wrboone

My wife and I will be traveling to Alaska in early August. Here is our itinerary. I really appreciate any feedback/suggestions from anyone kind enough to wade through this busy list.

Day 1: Fly to Anchorage from Dallas,
Texas
Rent a car, drive to Seward
Overnight in Seward at:
Ballaine House B&B

Day 2: Mariah Kenai Fjord Tours
Overnight in Seward

Day 3: Drive back to Anchorage and
see along the way:
1. Beluga Point
2. Windy Point
3. Portage Glacier
Overnight in Anchorage

Day 4: Visit Anchorage:
1. Alaska Native
Heritage Center
2. Tony Knowles Coastal
TrailBicycling
3. Drive to Talkeetna
and overnight at the
Talkeetna Alaska Lodge

Day 5: Talkeetna Flight Seeing
Drive to Denali Park
1. Train Depot to catch
the shuttle to
Denali Backcountry
Lodge.

Day 6: Denali Backcountry Lodge

Day 7: Denali Backcountry Lodge
Drive to Fairbanks and
overnight


Day 8: Flight to Barrow and Arctic
experience
Return and overnight in
Fairbanks

Day 9: Begin flight back home.

Now, I guess the inevitable question is, is it realistic to do all the above?
We are naturalists by disposition, so we want to be able to experience as much of the outdoors as we can. I just finished James Michener’s novel “Alaska”. This was a long, epic book that mixes fact and fiction in describing Alaska’s history. I am interested in e native cultures in this State.

Thank you for spending the time to go through, and especially those that offers some advice.

Regards

Bill Boone

repete

It's do-able, but here are a couple of things to consider. A lot depends on what kind of trip you have from Texas and what time you arrive in Anchorage.

Day 1 might be too crazy. If you can pull off that long of a day fine, but you could just chill out in Anchorage on Day 1 and spend Day 2 going slowly to Seward -- hitting the highway spots on the way down. Add Exit Glacier.

Then do Kenai Fjords on Day 3 and head straight back to Anchorage (perhaps grabbing a meal at the Double Musky en route.)

On Day 4, it might be tough squeezing in the coastal trail. Consider stopping at the Eklutna spirit houses on the way out of Anchorage.

Looks like a great trip. Enjoy.

dfrostnh

If you are interested in native cultures it is a shame you aren't going to Homer and a visit to the Pratt Museum. However, I have missed the Native Cultural Center on my visits and maybe it is better. At the Pratt I was impressed by three short videos about life in Alaska. One was about homesteading in Homer back in the 1950s, another about fishing. While in Anchorage you should stop at the Title Wave bookstore where they have a great variety of books about Alaska. My personal favorite is Tisha, a biographical novel of a young woman who went to teach in a remote town in the 1920s. I loved Portage Glacier visitors center. Take time to listen to recordings of people who experienced the earthquake. Do you have time to stop at Independence Mine on your way to Talkeetna? A couple of the buildings have already been restored. This was a thriving community of 220 before WW2. Now it's abandoned.
Looks like you hae a great trip planned!

Wildflower

Hi Bill
Do you already have your reservations? or are you still flexible and willing to make few changes? Is this your first trip to Alaska?
I agree with staying first night in Anchorage. The next morning you could do all those things you are scheduled to do in Anchorage before leaving for Seward. I would definitely add Homer since you are naturalists by disposition. What does it mean to be naturalist by disposition? For the first time visitor to Alaska I think Homer will give you larger impression of a natural beauty of Alaska than Barrow. Further, with only day trip to Barrow you get only a tiny sample of native culture designed for tourists. Maybe you should spend at least one night in Barrow. With total 9 days in Alaska, including 2 nights in Denali Backcountry Lodge, you don't have too much flexibility. Actually you don't have 9 days, on day 1 you are arriving in Alaska and on day 9 departing. Rethink your itinerary and try to include Homer in it. Whatever you decide have a great trip

BudgetQueen

I agree with the forgeting Seward on your day of arrival. I also do NOT recommend Barrow as a day trip. No way is it worth it in my opinion. You just do not have time for much of anything before you are heading back. If you have booked "tour package", it is extremely touristy and canned. Better is a few days with a local guide seeing some real stuff. Day 3 is essentially "empty", all your list is a short stop. Belugas are definately NOT a given and on my trips- rare. Are you perhaps also considering hiking? You could combine some of your "Anchorage" activities. The Talkeetna Alaska lodge is a big tour visitor property, plenty of buses. May not be a unique Alaska experience?? What time do you have to catch the Backcountry shuttle?

Connie

If you do a search here you'll find that a lot of people recommend spending more time on the Kenai Peninsula.

You really have a short time for all the distances you are travelling. Ex, it's 2-3 hours to Seward, another 3 or so to Homer. It's 2-3 back to Anchorage and then 5 just to the entrance of Denali. It will take you about 6 hours to get to Denali Backcountry Lodge.

We are from Texas too so are used to driving long distances but Alaska is a whole different matter. You cannot judge distances from looking at a map because the scale is much different. If you put the state of Alaska over the continental US map it covers the whole eastern side, east of the Mississippi River.

Gardyloo

If you fly the AA nonstop from DFW to ANC (or the recently announced Alaska Airlines n/s) be aware that it's a seven hour flight (nearly the same as DFW-London.) The AA plane arrives at 8:45pm (don't know AS). Call it 9:30 before you're on the road - and BTW it's a 2-land mountain road much of the way - well....

My recommendation is back to the drawing board...

BudgetQueen

For clarification- it is about 4 hours Homer/Anchorage, 3+ hours Seward/Homer, 3 hours Anchorage/Seward