Need advice with September trip planning (Anchorage, Valdez: car, trees, photos)

[anya]

friends....because I have another dilemma..Initially I thought about driving from Anchorage to Whittier and board ferry to Valdez from there...Now ,after your comments about beautiful drive from Anchorage to Valdez ,I realized that in Alaska in September you will already have an explosion of autumn colors in their grandest splendour,right?(in my home country this fabulous "event" occurs a whole month later - we call it "Golden October").....and it happens to be my most favorite time of the year!!!!...so I need your advise-what what you chose if you only have time to do one thing....Drive to Valdez ...or ferry ride to Valdez from Whittier ...I am absolutely thorned...although leaning towards drive,perhaps...(I rationalize that I will have an opportunity to see glaciers later during Fjords cruise)...so drive to Valdez or Ferry ride??...what would you do if you were me?..Sorry to bug you so much!!!...You guys have been really great and extremely helpful...I am very grateful for all the comments,recommendations and advices..definitely -there will be trip nr 2 to your beautiful state!...and trip 3,4 etc-in fact I am afraid that I will be crying when I have to leave..greetings to all of you!!
Anya

[Rainy]

Well...as far as explosions of fall color...you won't be seeing much of that on the road to Valdez, as the great majority of the trees along there are evergreen.

The deciduous trees there turn yellow and then brown, and it can happen very quickly. For spectacular fall color, you need to see the tundra.

The drive to Valdez is worth it in it's own right though...on the Glenn Highway, you might see herds of caribou, and of course you'll see the Matanuska glacier...

[zedzul]

Hay Anya

One of the things I looked at for my trip was ferrying a crossed from Whittier to Valdez. I had to forgo it because of the cost can't quotes exact figures but it was something like $100 per person and $200 for the rent-a-car.

You may want to look at driving to Valdez and then ferrying from Valdez to whitter on your way to Seward and/or back to anchorage

I’d love to hear about the foliage when you get back and whether or not you where able to see the Aurora Borealis

[Blueberry]

Personally, I wouldn't bother with a trip to Valdez. As someone said, it is a long drive, with very little payback when on a limited trip. Don't get me wrong. Valdez is beautiful, but no more so than other places you will see on your trip. If you are already planning a glacier/wildlife cruise out of Seward, I don't see that you would gain anything by a trip to Valdez. Ferry costs are high, and the most scenic part of the drive to Valdez is the first hour or two on the Glenn Highway (right outside of Anchorage). The rest of the drive doesn't get very scenic until you are basically at Valdez. Furthermore, there's not much to do on that particular road trip. I took relatives from the Lower 48 on a similar trip you are planning, and they felt that the time travelling to and staying in Valdez didn't add anything to the trip; the time could have been put to better use.

One option you might want to consider is renting a small RV. It costs no more than renting a car and paying for hotels every night, plus it gives you the flexibility to go wherever the whim takes you whenever it takes you. Campgrounds are plentiful; you also would have the option of pulling off onto the side of the road somewhere or at a trailhead and spending time there.

In September, you might still have trouble finding lodging in the smaller towns you are planning to visit.

[cblackwell]

Our third and fourth trips to alaska we rented an RV instead of trying to find hotels or places to stay, and it was awesome! With an RV you can drive as long as you want each day without having to worry about planning around getting to a town with a hotel every night. You can just pull onto one of the many turnoffs and you're set for the night.

[anya]

hi everyone

Again-thanks a lot for your imput!...I must admit that the thought about RV rental never crossed my mind before...I thought that the rental would cost much more than staying in reasonably priced motels...((plus gas guzzling etc..))Please,do not laugh... but I must confess that I have never been in RV in my entire life..I do not know much about RVs,really(other than that some of them cost more than house,though...I must tell you that now..you gave me a brand new idea...and new "homework" to do..(checking RVs rentals etc)...what company did you used for RV rental?do you remember?...and how much ,approximately was the charge,if you do not mind me asking....and the most naive question of all...do RVs have some heating system operating when parked...?I am really clueless...greeting to you all
Anya

PS.Ach...this trip is going to be an adventure!!!....I can hardly wait!!

[cblackwell]

We used ABC rentals. They have different sizes depending on how much luxury/space you want. They also have "luxury vans" that are smaller and more manageable than RVs. I don't know if ABC rents them or not, but I've seen pickup trucks with little camper units attached over the beds: perfect size for one or two people. Alaska Motorhome rentals I know the campers and probably the truck setups have a battery and propane tank so that you can use the lights, sink, heat, hot water etc. when the engine isn't running. The people at ABC were always extremely nice. We actually got a flat tire down near Nikiski on the peninsula. We called the help number and they told us how to get to the nearest shop to get it fixed. The RVs were clean and waiting for us when we arrived to pick them up. There are other companies that rent RVs but I have nothing but good things to say about ABC.

[MinuteMan]

Anya, if its heavily overcast while in Denali Park, consider cancelling you flight around the summits from Talketna and drive the Denali highway (gravel) from Cantwell to Paxon, then south to Valdez. The Denali highway is mostly through colorfull tundra and you'll have a greater chance to see migrating caribou. Roadside Worthington glacier and mountainous Thompson Pass 30 miles north of Valdez is spectacular. Well worth the drive to Valdez.

[anya]

Thank you!I will definitely look into small RV rental
Anya

[Will d s]

Did you get your trip finalized yet? Let us know how it went and include lots of pictures.