Going to Alaska in late August. Will fly in Ancorage in mid afternoon and have the next day for sightseeing. Any ideas on what to see and where to eat will be appreciated. I read a number of post regarding Denali so decided to have 3 full days. One full day will be taking the shuttle in the park, and depending on the weather will try to take a air tour of Mt McKinley. Any other thoughts on what others have done would be appreciated. I take the upgraded train from Anchorage to Seward, and than 4 days in Seward. 1 full day will be taken on the tour. Any sights or places to see in the Seward area would be appreciated.
Ideas of things to see in Anchorage, Denali (3 days), Seward (4 days)
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In Denali it looks like you have one unplanned day, right? I'd ride the bus again, either not as far and get off to hike, or to the same place as first trip but at a different time, that is, instead of catching the first bus out one day try catching one of the last buses out the 2nd day.
I'd grab the flight seeing trip the first clear day, there might only be one.
Late August is the perfect time to be in Denali with the changing of the tundra to fall colors. Good choice.
In Seward, the SeaLife exhibit is great. The full day tour is great. After that I personally would go to Homer for the other two days, maybe try to fit in a bear viewing trip out of Homer.
I agree with the recommendation of the SeaLife Center in Seward--the behind the scenes tour (I think it has toi be booked in advance) was excellent. We also liked Exit Glacier and a Kenai Fjords boat tour.
In Anchorage, we liked the Alaska Native Heritage Center, Earthquake Park, the Anchorage Museum of History & Art.
I think 4 days is bit long to spend in Seward. A Kenai Fjords cruise by Major Marine, the Sealife Center, Exit Glacier, and the Ididaride Sled Dog Kennel would be my top recommendations. There are also fishing charters, kayaking trips, and helicopter flights with glacier landings if you are so inclined.
Another alternative to the train for transportation to or from Seward would be a bus tour. These have the advantage of including photo stops and a visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and still taking less time because the train goes so slow. The train tracks follow the highway for most of the way so the scenery is almost identical. The main difference in the route is that the highway goes up through Turnagain Pass while the train takes a long detour around it. Some options are Anchorage Tours and Transfers (www.akcruiseshuttle.com) and Alaska Cruise Connect (akcruiseconnect.com)
Jason, this was last year. So the OP has already been I assume.
For those still searching http://alaskacruisetransfer.com this company offers some solid options for day tours and transfer options
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