wanderlust125

My husband and I are thinking about a July trip to Alaska. Basically want to combine July4th holiday and take a 9 day trip. We like to visit Denali/talkeetna/Kenai Fjords/homer area with flying in and out of ANC.

We have not booked any accommodations yet, are we going to run into trouble in finding accommodations in mid range BnB and hotels ( guess midrange at this time of the year would be $150 and up ??) guess most of the budget and midrange accommodations are already booked? Is it too late to plan an Alaska trip for July 4th weekend? .

Also if we are not too late, can we start planning now and what do you ALAKSA experts think we can find in terms of lodging?? Can you please give us some suggestions and recommendations on lodging.

Here is our first cut itinerary that we are thinking: do you think it’s doable??


June 30th: Day 1, Travel day Arrive ANC, pick up rental car overnight BnB (any recommendations??
July 1st: Day 2 : Drive to Denali, overnight Earthsong Lodge If available
July 2nd: Day 3: Denali bus trip to wonderlake, overnight Earthsong lodge if it is available
July 3rd: Day 4: Drive to Talkeetna, overnight Talkeetna (thinking of Chalet BnB)
July 4th: Day 5: Drive to Seward, overnight seward ( HIExpress if available)
July 5th: Day 6: Kenai Fjords trip, overnight seward HIExpress
July 6th: Day 7: Exit Glacier, HOMER?? overnight Homer (Kenai Princess if available)
July 7th: Day 8: Homer, Prince William sound , whittier tour ?? Over night Homer
July 8th : Day 9: Spend time in ANC , Catch a ride eye flight at 1 am

marleneawe

Well I have had all my hotels, tours etc booked back in February and we will not be in Alaska until May 30 to June 26. Back then hotels were booked solid for the end of June on because of the cruise ships coming in. The motel I wanted real bad in Homer I could not get, they were booked solid, I even called and they said it was because of the cruise ships. So good luck. Maybe someone on here from Alaska has a secret. Good luck and have fun.

tcapp

A few years ago, we tried to book a trip to Alaska only a few months out, and came up with nothing. We then planned it and booked everything 8 months in advance. The 8 months flew by and we had a great trip. If it dosen't work out for you this time, try to book it for next year. You'll be surprised how quickly the time goes.
Also, be aware that July is a very crowded month. We went in May, and had a wonderful time without all the crowds. I've also heard good things about September.

marleneawe

tcapp yes May and September were the months suggested to me when last December I posted on another travel board on which months to go. July and August they told me were extremely crowded because of all the cruse ships coming in. My DD and SIL and GC went the first part of June and they had no problems and had all their reservations though well in advance.

dfrostnh

Accomodations in Seward might be the most difficult due to the Mt Marathon race. The July 4th weekend is popular for local families and the area will be popular with fishermen too.. Check the date for the race and get accomodations in Seward ASAP. You might have to alter your itinerary. Talkeetna is very small. If you are not planning a flightseeing, you might not want to do an overnight. We did not have reservations in late June thinking a Monday night would be open. The visitors center helped us find a wonderful but out-of-the-way cabin. If a B&B is full, ask for a referral to another. We got real lucky with one and real unlucky with a second. There are places that don't advertise. On day 6, if you can't stay in Seward, you could have dinner there and then head to Soldotna or Kenai for lodging, about 1 1/2 hours away but on the way to Homer. Girdwood also has a Forest Fair before the July 4th weekend making accomodations scarce. Keep in mind that Homer is about a 5 hour drive from Anchorage. So if you are driving Homer to ANC on day 9, you'll be spending most of Sunday on the road. I wouldn't try to pack in another boat trip from Whittier. You're trying to do a lot in 9 days. We really enjoyed Independence Mine more than Talkeetna but we also got to Talkeetna mid-afternoon and some restaurants closed after lunch and then re-opened for dinner. It's an interesting town but we were a little travel weary. Expect a lot of traffic on the weekend and traffic jam around Russian River ferry.

wanderlust125

So do you think we have better luck wrt to accomodations if we postpone our trip to august??

If I am right both July and August are touristy seasons but we cannot go to alaska in May or June as we will be off to europe !!

any suggestions? how about september long weekend? is september 1st week still ok weather wise??

Pat2003

wanderlust125, this is only my opinion but don't postpone your trip and definitely do not exchange opportunity of spending 9 days in Alaska in the beginning of July for 3-4 days in September. We travel often to Alaska and many times we were there around July 4th. Definitely Alaska is visited by many tourist and you are going be one of them. But crowded? We never experience anything like that.Even during your short visit you will be able to go beyond places visited by too many tourists. The Homer Spit comes to mind but going there could be an interesting experience as well. Go there around 4 PM and see all those fisherman arriving with their halibut and taking photos. go and talk to an operators who take guests on bear watching day trips, go and see kids fishing in the fishing hole, look for bald eagles, go to the end of the spit and take a walk on the beach where you may see marine wildlife and have incredible views of the glacier. You may have a hard time to find a parking place but eventually you will find it.
We never visited Seward during the annual marathon but that doesn't has to be a curse in your travel. You may consider this event as an interesting addition to your itinerary. I was curious and just checked Holiday Inn express website in Sward and they DO have rooms available for your dates but I wouldn't wait another minute. It seems you have a specific accommodations in mind. Call them or e-mail them today. Be ready for a news that some of them are already booked but sometimes people cancel reservations and you may be the lucky one to get those rooms. Do not give up there are accommodations available. I would start with booking your flights today, then a car rental and your accommodations. if you have time you can book everything today. Don't wait another day and make your reservations today. I would suggest a little change to you itinerary and also followed what a previous poster already suggested.

From your itinerary it looks like your flight back home is at 1 am on July 9th, right? That will make a huge difference how to plan your last day in Alaska.

Day 1, you have a good idea to stay in Anchorage. What time are you arriving? I only checked Marriott hotels and they ALL have rooms available for your dates. I hope you will have enough time at least to spend an hour or so in the museum. It would a nice introduction to Alaskan culture and history.

Day 2 and 3 visiting Denali and staying in the area. Check accommodations in Healy. The last time we stayed in Perch Cabins south of the entrance to Denali National Park. They are very simple but we never stay inside much besides sleeping. After all, Alaska is about outdoor activities.

Day 4 Leave early and drive to Girdwood for overnight stay.
Alyeska Hotel still has rooms available for your dates but you should check B&Bs if these kind of places you are interested in staying.

Day 5 and 6 Homer
check www.cabinsinhomer.com
Some cabins/chalets come with breakfasts. I suggest not staying in Kenai Princess Lodge. It is too far from there to commute to Homer for your very short stay. I never stayed at this Princess Lodge but read it has great views. Continue for breathtaking views to Homer and stay there for two nights. You just don't have enough time on this trip to spend time in places that are located from the places you want to focus on.

Day 7& 8 Seward
On day 8, if your flight is not until 1 am you may include many activities and one of them could be a Prince William Sound 26 Glacier Cruise which starts I think at 1 pm and it last until 5:30 pm so you would have plenty of time to go on this cruise, drive to Anchorage, have dinner and then drive to the airport to return your car and be in a line for check in not later than 11 pm
Do not despair, there are accommodations available but maybe not those you had in mind. Also do not check the weather forecast before your trip. The last summer we got so disappointed when we noticed that rain suppose to be every day in each place we visited. No sun but rain according to www.weather.com. Everyday! What a joke! We had a rain only one afternoon on the way from Palmer to Anchorage.
Go for it, enjoy your short trip in Alaska and start planning your next trip there before you leave.

Pat2003

Ouch!!! I didn't proofread! Sorry wanderlust125, you just going have to ask questions if some of my statements are not clear and forget about a grammar. LOL at myself for not knowing how my post got here before I clicked on <Post my Reply>

dfrostnh

Pat has made some good suggestions. Make your arrangements now. I like the description of visiting Homer Spit. Although there was a traffic jam around the Russian River Ferry it was nothing like a big city traffic jam. Traffic was a little slower and a big difference from earlier in our visit when the salmon run was just beginning. I loved July 4 in Kenai. Great parade. Alaska is big. There will be plenty of places that won't be crowded. In late June we were able to get tickets for the Kenai Fjords trip the day before. The weather was PERFECT. In early July you might see mother moose and calves. Wildflowers still in pretty good bloom. I bought a notecard print of the cow parsley blooming at the rest area with a tremendous view of Homer Spit. The fragrance is wonderful. The plant looks pretty similar to Devil's Claw so if you're hiking you want to be able to tell the difference .. Devil's Claw has big thorns. BTW the out of the way cabin had a pretty good view of Denali even at 1am (have video to prove it). So sometimes the unplanned lodging can be a better than the one you originally wanted. Hope you have a great trip!

halsar

I loved traveling on the train from ank to denali. Once in denali there are several shuttle busses that would take care of your needs.