Alaska - Please help me with my July 4-10 week in AK?

Like thousands of other tourists, I am planning a week in AK This July. I did some homework, but would like the opinion of some experienced travelers and locals. I am a relatively fit seasoned budget (value) traveler. I've been to most of the major national parks in the lower 48 and Canada. This is my first trip to AK and want to see as much as possible in 7 days without taking the ferry (thats for trip #2) Here is what I have so far: (Question in blue)

July 4- I will arrive at ~12pm in ANC. I will sit on the right side of the plane because that is supposedly where the view is on approach. I will take the free shuttle to the hotel (Crowne Plaza 25K points), then their free shuttle or bus downtown to pick up my AVIS rental car. (Renting off-airport will save over $100!). Depending on how tired I am from my DTW-MSP-ANC flight, I may relax or go find the hiking trail to flattop. In the evening, I will go to the local supermarket to pick up some snacks and bottled water for the long drives ahead. Any idea which supermarket will have wild salmon sushi/sashimi?

July 5- Take a scenic drive to Homer, then on to Whittier/Seward. If I have time, I will hike the Icefield trail. Any must see stops/detours near Homer and Seward?

July 6 - Get up early and visit Exit Glacier. Take the full day Kenai Fjord tour. Major Marine appears to be the most recommended tour company, but I only see a 7.5 hr tour (as oppose to 9 hr). (In fact, they offer a "faster 6hr tour" covering the same route) To be honest, I want to see the most (more interested in breathtaking scenery than wildlife, but if I'm taking the tour, mind as well see both?) I don't need a very detailed/intimate narration/explanation on what we're seeing, so comfort/speed/cost is the secondary factor after route...Any recommendation on other better tours? Considering it is July 6, should I book it now or is space generally available for walk-ons? I hate to book everything in advance considering much of activity depend on weather conditions
I will drive back to stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Anchorage.

July 7 - Get up really early, drive north to Denali. Take the "school bus". Pray for clear weather. (any recommendation on an interesting park hike that is up to 3hrs?)
Then drive on to Fairbanks. any recommendation on anything worth stopping for on the way to Fairbanks?
Regarding Fairbanks: Can my AVIS rental car go to the Arctic Circle? If yes, how long would it take to just drive up, snap a picture, and get back? Also, in July, what are my chances of seeing the Aurora?

July 8 - Drive Fairbanks to Anchorage via the eastern route. I'll take the detour to Valdez. Any other interesting stop/detours?

July 9 - No plans.
July 10 - No plans. My flight leaves at 11pm.

Considering this plan, I have 2 solid days of nothing to do. Any recommendations? How far can I get by ferry? in 2 days? Perhaps there is a really interesting hike in Denali or Seward area? Fairbank area?

It's a good thing you have two days of "doing nothing" because with your proposed itinerary you'll need the extra time to do everything you are suggesting.

Anyway, your questions:

1. New Sagaya, either in downtown or midtown Anchorage.

2. That's way too much for one day. Pick either Homer or Seward, not both. They each have their redeeming qualities, but for what you are suggesting I'd go with Seward as it's closer to Anchorage. And Whittier isn't exactly a destination, more like an exaggerated boat harbor.

3. For what it's worth, the better "scenery" cruises go from Whittier. Seward has better wildlife cruises.

4. Again, that's too much for one day. You'd be better off skipping the Anchorage overnight and driving straight to Denali from Seward; it's not like you have to worry about it getting dark. The bus tour into Denali is an all-day trip. You can generally count on six hours into the park, and six hours back out. And that's not counting whatever hiking you do once you're in there.

5. Your Avis rental car might in theory make it to the Arctic Circle, but that's a solid 7 to 8 hour roundtrip from Fairbanks, plus Avis will ban you from driving on the Haul Road to the Arctic Circle anyway due to the road conditions.

6. Fairbanks-Valdez-Anchorage would be about a 14 hour driving day with some significant backtracking involved. Either skip Valdez, or take the ferry from Valdez to Whittier and drive from Whittier back to Anchorage. Valdez is in a spectacular location, but the town itself is nothing more than a company oil town. Not much to see in town itself.

You have an extremely ambitious itinerary; it can be done in the timeframe you have but you'll also be very rushed.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Also, make your reservations now.

Hi Chugach, Thank you for your comments. I have further questions/comments:

1. Thanks. I'll report back on what it taste like. :-)

2. I should say that I am not the type that need to stop to "smell the roses". I don't need to spend 5 minutes looking at a moose. 5 seconds is more than enough... :-) According to google-map, ANC - Homer - Seward (skipping Whittier) is 400 miles. At half speed, it would still only be 16 hours. That isn't terribly taxing for me considering I spend the previous day riding/sleeping in an airplane, and the next sitting in a boat. If I make good time and only take 10 hours, I may have time to do the 7hr Ice field hike as well. (if not, I can do it later). I booked the Holiday Inn Seward, so I can sleep in the next morning since the boat tour doesn't start until ~10am.

3. Hmm..most post suggest the "full day cruise at Seward" as being better. The description on majormarine.com does seem to hint that there are better glacier views on the Whittier tour... I will do some research to see if I can do Whittier on the bonus days..

4. I prefer to stay near Denali. I hope I can find a hostel/bed and breakfast for cheap... However, I am not comfortable sleeping in a dorm room and shared washroom/showers. I would prefer sleeping in my rental car in some parking lot or drive-up campsite/RV park. Is that common? (I do this all the time at 24hr Walmarts when travelling on the cheap) Also, according to sunrisesunset.com, In July, sunset is ~11:30pm and sunrise is ~4:30am. How dark does it get at 11:30pm?

5. I found that Haul road isn't paved, so I would be breaking the AVIS contract if they explicitly state no unpaved road... I'll play it by ear. If I can go, This would squeeze into one of my bonus days. (1 additional night in fairbank hotel)

6. I figure you're right. Its rushed...Its how I vacation. I have some spare time to make it work...

Consider overnighting at Circle Hot Springs
to soak after all that driving !.

It is a good start to your itinerary, but I too think you are way underestimating the driving times. Remember that there is construction in AK in the summer. The ONLY road from point A to point B may be closed for 1 hour due to construction (has happened to me). And if an accident closes the road, it can be hours. Then don't forget about slow RV's one-lane-in-each-direction traffic (so it can be hard to pass).

Here would be my suggestion:

Jul 5 I would skip Homer altogether. Really nothing much to "see" in that short time except the views and I don't think adding 4+ hours round trip to the drive is worth the views. Why don't you drive on July 5 to Seward and take the 3pm Kenai Fjords Tours boat tour that is done at 9pm? Warning - take a hat and gloves and several layers. It WILL be cold on this tour no matter what time of day you take it.

Jul 6 visit Exit Glacier, maybe take the 45 minute ranger-led walk (usually at 10am?), maybe visit the Sealife Center (puffins are interesting and the other animals are fun too). Then drive to Talkeetna. Several places here or in Trapper Creek to overnight. Try the Talkeetna Roadhouse. You can get a private room but it is a shared bath (spotless bathrooms and plenty of them on two floors). The rooms upstairs are a tad more private.

July 7 Not feasible to drive from Anchorage to Denali, take the bus into the park then drive to Fairbanks and really make the most of it. That is why I suggested driving on July 6 from Seward to Talkeetna, 2 hours closer to Denali. You can't use your points for your hotel stay this night, but believe me, I think seeing more of Alaska and spending a little more money is well worth it in the long-run.

So on July 7 drive to Denali, take a shuttle bus about 11am to Eielson (mile 66, 8 hours round trip). Back at the entrance by about 7pm. If you get off the bus to do a little hiking, you would get back later. Book the shuttle in advance (reservedenali.com). You do NOT want to be locked out of the shuttle bus on this date with your relatively tight schedule.

In Denali, I like hiking near Thoro (Pass I think it is called). A bit east of Eielson and if you hike in a westerly direction and the Mountain is out, you have great views of the Mountain during your hike. Hiking near Stony Dome and Stony Hill is also really nice. You can also ask your bus driver at the first rest stop for some ideas. For day trippers, I usually suggest taking the bus to Eielson then getting off on the return to hike. Note that there are no trails in Denali so you just hike on the tundra. Figure on going about 1 mile per hour with trail-less hiking. Bring all your own food and drink, though water is refillable at Eielson.

July 8 see some things near the entrance of Denali NP - the exhibits and film at the visitor center, the sleddog demo (10am), the film at the WAC. Then drive 2 hours to Fairbanks. Maybe afternoon Riverboat Discovery tour (might require leaving a bit earlier in the morning to get to Fairbanks in time).

July 9 Museum of the North in Fairbanks. I am not a big museum person but this one is well worth a visit. See the pipeline display just north of Fairbanks. Drive toward Glenallen. I would stop at Rika's Roadhouse for some great food or pie. Maybe drive a bit further south of the intersection with the Glenn Highway to Copper Center and the Wrangell/St. Elias NP visitor center. Overnight Sheep Mountain Lodge or elsewhere near Palmer?

Note that Avis can know if you drive on prohibited roads (GPS). And it is way too much to do on a day trip, with the risk high for damage to your car, especially the windshield.

July 10 are you interested in hiking on a glacier? Mica and Nova Guides both offer a glacier hike onto Matanuska Glacier. I did it once on Root Glacier (Wrangell/St. Elias NP) and it was great. I would highly recommend it. Then take a leisurely drive back to Anchorage. Arrive at 9pm at the airport for your 11pm flight. Double check with Avis that you can pick up downtown and drop off at the airport for no additional charge.

Not sure about your comment on staying in hostels but not wanting shared baths. Some hostels have private rooms but I don't know of any in Alaska with private bathrooms. I have stayed in the Denali hostel several times and really like it. They have all types of private cabins and yurts but shared baths. McKinley Creekside Cabins is fairly reasonable and the Nordhaven Motel in Healy also has good prices (for Alaska).

Fairbanks has a Holiday Inn and SpringHill Suites that might be reserved with points.

I think that using your extra two nights to spread out your time in each location is a better use of your time than trying to bunch the extra time at the end.

John

Thank you for your response John. I appreciate your description of the hikes. (Not to mention all your previous post in the forum!)

If there is a "full day wildlife+glacier tour" in the afternoon, it would save me some time. (However, Major Marine only show a 10am and 11:30am departure. Are they the defacto standard or are there lots of other options for the similar routes/price?)

Staying at Talkeetna compared to Healy doesn't make sense to me unless the cost is significantly lower. Another factor is when the first "school bus" depart for Denali. If its 9am or later, I mind as well stay in Talkeetna...

I think I will just take with me a bunch of contacts/addresses for Hostels and call them the day of arrival to see if they have "low occupied" rooms for the night. I guess I can live with a shared bathroom. I get up early enough.

I don't think there is a secret GPS tracker in AVIS rental cars, as that would be big news when discovered. (I believe some smaller LV or CA rental agencies did this and suffered backlash). However, since I do worry about getting the car damaged from the unpaved road, I have forgo the idea of driving to the arctic circle...

Since I have lots of points with Holiday Inn, I would prefer to base in ANC/Fairbanks/Seward if at all possible. Other than that one day where I want to be near Denali, thats the plan...

If there is a "full day wildlife+glacier tour" in the afternoon, it would save me some time. (However, Major Marine only show a 10am and 11:30am departure. Are they the defacto standard or are there lots of other options for the similar routes/price?)

These are route trips so all the companies basically follow the same route. Major Marine and Kenai Fjords are the only two companies now. Kenai Fjords has that later 3pm tour that Major Marine doesn't

Staying at Talkeetna compared to Healy doesn't make sense to me unless the cost is significantly lower. Another factor is when the first "school bus" depart for Denali. If its 9am or later, I mind as well stay in Talkeetna...

The first bus trip into the park is usually about 5.30am or 6am. Seward to Anchorage in one day and Anchorage to Denali the next day works OK. But Seward to Denali in one day is pushing it with all the "ifs" on the roads. I am glad you are not planning on that.

I just know that I love hiking in Denali and if I can drive Seward to Talkeetna one day and Talkeetna to Denali the next, I do it. That gives me a good 2 extra hours in the park. For *me* that is crucial. I did it in 2008 and I am planning on doing it again in August 2010. Actually, I am staying at a cabin in Byers Lake, which is even closer to Denali than Talkeetna. Beautiful area but without a sleeping bag it is not a good option (not to mention the cabins fill up VERY quickly for summer travel).

I think I will just take with me a bunch of contacts/addresses for Hostels and call them the day of arrival to see if they have "low occupied" rooms for the night. I guess I can live with a shared bathroom. I get up early enough.

That is exactly my philosophy. I am usually up and out before many people even get up. I was at the Talkeetna Roadhouse last month in a shared bunk room. Only one other person. I never met him. I arrived after he went to bed and I got up and left before he got up. Same at the Spenard Hostel in Anchorage on the same trip.

The Denali Hostel is one of my favorites. Super friendly staff. Great "octagon" shared living room/kitchen/dining room. And it is far enough away from "Glitter Gulch" that you don't feel like you are in the midst of the entire cruise ship industry.

Since I have lots of points with Holiday Inn, I would prefer to base in ANC/Fairbanks/Seward if at all possible. Other than that one day where I want to be near Denali, thats the plan...

That is fine if it works for you. But I personally feel that "basing" oneself in a spot in Alaska is to that person's detriment. The state is just too huge for that. For example, if you try to get from Fairbanks to Anchorage via the Richardson and Glenn Highways (i.e. the "long" or "other" way) all in one day, just to save a few dollars on lodging you will regret it. I am a super frugal traveler. My average trip cost in Alaska including lodging, transportation (car rental and gas), tours, tips, food, everything, is $100/day. But I don't cut corners just to say I have "been there, done that." But it is your trip.

John

Ambitious trip, but it is totally my style, too. I think if you temper your ideas with some of fti's and Chugach's suggestions, you'll have a great time.

Note that Avis can know if you drive on prohibited roads (GPS). And it is way too much to do on a day trip, with the risk high for damage to your car, especially the windshield.

Avis here in Alaska is a locally owned and operated franchise and does not have GPS trackers on its cars.

Ambitious trip, but it is totally my style, too. I think if you temper your ideas with some of fti's and Chugach's suggestions, you'll have a great time.



Avis here in Alaska is a locally owned and operated franchise and does not have GPS trackers on its cars.

Jackel, I'll probably called them soon, but since you're local, can you confirm that the AVIS downtown location (B street and 5th ave) is walking distance from the "train station"? I ask because the Crowne Plaza offers a free shuttle to the downtown train station on 1st street, but they can't give me any more info over the phone...

Here is my updated itinerary and many hours of reading Trip advisory: More questions...in blue.

Sun July 4 arrive 12pm, shuttle to crowne plaza, shuttle to get rental car. Get water/snacks at supermarket Buy sushi from "New Sagaya". See Earthquake park. Go to bed early. (well, early by Alaska time)

Mon 5: 5am depart: drive to Homer (6hr) with a detour in HOPE, then to Seward (5hr). Check in HolidayInn, Do exit glacier -"Harding Icefield trail" (6hr) Yes, I know this is agressive, but physically do-able. I will skip the icefield hike if I get in Seward too late.

Tue 6: sleep in until 9am checkout, take 10am boat tour. drive north to Denali/Healy. Do some local sightseeing if time allows. I can't find cheap hotels/B&B. I'll call around for Hostels when I get there. Or maybe I'll just camp out in my car in some parking lot.

Wed 7: 5am take school bus tour to Wonder Lake (assuming clear day)(9hr), drive on to Fairbanks (3hr) Check into Holiday Inn Fairbanks, drive to Fox to see pipelines. Go to bed early.

Thu 8: 5am checkout, visit Fairbanks area sights: North Pole, then drive to Canadian border just so I can say I've been to Yukon(~6hr) Then Hwy 1 to Glennallen, then south to Valdez (~11hr). stay in Valdez - either Hostel or "car camping". Am I missing anything the drive between Glennallen-Anchorage?

Fri 9: 8am, take slow (5.5hr) ferry from Valdez to Whittier. Drive to ANC.
Anyone taken the ferry and Whittier Glacier cruise/tour comment on whether it is worthwhile to pay another ~$150 for the Whittier cruise after taking the ferry on the same trip, especially considering I would have taken the full day Kenai wildlife cruise...

Sat 10 Rest day or bonus, maybe do the Flattop mountain trail or O'Malley's peak trail near Chugach state park. If I missed the Kenai Ice Field trail, I will do it this day. fly home 11pm.

I acknowledge that July5 and 8 are very long, but physically do-able, and I made plans to make sure the day before/after are "lite days".

Jackel, I'll probably called them soon, but since you're local, can you confirm that the AVIS downtown location (B street and 5th ave) is walking distance from the "train station"? I ask because the Crowne Plaza offers a free shuttle to the downtown train station on 1st street, but they can't give me any more info over the phone...

It's a 5-minute walk up a steep hill. Definitely within walking distance.

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=alaska+railroad+station+anchorage+ak&daddr=441+B+Street,+Anchorage,+AK+99501+(Avis+Rent-A-Car+-+Anchorage+Downtown)&hl=en&geocode=FXwqpgMdfd8Q9yFmPIg9gCr1Wg%3BFWAdpgMdl-4Q9yEZRod2ELeojikLg0JUKJbIVjGSLGRCpYMJDA&mra=ls&dirflg=w&sll=61.219675,-149.888315&sspn=0.003905,0.014194&ie=UTF8&ll=61.219673,-149.888352&spn=0.003905,0.014194&t=h&z=17 (The walking directions are actually slightly wrong, since you can go straight up the stairs up the embankment instead of looping around the west side of the parking lot.)

However, I'm SURE the Crowne Plaza driver would be willing to drop you off at Avis. The CP's shuttle will most likely be coming up A street. If he can't deviate from his route, ask him to drop you off at the corner of 5th and A, which is just a couple hundred feet from Avis.

Also, Dollar, Thrifty, and Enterprise all have courtesy pick-up from area hotels (Enterprise will be closed on Sunday, however). Check with the Crowne Plaza front desk (either now or when you get in) to see if they have any special deals with any rental agencies including courtesy pick-up--you may actually be able to beat your Avis rate this way.

Here is my updated itinerary and many hours of reading Trip advisory: More questions...in blue.

Sun July 4 arrive 12pm, shuttle to crowne plaza, shuttle to get rental car. Get water/snacks at supermarket Buy sushi from "New Sagaya". See Earthquake park. Go to bed early. (well, early by Alaska time)

Mon 5: 5am depart: drive to Homer (6hr) with a detour in HOPE, then to Seward (5hr). Check in HolidayInn, Do exit glacier -"Harding Icefield trail" (6hr) Yes, I know this is agressive, but physically do-able. I will skip the icefield hike if I get in Seward too late.

Tue 6: sleep in until 9am checkout, take 10am boat tour. drive north to Denali/Healy. Do some local sightseeing if time allows. I can't find cheap hotels/B&B. I'll call around for Hostels when I get there. Or maybe I'll just camp out in my car in some parking lot.

Wed 7: 5am take school bus tour to Wonder Lake (assuming clear day)(9hr), drive on to Fairbanks (3hr) Check into Holiday Inn Fairbanks, drive to Fox to see pipelines. Go to bed early.

Thu 8: 5am checkout, visit Fairbanks area sights: North Pole, then drive to Canadian border just so I can say I've been to Yukon(~6hr) Then Hwy 1 to Glennallen, then south to Valdez (~11hr). stay in Valdez - either Hostel or "car camping". Am I missing anything the drive between Glennallen-Anchorage?

Fri 9: 8am, take slow (5.5hr) ferry from Valdez to Whittier. Drive to ANC.
Anyone taken the ferry and Whittier Glacier cruise/tour comment on whether it is worthwhile to pay another ~$150 for the Whittier cruise after taking the ferry on the same trip, especially considering I would have taken the full day Kenai wildlife cruise...

Sat 10 Rest day or bonus, maybe do the Flattop mountain trail or O'Malley's peak trail near Chugach state park. If I missed the Kenai Ice Field trail, I will do it this day. fly home 11pm.

I acknowledge that July5 and 8 are very long, but physically do-able, and I made plans to make sure the day before/after are "lite days".

I am just as much a get-it-all-in person as you (I did 2,200 miles of NV, UT and CO in 5.5 days, seeing all five UT National Parks as well as Great Basin NP in NV, Promontory Point NHS, the Kennecott/Bingham Canyon copper mine, Colorado NM, and even to the top of Pike's Peak), but I would still recommend cutting Homer out of the 5th. I say this having just gone down to Homer in March with a group of 10 other FlyerTalkers. Homer's appeal is NOT the scenery (though it is nice, especially by Outside standards) but rather the funky, leisurely art-town climate. The best thing to do in Homer is to book a waterfront condo at Land's End Resort, relax, and enjoy the view over the water. Otherwise, the scenery is quite boring all the way until you get to Homer, and then you have a brief glimpse of a scene over the bay before diving down into the town itself. I'd much rather spend the extra time in Seward, which is nestled in the impressive fjord with lush, green, almost rainforesty vegetation.

If you're convinced that you want to see both and will have time to do everything you want to do, go for it, but I just think there's more value in Seward than Homer.

As for July 8, it's a nice drive from Glennallen to Anchorage, but it pales in comparison to the scenery from Glennallen to Valdez (Thompson Pass) and the ferry ride. By all means, do the ferry instead. It's definitely worth doing over the drive.

And as for doing a glacier cruise after the ferry: if your Seward plans involve one of the full-day cruises that goes out into the National Park and sees a glacier, not just one of the short Resurrection Bay cruises, then definitely not. Otherwise, maybe. The ferry used to get up really close to Columbia Glacier (a huge glacier the size of the Los Angeles basin), but the Prince William Sound cruise companies complained to the state that it was harming their bookings, so the state retreated and doesn't go inside the bay anymore. (This happened about 10 years ago, though, so maybe they've come to a compromise since then.) So if you really have your heart set on seeing a glacier, you'll probably need to do either a cruise out of Seward or out of Whittier, although doing both would get a bit redundant (not entirely, but I wouldn't say it's worth the cost of doing two on the same trip).

Thank you for your advice and encouragements Jackel.

I will do Homer because it is a significant city in the area and it physically fit in my itinerary...

After even more reading the last 2 days, I am feeling Denali NP is not as interesting as I hope. Many people are reporting the bus ride as not being very interesting... Animal sighting being few and far away...(some would say they saw many more animals biking on the Anchorage costal trail or even just driving out of the city on an early morning!) I guess I'll play it by ear. If the weather is not good, I'll turn around before getting to Wonder Lake...My main interest really is just to see Mt. McKinley (Mt. Denali)

Question regarding rental car and "car-camping":

Do you think damage from road or animals (bear scratching at the doors) is common? I wonder if I need to get damage insurance for the rental car.

Also, I am thinking of "car-camping" near Denali and in Valdez. I may have some cookies/potato chips/bread in the trunk. How safe would I be sleeping in a parking lot outside a hotel or in a RV park? Any suggestions on a safe/quiet spot?

After even more reading the last 2 days, I am feeling Denali NP is not as interesting as I hope. Many people are reporting the bus ride as not being very interesting... Animal sighting being few and far away...(some would say they saw many more animals biking on the Anchorage costal trail or even just driving out of the city on an early morning!) I guess I'll play it by ear. If the weather is not good, I'll turn around before getting to Wonder Lake...My main interest really is just to see Mt. McKinley (Mt. Denali)

I've done the bus in as far as Eielson Visitor Center and would definitely say it's worthwhile. It is the only place I've ever been in Alaska where I've seen a mama and baby bear close up, despite living here 15 years. You also see different wildlife there than you do in or near Anchorage (caribou don't come south of the Alaska Range, for example). It was interesting enough that I'm planning on taking a group of FlyerTalkers up there to do that bus ride again at the end of August.

Question regarding rental car and "car-camping":

Do you think damage from road or animals (bear scratching at the doors) is common? I wonder if I need to get damage insurance for the rental car.

Also, I am thinking of "car-camping" near Denali and in Valdez. I may have some cookies/potato chips/bread in the trunk. How safe would I be sleeping in a parking lot outside a hotel or in a RV park? Any suggestions on a safe/quiet spot?

I have never heard of any issues with bear scratches on rental cars, but I will say that Alaska has more potential road hazards than most other places in the U.S. I have personally hit a moose and have had two windshields replaced (before I finally gave up and am currently happily living with a giant crack in my windshield, like most other Alaskans I know). All I will say is that I always get the coverage when I rent a car here.

I've camped in campgrounds and slept in the car many places across Alaska with food in the car and have never had issues.

After even more reading the last 2 days, I am feeling Denali NP is not as interesting as I hope. Many people are reporting the bus ride as not being very interesting... Animal sighting being few and far away...

Many people? On Trip Advisor I find it is just the opposite. But I am not sure where you are finding the "many people" who report the bus ride into Denali is not very interesting. I take the bus about 3-5 round trips every time I go to Denali. Last year I was in the park for 6 nights, 4 of which were at Wonder Lake and I took the bus 5 different days. Excellent wildlife sightings. I find Denali WAY more interesting than Homer for an hour or less!

And with all honesty, all I can say is I am glad I will be in another part of AK during your stay. I would not want to be near you on the road. For example, it could easily take you 10-12 hours from Seward to Denali in one day (you can find those reports, even from AK residents, on Trip Advisor).

You will be able to find sushi in a couple of places relatively close to the airport. The first is Carrs at Minnesota and Benson. Carrs is a local super market that has been in Alaska since the 1950's. Carrs is open 24 hours.
The second is called New Sagaya Market. New Sagaya has two locations: one close to downtown north of Carrs and the other is east of Carrs at the corner of the Old Seward Highway and 36th Avenue. New Sagaya is filled with fresh foods that are amazing!

You will be able to find sushi in a couple of places relatively close to the airport. The first is Carrs at Minnesota and Benson. Carrs is a local super market that has been in Alaska since the 1950's. Carrs is open 24 hours.
The second is called New Sagaya Market. New Sagaya has two locations: one close to downtown north of Carrs and the other is east of Carrs at the corner of the Old Seward Highway and 36th Avenue. New Sagaya is filled with fresh foods that are amazing!
Carrs was sadly bought out by Safeway a few years ago, but the employees have fought hard to retain at least some small semblance of the locally owned store it used to be.

That said, there is also a sushi counter at the Carrs on Abbott.

I'd for sure hit up New Sagaya or City Market (the New Sagaya branch downtown) over Carrs, though.

Tue 6: sleep in until 9am checkout, take 10am boat tour. drive north to Denali/Healy. Do some local sightseeing if time allows. I can't find cheap hotels/B&B. I'll call around for Hostels when I get there. Or maybe I'll just camp out in my car in some parking lot.

My guess is you won't need lodging near Denali. 10am Kenai Fjords tour won't get you back to Seward until later that afternoon. So you won't get to Denali until well after midnight. With a 5am shuttle bus (not bus "tour"), just sleep in your car at the WAC but be sure to set an alarm so you don't miss the bus.

And wow, what a difference in itineraries between what you are planning and the one in this thread for the exact same dates.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alaska/1090740-car-rental-must-advised-7-nights-8-days-alaska.html

chunky, if you're still following this thread: do the denali bus ride! Truly a highllight of the trip (just back this morning). I do think who you happen to get for a driver makes a huge difference. We had a woman named Wendy going out, another driver coming back. Saw many animals, and had a nearly non-stop fascinating narrative all the way to Eilson (sp?) visitor center. I wanted to go back with her, but we ended up getting off the bus. Our second driver, no kidding, lapped her on the way back. No narrative, no animal sightings. The good thing was it was a camper bus and we got to talk with some very interesting hikers, climbers, kayakers. I doubt you can book with Wendy, but if she's working, maybe you can get off your bus and on to hers if your driver isn't much fun. (They don't have to do anything but drive.)

Budget tips: fill tank in Wasilla. Check gas price at Talkeetna junction. Yesterday it was the same price as Wasilla and Anchorage, much higher elsewhere up the road, up to $.50/gal higher. You could refill at Talkeetna both ways if price still holding. There's a hundred mile or so stretch from Cantwell to Trappers * (maybe junction? two word town) coming back toward Anchorage, with no fuel,then another 5 or 10 miles to the Tesoro station at Talkeetna turn off.

Try to eat grocery food instead of restaurant food a couple meals a day. I didn't go that far, but two of us easily spent $100/day on meals, many of which were mediocre. I was really worried about carrying food and water into the park as there is no food or water for sale on the road. BUT, the bus station area has a snack bar with coffee/expresso, plenty of options for the bus, as well as gear, so don't spend a lot of time or mental energy gathering up lunch. You can refill your water bottle at Eilson VC, and they actually have flush toilets there. In fact there are porta-potties along the road, so, ladies especially, if you've been fretting over using a tiny tundra bush for a pit stop, worry no more.

Get a good map. Frommers 2010's pullout map is useless, the area maps better. None of the hotel maps, the rental car map, or the Frommers area maps showed the route out of Anchorage. (It's 6th Avenue, just head toward the mountains and it turns into highway 3). I was amazed at how little park information, maps, etc was available at Denali's bookstore. Maybe I missed the section. I did buy an interesting booklet: Denali Road Guide by Kris Capps. $6.95


In Anchorage, don't park in the pay lots. You can pay $1.00/hr at Penney's, or feed the meter on the streets. In the lots, you have a choice of $5 or $10 for up to 2 or 4 hours, respectively. Of course, 3 hours would have been perfect at the Alaska Museum, but we had to rush as they threaten truly draconean repercussions if you're late.


In Seward, Major Marine has a new high speed Catamaran that can get you out to the glacier on the 1130 6 hour ride. If budgeting, skip the so-so $19 buffet and bring a sandwich and brownie. Bar available and a few snacks.

I want to thank you for your original post since it was most helpful to me to read the great advice you got before my trip.

chunky, if you're still following this thread: do the denali bus ride! Truly a highllight of the trip (just back this morning). I do think who you happen to get for a driver makes a huge difference. We had a woman named Wendy going out, another driver coming back. Saw many animals, and had a nearly non-stop fascinating narrative all the way to Eilson (sp?) visitor center. I wanted to go back with her, but we ended up getting off the bus. Our second driver, no kidding, lapped her on the way back. No narrative, no animal sightings. The good thing was it was a camper bus and we got to talk with some very interesting hikers, climbers, kayakers. I doubt you can book with Wendy, but if she's working, maybe you can get off your bus and on to hers if your driver isn't much fun. (They don't have to do anything but drive.)

The camper bus drivers generally are not as talkative as the shuttle bus drivers. But the camper buses are generally far less crowded. But some of the drivers of the camper buses are very talkative - Alan, Scott, Gary and Mona for example. And as you said, you can always hop off one bus and on to another.

Budget tips: fill tank in Wasilla. Check gas price at Talkeetna junction. Yesterday it was the same price as Wasilla and Anchorage, much higher elsewhere up the road, up to $.50/gal higher. You could refill at Talkeetna both ways if price still holding. There's a hundred mile or so stretch from Cantwell to Trappers * (maybe junction? two word town) coming back toward Anchorage, with no fuel,then another 5 or 10 miles to the Tesoro station at Talkeetna turn off.

It really depends. Last time I was on the Parks Highway, it was about the same price the entire way from Anchorage to Denali except in Cantwell. Once the station at the Talkeetna Junction was CHEAPER than Fairbanks. So you just never know.

Try to eat grocery food instead of restaurant food a couple meals a day. I didn't go that far, but two of us easily spent $100/day on meals, many of which were mediocre. I was really worried about carrying food and water into the park as there is no food or water for sale on the road. BUT, the bus station area has a snack bar with coffee/expresso, plenty of options for the bus, as well as gear, so don't spend a lot of time or mental energy gathering up lunch.

Good point. I actually rarely eat out when I travel in AK. When I camp, I have a grill and cook my own meals. Make my own picnic lunches. I find that I get by eating very well on $10/day (almost all grocery-bought meals, usually 1 meal out).

Get a good map. Frommers 2010's pullout map is useless, the area maps better. None of the hotel maps, the rental car map, or the Frommers area maps showed the route out of Anchorage. (It's 6th Avenue, just head toward the mountains and it turns into highway 3). I was amazed at how little park information, maps, etc was available at Denali's bookstore. Maybe I missed the section. I did buy an interesting booklet: Denali Road Guide by Kris Capps. $6.95

Few maps of Denali except the topo maps available. Without trails, there is not much to map! But an excellent guidebook for hiking in Denali is the book by Ike Waits. Kind of the Bible for hiking in Denali.

For Alaska, I rarely use a map. So few roads. Many east-west roads in Anchorage lead to Muldoon that heads out of town.

In Seward, Major Marine has a new high speed Catamaran that can get you out to the glacier on the 1130 6 hour ride. If budgeting, skip the so-so $19 buffet and bring a sandwich and brownie. Bar available and a few snacks.

For someone on a budget, one of the best ideas is to buy a coupon book to get a bunch of tours 2-for-1. But with the OP's itinerary, he hardly has time for many tours.

I doubt you can book with Wendy, but if she's working, maybe you can get off your bus and on to hers if your driver isn't much fun. (They don't have to do anything but drive.)

Don't forget our very own Seat 2A on FlyerTalk is more infamous for being a Denali driver. If you get him, I understand you're in for a treat.

Trappers * (maybe junction? two word town) coming back toward Anchorage, with no fuel,then another 5 or 10 miles to the Tesoro station at Talkeetna turn off.

Trapper Creek, probably.

Try to eat grocery food instead of restaurant food a couple meals a day. I didn't go that far, but two of us easily spent $100/day on meals, many of which were mediocre.

In Anchorage and Fairbanks, there is plenty (even avoiding fast food) to eat for under $10 per meal. Outside of the bigger cities, it's not quite as easy, but most roadhouses will have burgers and sandwiches for probably $15 total (with a soda and tip). If you're going between Denali and Fairbanks, stop at the Monderosa Bar just north of Nenana--probably the best burger in the state.

Anchorage (and even Fairbanks) has some world-class cuisine, though, and if you have a few extra dollars, it's definitely worth splurging on a meal or two. Check out Simon and Seafort's, Orso, Glacier BrewHouse, Kincaid Grill, Jens, Southside Bistro, Moose's Tooth, and Bear Tooth. Even a good meal at most of those won't set you back more than $30 (maybe $50 with drinks and tip at Simon's or Orso).

(It's 6th Avenue, just head toward the mountains and it turns into highway 3).

Highway 3? What's "Highway 3"? Never heard of such a road. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Highway) ;)

In Anchorage, don't park in the pay lots. You can pay $1.00/hr at Penney's, or feed the meter on the streets. In the lots, you have a choice of $5 or $10 for up to 2 or 4 hours, respectively. Of course, 3 hours would have been perfect at the Alaska Museum, but we had to rush as they threaten truly draconean repercussions if you're late.

I'm actually not sure what the Penney's garage charges (I'll take your word that it's $1/hour), but the transit center garage (owned and operated by the Municipality) is only a couple blocks west (on 6th between H and G), and I know for sure it only charges $1/hour. The 5th Avenue Mall garage (on 5th between B and C) is also not unreasonable (it's also operated by the Muni, if I recall correctly), but I probably use it once a year. Both of the the Muni-operated garages are MUCH better deals than the Diamond Parking-operated surface lots.

Don't forget our very own Seat 2A on FlyerTalk is more infamous for being a Denali driver. If you get him, I understand you're in for a treat.
So can you or Seat 2A tell us how to reserve tickets on a bus with a particular driver? It really makes an incredible difference.


Anchorage (and even Fairbanks) has some world-class cuisine, though, and if you have a few extra dollars, it's definitely worth splurging on a meal or two. Check out Simon and Seafort's, Orso, Glacier BrewHouse, Kincaid Grill, Jens, Southside Bistro, Moose's Tooth, and Bear Tooth. Even a good meal at most of those won't set you back more than $30 (maybe $50 with drinks and tip at Simon's or Orso).
Agree, Moose's Tooth (and Snow city Cafe) best meals we had.


Highway 3? What's "Highway 3"? Never heard of such a road. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Highway) ;)

I told you the Frommer's pull out map was useless, lol. But that is supposedly the state highway # for the road from Anchorage to Denali, per that map.


I'm actually not sure what the Penney's garage charges (I'll take your word that it's $1/hour), but the transit center garage (owned and operated by the Municipality) is only a couple blocks west (on 6th between H and G), and I know for sure it only charges $1/hour. The 5th Avenue Mall garage (on 5th between B and C) is also not unreasonable (it's also operated by the Muni, if I recall correctly), but I probably use it once a year. Both of the the Muni-operated garages are MUCH better deals than the Diamond Parking-operated surface lots.
I could possibly be mistaken--driving around looking for parking, saw $1.00/hour, and was near Penney's, but may have been one you mentioned.

So can you or Seat 2A tell us how to reserve tickets on a bus with a particular driver? It really makes an incredible difference.

I don't think you can. Furthermore, the drivers themselves are not on a set schedule--they bid and bump on and off of schedules all the time. Most don't even know what days--much less which specific bus--they're going to work until a week or even a few days before they go.