Calling all Alaska Travelers

[RMccord]

We are starting to plan the great Alaskan trip. I would like to lean on your experiences for some feedback on these topics.
1.You recommendations on Sights that must be seen on the road up to Alaska and while in ALaska.
2.What Sightseeing busts should we avoid
3.On the trip from Portland to Fairbanks if travel time were not a big issue how many days would you allot for the trip up? Giving time to enjoy the key sites and places along the way. We will be retired and can take a fairly leisurely trip up.
4. What time of Spring would be the earliest you would start up.
5. What essentials (ie. spare tires, tools, parts etc) would you say are Don't Leave Home Without It items.
6. What are some must see or do things not to miss.
7. How long do you feel is adequate to enjoy a good sampling of the Fairbanks area? 3 weeks, month, or longer
8. Same for Anchorage.
9. What were some of the best RV locations you stayed in on your trip? We will have a 3400RL or possibly a 3650. Preferably Pull Through Sites.
10. Where did you stay in each location and how would you rate that park?
11. Is there anything you should have left home that you felt you needed when you first left.
12. What precautions or measures should we expect from local authorities in Canada and Alaska?
13. Any other things that you can think of that would be planned into your trip if you where planning another one?
14. What would you suggest as a good daily mileage to cover under normal conditions.
14. Any areas on the way up that are great to see but would not warrant staying over more than a nite? In other words points that one can make where the scenery is the main course and ther is just more of the same the next day with little points of interest in between. I guess another way to say it is where would you choose to make time and not loiter?

I know this was allot to ask but I would very much appreciate your feedback. Obviously this is a trip of some duration and expense and one that will be just allot of fun to plan. We intend to give the trip the time it deserves. Currently I am thinking of a departure time of 5/15 depending on weather and about 2-3 weeks to get there. A couple in Fairbanks and another couple in Anchorage. If you were to want to give one more time than the other (with scenery, wildlife, as the emphasis which area would you lean towards?
Thanks

[msmoonsatx]

I would also like to know if someone should consider an organized caravan versus traveling on our own. We are also considering an Alaska trip in the future. We have jokingly told our youngest son that for his graduation gift from college, we are giving ourselves a trip to Alaska.

Mark

[BillyRay]

We've never been, and don't know anything about it, but I did see a trip being planned by Good Sam. It was advertised in the monthly "Highways" magazine. It was one of the caravans. It sounded very interesting.

[jrgwdenner]

I'll take the easy question first. It is not necessary to travel with a caravan to Alaska. For some folks it's a comfortable way to go, but not necessary.

The first step to planning a trip to Alaska is to purchase a copy of the Milepost magazine. It's a must! We traveled with our camera and a copy of the Milepost in the front seat of the truck. You never know when a wild animal will appear.

I regret that we didn't take the entire summer to make the trip. There is a lot to see in every major city in Alaska and a lot to see in British Columbia. We took too much food as it is readily available. We took too much stuff for mosquitoes as we barely saw any. We were too late for the grizzlies during the salmon runs so we would plan the trip to Hyder for an earlier date like mid-August.

If you like to fish, be sure to take a small freezer. We had to stop fishing because it was too expensive to ship the fish back to the states.

When you return to the lower 48 be sure that you don't have fresh, opened packages of meat in your frig. They will enter your RV and inspect your frig. That's a start. Don't over plan as the trip will be great however you do it.

[refocused]

TracksRVTours also has a variety of Alaska Tours - pricey, but depends on whether you want to do it yourself or have it done for you!

Suzanne

[HamRad]

Bob,
The Alaska trip sounds great. Sure wish I could talk the wife into taking a trip up that way. Have a great one.

How did the trip up toward Bakersfield go?

Dennis

[adelmoll]

We took the trip last year and I agree with everything that Judy says. I also think that the Alaska book by Mike and Terri Churchill is a great book to have with you. Mike is from Fairbanks and they return every year. They are very good with telling you about the campgrounds and where you will fit.

One suggestion I have is to be sure to get the Tour Savers Coupon Book. You can order it on-line ar purchase it at any Safeway store in Alaska. It costs $99.00 and will save you more than that the first time you use it. The coupons are two for one on many of the tours and entertainment and it is FIRST CLASS. We and several of our friends can not say enough about how much that book saved us or how good the tours were.

I think that your timing for going to Alaska is perfect. We crossed the Border into BC mid May and came back the end of August. Except for a lot of rain last year, we had no trouble.

Our personal opinion is that a week in each of Fairbanks and Anchorage is plenty of time. We would spend more time in Seward, Stuart, Valdez, Haines, Kanai, Homer and all of the places in between if when we go back again. Oh and be sure not to miss Hyder in August.

If you cross the border in Washington, be sure to stop at Minter Gardens just nort of Abbortsford about 1/2 hour or so.
Bring lots of money. Drive slow, slow, and slower if you are on a bad road during construction and then slow down some more. And be prepared to get dirty but don't be afraid of the roads. We have been on a lot worse on our own interstates freeways right here in the lower 48.

If you get a chance, check out our blog and you will find a lot of beautiful ideas. Just click on the link below and go back to May 2005.

Oh yes, did I tell you to bring lots of money.

Helen

[capn chris]

Bob,
Good advice above. Check Helen and Bill's chronicles. Very good. Agree re. Milepost, a must have guide! Nobody mentioned "Top of the World Hwy?" We skipped it after talking w/folks. We spent about 6 weeks in AK in 2005 ad took our time going and coming. Fun! PM me for more ideas re. tours and CGs. I would suggest starting serious planning and some key reservations soon. The caravans lock up large blocks of sites in some key locations, depending on their schedule and yours?!! Many CGs in AK reminded me of the old drive-in theaters...gravel lots w/posts and rigs packed in! You'll have a blast.

[adelmoll]

Oh yes...... The top of the world Highway. Well that one you can read all about on our blog. It took us 8 hours to go 100 miles. I really think that we still have some of the mud we collected underneath the coach. But everybody MUST do this at least once in their life. We had such a great time in Dawson City that it made it all worth while. Don't let anyone try to scare you out of anything that you want to do.

Oh yes, except for the forth of July week in Anchorage, we did not have a reservation anywhere and never had a problem. We liked it like that because there were a lot of places that we thought we would stay for a night and stayed for a week and vice- versa.

[Emmel]

Since we are going to Oregon for the big Rally in Redmond this year, we will be planning on a trip to Alaska in 2008 or 2009. We have attended a couple seminars on the Alaska and have some more comming up this summer. We feel we need to learn as much as possible before we go!

[tbhd]

Thanks for all the information and suggestions. We plan on leaving right after Memorial Day. Hope that's not to late. Don't know for sure how long we'll be gone. Can't wait!!

[jrgwdenner]

Dennis and Sharon, glad to hear that your dream of going to Alaska is going to happen! Memorial Day seems like a great time to start the journey.

[exav8tr]

Everyone comning to Anchorage this year should be advised that the Anchorage RV Campground has closed for good. The land was sold and they will be starting construction of a new building there this summer. PLAN ACCORDINGLY....

Phil P.

PS: Someone said bring plenty of money. This is a truism, everything is more expensive here, even Dennys and Pizza Hut.

[virgil47]

I think Helen's blog is better than any book you could buy. When we go back, we're going straight to Soldotna and spend two months fishing along the Kenai River.

However, if it was my first time again I would go to from Tok to Valdez, then to Homer and work my way back up the Kenai to Anchorage. From Anchorage up to Talkeetna, AK to fly around Denali, then up to Fairbanks.

Do not fear the dirt highway up to Deadhorse and the North Slope. Don't take your Montana but you can drive it in about 7 hours pretty easy. When we go back, I really want to wade in the Arctic Ocean. I only went to the Arctic Circle last trip.

After Fairbanks I would go back to Tok and maybe then down to Haines to see the bears.

I would go across the Alaska border in late May. There will be a chance of snow but I would chance that to get started sooner. It rains a LOT in August.

A warning. The stretch of road from White Horse to Tok is some of the trickiest road you will ever encounter. It will move along ok for several miles and then WHAM, you hit a frost heave and the trailer wheels leave the ground. This is about a 200 mile stretch whre you want to just drive SLOWLY. I think 30mph is about right.
Others may have a different opinion.

Only needed one spare tire. Although we rarely passed one up, there were plenty of fuel stops. Food was more expensive, maybe 20% more.

[DCP]

The Kenai area was the best with Seward..Second best was Valdez. We were on the inlet about 15 feet from the water for $8 a night. No services, but who cares!!