Lorenky1

Thanks so much for all the previous help and generous spending of your time to offer suggestions, and to all the posters whose trip reports were so helpful in getting ideas. I think this is really our final itinerary for our trip in July 2011. We have changed things significantly but feel pretty happy with the outcome. We'll begin booking things in the next few months. We already have the rental car booked, $402 for 12 nights before taxes and fees, with Avis. We've taken the pressure off by no longer considering this the trip of a lifetime and already thinking of where we'll go on our second trip, probably hitting more National Parks next time, Denali, Lake Clarke, maybe Wrangell Elias, maybe Kodiak Island. Anyway, that's for the future, here it goes for July 2011:

Day 1 - Arrive in Anchorage around 3:30 PM, drive to Girdwood, stopping for views of Turnagain Arm, stay at Alyeska Resort. Ride tram, short hikes.

Day 2 - PWS 26 Glacier Cruise. Maybe take the train to Whittier from Girdwood for the fun of it. Stay overnight, Alyeska Resort.

Day 3 - Drive down to Cooper Landing, stopping to sightsee. Maybe walk Russian River Falls(but we are afraid of Grizzly bear encounters on this trail. Is it very used so the bears avoid the people, or are there frequent bear encounters?) Stay overnight Kenai Princess.

Day 4 - For DH, guided fishing Kenai River with either Kenai Cache or Alaska River Adventures(very hard decision, they have both been extremely helpful with information and both sound great). For me, rafting trip down Kenai, or maybe the paddle-saddle trip that includes a trail ride. Kenai Princess Resort overnight.

Day 5 - Drive to Seward. Flightsee Kenai Fjords/Harding Icefield with Scenic Mountain Air. Visit Exit Glacier. Stay overnight Holiday Inn(we have a free night stay at a Holiday Inn we can use).

Day 6 - Kayak Thumb Cove and maybe short hike to Caines with Miller Landing. Explore Stewart. Sea Life Center. Overnight Holiday Inn. (we're skipping Kenai Fjords cruise in favor of the flightsee, since there are seasickness issues and we will do the PWS cruise).

Day 7 - Leave early (7:30) to account for possible road problems, drive to Soldotna, take the 12:30 PM fly-out to Wolverine Creek to fish and see the bears. Stay overnight Aspen Hotel.

Day 8 - Fly-out to fish for silvers at Kustatan River. Stay overnight Aspen Hotel.

Day 9 - Long drive to up to Sheep Mountain Lodge with stops along the way for sightseeing. Overnight Sheep Mountain Lodge.

Day 10 - morning guided Glacier hike on Matanuska Glacier with MICA, then drive 2 hours to Copper Center. Take late afternoon flightsee of Wrangell-Elias with Copper Valley Air. Visit Wrangell-Elias visitor Center and short hike. Overnight Copper Center Princess.

Day 11 - , Drive 2 hours to Valdez, stopping to take in Worthington Glacier, Keystone Canyon, maybe short hikes. Explore Valdez. Overnight Best Western Valdez.

Day 12 - We decided we'd rather drive the route back rather than take the Fast Ferry, gives us a second opportunity to see things or do flightsee if the weather was bad first time, and we like road trips. Drive back to Hatcher Pass(5 -6 hours), visit Hatcher Pass, stay overnight Hatcher Pass Bed and Breakfast.

Day 13 - Flight back home around 12:30.

We may shift a few things around in terms of timing or lodging, but this is the general plan. Any suggestions or tips appreciated.
Attached are previous posts on my itinerary if that is helpful.
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...-july-2011.cfm
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...this-sound.cfm

spirobulldog

I think you have things in place well. Surely you will see Calving Glaciers at PWS??? This would be my only concern skipping Kenai Fjords. I think you are doing this the right way, by really experiencing the area. Alaska is so big, it is pointless to try and see all of it in 12 days. You will get a little taste of Lake Clark NP as Wolverine Creek is right at the edge of it. My parents are going next week. They are going to be gone about 17 days, about a week of that is cruise. They aren't seeing any of what you are doing, which is mostly the area that we did a couple of years ago. I am anxioux to see how their trip is different.

What day will you be in Seward on? The big race is like on July 3(i think).

Lorenky1

We're going later in July to catch the second red salmon run. Last week of July, first few days of August, actually. We hope to see calving glaciers in PWS, of course nothing is guaranteed. Have been looking at the weather in Alaska since we'll there a year from this week, and it looks awful, has been raining every day. Hopefully we'll catch a better break than that, I expect alot of rain but everyday would get annoying. I think I saw a recent post by you that you were in my neck of the woods in Northern California. Glad you enjoyed your trip. Your advice on my itineraries has been very helpful.

BudgetQueen

You can combine day 3 and 4 to free up a day at Copper River area- where you need it. It's less than an hour++ drive from Girdwood.

Lorenky1

I know the Copper River area is a bit rushed, though I think we can do it this way and have a good time. I don't think we want to rush to drive from Girdwood to Cooper Landing on the day we have a guided fishing trip, and I think the trips start pretty early. However, you got me thinking about how to shift things around to add an extra day. I'm working on it, if I can work out the Kenai Penninsula part of the trip to end in Cooper Landing or Girdwood instead of Soldotna, we can drive further and maybe get to Copper Center or even Valdez in one drive. Part of it is determined by prime dates for the Salmon run. IF we did this and had an extra day in that area, I assume you are suggesting going in to Wrangell-Elias(rather than just the planned flightsee) or are you suggesting an extra day in Valdez?

Bill_H

Maybe walk Russian River Falls(but we are afraid of Grizzly bear encounters on this trail. Is it very used so the bears avoid the people, or are there frequent bear encounters?) Stay overnight Kenai Princess.

Not only are there 'frequent bear encounters' on the river trail there are occasional bear encounters on the grounds of the Kenai Princess. A young lady who was working as a maid at the Princess was mauled a few steps from the cabins in 2008 ... http://www.expertcruiser.com/blog/gr...rincess-lodge/

Lorenky1

Yeah, after what happened in Yellowstone recently we're going to be pretty cautious. I had heard about the attack at the Princess in 2008, but I don't think bears are more frequent there than any other area of Cooper Landing? Sounds like with the salmon run the whole area is bear active. I think the Princess had a guided hike to the Falls, if we feel like we must see it, we'll do it that way. And maybe stay in the lodge rooms rather than a cabin.

Bill_H

Lorenky, we stopped at this Princess for lunch on our way from Homer to ANC a couple weeks after this bear incident. The girl was walking alone, quietly, and had the bad luck to surprise a bear where she probably wasn't expecting one. If you guys stay in a group and make a bit of noise (just normal talking) you should be fine around the Princess, the bears will hear you and move off. But I've seen photos of a 700 lb grizzly killed by a truck in the Anchorage city limits, so you never really know. Bears could be anywhere up there ...

ventoso

This is great. My family is going to Alaska in July 2011 and you have done all my work.... thanks for your help.
We are staying primarily in Kenia Penninsula, but alot of your ideas are going to work for us.

Lorenky1

Glad my itinerary was helpful to you, I've been thinking about this for months already and it has changed and changed again. The one thing about what we are doing is we took the somewhat controversial step of skipping Denali. Most people have Denali as a must do/must see, so you should look into that as part of your itinerary and see if it appeals to you.

Lorenky1

Okay, we switched some things around and were able to improve the itinerary by adding a short trip in to Wrangell -Elias. Because it enables us to use a additional BOGO from Toursaver it is actually $100 cheaper than the other plan, and we get to go inside Wrangell-Elias, if only for a very short visit. I'm so excited. Not considering it final till the fall though we will start booking things that need to be locked in over the next few months, especially if they have flexible change/cancellation policies. Here it is. Thoughts and comments welcome.
Day 1 - Arrive Anchorage, drive to Seward, stops along the way, stay Holiday Inn
Day 2 - Seward, Kayak Thumb Cove with Millers Landing, flightsee Kenai Fjords with Scenic Mountain Air, stay Holiday Inn.
Day 3 - Exit glacier, Sealife Center in AM, then drive to Cooper Landing, overnight Kenai Princess.
Day 4 - Fish late red Salmon run with Kenai Cache, overnight Kenai Princess(use Toursaver)
Day 5 - Drive in AM to Soldotna, fish/bear watch Wolverine Creek with Kenai Cache Guides, overnight Soldotna, Aspen Hotel
Day 6 - Fly-out to Kustatan River with Kenai Cache, fish for silver salmon, overnight Aspen Hotel
Day 7- Drive to Girdwood, do Alyeska tram and short hikes, overnight Alyeska resort
Day 8 - train to Whittier, 26 Glacier PWS cruise, overnight Alyeska Resort
Day 9 - Drive to Copper Center, stops for sightseeing along the way.
Day 10 - Fly-in/fly out to McCarthy with Wrangell Air, do 1/2 day Root Glacier Hike, overnight Copper Princess(Toursaver Coupon)
Day 11 - Drive to Valdez, stops for sightseeing, short hikes and/or sightseeing in Valdez
Day 12 - drive to Hatcher Pass from Valdez, stay in a cabin at Hatcher Pass Bed and Breakfast.
Day 13 - fly home

BudgetQueen

I'd suggest you overnight in Palmer area, rather than Girdwood, day 8. Then you have more time to enjoy the Glenn Highway, and consider a stop at Matanuska Glacier, if of interest. Even time, perhaps for cheap treking.

This is definately an improved itinerary overall.

Lorenky1

I didn't think about getting a bit further on the road on day 8. I'll take a look at that. Glad the iteinerary is finally shaping up and looking good. We booked our guided fishing trips yesterday. We're so excited, I can't believe it's still almost a year away.

Lorenky1

I didn't think about getting a bit further on the road on day 8. I'll take a look at that. Glad the itinerary is finally shaping up and looking good. We booked our guided fishing trips yesterday. We're so excited, I can't believe it's still almost a year away.