Message: Hello, I am planning the land portion of my Alaska vacation. Will be travelling solo, and I arrive in Seward from a cruise on June 10. This is my tentative itinerary plan:

Day 1, 6-10 -- arrive Seward; take Kenai Fjords full-day tour; overnight in Seward.
Day 2 6-11-- Homer Stage Line bus from Seward to Homer (leaves Seward at 3 p.m., arrives Homer at 7p). Overnight in Homer.
Day 3 6-12 -- Bear-viewing trip with Emerald Air; overnight in Homer.
Day 4 6-13 Bus to Seward (depart Homer at 9a, arrive at 1:30 p.m.; sightsee until train departs for Anchorage) overnight in Anchorage
Day 5 6-14 -- pick up rental car in Anc, drive to Talkeetna with stops along the way (Eklutna, Eagle Nature Center, etc). Flightsee in Talkeetna & overnight
Day 6 6- 15 -- Drive to Denali; sightsee; overnight in Healy
Day 7 6-16 -- 6 a.m. shuttle to Eilson; sightsee; overnight in Healy)
Day 8 6-17 -- Leisurely drive to Anchorage; overnight
Day 9 6-18 -- a.m. sightseeing; return rental car; depart Anc in late afternoon for home

The arrival in Seward and the 6/18 departure from Anchorage are fixed. My interests are wildlife, nature & sightseeing. I'm trying to be somewhat cost-conscious so I can afford the expensive excursions! I'm not sure though if saving a few $$$ by taking bus or train will be worth it because I will lose flexibility if I have a rental car. At one point earlier I was considering Valdez but I think Homer is more appealing. Very interested in bears.

Looking forward to feedback! THanks very much!

Kathy D.

to the top. ttt. hope you get some replies.

A rent a car would give you more freedom and, in my opinion, is worth the money. There are several different cruises out of Seward--you can pick the longest, like you've done, or anything else inbetween. The cruises are definatly worth it. Since you like wildlife, you may want to visit the Sea Life Center in Seward. It's small, but is really wonderful.
We really loved Homer. Make sure to go to the little shops out on the Homer Spit. You can also go on fishing excursions from this area.
Another place I'd recommend is Exit Glacier. This is not that far from Seward and it's an easy 1/2 mile walk to get up close and personal with a glacier. We weren't that impressed with Valdez, but the drive there was beautiful. If you go, make sure you have a full tank of gas, because gas stations are scarce in some areas.
Have a great time and make sure you leave yourself time to "stop and smell the roses." Also, if you can get yourself a copy of "The Milepost" I'd highly recommend it. This is a thick Alaska travel book. It's worth every penny. Try your local library or a bookstore.

I'm not sure you have enough time for Homer. You will want to spend time on the Spit watching eagles. And sounds like you will love the Pratt Museum. By not having a car, you will miss the drive up the mountain that overlooks the airport and town. But you will have fantastic views on the bear-viewing trip. I would add a day to Homer if you could.
It looks like you have a well planned itinerary. We arrived on June 16 for our trip and wildflowers were is full bloom. Regarding time to smell the roses: Large patches of Cow Parsley (looks like huge Queen Ann's Lace) were blooming and scenting the air. I bought a notecard of an artist's view of the cow parsley from the highway overlook with the Homer Spit beyond. Have a great trip!

Thanks so much, everyone! I really do wnat to take time to smell the roses and I think I am going to rent a car for the Homer trip. Looks like I will need to allow about 5 hours to get from Homer to Anchorage so I know I'm cutting my time in Homer short but then that means I get to come back again!

Kathy D.