Talkeetna
 

On our way to Denali from Seward I have made a reservation in Talkeetna for 2 nights. I would like to do a flightseeing tour while in Talkeetna. Do you think 2 nights are excessive in this town? Would our time be better spent elsewhere?
Thanks for your suggestions.
Cherie

It's hard to judge whether its excessive or not without knowing how long your total trip will be and how far you plan to drive.

Because weather around the mountain can be iffy, you have a much better chance of being able to make your flight if you allow for two days rather than one.

For the town itself, 2 days is probably a little long but there are lots of things to do in the immediate area (flight-seeing, jet boats, fishing, hiking, photography, etc). On a previous trip, I spent four days there and did not think it was excessive. Others might disagree. On other trips, I have limited my stay to one day and night because I had other things I wanted to do more.

I agree with dwooddon. Two days would be good, and definately do a flightseeing tour! You will not regret it! The cost is high, but it is worth it. Also, if you get a chance, on the way to Talkeetna, visit the Palmer area. There is a beautiful drive on a road called Hatcher Pass. You can visit a historical site called Independence Mine, that is well worth the trip!

Are you going from Seward to Talkeetna in one day? It's do-able (we did the reverse). Don't miss Independence Mine. I liked to time our trips thru Anchorage to have lunch at the Moose's Tooth (great pizza) which is convenient to the Seward Hwy. Once you get north of Wasilla, there's not much in the way of restaurants. Thinking about your timing, you might not get to Talkeetna until late afternoon. (I'm guessing 5 hour drive without stops from Seward.) It's a very small town but two nights gives you a better chance to see the mountain.

Two days might be a bit long, depending on how long you break it up. Take your time on the trip from Seward to Talkeetna.

If you are still planning to stop in Girdwood, have dinner at the Double Musky when you arrive and take the Alyeska tram either the next morning or on your way back through.

In Talkeetna, the flight seeing is amazing. The fishing and jet-boat trips aren't all that great.

A lunch en route in Anchorage is a great idea. Simon & Seafort's is a classic, or if you make a side trip to the lovely Museum of History and Art, there's a great cafe run by the same folks who have Marx Bros., one of the better places in the state.

If the Talkeetna flightseeing is a priority 2 nights is a good idea. I'll assume you are looking at an evening arrival- you can get a 7pm flight seeing?? www.toursaver.com may be beneficial??

Thank you all for your suggestions and opinions. I guess we will stick to the original plan and stay in Talkeetna for 2 nights. We will have 10 days to see and do as much as possible. So far it looks like this:
Girdwood 1 night
Homer 2 nights
Seward 2 nights
Talkeetna 2 nights
Denali 2 nights
Anchorage 1 night
A couple more questions:
Has anyone done the Glacier Jet Boat Trip that is in the toursaver book?
Also we have a car reserved from Avis using a code I found on this forum. It saves us a ton of money, but I wonder if it has restrictions. tracys2cents used it but did not elaborate, anyone else?
Thanks again to everyone........

That'll give you plenty of time to visit the Fairview Inn there. If it was good enough to poison a president, it ought to be good enough for you .... :)

repete: Tell us the story. It's not my favorite place in town but I didn't think it was that bad.

It's part of the myth and stories abound ... but Harding, in AK to drive the golden spike in the Alaska Railroad, died not long after eating there ...

http://www.insurgent49.com/yanity_ak_railroad.html

Hi,
We are traveling to Denali, but want to go to Talkeetna for a short visit. What do suggest for a good lunch in this town? Hope to hear a suggestion!
Thanks

In Talkeetna, my favorites are the Talkeetna Roadhouse and Latitude for lunch. :)

I haven't eaten at Latitude but I do like the Roadhouse.

Hello Budget Queen,
Thanks for the info!
It's good to know where to go for that good hardy snack. After chowing down, we are off to Denali. Do you have any good eateries up there?
We'll be spending three days in that area. How about a place to order a box lunch when we travel to Wonder Lake? I heard that bus ride can be long. What is your take on it?
Thanks.

I strongly suggest a grocery stop for Denali Park, my staple is peanut butter and jelly on good bread. :) Cheap and no refridgeration and I hate soggy premade sandwichs- although, you will see plenty of Subway's on the shuttle buses. Add a bag of chips and I'm happy. A 4 pack of muffins have been breakfast, if I'm not in a B&B. Some B&B's will also pack you a lunch.

I like the Perch south of Denali Park as well as the Lazy J in Cantwell that I go to either coming or going, I don't make a special trip back there from Denali Park.

LAST available full service grocery on the way north is Wasilla and south, Fairbanks. Stock up!

Cherie, what code did you use with Avis for a car rental? We are going to Alaska early June and the car rental is so costly. Thanks for the info.
Judy

Judy,
I did a search for Car Rentals under Alaska and I found this. Although the thread is about a year old the code is still valid on the Avis website.
Cherie

Author: miktam
Date: 03/13/2006, 02:34 pm
Tracy2cents, I used the A469100 code on the avis website and got a corporate rate that was significantly cheaper than the competition. Is it OK to use this corporate rate code, if I'm not with that corporation? Do car rental companies require any sort of verification?