Alaska - Extremely short trip to ANC : Aug 15 - Aug 17

Thanks to UA's cheap Tware, I managed to squeeze in a short short trip to ANC in the midst of a crazy schedule.

SFO - ANC, UA0806, 15th August
Leave SFO: 03:45PM
Arrive ANC: 07:36PM

ANC - SFO, UA0565, 17th August
Leave ANC: 02:08PM
Arrive SFO: 07:55PM.

Seeing that I only have 1 full complete day in ANC and a night as well as a morning in ANC, how best would you spend it?

My GF would love a cruise to see some glaciers, so I would definitely try and fit in a cruise - probably this one. http://www.kenaifjords.com/kenai-nationalpark.html (Probably the 11:30am cruise, so I can drive down in the morning maybe leaving at 6am or something).

My questions would be.

1. What do you recommend for the 1st night in ANC. Will there be much to explore in the city by the time i get to the city? (maybe 9pm, renting a car).

2. Would you forgo the cruise totally and perhaps just drive up and spend the 2 nights at Denali national park? This tour seems good for the 2nd day. http://www.alaskatravel.com/denali-park/kantishna-bus-tour.html. Perhaps we could book a nice lodge and spend 2 nights at the Denali and then drive back early to ANC on 17th morning to spend 3-4 hours in the city before returning the car at the airport.

Thanks for your advice!

My GF would love a cruise to see some glaciers, so I would definitely try and fit in a cruise - probably this one. http://www.kenaifjords.com/kenai-nationalpark.html (Probably the 11:30am cruise, so I can drive down in the morning maybe leaving at 6am or something).

Cruises out of Seward are primarily known for spectacular wildlife (whales, dolphins, birds, etc.); some of the full-day cruises (which the 11:30am catamaran cruise you mentioned would be) do hit glaciers kind of as an afterthought. Conversely, if you are specifically interested in glaciers, the cruises out of Whittier feature those primarily with some wildlife thrown in. You may want to do Whittier instead of Seward if you are primarily looking for ice.

1. What do you recommend for the 1st night in ANC. Will there be much to explore in the city by the time i get to the city? (maybe 9pm, renting a car).

Fortunately, due to the long days (although they are a touch shorter in August than June), people stay out in Alaska late. The streets are teeming with tourists (and even some locals) until well past 10pm. That said, there aren't a ton of things to do in Anchorage at night after most of the attractions (the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Anchorage Museum, etc.) are closed, and our nightlife pales in comparison to most cities you're used to. I myself am a fan of nighttime hikes (since I get off work at 2am--I'll say sunrise from Flattop Mountain in South Anchorage is a truly magical experience), but you'll probably want to not spend a lot of time out hiking if you're going to get up early and head out of town.

There are a couple of iconic bars in Anchorage that you might be interested in visiting: Humpy's (great halibut, too) and Chilkoot Charlie's. But honestly, since I'd rather hike than drink (strange for a FlyerTalker, I know! :D), I'm not an expert in the nightlife scene. Perhaps others can contribute.

2. Would you forgo the cruise totally and perhaps just drive up and spend the 2 nights at Denali national park? This tour seems good for the 2nd day. http://www.alaskatravel.com/denali-park/kantishna-bus-tour.html. Perhaps we could book a nice lodge and spend 2 nights at the Denali and then drive back early to ANC on 17th morning to spend 3-4 hours in the city before returning the car at the airport.

They're two very different trips and, IMO, both worth doing. It's ultimately your choice on what you want to see: water, glaciers, and sea life or rocks, flowers, and bears/caribou/moose, etc. The former is perhaps a more mild introduction to Alaska and is more consistent (you're virtually guaranteed to see amazing things), whereas the second is a bit more wild (a LONG bus ride into the park!) and has the potential to be hit or miss--stunning mountain views and close-up encounters with huge grizzly bears or clouds obscuring the peak and perhaps not even seeing as much as a squirrel.

I too think with the glacier emphasis that taking the Prince William Sound tour would be wiser. I can even mail you a 2-for-1 coupon for the Major Marine tour in Whittier if you want (call them first to see if they still have room on 16 Aug for the Northern Lights coupon). Then PM me with your address. And it is much closer than Seward to boot. And the drive along Turnagain Arm is incredibly scenic.

I really don't think you have enough time to do justice to Denali. If you left at 9pm for Denali, you would not arrive until 1-2am. Then the best option is a shuttle bus (NOT a tour) to Wonder Lake or Eielson. But that takes 8-10 hours. The shuttle costs <$50, the "tour" costs $159! Same road, same animals, same scenery. Then you really need to drive back to Anchorage that evening or very early on 17 Aug, since it is a +-5 hour drive back and you should be at the airport 2 hours before departure in the summer to return the car, check in, go through security, etc. Driving back from Denali the morning of the 17th and having time to spend in Anchorage means you don't realize how far Denali is from Anchorage! And you never know if the only road between Denali and Anchorage might be closed due to construction, mudslides, accidents, etc. I never try to drive from Denali to Anchorage on my departure day until I am on an evening flight.

I would spend both nights in Anchorage (or maybe Girdwood). Then the morning of your flight spend time in the city - depending on your interests it could be museums, the Native Heritage Center, bicycling on the coastal trail, a hike in the Chugach Mountains, maybe a visit to Wasilla/Independence Mine/Palmer area? Lots of options.

John

I pretty much agree with the assessment of fti in the previous post. 1½ days does not leave much time for going to Seward and an all-day cruise) or Denali. A drive toward Girdwood and Prince William Sound would allow you to see some amazing scenery along Turnagain Arm and would also allow a brief stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center http://www.alaskawildlife.org and a cruise with plenty of glaciers. The 26 Glacier Cruise http://www.26glaciers.com is another one and some discounts (AAA, Alaska Air, military, perhaps others) are offered, but only if you ask. They do not volunteer this info. As previously mentioned, the Alaska Native Heritage Center http://www.alaskanative.net/en/home is another worthwhile stop and requires approximately two hours.

Another option might be to combine the Prince William Sound cruise with an overnight in Seward, but substituting a 2-hour stop at the Alaska SeaLife Center http://www.alaskasealife.org instead of the Kenai Fjords cruise.

There are several companies offering the Prince William Sound cruises.

26 Glaciers allows you to see more glaciers, but they don't spend as much time at any one so you are less likely to see calving (the ice breaking off).

Major Marine tends to spend more time at one glacier so you can see the calving.

This photo was taken in Tracy Arm near Juneau, but it shows how incredible the calving *can* be (our captain said that what we saw was "once a month" calving).

http://picasaweb.google.com/johnn.photos/AlaskaJuneJuly2010SoutheastAlaska#5500577188666039 522

Besides the ice that is falling in the middle, the two pieces in the foreground calved a short while before I took the photo.

Wow guys! Thanks for the great tips. I guess Denali is probably out the question (and I don't want to drive like a mad man on second thoughts) so a cruise and some hiking around the ANC area might be a good idea :) Also looking forward to experience some of ANC's best restaurants/pubs. Once I have a better itinerary, I will post it up for the benefit of those who are doing this MR too :)

Thanks guys.

I pretty much agree with the assessment of fti in the previous post. 1½ days does not leave much time for going to Seward and an all-day cruise) or Denali.

Doing one of the all-day cruises (or at least the 6-hour catamaran cruise) in Seward as a day trip makes for a long day but is definitely feasible. Flyertalkers BOB W and SeeYa did just that last weekend. Still, take into consideration some of the other suggestions before planning on that.

Wow guys! Thanks for the great tips. I guess Denali is probably out the question (and I don't want to drive like a mad man on second thoughts) so a cruise and some hiking around the ANC area might be a good idea :) Also looking forward to experience some of ANC's best restaurants/pubs. Once I have a better itinerary, I will post it up for the benefit of those who are doing this MR too :)

Thanks guys.

Check out this thread for some tips on area restaurants: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alaska/1095092-good-value-anc-restaurants.html

jyflyer - I did a similiar trip last weekend to ANC.
I would agree with the others that doing a cruise rather than going to Denali would be the best way to spend your short time there. Whittier is worth looking into because of distance. I was looking at the same website you were for Seward but ended up going to Whittier when I looked at the weather the night before. I chose Whittier because the weather was calling for rain and I had read that the cruises from Whittier were a little better for inclimate weather. I had booked another weekend trip to ANC in August and have the luxury of making it to Seward at that time.

Maybe this will help give you an idea on what you can accomplish on your short trip....
I arrived at ANC at 11pm stayed in Anchorage. Up the next morning and drove to Whittier. I made the 10:30am tunnel opening to get me to Whittier. I was then able to walk up and buy a ticket on the Prince William Sound Glarcier 6 hour Cruise that left at 11am - I cut it close (or perfectly) with my times. On the cruise we saw sea otters, eagles, seals, dolphins, and some fishermen pulling in their haul of salmon. We did get to see some calving on Suprise Glacier but we were only able to see the bottom section of the glacier due to rain/low clouds. Even with the weather not being the best it was still worth the trip. I was one of the first ones off the boat and made the 5pm tunnel opening.
From there I stopped at the visitor center near Portage and then drove to Kenai.

I realize that you would not be driving to Kenai but if you had time the drive on Highway 1 south towards Seward it was amazing for mountain scenery. If you are only able to make it to Whittier and had the time maybe you could drive to where the road forks off to go to Hope or where the road splits off to go to Seward and you could turn around from either of those points for a return to Anchorage.

If you do go to Whittier there is a tunnel that only allows 1 lane of traffic. The tunnel opens at 7am. To get from Bear Valley to Whittier the first opening is at 7:30 - 7:45 am
and it keeps repeating every hour after that (the next one is at 8:30). There is probably a web site with the schedule and the toll amount - I think it was around $10. I picked up a schedule at the information desk at the airport.

Hope that helps. Have a great AK trip.

If you do go to Whittier there is a tunnel that only allows 1 lane of traffic. The tunnel opens at 7am. To get from Bear Valley to Whittier the first opening is at 7:30 - 7:45 am
and it keeps repeating every hour after that (the next one is at 8:30). There is probably a web site with the schedule and the toll amount - I think it was around $10. I picked up a schedule at the information desk at the airport.

Info on the tunnel:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Anderson_Memorial_Tunnel
http://www.google.com/images?q=anton+anderson+memorial+tunnel&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=JGxWTJbUGYzUtQOA_-HaAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=5&ved=0CEMQsAQwBA&biw=1680&bih=884
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/schedule.shtml
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/tolls.shtml

Also, check this site out for a comparison:

http://alaska.org/glaciers/glaciers.htm
http://alaska.org/glaciers/advice-kenai-fjords-vs-prince-william.htm

And realize with the Kenai Fjords cruises from Seward, if the Gulf of Alaska waters are too rough, they will shorten the cruise to a Resurrection Bay cruise (less wildlife and no calving glacier). Though that is decent, you basically cut your time on the water by 2 hours or more. With Prince William Sound cruises, I have never heard of them being cut short.

I actually have an even shorter trip and would really appreciate some ideas. I'm flying in at 1:30pm on August 14th and leaving at 8:15pm on August 15th. I am most interested in Denali and hiking.

My plan was to hang out in downtown Anchorage until about 6 and then drive up to Talkeetna and overnight there. I was going to head towards Denali State Park early in the morning and was hoping to find a good 3-5 hour hike and head back to Anchorage to catch my flight. I'm really just looking for a good hike with Mt McKinley as the backdrop so I can say that I've seen it.

From the postings above it appears this plan may be doomed to fail. Is this an ill advised plan? Can anyone recommend a great hike that might be more doable? It doesn't necessary have to be near Denali.

Look to hikes in the area of Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage. There is some really nice stuff around there.

I actually have an even shorter trip and would really appreciate some ideas. I'm flying in at 1:30pm on August 14th and leaving at 8:15pm on August 15th. I am most interested in Denali and hiking.

My plan was to hang out in downtown Anchorage until about 6 and then drive up to Talkeetna and overnight there. I was going to head towards Denali State Park early in the morning and was hoping to find a good 3-5 hour hike and head back to Anchorage to catch my flight. I'm really just looking for a good hike with Mt McKinley as the backdrop so I can say that I've seen it.

From the postings above it appears this plan may be doomed to fail. Is this an ill advised plan? Can anyone recommend a great hike that might be more doable? It doesn't necessary have to be near Denali.

Honestly I think you don't have enough time for Denali NP, as I think you realize.

Your plan to drive to Talkeetna might be a good one. Then the morning of Aug 15 drive another hour or so north (mile 147 of the Parks Highway) to Byers Lake. There is a nice loop trail called the Byers Lake Loop Trail (how innovative!). 2-3 hours and about 5 miles. More info here:

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/denali2.htm

Don't forget to see the Veterans Memorial right near there too.

I am planning on doing that hike about a week after you will be there. You can also branch off that loop a little if you want (more info on that link too). So start at 8am to Byers Lake, arrive by 9am, figure 3 hours of hiking until noon, 3 hours back to Anchorage is 3pm. You still have +-3 hours to spare.

If it were me, I would take Aug 14th and drive south of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. Just a beautiful drive, with Potter Marsh (look for moose), Girdwood (also some nice hiking near here), Wildlife Conservation Center and Begich Boggs (Portage Glacier) visitor center. Then drive to Talkeetna after that.

That leave the 3 hours on Aug 15th to spend in Anchorage. I would feel better being in Anchorage early for the flight and sightseeing in the city that day vs. pushing it and being held up on the roads due to construction, accidents, etc.

Let's hope that Mt. McKinley is "out" when you are there.

Also, Talkeetna is a great place to also see the mountain if it is out. There is a pullout just before you get into town on your left. Also can be seen from a couple of places in town too. And if you want a nice breakfast in Talkeetna before starting out on your hike, stop by the Talkeetna Roadhouse. It is a real classic. A half portion of any of their breakfasts will feed one person or more.

There is a small supermarket at Mile 99 of the Parks Highway just as you turn toward Talkeetna. I have never been in it so I don't know how big of a selection they have or how much it costs. So you might want to stop in Anchorage or Wasilla for some supplies for your hike (water, snacks, etc).

John

Look to hikes in the area of Turnagain Arm south of Anchorage. There is some really nice stuff around there.

We were typing at the same time. Good hikes, but no view of Mt. McKinley, which is the poster's desire. I still suggest both Turnagain Arm and Byers Lake/Talkeetna.

We were typing at the same time. Good hikes, but no view of Mt. McKinley, which is the poster's desire. I still suggest both Turnagain Arm and Byers Lake/Talkeetna.

FTI and Penny, thanks for all the great input. In your opinion do you think it would be better for me to scrap the Byers Lake/Talkeetna plan and just spend the day on the 15th driving and hiking around Turnagain Arm? Do you think all the driving and rushing around may not be worth it? Any specific hikes you can recommend in Turnagain Arm/Anchorage area? Looking for moderate difficulty with great scenery and preferably no hungry bears:eek:.

I did really want to see Mt McKinley but it sounds like that might is not a guarantee if it's not "showing". I'll just have to come back to spend more time in order to do Denali National Park next time. I think I'd rather have a more relaxed time on this "taste" of Alaska trip.

FTI and Penny, thanks for all the great input. In your opinion do you think it would be better for me to scrap the Byers Lake/Talkeetna plan and just spend the day on the 15th driving and hiking around Turnagain Arm? Do you think all the driving and rushing around may not be worth it? Any specific hikes you can recommend in Turnagain Arm/Anchorage area? Looking for moderate difficulty with great scenery and preferably no hungry bears:eek:.

I did really want to see Mt McKinley but it sounds like that might is not a guarantee if it's not "showing". I'll just have to come back to spend more time in order to do Denali National Park next time. I think I'd rather have a more relaxed time on this "taste" of Alaska trip.

It is a tough decision. If it were *me*, I would do both. Turnagain Arm is really nice, but Talkeetna and Byers Lake area are really nice too. You have >24 hours and can easily do both if you want.

If you limited yourself to just along Turnagain Arm, you have several options for hiking. Here is a good link to hikes:

http://www.alaskahikesearch.com/search_hikes.htm

Near Alyeska in Girdwood are a couple of nice trails. Winner Creek comes to mind. Bird Ridge and Bird Creek are also in that area (also listed on that site).

And remember, with an evening, a morning and the better part of an entire day, your chances increase of seeing Mt. McKinley. If you stay in Talkeetna, get up at 2-3am and look outside. It is very possible that the Mountain is visible in the middle of the night, then clouds over again by 7-9am. You should be there today:

http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/webcams/parks/denacam/denacam.cfm

Absolutely gorgeous day with no clouds!

It is a tough decision. If it were *me*, I would do both. Turnagain Arm is really nice, but Talkeetna and Byers Lake area are really nice too. You have >24 hours and can easily do both if you want.



I'm going for both then. The link to the picture of the the mountain sold me. Beautiful!

My only issue is I was planning on picking up the rental car at 6 and dropping it off at 6 before my flight so as to keep it as a one day rental instead of paying a whole day's rental for 4 more hours. After all rental cars are $$$$ in Alaska, yes I'm cheap. Maybe I'll go for 3:00 to 3:00 instead on the rental car. I can drop it off early and head into downtown via bus or cab or skip it altogether. I'm going for the nature anyways.

I'm going for both then. The link to the picture of the the mountain sold me. Beautiful!

That is the main reason I tent camp at Wonder Lake when I go to Denali. The stats say that something like only 30% of the visitors get to see Mt. McKinley on their trips. I have seen it every trip except 1 (have 7 trips to Denali NP). But I spend time - multiple night trips, getting up in the middle of the night to see if it is visible, etc.

The Mountain cam is from Wonder Lake in Denali NP but the view from Talkeetna and Byers Lake/vicinity is great too. There is a "South Denali Viewpoint" pullout about Mile 134 of the Parks Highway worth stopping at if the Mountain is "out."

My only issue is I was planning on picking up the rental car at 6 and dropping it off at 6 before my flight so as to keep it as a one day rental instead of paying a whole day's rental for 4 more hours. After all rental cars are $$$$ in Alaska, yes I'm cheap. Maybe I'll go for 3:00 to 3:00 instead on the rental car. I can drop it off early and head into downtown via bus or cab or skip it altogether. I'm going for the nature anyways.

I would definitely get the car earlier and return it earlier if you have to. I am a very frugal traveler, but honestly, to maximize your time, I think the extra day of car rental will be WELL worth it if it comes to that with your very short time frame. Try picking up at the airport and dropping off in town with Avis. Probably no extra charge and maybe Avis will even keep your luggage for a few hours (call them to ask). Then you just need a cab one-way from downtown to the airport. Or pick up and drop off in town (avoiding the airport surcharges) but that doesn't look to save you much $$ actually, at least not enough to make it worth it when figuring the taxi cost to get there.

If you are going to return the car to the airport to stay within 24 hours, then pay +-$20 each way from airport to downtown to airport for a cab on Aug 15th, you might as well pay the extra $90 for the car (i.e. $50 more than two cab rides) and have the convenience. Otherwise, what will you do with your luggage? Storage at the airport but that also costs $$.

go to seward; do glacier cruise; dine at the salmon bake; have lots of fun

I've hiked around the Turnagain Arm area over many decades. I do have my favorite places. There are some good maps of hikes if you do some GOOGLE work. Look for 'Turnagain Arm hikes', 'Girdword hikes', 'Portgage Glacier hikes' and even 'Cache Creek hikes'.

I have seen bears in all those areas, but I worry more about danger from moose, especially moose mothers with a calf or 2 than from bears.

I have also spent much time watching the bore tide in Turnagain.

Further down the road is Exit Glacier which is near the road to Seward, but that is less interesting in my own opinion.

If the mountain is out, you can sometimes see Denali from downtown Anchorage, but you have to know where to look.

You have to decide what you want to do. I really don't think driving to Seward is wise. I love the Kenai Fjords cruise (it is not a glacier cruise, but it does stop at a glacier). The glacier cruises are from Whittier into Prince William Sound. But you would need to drive on your arrival day to Seward, take the 8am cruise that lasts until 2pm then drive back to Anchorage for your evening flight. Definitely >1 day car rental in this case and a lot of driving. Plus, if the Gulf of Alaska waters are rough, they cut the cruise to one staying in the bay (4-5 hours). Not bad, but certainly not worth the 6 hour round trip drive in good conditions (no accidents on the road for example) and no chance of seeing calving glaciers if the boat stays in the bay.

All the hikes along the Turnagain Arm are listed in my link above - you just need to poke around that site. Only you can decide if you want to hike there or where you might have a chance of seeing Mt. McKinley.

And if you keep the car rental to 24 hours, there are some things you can do near the airport - Lake Hood is walking distance from the terminal. The busiest floatplane base in the world. The Aviation Museum is in that area and Earthquake Park is on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, a short cab ride away from the airport (or if you have 3 hours, you can walk to all of those).

In any case, you will have to plan another trip to Alaska!

You have to decide what you want to do. I really don't think driving to Seward is wise. I love the Kenai Fjords cruise (it is not a glacier cruise, but it does stop at a glacier). The glacier cruises are from Whittier into Prince William Sound. But you would need to drive on your arrival day to Seward, take the 8am cruise that lasts until 2pm then drive back to Anchorage for your evening flight. Definitely >1 day car rental in this case and a lot of driving. Plus, if the Gulf of Alaska waters are rough, they cut the cruise to one staying in the bay (4-5 hours). Not bad, but certainly not worth the 6 hour round trip drive in good conditions (no accidents on the road for example) and no chance of seeing calving glaciers if the boat stays in the bay.

All the hikes along the Turnagain Arm are listed in my link above - you just need to poke around that site. Only you can decide if you want to hike there or where you might have a chance of seeing Mt. McKinley.

And if you keep the car rental to 24 hours, there are some things you can do near the airport - Lake Hood is walking distance from the terminal. The busiest floatplane base in the world. The Aviation Museum is in that area and Earthquake Park is on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, a short cab ride away from the airport (or if you have 3 hours, you can walk to all of those).

In any case, you will have to plan another trip to Alaska!

Yes, will definitely have to plan another trip to Alaska! Thanks for taking the time to give me all this valuable information. I'm still trying to decide between getting the car for more than 1 day and incurring that cost. Good to know there are options within walking distance from the airport. I'll be traveling with a backpack only so luggage won't be an issue. If I end up only doing the car for one day I will stick to the trip up to Talkeetna and the Byron hike in the morning and will have to do the Turnagain trip next time unless I have time before my flight to take a quick drive south.

Nice tips guys. I've more or less planned out my trip so here goes.

15th Aug
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I'll be arriving at 7:36pm and probably taking a cab/bus down to Anchorage Downtown. Intend to grab Dinner at either Orso's or Glacier Brewhouse. After dinner, will probably take a walk around town and then head back to the hotel to sleep.

16th Aug
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Have not decided where to rent a car yet - but will be. Any recommendations? Pick up the car at 8am and rent for 1 day and drive down to Whittier stopping along the way to check out the Bore tide and turnagain arm. Will be taking the 4 HR glacier cruise from Prince william sound cruises. After the cruise, will head to check out the Wildlife Conservation centre, etc. Anywhere to recommend after 6pm around this area instead of heading back to ANC downtown?

If we can't get a car for any reasonable rate, we might go for the this package which includes a coach ride. http://www.princewilliamsound.com/webspecial-wecoach.html. 20% off so sounds pretty reasonable.

17th Aug
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Flight is at 2pm, so we intend to rent a bike and go for a bike ride around the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail. Hope to do some spotting near the airport too. Probably start at 8am to pick up the bike and end at 12pm. After that, we'll take a cab back to the Airport.

Ok, just managed to bid for a hotel on Priceline for $80 per night. I'll be staying at the Inlet tower and suites. Reviews seem like a mixed bunch but for $80 can't ask for more.

Also, if anyone is interested in car rental, seems like Dollar is the cheapest from ANC airport.

Also, if anyone is interested in car rental, seems like Dollar is the cheapest from ANC airport.
As it should be! ;)