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Recommendations for a day trip from Anchorage
- Thread starter Beflyguy
- Start date
You might possibly consider a train trip to Seward and back. I can't remember exactly, but I believe the train departs Anchorage at about 6:30 or 7 AM and arrives in Seward at about 11 AM. It's a beautiful scenic ride with good opportunities for seeing wildlife (including Dall sheep, moose, bear and eagles) and glaciers. There are staff members on the train who act as tour guides. The "first class" car (I think they call it gold star service) is in elevated observation cars, but the regular fare cars (adventure class) isn't too bad, and there is an observation car you can go up in. The return train from Seward to Anchorage leaves Seward at 6:00PM and arrives in Anchorage about 10:00PM. That leaves about 7 hours in Seward, which might be enough time to go out and catch some silvers, or even take a Kenai Fjords tour (by boat - again very scenic and lots of wildlife including otter and whales. and glaciers. There are lots of other things to do in Seward such as exit glacier, Severs dog sled tours, etc., And Seward is a pretty town. I personally think that is one of the best day trips out of Anchorage.
You can find out info and book tickets here: http://www.alaskarailroad.com/
You can find out info and book tickets here: http://www.alaskarailroad.com/
The weather is looking pretty stinky for Saturday. Resurrection Bay is calling for 3 foot seas and Prince William Sound is calling for 4 feet. It is better than 50/50 it will be raining. For my bets I would go to Seward either by rail or car. If the weather were better I would say we could meet in Whittier and go catch some silvers.
Here is a possible itinerary:
Anchorage, Girdwood (Crow Creek Mine), Portage, Wildlife Alaska (right at the Portage turnoff), Exit Glacier (if it's not raining too much), Seward (Sea Life Center), and a possible Kenai Fjords boat tour. There is a combination rail and Kenai Fjords tour package out of Seward. There is also a rail and Prince William Sound tour package out of Whittier.
You can't do all of them in a day but it is pretty easy to pick and choose.
Here is a possible itinerary:
Anchorage, Girdwood (Crow Creek Mine), Portage, Wildlife Alaska (right at the Portage turnoff), Exit Glacier (if it's not raining too much), Seward (Sea Life Center), and a possible Kenai Fjords boat tour. There is a combination rail and Kenai Fjords tour package out of Seward. There is also a rail and Prince William Sound tour package out of Whittier.
You can't do all of them in a day but it is pretty easy to pick and choose.
NOAA says Cape Suckling to Gore Point is E30 knots and 9' seas for Saturday, so might be a little uncomfortable taking a glacier tour out of Seward except the short one to Bear Glacier and on an E30 that could be a little rolly. If you want to see Galciers and a whale or two, then Whittier might be a better choice. Guessing both will be rainy.
As for the railroad, you can rent a car a heck of a lot cheaper if there is more than one of you, and except from Portage to Moose Pass the rail parallels the road. By renting a car, you can adjust your schedule to cram in as much as possible - timing to fish in Sevard or catch a cruise may be a little difficult if traveling by train. You can also stop and see sheep along Turnagain Arm, the spawning red salmon in Ptarmigan Creek, etc. Don't try and catch the reds, but if you have a fly rod and a egg imitation you might catch a dolly or rainbow there.
If flyfishing is of interest, you might also want to consider a rafttrip down upper Kenai river starting in Cooper Landing (off Seward Highway towards Kenai maybe 10-15 miles). Or maybe try for a silver at Bird Creek along Turnagain Arm (try a Vibrax spinner and watch the mud).
Whenever anyone I know comes to town I always recommend they spend a couple hours at our museum. I think they have done an excellent job with it.
Enjoy yourself, and come back when you have more time.
As for the railroad, you can rent a car a heck of a lot cheaper if there is more than one of you, and except from Portage to Moose Pass the rail parallels the road. By renting a car, you can adjust your schedule to cram in as much as possible - timing to fish in Sevard or catch a cruise may be a little difficult if traveling by train. You can also stop and see sheep along Turnagain Arm, the spawning red salmon in Ptarmigan Creek, etc. Don't try and catch the reds, but if you have a fly rod and a egg imitation you might catch a dolly or rainbow there.
If flyfishing is of interest, you might also want to consider a rafttrip down upper Kenai river starting in Cooper Landing (off Seward Highway towards Kenai maybe 10-15 miles). Or maybe try for a silver at Bird Creek along Turnagain Arm (try a Vibrax spinner and watch the mud).
Whenever anyone I know comes to town I always recommend they spend a couple hours at our museum. I think they have done an excellent job with it.
Enjoy yourself, and come back when you have more time.
T.R. Bauer
New member
The glacier cruises will not round Cape Aialik with a sea forecast like that. I have had lots of relatives trips be canceled due to the exact same conditions....
There is other stuff to do too. You could drive to Hatcher's Pass and see the old mines, you could check out Talkeetna, drive up to the Matanuska Glacier just about right up to its towering base, visit the farms, Saturday Markets, or check out the State Fair in Palmer, or even take a very long day trip up to Denali. I wouldn't rule out a fishing or sightseeing trip in PWS either as there is no place like it.
There's lots of choices.
There is other stuff to do too. You could drive to Hatcher's Pass and see the old mines, you could check out Talkeetna, drive up to the Matanuska Glacier just about right up to its towering base, visit the farms, Saturday Markets, or check out the State Fair in Palmer, or even take a very long day trip up to Denali. I wouldn't rule out a fishing or sightseeing trip in PWS either as there is no place like it.
There's lots of choices.
Kenai Fjords tours has a resurrection bay tour with a lunch stop on Fox island that would avoid going out in the gulf, which might be a good alternative if the forecast is bad. Kenai Fjords coordinates several of their trips with the railroad schedule, and they'll pick you up and drop you off at the train station in Seward. I think coach class train fare to Seward is $120 round trip per person, so renting a car would probably be cheaper, but personally I like the train. I spend time in Seward every summer, and my family usually wants to take the train while I drive the car down.