Tiki's are heading to Alaska - must do caches and Denali Hwy questions

[+tiki]

Aloha my cold, far-north friends! The Tiki's are headed to the GIANT state of Alaska in a few weeks. We will be spending a week on Kenai (Homer and Seward). Then we will spend a few days in Anchorage where Mr. Tiki will run the Mayor's Marathon and Mrs. Tiki will run the 5.6 miler. Then we will head up to Denali for a few days.

 

We planned to drive the Denali Hwy from Cantwell over and down around to Palmer/Hatcher Pass. We will spend a night there and then back into Anchorage and then home.

 

Questions:

 

1. Is the Denali Hwy worth the drive? There are some caches on it. A few traditional and a few Earth Caches. It looks fun and we can get a rental car that does not prohibit it. They just say it's at your own risk. I have AAA! Should we do it? How desolate is it? If we break down will we be stuck out there for 3 weeks? I'll have to switch rental cars when we do the run in Anchorage so I would like to plan for it if we need to. Other option is to drive back down the way we came, or up to Fairbanks and then all the way around clockwise. But that might take too long and we can't stop for caches.

 

Help!

 

2. Any MUST DO caches? I've gone through & pulled quite a few. I'm looking for any that are doable within an hour, don't require special gear and no higher than a 2/2 or 3/3. 3/3 would be pushing it for time. I found one with a hand-cart that takes you over a river! Super awesome! That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. And anything easier that takes you to a neat old, historical part of town, country, etc. We will be in Homer, Seward, Anchorage, Denali Ntl. Park and Hatcher Pass.

 

Mahalo! Too bad there are no events when we are there! Anyone else running the marathon, 1/2 or 5 miler?

 

Tiki

[+tzipora]

1- I haven't done it, myself. What I have done is gone around the long way, Anchorage-Palmer-Glennallen-Tok-Fairbanks-Denali-Wasilla-Anchorage. It was pretty fun and the roads don't carry the same types of warnings.

 

2- Check out http://geocachealaska.org/alaskacacheinformation.htm It has lists of favorite caches from several Alaskan cachers.

Also, here's a cut-and-paste of my answer to a similar question. I kind of like tourguiding by geocache! Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

 

GC127XV is a good place to start in Anchorage. You'll learn just about everything you want to know.

GCRJEW is at the start of a great path for walking/biking and geocaching. There's something for everyone on the route, and if you get a chance to do the whole thing, you should.

 

GC127WD is near a very popular tourist location that I highly recommend (I've been here my whole life, and I still spend a lot of time in the area). It's about an hour south of Anchorage (Fairbanks is north), but very definitely worth the drive.

 

GCVTC3 is a multi-cache in Palmer, which is my hometown. This cache is especially interesting because it gives you a quick lesson on the history of the area (it's a new-deal colony).

GC1RD2Q will take you to a very unique farm in the area.

GC13BQ4 takes you to a small train station where you can learn a bit about the cultural history of the area where you can also the site of Alaska's center of population benchmark (not loggable on geocaching.com, unfortunately).

 

Along the road to Fairbanks, there are a great many caches. I recommend driving with your GPSr on and making frequent stops. Your trip will take somewhere between a bit and a lot longer, but it won't seem like you've done nothing but drive for an entire day. A couple of my favorites:

GC1G61D - very clever hide, also near the cleanest bathrooms on the route.

GCKERC - if you're very lucky, you'll get a stunning view of Denali and his family (I can't remember if this is the viewpoint with the sign about that legend or if it's the Vets' memorial) from here. Another great rest stop along the way.

GC1938W is near Alaska's veterans' memorial, which can also afford great Denali views and has pretty decent bathrooms and a small gift shop. For camping, Byers Lake State campground is about a 1/4 mile away and totally worth the stay.

GCPN0T is in a pretty cool area, particularly if you don't mind looking down.

 

In Fairbanks, I recommend visiting the area around GC11D4T. I went for the first time last year and saw more sandhill cranes than I'd ever seen before. There are lots of trails and they're fairly well-stocked with nicely done geocaches.

 

Another note: if you're into EarthCaches, Alaska has some great ones. There are several in Denali National Park that I've been dying to get, and they're also scattered along your entire route. I plan to develop my first one near GC127WD before your arrival.

 

Enjoy your stay here. I'm sure you'll have a great time!

Edited June 1, 2010 by tzipora

[+tiki]

1- I haven't done it, myself. What I have done is gone around the long way, Anchorage-Palmer-Glennallen-Tok-Fairbanks-Denali-Wasilla-Anchorage. It was pretty fun and the roads don't carry the same types of warnings.

 

 

Thanks for all those! I'll check and see if I've got them on my list - if not - consider them added!

[+The Jester]

My favorite is Turnagain Arm Tidal Bore Earthcache.

[+AKStafford]

AAA won't do you much good on the Denali Highway. There's not cell service along most of it. If something happens, you have to wait for someone to come by and pass on the word when they get to civilization. I hear it's a beautiful drive, but the road is rough. Very rough.

 

It's only about 130 miles across, but it can take you the better part of 5 hours to do it.

 

I'm not saying don't do it... I just want you to be aware of the challenges.

 

A must have resource for road tripping in Alaska is www.Milepost.com. You can order online or buy one when you get here. I've lived in Alaska 29 years and I still don't leave home without it.

[+W7WT]

We are attending our Granddaughter's wedding early in August. We will drive from Bothell, Wa to Fairbanks in a small van type RV. We will be doing some geocaching going and coming back. Our son llives in Fairbanks and we will be driving to Denali and staying all night and then a day before the wedding we will travel to Talkeetna staying for 3 nights and leaving Friday to drop our daughter off at Anchorage to fly to Seattle. We will drive on to Glenallen to stay allnight and then head home to Bremerton, geocaching on the way.

[+tiki]

A must have resource for road tripping in Alaska is www.Milepost.com. You can order online or buy one when you get here. I've lived in Alaska 29 years and I still don't leave home without it.

 

Yes, I've heard this from many folks! I will grab one when we get there.

 

I think we are going to "risk" it! I'll make sure the spare is in good order, grab a can of fix-a-flat and some water and munchies and just enjoy the ride. We've got a day to do it and almost 24 hours of sunlight at our disposal. Mr. Tiki is a good runner too - I can always send him on a head or back if we have problems. hahaha...joke!

[+Team Outlander]

tiki, I would be interested in hearing what geocaches you liked when you get back. My wife and I are going there in September and will be road-tripping/geocaching, with a starting point in Anchorage. Havent decided which directions or what yet. We have our airfare from chicago booked and a rental car. the rest is being planned now.

 

any other feedback from people would be great.

 

Aloha my cold, far-north friends! The Tiki's are headed to the GIANT state of Alaska in a few weeks. We will be spending a week on Kenai (Homer and Seward). Then we will spend a few days in Anchorage where Mr. Tiki will run the Mayor's Marathon and Mrs. Tiki will run the 5.6 miler. Then we will head up to Denali for a few days.

 

We planned to drive the Denali Hwy from Cantwell over and down around to Palmer/Hatcher Pass. We will spend a night there and then back into Anchorage and then home.

 

Questions:

 

1. Is the Denali Hwy worth the drive? There are some caches on it. A few traditional and a few Earth Caches. It looks fun and we can get a rental car that does not prohibit it. They just say it's at your own risk. I have AAA! Should we do it? How desolate is it? If we break down will we be stuck out there for 3 weeks? I'll have to switch rental cars when we do the run in Anchorage so I would like to plan for it if we need to. Other option is to drive back down the way we came, or up to Fairbanks and then all the way around clockwise. But that might take too long and we can't stop for caches.

 

Help!

 

2. Any MUST DO caches? I've gone through & pulled quite a few. I'm looking for any that are doable within an hour, don't require special gear and no higher than a 2/2 or 3/3. 3/3 would be pushing it for time. I found one with a hand-cart that takes you over a river! Super awesome! That's the kind of stuff I'm looking for. And anything easier that takes you to a neat old, historical part of town, country, etc. We will be in Homer, Seward, Anchorage, Denali Ntl. Park and Hatcher Pass.

 

Mahalo! Too bad there are no events when we are there! Anyone else running the marathon, 1/2 or 5 miler?

 

Tiki

[+tiki]

tiki, I would be interested in hearing what geocaches you liked when you get back. My wife and I are going there in September and will be road-tripping/geocaching, with a starting point in Anchorage. Havent decided which directions or what yet. We have our airfare from chicago booked and a rental car. the rest is being planned now.

 

any other feedback from people would be great.

 

 

Will do! And I will have a 2010 Alaskan Tour Saver book for sale when I get back too! I think we are only using 3 coupons from it.

[+AKStafford]

We are attending our Granddaughter's wedding early in August. We will drive from Bothell, Wa to Fairbanks in a small van type RV. We will be doing some geocaching going and coming back. Our son llives in Fairbanks and we will be driving to Denali and staying all night and then a day before the wedding we will travel to Talkeetna staying for 3 nights and leaving Friday to drop our daughter off at Anchorage to fly to Seattle. We will drive on to Glenallen to stay allnight and then head home to Bremerton, geocaching on the way.

 

W7WT: I always recommend people doing the drive pick up a copy of the Milepost. You can find it in the travel section of a most NW bookstores. Or order it online here...

[+AKStafford]

tiki, I would be interested in hearing what geocaches you liked when you get back. My wife and I are going there in September and will be road-tripping/geocaching, with a starting point in Anchorage. Havent decided which directions or what yet. We have our airfare from chicago booked and a rental car. the rest is being planned now.

 

any other feedback from people would be great.

 

 

Team Outlander: How long are you here? In mid-September, most of the touristy type place close down, but there is still plenty to do.

South of Anchorage is the Kenai Peninsula. Going north is the Mat-Su Valley. The drive to Fairbanks is pretty long.

You can do several days on the Peninsula, going to Seward, Kenai/Soldotna & Homer. You could also go to Whittier and then take the ferry over to Valdez and then drive back to Anchorage.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Milepost. You can find it in a bookstore here, or order it online at their website.

[+W7WT]

We are attending our Granddaughter's wedding early in August. We will drive from Bothell, Wa to Fairbanks in a small van type RV. We will be doing some geocaching going and coming back. Our son llives in Fairbanks and we will be driving to Denali and staying all night and then a day before the wedding we will travel to Talkeetna staying for 3 nights and leaving Friday to drop our daughter off at Anchorage to fly to Seattle. We will drive on to Glenallen to stay allnight and then head home to Bremerton, geocaching on the way.

 

W7WT: I always recommend people doing the drive pick up a copy of the Milepost. You can find it in the travel section of a most NW bookstores. Or order it online here...

 

We have a copy from our trip to Alaska to pick up our 50th state. Also a good chance we will have to cancel the trip as my aortic valve is giving me some symptoms. I think it best I stick close to my cardiologist. Our daughter will fly up and rent a car and go to the wedding. We have made several trips to Fairbanks, the first one in a 1970 Landcruiser and most of the roads were gravel. We have made 5 trips in our private plane. Took two days because timing was wrong unless you wanted to pay the US Customs overtime

Edited June 5, 2010 by W7WT

[+Team Outlander]

tiki, I would be interested in hearing what geocaches you liked when you get back. My wife and I are going there in September and will be road-tripping/geocaching, with a starting point in Anchorage. Havent decided which directions or what yet. We have our airfare from chicago booked and a rental car. the rest is being planned now.

 

any other feedback from people would be great.

 

 

Team Outlander: How long are you here? In mid-September, most of the touristy type place close down, but there is still plenty to do.

South of Anchorage is the Kenai Peninsula. Going north is the Mat-Su Valley. The drive to Fairbanks is pretty long.

You can do several days on the Peninsula, going to Seward, Kenai/Soldotna & Homer. You could also go to Whittier and then take the ferry over to Valdez and then drive back to Anchorage.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Milepost. You can find it in a bookstore here, or order it online at their website.

 

Sorry for the delay, I do not know why I didnt receive notification that someone replied to my message. We are leaving next week and will be there from September 17th until the 26th. We are renting an RV and will start our journey in Anchorage with a day boat trip in seward on the 19th. The rest is all unplanned, the way we like it. We love driving, hiking, and geocaching so having many of the tourist things being closed won't bother us to much, I hope.

 

Do you think staying in the Kenai Peninsula would be our best bet for the week in our RV or should we do the cruise up towards fairbanks? Looking for any suggestions. My wife and I are so excited to see your state!

[+AKStafford]

If you are up for some driving (and of course cachin') then a trip to Fairbanks would be fun. Especially with the fall colors. If you really want to put some miles on the ol' RV, do the big loop. Drive up to Fairbanks via the Parks Highway. Stop at the Ruth Glacier overlook (I think about mile 135) and the veterans memorial at mile 147.

Coming south, take the Richardson Highway to Tok, then to Glenallen. From there take the Glenn highway to Anchorage. Matanuska Glacier is a nice stop on that route.

On your way to the Peninsula, stop by the Wildlife Conservation Center at Portage.

[+Team Outlander]

If you are up for some driving (and of course cachin') then a trip to Fairbanks would be fun. Especially with the fall colors. If you really want to put some miles on the ol' RV, do the big loop. Drive up to Fairbanks via the Parks Highway. Stop at the Ruth Glacier overlook (I think about mile 135) and the veterans memorial at mile 147.

Coming south, take the Richardson Highway to Tok, then to Glenallen. From there take the Glenn highway to Anchorage. Matanuska Glacier is a nice stop on that route.

On your way to the Peninsula, stop by the Wildlife Conservation Center at Portage.

 

We do not mind driving at all. We actually love driving in most cases. Do you think the big loop is more scenic then hanging out in the Kenai? That big loop trip sounds like fun. I am being told you can easily find spots to stop the RV and sleep along most routes, I hope that is the case.

[+AKStafford]

"Do you think the big loop is more scenic then hanging out in the Kenai?"

 

I think (for me anyway) for a trip like this it would be nice to see a little bit of everything. The Kenai is great, but traveling up to Fairbanks will let you see a wider variety of scenery.

 

There are plenty of RV parks along the way, although some will be closed for the season.

 

Even better though there is plenty of large turnouts that you could pull into for the night. No hook ups of course, but free is a very good price.

 

I would definitely recommend you pick up a copy of the Milepost when you get here. This time of year Carrs & Walmart will have them cheap.

 

If you come through Wasilla, GCYV5X is one of my caches at a great spot.