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Looking for Ideas for 10 day Alaska trip

Looking for Ideas for 10 day Alaska trip

Old Jul 4, 2006, 1:47 pm
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Question Looking for Ideas for 10 day Alaska trip

My wife and I are planning to go to Alaska for 10 days in last week of July - first week of Aug time-frame. After a lot of thinking, we figured it might be cheaper as well as less time consuming if we fly to Anchorage and visit inner Alaska by car. I had enough mileage from United to our non-stop flights to Anchorage are free in a sense.

Day 1 - Fly to Anchorage from Chicago, Landing @ 7 PM, Pick up rental car from Airport, Stay in Anchorage Downtown
Day 2 - Leave for Denali (If we leave by 9, should be there by 2) - leave bags @ hotel - white water rafting (need to pick 2 or 4 hours), if time permits some trais
Day 3 - Take the Denali National Park tour - whole day - do some hiking
Day 4 - Mt. Mickenley air tour (2-3 hour), Attend Sled Dog Demo (if not done on Day2), Leave for Fairbanks (128 miles), University of Alaska & Museum, Mini Golf
Day 5 - if we get lucky will get wake up call from hotel for Northern lights :-: , Alaska Pipeline, Leave for Copper Center (263 miles) - pass by North Pole town, Night stay at Princess lodges
Day 6 - Leave for Valdez - do some hiking, Stay near Whittier/Portage Glacier/Valdez
Day 7 - Day cruise from Whittier for Glacier (26glacier - 11:30 AM to 5:30 PM), Leave for Kenai (115 miles), Night in Kenai
Day 8 - Leave for Exit Glacier & Seward (120 miles total), hike to the Harding Ice Field, Night in Princess Lodge @ Cooper Landing (45 miles)
Day 9 - Leave for Anchorage around 10 AM, Dogsleeding & lunch @ Alyeska Resort, some sightseeing in Anchorage, Night in Anchorage
Day 10 - Some shopping in Anchorage, Leave for Chicago @ 8 PM


I know I will be travelling a lot but I wanted to cover most of the Alaska in my 10 day visit. I might be able to extend my stay by an extra day (but I will have to change my flight plans within next 2 days to do so).

I am renting either a compact car (National - $435 with taxes) or Full-size car (Hertz - $657) with unlimited mileage. Have done both reservations and will be deciding between two later point. National only has compact car and I was thinking a full-size car may help in Alaska.

Hotel reservations are done for -
Night 1 - Sheration through Priceline ($100 with tax)
Night 4 - Super 8 @ Fairbanks (Free through Super8 price gurantee)
Night 5 - Princess Lodges @ Cooper Center ($99)
Night 8 - Princess Lodges @ Cooper Landing ($99)

Except Priceline all other reservations can be modified within next week.

Night 6 - Keystone Hotel @ Valdrez / open for other ideas

Looking for Ideas for
Nigh 2&3 @ Denali - looking for more of B&B experience but will like to have Pvt. bath
Night 7 - Any good place around Kenai

Also, looking for other ideas for activities. We are also looking for hiking/trail ideas for easy to medium level.
we are vegeterians (no fish either - eggs OK) so won't be able to enjoy a lot of restaurants but don't mind going to check out restaurants with good views

This is our first visit to Alaska (and could be the only 1 in next 8-10 years) so want to make most out it. So looking for ideas/suggestions from everyone. Thanks!

Edit: Typos as suggested by cbalaska
Edit: Please find the updated travel plan with 11 day trip few posts below. (7/9/06).

Last edited by desi101; Jul 9, 2006 at 6:16 pm
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Old Jul 4, 2006, 8:47 pm
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Wow - it's a very aggressive itinerary and even if you do half of it, you'll love the adventure and experiences. My very first suggestion is to get a copy of The Milepost - "the Bible of the North" - I lived in Alaska 28 years and everytime I took a long road trip (usually down the Alaska Highway to Seattle), I got a new copy. You can pick it up at Borders, Barnes & Noble or at www.themilepost.com.

Let me go thru your itinerary and make a few suggestions. You'll be amazed at two glaring facts when you visit....

1. With the Midnight Sun still very evident in late July, early August, especially the farther North you go, you'll lose track of time of day and you can still be out hiking in daylight and not had dinner yet and not even realize it's 10pm. Be prepared to pack a lot into those endless daylight hours. By the way, because of the Midnight Sun, I guarantee you WILL NOT get a call to see the Northern Lights - it has to be dark out for that to happen - sorry.

2. The state is HUGE and there is very little road access, and most of that is 2 lane roads, so even though you're just traveling 120 miles in a day, it may take a lot longer than you think (good thing the days are so long!)

Day 1 - fine - shops are open until 10pm downtown so it's a good time to stretch and walk around after that long flight. It's just 10 miles from the airport, although the Sheraton is a bit further and I'd have the hotel shuttle drop you at the Log Cabin Visitor Center at 4th and E - you can safely walk within a several block radius and find cool Alaskan stuff, great parks, views and food - no worries about being vegetarians - most restaurants offer plenty of choices besides salmon & halibut! Simon & Seaforts at 4th & L has great views.

Day 2 - don't rush your trip to Denali - it's a spectacular drive and you want to take time - bring a picnic, stop at one of a handful of rest stops. The 15 mile side-trip drive into Talkeetna is worth it!. If you leave at 9am, plan on being there around 3 or 4. A GREAT option is to take the train to Denali - stop over for 2 nights to do all the things you want to do - and then the train to Fairbanks. Then get your rental car in FAI. see www.akrr.com.

Day 3 - 4 - all good - especially the river rafting - if you like adventure, go for the 4 hour trip thru the Canyon. Try Denali Cabins or Denali Grizzly Bear Cabins for a true Alaska experience.

Day 5 - Before leaving Fairbanks, you might drive north out to Fox and go gold panning - a fun stop. You can even drive a little further and be on the Haul Road (to Prudhoe Bay) for a few miles - just to say you did it!
The Princess Lodge you're going to first is at Copper Center (not Cooper Center). The one near Kenai is at Cooper Landing. If you're into Xmas at all, be sure to stop at Santa Clause House in North Pole (10 miles south of Fairbanks). The drive to Copper Center is about 5-6 leisurely hours with stops. The Pipeline is visible for much of the way.

Day 6 - the next town you're going to is called Valdez (not Valderz). Beautiful waterfalls just before you get to town. Not much you can do there since 9-11 closed down the Pipeline Terminal tours - I think there's a museum there now.

Now you have to make a decision because Valdez is on the west side of Prince William Sound and Whittier is on the east side - about 8 hours by ferry or you'll have to drive back around thru Glennallen and Anchorage. Can't put your car on 26 Glacier cruise and there's no road across the Sound. Check http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/ for the ferry schedule - that's your best bet and prettiest route.

Day 7 - if you took the ferry, no need to do the cruise. BTW - no hotel in Portage and only one in Whittier but there's absolutely nothing to do there. I'd recommend heading down to Seward (not Kenai) when you get off the ferry. Windsong Lodge is beautiful and on the road to Exit Glacier - I'd stay there 2 nights. If you go to Kenai, there's a lot of driving and back-tracking the next day for not a lot to see.

Day 8 - you'll head toward Kenai going to Cooper Landing and the Princess Lodge, but it's a beautiful part of that road.

Day 9 - be sure to ride the Tram at Alyeska Resort - it's worth the trip for amazing views and you can hike up to the glacier on the ski mountain. Another great hike is out the Winner Creek Trail behind the hotel. You can take a cool hand-pulled small 4-person open tram across a river and end up at Crow Creek Mine. The hotel or The Bicycle Shop on the way to the hotel may rent mountain Bikes for the day - definitely a great stop if you're hikers.

Day 10 - great shopping downtown but I'd also suggest a visit to the Alaska Native Heritage Center on the esat side of town for a wonderful introduction to the state's native cultures.

I could write a book but this should be a good start. I moved from Alaska last year and have been quite homesick lately longing for the Midnight Sun (it's pitch black in FLL before 9pm - ick!). Thanks for the great trip down memory lane. Have fun!
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Old Jul 5, 2006, 10:14 am
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We visited in '04 and totally agree with cbalaska's comments.

The Midnight Sun is very deceiving. Many times we were out and before we
knew it, it was already 9 pm and we still had not eaten dinner. There were
quite a few times that we were driving around after dinner, just enjoying scenery, and next time we knew, it was around 10 - 11 pm and we were
not tired. Very deceiving with the bright sky around. We had to force
ourselves and our kids to go back to the hotel and really close the curtains
in order to sleep.

Another comment about the drive up to Denali from Anchorage - there
are lots of little neat towns along the way. We did stop at Talkeetna
and thought it was a cute, little town.
Stop by at Mile 147 to see the Veteran's Memorial.
Between there and back to Anchorage, we found a little pizza place called "Angela's Pizza" owned by a German woman who runs the entire place by herself. Great pizza, and very inexpensive.
Have a great trip. We really enjoyed Alaska.
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Old Jul 6, 2006, 4:01 pm
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Well, I'd say cbalaska pretty much covered it. A couple things I'd like to add:

1. Yes, that's a VERY aggressive itinerary--by the time you're done, you'll have seen more of Alaska than many Alaskans and certainly more than most tourists. If you like experiencing as much as possible when traveling (like I do), then I think you'll have no problem doing the trip as you suggested (with cbalaska's modifications).

2. DEFINITELY get a copy of The Milepost. It's available at the places cbalaska suggested, but I'd also suggest getting it at one of the Costcos in Anchorage (if you have a Costco card). I think it's something like $12.44 at Costco--half of list price. Sam's Club may have it at a similar price, and WalMart has it for a few bucks more. Even though I've lived here for 11 years and have been on every accessible road in Alaska (except for the Elliott Highway past Livengood, towards Manley Hot Springs), I get a new copy of the Milepost every year. If you want to know what something on the side of the road is, the Milepost will tell you.

3. cbalaska said that traveling the two-lane roads will take you longer than you expect. I'd say that's not as much from poor highway conditions (I've had my cruise control set at 75+ almost all the way from Anchorage to Fairbanks--don't tell the State Troopers--and done the trip in about 6 hours) but from the abundance of scenic views you'll want to pull over at and the curiosities and sights along the road. All of the major roads you'll be traveling over are in excellent condition--which brings me to my next point:

4. If you can cram it in, I'd certainly recommend driving north up the Haul Road, maybe up to the Arctic Circle. The terrain is almost a moonscape in places, and the Arctic Circle is something that not many people get to pass. If you're a reasonably speedy driver, I'd plan on about a three-hour drive each way from Fairbanks, so it'll take much of a day from you, but depending on what your interests are, it may be worth it. HOWEVER, beware that the Dalton Highway north of Livengood (and perhaps part of the Elliott Highway south of Livengood--my Milepost is out in my car) is a gravel road. And as someone who used to work at a rental car agency in Anchorage, I have to warn you that all of the major (chain) rental car agencies in Anchorage consider travel on gravel highways a violation of the rental agreement. None of the rental companies in Anchorage have installed GPS trackers (as far as I know), so it's up to you to decide whether to risk it. If nothing happens, you'll probably be fine. But if something were to happen on the highway, any coverage purchased from the rental agency would be void, and your credit card and/or insurance companies may also decline to cover you as you were not operating by the terms of the contract (you'd need to check with your credit card and insurance companies on that--that's speculation on my part, based on my experience dealing with claims). However, the good news is that in all my years of Alaskan and northern Canadian travel, I've only had one flat tire. It was from a nail--not a piece of gravel--so I don't think you'd have anything to worry about. The biggest dangers are other drivers--the same dangers you encounter on paved roads. If you do drive up the Haul Road, be aware of both oncoming and passing trucks: they hug the middle of the road (in places, the gravel road is humped in the middle for drainage) and have no problem doing 70+ and throwing pesky tourists off their road. Oh, be aware of rock chips in your windshield--that'll be the most likely thing to happen to your car on both paved and gravel roads. (If you take coverage, I suppose you could, er, fib and tell the rental agency that the rock chip happened on the Glenn Highway just outside of Anchorage, but I can't in good conscience recommend that...)

Also, if you do deviate from your plan, be aware that the Denali and Edgerton Highways (east/west from Cantwell to Paxson and east of Chitina, near Copper Center) are also gravel and not covered by rental contracts.

5. The Sheraton does not offer an airport shuttle service. You may want to call them to see if they provide service around downtown, though--I seem to recall seeing a Sheraton van parked at the 6th Avenue entrance. If not, the Sheraton is within easy walking distance (1/4 mile or so) of the heart of downtown, though (it's not as far as cbalaska sort of indicates). It's not in the greatest area (the east end of downtown is a bit run down), but you should be fine if you stay on 5th or 6th for the few blocks until you hit A Street. Oh, and another minor correction to cbalaska's notes: it's more like 7 miles from the airport to downtown and the Sheraton (only because I had to know when potential customers asked me how much a cab fare downtown was). The point is, though, it's within easy driving distance--15-20 minutes tops.

6. While you're walking downtown: If you're in Anchorage on a Saturday or a Sunday, BE SURE to check out the Downtown "Saturday" Market, featuring some of the freshest Alaskan produce (yes, we grow stuff up here--all the way from peas to 100-pound cabbages--too bad you're not here at the State Fair in Palmer), live music, and great "fair" food.

7. I'd also recommend the side trip to Talkeetna. Be aware that it's a spur road, not a loop, so it's 15 miles out of the way each way (that is, a total of 30 extra miles), so plan accordingly. It's a cute little touristy town that probably offers one of the best glimpses of life in a "real" Alaskan "frontier" town. (Of course, there isn't any one thing that can be considered "real" Alaska: for me, "real" Alaska is Anchorage or Fairbanks; for those along the coast, it's Valdez, Kodiak, or Sitka; for those completely off of the road system, it's Nome, Barrow, Shishmaref, Quinhagok, or Iliamna. That's why there's such a distinction between Southeast, Southcentral, Southwest and Western Alaska, the Interior, and the Arctic Slope regions. Each region has a completely different character--keep in mind that they're as big as some states. But I digress...)

8. In many ways, I'd agree with cbalaska's recommendation to take the train to Fairbanks. Full disclosure: I do work for the Alaska Railroad and I've always had an affinity for trains. It's an easy way to enjoy the scenery Alaska offers without the distraction of driving. However, you do lose the freedom to stop and see what interests you, and so I would have to recommend taking the car. (The railroad parallels the highway for most of the way, so you do see much of the same scenery.) If you do decide to go with the train, make sure you check on a one-way rental from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Only some of the agencies do this (Payless, Avis and Hertz come to mind--I don't think National does), and there will probably be a $100-300 drop charge unless the agency is desperate for cars to be returned from Fairbanks to Anchorage.

9. I will say that $435 is a dang good rate for 10 days in Alaska--in peak season, I've seen people paying $80-100 per day for compact cars. As far as whether you need a compact or full-size car--that's going to depend on your preferences. If you travel fairly light and don't mind driving a Chevy Aveo or a Chevy Cobalt (National's compact cars in Anchorage, last time I saw them) for 1,000 miles, then you'll have no problem--again, all of the roads are paved and in good condition, and there's no reason a little car would have any problems. (We took a 1984 Toyota Tercel around Alaska for several years--even all the way up the Haul Road to Deadhorse and out the Edgerton to McCarthy--and didn't have any problems, so any new car is going to be fine anywhere else in Alaska.) However, if you like space and comfort, Hertz's full-size (which will probably be a Ford Taurus but may also be a Ford Five Hundred, if they don't consider that a premium car) would certainly increase the comfort level of your trip. National may also have an upgrade available at a price less than Hertz's, so you can wait and try that route--heck, they may even give you a free upgrade if they're out of compact cars, which happens a lot in the peak season. (Hint: don't look too eager for the upgrade, or they'll see you really want it and may quote you a higher upgrade price. However, National usually quotes fairly low upgrade prices, at least as compared to some of the other agencies, and their commission structure doesn't reward outrageous upgrades more than $2 ones, so play your cards wisely. OK, enough insider information...)

10. cbalaska recommends gold panning in Fox, Alaska, about 10 miles north of Fairbanks. I haven't done that yet, but I hear it's pretty popular. (I just moved to Fairbanks.) The name of the place you're looking for is the El Dorado Gold Mine, although there are other touristy gold mines (and many real commercial mines) scattered throughout the area. Some other things to consider doing in Fairbanks would be visiting Pioneer Park, riding the Riverboat Discovery, and checking out Chena Hot Springs. There are also lots of things to see at UAF in addition to their outstanding museum, but the tours of their research laboratories may not fit your schedule. (See http://www.uaf.edu/univrel/Tour/ for details.) However, for the time you'll be here, I think you'll be pushing your time in Fairbanks as it is. (Side note: the best place to get close to the pipeline is the viewing platform/information center a couple miles before Fox on the east side of the highway.)

11. I'd agree with cbalaska that the ferry is the best way to travel from Valdez to Whittier. You'll really need to be careful with your schedule, as there is only one sailing per day (and maybe even only one every couple of days). Also, like he said, if you take the ferry, you can cancel the 26 Glacier Cruise. While the cruise will take you past and much closer to many more glaciers, the ferry sails close enough to the Columbia Glacier (one of the biggest and most majestic in the area--as large as Los Angeles) to get your adrenaline going when it cracks and calves, and you're guaranteed to see awesome sea life on the way.

12. I'd also agree with cbalaska on your Days 7 and 8 plan. No sense going all the way to Kenai when your activities are going to be in Seward. There's really nothing to see in Kenai, so you might as well stay in Seward that night and then go to the Kenai Princess (in Cooper Landing--don't get confused) the next day. (The Kenai Princess is pretty much at the edge of the scenic part of the Sterling Highway--any further and you get into rolling hills and flatlands of forest. You may want to go a few miles down to the confluence of the Kenai and Russian Rivers and see real Alaska "combat fishing" (shoulder-to-shoulder) in action--that's always an interesting thing for Outsiders to see). Besides, with the activities you want to do in Seward, you'll need both the night of Day 7 and the bulk of Day 8 to do them.

Also, take a peek at my other posts in this Alaska forum, too, here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=559223 -- it covers some similar territory.

All right, I think that pretty much covers my opinions. Have an awesome trip! You'll remember it for a lifetime.
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Old Jul 6, 2006, 4:10 pm
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Wow, I typed a lot more than I thought. No wonder I'm worn out...

Anyway, I forgot to post--if it's not too late to do so, I'd recommend extending your stay by one day. You'll be able to explore a little more without feeling so pressed--you may want to stay in Fairbanks an extra day, or you may want to make a trip to Homer, the halibut capital of the world (a few hours south of Kenai) and do a day cruise on Kachemak Bay to Seldovia or something (I just dug this up from Google and found it pretty representative: http://www.alaskahomertravel.com/Sou...ral/Homer.htm). Heck, you could even take a day trip and flightseeing excursion to Kodiak or Lake Clark! (Well, that may be pushing it.) There's just so much to see all over that you'd probably regret not spending the extra day here.

Hope this helps--and sorry for my stream-of-conscious style--I'm sick, haven't slept, and just got off of a long, hard day at work. Believe it or not, I am a journalism student, and my normal style of writing is far better--on FT, though, I usually just spit stuff out as it comes to me and don't bother revising or editing...
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Old Jul 7, 2006, 12:08 am
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cbalaska and jackal have really given you great answers, so I don't have a whole lot more that I can add other than to give a plug for visiting Southeast Alaska.

If you drive to or from Whittier, be sure to verify the schedule for the Whittier Tunnel . It's a one-lane tunnel which also carries trains.
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Old Jul 9, 2006, 4:15 pm
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Thanks everyone for your input.

From the experts' advice on this forum, I have made some changes to my itenary. First is 11 days trip instead of 10 days. We figured, if we are investing this much time and money - might as well one extra day may help us to cover little more.

Day 1, 07/28/2006, Fri - Fly to Anchorage (reaching @ 7 PM), Get rental car, Spend evening in Anchorage
Day 2 07/29/2006 Sat - Leave for Denali by 9 AM - Stop @ Talkeetna (115 miles) for few hours - Take Mt. Mickenley Tour by air with glacier landing option (2 PM), Denali (155 miles)
Day 3 - 07/30/2006 Sun - Take the park shuttle bus (6:45 AM) into Denali National Park - Wonder Lake (11 hrs round trip - reservation done) - do some hiking
Day 4 - 07/31/2006 Mon -White Water Rafting (canyon Run) at 7:30 AM, Attend Sled Dog Demo (if not done on Day2), Leave for Fairbanks (128 miles), University of Alaska & Museum, Mini Golf
Day 5 - 08/01/2006 Tue - Go for El Dorado Gold Mine tour (if not done on Day4) Leave for Copper Center (260 miles), Stop by Santa-North Pole
Day 6 - 08/02/2006 Wed - Leave for Valdez (100 miles), Take 12:15 Ferry (boarding @ 11 AM - reservation done), Reach Whittier @ 3. Whitter Tunnel 4 to 4:15. Reach Cooper Landing (75 miles).
Day 7 - 08/03/2006 Thu - Leave for Homer (120 miles)
Day 8 - 08/04/2006 Fri - Leave for Exit Glacier & Seward (180 miles total), hike to the Harding Ice Field,
Day 9 - 08/05/2006 Sat - Spend a day in Seward (Sea Kayaking probably?)
Day 10 - 08/06/2006 Sun - Leave for Girdwood (90 miles), Dogsleeding, Tram & lunch, hike @ Alyeska Resort, Leave for Anchorage (37 miles)
Day 11 - 08/07/2006 Mon - Spend day in Anchorage - leave for Chicago @ 8 PM

Hotels
Night 1 - Sheration (Priceline $104 /wtax)
Night 2 & 3 - Lake View Inn $150, McKinley Creekside Cabins $140 , McKinley Chalet Resort $250 for two nights with toursaver coupon (though when I called they didn't want to give discount - might be able to get with some hassle), Denali Cabins $150, Denali River Cabins $200, Denali River Cabins (off river) - $149 for two nights with toursaver coupon, EarthSong Lodge $160 for night 3 only
Night 4 - Super 8 (free through Best Rate Gurantee)
Night 5 - Copper River Princess ($99)
Night 6 - Kenai Princess
Night 7 - Looking for Ideas
Night 8&9 - WindSong Lodge is available only on Aug 4 (neither on 3rd nor 5th) and $210 a night is little too rich for my blood.
Night 10 - Looking for Ideas

The part I am still debating -
Day 2 - we can possibly leave from Anchorage @ 7AM and take 11AM/12PM Flight for Mt. Mickenley instead of 2 PM. And then try to do WhiteWater Rafting @ 6 PM in Denali
instead of 7:30 AM on Day 4. This shall give us extra time on Day4 but will it be too much on Day 2?

Night 2&3 - lodging ideas

Day 4 - Is it worth visiting Arctic Circle (and taking risk of driving on unpaved road and driving 6 hours)? If we do cover Whiter Water Rafting on Day 2, we can skip Musueum & UAF and can do Arctic Circle instead.

Day 5 - If we decide to do White Water Rafting on Day 2 as well as not to go to Arctic Circle - we can do gold mine tour on Day 4 and can leave directly for Cooper Center.

I have already placed an order for MilePost through Amazon ($17 and free Ship for prime member) and should receive it on Jul 10.

I also ended up buying TourSaver book after debating for a while on it. I can easily cover my $100 investment by -
* Mt. Mickenley Air Tour - 20% discount on flight other than 7 PM (so will save $88)
* White Water Rafting - savings of $75 for BOGO
* Alyeska Tram - Savings of $16 for BOGO
more possible....

Last edited by desi101; Jul 9, 2006 at 8:11 pm
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Old Jul 9, 2006, 5:16 pm
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If you could squeeze a trip in to Barrow or even Nome, you might be glad you did. There is a lot of culture in Barrow, and Alaska Air offers a tour package that is quite nice and gives you a really good feel for the area.
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Old Jul 9, 2006, 9:28 pm
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Originally Posted by desi101
Thanks everyone for your input.

From the experts' advice on this forum, I have made some changes to my itenary. First is 11 days trip instead of 10 days. We figured, if we are investing this much time and money - might as well one extra day may help us to cover little more.
Well, I'll put the Stamp of Approval on your itinerary. You'll be glad you spent the extra day and you'll definitely leave having had the time of your life.

Gotta run to work now, so give me a couple to think of anything else I'd suggest. As far as whether or not the drive to the Arctic Circle is worth it, I would say yes--the scenery is stunning (and perhaps slightly haunting--I remember it being barren and rocky). I also like going to these geographical locations (other ones I've been to include the Four Corners, the geographical center of the continental U.S. in South Dakota, the geographical center of North America in North Dakota, and other places like that), but if you don't care much about that, there may not be as much of a reason to go. Perhaps others who have done the drive more recently than I will fill in some info here.

Also, you say in Day 6 that you'll take the 12:15 ferry and be to Whittier by 3pm. Unless they're using the new catamaran (which I think is being used in Southeast or is out of service pending repairs), I remember the ferry ride lasting about 7 hours. If that's right, you'll arrive in Whittier more like 7pm, which should still be fine for getting to Cooper Landing by a reasonable check-in time (9pm or so, perhaps). Make sure to verify the arrival time and the tunnel schedule, just in case--I know they close the tunnel at night, but I'm sure they keep it open at least that late so that the ferry traffic can leave Whittier.

Have fun! Gotta run...
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Old Jul 9, 2006, 11:16 pm
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I just returned from a two week trip to Alaska and...

I definately have a few ideas about your itinerary.

* Let me be blunt about Fairbanks - skip Fairbanks and anything north past Denali. Nothing up there worth the time investment to get there. There are so many better things you can do in AK with the short time you'll be there.

* Denali bus tour a must! Best to do the eight hour tour. Also, the night before, take the time to do the 15 miles you can drive yourself. For lodging, we stayed 27 miles south in the town of Cantwell at the Lazy J Cabins. They have new hotel rooms. Simple with private baths for around $130 a night. Cheapest we found. The "Time to eat" Cafe in Cantwell serves up nice meals and the owner is a hoot. Tell Clem (female) that Harvey's brother says "Hi!"

* We went from Denali to Wrangells/St. Elias National Park via the Denali Highway (100 miles of gravel road but worth every bump). Great wildlife, mountains, vistas, lakes, and rivers. I stopped in Tangle Lakes and droped a line in for about 45 minutes and cuaght a mess of Artic Greyling!

* I can't begin to tell you how much you should try to make Wrangells NP. Reserve a night the Kennecott Lodge in the old mining town. It is an incredible journey there and equally incredible ghost town and glacier hike! My wife still talks about it! We then drove from there down to Valdez and then vack to Anchorage. It was a full day of driving but so worth it. The drive from Valdez to Anchorage will take 6 hours and great views of the Matanuska Glacier and valley! We considered the ferry and the $360 toll but after doing the drive, I am glad we drove.

* Spend as much time as possible on the Kenai pennisula. Homer is worth two nights as is Seward. Be sure to do the six hour cruise out of Seward. I highly recommned the Kenai Fjords Tour Comapny. Their 6 hour National Park Cruise is the best!!!

* I would skip the tram ride in Alyeska and the river rafting near Denali. these are things you can do in Colorado, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, etc. Don;t burn your precious time in AK with these type of touristy things that are not Alaska unique.

* Be prepared for sticker shock - particularly in the restaurants. Burgers and sandwiches for lunch will run around $12-$14 and entrees for dinner around $20 at your basic restaurants and roadhouses. Gas in ANC was running the same in the states - $2.85 a gallon but we did pay $3.44 up near Denali.

If you PM me, I can share more about our itinerary. Know that my brother lives in ANC so some of our 2 weeks was visiting with him so I think our itinerary (so much more not included here) could be condensed into a ten day tour. We rented a minivan and actually slept in it two nights, saving $$$ as lodging is another sticker shocker. Check out the savings code for National Car Rentals I posted in the National Forum for a great discount.

Other restaurants we would recommend:

Phyliss' Cafe in downtown Anchorage - Halibut sandwich for lunch!
Mexico in Alaska in midtown Anchorage - been there for close to 30 years so they must doing something right!
Fat Olive's in Homer for dinner - try one of the specials. $$$
Gilpatrick's Hotel in Chitna - great restaurant!
Lynx Creek Pizza in Denali Village - a good value meal in an expensive neighborhood.
Gracious House & McClaren River Lodge on the Denali Highway - both serve up delicious food and freindly conversation, trademarks of the traditional Alaskan roadhouse.

Have a blast!

yamonjon
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Old Jul 10, 2006, 7:49 am
  #11  
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OK, a few more observations from me based on yamonjon's post:

Originally Posted by yamonjon
...skip Fairbanks and anything north past Denali. Nothing up there worth the time investment to get there.
Everyone is different and everyone's interests are different. I've driven every road in the state and lived here more than a decade, but prior to being forced up here with my job, I had never spent much time in Fairbanks. But after being here a month, I would vote that it *is* worth the trip--but that's my personality. Fairbanks has quite a few "touristy" things to do (more than any other city in the state, I think), so if you like pioneer-town-touristy kitsch, you might want to check out Fairbanks. (I'm also into the science and technology stuff that UAF offers.) The area north of Fairbanks (such as the Chena River out on Chena Hot Springs Road) is good for some "wilderness" stuff like canoeing and the like, but you can do that many other places in the state, too. If what your original itinerary has planned reflects your interests, I would recommend Fairbanks--but again, this is something you'll have to decide on. It does sound like you're into hiking and the like, so you may want to skip the touristy stuff and look into the options that yamonjon recommends.

Originally Posted by yamonjon
The "Time to eat" Cafe in Cantwell serves up nice meals and the owner is a hoot.
Can't speak to this as I've never been there, but I do have to heartily recommend Judy's Cafe in Healy (10 or so miles north of the Denali Park resort area). Awesome burgers and good, hearty American food (her breakfasts are great, too), and an authentic Alaskan roadhouse diner. If you need more road food on the way to Fairbanks (assuming you go that way), I've heard excellent things from several people about the Monderosa Lodge just north of Nenana.

Originally Posted by yamonjon
We went from Denali to Wrangells/St. Elias National Park via the Denali Highway (100 miles of gravel road but worth every bump).
I did this drive several years ago and found it stunningly beautiful--a moonscape feel similar to the area around the Arctic Circle along the Dalton Highway. You'll run into wildlife everywhere in Alaska, but because of the huge, open expanses along this road, you'll probably see more of it here than most other places. HOWEVER--please note that driving the Denali Highway WILL VOID your National/Hertz/any other major company rental agreement as I mentioned in one of my previous posts. I forgot to add one other note along those lines: in addition to any hassles with your insurance company should something happen, if the vehicle were to experience a mechanical breakdown (not likely with the new vehicles in the rental fleets, but entirely possible--and sometimes new cars come with new defects), you will be responsible for a portion of (or even all of) the towing bill that would normally be covered by the vehicle's warranty. When you're 100 miles from a paved road and 300 miles from the nearest service center in Wasilla, Anchorage or Fairbanks, the towing bill can be substantial, to say the least. I'm not trying to scare you--I'm just trying to give you all of the information so you can make an informed choice. Check with the rental companies to see their policies on this and to see if anyone can recommend a company that does not prohibit their vehicles from driving on gravel highways.

If you wanted to make a choice between the Denali Highway and the Arctic Circle, I'd vote for the Arctic Circle--my memory says that the road up that way is better maintained than the Denali Highway (which isn't used for much anymore--it used to be the only way to access what was then known as Mt. McKinley National Park before they built the Parks Highway), and plus, going to the Arctic Circle is just cool! :-) If you really do get your heart set on driving up that way but don't want to chance doing it with the rental vehicle, there is a company in Fairbanks that outfits their vehicles specifically for driving up the Haul Road (the Dalton Highway, if it's not already clear that these are one and the same)--with two full-size spare tires, emergency food and water rations, medical supplies and anything else you'd need during a breakdown on a rural road. If you decide to go this route, post here or PM me and I'll look up the name (I grabbed one of their brochures, but it's probably buried in my car or something). If you decide to go the Denali Highway but don't want to chance the rental car thing, I'm sure there HAS to be at least one (reputable) company in Anchorage who does a similar thing. If you need my help locating them, let me know and I'll ask some of my old cohorts if they've heard of one.

Originally Posted by yamonjon
I can't begin to tell you how much you should try to make Wrangells NP. Reserve a night the Kennecott Lodge in the old mining town.
Same warning goes for this road. It's an unpaved dirt road (not even gravel)--when I drove this road, the three hours each way of constant washboard-like road surface and potholes and dips completely tore up my car's suspension. The drive back to Anchorage was like riding in a speedboat--bottoming out and bouncing up and down with no shock absorbers to dampen the spring's action. However, that was 7 or 8 years ago--it's entirely possible that they've made improvements to the road by now--perhaps yamonjon can comment. However, as I said, this one is on the list of forbidden roads, so you'll need to decide if the excursion is worth the risk in a rental car.

As far as Kennicott/McCarthy goes, I never did find out what the fuss was about. When my aunt went there in 1993, she said she and my uncle had an awesome time pulling themselves across the river on a hand-operated tram, exploring the mine and buildings, and walking around the ghost town and picking up things that the miners had literally dropped as they left town at the end of the mine's operation (everything from mining equipment to pens, paper and canned food). By the time we got there the next year, they had shut down the tram and installed a footbridge and closed off all of the mine's buildings and boarded up many of the windows. We walked up to the mine, walked around a couple of buildings, got bored and walked back to the car and drove away. Maybe the National Park Service has developed some more tourist infrastructure there now, but when I went, both my adventurous grandfather and I left feeling like it was a wasted day.

The scenery and activity of theWrangell-St. Elias National Park itself, though, is a different story. If you're into outdoorsy stuff, there's almost no place better on the face of the earth for mountain, rock or ice climbing (something like 15 of North America's 19 highest peaks are located in its 20,000 square miles--it's the largest park in the United States), hiking, backpacking, daytripping, camping, etc. Some of this may be accessible from McCarthy, but one of the best ways to do this is to check with an air taxi or outfitter company and see if they can fly you in. Some friends of mine operate (shameless plug) Ultima Thule Outfitters (TripAdvisor reviews here), and they flew a group of my friends out to the side of a mountain that has most likely never before been seen by a human being, and they spent several days hiking through literally virgin country. Only in a place like this can you do that. They're not the only company out there doing this, though, so check around if the sound of this tantalizes you.

Originally Posted by yamonjon
Homer is worth two nights as is Seward.
Homer's worth a half a day, in my opinion, unless you really want to jump on a halibut charter and catch a 200-lb. fish (which I'm guessing you aren't keen on). That's Homer's primary draw--outside of that, a drive out on the Homer Spit is about the only thing to do there, and even that's not all that exciting. Perhaps you could camp on the Kachemak Bay beachside and watch driftwood float in--maybe yamonjon can suggest a few better things to do in Homer. Homer is the jumping off point for some boat rides across the bay to places like Seldovia (a native village that specializes in putting on a nice day trip experience for tourists) and wilderness areas like China Poot Bay (where you can walk along the beach and see sea life or wander around the woods--but it's nothing too special).

Originally Posted by yamonjon
We rented a minivan and actually slept in it two nights, saving $$$ as lodging is another sticker shocker.
Not a bad idea. Dollar, Thrifty and maybe Enterprise offer some Dodge Caravans featuring Stow 'N' Go seating (the ones that fold down into the floor). The flat, empty back makes for great room for sleeping. Otherwise, see if National will store the back seats for you--some companies do and some don't.

Originally Posted by yamonjon
Other restaurants we would recommend:
Phyliss' Cafe in downtown Anchorage - Halibut sandwich for lunch!
Mexico in Alaska in midtown Anchorage - been there for close to 30 years so they must doing something right!
Phyllis' Cafe and Salmon Bake LOOKS really touristy. Touristsdo say they enjoy it; however, as an Alaskan, I'd much rather spend my money on true Alaskan gourmet creations at Simon and Seafort's, Glacier Brewhouse, and Orso. They're an iDine/Rewards Network partner, so if you want to go, use your mileage credit card and get some bonus miles (hey, this IS FlyerTalk).

Mexico in Alaska is one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants I've ever been to (and before I moved here, I was born and raised in California). However, authentic doesn't necessarily mean that you'll like it: their Oaxacan cuisine may not please your palate if you've been raised on Americanized Mexican food (not that the food is bad--just that the flavors and intended audience are different). Yes, they've been there 30 years, but I've never seen it busy. Occasionally, I am in the mood for it and will treat it like I would going to an authentic restaurant in a foreign country: for the experience and the culture.

Since you're only going to be in Anchorage for a short time, I'd check with the places I mentioned in the other thread (the Princess Lodges thread). You'll remember any of those far more than most other choices.

All right, I'm exhausted from another night of hard work--time to call this quits and hit the sack! Take care and enjoy your trip! (How many times can I say that in the same thread?)

Last edited by jackal; Jul 10, 2006 at 8:44 am Reason: Confusing this thread and the other thread...made a reference to something that didin't exist here!
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Old Jul 10, 2006, 8:28 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by jackal
I did this drive several years ago and found it stunningly beautiful--a moonscape feel similar to the area around the Arctic Circle along the Dalton Highway. You'll run into wildlife everywhere in Alaska, but because of the huge, open expanses along this road, you'll probably see more of it here than most other places. HOWEVER--please note that driving the Denali Highway WILL VOID your National/Hertz/any other major company rental agreement as I mentioned in one of my previous posts. I forgot to add one other note along those lines: in addition to any hassles with your insurance company should something happen, if the vehicle were to experience a mechanical breakdown (not likely with the new vehicles in the rental fleets, but entirely possible--and sometimes new cars come with new defects), you will be responsible for a portion of (or even all of) the towing bill that would normally be covered by the vehicle's warranty. When you're 100 miles from a paved road and 300 miles from the nearest service center in Wasilla, Anchorage or Fairbanks, the towing bill can be substantial, to say the least. I'm not trying to scare you--I'm just trying to give you all of the information so you can make an informed choice. Check with the rental companies to see their policies on this and to see if anyone can recommend a company that does not prohibit their vehicles from driving on gravel highways.
Well, I should have mentioned earlier - my original plan was ANC - Denali - Denali Highway (Cantwell to Paxson) - Delta Junction - FAI and then back to ANC. And then to do south tour. But then after reading through more about Denali Highway here as well as on TripAdvisor, we thought it might be just "safe" to do the trip this way instead. I don't want to take risk of car breakdown in middle of nowhere. If we had another couple with us, we would have definately taken Denali Highway. I have read a lot of about the beauty of nature on that highway and we know what we'll be missing but at the same point, I don't want to keep thinking in back of my head while driving on that highway - what if my car breaks down.

I will post more details in response to yamonjon & jackal in few hours. Meanwhile, if you have any lodging recommendations for Denali, Seward & Homer - let me know. Thanks!
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Old Jul 10, 2006, 8:35 am
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Nenana

This might be slightly off topic, but is 'Skinny Dicks Halfway Inn' in Nenana still open? I haven't driven on that section of road in over 12 years. I do remember it being a rustic place to stop and eat.
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Old Jul 10, 2006, 8:41 am
  #14  
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Originally Posted by etch5895
This might be slightly off topic, but is 'Skinny Dicks Halfway Inn' in Nenana still open? I haven't driven on that section of road in over 12 years. I do remember it being a rustic place to stop and eat.
It's still there--it hasn't been torn down (it's actually about halfway between Nenana and Fairbanks, and I've driven by it several times at the crack of dawn, when it wouldn't be open anyway, in the last month). I do believe it's still open, but I don't know for sure. I'll check around and get back to you...
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Old Jul 10, 2006, 1:35 pm
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Originally Posted by jackal
Also, you say in Day 6 that you'll take the 12:15 ferry and be to Whittier by 3pm. Unless they're using the new catamaran (which I think is being used in Southeast or is out of service pending repairs), I remember the ferry ride lasting about 7 hours. If that's right, you'll arrive in Whittier more like 7pm, which should still be fine for getting to Cooper Landing by a reasonable check-in time (9pm or so, perhaps). Make sure to verify the arrival time and the tunnel schedule, just in case--I know they close the tunnel at night, but I'm sure they keep it open at least that late so that the ferry traffic can leave Whittier.
I'm pretty sure the Chenega fast ferry has been doing the PWS runs without problems. The Fairweather, which does the Lynn Canal loop (Haines-Juneau-Skagway) and Juneau-Sitka runs, is just now getting out of the shop. It is always a good idea to check the updated schedules at ferryalaska.com. And make sure that you have reserved space for the car and all people in it (driver is not included in the summer).

BTW I have heard that the Harding Icefield hike in Seward is just fabulous so glad to see you are doing that. Just make sure that you give yourself the whole day for it (which it seems you are doing).

In Anchorage I like the Moose's Tooth Pizza & Brewhouse. You might look into getting groceries/snacks at the New Sagaya market. Fred Meyer has a surprisingly good organic & veggie-friendly section. Girdwood is rumored to have a good restaurant scene, but all I've eaten there is the coffee at Alyeska.

For your last night, I've been pleased with the Anchorage Grand Hotel. They have suites with bedroom & fold-out sofa and are right next to the weekend market downtown.
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