Alaskans, or those who have vacationed there, a few vacation questions.

[jwatts]

I haven't read through this whole thread (yet) but I did notice one thing I should mention. On Day 6 you mention hiking at Wonder Lake. We kinda wanted to do this last year as well. However, you need to look into the bus schedules and all that. Basically, you spend half a day getting back to Wonder Lake. Then, to really spend any time there, you would want to camp there as the buses are basically heading back in the afternoon. If you do camp there for a night, it is still a half day ride back to the park entrance. Just something to check into more.

I did not realize that. That's good information to have. There is a trail I read some reviews on that runs along the east fork of the Toklat River I want to check out. It looks like it is a lot closer to the park entrance than Wonder Lake. It may be more feasible to try.

 

[Ray]

Tour Anchorage...If you want to hike and avoid the pedestrian experience of Flat Top then find your way up Campbell Airstrip Road to Basher Road trail head. This trail is a less developed "single track" until it joins the main trail to Wolverine. Head up Wolverine Peak for great views of town and look over the back side to see glaciers and stuff. There could be sheep up there or some moose along the way. This trail has a lot of muddy spots on the narrow trail, but with how little snow we have this winter it may be pretty dry next summer.

The Anchorage Natural History museum is decent and takes about half a day to go through. There also is a Native Heritage Center just at the edge of town on your way north.

When loitering downtown you want to find your way to 1001 W 4th Ave and check out the Roosevelt Room in the back of a little tourist shop, unless you hate guns, history, and clutter. I think of the place as the front half being grandma's and the back half being grandpa's, if they were the coolest grandparents on the planet. The store shares the entryway with a coffee shop so stay to the left.

I think you would be better served to go from Seward to Soldotna bear viewing then head north. Your proposed schedule puts you in Soldotna/Kenai at the start of dipnet season on the Kenai. It is a sight to behold, but I would recommend avoiding it if you can. There will be a wreck on the roads every few days that shuts down travel for a few hours, or at least backs it up for a few hours. Hard to plan around that, but its normal. You also could be looking at a 12 hour day behind the wheel from Denali to Soldotna. There will be construction delays and other traffic issues along the way slowing things down.

Your Seward date is right after the Mount Marathon race and town could still be packed with the recovering folks. Its a huge party weekend, so there are hoards of people there for more than just the foot race. But then it could be a ghost town as everyone is headed home on 7/5, some still drunk.

 

[jwatts]

Tour Anchorage...If you want to hike and avoid the pedestrian experience of Flat Top then find your way up Campbell Airstrip Road to Basher Road trail head. This trail is a less developed "single track" until it joins the main trail to Wolverine. Head up Wolverine Peak for great views of town and look over the back side to see glaciers and stuff. There could be sheep up there or some moose along the way. This trail has a lot of muddy spots on the narrow trail, but with how little snow we have this winter it may be pretty dry next summer.

The Anchorage Natural History museum is decent and takes about half a day to go through. There also is a Native Heritage Center just at the edge of town on your way north.

When loitering downtown you want to find your way to 1001 W 4th Ave and check out the Roosevelt Room in the back of a little tourist shop, unless you hate guns, history, and clutter. I think of the place as the front half being grandma's and the back half being grandpa's, if they were the coolest grandparents on the planet. The store shares the entryway with a coffee shop so stay to the left.

I think you would be better served to go from Seward to Soldotna bear viewing then head north. Your proposed schedule puts you in Soldotna/Kenai at the start of dipnet season on the Kenai. It is a sight to behold, but I would recommend avoiding it if you can. There will be a wreck on the roads every few days that shuts down travel for a few hours, or at least backs it up for a few hours. Hard to plan around that, but its normal. You also could be looking at a 12 hour day behind the wheel from Denali to Soldotna. There will be construction delays and other traffic issues along the way slowing things down.

Your Seward date is right after the Mount Marathon race and town could still be packed with the recovering folks. Its a huge party weekend, so there are hoards of people there for more than just the foot race. But then it could be a ghost town as everyone is headed home on 7/5, some still drunk.

Thanks. I will reroute the trip to catch Soldotna on the way up.

 

[MTarrowflinger]

If the Reds run early you're going to HATE driving to the peninsula, especially if one of those motorhomes tips over.

ADF&G have sockeye counts on their website, I'd keep an eye on them because it'll help you determine when all the people will be down there.

If it's possible, I'd try to do your peninsula portion during the middle of the week. Dipnetters will still be there; but, not as thick. You'll get to see the action without having to wait on traffic.

When you're in Seward, the SeaLife Center is worth seeing.

I don't think there's anything worth stopping for in Eagle River except maybe the ale house.

You've got enough time, you should try to find someone up there with a jet boat and pay for their fuel to run you up the Knik to the glacier, that's worth seeing, too.

 

[poisonarrow]

We took the ferry from St Johns BC to Juneau then to Seward. We had a slide in camper. We then drove around Alaska and back home . Coastal Alaska is truly amazing. We were not so impressed with the interior. Alaska is huge. You will drive much and see little once you leave the coastal area. There are not many roads and you will never find a motel with vacancy. Everything is prebooked. I would never go without something to sleep in.
If we would go again we would ride the ferry up and back . The coast is truly amazing.

 

[jwatts]

If the Reds run early you're going to HATE driving to the peninsula, especially if one of those motorhomes tips over.

ADF&G have sockeye counts on their website, I'd keep an eye on them because it'll help you determine when all the people will be down there.

If it's possible, I'd try to do your peninsula portion during the middle of the week. Dipnetters will still be there; but, not as thick. You'll get to see the action without having to wait on traffic.

When you're in Seward, the SeaLife Center is worth seeing.

I don't think there's anything worth stopping for in Eagle River except maybe the ale house.

You've got enough time, you should try to find someone up there with a jet boat and pay for their fuel to run you up the Knik to the glacier, that's worth seeing, too.

I may have to check on making a run in a jet boat. That sounds like a blast. We will try to make the peninsula portion during the week if we can.