TGanner Loc: Haines, Alaska

If you are coming to Haines, I do offer private photo tours. I have been doing this for ten years, and thoroughly enjoy sharing the best of Alaska with guests. https://timenspace.net/photography-workshop/haines-private-tour/

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Currently there is road construction on the Kenai Peninsula in the Cooper Landing area where they are rebuilding the Sterling Highway, and there may be a couple other places where they are doing road improvements. One such is From Palmer to the interchange with the Parks Hwy, but the road isn’t bad. I don’t doubt that the Alaska Hwy can be bad, especially the section from Kluane Lake to the border back into Alaska.

Blaster 34, you mentioned heading up here in two weeks. You’ll be here in time to enjoy the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. Great way to spend a day. Expect crazy traffic, though. Jeff Foxworthy will be here for the fair, by the way. My suggestion would be to pick a nice day, arrive at the fair at 10am when it opens, spend a few hours there, then spend the rest of the day touring around the local area. Lots of great photo ops here.

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Yes Greg, the State Fair is on our list, not sure which day yet but it will be near the end...thanks for the heads up we're looking forward to it. Geez, its been 40-50 years since I've been to any state fair.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Sure hope the weather holds out for you. As the way it usually goes, the weather is crummy until the last 3.4 days of the fair. There have been times when the last weekend of the fair saw temps as high as 80!

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Thanks Greg, we sure hope it does also...Last two times we've been there, bad weather for a week +

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Heh, up here you never know. The most reliable weather forecast here is “Wait 30 minutes, and it’ll probably change.”

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Its T-Storms a minute here in Florida the last two weeks....we're drenched....Cheers

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

We could sure use some good rain storms here. Everything is dry, dry, dry!

Blaster34 Loc: Florida Treasure Coast

Quick question Greg....which one of Mahay's tours is the best; Devil's Canyon, Chulitna Gorge or River Rail & Trail. I ask because the wife might be a little apprehensive about rough water in Devil's Canyon. Flying up commercial, returning via military...Thanks

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

All great suggestions. The Drive to Valdes is loaded with waterfalls. You could also ad Kennecott. Also a great out of the way place. Note that Termnation Dust (first snow) usually hits the top of Pioneer Peak sometime during the State Fair. It makes for a nice backdrop to the 100+ lb cabbages. Denali should be in fall colors during that time. Enjoy your trip.

pagespencer

In Anchorage there are at least two excellent photo tour guides: Jeff Schultz and Hal Gage. Jeff offers tours from about 4 hrs up to a week or so. Does all the remote logistics for you. Hal offers day or so tours out of Anchorage. Both excellent teachers and guides. Even though I'm a lifetime local, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with each of them. Ck their websites: https://www.schultzphoto.com/ and https://www.halgage.com/index.html.

Properframe Loc: US Virginia

Depends if it is DIY or you want a hired guide photo tour. If DIY it depends further if it is a solo trip to focus only on the photography or a companion/tourist trip.
I just returned from a 17 day solo trip - none of which were indoors. As an example I have a nice series at Turnagain Arm of sunset frames at 11:30PM and then moonset at 3AM followed by sunrise at 5:30AM. If you want to run that hard it is an all you can eat buffet in Alaska.
Listen to what Wingpilot has to offer as it is his back yard.
Apologize to your feet before hand and get off the road and into the bush. The big mammals aren't coming through the drive through. I took the Summit flight over Denali again this year. It was marginal weather this time and disappointing but I will do this every time I am close. When it is good weather it is a true highlight event. Summit flights leave from Talkeetna. I used Talkeetna Air Service. Talkeetna town is good to visit on Friday night when they have music in the town square.
I hit Hope, Soldotna, Sterling, Skilak Lake, Homer, Whittier, Portage Glacier, Seward, Northwest Fiord, Palmer, Denali - Wonder Lake, and all the stops worth time in between. Six days camped at Brooks Lodge but you have to get that way in advance. Two nights camped at Wonder Lake in Denali. The rest was all flexible and weather/production dependent.
Slow down and look around. One of my best surprises was at the intersection of 1 and 9 on the way back from Kenai. I stopped to shoot some Trumpeter swans in Tern Lake but they proved too far to shoot adequately. By turning to look behind me I saw fireweed reflections in a small pond. Suddenly noted 2 Moms with ducklings on the far shore and on cue they all entered the water and proceeded to dive and pose for the next hundred frames with red/pink colored bokeh from the fireweed. Point Woronzof park right behind the ANC airport - Mom Moose and calf at 10PM. Potter Marsh. If you see anything marked "Old ****** Road/Highway" take it if time allows.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

If you have the time to do it, the drive to McCarthy and the Kennekott mine is very worthwhile doing. It does involve driving about 60 miles of gravel, though. Continuing on to Valdez, Thompson Pass is spectacular, and Bridal Veil Falls is very photogenic. You can also take some glacier tours out of Valdez and go to see Columbia Glacier.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

These are some great ideas. You mentioned Portage Glacier. You can’t see the glacier from the parking lot by the visitors’ center, but you can drive around the east side of the lake to a parking lot and then hike to Byron glacier. It’s an uphill hike, but it’s all downhill on the way back! There used to be a great ice cave there, but last year it caved in. If you want to actually see Portage Glacier you can take the short boat ride that takes you to the glacier.

David Martin Loc: Cary, NC

Take the Alaska Railroad train from Anchorage to Seward. Choose the Goldstar service which costs more but puts you in a glass-dome ceiling car which also has an outside upper level viewing platform, and includes a meal (ours was breakfast which was excellent). The train ride was a major highlight of our trip. It was like being immersed in an iMax movie of truly stunning scenery for 4 continuous hours.