Cordova to ?????

I am spending 6 days in Cordova and from there I want to see other parts of Alaska without going broke.(ha) I was thinking of going to McCarthy area for a few days----I want to see wildlife,rivers,etc.

Or I thought about Seward area,even looked into flying to Bettles for a short tour.

Can anyone give me some advice of how to see a lot but get the most for my money.

I am interested in talking to the locals and not being a traditional touristy type person.

I will have another 6 days in Alaska after Cordova.

Some have suggested Kodiak Island,as well.

I just want to avoid the ';touristy'; trips as much as possible.Thanks for any advice I can get.Chickie

Cordova to ?????

When are you going to Cordova (and why)???

It is pretty expensive to get to Cordova, given there being no road. So, it is pretty expensive to get out of Cordova, too... hehe.

I%26#39;d say if you are making a ticket on Alaska airlines to come up through Seattle on flt. 61 (the milk run), stay six days, and then continue on up to Anchorage for your other six days and go from there. Alaska Airlines allows one additional stop for a round trip (or at least they used to).

Good luck,

AlaskaTRX

Cordova to ?????

You could take the Alaska Ferry (which I%26#39;d recommend; it%26#39;s clean, modern and a ton of fun) to Whittier, then take the shuttle to Anchorage, where you could rent a car. I hear Katmai National Park is worth a visit, though I%26#39;ve not been myself.

You have a lot of ambitions that will get in the way of saving money, or is it the other way around? You are going to have an extremely difficult time getting to Kodiak or to Bettles on a limited budget.

Your main expenses will be food, lodging and transportation. Transportation doesn%26#39;t have many cheap solutions, especially if you fly anywhere, as you must to Bettles or Kodiak. McCarthy is a great idea %26amp; reachable by road.

Now Bettles is on the flatlands of the Koyukuk rover, so it is not as spectacular as many other places. Besides, it is more of a transportation hub serving the surrounding villages than a settlement. You could consider Eagle on the Yukon if you wanted to meet local people, or McGrath, which will be closer and cheaper to reach than Bettles. Iliamna is also a great place to go, and it is a spectacularly beautiful flight.

If native cultures rather than old-timer-white culture interests you then you could consider Bethel, Nome or Kotzebue.

Good luck, and let us know what you work out! It sounds like you have some interesting objectives and conflicts.

71

You could take the ferry up to Valdez, take a few days there to meet the locals, hike, go fishing then rent a car to take up to the McCarthy and or Copper Center area and stay there a few days.....fewer tourists than Seward and those who visit there seem to be more outdoor oriented.......then if you are flying out of Cordova you could return there by ferry.......What types of activities are you interested in, by starting there we could help you with less expensive options.......

basically to save money, avoid arranged tours, get yourself a good map, research each are on the internet and then identify which trails you can do yourself......you can contact rafting companies and kayak renting companies and reserve with them directly.......the museums and visitor centers have a wealth of information and can direct you to some very interesting side trips, so keep lots of free time available for flexibility.........also try to find places to stay which include cooking facilities, you can save some money by not eating out as much........check to see if there are any hostel in the area.....they usually have separate mens/womens dorms with cooking facilities and sometimes laundries......in general ferry travel is cheaper than flying......car rental is about $70 per day.....one way drop off of a rental car is outrageous, so try to return it the same place you pick it up.......Do let us know how you like Cordova.....We haven%26#39;t been there yet but it%26#39;s on our list of ';next'; places.........