Suggestions For Place To Stay On Way To Denali

[mmo]

Hi--my husband and I arrive in Anchorage @ 3:45 pm on June 14th--were thinking of driving part way to Denali, maybe around 3 hours or so.....anyone have any idea where a place to stop and spend the night might be? We could probably do 4 hours but just don't want to push it after a full day of travel. Open to any suggestions.....we hope to stay in Denali Thurs/Fri perhaps, drive back to Anchorage for the night, on to Seward then over to Whittier for cruise on Island Princess the 19th. Or, does anyone know if it is possible to get train to Seward from Anchorage, make a Misty Fjords boat trip and get the evening train back to Anchorage in the same day? Or are we REALLY pushing our luck? !!!!

[StillLooking4Adventure]

Here is a suggestion,

 

Arrive Anchorage Wed 14th 3:45. Pick up rental car and drive to Talkeetna. Arive by 8 pm. Stay at a B&B.We loved the Denali Overlook. It has a view of McKinley.

http://www.denalioverlook.com/

 

Thurs the 15th take a flight with Talkeetna Air Taxi, or Talkeetna Aero or K2 to do a glacier landing or fly over McKinley. Coupons in the Toursaver. http://www.toursaver.com. You will also have time to walk around Talkeetna the town "Northern Exposure" tv show was modeled after. Nice shops and atmosphere. Leave Talkeetna in the afternoon and drive to Denali. Stay overnight in one of the great B&Bs in Denali or Healy. I love the Earthsong Lodge in Healy, 20 minutes from the entrance, above the tundra line. http://www.earthsonglodge.com/ or here is a web site for other choices: http://www.alaskaone.com/travel/acmmenu.html .

 

Stay the night of the 16th in Denali/Healy and take an early morning shuttle bus to fish creek in the park. Be done by 3 pm. Now you could either head back to Anchorage or stay a second night in Denalli/ Healy. If you spend the 2nd night they you could check out the dog sled show in the park and/or the cabin night theater. Up early on the 17th and drive to Anchorage. 6 hours or so. Shop in downtown anchorage, eat in a great restaurant, spend the night. Up early on the 18th and drive to Seward. Renting a car would let you stop at the http://www.alaskawildlife.org/ wildllife center and still get to seward for a 3pm 6 hour kenai fjords boat trip, http://www.kenaifjords.com/543.cfm (I assume this is what you meant, not misty fjords.) Night of the 18th in Seward. Drive back to Anchorage morning of the 19th returning the rental car. Get the ship transfers to whittier and take your cruise. The drive back from Seward to Anchorage is about 3 1/2 hours so you would be in by noon easily. (you may be able to rent a car in Anchorage and drop it in Whittier, but it will cost more.) Also, even though the train ride from Anchorage to Seward is beautiful, so is the car ride. You can stop when you want and take magificent pictures along the way.

 

That would be a full land tour. A little packed, but doable with a rental car.

[Budget Queen]

Mike offers you a great option, but I would add to rent a costly ONE WAY Anchorage/Whittier car from Avis or Harley's and go direct from Seward to Whittier, rather than backtracking to Anchorage, makes better use of time.

 

Day of Fish Creek shuttle, get an early am one and then drive back and stay in Talkeetna again. Then just about 5 hours to Seward. You need to get at least 6 hours on the water in Kenai Fjords. Check schedules for timing.

 

 

My opinion, Seward is not a day trip via train from Anchorage.

[mmo]

Mike in Alaska and Budget Queen---thanks for the great suggestions!! We truly appreciate them.

Mike--Eagle River?!!! Our sons have a friend at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Andrea, that is from Eagle River....small, small world! Marita

[mmo]

It's me again.....I meant to ask BQ in last post where she recommends staying in Talkeetna, Mike had given one suggestions. Thank you.

[StillLooking4Adventure]

It's me again.....I meant to ask BQ in last post where she recommends staying in Talkeetna, Mike had given one suggestions. Thank you.

 

Here is another popular choice:

 

http://www.talkeetnachalet.com/

[copperpenny]

Hi Mkaplan! Thank you for the suggestions. I just booked two night with Denali Overlook and two nights at EarthSong. We are traveling to Alaska at the end of May. I originally had booked the McKinley Princess, but after looking at the websites and speaking to both Host I knew that this was a great opportunity to get away from the masses!

[jimcat]

Here is another popular choice:

 

http://www.talkeetnachalet.com/

 

We booked that the other day.. looks like a nice b and b

[StillLooking4Adventure]

Hi Mkaplan! Thank you for the suggestions. I just booked two night with Denali Overlook and two nights at EarthSong. We are traveling to Alaska at the end of May. I originally had booked the McKinley Princess, but after looking at the websites and speaking to both Host I knew that this was a great opportunity to get away from the masses!

 

Your welcome. I know you will enjoy them both. We never stayed at a hotel during our travels and never regretted it. The B&B hosts can add much to your experience and you dont have to tip the bellman!

[mmo]

Thanks again for the wonderful suggestions, because of them we are finally able to tie a lot together! We truly appreciate them...