Hey Budget Queen!

[Sherry H]

Love all your suggestions! We are flying into Anchorage Sept. 4th. There are four of us and we will be rented a car for 1 week. We are leaving on Holland America Ryndam from Seward on Sept 11th. Will turn the car back in at Anchorage and take the train to Seward. Good idea? So, what would you do for the week we have the car and where would you stay? Should we get to Seward the night before we cruise and do something there? Our cruise leaves at 8:00 P.M. on the 11th. All tips appreciated!!

[Budget Queen]

Head to your library and take out Alaska travel books, including the MILEPOST. A "sample" would be to head north to Denali Park- overnight 2 nights, take the shuttle to Wonder Lake (no bugs that late), cont. to Fairbanks- 2-3 nights there, then back down the Parks Highway, overnight in Talkeetna, then back to Anchorage for touring and overnight. Then take the train the next am (cruise day) to Seward. Consider a 11:30am Kenai Fjords boat tour- will be back by 6pm- with plenty of time to get on your ship. Kenai Fjords will hold your bags during the sailing, then just cab to the ship. There is only one train leaving around 7am. If you want 2 days in Seward- by all means- do so, then adjust the other days. Pick up some cruise brochures and look at those routes, BUT some have way too much time in transit compared to at destinations, so use them only as a guide. :)

[Sherry H]

Thanks! Sounds pretty much what I was thinking, other than didn't know if we wanted to go as far North as Fairbanks? Now, what about lodges or hotels?

[Budget Queen]

Get your routing and time defined first, then look at lodging. Plenty to choose from.