I'm really looking forward to your roadtrip report upon your return.
No advice...but lots of best wishes.
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I'm really looking forward to your roadtrip report upon your return.
No advice...but lots of best wishes.
No need to make the long treak from Valdez to Anchorage by car. If I were you I'd go straight to Talkeetna from Girdwood on the 15th giving you more time in each community (two of my favorites in AK). Then you can ferry from Valdez to Whittier and do Portage Glacier and Prince William Sound tours then. The ferry ride in itself is spectacular enough and offers you a neat experience into how most Alaskans in Southeast travel.
I still say you'd have time to get into McCarthy as well between your time in Copper Center and Valdez. If you are truly worried about the rental car rules I think that through Kennicott Lodge you can arange transportation from Chitina.
While you can "see" Wrangell St. Elias park from Copper Center, you can actually experience it from McCarthy/Kennicott.
If you need to find more time I would recommend cutting time out of Anchorage. In Alaska the saying is that the best thing about Anchorage (AKA Anchoragua or Los Anchorage) is that it is twenty minutes from Alaska.
While it is a great city to live in and there is access to some pretty cool trails like you mentioned, just getting outside of town changes the scenery and experience dramatically.
I would agree with this -- I enjoyed my time in Anchorage, but there is so much to see and do "out there" -- Thanks for the local's perspective!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chugach Rider
Mark
Judy: Will sure get back after the trip.
I did check. It costs around $300 for 2 of us with a midsize car :(Quote:
Originally Posted by Chugach Rider
That said, would I "miss" anything on the Glen highway?
I did feel that I was spending longer time in Anchorage. But, wouldn't I need time to check out Chugach SP, bike the coastal trail, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chugach Rider
I am also looking at the kayaking option near Columbia Glacier. If its any good, I might have to stay a day near Valdez. Any thoughts on that?
thanks again,
cool
well you are finding the biggest problem in seeing Alaska. there is just so much to do it is easy to want or try to do everything. Kayaking at the columbia glacier should be very cool and could make it worthwhile to stay in valdez. the ferry trip is unique enought to worth the money. the ferry is a far better trip then what you would see on the Glenn highway.
Only my opinion, but the towns in alaska are not why you come here. girdwood is a great little ski town. but it is a ski town. you go places for what you can do. some of the common complaints about anchorage are true and some are silly, but anchorage is not a place to visit on it's own. there is glorious hiking here in anchorage and if that seems appealing then stay here for a couple days. some trails, like the Bird Ridge trail just south of Anch. are as good or better then anything else in the state. some people speed past it since it is so close to anch. and they go to far lesser places just to be out of the city.
The weather in AK, esp along the coast is not very helpful. I heard that its been raining a lot with winds gusting up to 35 knots.
With so much of rain, I am not sure how the trails are going to be.
These reasons do contribute to my ever-growing-before-trip paranoia!
I want to make maximum use of my time in Alaska. But, again, if weather is not permitting me to do something, I'll have to settle for something that does not involve the weather. Huh! Did I just say that?
In any case, I did find out some more info here & there & hope to share everything when I come back.
Have fun road tripping!
cool
well, the weather can change fast for good and bad. be ready to be flexible but don't worry. you will almost certainly have some good weather and some bad. Inland, denali, etc. the weather is better, well usually more consistent and with less rain. the kenai area always has umm..changeable weather. be prepared, be flexible and talk to locals and you will do just fine. in places like seward and whittier everything(almost) goes on rain or shine.
have a great trip
greg
I am also sharing in the excitement of reading your report when you get back. I really wanted to go to Alaska this year but the $8000 price tag for me and my folks put us out of its reach (which is why we did our Utah roadtrip in May instead.) We did our 11-day (non-tour) Alaska package through AAA. I may try our package again through RMA to see if it might be at all cheaper.
I take it you're not going to Barrow at the very northern tip. That's one of my main goals, which is to see Point Barrow and dip a toe in the Arctic Ocean. In fact, I would sacrifice all other Alaskan stops before I give up Barrow, since I'm more of the geographical type. Denali (and Mt. McKinley) would be a close 2nd priority.
Hopefully the weather is good to you. Have fun!
Kinless,
It is just 2 of us & we are not eating out any of the days. So, I managed to save some here & there. Still very expensive.
Yeah. We are missing Barrow & the Arctic Ocean, but I am missing out on the northern lights too :(
Anyways, we might end up driving N to Canada some dark winter night :)
No end to man's greed you see!
Will sure get back with my report.
Greg,
Thanks for the kind words. I am packing more rain/winter clothes now. Guess, its all better.
thanks, you all.
cool
I am back from a long but not so tiring trip to Alaska. I am trying to update my blog, but there is so much to say & do in this state.
For other tourists, I would recommend a tour saver book. It might reduce some bucks for you.
Two weeks was still not enough.
I would categorize our journey in 3 parts.
Kenai Peninsula:
Seward- Kenai Fjords full day cruise, Alaska sealife center, Resurrection bay, drive to Lowell point, Exit glacier hike, bear creek salmon hatchery & the highway itself. Stayed at Moby Dick hostel: nothing too fancy, but everything works.
Homer-The spit, kachemuk bay (missed the expensive trip to Kodiak island), skyling blvd scenic drive & eagle surfing in the spit.
Special mention: Anchor point eagles & Russian orthodox church(Kenai & Ninilchik), Portage & Byron glaciers, Alaska wildlife conservation center & Whittier Prince William Sound Cruise. Stay: Historic Homer hostel.
Girdwood- We did not do much, but I would recommend tandem para gliding, moose trail & the tram ride to the top. Stay: Alyeska hostel.
The Interior:
Talkeetna: Flightsee Mt.Mckinley with TAT, downtown & river park.
Stay: Talkeetna Hostel International
Denali: Shuttle bus tour to Wonder Lake, a couple of hikes around the visitor center; saw lots of wildlife. Stay: Denali Mountain morning hostel. Awesome place!
Fairbanks: Riverboat discovery cruise, Pioneer park, downtown, Arctic circle tour, Museum of the North(University of Alaska, Fairbanks). Stay: Aurora Motel & cabins
North Pole: Santa Claus haus
The SouthWest:
Wrangell National Park - Liberty falls, 3 mile lake. Stay: Golden Spruce cabins
Valdez-Worthington glacier, keystone canyon waterfalls & sea kayaking to Shoup Glacier. Stay: Nelchinik Lodge.
Anchorage & Nearby-Matanuska glacier, Sheep creek salmon viewing, downtown, Alaska native heritage center, Federal building(free movies about Alaska), Tony Knowles coastal trail.
Our vacation turned into a life-changing experience.
It is an awesome place & can give you different experiences each time.
I loved every place we stayed. I would highly recommend it to anyone traveling on a budget. Interestingly, Anchorage Costco offered the cheapest gas prices. The place is swarmed with bugs & mosquitoes. It might put off a summer traveler.
AK now jumps to my first loved state, closely followed by CA.
thanks for all the help, guys.
cool