mlm59

My daughter and I made our 2nd trip to Alaska. Our goal was to revisit some places we had visited before, as well as see as much of the interior part of the state as possible. It will likely be a long time before we return to the interior again. On our next Alaskan trip we would like to visit the coastal cities and travel into Canada. Plus, there are so many places in the US and throughout the world we want to visit, but haven't been there yet.

We flew into Anchorage on Friday, Aug 28, arriving around noon. We picked up the rental car, went to Wal-Mart and picked up supplies, and headed to Seward. We had been there before. It was a very windy & sunny day as we headed down the Seward Highway. No belugas to be seen in Turnigan Arm. We stayed at a B & B, which I won't name, that was ok, but nothing great. Oh well, it was only for 1 night. We ate dinner at Thorn's. We had eaten there before and think they have the best Halibut we have eaten. Walked along the bay for a while and then went to our room. It had been a long day.

Saturday, August 29. We woke up to clouds, but not as windy. Drove to Exit Glacier and took a short hike. Went to the visitor's center. It wasn't open when we were there before. Went on the 11:30 Kenai Fjords boat tour that lasted 6 hours. That's about my limit on a boat. Started out cloudy and chilly, but the weather improved as the day went on. Didn't see a lot on our cruise out to the glacier. A few humpback whales, but none of them put on a very good display. The glacier was beautiful and calved several times. The noises it makes sound like gunshots. As we headed back to the harbor we had the privilege of seeing 3 pods of Orcas. What a display they put on! That was worth the trip.

Upon returning to Seward, we drove to Cooper Landing. I chose to stay there 2 nights because it wasn't too long of a drive from Seward on Saturday and from our destination of Whittier on Monday. We stayed at the Hutch B & B. A really nice place at a very reasonable price. We took a drive and watched lots of people finishing from boats and fly fishing in the river. We picked up a pizza at Sackett's Kenai Grill and took it back to our room. It was very good. We set out by the campfire for a while and met other guests. It was great fun to meet others from all over the US and the world.

Sunday, Sept 30. We had no plans, except to drive the Sterling Highway to Homer. We decided we would decide what to do once we got to Homer. The drive , other than the construction, was beautiful. Once again a sunny day, but windy. Once the Cook Inlet and mountains came into view, the views were stunning. We stopped at the little Russian Orthodox church. I can't remember to name of the town. It is a neat church, but we were surprised to see the cemetary so over-grown.

Once we got to Homer, the wind was fierce. All flights and most boat tours were cancelled. The waves were washing over the rocks on the spit. We checked out the touristy shops and didn't find anything, although DD had to get a Salty Dog shirt. We ate at Captain Pattie's. It was okay, but the portion of halibut was small for the price. Not nearly as good as Thorn's in Seward. I wanted to eat at the Big Dipper Chipper, but DD didn't think it looked appealing. Homer would be a place I would like to return to if the weather was good. I would like to do a flight-seeing tour, but DD is afraid of getting air sick. I would at least like to take a boat tour, The snow-capped mountains make for a beautiful background to the city.

We drove back across the Sterling Highway and again stopped a lot for photos and to watch the many people still fishing. The wind wasn't as bad as we got further inland. We stopped for dinner at Gwin's Lodge and were very disappointed. The place wasn't busy, but the service was terrible. We couldn't get our drinks refilled. I had the chowder I had read so many positive reviews of. For me, it was too fishy, but I ate it. DD had a sandwich and fries. The fries were cold and the sandwich was nothing great. I definitely wouldn't go back there. When we got back to the Hutch B & B we once again enjoyed sitting by the camp fire visiting with the others who were staying there.

We left on Monday morning, August 31 in plenty of time to get through the tunnel opening at Whittier at 10:30. We wanted to get lunch before our boat cruise of PWS at noon. We arrived in time to get a breakfast sandwich at the restaurant next to the Major Marine office (I can't remember the name). The sandwich was large and was very good. We walked around Whittier (not much there) and took some photos before the tour. It was another beautiful day - sunny and not windy. The glaciers and waterfalls were breath-taking. The boat captain said it was one of the most beautiful days of the year. We didn't see much wildlife, except for some huge schools of jelly fish.

We went through the tunnel at 6:00 and drove to Wasilla to spend the night at Lake Lucille B & B. We had stayed there before. A beautiful room in a beautiful home right on the lake. A nice breakfast was provided, although no hot food. We watched a float plane take off Tuesday morning. Since we arrived later in the evening, we ate at Wendy's after checking in and unloading our stuff. We watched some TV. Didn't have TV in Cooper Landing.

Tuesday, September 1 was a travel day and a day to do whatever we wanted. Again, another sunny day. We went to Safeway and picked up a few things. We had a cooler and got sandwiches for our bus ride tomorrow. We had been to Talkeetna before, but DD wanted to stop there again. As before, we ate breakfast for lunch at the road house. First time we've had eggs and bacon on our trip. The small breakfast portion is huge. Talkeetna is such a neat town. We walked down to the river and got stunning photos of Denali and the other mountains. I tried to talk her into a flight-seeing tour, but she wouldn't do it. I didn't want to do it without her.

A beautiful drive to Denali NP, except for the horrible construction as you get near the park. It was a mess. We stopped at Denali SP for some more awesome photos. We drove into the park and picked up our bus tour tickets for tomorrow at the WAC. It was crazy there. Tons of people were trying to get tickets for the bus tours since the weather was going to be beautiful for the next couple of days. We drove to Savage River, but only saw some female moose. Drove back into town and ate dinner at Moose Tooth Pizzeria. We had eaten there before. It was good. Drove to Healy to spend the night. Some construction, but no major delay. Stayed at the Denali Park Hotel. Very nice at a reasonable price. Room was clean, was large, and had a microwave and refrigerator. Worked great for the food we had for tomorrow and to microwave our breakfast before we left for Denali on Wednesday.

I have written enough for now. Will add more later.

tomfuller

Tell us more about Denali. President Obama went there recently after Secretary Jewell named the mountain Denali instead of Mt. McKinley.
Obama also ate some wild salmon fillet cut from the fish by Bear Grylls.

jetset1

Ninilchik is the town you noticed the Russian Orthodox church in. This was also one of the best Alaska summers yet, and they are predicting another mild winter, thanks to El Nino.

mlm59

Wednesday, Sept 2: We wake up in Healy and are excited about the day ahead. It is cold and sunny. 28 degrees and frost on the car, but the forecast is for sun and temps in the low 60's. We saw Denali from a distance yesterday, but today we will get to see Denali and the other mountains from a much closer view point. We leave the hotel and see a mother moose and 2 babies shortly after turning on the highway. We hope this is a good omen for the day.

We get in line for the bus trip at 9. Going to Eilson. 8 hours on a bus is all I can take. I think they added extra buses since the demand is so great with the great weather. We set off for a glorious day. We stop several times for wildlife sightings. We see caribou, several female moose, 2 bull moose, and the most Dall sheep we've ever seen. There is a sheep on top of a large rock near the road that seems to be posing for us. The photos DD takes are breath-taking. Lots of us take pictures of each other. It is an amazing day. We couldn't have hoped for more, even though we didn't see any grizzlies. Can't have everything. We were at the park 3 years ago and it rained all day.

We are at the WAC at 5 and head up the Parks Highway to Fairbanks. We've not been north of Denali. This begins the road trip portion of our vacation. We wanted to drive some of Alaska's beautiful highways and take in the scenery. We enjoy the drive to Fairbanks as the scenery is new to us. Not many places to stop after leaving Healy. We were hungry and needed to find a restroom by the time we got to Fairbanks. We go to our hotel for the next 2 nights. We stay at a HI Express with IHG points I have. It's a nice place to stay, like most HI Express hotels. DD is tired of eating fish, burgers, and pizza. She asks the hotel desk clerk about a Mexican restaurant. She recommends one close to the hotel, Gallos. It is good. Not the best Mexican we have eaten, but satisfies DD's craving for Mexican.

Thursday, Sept 3: We get going later than we had planned. It is another sunny day. We drive up the Steese Highway. We see the pipeline for the first time. We realize we are close to the Gold Dredge and decide we might do that tour. We get there just a few minutes too late for the 10:30 tour. There isn't another tour until tomorrow so we don't have time to go. We have a reservation for 2:00 for the Riverboat Discovery. We go back into Fairbanks and stop at Pioneer Park. DD finds several shops to check out, but doesn't have time for any real shopping. We didn't find anything we wanted for lunch. DD wants to return after the boat cruise. We considered buying tickets for the evening musical, but luckily decided to wait.

It is warm by 2:00. We get there in time to buy 2 large scoops of ice cream for $3. This is lunch for today, even though the boat has food for purchase at a reasonable price. We enjoyed the boat tour. It is touristy, but it was fun and we learned much about the lifestyles of the people of Alaska. Lots of beautiful homes along the river. We return around 5:00 and pick up some reasonably priced souveniers from the gift shop. As we leave the parking lot, DD starts to feel bad. She is getting a migraine and the medicine she needs to take as soon as she feels it coming on is at the hotel. By the time we get to the hotel, it is full-blown. No evening activities for us. I went out and picked up fast food and sat in the lobby for a while with my lap-top. She needs darkness and no noise.

Friday, Sept 4: DD is feeling much better. We have a long drive today. We are driving the Richardson Highway to Copper Center. We stop at North Pole. It's another touristy place, but it's cute and a fun place to stop. We are surprised to see Santa. He tells us he is there until September 12 and then will take a vacation until Thanksgiving weekend. Apparently the cruise ship buses stop coming after Sept 12. Not many people there and Santa is quite chatty. There are some really neat old toys on display at the North Pole. I think about the wonderful things we have thrown away or given away when I was growing up. We talk to Santa about a place not far from where we live that is well known - it is Santa Claus, Indiana. Surprisingly Santa has been there to a convention and said it was a wonderful experience. We wished Santa fair well and headed south.

We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the view along the highway. We continued to see the pipeline and were impressed by where it crosses the Tanana River. We stopped at the pull-out and took pictures of the pipeline crossing and the many boats on the river. Unfortunately we had left the sun behind.

We drove thru Delta Junction, but DD wasn't ready for lunch yet. We didn't realize our next stopping place wouldn't be until Meirs Lake. It started to rain lightly after leaving Delta Junction. More great photos. DD got a beautiful photo of a bald eagle in a tree close to the road.

By the time we arrive at Meirs Lake, we are starved and have to go to the bathroom. The roadhouse doesn't look like much from the outside. DD isn't sure about stopping there, but I've read lots of good reviews on Tripadvisor, and this was a time when you have to take what you can find. The place is interesting to say the least. We order and start talking to a couple of local people and 2 brothers who are on a motorcycle trip through Canada and Alaska. It's great fun talking to these people. Our burgers are really good. The fries are good, but a little cold. We are starved and thankful to find a good meal. After visiting for a while, we use the restroom again and take off. The rain is a little harder, but not a pouring rain.

We continue to see lots of fabulous scenery, even with the rain and clouds. We finally reach the visitor center at Wrangle-St Elias NP. We watch the video about the park. It is fascinating and we are glad we took the time to see it. A very nice visitors center and exhibits. We didn't get to see the mountains of this area in the sun. We saw them partially through the clouds and wish we could have finished our trip with no rain, but it wasn't to be.

We spent the night at the Princess Lodge. It is nicely decorated and our room was nice. On Friday night the place was full of cruise ship passengers. It was very busy for dinner and the service was poor. Couldn't get our drinks refilled until we were finished eating. It was obvious they cater to those on the Princess cruise. We had trouble using their computer to print our boarding passes, but finally got them printed. I'm sure the view from the patio would be beautiful on a sunny day, but the clouds didn't allow us to see much.

Saturday, Sept 5: We get up to light rain. We were slow getting ready. Finally get the car loaded about 9:30. The cruise ship passengers are gone and there aren't many people around. We learn they serve breakfast until 10:00, but aren't sure we can get anybody to seat us. Finally we are seated and order. It didn't take long to get our food. It was good and was a hearty portion. This would likely be our meal until late afternoon. We had snacks in the car to finish before flying home.

We leave Copper Center for the trip to Anchorage. It is raining, but we finally get out of the rain. We meet lots of vehicles with boats, campers, and ATV's. It is Labor Day weekend. It appears there are lots of people going hunting. The beauty along the highway makes for a lot of stops. When we get to Palmer the state fair is going on and there is a large traffic jam approaching the fairgrounds. It is worse from the other direction. We had thought about stopping, but not when we saw the crowd. We went to the fair when we were there 3 years ago and had a great time on a beautiful day.

We drive into Anchorage. We thought about going to the Native Heritage Center, but it was too late since it closes at 5. We go downtown and visit the Saturday market and some of the stores. DD is looking for fur cuffs for her leather boots, but no luck. We decide to eat at the famous Mooth Tooth Pizza. It was around 5 and already lots of people waiting. It didn't take along to get seated. The food was good, especially the mozzarella bread sticks. We saw people getting luscious-looking desserts, but we were too full. We thought the price was quite reasonable. We finish eating and drive down along Cook Inlet. We park and take a long walk on the Tony Knowles trail. We need to walk off our supper and get some exercise before going to the airport for our over-night flight home.

Other than the rain that spoiled our views of the Wrangell-St Elias mountains, we couldn't have asked for a better trip to Alaska. It was a wonderful experience that is definitely the top trip we have taken in the US. There is nothing in the lower 48 that compares.

emalloy

This sounds like a very nice trip, and so different from the cruise/bus type trips and much nicer IMHO. Thanks for the report.

mlm59

Thanks emalloy. It was a great trip. We saw lots of people who were on buses with the cruise ship tours. While I understand it is easier to let the cruise ship company do all of the planning and driving, those people do not get to see the Alaska that we saw. For anybody who enjoys trip planning and don't mind driving, flying to Alaska and renting a car is the best way to see the state.

ginger50

Thanks for this great trip report. We are planning a family trip to Alaska next summer, and are deciding between cruise, driving trip, or some combination of both. I will share your trip report with my family and this will give us some inspiration.

christinacorrea

Yes, trip during an awesome weather becomes more pleasureful. Every one should hangout during good weather.

GreatJourneys

Thank you for sharing your experience. Your trip to Alaska sounds perfect and I think you enjoyed a lot. I want to visit to Iditarod National Historic Trail, Seward and Totem Bight State Historic Park. TYhe next time I'll visit to Alaska I wish to go to these places. Can you suggest what else I should see in Alaska - places which enjoyed the most?

chris45ny

Enjoyed reading about your trip. We did a 2 week self drive and then a 2 week combo land/cruise with Holland America. If I had a do over I would do all the land as a self drive with only the cruise portion for the 1 week.

mlm59

The great weather was such a major plus that you cannot plan for. When we were in Alaska 3 years ago it rained every day but 2. While we still enjoyed that trip, the beauty of Alaska is best in good weather. If a had to choose the top places I would say the Kenai Fjords cruise from Seward, driving the Seward Highway, and driving the Parks Highway to Denali, stopping in Talkeetna. The bus tour at Denali is a must. We really enjoyed the beautiful fall colors when we were there in late August.