Ready to Go--';Finalized'; Itineraries

Yes, I do know what final means, and I am almost there. Please bear with me!

O.k. experts; the plane tickets are purchased, and the car and bear trip are reserved. All I need to know is which of the following looks the most doable? They are almost identical (and very similar to the ones I%26#39;ve posted before) but the first one has an extra night to get to Valdez with extra hiking off the Edgerton Hwy. and the 2nd has an extra night getting to Talkeetna from Seward. The reason I have to make a decison now is that I will have to reschedule the bear trip again if we don%26#39;t take the extra night getting to Valdez.

Thanks to all of you, I think our trip is really coming together.

Itinerary #1

6/20--Arrive Anchorage

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Overnight Anchorage/Caribou Inn B%26amp; B

6/21--Pick Up Car

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Eagle River Nature Center

Eklutna Historical Park

聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 Matanuska Glacier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Majestic Valley Lodge

6/22--Hike Sheep Mountain

Hike Liberty Falls if time

Overnight Copper Moose Bed %26amp; Breakfast on Edgerton Hwy.

6/23--To Valdez:

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bridal Veil Falls; Horseshoe Falls, Thompson Pass,

Worthington Glacier, Goat trail?

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Valdez Best Western (Tour Saver)

6/24--Kayak to Columbia Glacier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Valdez Best Western

6/25--Ferry to Whittier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To Homer

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn (Recommended by

Emerald Air)

6/26--Emerald Air Bear Trip (Send deposit in January)

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn

6/27--Water taxi to Halibut Cove--tour Saver and Pratt Museum

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn

6/28--To Seward

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hike to Russian River Falls

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Seal Life Center

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

6/29--Kenai Fjords Cruise

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

6/30--Exit Glacier/Harding Ice Field

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

7/01--To Talkeetna/Portage Visitor Center, Bird Creek; Beluga

Point, Turnagain Arm

Overnight Alaskan Host B %26amp; B/Willow

7/02--McKinley Flightsee from Talkeetna

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To Denali National Park

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hikes at entrance/Sled Dog Demo

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Denali/Valley Vista B %26amp; B or Motel Nord Haven

7/03--Shuttle to Fish Creek

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Denali

7/04--Hike at Fish Creek, Savage River, etc.

Overnight Denali

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McKinley Flightsee if not possible on way up

7/05--To Hatcher Pass

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Hatcher Pass Lodge or Hatcher Pass Bed %26amp;

Breakfast

7/06--Alaska Native Heritage Center; other sites we didn%26#39;t see:

coastal trail, etc.(Eagle River and/or Eklutna if didn%26#39;t have time)

聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 Drop car at 7:15 p.m. for 10:05 p.m. flight

Itinerary #2

6/20--Arrive Anchorage

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Anchorage/Caribou Inn B%26amp; B

6/21--Pick Up Car

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Eagle River Nature Center

Eklutna Historical Park

聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽 Matanuska Glacier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Majestic Valley Lodge

6/22--Hike Sheep Mountain

To Valdez:

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bridal Veil Falls; Horseshoe Falls, Thompson Pass,

Worthington Glacier, Goat trail?

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Valdez Best Western (Tour Saver)

6/23--Kayak to Columbia Glacier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Valdez Best Western

6/24--Ferry to Whittier

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 To Homer

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn (Recommended by

Emerald Air)

6/25--Emerald Air Bear Trip (Send deposit in January)

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn

6/26--Water taxi to Halibut Cove--tour Saver/Pratt Museum

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Homer/The Pioneer Inn

6/27--To Seward

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽 Hike to Russian River Falls

聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽聽 Seal Life Center

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

6/28--Kenai Fjords Cruise

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

6/29--Exit Glacier/Harding Ice Field

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Seward/A Swan Nest Inn

6/30--To Girdwood/Portage Visitor Center

聽 Overnight Alyeska Slopeside

7/01--To Talkeetna

McKinley Flightsee

Overnight Talkeetna

7/02--To Denali National Park

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hikes at entrance/Sled Dog Demo

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Denali/Valley Vista B %26amp; B or Motel Nord Haven

7/03--Shuttle to Fish Creek

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Denali

7/04--Discovery or Self Hike

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Overnight Denali

聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽聽 McKinley Flightsee if not possible on way up

7/05--To Hatcher Pass

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽Overnight Hatcher Pass Lodge or Hatcher Pass Bed and

Breakfast

7/06--Alaska Native Heritage Center; Other sites we didn%26#39;t see:

coastal trail, etc.(Eagle River and/or Eklutna

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Drop car at 7:15 for 10:05 p.m. flight

Ready to Go--';Finalized'; Itineraries

I would definitely choose #1.

Ready to Go--';Finalized'; Itineraries

Thanks, Travel1000. That is the one I was leaning towards, but I was afraid the trip from Seward to Willow/Talkeetna would be way too long. According to the mileage, it is not so bad, but everyone says the driving times are so much longer than they would seem.

Thanks again.

';I was afraid the trip from Seward to Willow/Talkeetna would be way too long. According to the mileage, it is not so bad, but everyone says the driving times are so much longer than they would seem'; - I was also confused as to why ';everyone'; says the driving times are so much longer than they seem. Here is the deal: Sewart to Anchorage is 120 miles on the regular two lane road (one lane each way, not divided) that they call highway, making turns around the water and between the mountains. In several spots going uphill there is an extra lane to go past slower cars. The speed limit is 55mph on most of this road. People say that it takes longer than 2 hours if you have to follow slow moving RVs or cars, if you go at a time with more vehicles than usual (out of Anchorage Friday evening or Saturday morning, to Anchorage Sunday evening probably, expecially around 4th of July weekend), or if there is road work, or if like many tourists stop every 15 minutes to take photos, or if you want to do some hiking around on some of the trails along the road. Anchorage to Talkeetna is 115 miles, same kind of road, but less turns. A true divided 4 lane highway goes through part of Anchorage and out to Palmer. So, realistically, you can drive Seward to Talkeetna in 4 to 5 hours, not counting stops.

I have enjoyed reading your posts by the way . . . now you can relax and wait for summer to come. :) Just wanted to point out that it%26#39;s the Sea Life center and you will see seals there. Noticed you have either Nordhaven or Valley Vista down for your stay in the Denali area. Both are very nice - just different. Let me know need more info on these places. Happy travels! :)

Besu...

is this a vacation or an endurance marathon !!?? You are going to be busy !! Anyway, as the others have mentioned the drive from Seward to Talkeetna will be fairly easy....4-5 hours; depending on R/V%26#39;s and Tour Motorcoaches. The highway from Anchorage to Wasilla is 4 lane, you can drive 65-70...excellent road.

You should definately do the flightseeing out of Talkeenta. These guys and gals know their business. They fly over 1000 climbers to McKinley every summer. Land on the Glacier; rather than just a tour around the mountain. Much more exciting

Happy Travels