10 Days in Alaska: The Last Frontier

With limited time to utilize a companion airline ticket, my wife and I quickly seized on an Alaskan adventure—a bucket-list item of mine for many years. We quickly identified and researched the places we wanted to visit on a land-focused visit, with a plan do a multi-day Alaskan coastal cruise in a year or two. The obvious choices were Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Denali National Park, including day trips from each of those bases.

Anchorage

Anchorage was the logical place to start. While there are several name-brand hotels in Anchorage, we chose The Lakefront Anchorage on Lake Spenard, which accommodates numerous seaplanes and is within a short distance of Ted Stevens International Airport. Some hotel guests—including bush pilots—arrive and depart on seaplanes. Walking into the hotel lobby, the stuffed animals and Alaskan art immediately let you know you are in Alaska.

Anchorage has a population of about 300,000 people, or about 40 percent of the state’s population. While not a large city, Anchorage punches above its weight—it is a major trans-Pacific cargo hub and is the third largest FedEx hub in the world. Anchorage is also a key station for the Alaska Railroad, a favorite for those also visiting Denali National Park and Fairbanks. We chose to spend a couple of days in Anchorage and enjoyed taking the Anchorage Trolley Tour (two moose sightings in the city limits!), a visit to the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center (the planetarium showing of "Aurora: Lights of Wonder" is a must-see), and a great culinary experience at Orso, an Italian restaurant in downtown Anchorage.

As side trip from Anchorage, we drove the Seward Highway—one of the most beautiful drives in the US—and explored the Kenai Peninsula, a couple of hours southeast of Anchorage, with stops in Seward, Girdwood, and Whittier. Seward, at the head of Resurrection Bay, is a primary access point for the Kenai Fjords National Park and is well known for boat tours to view glaciers and wildlife, including whales, sea otters, and bald eagles. The SeaLife Center is home to a variety of birds, sea otters, seals, sea lions, and octopus. A great place for lunch in Seward is the Highliner restaurant, a low-key, family-friendly eatery.

Whittier is a key access point to Prince William Sound, which is also well known for boat tours to view glaciers and wildlife. We had the good fortune to cruise with Phillips Cruises and Tours on their 26 Glacier Tour, which, based on weather conditions, focused on the College Fjord on Prince William Sound. We saw numerous sea otters and visited more than a dozen glaciers, including the Harvard Glacier, a photo of which is below. A favorite of the visitors was the one-lane tunnel into and out of Whittier, which accommodates cars, trucks, buses, and a train—all underneath the Portage Glacier. If you wish to spend a night on the peninsula, one recommended location is Girdwood, which is between Whittier and Seward. Girdwood is a bit eclectic and is the home of the Aleyska Ski Resort, which has some lodges and a mix of fine dining and casual restaurants.

Harvard Glacier on College Fjord, Prince William Sound

Whittier one-lane tunnel

Fairbanks

After exploring the Kenai Peninsula, we flew to Fairbanks, the largest city of interior Alaska. In addition to its famed cold winters, dog sled racing, and other winter sports, Fairbanks is a great place to see the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis. While there are several preferred viewing locations around the Fairbanks area, we chose Cleary Summit, which is about 35 miles north of the city on the Steese Highway. The parking lot is easily accessible and is about 2,000 feet above sea level. Most importantly, it is far from most sources of light. While the weather did not cooperate, we had our first Aurora experience and plan to try again.

Some recommended places to visit in and around Fairbanks include a visit to the Chena Hot Springs, the popular University of Alaska Museum of the North, the Aleyska Pipeline Viewing Point, and Riverboat Discovery—a fantastic few hours learning about Native Alaskan culture and customs, dog sledding, the role of salmon in Alaska, and local history. While Fairbanks has only about 30,000 residents, it supports a number of restaurants worth mentioning, such as Blue Roof Bistro for lunch, and Chena’s Alaskan Grill and The Pump House for dinner. While there are several chain hotels, we chose to stay at the River’s Edge Resort based on its location and reviews. Although Fairbanks is not quite as seasonal as Denali National Park, it is important to note that some hotels and restaurants cease operations for the winter starting in mid-September.

Denali National Park

We spent our last few days at Denali National Park and Preserve, which is so massive we were able to explore only a small part of it. We chose to ride the Alaska Railroad’s Denali Star from Fairbanks to Denali using its GoldStar Service, which provides a panoramic view of the landscape in comfortable surroundings. The breakfast served in the lower dining area was excellent, and the entire staff on the train was first class. An outdoor viewing area was available at the back of the car, which most passengers used at least a time or two. Arriving at the Denali Station, our luggage was automatically routed to our hotel, and we hopped onto the shuttle, which became our primary means of getting around.

Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley) is the defining feature of the park. Due to weather, a minority of visitors to the park get to see the mountain. We were able to see it while on a jeep tour east of the park on the seasonal Denali Highway. Denali—the tallest mountain in North America at 20,310 feet—means “The High One” in the Native Alaskan Koyukon Athabaskan language. It is important to note that most hotels, restaurants, and tours cease operations for the winter starting in mid-September. Local restaurants include Prospectors Pizzeria and Ale House (lunch and dinner), The Black Bear (breakfast and lunch), and 49th State Brewing (dinner only). We were fortunate to reserve a room at the Grande Denali Lodge days before it was set to close for the year. It has an excellent restaurant (breakfast and dinner during our stay) and a shuttle service that runs every 40 minutes to nearby restaurants, the park’s bus station, and the nearby Denali Bluffs Lodge. We plan to return to Denali during the summer season to take better advantage of its hiking trails.

Denali: The tallest peak in North America

Grande Denali Lodge in September

• Book early! Hotels in Denali especially fill up many months in advance.

• Take the train using the GoldStar service!

• Bring multiple layers of clothing, including rain gear.

• Although we experienced no mosquitoes or other insects during our September visit, bring bug spray just in case.

• Be flexible and agile, adapting as needed.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Alaska page.