We will be spending one entire day in Anchorage with a rental car. How should we spend the day? We like nature, animals & gardens.

Do not miss the drive down Turnagain Arm to at least Girdwood, if it's a clear day, take the tram up Mt. Alyeska. Portage Glacier isn't what it used to bem but it's still a nice stop.

You could also take a glacier trip out of Whittier or -- if you don't mind a lot of miles -- you could do a Seward Kenai Fjords trip. It would be a long hard day, but the trip is one of the most spectacular in AK.

Another option would be to drive to Talkeetna and take a Denali flightseeing trip.

If it's a Sat or Sun you can visit the Public Market. I found some great jellies, made from rose hips, and fireweed honey. The visitors center in Anchorage is beautiful with lots of flowers. I think you might be surprised at how much Alaskans love flowers. A lot of businesses are decorated with gorgeous hanging baskets and planters. I liked the trolley ride for an overview of the city such as a drive past Lake Hood, Earthquake Park, etc. We did not get to the botanical gardens so if you plan to go, make sure you have very good directions. OTH we were visiting when there was a neighborhood garden tour. It took a bit of doing to find the place that had the map but once I found the first house I just followed other people and the map to the next. You might find garden tours listed in the Anchorage Daily News if someone is planning on having one. I just checked www.adn.com (scroll down to click on gardening) and there are a lot of garden related activities listed. The Alaska Botanical Gardens has guided tours at 1pm on Wednesdays thru the summer. You will also find some wonderful books like the Wild Berry Guide which is both a cook book and plant identifcation guide. Title Wave bookstore has a great selection.
The Anchorage Daily news lists some terrific garden events and tours. Hope your visit coincides with one of these.
Hope you also have time for the tram ride up Alyeska. I second repete's suggestion.

Last June we took the drive that repete mentions along the Seward Highway to Girdwood, and beyond, a couple of times--it is the most beautiful drive we have ever taken and there are plenty of places to stop and take pictures, take in the beauty. Enjoy!!

Is this Anchorage day hooked up to a cruise??? To make the best use of your short time, I would book a costly one way car Anchorage/port. There is no point in my opinion to transfer via the Arm, only to waste more time picking up a rental etc and then go back.

You do not have enough time for Seward, it's not a day trip in my opinion. I would instead heading north and driving the Hatcher Pass to Independence Mine, extremely scenic. If you want a cheap glacier trek= www.micaguides.com Request www.anchorage.net if you want to stay in town and see Anchorage.

Having done various day trips to Seward for a variety of reasons, I would respectfully disagree with BQ on this one.

If you're intent squeezing in a lot of nature and animals, this might be the best journey. It is a commitment to a lot of car time (125 miles each way), but it's commonly done by locals. On one occasion, I drove down from Eagle River (opposite side of Anchorage), ran (OK, staggered) thru the July 4 Mount Marathon race and returned to Anchorage to work that night.

The route gives you a great chance to see Dall sheep at close range, decent possibilities for moose and, depending on the time of year, possibly beluga whales. You get a better variety of terrain -- from marine to alpine passes -- than most other options.

Plus, the entire route is scenic with absolutely no boring stretches. Turnagain Pass is the only place in AK where I've seen a wolverine in the wild. If you catch it with the fireweed in bloom, it's spectacular.

I'd only recommend this to road warriors, people who look at driving as an opportunity rather than a drudge, but if that fits you, it's worth considering. If you're going in the summer, days are long and you'll have plenty of time to chill on the ship or plane ...

For most, folks, however, they'd likely get the most bang for the buck with a trip to Girdwood/Portage.

And if the weather's lousy, hit the Museum of History and Art in ANC and Native Heritage Center.

Those sheep are a sight to see--they clearly have no fear!

Just want to say that the Museum of History and Art is excellent, imo--I went twice while I was there, lots to take in. Also enjoyed my time at the Native Heritage Center and we thoroughly enjoyed wandering around the Public Market in Anchorage.

We will be in Anchorage overnight on our way to and from Denali. Any recommendations for a budget minded place to sleep?