Itineraries:
Kenai
Peninsula
Question: Can I combine
a rental car and Anchorage-Seward train ride?
Question: Prince
William Sound or Kenai Fjords?
Question: How much can I
do on the peninsula on a budget?
Question: How should we
do our Kenai
Peninsula honeymoon?
Question: Are we
allowing enough time to cover the peninsula?
Question: Can we do our
sightseeing on the ferry from Whittier, or should we take a
tour boat?
Question: Can I
combine a rental car and Anchorage-Seward train ride?
I want to
have the luxury of a car rental but also want to take the Alaska railroad
at some point. Your book mentioned the best train ride was from Anchorage to
Seward. I would like to take that train route and then continue on to
Homer and Denali, with a
day in Kenai Fjords. In your opinion, does it make more sense to rent a
car in Seward or take a bus/shuttle to Homer and subsequently back to Anchorage to pick
up the car for the rest of the journey? Also, what are the non rental
car options for getting from Seward to Homer? I really have a desire to
see Homer after reading your description. The other option is to rent
the car the entire time and drive from
Anchorage to
Seward to kick off the trip, which I understand is beautiful as well.
Thanks. Great book.
Answer:
The is a van
service called Homer Stage Lines that you could take from Seward to
Homer and then from Homer to Anchorage.
Frankly, however, you may be best off just to skip the train ride and
rent a car for your entire Kenai
Peninsula trip.
You will be giving up a lot of freedom to stop and see the places you
are passing otherwise.
Question: Prince
William Sound or Kenai
Fjords?
I am now
trying to decide whether to go to Whittier/Prince William Sound or
Seward/Kenai Fjords. Since it seems unrealistic to think I could do
both (while giving Anchorage & Chugach NF any measure of justice),
I'd love to hear your opinion as to the pros & cons of each. Thanks
so much!
Answer:
With the
time you have, I think I'd recommend Seward/Kenai Fjords over Whittier (but do
read up about seasickness considerations in my books). There's more to
do in Seward and on the road down there from Anchorage. Whittier is
better as a day trip from Anchorage, or if
your main focus is sea kayaking, Whittier may be
better for a multi-day expedition. However, it's hard to express a
preference, as both have great qualities, and it really depends on your
interests.
Question: How
much can I do on the peninsula on a budget?
I am a
female solo traveler flying into Anchorage on Aug
17 and departing on Aug 24. Since I am on a budget, I do not intend to
hire a car during my one week's visit. I will be staying at the hostel
downtown and Moby Dick Hostel in Seward. My tentative itinerary is to
spend 2-3 nights in
Anchorage and then
taking the Seward Bus Line to Seward for 2-3 nights and then returning
to Anchorage for
maybe 1 more night. I would like to visit Homer and also see the Exit
Glacier and the surroundings... don't know if Kenai Fjords National
Park can fit
in. This is where I need your help. Can I do this
on a budget and what suggestions do you have regarding visiting these
places of interests (please feel welcome to amend my itinerary or to
add to it) for someone without a car.
Answer:
I don't
think you have allowed enough time for Seward and Homer. You would need
to reduce the time either in Seward or in Anchorage to add
Homer to your trip. Just getting there takes a day. There is a good
hostel listed in the book in Homer, Seaside Farm, and another, Homer
Hostel, at
304 W.
Pioneer Ave.
(907/235-1463). Use the money you save on buses and hostels to get out
on the water or across Homer's Kachemak Bay. Taking
a boat ride into Kenai Fjords would be a highlight, but you could also
have a great marine experience by water taxi or sea kayak and save some
money. Contact Miller's Landing in Seward for low cost ideas
(907/224-5739;
http://www.millerslandingak.com)
Question: How
should we do our Kenai
Peninsula
honeymoon?
I am also
using your Frommer's Alaska guide to
plan our honeymoon in August. Need your advice on our 7 day trip
day1: Arrive in Anchorage at night
day2: Travel around Anchorage (coastal
Trail)
day3: Seward (visit Kenai Fjords)
day4: Seward (Kayaking)
day5: Kenai (fishing tour)
day6: Kenai
day7: back to Anchorage (night
flight home)
How should I go around in Anchorage? Do I
need to rent a car?
Should I take the train to Seward or drive down?
What is the best way to get from Seward to Kenai and then back to
Anchorage?
Where do you recommend we stay in Kenai and Seward?
Answer:
I think
your itinerary looks good. Since you are going to Kenai, the easiest
way to get around would be to rent a car. The only other way there is
by bus. Since you need to rent a car anyway, you might as well get it
for the whole week. Weekly rates are typically about the same as a
five-day rental. My recommendations for where to stay generally are in
the book. In Kenai, with a rental car, Daniels Lake Lodge would be the
most romantic honeymoon spot. In Seward one place I don't list in the
book is a very romantic cliff-top cabin with a large hot tub. I haven't
checked up on it recently, but here is a web site
http://www.cliffcabin.com/
Question:
Are we allowing enough time to cover Prince
William Sound and the Kenai peninsula?
Do I need
to allow two overnights at Valdez and also
Homer? Am I driving these routes the best directions or am I
backtracking to much?
Day 1: Fly in and overnight Anchorage
Day 2: Sightsee Anchorage and overnight
Day 3: Drive Parks Highway to Denali and overnight
Day 4: Take Bus tour, Cabin Dinner Show and overnight
Day 5: Drive to Fairbanks and sightsee and overnight
Day 6: Drive the Richardson Highway to Valdez
Should I overnight at Glennallen or drive
on to Valdez to overnight? It sounds like we will be making many
pictorial stops along the say.
Day 7: Leave
Valdez and take
the Glenn Hwy to Anchorage and
overnight Anchorage. Should
we take the Ferry from Valdez to Whittier instead
of driving the Glenn Hwy?
Day 8: Drive the Seward Hwy to Whittier and take
the Prince
William Sound tour.
Drive on to Seward and overnight
Day 9: Drive to Sterling
Hwy to Homer
and overnight
Day 10: Should we stay another night at Homer or drive back to Anchorage?
Day 11: Relax in Anchorage
Day 12: Fly home
Answer:
Your
itinerary is good in terms of direction and places to go. My only
concern would be too much time in the car. Fairbanks to Valdez is all
day, Valdez to Anchroage is all day, and you are doing those
back-to-back. If you took the ferry to Valdez to Whittier and then
spend the night in Girdwood you would reduce your road mileage
considerably. You might also consider either skipping Seward or
skipping the
Prince
William Sound cruise
and taking a boat tour in Seward. Doing the Whittier boat tour then
driving to Seward will put you in Seward in the evening, and then you
will have to be off in the morning the next day to make it all the way
to Homer. And then you would be up the next morning to drive all the
way to
Anchorage.
Basically, you're just driving. Either spend two nights in Homer or
drop it from the itinerary.
Question:
Can we do our sightseeing on the ferry from Whittier, or
should we take a tour boat?
As part
of our trip we would like to take a cruise into Prince
William Sound. We
would like to get as close as possible to the glaciers and any
wildlife, and were told that we would do better taking a private cruise
ship instead of the
Alaska
Maritime Highway ferry.
We have the time to go across to Valdez and
drive back to Anchorage before
we pick up an RV to Denali.
Answer:
The ferry
does not go close to the glaciers and wildlife sightings are strictly
whatever the boat happens to pass by. It may not even slow down. So if
your priority is seeing the glaciers and animals, you should go on a
private tour boat that concentrates on those. There are several
companies offering 100-passenger size boats going on day trips from
Whittier, and
several others with small boats.
