ALASKA FOR 7 DAYS
Mar 28th, 2011, 07:36 AM
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ALASKA FOR 7 DAYS
My family and I will be starting out in Anchorage and exploring Alaska for 7 days in June. Can anyone help me plan my itinerary for the week? With so little time I want to make the most of it. What are the main things we should see? We're traveling either by car or motorhome. Haven't decided what to rent yet.
Mar 28th, 2011, 07:46 AM
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Well, with only seven days to see the best parts of south central Alaska, I would point you toward Girdwood and Seward and maybe a little of the Kenai Peninsula thrown in. It would be a tight squeeze to include Homer, but maybe it could be done. We really need to know your arrival and departure times so as to maximize those partial days.
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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
Mar 28th, 2011, 08:12 AM
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I agree with Orlando Vic. There are more things to see and do in those areas. Going to Denali requires hours on the road and you don't have that time. Expect to see moose in the Kenai area in June. I really liked Homer but it's about 3 hours from Seward and 5 hours back to Anchorage. The Pratt Museum is small but wonderful.
Mar 28th, 2011, 11:07 AM
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What are the highlights of Girdwood and Seward? We're taking a shuttle from Whittier to Anchorage from a cruise. Maybe we should stop along the way instead of a direct shuttle?
How much time are we talking about traveling to Denali? My family really wants to go there.
How much time are we talking about traveling to Denali? My family really wants to go there.
Mar 28th, 2011, 12:10 PM
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Girdwood (and surrounds)
Alyeska resort for tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Portage Glacier
Prince William Sound (day cruises)
Seward
Exit Glacier
Alaska SeaLife Center
Kenai Fjords National Park
In addition, I might also mention that the drive toward Girdwood along Turnagain Arm is very scenic. Once, we saw a pod of Beluga whales swimming and diving in the water. Of course, all cars were pulled over to the side to watch and snap photos. The rest of the drive to Seward is extremely scenic as well!
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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
Alyeska resort for tram to the top of Mt. Alyeska.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Portage Glacier
Prince William Sound (day cruises)
Seward
Exit Glacier
Alaska SeaLife Center
Kenai Fjords National Park
In addition, I might also mention that the drive toward Girdwood along Turnagain Arm is very scenic. Once, we saw a pod of Beluga whales swimming and diving in the water. Of course, all cars were pulled over to the side to watch and snap photos. The rest of the drive to Seward is extremely scenic as well!
_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie
Mar 28th, 2011, 03:06 PM
#6
I agree with Orlando Vic and dfrostnh: Girdwood, Seward and the Kenai Penninsula are well worth the trip and have more to see and do. The drive to Seward is so spectacular and Resurrection Bay in Seward is breathtaking.
Mar 30th, 2011, 04:30 AM
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I am going to go with the suggestion, that you most certainly can include Denali park and Seward in 7 days.
Get a rental car, and drive to Seward, spend two nights, back to Anchorage, head out to Denali park for 2 nights. Shuttle bus into Denali to at least Eielson. Back to Anchorage. Plenty of time for stops and detours along the way, if of interest.
These two areas are the jackpot wildlife potential with Denali Park and Kenai Fjords boat tours.
Get a rental car, and drive to Seward, spend two nights, back to Anchorage, head out to Denali park for 2 nights. Shuttle bus into Denali to at least Eielson. Back to Anchorage. Plenty of time for stops and detours along the way, if of interest.
These two areas are the jackpot wildlife potential with Denali Park and Kenai Fjords boat tours.
Apr 14th, 2011, 08:39 PM
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From Anchorage,Take a flight to homer,rent a car and make your way back to anchorage. That way u can spend a couple of days in Homer then see Anchor Point,kenai,soldotna on your way to Seward. Overnite in seward,then go to girdwood,portage on way to anchorage.Thats 5 days and you've done the Peninsula. Then overnite in Anchorage then drive points north for 2 more days. Come back and finish Anchorage. You can get a 1 way car rental in Homer and leave it in Anchorage
May 5th, 2011, 07:46 PM
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taiga123- am doing something similar - flying Anchorage to Homer and then renting a car to drive back to Anchorage- there don't appear to be a lot of car rentals in Homer - any recommendations - I think the drop off fee is $200+
May 18th, 2011, 07:49 AM
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it seems silly to transfer to Anchorage from Whittier, then fly to Homer and then rent a car!
Travelinggirl01, all I can tell offer is what I have planned. We also dock after a cruise in Whittier, and have 7 days. I decided not to include Denali because of the long drive or train or bus times involved. BQ is right, of course, it can be done, but for me we decided against it. there is a ton of stuff to see and do on the Kenai peninsula so that's what I'm sticking with.
We're picking up a rental car right in Whittier (Avis only) and driving to directly to Homer. It looks to be 5-6 hours, not including stops, and we'll make a few I'm sure. Then we're spending a few days in Homer where we've got an all-day halibut fishing excursion, and an all-day photo safari. We wanted to do a bear viewing/ flight seeing trip but for various reasons that didn't work out.
From there we're headed to Seward for 2 nights, where we will do the Kenai Fjords tour, and also visit Exit Glacier, and possibly fit in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge. Our final night we'll spend near Girdwood where we may ride the tram at Alyeska, we may pan for gold at Crow Creek Mine, and we may hike the Winner Creek trail.
Travelinggirl01, all I can tell offer is what I have planned. We also dock after a cruise in Whittier, and have 7 days. I decided not to include Denali because of the long drive or train or bus times involved. BQ is right, of course, it can be done, but for me we decided against it. there is a ton of stuff to see and do on the Kenai peninsula so that's what I'm sticking with.
We're picking up a rental car right in Whittier (Avis only) and driving to directly to Homer. It looks to be 5-6 hours, not including stops, and we'll make a few I'm sure. Then we're spending a few days in Homer where we've got an all-day halibut fishing excursion, and an all-day photo safari. We wanted to do a bear viewing/ flight seeing trip but for various reasons that didn't work out.
From there we're headed to Seward for 2 nights, where we will do the Kenai Fjords tour, and also visit Exit Glacier, and possibly fit in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge. Our final night we'll spend near Girdwood where we may ride the tram at Alyeska, we may pan for gold at Crow Creek Mine, and we may hike the Winner Creek trail.
May 28th, 2016, 03:57 PM
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We went on a trip last summer and we covered Denali and Valdez. Our trip started with flying to Anchorage from LA, then a drive to Denali National Park followed by a trip to Valdez with a stop over at Palmer and finally back to Anchorage before taking a flight back to LA.
You can find more information in this blog: http://www.lifeasweexplore.com/home/...aska-road-trip
You can find more information in this blog: http://www.lifeasweexplore.com/home/...aska-road-trip
May 31st, 2016, 11:17 AM
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You need to decide a couple of things and these are things you know about yourself that we wouldn't know:
- do you want a driving trip that takes you by a bunch of stuff (as you look out the window)?
-do you like to stop/explore/do activities?
My wife and I like activities and exploring. To stop and see/do even just an adequate amount of an area in AK here's the the number of nights I recommend for many of my favorite communities:
Denali (3)
Seward (2)
Girdwood/Portage/Whittier (2)
Homer (2)
Fairbanks (2)
Matanuska Glacier (1)
Talkeetna (1/2 day)
Anchorage (2) - but... ANC is great, but the rest of AK is even better; so, if you are not staying for 2-3 weeks. just use ANC to arrive/depart.
On a short stay like yours, one has to decide how many miles they want to drive (AK is big and places are far apart). e.g. To visit Denali from Anchorage is about 12 hours of driving (round trip). Homer is about 10 hours round-trip.
Most travelers that stay a week will fit in Denali, Seward, the G/P/W area, and sometimes a trip to the Mat.Glacier.
- do you want a driving trip that takes you by a bunch of stuff (as you look out the window)?
-do you like to stop/explore/do activities?
My wife and I like activities and exploring. To stop and see/do even just an adequate amount of an area in AK here's the the number of nights I recommend for many of my favorite communities:
Denali (3)
Seward (2)
Girdwood/Portage/Whittier (2)
Homer (2)
Fairbanks (2)
Matanuska Glacier (1)
Talkeetna (1/2 day)
Anchorage (2) - but... ANC is great, but the rest of AK is even better; so, if you are not staying for 2-3 weeks. just use ANC to arrive/depart.
On a short stay like yours, one has to decide how many miles they want to drive (AK is big and places are far apart). e.g. To visit Denali from Anchorage is about 12 hours of driving (round trip). Homer is about 10 hours round-trip.
Most travelers that stay a week will fit in Denali, Seward, the G/P/W area, and sometimes a trip to the Mat.Glacier.
