Alaska circuit - itinerary advice please!

After years of procrastination, we have finally bitten the bullet and booked flights to Anchorage (Aug 7-29) and now find ourselves in the slightly uncomfortable position of planning an adventure through a region entirely unknown to us. Advice, suggestions and other input from those with knowledge and experience would therefore be very much appreciated!

My vague outline plan for the trip is to spend a few (3-4 days exploring Anchorage and environs (incl. Matanuska Glacier Hike, Independence Mine) before heading north on the George Parks Highway (i.e. via Talkeetna) to Denali NP. From here we are considering two options:

1. Head north to Fairbanks / Cheena Hot Springs, then south on the Alaska / Richardson Highways to Chitina / Wrangel/St Elias NP / Kennicott mine, then take the ferry to Seward to start exploring the Kenai Peninsula.
2. Head east across the Denali Highway, north to Fairbanks then back to Anchorage via Talkeetna. We would then head east to Chitina etc via Glenallen.

We are aware that some of these routes (Denali Highway / McCarthy Road to Kennicott) probably require 4x4 vehicles approved for non-paved roads so are prepared to factor in the extra cost if these drives are recommended.

A major objective of the trip is to get close to brown bears (Mark / Megan: yes, this is that Carole). As I understand it, mid/late August is not peak bear viewing season at Brooks Falls so we plan to take a day trip flight out of Homer to either Lake Clark or Katmai. If early August is better than later in the month, we could obviously switch things around. Again, we’re aware that this doesn’t make it a budget trip.

In round figures, it currently looks like we’d be allowing a week for the area north and east of Anchorage, then a week on the Kenai Peninsula. If this results in us having a spare day or two at the end of the trip, that’s all well and good as it would allow us to take in the Alaska State Fair.

We obviously want to do and see all the highlights (e.g. Denali, Kenai Fjords, bear viewing) but are also keen for advice on possible lodges / cabins (whether these be rustic / self catering or 'you're only here once' treats). Key interests are photography, wildlife, and breweries. It would also be great to take in a train journey but I don't see how this could be built in at the moment. Suggestions for 'experiences' would also be appreciated, but without necessarily including the 'white water' aspect of 'rafting'.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Wow this sounds fantastic Peter. A Road trip to Alaska is high up on my bucket list, so I will watch with interest !

I'm as much use to you on this one as a chocolate tea pot though !

Dave.

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Originally Posted by Southwest Dave

I'm as much use to you on this one as a chocolate tea pot though !

Dave.

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It's weird how one particular state can feel so different from all the rest.

Hello, Peter!

Alaska is huge, but the road system is fairly limited, so three weeks is actually a decent amount of time to pluck off the highlights. You've done your research, I'm sure, so you know that your odds on catching a clear day at Denali are one in three, at best. (That's why people who visit the park and actually get to SEE the mountain are considered members of the "30% club.") That mountain is so big, it generates its own weather, and cloaks itself in clouds far more often than not, especially in the summer. When I did my own Alaska road trip (three years ago), I watched the weather reports very closely, and timed my visit to the National Park for the one single day that predicted clear skies. Even at that, I got lucky; weather is pretty volatile in the vicinity of North America's biggest mountain, so there's never a guarantee. My advice--maintain some flexibility in your itinerary, and if you see a window of potentially clear weather at Denali, make a run for it, because that should be a priority. I have a little slide show on my personal website of my own Denali Adventure. Give the first page a minute to load, and the images will advance automatically, like a slide show.

There's not a lot to see by road in Wrangell St. Elias. It may be the largest National Park in the U.S. system, but there are no amenities of any kind. If you do drive the McCarthy road to Kennicott, top off your tank in Glennallen, before you go to Chitina. It's all pretty remote!

The Kenai is amazing. When you get to Seward, definitely consider a boat tour of Kenai Fjords N.P. Just extraordinary, and going by boat is the only way to see it. I still haven't gotten around to writing up blog posts about Alaska, but I have 16 or so photo galleries (in addition to the Denali pictures); Each of the photos on my Alaska Gallery page links to a seperate slide show.

You're going to have such a good time, I truly envy you!

Rick

Thanks Rick - yes, I'm aware of the challenging photographic conditions re. Denali so would plan to drive to Mile 15 one day, and take the bus further into the park the next to allow at least two bites of the cherry. When you did it and were checking the forecasts, where were you based? If it was Anchorage, how long does it take from there? Did you go there and back in day? Or perhaps you were based closer to the park? I'm reckoning on needing to pre-book a fair amount of accommodation so not sure just how flexible we can be. And which bus did you take? Did you drive the Denali highway?

Also, re. Chitina to Kennicott: did you drive it in a standard rental or special 4x4?

As you can see, my knowledge is sketchy as best so any advice gratefully received!

Peter, it's 240 miles from Anchorage to the Denali visitor's center, so I don't think this could be a simple day trip. It's another 120 miles from the visitor's center to Fairbanks.

A Google search shows there is quite a bit of lodging in and near the park.

I drove my Jeep all the way from Arizona, so I had good four-wheel drive, but in retrospect, there was no section of road where I truly needed it. I started watching the Denali weather reports from the moment I crossed the border into Alaska from Canada. I hovered around the general vicinity of Fairbanks for most of a week, then shot down to Denali (maybe a 2 1/2 hour drive), the moment the weather looked good. From Anchorage, it's a bit more than 4 hours drive, so it's possible to get to the mountain fairly quickly from either city, should the forecast appear favorable. I stayed near the park for three days in a place called the Grizzly Bear Resort, which has a campground, a motel, and some inexpensive "dry" cabins (bathroom and shower were down the hill). I had no reservations anywhere, and that worked out just fine. The only place that my customary lack of planning was a problem was in Homer, down in the Kenai, where I ended up paying $50 for the last space in a small RV park. They didn't allow tents, so all I got for my money was a place to park my car and sleep in it; that was quite literally my ONLY option that particular night.

With few exceptions, private vehicles are only allowed on the Denali Highway one day a year, and on that one day (in September) the limited number of permits are assigned by a lottery system. Other than that, you can only go as far as the Savage River check station (where there is no view of the mountain, even on a clear day). Instead, you hop on one of the buses at the visitor's center, out and back. I took the bus to Wonder Lake, which was the longest trip in terms of distance into the park, and a very full day! Mine was the first bus on the daily schedule, and the advance weather report was spot on--clear skies all the way, but, fair warning, they didn't stay clear! By the time I was headed back out of the park, in the early afternoon, the clouds were already brewing, and, just like that, the face of the mountain was hidden again. Seeing Denali was one of the primary goals of my entire 58 day RoadTrip. That whole day (when I took the bus to Wonder Lake) was magical; the high point of my trip, for sure, and, quite possibly, one of the high points of my entire life!

I didn't drive all the way to Kennicott because I was low on fuel (hence, my warning about gassing up in Glennallen). I doubt that you'd need four-wheel drive, but it IS a bit rugged, so if you plan to go, make sure the contract on the car that you hire permits you to travel on primitive roads.


Rick

There's an Alaska Page here on the RTA website, with links to a dozen or more mini-articles about road trip attractions in the "Last Frontier." It includes a fair bit of stuff about the attractions in Denali N.P.; since I wrote most of them, I can personally vouch for the information!

Rick

It's been a few years since our own fly/drive/rail trip around Alaska, but it is still one of my travel highlights. I'll list a few of my favorite things in a bit, but I first want to point you to the outfit that set up our trip: Rainbow Mountain Adventures. Just wander through their website for more ideas than you'll ever be able to pursue.

My own personal favorites revolve around Talkeetna and Seward. Talkeetna is a VERY quirky little town that served as the inspiration for the TV show Northern Exposure. On the same day, we had lunch with an Elvis impersonator(!?!), took a flight that landed on the flanks of Denali for some sight-seeing and 'mountain climbing', and boarded the Alaska Railroad (complete with domed observation car!) down to Anchorage.

In Seward, we took a whale-watching boat out into Resurrection Bay, visited the Alaska SeaLife Center, and got to witness the end of a local, and brutal, iron-man type race up a local mountain and back. One more totally unexpected windfall of our Seward stay is that my wife found a local artist whose watercolors still hang in our home.

Basically, any trip to Alaska is going to be an adventure, and I hope you can make the most of it.

AZBuck

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Originally Posted by Peter Thody

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A major objective of the trip is to get close to brown bears (Mark / Megan: yes, this is that Carole).

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Peter, I almost purchased a tee-shirt for Carol that suggested humans are bear food. But I (wisely) decided it might be in bad taste.

Such an adventure does sound really fun. Jaimie Bruzenak, long-term RTA Advisor, has done several trips to Alaska. I will ask her to check into this thread as well.

Mark

I just realized that in my earlier response, I confused the Denali Park Road with the Denali Highway. Everything I said was in reference to the former, (the road inside the National Park), but you were asking about the latter, AK-8 from Cantwell to Paxson. That's 135 miles of gravel, and no, I did not take that route (which is open only in summer). I'm sure it's an extraordinary drive, but again, you should check with your rental car agency, to be very clear about their policy regarding unpaved roads. Some will allow it; many will not.

Rick

Thanks for the tips so far - it's particularly good to learn that advance bookings aren't 100% essential. We will certainly pre-book some places to create a framework but I'd been under the misapprehension that everything needed tying down many months in advance. I think this may have much to do with the urging I've been receiving from alaska.org - a valuable resource in terms of what to see and do but they are very keen on handling / pre-booking the entire trip on your behalf.

Thanks too for the ideas re. Denali - I'm guessing we'll have a couple of nights in Talkeetna and probably a couple of nights in somewhere like the Grizzly Bear Resort too (which, my wife was pleased to see, has 'wet' cabins too, albeit at a price!) so this will hopefully maximise our chances of a clear day.

In terms of unsurfaced roads, it seems that the road to McCarthy has been improved in recent years to such an extent that companies other than the specialist 4x4 rentals will now allow you to drive it. As this and the Denali Highway were the reasons for considering a specialist vehicle, I reckon we'll probably forego the latter and just stick to a standard SUV-type rental.

Re. the Kenai Peninsula, the more I read about it, the more it appeals (particularly Seward - thanks Buck) and yes, we will certainly be taking a boat for whale watching and a tour of Kenai Fjords N.P.

My husband I drove our RV to Alaska in 2009 so some things may have changed. We came into Alaska at Chicken, then drove to Fairbanks, making a big loop of almost all the roads In Alaska. We had purchased the Alaska Tour Saver coupon book before leaving. The attractions and experiences that are discounted vary from year to year but it can save you a lot of money. I noticed they have a discount through January 5, 2019 —worth it if you plan to visit several attractions in this year’s book.

In Fairbanks, highlights there were a visit to Chena Hot Springs (they do have cabins to rent), University of Alaska Museum, and The Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station run by UA to see muskox.(There is also a muskox farm in Palmer, near Anchorage.) Another highlight was a tour to the Arctic Circle. We chose one where you go up by van and fly back. I would have liked to do one that went all the way to Prudhoe Bay but this was still an excellent trip. We saw the Alaska pipeline up close and had a demonstration of permafrost plus lots of mosquitoes!

From there we went to Denali National Park. We lucked out with a clear day of viewing on our all-day Kantishna Experience bus tour. As others have mentioned, a tour is the only way to go to the end of the road. Long 12-hour day but worth it.

We spent a few days in Anchorage. George was in Alaska for the Good Friday earthquake in 1964 so we rented bikes and visited Earthquake Park and continued on the bike path that follows the Cook Inlet for quite a few miles, coming upon a moose and her calf! We saw a couple of museums in including the Alaska Native Heritage Center. I believe we had a coupon for the Grandview Day trip on the Alaska Railroad. We took it from Anchorage to Portage and bused back.

Attachment 4840Another special experience was watching the bore tide in Turnagain Arm near Anchorage. We drove down to Alyeska to watch since George had been a ski patrolman there when stationed in Anchorage and we wanted to look around. There are also pullouts along the highway to watch the tide. We watched one man kayaking the leading edge of the tide! It can be up to 10-feet high if you catch the right day. You can find a estimate online of the height of the tide on various days, depending on the phase of the moon.

On the Kenai peninsula, our favorite place was Homer. We enjoyed the bookstore and coffee shop and used a coupon to do a boat tour. The weather was lousy so it wasn’t the best. Homer is the base for a number of tours via airplane to view bears but you do need good weather to fly.

Our best boat tour was out of Valdez on one of the glacier and wildlife tours, using a two-for-one coupon. The trip started out in fog but the sun came out soon, lighting up icebergs and glaciers. We watched a glacier calve and saw all sorts of marine animals including humpback and killer whales, porpoises and otters. It was magical! We bought cases of canned salmon at a Valdez cannery to bring home, practical since we were in an RV. Some travelers bring an extra freezer along for fresh salmon.

From Valdez we drove to Tok, then back on the Alaska and Cassiar Highways. We saw the most wildlife in British Columbia in Banff and Jasper National Parks and along the Alaska Highway on our trip north.

Hubby and I have been to Alaska Mainland twice. Once was in 1989, when we were stationed in the Aleutians. We rented an RV in Anchorage for about a week. Highlights included the bus trip out to Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park and all the wildlife we were able to see; a walk out to Exit Glacier, the view of Portage Glacier, and the drive along Turnagain Arm.

Our second trip took us up the Alaska Highway into Alaska, from San Diego. We were towing our own 5W this time. Highlights, other than the many stops along the AK Highway, included the boat trip out to Kenai Fjords National Park, returning to Exit and Portage Glaciers to see the changes that 11 years can make (this trip was in 2000), returning to Denali and taking a different bus trip, going all the way up to Fairbanks and seeing the University's museum there, going to North Pole AK to the Santa place there (that was fun for us), and driving down to Valdez. Down there we saw a river teeming with salmon. Somewhere in there, we got to look over the AK Pipeline and also a nice museum at the Wrangell-St Elias National Park visitor center.

Would we go back? Absolutely.


Donna

Jumping in a little late here, Peter. My trips to Alaska have all been driving. On reflection, by far the best was in 2004 (long before my RTA days). I went back in 2009, and noticed how things had changed - not for the better. Once I had my own vehicle I went to Prudhoe Bay in 2012 - a spectacular trip which is rapidly being changed by the sealing of the Haul Road and the hoards who now travel on it, leaving their rubbish by the roadside, and everywhere else. Sadly my last trip was in 2016, by which time there was very little wildlife to be seen.

Those trips (and my trip to Antarctica) are the highlights of my travel memories. Not a day goes by that I do not recall them, with the aid of digital photo frames.

If you want to see bears, I highly recommend that you include a ferry trip to Kodiak (Bear Island), where they have guided tours to see the bears. I was not able to do one, as they involved a significant distance of walking. Other than that, I did not get to see a single bear on my 2016 trip - unlike 2004 when I saw quite a few - until I was on my way out of Alaska, when at Tazlin Airport there were two grizzly cubs at play under the watchful eye of their mother. (You can't plan those moments.)

When in Homer, be sure to take a ferry ride to a small town called Seldovia. A short way from Homer, but without road access. You get about two hours in the town, which is enough to check it out, and the historic Russian church. The ferry also takes you by a sea-otter nursery.

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Head east across the Denali Highway, north to Fairbanks then back to Anchorage via Talkeetna. We would then head east to Chitina etc via Glenallen.

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If you head north out of Anchorage, you cannot, in a rental car, drive east on the Denali highway. It is an unmade road. When I drove it in 2016 (in my own van) from Paxson to Cantwell, it was very rocky, and many vehicles and motor bikes had flat tyres. It is the worst road I have been on in Alaska, but I was told the views of Mt Denali are spectacular. Unfortunately it poured raining the whole time I drove it. Until the 1950s when the Parkes highway was built, it was the only access to Mt Denali. The history of that road is just west of Paxson, in a wonderfully laidout roadside area. The road is sealed from Paxson to Tangle River Inn - a lovely place where they have telescopes set up in the restaurant for you to see the wildlife in and across the river. The drive to Tangle River alone is worth it for the wonderful views and scenery high up in the Alaskan mtns.

When driving to or from Steward, be sure to stop at Exit Glacier, and note all the signs which show how it is retreating. There is also a great short walk which takes you to the face of the glacier and another from which you can see on top of the glacier. Absolutely stunning.

As others have said, if your time is limited - something to which I cannot relate - then choose carefully, and make notes so you can leave the rest for planning future trips.

Enjoy your trip, no matter what you do, it will be unforgettable.

Lifey

Thanks everyone - this is great. I'm now beginning to build the foundations of our trip (looking like a clockwise circuit taking in Anchorage > Talkeetna > Denali > Fairbanks > McCarthy > Valdez > Whittier > Seward > Homer > Anchorage).

I'll start filling in the gaps and come back when I've taken things a bit further.

Peter, while in Fairbanks be sure to take a trip north to Livengood, where you can see the pipeline, its history, construction and maintenance (the pig in the pipe). Can't recall where exactly it is, but it is before you get to Livengood, right on the highway - can't be missed. It is one of the few places where you can actually get up close with the pipeline, and touch it.

Lifey

Here are some places to view and even walk up to the AK Pipeline.



Donna

I just found the journal I did for our Alaska trip, almost 19 years ago. We had some good pipeline views on the way between Glennallen and Valdez. We also stopped at Worthington Glacier on that route.

The name of the Santa place in North Pole, AK is the Santa Claus House. Inside are so many Christmas decorations for sale, many of them with an Alaska theme. As we put up our decorations every year, we end up saying, "oh, we bought this at North Pole!" a lot, because we bought a lot for ourselves and for family members. Here's their website if you're interested.


Donna

Thanks for these.

I have to confess that going out of our way to view the pipeline probably wouldn't be a #1 priority as far as I'm concerned but the fact that its viewable between Glennallen and Valdez (a route we'll certainly be taking) is good to hear.

And - some coincidence here - I read your North Pole comment literally less than an hour after making our first firm booking of the trip: a couple of nights in an idyllic looking cabin (Moose Walk) in / close by North Pole, AK. I've also requested confirmation of bookings at Hotel Chitina and The Ma Johnson's Hotel, McCarthy so it's beginning to come together.

Anchorage question
One further question if I may. We're looking at spending the first two days / three nights in Anchorage and not picking up a rental until we hit the road on the 3rd full day. However, every list of 'Things To Do in Anchorage' should actually read 'Things To Do Outside Anchorage' so I'm tempted to spend just the one day exploring the city on foot (museums etc.) and then hit the road. Or am I dismissing Anchorage's downtown attractions too readily?

Peter:

Everyone has different priorities, but for me, Anchorage was the most expensive and the least interesting place that I visited in Alaska. The setting is spectacular, surrounded as it is by snowy mountains, and right on the water (the Cook inlet). There is history in the city, and a museum or two, but honestly, (and this is strictly my opinion), a single full day should cover the highlights, and you're not likely to miss anything important if you leave it at that. There's so much to see in the rest of Alaska, your time would be better spent on the road.

Rick

Thanks Rick

I know we should always be positive and open minded (particularly me as I've never been there), but this confirms my suspicions.

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Originally Posted by Peter Thody

After years of procrastination, we have finally bitten the bullet and booked flights to Anchorage (Aug 7-29) and now find ourselves in the slightly uncomfortable position of planning an adventure through a region entirely unknown to us. Advice, suggestions and other input from those with knowledge and experience would therefore be very much appreciated!

My vague outline plan for the trip is to spend a few (3-4 days exploring Anchorage and environs (incl. Matanuska Glacier Hike, Independence Mine) before heading north on the George Parks Highway (i.e. via Talkeetna) to Denali NP. From here we are considering two options:

1. Head north to Fairbanks / Cheena Hot Springs, then south on the Alaska / Richardson Highways to Chitina / Wrangel/St Elias NP / Kennicott mine, then take the ferry to Seward to start exploring the Kenai Peninsula.
2. Head east across the Denali Highway, north to Fairbanks then back to Anchorage via Talkeetna. We would then head east to Chitina etc via Glenallen.

We are aware that some of these routes (Denali Highway / McCarthy Road to Kennicott) probably require 4x4 vehicles approved for non-paved roads so are prepared to factor in the extra cost if these drives are recommended.

A major objective of the trip is to get close to brown bears (Mark / Megan: yes, this is that Carole). As I understand it, mid/late August is not peak bear viewing season at Brooks Falls so we plan to take a day trip flight out of Homer to either Lake Clark or Katmai. If early August is better than later in the month, we could obviously switch things around. Again, we’re aware that this doesn’t make it a budget trip.

In round figures, it currently looks like we’d be allowing a week for the area north and east of Anchorage, then a week on the Kenai Peninsula. If this results in us having a spare day or two at the end of the trip, that’s all well and good as it would allow us to take in the Alaska State Fair.

We obviously want to do and see all the highlights (e.g. Denali, Kenai Fjords, bear viewing) but are also keen for advice on possible lodges / cabins (whether these be rustic / self catering or 'you're only here once' treats). Key interests are photography, wildlife, and breweries. It would also be great to take in a train journey but I don't see how this could be built in at the moment. Suggestions for 'experiences' would also be appreciated, but without necessarily including the 'white water' aspect of 'rafting'.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

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I have always wanted to see Alaska, but as I have aged I think an Alaskan cruse will have to be my site seeing trip for Alaska. Your journey sounds amazing.

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I have always wanted to see Alaska, but as I have aged I think an Alaskan cruse will have to be my site seeing trip for Alaska. Your journey sounds amazing.

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Originally Posted by Rick Quinn

Peter: ..... Anchorage was the most expensive and the least interesting place that I visited in Alaska.

There's so much to see in the rest of Alaska, your time would be better spent on the road.

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I heartily agree. But if you want to base yourself in Anchorage, especially if you have already booked your accommodation, there are some wonderful day trips out of Anchborage to help you see some of the best the State has to offer.

In less than two hours you could drive down to Portage and then to Hope, a lovely small town with a few shops, (maybe a good place for lunch) and right on Turnagain Arm. It will take you through parts of AK which not many see, quite remote but beautiful. If the volcanoes across the water are smoking (or more), should make for some good photos. As a day trip it would give you lots of time to stop off at all the points of interest around/along Turnagain Arm.

Heading the other way, out along highway 1, you have a two hour drive to the Matanuska Glacier, where there is a walk to the glacier face. I have not done the walk, as the distance (short as it was) was beyond me. On your way to Matanuska Glacier near Palmer, also a nice town, there is a non-de-script roadside stop on your right. When you get out of your car and walk , on a small path, up to the top of the embankment you get the most magnificent view over the Matanuska morains.

On the left side of the highway in the same area, is Fishook Willow Road, which takes you to the glacial Sistine and Little Sistine Rivers which have several information points explaining their origins. This road also leads to Hatcher Pass, (whiich was all snowed in when I was here). You can then return to Anchorage via Wasilla, the State Capital.

The routes to these places are all clearly marked on the map which comes with The Milepost book.

Lifey

?

The state capital is Juneau.

Which can only be accessed by boat...

Or aircraft.

Or dogsled ;-)

Yeah! of course.

But I do so recall someone telling me - back in 2004 when I stayed there - that it was the capital in place of Juneau, as they had to have a main centre of administration (or something like that) on the mainland. Not sure how correct that was, and have never questioned it.

Lifey

https://ballotpedia.org/Alaska_State...asure_3_(1994)

They tried to move it in 1994, but the ballot initiative failed.

Thanks again everyone. We’ve tied things down pretty nicely now and made most of the necessary bookings so we have a plan that might be helpful for anyone else embarking into the unknown. Our three week trip now looks like this:

• Day 1 – arrive in Anchorage and stay at an airport hotel
• Day 2 – collect rental, buy provisions and head east to Matanuska Glacier
• Day 3 – 3.5 hr glacier hike; then drive to Talkeetna
• Day 4 – Talkeetna / Hurricane Turn train
• Day 5 – Drive to Grizzly Bear Resort (thanks Rick); possibly Denali NP depending on visibility
• Day 6 – Denali Backcountry Adventure (a long day – 13 hours – in the National Park)
• Day 7 – Possibly Denali NP depending on visibility; drive to North Pole, AK (near Fairbanks) for 3 nights.
• Days 8-9 – possibly Fairbanks Riverboat, probably Chena Hot Springs, definitely Santa Claus House, but otherwise just taking it easy.
• Day 10 – drive south on Richardson Highway – overnight at Gilpatrick’s Hotel Chitina
• Day 11 – drive into Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (rentals need specific approval for this drive – ours is) to explore the Kennecott mine – overnight at Ma Johnson’s Hotel
• Day 12 – McCarthy to Glenallen to Valdez (a drive that promises to be a highlight in its own right)
• Day 13 – rest day in Valdez
• Day 14 – ferry from Valdez to Whittier, then drive to Seward
• Day 15 – Kenai River Scenic Float
• Day 16 – Kenai Fjords National Park tour
• Day 17 – Drive to Homer
• Day 18 – Bear viewing flight
• Day 19 – Spare day in Homer in case flights not possible the previous day!
• Day 20 – Drive to Soldotna
• Day 21 – Not yet planned
• Day 22 – Alaska State Fair in Palmer
• Day 23 – Home time

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Day 19 – Spare day in Homer in case flights not possible the previous day!

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If the flight was possible on day 18, and this is a free day, or if day 18 turns out to be a free day, it would be ideal to use it to take a trip to Seldovia, across the bay. It is only a half day or so all up, but well worth it. When I went the ferry left about 10am.

On your way down to Valdez, there is a short loop off the highway which takes you through Copper Center. There was a lovely old hotel there, which burned down a year or so later. The owner said they would rebuild, but I often wonder if they really did. Don't miss out on seeing old Valdez which was destroyed by an earthquake.

Can't wait to read the report.

Lifey

Thanks for the tip - we'll look into it.

Here is a link to the field report from the Thody's Alaskan Adventure!