Alaska 2014

[KT4Wextra]

It looks like I need to get more information about RV travel to Alaska! I'd like to go there but it won't be this year. That would complete my 50th state (not all in RV's). I know Western Canada and Alaska would be beautiful. I've got time to study it over and get more info from others on the forum that have made the trip.

[stonekeepers]

Originally Posted by Lightseekers

We arrived at the Grand Canyon today. We will be here for 3 days and then we head towards Utah for a week or two. Then Vegas for a couple of days then we go to San Diego for our slow trip up the coast.

We are in Death Valley for two more nights, then westward to California. Not sure yet exactly which route we will take. We were wanting to go to Yellowstone, but the closest road is closed for at least another month due to snow. So, we may be heading south. Or...we could go north towards Lake Tahoe.

Slowly, working towards the goal.

[Lightseekers]

Maybe we will see you at some point Stonekeepers. We were at the Grand Cayon for three days and are currently in Moab, UT for 4 or more days. Still a long way to go It is much warmer here - feels great.

[ChallengerRN]

Alcatraz is well worth the trip if either of you get to SF. then thru the Golden Gate Bridge on up 101 they the redwoods

Russell

[Lightseekers]

We plan to drive coast from San Diego up to Canadian border, so red woods, etc are on our list. We love lighthouses so we will stop to see all we can

[jeeprubi]

We went on a 5 month trip to Alaska in 2009 and plan to go back in 2015. We formed a group of 4 motorhomes to travel together. Next year there may only be 2 of us. Traveling in a small group was a blast and would suggest it for others instead of the tour groups that herd you like cattle. We stayed at many of the turnouts on the roads instead of some RV parks as many of the RV parks are only good for dumping tanks and getting more fresh water. Get the Milepost, but as others mentioned, to much of it is paid advertising, especially the info on RV parks.

As you travel through BC and Yukon, take your time there too. There is a lot to see in both Providences and a lot of beauty. On our return trip, we went to Jasper and then down the Icefield hwy to Banff. Jasper was one of our favorite placed and the Icefield hwy is extremely nice.

My one recommendation is to TAKE YOUR TIME. It is not a race to see who can get there and back the fastest. All the horror stories you hear about taking an RV to Alaska are from people who drove way to fast on the roads. We got passed by several 5th wheelers and some MHs. If you see a Semi heading towards you, SLOW DOWN. Many of them will also, but not all.

When we return next year, we will spend most of our time on the Kenai, with trips to Denali and Valdez. We went Halibut fishing one day and it was a blast. We ended up with more Halibut than we had room for, so we had to eat some of it up fast. We bought the gear and license and went Salmon fishing. That was a lot of fun and there is not much better than catching a Sockeye, fileting him on the river bank and throwing him on the grill for a great meal. Try combat fishing for Salmon, it is a hoot.

Definitely take a cruise to a glacier. We did this out of Seward and it was fantastic. Make sure you purchase the 2 for 1 discount tickets while in Alaska. The cruise will pay for the discount book which was $99 when we were there.

We only made one reservation and that was for July 4th in Anchorage. We stayed at Creekwood Inn. What a dump. We also stayed at a Fred Meyers in Anchorage. Walmart will not allow you to park there. While in Anchorage, take a picnic lunch and go to the International Airport where they park all the seaplanes. There are some picnic tables there and you can watch the seaplanes taking off and landing. Very cool to watch.

TOW and Chicken. Never again even if someone paid me. Wish someone had warned us about them. We did enjoy Dawson City. Cool town.

I would not consider taking the MH on a ferry to Alaska for 2 reasons. One is the expense, but mainly because we would be missing so much beauty on the way up and back.

[Rockcrawler]

I try to check this thread often. DW and I are leaving June 1 from near San Antonio Tx for what we hope is a 3 month trip to AK. We will stop in Sante Fe for a day and then onto Pagossa Springs to visit a friend for a few before meeting another friend in WY to go trout fishing for a few days. After trout fishing comes Yellowstone. Cant wait! Then the only plan is pretty loose... See Canada and AK then come back through California to visit friends and relatives on our way back home.

I have learned some do's and donts the past years on IRV2 and I'm sure these helpful tips will help make a great trip. Keep 'em coming!!

[jdoc]

We made the trip of a lifetime in 2011. We drove our truck up there. After doing that I WOULD NOT drive my motor home up there. We entered Canada in Alberta. The roads there were good. It started after we got in British Columbia. We then went into the Yukon Territory. If it weren't for the upheaves it might be ok. Those things will rattle your teeth. The roads in Canada are built on top of the tundra. When it thaws in the spring and summer they actually push up the road. You can't see them until you are on top of them. Then there is the road construction/repair. Many miles of it and sometimes it is only one lane so you are forced to sit there while you wait on the traffic coming from the other direction. At one of these we waited for close to an hour. That was the only downside to the entire trip. The roads in Alaska were good. The other thing you have to watch out for are the 10% grade climbs. Some of them are very curvy too. Always watch out for animals,especially the moose, running across the road in front of you. You DO NOT want to hit one. And, not for the obvious reasons either. They are very protective of their wild critters up there. Fines like you would not believe.

After saying all of that, I left out some things, the trip is worth it. The scenery is spectacular. We took over 1500 pictures. We had a great time on our 2 month trip. A little over 10,000 miles.

No mater what kind of vehicle you go in be sure to have it serviced before you go and then have it serviced again before your return trip. And pay special attention to your air filter. If you are in your rv I would suggest that you take a spare. The chances of the place where you get your service done having one are small. You might go so far as to take spare oil and fuel filters. And make sure before you leave the town you are staying in to leave with a full tank of fuel. It is a long way between towns once you get into British Columbia and the Yukon Territory.

One other thing. Before you leave the U.S. be sure and get Canadian money. Some places up there will take U. S. dollars but, not all of them. When crossing the border you may be asked to prove you have the money to travel through Canada. Never heard of this happening but, it is possible. You also have to get a special insurance card before you go to prove you have the right amount of coverage on your vehicle. Call your insurance agent and he/she will take care of it for you. If you are taking a pet/pets they have to be vaccinated within 30 days of your arriving in Canada and you have to have the paperwork from your vet showing when they were last vaccinated. If it is getting close for their yearly shots I would get them before you leave. Everything up there is expensive. Especially fuel. That was another reason we didn't take our motor home. Diesel is very expensive.

Sorry for the long post but, these are some of things you must do and know before arriving in Canada. You can Google requirements for entering Canada and that website is full of more information than you can get here.

Almost forgot. The one thing that is absolutely forbidden and it will taken away from you is a fire arm. Makes no difference if you are licensed or not it WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.

Jerry

[TdogKing]

I made the mistake of "liking" the I Love Alaska Facebook Page and now it's tickling my fancy to make another trip back there. It will happen but not this year.

[Superslif]

As you travel through BC and Yukon, take your time there too. There is a lot to see in both Providences and a lot of beauty. On our return trip, we went to Jasper and then down the Icefield hwy to Banff. Jasper was one of our favorite placed and the Icefield hwy is extremely nice.

Was thinking about doing this on the way up, maybe about June 5th or so. Now I'm thinking there may still be snow around...or too cold. What was your reason to do this on the return trip? I'm assuming in August.

I also know mountainous areas tend to have more mosquitoes and bugs more often in May and June.

[twogypsies]

We've been to Jasper/Banff in May/June and in August/Sept. The mountains are definitely more beautiful with snow on their tops early in the season. Later they are black. In May/June some of the trails for hiking were still snow-covered but we found enough to keep us busy. We didn't notice any mosquitoes at either time. Later in the season you'll have crowds. We also enjoy the Jasper area rather than Banff. Lots of choices to make. Have a good trip!

[Phil14]

Originally Posted by jeeprubi

We went on a 5 month trip to Alaska in 2009 and plan to go back in 2015. We formed a group of 4 motorhomes to travel together. Next year there may only be 2 of us. Traveling in a small group was a blast and would suggest it for others instead of the tour groups that herd you like cattle. We stayed at many of the turnouts on the roads instead of some RV parks as many of the RV parks are only good for dumping tanks and getting more fresh water. Get the Milepost, but as others mentioned, to much of it is paid advertising, especially the info on RV parks.

As you travel through BC and Yukon, take your time there too. There is a lot to see in both Providences and a lot of beauty. On our return trip, we went to Jasper and then down the Icefield hwy to Banff. Jasper was one of our favorite placed and the Icefield hwy is extremely nice.

My one recommendation is to TAKE YOUR TIME. It is not a race to see who can get there and back the fastest. All the horror stories you hear about taking an RV to Alaska are from people who drove way to fast on the roads. We got passed by several 5th wheelers and some MHs. If you see a Semi heading towards you, SLOW DOWN. Many of them will also, but not all.

When we return next year, we will spend most of our time on the Kenai, with trips to Denali and Valdez. We went Halibut fishing one day and it was a blast. We ended up with more Halibut than we had room for, so we had to eat some of it up fast. We bought the gear and license and went Salmon fishing. That was a lot of fun and there is not much better than catching a Sockeye, fileting him on the river bank and throwing him on the grill for a great meal. Try combat fishing for Salmon, it is a hoot.

Definitely take a cruise to a glacier. We did this out of Seward and it was fantastic. Make sure you purchase the 2 for 1 discount tickets while in Alaska. The cruise will pay for the discount book which was $99 when we were there.

We only made one reservation and that was for July 4th in Anchorage. We stayed at Creekwood Inn. What a dump. We also stayed at a Fred Meyers in Anchorage. Walmart will not allow you to park there. While in Anchorage, take a picnic lunch and go to the International Airport where they park all the seaplanes. There are some picnic tables there and you can watch the seaplanes taking off and landing. Very cool to watch.

TOW and Chicken. Never again even if someone paid me. Wish someone had warned us about them. We did enjoy Dawson City. Cool town.

I would not consider taking the MH on a ferry to Alaska for 2 reasons. One is the expense, but mainly because we would be missing so much beauty on the way up and back.

Just out of curiosity, what is Tow and chicken?

[ChallengerRN]

Two towns in Alaska

[twogypsies]

TOW is Top of the World Highway. Chicken is a 'town' on the highway (about 10 population??)