It looks like my current contract will end at the beginning of August, and my wife has always wanted to visit Alaska, so …
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[li]Is August a good time to go there?[/li][li]Should we drive ourselves, or do a tour?[/li][li]We like scenery and wild life, and are healthy, but not exceptionally rugged. What should we see and do?[/li][/ul]
I would suggest looking at threads in this forum over the last month or so. There was a thread on this very subject, which I contributed to, and it addresses two of your questions. The thread died, since the author never returned to it. Ah, here it is.
As for August, it’s commonly a pretty wet month, but that’s not a certainty.
August is OK, and Southeast Alaska is nice if you do not mind traveling to different islands. These are some very scenic areas, and many have a small town feel, like Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Wrangell, and Petersburg.
These are rainforest areas, so do not be surprised if the sun is not always shining, but some people are in love with drifting fog, glaciers, eagles, mossy rocks, waterfalls, wetlands, bogs, evergreen, spruce, hemlock, cedar, mountain ash, and alder…
You can watch black bear catching salmon at An An wildlife refuge, and the Stikine is a beautiful fast flowing river with charter fishing and jet boat rides available.
If you happen to find yourself in the Juneau area, I would strongly recommend taking the one-day cruise up the Tracy Arm Fjord to see the Sawyer Glaciers. Absolutely beautiful.
Just to underscore this point, for whatever you end up doing: Prepare for rain. Whatever raingear you like, ponchos, raincoats, hats, etc. It WILL rain while you’re there. It MIGHT rain every day. The last time I went to Alaska (late May), the brightest, warmest day was, ironicially, the day we took the drive to Matanuska Glacier (which Chefguy talks about). Oh, and the drive to Matanuska Glacier is really scenic if you catch it on a clear day, which I lucked into last time.
When I was in my early 20s, my father, brother, sister and I went on a cruise along the inside passage to celebrate my father’s retirement. It was August and the weather was great (we actually go to Ketchikan, the second rainiest place in the US if I remember correctly, on the first sunny day they’d had in weeks.)
I think the highlights for me were a hike near Scagway through an incredible rainforest (it’s strange using that term with regard to Alaska, but there it is) and a sea plane flight we took from Ketchikan to land on a deep, pristine mountain lake. The view from Mt. Roberts (overlooking Juneau) is beautiful and it doesn’t take take too much to get to the top as there’s a tram that will take you about halfway up. Whale watching near Juneau was also be great.
Moscow?
Big Diomede Island, but only on an extremely clear day with good atmospheric conditions, from the top of the radome cliff at Tin City. Or from, you know, Little Diomede Island.
If, by some strange break in the weather, you can see the mountains from the road to Talkeetna it is quite spectacular.
Californian who has been to Alaska 5 times over the past 20+ years.
August is a great time to visit. You will still get very long days (lots of daylight), and the bugs are much less later in the summer.
Drive or tour. First, if you’re planning on driving TO Alaska, that is an adventure in and of itself. There is a ton to see and explore, but even if you were to go as fast as you can, it is a lot of driving up through BC and the Yukon. More on getting-around in a bit.
What to do/see.
Alaska is big. As far as places most tourists would visit, it can be broken down into two major chunks:
Of these two, I have only done the latter, and then some.
The southeast is what most of the cruises cover - hopping from port city to port city, and viewing the wildlife in the sea and on the numerous islands along the way. Some of the cruises go as far as Seward (top of the Kenai peninsula) or Valdez, but I think Skagway is the more typical turn-around point.
Of the road-accessible (and I’m talking mostly paved) bulk, I’ve been north of Fairbanks and down the Kenai peninsula, and also to Kodiak island (ferry from Homer). With the long days, and if you’re willing to camp “anywhere” (any pullout on the side of the road), you can cover a lot of ground by rental car.
I think if it is Alaskan wildlife and scenery you want to experience, the you must include Denali park in your trip. And I would plan for at least 3 or 4 days. There are a number of options on how you can do the park, but driving your own car around is not one of them. You can stay at one of a number of campgrounds, but getting in could take some planning. And there are lodges just outside the park that you can stay at. Getting around in the park are these free buses. And you typically ride the bus from one end of the park and back to do your sightseeing. You are free to get off whereever, and can likewise get back on. But there are not so many that they are coming by every 20 minutes or so - more like once an hour. And you have to be aware that when you leave the bus, it is you out amongst the various critters (including grizzlies). So staying on the bus works well - if there’s anything to see and take pictures, the buses will always stop. (We hung out and watched a grizzly with her cubs cross the road, then plop down and nurse her two cubs for close to 45 minutes !).
You are also surrounded by the beauty of the mountains of the park whereever you go. And with some luck, you will get a glimpse of (the top) of Mt. McKinley (there’s a secret to seeing the whole mountain - get up around 4am. It will be light enough, and the clouds tend to clear overnight. Of course it helps to be at a campground that has a view of the mountain).
Along with grizzlies, you can also see caribou, Dall sheep, moose, and if you’re lucky enough, even wolves, in the park.
Another consideration is whether you are a fisherman or not. If so, then you will want to spend some time down on the Kenai peninsula for some salmon fishing (freshwater, as they are heading upstream to spawn). August is a good month as the pinks will be in strong (kings and reds may have already passed, though), and the silvers will just be coming up the river. Easily the most fun fishing I have ever experienced, and the reason for 2 of my 5 trips were for the fishing alone. From Soldotna down to Homer, there are a number of rivers to hit.
While you’re down in the Kenai, you might also pop over to Seward - it is really beautiful fjord (when the weather is good).
Which brings us to the weather. Others have said it, and it is a given that you need to be prepared for rain and cold (especially up in Denali). The summers tend to be getting milder, but you will likely get rain for at least some of your trip. And you need to be prepared for the fact that you may get rain for most of your trip. But don’t let that dissuade you - you just need to set your expectations.
Obviously a lot depends on what kind of trip (how rugged) you would like to take, and the range is across the board. Alaska is a lot like Switzerland in that there is fantastic scenery every where you go.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.