By Joe Byers
This article originally appeared in the October 2011 issue of Outdoors Unlimited (http://owaa.org/ou/october-2011).
Make plans to road trip during your travels for the 2012 OWAA conference. The author saw these grizzlies while touring the Kenai Peninsula. Photo by Joe Byers.
Alaska is by far the largest state, yet has the smallest paved road system. Even so, a person can drive from Fairbanks, in the interior, through Anchorage, all the way to Homer, on the coast, in about 10 hours. The point being: drive a little, see a lot. You can’t just fly to Fairbanks and then back home. Plan a pre- or post-conference trip, or both.
In 1985, I delivered a Chevy Suburban press car from Seattle, Wa., to Anchorage and chose the coastal Cassiar route for a taste of the traditional, all-gravel Alaska Highway. The highlight of the Cassiar was visiting Hyder, a small Alaska town that’s more of a secret than a California governor’s love child. Hyder is about 900 miles north of the Canadian border, so you can visit Alaska before you get there, so to speak. It’s a quaint town of about 100 people, yet has great views of the Tongass National Forest, plus salmon fishing, bears, eagles, glaciers and more. The Cassiar is a windy, gravel mountain road that eventually links up with the Alaska Highway at Watson Lake.
Flying to Fairbanks and renting a car is also a good road trip strategy. In addition, visitors routinely travel to one part of Alaska and depart from another. Why not fly to Fairbanks, take the train to Anchorage, rent a car, and fly home from there?
Alaska in a Week
I promised my grandson an Alaskan adventure when he turned 16 years old and pondered at length what to do: a wilderness lodge, a fly-in camp or a road trip. Thankfully, I chose the latter and we spent seven days exploring the Kenai Peninsula, experiencing many of the state’s iconic animals, landforms and recreation.
We rented a Ford Explorer in Anchorage, thinking we needed four-wheel drive. But we didn’t. A midsize car will meet your needs and save gas. Here’s our story in a nutshell:
Day one: Drove to Seward, saw Dall sheep along the highway, hiked to Portage Glacier, took great wildlife photos at Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and onto Seward.
Day two: Chartered for silver salmon and halibut in Resurrection Bay, saw the Alaska SeaLife Center and gorged on beer-battered halibut.
Day three: Float-fished the Upper Kenai River with Alaska River Adventures and reached our limit of sockeye.
Day four: Stopped at the Alaska Horsemen, rode into the mountains, panned for gold, fished on our own, and ate 100-year-old pancakes at Alaska Sourdough B&B.
Day five: Stayed at the Diamond M Ranch in Soldotna where we watched a black bear stalk caribou from the deck of our $100 per night cabin. Walked to the Russian River and caught and released salmon galore; fished with Hardy’s Alaskan Adventures.
Day six: Drove to Homer, played golf, kayaked, hiked, and stayed overnight at the upscale Tutka Bay Wilderness Lodge.
Day seven: Chartered from Captain Bob’s in Homer and caught a boat load of fish, literally. Had them filleted and frozen for our return trip the next day.
Regrettably, bad weather prevented a flight to Katmai National Park and a brown bear viewing trip. One participant termed it a “life-altering experience.”
When a 60-year-old and a 16-year-old set off on a road trip, a lot can go wrong. Fortunately, the Kenai offered so much adventure, we didn’t have time to disagree. I even tied his golf score! ♦
Author’s Note: The Kenai Peninsula Tourism Marketing Council was very helpful with making reservations and suggesting activities. For assistance, contact the director at shanon@kenaiPeninsula.org or 907-262-5229.
A member since 1986, Hagerstown, Md., resident Joe Byers is a still photographer with credits appearing in numerous publications. Byers has been to Alaska a dozen times since 1963. Contact him at joebyers@erols.com.
No comments yet.