I know this is a very vague question but we are overwelmed with options. We are looking for the most scenic drives, hikes, etc.

We are both in our early 30's and are used to active vacations and adventure.

We arrive in Anchorage at 1:30pm on Aug 13 and leave at 11:50pm on August 30. Does it make sense to drive up to Talkeenta after picking up or rental car or should we stay in Anchorage for the night and leave for Talkeenta the next morning. Were coming from Chicago so the flight is only 6 hours.

We are interested in Denali, Kenai Penninsula (I know there is a lot of places to see here), and Kennicott unless someone has another suggestion. We like to spend some time off the beaten path.

What unique experiences can anyone recommend ( we have been skydiving,rafting,scuba diving, etc. just to give you an idea of what we like to do)?

How much time should we give for Denali? Kenai?

We would really like to just have accomodations reserved for the first night and then have some idea of what we would like to see while in Alaska, but have no set itinerary. Will this be a huge problem finding accomodations on the fly?? We are not real picky with accomodations.

Thanks in advance for your help and sorry for being so vague but we are up for anything.

I haven't been to Kennicott so I can't comment on that. Getting to Talkeetna the same day you arrive is doable but if you're the slightest bit late getting in, you'll be fighting the get-out-of-town traffic. To counterbalance that, it will stay light quite late into the evening.

Depending on what you plan to do around Denali, a few days might be plenty. On the other hand, a few weeks would not be enough for me to explore the Kenai. If it were me, I'd spend two-three days around Talkeetna and Denali then head for the Kenai. I'd split eight days between the Seward area and the Homer area, including the Russian villages that are near both.

Then, I'd head back to Anchorage and fly to Kodiak Island for the last three days. Kodiak is my second favorite place in Alaska after the Kenai. You can then fly back to Anchorage and be on the airport, ready for your trip home.

Whatever you decide to do, have a great time and, as you fly over the southeast, wave to me from your plane. I'll be exploring the southeast from August 5-15th.

The trouble with just "showing up" in Alaska is that in summer, the place is very busy with cruise ship people and other tourists. You might get shut out of some the best opportunities.

For example---the only way to see Denali Park (I mean into the park), unless you have reservations at one of the lodges near Kantishna, is to ride the shuttle or hiker's shuttle. Apparently these are reserved long in advance. So if you just arrive without a reservation, it is possible you would not get into the park---which would be a shame.

For the Kenai P., as I am just starting to research this area myself, I can say that some opportunities, like the glacier cruises, might be fine to leave until you get there. But one area, namely Kachemak Bay State Park and around Halibut Cove, looks so wonderful to me that I would want to plan and reserve well in advance so I could go there. There are wilderness lodges ($$$) and state park cabins---which must be reserved in advance if you want any hope of getting one. This would be one of those unique experiences that you might like.

There is also an outfitter that does multi-day horseback trips near the head of Kachemak Bay. This looks great but would have to be set up in advance.

On the other hand, you could probably just show up in Whittier and get someone to drop you and your rented kayaks off somewhere for 3 or 4 days. My kids did this and it was one of the highlights of their Alaska trip. (The other was a 3-night backpack they did in Denali.)

There are lots of adventurous and unique experiences to be found in Alaska. But I think you need to do some research and figure them out in advance. Some will need advance booking. You could set up one or two of those (along with appropriate lodging), and then fill in the blanks ad lib when you get there.

Thanks for the info!

I was wondering if reservations are needed for the car ferry out of Valdez-Whitter?

If we do add Kennicott to the itinerary I think this seems best way to get to Kenai.

Lisa

Yes, get car reservations on the ferry ASAP. When we did Bellingham to Skagway, car reservations had to be done way in advance. I would assume Valdez to Whittier is also a popular route esp that time of year. Check the cancellation policy. Maybe better to book now and change if necessary.
I would advise staying in Anchorage your first night. There are restaurants recommended in past threads. We like the Moose's Tooth on the Seward Hwy. Walk around town, get visitor information, copies of local papers, and relax. Anchorage is a beautiful city and you won't have many other chances for very good restaurants once you leave. As previously posted, there will be a lot of commuter traffic in the afternoon. Anchorage sprawls to the north and you might feel like you're in suburbia until you get past Wasilla.
A couple of years ago we were able to get accomodations mid-week at the last minute but I booked the weekends ahead of time. This included an overnight pkg to Seldovia. The better b&bs will be booked early.
If you want to get off the beaten path continue to do research esp look into local activities listed in the Anchorage Daily news or the KP on-lline paper. We had a great time at a the summer fair in Girdwood, local craftspeople and food vendors. You might check into paragliding there. On another trip I went on a local garden tour. Sounds like you might like to do a glacier hike or dog sledding on a glacier.

we were in alaska the same time last year...in these posts i always recommend an rv especially if you want to be on the fly..come and go as you please...w just 2 of you the rv will be smaller, cheaper and much much more freedom..last year was the 1st time we ever rv'd ( 6 of us..2 adults, 4 kids ) and it was the best experience ever...we looked into hotels, condos, houses etc but were explained that alaska is BIGGER than you think by other travellers and wow they were right...the rv was the best way to go..and the evenings w other travellers at the sites was educational as we were all there for the same reason...met some of the best people than any other vacation....good luck
hike the harding ice field, above exit glacier..go into google/images and check out the summit !!! beautiful...

Does anyone know when the leaves begin changing in Denali? Would it be best if we were to do Denali last for this reason?

Thanks again,
Lisa

As far as RV rental goes, I have checked into that and that is the way I wanted to go but my boyfriend drives a 14 foot box truck every day to work and said he doesn't want to have to drive something similiar on vacation so we rented an SUV and have no problems camping if need be. Great suggestion though!

The tundra in Denali turns red toward the end of August. For that reason and to minimize mosquito worries if you go to Wonder Lake, I would put Denali at the end of your trip.

Assuming you choose that, you could head directly toward the Kenai Peninsula your first day, ppossibly driving only as far as Girdwood, if you don't care to spend any time in Anchorage.

Do you think we would be missing out if we didn't spend any time in Anchorage?

We only spent a short amount of time in Anchorage on different occasions. I enjoyed the public market that sets up on weekends. You might want to see Earthquake park. Take a drive out to Lake Hood where all the float planes are. There are three airports in Anchorage which underlines how important private and small planes are to get places. Keep in mind that some places like tiny Seldovia and the state capital, Juneau, are only accessible by plane or boat. If you want to stock up on any snacks, water, etc. Anchorage is a good place to do so. When you head south you won't find another decent sized supermarket until you get to Seward or Soldotna. And I wouldn't miss the beer sampler at the Moose's Tooth.

imo if you dont have time for anchorage, or if you have 1 day we thought lake hood was really neat..i believe they say it is the most busy lake airport in u.s....we had lunch( and beer ) on the deck at the Millenium Hotel which is right on the lake.the interior of the hotel is very nice w stuffed bear, and other wildlife.......watching all the planes take off and land...they give quick 20 minute flights for $50 ..take off and land in the lake...umm, i mean ON the lake..ha
we skipped earthquake park due to local taxi drivers and other people saying there wasnt much to see...?????? wee canvassed alot of people while there as anchorage was our last destination b4 flying back to the REAL WORLD....and in your case ...BOX TRUCK !!! ha
we did the weekend flea market , ulu factory, and sat on a hill by flea market eating popcorn on a beautifil day w a view of mckinley...

August is prime tourist season here.
Are you planning on just winging it with accommodations? Good luck.

Many savvy travelers like yourselves rent RV's - that way they can stay or leave whenever they want and never worry about reservations and checking in and out of places.

With three weeks you could even get up to Fairbanks - it will be warmer and drier there.

Kennicott Mines highly recommended. Many fewer people visit that area in the St. Elias NP than say Denali or the Kenai. Plus, it is pretty tough to get to and more remote. If you go that far, you might consider going on through to Valdez, take the ferry to Whittier and then down the Kenai. (Probably cost prohibitive with and RV I would imagine).

Adventure wise, take a rafting trip near Denali, pan for gold in FBX or south of Anchorage, air tour out of Talkeetna - plenty of day hikes out of Anchorage too. Fishing is hugely popular here - day charters out of Seward and Homer abound. Plus parasailing is available out of Girdwood just south of Anchorage.

Bear viewing another option - these are rather spendy options )nothing is cheap in Alaska).

Also, along the Parks Highway north to Denali will be ATV tours. The road east on Petersville road is a nice remote area. Best highway in my opinion for wildlife is the Denali Highway.

You need a map with driving times and distances. Travel here is 45mph and that is without stopping for pictures or to see wildlife. Suggest you get either the packet from the state board of tourism or the "Alaska Milepost".

Have fun and pullover when you get antsy locals who are right behind you.

Thanks for the great suggestions. Originally I had wanted to head to Denali as the first part of the trip but it seems it might be best to put that portion at the end to arrive in Denali at the end of Aug for a better chance of the leaves changing. Does this seem right? Also, where is the best place, or best chance, to see the northern lights?? Fairbanks? Has anyone done the ice climbing?

Here is what I have come up with so far--this is just an idea

Aug 13: Arrive Anchorage, overnight
Aug 14-Aug 22: Kenai
Aug 22: Ferry to Valdez, overnight
Aug 23: overnight Valdez
Aug 24: Wrangell-St. Elias,overnight
Aug 25: Wrangell-St. Elias,overnight
Aug 26: ??
Aug 27: ??
Aug 28: Denali/Wonder Lake
Aug 29: ??
Aug 30: ?? fly home at 11:50pm from Anchorage

Our options are completely open. Any opinions???

Thanks for all the help so far, I wish I could talk my boyfriend into the RV idea, it's just not going to happen

That will be alot of time on the Kenai, especially if you don't go fishing. A couple or 3 days in Homer including a bear viewing trip out of there would be spectacular. People who do that day flight (and bite the bullet for the cost) love it. Also, just opposite Homer is Halibut Cove and Seldovia - both places to visit for the day although not in the same day I believe as the shuttle does not connect between the two (??). They are served by local ferry shuttle - good places to go tide pooling, stroll the boardwalk, and eat dinner. Also, you could do some ocean kayaking there - that is truly spectacular country. Accommodations there are quite limited though.

Seward is the other major spot on the Kenai Peninsula as they have excellent wildlife tours out of there. You will be there I believe during the Seward Silver Salmon Derby so town will be quite crowded. Exit Glacier is a must stop and Seward has a nice little boardwalk too. You could also do a drop off kayak tour there as well.
Guessing you are getting on the ferry out of Whittier that heads to Valdez? Whittier is not a pretty town but it is fantastic for kayaking and viewing glaciers calving into the ocean. From the ferry, you would just get a peek of that - on a tour, you would see it all.

Kennicott and McCarthy areas - check to make sure your car rental company lets you drive on that gravel road - most don't and if you get stuck or have a problem while on that road, they really hit you with fees. McCarthy is a funky little town of 50 people or so - fun to rent bikes and bike the 5 or 6 miles to Kennicott - unless you are staying there in the lodge at which point you would take their transportation. A day tour of the mines should be sufficient. Spectacular scenery! Also, there is a relatively new Park Visitors Center just near Copper Center - interesting.

Which way are you going from Glenallen - west then south through Wasilla then north to Denali or north and west into Fairbanks then south to Denali? Either way is fine and you should have plenty of open road. Personally, I would take a day off the Kenai and add it to this part of the trip - give you time to drive to Fairbanks and enjoy this typical 'Alaska' small town. It is completely different from Denali, St. Elias and the Kenai - you could do the river tour there, visit the goldmining areas, etc. Fairbanks would be your best shot at seeing the NL, but it is still very light at that time of year. Chena Hot Springs is a relative 'hot spot' for NL viewing - but that is in the dead of winter when they are out all the time.

I always recommend the Denali Highway for wildlife viewing, spectacular scenery and general remoteness (it goes from Paxson to Cantwell) but again, this is a gravel road for most of its 130 miles and rental agencies don't like their cars on that road. This is another option to get to Denali from Valdez direction rather than through Wasilla or Fairbanks.

Talkeetna is a fun half day visit as is Hatcher's Pass - both these are on the Parks Highway (although Talkeetna is 17 miles off the main road and Hatcher's Pass is a side road) and could be visited during that open day before you leave.

I would stay the night of the 29th in Anchorage. That way you could readjust to civilization and mentally prepare for returning home. You will have traveled a large part of the road system in Alaska and having a chance to wind down before boarding your flight on the night of the 30th would be something I might want to do.

Plus Anchorage has really good museums (Anchorage Museum, Aviation Museum and Native Heritage Museum), has great hiking in the nearby mountains, a super system of bike trails right through town and if you still have energy and want to see more nature, Portage Glacier, Alyeska/Girdwood and Eagle River Nature Center all within an hour.

Have fun.

WOW--awesome suggestions. Do you think it would work better if we were to reverse the itinerary and spend the remainder of the trip in Kenai? This way if we want to spend a little more time elsewhere we can end with whatever time is left in Kenai? Do you think that we should alot 1 week for Kenai?

Also, is 2 nights in Valdez too much? If we do reverese the trip, would 1 night be enough?

How long would it take to drive the Alaska Highway? I assume you have to drive pretty slowly since the road is gravel.

If we do spend time in Fairbanks, is 1 night enough?


Thanks again for all the help and suggestions, they have been extremely helpful.

Lisa

I forgot to add...This is my dilema, we do want to stay at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge but I would like to reserve this in advance and am not sure which days I should reserve it for. Unless you think we have a good chance of getting a reservation last minute after we arrive and know when we would be arriving there.

Conversly, is Kennicott worth the drive?

And yes, the plan was to take the ferry from Whitter.

Lisa

Lisa, if it were me planning this, I would figure out
1) what activities I want to do and 2) where I want to go.
Then you could match up destinations with activities. Sometimes those actvities will be at those locations and other times nearby or enroute to the next destination.

The three 'Must Do's' in Alaska are:

1) Denali
2) Wildlife/Glacier viewing on the Kenai
3) Day fishing charter (although it doesn't sound like this is something you are interested in)

2 days in Denali are plenty - take the park tour bus in and out one day and take a hike the other day or maybe go rafting

2 days Seward - Wildlife tour one day and Exit Glacier another day

2 days Homer (or 3 if you want to take in Bear Viewing which is a fly-in deal). Comb the beaches one day along the spit, another day at Halibut Cove.

2 days at the Kennecott Lodge - to me, makes no sense just checking in and out. This is truly a 'destination/end of the road thing' and set in a very beautiful and less frequented part of Alaska. You can poke around the mine, visit the little town of McCarthy right nearby or do some hiking or flightseeing.

Fairbanks I always suggest if people have the time and or the inclination to go that extra distance. It is more rolling hills, has slower moving rivers and is generally warmer (maybe 80 or so) that time of year. To me, it is more of what Alaska is really like than say Anchorage or Wasilla or Kenai.

For the above destinations, you can easily add a day to any of the above depending on what 1/2 or full day activities you are doing there.

If you really want to beat the heck out of that rental car and are not afraid of rough, long, remote roads, take the 'Top of the World' Highway which goes from near Tok to Dawson City in the Yukon. You would have to come back through Whitehorse or near there as I recall - it is an amazing drive but a LONG WAYS off the beaten path. I don't recommend you do this, but it can be done.

For most of these locations (except for destinations on the Kenai Peninsula) you are talking a full days travel between these areas - at least. Travel here is slow, roads are narrow and the scenery is worth stopping for (as is wildlife).

With 18 days (actually, it appears those are not full days on either end since you fly in and out), no way can you drive the Alcan and see and do all you want to. It is several days each way unless you and your boyfriend drive non-stop and take turns at the wheel. I've done that before - it's brutal and you would need a restful 'vacation' back home from your 'Alaskan' vacation.

Personally, I would put Kennecott right in the middle or a day after the middle of your trip and plan around that. I would plan on seeing Kennecott even if I had to skip one of the Kenai towns or even Fairbanks just because it is so "Alaskan".

One last thing, August is when the weather is changing from summer to fall - you might have rain and clouds each day for a week or more.

Sorry for all the questions, I really appreciate the time you have taken to answer all my questions.

I have yet another...If we spend the first night in Anchorage and then drove up to Denali the next day, would it make more sense (less stressful) to stop somewhere along the way for the night or drive straight through to Denali. Or should we just leave Anchorage after arriving and drive to Talkeenta and stay the night and then finish the drive to Denali the next day. We want to make sure we have enought time to enjoy the drive and stop along the way. We don't want to be on a time crunch.

I'm trying to reserve the bus shuttle to Wonder Lake and cannot decide which day.

Thanks again,
Lisa

Lisa, you can do either way.

What time does your flight arrive? And where would you stay in Talkeetna?

It's about a 2 1/2 hour drive to Talkeetna and another 3 hours to the park. That is just driving time - figure in another 1/2 hour to 1 hour (minimum) for stops/taking pictures (if the mountain is out, take pictures otherwise you might not see it at all while you are here).

I think you said it was a 6 hour flight from Chicago which means add a couple hours on the front of that for airport time and an hour or so to collect your bags and rent a car when you get here. Another 1/2 to get your bearings and head out of Anchorage. That's getting to be a long day.

If you arrive early enough, I would head onto Talkeetna otherwise I would spend the night in Anchorage (lots of accommodations here) and get on the road the next morning.

Hope that helps.

We arrive around 1:30pm. I have no idea at this time where we would stay in Talkeenta. Any recommendations?

Lisa