As we followed the pilot vehicle on the highway in Alaska’s interior, we could hear mud hitting the underside of our rental car. The four-door sedan was definitely not rated for these conditions. It slipped and slid as we moved forward. I imagined getting stuck in the mud and being rear ended by the car behind us, or sliding off the road and down the steep embankment to our right.
We knew Alaska would be exciting, but this was more treacherous than I’d anticipated.
About the trip
In late summer 2023, my husband and I visited Alaska. I hoped to see moose, sled dogs, bears, Denali park, beluga whales, the Northern Lights, and to visit Fairbanks. When planning the trip, we had weighed the pros and cons of renting a car and doing our own land tour versus taking a cruise plus a land tour. We decided to do a land tour on our own. Despite a few scary moments, it was the perfect decision.
I had watched many videos on Youtube before we made this trip, but nothing completely prepared me for our self tour of Alaska. So, here are highlights from our trip, plus some info I wished I’d known before we arrived in Anchorage.
Anchorage
Day 1: To begin our adventure, we flew to Anchorage and rented a car. We ate a late lunch at Moose’s Tooth. I’d heard about this restaurant from Youtube videos, and everyone said there was always a wait for a table. By getting to the restaurant at about 2 p.m., we only had to wait about 10 minutes for a table – not too bad. The pizza there was delicious and lived up to the hype.
We stayed at the Dimond Center Hotel, which is south of the downtown area. After checking in and dropping off our bags, we drove to Kincaid Park, which is on the western edge of Anchorage. After walking down a path for about 10 minutes, we saw our first moose. He was a full grown male, probably about seven feet at his shoulder. Moose are known to have bad tempers, and will attack people if they’re not given enough space. This one seemed quite chill as he munched on grass and weeds. But still, a small crowd gathered with us on the path, as we waited for him to move a bit farther away before we walked past him. We also just wanted to watch him. After about 20 minutes, the moose moved further into the brush and we walked past. We walked until we saw the bay, then headed back up the trail the way we’d come. We didn’t see the moose again.
Tips: Reserve a car early as rental agencies do run out sometimes. Rent an SUV if possible. Also expect to pay a lot more than you’re used to for the rental car, and everything else too. Hotels are pricey all over Alaska, but especially in Anchorage and Fairbanks, so be prepared to spend. To save money, find a place a bit out of the city center.
If you want to see moose, keep your eyes peeled, and if you are luck enough to see one, remember to keep your distance.
Denali National Park
Day 2: After a great night’s sleep, we stocked up on snacks at the Walmart next door. Surprisingly, the prices there were the same as at Walmarts at home. I even bought a sweatshirt for just $10. They also had a nice selection of souvenirs.
We headed north to Denali National Park. We were making good time, so we went off the main highway to Talkeetna. Just as we arrived, a train full of other tourists pulled in. The tourists got off the train and wandered around. We were hungry, and the food truck that had spinach bread that I had heard about, was closed. The few restaurants seemed overwhelmed by the amount of people in town. We ordered at a takeout window, which seemed like the fastest option. We waited at least a half hour for an expensive and basic burger, grilled cheese, and fries. Perhaps if we’d gotten there before or after the train of people, I’d feel differently, but for this trip, we could have skipped Talkeetna.
That night we stayed at a hotel by a lake in Healy, about 15 minutes north of the Denali park entrance. I had envisioned taking walks around the lake with the beautiful mountains in the background. The hotel was nice, but the weather was cold and windy the entire time we were there. Walking outside was unpleasant. But we kept the curtains open, and loved looking out at the view.
Day 3: I had booked the four-hour non-narrated transit bus tour – the “green bus” – in Denali park for 9:30 a.m. The green bus allows you to hop off the bus, and catch another one that comes along. Our bus driver was cranky, but it was still a great tour. We saw a grizzly bear come out of the woods and cross the road right in front of the bus. At the bus turnaround point, we got off the bus and watched as a caribou walked directly toward us in a riverbed. We saw another moose, through the trees in the distance. We also saw the bottom half of Mount Denali. I thought four hours was long for a tour where you ride in an old school bus, but the time went by very fast.
After the tour, we walked to the park’s sled dog kennel. We arrived as the park ranger was beginning a demonstration of the sled dogs’ abilities. I was surprised to learn that the park still uses the dogs for transportation throughout the park during the winter. The ranger explained that through the years, they’ve discovered that the dogs work far better in the snowy, cold conditions, than any machine.
We enjoyed doing some excellent souvenir shopping at the stores right outside the park entrance. I bought a beautiful “northern lights” necklace. I figured if I didn’t see the lights, I’d at least take some home with me. We ate a late lunch at 49th State Brewing restaurant in Healy. I had a vegan dish that was delicious. The next morning, we had breakfast at a coffee shop just up the highway before heading north.
Tips: During the summer, private cars aren’t allowed to drive very far into Denali park, instead the park has bus tours. Reserve your bus tour tickets early, the spaces fill up. The “green bus” tour is the least expensive and most flexible, but doesn’t provide any snacks or drinks, so plan to bring whatever you need for the hours-long trip.
If you have a rental car, you can save money by staying at a hotel in Healy versus staying right outside the park.
If you go to Talkeetna, check the weather and if possible the train schedule before you arrive. Also, bring food for meals and/or to snack on.
Fairbanks
Day 4: We drove north to Fairbanks, an easy drive on the Parks Highway. We visited Frontier Park, which has a nifty aviation museum, and a pretend town, with vendors in the small buildings.
Hotels are expensive in Fairbanks during summer, and I couldn’t find one that I thought looked worth the money. So I found and booked the perfect Airbnb, which cost less than any of the hotel rooms.. It was a house right next to the China River. It had a living room, full kitchen, two bedrooms. But best of all, it had a hot tub on the deck that overlooked the river. Heaven. About an hour after we arrived, I saw the Riverboat Discovery float by. We planned to take the little cruise the next morning, and it was so fun to see the boat from our “home.”
Day 5: Our first full day in Fairbanks we drove about a mile to the river cruise. There were many more people on the cruise than I had expected, so it’s a good idea to make reservations during the summer. The cruise was great. As we floated on the Chena River, a float plane did a landing and take off in the river next to the boat. Also from the boat, we saw a sled dog demonstration, reindeer, and learned how the natives dried the fish they caught. They let us off the boat for about an hour at the Chena Village Living Museum, a recreated native American village, where we learned how the natives lived many years ago.
After the boat ride, we drove to North Pole, Alaska, a little town a few miles southeast of Fairbanks. I was disappointed in the “Santa Village” there. There’s a large Santa enclosed behind some fencing, and a few sad-looking reindeer. There’s also a giant gift shop that has every item imaginable emblazoned with “North Pole, Alaska,” plus areas for photo opportunities, and you can visit with Santa. We didn’t buy anything there. We drove back to a large gift shop in downtown Fairbanks, where we found plenty of locally-made souvenirs for more reasonable prices.
Tips: Fairbanks may be a good city to stay in a well-researched rental home or apartment, rather than in a hotel.
Take the riverboat cruise. We thought it was so worth the time and money. The same company also offers a mining excursion, which might be fun for anyone interested in that.
Driving back to Anchorage
Day 6: The next morning, we planned to drive back to Anchorage and we had a choice – either head southwest and take the Parks Highway again, or head southeast and take the longer route on the Richardson and Glennallen Highways. The lure of seeing new sights, including a glacier, beckoned. We took the longer route. Big mistake. The first few hours of the drive were no problem, although the low clouds meant the drive wasn’t as scenic as we’d hoped. We stopped to eat at a restaurant in the middle of nowhere.
After we left the restaurant, we came to the first of several construction areas. And these construction zones were horrible. We had to wait sometimes a half hour for a pilot car, then follow that car and the cars ahead of us through areas where the road was just mud. I really wished we’d paid extra for the SUV, rather than the low-riding sedan. And of course I wished we’d skipped this particular adventure and taken the easier route.
We were finally through the majority of the construction areas and turned onto the Glennallen Highway. Here we drove through many mountain passes. Driving through those was also nail biting. But we did see a female moose that was in the parking lot of a gas station. That was cool. We also saw a glacier off in the distance.
According to google maps, the drive was supposed to have taken us seven hours. Instead it took us about 10. When we finally returned to the same hotel in Anchorage where we’d stayed on our first night in Alaska, we were exhausted, and happy we’d made it through with no mishaps.
Tips: Check for construction zones before taking the Richardson and Glennallen Highways.
If you do take the longer route, allow plenty of time, bring snacks and fill up your fuel tank as there are very few places to stop.
Seward
Day 7: The next morning, we left Anchorage and headed to Seward, which is on the coast about two hours southeast of Anchorage. The drive is along the Turnagain Arm. You’ll see Cook Inlet, with mountains in the background. Beautiful. We stopped at a few overlooks, including Beluga Point. If you time it right this is also where you can see boreal tides. I’d read it was possible sometimes to see beluga whales from there, but we saw none.
We stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and saw bears, moose and other animals native to Alaska, in their enclosures. We drove through the mountain pass and arrived in Seward. I couldn’t find a hotel in Seward that I thought was worth the price, so I booked another Airbnb for us. This one was basically a large room with dividers and a bathroom, over a garage. It was not as nice as the place in Fairbanks, but it did have a balcony with a view of the bay, which I greatly appreciated.
Once we were settled, I walked to the park that looked out at the bay – very pretty.
Day 8: The next morning, we took a 7-hour nature cruise on Major Marine Tours. We were warned that about 20 minutes of the trip would take us into open water, which could be rough. I’m prone to being motion sick, and took non-drowsy Dramamine. Fortunately, I was fine throughout the trip. The cruise was great! It was less than half full, which helped allow lots of space to spread out. It had a nice warm area inside, with lots of windows, and lots of space outside too. The tour price included a nice box lunch.
We saw several beautiful glaciers, plus puffins, and a couple of eagles. Unfortunately no whales, but we weren’t expecting to see any so we weren’t disappointed.
Finding a place to eat for supper wasn’t easy because some places were closed. We finally found an open restaurant, and ate there. It was pricey of course, but pretty good.
Day 9: Our second full day in Seward, we drove about 15 minutes to Turning Heads Kennel. During the summer, several kennels fly tourists by helicopter or plane to glaciers, where they dog sled. It’s expensive, but thrilling I’m sure. We opted for the much less expensive and more convenient cart ride. We arrived at the kennel and got to meet sled dogs, some puppies. The dogs barked and howled eagerly as they were attached to the cart. We then took a thrilling rainy ride through the woods. It was so fun, and is one of my favorite memories of Alaska.
That afternoon we hiked to Exit Glacier. It was a nice hike. We saw yet another moose through some brush.
Day 10: The next morning marked our last day in Alaska. I woke up very early and from our second-floor vantage point was looking out toward the bay. I watched a cruise ship move toward the harbor. A few minutes later I looked in the direction of some people across the alleyway and saw a black bear, snooping around the backs of the homes. It disappeared to the front of a home, then a few minutes later reappeared just below the balcony. It didn’t react to my presence as I watched it walk just below me. It sniffed our rental car door, then continued to the house next door. It looked into a window, then moved on. Later we went to breakfast in the downtown area, about a half mile away, and as we ate, we saw it walking down the street. There are no bears where I live, so seeing the bear was surreal and awesome.
Tips: If possible, scope out the restaurants you want to eat at before you arrive and check their open times. Look into Airbnbs as there aren’t many hotels in town. Taking a cruise to see the glaciers from the water was well worth the money. Watch for wildlife.
Back to Anchorage
We headed out of Seward and back toward Anchorage. A beautiful drive. We stopped again at Beluga Point. This time, we saw beluga whales swimming in the bay! It was quick glimpses of white, but that was enough. Again, awesome.
We continued to Anchorage and stopped at Lake Hood, the float plane airport, where my husband looked at the airplanes. We went to Earthquake Park and walked along the trail where we could see downtown Anchorage. We ate a late lunch, then returned the car, and went to the airport. As we waited for our evening flight, I realized that I’d seen all but one of the things I’d hoped to see. But the trip had one more surprise.
As we boarded the flight, the Aurora app on my phone notified me that if it wasn’t cloudy, chances of seeing the Aurora were high. I’d been disappointed so many times, I didn’t think much of it. When the pilot came on the loudspeaker, he said that passengers on the left side of the plane would be able to see the Northern Lights. I was at the window seat on the left side of the plane. I looked out the window after we took off, and saw a green glow, faint at first, then brighter, and dancing. As I continued to watch, purple joined the green. The light show continued off and on for the entire flight.
It was a magical ending to a magical trip. And eight months later, we were back in the state for a second adventure.
To be continued.
Gina Parsons - Writer 