mosthecat

We are lucky to have been able to claim miles for free tix to AK, in order to attend a wedding. Because the dates of the flights are fixed to when the tix were available, and b/c of the wedding date, I'm having a little trouble with our itinerary, and I welcome any help.

We arrive in Juneau Aug 2 at 2:30pm.
We leave from Anchorage August 19 at 10am.
The wedding requires that we be in Palmer (very close to Anchorage) August 12 and 13.
Otherwise, we are open.

We are active, independent travelers, who enjoy wildlife. We really liked our overnight small boat trip in New Zealand's fjords/sounds, and also a three day smaller boat trip around Cape Horn. The problem isn't what to do, but what to leave out - there is so much.

We can buy our way one flight from Juneau to Anchorage for any date, as long as we're there for the two days of wedding activities. Here is the loose itinerary I have so far, and as you can see, I have plenty of holes.

Should we leave the Juneau area after what I already have listed?

Also, we will drive down and around the Kenai Peninsula after the wedding, until we leave (Kenai cruise, Gull Island cruise, AK Sea Life Center). I wish we had another day or two for this part (so I can't quite figure out the number of days in Homer and Seward), but obviously we can't move up the wedding, and it seems ridiculous to do part of the Kenai and then return to Anchorage before going back down two days later. So, if we leave Juneau after what is listed, what should we do with those days? Possibly Prince William Sound (I don't think it involves a whole lot of the same drive as when we go to Seward, but please correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe Denali (I know, we love wildlife, but I have to say we both hate the idea of the long school bus rides, and friends from AK say we should see plenty of critters with all the rest of our itinerary) and even up to Fairbanks area.

Any help is very much appreciated!

August
2 arrive Juneau 2:30pm, fly to Gustavus, overnight Glacier Bay
3 all-day Glacier Bay cruise, overnight Glacier Bay
4 return to Juneau, tram up the mountain, overnight Juneau
5 all-day Tracy Arm cruise, overnight Juneau
6
7
8
9
10
11
12 free daytime, wedding dinner, overnight Anchorage
13 wedding, overnight Palmer
14
15
16
17
18 overnight near Anchorage airport
19 depart Anchorage at 10 am

spirobulldog

You could drive, fly or shuttle to Wrangel National Park. There are several adventurous type hikes, ice climbing, etc that can be done there.

The Train is really nice from Anchorage to Seward.

Alyeska is a nice place to spend a day or two that is between Seward and Anchorage.

I don't think you should rule out the all day bus ride at Denali. You could also do McKinley Glacier Landing.

I haven't been to every place that you mention, myself or my parents have been to most. I think that Prince William Sound, Kenai Cruise, and Glacier Bay will all be similar experiences( although all great and unique). I think you should consider Denali, Wrangel, or even Katmai.

I think perhaps concentrate on 2 or 3 areas. I'll let others that are more familiar with it add their two cents worth.

dfrostnh

Is there another wedding guest who could pick you up if you flew from Kenai to ANC on a commuter flight?

We spent a lovely weekend in Palmer for an event so we were pretty busy. From there we went to Indepdence Mine, stopped in the Transportation Museum in Wasilla and continued on to Talkeetna for an overnight.

We had flown into ANC, transferred to the commuter flight and based ourselves in Kenai. Drove up to Palmer for the weekend. Returned to Kenai, spent the next weekend in Homer/Seldovia. Drove up to Girdwood for the Forest Fair. We did one overnight to Seward when we took the all day cruise. Returned to Kenai. Decided we hadn't seen enough of Homer so went back to visit Pratt Museum etc as a day trip.

It's not so bad to drive the same road more than once esp between Anchorage and Seward. Very beautiful road. On our first visit it took us all day to get to Seward.

cd

Mosthecat, we have been to Alaska twice and loved everything about it and what we did. The scenery is beautiful (of course our grandson is stationed in Fairbanks and hates everything about it!, cold, cold, cold in the winter) Anyway what I remember the most and loved the most was our helicopter flight out of Juneau to the top of a glacier! I do so recommend that! You can walk around in the stark whiteness with no sound but what you make. Or you can take a dogsled ride up there. Just awesome!

mosthecat

Thanks all! Good ideas. I will check all of these out. Perhaps we will go north of Anchorage for a short time prior to the wedding. And, I do love the idea of the bears, but all that I've found so far is daunting in costs. But I am going to keep investigating... Any other ideas, please send em my way!

tiga123

Fly down to Homer on Grant air(cheapest) and rent a car. Tons of B&B's and cabins for rent. Take a flite for bear/glacier viewing. Visit shops and dock on the Homer Spit,then go into town to museum,art galleries and you must go to the Islands and Oceans visitor Center in Homer. Next day head north to Anchor Point(1/2 hr away) and go to the Norman Lowell museum(he's an outstanding artist,who'll you'll probably see there). Also in Anchor Point you can see the russian village,then continue north and you can make your way back to Anchorage(4 hrs away) and turn off to go to Seward for a day to the sealife center and Kenai fjords glacier cruise.