I am trying to put together an itinerary for our trip next June - we will be renting an RV and traveling for 16 days. We are two, fairly fit 60-ish year old women. Interested in hiking, kayaking, wildlife, birds. Does this itinerary seem reasonable?

Day 1 – 2 - Fly into Anchorage. Rent RV from GAH. Depending on when flight arrives, stay a night in area and go shopping to pick up supplies/food.

Days 2-3 – Go East on Glen Highway towards Glenallen and north on Richardson Highway to Paxson. (253 miles) . Take 2 days to do this to allow time for hikes. Camp somewhere along the way. (Suggestions?) When we get to Paxson, stay at Paxson Lake BLM Campground

Days 4-6 – Go west on Denali Highway, camping for two nights somewhere. (hiking, birding)

Days 6-9– camp 3 nights at Tek campground in Denali

Days 9-10 - head south on George Parks highway to Seward (365 miles), camping somewhere along the way.

Days 10-12- Seward – camp 3 nights

hike, kayak. I’ve been looking at kayak opportunities. Considering Sunny Cove, Millers landing, Kayak adventures. Suggestions? I’m thinking a kayak trip would let us see at least as much as a boat tour.

Days 13-15– drive to Homer (168 miles)– camp in Homer 2 nights

Interested in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge but not sure how accessible it is. Is there other good stuff around Homer? I found what looks like a nice day kayak trip in Kachemak Bay by seasideadventure.com

Day 16 - Back to ANC

Thank you

There are 3 campgrounds in Kenai National Wildlife Refuge that are suitable for your RV. The best ones are $10/night and several are free. There are several boat launch areas on the north side of Skilak Lake.
Hope for good clear weather when you are in Denali. Most people don't get a view of the top of the mountain because of clouds/fog.

Some general comments.

- I'm not going to say outright that the RV is a bad idea. But honestly, I'm thinking it. Obviously this is a choice you've already weighed, and it's not our job to second guess you, but there's more than just numbers in play. With two of you, a smaller vehicle (maybe a mid-size or larger SUV) might give you far more flexibility in terms of roads explored, visits to more isolated or obscure sites, and less anxiety on two-lane roads with vehicles lined up behind you waiting to pass. Your destinations are not all that remote that you couldn't find alternative accommodations - B and Bs, small motels, etc. - that would offer comfortable and more budget-friendly lodging than the RV. You'd also get to meet some locals in the process, which you won't do in most campgrounds. I won't harp on this, but I'd give it serious consideration.

- The Denali Highway is one of the "restricted" roads included on the GAH website - you have to go very slow and be prepared for difficult, maybe hazardous, driving conditions. A blowout on one of the rear dually sets (depending on the particular rig) could be downright disastrous. And in June the road is going to be at its worst; it will just have opened and there might well not have been enough time for the state maintenance people to get it really ready (and even when they do, well...) To be completely honest, I'd just skip the Denali Highway altogether, and if you want to keep this overall route, just go up to Fairbanks and back down the Parks Hwy to Denali.

- I’m thinking a kayak trip would let us see at least as much as a boat tour. No way, Jose. Presumably the "boat tour" is one to the Kenai Fjords, and not one that just putts around Resurrection Bay. There's no substitute for the Kenai Fjords and visiting Seward in June and NOT visiting the fjords is, to me, a sin.

- Kayaking. I'm not a kayaker but I'd be inclined to look at Kachemak Bay - maybe around Halibut Cove or Seldovia - for kayaking rather than Resurrection Bay. But see below.

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I'm going to go out on a limb and throw out some other ideas, just for you to contemplate and weigh. It's sounds like you're very adventurous, and while we don't know where home is and whether 16 days is set in stone, or how flexible your budget might be, it doesn't hurt to do some "thought experiments" at this stage. So just for giggles, think about one or more of these options.

1. Anchorage - Valdez - Whittier loop. This would entail turning right at Glennallen instead of left as your current plan proposes. You'd take the Richardson Hwy south past amazing Worthington Glacier and over incredible Thompson Pass - one of the most beautiful roads in all of Alaska - and down into Valdez. There are kayaking opportunities there, then you could take the state ferry back across Prince William Sound to Whittier, then down the Kenai from there. (Map - https://goo.gl/maps/sVmCH33VMF92 ) This is a stunning drive, IMO worth every minute and dollar. Note you could do this in either direction.

2. SE Alaska. Your itinerary skips over Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage. This is a shame; it's one of the most beautiful parts of the state and quite different from the areas you'd be seeing in the current plan. What if you swapped a couple of days in southcentral and interior Alaska for a couple of days in SE Alaska? Fly from Anchorage to Juneau and take the state ferry to one of the outlying villages; check out Tenakee Springs or Gustavus; maybe do your kayaking in Glacier Bay? Or get to historic and lovely Sitka and explore the capital of Russian America, visit the Fortress of the Bear and raptor center, or go kayaking from there - numerous options.

3. Kotzebue and/or Nome. You can fly round trip from Anchorage to Nome or Kotzebue for around $330 per person, or use some Alaska Airlines miles if you have them - very cost effective. Kotzebue is an Inupiat Eskimo village located on an arm of the Arctic Ocean, north of the arctic circle. You'd have 24 hour sun, learn a lot about this unique culture and environment, and see a face of Alaska hidden from 99% of tourists. Or Nome - the historic gold rush town on the Bering Sea. Nome is unique among bush towns in that there are several roads radiating out into the Seward Peninsula. You can rent a vehicle in Nome and do day trips, in which you'll see lots of wildlife - muskoxen, caribou and reindeer, moose, foxes, maybe some bears... and more birds than you can count. If you are birders (and it sounds like you are) this would be holy ground, up there with the Pribilof Islands, but way cheaper and easier to access. Check out Nome Scenic Drives | Driving The Nome Road System and Wildlife Viewing on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska Department of Fish and Game

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So these are just a couple of ideas, like I say, you have time to imagine and research. If you stick to your original plan, fine, you'll undoubtedly have a great time. One thing before anything else, however. If you're traveling in June, two words... bug spray. No, make that BUG SPRAY!!