busy time of year. Btw, if you are staying in Anchorage at all, we used Priceline or Hotwire and got a room at the Sheraton for much cheaper than booking directly. Hotels are VERY expensive during the Summer.

[RobynScott]

I have a photog friend in Wasilla whose father owns a flight charter business - so if you're interested in gettting some information, I'll be happy to send you his info.

Karen

Karen- if you check this thread, we are thinking about stopping in Wasilla - and we definitely want to take a flightseeing tour, so I would be interested in this info if you have it.

Kellie- thanks so much for your help. Now that we've started doing some of our own research, your help makes even more sense :)

How does this sound for an itinerary (happy for ANY SUGGESTIONS!)

Thurs night - Monday morning - Anchorage (marathon is on Sat)
Mon - train to Seward - rent car in Seward (try to book with Saltwater Lodge)
Tues - Whalewatching tour (per your rec)
Wed - drive around Kenai peninsula - check out another city? (???)
Wed night (since it will be light out for so long) - drive to Talkeetna
Thurs - Flightseeing tour of Denali
Thurs night - drive to Denali
Fri - bus tour of Denali
Sat - return to Anchorage (stop in Wasilla along the way)
Fly home Sat night.

I guess Wednesday is the biggest question mark - but not sure if we should leave more tine for Denali as well.

Our hotel in Anchorage is provided through Sun night so we probably wouldn't leave before Monday morning.

Thanks for your help - and we are totally open to any suggestions you might have!

Thanks!

[Elenna]

I grew up in Wasilla. There is a very interesting restored gold mine in the mountains right behind Wasilla. It takes about an hour to drive to from the main part of town. The views are beautiful from the Pass and the mine is very interesting. Some of the buildings are just barely clinging to the sides of the mountain. Hatcher's Pass has always been my favorite place to go.

If you're interested, you might be able to do the Independence Gold mine (http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/indmine.htm) on your way up to Talkeetna and Denali. From Wasilla go up through Hatcher's Pass, to the mine. Then back down through Willow and on to Talkeetna.

Shamless plug: Also, in Wasilla there is a Transportation Museum. I've heard it is very interesting. (My Mom was the acting director for a couple of years.)

Edited to add: There might still be some snow up in Hatcher's Pass in early June. There was last time I visited around that time. But the roads should be fine.

[Lanapoo]

RobynScott - I live in Anchorage and one thing that we always do when we have visitors from out of state is go to Alyeska. You can take a tram to the top of the mountain, have lunch up there, take a hike up to to where the glacier is and just enjoy the spectacular view. Every time I go there it takes my breath away. I very highly recommend it. You can just take the New Seward Highway South, it's about an hour to 1 and a half hours away from Anchorage and the drive out is really nice. You've got the inlet to your right and cliffs with lots of pretty little waterfalls to your left :)

[RobynScott]

Lanapoo - can you tell me where Alyeska is? I read your directions - does that mean that we can stop there on the way to Seward?

Can you help with the rest of our itinerary? As I said, we're traveling Mon to Sat (flying out from Anchorage Sat night) - we want to see glaciers, wildlife, and (maybe) some native artwork if possible.

I'd love to hear any suggested 'itinerary'. We're trying to book stuff before the end of the month.

Thanks!

[Elenna]

Robyn Scott- Alyeska is between Seward and Anchorage. It is very easy to stop in there on the way. And I agree with Lanapoo, the view is very pretty (but then there isn't much in Alaska that isn't).:o

[RobynScott]

Thanks! we were thinking of taking the train down to Seward - so maybe we stop at Alyeska on the drive up?

How much time should we plan to spend there? Do we need to get there early in the day?

Thanks!

[Lanapoo]

RobynScott - you can probably stop by on your way back from Seward (if you're driving) since you're taking the train down there. If you do it on your way back to Anch. then the road to Alyeska will be on your right, it's the same road that goes to Portage Glacier. I would pass Portage by though because there isn't much to see now. I wouldn't say it's an all day thing. When we go we usually make sure to get there around late morning/early afternoon. We always have lunch at the top of the mountain (food isn't spectacular though, more like cafeteria fare burgers/fries etc.), apparently there is a fancy restaurant up there but it doesn't open up until later in the day I think. We spend an hour or two up there or more if we decide to take the short hike up to walk on the glacier. The tram to go up is at the Alyeska Resort (907-754-1111 is their information line and I think they have a website too) and you have to walk through the hotel to get to the tram.

Please let me know if you have any other questions and I'll try to answer them as best I can. As with most Alaskans, I seem to have seen less of my state than most tourists :D

[Janey]

I also lived in Anchorage for 13 years. If you stop in at Alyeska, Be sure to go to The Bake Shop. They make a mean (and semi-famous) sweet roll (http://www.flickr.com/photos/seahills/102730673/in/set-72057594069601736/). We shared one of those and an order of Sourdough Pancakes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/seahills/102730394/in/set-72057594069601736/) for breakfast on the way to Seward to go to my friend's wedding last month. Girdwood, where Alyeska is, is a pretty cool little town. I randomly stopped someone at the resort and asked them if they knew a friend I hadn't spoken to in about 10 years. She said, "Oh yeah - they still live here." I asked if they had contact information for her, and the gal gave me her husband's email. We're back in contact now, which is great. The gal laughed and said, "I guess you know you're in a small town when you can randomly ask you if you know someone, and they say yes, huh."

Another spot to go to that I haven't seen anybody mention yet, is Halibut Cove. It's a cool little artist colony outside of Homer. I rode over on the mail boat, last time I went.

B and I are planning on going back up in July, to do some King fishing on the Kenai, and see things we didn't see when there was snow on the ground.

[shouldaeloped]

Hey guys. . I have a quick question for you Alaskan professionals. . my mother is going on an Alaskan cruise at the end of May. they are doing 7 days on the ship and then 3 days on land. any suggestions on what she should take to wear? is it hot or cold or a combination of both?

thanks in advance and I apologize for hijacking this thread!

[J&T2005]

end of May - very likely to be coldish. I'd recomend layers! :)

Edited to add:

My very favorite place in Alaska is Elutna Lake. It really looks something out of a Lord of the Rings book... :) Elutna Lake is ~30 miles from Anchorage... towards Wasilla.

[RobynScott]

*Bumping* - b/c I leave in LESS THAN A WEEK! Any last minute advice?

We are flying into Anchorage Thurs. night. In Anch. Fri - early Mon. morning. Marathon is Saturday, Sunday I may do a day trip to a glacier that stops in Alyeska.

Monday we take the train down to Seward. I think we are there until Wed morning - when we take the bus back to Anchorage - rent a car and drive to Denali (stopping in Talkeetna). We go flightseeing from Talkeetna, then up to Denali.

Flying home from Anchorage late Saturday night.

Any tips, recommendations for things to see, do?

ANY PACKING HELPwould be much appreciated as well. I'm still on the hunt for a waterproof jacket with zip out lining - and I've got to figure out what clothes I am wearing. Should I plan not to bring any shorts and lots of bug spray? (I'll be there 6/15 to 6/24)

Thanks!

[Janey]

We are flying into Anchorage Thurs. night. In Anch. Fri - early Mon. morning. Marathon is Saturday, Sunday I may do a day trip to a glacier that stops in Alyeska.
If this is Portage Glacier... unfortunately, it's melted so much that you can't see it from the visitor's center they built. You have to get on a boat to view the glacier. But, Alyeska/Girdwood is a neat little town, and it's interesting to stop in at the Begich-Boggs visitor's center and check out the photographs of the (quickly disappearing) glacier. I was shocked in 2003 how small it had gotten in the past 10 years since I'd seen it.


ANY PACKING HELPwould be much appreciated as well. I'm still on the hunt for a waterproof jacket with zip out lining - and I've got to figure out what clothes I am wearing. Should I plan not to bring any shorts and lots of bug spray? (I'll be there 6/15 to 6/24)
Jeans, T-shirts, Sweatshirts, a pair of shorts. You'll fit right in. 2 weeks ago anchorage was 80 degrees. Then it got crappy. Not sure what the weather's supposed to do in the next couple of weeks... but I would bring at least 1 pair of shorts.

You can bring bugspray, but there will also be lots of stores to pick that sort of thing up, so don't feel like if you forget it, there won't be anywhere to get it.

If you can't find a jacket ... you could check out the REI Outlet (http://www.rei.com/outlet/index.html), have a jacket shipped to the REI Anchorage store, and pick it up at the store when you get there. If it doesn't fit, return it right there, and find something at the regular REI store. Sometimes I order 4 things from the Outlet, keep the one i want, and return the rest right there at the store when i'm there.

[gnatters]

I just wanted to chime in. I spoke with my dad last night (he lives in Anchorage) and he was saying that it's about 10 to 15 degrees cooler this year than previous years. I would bring a pair of shorts, but probably only one pair. Defiently bring long pants and maybe even a sweatshirt or a light sweater to wear out.

~Natalie

[RobynScott]

Thanks MrsHill and gnatters. MrsHill - that's interesting news about the REI outlet - I have an REI near me so I was just going to head over there tonight (figuring no time to order anything online) - of course, outlet prices would be even better.

gnatters - thanks for letting me know about the weather. I keep thinking I need to check weather.com - I'd better find my long-sleeved stuff again!

As far as the tour I was thinking of - this is it http://graylinealaska.com/sightseeingtours.cfm/mode/detail/product_id/1458 (Mrs. Hill, you were right - it is Portage Glacier) Would you recommend doing something else instead? I have all day Sunday to do 'whatever' in/from Anchorage. Between Portage Glacier/Alyeska or a day-trip to Whittier - which would you recommend more?

ETA: I took a look at the tour and you do take a boat ride, so maybe it is worth doing?

Thanks for all of the help - much appreciated!

[Janey]

Thanks MrsHill and gnatters. MrsHill - that's interesting news about the REI outlet - I have an REI near me so I was just going to head over there tonight (figuring no time to order anything online) - of course, outlet prices would be even better.
It takes about 5-7 days for stuff to show up at the store from outlet. It's free shipping if you select "Ship To Store Of Your Choice" ... so I order stuff online, and then head down to the closest store, tell them i have an order to pick up. I try the stuff on right there at the store, and return anything that doesn't fit / i don't want. I got my current 3-piece Helly Hanson that way -- it's a black & red Mens' Small jacket. I got it for like 75% off or some random thing like that. I loooove REI Outlet! :D

[RobynScott]

ALASKA IS AMAZING!

Just posting here to thank everyone that gave me advice before I left - and let you know what we wound up doing. I will say that I think we did everything you could possibly do in a week in Alaska!

Arrived in Anchorage Thurs. night. Spent the day there Friday (didn't do much), Saturday was the marathon (we lucked out with great weather).

Sunday we drove to Whittier (through the tunnel of course) and took a 26-glacier cruise. On the way back to Anchorage, we stopped for dinner at the Alyeska resort and took the tram to the top. Unfortunately, the weather was really bad so we didn't see much, but it was a cool experience.

Drove back to Anchorage and saw the most amazing sky at 10 pm at night as things were starting to clear up - beautiful drive. Monday - took the train down to Seward, did the Ididaride tour. Tuesday - one of my favorites, did a 6 hour tour with Kenai Fjords. It was raining most of the time but still beautiful. We saw the most amazing glacier calving - what a unique experience!

Walked around Seward that afternoon and had dinner at Ray's. We drove around a bit after that (thought maybe we could catch the sunset) and caught another glimpse of Exit Glacier.

Wednesday - visited the Sea Life Center then drove to Anchorage to pick up another rental car, then up to Talkeetna - myt favorite town (I think!) - We stayed at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge which was awesome! Went into town for dinner and met some people that had just gotten back from climbing (and summiting in one instance) Mt. McKinley (how cool!)

Our flightseeing tour for the next day was cancelled due to weather so we had lunch in Talkeetna and then drove up to Denali. Friday we did an 8 hour bus tour of Denali and saw lots of wildlife along the way.

Saturday, we had our second day of good weather and we actually got a chance to see Denali! We returned to Talkeetna to take our flightseeing tour - including a landing on Ruth Glacier - it was unbelievable! From there, it was back to Anchorage where we did some final last miunute shopping, checked out Ship Creek for salmon and the Ulu Factory, had dinner and then headed to the airport for our 11 pm flight. Phew - it was a long but enjoyable week.

And the people of Alaska were just amazing - we met so many wonderful people - everyone was willing to help us out and just answer tons of questions - I can't wait to go again!

Thanks a lot for all of your advice - hope this info is helpful to anyone else that may be thinking of planning a trip.

Robyn

[Kellie]

Sounds like a wonderful time! The trip into Kenai Fjords is one of my favorite things that I have done in Alaska. Were you able to stay at the Saltwater Lodge in Seward? My FH and I are getting married there on the beach next year. Can't wait! :) Reading your post made me really miss Alaska!

[Janey]

RobynScott - I'm so glad you had a good time! And a big CONGRATS is in order re: the marathon!!

B and I hope to go to AK in August, and one of the things I really want to do is a day-cruise out of Seward. I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it!

[BumbleB]

My DH and I are starting to plan a trip to Alaska:D , I have a couple questions for those of you who have been:

How far in advance did you start making plans/booking things?

Is it possible to hit Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Fjords, Ketchican and plenty of things in between in about a 14-16 day period? We don't plan on doing a cruise but still hope to do the Inside Passage and see some of the "interior", is there a good way to go about that?

I would love any advice you can offer! Thanks!

[BumbleB]

Bump!

I really just want to know how far in advance to start planning/booking! TIA

[MsPeachy]

We booked our trip 10 months in advance. It was a cruisetour though so it may not be necessary to book so far out when planning your own itinerary.

[BumbleB]

Thanks MsPeachy!

Glad to know I've got some time to just "think" about it still.
We're planning to go Summer of 2008 - but I wanted to make sure I was right about when we need to start planning, because I'm really excited and don't want to jump the gun too much. :D

We're looking at either Mid June or End of August - haven't made a decision yet.

[Lanapoo]

The hotels around here get pretty expensive in the summer. I'm not sure if you'd get a better deal by booking soon but it may be worth a shot.

I think you've given yourself plenty of time to see all you want to see though.

Oh and just in case you stumble on the web-site for Anchorage (the Big Wild Life one) and see pictures of people climbing glaciers :rolleyes: we don't actually have glaciers in Anchorage. We just have a stupid city slogan (ie Big-Wild-Life, how dumb is that?).

If you do want to see Anchorage, we have tourist shops(Ulu Factory,Alaska Wildberry Co., tons of places downtown), the Alaska Zoo (complete with moose, although you could just come to my office where I have seen two moose outside my window this past week :p ) and some good restaurants(Moose's Tooth, Snowgoose, Glacier Brewhouse). We also have close proximity to Mt. Alyeska (about an hour and a half away). Alyeska is a lot of fun to go to in the summer. You can take a tram to the top of the mountain and you will never see a better view than that. They have a cafeteria type restaurant up there and also a fancy one that opens up in the evening. You can also hike up to the glacier so you can walk around on it.

Anyways, if you have more questions, let me know...

[RobynScott]

My DH and I are starting to plan a trip to Alaska:D , I have a couple questions for those of you who have been:

How far in advance did you start making plans/booking things?

Is it possible to hit Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Fjords, Ketchican and plenty of things in between in about a 14-16 day period? We don't plan on doing a cruise but still hope to do the Inside Passage and see some of the "interior", is there a good way to go about that?

I would love any advice you can offer! Thanks!

Well, if you see my post above, you'll see that I hit just about all of those (with the exception of Ketchikan) in about 8 days! You can totally do it - Alaska is amazing and I wish I could go back this summer! ETA - I was there mid-June 2006 - the 17th to the 25th I think.

As far as booking - we were there last June and booked most things in March and we were ok. Don't know if you'll be able to get deals by booking further in advance. Have fun planning!

[BumbleB]

Thanks for the responses ladies!

Lanapoo- Anchorage will kind of be a stop-over, but I think we will have time there to see a few things. I've seen plenty of Moose though, we had three right outside our condo once a year or two ago (I live in the mountains). ;)

I'll have to keep those restaurants in mind. Is there a best kept secret in Anchorage, something not to miss out on that we could hit in the 2-3 days we may be in and out of that area?


RobynScott- Your little "Peanut" is due on my anniversary. Congrats! :)
How was the Denali tour by bus, do you get to see a lot? Talkeetna and Kenai Fjords are definitely on my must see list. Is there anywhere that you heard about or just didn't have time for that you would suggest?

I feel like I'm thinking about all of this a bit in advance, but we have to plan that way because my DH owns his own business - so we have to know ahead of time when we are going,etc to plan his future projects around it. Oh well - better to start early than too late!

[RobynScott]

BumbleB - The Denali bus tour was great - we saw a ton of wildlife! The 12 hour tour is supposed to be best but we just couldn't bring ourselves to spend 12 hours on a bus!

We had dinner at the Snow Goose in Anchorage and really enjoyed it - I really liked their roof deck.

Definitely do a flight-seeing tour in Talkeetna. You can skip the Ididaride in Seward. If we had more time, we probably would have driven down to Homer which is supposed to be an 'artsy' town. Also, I think there are places to stop in the Matsu (Matanuska) Valley - but we didn't have time.

I did a lot of planning using the Alaska Boards (under ports of call) at www.cruisecritic.com - they had great advice!

Hope that helps and happy planning!

[Lanapoo]

BumbleB - LOL, there isn't really a best kept secret in Anchorage. I don't think there is anything all that spectacular about our city to be honest. It's got a pretty view though since we are surrounded on three sides by the mountains.

Our real secret getaway is a place called Big Lake (and yes, it's really big :p ). Not many tourists hear about it because it's where the locals go. It's about an hour and a half away from Anchorage. We have a log cabin there on the lake and every weekend in the summer we are there. We have a boat and jetskis and a beautiful lake to enjoy. LOL, so if you happen to be out in our direction next year (on a weekend ;) ), just PM me, you are more than welcome. We always have friends out there so the more the merrier.

[BumbleB]

RobynScott - Yeah, I don't think I could sit for 12 hours either, so I'm glad to hear you see a lot on the 8 hour tour. I'm sure that is something we will do. Which flightseeing company did you use out of Talkeetna?

I'll have to check out that website link. Any little bit helps because there are SO many places we could go - Alaska is HUGE!


Lanapoo- the views from Anchorage do look nice, and you did give me a best kept secret, even if it's an hour out. I looked on a map, and I think we will be around that area a bit, we're planning to go up to Talkeetna and my DH has family in Wasilla so we will be stopping there - but if we want another stop over, I'll let you know - thanks so much for the offer! :D

[RobynScott]

RobynScott - Yeah, I don't think I could sit for 12 hours either, so I'm glad to hear you see a lot on the 8 hour tour. I'm sure that is something we will do. Which flightseeing company did you use out of Talkeetna?



We were on K2 Aviation - we really had a great time! talkeetna was my favorite, followed closely by Seward. Seward was just such a cool little town.

[ABirney]

Bumping this thread...
I know absolutely nothing about Alaska but my parent's 25 anniv is in just over a year and they have mentioned a few times that friends have told them Alaskan cruises are beautiful and they wish they could go on one. So my siblings and I are looking into it as a surprise for their anniv. First of all wondering if we can afford it! (None of us are rich by any means! :p That's why we are thinking of this a year in advance... and possibly hold off until 30th anniv if we need to.)
So what is the best time to go? What is the average cost for sightseeing things? Cruise or land tour? We can't really ask the parents what they want because it will be a surprise... but if it helps they really like nature and, wildlife, and don't really care for big towns or traffic. Although my mom probably wouldn't mind doing a little shopping.
Any input would be great! TIA!

[meatpie]

Ahhh, Homer, AK. Beautiful town GREAT fishing.

[ash313]

Whitewater rafting in Denali is great!! Of course I was there over 15 yrs ago but i have to say it was thrilling!

[ABirney]

Thanks for the input ladies! :) If we decide this is doable price-wise, I'm sure I'll be back for more detailed info!

[RobynScott]

Abirney - for lots of info on Alaska cruising check out the Alaska boards at www.cruisecritic.com.

[Boopy]

DH and I are going to Alaska next month. We're hoping to camp in Denali part of the time. I've looked at the different camp sites available, but I was wondering if any of you have actually stayed at any of them and what advice you might have. Also, is it necessary to reserve a camp site ahead of time or should there be sites available day of? Thanks!