Me and my husband are planning a trip to Alaska in late May this year. We plan to take a train-ride to Whittier, do the Kenai Fjord tour in Seward, flightseeing at Talkeetna and spend a couple of days at the Denali NP. We still have a couple of days to spare. We were wondering if it would be worth driving to Valdez to do a Prince William Sound cruise that goes to the Columbia Glacier. We are considering the other option of doing the Prince William Sound cruise from Whittier and spend some extra time in Seward, Denali, etc and don't go to Valdez at all. Is the cruise for Prince William Sound from Valdez worth a drive, considering the fact that we do have some extra time to spare.

I will appreciate any help from you.

Thanks,
Shikha

Shikha, what are you going to do in Whittier? There is alomst no community there, and what there is, provides a gateway to Prince William Sound. Basically, Whittier and Seward are in competition for the same visitor, but Seward has the additional benefit of a couple of good restaurants, the sea life center, and an actual townsite. Also, the trip up Exit Glacier Rd. is well worth it out of Seward. If you have the time to do Columbia Glacier, and are not already bored with ice, then your trip to Valdez sounds great. Thompson Pass is beautiful. As you will see in most of my posts, I try to encourage people to slow down and enjoy where they are more than trying to squeeze everything in. It's not a bad call, and ultimately, it is your trip, but, you are talking about a lot of driving time.

Thanks Alan for your suggestions. We have almost decided on leaving the Valdez portion out. We will do the PWS Cruise from Whittier. Is there a way we can do a dog sled rid in May at someplace near Seward/Anchorage/Denali? Thanks, Shikha

We spent a month in Alaska summer 2001. I remember dog sledding in Tok and Fairbainks. We took a Prince Williams Sound cruise from Valdez and it was excellent. The boat was captained by the owner and it was elegant not your typical tour boat. Valdez is not a place to miss when the Cooper River Reds are running but you will not be there then--skip it.

There are many kennels to the north that allow visitors to experience sled rides. But, there is also one in Seward called Iditaride. They feature sleds on wheels which the mushers use to train their dogs all year long. I don't know their web site off hand, but I know that you can find them through the Seward Chamber.

ttt