jackal

OK, a few more observations from me based on yamonjon's post:

Everyone is different and everyone's interests are different. I've driven every road in the state and lived here more than a decade, but prior to being forced up here with my job, I had never spent much time in Fairbanks. But after being here a month, I would vote that it *is* worth the trip--but that's my personality. Fairbanks has quite a few "touristy" things to do (more than any other city in the state, I think), so if you like pioneer-town-touristy kitsch, you might want to check out Fairbanks. (I'm also into the science and technology stuff that UAF offers.) The area north of Fairbanks (such as the Chena River out on Chena Hot Springs Road) is good for some "wilderness" stuff like canoeing and the like, but you can do that many other places in the state, too. If what your original itinerary has planned reflects your interests, I would recommend Fairbanks--but again, this is something you'll have to decide on. It does sound like you're into hiking and the like, so you may want to skip the touristy stuff and look into the options that yamonjon recommends.

Can't speak to this as I've never been there, but I do have to heartily recommend Judy's Cafe in Healy (10 or so miles north of the Denali Park resort area). Awesome burgers and good, hearty American food (her breakfasts are great, too), and an authentic Alaskan roadhouse diner. If you need more road food on the way to Fairbanks (assuming you go that way), I've heard excellent things from several people about the Monderosa Lodge just north of Nenana.

I did this drive several years ago and found it stunningly beautiful--a moonscape feel similar to the area around the Arctic Circle along the Dalton Highway. You'll run into wildlife everywhere in Alaska, but because of the huge, open expanses along this road, you'll probably see more of it here than most other places. HOWEVER--please note that driving the Denali Highway WILL VOID your National/Hertz/any other major company rental agreement as I mentioned in one of my previous posts. I forgot to add one other note along those lines: in addition to any hassles with your insurance company should something happen, if the vehicle were to experience a mechanical breakdown (not likely with the new vehicles in the rental fleets, but entirely possible--and sometimes new cars come with new defects), you will be responsible for a portion of (or even all of) the towing bill that would normally be covered by the vehicle's warranty. When you're 100 miles from a paved road and 300 miles from the nearest service center in Wasilla, Anchorage or Fairbanks, the towing bill can be substantial, to say the least. I'm not trying to scare you--I'm just trying to give you all of the information so you can make an informed choice. Check with the rental companies to see their policies on this and to see if anyone can recommend a company that does not prohibit their vehicles from driving on gravel highways.

If you wanted to make a choice between the Denali Highway and the Arctic Circle, I'd vote for the Arctic Circle--my memory says that the road up that way is better maintained than the Denali Highway (which isn't used for much anymore--it used to be the only way to access what was then known as Mt. McKinley National Park before they built the Parks Highway), and plus, going to the Arctic Circle is just cool! :-) If you really do get your heart set on driving up that way but don't want to chance doing it with the rental vehicle, there is a company in Fairbanks that outfits their vehicles specifically for driving up the Haul Road (the Dalton Highway, if it's not already clear that these are one and the same)--with two full-size spare tires, emergency food and water rations, medical supplies and anything else you'd need during a breakdown on a rural road. If you decide to go this route, post here or PM me and I'll look up the name (I grabbed one of their brochures, but it's probably buried in my car or something). If you decide to go the Denali Highway but don't want to chance the rental car thing, I'm sure there HAS to be at least one (reputable) company in Anchorage who does a similar thing. If you need my help locating them, let me know and I'll ask some of my old cohorts if they've heard of one.

Same warning goes for this road. It's an unpaved dirt road (not even gravel)--when I drove this road, the three hours each way of constant washboard-like road surface and potholes and dips completely tore up my car's suspension. The drive back to Anchorage was like riding in a speedboat--bottoming out and bouncing up and down with no shock absorbers to dampen the spring's action. However, that was 7 or 8 years ago--it's entirely possible that they've made improvements to the road by now--perhaps yamonjon can comment. However, as I said, this one is on the list of forbidden roads, so you'll need to decide if the excursion is worth the risk in a rental car.

As far as Kennicott/McCarthy goes, I never did find out what the fuss was about. When my aunt went there in 1993, she said she and my uncle had an awesome time pulling themselves across the river on a hand-operated tram, exploring the mine and buildings, and walking around the ghost town and picking up things that the miners had literally dropped as they left town at the end of the mine's operation (everything from mining equipment to pens, paper and canned food). By the time we got there the next year, they had shut down the tram and installed a footbridge and closed off all of the mine's buildings and boarded up many of the windows. We walked up to the mine, walked around a couple of buildings, got bored and walked back to the car and drove away. Maybe the National Park Service has developed some more tourist infrastructure there now, but when I went, both my adventurous grandfather and I left feeling like it was a wasted day.

The scenery and activity of theWrangell-St. Elias National Park itself, though, is a different story. If you're into outdoorsy stuff, there's almost no place better on the face of the earth for mountain, rock or ice climbing (something like 15 of North America's 19 highest peaks are located in its 20,000 square miles--it's the largest park in the United States), hiking, backpacking, daytripping, camping, etc. Some of this may be accessible from McCarthy, but one of the best ways to do this is to check with an air taxi or outfitter company and see if they can fly you in. Some friends of mine operate (shameless plug) Ultima Thule Outfitters (TripAdvisor reviews here), and they flew a group of my friends out to the side of a mountain that has most likely never before been seen by a human being, and they spent several days hiking through literally virgin country. Only in a place like this can you do that. They're not the only company out there doing this, though, so check around if the sound of this tantalizes you.

Homer's worth a half a day, in my opinion, unless you really want to jump on a halibut charter and catch a 200-lb. fish (which I'm guessing you aren't keen on). That's Homer's primary draw--outside of that, a drive out on the Homer Spit is about the only thing to do there, and even that's not all that exciting. Perhaps you could camp on the Kachemak Bay beachside and watch driftwood float in--maybe yamonjon can suggest a few better things to do in Homer. Homer is the jumping off point for some boat rides across the bay to places like Seldovia (a native village that specializes in putting on a nice day trip experience for tourists) and wilderness areas like China Poot Bay (where you can walk along the beach and see sea life or wander around the woods--but it's nothing too special).

Not a bad idea. Dollar, Thrifty and maybe Enterprise offer some Dodge Caravans featuring Stow 'N' Go seating (the ones that fold down into the floor). The flat, empty back makes for great room for sleeping. Otherwise, see if National will store the back seats for you--some companies do and some don't.

Phyllis' Cafe and Salmon Bake LOOKS really touristy. Touristsdo say they enjoy it; however, as an Alaskan, I'd much rather spend my money on true Alaskan gourmet creations at Simon and Seafort's, Glacier Brewhouse, and Orso. They're an iDine/Rewards Network partner, so if you want to go, use your mileage credit card and get some bonus miles (hey, this IS FlyerTalk).

Mexico in Alaska is one of the most authentic Mexican restaurants I've ever been to (and before I moved here, I was born and raised in California). However, authentic doesn't necessarily mean that you'll like it: their Oaxacan cuisine may not please your palate if you've been raised on Americanized Mexican food (not that the food is bad--just that the flavors and intended audience are different). Yes, they've been there 30 years, but I've never seen it busy. Occasionally, I am in the mood for it and will treat it like I would going to an authentic restaurant in a foreign country: for the experience and the culture.

Since you're only going to be in Anchorage for a short time, I'd check with the places I mentioned in the other thread (the Princess Lodges thread). You'll remember any of those far more than most other choices.

All right, I'm exhausted from another night of hard work--time to call this quits and hit the sack! Take care and enjoy your trip! (How many times can I say that in the same thread?)