Lodging Recommendations and Itinerary Input

[jodawn]

:) Thanks so much to everyone on these boards for all their help planning our Alaska Vacation. I have our basic itinerary planned but would LOVE some lodging advise and activity input!! We are 4 adults aged 45 - 60, Alaska first timers!

 

We desire moderately priced lodgings, we can share a room for the 1 nighters and splurge a little for a suite, cabin, etc with frig & microwave for two night stays.

 

Where would be a good place to kayak?

 

Any thoughts on Plan A or Plan B for July 6/7 of itinerary?

 

I understand drive times are minimum and will actually be longer due to stopping and possible construction.

 

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Flight BWI to Anchorage

Rental Car Alamo standard SUV

*Overnight Anchorage WHERE?

 

Friday, June 27

Morning drive to Denali (5 to 6 hrs)

Denali http://www.nps.gov/dena

Visitor center, short hike at entrance

Drive first 14 miles of park road

4 pm free Ranger sled dog demo (bus leaves ½ hr before demo)

Rafting http://www.denaliraft.com/

*Overnight Denali WHERE?

 

Saturday, June 28

Denali

At least 6 hour shuttle into the Park (Wonder Lake is 11 hours)

Overnight Denali

 

Sunday, June 29

Morning Drive to Fairbanks (2 hrs)

Fairbankshttp://www.explorefairbanks.com

U of A Museum http://www.uaf.edu/museum

Ice Museum http://www.icemuseum.com/

El Dorado Gold Mine http://www.eldoradogoldmine.com or

Gold Dredge No. 8 http://www.golddredgeno8.com

Evening Ester Gold Camp & Malamute Saloon

*Overnight Fairbanks WHERE?

 

Monday, June 30

Fairbanks

8:45 am to 12:15 pm: Riverboat Discovery

http://www.riverboatdiscovery.com/

http://www.maryshields.com/index.html

Anything we didn’t do from June 29

Afternoon drive to Talkeetna (4.5 hrs) Flight seeing?

Overnight Talkeetna WHERE?

 

Tuesday, July 1

Talkeetna

Flight seeing?

Drive to Anchorage (2 1/2 hr)stopping along the way

http://www.glennhighway.org/scenic/eklutna.html

Hatcher Pass/ Independence Mine

Musk Ox Farm http://www.muskoxfarm.org

Eklutna Spirit House tour http://www.eklutna-nsn.gov

*ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS?

Tour Anchorage

http://www.anchorage.net

http://www.alaskanative.net/3.asp 9 - 5

http://www.anmc.org/visitors/giftshop.cfm 10am – 2pm

*ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS?

 

Overnight Anchorage Homewoodsuites (for the $72 rate!?)

 

 

Wednesday, July 2

Anchorage - finish anything from yesterday

Leisurely drive to Seward (2 ½ hrs) stopping at will

Stop at Beluga Point (10 miles north of Girdwood)

Go up the tram in Girdwood if the weather is clear

Crow Creek Mine http://www.akmining.com/mine/crow.htm

Other stops: http://alaska.org/driving/portage-valley-whittier-spur-drive

Portage Glacier visitor center or 1 hour boat tour to face of the glacier Wildlife Conservation Ctr closes 8 http://www.alaskawildlife.org/Mission.html

Seward http://www.seward.com

Exit Glacier

Seavey's Ididaride http://www.ididaride.com/

Godwin Glacier sled dog ride http://www.alaskadogsled.com

SeaLife Center http://www.alaskasealife.org/

Overnight Seward WHERE?

 

Thursday, July 3

Seward

6 hour Kenai Fjords cruise http://www.kenaifjords.com

http://www.renowntours.com/kenai-fjords-park-cruise.htm

Seward continued (see July 2)

Midnight Fireworks

Overnight Seward

 

Friday, July 4

Seward cont...

July 4th festivities and Seward Activities cont (see July 2)

http://www.sewardak.org/news-events/July%204th%20schedule.pdf

Evening Drive to Homer (3 1/2 hr)

Overnight Homer

 

Saturday July 5, 2007

Homer

Bear Watch Emerald Air

Bald Mountain

Overnight Homer WHERE?

 

 

Sunday July 6, 2007

Homer

Bear watch if canceled on Saturday, July 5

Otherwise free day!! (What’s that?) :rolleyes:

 

 

**Plan A

July 6 Drive to Anchorage (5 hr)

Overnight AnchorageJuly 7 AM Transfer to Whittier for a Prince William Sound cruise

Board ship (SB Cruise/Island Princess) in time for dinner

http://www.princewilliamsound.com/736.cfm

 

**Plan B

July 6 Overnight Homer

July 7 - AM drive to Anchorage ( 5 hr), transport to Wittier for

SB Cruise/Island Princess

[fti]

If you see this within 20 minutes of your first post, you might want to edit out your confirmation number from your original post for the Homewood Suites. Without a name it probably can't do too much damage but still probably more info than anyone here needs to know.

 

More later.

 

John

[jodawn]

Whoops! Thanks so much John!

[fti]

Here are some thoughts:

 

Book your Seward accommodations now. Where to stay will largely be dependent on what is available. July 4 in Seward is really big. So find what is available and go from there.

 

There is kayaking in Seward and Whittier and I believe also in Homer.

 

Depending on when you arrive into Anchorage the first night, you might want to stay near the airport. Or perhaps get to the other (east) side of the city to make an easy drive the next morning to Denali. I stayed at the Ramada Muldoon Avenue which was nothing special but clean and relatively inexpensive. Also, a Fred Meyers supermarket is close by and very easy to get on the Parks Highway toward Denali from there.

 

I would encourage you to book a shuttle at Denali to Wonder Lake and if you want to get off at/near Fish Creek and head back, do so. I don't think you will be disappointed going to Wonder Lake though. Just be prepared with DEET for the mosquitos (you will only be there 45 minutes or so if you stay on the same bus returning).

 

I would recommend you book the flightseeing in Talkeetna for the day you drive from Anchorage to Denali. Then if it is canceled due to weather, you have two more shots at it - the day you arrive from Fairbanks if you arrive early enough and the day you leave Talkeetna for Anchorage.

 

I am assuming that all the things you list for each day are possibilities of things to do, not that you will do them all. You will kill yourself trying to do all those things in each city in the time alloted.

 

What would you do in Homer if you spent the extra night? It seems to me if you leave Homer on July 6, all you have done is bear watch. And why plan to leave that day for Anchorage if you are using that day as a backup for bear watching in Homer? If you firm up a hotel in Anchorage for that night, then you end up bear watching that day, it will mean a long drive later in the day to Anchorage. Stay in Homer and smell the roses!

 

Do you have a backup plan for Anchorage in case Homewood comes back and doesn't let us stay there for that rate? I would book a cancellable backup just in case. Being more than a week after the fact, they don't have a leg to stand on in my opinion but would you be willing to spend the time and effort to fight it? I am almost certain I am going to be the guineau pig since I am booked for May 1-3.

 

John

[jodawn]

Whoops! Thanks so much John!

[jodawn]

Sorry for the double post. Yes, we are all counting on you to be the guinea pig at Homewood Suites! I think it will all be fine. I had a similar situation at a Boston hotel. When we arrived the hotel did not have the 2BR suite so they gave us a King room and a double Queen room for the same very low price as originally booked! We will book a back up just to be safe.

 

An east side hotel in Anchorage is a good idea and near a Fred Myers so we can get a cooler and refreshments is great.

 

We are going to book shuttle to Wonder Lake and see how it goes for everyone – just seems like such a long time on a bus, but everyone reports the time flies by, so hey we will give it a whirl.

 

Good idea for the Talkeetna flight seeing, any referrals for a good company? I am not sure flight seeing is a definite activity. We all chose the Bear Watch as our number one $$ activity, but some are thinking about the flight seeing or Glacier Dog sledding also.

 

No we don’t want to kill ourselves doing everything posted! I am hoping the kind people on these boards will give feedback on the best of activities and we will narrow down our list.

 

My dilemma about when to leave Homer is because I think we would really enjoy the PWS cruise and I don’t think we could do one unless we overnight in Anchorage on the 6th. We would still spend the majority of the 6th in Homer (even if we don’t need it for back up bear watch) and leave for Anchorage late afternoon early evening. Otherwise we scratch the PWS cruise…

 

How was Cambodia?

[GMoney]

Regarding your kayaking question...

 

Your 2 options are in Seward and Homer. In Seward, you can kayak Resurrection Bay (1/2 and full days are available), Fox Island or Lowell Point. Or you could do something more adventurous and kayak Aialik Bay or Bear Glacier. These tours will be more expensive, but they go to the same place as you Kenai Fjords boat tour, and you may see more wildlife and icebergs.

 

The kayaking in Homer is decent. True North (truenorthkayak.com) runs 1/2 and full day tours out into Kachemak Bay. You water taxi out to Yukon island, get suited up and board your kayak, and then circumnavigate the island. You'll see lots of bald eagles, some interesting rock formations, and maybe some sea otters. You will also stop for lunch along the way. True North does a good job overall.

 

The best kayaking IMO is in Valdez and Columbia Glacier, where you paddle through the ice, and then along some island in search of wildlife. We lucked out and saw a bear, a seal and many eagles. It's easily the most incredible thing I've ever seen or done.

[GMoney]

double post

[Suzanne123]

Another kayaking option in Homer:

http://homerkayaking.com/

[jodawn]

Looks like our extra time in Homer can be spent kayaking! Thanks

[Budget Queen]

You definately have too much listed for Fairbanks, and are underestimating the drive time to Talkeetna by an hour, will be about 5 1/2 hours with only brief stops, unless you have perfect 65mph driving conditions. :)

 

Trip Talkeetna/Anchorage day, you'll probably only have time for either activies along the way, or, your listed Anchorage activities, not both.

 

Anchorage/Seward day, skip the Portage glacier boat, make a brief stop at the visitor center. There are several pull offs along the Arm, spend your time there. You will not have time for the completion of your list of Seward activities.

 

Consider purchasing coupon offers, can offer significant savings for you.

 

Homer is definately worth the time, so consider using your extra day in that area.

 

I suggest you do a PWS boat tour your day of the cruise, works out perfectly sicce you don't have to be in any rush to get on the ship with the late departure. This is an excellent use of time.

 

There are many excellent Talkeetna flightseeing companies, again, you may want to consider taking advantage of coupon offers. Do your homework, there are several different options. My preference is for the summit flights, I've been on several others including a ski plane glacier landing. Definately book this tour your first pass by Talkeetna, if a priority to fly.

[greydog]

We stayed at 3YR? old Springhill suites across from visitors center in Fairbanks 2 yrs ago. Very nice, breakfast, business internet, and competitive price plus more flexible cancellation policy than many local places. Not as 'mob scene" as the other hotels that contract for busloads of cruise landtour crowds. Of course, no local AK ambiance either.

 

They have a nice attached bistro/restaurant: Lavelle Bistro, decent steak for $25 then which is 'reasonable' for AK tourist season. ElDorado gold mine was couple hours of fun. Visited Univ AK museum but it only needed 1-hr to do natural history section and new art section was not overwhelming - try doing something more outdoorsy.

Have a good time.