Road Trip from California to Alaska

We started our road trip in mid August in California, drove the Interstate 5 to British Columbia, began the Alaska Highway from mile zero at Dawson Creek all the way to Fairbanks, turned south to Denali and Anchorage, made a round trip on Kenai Peninsula, side tracked to Valdez, then headed towards Kluane and Haines to pick up the ferry from the Alaska Marine Highway and returned to the lower 48 via the inside passage in early October, and on the way home, we revisited the Pacific coast.

It was a great trip. We saw the season changed, tried many new things; it felt like we have been gone for a long long time instead of just two months. There were so many beautiful experiences that we do not even know where to start. Seeing the northern lights for the first time got to be number one on the highlight list. Cooking dinner at the campsite with wolves howling in the distance is another. Stopping in the middle of the highway and watching leaves fallen from the trees. The list goes on...

Choice of vehicle
Doing this road trip in a RV should be the most comfortable choice. Some people fly to Anchorage and rent a RV from there, which would require less time. We chose to go camping with a small car, which was quite flexible and cheap but we had to pack smart. There are also plenty of organized tours for an affordable price but that’s not our style.

Passport, cash, ATM and credit card
We’d say 95% of the times, we could use credit card. However, at the self register government campgrounds, we had to pay cash (some accept personal check). To get cash from ATMs, it is best to withdraw the maximum amount allowed unless we are getting it from our own bank’s machine. Otherwise, the ATM charges add up fast, especially in Canada.

Spare tire
Bring a full size spare, especially if you plan to drive on unpaved road. We didn’t want to buy a full size spare, therefore only drove on paved road. However, we did bring along a tire repair kit. We don’t know how well that may work. We did find it handy for a low pressure tire in the middle of nowhere.

Roadside Assistance
Upgrade your AAA or CAA membership. If you need a tow, the nearest auto shop can be 100 mile away.

Electronic gadgets
MP3/iPod is good for the road. Camera is a must. Lap top is useful too since a lot of private campgrounds have WIFI. If you don’t have room for a computer, most visitor centers and local libraries will give you free internet access. You can also use the computer in bigger hotels; they usually don’t need password nor keep an eye on who is using what. We bought a converter to use with the cigarette lighter in the car for recharging all our gadgets. It was money well spent.

Camping gear
Other than the usual stuff, we recommend a best quality 3-season (4-season is okay too) tent one can afford. A good tent can breathe, therefore reducing condensation. We had a backpacking type of tent which was light and compact but its height did not allow us to stand up inside. That made camping in rainy weather a pain because we could only stay inside for so long. Solutions: 1) use a bigger tent (but that means colder inside and flaps more in the wind); or 2) stretch a blue trap above the picnic table as a rain fly, therefore creating a roomy space to hang out in the rain until the wind picks up .

Clothes
Bring clothes in layers. The warmest day in this trip was close to 100F, and the coldest was just below freezing. Convertible pants, breathable waterproof outer layer and quick drying materials are good to have. Leave the jeans and the cotton stuff at home.

Prescription medicine
The small towns we passed by, on both sides of the border, had most of the over the counter medicine. However, finding a doctor to write a prescription is problematic.

Cooking and Eating
To save money, we brought two stoves; one used propane for camping, the other used electricity for motel room. When we eat out, we ate out during lunch but cooked our own dinner. This was another one of our budgeting strategies.

Backcountry Safety
We did not do any extensive hiking. Those that we did were popular trails. Nonetheless, we carried pepper spray in case of close encounter with bears. We saw locals carried guns when they went berries picking. Oh, and the wild berries were goooood!!

It was the second week of August when we left southern California. Up and down the west coast was experiencing a heat wave, even Seattle was in the 90’sF. Our original plan was to take our time camping all the way to Alaska until it got really cold and wet. Strike that, it was too hot to camp; instead we stayed in motels using coupons we picked up. We drove straight up Interstate 5 and crossed into Canada on the third day.

We started our tent camping in British Columbia at Juniper Beach Provincial Park - it was lousy. We’ll write reviews on campgrounds later. After several days of driving, we finally took a few days off at the pretty Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park just north of Quesnel. Later in the week, we made a half day stop at Prince George. It is a pretty big town with Costco, Wal-Mart, and more. We took care of laundry and bought a big can of bear spray. We also stocked up on maps and tourist info pamphlets at the visitor center. And the Two River Gallery at the Civic Center Plaza was worth a stop. Unfortunately, the Prince George Native Art Gallery was closed for good.

We arrived at Dawson Creek late in the day and it started to drizzle on and off. We camped at the City Park which is cheap and convenient. Next day we had to make an obligated stop at Alaska Highway mile zero, and took pictures.

According to Milepost magazine, the section of highway before and after Summit Lake was supposed to be winding and narrow. It was fine for us but then we drove a small car. It was easy driving compare to the central Pacific coast in California. Summit Lake was picturesque but windy. No one was camping there. We prefer Muncho Lake further down the road.

By the time we got to Watson Lake in Yukon, it was the third week of August. Some of the tourist shops and RV parks were already closed for the season. Luckily, the Sign Post Forest was opened 24/7. You got to walk it to appreciate it. It was started by a homesick G.I. during the original construction of the highway. He put up a sign post from his hometown which now had grown to more than 10,000 signs from all over the world. The Sign Post Forest is like a hugh international collaborative art installation. Too bad we didn’t bring a sign from home to add to it. If the gift shop was opened, we could make a sign on the spot and hang it up ourselves. Simply amazing!

The Alaska Highway crisscrosses British Columbia and Yukon in several places. During this stretch of highway, we encountered mama grizzly bear and her cub, a herd of bison obstructing traffic, caribou family feeding by the road side, trumpeter swans on a lake; we even saw a beaver crossing the road. Some wild flowers were displaying their last blooms, fireweed all over the place, the sky was getting cloudy, the air was heavy with moisture, and campgrounds were getting more primitive.

Whitehorse is the capital of Yukon Territory and the biggest town in the province. We camped at Caribou RV Park just south of town. That evening while we were cooking dinner at the campsite, we heard wolves howling in the distance. And the next morning, they woke us up with their howls too.

Our last stop before crossing into Alaska was the Haines Junction. It is the town just south of the beautiful Kluane National Park. We opted not to camp because of the grizzly activities and the rain. Lodging wasn’t cheap here. Out of pure luck, we found this place called Paddle Wheel Adventure Cabin Rental. We are tempted not to tell you about this place because it is such a steal. They have only two cabins for rent in the very quiet but convenient part of town (see review in the hotel section). Other than renting out cabins, they provide guide services to outdoor adventure in the Kluane area.

The drive through Kluane National Park was absolutely stunning. Even though we could not see much driving in the rain, the moodiness of the mountains just add to its beauty. In late August, the forest had started to put on its autumn color. We past by a privately run RV park called Cottonwood at a very picturesque lakeside location. With hind sight, we should have spent a night there.

The drive through Kluane National Park was also slow. Portion of the highway was built over permafrost which made the road surface bumpy and road work were frequent. So, start early in the day and enjoy the scenery. Or better yet, break up the drive into two or more days.

Once we crossed into Alaska, it was smooth driving all the way to Tok and Fairbanks. All together it took us more than 7 hours to get from Haines Junction to Tok. Tok was just a stop over for us. The lodging was overpriced and on that particular day we were there, tour groups had taken over many hotels. Where did all these tourists came from? We sure didn’t see them on our way over!

Fairbanks was smaller and easier to get around than we thought. The visitor center got a good map for the area and very helpful volunteers to get us acquainted with the lesser known attractions. For example, there is an artist complex across the street. Downstairs are commercial art galleries while upstairs are artist’s studios. We ran into one of the artists who treated us to a tour of her work space.

Listed here are a few of the Fairbanks tourist attractions that we liked in particular. University of Alaska Museum was impressive, both the building and its exhibits. Allow at least half a day here. At the far end corner of the UA campus was the Large Animal Research Station where you can see the musk ox, reindeer, etc. We never thought that ox fur was so much softer than cashmere. Our favorite thing to do in Fairbanks was bird watching at the Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. They have very good binoculars set up there for visitors. And finally, we went to the touristy Pioneer Park. We normally don’t like theme park type of attractions. However, we came here for the booth set up by the UA Geophysical Institute with educational info on seeing the aurora borealis (the northern lights). We also stumbled upon a pretty decent art exhibition on the third floor of the theater building in Pioneer Park.

By the time we got to Denali National Park, it was Labor Day. We spent the entire week here and watched the leaves literally changed colors right in front of our eyes. Where do we begin to talk about Denali? The tundra was in full autumn foliage with berry bushes, and we encountered most of the animals they mentioned in the park’s brochure. It was too splendid to describe with words or too expansive to capture on photos. Well, if you want to see the park beyond Savage River, you must get on to one of the shuttle buses. There are a few choices based on one’s time constrains and touring preferences. Check out the national park web site to find what is right for you. Or better yet, call them, they are very helpful. We took the Wonder Lake bus without a guide.

We camped at two different locations inside the park. First we stayed at Riley Creek just to clean up and get our stuff together. Then, we booked a three night stay at Teklanika Camp. The park will issue you a driving permit to Tek if you camp there 3 nights in a row. Along with the Tek Camp reservation you can also purchase a pass to ride the shuttle bus unlimited number of times to Wonder Lake (which is cheaper than the one time use bus ticket but only campers beyond the Savage River can use it). During our one week stay in early September, the Wonder Lake Camp was booked solid.

It was at Tek Camp when we saw our first northern lights. It was new moon, the sky was dark and surprisingly clear. It was raining just the day before. We saw it when we went to the outhouse in the middle of the night. The temperature was freezing, and we didn’t last long out there. Then, we got smarter the following night. First we positioned our car facing north. Second, we drank a lot of tea at dinner to make sure we will wake up in the middle of the night. Third, make a thermos of hot cocoa. Fourth, go to sleep early. Then, it happened not long after midnight. We ran inside the car with hot cocoa in hand and watched the nature’s light show for almost two hours. The green light appeared on and off. At one instance, the light shot up straight like a spot light, then slowly started running across the northern sky like the way they drawn the curtain across the stage. It was pure excitement for us. But mind you that it was a lame one according to locals. Oh yeah, we saw Mt. McKinley too.

After we left Denali, we made a brief stop in Anchorage to restock. It was too expensive to stay in Anchorage in early September. We drove to the less visited town called Hope on the northern part of Kenai Peninsula. Hope may be small but it was still pricey. The wind was blowing hard and the rain started to pour, so we stayed at the motel room above the general store at Alaska Dacha RV Park. The next day we moved to the very pretty and quiet government run Porcupine Campground at the end of the road. We got a site with a gorgeous view over the Turnagain Arm. Downtown Hope was nearby and it has the feel of a lay back frontier town with rusty café and all. It was there, we saw the double rainbow.

Next stop was Seward. We found a great deal at Holiday Inn and decided to wait out the rain in a nice harbor view room with balcony. The weather pattern seemed to go like this: early morning clearance in the sky, drizzle began just before noon, and rained all the way ‘til night fall. We gave up on the idea of a cruise to the Prince William Sound since we would not be able to see any glaciers in the mist. Instead we went hiking to the Exit Glacier in the morning. We spent an entire afternoon in the Sea Life Center. And the rest of the time, we just enjoyed the moody Resurrection Bay and the not-busy-at-all gift shops.

The drive from Seward to Homer was beautiful. We made stops at the historic Russian town, Kenai. However, we preferred the picturesque Russian village, Ninilchik. We were to camp on the beach on Homer Spit. We didn’t like the site. First it was windy and wet. It was not the kind of beach camping Californians like us were used to. Besides, the Spit is a mixed used area. It has tourist shops, hotels, fishermen’s wharf, industrial dock, ferry jetty, and restaurants all in one. We stayed indoor instead. There were many B & B in Homer, some with spectacular views. We did not go fishing either, even though it was popular with both locals and tourists. Instead we watch people snagging up loads of silver salmon from the fishing hole on the Spit with just hooks and sinkers. Amazing! We could not image fishing can be so easy.

The state of the art, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Center was worth a visit. Even the local library was quite impressive with nice comfortable furniture and free internet, much better than the library we had back home. Our single most favorite thing to do in Homer was the drive up the hill above downtown. You can see the Spit, the ocean, the mountains and the glaciers from there. Oh yeah, you can see bald eagle and sunset, too.

By the time we returned to Anchorage, it was mid September and hotel prices had gone down a bit. We enjoyed staying in downtown Anchorage because we could walked to everywhere (most of the attractions anyways). A couple of places that worth mentioning are: the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center which currently undergoing an expansion; the Alaska Native Heritage Center which free shuttle will pick you up at several locations in downtown; and you get a big discount if you buy these two admission tickets together. You can also pick up a map at the visitor center for a walking tour of all notable places in downtown.

Anchorage has many good restaurants and gift shops. Did we mention that we love the fish up here? Ever since we arrived at Fairbanks, we have been indulging in eating fish. We never had salmon and halibut so fresh. King Crab was a bit expensive. We preferred those we had in Patagonia a few years back. And if you have a chance, try moose steak. We were invited to a barbeque by an Alaskan who just came back from a hunting trip. The moose steak was so much better than the deer meat we tried in one fancy restaurant in Las Vegas. And the salmon he caught a few weeks ago still tasted so much fresher than the wild stuff we bought at Trader Joe’s (a Whole Food like market in California).

While we were in Anchorage, we made day trips to Portage Glacier and Girdwood. At one point we encountered a very low tide along the Turnagain Arm between Beluga Point and Bird Point. The mud flats looked very surreal. Locals said this was the best place to witness bore tides (a kind of tidal waves). The tides at Turnagain Arm rise and fall over a greater range than elsewhere in the US because of its geographical location. When the tide is coming in, the water level can rise as fast as a foot every 81/2 minutes. We saw some of this video footage on YouTube and Flickr. It’s unbelievable.

After Anchorage we made a side trip to Valdez. The drive along Glenn Highway to Glenallen was spectacular, especially the high point east of Palmer but just west of Matanuska Glacier. For many miles along this section of the highway, there were breathtaking view to the south of the Chugach Range with its hillsides and valleys all covered in "school bus" yellow foliage. We both lived our entire lives in warm climates, so seeing autumn in full swing was quite a big deal to us.

Matanuska Glacier overlook is a perfect location for lunch with plenty of picnic tables at just the right spot but you have to come prepare for the misty weather. One can also drive into the private Glacier Park for a close up look at the glacier, and camp next to it. After Matanuska Glacier, we came upon an area where the hills changed into orange, yellow, and even reddish gold. At first we thought it was the minerals in the soil, but in fact it was the result of iron stained gypsum in the limestone cooked up by volcano some 150 million years ago.

Glenallen was nothing more than a place to stop for the night. From here, we turned south to Valdez. Just when we thought our road trip couldn’t get any more scenic than the Denali or the Matsu Valley; it did. We saw less traffic in this section of the Richardson Highway than elsewhere. We literally stopped in the middle of the road and watched the yellow leaves slowly fell off the trees. It was unreal. It was like putting time in super slow motion. On top of that, there were pretty waterfalls cascading down the snowcapped hills on both sides of the highway. Valdez was more pleasant than we thought. You know, the images of the oil spill in 1989 were still imbedded in our minds. If the weather was clear, it would be nice to take the AMH ferry from Valdez to Cordova, a small fishing town with more glaciers. Well, clear weather in September’s Alaska is simply wishful thinking.

On the way back up north, we made a side trip on Edgerton Highway to Chitina. The paved road ended at a lake with camping and lodging nearby. We did not go further on to the gravel covered McCarthy Road to Kennicott because we did not bring a full size spare, and cell phone reception was nil.

By the time we reached Kluane National Park in Yukon, it was late September. All the trees already lost their leaves, the weather was sunny and dry, and the snow had not come yet. Compare to the moody and rainy Kluane we saw on the way up, it was a little anti-climactic. Once we passed Haines Junction, the scenery got better by the mile. First encounter was the Kathleen Lake Campground (part of the Kluane National Park). It had the best cooking shelter (in day use area) we have come across in the entire Alaska road trip - big window overlooking mountain and lake, wood stoves for cooking and heating, completely enclosed with good ventilation. We saw a smart backpacker sneaked inside the cooking shelter late in the evening and spent a dry warm night inside. Further down south, Dezadeash Lake Campground had a perfect location by the lake surrounded by mountains in fall colors. However, we could not stay here because the cold wind kept giving us teary eyes.

Chilkat Pass in British Columbia, was the highest point on this stretch of the Haines Highway. It started to snow slightly. There were lakes with ducks and swans dotted both sides of the highway. Once we crossed over to the US side, we started to look out for the bald eagles. The closer we get to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, the more we saw. At one point, we spotted five little white heads on a tree across the river. We spent so much time on the way to Haines, we only had a few hours to spare before we boarded the ferry to Bellingham.

We were unable to secure a cabin on the boat. So the game plan was to find a row of lounge chairs where we could lie down across the seats. If that failed, we were going to camp on the deck by the Solarium. Luckily, we got the row of chairs we wanted with our own table and electrical outlets. However, the internet access was slow and sporadic at best. We left Haines on Monday night, and disembarked in Bellingham Friday morning. There were many stops along the Inside Passage where passengers could get off the ferry to stretch their legs; or even stayed for a few days until the next ferry came by. It was especially rewarding to wake up early to see sunrise and to watch the boat navigate through heavy morning fog. Of course, be always on the look out for harbor porpoises, orcas, and humpbacks.

1999 was the last time we were in Seattle. It had gotten more crowded and freeway construction was everywhere. Pike’s Place was still popular than ever. Newly renovated Seattle Art Museum was delightful with an equally hip restaurant called Taste. The spacious outdoor sculpture park was a great place to relax on a sunny day, and we were there on a beautiful day.

Back in the lower 48, the weather was warm once again. We could camp all the way home. There are many excellent campgrounds up and down the Pacific coast but we are going to mention only places that we went to on this trip.

Millersyviania State Park in Washington was not really along the coast but it made a good stop between Seattle and Portland. Portland had also grown since our last visit. We were glad that Powell Books was still there; however, their separate technology bookstore was looking pathetic.

Devil’s Lake State Park in Oregon is located at the southern end of Lincoln City. Since it was so close to the city, we could eat out in nice restaurants and browsed upscale art galleries before we returned to camp at night. In our opinion, Central Oregon coast was the best in the west, especially the section near Coos Bay. Harris Beach is another well managed and popular state park. Its campground has a champion location above the sandy shoreline in southern Oregon. We ate dinner early and walked down to the beach for the sunset.

Redwood National Park in Northern California was intertwined with several state parks in the area with plenty of trails and excellent opportunities to spot elks along the way. However, we had never driven the entire 32 miles of the Avenue of the Giants along Highway 101. Therefore, we set up camp at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The redwoods here are just as impressive. And we loved the smell of the forest.

Further south near Ft. Bragg, MacKerricher State Park is right off the coast. Even though we could not see the ocean from the campground, we could walk there for a unique sunset experience on a black sand beach.

San Francisco is an expensive place to stay, but camping on Angel Island State Park is a steal. We left the car at Tiburon and took the ferry to Angel Island. Camp sites here have a commanding view over the Bay area. After the last boat of the day left the island, we got the whole place to ourselves (along with a few other campers, of course).

After San Francisco, we headed south to Kirk Creek Campground located right above the bluff on the Pacific coast. A few lucky campers found sites with an ocean view. That was where we spent the final night of this road trip.

Lodging in Haines Junction right outside Kluane Naional Park wasn’t cheap. Out of pure luck, we found this place called Paddle Wheel Adventure Cabin Rental. We are tempted not to tell about this place because it is such a steal. For $60 a night (including tax), you get a cabin for 4 complete with kitchenette. Bathroom is shared with occupants of one other cabin.

The cabin was heated and was perfect for the two of us to hide out from the rain for a few days and to dry up our camping gear. However, it could be a little tight for 4 adults. They have only two cabins for rent in the very quiet but convenient part of town right across from the bakery. You will wake up every morning to the smell of coffee and muffins. And because of its close proximity to the bakery which offer free WiFi, we could tap in and get connection to the outside world - just perfect when we needed some down time.

Their office is located across the Kluane National Park Visitor Center parking lot. Haines Junction is small and grocery store is within walking distance.

On our way back from Alaska, we tried to stayed here again but we were not sure of our exact date of arrival. We contacted Valerie, the owner thru e-mail (www.paddlewheeladventures.com). And she even gave us her mobile number (since she was out hunting) and tried to connect us with her in-laws about the cabin keys. Truly helpful but we never got to stayed there again because we arrived a day early and both cabins were taken. Other than renting out cabins, Paddel Wheel Adventure provides guide services to outdoor adventure in the Kluane area.

Among the three places we stayed in Anchorage, we liked this one the best. You can walk to most downtown attractions and restaurants from this conveniently located 31 room hotel. The lobby and the hallway seemed to be small but we were pleasantly surprised when we entered the corner room. It was roomy like an apartment with a full kitchen, a dining area, and a sitting area big enough to invite friends over. We could see the railroad from our room but the noise level was acceptable.

Free breakfast was delivered to the room. Don’t expect much, it was very basic. The bed was decent enough for a restful night. Overall, good value especially if you plan to stay a little longer.

We stayed here on two separate occasions. You can walk to most downtown attractions and restaurants from this conveniently located 40 room hotel. Rooms are decent size, and most came with a kitchenette (frig., microwave, cups and sink). We were told that not all room has wireless internet access but the lobby does.

One of the rooms we stayed in has a sitting area where the couch could be pull out as an extra bed. Another room we stayed in was the ground floor handicapped room next to the coin-op Laundromat. It was fine. Noise level was much lower than expected. Because of the handicapped access, this room did not consist of a kitchenette nor an extra bed. However, we still got a sofa and a frig. Both beds in the rooms were comfortable enough for a decent night’s sleep.

Don’t count on their free breakfast, it is pathetic. Tea and coffee is okay but that is it. When you are in the room, keep the dead bolt on because one of their staff seems to be confused about which room is occupied and which is vacant. Don’t get us wrong, they are nice people and there’s no problem with theft but …

Even though we only stayed one night here and decided to move, we still have to admit this is a nice B & B in a convenient location in downtown Anchorage. You can walk to most downtown attractions and restaurants. Rooms are not big but tastefully decorated. We stayed in the second building. The one in our photo came with 4 post queen bed, a sofa, a good desk, internet access, private bath, nice linen, quality shampoo and soap. And there was a communal kitchen near the entrance with free tea, coffee, hot coca, etc. We stayed on the ground floor, so there was no view but the room opened out to a small terrace. The second floor rooms should have views over roof tops. We enjoyed the complimentary breakfast the most – lots of variety and fresh fruits.

How come we have to move? The bed was problematic. The mattress was fine but the wooden bed squeaked every time we moved ever so slightly. What good was a room if we could not sleep? Next day we asked to move to another room. They offered one on the second floor in the main building for the same price. That was a smaller room with shared bath. No, thank you. We moved.

It was second week of September and tourist season was almost over. We got a second floor room with balcony facing Seward harbor for $99. It was raining during most of our four day stay in Seward, so this room made a great hideaway from the rain with a beautiful harbor/glacier view. Like other Holiday Inn Express, the room came with high speed internet, decent breakfast, coin-op laundry, and a very comfortable king size bed. The room was clean and spacious. The linen was relatively new and of good quality. We liked the second floor balcony in particular because the third floor balcony provided an overhang over us, and we could sit outside in the rain with plenty of privacy.

We did not go on a cruise but this hotel would have made a very convenient location. There were also many excellence restaurants and shopping within a block or two. The staff was helpful and professional. We will definitely come back.

We read good things about the place and booked it online. Fortunately, we booked only one night. We were on a budget and took their cheapest room with private bath for $75. They called the room ship’s quarter. No kidding – you opened the door and the bed was right there. No room for chair, table or closet (see photo), and needless to say no frig. There were two drawers under the queen size bed for carry on luggage. If you have suitcases, keep them in the car. At least our car was literally two steps from the door. TV was strapped high above the bed. No internet access.

The worst feature of the room was the bed. It was sinking and they tried to improve it by adding a memory foam topper. The result was: every time we moved in our sleep, the whole bed bounced like jello and the foam topper keep shifting out of the bed making the one sleeping on the outside felt like falling off the bed. Was this their idea of sleeping on a ship?! We could not sit on the bed and lean our backs against the wall neither because there were shelves on the walls.

At least the bathroom was clean. However, all our changing clothes got wet once we closed the shower curtain and turned the faucet on. The joint between the shower head and the water pipe leaked and shot out squirts of water like jet streams in all directions.

The hotel was only a block from the beach but we could not see the ocean from the ground floor. The hotel was set up like a bed and breakfast (many rooms in one big house) and did offer breakfast but it was not free. There are much better choices and better value in town.

We stayed in Homer for 3 nights, checked out half a dozen of motels and B & Bs, slept in 2 different places. Ocean Shores offered the best value. This place was popular. During our two night stay in mid-September, they were full. All their rooms were clean and spacious, most had views. The first night, we got their last remaining room without ocean view. The room was very big like an apartment with a kitchen (frig., stove, oven, microwave and all). There were restaurants within walking distance. You could also walk to Safeway but we drove.

The room can easily sleeps four. It has two big windows and you can see the glaciers from there. Comfort level of the beds was average. Furniture was basic and the TV was a little small but for the price we were paying, we had no complains. The second night, they had to moved us to a different room because the one we occupied was reserved. They gave us second floor ocean view for the same price. No complains again. Smaller room, simpler kitchen, no oven, same basic furniture and small TV but we got a balcony overlooking the ocean with bald eagle flying by.

The hotel is located close to Seattle with many nice restaurants nearby. We got a pretty big room with a king size bed on a Friday night for $90. We just arrived at Seattle after roughing it out for four nights on a lounge chair on the ferry from Alaska. Our backs were sore, our clothes needed washing. This place was a nice surprise for us, the bed was very comfortable. It has a self serve coin-op laundry room. Our room was located at the back facing the inside courtyard which was very quiet. No free breakfast though. The only problem was the smell of cigarette smoke filled the elevator and upper floor hallways, and we have to go through that to get to the Laundromat. However, our room and the ground floor did not smell at all.

We checked in under the coupon clipped from a booklet picked up at McDonald. For that price, it was okay but the place really needed a face lift (at least the ground floor that we stayed in). Check in was slow. They offered typical "free" breakfast with fresh fruits and yogurt. However, there were only a couple of small tables, and a pair of sinking couches in the lobby for breakfast used. We took our breakfast inside the room. The room itself is sufficient but nothing special. The bed is average.