I agree with Steve O. The full day bus trip is well worth the price, and it's pretty much the only way to get "all the way" into the park. Before you get there however, I would highly recommend a visit to Homer. There is a campground way out on the spit where you can set up. Then walk to the Homer Ocean Charter office and book a half day halibut charter for the next morning. You'll love it if you don't mind boat rides, and you WILL catch fish. Walk them over to the packing company on the other side of the street and have them shipped home to arrive the day or two after you are home. While in Seward, the Alaska Sealife Center is really cool. Like a humungous aquarium but with Alaska wildlife and marine life. You could literally spend your whole vacation on the Kenai peninsula. Steve H. lives just north of Seward in Moose Pass. On the way to or from Anchorage, you will go through Girdwood. The cinnamon rolls at the bakery in the Alyeska Hotel are phenominal and as big as your head. If you want to splurge, there is a 5 star restaurant way up on the mountain as well. In Anchorage, there's tons of stuff to do, depending on what you like. It's a large metropolitan area similar to what you experience "outside" (Lower 48) except it is surrounded by mountains and Cook Inlet and has moose and bears walking around town on a regular basis, no kidding. After you leave ANC and head north, on your way to Denali will be a town called Wasilla. It is growing by leaps and bounds and has lots of modern conveniences such as WalMart, Fred Meyer, etc. It also has the Iditarod Trail Museum which is really cool. You can go on "wheeled" dogsled rides there as well. If you head out of town to the west, you will come to a road called the Wasilla Fishhook Road. If you head north on this road, on the NW corner of the Wasilla Fishhook and Glendale Street (5 miles out) I own 2 acres on this corner. You are welcome to set up your camp there if you can get off the road. It's not a developed campspot but hey, it's free to use for a couple nights if you want.
On your way up the Parks highway from there, don't miss Talkeetna. Great little town with lots of history, shops, bars, a couple restaurants, and this is the jumping off place for those who attempt to climb "The Great One". North of there, a large creek called Montana Creek crosses the highway and just before it on the right is a campground. The fishing in Montana Creek is great, as long as the fish are running so if you stayed there for a night, it would probably be nice for you as well. Then on to Denali and all that it has to offer. I think I remember a place called Slippery Dick's Half Way Inn on the west side of the highway on the way to Fairbanks. Fairbanks has lots to offer like ANC. Don't miss the UAF Museum. It's on the north side of town and right on the campus. Some great places to shop and eat in Fairbanks if that's your thing as well, and you can walk up and check out the pipeline and info display in town somewhere as well. On the way down the Richardson Highway to Delta Junction, you will follow the pipeline and see lots of moose and some great fishing spots. There is a little, I mean TINY spot called Sourdough along the highway. It's basically just a campground with a diner. Good grayling fishing in the creek there and the sourdough starter they use in their pancakes and bread reportedly came over the Chilkoot Trail during the first Gold Rush. Good eatin'!
My family took this trip several years ago and two weeks goes by really fast. I've been back for hunting several times but the "tourist" thing is fun as well. You will have a great time and see lots of wildlife as well. Hope you have safe travels and have a trip to remember for your lifetime!
Topic: Alaska bound in one week! (Read 920 times)
