So many things, so little time. So we had to prioritize!
There are always the usual things that people want to do when in Alaska:
- Railroad trip
- Cruising
- Dog Sled Rides
- Fishing
Well, those are NOT the things we wanted to do. But, the following is a list of some of the things we DID want to do:
- Learn about the culture
- Hike
- See a glacier up close and personal
- Keep daily mileage down
- Pan for gold
- Paint
- Maybe ferry out to a glacier
- Maybe fly over Denali and/or land
- Maybe fly into brown bear viewing areas
- Maybe rest, too
So how did we start?
First, we mapped out our itinerary, so we were first hitting Anchorage where we would take a breath for a couple of nights and get our Alaska head on.
We will be Alaska early afternoon, so for the rest of the day we will shop for our toiletries (because why bother bringing them onto the plane, right?), walk around Anchorage (we’ll be ready to walk after so many hours on a plane), get the lay of the land and find our night’s restaurant. That will be it for day 1! Probably also a lovely evening stroll after dinner, too.
For the one full day we have in Anchorage, and to better understand the culture, we’d heard the Alaskan Native Heritage Center was amazing and a must-see! If you look at the website, you will see that this alone could take the best part of a day, or more. So we will probably spend ½ day there or a bit beyond. We had read, and heard from other travelers, that the hike up Flattop Mountain located in the Chugach State Park in Anchorage was a must do because the the drama in seeing Anchorage below the summit of this 3,510 peak right at its back door. Hiking there would be wonderful to set the stage for the rest of our Alaska trip. We also read that Anchorage has an extensive biking trail system, and depending on weather and time, that may be an option, too.
The next day, we are heading for Seward. For our trip, we purchase Milepost, so we could take in the sights along this most-scenic route. We may stop at Whittier, Alaska on our way to Seward as we understand there is a short cruise to Portage Glacier which we may have time for. That said, when you are stopping every 30 seconds for more photos, we may not have time! Playing this one by ear. We also heard the Alaska Wildlife Center was a great place to stop, too. This may be a very long day we spend driving 130 miles from Anchorage to Seward.
In Seward, which is on the Kenai Peninsula, we decided on a few things such as:
After 6 nights in Seward, Kenai Peninsula area, we head for Talkeetna and our home for the next 5 nights, Traleika Mountaintop Cabins.. One thing we have thought about for a long time was a flightseeing trip around Mt. McKinley Denali). One time we flew over and around Mt. Katahdin in Maine which was a breathtaking experience. But, over or around Mt. McKinley - WOW! There are bear viewing trips, coupled with rafting trips that are a possibility - love to see brown bear to photo - BUT not too close! Talkeetna is known for its artisans and it has several native galleries. There is biking and hiking galore! Naturally, every day will be beautiful - HA. Most of all, because our cabin has a breathtaking view of Mt. McKinley, and because we are way out of town in the boonies, we plan on quality time on our private deck, wine in hand, watching McKinley and our surroundings!
After our time in Kalkeetna, we head for Denali River Cabins, which you probably assumed we'd be near Denali. Because you never know about weather, we'll just take the shuttle buses into the heart of the park each day we are there. We will be in Denali for 3 days. Private vehicles are not allowed passed a certain mileage marker, so you must take buses. Some are for tour, others are just to "shuttle" folks in and out. That will be our transportation. We can get on and off anywhere we'd like. The buses that drive through Denali do stop for wildlife so riders can get photos and observe. Our destination in the park would be the Eielson Visitor Center, about 66 miles into the park. It was recommended to us not to take the time to all the way into Wonder Lake as it's 85 miles into the park and takes a full, full day (or more). We were told by Eielson, we'd see as much as we wanted to in a moderate day, planning on a few on and offs of the shuttle, as well. Taking ALL of Denali in is our goal for this leg of our trip.
The final leg of our trip is just one night back in Anchorage planning nothing but getting ready for our flight out for home the next day. Whew - tired already.
We'll see, now, what we end up doing vs. what we want to do! Stay tuned.
- Exit Glacier-Hiking around the glacier will be a new experience.
- Mount Marathon - a hike up the mountain will be fun and rewarding.
- Travel farther around the Kenai Peninsula by road perhaps rafting and gold panning - Naturally, while Ira is panning, Cindy will be painting!
- Traveling along the Kenai River is a must-do for us. There is lots of salmon (which we want to have shipped home when we find a good vendor from whom to purchase it)
- Soldotna, Alaska is supposed to be a nice stop on our way to Homer.
- Homer, Alaska, which is the last town on the western side of the Kenai Peninsula.
- Halibut Cove is an artist’s haven. I understand that there are about 20 residents, and ½ are artists! How cool. And at Halibut Cove there is a spectacular restaurant called The Sultry which is supposed to be incredibly expensive but spectacularly good! You must take a ferry from Homer to Halibut Cove, have dinner and then come back. How cool!
After 6 nights in Seward, Kenai Peninsula area, we head for Talkeetna and our home for the next 5 nights, Traleika Mountaintop Cabins.. One thing we have thought about for a long time was a flightseeing trip around Mt. McKinley Denali). One time we flew over and around Mt. Katahdin in Maine which was a breathtaking experience. But, over or around Mt. McKinley - WOW! There are bear viewing trips, coupled with rafting trips that are a possibility - love to see brown bear to photo - BUT not too close! Talkeetna is known for its artisans and it has several native galleries. There is biking and hiking galore! Naturally, every day will be beautiful - HA. Most of all, because our cabin has a breathtaking view of Mt. McKinley, and because we are way out of town in the boonies, we plan on quality time on our private deck, wine in hand, watching McKinley and our surroundings!
After our time in Kalkeetna, we head for Denali River Cabins, which you probably assumed we'd be near Denali. Because you never know about weather, we'll just take the shuttle buses into the heart of the park each day we are there. We will be in Denali for 3 days. Private vehicles are not allowed passed a certain mileage marker, so you must take buses. Some are for tour, others are just to "shuttle" folks in and out. That will be our transportation. We can get on and off anywhere we'd like. The buses that drive through Denali do stop for wildlife so riders can get photos and observe. Our destination in the park would be the Eielson Visitor Center, about 66 miles into the park. It was recommended to us not to take the time to all the way into Wonder Lake as it's 85 miles into the park and takes a full, full day (or more). We were told by Eielson, we'd see as much as we wanted to in a moderate day, planning on a few on and offs of the shuttle, as well. Taking ALL of Denali in is our goal for this leg of our trip.
The final leg of our trip is just one night back in Anchorage planning nothing but getting ready for our flight out for home the next day. Whew - tired already.
We'll see, now, what we end up doing vs. what we want to do! Stay tuned.
