Alaska - What are your thoughts on my itinerary??

Heya all - am planning a trip to Anchorage in Mid/Late June - am all booked, now just need to plan what to do.

Day 1: I arive into Anchorage at 1:45pm and was thinking of doing:

4pm: Seavey's Ididaride Sled Dog Tour - http://www.ididaride.com/tours/anchorage/wildride.htm

7pm: Rent a bike and go on Tony Knowles Coastal Trail - http://www.coastaltrailrentals.com/ (actually they close at 7pm, argh...)

9pm: Go to 'Moose's Tooth' for dinner

Or maybe rent a bike an cycle along the water (i read on tripadvisor this was good), have a meal in town that evening - any recommendations?

Day 2: Early next day i'm going to try the bear viewing in brooks falls (it's about US$695 including flights for a day trip, decided not to overnight as the reviews are mixed at brooks falls and it's US$1440 for an overnight).

It includes a scenic flight to and from there...

http://alaskatours.com/wildlife/bear_viewing/katmai_brooks_falls.htm

Supposedly this is the best place to see bears in the world...

Back about 9pm.... where to eat? Feel like oriental, or yak & yeti? http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60880-d1095616-Reviews-Yak_and_Yeti_Himalayan_Restuarant-Anchorage_Alaska.html (what time do they close?)

Day 3: Go to Prince William Sound in Whittier. I have two choices here, either the 26 Glaciers or Major Marine Tours. According to tripadvisor, Major Marine Tours is pretty highly rated, above 26 glaciers. I like the 26 glaciers because they provide a bus service to/from. But the Major Marine tour looks like it's better. The 26 glaciers seems to be a quicker catamaran, but the overall rating is still higher for Major marine tours - do others have any thoughts/experiences? especially on Major marine tours? If i take them i'd have to take a train (as this is all they offer on their site). Major marine also offers a 'too die for' prime rib and salmon meal which sounds nice especially after what folks said on tripadvisor...

http://www.majormarine.com/alaska-day-cruises/prince-william-sound-glacier-cruise/ (can I use the 26 glaciers motor coach on this? http://www.26glaciers.com/content/downloads/26_Glaciers_Cruise_2008_Info.pdf )

vs

http://www.26glaciers.com/

Or do other recommend a better boat cruise for a day trip?? Denali, etc?

If i take the bus, back around 730pm, enough time for (train gets in later - about 915pm):

Dinner: Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse

Day 4: Depart 730am to Phoenix..

Would anyone recommend a difft itiniery?? I was thinking of ayleska but dont think i'll have the time...


Accomodation wise - i was thinking of staying at the Homewood Suites over the Hilton Anchorage and the Hampton Inn. What do others fell? Am a HHonors Diamond - do u think the exec floor at the hilton anchorage might be better if I get upgraded?

Car rental: I'm thinking I don't need to rent a car, or do I? Especially given i'll be touring most of the time?

City tour: Do you think i should do one of these? if so, not sure if i'll have time, except if I do it on the day i arrive, but doubt they'll have a city tour that late...

Hi Kawoh...
It's very ambitious, but with only three nights there, you'll have time to rest after you get home :D

HDay 2: Early next day i'm going to try the bear viewing in brooks falls (it's about US$695 including flights for a day trip, decided not to overnight as the reviews are mixed at brooks falls and it's US$1440 for an overnight).

You may wish to book directly with the company that (I think) has the contract to operate Brooks Lodge. It seems to be cheaper than the one night of lodging you mentioned, altho if you're going solo, you may be looking at a hefty single supplement. Check out
http://www.katmailand.com/bear-viewing/packages.html

There are some threads on here about Brooks Falls and Lodge. I've been there three times and would go again in a heartbeat. I will say I'd rather spend my time watching the bears rather than take the trip to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes.

It is incredibly ambitious. It's a lot to pack into a small time. Let me try to address your points and questions:

Haven't done the Iditaride, but as kitschy as it sounds, everyone I've talked to who's done it has said it's been wonderful.

Not sure how to arrange renting a bike for the evening after the place you mentioned is closed--I've never rented a bike (since I have my own, in however bad shape it is!).

Moose's Tooth is highly recommended. Can be a bit of a wait, especially in the tourist season, so I wouldn't plan too much for the evening after that. Good thing you're making it the last thing that evening. Also, what are your thoughts on getting there, given that you won't be renting a car? Bus route 60 (Old Seward Highway) goes fairly close, IIRC (Old Seward and 36th), but be mindful of the time the buses stop running in the evening (Google Anchorage PeopleMover and look for their timetables). Taxis are an option, of course. Otherwise, it's a good walk from the Homewood Suites and probably too long of a walk from downtown to make it worthwhile. If you decide to can the Moose's Tooth idea, alternate recommendations of mine would include Glacier BrewHouse, Orso, Simon and Seaforts, or the Bear Tooth Grill, and probably a few others that aren't coming to mind. (Search this forum for the above restaurants and you'll probably find a recent thread discussing these and other good Anchorage eateries.)

Really can't speak to the bear viewing in Katmai, since I've never done it and have only talked to a couple people who have (I used to regularly run into the Katmai NP superintendent, too, who kept trying to get me to take a summer and work for him...). I'd love to do it someday, though.

I've only done the 26 Glacier Cruise. It was a great tour. They do use a high-speed catamaran, but of the 26 glaciers you see, 25 (well, almost) are high up in mountain valleys and not that spectacular from the boat. If Major Marine is more highly rated, you might want to consider using them--make sure they stop at Surprise Glacier, as that was the highlight of the trip on the 26 Glacier Cruise. (If they don't, I'd probably recommend the 26 Glacier Cruise, then.) Of course, as you mentioned, transportation to the boat might influence your decision--if Major Marine doesn't provide transportation, note that getting to Whittier is expensive and very difficult (and probably won't nicely line up with the boat cruise times, either). It's an hour south of Anchorage and on the other side of a tunnel that tends to stop up traffic.

I think given your schedule, a Whittier day cruise is probably the best use of time. The cruises out of Seward tend to get better ratings, but that's even farther from Anchorage and harder to get to (though you could do a train-boat-train day trip from Anchorage to Seward in a day). You really can't appreciate Denali in a single day as a day trip, although if the weather is very clear, I would personally favor a drive up to Talkeetna for some mountain viewing (the chances of the weather around Denali being clear enough for this are virtually nil, and there's not much to do in Talkeetna once you've had your fill of giant hunks of granite).

I think you'll be better off staying at the Homewood. It's newer and nicer than the Anchorage Hilton (though I've never stayed on the Hilton's club floor...just a regular room once). Plus, it has an airport/city shuttle that might help with your tight itinerary (getting to and from the air taxi place when you go to Katmai, etc.), whereas you'll be relying on taxis or buses to get to the downtown Hilton. You won't be spending that much time in downtown, anyway, to make staying downtown worth it over one of the midtown places.

If you plan everything out well, with your itinerary, you can probably get around without a car. Still, Alaska is so huge and undeveloped that really the only way to truly get out to see the real state is to get in a car and drive (especially north into the Interior...although a trip to Katmai is probably a valid substitute!). However, you won't really have the time to do that sort of thing, so it probably isn't worth the $75-125 a car can be in the summer.

Not sure what sort of city tour you're referring to--never really heard of one, except for maybe the little trolley thingy that drives around. Honestly, Anchorage is just a suburb of Seattle and has very little to offer in the way of sights to see. It's a nice base but not a real destination in and of itself, so if it's not convenient, I'd skip the city tour.

Hope this helps...Internet cafe time is ticking away, so I'm gonna end this here. Let us know, though, if you have any more questions!

Not sure how to arrange renting a bike for the evening after the place you mentioned is closed--I've never rented a bike (since I have my own, in however bad shape it is!).


Is jackal volunteering/renting out his bike :eek::D?

Its a nice enough trail to walk even- but biking it is also fun to do! I think they rent some @ the end of 5th Avenue @ L street- not sure where else (Downtown ANC)



Moose's Tooth is highly recommended. Can be a bit of a wait, especially in the tourist season, so I wouldn't plan too much for the evening after that. Good thing you're making it the last thing that evening. Also, what are your thoughts on getting there, given that you won't be renting a car? Bus route 60 (Old Seward Highway) goes fairly close, IIRC (Old Seward and 36th), but be mindful of the time the buses stop running in the evening (Google Anchorage PeopleMover and look for their timetables). Taxis are an option, of course. Otherwise, it's a good walk from the Homewood Suites and probably too long of a walk from downtown to make it worthwhile. If you decide to can the Moose's Tooth idea, alternate recommendations of mine would include Glacier BrewHouse, Orso, Simon and Seaforts, or the Bear Tooth Grill, and probably a few others that aren't coming to mind. (Search this forum for the above restaurants and you'll probably find a recent thread discussing these and other good Anchorage eateries.)


These are all great places to dine at... as far as staying somewhere, the Embassy Suites just opened in Midtown, and could be an option too... (That's an HHonors property- right?)

The two are in walking distance- very close- map (http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=Embassy+Suites,+Anchorage&daddr=3300+Old+Seward+Hwy,+Anchorage,+AK+99503+(Mo ose%27s+Tooth)&hl=en&geocode=FUS8pQMdMyIR9yFLnWO_qsOIWg%3BFRexpQMd8S4R9 yFsjIpYJ-EH1w&mra=mr&mrcr=0&sll=61.19147,-149.86982&sspn=0.005418,0.019312&ie=UTF8&ll=61.191778,-149.869802&spn=0.005418,0.019312&t=h&z=16)



I've only done the 26 Glacier Cruise. It was a great tour. They do use a high-speed catamaran, but of the 26 glaciers you see, 25 (well, almost) are high up in mountain valleys and not that spectacular from the boat. If Major Marine is more highly rated, you might want to consider using them--make sure they stop at Surprise Glacier, as that was the highlight of the trip on the 26 Glacier Cruise. (If they don't, I'd probably recommend the 26 Glacier Cruise, then.) Of course, as you mentioned, transportation to the boat might influence your decision--if Major Marine doesn't provide transportation, note that getting to Whittier is expensive and very difficult (and probably won't nicely line up with the boat cruise times, either). It's an hour south of Anchorage and on the other side of a tunnel that tends to stop up traffic.

I think given your schedule, a Whittier day cruise is probably the best use of time. The cruises out of Seward tend to get better ratings, but that's even farther from Anchorage and harder to get to (though you could do a train-boat-train day trip from Anchorage to Seward in a day). You really can't appreciate Denali in a single day as a day trip, although if the weather is very clear, I would personally favor a drive up to Talkeetna for some mountain viewing (the chances of the weather around Denali being clear enough for this are virtually nil, and there's not much to do in Talkeetna once you've had your fill of giant hunks of granite).


For a very full day, (and if you like trains) the Alaska Railroad is a cool option down to SWD. Do that, a day cruise, and ride back... it is faster to drive, but a cool experience since there probably will still be snow in the pass (especially if we have another summer of Glaciation)

You can have b-fast & dinner on the train (have a decent dining car), snooze, watch wildlife, etc...

To incorporate Girdwood & the Double Musky is a bit trickier... but probably 'do' able- since the train stops occasionally to let pax on & off... and Girdwood has a platform- so some FT'ers could theoretically drive from ANC (and/or if one from Girdwood wants to meet us), we could then visit the Double Musky- just throwing it out there :D


Not sure what sort of city tour you're referring to--never really heard of one, except for maybe the little trolley thingy that drives around. Honestly, Anchorage is just a suburb of Seattle and has very little to offer in the way of sights to see. It's a nice base but not a real destination in and of itself, so if it's not convenient, I'd skip the city tour.


I can't believe jackal... ANC a suburb of SEA... I thought SEA was a suburb of ANC :confused:

There are a couple 'touristy' trolleys to try, however, its not really worth it- renting a bike is much better... we don't have that much interesting stuff to see in the town itself... its all basically 'outside'...

oh- and don't forget your :cool: sunglasses!!! Near solstice it rarely gets dark!

The Anchorage Museum
The Native Heritage Center
Salmon fishing at Ship creek

Wirelessly posted (The Roaming Phone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

The Anchorage Museum
The Native Heritage Center
Salmon fishing at Ship creek

...basically, half a morning's worth. :p

I almost mentioned the first two, but given the OP's lack of time, I think it would be better spent on the itinerary he proposed.

The Anchorage Museum
The Native Heritage Center
Salmon fishing at Ship creek
Wirelessly posted (The Roaming Phone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5F136 Safari/525.20)

...basically, half a morning's worth. :p

I almost mentioned the first two, but given the OP's lack of time, I think it would be better spent on the itinerary he proposed.

It's light enough that if the OP enjoy's fishing... they can do some midnight fishin' after everything else in ANC closes... :cool:

Did they open up the 'new' part of the museum yet?

I think you'll be better off staying at the Homewood. It's newer and nicer than the Anchorage Hilton (though I've never stayed on the Hilton's club floor...just a regular room once).



I stayed at the Hilton last weekend on a whim; I came away very impressed. The rooms are very nice after the big, and much needed, remodel. It doesn't have the overall ambiance of the Captain Cook, but its views are just as good and the rooms are great; mine had (I think) a 52 inch flatscreen TV. And I was in a 6th floor room in the West tower; far from the club level.

I'm very interested in this thread as I am planning an Alaska trip also. Only have a week, with family, 2 kids age 15 and 10.

Can you also help with this itinerary?

Day 1 Anchorage-Homewood Sutes
Day 2, Drive to Seward, Hike Exit Glacier, Holiday Inn Express
Day 3 Kenai Fjord Boat Tour, Holiday Inn Express

Here is where I get muddled. I have 4 more nights, should I go to Homer one night and then up to Denali for the last 3? Somewhere else? The bear trip is too expensive but would love to see bears. All advice really appreciated.
We will have a car.

I'm very interested in this thread as I am planning an Alaska trip also. Only have a week, with family, 2 kids age 15 and 10.

Can you also help with this itinerary?

Day 1 Anchorage-Homewood Sutes
Day 2, Drive to Seward, Hike Exit Glacier, Holiday Inn Express
Day 3 Kenai Fjord Boat Tour, Holiday Inn Express

Here is where I get muddled. I have 4 more nights, should I go to Homer one night and then up to Denali for the last 3? Somewhere else? The bear trip is too expensive but would love to see bears. All advice really appreciated.
We will have a car.

Going to Homer for only one night and then up to Denali might be just a bit much ... it would be a long drive from Homer to Denali, especially if you stop and see things along the way (like a stop in Talkeetna). Although I love the Homer area, if I were you I'd skip Homer and head for Denali. You may or may not see bears while there, but you'll have plenty of time for exploring.

When you say you're hiking Exit Glacier, does that mean you're going to hike the trail up along the glacier to the Harding Ice Field? 'cause it's not much of a hike to see the glacier, but the hike up to the ice field can be moderately strenuous (and you might see bears on that hike :) ).

Love to do the moderately strenuous hike. How far and how long? Maybe I should have 3 nights in Seward and then on to Denali. What do you think?

Love to do the moderately strenuous hike. How far and how long? Maybe I should have 3 nights in Seward and then on to Denali. What do you think?

Description of hike is here (http://www.akhs.atfreeweb.com/Hikes/ExitGlacier_HardingIcefield.htm)

I used "moderately strenuous" without knowledge of your hiking experience, etc. ... figured I'd err on the side of caution.

This sounds fantastic, thanks so much for the link and advice.

How full are the Resurrection Bay Tours in the summer months? 100? 150?

How full are the Resurrection Bay Tours in the summer months? 100? 150?

I was on one last spring (May teens) and it was fairly light- I think typically tourists fill them up pretty good, however with a downswing in the lower 48, there may be fewer in Alaska on vacation come summer...

Day 2: Early next day i'm going to try the bear viewing in brooks falls (it's about US$695 including flights for a day trip, decided not to overnight as the reviews are mixed at brooks falls and it's US$1440 for an overnight).

It includes a scenic flight to and from there...

http://alaskatours.com/wildlife/bear_viewing/katmai_brooks_falls.htm

Supposedly this is the best place to see bears in the world...

I was at Brooks in July 2007. Honestly, I would be hesitant to go in mid June and more hesitant to go for a day trip. July is "peak" season there and for $600+ for a day trip, it just doesn't interest me. Often there are "bear jams" so you can't get from where your plane lands to the viewing platform for 1-3 hours. And you have to start your way back 2-3 hours before your flight returns so you don't get caught on the "wrong" side. If it were me, I would take a tent and for $8/night camp. Even for one night it is worth it.

Not sure Brooks is the "best" place to see bears. I was at Anan Creek in July 2008 and it was excellent as well. And you can't beat Denali for easy access and cheap, but often not up close.

Day 3: Go to Prince William Sound in Whittier. I have two choices here, either the 26 Glaciers or Major Marine Tours. According to tripadvisor, Major Marine Tours is pretty highly rated, above 26 glaciers. I like the 26 glaciers because they provide a bus service to/from. But the Major Marine tour looks like it's better. The 26 glaciers seems to be a quicker catamaran, but the overall rating is still higher for Major marine tours - do others have any thoughts/experiences? especially on Major marine tours? If i take them i'd have to take a train (as this is all they offer on their site). Major marine also offers a 'too die for' prime rib and salmon meal which sounds nice especially after what folks said on tripadvisor...

I took the 26 Glacier cruise last May but my first choice was a small boat by Sound Eco Adventures. Unfortunately that didn't work out and in my time frame the only other option was 26 Glaciers. I think I would prefer more time at fewer glaciers. We got so far toward two glaciers then turned around due to ice.

John

I'm very interested in this thread as I am planning an Alaska trip also. Only have a week, with family, 2 kids age 15 and 10.

Can you also help with this itinerary?

Day 1 Anchorage-Homewood Sutes
Day 2, Drive to Seward, Hike Exit Glacier, Holiday Inn Express
Day 3 Kenai Fjord Boat Tour, Holiday Inn Express

Here is where I get muddled. I have 4 more nights, should I go to Homer one night and then up to Denali for the last 3? Somewhere else? The bear trip is too expensive but would love to see bears. All advice really appreciated.
We will have a car.

I too would recommend only Seward and Denali, with a night somewhere in between like Talkeetna. When are you going? Even if you wanted to do the more strenuous Harding Icefield hike, there is now at higher elevations at least through mid July.

I would recommend you do a Kenai Fjords tour that is at least 6 hours, i.e. not just in Resurrection Bay. Look into the Toursaver or Northern Lights coupon book. You will probably save more than the cost of the book just on the Kenai Fjords tour and you might find other things as well.

The more time you spend in Denali, the greater your chances of seeing bears. There is a shuttle bus ticket where if you buy 2 days you get the 3rd day free. That might be too much time for you but is a good option. Be sure to book your shuttle bus at least to Eielson since the area between Toklat and Eielson is prime bear habitat.

John

I was on one last spring (May teens) and it was fairly light- I think typically tourists fill them up pretty good, however with a downswing in the lower 48, there may be fewer in Alaska on vacation come summer...

Thanks!

Going to Whittier is a good call.

I was in Anchorage this past June on business. My clients took me down to Whittier from Anchorage, and it was beautiful. It was about a one hour drive. Expect to see lots of bald eagles, and possibly some larger wildlife. As you get closer, you will probably see chunks of blue glacier ice floating in the river. You may also see the remains of avalanches, as that snow melts last. They had a late storm there this past year, hence the remains of the snow still being there in early June. You will also be able to see some of the glaciers from the road.

There is a tunnel just before Whittier that is only one lane wide, and perfectly straight. It was the longest tunnel in the US until Boston completed the Big Dig. It also has rail lines running through it. They will charge you about $10 or so, and the traffic usually goes one way for about half an hour, and then they reverse it for about half an hour. They have a staging area where you wait for your turn.

Once in Whittier, you will see the whole town in about five minutes. Not much there. Whittier was built by the Army during WW2, and you can still see the old barracks. The Army used it as an entrance point into Alaska to move supplies and troops.

We ate at a little place right on the water, and I had some of the freshest halibut I have ever had. That is the whole reason we went down there. Of course, it was raining, and it was a cold rain. Don't forget about the possibility of rain when planning your trip.

On the way back, my clients showed me some camp ground sites they use later in the year. At the time, they were still under a hugh pile of snow, remnants of an avalanche.

Expect the sun to stay out for most of the day in mid/late June. Also, June 1st is the start of the tourism season. I had originally booked my trip for the end of May, but pushed it back a week. My hotel, the HIX in Anchorage jumped up to $249 from about $169 or so. Ouch! I am a PC Plat, and I did not get an upgrade. Too much competition from the paying tourist.

I never saw the sun the whole four days that I was there, as it was overcast and rainy, and it was still the most beautiful place I have ever seen. Postcards and pictures do not do it justice. Out of all my business trips this year, this one sticks in my mind the most.

As far as your itinerary goes, you might want to consider not trying to squeeze everything in. Take some time to just soak Alaska in, and find some locals to talk to. If you do the typical tourist thing, you might miss the best of Alaska, which is Alaska herself, not the just the attractions. Just the drive down to Whittier was one of the most enlightening and best tourist experiences I have ever had. :cool:

Just the drive down to Whittier was one of the most enlightening and best tourist experiences I have ever had. :cool:

As a local... I find this last line extremely amusing... yes the Seward Highway is a nice road (Scenic Byway in fact) but there is a saying about Whittier... Nothing is _ier then Whittier :D (Hence the rain :p)

While there are many other scenic places and drives in Alaska (the Richardson Highway over Thompson Pass to Valdez is tops, IMHO), I think the Seward Highway down to Whittier is actually pretty underrated and doesn't get the credit it deserves. Maybe it's because it's so close: I drive it so much that it's become blasé and familiar, but occasionally, I get to see it with fresh eyes and I realize that it really is a spectacular road.

Of course, it remains spectacular past Whittier, so drive it all the way down to Seward, if you can...

As a local... I find this last line extremely amusing... yes the Seward Highway is a nice road (Scenic Byway in fact) but there is a saying about Whittier... Nothing is _ier then Whittier :D (Hence the rain :p)
I agree with you on one thing, locals usually have a much different view on their environment than tourist do.

I would not be so bold as to say that the trip from Anchorage to Whittier is the best that Alaska has to offer, but I will remember it for a long time. It might have helped that I had two locals with me, and they were pointing out a lot of things that I otherwise would have missed.

As I said, we went to Whittier for the Halibut, not for the drive. I am still glad I got to see it, and if I ever go back, I will go to Whittier again.

I have found that the best spots to see sometimes are the "eyesores" that locals take for granted. I would rather see something in a native setting than a doctored up tourist trap, say like Pier 39 in San Francisco, any day. If nothing else, Whittier is not that doctored up.

While there are many other scenic places and drives in Alaska (the Richardson Highway over Thompson Pass to Valdez is tops, IMHO), I think the Seward Highway down to Whittier is actually pretty underrated and doesn't get the credit it deserves. Maybe it's because it's so close: I drive it so much that it's become blasé and familiar, but occasionally, I get to see it with fresh eyes and I realize that it really is a spectacular road.

Of course, it remains spectacular past Whittier, so drive it all the way down to Seward, if you can...

Drive to Seward would definitely be much better IMO... takes longer but :cool: (better yet... drive OW... take the train back - they go through the pass on different routes)

I agree with you on one thing, locals usually have a much different view on their environment than tourist do.

I would not be so bold as to say that the trip from Anchorage to Whittier is the best that Alaska has to offer, but I will remember it for a long time. It might have helped that I had two locals with me, and they were pointing out a lot of things that I otherwise would have missed.

As I said, we went to Whittier for the Halibut, not for the drive. I am still glad I got to see it, and if I ever go back, I will go to Whittier again.

I have found that the best spots to see sometimes are the "eyesores" that locals take for granted. I would rather see something in a native setting than a doctored up tourist trap, say like Pier 39 in San Francisco, any day. If nothing else, Whittier is not that doctored up.

LOL - to have Whittier's pier compared to Pier 39!!! Great contrast:D:D:p:p:p