Help with Alaska, please
 

I've been reading the postings, and want to assure myself that we don't need to do the Inside Passage to see calving icebergs and lots of wildlife. Is it enough to spend 2 weeks in the area between the Kenai Penninsula and Denali arriving and departing from Anchorage? Will we be missing the best of Alaska? Since the bus trip into Denali is so long, I don't see how you can get off and hike a little. Could you take another bus trip the next day? Thanks

You are correct, you can see tidewater glaciers in Prince William Sound, the Portage Glacier, Columbia, Meares Glaciers, Harding Icefield, etc. (Sorry, I do not know if these glaciers are calving, I have not been there, yet.) One of the day cruises is called "26 Glacier Cruise by Phillips Cruises": www.26glaciers.com. Major Marine Tours: www.majormarine.com, that one has a National Park Ranger on board & a salmon & prime rib meal, and Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises: www.stanstephenscruises.com. You will see much more wildlife by staying in the area and taking day cruises, than you will on a major cruise line. The trip from Anchorage to Seward can be made on the Seward Highway which is suppose to be beautiful; or the Southbound train, which also offers a different spectacular view. From Anchorage, you can take a train or ride a bus north to Denali, Fairbanks and the Interior. I envy you the 2 weeks you will spend there, as that is my dream trip that I have been researching for several years. In the meantime, I content myself with one-week Inside Passage cruises. I have also learned that mosquitoes are terrible in the Interior, just prepare yourself for that ahead of time. I am giving you info from the Alaska Official State Vacation Planner: travelalaska.com. I also get on-line info sent to me by myalaska.com. You will NOT be missing the best of Alaska by ignoring the Inside Passage, on the contrary, you will see, feel and smell most of the REAL Alaska by staying in SouthCentral and Interior sections. Don't miss the SeaLife Center in Seward, the Alaska Zoo in Anchorage or any cruise tour around the Kenai Fjords National Park. For more info try www.denalisummertimes.com to "plan a stress-free Denali vacation", www.explorefairbanks.com for an 80-page visitors guide, www.princesslodges.com for packages at the Princess Wilderness Lodge in Denali. This should you get you started. After your trip, please tell me all about it! Have fun. P.S. In the Interior is a good chance of seeing the "Northern Lights" a phenomena I have wanted to see most of my life.

OOPS! On checking my e-mail the My Alaska News is sent to my by travelalaska.com, which is the official state vacation planner. Hope this helps. Have a wonderful trip!

I'm always amazed by the generosity of people like you. I hope you realize your dream. I will report back next September. Thank you so much, Sandy

We combined a cruise on the Alaska Marine Hwy ferry from Bellingham, WA to Skagway then drove to Anchorage. It was a great 4 days but we did not see a lot of wildlife and did not see any calving glaciers. Where glacier river water and sea water mixed was fascinating because of the color changes in the water. The ferry goes up a narrow part of the Inside Passage that is too small for the cruise ships btw. I have missed the northern lights when they've been viewable in NH but they were seen in PA/MD area last night. The Anchorage Daily news reports great activity last night with a beautiful picture on their website. Go to www.adn.com and then click to see more pictures. Then on that page click to see photos by Calvin Hall. There are a lot on his website that show an amazing variety. Because we had already spent time on the ferry we skipped taking a fjords cruise when we visited Seward. That was big mistake. We are trying to decide the best time for our next trip. Late July was wonderful because fire weed was in bloom making some areas of the Yukon very colorful (acres of it). The drive from Anchorage to Seward is spectacular but it was low tide when we were there. At high tide there is the chance of seeing whales. You will have a wonderful trip whenever you go.

Inside passage ports are interesting, distinctly difference and certainly worthwhile. A cruise specifically packs a ton of opportunities into 7 days that are specifically for viewing opportunities. It also can be an excellent value with frequent $500 pp inside cabins available on some sailings. The Alaska ferry system is not- the priority is transportation. If you want all your touring interior- then do so- plenty of excellent opportunities to occupy your time. If glaciers are a priority then Phillips is a must do. As well as an at least 6 hour boat trip out of Seward for marine wildlife. Most people on the shuttle buses don't get off and hike. But there is excellent hiking within your "driving distance" on the Park road of up to 16 miles in. Head over to the web site and look at the trail maps. Plenty of ranger activities too. If going before mid August - you will need heavy duty bug repellant if going to Wonder Lake. Eielson is my min, distance in. And no I wouldn't bus in 2 days in a row.

Thanks for the new info. We're planning end of August & first week of September. Is it too early to make reservations now?

The bargains will show up, next spring, BUT if you book with an agency that has low cancelation fees you can book now if you find something you like and are set on a particular cabin. BUT always check YOURSELF especially a couple weeks before final payment- agressively comparing various online agencies for price drops. Then immediately request an adjustment from your booking agent. Don't count on this being done for you. Myself- I never book more than 90 days ahead, but I am flexable on ship, cabin and dates.

We have travelled to Alaska three times and have never done the inside passage cruise. Our last trip was over Labor Day 2003 when we flew to Anchorage, rented a car at the airport, and spent our time (only five days) exploring the Kenai Peninsula. On our first trip, we drove to Denali and spent a few days in that area.

Our first trip was in late May and we saw an incredible amount of wild life (bears, grizzlies, moose, caribou, humpback whales, orcas, sea otters, puffins, eagles, and other animals). In late August/early September 2003, we saw a moose, dolphins, otters, puffins, and lots of eagles but no bears, humpbacks, or orcas (however other people did spot them; we just were unlucky).

This year we did a Kenai Fjords cruise (we have done three with three different companies) and saw wildlife and calving glaciers. We also drove to Whittier and took the 26 Glacier Cruise on Prince William Sound (the price drops a lot on September 1); we saw the most incredible glaciers and they were quite actively calving; wildlife was not too plentiful.

One of the highlights of our trip was viewing the salmon that were spawning. We hiked about an hour (near Cooper Landing) to a waterfall to watch the salmon swim up stream; bears are sometimes spotted there. We also took a float trip down the Kenai River (and Russian River); this trip was great for seeing eagles and salmon.

Exit Glacier is near Seward and has great hiking opportunities; we saw bears on the hillside in May. You can hike very close to the glacier.

Portage Glacier is also between Anchorage and Seward. We hiked to some smaller glaciers in the area. The salmon viewing was great here too.

We made our reservations for cabins about six weeks in advance but noticed vacancy signs everywhere. We booked our cruises the day that we took them (it had been raining non-stop for a week or so before our trip so we wanted to make sure the weather was good). We did book our float trip in advance.

Two weeks driving in Denali and the Kenai Peninsula will provide lots of opportunities for wildlife viewing and for day cruises where you will be guaranteed to see glaciers calving.

We have been to Alaska twice in late May and early June (mosquitoes aren't out yet) and the weather was very nice. Flew into Anchorage - the first time drove from Anchorage to Fairbanks, stopping off at Denali (actually we were a little disappointed, didn't see any wildlife,saw more scenic areas elsewhere. We drove to Haines where we took a small plane to Gustavos (that was exciting, looking down on ice and snow; stayed at a B&B and took the day Glacier Bay cruise. Late afternoon flew back to Haines. The next day took the water taxi to Skagway (that saved driving 300 miles) where we took the White Pass RR trip. On our 2nd trip two years ago, did the Kenai Peninsula. Drove down to Seward where we took the Kenai Fjords 8 hr. cruise, saw lots of seals, and one whale put on quite a show - came out of the water 5/6 times. We then drove over to the other side of the peninsula, driving down to Anchor Point where we did a day of fishing, catching salmon and halibut. Drove down to Homer (end of the road). There are several Russian settlements which were interesting. We enjoyed both trips very much; in fact, are going again in May and doing fishing off the Kenai Peninsula.

It is hard to believe no wildlife viewing at Denali Park??? For clarification- you need to plan a trip for an arrival after June 1 so to have shuttle access to Eielson (my min. distance in). Plenty of wildlife viewing- but definately take binoculars.