Before Booking

Making the trip to Alaska is a big deal. The cost is considerable and it's very, very important to do your research before booking anything. There are different options available for everyone, whether you have a lot of money or a little. A little planning and internet digging can save you a lot of time, money and frustration so you can get the vacation you want.

The Whole Package

Those who want to sit back and relax while enjoying some of Alaska's most thrilling sights usually opt for the cruise. There are cruises that depart from Washington state and make their way up the Inside Passage, finally landing in the small town of Seward, Alaska. From Seward, it's possible to continue to Anchorage by way of the Alaska Railroad, an incredibly scenic journey around more glaciers and wildlife. The cost of the trip can be more expensive when booking during peak season rates, which are mid June through July. If you want to really go all out, keep riding the train up to Denali or even Fairbanks. You can book a couple of nights in Denali and take a bus ride into the park for the day. Lodging can be booked either at one of the lodges at the end of the Denali Park Road or just outside the Park at one of the hotels. Expect pricey lodging, especially during peak season in Denali. The cheaper the lodging, the quicker it's going to fill up, so if you are on a budget it's important to plan at least a year in advance. If you are booking a hotel outside of the park and have taken the train, find a hotel that offers shuttle service to avoid a long walk. "The Whole Package" for a couple could cost $5000 to $7000 or more, depending on the time of year and lodging choices. This would also (hopefully) include airfare back home.

The Budget Cruise Package

A lot of people are quite thrilled with just a cruise from Vancouver to Seward, and then flying home out of Anchorage. Hertz car rental is the only major rental agency available out of Seward, catering to cruise-goers when they reach the end of the line. Car rentals aren't cheap in Alaska and may cost $100 or more a day. If you go with a rental, you could take your time in Seward and explore the area, maybe take a walk to Exit Glacier if you didn't get enough of them on your cruise. Exit Glacier is very accessible with a nice trail and the ability to get up close and personal to the mammoth, moving ice river. If you're staying the night, book your hotel early. There isn't much available in Seward for accommodations and if you wait too long, you'll spend a lot for a room. You can also do this trip backwards. Cheaper fares are in May and late August or very early September. Our tourism season starts around May 15th and ends around September 15th. Expect to see snow in more areas if you book early or late in the season.

Exit Glacier outside of Seward

Going Independent

If you're doing all the planning yourself, make sure you read reviews about every place you book. It's nice to have a company do it all for you, but it can be more expensive or even a scam. You are vulnerable when booking online and there are people out there who are all too willing to take your money and run. Fake companies pretend to be selling you a vacation package, only to disappear from the web after receiving your money. Other people buy up reservations a year or more in advance from tourism hotspots like Brooks Falls. They may sell these reservations along with airfare to Katmai National Park for a hefty sum. This is another major reason to book your reservations early!

Those who want to be really independent may want to rent a motorhome and save on hotels. You'll pay for gas and mileage, so make sure you're actually saving money, especially when getting from point A to point B in Alaska can mean hundreds of miles. Also consider the fact that most rental agencies don't allow travel on gravel roads. This limits where you may venture. There are some people out there who privately rent their own personal motorhomes to visitors. You can check Craigslist or Alaskalist for this option. Something that my family did quite often when I was a kid was to fly from Alaska to Maryland and buy a used motorhome. It gave us transportation and a place to sleep and then we drove it back to Alaska and sold it. If you're planning on staying for a month or more, it's certainly an option. You can leave the motorhome behind at a used car lot for them to sell for you, or drive it back home.

Sampling the Fare

It's fun to plan activities that give you an inside look at Alaska life and provide an array of entertainment. Spend a day or two in Anchorage and explore the Anchorage Museum and the Alaska Native Heritage Center. This year the museum is displaying an exhibit on the 1964 quake and you can also visit Earthquake Park for an informative stroll through an area hit hard by the earthquake. Take a ride down to Portage Glacier and stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center to see animals you may miss on your journey. A trip to Whittier is a hop, skip and a toll away from Portage. Its access is by way of Alaska's only tolled road section, a tunnel which now accommodates vehicles. It was formerly a town only accessible by train. From Whittier you can take a day cruise and see the marine life without driving all the way to Seward. There are many fishing hotspots easily found if you want to try your luck catching salmon, but check all the regulations before casting a line.

Rent a cabin in the wilderness. Cabins can be anything from sparse and rustic to grand and luxurious. There are basic Park Service cabins for the adventurous and they are cheap if you manage to get a reservation. A lot of these cabins require a hike or a boat ride, but there are a few that are easy to reach. You could explore a glacier in whatever way suits you. Matanuska Glacier is located 100 miles north of Anchorage and offers glacier viewing or glacier treks with a local company. Access to the glacier is through a private entrance and a fee is required. If you came for a thrill, check out the rafting on the Matanuska River or a Zipline ride. There are a few lodging options in the area, including cabins.

Matanuska Glacier as seen from campground

If you don't have the time to drive all the way to Denali National Park, drive up to a small town called Willow or one of the state's viewpoints of the monster mountain. From Anchorage the park is 237 miles, Willow (milepost 69 of the Parks Highway) is 81 mi. away and the state viewpoints begin appearing at Milepost 135 on the Parks Highway. On a clear day you can even see the mountain from Anchorage if you want a glimpse without the longer drive. Earthquake Park can provide one of the glimpses among others in Alaska's largest city. If you want to explore a little more and are able to drive on gravel, take Petersville Road at mile 114.9 of the Parks Highway. It offers spectacular views and a chance to see moose or even bears. Remember that you will only see the mountain if it is clear and sunny. You may have more luck in the morning if the mountain is in a good mood and not making its own storm systems. There are a few dog kennels along the Parks Highway that offer a chance to ride a dogsled and even meet an Iditarod musher.

A slightly shrouded Denali looms in the distance as seen from Willow

If you arrive during the last week of August or the first week of September you can spend a day exploring the Alaska State Fairgrounds and see what the long daylight hours do to our vegetables after the summer growing season. This is where gardeners from all over the state bring their giant veggies to compete for a chance at a Guinness World Record. There are a number of Alaskans who hold world record titles. The fairgrounds are located in Palmer, an hour's drive north of Anchorage.

Roughing It

Alaska is a beautiful place to hike or bike, though it's not exactly easy. I don't consider Alaska to be biker-friendly. Personally, I would love to see more bike paths along the highways and make it safer for people who want that option. There are many areas that pose dangers to bikers or hikers along the road systems. A lot of road sections are quite narrow and winding and offer a biker no protection from passing vehicles. There are also very few hostels for people who are keeping things cheap. The best option for roughing it is to bring a tent. Campgrounds aren't always necessary since there are many places along the highways where other campers have left their marks. You can usually spot a campfire ring of rocks marking a decent place to pitch your tent for free. It might be worth paying a bit of money to take a bus or train to Denali National Park and hiking or biking off the well-traveled road system. There's even a shuttle van and bus that will take you into Wrangell St.-Elias National Park where you can explore Kennicott Mine and Glacier and venture into a wilderness still largely untouched. A bus will take you from Anchorage to Glennallen and a shuttle van will transport you from Glennallen to McCarthy and Kennicott.

A typical campground offers a fire ring, picnic table and outhouse.
The price is usually $12- $15 a night.

If you can get a ride up to the Denali Highway, a supreme scenic journey can be found by crossing from Cantwell to Paxson or vice-versa. Cantwell is on the Parks Highway and Paxson is on the Richardson Highway. Late June to late July is a better time of year for traveling the tundra to avoid the cold winds and snow. Denali Highway is a mostly gravel, 134 mile long road that connects two of the state's major highways. It varies from lowlands to high tundra and is home to abundant wildlife.

A campground along Denali Highway near Paxson.
The small brown building with the green roof is the outhouse facility.

There is so much to see in Alaska and so many ways to see it. The scale of wilderness is hard to fathom unless you see it in person. A common mistake among visitors is their inability to grasp the distances between destinations until they arrive. They also tend to believe that just because they plan on staying in a town there will be lodging available. Always plan ahead for accommodations and read the reviews. Just because a room is $100 a night, it doesn't mean it's comfortable or clean. This is a state where many people still have outhouses and no running water or electricity, so the standard of what makes acceptable sleeping quarters can be a bit dodgy. If you expect a good night's sleep and comfort, check out what other visitors have reported before booking a bed that feels like sleeping on a board. If you're planning on taking a guided tour, either by bus, train, boat or even a guided fishing trip, keep in mind that your guides may not be from Alaska. Companies tend to hire people from out of state and their knowledge of Alaska is pretty much zero except for the script and info given to them by the employer. Since Alaska has such a high minimum wage, young people from out of state jump at the chance to make a little more money. Alaskans would expect to be paid more, and many residents already have summer jobs. Just because you're paying a lot for a tour doesn't mean you're paying an expert. A good number of fishing guides come from out of state as well, and don't stay informed of the rules and regulations. It will cost you your catch and your guide will be fined if caught unknowingly breaking the rules. All illegally obtained fish are confiscated and donated to charity.

Learn more about the state before your visit and check out these sites for more information about some of the activities mentioned.

Shuttle bus tour into Denali:  
http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/shuttles.htm

Earthquake Park:                       http://www.muni.org/Departments/parks/Pages/Earthquake%20Park.pdf

Wildlife Conservation Center      
http://www.alaskawildlife.org/

Anchorage Museum                    
http://www.anchoragemuseum.org/

Alaska Native Heritage Center    
http://www.alaskanative.net/

Glennallen to McCarthy Shuttle  
http://www.nps.gov/wrst/planyourvisit/mccarthy-road-transport.htm

The End of Hibernation

So I did what a lot of Alaskans do each winter, which is hibernate.  There are plenty of us who live in areas where we hole ourselves in for a long, tough winter and make our appearance with the bears in the spring.  Unfortunately for me, the bears were out of hibernation more last winter than myself.  There were multiple reports over the winter months about bears being seen out and about, looking for food. From Juneau to Denali, grizzlies and black bears were skulking around, possibly rumbling tummies called them out of their holes. It's not too uncommon, but this last winter was certainly an unusual one for Alaskan standards. 

Unseasonably warm weather lead to green grass making a surprise appearance around my home in January. Very little snow in most areas and rain in Fairbanks later in the season than ever recorded before. Massive avalanches closed the only roadway into the town of Valdez during one warm night of wet snow and rainfall. The avalanche blocked a narrow section of a canyon just outside of the town known for being the last stop of the Alyeska Pipeline and site of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. A river which normally has a very low flow during winter was flowing much higher than normal due to warmer temps and a very large lake formed across the highway and filled the canyon, threatening to burst through and flood the town. 

Across the state people noticed big temperature fluctuations and a lot less snow.  A winter in Alaska without snow is depressing enough for me, but I had also missed out on last summer, as I was rebuilding an old camper the whole season. I suffer from depression anyway, and the lack of activity, cabin fever and a vitamin D deficiency caused me to begin having panic attacks this spring, worse than ever before. I went most of the entire winter without the internet, which is why my blog went silent for a while. I wasn't even aware the olympics had taken place. No news or radio and the only contact with the outside world I had were a couple shopping trips for necessities every few months. I've had to deal with some health issues and have been dragging myself to doctor's appointments and also putting some off. I'm trying to combat my depression and cabin fever by finally going on a couple overnight camping trips in our newly remodeled camper, which is enjoyable for me as I love the outdoors of Alaska. 

A fossil hunting trip to Eureka turned up only a lost gold pan (which my husband had just been saying he forgot to bring) and ten unbroken clay pigeons a poor marksman left behind.  The area where I like to hunt for fossils is on the Glenn Highway, south of Glennallen in a small hunting community called Eureka. Strange snow runoff and rainfall decimated some of the fossil-rich rocks in area and mud slides covered the rocks with a thick layer of dirt. Despite the lack of fossils, it was a good hike and of course, my husband and I set up our frisbee golf cage and played a few rounds at our campsite. This has become a tradition with us and we always like to take a picture of the cage sitting in such a picturesque place with gorgeous mountains in the background. 

The Glenn Highway does have some problems with frost heaves, which are marked by simple "temporary" signs which say "BUMPS." I believe a very serious recent accident occurred due to these frost heaves, which seemed obvious when I saw skid marks directly after a less noticeable dip in the road. The driver must have slammed on the breaks and steered away from the front end of a guardrail, causing himself and his passenger to fly off the road. The skid marks made me look up recent accidents in the area when I got back home and saw that 2 young men were involved in the crash and were very blessed to have a doctor and forestry crew drive by the scene in the middle of the night. There is very little traffic in this area at night and their lives were saved by the firefighters putting out their car fire and a medic and passing army doctor giving emergency treatment until more help arrived. 

Further down the road is another dangerous area marked by signs saying "Rock slide next 25 miles". I was behind a liquid nitrogen truck through this area and it was a slightly stressing ride. Alaska roads were typically built by people who were shown the best routes by the natives of the area, and they follow the rivers which were previously the only mode of transportation through the state. A lot of areas are flanked by large cliff walls, carved by the retreating glaciers which feed these rivers. Though the state tries to make improvements when possible, the frost heave areas on the Glenn have not been fixed in years. Road maintenance in the state is very costly and widening areas or straightening dangerous curves can mean cutting straight through mountains. Personally, I think we could benefit from making Alaska's highways toll roads. Frost heaves alone can cause a section of road to be ripped up and rebuilt every year. Commercial truck traffic creates dips and grooves and studded tires wear out the pavement when there's no snow. Graters and plows can scrape up roads and potholes are common. We have some very costly maintenance and a very low population to contribute taxes to the DOT. With the avalanches outside of Valdez, costs were considerable for the snow removal and road closure. Extreme weather contributes greatly to road maintenance and accidents on our mostly narrow 2-lane highways. 

It's not the most biker-friendly state, either. Scenic highways could be enjoyed by bikers and hikers if we actually had bike paths in more areas. It would be nice to have rest stops that aren't just outhouses filled with graffiti, flies and even a wandering bear or two if they have no door. Alaska doesn't have a lot of infrastructure because it is so costly. There are solid rock mountains, glaciers and rapid rivers to negotiate, not to mention animal migration corridors and salmon spawning streams. What roads we do have are constantly being threatened by flooding or course-changing rivers, rock slides and avalanches. It's not easy to travel in this state, but the destination is usually worth it. The state is beautiful and it would be nice to get to where we're going safely and stress-free. There's a lot of work to be done, but it will take time and money. Toll roads could be the answer if Alaskans would approve. 

In the meantime, I will continue trying to relax with my husband on camping trips around the state this summer. One of the areas of the Glenn Highway has sections of old roadway, now straightened and widened. The old, unused roadway made for a nice bike ride for myself and my husband, though I obviously need to start making up for the sedentary lifestyle I had during my hibernation because the ride back uphill was a killer. Another section of the old highway has been taken over by beavers, who have dammed up a tiny creek and flooded the area out, creating for themselves a gigantic, multi-tiered beaver paradise. If we actually managed to begin moving the highways away from waterways, migratory animals could begin traveling the routes and contributing to new growth along the riverbanks. It could very likely solve the erosion issues by having migrating animals naturally trimming and propagating plants as they travel along the river's edge.

For all its faults, the Alaska road system is full of beauty and breathtaking scenery. So far, nothing has kept me from exploring the state on any of these roads, no matter how bad they may be.

Two Steps Forward and One Step Back

I would like to emphasize the importance of a travel and photo log in Alaska. For instance, had I kept a log during all of my road trips around the state, I would not be spending hours trying to label photographs from six years ago. Or even two years ago.  In an effort to help my husband with his flickr account, I've been uploading hundreds of pictures that have been sitting idle on a hard drive for years. Though I've taken some of the routes we've traveled numerous times, I am finding it difficult to recall which mountain is which in my husband's photos.  I've spent an hour on a hunch and thought for sure I had a glacier labeled correctly.  Then while researching another glacier, I discover I did not in fact label that previous glacier correctly.  I am currently in denial that I won't be able to identify every mountain or glacier in the pictures.

There are always particular mountains or landmarks for which we may stop for pictures on every single trip.  Some of these places are: Matanuska Glacier on the Glenn Highway, Denali viewpoints on the Parks Highway, Willow Lake on the Richardson for the Wrangells, Worthington Glacier and Keystone Canyon waterfalls near Valdez.  Different trips bring different weather and different light. However, there are a lot of other scenic viewpoints that may provide a striking photo op and we are compelled to pull over and snap away.  We may have ignored these viewpoints on all but one trip because the weather obscured the view.  This makes it easy to pass by a mountain fifty times and never see it.  So I can't be blamed for being unable to recall which glacier or mountain peak my husband photographed the one time we saw it unobscured.

Matanuska Glacier in the Fall

Matanuska Glacier in the Summer

I am still trying to figure out the best way to log photos as we take them.  One way that may work for me is to place a bookmark in a book called "The Milepost" and use the bookmark to write a note every time we take a photo. The Milepost is a wonderful resource for anyone driving Alaska.  Every scenic viewpoint and its milepost are listed for every highway, and special sections are included for towns. Most of the time you will know what you are taking a picture of if you are keeping track of your journey in the milepost and making a note when you take the picture.  I'm kicking myself now for not doing this sooner.  I had too much confidence in my knowledge of Alaska mountains and thought I was actually capable of remembering the one time we took a picture of Gulkana Glacier.

I'm also meticulous in my picture identification research and ignore most websites unless they are official.  I read a lot of reports available online from the USGS or NPS and also any leads a chamber of commerce website may provide.  At one point I read through twenty pages of a Wrangell-St. Elias glacier survey that included the surveys from the late 1800's to 2000 just so I could ID one glacier.  I use google earth to check routes and viewpoints but I don't use publicly posted photos.  These are usually mislabeled or misplaced. It's amazing how many people visit Alaska and think they got a picture of Denali.  Newsflash- you didn't. You didn't even see it, let alone get a picture. I've sat at Denali viewpoints on cloudy days and amused myself by eavesdropping on tourists. I watch them as they snap their pictures and say they think they got a shot of McKinley.  A little tip for people who think they are taking photos of Denali: If you "think" it's Denali, it isn't.  There is no comparison.  It's stunning, breathtaking and magnificent.  The only thing out of your mouth when you really truly see McKinley is a gasp of wonder.

Wrangell Mountain viewpoint at Willow Lake.  Only 12.011' Mt. Drum is visible.  Mt. Sanford and Mt. Wrangell have clouded themselves over.

Wrangell Mountain viewpoint at Willow Lake.  A large cloud grows upwards as 16,237' Mt. Sanford and 14,163' Mt. Wrangell obscure the entire mountain range with their own weather system on a clear day. 

Many people perhaps don't realize their photos of the state are being used for identification methods by others online.  It's important to be accurate for this reason when posting online.  We may be able to expand our knowledge of the state if photographers accurately document their pictures.  And for goodness' sake, please stop labeling "little" mountains as Denali.  Especially when the mountain in question is part of an entirely different mountain range.  I've had someone ask me if they are looking at Denali (Alaska Range) while standing directly in front of an informational sign that says "Wrangell Mountains."  The only mountain in this range which was visible at the time was 12,011' Mt. Drum.