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As always when I begin to research a trip I get very overwhelmed and exhausted! At some point it all comes together and works perfectly. I am at the overwhelmed stage right now as I gather all my information to make informed decisions.
My friend that wants to come along wants to see whales. I am assuming the big ones. I am interested in seeing bears (from afar), glaciers and beautiful scenery. I have been visiting a few Alaska websites, found a wonderful app--The Alaska App that is chock full of information. It made me think that Juneau was the place we needed to go to.
My tentative plans are to go in September or October. My friend wanted to go in August, but I want to go in September or October. We tentatively plan on flying to Seattle then from there getting to Alaska.
So please give me your best tips if you have been there. I live in one of the smaller states, I am overwhelmed with Alaska with being such a big state! Whales, glaciers, beautiful scenery and bears... I prefer to be on the land and take day tours or 2 day tours. Being on a cruise for days is not my thing, however...I am a flexible traveler.
There are the big trips, Anchorage, etc and the shorter "inside passage trips. We went on one of the latter in July. The weather was perfect. Seattle had a heat wave while we were in Juneau and Glacier Bay. We also went to Sitka which was the capitol when the Russians owned Alaska. We also stopped at Ketchikan. We were supposed to stop at Victoria on the way back, but due to high winds we could not get into port.
If you sail from Seattle the ship goes out into the Pacific around Vancouver Island. If you sail out of Vancouver BC the ships go up the channel between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Check the itinerary carefully before you buy tickets.
Juneau by land is very limited as it's not really connected to the rest of Alaska. Likewise, by cruise, you only see a limited amount of Alaska - the inside passage.
Since cruises are not your thing, I would just skip the cruise route - chances are you would hate it and again, you don't really experience Alaska. You do see glaciers, but Alaska is much more then glaciers and port stops with touristy old-west pubs and "pan for gold" displays. I've been to Alaska twice, but not by cruise.
My recommendation is this - fly up to Anchorage, get a rental car, and explore what you can in a week. From there you can drive down into the Kenai Peninsula (Homer and Seward) and up to Denali National Park (from there you can take Nat'l Park buses into the interior of the park). If you have more time you can take the road up to Fairbanks and make a circular tour, or even up to the Arctic Circle if you are more adventoruous. Bring some camping gear if you want. There is a whale season, I think Humpbacks are in the summer, I am sure you can take boat excursions from Anchorage, or better yet Seward. You will see Moose and Elk like crazy, that's guaranteed. Probably black bear as well. There is a good chance to see brown bear (Grizzly) in Denali.
September or October start getting late into the season - day's get shorter and of course it starts to get colder. Parts of Denali may be closed. I visited in November, Anchorage was snow free at the time but it was cold enough to freeze the ocean channels surrounding the town. The shoulder season of September might actually be good, I also visited in May and the summer tourists are gone and the mosquitos hadn't hatched yet. In late May up around Denali, even then, there really is no complete night darkness.
If you plan to go to Denali, come Sept 15th you will hear the sound of a giant zipper closing. Pretty much everything from hotels to stores to rest stops all close. Between Labor day and Sept 15th you can find some good deals on lodging. The fall colors around the park are at their best during this time.
I go to Alaska every year in September or October. I have not been in Juneau then, only during the summer, but I know this: That time of year is unpredictable and can be cold. Most things are shut down by latter September. Juneau is a relatively remote area and since many things are tourist related I am guessing it would be very limited. Go online and check a few of the adventure outfits and talk to them, I recommend "Above and Beyond alaska"
I highly recommend folks go to Alaska, rent a motorhome out of Anchorage and go from there. But go prior to the second week of September, if possible earlier. Feel free to PM for more information.
My friend that wants to come along wants to see whales. I am assuming the big ones. I am interested in seeing bears (from afar), glaciers and beautiful scenery. I have been visiting a few Alaska websites, found a wonderful app--The Alaska App that is chock full of information. It made me think that Juneau was the place we needed to go to.
My tentative plans are to go in September or October. My friend wanted to go in August, but I want to go in September or October. We tentatively plan on flying to Seattle then from there getting to Alaska.
You don't give any indication of budget or how long you'll have, but my recommendation would be to travel to Anchorage in the second half of August, plan for a couple of days at Denali National Park, and then plan for a couple of days around Seward, one of which could be spent going on a tour of Kenai Fjords.
You may (or may not) see bears at Denali, and will probably see some killer whales at a minimum in the Kenai Fjords.
If you want to see bears in more predictable conditions, consider taking a bear viewing tour by float plane from Anchorage using someone like Rust's. Expensive, but well worth it.
Obviously if you have more time, all the better, so maybe you could indicate how much you could make available.
My friend that wants to come along wants to see whales. I am assuming the big ones. I am interested in seeing bears (from afar), glaciers and beautiful scenery. I have been visiting a few Alaska websites, found a wonderful app--The Alaska App that is chock full of information. It made me think that Juneau was the place we needed to go to.
My tentative plans are to go in September or October. My friend wanted to go in August, but I want to go in September or October. We tentatively plan on flying to Seattle then from there getting to Alaska.
If these are your priorities than October is too late. Although there are a few easily accessible glaciers, most require an organized tour with most ending in September at the end of the cruise season. August would be a good month as you are more likely to see bears during the salmon runs and there is more light. September can be dark and rainy.
Even though you've indicated a cruise isn't your thing, it can be the most cost effective way of meeting your interests.
I'd go when your friend wants to, in August. Late August would be fine. IMHO, it's the prettiest time of the year -- flowers are in full bloom and it's still summer.
The best places to see brown bear (grizzlies) would be Kodiak Island or Katmai National Park. You can fly out of Anchorage to King Salmon by jet, then take a float plane to Katmai and stay in a cabin at Brooks Lodge. I guarantee you'll see all the bears you want to see, just as close up as you have nerve to see them... or closer! Take the short hike from the lodge up to Brooks Falls and you'll see them by the dozens fishing the falls. The trick is getting a reservation. It may be too late already. Black bear can be anywhere. When I lived in Alaska we'd see them when out fishing in the boonies pretty regularly, but I don't know where you'd go to be assured of seeing them.
The last time I was in Alaska I drove from Anchorage to Kenai, then back through Anchorage to Valdez where we grabbed a sight-seeing boat out to watch the glaciers calving. I think you can also do this from Whittier or Seward.
If you plan to rent a car and do some driving, I'd suggest you get a copy of the Milepost. It's published each year and is an excellent tool in exploring Alaska's main roads.
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