My husband and I (54 and 58) and our 24 year old son are planning our first trip to Alaska in a couple weeks for 7 days. We already have our flight reservations and cabin rental on Glenn Highway near the Manatuska Glacier. I know we are pretty far out to do much driving to Denali and other north areas.
Here's my itinerary so far, please help me with my list and add any suggestions you can offer...

Arrive Anchorage late Sunday night... drive to Cabin - 1 1/2 hours
Monday - go to Palmer, get groceries, back to cabin and go fishing in nearby lakes
Tuesday - hike the Manatuska glacier, any other places nearby to explore? Fishing nearby?
Wednesday - drive up Hatchers pass, Salmon fishing somewhere nearby that husband found
Thursday - drive back to Anchorage and explore city - any neat places along the way to stop and see?
Friday - ATV tour near Palmer.. any tour suggestions?
Sat - possibly bear flightseeing tour but not sure how far we would have to drive to hook up with one or river rafting with NOVA by the glacier
Sun - relax and flight leaves at 8:30p

Any help is much appreciated! We're just a family from Texas hoping y'all can give us some advice!

We enjoyed Independence Mine near Hatcher's Pass. There's some restored buildings and I thought the displays and photos gave some insite into what life must have been like in a remote mining town back then.

I would double check salmon fishing near Palmer for the dates you will be there. Different types of salmon are running at different times of the season in different streams/rivers.

If the bear flightseeing doesn't work out I would consider the long drive to Seward or Whitter for a glacier cruise. You would probably want to stay in the area if you went out of Seward which is about a 3 hour drive from Anchorage.

Couple of thoughts...

Wednesday - "Salmon fishing somewhere nearby that husband found..." This makes me curious and I'm wondering if he's looking at the Eklutna Tailrace, (Many are the salmon who went home with me from this spot.) If this is the case, and depending on timing, I'd probably be more inclined to include a stop here on Thursday as you return from Anchorage. You could also stop at the native village of Eklutna and visit its historical park and cemetery with its colorful and interesting "spirit houses" over the graves. If the wind is calm, stop at Mirror Lake, just down the road a bit from Eklutna - if the water's flat it really lives up to its name. Finally, consider visiting the Native Heritage Center, located just north of town.

I'm assuming you're returning to Chickaloon after visiting Anchorage on Thursday. If so, then the only option for bear flights would likely be on Friday before your flight home, using something like Rust's on Lake Hood. If you left Chickaloon at OMG o'clock and could make it to Anchorage by, say, 10 AM, there might be an open flight to bear country (or at least a flight over the mountains and glaciers, or even to Denali, that you could join and still be back in plenty of time for your flight out.

The other option, which I hesitate to suggest, but which would simplify things immensely, would be for you to leave your rental a day early, relocate to Anchorage for one night, and complete your visit from a more convenient base. That would turn your itinerary into something like this -

Monday - Independence Mine, Palmer groceries, relaxing
Tuesday - Matanuska glacier, nearby fishing*
Wednesday - Hang out, local hikes or more lake fishing
Thursday - ATV tour, Eklutna Tailrace fishing
Friday - River rafting
Saturday Alt. 1 - Drive to Anchorage via Mirror Lake, Eklutna, Heritage center, explore city PM
Saturday Alt. 2 - Leave very early, drive to Whittier for 1 PM glacier cruise, overnight in Anchorage or Girdwood (The drive to Whittier from Chickaloon would take around 3 1/2 hours counting time waiting for the one-way Whittier tunnel.)
Sunday - Bear or glacier flight, fly in PM.
*There really aren't a lot of fishing options along the Glenn Highway, and most lake fishing in the Mat-Su Borough requires a boat, which I assume you won't have.

Here's a map showing the locations of these various places, not necessarily in the order you'd visit them.

Thanks for the information! We will check out that Independence Mine for sure. Gardyloo- The Eklutna Tailrace is exactly what my husband had in mind! Good to know you've have good luck there!
A few more questions..
I doubt we will be able to do a bear flightseeing tour.. looks like most of them are around $700 a piece! I'd love to see bears, but our budget probably won't allow that.
Is it even feasible for us to drive into Anchorage for the day? Is there much to do there? We don't leave till 8:30 Sunday night. Maybe we'll just leave the cabin early and explore the city before our flight leaves.
Is there anything not listed that shouldn't be missed in Alaska? What ATV companies have the best tour?
What about Weiner Lake and Long Lake for fishing? We will have a row boat.
Are the mosquitoes bad this time of year?
Do I need to make reservations ahead of time for the River rafting and atv?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I have no experience with ATV tours, nor with Weiner Lake nor Long Lake, although the ADFG stocks both with rainbows. It sounds like Long Lake has more species. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Also note for any fishers in your group that they'll need licenses (the wardens are VERY serious about this, particularly at popular spots like the Tailrace) and also that the tackle required for trout fishing on the lakes and salmon fishing at places like the Tailrace is VERY different.

Yes, the bear flights are pricey. Yes, the mosquitoes will be bad. Bring plenty of DEET or buy some when you arrive. Remember daylight is VERY long too.

Are there other things to do? Sure, a million, but none of them convenient to your location or reachable in your time frame. If the bear flights are off, then I'd definitely include a drive down to Portage from Anchorage on any day you can free up. Visit the Wildlife Conservation Center at the Whittier turn-off, and maybe ride the gondola up the mountain at Alyeska in Girdwood. (Google these places.) If you can't spend an extra night in Anchorage (with enough time to include a glacier cruise out of Whittier) then at least allocate half a day for exploring Turnagain Arm, south of Anchorage.