Alaska: Small Towns in Big Land

My friends and I like the food served in Anchorage better than the food served in different cities of Alaska.  Dinning experience in Anchorage is fabulous although it is not cheap.  (Dinner probably cost around 30 dollars with a glass of wine while lunch cost approximately 20 dollars with no drink, although three of us shared the food.)  I particularly enjoyed the dinning experience at ORSO.  The lunch at the Sacks Cafe was also great.  I was a bit tired of eating seafood, especially salmons when I arrived in Denali.  So, it was very refreshing to have buffalo wings and a fantastic view of the Nenana river at the McKinley Charlet Resort, which I both loved.  

Outdoor!  Outdoor!  Outdoor!  (Chanting like Steve Ballmer)  If you are not an outdoor person, Alaska is not a place for you.  The activities that I have enjoyed in Alaska are:

• Glacier Cruise  - That was my main purpose of this Alaska trip!  I saw what I cannot see in a daily life.
• ATV Ride - I was tired of trekking.  It was surprisingly fun and exciting!
• Chena Hot Springs Resort - I found nothing much to do in Fairbanks.  However, Chena has so many things to do, including horse-back riding and dog cart ride.

On the other hand, I was a bit exhausted with the bus trip in Denali National Park.  We bought the bus tickets to go to the Wonder Lake.  Obviously, we underestimated how comfortable the bus ride could be.  The tour took approximately 11 hours to complete.  The final destination of the bus trip was described as our bus driver said, "I wonder why people want to go to the Wonder Lake." 

I read one guidebook on Alaska.  Its author said that it was cheap to stay in Alaska.  He camped in a national park for days.  I could camp for one night.  However, I wanted to take a shower and sleep well.  I did not want to be worried about a bear attack while having a dinner at a camp.  There are a lot of rules and regulations to camp in a national park.  In addition, I originally planned to go to Alaska alone for the first time.  Therefore, camping was not a choice of the picky girl.  However, other choices in Alaska are expensive. I was surprised that I could not find a franchise-chain hotel offering less than 100 dollars per night.  However, luckily two of my friends wanted to join the trip and share the expenses.  So, I got more choices of accommodations than I did when I planned the solo journey.  I stayed at the following:

Anchorage:

• Alaska Backpackers Inn - Staff was friendly. It is very inexpensive.  I stayed here for less than 25 dollars per night by sharing a private room with my friends.  Even though no shuttle bus ran to airport, a taxi cost approximately 25 dollars only.  I had a good-night sleep at this inn.  However, a friend of mine could not sleep well because she heard chats and footsteps in a hallway.  It may be good to bring ear plugs.  In addition, for anyone who likes to take off shoes at home, do not forget to bring flip-flops, which are convenient to walk to a shared bathroom.
• Days Inn - It is a regular motel, but each of us paid approximately 45 dollars per night.  Alaskan accommodations are expensive and hard to book.  They do not offer a free breakfast but a free shuttle bus to the airport, which was helpful for us.

Denali:

• Denali Perch Resort - The Perch is a family-owned cabin type accommodation.  It is affordable in the expensive Denali National Park area.  However, I found several bad reviews on this place after I returned from the trip.  I kinda understand why some reviewers felt that way.  The Perch seemed to be understaffed.  We encountered the same trouble that some reviewers mentioned.  We got a little frustrated but laughed about it.  However, I could not laugh about the experience that others listed. 

Fairbanks:

• Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suite - The best experience ever in Alaska!  The staff was friendly. The hotel was fairly new, close to a strip mall, with the 24-hour Wal-Mart.  The room was clean and big, with two queen-size beds.  The hotel has a good set of amenities.  I love the free high-speed Internet available at the business center and complimentary hot breakfast buffet.  Thanks my friend for using rewards points to book this hotel!  The value was great! 

Go to Top

Alaska is the largest state of the United States.  I could not complete my trip just by walking, except for the downtown Anchorage.  So, we mostly used the mass transit systems:

• Coach Bus - We used this transport more often than other choices, because of the reasonable pricing.  It was very comfortable even in a long distance.  A bus driver usually gave insightful information about people in Alaska and their lives along the scenery.  However, be careful when you are in the restroom on board.  Sometimes, I had to push my arms against walls to stay still when I had a bumpy ride.  It cost me 80 dollars from Anchorage to Denali in 2009. 
• Air - Air travel is most efficient.  We traveled from Fairbanks to Anchorage by flight.  The price of the one-way ticket cost me approximately 133 dollars.  However, it saved a lot of time.  We did not even have a security check before getting on board.  I could see Mt. McKinley through a window as well.
• Rail - We traveled from Denali to Fairbanks by rail.  The 4-hour ride cost me 62 dollars.  It is probably the most expensive and slowest transportation option there.  However, Alaskan Railroad is one of the tourist attractions in summer.  The cars painted in yellow and blue made me feel nostalgic.  Only a few other passengers were there.  So, I just took the entire seat, extended my legs and enjoyed the Alaskan scenery as well as touring the train.  However, I would not stay there for 4 more hours. 
• Rental car - We did not include this option first, because of the expensive rental fee and gas price in Alaska.  However, the places where we wanted to visit are all located outside of Fairbanks.  We needed a car.  I guess it was worth renting a car for a day because it was so much fun to go to Chena and North Pole, Alaska.  It was the most comfortable and flexible transport option.  Renting a car cost us approximately 82 dollars, and filling a tank cost us around 20 dollars.     

Many guidebooks and sites have already stated what to bring.  In addition, I personally recommend the following items:

• Gloves on the glacier cruise - It is very cold.  Definitely you need them!
• Jacket with hood - Hats were recommended, but I found the hood was very convenient.  Preferably, rain-proof jacket is the best!  
• Binoculars - I wish I had one.

Go to Top