tomfuller

On our trip to Alaska we had a flight that arrived in the morning. We rented the car and drove into Anchorage. We walked around the city and saw what we wanted to see there and then drove out to check in to the Microtel in Eagle River. It was nice and cheaper than the nice hotels in downtown Anchorage. Staying in Eagle River gave us a good head start for the drive to Fairbanks (North Pole). The Fred Meyer in the north end of Eagle River is a great place to pick up what you need for the drive to Denali or Fairbanks. They also have a gas station on site.

mlgb

Isn't there a hefty drop off charge for the one-way rental from Seward? I didn't think much of Exit Glacier. If you wanted to drive back from Anchorage to the Kenai Peninsula it really isn't that far, either.

Being from California I've never considered a 6 hour drive very long but certain Fodorites seem to object to it. If you are coming off of a cruise then jet lag won't be an issue and neither will be running out of daylight.

There are other Fred Meyer supermarkets around. If I'm not mistaken we hit up the one in Wasilla. They are part of Kroger now.

dfrostnh

It's about 3 hours from Anchorage to Kenai, probably similar Anchorage to Seward. We thought drive north from Anchorage to Talkeetna was kind of boring even with perfectly clear skies and glimpses of Mt. mcKinley. Drive south from Anchorage to Seward is spectacular with more to see and do. Both Kenai and Soldotna are large suburban type towns with large supermarket and various stores. Heading north from Anchorage to Denali you need to plan for full gas tank and where to have lunch. You won't have much once you get north of Wasilla.

mlgb

You can preview scenery by walking the little Google Maps "walking man' along the highways.

If you take the train up from Seward you are going to see that scenery. The train does pause a few times. Perhaps dfrostnh did not notice you are arriving in Seward by cruise ship and will be driving or riding the train along that route to Anchorage one way or the other. Parts of it are "just forest" like the scenery north to Denali. The part along the Turnagain Arm is the most scenic but it's just part of the trip.

Again, if someone hasn't done both cruises and land based trips, it's hard to give advice.

dfrostnh

As I said earlier, whether by train or car Seward to Anchorage is beautiful drive. If rental in Seward with drop off in Anchorage is more expensive tha renting in Anchorage then do train to Anchorage, rent car and drive back to Seward if you want to spend more time there and you can also stop along the drive at whatever interests you. In June we saw moose in the Kenai area although a good size suburban type town there are places to explore. The trip from Seward to Kenai/Soldotna takes you past Russian river. Kenai to Homer is a forested ride but I thought Homer was worth the drive. We took a nature boat cruise from Homer to small town with a flightseeing trip back to Homer. Liked the flight but it was delayed due to fog and the overnight in tiny town was not our favorite. Lots of eagles to see. Nature cruise out of Homer was not as good as Major Marine out of Seward.

If you took train to Anchorage, rented car to go back to KP area and then returned to Anchorage I don't think you would regret driving Seward Hwy twice plus train ride.

HappyTrvlr

We flew to Alaska in late June. Rented a car, Anchorage, Talkeetna, then south to Kenai Peninsula, Seward and Homer. Flew toJuneau and boarded a Lindblad small expedition boat,90 passengers.

geanster

I'm so thankful to everyone for sharing their valuable insights. I'm hoping to finish booking things this weekend while there are still some choices.

I've locked down cruise plans for Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway and then this is where I've been paralyzed with research and indecision.

This morning, I'm leaning towards:
2 nights in Seward (Exit Glacier, a Fjords cruise tour and 4th of July fireworks in the harbor)
2 nights in Homer or somewhere along that route. I'd still like to find a place that would allow us to fish for a short while, just enough for dinner that someone could prepare. I have not been been able to find this yet. Most options appear to be far more intensive fishing lodge experiences. I also saw that they have a Homer Peony Celebration July 1-30 so even though we may be on the early side, it would be cool to see some blooms. I read that Fairbanks also has peony festivals but maybe next time. And I'd love to observe brown bears. I've read about the Russian River as a possible spot for that? If anyone knows more, thanks. I had looked at Anan wildlife observatory as a day trip from Ketchikan but the pilot said end of June is too early. Katmai/Brooks Falls trips are just very expensive for the day. Close to $2,500+ for 2 people. And not sure if it's really a little too early there too. So commitment of time+money makes it less desirable, though not off the table.

2 nights near Anchorage (Denali flight seeing from Lake Hood, Alyeska in route, Independence Mine, Matanuska Glacier, or driving towards Denali if we choose, etc.).

I've been going back and forth between getting out of Seward to avoid potential holiday/Mount Marathon Race, etc. crowds and heading towards Homer and then coming back to Seward but no ships come in on the 4th. And the Fjord cruises run on the 4th so shouldn't affect that part of our itinerary much. Plus, we'll hopefully still have our sea legs. I'm worried about being sick on the fjords tour, resulting in more indecision about doing a longer trip that day; 4 hours, 6 or the 8.5 hours that many recommend. Then which company. One takes you to Fox Island which could be interesting and I'm hoping to see the rock stacks as I've never seen anything like those before. It sounds like a very specific spot that many cruise goers are disappointed not to see. I read Aialik bay on one image.

So finding that balance of rest, getting a true sense of place, freedom to explore, all while making commitments for accommodations and tours, etc. is a kind of torture. Continued thanks!

dfrostnh

DH had great sea legs until one deep sea fishing trip did him in. We got ginger candies and sea bands for the longest Major Marine trip out of Seward but lucked out with sea so calm it might have been a lake. Although a glacier didn't calve while we were watching, the boat stopped and turned off engines so we could hear ice crunching against the boat. The calm sea also made it possible for for captain to take boat into a very narrow entrance to a lagoon. We were told it was only possible a few times a year. We had taveled north on one trip via the Alaskan Marine ferry Columbia which is much smaller than cruise ships, did see an orca or two but nothing like the small boat experience so close to sealife. We watched a pod of orcas feeding and so close to a himpback we could smell whale breath.
another possible getaway from Seward would be to stay in Kenai/Soldotna area for their July 4 parade etc. We stayed in Kenai but overnighted in Seward for the boat trip because of early departure. We saw signs in one or two b&bs not to clean fish in the kitchen sink. This area has large population and is very suburban compared to Seward and Homer which are smaller towns with their own personalities. But there are areas to explore including watching net fishermen.

Google your way to local events. You might not be able to cook a fish but you might find a restaurant with a dinner show. I think we were the only non locals in attendance. Small venue and fun experience. We also liked a local family type restaurant with halibut bites and peanut butter frappes.

Gardyloo

People are different, of course, but I wouldn't count on any "sea legs" developed on a big cruise ship helping much with a Kenai Fjords cruise. They're very different experiences.

If it was me (and of course it isn't) I'd disembark in Seward and get on the train to Anchorage as soon as possible. The problem with the 4th of July in Seward is that everything is overwhelmed and crowded with people - not just race participants, but thousands of observers and just people who want to get out of Anchorage for a scenic long weekend someplace. Accommodation becomes scarce, restaurants and cafes become crowded, the roads in and out of town become congested...

What if you reversed things a little? Train to Anchorage, get a car, spend the 4th in town (parade, fair etc.) and do the north-of-town activities like Independence Mine, THEN head back to the Kenai Peninsula - Seward, Homer etc., and end back in Anchorage to fly home. Doubling back and retracing one's steps is just a fact of life in car tours of Southcentral Alaska; the Kenai Peninsula is one big cul-de-sac unless you ferry over to Valdez, which makes for a whole 'nother trip. Give time for things to calm down in Seward. Maybe visit the Forest Fair in Girdwood (July 7-9) on your way back south (pretty fun.)

For fishing, you could go after halibut out of Seward or Homer, but if the latter and if you're concerned about seasickness, maybe think twice. You could also think about trout fishing on the Kenai River (several charter operators in Cooper Landing and/or Soldotna) since fishing for king salmon is closed throughout the Cook Inlet region and you're too early for silver salmon. As for bears, you'd probably have to look at fly-in services from Homer or Anchorage (and bring plenty of money.)

Keep on planning...

geanster

I was seasick on a tiny whale watching boat 20 years ago in South Africa and I can remember it like it was yesterday. Threw up the little pink dramamine pill. (And we saw no whales). It was much smaller than the sightseeing vessels I'm seeing for the fjords. I've been fine on catamarans in Mexico, houseboats and pontoons on lakes, etc. with no problems. Here's hoping for smoother waters. I also bought some ginger candy this week from Trader Joe's and have some sea bands ready to go.

Gardyloo , that's been my gut feeling all along, but after my last post, I decided to go ahead and book two nights in Seward (yes, at the inflated pricing). I'm still torn on that decision, but doubling back just takes so much valuable time. So if we're awake, we'll see the harbor parade and the fireworks. And we'll see all the fit mountain runners doing their thing, we'll do the fjord cruise and setting expectations that we may need to load up at grocery store in case it's hard to find dining options (Seward food recommendations appreciated). We'll be heading towards Anchorage with the crowds but I've read that cutting off towards Homer should help some. We'll spend a couple of nights there before heading towards Anchorage. Thank you for the Forest Fair information! And yes, I think fishing on the Kenai River sounds like a great option. Cooper Landing is also near the Russian River Campground? I read about trails to see bears/salmon in the water near there? If anyone knows more, please share. I've read a lot of people are able to see grizzlies and people fishing there, but I want to feel safe while seeing grizzlies. Is it an elevated boardwalk situation? Or are you just carrying you bear spray and hoping for the best? I couldn't find anything about guides for that. Just people parking and walking to the river.

My other consideration right now is where to stay around Anchorage. I'm feeling pretty good about overall plan at this point, so thanks all.

sunbum1944

When we were in Homer I wanted to view the bears but did not due to cost. However, my cousin went and had a great experience. She said the company she was with offered a big discount if tour was not filled the day before departure and several people in her group had used that discount. That was pre Covid but you might check and see if anyone still offers that. I don’t remember the name of tour company- sorry!

geanster

Thank you for sharing this! I'll definitely look into it. I think we can be flexible on the days there.

mlgb

Anchorage Hotels.

I would look at hotels along the lakefront of Lake Hood/Lake Spenard if you can find something within your budget. Nicer area than Downtown or Midtown which are still overrun with the unhoused.

Lake Hood

Millenium operates The Lakefront. See if booking direct gets you a better rate. If too expensive, we stayed at the Coast Inn nearby which has Pipers Sport Lounge (used to be a half off happy hour appetizer deal). Decent enough.

Just had a suprisingly sunny although windy day in Anchorage, locals were commenting that it was the first day with sun in a while. For a stroll, try the Tony Knowles coastal trail from the vicinity of Westchester Lagoon (Margaret Eagan Sullivan Park). There is street parking as well as a small parking lot there.


Westchester Lagoon Park


View of Mt Susitna "Sleeping Lady" from Tony Knowles trail

mlgb

A few years back the only place we could get in to for dinner in Seward was Seward Brewing Company.
https://www.sewardbrewery.com/

HappyTrvlr

We started in Anchorage and then stayed north in Talkeetna, then south down to the Kenai Peninsula, Seward to Homer. We flew from Homer to Kenai as a day trip to see the bears fishing for salmon. Fabulous experience. Then flew down to Juneau to board a Lindblad ship( 90 passengers) for a week visiting this southern part of Alaska. Ended in Sitka and flew back to Seattle. We only saw two huge cruise ships, at the port in Juneau and in Glacier Bay. Otherwise, we saw no other ships which was perfect. I highly recommend Lindblad, now affiliated with National lGeographic.

mlgb

Glacier Bay is always limited to two cruise ships per day.

This year on Princess we also paid an afternoon visit to College Fjord in Prince William Sound. If there was another cruise liner there, it didn't interfere with our viewing.



On a smaller Chilkoot Charters van from Skagway, we had three individual black bears along the highway, apparently a record for our 11-year veteran guide.

mlgb

The Captain came on and said we were the first cruise ship of the season to enter College Fjord, and even the pilot ship had not been there yet so he wasn't quite sure how close we would be able to get. It turned out quite well

mlgb

geanster

Hi All,

With your help, I've developed an itinerary I'm excited about. I'm thinking I have to accept that we don't have time for everything. My biggest dilemma is giving up Homer or Denali. I suspect I might really love Homer, but we wouldn't be there for any flights out or halibut fishing, etc. On the other hand, if this is our only Alaska experience, it would be an opportunity to visit Denali. Then there's the limited access due to rockslide, etc. Also, I saw some of the bus tours don't give you your departure time until like the night before, somewhere around 6am-11:30am? Pretty big window. My newest question is related to timing. It looks like 4ish hours to drive from Homer to Anchorage and same for Denali to Anchorage (make 6 if we add 2hrs food or stops). Are there any cautions in regards to to spending a final night in Homer or Denali and driving back to Anchorage on the day of for a late flight? I'm looking at current travel times and I wonder if summer adds a general amount of time. I've seen photos of how the salmon runs can effect the traffic with boats, etc. around the Kenai/Russian Rivers and welcome any insights on things to be prepared for. Thanks in advance!

Madam397

It is more like 6 hours to drive from Homer to Anchorage. We have family that live in Kenai and when we were there in 2021, we were told that it would take close to four hours to get there from Anchorage. Our itinerary took us from Anchorage to Seward, after we had returned from Denali back to Anchorage and picked up rental car as we had done the train to Denali which worked out very well. Following two nights in Seward we drove straight to Homer for several nights as we were there for a family wedding, then stopped to see the relatives in Kenai for an afternoon before driving to Girdwood for a night, back to Anchorage the next day for late flight after doing the tram ride in the morning after the fog burned off and the Wildlife Conservation Center. You have to realize that you are on a two lane road with the exception of multi-lanes in Anchorage. There can be and will be slowdowns for construction, accidents and so on. The drive between Seward and Anchorage offers spectacular scenery, the drive from Seward to Soldotna/Kenai not as much as part of the way you will drive by a large area that suffered a major forest fire several years ago. We lucked out with a beautiful day for the drive down to Homer and we had views of the volcanoes across the inlet. Much road work in Homer. When we drove back a few days later it was rainy and misty and you couldn't see anything in front of you at all.