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Weekly Updates[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
With the sun still in the cusp of summer, the urge to make the most of every moment of luxuriant, coatless daylight rises in Alaskans like sap in trees.
Weekend trips are a great way to escape the city, the office and the day-to-day while sampling some of the state's more exotic local flavors.
The Internet has matured into an ideal tool to help travelers get started preparing an itinerary for adventures that suits your tastes.
In 2006, 68 percent of Alaska's 1.1 million visitors used the Internet to plan their vacations here, according to the "Summer Alaska Visitors Arrival Study" conducted by the McDowell Group.
Christie M. Johansen, marketing coordinator for Alaska Travel Industry Association, said the Internet has blossomed into a powerhouse for promoting the Alaska industry travel for businesses of all sizes.
For example, TravelAlaska.com, which the travel association maintains by contract with the state, had 306,792 "unique" visitors in the month of March, she said.
Johansen said the travel association has an entire program designed to encourage Alaskans to "Get Out," in the words of their latest direct mail ad campaign.
An instate TV spot also plugs the message that Alaskans should "explore their own backyards," she said.
From glaciers and scenic drives to river rafting, hiking, salmon and halibut fishing trips, berry picking, flight-seeing and day cruises--here are a few of the highlights in easy driving distance from Alaska's largest city.
What follows is a mile-by-mile guide of the highlights along the highway enroute to an overnight stop. Day 2 includes more highlights along the highway. As things to see and do along the way are abundant, we suggest saving some of these stops to break up the drive home on Day 3.
WEEKEND GETAWAY NO. 1
South on the Seward Highway
Day 1--Anchorage to Girdwood The 127-mile Seward Highway is a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road. The highway begins in Seward at Mile 0 and ends in Anchorage.
For the first 50 miles, the highway snakes between the base of the Chugach Mountains and the shores of Turnagain Arm.
Mile 117--The first point of interest is the Potter Marsh Boardwalk. Part of the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge, the 16-mile Potter Marsh area was created in 1917 with the construction of the Alaska Railroad embankment. At least 130 species of birds have been sighted in the marsh. Populations peak in April through mid-May when water-birds stop on their way to northern breeding grounds, and in late July and August when shorebirds begin to gather in preparation for winter migration.
Mile 115--Potter Section House Railroad Museum houses National Archive photos and model railroads to help illustrate life in the area before the road existed.
Across the road from the section house is the Turnagain Arm Trailhead, which connects to Windy Point, 9.5 miles, or to McHugh Creek, 3.5 miles.
Mile 112--McHugh Creek picnic area offers picnic sites, scenic views of Rabbit Lake and a thundering waterfall.
Mile 106--Windy Corner and Beluga Point Interpretive sites, Mile 110.3 on the Seward Highway, are good places to pull over and look for bald eagles, beluga whales and Dall sheep. Beluga Point is the site of the earliest evidence of humans along Turnagain Arm. Historically Alaska Native hunters used the point to spot beluga whales and Dall sheep.
Mile 104--Indian Valley Mine was founded in 1910 by Peter Strong on the north side of Turnagain Arm, opposite the Gold Rush supply towns of Sunrise and Hope. The cabin and the Assay building are some of the oldest structures on Turnagain Arm and are listed as National Historic Sites. The Indian Valley Mine and the Monarch Mine on upper Crow Creek were the only significant lode gold-mining ventures on the north side of Turnagain. Both mines still offer tours and gold-panning opportunities.
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Mile 90--Girdwood began as a mining camp in the 1900s and today is home to the Alyeska Resort and The Hotel Alyeska. The all-seasons resort is best known for its world-class skiing and snowboarding. Consider staying overnight in Girdwood before heading on to the Kenai Peninsula.
Girdwood to Seward
Day 2--Seward Highway South Spend some time in Girdwood exploring Crow Creek Gold Mine, the Kobuk Valley Jade Co. and Alaska Candle Factory. Enjoy a meal at one of Girdwood's eateries before getting back on the highway.
Heading south on the Seward Highway, notice the remains of a ghost forest destroyed in the 1964 earthquake when the land sank and saltwater flooded the area.
Mile 80--The remains of Old Portage are visible. The town flooded and was abandoned after the 1964 Good Friday earthquake, which caused the earth to sink as much as 10 feet.
Mile 78.9--Portage Glacier is among Alaska's most visited tourist attractions. Cruises to the face of the glacier are offered as well as several guided hikes led by Chugach National Forest Service staff.
Visit the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center at Portage to learn about glacial and geological history or continue on Portage Glacier Road to the town of Whittier and learn more about its history as a military port and railroad terminus during World War II. Today Whittier is a port of call for cruise ships as it has connections to Anchorage and Interior Alaska via the highway and the railroad.
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Mile 79--The Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a wildlife rehabilitation center, is an excellent spot for wildlife viewing and photography.
Mile 75-69--From Portage, the Seward Highway climbs about 1,000 feet where it cuts through Turnagain Pass. Watch for wildlife, flowers and berry picking in this area.
Mile 56.6--Hope Highway Junction is a 17.7-mile paved road leading to the old gold rush town of Hope. Food and spirits, camping, salmon fishing, a mining museum and gold panning are a few of the things that make this tiny gem on the southern shores of Turnagain Arm a favorite getaway for Alaskans.
Mile 52.7--Beyond the Hope Highway junction, the highway twists and turns through steep mountains and thick forests. In some places one can still see evidence of gold-mining activity here in the early 1900s.
Mile 47.2--Lower Summit Lake is a favorite photo stop.
Mile 45.5--Picturesque Summit Lake Lodge was built by hand in the 1950s. Nestled in the heart of the Chugach National Forest, the lodge includes a gift shop, rooms for rent, and a restaurant. The dining room atrium offers views of Summit Lake.
Mile 42.2--Notice the rust colored trees along the highway. On the Kenai Peninsula, about 1.1 million acres of spruce forest have been destroyed by spruce bark beetles.
Mile 37--The Sterling Highway meets the Seward Highway here. See Getaway No. 2 to explore the Sterling Highway and the communities of Sterling, Soldotna, Ninilchik and Anchor Point before reaching its terminus at the end of the Homer Spit.
Mile 37.7--Tern Lake is an excellent spot for bird watching and photography.
Mile 32.5--A short trail leads visitors to Moose Creek Salmon Viewing Platform. In late July and early August the creek is packed with spawning sockeye. Occasionally, bald eagles and black bear are spotted feeding here.
Mile 23--Nellie Neal Lawing arrived in Alaska in 1915 at the age of 42. The camp cook, big-game hunter and guide transformed her roadhouse into a museum for her trophies and collections. Visit Alaska Nellie's homestead, which also is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mile 22.7--Spectacular Kenai Lake stretches for 24 miles from the headwaters of the Kenai River west to the mouth of the Snow River to the east. It's sunlight reflecting off the glacial silt suspended in the water that produces the lake's milky-blue color.
Mile 3--Exit Glacier is the only part of the Kenai Fjords National Park accessible by road. See an active glacier, or take a ranger-led walk. It is a place where you can witness up close how glaciers re-shape a landscape. The area is open year-round, though the road closes to cars in mid-November.
Mile 0--Seward is at the foot of Mount Marathon on Resurrection Bay, and is the gateway to the Kenai Fjords National Park. The bay was named in 1792 by Russian fur trader Alexander Baranof because it was the Russian Sunday of the Resurrection when he found shelter there in a storm while sailing from Kodiak to Yakutat. Seward was named after U.S. Secretary of State William Seward who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia during the Lincoln Administration. This outdoor playground offers a rich variety of activities from kayaking, fishing and hiking to day trips into the Kenai Fjords National Park to observe the glaciers and marine life such as otters, sea lions and puffins. Visit the Alaska SeaLife Center, Kenai Fjords National Park Information Center, and the Seward Museum.
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WEEKEND GETAWAY NO. 2
Leave Anchorage and head South on the Seward Highway. Stay overnight at Summit Lake Lodge before heading to the Sterling Highway and down the road to Homer for the night.
(Anchorage to Summit Lake, Mile 45.5, travel highlights are included as part of Getaway No. 1)
South on the Seward Highway
Day 1--Anchorage to Summit Lake Lodge
Mile 45.5--Stop overnight at Summit Lake Lodge. Nestled in the heart of the Chugach National Forest, the hand-hewn lodge offers rooms for rent, a restaurant, bar, gift shop, espresso bar and ice cream parlor.
Sterling Highway South
Day 2--Summit Lake to Homer When you've soaked in your fill of the scenery and silence at Summit Lake, hop back on the highway and head for the Sterling Highway junction at Tern Lake.
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