Hi,

My girlfriend and I will be travelling to ANC in mid-September on business, and will be then free to explore from 9/17 through 9/20. We will have a rental car, and plan to visit the Kenai fjords on 9/17.

We had hoped to visit Denali, but it looks like we'll be arriving a few days to late for that. So, we're looking for alternative ideas for 9/18 to 9/20. One idea is a flight to Barrow, but we're open to other suggestions as well.

My questions are:

1) With three days to explore from ANC, what would you do? (Our flight leaves ANC just after midnight on 9/21)

2) If we decide on Barrow, I've heard good things about Alaskan Arctic Adventures, or going with a package through Alaskan Airlines. Any thoughts or other ideas?

3) Would a visit to Kodiak make more sense?

Any help would be most appreciated!

Thanks,
Peter

So, there's really nothing else to do in Alaska in September??

Well, does anyone have a suggestion for a different forum (or website) to post this question in? I haven't been able to find any good place for general travel discussion.

Thanks,
Peter

Did a "day trip" to Barrow from Fairbanks with Alaska Airlines in August 2001. Barrow was sufficiently interesting to walk around in, and during the day they shuttle you around and show you all the "sights" (including a performance at the cultural center). So, the time came to head back to the "airport" (more appropriately a container) for the flight back to Fairbanks. Turns out that while the weahter had been nice and sunny all day long, by about 5PM fog was coming in, and by the time we were supposed to leave, everything was totally fogged in. Long story short, after the plane from Fairbanks had spent 45 mins circling above, it turned back, and our flight was cancelled.... AS put all the daytrippers up in the one and only hotel there without any fuss ('Top of the World' I think), and gave us vouchers for dinner & breakfast - very very generous of AS as the cancellation was clearly weather-related. Experiencing continuous daylight all through the night was amazing. AS then flew us back out on the 1st flight the next morning.

Definitely consider it - it's a very interesting and unusual place.

On your drive back to Anchorage from the Kenai Fjords, stop in Girdwood for a drink at the top of the Alyeska skilift and dinner in the village at the Double Musky. See http://www.doublemuskyinn.com/.

When you drive back from Seward (Kenai fjords), I would suggest a side trip down the other side of the Kenai Peninsula to Homer. You pass through Soldotna and over the Kenai River on that trip. Fishing is winding down by then, but the drive is beautiful.

Homer is an "artist" community with several galleries & museums. There's also the Homer "spit", the longest one in the world. Neat place anytime & the weather should still be good then.

Going north is an option also. The Glenn Highway has been named a scenic highway by the feds, fro very good reasons. You pass Matanuska Glacier & see some very pretty country on that drive.

Have a great & fun trip!!!

Back a week ago from my 3rd visit to Alaska. We drive in a loop from Fairbanks down past Denali to Wasilla (near ANC) and back following the pipeline on the Richardson Highway to FAI.

About 1500 miles and very interesting. In September it should be their Autumn AFAIK so leaves would be stunning I imagine.

Last week it was 90� in FAI before we flew out. ^ ^

The previous time there I flew to Barrow and that too was fascinating. Even caught a King Salmon in the Kenai! Here are some notes I made at that time:

http://www.glenstephens.com/alaska.htm

Here is me standing at Point Barrow the most northern point of the USA:

http://home.worldonline.nl/~madejong/ppo/barrow1.jpg

NOTE the heavy snow, and this was summer. Temp was minus something IIRC. September wil be BITTER cold up there I suspect. Enjoy. ^

Dawson City in the Yukon Territory is also very interesting. You absolutely get a feel for what the Gold Rush looked and felt like both in the town with its saloons, casinos and abandoned buildings, and in the surroundings, with the HUGE environmental scars that mining left behind. It is a bit of a drive though from ANC.