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Anyone been to Alaska

21 years ago

We're thinking about going to Alaska next year. Anyone have any suggestions on what we should not miss? Places to stay? Things to do? Best time of year to go?

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Comments (5)

jlhug
21 years ago
I lived in Kodiak for 8 years back in the 80's. Go to Denali and hope for a clear day. Its a magnificant sight. What type of things do you like to do?
nedraw
21 years ago
The glacier and wildlife cruises are great. I also really enjoyed sea kayaking. We were near Homer and there were lots of sea otters.
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Right now in this heat, I wish I did live in Alaska. I have been to your beautiful state....and loved it. I don't think I could handle those looooong winters, but it is definately a state I hope to return to.
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April We did a road trip for ten days in August 2004 when our son was 17 and daughter 14. Flew in and out of Anchorage. We drove up through Denali but were disappointed we could not drive farther in but stayed further north and did a horse back trip For a full day. Wonderful! We were ALONE except for guide. We ride and have our own horses so this may not be for a novice. But you cant see that scenery otherwise. We drove via Denali Highway to Paxon. Gravel road only open in summer. Nothing there but scenery. Then south to Copper Center where we hired a small plane (landing strip was on the bank of the Copper River where the salmon wheels were running. so cool) to McCarthy and Kennecott. This was the Wrangell St Elias Park area and WOW! Far surpassed Denali. This area is just breathtaking and off the beaten path for most because you have to fly in. Cant drive rental cars. Road is too bad you would have to change tires. This is where the old copper mine is and glacier hiking - that was cut short by the bears... On South to Valdez and the ferry to Whittier (great WW2 history) Fabulous scenery of wildlife from the ferry. Then further south to Seward and back to Anchorage. The kids still talk about the great trip. This was ten years ago. Get your ferry tickets booked well in advance for the vehicles. And be aware that the potential to overdose on the bigness of it all its a big state lots of wilderness. I grew up out west upper plains states and am used to this type of car trip but some folks get a little antsy if they don't see a house for a few hours...
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I watched it last night....thanks for the reminder, Glenda. I loved it but glad I am not one of the ones trying to live for three months in the Alaskan wilderness. I was sure that one guy was going to fall down the mountain and die but happily, he got the mountain goat.
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I can't tell that I have been to the race in person- but I have 2 friends who are experienced in one way or another with the race. First person is a friend- she was my surgery partner. She is a dog lover- takes correct care of her animals. Her brother was either the boyfriend or was engaged to the winner of several years ago-4 times- Susan Butcher. My friend was up there several times, and was amazed at the absolute devotion and care that Susan gave her animals. The second friend is also a fellow nurse- she and her husband raced dogs here in Wyoming- then moved to Anchorage because she and her husband wanted to race more intensely. I knew exactly how this friend and husband took care of their dogs- they were good friends, and were did alot together with the dogs. After they moved to Alaska, they told me how dedicated almost all of the mushers are- thier dogs come first. There will always be a bad apple in any group. Do you believe that the Olympics are bad? There have been horses lost in the Olympics- the compitition is extremely strenuous, and sometimes injuries happen or a cardiac abnormalty will cause death that the very well taken care of horses had that the Team was not aware of. I do agree that maybe the Olympic course could be less strenuous. PETA is not a group that makes much sense. They don't think that ANY animal should be a pet- they don't even think that a dog or cat should be on a leash, be owned by a human- NOTHING. I guess they would rather have dogs and cats run wild, getting hit by cars, starving, reproducing at will. They are overboard. I agree with not using animals for testing if possible- especially for cosmetic makeup. Anyway- from what I have learned from both of my friends, the race is well monitored- there are mandatory rests, vet checks, and a van that follows them to take a dog out of the race if it appears too tired or ill to race. If mushers treat thier dogs badly at home, that is a reflection of the owner/musher- not the ideals of the race. Did you know that the Iditerod is the only race that having the dogs wear leather booties is mandatory? Being in the atmoshere of the race, and being able to follow the race would be great. If you are dressed right, you are warm. I just went through 2 weeks of temps down to -19 below, and was never cold, as we are dressed for it. Either place you choose to go will be a wonderful adventure- why can you go to the get-together in Italy this year and go to Alaska next year? I would not want to miss either.
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karla_ak
20 years ago
I've "been to" Alaska for 10 years now. It is beautiful in winter - rooms are less expexnsive, northern lights are spectacular, you can ski or take snowmachine tours or sled dog tours, and the weather isn't bad in the southcentral region. But if you are thinking of coming in warmer months, what are your interests - hiking, fishing or siteseeing? Are you taking a cruise, flying, or driving to get here, and what area will you be going to? The southeast region will be different from where I am.

That said, June has mosquitos, and mid-August brings a rainy season here (Anchorage area). You might want to check out Scott McMurren's Alaska Travelgram. He sells a coupon book every year with discounts on travel and lodging. I have not personally used it, but it has a lot of 2-for-1 deals that look good.

Here is a link that might be useful: travelgram
User
20 years ago
My DD, SIL and I took a two week Cruisetour to Alaska this past June, and we had a great time. We did the tour first, started in Anchorage, then to Denali, Fairbanks, then by bus to Prudhoe Bay, and back to Anchorage for a one week cruise down the coast to Vancouver, BC. The only place we had mosquitos was in Coldfoot, on the way to Prudhoe Bay, otherwise, it was great.

Be aware, Alaska is very wild and remote once you get outside Anchorage and Fairbanks. There are very few roads, and along the coast, the only way to get to some of the towns is by boat. There is a great Marine Ferry system, but you have to have a lot of time.

Denali was very good, though it rained most of the time we were there. We took the Tundra Wilderness Tour into the Park, you pretty much have to take an escorted tour. We couldn't see the mountain, but on our flight back from Prudhoe Bay to Anchorage, the pilot circled Mt. McKinley, twice, so we all got a good look, and great pictures.

Fairbanks is pretty small, but it's nice. We were there on June 21, for the Midnight Sun Festival - you can't do that too many places. We had over a week of non-stop daylight!

The bus ride up to Prudhoe Bay was the best part of the trip. It is a wild place. We crossed the Arctic Circle and my SIL took a dip in the Arctic Ocean.

I liked Anchorage, I would like to spend more time there. The best way to see the glaciers along the coast is to cruise, that's actually the only way to get into Glacier Bay National Park. It as a spectacular place. You can cruise in a big ship (we did Princess) or you can take on of the smaller cruise ships or connect up with a tour into the park. We stopped at Skagway, Junneau and Ketchikan, there are a few other towns along the coast that are worth visiting too, and there are some nice towns to visit along the Kenai Peninsula to Seward and Homer.

There are some good websites, such as Alaska.com and TravelAlaska.com, as well as toursaver.com. If you are going to do a cruise, of course log on to Cruisecritic.com, they have a whole discussion board on Alaska, as well as forums devoted to individual cruise lines and ships.

You will love the trip, I can't wait to go back.

Here is a link that might be useful: What I did on my summer vacation
sassyinak
20 years ago
I suggest visiting Seward, a three hour drive from Anchorage can also get there on Alaska Marine Highway (ferry) system. Go to Sealife museum/aquarium, go on fishing or wildlife cruise, see exit glacier. There are some nice B&B's to stay in, look at http://alaskasview.com/tours.cfm.
Homer offers much the same, maybe better fishing, but no sealife center.
June and July are my favorite months, lots of daylight, good weather, outstanding wildflowers.

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