also posted at http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...ML/000046.html , but the Alaska forum is pretty dead...

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I'm looking for some advice for an upcoming trip to Alaska...

I'm going on a one-week vacation to Alaska and right now I have a few days that I am trying to figure out what to do with... we're both really into scenery and photography (as a hobby)...

in a nutshell here's our plans right now...

day 1) we fly into ANC and the next day we're going down to the Kenai Peninsula for a one day wildlife/glacier cruise out of Seward...

day 2) head north out of ANC toward Denali... probably flightseeing trip from Talkeetna... stay in near Denali that night...

day 3) probably the 8 - 10 hr tour of Denali out to Eileson and back... head up to FAI for the night and the midnight sun baseball game...

from that point forward we've got three whole days to get back to ANC for our flights home...

I've been reading a lot and there seem to be so many things to do... I'm convinced that there's very little to do in FAI and we're not going to drive North...

so I've been pondering:

1) the long way back to ANC... Alaska Highway to Richardson to Glenn

2) a trip across the Denali Hwy

3) more time in Denali

4) back to ANC as fast as possible (a whole day anyway) and a day trip from ANC... Brooks Camp? Kodiak? are the bears out in June? they all seem to list July - Aug as "peak season."

5) glacier tour out of Whittier, is that overkill w/ a cruise from Seward too?

6) I've contemplated changing the rental car to one-way from ANC to FAI and then taking flying FAI-ANC-Southeast and then back to ANC for the flights home...

so, I'm looking for some expert advise from people that have been there to shed some light on the subject...

also, any problems with AVIS rental cars on some of those gravel roads? do they permit travel on unpaved roads?

ps: things like biking, hiking, fishing, camping, picnicking, kayaking are not an option for us.

Lots of questions! Let me take a stab at 'em.

1. The long way back to ANC is a lovely drive. You can do it in one long day. There is usually some decent wildlife around and plenty of gorgeous scenery.

2. I've driven across the Denali Highway. I thought it was okay. Remember it's not paved and most rental car companies prohibit taking their cars on that road. If you do drive it -- be sure to go spray the dust off your rental at a car wash before you return it.

3. Not sure about more time in Denali. Maybe Seat 2A (who works in Denali during the summer) could offer some more insight there.

4. Plenty of great day trips from ANC. If you are willing to spend some $$$ (a few hundred bucks) you could definitely go for some "once in lifetime" photo ops on a scenic flight.

5. I think the glacier tours out of Whitter are awesome. The best one (IMHO) is the "Philips 26 glacier cruise." (Don't work for 'em -- just have had many happy guests who were glad I recommended it.) Whitter is an interesting town in it's own right and the tunnel to get there is the longest "drive-thru" tunnel in North America. It might be worth spending a day there (in conjunction with a cruise.)

6. Southeast AK is wonderful. I especially love JNU. If you are interested in that route -- you probably can't go wrong.

Another possibility would be to fly from ANC or FAI to BRW, OTZ, or OME. I think you'd probably find any or all of those communities worth a day trip.

If you email me your snail mail address -- I'll pick up some local "propaganda" and advertising and send it your way ASAP. That might help you make some decisions.

eastwest: I knew I could count on you for a response... Thanks!

after a lot of reading, and a lot of phone conversations, I think we've decided on "the long way" back from FAI to ANC...

I can't get a straight answer from Avis about the Denali Hwy... they say "roads must be paved", but then they say that "all offical roads" are OK... so, Denali is a state road, Rt. 8 I believe...

I was given the number of the local ANC office and told to call them for clarification...

we'll see what kind of answer we get from AVIS before proceeding w/ the Denali Hwy...

glad you said the 26 glaciers one... that's what we were looking at: www.26glaciers.com and it looks like that may be an option along w/ the Alyeska tram for one day..

thanks again!

I love Kodiak. I spent a lot of time there when I did field work. Its fun to hike there, good restaurants, a couple of nice hotels. You can rent a car and drive down the island. Its easy in and out of ANC and the weather is pretty stable- so you won't get fogged in as often as you would other places.

lala

It was some years ago now, but we chartered a helicopter from ANC for an hour. The pilot knew exactly where to go, to see bears, and to land on top of a mountain in the wilderness. Just say what interests you. I had 3 x 36 reels of film at the start, and ran out. He actually gave us about 50% more time than we paid for - it was well worth the money. Have a small chopper to yourselves rather than being part of a group. I think it's the only time I have tipped a pilot!

That last post inspired a memory - a few years back in Seward we chartered a 1 hr Cessna (4 seater) - and it was fantastic - one of those 200mi visibility days - from seeing bears at the beach upon taking off, it was a great flight. It was not outrageously expensive, either.

Try to make time for Homer.

Your itinerary sounds a bit rushed. As I read over your description, I'm thinking you could spend a bit more time in each place. For example:

Day 1: Arrive Anchorage (What time? Maybe you should stay overnight in Anchorage. There are some great places to eat and drink if nothing else...)

Day 2: Drive down to Seward (About 130 miles o/w) and do the Kenai Fiords cruise. Consider staying overnight in Seward or go back to Anchorage.

Day 3 Drive up to Talkeetna. (From ANC about 120 miles o/w) Spend the night there. There are some great flight seeing opportunities from there, either around the mountain or up onto the Ruth Glacier. Kick back. Take it easy. Don't rush! Have a few beers at the Fairview Inn http://www.denali-fairview.com/ and maybe catch some good tunes there as well.

Day 4 Depart Talkeetna at a leisurely pace, arrive Denali Park area on the afternoon of Day 4 and just hang out on the lower east side. There's some great and very easy walks through the boreal forests down there, check out the Visitors Center programs, drive your own car out to Mile 15 of the Park Road later in the evening to catch the Alpenglow on the Alaska Range and hope that Denali is out. Check out: http://www.nps.gov/dena/

Day 5: Take a morning bus out to Eielson Visitor Center (8 hours r/t if you don't get off and hike somewhere) or go all the way to Wonder Lake (11 hours r/t) Spend that night in Denali area as well.

Day 6 Drive on up to Fairbanks. Have some lunch. Check out the museum at the University! Drive up to Chena Hot Springs for a soak. It's on a paved road only 65 miles from Fairbanks! Or, continue on down the Richardson Highway to Delta, then south and find accommodations wherever you can along the highway, either in Paxson or Glenallen.

OPTION On day 5, do an early morning Eielson trip, get back to the East End Visitor Center about 4-5pm leaving you plenty of time to drive up to Fairbanks (120 miles o/w) to catch a baseball game. NOTE: The Midnight Sun Classic is played at midnight, without lights, ONLY on JUNE 21st. It's not a nightly event.
http://www.goldpanners.com/midnight_sun_game.html

DAY 7: Back to Anchorage.

NOTE: You could also just drive back to Anchorage from Denali (240 miles - 5 hours due to construction) and then perhaps fly down to Kodiak for the day or drive through the new tunnel to Whittier.

For more info, check out:

http://www.alaska.com




[This message has been edited by Seat 2A (edited 06-08-2002).]