Going to Alaska - RV-Dreams Community Forum

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Going to Alaska

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Three things:
1) Get the Toursaver book from http://www.toursaver.com/, before you go. It will save you money on tours and such.
2) Get the Church's Alaska camping guide,
Traveler's Guide to Alaska Camping. They take no money for the listings and list every place you can camp, dry camp and dump they could find.
3) Get The Milepost and use it for trip planning, but not for finding the campgrounds. The campgrounds pay to be listed and control what is said about them.

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hey Bill thanks for the info. I knew about milepost and have plans to get the newest edition in March. Will be getting the others you mentioned as well. I'm getting so excided about the trip I feel like a buck in rut. Just hope I don't start peeing down my leg.

-- Edited by 2fortheroad on Monday 25th of January 2010 12:42:21 PM

KarenInTheWoods · RV-Dreams Family Member

Got any room in a compartment for a stowaway?

JackieandTony · RV-Dreams Family Member

My advice other than what Bill has already suggested, would be to try and make your trip as long as possible. You want to stay the entire summer.. and smell the roses. We saw too many people fly up there and fly back and that seems such a pity. There is so much to do and see and for such a long distance I would suggest stretching it out as long as you can. We left on Mother's Day in May and came back in Sept. The next time we do the trip we would leave a week or two earlier. If you would like to check out our blog for the summer of 2007. Enjoy it is the ULTIMATE trip!!

Gandalf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Ditto what Jackie and Tony said about taking your time. We had jobs to get back to for our 7 trips to Alaska ( 1 cruise last summer, 2 fly ups and rented RVs and 4 driving like road warrior maniacs up the Alaska Highway and back via the Cassiar) The most time we had was 3 weeks when we drove up. Enough to blitz to South Central and Interior (Anchorage/Kenai/Valdez/Denali/Seward/Homer/Fairbanks/The haul road to Arctic Circle/Chicken via The Top of the World Highway) and timed our trip to hit the Red run(sockeye salmon) on the Kenai river. Depends on your interests but if you like fishing get ready for some fun! Don't miss Hyder on the way home in August if thats the month you return...bears o my!

2fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. The plan is to leave Idaho June 1st and return in Sept. A lot depends on the sale of our Sticks-N- Bricks. We may just take it off the market if it doesn't sell before June. Don't want to get to Alaska and then have to end the trip early.

As for fishing in Alaska, we are have friends that live there. He works as a fishing guide during the season and also Captains a River Tour boat. They live in a little berg called Trapper Creek Alaska. We also have a friend that lives near Dawson Creek BC. that we will visit on the way.

Our friends have driven the AlCan several times. So I kind of know what to expect for road conditions. I have ordered the book on RV and camp grounds by the Churches and will be odering the new Milepost in March when it is available. Sure would appreciate any input on some of the sites along the way.

The caravan thing is not for us but if a couple rigs want to tag along it might be fun. As of now there is just me, my wife and our dog Molly. No rules come and go as you please.

Ron & Sharon

Gandalf · RV-Dreams Family Member

Liard Hot Springs has a nice Provincial park with several sites big enough to park a larger rig, and there is always the overflow area. You can reserve ahead if you can guage when you will arrive. It is a great rest stop and the pools are heavenly warm!

Before you get to Liard, consider Stone Mountain Provincial Park or Muncho Lake, both of which are outstanding for wildlife and views.

Boya Lake Provincial Park on the Cassiar Highway on the downhill run home is one of the best.

If you drive the Richardson Highway in AK to Valdez, and don't have a huge rig, you could slide into Blueberry Lake Recreation Area campground at he top of Thompson Pass before descending into Valdez. The solitude and views can be stunning (or socked in with clouds and rain....hay its Alaska!)

In Chicken stay at the Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost and come prepared to buy some neat trinkets and crafts in the store along with great espresso and lattes.

Go to www.rv.net/forum and check out the RVing in Canada and Alaska forum archives for a lot of advice.

Have a great trip!

-- Edited by Gandalf on Sunday 31st of January 2010 08:59:14 PM

Colorado_Kid · RV-Dreams Family Member

I worked at Denali National Park in the Summers of 1998 and 1999 and loved it. You have to take a tour into the National Park on one of their wildlife tours. You can see Moose, Grizzly Bears, Elk and Wolves.