Jeff,
If you're going to Whittier and Anchorage, I recommend you take the train to Denali then the bus through the park. It's awesome.
Also, there used to be a jazz quartet by name of Chromazone that played around the Anchorage area, and they were awesome. I would guess they're still around and worth giving a listen if you're in Anchorage for any length of time.
John