It's been beautiful down here in ANC the last few days. So sad I wasn't able to get out and do a hike or something. Hopefully the weather keeps up so I can!

Just checked the DenaliCam in the above link...mountain's viewable, though there are some clouds in the area. Still...all y'all tourists better get up there ASAP before she goes back into hiding! :D

Just checked it. Hardly a cloud in sight. Gorgeous!

Hey jackal, I just want to acknowledge that you have been a wealth of information regarding Alaska. When my wife and I were there just two weeks ago, we took many of your suggestions and were pleased with our experiences. So let me say publicly, Thank You! It was generous of you to share your time and insights on this and other threads in the Alaska forum.

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Aww, shucks! :o Glad you found Alaska to your liking...and remember, there's a lot more to see up here, so start planning your next trip! :D

Allow me to add my +1 to the above post...all this great info I've read on many threads here is GREATLY appreciated and will be well used on our trip coming up next week. (And FYI, I considered posting for a DO, but (no offense!) our schedule is completely packed, and my wife just doesn't "get" the whole "meeting up with on-line strangers" thing even though of course *I* know it would be ALL GOOD.)

Enjoyed reading this thread a lot!

Mrs. Stranded and I are heading up on Saturday to spend a week over our first anniversary -- 2 nights Anchorage, 2 nights Healy, 2 nights Girdwood (with a laaate departure the next day). Driving.

Have only been in LA three years and miss "weather" but am curious if I will get more than my fill of cold and rainy.

In any case, it should be an adventure.

I am sorry to say that my SO and I found the bus tour to perhaps be the most boring thing we have ever done. Sitting in a bus seat with a bunch of international tourists who go crazy if there is a moose or bear is hard to bear (pun intended). Don't get me wrong, we LOVED Alaska, but if you are going to drive from ANC to FAI, don't bother with the bus trip. For us, it was just a ton of cash spent to be on a bus with people who came off a cruise ship and this was all of Alaska they were going to get to see...and it showed. We saw moose on the side of the road for days on end...they saw 4 and we had to stop the bus for 10 minutes each so they could each get a picture...

Were you on a shuttle bus or a tour bus? If it was a shuttle, you could have gotten off, done some exploration, and then flagged down another shuttle to continue your trip into the park. That's the beauty of the shuttle ...

ton of cash? how much $$ did you spend for this bus??

Sorry you didn't enjoy your venture into the park.

I think you are being a bit too hard. I have been to Alaska ten times, two of which were on cruises. If you want to be on a ship, spend time in the tourist souvenir shops at ports, etc., you can easily do that. But if you look at the cruise ship as cheap lodging and transportation, it can work well (which you alluded to). I spent 90% or more of the port time off the ship and away from the town - getting off the beaten path to hike or do excursions that are not ones where the cruise ship herds you to and fro.

The cruise ship passengers are as much at fault as the cruise lines - they should realize what they are buying but most have no clue. The same goes for cruise tours, which in my opinion are usually woefully inadequate. But people don't do due diligence before plunking down thousands of dollars. To each his own.

I would not object to taking an Alaskan cruise again but it would have to be at the right price and with the right ports. And again I would see it mainly as cheap lodging and transportation. My last cruise cost me under $500 for 7 nights in a single cabin. Bargains can be had and it can be a cheap way to see Alaska if you forget all the hype on the ship itself.

John

I too am sorry for your bad experience. If you were on a bus with cruise ship passengers, you were almost certainly on a tour (Tundra Wilderness Tour?). That is a huge mistake - the shuttle buses are much more flexible, travel the same road, cost 1/3 of the tour bus, allow you to get off and on at will, and have very experienced and informative drivers.

I have been in Denali several times and each time look forward to going back. I already have a trip planned for June 2009.

John