Researching for a summer trip to Alaska (Anchorage, Kenai: rental car, appointed)

[Roadking2003]

I'm doing research on a summer Alaska trip but without the cruise (except for day cruises). I posted this in the Travel section and some people there suggested I post here.

We (two adults) are not interested in fishing, hunting or mountain climbing. We enjoy local food, brewpubs, wildlife viewing, sightseeing, photography and shopping for local products. We are also interested in day cruises to see the glaciers and flightseeing over the mountains and glaciers. We rent a car almost everywhere we go and would do that in Alaska. We would probable be there for about 10 days and don't like to spend a lot of time in any one town.

I'm thinking about flying into Anchorage and exploring Homer, Seward and Talkeetna. The flightseeing from Talkeetna looks spectacular. Then maybe fly to Juneau.

We don't want to do a seven day cruise, but do want to see the inside passage. If we take a day cruise from Juneau, what will we miss?

Thoughts and suggestions?

[heathen]

Sounds like a plan. Except, I'd skip Juneau if you're up for anything less than two full weeks. Really, Juneau is best served as a separate vacation including Sitka, Haines, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, and the loop drive through Whitehorse and past Kluane National Park in the Yukon. Seward and Prince William Sound are similar to Juneau scenery wise. Maybe take the fast ferry from Whittier to Cordova for two or three days instead?

One thing I've noticed is that people plan to do too much when they come up here, end end up getting locked into an itinerary that just keeps them driving all the time. Be realistic about distances.

General wisdom seems to be that the 27 Glacier cruise out of Whittier is the best day cruise for outstanding fjords, scenery, calving glaciers and whatnot. I've done this, and it is spectacular. The one out of Seward toward Northwestern Fjord is supposed to be better for wildlife, but with rougher seas. So, it probably depends on the weather. If you do go to Juneau, Glacier Bay is a hassle to get to if for an independent traveler (not on one of the big cruises out of Seattle or Vancouver). Tracy Arm is probably the most spectacular day cruise out of Juneau.

Another unconventional sightseeing option is to get on the train in Portage, south of Anchorage, and ride up to Spencer Glacier. Pretty country up there. For beautiful drives, don't miss the Seward Highway, the spur to Whittier, Exit Glacier, the backroads above Homer, Eagle River Road, Eklutna Lake Road, Old Glenn Highway, and Hatcher Pass. The drive out past Matanuska Glacier is worth it if the weather is decent.

Flightseeing over Denali from Talkeetna is expensive, but definitely worth it. The only other option that's even comparable scenery wise, is over in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, but that's probably outside the scope of your trip.

Generally speaking, the towns in Southcentral worth spending some time in are Seward, Homer, Girdwood, Talkeetna, maybe Palmer, and maybe downtown Anchorage, if you like cities. Homer has especially good food and beer for small town Alaska. My favorite brewpub in Anchorage is Midnight Sun, which is out of the way, in an industrial area. Less interesting places best to get through quickly are Wasilla, Kenai/Soldotna, Eagle River, and the rest of Anchorage.

You may wonder about heading up to Denali National Park. Scenery wise, if you do the flightseeing out of Talkeetna, the park road will likely be a bit of a letdown, especially since the mountain is often not visible. However the park road is the best chance you'll get for seeing wildlife like Grizzly Bears, caribou, and Dall Sheep (moose are practically everywhere). Still, it's a lot of hours on a bumpy, dusty road, packed into an old school bus with a bunch of other tourists. It's a significant time commitment and a lot of driving. Some people say it's a fantastic experience, and some people are disappointed.

Also, July and August are the peak travel season. Since it doesn't sound like you'll be doing high country hiking, I'd recommend the shoulder seasons of June and early September. June has the best chance for good summer weather, with slightly less crowds than July and August. September is much less crowded and you'll likely be able to find better deals on hotels and rental cars. The weather isn't as good, the days are getting shorter, but the fall colors can be beautiful. Attractions tend to close on September 15th.

[hikernut]

Is it possible to extend the length of your trip a bit? Weather can inhibit those mountain views that you are probably expecting to see, and having more days will increase your chances of seeing Denali and other big mountains.

I have been to Alaska twice as a visitor, and while I got relatively lucky with the weather it could have turned out much worse if the timing was a little different or the number of days were less.

[AKStafford]

The TripAdvisor forum for Alaska is another great travel resource: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForu...49-Alaska.html
10 days is a decent length of time. Any additional days that you can add will give you more options. Flying in and out of Anchorage is a good way to do it. Reserve your rental car. Rate will go up dramatically as we start working towards summer.

[Music_Man]

I think heathen has the best plan for you.

[Metlakatla]

Get a copy of Edible Alaska for ideas on restaurants, food retailers, etc.

[Music_Man]

And "the milepost"

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by heathen

Sounds like a plan. Except, I'd skip Juneau if you're up for anything less than two full weeks. Really, Juneau is best served as a separate vacation including Sitka, Haines, Skagway, Glacier Bay National Park, and the loop drive through Whitehorse and past Kluane National Park in the Yukon. Seward and Prince William Sound are similar to Juneau scenery wise. Maybe take the fast ferry from Whittier to Cordova for two or three days instead?

One thing I've noticed is that people plan to do too much when they come up here, end end up getting locked into an itinerary that just keeps them driving all the time. Be realistic about distances.

General wisdom seems to be that the 27 Glacier cruise out of Whittier is the best day cruise for outstanding fjords, scenery, calving glaciers and whatnot. I've done this, and it is spectacular. The one out of Seward toward Northwestern Fjord is supposed to be better for wildlife, but with rougher seas. So, it probably depends on the weather. If you do go to Juneau, Glacier Bay is a hassle to get to if for an independent traveler (not on one of the big cruises out of Seattle or Vancouver). Tracy Arm is probably the most spectacular day cruise out of Juneau.

Another unconventional sightseeing option is to get on the train in Portage, south of Anchorage, and ride up to Spencer Glacier. Pretty country up there. For beautiful drives, don't miss the Seward Highway, the spur to Whittier, Exit Glacier, the backroads above Homer, Eagle River Road, Eklutna Lake Road, Old Glenn Highway, and Hatcher Pass. The drive out past Matanuska Glacier is worth it if the weather is decent.

Flightseeing over Denali from Talkeetna is expensive, but definitely worth it. The only other option that's even comparable scenery wise, is over in Wrangell St. Elias National Park, but that's probably outside the scope of your trip.

Generally speaking, the towns in Southcentral worth spending some time in are Seward, Homer, Girdwood, Talkeetna, maybe Palmer, and maybe downtown Anchorage, if you like cities. Homer has especially good food and beer for small town Alaska. My favorite brewpub in Anchorage is Midnight Sun, which is out of the way, in an industrial area. Less interesting places best to get through quickly are Wasilla, Kenai/Soldotna, Eagle River, and the rest of Anchorage.

You may wonder about heading up to Denali National Park. Scenery wise, if you do the flightseeing out of Talkeetna, the park road will likely be a bit of a letdown, especially since the mountain is often not visible. However the park road is the best chance you'll get for seeing wildlife like Grizzly Bears, caribou, and Dall Sheep (moose are practically everywhere). Still, it's a lot of hours on a bumpy, dusty road, packed into an old school bus with a bunch of other tourists. It's a significant time commitment and a lot of driving. Some people say it's a fantastic experience, and some people are disappointed.

Also, July and August are the peak travel season. Since it doesn't sound like you'll be doing high country hiking, I'd recommend the shoulder seasons of June and early September. June has the best chance for good summer weather, with slightly less crowds than July and August. September is much less crowded and you'll likely be able to find better deals on hotels and rental cars. The weather isn't as good, the days are getting shorter, but the fall colors can be beautiful. Attractions tend to close on September 15th.

Thanks. Sounds like a lot of good info.

[Alaska-47]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Get a copy of Edible Alaska for ideas on restaurants, food retailers, etc.

Are the old Russian villagers still selling their home grown food?

[phoenixmike11]

Here is a good online travel guide

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Alaska

You might want to post in the Reddit travel forum for more thoughts/ideas

https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/

Wonder-filled trip of a lifetime along the Alaska Highway-LA Times
Wonder-filled trip of a lifetime along the Alaska Highway - LA Times