Alaska Travel Questions Answered | ALASKA.ORG - Ask Bob

Sea Kayak, B&B, and Rail

Q: I’m looking to do a trip with sea kayaking, plus B&B and railroad sightseeing. What would you recommend? --Stuart

A: Stuart, there are a lot of great sea kayaking experiences in Alaska. Some are day trips, and some overnighters. You can kayak in placid waters where the emphasis is spectacular coastline and wildlife. Or, you can paddle in water so thick with glacial ice that you can barely plunge your paddle into the water.

A friend of mine, John Page, runs a company called Sunny Cove Sea Kayaking out of Seward. I think it fits your bill because he can arrange any kind of trip: You can stay in Resurrection Bay and do a shorter trip, or he can take you out to the glaciers of Kenai Fjords National Park. Their trips range from $65 for a half day trip to $130 or $179 for full day trips. (They even do multi-day camping-and-kayaing trips for anywhere from $350 to $1,500.)

Photo Opps in Alaska - Feb and March

Q: I'm planning on visiting Alaska this coming Feb or March and trying to figure out what to do. I'm visiting Alaska with the prize I earned on a photo contest, so I’d like to do some photo shooting activities while I'm in Alaska. I guess I'll come back in summer another time, so would love to experience some things I can only try in winter time.

I'm planning to view auroras, of course, and dogsledding, but would like to do some other outdoor activities, too. What should I check out? --Leo

A: Leo, I’d come during Fur Rondy or Iditarod, which starts on March 6—the dogsled races are a lot of fun to photograph. Plus, the days are getting longer by then, and the temperatures aren’t as consistently cold. By March in Anchorage, where the race starts, average highs are about 33 degrees.

Alaska in March

Q: I am interested in visiting Alaska in March. Is that a good time? What is the weather, and what is there to do? --Debbie

A: March doesn’t mean springtime yet in Alaska. There’s still a lot of snow, and plenty of darkness, too—but things are start to brighten, literally. By March 21, there is exactly 12 hours each of light and darkness. That said, earlier in March might be your best bet for a March visit. This is still the season for watching the northern lights, and they’re more easily seen with more hours of darkness. The Northern Alaska Tour Company does great day- and multi-day trips to see the aurora borealis outside Fairbanks.

While most tour operators, and hotels outside the main cities, are closed down for the winter, a few make the most of the snow. Check out our pages on the town of Girdwood and the Alyeska Hotel, 40 minutes away from Anchorage, as well as the wilderness lodge Winterlake Lodge.

Hunting Trips Alaska

Q: How much would it cost to get a good hotel, some guns and a guided hunt? --Kyle

A: The price tag for hunting trips to Alaska depends a lot on what you’re hoping to hunt and how far off the beaten path you want to do it. For non-residents of Alaska, some game can only be hunted with a guide—such as grizzlies, brown bears, dall sheep and mountain goats. One good operator Sportsman’s Air Service (907-248-3181), does a variety of guided or non-guided hunts, where they typically set you up at either a hotel, lodge, cabin—or even with camping gear. Most of their clients, they tell us, bring their own guns, but they can also help you buy or rent equipment if you ask well ahead of time. Their guided trips start as low as about $2,500—for a bear-hunting trip out of Anchorage.