And with the wet and cloudy summer we've been having so far, the main attraction of Talkeetna (which is not its Northern Exposure-esque qualities), Denali, likely won't be out in all its majesty.

I third the recommendation for Seward. It makes for a great day trip by train, too--ride down, six hours in town, and ride back. But a car works great, too--look into the half-day (or full-day, if you're adventurous) Resurrection Bay (and surrounding glacier/fjord) cruise options.