Dear Coalminer....

Hi. I was wondering if I could get some advice from you!

My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon to Alaska around 6/16-29. We%26#39;re not cruise people. We%26#39;d definitely like to do some fly fishing (and ship back home), zip lining, kayaking, bear watching, and hiking. We%26#39;d like to hit Denali and probably Kenai too. We%26#39;d like to experience enough of the natural environment to feel satisfiened but not rushed.

Should we rent a car (maybe for parts of the trip), or would it be a wasted expense? Also, do you have recommendations for lodging? We%26#39;re not fancy people but prefer private baths and toilets and clean places. Also we%26#39;re all for cooking on our own (so I guess a car might be handy) on some nights. However, as it%26#39;s our honeymoon, if there%26#39;s a very special B%26amp;B/ hotel/ cabin, please let us know!

I know that this is a very rough sketch. Any and all advice that you can give will be greatly appreciated!!

Thank you!

Masaki

Dear Coalminer....

For your honeymoon, I would think that a week of pampering would be the perfect start. When Cathy and I booked our first cruise last May, we were convinced that we weren%26#39;t ';cruise people'; but should give it a try. Surprise! We fell in love with the experience and have now taken 4 cruises (3 to Alaska and 1 in the Caribbean).

To see the real Alaska, though, renting a car and doing your own thing is the way to go. Cruisetours almost never give you what you really want, and most are very rushed.

Murray

Dear Coalminer....

Hello there! Well, thankfully this forum is comprised of many people, because I certainly can%26#39;t answer all of your questions . . . . really - Denali Park and a few other areas . . . .but I will share what I know, and you may want to begin a new post(s) for questions not answered in this one.

I think you have picked a unique honeymoon . . . I would pick tropical, but you live in a warm place, and I think the beauty of Alaska will give you many fond memories of your honeymoon. So hopefully, this will be the beginning of a great plan for you both.

I haven%26#39;t been on a cruise, though have been on the ferry in the SE of Alaska and it is a very beautiful place - quite different from the main part of Alaska, though even that varies considerably as well. Explore North might have the right idea for a very relaxing trip. :)

Okay - for Denali Park, you should see bears and have plenty of opportunities for hiking . . . Have you considered staying at a lodge in the Park? That is something few visitors do - there are a handful of places in the Kantishna area - you would have access to Wonder Lake as well, which is incredibly beautiful, though June is premium mosquito season as well.

You might also consider doing a raft trip, the doggie demo and other activities in the area.

I do know of a few places that are unique and might fit the honeymoon aspect . . . of course, there are many cabins you could rent, and I do know of one B%26amp;B that has jacuzzi tubs in their bathroom - full private bath, with a shared kitchen and dining area - might that be something you are considering?? Let me know, as I would be happy to recommend something.

Also, you will need a car, though some portions you could consider taking the train- it%26#39;s lovely, and relaxing, but it does have it%26#39;s limitations, so you do have more flexibility with a car. Depends on more on your budget and how much time you have as well when considering whether to car or train.

Kenai is great - one of my favorite places to visit in the summer and a excellent place for fishing. I would try to spend a few days each in Seward and Homer, or maybe some other spots in between . . . Seward has the Sealife Center, Exit Glacier and the great boat tours of Kenai Fjords Nat%26#39;l Park and it%26#39;s a cute town tucked along side the mountains. Homer is larger, but has great scenery as well, and there are many places to fish (stream and ocean) at most places on the Kenai. You might consider a trip to Katmai to see the bears . . .

I am not sure about kayaking and I believe any ziplining is down in the Southeast . . .so you may want to post those separately here on the forum. Keep reading people%26#39;s trip reports as well as searching here on the forum - that can be a valuable tool as well.

Well, I hope this helps you a bit in planning your honeymoon - we%26#39;ll look forward to hearing from you. Good luck! :)

Wow! Thank you very much to the two of you for all of your wonderful advice. I better get to work!

Coalminer- Yes, would you mind recommending the B%26amp;B%26#39;s in Denali please?

Thanks to your help, our honeymoon will be even more memorable.

Masaki

Here is a summary of all the ziplines currently available- http://www.explorenorth.com/wordpress/?p=25

Congratulations.

If you chose any of these destinations (Homer, Valdez, Anchorage) than I%26#39;ll be more than happy to suggest some hiking trails and bear watching trips. Meanwhile read posts here on this forum, start planning your itinerary and ask detailed questions. If you want to cook some of your meals then bsides in own RV you may consider staying in cabins or chalets with full kitchen facilities.

Include Denali NP in your itinerary and you may hike in the park anywhere you want and as long as you want. It is such incredible place and should not be missed, IMHO. Kenai Peninsula is another great place and a visit there may include Seward, Homer and also Cooper Landing or Soldotna for salmon fishing.

Thank you explorenorth06 and Places.

Places- This is the itinerary that we had in mind:

day 1- explore anchorage

day 2- drive to Denali

days 3-7 - drive to Denali; explore Denali

day 8- drive to Anchorage; take ferry (I guess?) to Kenai Peninsula area days 9- 12- explore Kenai

day 13- ferry back to anchorage

day 14 - leave for LA

What do you think about this itinerary? I%26#39;ve read that taking the ferry to Kenai is the easiest?? If you can help with organized activities (especially in Anchorage and Kenai) and lodging, I%26#39;d greatly appreciate it! Salmon fishing, fly fishing, kayaking, bear watching, etc.--we%26#39;re up for anything. I think that we%26#39;re going to spend most of our days in Denai hiking around, but please let me know if there are activities that shouldn%26#39;t be missed.

Thank you again for all of your help and insight!

Here are a few B%26amp;B recommendations: Valley Vista - not a view, but nice rooms each w/Jacuzzi type tub, nice decor and a private entrance: www.valleyvistabb.com. Another that is actually more an inn - they have a jacuzzi outside, great scenery, and a full breakfast: www.touchofwildernessbb.com. There are also some very nice cabins: www.aspenhaus.com and www.alaskaone.com/ridgetop. All these are located in Healy, which is approximately 12 miles to the North of Denali Park entrance.

I have some friends that have stayed in a nice B%26amp;B in Anchorage, though I am sure there are many more of those as well: www.alaskafrontiergardens.com

www.anchorage-bnb.com If you want to check out the nice hotels in Anchorage, I would just use expedia or one of the other major hotel booking sites to see those, and then if you want personal recommendations, post that separately on the forum.

Let me know if you need more suggestions. Also, if you feel you want pampering, non hotel guests can book the services at the Denali Princess Hotel, such as massages, facials, etc., if that is something else you want. :)

To get to Kenai Peninsula you just drive from Anchorage to Seward and/or Homer. No ferry from Anchorage. I suggest spending 3 nights in beautiful Homer, 2 nights in Seward and maybe 1 night in Girdwood which is located less than 1 hour from the Anchorage airport. From Anchorage to Seward is about 2 1/2 hours. From Anchorage to Homer is about 5 hours. From Seward to Homer I would say 4 hours. You have to remember that all these roads are two lanes and sometimes traffic is slow due to road construction, slow vehicles, stops for views and animals.

Coalminer, that%26#39;s a very interesting news about services for non-guest at the Denali Princess Lodge. Thanks