ALASKA experts: time needed?
May 19th, 2004, 11:50 AM
#1
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ALASKA experts: time needed?
Hey alaska experts, what is the minimum amount of time (in weeks) needed to explore alaska? Once we arrived, would 3 weeks be enough, or would that be just scatching the surface? I realize that ideally we could spend a week or more at any single nat'l parks, but since we're dealing with reality and might only have 4 weeks max, what is your opinion? Thanks.
May 19th, 2004, 12:29 PM
#2
There are a number of factors which play into the answer. First among these has to do with the visitor's willingness or ability to go off the highway system. For a totally road-based vacation in Alaska (which, by the way, largely eliminates Southeastern Alaska) then 3 weeks IMO is more than enough, if your aims are to see the road-accessible national parks, a couple of side trips - down the Kenai Peninsula, for example - and things like that. Note for example Denali Park has quite limited "touring" potential for non-hikers/campers. Not to say it's not a great place, but it's not like Yellowstone with visitor facilities all over the place. It's big and empty instead.
If you want and are able to include some areas that are accessible only by water or air, such as most of SE Alaska, Kodiak, native communities off the road system, etc., then 3 weeks can be okay or way too little, depending on your travel aims and style.
Personally I think coming to Alaska and not getting off the roads at some point is a real mistake; you won't be able to see anything much of native villages and lifestyles, real wilderness, the Arctic, things like that. Alaska is much more than mountains and bears oh my, but many people don't much care about that, so fine.
A related factor, of course, is cost. Travel off the road system is generally quite costly. A few rural or remote areas have decent transport systems between communities (SE Alaska for example) but for many all travel is via the "hub and spoke" method - fly from Anchorage or Fairbanks to community X, then fly back, then out to community Y, back, and so on; nothing between X and Y themselves. Very expensive.
Another is creature comforts. Tourist facilities are few on the ground outside the main destinations. You can't fly into Barrow and look for the Motel 6; you can't fly into many villages and find any hotel at all.
So what's your pleasure? If it's just the Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks-Kenai-Valdez corridor, or some part thereof, then three weeks ought to be easy. Add another national park, like Lake Clark or Gates or Katmai, and a whole 'nother time frame applies.
You could also do a brisk but doable 2 weeks exploring the road system, then spend the last week in the bush, say by doing the Nome/Kotzebue loop offered by Alaska Airlines. That would throw some native culture, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, and crossing the Arctic Circle into the pot. Or a one-way cruise from/to Seward/Vancouver would let you get a glimpse of SE Alaska. Or the Kodiak ferry would let you see even more. Up to you.
If you want and are able to include some areas that are accessible only by water or air, such as most of SE Alaska, Kodiak, native communities off the road system, etc., then 3 weeks can be okay or way too little, depending on your travel aims and style.
Personally I think coming to Alaska and not getting off the roads at some point is a real mistake; you won't be able to see anything much of native villages and lifestyles, real wilderness, the Arctic, things like that. Alaska is much more than mountains and bears oh my, but many people don't much care about that, so fine.
A related factor, of course, is cost. Travel off the road system is generally quite costly. A few rural or remote areas have decent transport systems between communities (SE Alaska for example) but for many all travel is via the "hub and spoke" method - fly from Anchorage or Fairbanks to community X, then fly back, then out to community Y, back, and so on; nothing between X and Y themselves. Very expensive.
Another is creature comforts. Tourist facilities are few on the ground outside the main destinations. You can't fly into Barrow and look for the Motel 6; you can't fly into many villages and find any hotel at all.
So what's your pleasure? If it's just the Anchorage-Denali-Fairbanks-Kenai-Valdez corridor, or some part thereof, then three weeks ought to be easy. Add another national park, like Lake Clark or Gates or Katmai, and a whole 'nother time frame applies.
You could also do a brisk but doable 2 weeks exploring the road system, then spend the last week in the bush, say by doing the Nome/Kotzebue loop offered by Alaska Airlines. That would throw some native culture, the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, and crossing the Arctic Circle into the pot. Or a one-way cruise from/to Seward/Vancouver would let you get a glimpse of SE Alaska. Or the Kodiak ferry would let you see even more. Up to you.
May 19th, 2004, 07:17 PM
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Wow Gardyloo, THANK you soo much. That is exactly the type of info i was looking for. Of all the places mentioned, where would you spend the most time 'off the roads' exploring if you had 3 weeks max? And where would the second place be? We do hike but i have to admit i find alaska a little (alot?!) intimidating! The thought of being able to thoroughly explore it is somewhat overwhelming....
Anyway, thank you again so much.
Anyway, thank you again so much.
May 20th, 2004, 03:35 AM
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Gardyloo's answer was great. The only thought I can add, and I am hardly an expert, is that it was easy to fill up the weekends with our 3 week trip plans because there are so many events happening during the summer in Alaska. After event 1, we'll head further north to Hatcher's Pass and Talkeetna but we don't expect to visit Denali or Fairbanks. Don't forget you can loose one or two days on either end of your trip just getting to Alaska and returning home. I chose mid-week flights to give us three full weekends. After weekend event #2 our itinerary is still open: a fjords cruise? Whittier to Valdez ferry? Kenai fishing trip? On our first trip we included the ferry trip from Bellingham WA to Skagway. Great ride but we could have spent much more time in the ports. We didn't even get off in Juneau. I definitely would recommend doing some travel by ferry and looking at a calendar of events.
May 20th, 2004, 08:47 AM
#5
If cost were not a decisive factor, here's what I'd do:
Fly to Anchorage, get car. 2 nights in Anc, seeing various local sights.
Drive to Denali Park, overnight. Next day take shuttle into the park (no cars allowed) as far as you want, then back. Second overnight.
Drive to Fairbanks, overnight in Fairbanks or (better IMO) at Chena Hot Springs.
Day exploring the Fairbanks area or vegging out, second overnight.
Drive south to Copper Center, maybe up the Edgarton Hwy, look around the Wrangell mts. Overnight
Continue to Valdez, overnight.
Ferry across Prince William Sound to Whittier. Drive south from Whittier to Seward, overnight.
Take day tour of Kenai Fjords NP. Second overnight Seward.
Back to Anchorage, drop car, (overnight if necessary) then fly on Alaska Airlines to Kotzebue (overnight) then Nome (second overnight), return to Anchorage. Additional nights as required until...
Travel to Seward or Whittier, board cruise ship for one-way cruise to Vancouver (7 nights); home. Note the cruise could be done at the first of the trip instead.
Now this is not cheap, but it hits many of the high points. You see most (not all) of the landscapes and climate zones in the state, visit some traditional and historic towns as well as more modern ones, and is reasonably conservative of time. It doesn't include Homer or the lower part of the Kenai Peninsula, or Kodiak, but if you didn't cruise these could be added easily.
Before you reject the cruise idea, look at the all-inclusive prices and compare them to equivalent land touring costs - it can be quite cheap given it's room, board and travel.
If you don't want to cruise but still would like to see something of SE Alaska, then look at taking Alaska Airlines' "milk run" between Seattle and Anchorage, which stops in several of the Southeastern towns. You could arrange an overnight in, say, Juneau or Sitka and have some exposure to this environment, utterly different from the Kotzebues or Nomes, that's for sure.
Go to the "vacations" section of www.alaskaair.com to see about the arctic loops, use www.alaska.com as a gateway to many travel links. If you decide to drive around, a copy of the Milepost (annual guidebook - any recent copy will do) will help on the road system.
Happy planning.
Fly to Anchorage, get car. 2 nights in Anc, seeing various local sights.
Drive to Denali Park, overnight. Next day take shuttle into the park (no cars allowed) as far as you want, then back. Second overnight.
Drive to Fairbanks, overnight in Fairbanks or (better IMO) at Chena Hot Springs.
Day exploring the Fairbanks area or vegging out, second overnight.
Drive south to Copper Center, maybe up the Edgarton Hwy, look around the Wrangell mts. Overnight
Continue to Valdez, overnight.
Ferry across Prince William Sound to Whittier. Drive south from Whittier to Seward, overnight.
Take day tour of Kenai Fjords NP. Second overnight Seward.
Back to Anchorage, drop car, (overnight if necessary) then fly on Alaska Airlines to Kotzebue (overnight) then Nome (second overnight), return to Anchorage. Additional nights as required until...
Travel to Seward or Whittier, board cruise ship for one-way cruise to Vancouver (7 nights); home. Note the cruise could be done at the first of the trip instead.
Now this is not cheap, but it hits many of the high points. You see most (not all) of the landscapes and climate zones in the state, visit some traditional and historic towns as well as more modern ones, and is reasonably conservative of time. It doesn't include Homer or the lower part of the Kenai Peninsula, or Kodiak, but if you didn't cruise these could be added easily.
Before you reject the cruise idea, look at the all-inclusive prices and compare them to equivalent land touring costs - it can be quite cheap given it's room, board and travel.
If you don't want to cruise but still would like to see something of SE Alaska, then look at taking Alaska Airlines' "milk run" between Seattle and Anchorage, which stops in several of the Southeastern towns. You could arrange an overnight in, say, Juneau or Sitka and have some exposure to this environment, utterly different from the Kotzebues or Nomes, that's for sure.
Go to the "vacations" section of www.alaskaair.com to see about the arctic loops, use www.alaska.com as a gateway to many travel links. If you decide to drive around, a copy of the Milepost (annual guidebook - any recent copy will do) will help on the road system.
Happy planning.
May 20th, 2004, 05:44 PM
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We spent 10 days and got in Anchorage, Denali, Kenai Fjord cruise, salmon fishing on the Kenai River twice, the Matanuska Glacier, and some vegging out.
We have never thought we would enjoy a cruise (especially my husband) but he actually said he wanted to do an Alaskan cruise next time. The shore line is where the most dramatic scenery is.
I think that two weeks inland with a one week cruise would be perfect.
We have never thought we would enjoy a cruise (especially my husband) but he actually said he wanted to do an Alaskan cruise next time. The shore line is where the most dramatic scenery is.
I think that two weeks inland with a one week cruise would be perfect.
May 20th, 2004, 08:34 PM
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Alaskan resident at your service~ Gardyloo had terrific advice, and I would certainly recommend that you drive down to the lower Kenai Peninsula. Homer is often compared to Norway, very artistic with halibut charters, charming b%b's, and a variety of tours across the bay(bear viewing by air, or boat trips exploring small communities and blueberry picking), and strolling the long stretch of beach. In Soldotna, you have king salmon fishing. It's truly a woderful place to live and visit in Alaska
May 21st, 2004, 09:31 AM
#9
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Thank you all so much for your replies!
Another important question (for us): What will the average temp be in july? I know i can probably find it on line but wanted to post back a thank you anyway!
One july when we did our Glacier - Banff - Jasper - Vancouver - Seattle trip, we wore sweatshirts and jeans nearly every day. Many days we wished we had winter coats. Hubby wasn't too amused as he much prefers sweating to death (go figure). Anyway, the temps would be one major factor keeping us from this trip.
Thanks again.
Another important question (for us): What will the average temp be in july? I know i can probably find it on line but wanted to post back a thank you anyway!
One july when we did our Glacier - Banff - Jasper - Vancouver - Seattle trip, we wore sweatshirts and jeans nearly every day. Many days we wished we had winter coats. Hubby wasn't too amused as he much prefers sweating to death (go figure). Anyway, the temps would be one major factor keeping us from this trip.
Thanks again.
