Alaska trip report

Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:51 PM
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Alaska trip report

This is our report of our first visit to Alaska, August 27 to September 4, 2005. It felt strange going so far and not having to deal with currency conversions. Restrictions on our trip were that it was relatively short, and I don't drive when touring, so we had to make do with public transportation. I will list precise costs, exclusive of tips, as I think that may help others plan their trips.

Continental, for whatever reason, routes us from Cleveland to Houston, then from Houston to Anchorage. That makes for a very long flight, and even though we were able to finagle our way into business/first, it was still not a pleasant way to spend a whole day, but we arrived on time in the afternoon, which gave us time to find our way to our lodgings.

From the airport we took bus route 7 (the signs say people mover, rather than bus; had I known that it would have been easier to find the stop) which runs downtown for $1.50 each. All the drivers we ran into, indeed, all the Alaskans we ran into, were very friendly and helpful.

We stayed at the Copper Whale Inn, a B&B on L street, at the very west end of downtown, within easy walking distance of almost everything. A good continental breakfast was included each day, and the cost was $934 for five days. That includes varying room rates, as we were in and out. The rooms and atmosphere were pleasant, and they suggested we leave our luggage there on the last day after checking out, as our flight was not until 20:50. Most of the rooms we were in had good views of Cook Inlet, and the Tony Knowles coastal trail is but a block from the inn, which was handy for exercising and sightseeing.

That night we ate at Orso, which I suspect is related to the Glacier Brewhouse, as the only charge I find that matches is from the Glacier Brewhouse. In any event, we thought the food rather average, and certainly were not reminded of Tuscany, or Alaska. Service was good and the place was full. Seafood Gemelli, Scallops, a piece of very good carrot cake, and a bottle of decent wine came to $82. A very reasonable price, I thought, but I had hoped for a bit more quality.
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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:51 PM
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Sunday we started early by walking to the train station (scouting how long it would take) and visited the ULU knife factory, and ship creek, where salmon are said to be always running. We actually visited ship creek twice, and saw absolutely no fish, but many fishermen flaying the water. One man did have a salmon on a stringer, but we both felt he probably bought it at the market, just to look good. When you think of why salmon run, it doesn't make sense to expect to see any at the end of summer, but we actually did see some in Seward. Disappointed with ship creek, we walked up the hill to the Museum of History and Art. We arrived just as they opened, and ended up spending the rest of the day there. In the History section, they have excellent exhibits and talented docents. In the Art section, they had some traveling exhibits (one of American Impressionists) that were quite good, but our favorite section was the permanent exhibit of Alaskan artists, with whose work I was not familiar, so we spent a lot of pleasant time there. Admission for two was $13; I later heard that there might be a combined ticket to this museum and the Native Heritage Center, so that would be something to look into. We lunched in the museum with catering by the Marx Bros Cafe: a very good lunch for two with one glass of wine was $25. As we left the museum, one of the tour groups was just arriving, and I couldn't help thinking that I wouldn't want to be in a group that limited your time there to what was remaining in the day.

That night we ate at Simon & Seafort's, right next to the Copper Whale Inn. It was full and well decorated, with a view of Cook's Inlet. Price for a top sirloin, a pound of Norton King crab, one piece of key lime pie, and a bottle of wine was $101. My wife reported the sirloin was very good, and I stole a bite or two of the key lime pie and it was good, but the crab legs were quite a disappointment. It was tepid and the shell was cardboardy, impossible to crack. The waiter saw me wrestling with it, and losing, and took it away to have the shell sheared, but it was still quite difficult getting to the best parts, and the drawn butter (perhaps heart healthified?) didn't taste very buttery to me.

We were in bed early, as the next day we had an 08:15 train to Denali, and I was tired from wrestling that crab.

The train to Denali (to everywhere, in fact) was fairly slow, but there was a lot of scenery. The people in our end of the car were searching for wildlife, but all we found was a bird, which we promoted to bald eagle; perhaps it really was one.

We ate on the train. Menu's were limited, but we always found something we liked, and the preparation and service were fairly good. Lunch on the train to Denali was a chowder and salad, a Bartlett's saute (vegetables on pasta with a cream sauce) with shrimp, one piece of cheesecake, one coffee, and one glass of wine, for $35. Well worth it, especially with the scenic view from the dining car.

We stayed two days at Denali at the Denali Princess, which is run as one would expect a cruise line to run. Instead of bearing your luggage, you tell the railroad where you will be staying, and the lodge picks up your bags and delivers them to your room, eventually. Ours got there about 4 hours after we did. Its not that they weren't working, but my wife and I do not have matching luggage, and only my name was on the reservation, so I don't know how they would ever have gotten her bag to our room. I approached the crew and gave them our tag numbers and the room number, and when we returned from dinner both bags had arrived. The Princess has all levels of restaurants. We had dinner in their pizza place for about $28, which included a small pizza and two beers. We had an early breakfast the next day before catching the shuttle to the park. Typical American breakfast with a coffee, a hot chocolate, two orange juices, and an egg, meat, and potatoes plate, was $29. I sampled the reindeer sausage, and it was decent, but not, I think, suited for breakfast. We're from a city that retains a lot of ethnic ways, and we are used to sausage with meals, and it would fit right in here.
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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:52 PM
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Our great adventure into the park was the 09:15 shuttle bus to Wonder Lake. We were early and they took us on the 08:45 bus, which was lucky as this bus got back just in time to catch the last shuttle back to our lodgings. We saw almost no wildlife on our ride to Wonder Lake (I did spot a ground squirrel at one of the rest areas), but did encounter a moose, and some bears and caribou on our way back. The driver was well informed and talkative, and willing to stop the bus anytime someone thought they spotted something. The roads are narrow and unpaved, and often look like they will slip down the side of a mountain as you proceed. I didn't ask if any busses had fallen, as I didn't want to tempt fate. Springs and seat padding are non-existent, and your eyeball keep jiggling for hours after the ride is over. The driver pointed out that Blueberries were ripe, so at many stops we had something to enjoy.

The ride to Wonder Lake is the longest they offer, and much of the wildlife we saw was close to the entrance. Denali was not there; I think they have mined it and are covering it up with fog and clouds to conceal that. You have to bring your own provisions on these busses, so we bought deli sandwiches at the hotel ($14 for two), and we carry bottled water anyway. There are no picnic tables or benches, so we ate on the bus.

I suspect wildlife viewing is best done early in the morning or late in the afternoon. I thought the 09:15 shuttle was early, but in retrospect we should have gotten a much earlier tour, and a shorter one. In fact, if you have seen remote areas in any western state, I think the tour into Denali does not add much to your experiences. If we go again, I would try to arrange a seaplane flight (I want to see what landing in water is like) that would circle the mountain above the clouds, and perhaps land on a glacier. I suspect that would be more economical (in terms of money and time) than the long train rides, and the expensive lodging near the park).

Dinner that night was quite good. A salmon dish, a steak, two deserts, and a bottle of wine, was just over $70, and we appreciated that the restaurant was still open as late as we got there. The room was just over $234 nightly. The room was clean and functional, but I've rented nice apartments for far less than that.

The next day the lodge had three shuttle to the train station at 11:15 (for a 12:00 train). We got to sleep in, attend a ranger's lecture on furs, and caught the regular 11:00 shuttle, which drops you off across the street from the train station, letting us avoid the lines. At the Princess you just put your bags outside your door before the prescribed time (08:30 in our case) and they get them on the train for you. If I'd known this, I would have brought a bigger bag. Our late lunch on the train, a glass of wine, a hot chocolate, a miner's lunch, a turkey sandwich, and a chocolate cobbler, was $35.

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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:52 PM
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Back in Anchorage, we were a little tired, so we went to Glacier Brewhouse (we had walked past this a couple of times, but from my experience a brewhouse is crowded, noisy, and has limited food). What a pleasant surprise. It was crowded, but not too noisy, and the food was quite good. Blackened red salmon, herb crusted halibut, two chocolatey deserts, and a bottle of wine came to $82; I think that is quite a deal.

The next day we had nothing scheduled, so we walked around downtown, saw a movie about the northern lights, ate at a sidewalk vendor, then went to the log cabin and tourist center. They had a coupon for 20% off at the Native Heritage Center, and showed us where we could catch a free shuttle right outside, so off we went. It was a mistake going in the afternoon, as we didn't have enough time to see everything they had there. Highlights were demonstrations of native athletic competitions, native music, and a storyteller. They also have full scale displays of various native buildings around a small lake. We both agreed that we should have allowed more time for this, but we had to leave on the last shuttle. Admission (with the coupon) was $33.50 for two, but as I mentioned above, someone said there was a package ticket for here and the History and Art museum. There is a snack area at the heritage center, the hot dog type, but no restaurant comparable to that at the History and Art museum.

That night we returned to the Glacier Brewhouse. Again, the food was excellent. A shared appetizer of halibut, the herb crusted halibut, a small pizza, and a bottle of wine came to $69.

Early the next morning we were back on the train headed for Seward. The trains have guides who alert you to upcoming photo opportunities and wildlife sightings, which keeps the ride interesting. First class on the Denali line has an open air viewing area; we tourist class crowd into the spaces between the cars, where you can, if your elbows work, lean out and get pictures without the problems of shooting through glass. There was no wildlife sighted on the trip to Seward, but we did see the back of a fleeing moss, and some whales, on the return trip. The train was seriously oversubscribed (our guide said they usually get about 60 people, but there were 250 that day), so they limited when you could go to the dining car, and ran out of some items. We were a little concerned as my blood sugar gets low, and they took a long time getting to our seats for breakfast, but we survived. 1 coffee, scrambled eggs for one, a muffin, a continental breakfast (including coffee and juice, fruit, and a Danish) and an English muffin came to $18.

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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:53 PM
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In Seward, we wanted to take a boat tour, and see the sealife center.

We picked Renown Tours for our boat tour, in part because they use a catamaran (I think cats have higher speeds, so you spend less time getting where you are going, giving you more time there), and partly because their add showed a 6 hour tour that coordinates with the train. I think you could arrive by train in the morning, take the tour, and return the same day by train. Their ads didn't mention food, but I emailed them and they said they had food on the boat. They treated us like princes. A driver met us as the train, and offered to drop our bags at our hotel after dropping us at Renown's office. That was good, as I had planned to walk and Seward is a little longer than I realized. Our hotel, the "new Seward) in old Seward downtown was convenient to the sealife center, but a good mile from the new downtown area. The captains of the boat had a good spiel, and the whole crew was helpful and informative. We saw everything but a bear and moose and a killer whale. We particularly enjoyed the calving glacier and the sea otters. We saw a few humpbacked whales, but they were feeding, so they were underwater for extended periods. We saw where one had dived, and waited and waited, until the captain guessed that the whale would come up over there; as soon as the boat turned that way, the whale came up behind us, clear out of the water. The tour returned to port about 17:30, easily in time to connect with the train, but we were staying, so the driver took us to our hotel. I tried calling restaurants for dinner reservations, but cell-phone service was spotty; apparently T-mobile doesn't recognize Seward as part of the world. I had resolved to go to either Chinooks or Rays; Ray's reservation book was full, but we could wait; instead we went to Chinooks, which apparently doesn't take reservations. We got there at 19:15, hungry after our mile walk, and few tables were occupied, although later some people came in. I had seafood linguine and my wife had seafood saute. With a bottle of wine and two blackberry cobblers (one ala mode), the bill was $87. I though the seafood linguine was OK, but not great, and I noted one mussel was unopened, so I bypassed it. I've always heard that unopened clams or mussels should not be eaten, but my wife hadn't and pried hers open and ate it. The blackberry cobbler, a special, didn't have a blackberry in it, and wasn't a cobbler. It appeared to be a soup of large red raspberries, with something that resembled croutons scattered on the top. The portion was large, but it hardly resembled what I anticipated. Anyway, my wife, who has a strong stomach and never overindulges, suffered gastric distress that night, and I'm thinking it was revenge of the mussels. I hope this was an off night for this restaurant, as the location and view are good, and I note other people report good food here. As we left, I noted some of the crew from Renown came in with their families, so I suspect the food here is better than our experience indicates.

We walked back to the Hotel Seward, passing a creek where drainpipes carry the creek under the road, and noted that a goodly number of large fish were heading up the creek. It was interesting to see them, undisturbed by fishermen.
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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:53 PM
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The Hotel Seward is a classic, updated with an elevator. It is pretty well kept up and we enjoyed our night there. The rate, including taxes, was $218.90, and this was not one of the rooms with the best view. We couldn't figure out how to control the heat, and the room god quite warm until we opened some windows.

The next morning I was up early and went for a walk; my wife likes to sleep later, especially after her adventure with the mussels. I didn't find any touristy or fancy restaurants in the immediate area, but there was a very plain local restaurant called, I believe, the Marine Diner ( the kind of place with tables and a counter). We decided to eat there because of convenience, and the food was very filling, if not fancy, just what one expects in a diner. I'm pretty certain we were the only tourists in there, but everyone was friendly, and one lady suggested we return for dinner when they have good seafood. We were gone before dinner, but did return for a nice lunch. Warning, however, smoking is not barred in this diner, so if you are sensitive to smoke, you would want to consider that. I am a reformed smoker and consider myself sensitive, but there was relatively little smoke when we were there, and it was a pleasant experience to visit a diner that reminded me of my youth.

After breakfast, we walked the half-block to the Sealife Center, anticipating that it would not yet be open (at 09:00), and we would have to find a place to hide from the rain, but the center actually opens at 08:00. Admission was $28 for two, with pass-out privileges if you get your hand stamped. We spent all morning there watching some very interesting exhibits and demonstrations, then left for lunch, checked out of our hotel (they let us leave our bags, as the sealife center does not have a cloakroom) and returned for a second viewing. We also spent some time shopping in their museum store; I like shopping in museum stores as I think the quality of goods is generally better, and some of your money does go to support the museum.

Finally, we trekked to the train station for our return to Anchorage. Our B&B office had closed before we got back, but they left instructions on how to get into our new room.
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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:54 PM
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Sunday we got to sleep in again, and enjoyed breakfast at the Inn. We then checked out so they could get our room ready for the next visitors, but left our bags by the office, as we didn't have anything we had to do all day, until catching a bus for our evening flight.

We visited a few galleries, then caught the free shuttle down to the ULU factory and ship creek (still no fish; only one fisherman) then caught the shuttle back to the visitors center and walked to the street fair in the parking lot near the Eisenhower memorial. Even though it was raining steadily, there was a lot of business going on. The shuttle bus driver had reported than only native Americans could sell baleen, and that we would see some at this fair. We talked with the first man we saw selling it (he was inscribing a cut and polished piece, and doing it very nicely) and he said he was from West Virginia! Perhaps he is partnered with a native American. I anticipated a flood of cheap goods at the fair, and certainly there were some, but there was also some very nice stuff, including a lot of carvings.

We anticipated lunching at Snow City Cafe after revisiting Resolution Park (excellent views, but no seats), but as always it was crowded out the door. This was near our Inn, so we had walked by it many times, and always there were patrons spread out onto the sidewalk, so if that is an indicator of quality, they must be a quality place). We ended up eating at a sandwich shop just down the street, whose name I didn't take down, although my wife really enjoyed their avocado sandwich. After a little more shopping, we decided we wanted an espresso and a brownie, so we walked all over town, but all the espresso places apparently close on Sunday, so we settled for a Starbucks.

General conditions on our trip were wet. I think there were only three days when it didn't rain at least a bit, but we were prepared with our foul-weather gear. It was generally warm. The day we arrived, everyone was raving about the good weather, and the pilot on approach even said he could see Denali, but I think not. The day we visited Denali was also quite nice, but the peak was still obscured and may as well not have been there. The day we took our boat tour out of Seward was also acclaimed by all as excellent weather, but of course it is always cold standing on the deck of a boat in the Alaskan gulf. Mosquitos were never evident; we hauled a large can of repellant with DEET all the way up and back, and never used it. Some locals we talked to said the mosquitos are a spring and early summer problem, but are gone by late summer and fall.

In all, it was an informative and interesting trip, but too short, and complicated by my insistence on using public transportation as, for instance, when we returned from Denali, we got in late, so I didn't want to have to get up for an early train to Seward the next morning, which necessitated spending the next day in Anchorage, rather than proceeding directly from Denali to Seward.

A few of the things we didn't get to are visiting Kodiak Island, flying in a seaplane, and seeing the northern lights, at least the major display one can get in Alaska, rather than the fringe display we get once in a while at home. So I guess we will have to plan another trip.
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Old Sep 6th, 2005, 04:55 PM
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I would be remiss if I didn't express my appreciation to the many posters on this forum, and to Fodor's also, for giving me so much useful information in planning this trip. Thanks to all.
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 02:36 AM
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It was interesting to see that you were able to use public transportation as you planned. But would you do it again on your next trip? Thanks for the detailed costs and information.
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 03:54 AM
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Yes, a very nice detailed report.

For clairfication, Denali shuttles actually go farther than Wonder Lake- mile 85, you can take them to Kantishna mile 90 but most of the area is privately owned and you are limited to a small area.

I was in Alaska the same time and there was a very strong and extended display of the Northern lights night of 9-1. Your public transportation preference prevented you from getting out and seeing them. You can not see them from hotels. You need to get in a car and drive to a totally dark area, which I easily did and had a wonderful look for over 3 hours.

Kenai Fjords tours also links up some tours with the train.

And yes you were very late on the shuttle to Wonder Lake, I went in 9-1 6:45am and saw many bears- close up- one who slid down a hill on it's back in the snow. Caribou, moose and dall sheep. There also are picnic tables at Wonder Lake, which we used for our lunch.

This time of year bugs are NOT a problem, the reason I have been going this time frame for years.

McKinley frequently is visable from the air when it is not from the ground. I have taken many flights confirming this.

Did you happen to use a toursaver book??? Your touring used many of the vender offerings including the rail/Princess lodge. This book offers significant savings.
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 06:33 AM
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If visiting only Anchorage, or Anchorage and one other location, I would continue to use public transportation. The problems we had were primarily related to the Alaskan Railroad being largely a single track line, so getting from A to B to C is often somewhat complicated and renting a car could very well be a better choice. Getting to an earlier shuttle bus tour would be another reason to have a car (or call a cab), as the shuttle busses from the Princess don't start until 07:00.

I had not heard of toursaver books, darn it!

I didn't anticipate being able to see the northern lights this trip because of where we would be, and the frequently rainy weather. To see them we will probably take another trip flying to Fairbanks, with a side trip to Barrow. I found myself more interested in the native cultures than I had expected, so we will be looking more into that the next time.

Incidentally, we saw many statues of the famed lead dog Balto. We live near Cleveland, and our museum of natural history has the actual remains of the dog. As I recall the story, the dog was not well cared for as he aged, and a local paper reported the story; the schoolchildren of Cleveland responded with many small donations, and the dog was purchased and brought here to live out his life in the conditions befitting his status as a national hero.
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 08:31 AM
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Great trip report. Thanks for posting.

It's too bad you had such poor luck with wildlife in Denali. When we were there last summer we took the earliest shuttle we could get (I think it was 5:45 or 6:00am) and saw tons of wildlife. Others we talked to who took a later trip that same day saw almost nothing. Getting on that first or second shuttle seems to really make a difference.
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 10:58 AM
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enjoyed your report...next time stay in Katishna at the Denali Lodge...beautiful but very expensive vacation
Aloha!
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Old Sep 7th, 2005, 02:32 PM
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Actually my northern lights viewing was from Healy, just north of Denali Park. Fairbanks is the gem for them, but again, way outside of the city, which most people don't realize and a car necessary. A great place to consider watching is on the Steese, up and over the hill just past the Chena Hot Springs exit. Ideally if a priority, you are best to allow 2 weeks.

I spoke to several people in Talkeetna who were disappointed they didn't see them and some were blaming the hotel wake up system. For your best options, take responsibility for the viewing yourself and consult the Geophysical site of the Alaska U at Fairbanks for their daily predictions. That is what I do and it paid off. 9-1 was listed as "active" with 8-31 and 9-2 only as moderate. You need clear skys and the ability to see stars. The overcast day cleared, so always take a look and don't give up due to daytime weather. It's in a constant state of change.
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