We've got some friends in Anchorage and would like to visit them for a week and see Alaska this summer. Is it possible to "see" Alaska with Anchorage as a home base? We would definitely be willing to drive for day trips and possibly stay over night one or two nights in other places, but would want to stay with our friends for the other nights. We'd want to see Denali, glaciers, lots of beautiful hikes, perhaps do a sea plane ride or a day cruise, and take in a lot of "Alaskan" scenery. Possible? We are in the beginning stages of considering this, so I wanted to get some input. Should we just wait a summer and save up enough money to go on a one-way cruise and end it with our friends in Alaska?

Well of course you'll "see" only what you can get to quickly from Anchorage. That said, sure, you can see plenty.

Take the Philips "26 Glacier" tour out of Whittier for a high-speed intro to Prince William Sound, snowy mountains, glaciers a go-go, miscellaneous marine mammals, and a glimpse of Alaska's railroad and military history. The drive down Turnagain Arm and through the tunnel to Whittier is a revelation.

There are lots of interesting day hikes close to or in Anchorage - Bird Creek, Hatcher Pass, Flat Top... depends on your tastes. Good birding at Potter Marsh right at the south end of town. Go on a day trip to Seward, stopping at Hope, for walk-up glacier, gold mine villages, coastal trails, salmon fishing, Kenai Fjords tours...

Denali requires an overnight if you want to go into the park interior, and it's pricey and can be a bit congested with visitors in high summer. If you can swing the cost, look into an overnight in Kotzebue or Nome via one of the Alaska Airlines package tours. Spending a night in the arctic's midnight sun is a blast. Not cheap, but not necessarily a back-breaker.

Or hang out with your pals and enjoy Anchorage in the summer. Loooonnng sunsets, have a burger at the Roadrunner, fly kites on the Park Strip, go join the partiers at 'Coots... have a ball.

IMO, you'll need to overnight on the Kenai, probably in Seward. The boat tours are several hours long (the longer the better) and it takes a couple of hours just to get to Seward from Anchorage.

It's five hours to Denali and the bus tours are at least 8 hours so that would be another overnighter.

As for day trips, one suggestion would be to drive out to Matanuska Glacier. It's not that far, interesting to see and a beautiful drive.

I too say- you need 2 nights in Denali Park and 1 night in Seward. Alaska is huge and best seen on the "move". But with friends in Anchorage- a lot of touring can be done there too, as Gardyloo has listed. Request their visitor guide- www.anchorage.net Myself- I would go this year AND next- a one way cruise packs a LOT of touring in 7 days!

If you/your friends are military, a trip to Elmendorf Air Force Base Bald Eagle sanctuary in Anchorage is a wonderful opportunity to see Bald Eagles up close. The base sponsors wildlife program for Bald Eagles who are injured due to close encounters with the aircraft or other accidents. They are well known for their compassion and caring. The birds on display are usually healing well and are in BIG cages which allow a good close up to a magnificeat bird. There is info on the birds and the program too. Made me appreciate the Bald Eagle and the AirForce even more. Took my nieces ther and had a picnic by a very nice creek on base.