CindyW

We'll be in Alaska 13 nights. How does this sound?
1, Anchorage. 2,3, Denali. 4,5, Fairbanks (to see Northern Lights). 6, Anchorage or Talkeneeta. 7, 8, Homer. 9,10, Sodoltna. 11, 12, Seward. 13, Anchorage. We want to mostly see beautiful nature and toot around. I have free hotel nights at most of these places, which is why I've chosen this agenda. But can change around if this doesn't make sense.

CindyW

Or, should we spend less time on the Kenai Peninsula, and drive to Valdez instead?

spirobulldog

What month? Northern Lights are generally seen in winter not summer(it isn't dark there in the summer). I'm not sure I'd inlude Fairbanks, is what I'm getting at.

Kenai Pen. is amazing IMOP. It all depends on what you want to do in each location. Hiking, dog sledding, fishing, flyouts, etc?
Alyeska/Girdwood might be somewhere you would want to spend a day or two at as well.

Your for sure going to see some pretty amazing stuff at Denali and Kenai. I thought the drive to Soldotna was a good one too. Are you fishing there? We enjoyed the train from Anchorage to Seward.

Gardyloo

Why two nights in Soldotna? You could easily go from Homer straight to Seward, where there's much more to do.

When are you traveling? Northern lights and lots of road tripping tend to be at the wrong time of year for each other.

CindyW

Thanks, everyone. We're traveling in mid-September. We'll barely get there in time for the bus shuttle in Denali to still be open, but will have two days there. I've heard that we might have a chance of seeing the Northern Lights in Fairbanks. So I thought we'd see how it was going, and just head up there if the forecast is good. In terms of what we'll be doing, I don't really know. We love pretty scenery, looking for wildlife, funky towns, easy hikes, maybe biking. We're not fishers. So would you spend nights in Homer and Seward, and not anywhere else (on the Kenai Peninsula)? I just don't have a good idea of what's there yet.

Cheshirecatt

Seward is a very quaint town. Spent 3 nights there and loved it. You can do a full day Kenai Fjords National Park tour and see loads of marine wildlife, incredible scenery and glaciers there, plus do an easy hike to Exit Glacier.

My pictures of Seward are at:
http://www.dreamhorsemedia.com/travel/seward

There are plenty of great places on the road from Anchorage to Seward to stop and spend time at and do hikes. Allow a full day to do the drive so you can stop and enjoy different places and scenery along the way. Get the Milepost - it really is worth it for driving Alaska and will give you a better idea of where to spend time as it lists all the great stops and places to visit: http://www.milepost.com/

I am not sure why you have so long in Fairbanks and I guess I have to ask the same question as Gardyloo..why 2 days in Soldotna?

If you love stunning rivers and gentle rafting then Cooper Landing is worth stopping at. Girdwood is also a good stop(love the Seven Glaciers Restaurant at Alyeska Resort -amazing views and food).

Haven't been to Homer, but would love too in the future. Talkeetna is ideal as a stop for half a day to have a look around and do a meal. But to cut a long story short, you should definitely spend a bit more time at the Kenai Peninsula - it is so beautiful.

CindyW

Oh, I love your photos, Cheshirecatt! I'll check out the Milepost, too. To answer your question, the reason I want to stay so long in Fairbanks is to hopefully see the Northern Lights. I've seen glaciers, whales and grizzly bears, but have never seen the Northern Lights, so that's my main hope. I know it's iffy, but it's the closest I may ever get.

So this is the plan, one night Anchorage, which is where we're flying into. Two nights at a hostel near Denali (my young adult sons love staying at hostels, and so do I actually). Two nights Fairbanks. One night Anchorage or Talkeetna or Wasilla, just somewhere between Fairbanks and Seward. Three nights Seward, three nights Homer, back to Anchorage for a night, then fly home. If just my husband and I were going, we'd do the Richardson Highway and see a lot more. But my sons will be happier spending several nights in one place. Thanks for everyone's help, and I'm sure open to more advice!