Alaska informations

<p>Hi! this is my first post, sorry for my bad english!!<br>

My name is Bruno De Faveri, I'm a freelance italian professional wildlife photographer.( <a href="http://www.wildcolourseyes.com">www.wildcolourseyes.com</a>) . I'll be next sept 2011 (from 11 to 29) in Alaska for a work about grizzly bear with alaskanalpinetreks tour in the week from 17 to 24. the others days I'd thinked to rent a car (from 11 to 16) and a truck camper (from 25 to 29) to shot everything about wildlife around Anchorage to Seward and Homer. Can you suggest me some good options from landscape to animals to work in that days?<br>

Thanks so much and sorry again for my bad english!Bruno</p>

<p>Bruno,</p>

<p>If you haven't already, order <em>The Milepost</em>, which is full of information about Alaska and travel there. <a href="http://shop.themilepost.com/"><strong>Here is their site</strong></a>.</p>

<p>You really can't go too far wrong just driving around to areas that look interesting. There aren't a whole lot of roads in most places, so your chances of getting lost are fairly slim. I like the drive down to the Homer area a lot more than that to Seward, but there is a fairly good Sea Life center in Seward.<br>

The road out east into Wrangell St. Elias National Park is just spectacular, and some of the loneliest roads you can find in North America. The last 60 miles into McCarthy are gravel and most rental car companies state that you can't take their vehicles out onto that road, but I've done so without issue. It is a pretty far stretch from Anchorage, but well worth it.<br>

A small town off the beaten path south of Anchorage called Hope is worth the detour, in my opinion. Some beautiful landscape, lots of cool abandoned trucks and heavy equipment left to rot in the woods, and the town itself, while not much more than a wide spot in the road, is a unique place unlike most of the towns along the main roads. There are some roads up into the mountains around Hope that are great, too.<br>

For a car rental, I would try to get some sort of SUV that you can sleep in the back of if you need to. Hotels along the way are often booked, the prices in summer can be insane, and it's nice to be way out in the middle of nowhere and not have to worry about getting back to civilization to sleep.<br>

Camping is also an option in most places, but keep in mind that you are in an area where large predators are likely to be found anywhere. Don't keep *any* food in a tent, or food wrappers, or cooking pots, etc. Don't cook near your tent. Don't leave any food unsecured -- put it in your car or get a bear-proof food container at REI or another sporting goods store in Anchorage.<br>

Stock up on food before you leave Anchorage. Prices go up quite a bit as soon as you leave the Anchorage metro area, and selection can be spotty. Don't be afraid to ask locals for suggestions on places to see, directions, or suggestions for food and lodging.<br>

If you have the time, the ferry to Kodiak is something you might look into. There are quite a few roads to explore on Kodiak, some leading to the top of spectacular cliffs hundreds of feet above the ocean. Kodiak is also more like the Aleutian islands in that it's mostly treeless and has a different feel to it. It's also much less touristy than many places you'll pass through.<br>

The road up towards Fairbanks gets into wonderful scenery, but can be very crowded, and you have to drive a ways north to get out into the wilderness. The area around Hatcher Pass and the Independence Mine ruins is also very scenic and worth the drive.<br>

I live in Juneau, but have explored most of the areas you're talking about when I've been up in the Anchorage area. Feel free to email me if you would like more specific information. I've also got some photos of different areas around SouthCentral Alaska on my website,<a href="http://sacredartichoke.com">sacredartichoke.com</a></p>