Back in January a friend of mine posted this question on Facebook. "If you could travel anywhere within the US, where would you go?"  Well you guessed it, the majority of people answered Alaska!  Well friends, this began my discovery of Alaska and my profound appreciation for all of the Trip Advisor Destination experts. You know who you are, the one's that live and breathe Alaska, the ones that have visited multiple times and you, who live in this state!.  You've helped me plan the trip of a lifetime for me and my husband. Maple_Marshmallows, your itinerary advice was spot on and YOU made our trip that much better.  And to all the advisers, you did a great job in managing expectations, you kept it real.

Here's my trip report, I hope it helps!

What we planned...
Aug 5 - Arrive Anchorage at 1pm and drive to Denali.
Aug 6 - Awake in Denali for 6:15 am shuttle Bus tour to Wonder Lake.
Aug 7 - Awake in Denali for 7:30 am 1/2 day paddle raft tour from Denali Outdoor Center.
Aug 8 - Awake in Denali and Drive to Matanuska Glacier for 4:30 Trek.
Aug 9 - Awake in Glacier Valley and Drive to Girdwood to check out Wildlife Conservation Center.
Aug 10 - Awake in Girdwood and Drive to Whittier for 26 Glacier Cruise, Drive to Seward.
Aug 11 - Awake in Seward and explore parts of Harding Ice Field, Exit Glacier and Sealife Center.
Aug 12 - Awake in Seward meet with Joe Allen (Allen's Alaska Adventure) for Kayak trip to explore Kenai Fjords NP.
Aug 13 - Awake in Seward and catch up on things we missed as we drive to Anchorage for last night in AK.
Aug 14 - Depart Alaska

Now with all the details....but first
The week before I left, I had told myself to avoid all weather reports since the experts said it changed by the minute (which is true) and that temperature would be the only factual item reported (true again).  Did I listen to my inner self?  No. I started reading reports from people that complained about the rain, worried about the rain and then blogged about the rain. Some people were bursting my enthusiasm bubble.  So I stopped and I avoided certain posts.  I'm here to tell you that predictions of rain were mostly incorrect except for Seward, (which, being a rain forest does get rain!).  The bit of rain we did have was just some mild sprinkles and never stopped us from doing anything we wanted.  It created rainbows!

Now let's have fun and please relive my trip with me!

August 5 we depart at 7:am from Burbank Airport (BUR) with a very short (45 min) layover in Seattle (SEA).  The arrival and departure terminal were right next to each other so the very short layover in a very large airport did not matter at all.  We did carry-on so it made it that much easier.  And yes, you can use a backpack as your personal item despite what a customer service agent from Alaska Airlines told me. We landed on time at 1:55 pm and headed directly to Enterprise.
Enterprise, HUGE shout out here!  It was quick and easy and we got an upgrade to a Ford Tahoe just because they hadn't washed the midsize cars.  What a difference that made in our trip.  If you can do big, go BIG.  The drive is long, the roads are bumpy and it's so nice to be up high in a car that has all the bells and whistles, (especially when you're not paying the price for it!)  And you don't have to fill up as often. After using a step ladder to get into this beast we immediately went to The Moose's Tooth.  We got in after 2 so it was a short wait for some of the best pizza we've ever had.  It lived up to it's reputation and was a good carbo load for the long journey to Denali.  After a quick stop at Fred Meyer for what we thought would be essential needs, we started our trip.  I'm happy to state here and now that during our entire trip we rarely hit traffic, only had to stop a few times for construction zones and made it to all of our destinations in much less time than we'd expected.  I'll state here and now that I like to take pictures, so you can imagine how many times I yelled STOP (good practice for the Denali shuttle yell) when I needed my husband to stop and pull over safely for a photo opp.  A few times I was worried that he'd drive off without me, actually more than a few times!  Our first planned stop was in Talkeetna, we needed to walk around so it was nice to stretch our legs, do some people and dog watching and look at the local shops. This town was really cute and filled with character.  There was a local singer performing in the park providing some nice background music.  We didn't want to ruin our dinner so we stopped and had just a local brew at Twister Creek.  The menu looked very good, but we were waiting for the dinner I had planned to eat at McKinley Creekside Cafe.  Now remember I take pictures, so our drive was extended to the point that the Cafe would close before we got there.  This is where I got my first use of the Milepost..  After making a bad mistake and stopping at H&H Lakeside Restaurant (hey it looked cute) to grab a bite, we hightailed it out.  We liked the lake but not the smoke filled restaurant. Fortunately, the milepost (well worth the investment)  led us to the Mt. McKinley Princess lodge where the restaurant is open to the public. We got in just seconds before they were set to stop serving but they saw we were desperate and let us order.  We even ordered a to-go box lunch for a Denali shuttle trip. Wonderful restaurant with great people and lots of photo opps!  We hit the road again and got to watch what Alaska calls a sunset.  We finally pulled into our place at McKinely, the Carlo Loft at around midnight.  Wow, did I get lucky in getting this room.  I found out that it's the room the owners built for themselves when they stay on the grounds, and it was going to be our home for 3 nights.  Can't say enough great things about it.  So comfy with WiFi and a big TV and so quiet and private.  Day 1 is in the books and it was a long yet really fun day.

Aug 6 we're up early and head out to get on the 6:15 am shuttle.  We got a bit lost missed the turn off and our bus, but this didn't matter since you can hop on any shuttle as long as there's room, which there was.  We'd planned on going to Wonder Lake but the previous week's landslide was still blocking the road so that didn't happen.  No matter however since we had a full and prosperous day of viewing. Word of caution here, if you get off to take pictures and you leave all your stuff on the bus, and there isn't a husband or partner to stay "STOP, my wife is still out taking pictures", the bus driver will leave without you and you're belongings.  10 min stop means, 10 min. stop.  And by the way, we had a great shuttle driver, so informative and very punctual!  Whenever we saw any signs of wildlife, someone yells STOP and that's how it's done.  We saw a Mama Bear teaching her cubs how to dig for ground squirrels, caribou, moose..
.

And the glorious majestic mountain.

This was a full and magnificent day which exceeded all of our expectations.  We hoped we would see wildlife, didn't expect to see Denali and felt so unbelievably grateful for our blessings.
While still in awe of Denali, we hopped in the car to toast our good fortune at Prospector's Pizza.  With 52 beers on tap you'll have a good toast!

August 7 - We count our blessings and then some!  It's another early morning for us as we head to the Denali Outdoor Center (DOC) to suit up in our waterproof suits and do a 1/2 day paddle on the Nenana River.  Again we have a picture perfect day even though the weather sites are saying it's raining.  They said that yesterday, but as you can see from the pictures, it wasn't.  Suiting up is half the fun since you look like an inflatable punch toy.  We start with the safety lesson from one of the guides, he or she tells you all the things to do if someone goes overboard.  A person unlucky enough to go overboard is referred to as a swimmer.  I suggest you listen carefully because it can, it does and it DID happen.  Although when I asked how often it happens, I was told rarely. We set off with a nice small group consisting of me, my husband, Keith (AKA Coffee grinder) his wife and his son.  It's so peaceful on this river which starts with a nice gentle flow of cold glacier water. We get a spitting of rain along the riverbed with white puffy clouds, double rainbows, beautiful canyons and rock formations.  Simply breathtaking.  The first few miles is somewhat gentle but really depends on the water levels.  For us it was high so we hit rapids pretty quickly and instantly had some thrills.  These thrills continued, but our guide prepared them for us well and told us what to expect and when to expect them.  I don't think this ride is for the faint of heart, I would suggest the oar ride if you're nervous about this.  OK, so as we proceed down the river we need to pull off to the side since we think there may have been a "swimmer" and if so all boats pull aside and wait to hear if all is safe.  Once we get the OK that everyone is safe and sound, we paddle out and our guide allows us to jump in the water and test our waterproof suits. How fun this is!  Of course I did it never thinking how to get back in, but that's answered soon enough as our guide just grabs my suit and proceeds to pull each of us in.  It was so fun floating on our back and feeling the river, I suggest you do it if it is offered.  My husband didn't do it and wished he had.  As it turns out he was able to experience the river and the wet suit first hand. Coffee grinder is the last and most volatile rapid, at least for us.  We were warned that if one side of the raft is pulled down and you're close to the water, that side must lean into the boat.  Well for my husband and Keith (AKA Coffee Grinder), they were hit with the rapid so quickly that they both went over.  YEP, they became "swimmers".  We can laugh at this now since they both came up unharmed, but let me tell you I didn't sleep that night once I heard about and replayed in my mind just how bad this could have gone.  So listen to the safety talk and realize that it can happen but probably won't happen.  We had fun and my husband had a great story to tell after it was all over. That little incident did not stop us, NO.  We continued on and went back to hike The Savage Loop Trail in Denali where we saw more moose.  This is a nice easy trail, good for those that aren't regular or experienced hikers.  We finally return to our room only to leave again to have one of the best meals in all of Denali.  Make sure you check out 229 Parks.  And read about the chef whose been nominated for a James Beard award.  Beautiful presentation, delicious meal!
***sidenote - We bought the pictures from DOC and were so glad that we did.  Our fellow rafter just put his phone in a waterproof case and took videos and pics.  Fortunately his wife had it when he fell in. You are taking a chance, but he was lucky and his camera and pictures survived as well.

August 8 we leave Denali with a rainbow in front of us.  We're headed to the Matanuska Glacier for the 4:30 trek.  We've got lots of time so we stop in Talkeetna once again and eat at the historic Roadhouse.  It's fun to read the history and take a look at the rooms with bunk beds.  I didn't order the pancakes and wish I had since they looked so good, but with all the pastry items to choose from it was just too difficult to make a decision.  We heard the pie was great so we took a slice to go for our desert that night.  Good choice for us since we would be hungry after the trek. The TREK!  There are not enough superlatives to describe the beauty of Matanuska Glacier.  I highly recommend you do the guided tour.  If you're not experienced trekking a glacier you could step into a glacier moulin.  And if you don't know what a  
moulin is than you need that guide.  The guide will enrich your trek and keep you safe.
Sheep Mountain Lodge is a great place to stay.  Our room was huge with a full kitchen, comfortable beds and even included binoculars for you to use.  The restaurant is very good and the people working there were as nice as can be.  They have a cute little green house that has a full size Moose in it, fun for picture taking. 
***If you plan on taking the 4:30 trek and you need to eat before the 9:00 deadline for serving at Sheep Mountain's restaurant, ask your guide to check out your equipment while you're on the shuttle.  You'll need to hightail it out to get your order in on time.

August 9 while checking out from the Sheep Mount lodge to depart to Girdwood we ran into some great people from Austin. They must have been following Maple_Marshmallows itinerary since they had a very similar one as ours. It's great to meet so many people from other states and compare notes.  They suggested that we stop in Palmer and eat at Turkey Red and take Hatcher Pass up to Independence Mine.  I wasn't sure it we'd have time to do that, but we did and I was quite happy about that.  The early lunch (they stop serving breakfast at 10am) was healthy and delicious. The drive through Hatcher Pass was spectacular filled with babbling brooks, lush green hillsides and lots of places to explore. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the history of Independence gold mine.  I loved the picture taking, the hikes and the views of green, green hills and valleys.  Make the time for this if you can. We made a quick stop at Potters Marsh but I didn't think it was worth it.  We didn't see any birds that I couldn't see anywhere else, but I'm not a birder.  I do appreciate them, but I could have missed something rare and not have known it.  We're now approaching the scenic drive on the Seward Highway, on our way to Girdwood, so you know I'm yelling STOP all the time.  We made all the recommended stops including Beluga Point.  We didn't see whales but saw amazing views of the Turnagain Arm.  Our planned destination was the Wildlife Conservation Center and we got there in time to spend a good 2 plus hours there. There's so much to see and it's so fun to see the animals up close, and your money goes toward a great cause.  Highly recommended.

We're now checked into The Alyeska Hotel and I've got 10 min. to change before we head up to the tram for our dinner reservation at Seven Glaciers.  This was a tough decision since I also wanted to eat at Double Musky's but I figured the free Tram Ride was included with the dinner. The dinner is $$$$, but hey, you're on vacation.  The service was wonderful and we had fine dining. They say that every table features panoramic views of glaciers and waterfalls, I didn't find that to be the case.  The Glacier Room may, but that room is reserved and I was never offered that option when I made the reservation.  Ask about it in advance and see if you can get in there. This has been a long day filled with beautiful weather, scenery, wild animals and views of glaciers.  Now it's time for bed to get ready for our trip to Whittier.

August 10 we find ourselves in line for the Whittier Tunnel.  I took a video as recommended, but I can save you 5 min. of video and battery time.  The first 30 seconds looks the same as the last 30 seconds. We had literally no wait time entering the tunnel and only a few minutes wait for departure.  But do check the schedule, you'll want to know what time it closes from Whittier. We had debated about where to eat breakfast and wanted to be sure we didn't miss our departure time for Phillips 26 Glacier Cruise.  Best decision we made was to wait until we got to Whittier since we found the loveliest of hotels to eat at. The Inn at Whittier has a wonderful restaurant that offers panoramic views of Prince William Sound.  Allow some extra time and start your day off with breakfast.  Yes, we had signed up for the free lunch with the cruise, but we gave our lunch tickets to a large family that was appreciative of that.  And who wants to be inside waiting for fish and chips when you can be on the deck viewing glaciers and dall porpoises? The 26 glacier cruise turned out to be filled with unparalleled beauty. We had heard that it had rained 12 straight days, but today was filled with crystal blue skies, puffy clouds and glorious glaciers.  Yes, luck was on our side again!

Throughout this trip I'd been trying to get a picture of the Alaska Railroad Train.  Again I was so lucky as the train was dropping off a trainload of Princess Cruise passengers.  I was just as excited to see this train up close as I was to see the glaciers.  I guess it was all those years watching Engineer Bill on TV! 

Onward and upward to Seward! We've got 3 nights planned and tonight will be the first one. I had a list of so many places to eat, but I think I just wanted to gaze at the harbor some more so we drove straight to Rays Waterfront.  Surprising, we were seated right next to the friendly Austin family that I met back at Glacier Valley.  I guess Alaska isn't all the big after all. My husband got to tell his near drowning experience (which by then had gotten scarier and more intense) and we caught up with each other's adventures, compared our Alaska highlights.  Good times were had by all!

August 11 is a leisurely morning for us, but that's all relative.  On the docket is Exit Glacier, hiking the first part of the Harding Ice Field, the Alaska Sea Life Center, dinner and then a walk on the pier to see today's catch.  Phew, that's leisurely??  First I must go back. We had the best sleep the night before underneath the comfiest of comforters and the coziest of cabins at Stone Creek Inn.  Oh how I wished I'd had time to take a sauna and sit in their hot tub next to the babbling stream in the back.

Back in the car and we're exiting to Exit Glacier, (couldn't resist).  Some say if you've trekked Matanuska you may find Exit Glacier disappointing.  Not us!  The hike up there was just the prettiest experience, being in the rain forest is quite new to us and we appreciated all that it had to offer. We took the shorter and easier hike since we didn't have time for anything longer.  It's very easy to do and we even saw someone who needed the use of a wheelchair. Nice to see that they have a wheelchair accessible loop.  It's quite different than Matanuska and offers it's own uniqueness. There's so much foliage to admire and once you get to the top you have stunning views.  It's quite sad however to see how far this glacier has receded. After burning some energy it was time to refuel, and we picked what would become my favorite dining experience in Seward, The Seward Brewing Co. Not to be missed is their salted watermelon salad.  And of course you must top it off with chocolate salty balls!!  After that meal we've found some more energy and it's off to the Sea Life Center we go.  I'm glad we went here before our Kenai Peninsula tour since it was nice to be able to identify and or look for the animals that we observed here.  It was easy for us to spend about 2 1/2 hours laughing at the puffins and admiring the sea life.  We've got a few hours left, so off to the harbor we go to see what the fisherman have hauled in.  These guys are sure good with a fillet knife.  You can get up close and watch them fillet the halibuts and learn all about halibut cheeks.  I didn't even know they had cheeks.  Now that they've whetted our appetite for fish, we're off to Thorns for their famous bucket of butt.  This is a lively place full of good energy and good halibut.  We were able to cheer on the USA Olympic teams and watch Michael Phelps win another gold medal.  Good memories of our first full day in Seward.  And yes, it rained, in fact it rained most of the day, and no it didn't bother us or ruin any plan of ours in the least! It just made things prettier.

August 12 has been etched in my mind for months. This is the date I've been looking forward to more than any other. We're going kayaking with Joe Allen, Allen's Alaska Adventure, My Adventure!  I've told everyone about it, I've dreamed about it, I've read all his glowing reviews!  But mother nature had other plans. I'd been in contact with Joe for months about this trip.  We spoke on the phone several times and I knew this was a guy I wanted to spend an entire day with.  He loves Alaska; it's his playground after all.  He lives and breathes it and his enthusiasm for Alaska comes through every word he speaks.  Joe had told me to give him a call a few days before the trip to confirm the details, at this time he told me his concern about the waves, since safety is first and foremost with him.  We waited until the night before to get the word from Joe as to the possibility of this trip.  This is the part where I rave about Joe. Joe is a stand-up guy, he tells it straight and he told us what a trip would be like in the rain and in the fog.  His priority is his clients, he wants them safe and he wants them to experience his Alaska.  He let us know that the fog was going to be too thick and that we wouldn't be able to see what we'd hoped to see, and that we would just be wet and uncomfortable in his boat.  He could have taken our money and let us find out the hard way, but that's not the way Joe does business.  I'd had an inkling that this was going to be the case so I called up both Kenai Ford Tours and Major Marines to see if they had room for us on their NW Fjord 8-9 hour cruise.  Both had plenty of room.  I asked Joe if he thought we should go on one of these cruises instead, and he enthusiastically said YES!  He recommended Kenai Ford Tours because it is a faster boat, he wanted us to stay dry and to see his playground.  We so appreciated his honesty and his recommendation.  Yes, it was a rainy and foggy day, but we were warm and had lots of shelter.  I was wet because I chose to stay out on the deck, but I dressed properly for the rain and didn't mind.  Would we have been happy on a kayak, NO.  We saw a total of 4 kayaks out that day and we were happy that Joe had steered us to this bigger warmer boat.  Because I really wanted to meet Joe, we made arrangements to meet at The Gold Rush for breakfast.  Sure enough he was as charming as ever.  He gave us more tips on where to go and what to see.  He's the kind of businessman that restores your faith in doing business. He's honest, hardworking and is just a great guy!  
The 8 1/2 tour is a wonderful way to see the NW fjords.  We saw more waterfalls than one can imagine, whales, bald eagles and dall porpoises.  But most exciting to me, I finally saw and heard the thunderous sound of a calving glacier.  

Time for dinner now.  With all that sea air and all the sensory overload, one can really get tired. We went to Chinooks for dinner, but being so tired I don't think I was able to appreciate it as much as other reviewers did. My husband's steak had way too much gristle in it and my cod seemed a little overcooked.  The portions are quite big and the view is very pleasant.  You can sit outside and see sweet little otters playing in the harbor.

August 13 is bittersweet for us. Today is our last day of what has turned out to be a trip of a lifetime.  We take the advice that Joe Allen gave us during breakfast and head over to Seavey's IdidaRide Sled Dog Tour.  This was so fun and so surprising for me since it's the one and only tour I hadn't researched or planned.  Not only did we get to take a sled dog tour with the fastest dogs in Alaska, but I also got to hold an 8 day old puppy that nuzzled and made cooing noises in my neck.  And with my love of taking pictures and having good photo memories, I also got to try on the clothes that the Mushers wear.  This is a very informative tour and one that I'm glad I didn't miss. 

The drive back to Anchorage is as beautiful as ever.  Driving is usually the last thing this Los Angeles lady wants to do, but in Alaska it's been one of my favorite experiences.  And being lucky by not hitting traffic or construction delays has really added to the enjoyment.  I only ask my husband to stop one time when I see some kite surfers along the Turnagain Arm. That's one photo (out of over a 1,000) I must have!  We pull into Anchorage around 4 pm and head over to the Saturday Anchorage Market.  I'd hoped that we would be able to pick up some souvenirs that we hadn't had time for through our travels.  This was not the case.  I wouldn't recommend this market at all, I didn't see anything unique and felt it was a waste of the 30 minutes it took.  Good news is I was in time to discover the BEST TIP that I can offer you in this trip report.  I'd previously made a 7:45 dinner reservation at Simon and Seafort's but had also kept in mind their early bird special.  We were hungry and it was just before 6 pm, so why not take a look.  Well, it turns out that the early bird gets the worm and the BEST table in the house.  You're seated in the bar and given your choice of any table.  And you get to choose from their main dining menu or their special early bird menu.  I made a beeline to the best table in the restaurant where we proceeded to have a scrumptious dinner from their main menu.  By the time 7:30 rolled around, we could have auctioned our table to the highest bidder; they were circling round us like wolves.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect trip.  We created memories that will last a lifetime. 

Alaska, you're one great state filled with wonderful people.  

Good Night and Good bye.....