Alaska

With a short time to spend you definitely want to fly up. Rent an RV, take your own tent gear and rent a car, or just spend some $ at Walmart for gear and abandon it to a thrift store when you leave. July to mid-August temps are usually moderate, but Alaska always has rain at a moments notice, never trust a blue sky. ABC Motorhomes also rents truck campers. Whatever you decide reserve far ahead.

I bet 90% of tourists in Alaska are there for two weeks. They all love it and see enough to know they need to come back....and that's just as it should be. Don't wait! But just see a little bit and see it well. If you try to do too much it just all runs together. No matter how long you stay you won't think you saw it all..geez I've spent over 20 years there and still have a long list of places to go.

Uppercrust wrote:
We are looking at going in 2017 depending on vacation for DH maybe 2 weeks.

AK is very large AK compared to lower 48 Plus Canada is between you and AK. I suggest you wait until you retire and can do 2 - 3 month trip. For a 2 week trip, take a cruse or other guided tour trip.

There is so much overwhelming beauty in Alaska that you can't just limit your experience to one part. Denali is fine if you can actually see the mountain. I was there for a week last summer and there was too much smoke in the air to see it. However, the Denali Highway, mostly unpaved, is very scenic. IMHO, the southern half, e.g., the Kenai Peninsula, Cook Inlet, Seward & Valdez are the highest priorities if you have a limited amount of time.

Maybe you could take a "land/sea" cruise. The cruise ships follow the inside passage most of the time I believe, making ocean travel fairly easy. It's beautiful trip and very relaxing not to mention the scenery. We went about 6 years ago after the cruise we took the train (3 days) up to Fairbanks and saw a lot of the interior including Denali.

Since then we've been to Alaska twice, in March for Aurora Borealis viewing and are seriously considering a l-o-n-g RV trip the next time to Alaska.

It's an absolutely beautiful state!! I would encourage you to research remedies for your motion sickness as there are effective medicines available which might make your dream trip come true!

This sort of Alaska trip could be done in two weeks.

Good Luck

Dan

Keep in mind that Alaska by ship & Alaska by RV are two very different Alaskas. Alaska by ship is for the most part SE Alaska. Alaska by RV is for the most part the interior & coast where most cruise ships do not go.

Then there is big ship vs small ship cruising. Big ship cruising will be much cheaper but won't go anywhere near the great places that the small ships can go.

With only 2 weeks I'd be looking at flying to Anchorage & renting a RV for 2 weeks.

I am surprised that you as a senior member did not post this to the AK forum. . . .

Because not everybody who's been to Alaska frequents that forum.

See Homer

Most definitely!

If you only have two weeks I'd highly suggest you fly into Anchorage and rent a small Class C. That would give you time to see almost all of Alaska.

With two weeks and your motion sickness limitation, definitely a week in Denali and a week on the Kenai. See Homer, Ninilchik, Cooper Landing, Kenai Lake..spend a day or two in each. Drive to Valdez if you have the time, but it's a day there and a day back. There are so many places to see in Alaska but if you have to pick a couple those are the ones. But if you are driving up there don't neglect northern BC and the Yukon, all the north country is beautiful.

Uppercrust wrote:
I am wondering what is the best area to see in Alaska? My DH and & I are thinking of a trip there, maybe camping but no clue what to see or were to go. Not sure a cruise would work, cause of my severe motion sickness. Any ideas, we love being outside and in nature. Thanks

I drove most of the paved roads in Alaska and some of the unpaved, and by far Valdez was my favorite. I was there for a week over Memorial Day - not crowded (the season hadn't started yet). Halibut was coming in, and being served at the local restaurants. Bald Eagles would follow the fishing boats in, snacking on bait / fish guts being tossed. Mid-70s during the day, high 50s at night. Snow in the mountains, very pretty.

Everything in town was within walking distance. Camping neighbors took a day cruise out to see the aquatic wildlife, they reported having a great time as well.

The Denali highway was a close second - I wished I had a 4x4 truck camper instead of my trailer, that scenery along that road was so beautiful, but the road itself so very rough, not something I should have taken my trailer down. Despite its short distance, it took me a day and a half to cross.