Once you get it narrowed down as to what you want to do, just ask and there will be one of more forum members that can give you a good first hand account. I am always amazed at what I learn on here, seemingly every week there is something new to me posted. There is a waterfalls, close to Wrangell, that has great bear watching from what I understand. I have been to Wrangell but never to the falls area. Several forum members have though and, I am sure, would be more than happy and qualified to tell you about the place.
Across from Anchorage is prime bear watching country and some of it may be on a permit type arrangement to keep the crowds where they want them to be. Think it is Forest Service but some government agency.
As a pilot you will enjoy going out to Lake Hood, there in Anchorage, just north of the big airport. It is I believe the most active float plane base in the world. My wife, also a pilot, and I like to grab some fast food for dinner and go out there to have a picnic and watch the planes land and take off. One of the lakes used, it is hour glass shaped, is actually Lake Spenard but the entire operation is referred to as Lake Hood. They also have a nice gravel strip located there. I used to use that one when I had my expensive tundra tires on my Super Cub to save the rubber.
There are several float plane tours leave out of there. Rust's Flying Service being one of them. They have been in business for many years but I have never personally used them or any at Lake Hood. My aircraft mechanic used to work out of Lake Hood so I was in there a time or two a year for work to be done.
Several of the Lake Hood flying services offer fishing trips as well over to the Lake Illamna region. Otherwise the area around Copper Center, near Glennallen and the Kenai, as well as north of Wasilla can be good fishing depending on the salmon runs and the time you are there. Just watch the fishing regulations as they are very complicated and heavily enforced. Regulation books are available at any of the sporting goods shops in the state.
For hiking, lots of trails in the state. My wife and daughters liked the ones off the road going out to Chena Hot Springs, north of Fairbanks. Many miles of trails in and around Anchorage and the Kenai region. Just be bear and moose safe.
All the SE towns are interesting in some fashion. Petersburg and Wrangell are not really tourist towns but are commercial fishing communities. Tourists are very welcome but you probably will have to furnish your own entertainment to a large extent. Cordova is much the same. Juneau, Douglas, Sitka, Ketchikan all have a lot of history and great photo opps. So does Skagway and Haines for that matter. I used to spend about 30 or 40 nights a year in Juneau, when the legislature was meeting. Just making sure the elected knew, and understood my employers needs, (not wants, as they were needs, LOL) as it related to them. LOL
Everything I have mentioned above, you will find one or more forum members, that know more about that subject, than I probably do. And most are very happy to share their knowledge and past experiences, with others. Just ask specific questions and you will get some excellent answers, as will others that wanted to ask about the same but just didn't for some reason.
