dcd

I'm back. Taking your comments into consideration after the first draft of the itinerary and then doing some more research, here's what I've come up with for the 3 of us (all middle aged adults):

8/22 Depart St. Louis; arrive Anchorage early afternoon; rent car and drive 5+ hours to Homer where we'll stay at the Sea Breeze Condo at the Ocean House Inn.

8/23 Homer. Take Emerald Air bear trip (weather permitting).

8/24 Homer. If couldn't take bear trip yesterday, try again. Otherwise Halibut Cove and/or hiking.

8/25 Drive to Seward; stay at Saltwater Lodge. Do some hiking/sightseeing.

8/26 Seward. Try to do a Kenai Fjords tour.

8/27 Seward. More fun.

8/28 Drive to Talkeetna; stay at Eye of Denali; hike or catch late afternoon flightseeing tour.

8/29 Hiking or flightseeing, whichever we didn't do day before; drive to Healy; stay at Denali Lakeview Inn.

8/30 Healy. Take Denali shuttle bus tour to Wood Lake.

8/31 Healy. Hiking in Denali.

9/1 Drive to Anchorage; do some sightseeing there; depart for StL @ 11:30pm

How's it look?

Pat2003

Great itinerary. I wouldn't book my bear trip for the day after your arrival. What if your flight is delayed? Would you still be able to drive 5 hours to Homer in the dark? It gets dark at night in the end of August. You have to drive much slower at night because of moose on a road. If you get delayed a few hours you car rental desk may be closed until 5 am next morning. I suggest spending first night in Anchorage and taking one night away from Seward. If something happens and you are not able to get to Homer in time for your bear trip you loose $500 deposit. Book your trip with Emerald Air for 8/24

You won't be able to get to Wood Lake on the Denali's shuttle. Wonder Lake is a nice destination.

hopingtotravel

I live in Ak and am wondering why you plan August instead of June?

dcd

Pat, good point. We'll now be staying in Anchorage the first night. As a result, we'll spend the next 3 nights in Homer, then 3 night in Seward, 1 nite in Talkeetna, and 2 instead of 3 nights in Healy/Denali. Our thinking is that we want to experience some of the truly unique Alaskan highlights (bear watching out of Homer and whale watching out of Seward). But we know those things are weather dependent. So by staying 2 full days in Homer and Seward, we're trying to maximize our chances of doing those things.

Hopingottravel, we picked August because that's the best month for our schedules.

Dave

Pat2003

By staying one night in Anchorage and one night in Talkeetna, you created wonderful itinerary. I wouldn't change anything. Book you trip with Emerald Air very soon.

dcd

Thanks Pat. The Emerald Air trip was booked last nite for 8/24. And I meant Wonder Lake--not sure how I got Wood Lake, LOL. Dave