Originally Posted by
Himeno
The flightseeing sounds interesting. It looks like they have 3 options still running in late Sep, Anchorage Flightseeing Safari ($100, ½ hour), Denali National Park Flightseeing ($375, 3 hours) and Knik Glacier & Wildlife Tour ($235, 1.5 hours). But I’m not sure I could stretch the budget that far, would probably depend on the cost of where I book to stay in New York. Would they still go up even of only one person has booked?
It looks like the AA counters open at 4.30pm. So if I go to the airport, drop my bags in storage then go to the Aviation Museum around 1 or 2pm. I can spend a few hours at the museum then head back to check in around 5pm when the museum closes.
As for accommodation, I’m currently looking at one of these:
Ramada Anchorage Downtown 115 East 3rd Ave
Days Inn Anchorage Downtown 321 East 5th Avenue
Comfort Inn Ship Creek 111 Ship Creek Ave
Thoughts?
I suspect they'd take you up if you were alone. The Lake Hood charter people are extremely flexible (read, loose) when it comes to such things. It would be getting on to the end of the season so they might respond well to some dickering, too. Phone them when you get to town and see if you can cut a deal. Note that there are also numerous fixed base operators on wheels at Merrill Field, a little east of downtown - for example,
Aero Tech - which might be a little cheaper.
Of your lodging choices I'd definitely go for the Comfort Inn, as they have an airport shuttle that will also take you downtown (which is easily walkable). Not fancy, and you may be serenaded by freight cars colliding in the night, but an interesting location. The others on E. 5th are in okay, not great locations, also walkable to downtown easily, but not a lot of interesting commercial activity within a few blocks.