Alaska or California

That is a very tough decision because there are no wrong options. Whatever you choose, you will enjoy. I would opt for seeing a little more of Alaska (Kenai Penninsula, inside passage cruise, even Denali National Park) because you are already there.

Save California for a future trip because there is so much to see that it really cries out for more time. In fact, if you want to come back in the future, combine California with several of the Western national parks such as Yosemite, Sequoia, Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon + Sedona (Arizona).

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

No question - spend more time in Alaska - take the train to Denali -- stop in Talkeenta - rent a plane(with two engines) and fly up to Mt McKinley(the price is worth it and you will never forget it) - Just south of Ankorage - go to the 20 Mile Glacier Jet Boat launch - take it up to see the 20 Mile Glacier. If you have more time go Salmon fishing. If you still have time go back to Fairbanks and rent a plane and go up to Prohoe Bay-- stop at several eskimo villages along the way. Of course you will be north of the artic circle. I have done all of the above and been their 4 times and will go back at the 'drop of a hat'. Have fun and enjoy

My recommendation -

Hire a car (not the train) in Anchorage and drive to Denali on the 19th. Spend the day of the 20th taking the park shuttle bus into the park and back out. Go in as far as seems reasonable given the weather - if the mountain is out, consider Wonder Lake (bring bug repellent!) or at least Eielson Visitors' Center. Spend the night of the 20th (and "night" is a relative term on June 20th at Denali - it won't get dark at all) then return to Anchorage on the 21st and fly down to Seattle.

Spend 3 days in the Seattle area then around the 25th get a car and drive south - as far as Portland the first day, with a loop through the Columbia Gorge, then out to the coast and south on US 101 for the next couple of days, exploring the wonderful Oregon coast but especially the Redwoods in the extreme northwest corner of California (from Crescent City to a little ways south of Eureka.) Then into SF, maybe via a stop in the Napa Valley for a little wine tasting. Or, just head straight into SF and spend the last night or two in the city.

The Redwoods are simply spectacular - there's nothing in the rest of the world like the groves in Redwood National Park and the neighboring State parks. And the Oregon coast (especially the southern third) is like the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, except X 4.

I agree California is a big place and merits its own trip, but your schedule lends itself marvelously to a short road trip through some of the best scenery in North America.

Ozetraveller,

I haven't cruised to Alaska, but I have flown into Anchorage a couple of times and toured by auto, so I will give you advice from that point of view.

After your cruise from Vancouver to Seward, does the Kenai Fjords trip get you up closer to glaciers and whales than your previous ship? I've been on the Kenai Fjords trip (the longer day trip) and it was a fabulous day, but we didn't just get off a cruise.

If you want to see wildlife then you will need to get out of Anchorage. You've been given good advice about heading to Denaili National Park and taking the bus (and hiking if you are up to it).

It is also interesting to me to stop in small towns and have a look at how people live. You can see the Russian heritage in some towns and the native heritage in others. A highlight of one of our trips was an overnight in Barrow. Flying over the state gave us a feel for the vastness and the width of the rivers. Then we got to see what it is like to live in such an isolated spot. The locals were happy to see us few tourists, very friendly and talkative about their lives on the Arctic Ocean. I'm glad my husband talked me into the expense.

I can see you choosing activities to fit your interests for half your time.

After that, I'm sorry to see that you are flying home from LA. Southern California is not my favorite place whereas northern California is one of my favorite tourist destinations. Perhaps you could fly into San Francisco, see redwoods at Muir Woods or one of the state parks such as Big Basin (amazing doesn't describe them), Napa Valley if you are into wine, SF itself if you'd like to see the cable cars, Victorian Houses, waterfront, etc. Then rent a car one way down the coast to see Big Sur, the dramatic coastline you've seen in movies, Hearst Castle if you are interested in strange mansions/estates, etc. working your way down to LAX.

It's difficult to say what another person should do.
Will you be tired of natural beauty by then?
Will you feel you've missed out on something if you don't see cable cars in San Francisco, or the world's greatest zoo in San Diego?
Will you want some city and nightlife at some point?
Will you be missing great art museums and some different landscape?

Thank you all so much for the input. Originally when we booked the one way cruise the idea was to spend time in Alaska after the cruise, then my husband was taken with the idea of the Mexican Rivera Cruise - but this means one night only in Anchorage. After reading all the replies we are leaning towards Gardyloo's idea of hiring the car and going to Denali (any recommendations for car hire). Then doing a drive in California. I've been told that you can get one way hires between San Francisco and LA but not sure if that would be the case between Seattle and LA (any one know). Maybe Kay2's idea of flying into San Francisco and seeing the Redwoods there might be the way to go. Are they as spectacular as the ones in the north west corner that Gardyloo mentions. Our future plan for next year or the one after is to hire a car for four weeks and do the Rockies and National Parks like Yosemite, Sequoia, Bryce, Zion and Grand Canyon. so maybe coastal this time and inland next time.

Gardyloo where do you recommend staying if we hire a car and drive to Denali.

Kay2 / Ronko the flights sound spectacular, but I'm not keen on heights - a large plane doesn't worry me but not that keen on the little ones, so don't think we'll be doing any small plane flights.

LSky - don't think we will tire of natural beauty. Nightlife and cities arn't high on our list of prioities. But I do want to do a bit of shopping before we fly out of LA as your prices are much better than ours in Australia - and we'll be flying out of there with the international luggage limit, so do want a couple of days there.

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. Please keep them coming.

When you do your tour of the national parks in a year or two, remember that you have to book a year in advance to get decent accomodations inside Yosemite, and Grand Canyon and Yellowstone need to be booked almost as early. Plan early if you want to stay inside the western parks. Have fun.

Gardyloo where do you recommend staying if we hire a car and drive to Denali.

I would look at the Tripadvisor.com recommendations for both Denali National Park and for Healy - a town a little north of the park entrance. There are various hotels and B&Bs in the area, so it depends on what kind of lodgings you prefer. Things are not cheap around Denali Park in the summer, so be prepared.

You can certainly rent a one-way car from Seattle to California; it's done all the time.

As for the redwoods closer to San Francisco, the trees themselves are more than acceptable. The difference (just my opinion) is that the groves in the north are larger and more numerous, and the climate - misty/drippy - is very evocative.

However, if you want to skip the Pacific Northwest and focus on a short taste of California, then flying into SF, seeing the city and the local redwoods, than heading down to LA along the coast is an equally fine trip. In late June you may or may not be past the "June gloom" period along the coast - overcast and foggy weather for days on end. It vanishes as you travel inland from the immediate coastal area; but unfortunately so does the good scenery.

I'm not Gardyloo, but I do have a lodging recommendation for Denali (or rather close to it). The Denali Dome Home is a wonderful B&B in nearby Healy http://www.denalidomehome.com/ and is 15 minutes north of the park's main entrance. Check out their Tripadvisor reviews: http://tinyurl.com/yzkp6bq

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

I also wanted to suggest you rethink the Mexican Riviera cruise because of the rapidly spreading drug violence all over Mexico, including Acapulco which would probably be one of the ports of call. This is not a good time to visit Mexico, and I don't just mean the border towns.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

It would be a shame to travel all the way from Australia to Seward only to turn back before you have seen at least a little of what lies just beyond. It's often said that the Kenai peninsula captures the best of everything Alaska has to offer so if I were you I would cancel the trainride from Seward to Anchorage and start your car trip in Seward, spending at least 2-3 days on the Peninsula before heading up to Anchorage, Denali and wherever else you decide to explore. The TripAdvisor Alaska/Seward forum is full of excellent advice from both locals and travelers who are counting the days until their return, so I won't repeat all that in this writing, but just to start with, take a look at this website: http://alaska.org/driving/

I second the concern with visiting Mexico right now. We live in California so we hear about the danger all the time but now there are actually visitor warnings about travel into Mexico. Our son attends San Diego University and we have been notified that the school is warning all students to avoid Mexico at all costs right now. It used to be the tourist areas were safe but not now. No where seems safe.

I'd absolutely spend more time in Alaska and save California exploration for another trip. Denali would be a great choice with bears, mountain goats and other wildlife in their natural habitat. We also loved seeing Tracey Arm fijord on a small boat trip outside Juneau, watching the glacier calving, seeing the whales, seals, bald eagles and magnificent views.

Do Denali. You have a once in a lifetime opportunity to see one of the most awesome places on the planet.

Forget the Mexican Riviera in June. I didn't know the cruise lines operated there then. Maybe you are talking about the 3 or 4 day Mexican cruises to Ensenada. If so, avoid this cruise like the plague.

Supercilious - Carnival Splendor and Mariner of the Seas do seven night cruises in June. But we've changed our mind now and won't consider that cruise at this time.

FancyMuffins, thanks for that web-site link. Don't think we can cancel our train tickets at this stage as we have already booked them through a third party. I've heard that the train ride is quite spectacular.

Does this sound doable (or are my time frames not going to work) - Hire car Saturday and drive to Denali, stay night at B&B, Sunday shuttle bus into park (i'm assuming they operate on a Sunday). Sunday night at B&B again, then Monday drive back to Anchorage - flying out on a midnight flight (not booked yet). Thanks for all the advice.

Yes, it sounds doable. You may even wish to take a shuttle bus tour in the evening of the first Saturday. In mid-June, the sun may not set until close to midnight, and even then, it won't be completely dark. You could then have all day Sunday to go again or do something different. Go at least as far as the Toklat River rest stop or, better yet, the Eielson Visitor center.

You can even make shuttle bus reservations online if you are on a tight schedule: http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/bus-reservations.htm

Finally, you may even wish to bring a "mossie net" from home as a precaution. At that time of the year, mosquitos may be extremely troublesome and mosquito head nets are extremely lightweight and very packable.

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

[[Go at least as far as the Toklat River rest stop or, better yet, the Eielson Visitor center.]]

You needs to go to at least Eielson, as one of the classic views of Denali is a few miles past the Toklat River - http://www.yukonalaska.com/photography/images/4140-denali.jpg

Look into flying to Phoenix, AZ to see the Grand Canyon.

If this is too hot (temperature-wise) - then Yosemite.

These are the 2 wonders of the World that should not be missed.

Hi ozetraveller,
We took the train from Anchorage to Denali and even with a breakdown and several hour delay we still had enough sunlight to go horseback riding in Denali until 11:30 pm. It is beautiful that time of year and it stays light out so late that you don't feel tired at your normal bedtime. You will have a great time no matter what you do. After our last trip we even seriously considered moving to Alaska.

Have fun,
Michele

That horseback riding appeals to me. Will have to look into that. Think we are going to spend a couple of extra days in Alaska now as everybody is just so positive about the experience.

Well personally my vote would go for the Mexican cruise. It would be such a nice contrast with Alaska.

But I also LOVE the state of California. Tough choices!