We are going to Anchorage May 16, touring the usual sights (Denali) and sailing out of Whittier on the Island Princess May 22. We have booked a room in Anchorage at Best Value Executive Suites - only $45 per night!!! seems to cheap to be true - is it??? What should we see in Talkeetna? Staying at the Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge. Then on to Denali - Princess Lodge there. What should we see? Also - any suggestions on what to do/see on the cruise to Vancouver?

Are you doing the pre-cruise by yourselves, or with Princess? If the latter, they will have excursion choices in Talkeetna and Denali. I definitely recommend a wildlife tour in Denali (it should take at least 1/2 day)! The buses stop for virtually all wildlife sightings, whether close or distant.

$45 a night is pretty cheap for Anchorage, but not unheard-of.

What to see/do on the cruise? - scenery, wildlife, glaciers!! Again, the cruise line will have many excursions offered. The Alaskan ports are small, so if you don't want to do whale-watching or float-plane sightseeing or glacier hiking or fishing, you can walk through the town and simply enjoy the sights, history, people, etc. No language barrier!

Enjoy! It's one of my most favorite places!