Alaska, land-based, in September
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Anonymous
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Loving all the info here about Alaska, and I'm really excited for our trip in September!
If anyone is still buzzing from things they did and wants to tell me about it, that would be awesome. (If you're a grump who clicks on threads that don't interest you just to grump about their existence, kindly do not hit that reply button. You don't have to participate!) We have activities booked in/ around Homer and Seward, and could add in more. We also have a few days in Anchorage. I'd especially love to hear what the weather was like in September, what was well-reviewed online but kinda cheesy IRL, and any sidequests and serendipity. We do a lot of research and book a lot in advance, but also love finding ourselves with free time for discovery in cool places. Two adults, one super-game 18 year old. |
Anonymous
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Denali was by far my favorite part of AK. I didn't get involved in that other thread. But we actually added more days to take the bus in and out because it was so spectacular. The road is partially closed right now, so things might be different, but we took the bus into the park, got off and hiked in random places and then jumped back on the bus. So fricking amazing. Our bus drivers also spotted tons of great wildlife, and we saw so many bears! This was all in August, so you might have a similar experience.
Our favorite "regular" hike was the Harding Icefield trail at Exit glacier near Seward. It was stunning! This was also 20 years ago, so not sure how the ice is looking now, but the hike itself was just gorgeous. It's a hard one, but worth it! |
Anonymous
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I have never been to Alaska, I just wanted to write that I really envy you!
For how many days will you be there? |
Anonymous
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Buy the Milepost guidebook and don't count on having mobile data. But if you save places in Google maps and the save the area in Google maps it will help a lot.
There are a lot of scenic overlooks and short hikes from the highway between Anchorage and Seward thatvwe found in The Milepost. Driving around was really easy due to the lack of traffic. We did a wildlife and glacier viewing day cruise out of Seward and a half day guided kayaking trip in a sheltered bay from Seward. The state park that borders Ancorage was really cool if you have time there. |
Anonymous
| DH and 14 yo DD did a 10 day land-based Alaska trip last August. They had the best time- I'm sure you will too! Went kayaking, salmon fishing, E-biking in Denali, sea plane to Kenai Fjords, lots of great hikes. They loved everything. The only word of advice I have based on what they shared- they travelled via camper van and are very glad they got Starlink internet for the trip. |
Anonymous
Just over a week! 3-ish days each in/around Anchorage, Homer, and Seward. We're a little flexible still, but starting to nail down accommodations. |
Anonymous
Excellent tip on the mobile data! I'm so spoiled that I totally could have been caught by that. The wildlife/ glacier cruise out of Seward is booked 
It gets universally excellent reactions, and I'm really looking forward to it. Did you see puffins?? |
Anonymous
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We did a land trip to Alaska and did one of the one day wildlife glacier cruises and honestly it was everyone's least favorite part of the trip so I don;t think you are missing much. In Seward we did a half day sea kayaking trip that was amazing with this company https://www.kayakak.com/
We also did a helicopter trip to go dog sledding that the kids (age 14 and 12) loved. there are a few companies that offer that and I honestly can't remember which one we used. We also did a half day fishing trip that was a dud - water was very rough and fish were not biting. We did another one day fishing trip on a river that went better but that was out of Anchorage. We were there in late August and it was cool and there was a lot of light rain. but if you have rain pants and a rain jacket, it is fine. By then there were no mosquitoes, which was a huge plus. From Anchorage we went to Chugach State Park on our own and rented sea kayaks from a place there (I would google whether the rentals are available in Sept) that was beautiful and if it was anywhere else people would drive or fly hours to get there but of course in Alaska it is just an average park! |
Anonymous
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Honest question... what is the point of fishing on vacation? Are there services that will clean, freeze, and ship your catch back home? Are you cleaning and cooking fish in your Air bnb? Or are you maiming/torturing fish for fun, eg, catch and release?
I can enjoy some limited fishing in the right place and circumstances. But I'd never do it if I wasn't equipped and willing to eat what I kill. |
Anonymous
Yes, we saw puffins! We loved our day cruise out of Seward. And it's just insane how beautiful the scenery is everywhere and what you can see on an easy hike. |
Anonymous
Yes, they process the fish and immediately put it on dry ice. You bring it home on the plane or have them ship it. Fresher than anything in store |
Anonymous
| My kids just love fishing so we did some in Alaska, had most of the fish frozen and flew home with it as checked luggage. Alaska is set up for this with lots of companies that pack the fish for you. We also ate some in our Airbnb. |
Anonymous
Cool. I've heard of that for places where people hunt elk and other big game. But I asked about it when my uncle suggested we go fishing on the Gulf and was told that service had died off. To me the point of fishing is to catch fish to eat, and anything else is recreational cruelty. So I'm glad to know that Alaska still makes it possible for visitors to fish ethically. |
Anonymous
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My family is in Alaska. How late in September?
Just wondering if you’ve thought through the weather. By the second or third week of August the rain can set in and by September it could be beautiful or it could be chilly, gloomy, and on the way to early sunsets. The past two Augusts got cold and gross pretty quick if I’m remembering them correctly. Also, touristy stuff starts to quiet down as cruise season tapers off so you need to double check that everything you’re imagining doing will be open. It’s not going to be awful just not what you might be imagining from photos you’ve seen from people there in June. A positive is the bugs should be better than in July and August. |
Anonymous
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Most of the things our family enjoyed have already been mentioned, but will add this Musk Ox Farm was fun to visit: https://share.google/oil16JDBWIaDiCYVl
It's a non-profit, educational, and I learned about qiviut (which I now covet) |