Suggested Tour of Alaska
I spent 7 summers driving a motor coach giving tours. I know the roads and good stops from Anchorage to Valdez to Fairbanks to Denali Park and back to Anchorage. I have been to most places on the rest of the highway system, but not all. The intent of this page is to give the prospective motorcycle traveler an idea of what is up here. While many people enjoy different things, there are some "must see" things. One of the "perks" of being in tourism is free admissions into attractions. So I have probably seen or done most of the attractions mentioned.
Be sure and get a copy of the Milepost it is the bible of the north!!! Use it for planning your trip and bring it with you for reference as you travel.
The best time to visit is mid May to mid July. (Unless we have an oddball year, which happens some times.) If you try to get here too early, you can run into snow. Usually by mid July we start our monsoon season. To do the majority of things on this page would take in the neighborhood of 2 weeks. (in Alaska) The longer you can spend in Alaska...the better....you won't get board here!!!! If you have the entire summer off, consider a summer job up here. They are not hard to find and many offer room and board. You won't get rich, but will be able to travel on your time off.
Don't plan a tight schedule. Places are far apart. Some things are interesting, some aren't. You need to spend the time on things you enjoy and skip over the things you don't. I am also going to assume you are camping or staying in lower priced hotels. The "nice" hotels are usually booked full by the tour companies.
I would also suggest taking the Alaska Ferry one way on your trip up here. You can get on in Bellingham, WA or save a few bucks and get on in Prince Rupert, BC on the southern end. Up north you can get off in Haines or Skagway. They have a once a month boat to Seward too. By going to Seward you would miss the entire Alcan. I will start you out assuming you took the Alcan.....to Tok
When you get to Tok, Alaska see where the weather is best.....Anchorage or Fairbanks and head towards the best weather. I will take you to Fairbanks first. Fast Eddy's is where we usually stop for a bite to eat in Tok.
Stop at Delta Jct. visitor center and get a picture, with your bike at the "end of the Alaska Hwy. "monument. Just a few miles down at Big Delta Rikas Road House is historical and has good silk pie. There is also an interesting above ground pipeline crossing over the river.
If you are into Christmas stuff stop at
Santa Claus House when you pass
through North Pole.
Fairbanks
..........Don't miss the University
of Alaska Museum great stuff
there. Some of the other "touristy stuff" you may enjoy....Riverboat
Discovery, Gold
Dredge No. 8, El Dorado Gold
Mine,
Alaskaland
(Good Salmon Bake also show at
Palace Theatre & Saloon), Pipeline view. If you
want to cross the Arctic Circle, Larry's
Flying Service is good. You can also ride your bike there, but it is
a dirt road. There are quite
a few campgrounds in
Alaska. We usually stay at Norlite, while in Fairbanks. It is close to most activities.
Ester is just a stones throw south of Fairbanks. Visit the
Malemute Saloon The show is
good and they have an all you can eat crab feed and rooms at the
Ester Gold Camp. We stay here if
we are going to "hotel it" in Fairbanks. Inexpensive rooms, ($65.00 range) but
have to share a bath.
When you head out of Fairbanks on the Parks Hwy be sure and stop
at Skinny Dicks Halfway Inn (mile 328) nuff said. If you are into flowers you
may enjoy stopping in Nenana (mile 304)...but to be honest there isn't much
going on there.
Denali National Park & Preserve In
Healey (11 miles north of the park, mile 248) there is a good campground where
tents can be placed under the trees, it is located at the Chevron Station. If
you are hoteling it, the prices are cheaper, and you stand a better chance of
getting a room, than at the park.
There are a ton of activates at Denali. White water river rafting gives you the best bang for the buck.
There are Tent Cabins for around $25.00 at
Denali Grizzly Bear camp ground (they also have
regular cabins). McKinley/Denali Salmon
Bake, Cabins & Gifts......good food. They also
have Tent cabins $55.00. Take a shuttle bus into the
park lots of wildlife and good views of McKinley (They
don't allow private vehicles in the park, so you HAVE to take a shuttle bus. Allow full day for the trip).
Once you get Past Cantwell there will be good views of
Mt. McKinley (if it is out) and many photo stops all along the way. Buyers
Lake Veterans Memorial, mile 148 is a neat stop.
One of the best views of McKinley is at the pull off at mile 135.
Mile 100, turn off to Talkeetna....Must see stop!! It is 14 miles from the turnoff into town. Just before town there is also a pull off with a spectacular view of McKinley. If you are into taking a flight seeing trip around Mt. McKinley, this is the best place to do it, both from a price and experienced pilot point of view. Hudson Air Service Inc. , K2 Aviation and Doug Geeting Aviation are all top notch companies.
Mile 42...Wasilla...my area....Iditarod
Headquarters...Palmer (next town over)...
Musk Ox Farm, Reindeer
Farm, Palmer Visitor Center.
Anchorage....
Museum of History and Art(must stop)....Shop 4th Ave.
(tourist area)...Mr. Whitekeys Flyby Night Club (Best
show in state), Aviation Museum, Native Heritage
Center
Great views headed south along Turnigan Arm. Stop at
Girdwood...Take tram to top of mountain...Eat at Bake
Shop (Must Stop)...Check out Jade shop.
Portage
Glacier....visitor center....boat ride to glacier.
Head south to Seward......Sea
Life Center......Kenai Fjord Tours :
Alaska Glacier Cruises : is well worth the money!!....Exit
Glacier.....Fishing Charter
Run over to Homer and check out the "Homer
Spit"...neat little Town...Salty Dog Saloon (Must See),
Fishing charter.
Head back towards Anchorage At Portage Glacier, you
can go to Whittier, catch the
ferry to
Valdez it is about a
90 mile boat ride (need reservations). Also
Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise out of Whittier is great trip....well worth
the money!!! Valdez is a beautiful place scenery wise. Things to do
include fishing, oil terminal, museum, day cruise. If you skip
this....Go back to Anchorage to Palmer and take the
Glen Hwy. beautiful ride. Eureka good place for lunch
and gas to Glen Allen Caribou good place to eat.
From here if you want to go to Valdez, hang a right (115 miles). Be sure and
leave Glen Allen with a full tank of gas!!! Not much in the way of gas between
there and Valdez.
Beautiful ride!!!!! Great river view a couple miles from
Glen Allen. As you get close to Valdez stop at
Worthington Glacier (must see).
Then you will go over Thompson Pass and through Keystone Canyon.....Beautiful.....2 water falls.
Then on into Valdez. Museum....Pipeline club (Where
Hazelwood was before he ran aground with Exxon
Valdez) Tour pipeline terminal, fishing, Prince William
Sound Cruises ( Stan Stevens has a good trip to
Growler Island for salmon bake). River rafting through
Keystone Canyon. Many companies promote Columbia Glacier in there tour
info.......keep in mind, you can see it.....from a distance of 5 miles away!!!
Back to Glen Allen, (leave with a full tank of gas) take the Tok Cutoff (about
20 miles past Glen Allen) (Tok cutoff road is around 130 miles to Tok). Just past Tok, You can take the
Highway (dirt) through
Chicken and into Dawson City,
YT. Do a little Gambling...Great historic town. Go to
Whitehorse. You can go to Skagway and catch the ferry
or just check it out and come back to the Alcan.
I you stay on the Alcan, and skip Dawson City see my Alaska Highway Page. If you plans include going to Haines to catch the ferry, you would stay on the Alcan to Haines Jct and hang a right towards Haines. Be sure and fill up with gas at Haines Jct., as it is about 130 miles to Haines without a dependable place to get gas in between.
You will enjoy your trip to Alaska!!!! If you have any particular questions feel free to email me.
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