Alaska in August

because we'll be arriving with jet lag

Huh?

Are you not coming from San Diego? Fairbanks is a one hour difference

Hi Stewart & Vicki, what’s nice about going in Aug is that the bugs will be gone. I was in Talkeetna in early Sep and someone I spoke to saw the northern lights during the night. Since you’ll be as far north as Fairbanks, I believe it’s possible.
I recently posted a question about Alaska and got a lot of good information from tdw who lives there. Ever since that trip, Alaska is my favorite state.
If there was a place, I was disappointed with it was Seward. However, I ate the best salmon served on a cedar plank that no other place to this day has been able to rival. Ask locals for restaurant recommendations, that’s what I did. The view from Anchorage to the halfway point to Seward is drop dead stunning with its high mountains running along the shoreline.
If you’re a seafood lover and you see halibut on the menu, order it. Someone told me to do that and I would love to go back to Alaska for that reason alone. Make sure you catch the first bus at Denali because the earlier you depart, the greater your chance of seeing grizzlies, I saw seven.

Yup, jetlag because we'll be flying to Fairbanks from Paris, knock on wood that the scheduled (& re-scheduled, & re...) travel in France happens. If not, easy peasy from San Diego due north (almost).

We'll be with a tour company, so transit's a done deal, as well as every day's places & events. We'll have some free stretches of time. And regardless, hearing from experienced travelers is worth gold.

Salmon, halibut, oh, yessss.

Thanks, all.

While in Fairbanks, do not miss the Museum of the North at UAF as well as the Morris Thompson Center. We have seen the Northern Lights the first week in September, but that was 250 miles north of Fairbanks. We were thrilled and did not even think it would be a possibility.

Talkeetna is a great little town to hang out in and the Roadhouse a fun place to stay! If you like hiking give the Harding Icefield Trail a try in Kenai Fjords National Park adjacent to Seward. Anchorage more urban with great scenery - especially if you rent a car and explore outside town a bit. Don't be disappointed if you don't see the peak of Denali because the mountain is often in clouds. I spent 3 nights in Talkeetna and didn't see it; however, back in Anchorage a week or so later it was clear and we could see both Denali and Foraker waaaay in the distance. Also, I was in AK for almost 2 weeks during October (2015) and didn't see the Northern Lights (including the night I spent in Utqiagvik/Barrow). Like you said - if you see them it's icing on the cake!

Just a head's up that late August/early September will be very late in the season for most of Alaska and for Denali and points north in particular. Autumn comes early at those latitudes, so be prepared for the possibility of cold and potentially wet weather.
That said, we really enjoyed our own trip to Denali in August a few years ago, even though it was rainy for much of our time there ... about 10 of the 14 days as I recall.

As someone else said, the key to Denali is to get on a bus as EARLY as possible. Your chances of wildlife sightings increase and your chances of seeing Denali's peak are at least a little better (don't count on it). Mornings tend to be the clearest with clouds rolling in by mid to late morning.

After living in Alaska for 44 years, there are some things we learned:
1. Anchorage is about the same latitude as Oslo, Stockholm & Helsinki but colder;
2. About 1 Sep, Fairbanks has over 2 ½ hours MORE daylight than San Diego. The fall equinox is 21 Sep;
3. It will rain - the question is just how much. Take GOOD rain gear;
4. There are bugs - rarely mosquitoes but biting flies (white socks) and biting gnats (no-see-ums) depending on location and how cold &/or wet. Take/buy DEET.
5. Do take the earliest bus at Denali - it usually goes all the the way to Wonder Lake;
6. There should be spawning salmon in Portage Valley streams as well as streams along the Seward Hwy;
7. Don't eat the halibut or fresh salmon! You will love it and bankrupt yourself trying to satisfy the craving at home.

we'll be flying to Fairbanks from Paris,

Be sure you have your cervical collar on; that is quite some cultural whiplash.

Hope it all works