Visiting Cordova for the first time in August 2008 (rental car, extended stay)

[Roads]

This is my first post on this forum so please be gentle. After several trips to Alaska we are ready to visit Cordova for the first time. It is so hard to decide on accommodations based on pictures on websites. Can someone help me with this dilemma? We will have our own car or rent one for a duration of our stay of 4-5 days. Ideally we can find a cabin/chalet that has running water and hot shower. Having kitchen is a big plus. We don't need to stay right in town although wouldn't mind if it is quiet and secluded cabin. No evening bar escapades, no shopping needs for us except buying food. We want to focus on hiking, scenery, photography, wildlife, glaciers so being in town is not necessary. I hope we can stay in a place where we would want come back over and over again. I thought about staying at the Northern Nights Inn recommended by Frommer's but after reading some reviews on tripadvisor I no longer feel we should stay there. Two other options are the Kings Chamber and Bear Country Lodge. Unfortunately I cannot find any reviews on these two places. Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[barnacle9]

Unfortunately I cannot comment on either of the places you mentioned.

However, if you can do without running water, a cheap and fun option might be to rent one of several forest service cabins in the area, and use the harbor facilities to shower.

It seems tonight that the website for the Chugach district is down, but I would suggest looking around at this website for info on their cabins:

USDA Forest Service - Chugach National Forest

I think they take reservations on another site, but I cannot remember what that is.

One reason you may want to go this route is that the cabins are located near places you will want to see. I would perhaps recommend the McKinley Lake cabin, the one near the road.

Good luck

[barnacle9]

Here is the link to Chugach cabin info

USDA Forest Service - Chugach National Forest

[IL Traveler]

Hi Roads -

Our family spent three days in Cordova and it was such a unique experience. We did stay at Northern Nights, and all I can say is, "Are you expecting a Hilton?" At first, we did wonder what we got ourselves into, but then put everything into perspective. You are still visiting the Last Frontier. Bottom line, our room The Red Lantern Room, was quiet and clean. I personally feel that this town is a throwback to the 1960's. Sort of reminds me of a northern Mayberry. The tourists are few (except maybe when the salmon are running) and the scenery is awesome.

Hiking ... Heney Ridge Trail is fantastic. Our 17 y/o son came within 20-25 feet of a black bear when it turned and took off (bring bear spray - though we never used it). We hiked five miles up to see panoramic views of the sound and more.

Glaciers - Childs Glacier is unbelievable when calving. I could have stayed all day, just being mesmerized by the huge chunks of ice falling into the river accompanied by the thunderous sounds. As a bonus, you'll see the Million Dollar Bridge. Just remember that more than half your drive to the glacier is gravel and the major rental car facilities do make you sign waivers stating you won't drive on these roads.

And you have to go kayaking on the sound. Never would we have thought that we would see bear and eagles so close together, along the shoreline, feeding on the salmon. All along the way we were accompanied by sea otters.

Only drawback, in Aug 2007, gas was $4.20/gal (back home it was $2.75), milk was $6.99/gal, bananas were $1.69/lb. See where I'm going? Nothing is cheap.

Even with that set back, we'd go back, and probably will within the next couple of years.

[User 2]

Originally Posted by Roads

It is so hard to decide on accommodations based on pictures on websites.

That can be a problem, trying to choose from pictures or brochures.

I've had some real good luck carefully studying the material offered and nowadays you can look up earth satellite photos to confirm locations.

Before the days of Google maps, one could have, let's say, a surprise, if one were too trusting.

We once made reservations in an area we'd not visited before, so we looked for and had sent to us brochures, tried to find a good place for an extended stay with several families, children of all ages and a couple of dogs, rented advertised rental slips and campsites at a private marina which advertised a wooded park-like setting, we'd be bringing boats and motorhomes for a week long vacation of camping, fishing, etc.

Pictures looked great, even had aerial photos. The photos revealed a big secluded park surrounded by forested hills. Great looking place. Called and asked about how busy they got, the said it was a 'sleepy' little 'quiet' place. We made a reservation and paid the deposit.

When we got there we found that they had 'retouched' their ad material and 'painted' a highway and adjacent buildings completely out of those photos.

Instead of a big secluded wooded park surrounded by forested hills, the whole place consisted of about a 40 foot wide strip of gravel along that highway shoulder, with a biker bar directly across the highway.

True there were a couple of motor homes backed off the highway, but their front bumpers were about 10 feet from this major highway that was 'removed' from any of the pictures, that same highway they just happened not to mention anything about when asked how busy they got in the summer.

Needless to say, had a few choice words with the owners, demanded and got refunded our deposit, and we then, luckily, on was now very short notice, found other accommodations.

Call the chamber of commerce in Cordova, talk to a local. Ask specific questions.

You might avoid your own vacation 'surprise'.

[Dreamers]

We lived in Cordova AK from July 2006 to June 2007. We had to move back to NC for family reasons. Right now we are making plans to move back to AK sometime in Feb/March 2008 for good. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask. As far as the accommodations....I can give you names and phone numbers of hotels and people that own B & B's. There are a lot of great things to see and do there. At first glance lots of people think it is a old fashioned Mayberry, to some extent that is true. I could go on and on..... I will wait for you to ask some specific questions.

Dreamers

[oldmarine23]

What a coincidence; I will be visiting Cordova also for the first time on August 16th. I'll be with my 3 fishing buddies and we are staying night one at the old Alaska Hotel and Bar. ($60 a room) I would not recommend it to you as we are expecting only a place to rest our heads for few hours after we shut the bar down. We are flying out the next day for a float plane fishing trip on Prince William sound for 6 days. Our lodging out there will be in a flaoting cabin on pontoons anchored in a remote arm of the sound. (Alaska Wilderness Outfitters/ AWOC.COM: The Writer's Place, home of Writing for DOLLARS!) It's $2k each for 6 nights. When we return to Cordova we have rented one of the cabins at the Bear Country Lodge on Eyak Lake. ($225 per night for 4)

To reserve the Forest Service cabins it's www.reserve (broken link) usa.com

Rick
The 'old Marine'

[tmelwood]

We will be visiting Cordova in a couple of weeks. Can you tell me more about the kayaking? where at? what was the cost?

[Cordovan]

Check out Cordova Coastal Outfitters for Kayak rentals as well as guided kayak tours. Great local family, kayaks, bikes, skiffs, etc. Right in town at the harbor.

[tmelwood]

Thanks Cordovan. We fly out in the morning. I have a teenager who is into Kayaking.