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Driving Alaska is my favorite way to see the state…well this part of the state. Where there are roads, of course. We have a lot of highways that are mostly 2 lane and in varying condition. In Anchorage, there’s a large network of roads that take a beating from traffic and weather, but pretty well maintained. Typically, from point A to point B, you have one road that connects…Fairbanks to Anchorage is an exception with the Parks Highway or the Glenn Highway to the Richardson Highway. Both are the same distance, pretty much. The farther out you get, the less services there are. (I’ll explain that more in a warning or danger tip) There are sections of the roads that are frost heaved, have giant potholes, are rough with the washboard effect. Some are not paved. So, why would you drive? Because you’re on your own schedule, the turnouts are numerous, the traffic usually isn’t terrible, and you can stop to hike or take pictures when you want. Also, after driving through the areas where there are roads, you understand how difficult it must have been to build them and the constant maintenance that’s required to keep them drivable. Certain roads are not paved because of the permafrost and those that are paved in this area are constantly under construction. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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My sister arrived a day earlier to Alaska than myself and she got a car to rent for 5 days which I booked through Expedia for about $220 (Hertz)- to be picked up from airport (May 2009). She said she paid about $350 though when she arrived because there were some miscellaneous charges and taxes (Alaska is known for high taxes on car rentals at the airport, and we have heard that the tax may be less if you rent at the city of Anchorage itself rather than the airport - we have not confirmed this though).
But having the car was worth it -- we drove over 1000 miles during one of the best springs in Alaska during its 50th year of being a state. Our car was a red humble Ford Focus which was brand new (with only 300 miles on it) and we had no problems whatsoever. The weather was perfect and driving was easy at the time we visited.
When we visited, the snow was already melting and so there were also several waterfalls alone the mountainsides we passed on the road...
Driving times from Anchorage to the following Areas:
to Denali Park.................................5 hours
to Talkeetna...................................2.5 hours
to Fairbanks...................................7 hours
to Seward......................................2.5 hours
to Kenai/Soldotna..........................3 hours
to Homer.......................................4 hours'
to Glenallen..................................3.5 hours
to Valdez.......................................7 hours
to Cantwell....................................4 hours Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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It was such a good experience! I love highways like this although it was in pretty bad condition but who cares, right? If you are travelling from Canada you will get a nice view directly after Dawson City and will be about the same all the way.
On the road there are lots of points of interests like the Yukon River viewpoint in Canada, the port on the border and Chicken in Alaska where you can even camp if you want.
On this highway you can make about 40-45 mph even less by a motor home. To sum it up it was a great adventure I enjoyed the "Top of the World"... Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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The first time we saw a bald eagle was when my sister and I were driving on our first day in Alaska and I was talking with my wife on the phone, and this huge bird flew over our car, spreading its 7 foot wingspan for us to enjoy! Unfortunately, we did not have a camera on hand!
But it was funny when I saw an ad saying that the State Bird is Alaska Airlines! Hehehe….true enough this “bird” does fly around 20 cities throughout the state – and I also got the cheapest flights going to Alaska through this airlines. I paid only $10 for my RT ticket from Phoenix (plus $75 processing fee) through my accumulated 25, 0000 mileage with Northwest Airlines (Alaska Airlines is a partner airline!). It was sooooo affordable and my flights were all on-time, owing to good weather.
However, due to natural weather conditions and situations (like a volcanic spewing about 3 weeks before), flights may of course be cancelled.
When you arrive in Alaska, you will see all these jets with an “Eskimo looking” man painted on its tail – and don’t be fooled that Alaska Airlines is a small company --- it does fly over the lower 48 states. You can also earn Bonus Miles --- especially when you book through alaskaair.com Leave a Comment
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You have several choices if you want to get around Denali. You can take a shuttle, a tour bus, a plane you can even choose hiking trails. Shuttle buses feature wildlife and scenic viewing...if you want to take a hike, walk in the park you can take one of these green buses. Shuttle buses allow passengers to get off and on different shuttle or camper buses on a space available basis.
The two major terminals are Riley Creek Loop and Savage River which is the lost stop at the same time. If you wish to go further you will have to take a tour bus and pay a lot.
Please note if you want to stay a night for example near the wonder lake you'll have to pay about one hundred bucks for the transportation and a crowded campground. Leave a Comment Theme: Bus
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"I drove the Alaska Highway ... and Loved it!!" -Sounds the famous motto and can be read on thousands of postcards all over the Yukon and Alaska. By the way rightful. For many people the Alaska highway is kind of a legend or a mission to drive on, many of them travelling by big motorhomes, coming from south and ... and okay this is not the right site to dhare my point of view.
So concerning the Alaska Highway it's a must whether by motorbike, car, motorhome, whatever. Stretching 2,288 km/1422 miles from Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska. On the road i've seen black bears, a moose and lots of buffaloos. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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If you don’t want to drive yourself, the Alaska Railroad is scenic way to see some of the state while relaxing and not worrying about road conditions or the cost of gasoline. It goes from Seward up to Fairbanks, hitting up a lot of the tourist destinations in between such as Denali. The prices really aren’t that bad for the normal service and they do have a luxury train if you rather have that. Like many train trips, the ride is slow—taking 12 hours to get from Anchorage to Fairbanks but the ride allows for wonderful photo opportunities. Additionally, you can take whole tours through the Alaska Railroad which include hiking, boating and other guided events. Tickets for children seem to run about ½ price of those for adults. The website has specials and there is service in the winter. Leave a Comment
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The Parks highway is situated between Alaskas two biggest cities, Anchorage and Fairbanks and it was named in honor of George Parks who served as governor from 1925 to 1933 and not named after the Denali Park:))
This highway is probably the bisiest in the whole state, wide enough and the best year-round road. It was my favouriste Highway beside the Glenn Highway you can take many worthwile brakes while driving on this road.
One of the most popular is the Denali Viewpoint (picture 1&2) where you can see the Mt. McKinley and many other high peaks in clear weather. Leave a Comment Theme: Car/Motor Home
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Cruise lines and other operators routinely ply the bays, inlets and fjords of Alaska's southern coasts and archipelagoes. Waters here are deep enough generally to allow even the largest cruise vessels to pierce the deepest inlets. Prices can be expensive, and cruise ships are notoriously cramped for space, but when the weather is good, the views from deck are often as fine as they come. Leave a Comment
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UPDATE: In 2006 the price of the Glacier Express was $6.00 each way for adults.
If you arrive in Juneau by cruise ship, instead of taking an expensive excursion tour, consider taking the "Glacier Express" blue bus to the Mendenhall Glacier and Visitors Center. You can find one of the many which arrive every few minutes at Franklin Street (downtown) near the cruise ship piers. For $5 per person (2003 prices) each way (children were half price) you can have a scenic ride and possibly learn about the area from the driver. Our bus drivers actually gave us quite a lot of information about the Juneau area and wildlife in just the few minutes to and from Mendenhall Glacier. (If you feel that your driver was very informative and helpful, you might want to offer a small tip on disembarking the bus. Our driver was well worth it!) You can then be free to spend as much time as you prefer at the Visitor's Center and Glacier during normal visiting hours. Your bus driver will inform you concerning the time of the last bus departure from the Visitor's Center. "Glacier Express" bus stops are clearly marked. Leave a Comment
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on October 1, 2006
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