Lorenky1

Hello again. We have been thinking and rethinking out itinerary for July 2011. We decided 14 days may just be a bit too long, and are trying to trim the itinerary to around 11 nights while still leaving in all the main events. We are committed to spending 7 nights on the Kenai Penninsula, and having several days guided fishing included in this. That part of the itinerary should go something like: Arrive, drive to Cooper Landing,
spend 2 additional days in Cooper Landing with guided fishing trips
2 nights in Seward(Exit Glacier, kayak Resurrection Bay, hike, flightsee of Kenai Fjord/Harding Icefield. No Fjords Cruise, major seasickness issues).
2 nights in Soldotna, one for fly in fishing to Kustatan river, the other either the Talon Air bear watching at Wolverine Creek or a day trip to Silver Salmon Creek for bear, depending on our budget.
So that give us 7 nights. We were going to take an additional 7 nights and drive slowly to Valdez with overnights at Wrangell Elias and a couple of days at Valdez, but if we cut back, there are 2 alternatives. which do you think give us the most scenery and would be the best experience for the time?
Day 8 - Drive to Sheep Mountain from Soldotna, with stop in Anchorage for a Denali Flightsee with Rust Air, stay overnight at Sheep Mountain(5 hours drive time, 3 hour flightsee).
Day 9 - Guided hike Matanuska glacier, relax, maybe see Hatcher pass
Day 10 - Drive back to Girdwood, can try to do Denali Flight if weathered out on day 8, Alyeska tram
Day 11 - Prince William Sound Cruise
Day 12 - flight back home.
or
Day 8 - Drive Soldotna to Sheep Mountain, 5 hours drive
Day 9 - Drive to Copper Center(2 hours), flightsee of Wrangell Elias with Copper Valley Air(1 hour), drive on to Valdez(3 hours)
Day 10 - Valdez, guided hike on Worthington Glacier
Day 11 - slow Ferry back to Whittier with car, drive to Anchorage for overnight
Day 12 - flight home
Both plans involve some driving but we're trying not to have any days so exhausting we don't enjoy them.(Worried about day 8 on first plan) Both involve trying to get a flightsee of spectacular mountains, (Denali vs Wrangell Elias flightsee). Plan one gives us time on the water for a Whittier glacier cruise but we miss the spectacular highway scenery. Plan 2 lets us see Valdez and drive Richardson Highway but the only time seeing PWS is the slow Ferry back, and leaves out any chance of seeing glaciers calving. Any thoughts on what might work out better for us if we do shorten the trip?
I've attached a link to my previous itinerary post if that helps:
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-july-2011.cfm

spirobulldog

I would stay the 14 days as planned unless you have can't stay that long or don't want to spend that much. I understand the fjords cruise, but seasickness was not an issue on our trip with any of the passengers. I think your ferry ride will be far more prone to seasickness, but maybe others can respond to this. I hope you get to see a tidewater glacier somwhere along your way. I would think you would be just as likely to get sick kayaking in the bay, I dunno.

If you are going to bear watch at Wolverine creek, why not just go ahead and fish there too? cost is about the same isn't it What I am trying to say, is that if you are going to the effort, cost, and time you might as well go ahead and fish too, this allows more time with the bears as well. I think the fishing and bearviewing is almost 100%(depending on time of year)

spirobulldog

I'm having a lil trouble following what your iten. is from what you posted above. You have day 8 on there 3 different times.

spirobulldog

one more thing, your going to have so much scenery you won't be able to process it all. Water or hwy, it's all great. Calving Glaciers is something you won't ever forget. The cruise we did was on a catemeran which is supposedly faster and smoother. I am blank on the name, but I will find out which one we did.

Lorenky1

I listed 2 different potential itineraries, that's why day 8 is listed twice. We originally started out with about about a 10-11 day itinerary, but we just added more and more things and this trip grew in time and money till it got a bit out of control. We wanted to step back and see if we can go within our orignal timeframe/budget, though we may ultimately still decide to go for the full 2 weeks if we can swing it, but we're not sure we can. I think I'm getting stuck on wanting the "best" scenery, and since we decided to skip the Denali bus tour and not go to Denali we were trying to do something spectacular to make up for skipping Denali. I'm very tempted to do plan #1 which skips the drive to Valdez but includes the 26 Glacier Cruise out of Whittier, the Denali flightsee and the Matanuska glacier hike, and is a bit easier logistically. Taking the Ferry doesn't particularly appeal to me either. However, since the general consensus seemed to be that the drive to Valdez and the town of Valdez offers some of the most spectacular scenery in the region, we are reluctant to miss that. We can do a great flightsee(Denali or Wrangell Elias) and a nice glacier hike(Matanuska or Worthington) in either plan, I think it comes down to a choice between the 26 Glacier cruise with calving glaciers, and the Road trip scenery of Richardson Highway/Valdez. So I guess that's what my question really waters down to, which of those is the don't miss thing to do?
If we don't do Silver Salmon Creek we are doing the Bear/fish with Talon air at Wolverine Creek.
I'm counting on Prince William Sound's reputation for quiet waters and no seasickness whether we take the cruise or the ferry.

Thanks.