If you were in Alaska for the first time, where would you go and what would you do?

[Jstpssng]

Also, what time of year? I have always wanted to go and might finally make it next year. That’s a BIG state though…
My thought is to rent a small RV and do some touring. Maybe spend a day or two fishing.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

Went through this same question about 5 years ago. I found that the best weather/time is June through August. We went on a charter boat through Prince William Sound. The scenery and wildlife was breath taking. Went kayaking at several locations and saw a glacier that was calving. Riding the waves from the falling ice was fun.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I went up there in a 75 high boy and a 76 gooseneck horse trailer. Knocked around all summer. In some places, most places, mosquitoes will be touching each other all over you. They are ten times bigger than the ones here. I toted a 12 pump every step. Bears all over. When you get out of any town, no cell service. So you can't risk being bear dinner. That means no cooking at the RV. They will show up. If you leave the RV somewhere, somebody will break in and steal everything. Happened to me, over 100 miles north of Fairbanks. There ain't no cops, only in town. Think about that.

 

[dstig1]

I dunno where I'd go...Juneau?

 

[LittleBill21]

I went all over alaska in 19', air boat, helicopter etc. to be honest I was less than impressed. I know that's going to annoy some people, but I wanted to see northern lights and did not see them. Reminded me a lot of PA. That said I have been almost all over the entire country, I guess it takes me more then some.


I also tried to see them here in a special section for astronomy and failed. If this continues I will be going to iceland to see them.

 

[Southernspeed]

I went all over alaska in 19', air boat, helicopter etc. to be honest I was less than impressed. I know that's going to annoy some people, but I wanted to see northern lights and did not see them. Reminded me a lot of PA. That said I have been almost all over the entire country, I guess it takes me more then some.


I also tried to see them here in a special section for astronomy and failed. If this continues I will be going to iceland to see them.

I went to Iceland ..... it was cloudy and raining most of the time. "oh such a shame, it's usually lovely this time of year ... you must come back and visit us again"
Funniest thing was going on a site seeing tour on a bus. We left the hotel at 8am .... it didn't get light 'til 10am

 

[LittleBill21]

I went to Iceland ..... it was cloudy and raining most of the time. "oh such a shame, it's usually lovely this time of year ... you must come back and visit us again"
Funniest thing was going on a site seeing tour on a bus. We left the hotel at 8am .... it didn't get light 'til 10am

Listen..... it's going to happen, even if i have to live there for a month.... I only want to see them one time!

 

[Torvy]

You don't have to go up so far to see them. They are sometimes visible from northern states.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I wanted to see northern lights and did not see them.

I lived in Alaska 25 years, if you are going there to see the Northern Lights, you have to go in the winter, was you there in the winter??

Where do you go in Pa., that you see mountains like the ones in Alaska? How about Glaciers??

SR

 

[LittleBill21]

I lived in Alaska 25 years, if you are going there to see the Northern Lights, you have to go in the winter, was you there in the winter??

Where do you go in Pa., that you see mountains like the ones in Alaska? How about Glaciers??

SR

I did not go in winter, we did a cruise, late september, one of the last into ports, they said we were in the window.

again, this isn't mean as a discouragement for people going, I just expected more, maybe I was building it up in my mind, but the mountains did not stand out to me from mountains out west or even in PA itself.

and yes they were cool, especially being on top of one, where the water is dark blue, I did an airboat up one of the rivers and were near them as well.

 

[oosik]

I lived in AK - 1960 thru 1982. Those are what I call the good days. Especially 1960-1965. June thru September would be ideal for tourism.

It will always depend on how much time and money you have.

I would rent a small motor home and start with the Alaska Marine Highway system. Bellingham, WA to Haines, AK. This is an excellent way to see most all of SE Alaska.

Haines to Anchorage. Anchorage, south to Seward and Homer. Excellent charter boats for ocean fishing in either town.

Then head back north - all the way to Fairbanks. This trip will mean you have covered most all the paved roads in AK.

Back home via the ALCAN( Alaska/Canadian highway ) or back on the Alaska Marine Highway system.

Remember - any trip to Alaska will require that everybody has a valid passport.

This will be a trip of your lifetime. Plan accordingly.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Avoid the mosquito season forrrr sure!!! (May and June) , I would go crab fishing, white water rafting, salmon fishing, Muskox or sheep hunting (the lady might not approve) , visited a mine, hit the hot spring, hit a sauna follow with a polar dip, going for a hike, rent a kayak, or going for a jet boat tour.

 

[alexpops]

I spent the summer of '84 up there with my dog. Basically, did oosik's trip in reverse, except skipped out on Juneau and Skagway. AlCan to Tok, headed up to Fairbanks & got as far as Circle, then down to Denali, but they wouldn't let me in with my gun or dog, so went to the south boundary near Peterville? which was a gold mining camp accessible via a dirt road and creek driving. Then Anchorage & the Kenai peninsula to both Homer and Seward. Finished out in Valdez, then took the Cassian highway back to Washington. I started in a '72 Duster that I had to abandon in Watson Lake, Yukon when the springs pulled free of the unibody & punched through my trunk & into the spare fuel cans I had there (also lost the muffler & had a fist size hole in the fuel tank from the loose Macadam & wheel ruts). At the time, Americans couldn't sell vehicles in Canada, only abandon them. Got to Whitehorse by delivering a Mercury Bobcat back to Hertz that RCMP had recovered after killing the guy who stole it in Ontario after shooting someone. (bullet holes in the windshield and blood on the seats dog was very curious) Bought a used Datsun 4x4 pu in Whitehorse to finish the trip.

My experience was different than Roustabout's in that I would park the truck by the side of the road & hike back to a river or lake & get back two to three days later & nothing was touched (until I got to LA when they stole a bunch of tools my first day there). Bears, yeah. Moose, yeah. Fishing, everywhere, though the salmon get pretty rank looking after they been in the river a while, but they still tasted fine. Depending on how far you want to go into the bush, RV or 4x4 should do you fine, June - September is tourist season. If you want a float trip, you can do one of the air taxis & head out pretty much anywhere in the State from Anchorage. I used Ketchum's twice in 94 and 96 to take my Dad fishing for a couple 2 week float trips on the Stuyahok & Mulchatna Rivers where we were the first or second ones down the river (drop-off/pick-up with Float planes). It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience each time, just not sure that that level of roughing it is still available 30-40 years later.

If you drive up, you'll be amazed at the mountains. Each range I came to, I said it couldn't be more majestic or beautiful, until I saw the next range.

 

[newbury]

Your from Maine, I'm from Northern Vermont.
Mosquitos are not much worse, than early spring in our areas, just eat enough garlic to offend everyone.
I spent about two or three months there in several trips, 2 in the dead of winter, two in the summer. Get out to some of the glaciers, they are magnificent. If you are renting an RV TRY and get a trustworthy travel companion, double your normal "emergency carry" of food and water.

 

[5030]

I'd go to Denali National Park and swing by the nearest settlement which is Healy, Alaska and take a tour of the largest open pit coal mine in North America. While there, inquire as to where all the coal mined is being sold to and where it's going, you'll be amazed and totally disgusted at the same time....

 

[5030]

I lived in Alaska 25 years, if you are going there to see the Northern Lights, you have to go in the winter, was you there in the winter??

Where do you go in Pa., that you see mountains like the ones in Alaska? How about Glaciers??

SR

Now I know why you are wacko...

 

[EddieWalker]

When I was still a kid, we did a family vacation in our RV up to Alaska that was pretty good. My best memories of that trip where stopping at the road side stands to buy dried salmon, seeing moose and bears on the road, and then having caribou just standing on the road blocking traffic.

Since then I've been hunting in Alaska 3 times. Hunting Season is in September, so I can only comment on what it's like then. It rains a lot. The mosquitos are unlike anything you can imagine. Even with a full net over your head, they still get in and tear you up. It's like walking with a cloud of them all around you, all day long. The tundra is horrible to walk in. It' soft, wet and full of hidden holes that you fall into, over and over again. The mountains are loose rock that you slide down almost as far as you climb up. I've hunted most of the Rocky Mountain States, and nowhere is it as miserable as it is in Alaska. It's the worse place ever while you are there, and the place you want to go back to as soon as you get back home.

I've seen the Northern Lights in September, but they where not impressive. They looked more like contrails then anything else. Odd, white lines in the sky. I never saw any color, or anything exciting. Probably the oddest thing for me was that the sun would rise and set in almost the same place. It would get dark around midnight, and then be light again in a few hours. It could be very confusing getting back to camp if you relied on where the sun was.

The main reason to go to Alaska is to see the wildlife, the mountains and the glaciers. Anchorage is just another big city without anything to see that's worth the trip to get there, but once you get away from the big city, it all changes.

When my parents went there on their own in the late 90's, I had a friend of mine take them out flying on his plane. He showed them some glaciers, they got to see the mountains from the air, and they saw lots of animals. It was the highlight of their trip.

If I ever bring my wife to Alaska, and she wants to go, I would book a fishing trip that requires a float plane to get to camp. It would only have to be for a few days, but for me, flying in and out on the plane and landing on the water is the ultimate Alaska experience.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Now I know why you are wacko...

this is offside man

 

[Torvy]

Wife has been hinting at taking a cruise up there. We have both been to all of the lower 48, she's been to HI, so it would complete the set for her.

Lots of family in PNW, so we could visit them and then leave from one of the ports nearby. Given the increasing lunacy of the state officials, I'd rather fly to Juneau or Anchorage and not contribute anything to them. We have time for planning that as it is too late for this year.

Nice thread!

 

[Joel/ak]

If it were me, I would avoid all tourist traps, rent a motor home and drive.

I only spent 18 years there and still missed out on alot