alaska

[maddmike]

travelling to alaska at the end of the month. since you guys are a bunch of hearty travelers (or so it seems), looking for any info on good spots to check out while in the anchorage area.

no, i will not have the jeep

cheers.

[Tumbleweed]

Take a local plane flight or drive a rental down to Homer. Fishing port, great 1/2 day charters for Halibut. You will be there during the prime Salmon and Halibut runs. If you go the other way to Seward you can check out the glaciers or tour the water wildlife from a boat. The Puffins are cool.
Take a tour on a dog sled, even in summer they have wheels on the sleds-amazingly fast.
The inland train runs from Anchorage to Fairbanks past Denali if you have time.
If in Fairbanks, the museum at the University of Alaska is awesome. (I worked next door to it)
Any kind of trip to Denali is worth it.

[Britain]

Heres a link to local press. Be sure to read the story on the ship floating on its side full of mazdas. If they get it to Anchorage while your there you may get good deal


http://www.anchoragepress.com/

[maddmike]

thanks for the suggestions, yes I have a trip to denali in planning...that's my main attraction for the weekend.

i think i'll definitely check out the fishing boat tour, would be great to catch some fish. i'd go it alone into the local streams but i'm about as inexperienced a fisherman as you'll find...

[Tumbleweed]

I would suggest only the half day trip on a charter boat that holds max of 15-18 people. You get much better attention from the crew that way; and a half day will wear you out. They do the out of state license and everything you need, including lunch if wanted-right there on the dock. The "mate" is going to be the one to bait your hook, untangle the lines, give you hints, and clean your fish. Tip him at the end of the day. They can flash freeze your catch right on the docks and ship it to your home.
The "cheek meat" of the halibut is a delicacy, don't get talked out of it.
I would only take a cheapo disposable camera on the boat. They seem to lose them over the side on a regular basis. Same thing with your several hundred dollar sunglasses.
You will have a limit of fish you can keep, used to be 6. But, most boats will let you throw back the small ones if they are uninjured-and keep fishing for the big ones. A "barn door" halibut can easily go over 200 lbs.
BTW, most pub type eateries in AK; use halibut for the fish and chips-wonderful.

[maddmike]

Originally posted by Tumbleweed
A "barn door" halibut can easily go over 200 lbs.

so I've heard. that is one hell of a fish.

thanks for all the fishing tips, i think i'm definitely going to make this one of my daily excursions and will likely stay down in homer for some good eats after a hard day of fishing. now if only i can find a charter plane to take me from anchorage for the day....