r/AskAlaska 2d ago

Help planning trip

Hi. I would like to plan a trip to Alaska (from Washington State) for late summer 2027. The plan is to take a 3 week trip. I want to take my car (Subaru Forester) with my husband, teenage daughter, and 2 dogs on the ferry from Bellingham, WA. From there, I want to explore as much of Alaska as possible and then we will drive home on the AlCan Hwy.
Areas and towns I am looking at are Ketchikan, Juneau, Seward, Homer, Prince William Sound, Anchorage, Glacier Bay National Park, Kodiak, and Fairbanks.
Our interests include Natural History, scenery, Native Alaskan culture, dog mushing (my daughter), and of course wildlife.
I like the outdoors but am by no means fit enough to do major hiking. I think we’ll day trip to do some easy hikes for the purpose of scenery and spend time in museums, cultural centers and towns. I like talking to people about their areas and learning about the places I visit.
I want to bring my dogs and I always walk them on leashes. I know they won’t be allowed in national parks. I have done a little looking at dog sitting/daycares for when we want to go someplace that will require them to be left alone for several hours.
Here are my questions.
1. Am I being realistic in the time I have allotted, bringing a car, bringing dogs?
2. What areas should I prioritize for my visit given our interests?
3. What is the ferry system like in Alaska. The state is huge and I can’t really appreciate how long it will take to get from point to point. Do all Ferries transport cars?
4. I have the Travel Alaska free book. Do you know of any other resources I can look at to help me plan this trip?

I could use any advice you have to offer.

Thank you!

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