Tentative 8/06 Alaska itinerary
 

Does the following sound like a reasonable itinerary to give us a good first visit to Alaska experience?

8/04 Arrive Anch., pick up SUV and head up to Garden Gate B&b in palmer.
8/05-8/06: hatcher Pass hiking, Independence mine, Matanuska Glacier Ice trek, Musk Ox farm, random hikes. Lodge at Garden Gate

8/7-8/9: head up to Denali Np, with a possible stop in Talkeetna to do Mckinley flighteeing tour. One full dat into Np, with hiking. Second full day to do rafting, horseback riding , sled dog tour, northern lights show...

8/10: drive back to Anchorage & overnight

8/11-8/12: Rail or drive to Seward. do Exit glacier and Sea life center on one day, Kenai Fjords tour the next day.

8/13-8/14: Return to Anchorage and do daytouring to Girdwood, Portage glacier, biking on the coastal trail

8/15:
Fly home from Anchorage

Is this too ambitious, or am I missing something I reaaly should see? Please help!
Thanks,Lori

Sounds good. Girdwood and Portage Glacier are about 45 miles south of Anchorage, on your way to Seward. If you take the train to Seward, you could easily do these as a day trip and see more of that incredible scenery. On the other hand, it might make more sense to add a night to Seward if you decide to drive, taking your time to get there and stopping at Girdwood and Portage. I have also heard good things about the animal park. Some people, like my husband, want to drive thru the tunnel to Whittier although not spend time in Whittier. Depending on how much time you want to spend at the Sea Life Center (I think it stays open until 8pm but check) you might be able to see it when you get to Seward. Full day on a Kenai Fjords cruise. Hike Exit Glacier the following day.
My calendar doesn't have next year's dates on it. If any of your time in Anchorage is on a Sat or Sunday, a visit to the Public Market in the downtown area is fun. You might plan to go around lunch time and try the different food vendors. There is also crafts and music. If you want some good reading material, the Title Wave bookstore in Anchorage has a huge selection of books about Alaska, both fiction and non-fiction. You might, for example, choose Joe Reddington's biography to learn more about the Iditarod sled dog race and what Alaska was like when he first moved there.

I don't know how many people are going to be in your party but you really do not need SUV for this itinerary.

I always recomend staying in Anchorage at least for two nights after arrival. There are many hiking trails right in or outside Anchorage. You could stay in Palmer for one night on the way back from Denali and before continuing to Seward. Overall it is a good itinerary as you are not trying to do too much and to see too many places in such a short time. Is this your first trip to Alaska?

Thanks for your input! This is our first trip to Alaska(6 of us) and we want to maximize the experience.

If you want to go through the Tunnel to Whittier consider taking the 26 Glacier Cruise. My DH and loved this cruise. We also did the cruise out of Seward which was also fantastic but very different.

Have fun.