Originally Posted by
KennyBSAT
I'm putting together a trip for July 2-6. I know I don't have enough time, you don't have to rub that in. I never do! Planning beyond where we will spend each night is not really my thing, but I don't know if I have a lot of choice.
We arrive ANC around 2:00 PM on Wednesday, pick up a car and head down toward Seward. We will stop at Exit Glacier and anyplace else we decide, and likely take a Kenai Fjords cruise on Thursday. Our cabin near Seward is already booked for Wednesday and Thursday nights.
So I guess I'm looking for the best low-cost option to see wildlife or another side of Alaska Friday and/or Saturday. I am happy to drive 7 hours to Denali and take the shuttle into the park Saturday but that's a lot of driving and sitting by the time we make it back for a 6:00 A.M. Sunday departure.
Presumably you're aware that the 4th of July in Seward is a complete zoo - ought to be enjoyable as a visitor, but be prepared for crowded
everything.
I'd say Denali is out - too far, too much driving. Instead I'd do a glacier cruise out of Whittier (quite different from the Kenai Fjords) and maybe end with a flightseeing trip out of Anchorage. You can't fully appreciate the vastness and diversity of Alaska from ground/sea level, so even if it's a short flight over the Chugach Mts. or across Cook Inlet to see the volcanoes, any experience in a light plane is
so worth the money it costs.