Itinerary help
 

I'm beginning to book lodging for this summer. I'm delighted to have found an extra day, and wonder where to spend it?
June 24: Arrive Anchorage around 7:15 p.m., overnight in Anchorage.
June25,26,27: Denali
June 28: Sheep Mountain Lodge
June 29 and 30: Valdez
July 1: Ferry to Whittier and overnight in Seaward
July 2-3: Seaward
July 4,5: Homer
July 6???: Bonus Extra night, but where???
July 7: Anchorage
July 8: Home
All opinions appreciated!

You could add Talkeetna or another night in Homer?? Are your other days fixed? Or can they all be adjusted?? Add Copper Center and do a day trip to McCarthy/Kennicott?

For clairfication it is Seward.

You have a nice itinerary but I suggest adding one more night to Anchorage. It is a great city with endless activities and it deserves more than just one night.

Thanks for the help. Nothing except our flight is fixed at this point. We want to stay in cabins with kitchens whenever possible, so I know I better get booking. If they don't work out we'll rent a motor home and only book the first and last night. We hope to stay at Denali Lakeside Lodging and Alaskan Suites in Homer, beyond that I'm still looking! Sorry about the misspelling of Seward, it was late! I've been trying to find Budget Queens posting of travel times I read a few months ago...anyone help?

Check this post "accurate drive times?"
Also for travel times go to this website www.freetrip.com

Did you decide where to stay for one extra night? You have so many options. Valdez, Seward, Homer, Anchorage, Copper Center

Before you decide where to spend the extra day, decide what kind of activities are important to you.

If you plan on hiking alot, Denali may be the best bet. If you want to sea kayak, pick Valdez or Seward. If you want to take a glacier cruise Seward (or Valdez) is a good bet. For fishing or if you want to go to Katmai or Kodiak to see the bear, an extra day in Homer makes sense. Homer also has a lot of nice art galleries and shops.

As for Anchorage, maybe it's just me... while it does have some interesting things to see, I'd rather not spend my time in a city. We spent a half a day on the night we flew out and that was plenty for me (the highlight was Moose's Tooth Pizza just before we headed to the airport... also saw the Univ. of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves hockey practice).

I really enjoyed the one full day we spend in Fairbanks... we went to the Museum of the North and then on the Eldorado Gold Mining tour (very touristy, but quite fun).

Beyond that, our itinerary was very similar to yours (Denali to Fairbanks to Valdez to Seward to Homer to Anchorage... 2 weeks, 1400 miles).

Lunch at The Brewery downtown Anchorage was great for us...also, while trying to kill a little time, we went thru the Earthquake Museum. It was interesting, but only for a time filler...We also loved waiting to go to the airport by sitting at the end of the runway, and watching the jets just above our heads..while McKinely sat off in the distance and we watched for Beluga whales...lots of folks apparently do this too...met many awaiting to return their rent cars too..:)

Girdwood would be a nice midway place to stay between Homer and Anchorage. Ride the tram to the top of the mountain..stay at the Aleyska Resort, and definitely eat at the Double Musky..GREAT

If your time spent in Anchorage falls on a weekend, most restaurants are very crowded. I agree astein12, I would rather not spend my extra day in a city, but we are more into nature, scenery, hiking, and that sort of thing. However, renting a bike and riding the Tony Knowles trail may be something you'd like to consider if you do spend more time in Anchorage.

You will love Alaska regardless of what you do and where you go. Our favorites (over the top experiences) included the NW Fjords boat tour; overnight kayak trip to Blackstone; halibut fishing out of Homer (and just about anything else about Homer--simply beautiful); summit Denali flight; driving the Alaska loop and its beautiful, changing scenery; kayaking out of Valdez; and the 20 miles of Denali Hwy we got to drive.

Good luck with your planning!

We did a motorhome in Alaska and found it to be very convenient and it made the trip flexible. Although we didn't look, we didn't see many cabins with kitchenettes available in the areas where we went. Do you have a copy of the Milepost? I believe you can get it online by doing somehing like....milepost alaska...If you don't know about it, it will be invaluable. Great maps, ads of places to stay, all kinds of information. If you do the motorhome and have a generator, you can park in state parks for free. Other times you might want an RV Park to use their laundromat, have a shower in something larger than the closet in the RV. Homer has a very nice park on the way into town, on a very large grassy area leading down to the water. In Seward, you can park right on the beach.

Have a great trip.

I would like to clarify for those who consider Anchorage as a big city that has nothing to offer besides a museum and places to sleep. There are endless outdoor activitis in and around Anchorage.

CLynnWeg, your latest itinerary looks great.