Visiting Alaska - Anchorage or Fairbanks

Hi,

My wife and I are planning a trip to either Vancouver or Alaska next year for about 7 - 8 days. We are completely flexible in terms of dates, locations, itenerary.

We both want to spend a least a few days taking in the natural sites (possibly a guided tour or short cruise) as well as viewing the Northern Lights. We would appreciate any advice on what dates, places, accomodations, tour companies that we should look into. Thanks much for the assistance.

Rich

Visiting Alaska - Anchorage or Fairbanks

Let%26#39;s start with this first - did you know that the Northern Lights aren%26#39;t visible in the summer? February-March are the best. They aren%26#39;t visible anywhere near Vancouver even in the winter. Is it a summer holiday you%26#39;re thinking of?

Visiting Alaska - Anchorage or Fairbanks

If you do take a tour, it would probably be a cruise. Most companies run 7-night Inside Passage cruises round trip from Seattle that call at Ketchikan (a small, rainy town with great scenery and totem poles), Juneau (the capital of Alaska), and Skagway (and old touristy gold rush town).

If you think you can go on your own, and you%26#39;ll find that it%26#39;s not as hard as you%26#39;d think, you may want to consider flying into Anchorage and renting a car, like we did this summer. A good 7-day itinerary would be to spend 1 day in Anchorage, 3 days in the Kenai Peninsula, and 3 days in the Denali area.

By the way, if you visit in late August-early September, you%26#39;ll get some good fall foliage and a chance to view the Northern Lights, because it actually gets dark.

If viewing the ligths is your top priority though, head to Chena Hot Springs Resort (near Fairbanks) in the winter.

Rich,

Don%26#39;t cruise, if you ask me.

Fly up to Alaska into Anchorage, and have a local tour company book a tour for you. All your activities are taken care of, as well as lodging, all you really have to worry about is your rental car and meals. Some of them even provide different means of transportation for you, though if you opt to rent a car, you will have much more flexibility.

Two high points not to be missed are the Kenai / Seward area. For cruising, go out on one of the Glacier and Wildlife cruises there - stay at Alyeska Resort.

You will also want to hit the Chena Hot Springs Resort if you are looking for Northern lights.

You can do BOTH!

Whatever you do, you won%26#39;t go wrong. It is such a beautiful place!

OH! Sorry, I forgot -

You CAN see the Northern Lights in Chena or Fairbanks, if you go in mid to late August or early September.