Fishing boats on Resurrection Bay

Do-It-Yourself Alaska

"Which ship?"
That was the typical response when I told friends we were going to Alaska.

"No ship," I replied. "Richard and I are flying to Anchorage and renting a car for the first week and taking the train for the second."

You'd have thought I said we were planning to travel in our birthday suits.

"But we went on such-and-such ship and it was so much fun..." the chorus continued as we mapped out our itinerary.

As our flight descended into Anchorage, I looked out the window and was stunned by the beautiful panorama below. Frosty bluish icebergs floated serenely on the surface of Prince William Sound. Beyond, snow-covered mountains and glaciers fanned out as far as I could see.

We definitely had arrived in Alaska - and that meant two things to my taste buds: salmon and halibut. The next day, I kept my eye out for either one as we drove south on the Seward Highway. This scenic drive follows the shoreline of Turnagain Arm, a long finger of water protruding from Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska. It was mid-May, and snow on the surrounding mountains was giving way to sunny spring weather.

I finally found the fish - on a hand-scrawled sign outside the Bird Ridge Cafe & Bakery about 26 miles south of Anchorage. We took my halibut Caesar and my husband Richard's buffalo burger down to a spot on the shore and watched for belugas while we ate. As I devoured my salad, I decided that impromptu picnics are some of the best rewards of independent travel.

In Seward, we stayed at the Hotel Edgewater (www.hoteledgewater.com), a charming boutique property that offers both a great view of Resurrection Bay and easy access to the Alaska SeaLife Center. (www.alaskasealife.org)

Looking at the seemingly pristine water today, it's hard to imagine what the scene was like in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of Alaskan crude oil nearby, and rescuers worked around the clock to save birds and marine mammals.

While the damage to the environment was irreparable, Exxon did pay the state more than $900 million - some of which went to build the now-renowned SeaLife Center. Here, the focus is on public education, rehabilitation of injured and abandoned marine animals, and research on North Pacific sea life.

In one area, we also observed a Steller's sea lion rookery on an offshore island via webcam. During the behind-the-scenes tour, our guide told us how divers from the SeaLife Center saved a humpback whale found with 50 pounds of fishing gear wrapped around his mouth.

Steller's sea lions were also very visible the next day when we cruised along the coast of Kenai Fjords National Park. Captain Dave from Kenai Fjords Tours (www.kenaifjords.com) helped us spot wildlife, including black bears, bald eagles, sea otters, humpback whales, porpoise, mountain goats, and colorful puffins. The sea otters floating on their back with their arms folded across their chests looked like cartoon characters, but the most memorable moments of the day were spent parked in front of Aialik Glacier. With the engines turned off, we stood in silence and listened to the glacial ice cracking and calving - which, at times, sounded just like a thunderstorm. The daylong excursion ended with a salmon dinner on Fox Island in Resurrection Bay.

Our first moose sighting took place as we traveled north, and we spent some time watching the large gangly creature and taking photos. Would I have liked whizzing by on a tour bus? No way.

The Alyeska Prince Hotel in Girdwood, at the foot of Alaska's only international-standard ski area, was another treat. The resort (www.alyeskaresort.com) offers excellent restaurants, an indoor lap pool, and a full-service spa, in addition to more than 300 guestrooms with mountain views. We hopped in the 60-passenger aerial tramway and zoomed to the 2,300-foot level, where we enjoyed a wonderful meal at Seven Glaciers, one of only two four-star restaurants in the state. Richard loved the seared ahi and I thoroughly enjoyed my ginger-citrus-encrusted halibut. We also savored every last scrumptious crumb of the flaming apple cobbler dessert.

Looking out over the glaciers, however, made me somewhat sad. I had wanted to try dog sledding in this area, but when I inquired from San Diego, I was told we'd be there too early in the season.

"Oh, you might not be too early," our waitress Pamela, offered.

"I heard Dario started setting up camp today."

"Dario?"

"Yes, he's the musher who brings his dogs here every summer."

It took me about a nanosecond to get Alpine Air (www.alpineairalaska.com) on the phone and confirm that, in fact, the dogsledding season was just about to start. Staying here an extra day would mean giving up our place on the McKinley Explorer - the luxurious railcar with the best domed windows in the business.

In the morning light, Alpine Air's helicopter looked like a shiny red apple and the glaciers all around us appeared to have been slathered in whipped cream. The "camp" - pitched in Punchbowl Glacier on top of 1,000 feet of ice and 100 feet of snow - consists of one lightweight tent for the 24/7 dog sitter and 48 individual kennels for the Alaskan huskies who star in this show.

The dogs were rearing to go - literally. Dario has done the Iditarod nine times, so this was child's play for him - but a huge thrill for us. Seated in the front of the sled, I was sprayed with the snow kicked up by the racing dogs. Richard stood in back of me and Dario drove. The pristine white landscape, the prowess of the four-legged athletes, Dario's expertise - it was just so much fun.

A flexible itinerary, I thought to myself later, is another great benefit of independent travel. But the thing I like best about do-it-yourself journeys is the ability to get off the beaten path - which is what we did in Denali National Park.

Private vehicles aren't allowed, so everyone (but the hardiest of hikers) sees the park from a bus. Everyone, that is, but guests at Camp Denali (www.campdenali.com). Sited on a private in-holding of land 90 miles from the park entrance, the camp's 17 cabins and the 15 rooms at adjacent North Face Lodge provide very comfortable lodging, while the kitchens turn out gourmet meals, and top-notch naturalists lead hikes and other learning adventures into the wilderness.

A picture window in our cabin framed Mount McKinley so perfectly that it looked like a postcard. During the course of our three-day stay, we saw "The Great One" surrounded by blue sky, clothed in mist, and bathed in alpenglow.

Camp Denali is a family-owned and-operated business and great care and attention is expended on guests' behalf. In addition to hiking, daytime activities include fishing, biking, photography, canoeing, and flightseeing with Kantishna Air Taxi. Staff naturalists and visiting specialists present evening programs focused on Alaska's natural and cultural heritage.

Back in La Jolla, the friends who couldn't believe we weren't cruising to Alaska were even more shocked when I told them we went to a camp. But I didn't give up the luxury travel I adore - I just expanded my definition.
- Elizabeth Hansen, photography by Adams/Hansen Photography, dogsled photo by Danny Lehman