A: There is not a train that travels directly from Denali National Park to Seward in one day. The only direct service between Denali and Seward is on the Park Connection motorcoach. This bus departs Denali at 7:00am, travels to Anchorage, has a brief layover at the Anchorage Museum before continuing onto Seward. This bus will drop off at the cruise ship terminal if you are catching a cruise.

If you really want to travel by rail, you need two days. You can take the train from Denali to Anchorage, spend the night and then resume train travel in the morning to Seward.

A: I’m assuming you are considering traveling to Alaska in October. It’s a tough time of year to come as Autumn has come and gone, but winter isn’t necessarily upon us fully yet. Temperatures will be near or under freezing and daylight hours are dwindling. Most of the summer tour companies shut down by mid-September, and in October the winter activities will not be available yet. Fishing is also done for the season if that is an interest.

Ultimately, whether it is a good time to come to Alaska depends on what you are seeking to do. Please visit our blog for our recommendations on the best time to visit Alaska.

A: You can take a tour to Nome with Northern Alaska Tour Company or you can fly direct via Alaska Airlines.

A: I would recommend trips to Seward and Talkeetna. Seward, is just 120 south of Anchorage and offers ample fishing opportunites and great tour opportunities for you. We recommend that you contact Saltwater Safaris for fishing trips. After a few days in Seward, I would suggest heading to Talkeetna, about two hours north of Anchorage. This area would offer river fishing for your husband and a flightseeing trip for you, not to mention a stay at the wonderful Talkeetna Alaska Lodge.

A: Sitka is a popular destination in Southeast Alaska, although it isn’t known as a packaged tour destination. Most of Sitka’s visitors arrive by cruise ship. The Sitka Convention and Visitors Bureau is a very good resource for planning a trip to the town. I would also touch base with Allen Marine Tours which is one of the larger tour companies based in Sitka.

A: I would recommend coming to Alaska in early September for your visit. This will offer you the best opportunity to see the northern lights and still be able to participate in common tourist activities like a bus tour into Denali National Park. May, June and July would offer warmer temperatures but there is still too much day light to see the northern lights.

A: For more information about fishing in the Klutina River I would suggest contacting a fishing guide outfit in the Copper Center area.

A: For the greatest concentration of bears catching salmon, fly-in trips are your best bet. These fly in trips take you to areas where the salmon populations are large so it naturally is attracting the bears. The most well known would be Katmai National Park or the Lake Clark Preserve area and there are no roads, so flying is the only option. Both are accessible on day trips from Anchorage. We recommend the Redoubt Bay trip in the Lake Clark Reserve.

Bears can be spotted in many places throughout South Central and Interior parts of Alaska. An area to consider would be to go to Denali National Park. There are grizzly bears, moose, caribou, and other big game wildlife within the national park area. These bears would not be feeding off the salmon but they do live within the national park area. We recommend the Kantishna Wilderness Trails tour as it travels the entire length of the Park Road and gives you the best opportunity to see wildlife.

You can also see bears on the Kenai Peninsula along the Kenai River area or other rivers and waterways where the salmon are running but the chance of being in the right place at the right time is slim.

A: You can bring a child of any age on board any of the Alaska cruises that we book. Please be advised that children are not free and will pay a discounted price. The prices fluctuate depending on the cruise line and departure date.

A: We do not offer any transportation by bus from Seward to Homer. There is a company called Homer Stage Line that offers bus service from Seward to Homer and from Homer to Anchorage. You will need to contact them directly for schedules and fees.