Anchorage AK Vacation Ideas

Heading north out of Anchorage you reach what Alaskans call the MatSu or Matanuska-Susitna region of Alaska. This is the fastest growing region of Alaska where many of the people working in Anchorage live. The MatSu encompasses the area east of the Susitna River, south of the Talkeetna Mountains, and north of Knik Arm of Cook Inlet, and includes the towns of Wasilla and Palmer. The Matanuska Valley is well known for the large vegetables grown in the fertile soils and long days of the areas summer growing season. Palmer is also home to the Alaska State Fair that takes place every fall around the end of August.

The Glenn Highway follows the Matanuska River east through the towns of Palmer and Sutton, while the George Parks Highway heads west through Wasilla, then north along the Susitna and on to Denali and Fairbanks.

Denali Bus Tours See bears, caribou and wolves in their natural habitat.	Exit Glacier, Seward AK. Take a drive or ride on a tour bus to the base of “Exit Glacier”.	Bear Viewing Tours Throughout Alaska, bears are one of the top attractions.	Anchorage Wildlife Viewing Be sure to visit the “Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center”, Girdwood.

Alaska By Road or Rail

Fairbanks is located in the heart of Alaska's Interior. By air, Fairbanks is about a 45 minute flight from the Anchorage Airport via commercial jetliners. By car it’s a scenic 358 mile or a 6 hour drive north from Anchorage up the Parks Highway passing along side the entrance to Denali Park. The Alaska rail tour is an overnight affair from Anchorage that often has stops in Talkeetna and Denali before arriving in Fairbanks. Extra nights and tour options in Denali or Talkeetna are available from the Alaska Railroad site, be sure to check it out as this is a great way to see Alaska's interior if your not inclined to drive.

Also northbound from Anchorage along the Parks Highway are some very popular tourist destinations. Of these, Denali National Park remains as one of the most well known and justly so. Denali is a magnificent sight and the facilities for tourists are truly first class.

But before you ever reach Denali Park you are welcomed be a variety of authentic Alaskan destinations each with its own character to be enjoyed. The towns of Wasilla, Houston, Willow, and Talkeetna are just some of the more well known of these locations.

If it’s a one day’s drive you’re looking to take, try the day trips to Independence Mine State Park located in the mountains above Palmer and Wasilla.

Kenai Peninsula

The Kenai Peninsula is the vacation heartland of Alaska offering trail-laced mountains with outstanding roadside access, Salmon and Halibut fishing to the west, and the Kenai Fjords tours and grand glaciers to the south. Visitor facilities are more developed here than most areas around the state.

The two most popular destinations for visitors are the towns of Homer and Seward. Homer is famous for its outstanding halibut fishing as well as for the chartered boat trips to the villages of Halibut Cove and Seldovia. But one area of Homer always seems to entice visitors of all ages year after year, the famous Homer Spit that jets two and one half miles out into the waters of Kachemak Bay.

Now Seward on the other hand is the primary launching point for large and small tours to the massive glaciers and beautiful deep inlets of Kenai Fjords National Park. If time is limited and there is just time for one major stop on the Peninsula, make it Seward and you can rest assured your visit will be a memorable one.

The distance between our favorite tourist points is shorter as is the drive from Anchorage to Seward. It’s also accessible by rail from Anchorage via the exceptionally scenic trip on the Alaska Railroad.

Anchorage Area Tours and Vacation Ideas.

Trout Fishing in Jewel Lake This stocked lake is popular with families year round.	Anchorage Salmon Fishing The where, when, and how of salmon fishing in Anchorage.	Ship Creek Fishing Wow, excellent fishing in the heart of Anchorage.	Anchorage Fishing Lodge Where the lodges are in the Anchorage area.

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