kya_lega

My wife and I are reaching to ANC from Chicago on July 2nd and will be flying back on 7th night. We want to cover a lot but at the same time don't want to be rushed all the time. Couple of thoughts we have are:
1) stay in ANC on 2nd night
2) go to Seward on 3rd. Questions here is -- should we hike at Kenai Fjords or take 6 hour cruise. Leave from Seward to Denali on 3rd evening. Night Stay at Healy.
4) on 4th take the bus tour at Denali. Night at Healy.
5) on 5th Denali on our own--any suggestions what should we cover which definitely the bus will not? We intend to drive to Fair Banks that night.
6) on 6th we are thinking going to arctic circle. Night where ? How long does this trip take - it says about 162 miles but we are not sure of the realistic speed.
7) on 7th drive back to ANC and leave.

We have no idea if this trip is pushing the limits? So would appreciate a reality check from you guys. Also, should we leave something and add something else to the itinery.
Any help will be very much appreciated.

RustyC

Well, don't be fooled by Alaska getting only 1 page in the Rand McNally atlases. Those distances are significant. Seward-Healy and Anchorage-Fairbanks are 5-6 hours on the most direct route, and I don't believe there's yet a totally paved road from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle. You can't take most rental cars on the Dalton Hwy. For Seward I'd do Portage and/or Exit Glaciers for the land viewing (close to road, easy access) and pop for the boat ride. You'll have to have reservations and be scheduled pretty tightly with Denali. Trying to tack on Fairbanks would really up the total driving miles needed and time behind the wheel. A good itin is to go ANC-FAI via the parks Hwy. and stop in Denali and then come back via the more scenic Richardson and Glenn Hwy., but you don't have enough time. From ANC, you can also do a beautiful drive to Homer that takes about 4 hours each way and can be done in a long day (Homer is a more beautiful setting than Seward).

jackal

I'm gonna have to come back and take a look at this since I have to depart shortly, but let me echo RustyC's comments about the distances: Seward-Healy is at least six hours and possibly more like seven. Trying to cram that into a night-time drive after hiking in Kenai Fjords or doing a day cruise is asking too much of yourself.

Healy to Fairbanks would be about two hours and change.

Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle could be done in three to four hours (50mph is reasonable average, and you can probably go faster, too). Sorry, but not much to stay at, since there is very little development between Fairbanks and Coldfoot. You'd either need to bring a tent or do it as a day trip and end up back in Fairbanks. (It's cool, but your time is fairly limited.)

Suggestion: order a Milepost from Amazon or another bookstore. It has mile-by-mile descriptions of every road in Alaska and western Canada and will tell you where everything from campgrounds and bed and breakfasts to cities to fishing ponds along the road are.

kya_lega

Based on suggestions, we are thinking of skipping either fairbanks or seward. Please give suggestions which one we should choose?. Also, Rusty mentioned about ANC-FAI-Richardson Hwy-ANC route. How much time does that trip take? We have booked bus tour for 4th but don't know what else to do in Denali.

I know I am asking too many questions. All the suggestions will be very much appreciated.

jackal

You're not asking too many questions--that's what FT is for! If I were to choose, I'd pick Seward over Fairbanks. You'll have more fun and come away more satisfied on a cruise through the fjord seeing wildlife and (if you do the full day cruise) glaciers) than you would doing kitschy tourist things in Fairbanks like panning for gold or doing a short riverboat ride.

ANC-FAI is about 6-7 hours non-stop. FAI-ANC via Glennallen/the Richardson is about 8 hours. However, if you're in Glennallen, it's definitely worth the diversion to Valdez (pronounced val-DEEZ) to cross through Thompson Pass--one of the most stunning roads in North America, if not the world, so allow time for that (it's a little over two hours each way from Glennallen to Valdez, more of course to stop and admire the scenery). Of course, if you go that way, you might be tempted to alter your itinerary and see things like Kennecott/McCarthy (the old mine) and Wrangell St. Elias National Park and/or take the ferry back from Valdez to Whittier (about an hour south of Anchorage)...but with only five days, that might be pushing it.

Then, from Glenallen to Anchorage is about three and a half hours.

As far as things to do in Denali: I'm not an expert, but the bus ride into the park is definitely a must see (the real shuttle bus operated by the park concessionaire that go up to 90 miles in, not the touristy motorcoach tours by Princess et al. that only go 17 miles in). The backcountry hiking in the area is extraordinary (if you're into that). Back outside of the park, there are activities like river rafting, but I'm not sure what else (hopefully someone else can post, but check out alaska.org and the Milepost, too).

Hope this at least helps you get started!

RustyC

Indeed, my "glacier cruise" was a trip on the Marine Hwy. (ferry) to Valdez and Cordova and then right back, taking some 24 hours or so. I think the road to Whittier now is much better than the old single-lane tunnel.

I think a potentially really spectacular trip would be on the Tustumena down the Aleutians and then to fly back, though weather could be very volatile.

The Richardson Hwy-Glenn Hwy route has lots of great mountain views from the road, as well as tempting diversions. Matanuska Glacier really looks great, and there are a number of viewpoints. (I'm partial to how it looks with the fall colors in September). That route is a bit like the Pacific Coast Highway; you just can't figure on going on it without making a good number of stops. Will never forget my first Alaska trip in 1997 and seeing a couple of cars stopped on the Richardson and people looking out at a lake. Some moose were swimming across it.

Would agree that the Fairbanks stuff can get too touristy, though I did like the UAF museum with the gold nuggets and Chena Hot Springs. Denali bus trips usually include a couple of dedicated wildlife watchers among the pax who can be really eagle-eyed.

If you like steaks you've also got to try the Paris Steakhouse in downtown ANC. They own the "Best of" award for that locally, and even pre-date the earthquake (not many places can say that).

A really nice thing about Alaska is that you can get to it now with 25K miles, so even if you miss things you can come back. You can also often score some real deals in ANC (and occasionally FAI) during the short shoulder season with Priceline.