The good news is that the Chenega, a high speed ferry will begin service this summer between Whittier/Valdez/Cordova. The bad news is that neither the Chenega nor the Kennicott is travelling Valdez to Whittier on the Saturday that we wanted. So, some adjustments are in order. Here's what we've got so far:
Days 1-2: Vancouver
Days 3-9: cruise inside passage
Day 10: Talkeetna
Days 11-12: Denali
Days 13-14: Fairbanks
Day 15: Drive to Valdez, stopping to see the sights along the way
Day 16: Valdez (Hiking, kayaking, ???)
Day 17: Ferry to Whittier and drive to
Seward - BUT THIS IS NOT AN OPTION ON THIS DAY. The Chenega runs on Fridays and Sundays (Days 16 and 18 of our trip, 11:45-2:30)
Days 18-19: Seward (Sea Life Center, museum, maybe kayak if not done in Valdez, Kenai Fjords Northwestern Wildlife cruise (the long one)
Day 20: Drive to Homer, seeing the sights along the way
Day 21: all day halibut fishing trip
Day 22: Drive to Anchorage, seeing the sights along the way
Day 23: Anchorage
Day 24: Depart for home

I'm leaning towards staying the extra day in Valdez, doing hiking and kayaking there. If the ferry gets into Whittier at 2:30, we would get to Seward about 5 or 6? We would have a little time to see the SeaLife Center (and eat at Ray's!) that evening. Cruise all day the next day, and leave the next.

Other suggestions? Thanks.

Is there a reason you're making the drive up to Fairbanks, then all the way back down?
We spent a month in Alaska, and the only thing we would have dramatically changed was cutting out our two days in Fairbanks and adding those days anywhere else -- particularly the Kenai area.

I'm also planning a trip to Alaska. Based on what I've been looking at I would wonder if you could change your itinerary to drive from Denali Nat'l Park to Homer/Seward and take ferry to Valdez drive then to Anchorage. I too am driving between Denali Nat'l Park and Valdez except I'm going the opposite direction. At first I thought I would go the Denali Hwy but car rentals allowed on this road are significantly higher and I've changed my mind based on suggestions on this site. It looks like to me that it is as close to drive through Fairbanks to Denali from Valdez as to go through Anchorage so I'm now considering this but it appears that not too many folks recommend stopover in Fairbanks. (I will be in Anchorage at start and end of trip).

Patrick: The friends we are travelling with really want to visit Fairbanks, so cutting it out is not an option. We will be there on the summer solstice, so they will have midnight softball, etc going on - should be pretty cool!!

rickd: We're now considering driving across the Glenn Highway instead of taking the ferry. Cost of the ferry for 6 of us and a vehicle would be $700! Plus, I've heard the Glenn is a beautiful drive. We'll chill for a day in Valdez between the long drives.

It's not softball in FAI - hardball played by the local minor league team, the Goldpanners. As in Barry Bonds and Bret Boone. http://www.goldpanners.com/

The scenery returning from Homer will be the same scenery you saw going to Homer. And not much at that, IMHO. Plus I think you'd benefit from more time in Anchorage. Why not look for a fishing charter out of Valdez or Seward instead, and use the Homer time for more things around the Anchorage area?

Actually,a slight clarification: the Goldpanners are a college summer league team, ala the Cape Cod League, and not minor leaguers.

While parts of the drive from Seward to Homer are boring, there are some nice stretches (upper Kenai area) and the end result is well worth it. Plus Homer is probably the most consistent halibut fishery and the chance of get weathered out is less than in Seward.

Seward does have some great fishing (I kept a boat there for years) and there's more of a mixed bag of bottom fish (halibut, ling, rockfish) and salmon (depending on time of year.)

Consider hitting Exit Glacer on the day you leave for Homer.

I'd cut Fbx to one day. That's really all you need. Add it after leaving Homer. Stop at the Kenai Princess in Cooper Landing and take a morning float trip (fishing or scenic) through the upper Kenai, then proceed to Anchorage.

make sure you go on the Kenai Fjords tour. Best one tour I've ever been on.

I think Homer is worth the trip. I enjoyed the Pratt Museum a lot, esp the short videos on life in Alaska. You can also take a short flight over a glacier if you don't take a flight someplace else. The overlook just before you reach Homer is wonderful, so is the drive that overlooks the airport/spit. We saw the most eagles in that area.
Although the Sea Life Center in Seward is small, we really enjoyed it. The hours in summer are 8am to 7pm (last ticket sold at 6pm).
You probably won't make many stops on the Kenai/Homer part of the road trip but the drive to Anchorage will have spectacular scenery and other places to stop. Between Seward and Kenai/Soldotna you will pass the Russian River ferry.
Looks like you have a great trip planned. We were there approx the same time of the year. Lots of wildflowers are in bloom and moose babies are still fairly small. Salmon wasn't on some of the menus yet but the halibut was great. There was a record heat wave around the solstice ... don't forget sunscreen (I did).

Does anyoune know how the recent oil spill at Anchorage affecting the area?

You should check a map. Do you know how far the Aleutians are from Anchorage?

It's 800 miles or so out in the Aleutians. Would an oil spill in Portland affect your trip to LA?

Who's talking about the Aleutians? I thought the questin was about a spill near Anchorage.

Patrick,
What spill near Anchorage?

dfrostnh: thanks for the tip about the Sea Life Museum, I thought it was open til 8pm. We're looking forward to walking around the small towns in Kenai, especially Seward and Homer, and also the Russian village of Ninilchik. I'd heard about that Skyline drive outside of Homer, that sounds fantastic! Maybe that's where those beautiful pics of the spit that everyone has comes from.

Your welcome ceejay, but don't forget to check open hours before your trip. I went to the Sealife website. Ninilchik is very small. I liked the visitor center's exhibit in Kenai. Both the rest area just before you get to Homer and the Sky line drive have incredible views of the Spit but from different angles. The drive up to the Skyline is treat in itself. Don't miss the Pratt! A new wild life center opened in Homer just after our visit. Maybe someone can tell about it. You're going to have a great trip!!!

What's at the Russian River ferry? Several people on these boards have mentioned it, but I'm not clear what the attraction is. I think end of June will be too early for the salmon runs?

Must do depending on the time of year, is take a amall plane out of Talkeetna to Mt. McKinley. Lunch in the deli in Talkeetna. The plane trip only takes a couple of hours but an experience to remember. The plane lands on the mountain where all the climbing expeditions start their ascent. Second the Kenai idea. Also, in Seward charter a small boat to the ice flows for lunch among the breaking ice. Halibut fishing out of Homer. If you want, I can recommend places we stayed and fished on our trip to Alaska.

The Russian River ferry moves passengers across the Kenai River near the mouth of the Russian.

Salmon runs vary, but the kings and reds are in the Kenai in June.

I second the McKinley flightseeing.

In Seward, take the longest Fjords trip.

There are several DIFFERENT McKinley flightseeing trips. My clear preference is a summit flight- not summit view, but you can not land with this flight. Certainly tough choices but I have done both. I also agree on the Kenai fjords boat trips- you need AT LEAST 6 hours on the water, but Kenai fjords Northwestern tours is superior, and they use their fastest and nicest boat. Consider purchasing www.toursaver.com coupons for both in the book.