Road Life to Alaska - RV-Dreams Community Forum

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Road Life to Alaska

Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog · RV-Dreams Family Member

That's exciting. Thumper and I want to head for Alaska when we are a bit more educated. I'm going over to check out your blog and follow you trip. Have a great time!
Rosie

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Great Blog!!! smile

Been reading your blog, starting from the beginning and it's bringing back memories of our trip.

Looking forward to reading about your adventures as you head up into Alaska.

Jim

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Chuck and Ann,

I've not begun to read your blog yet, even though I have managed to get it listed in my blog group in favorites. With that said, if you haven't done so, please be sure and provide your readers with both the good and bad experiences that you have. By doing so, you would likely provide a very valuable service to others who are planning on doing the same trip.

One never knows when one little comment made in a blog or forum post will provide a whole new perspective to those planning their trips, thus causing them to further research that "issue" when planning the trip.

I am really looking forward to reading your blog as we have been to Alaska, but via a cruise ship and land tour, thus our exposure was somewhat limited.

Have a great trip.

Terry

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Here we are! Shaken, Stirred, rattled, and banged about, but here. It was a long slow journey here for us - 42 days of crawling north but now we call Alaska ours.

blijil · RV-Dreams Family Member

We had a fabulous summer in 2009. Our visit to Alaska had a few bumps but the slow was great because we could actually see all of that gorgeous scenery. We observed too many people racing to a destination instead of savoring the trip. Hope to do it again.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We have talked to multiple people whose entire Alaska trip was 3 to 6 weeks back and forth from the lower 48. They were on a race. We had a great time in 2006 and saw Dawson City and Haines, which many miss.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Bill,
to
We've heard great things about Dawson City and horrible things about the highway to Tok! I have a great fear of sheer drop-offs with no guard rails. Well, even if there are guardrails I'm askeered. We are thinking about parking the BugSmasher in Tok on the way home and taking the car through Chicken up to Dawson City and back. We will see how our time works out. The only firm dates in our schedule are September 5-10th for DH's 50th high school reunion in Klamath Falls, Or, then want to be back in Alabama for doctors around October 15th. We should be able to work it in!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We drove the RV from Whitehorse to Dawson City and stayed a few days. One of those days we took our tow car on the Top of the World Highway to Chicken and back. Then we drove the RV back to Whitehorse and did not regret the extra miles. From Whitehorse we took three days to Tok and the road was bad between Destruction Bay and the US Border, Many take it in one to two days and complain bitterly. We took the bad part again on the way to Haines. Some friends took the ferry from Haines to Skagway on the way south, but we drove from Haines to Whitehorse in one day since the road was decent and we had already been in Skagway. We enjoyed both Dawson City and Haines and are glad we made the effort to spend time in both.

Some friends left their motorhome in Tok and drove the Top of the World to Dawson City where they stayed a few nights in a motel before going back for the motorhome. You can be flexible and not try to minimize the miles you travel to see it all.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

We are in Valdez now. The drive in goes through Thompson Pass and the Keystone Canyon, both experiences that kept me wide awake! Lots of bald eagles in Valdez and I got quite a few good pics. Took the glacier cruise today and hope to update the blog with that later.

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

This sure sounds like a fun adventure that we will surely take part in........eventually. I know it depends on a lot of factors but for those that have done Alaska how much time would you allow if you were going to do the trip just once?

Gary · RV-Dreams Family Member

When the DW and I retire, we're planning on leaving Virginia in March, making our way across country and Canada and getting into Alaska in June and not leaving until Aug/Sept to be back in the US by the end of September.

That's the plan, anyhow. We all know that as soon as a plan is made, it changes.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Alaska and the Yukon takes time. I tell people if they don't take at least two months north of TC-16, the Yellowhead Highway, they will miss enough they will strongly want to go back. Of course, most really want to go back anyway, but they miss less. There are also the types who take a week to go up, hit Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage and then head south saying "they have seen it all". Ignore them, they are the ones who drove up to the first viewpoint at Grand Canyon, spent 15 minutes and were done. They have missed so much, Dawson City, Haines, Skagway, Valdez and the entire Kenai Peninsula. Plus they probably spent so little time at the "high points" they didn't missed a lot of experiences those of us who took our time enjoyed.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well said, Bill. Alaska, and the trip up the Alcan via the Yukon, is not a trip for everyone. It take a certain, slightly adventuresome spirit. But it is one of the greatest RV trips one can make and totally worth the time. Yes, there are a few rough roads. Gee, as I sometimes say in an Alaska-101 RV presentation I make, “this isn’t I-95 down to Ft. Lauderdale. If it was, it wouldn’t be the fabulous trip that it is.”

It takes some time to even begin to see the highlights of Alaska and the Yukon. Pushing 2 months, I agree. So if you don’t have that much time, or don’t want to see some of the greatest views along a highway possible, maybe you should fly and (hate to even think this) leave the RV at home.

Wish we could go again this year. But Lord willing we will again and soon.

Bill

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Great! Sherri and I will check it out. We don't plan on going to Alaska but sure would like to go along with you.

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

With the wife soon to be retired and I'm already retired, time is not a problem! Looks like an event for 2014. 2013 is planned for the eastern half of the U.S. I have a hole list of places to go and planning 2 months for Alaska will not be a problem.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Went panning for gold today! What fun, but I think I might just stick to fishin'.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

King Salmon fishing (and keeping) is shut down til July 1st. We went on a Halibut charter and caught our limit of 10-20 pound fish. Yum. Tasty. Made 44 servings of fillets for the freezer.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Went to the Homer Spit for three days, then to the local Elks Club in old town Homer for another three. It was supposed to rain the last three days, but had glorious weather instead!! We've relocated today to Kasilof for a week to do some lake fishing, clamming, and hopefully some salmon fishing.

Life is good on the road.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Yay! King Salmon caught on the Kenai! It was De-lish!!

Also, Chuck got herded by a moose. I think the moose was in love, but it kept staring at him and pacing back and forth, forcing him back down the road to the rv park. The dogs were with him so he unleashed and they chased him back to the woods. Good Doggies. Although the moose reappeared and followed them almost all the way back to camp. A little love, a little fear.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Anchorage was a blast. We even got to sample the BearPaw Festival. We stayed at our first military FamCamp (via Chuck's eligibility) in Fort Richardson and loved it. Left for Talkeetna. Talkeetna is Northern Exposure

. Chuck took a floatplane flight around Denali and we both tackled the jet boat adventure on the river. Now we are in Denali, about to head out for a jeep tour of the back woods.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

How time flies! Off to Fairbanks where there's loads of fun things to do, then for a 3-day jaunt to the Arctic Circle in Bettles, Alaska. I must admit I was scared in that little plane flying among all those big mountains. We left through North Pole, back to Tok, then through Canada again to Haines Alaska. We encountered several Grizzly bears on the road to Haines.

Then right there in the middle of the road, one block off Main Street in Haines, was Bear Poop. Which answers that age-old question. Does a bear poop in the woods? NO!!! A bear poops on the road in downtown Haines Alaska.

WestWardHo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Back when I was a golf wholesaler, every year we used to sell about 500 dozen "I Got Laid in Chicken, Alaska" logo'd golf balls to a retail outlet in Chicken. think I still have a sleeve.

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

Took the Alaskan Marine Highway (ferry) from Haines to Skagway. DH's main interest here is the Whitepass & Yukon Railway - one of the engineering marvels of the world. We took the train to the White Pass summit and back - tremendous scenery and a cliff-hanging ride. Skagway is definitely a cruise ship town, with most of the businesses here being owned by the cruise companies. THe 800 or so residents swell to practically 10,000 or more on any given day. Yikes!! Make note to self - been here done that no need to go again.

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we took this railway trip it was rated in the top 5 railroad trips in the world. We certainly thought so and would consider this to be a “must do” on any trip to the area. If you make it to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, going up the Alcan we highly recommend working in this trip.

I also agree with your evaluation of Skagway. For the most part, it’s just one big “gift shop” and lots of people waiting in line all wanting an overpriced hamburger. Some may feel differently. I guess that’s why the town has a business from all those cruise ships that support it.

Jo And Craig · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill and Linda, I was once a cruise agent and wholeheartedly agree that the White Pass Yukon train ride is a MUST DO, even if cruising and not RVing. Skagway is a port-of-call for many of the cruise lines; however, I explain to everyone that it's the ambience or "taste" of Alaska which is so unique. The weather is so cold and the snow is so deep in many places in the winter throughout Alaska that they must make their money during the few short months of "summer"; hence, so many shopping areas, in some cases. Additionally, their food supplies across the board must be shipped in; hence, higher food costs. We have been to Alaska many times over the years and was there as recently as last September. We were there for 2 weeks and we made the full circle from Anchorage to Fairbanks, to Valdez and back across on the ferry to Anchorage. It was, by far, the absolute best vacation we have ever had!

So, if anyone has any questions or needs information, I am happy to assist. I planned the entire trip which saved us 75% of what it would have cost us through a tour company. When we got home and I added up our receipts and I was just a few dollars over! Our entire trip (SUV, gas, food, entertainment, lodging, etc., etc., etc.) cost a tad over $3,000.00 (not including air)! (We used air miles.)

P.S. Can't WAIT to RV Alaska!!!

RoadLife · RV-Dreams Community Member

From Skagway we motored to Hyder Alaska where the Bears are. Chum Salmon were spawning in Fish Creek and Jaws the bear showed up to play in the creek and catch fish. Lots of Glaciers to see on the way in and out. From Hyder we scooted down to Seattle (actually just a bit north in Arlington) to see my niece and grand nieces (or great nieces - I can never figure that one out).

So it is goodbye to Alaska and Canada. Now we head to Oregon and then cross-country back to Alabama. We hope to be very lazy on this part of the journey.

mark1940 · RV-Dreams Community Member

we plan on making the trip this summer, please sent us tips on what to look out for. this will be our first trip to Alaska. would love to hear more about your trip. would you do it again.