Originally Posted by
pierre mclopez
I'm convinced the best time to visit Alaska is late April through May. Have a nephew in Juneau, would love to stop in Seward and Valdez too. Lots of other neat places tucked in the archipelagos.
Late April through May? Maybe in Juneau, not so much in Southcentral or SW Alaska, IMO.
But... how sturdy a sailor are you? If the answer is "very," then by all means fly out to DUT and catch the Tustemena (state ferry) on its run back to Kodiak. Be sure to get a cabin and pack whatever meds/nostrums you need for
mal de mer. I'd arrive in DUT a day or two before the ferry leaves, just in case the weather comes down. April and May on the Aleutian chain are not for the fainthearted. The rewards are potentially great though - it's a marvelous part of the state.
You also might think about flying on the AS "milk run" to/from ANC that stops in Cordova and Yakutat en route to Juneau. There are lots of ferry routes in SE Alaska that could be strung together to let you see some of the smaller towns in that area, e.g. Petersburg, Sitka, Tenakee, Gustavus... which might be more comfortable visiting at that time.