Best use of time after Denali?

[Liz315]

Hello all, I would love your opinion on the best use of time for my extra 2 days. This is 3rd time in Alaska:) first time in Denali. We are cruising up to Seward from Vancouver, then 5 days in Homer, then driving to Denali for 3 days at The Kantishna Road House. We fly out (weather permitting) Saturday morning. I have never been to Fairbanks or any of the surrounding areas. I have to be back in Anchorage Sunday for a 7pm flight. So my question is....Do I have enough time to check out Fairbanks, Chena Hot Springs, etc. maybe stay the night and drive back next day. We love scenery, adventure, nature, etc. Any opinion on how to spend that Saturday and Sunday would be very welcome. Thanks

[mapleleaves]

I'm kinda confused about the timing. So you're done with Kantishna and you're back at the park entrance Friday evening ?

If that's the case you don't really have time for Fairbanks. Even if you drove to Fairbanks immediately (2 1/2 hrs) it would only give you Sat to sightsee, and leaves you with an 8-10 hr drive on Sunday and a deadline of 4:30pm in Anchorage.

Have you been to Matanuska? Maybe do a detour there for ice trek and a stop at Independence Mine. The Glen Hwy is quite scenic. That would leave you with a much shorter drive to the airport .... 2 hrs instead of 8-10 hrs.

[Liz315]

Actually we're leaving Kantishna Saturday morning so it looks like I definitely won't have time for Fairbanks, bummer. I wish I had booked my flight out of Fairbanks instead of Anchorage. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to come up with a 'south of Denali' itinerary for the weekend. I like these ideas and am open to more suggestions, including where to stay Saturday night.

[donaldsc]

Actually we're leaving Kantishna Saturday morning so it looks like I definitely won't have time for Fairbanks, bummer. I wish I had booked my flight out of Fairbanks instead of Anchorage. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to come up with a 'south of Denali' itinerary for the weekend. I like these ideas and am open to more suggestions, including where to stay Saturday night.

 

This may sound like a dumb answer but how much would it cost you to switch your flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks as an absolute dollar amount and also as a percentage of your total trip cost. Think about it.

 

DON

[mapleleaves]

where to stay will depend on where you go on Saturday !

 

If you go to Matanuska, there are some very nice cabins in the area (Tundra Rose). Info on sights, lodging, activities in this link:

http://www.glacierview-alaska.com/

 

If you want to be closer to Anchorage on Sat, you could stop in Talkeetna for lunch, then drive to palmer for the night. Check out their museum and the garden next door has the gi-normous vegetables and flowers. Ididarod Hdqtrs could be another stop. Eklutna Spirit Houses. Eagle River Nature Center. Thunderbird Falls. Musk Ox Farm.

 

If you want more time to explore other areas you would have to drop a night at Kantishna. But does your 3 days at Kantishna include a day of travel in and another day out ?

[Liz315]

The cost of changing flight to Fairbanks is $1800 for 2 tickets plus Hertz wants another $1100 to drop car in Fairbanks rather than Anchorage and I'm already paying $2700 for the 10 day rental. So 3k just feels like a giant waste of money. I'm thinking of flying into Fairbanks next fall and heading up to Kaktovich to hang with the polar bears so I'd rather put that 3k to better use on that trip plus I'll plan a few extra days in Fairbanks & Chena Hot springs and get to see the Aurora!

Maple Leaves those suggestions sound excellent, I will definitely be looking into all of them. Thank you :)

[AKStafford]

If it was me, I'd drive to the Matanuska Glacier and overnight in the area. Then head to the airport the next day.

Links:

https://micaguides.com/

http://tundrarosecabins.com/

http://homesteadcabinsak.com/

http://sheepmountain.com/

You'd probably also have time to include a few (but not all) of these: Hatchers Pass, the Musk Ox Farm, the reindeer farm, the Iditarod HQ, Palmer visitor center, etc.

[mapleleaves]

if you don't leave Kantishna until Sat morning, you won't have much time for anything. The 8:15am bus gets to the entrance at 1:30pm.

 

If you leave the park at 2pm, you would reach Palmer around 7pm (with no stops.) That's a long day of sitting! If so, maybe stay at the park for a few hours to break it up the day .... have lunch, watch the 4pm sled dog demo, then drive to Talkeetna to overnight (about 3 hrs away). On Sun morning you'll be 2 1/2 hrs from the airport so you have a few hours to make a few stops along the way.

[Budget Queen]

The cost of changing flight to Fairbanks is $1800 for 2 tickets plus Hertz wants another $1100 to drop car in Fairbanks rather than Anchorage and I'm already paying $2700 for the 10 day rental. So 3k just feels like a giant waste of money. I'm thinking of flying into Fairbanks next fall and heading up to Kaktovich to hang with the polar bears so I'd rather put that 3k to better use on that trip plus I'll plan a few extra days in Fairbanks & Chena Hot springs and get to see the Aurora!

Maple Leaves those suggestions sound excellent, I will definitely be looking into all of them. Thank you :)

 

How did a 10 day car rental cost you $2700??? I hope that is a typo?

[Liz315]

All great suggestions, I am researching those areas now, thank you. Unfortunately it wasn't a typo on the car rental, I even called hertz again today to double check price and try and get a better deal but to no avail. If there was more car rental competition in Seward there would be better prices. I did speak to Avis and they gave me a price of $997.79 for exact dame dates but I have to get to Anchorage airport and do a round trip rental. I may do this, $1700 is a lot to save on a car rental and I can grab an 8:30 bus from Seward for $50, I just hate back tracking down the Kenai but the Turn-again arm is so beautiful I'm sure I'll adjust :)

[Budget Queen]

All great suggestions, I am researching those areas now, thank you. Unfortunately it wasn't a typo on the car rental, I even called hertz again today to double check price and try and get a better deal but to no avail. If there was more car rental competition in Seward there would be better prices. I did speak to Avis and they gave me a price of $997.79 for exact dame dates but I have to get to Anchorage airport and do a round trip rental. I may do this, $1700 is a lot to save on a car rental and I can grab an 8:30 bus from Seward for $50, I just hate back tracking down the Kenai but the Turn-again arm is so beautiful I'm sure I'll adjust :)

 

I would be turning that one way car in, when you get to Anchorage, and pick up a round trip car.

 

Look at all the rental companies, not just Avis. Enterprise, Thrifty, Alamo, National, Dollar. Plus more are there.

 

I only book cheaper, economy/compact cars.