Trip planning
 

We are just starting planning our trip to Alaska this summer. We will be kayaking for a week in the inside passage. We unfortunately only have a two week vacation, and was wondering what would be realistic and not too rushed for the second week. We were thinking of flying to Fairbanks and taking the train down to Denali. We also have three days after the kayak trip. Would flying to Juneau make sense? Would Glacier Bay or Kenai penninsular be too similar to what we would experience kayaking? We were looking for an Alaska experience that would show us a different part of Alaska than we will see in the inside passage.
Thanks for your help

You are planning a great trip. For a truly unique experience consider a visit to Anaktuvuk Pass. This eskimo community of 300 people is about 200 miles north of the Artic Circle. We took an all day tour from Fairbanks via a van on the Dalton Hwy to Coldfoot and air to the village and air back to Fairbanks. Subsistance hunting and fishing is depended upon. Arrangements can be made in Fairbanks.

In Fairbanks be sure to visit the Univerity to see if there are tours of the Arctic laboratory, missle range, super computer, etc available on the day you are there.

Would it not be easier to fly to Anchorage and take the train up? I haven't seen enough of the state to make comparisons. We loved Kenai though. You could take the train to there from Anchorage as well. My parents went to Barrow in August and it sounded a lot like what rvtraveler describes(above Arctic Circle). Very remote and unusual. I think just about any area requires 4 days to a week. So you would have time for another place in AK after your first week. It all looks interesting. You might even consider a week at Wrangel or Katmai or Lake Clark.

I'm not completely clear on how much extra time you will have after your kayaking in the Inside Passage. Is it 1 week plus 3 more days?

If you decide to stay in SE Alaska, Sitka and Ketchikan are worth seeing. I would tend to skip Juneau. If you want to use Anchorage as your base, you could go north to Talkeetna & Denali or south to Girdwood, Prince William Sound and Seward. Maybe even a quick drive to Homer could be squeezed in. Contrary to what some think, I think Anchorage has some valid points of interest including the Alaska Native Heritage Center and the Anchorage Museum. I even liked the Alaska Zoo http://www.alaskazoo.org and the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center http://www.alaskawildlife.org (near Girdwood).

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Thanks for the suggestions. I think staying in SE Alaska makes sense given the time restraints. we have a week before the kayak trip and three days after. Maybe using Anchorage as the base and going both north and south.

peckstein,
I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Anchorage is not in SE Alaska. It is 591 air miles from Anchorage to Sitka. Anchorage to KTN is approximately 775 miles. You will not be able to go north <b>and</b> south of Anchorage in one week.

_____________________________________________
Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Where will you be kayaking? If you want some inland sightseeing, one idea would be to rent a car & drive from Skagway north to Whitehorse, then Hwy 1 west through the Yukon, and south to Haines on the Haines Highway. Spectacular scenery and lots of interesting sights. We did a flightseeing flight to Glacier Bay out of Haines that was amazing. (Opted for this as it was the most economical way to visit GB, and we'd also done some glacier area kayaking in the inland passage.) Denali is awesome, but very weather dependent...lots of visitors don't see McKinley. You ride a school bus into the park. If your time is limited, it's hard to see very much. The Kenai is very nice, but I don't think the scenery compares with the Inside Passage. If you stay in that area, I'd recommend Sitka and Haines. You might also check out the ferry system...a fun way to travel and very relaxing. Easy to travel without a set plan if you're not taking a vehicle. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml
You'll have an awesome time no matter where you go!

Where will you be kayaking? If you want some inland sightseeing, one idea would be to rent a car & drive from Skagway north to Whitehorse, then Hwy 1 west through the Yukon, and south to Haines on the Haines Highway. Spectacular scenery and lots of interesting sights. We did a flightseeing flight to Glacier Bay out of Haines that was amazing. (Opted for this as it was the most economical way to visit GB, and we'd also done some glacier area kayaking in the inland passage.) Denali is awesome, but very weather dependent...lots of visitors don't see McKinley. You ride a school bus into the park. If your time is limited, it's hard to see very much. The Kenai is very nice, but I don't think the scenery compares with the Inside Passage. If you stay in that area, I'd recommend Sitka and Haines. You might also check out the ferry system...a fun way to travel and very relaxing. Easy to travel without a set plan if you're not taking a vehicle. http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml
You'll have an awesome time no matter where you go!