What is a good route to travel for a 9 day Alaska vacation starting/ending in Anchorage?
We want to go on a 9 day driving honeymoon vacation to Alaska in August. Mainly in the Kenai peninsula area, but also want to go to Denali too. Any hotel suggestions for Seward, Anchorage, Denali, Kenai, etc? Also good touristy spots to stop in these areas. Thanks!!
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Good for you. Have a great time. The first big trip I took with my (now) wife was to AK for 10 days. Now we live here, so be careful what you wish for. . . In Anchorage, friends get rooms at the Millenium but bidding $50, 2-1/2 star on priceline.com. But that is off-season and August AIN'T off-season. But maybe bid $100. Millenium is really new and closest to the airport. I prefer the Voyager because it is right downtown (easy walk to 5th avenue, museum of art and history, all the gift shops, salmon bakes, etc). Probably about $169 in August. They're smaller and more helpful than the highrises like the Sheraton or the Captain Cook. And they have in-room kitchenettes so you can save on food costs. Or make popcorn or an omelette in your room if you get all wrapped in doing, you know, honeymoon stuff. For Seward, Kenai, Homer, you need a car. But for Denali, you could take the train. Goes right from Anchorage to the hotel at the NP. The views are better because you're 15 feet off the ground instead of 4 and you don't have to watch the road. You can't use a car on the Denali Park Road anyway (past the first 14 miles), you need to make reservations for the park bus. So it is an ideal time to skip having a rental car. I always camp in Denali, so I'm sorry I can't recommend a particular hotel. There are LOTS 1 mile outside the Park. It has gotten pretty touristy out there on the highway. I much prefer the atmosphere in the in-park lodging. For Seward, I've used B&Bs in town (1-2 miles north of downtown and the aquarium. I think it is a Best Western that had the best rates near the Ferry Dock. But I'd consider something really close to the auqarium. You MUST see the SeaLife Center and unless one of you has a really weak stomach, book a day cruise to Kenai Fjords NP ($60 = half day, $90 full day with meal). You'll see seal otters and whales and dolphins and calving glaciers. Ray's on the waterfront is good for seafood. I live in Kenai/Soldotna, but the only reason to stop here is if you want to catch a really big king salmon. And August is too late for that, we're into the sockeye run then. Each town's visitor's centers are okay and walking along the river and the beach will show you some local color in the form of the personal-use fishery. Homer is gorgeous. You can stay at the very end of the Spit at Land's End. The Spit is pretty busy/crazy in summer. The Islands and Oceans Visitor's Center and the Pratt Museum are well stopping at. Check out the artist galleries. Cafe Cups in town and The Homestead out Eastend Road are the best restaurants in town. Google "Russian River Falls" in Cooper Landing. It is on the way towards Kenai/Soldotna from Anchorage or from Seward. An easy 2 mile hike gets you up above an active sockeye salmon run up a rugged cascade. Real Nat'l Geo kind of shots of salmon trying really hard to get upriver. Lots of other great (but tougher) hikes out of Copper Landing to the north or south. Editted to add: I saw you posted something about Boundary Waters. The OTHER, wilderness non-motorized, canoeing area in the Country is the Kenai Canoe Trails. Search Kenai Canoe Trails Daniel Quick on amazon - it is THE guidebook for the trails. You can spend a day or two weeks paddling around out there. There are rental places on the Sterling highway, in Sterling, near the turn-off for the canoe trails. But it can be tough to find a rental with a good, balanced portage yoke. Typical lakes are 1 mile across separated by 1/4 mile of portage or 100 yards of tight water passage. Once you get 2-3 lakes out, you only see one other party a day. So as to avoid bringing all the overnight camping gear, I'd lean toward an early-start day-long trip. Oh, and this may be obvious, but LAYERS! Goretex shell (top and bottom. Polypro top and bottom and a fleece sweater. Stuff that will dry as you wear it. Rain hat plus a sun hat. Clothes for hiking in warmth and in rain. Bring dress-up clothes too, if you want (it's your honeymoon), but there's no place in the state that wouldn't seat you in Extra-tuff boots and clean Carhartts. Hope that helps.
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