Planning a trip to Alaska next summer, looking for any advice as to best parks, locations etc.  Anyone else headed that way?

I have been following Mytripjournal . com/ AlbasiniRVAdventure, this blog is wonderful, full of interesting information on places to stay, some to avoid, good fishing, restaurants etc... We will follow much of the advice given in this blog to plan our trip to Alaska in 2009. Have a great trip!

I also follow the Albasanis and agree that this is an excellent site if you're planning on an Alaskan trip.

I also know of another couple that are there right now. They are both photographers.

http://www.pbase.com/gpc/travelblog&page=1http://www.pbase.com/gpc/travelblog&page=1

Hope this helps.

Having gone up in 2006 I can be a resource. You can read about our three month journey up through Canada and back starting with Washington to Alberta in late May 2006 through Coming back to Washington in late August. I also made an overview to help others, Alaska Guide .
You want the Church's Alaska Camping book, no one pays to be in the guide so the ratings and information are their own. They are doing their updates this summer so I expect a new edition will be out for next summer.
We made reservations in Anchorage, Denali and Fairbanks only. Otherwise we winged it. In Alaska proper there are many places a cell phone will work, so call ahead.
We drove a 40' diesel motorhome towing a Honda CRV. We would do it again.

Bill I will look at this information. I am interested in why people take this trip?

Speedhitch: We went because we wanted to see the animals, the history, and the scenery. My sister also lives in Alaska, which just added to our trip. It is also a time to experience very long days, the "midnight sun", being in the wilderness, and a place you can eat lots of seafood and catch it if you want. There is nothing like Alaska and the Yukon in the lower 48.

We're planning on going up in 08.

We also follow the Albasini blog and the forum on RV.net. Will check out Bill's experiences and the other blog that's been mentioned, there is a lot of info on the net if you dig a little.
A little later in the year we will start to do some more serious research, but I think we will mostly be guided by the Church book and Milepost, and just wing it.

As far as why go? We expect to see scenery, geography and wildlife, that's not available anywhere else that we can drive to. Every one I've ever met that's been there has claimed that they've never been anywhere else that comes close to the experience.

It sure is a long drive though.

Fred

Also have been following Jeff and Sue Cousins on their current visit to Alaska, some great pics and it certainly seems like they are seeing a lot.

http://cuzztravels.blogspot.com/

Speedhitch wrote:

---

I am interested in why people take this trip?

---

This question can only be asked by someone that hasn't been to Alaska. I haven't had enough vacation time to drive up to Alaska but, I have been here three times. When I retire and have the time, it will be our first destination. No matter what you have seen or heard about Alaska it will exceed your expectations. Thanks to Fred, I also follow the Albasini blog daily and the forum on RV.net.

Alaska 2008? I hope so!

 

Sounding better all the time. I will follow Fred and Jo on their trip in '08. I might have to go up there and resque Fred. Joe and Sherri

Speedhitch wrote:

---

I will follow Fred and Jo on their trip in '08. I might have to go up there and resque Fred.

Joe and Sherri

---

If you read Fred and Jo's blog (which I check everyday) you will see that it took them 6 months from the time that the entered Calfornia from Arizonia until they exit California entering Oregon. At that rate it will take them 18 months just to get to the boarder of Alaska.

They may be gone for years

Grant

 

Thanks all for the advise and links! Maybe we could get Howard & Linda to wagonmaster a "dream" trip up there?

Heyyyyy Grant.  I resemble that remark

Maybe we were just waiting for you to catch up.

Jo

dreamjosie wrote:

---

Heyyyyy Grant. I resemble that remark

Maybe we were just waiting for you to catch up.

Jo

---

 I just hope that you aren't still waiting for us to catch up come May 2008?

 

Now I could go for a caravan to Alaska. That would be the ultimate trip...and I would feel more comfortable with others behind me in case I had trouble. Maybe we can put that together?

Hi guys!
We, too, are planning to head north to AK and were thinking of next spring, but have decided it may have to be 2009......there's so many events programmed for 2008...RV-Dreams Rally in Branson would be right in the middle of the travel time to AK!   

We've  also been following several blogs and posts on the Escapees forum and are putting "the plan" together.   It would be great fun to start something here and get our groups together for travel in 2008  and in 2009, and beyond.      Anyone interested?

My DH still has another year before he retires but we would be interested in traveling with all the Dreamers. After all we are a family!

Sherri

I agree with Bob and Molly that 2008 is a little busy with the Rally and all, but 2009 has possibilities for us.  What a wonderful way to see Alaska.  We would definitely be up for it.

For those of you planning your Alaska trip (even if you're not) check out this awesome website  http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/wildcamgrizzlies/index.html

 Debken I checked out the web site. It is sooo cool.

If all goes well, we might be interested in a caravan to Alaska in 2009.  I think H & L would be the logical wagon-masters for it!

Ready to go in 2008 (May -July). Hope all that are interested can set up a caravan - would be a great time with all us "dreamers"!! Ken & Toni - fulltiming for two months - presently up by Glacier Park.

We are going in 2008 and taking the 2 grand kids for the trip leaving just as school gets out taking the two 14year old girls with us should be a nice trip for them

In 2006 a bunch of us on the Escapees forum compared our total costs and they ran from about $7,000 to $11,000 for couples and everyone took tours. For full-timers these totals ran about $3,000 to $4,000 over a typical summer. I know that is not exactly what you were looking for, but it is the numbers I have.

We aren't full time RVers yet, but will be after retirement as of February of 2010. We are definately planning on doing a trip to Alaska.... I am curious to hear from someone who has taken a "caravan" type trip to Alaska, and what their experience was? I don't exactly know what is included in one of these trips, but the ones I've seen, seem to be extremely expensive. Although there does seem to be a lot of pros to doing this sort of "group" caravan thing, there are a few things (at least on the surface) that would seem to turn me off....maybe someone who has done one of these trips could comment: 1. The trips seem to be fairly "rigid" with everyone on a pretty tight schedule. A. Having to travel the same routes and distances per day/week etc... B. Same food/resturants C. The same "attractions" or sightseeing stops. D. No time for "alone time" or things outside the "group" experience? 2. The planned trips seem to be expensive...it would seem that the trip could be done much more ecconomically if done separately? 3. Seems there could be a lack of sponteniety? There are obvious advantages, as have been state, like "safety in numbers"....comradarie/meeing - having fun with friends...ect. Just wondering what experiences others have had? Rick (& Debi) Future full timers (2010)

We haven't taken a caravan.
Some friends love caravans and enjoyed their 44 (or 45) day Alaska caravan with Adventure Caravans. But after encountering caravans on our trip to Alaska we are against them. For us there are three main reasons we didn't like them.
1) They do have a rigid schedule, including long travel days. We encountered some friends on a caravan in Dawson City and they were already tired and grumpy and only 1/3rd of the way. They were on a Tracks to Adventure 30 day caravan.
2) They take some rough routes, like the Top of the World Highway and they do it on the set day. A day delay on some roads can be really useful if the weather has been wet.
3) They end up far south of Alaska so you can't go back and see something you liked. (Some owners groups end in Fairbanks, like Newmar and Winnebago, but they are the exception.) It is a long ways from Prince George, BC back to Alaska.

We did not have much trouble with them filling up our campgrounds, so that is not on our list. But some friends have had this issue and were kicked out of the campground.
We did have a multi-day stop for a repair and if it would have happened on a caravan we would have had to race 1,000 miles or more to catch up and missed a bunch.

You can tell they are not for me or my wife.

People I know who have set up caravans for groups say that you take the early bird prices for a caravan and the real cost is about 2/3rds of that cost. Say the caravan is $5,000 normally, but is $4,200 if you book early. The cost to the caravan company, including the wagon master and tail gunner costs, is 2/3rds of $4,200 or $2,800. That does sound about right to me.

-- Edited by bjoyce at 12:29, 2007-10-23

So far the list of those planning AK in 08 are as follows.

May Departure
Luvglass (May - Sep)
Endless Travels (May-Jul)
LeslieW (May-Aug)
Grant (May-Sep)

June Departure
Satboyz1 (Jun?-??)

July Departure
RVDude (Jul-Nov)

Unknown Departure
Judy
The Bob Guy (changed to 2009)

Have I missed anyone? For those above, what are the planned travel months?



-- Edited by RVDude at 21:57, 2007-10-28

-- Edited by RVDude at 10:04, 2007-10-29

Retired Guy and I plan to go to Alaska for late May - end of August 2008.  Our current thinking is to take the ferries north and drive back.

We are going May - Sept.

Leslie.....we took the ferries north from Prince Rupert to Skagway and then Haines...stopping in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka and Juneau on the way ....took us the whole month of May several years ago.  We then spent June, July and August driving around the mainland, and drove back to the US through Minnesota in September.   It was a fantastic trip.

Mary

Mary,

Thanks for the info.  Where did you leave  from at the first of May?  I'm a bit concerned about being too early and freezing!  Any advice on that?

Thanks
Leslie

-- Edited by LeslieW at 23:45, 2007-10-28

-- Edited by LeslieW at 00:01, 2007-10-29

We have always said that we would drive to Alaska the first summer we were fulltimers. So next summer, we are planning to cross into Canada in early to mid-May and leave Alaska sometime after Labor Day.
 
This will be our 4th trip to Alaska but, finally we will have the time to drive up.


Grant

I'm in the serious planning mode for our Alaska adventure this summer. We've expanded our travel dates to May 1 - Oct 1. I'm writing to every town along the route to request their info brochure. I seem to remember somewhere on this Forum reading about some sort of pre-paid discount card for tours. I've searched the old posts and can't find it. Does anyone remember the entry and have any details or contact information about it?

Thanks
LeslieW

-- Edited by LeslieW at 00:12, 2008-01-21

The discount book is called the Great Alaska Toursaver, Just click the link for info. It is $100 and full of two-for-one coupons.

Thanks Bill.

I just read the entire sections of your website on your 2006 Alaska trip.  It was wonderful to read.

I found your website much easier to read than those that are hosted on the Good Sam site.  How do you maintain your site?

Thanks again.

I use Microsoft Frontpage 2003 to handle most of the site management but I create the web pages myself and do all the work offline to resize photos and such.  More of the old fashioned way to do a website.  Glad you like it. 

Debbie and I are in the early stages of planning a trip to Alaska in 2010. Looking forward to hearing about all of everyone's experiences.

Joe

Just put on the bike rack and purged the fresh water and filled the tank....another10 days we will be on the trail again...Largo Fla to beach at appalchola, to Birmingham, to Mississippi, then northwest to Glacier Nat'l Park, Babb and then back to East Glascier and over and up to Banff and Lake Louise, Jasper the Ice fields and Mt Robinson one to Prince Williams and west to Rt 37 past the Totems to junction turn west to Stewart BC and over to Hyder in Southeast Alaska  to see the Bears on Berries, then north again on 37 to Dease Lake and up to Signpost Village and back on the Alcon to Liard Hot Springs, then turn around and go north toward Whitehorse and west along Palmer to Manatuska Glasier,, then on to Ancorage  to visit and down to Denali and Kenai for Summer then back slowly to Idaho, Wyoming and Florida, by November.........all this fast from memory without a map....e mail alspa@tampa bay.rr.com if you are going...no caravans, just RV fun along the way slowly.  We will hit all the Army Corps of Engrs, State Parks, Forest Service and community Parks we can along our route....camping and fireplaces preferred, not Resort Parks....Resorts we do by car in the Winter.

Babb, MT - be sure to eat at the Cattle Baron Supper Club.... no finer steak anywhere.

-- Edited by RVDude at 22:28, 2008-03-31

Hi All,

We just arrived in Alaska May 5th. What a drive the Alaska Hwy is.  Slow going at best. We can't say much about the RV Parks in Anchorage, as they have very few and are pretty rough.  We did however find a gem in Soldotna that's only been open for 2 yrs and is very clean and fresh and even has grass at each site. The Klondike RV Park and Cabins is on Funny River Road.  Nice facilities, nice people and very helpful as they have lived here for about 40 yrs so they have lots of local knowledge.

Just wanted to add some useful info to the posts as I have gleemed so much from reading and asking questions from everyone.  Hope someone can use the info. 
LifeisGood
ps:  still cold, king salmon just starting to show up. But the sun's out today so yeah!!!!!

Great info.... Let's all keep posting as we migrate up yonder..... I'll be planning to leave earlier I originially thought, looks like right after the RVdreams rally now!

Thought I'd move the list of departures down a notch for reference...

So far the list of those planning AK in 08 are as follows.

May Departure
LifeIsGood (already there!)
Luvglass (May - Sep)
Endless Travels (May-Jul)
LeslieW (May-Aug)
Grant (May-Sep)

June Departure
Satboyz1 (Jun?-??)
RVDude (Jun-Nov)
Gummy (Jun-Aug)

July Departure

Unknown Departure
Judy (not going this year)
The Bob Guy (changed to 2009)

Have I missed anyone? For those above, what are the planned travel months?



-- Edited by RVDude at 23:00, 2008-05-17

-- Edited by RVDude at 23:07, 2008-05-19

We're in British Columbia (Radium Hot Springs) headed towards Prince Rupert for the ferries.  Would love to meet up with other RV Dreams Family Members in Alaska this summer.

We'll spend the month of June ferry hopping along the southeast coast, early July in Anchorage and visiting the grizzly bears at Brooks Camp (Katmai), late July and August seeing Homer, Seward, and Valdez, arrive at Denali the third week in August, and leave Fairbanks on the Alaska Hwy Sept 3rd. 

Keep in touch fellow Alaska travelers,

LeslieW & Robert 

Too all of those Alaska travelers.....would love to meet up with any forum member that's in the same area and the same times.  We are now in Soldotna, until May 27th. Headed up toward Denali and Fairbanks by June 6 - 16th and then back to soldotna for some salmon run until July 8th. 

Please keep posting your plans and also, if there are any questions we can help you with from up here I will do my best to give you the most updated and correct info.

 We are enjoying Alaska tremendously!!!! Come join us.  :)