Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - Alaska 10 days in July 2011 Ideas?

I was in Alaska for 10 days in July of 2007 with my mom and cousin, 3 women traveling. We were very pleased with how our trip worked outo so I'll just tell you what we did.

Flew n Anchorage, got rental car and spent the night at a B&B (Susitna Place).
Day 2: visited the Native Heritage Center (learning about the culture)and Green Market.
Day 3: drove South toward Seward, around Turnagain Arm (lots of pull offs to enjoy sights). Made a stop in Girdwood at the Girdwood Forest Fair (arts and crafts). Continued drive to Seward, B&B (Alaskan Salwater Lodge).
Day 4: Took the Kenai Fjords Tour on their 90ft, 105 passenger boat, awesome day with humpback whales, harbour seals, glaciers, otters, dinner, orca whales, sea lions, puffins.
Day 5: Spent the morning in Seward's Alaska Sea Life Center. Driving back North, 7 miles up the road went to Exit Glacier for a beautiful hike. Continued driving North back to Anchorage to a B&B (Oscar Gill House, oldest house in Anchorage).
Day 6: Drive North on George Parks Hwy, 113 miles to Talkeetna for a flightseeing tour with K2 Aviation in a 10 pasenger plane over the glaciers, Breathtaking!! (Sadly the weather prevented us from our scheduled glacier landing, but still well worth every penny I paid). Drove another 124 miles to Denali National Park. Checked in at the Wilderness Access Center to book our bus tics for morning. Stayed at B&B (Denali Lakeview Inn)
Day 7: Boarded our 8am bus for the 64 mile ride into the park. Lots of stops along the way offering you chances to view and hike. Saw Dall sheep, brown bears, caribou, moose, rabbit. Wonderful day. We did get off and hike on our own, busses come back by and you flg them down to get back on.
Day 8: Drove back to Denali to veiw the dog sled demonstation, enjoyed this too. Then to our noon appointment for white water rafting with Denali Outdoors Center. Class 1 & 2 rapids, very nice time. Drove back into the park to Savage River (12 miles in and as far as you can go with your own vehicle). Hiked trails and saw more wildlife. Driving out of the park saw moose and caribou. (End of the day, animals are seen out and about.)
Day 9: Left the Denali area to drive back south to Anchorage. Stopped at the Railroad Depot in Denali. As we headed back to Anchorage, we stopped again in Talkeetna for their annual Moose Dropping Festival for the afternoon (locals, music, art). Continued toward Anchorage were we stayed at a B&B (A Wildflower Inn) our last night.
Day 10: spent the day in Anchorage touring the Alaskan Museum of History and Art, ULU Factory and a finl picnic at Earthquake Park complete with veiws and trails. Flew back out of Anchorage.

My mom (82yrs old) and cousin (62yrs old) had a wonderful time with me. I loved it all. Felt safe,found the roads to be easy driving, packed our cooler each day for picnics to safe on dining. Loved it all. I'm already planning a return trip in 2014 for my 50th birthday and will take my (then) 10 and 12 yr old and husband. I won't change the itinerary much. Was not disappointed that I didn't get to Fairbanks. WOuld add Homer if I have the additional time. Would make it to the one wildlife center I missed between Anchorage and Seward. All the extras: rafting, 10 seater plane and fjiord boat ride were definelty worth the money. Go for it! HOpe this helps.

Kristine