volsfan

Just got back from 10 days on a self guided tour of Alaska. Here is what I did:

DAY 1: Arrived by air - night in Anchorage

DAY 2: Drove to Denali - whitewater rafting - night at The Grand Denali

DAY 3: Park tour on NP bus system - 8 hours trip - great weather and the mountain was clear, fresh snow. Drove to Talkeeneta for night at the Talkeeneta Lodge.

Day 4: Walked around Talkeeneta. Took 2 hour wilderness tour on Jet boat. Night 2 at the Lodge.

Day 5: Drove to Copper Center. Spent night at Princess Copper Wilderness Lodge. Great views along the drive.

Day 6: Drove to Valdez. Best part of the trip was the two hour drive into Valdez. What a great trip: mountain, glaciers, waterfalls and views. Spent night at Aspen Hotel in Valdez. Dinner at Mike's Palace.

Day 7: Ferry to Whittier. Nice sunny day. Great way to travel, sitting on the deck watching for whales and enjoying the sun and the view. Drove through tunnel for night at Seward. Spent night at Seward Windsong Hotel. Nice rooms and quiet.

DAY 8: Fjord Tour (8 Hours) with Fox Island Lunch. Saw lots of whales. Night 2 at Windsong. Dinner at Ray's Waterfront.

DAY 9: Walked to Exit Glacier, then drove to Homer for night. Night at Lands End.

DAY 10: Halibut fishing. Caught limit including a couple 70 pounders. Dinner at Homestead Restaurant. EXCELLENT food. Night 2 in Homer at Lands End.

DAY 11: Drove to Anchorage for return flight home. Total travel for ten days about 1200 miles. No problems, great weather for all ten days. NO RAIN. Wonderfull trip.

If you have any questions I will be glad to give you a reply.

rubigayle

We are doing a somewhat similar trip for about 14 days in late July early August.We are staying at many of the same places. When you drove from Talkeetna to Copper Center, do you recall seeing Sheep Mountain lodge on the Glenn Highway? i am trying to decide whether to stay around Palmer and do Hatcher pass or stay further up the Glenn at Sheep Mountain lodge. Thanks

Connie

Excellent itenerary. I enjoyed remembering most of the sites/activities you described.

I'd recommend this itenerary to those of you making plans in a short time frame.

BudgetQueen

I'd definately choose Sheeps Lodge over anything in Palmer. Also be certain to verify your ability to drive on the Hatcher Pass, some rentals won't allow it and some insurances don't cover any "off road" damages. It would be a good idea to purchase the car rental's waivers.

mpickl

Sounds like you had a great time. We will be in Homer in mid-July. Can't wait! Who did you use for your halibut fishing excursion? We are looking for a good charter outfit to do a halibut and salmon trip. Thanks.

volsfan

For halibut fishing in Homer, we used Bob Ward, AWARD CHARTERS, he has a very good reputation and the fastest boat in the fleet. I believe his web page is awardcharters.com, and you can check his web page for availability. We caught our limit and Bob made it an enjoyable trip. Bob is known in the area as somewhat of a local character, and he knows how to catch fish.

mpickl

Thanks so much for the tip -- hopefully he will be available.