Alaska bound

[1938BF50]

Tribe,

My wife and daughter(12 yo) are planning our first Alaska vacation this year. Nothing set in stone yet.....but the planning committee seems to have gravitated to the Anchorage area. We are planning a week to 10 days in late August. Any thoughts on key places to visit and things to do on "day trips"?
Best times to go between June 1st and end of August?

Thanx all!

[astjp2]

Re: Alaska bound

www.milepost.com is your bible for alaska information....Tim

[jdlowrey]

Re: Alaska bound

The state fair in Palmer is always around the end of August, its generally worthwhile.

[mulwyk]

Re: Alaska bound

The wife and I did this route a couple years ago:

take the ferry from bellingham to juneau (3 days I think) get a cabin on board if you can or camp on deck...either way an unforgettable journey. there's a nice best western motel in Juneau that's both low cost and has laundry facilities. The city bus stops right by their front door and will take you all over Juneau.

then fly from juneau to anchorage but don't take the direct flight, take the flight that stops in Yakatat (the Yakatat approach is worth the whole trip)
I wouldn't spend too much time in anchorage, it's a...well, it's a city. You might as well be spending a day in downtown Spokane (IMHO)

then take the train from anchorage to fairbanks (lotsa fun great scenery), stay at one of the great B&B's in fairbanks while you shop for a crappy old rusted car. Buy the car, get it a tune up and maybe some new tires and then drive it back home through Canada on the alaska Highway (4 or 5 glorious days from Fairbanks to Montana) Camp along the way if you must, but when you get to Whitehorse, you gotta stay at that funky old motel that's right across the highway from the airport.

Takes about 2 weeks. Reserve the ferry and the train ASAP.

[AKbrew]

Re: Alaska bound

Hi Mike,

Looks like your are getting good advice from the gang. If you are planning to fly into Anchorage shoot me an email and I'll offer my suggestions on how to get the most out of your 10 days in paradise! Of course, this will include a floatplane flightseeing trip off Lake Hood in a super-sweet F-19.

[email protected]

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Alaska bound

I wouldn't spend too much time in anchorage, it's a...well, it's a city. You might as well be spending a day in downtown Spokane (IMHO)



I can attest to that statement. Been there twice, just like every other big city but the people are much more likable and the scenery is much better! I am waiting for my chance to get out of town.
Larry

[jdoran]

Re: Alaska bound

Mike,

You gotta go to Lake Hood. Stay at least one night in the Millenium hotel right on the shore of the lake.

Get up in the morning, grab a coffee and watch all the floatplanes taxi out and take off. Better yet, take your gang for a ride in one. Check out the "bush pilot" museum on the lake.

I took a couple of lessons from Artic Flyers (google them) in Tcrafts also on Lake Hood while there, it was well worth it for sightseeing, and in an attempt to further my skills.

Those Alaska guys are used to Lake Hood and take it for granted, but at least one "city boy" down south loved it!

[Larry Lyons]

Re: Alaska bound

Mike,

You gotta go to Lake Hood. Stay at least one night in the Millenium hotel right on the shore of the lake.

Get up in the morning, grab a coffee and watch all the floatplanes taxi out and take off. Better yet, take your gang for a ride in one. Check out the "bush pilot" museum on the lake.

I took a couple of lessons from Artic Flyers (google them) in Tcrafts also on Lake Hood while there, it was well worth it for sightseeing, and in an attempt to further my skills.

Those Alaska guys are used to Lake Hood and take it for granted, but at least one "city boy" down south loved it!) and yes this Southern boy loved every moment of his trip. I will tell you guys about the 91 year old pilot I had dinner with up there in another post.

Forgive me, John is exactly right! You can sit at the bar in the Millennium, over looking Lake Hood, have a cold brew/cup of coffee with breakfast, and see some of the best float/ski flying on earth at the same time.
Check out the museum, they have a Grumman Duck! I spent several very enjoyable hours in there one cold Jan. day. Brought home a poster of their PBY and it is on the wall of my shop as we speak. She has a name, but I am in my easy chair and too lazy to go down and check what it is, but she was abandoned on a lake during WWII.
Lake Hood in July becomes the busiest float plane base in the world! I have been told the planes ferrying hunter/fisherman approach from two opposing directions and land four wide, particularly in July over the weekend as guides change out their customers. That is just one reason I want to get back there! Larry

PS: Your crappy weather up there in Jan/Feb (two different years) cost me a ski plane ride (a friends Super Cub) and a helicopter ride including a landing on a glacier with a bottle of bubbly! ( A Ducks Unlimited prize)

[articfox]

Re: Alaska bound

Hi.
My name is Artic and I own Artic's Air Academy(AAA), in Palmer. [email protected]. If you will be flying through at the beginning of August there may be a large fly in going on then. Drop me a line before you come up and I will update you.

Artic

[1938BF50]

Re: Alaska bound

Thank you all for the excellent info! We are really having fun with the planning. Get about 3-4 brochures/CD's a day in the mail.