Some Thoughts on 4080 miles to Alaska

[fulltimedaniel]

As may of you know I just finished a 4080 mile trip from Tucson to Fairbanks and thought I'd share some insights about places along the way. This was my second trip to Alaska in the last 10 months.

We started in Tucson and it was nearing 80 degrees that day. By the time we got to Tok Alaska it was -34F that is a 114 degree difference in temperature.

We traveled up through the central valley of California on 99 which has been much improved over the years and up and over the Siskyous just in time to beat a big snow fall.

By the time we hit Bellingham where we stayed for Three nights to get my hair cut, the trucks oil changed and a block heater cord installed and winterize the trailer for the freezing weather just ahead in BC.We were right on the schedule that I had.

We were able to make good time on the road actually getting ahead of schedule by 2 days as we drove the Hwy.

We started staying in Motels in BC as it was very cold there as well. We had some very nic stops along the way and almost every morning it was between -24 and -34 below zero. Here are some thoughts about what we encountered along the way...

One place I would avoid Is Andreas Hotel in Watson Lake. I know most of you will be camping but if you decide to stay in a hotel one night don't do it here.

I have owned a resort hotel/restaurant/bar and do know something about running them and this place was pretty much a disaster.

The restaurant is mediocre at best turning out cold food that should be hot and just more like bad fast food than anything else.

There was construction going on when I was there and they were converting the space next to my room to a "spa" The flooring was going in. The noise was incredible. This I can have some sympathy for but to fill the room right next to it was madness since it was not necessary at all.

But the biggest joke...and it was a joke for sure was the Free WiFi. Oh it's free but only...wait for it...40MB yes that is not a misprint that is Mega Bytes. beyond that you had to pay $10 for more.

I noted at the time that we had pretty good wifi the whole trip where we stayed with few restrictions making this truly unreasonable.

The rooms are very noisy, you can literally hear the people in the next room BREATHING. There is nothing in the walls. In fact the construction of the entire place is very shoddy and cheap. It was clearly slapped together in a very big hurry.

Because of the extreme cold weather on the trip we stayed in Motels and this was the only one that was a disappointment.

Toad River Lodge was a good place to stay with decent food and they have an RV Park. Though just up the road are the campgrounds around Muncho Lake Which are very nice and exceptionally scenic and will be open by the time most of the travellers come this way.

Fuel Prices have risen dramatically since my last trip up here in May of Last year. Then Diesel at the Fred Meyer in Fairbanks was about $2.49 I paid only $2.19 by using my Fred Meyer discount card from my grocery purchases. Now the price is $2.92.

And in Canada the same diesel is about $3.23/gallon after the exchange is figured. It is over $4.00 Canadian. It was running between $1.22 and $1.16 per Litre Canadian.

Many RV Parks are surprisingly still open in places along the Hwy, many with year-round residents in them. So even if you go early like April you will find a place to stay. (This is not so true once in Alaska)

At one place (Sasquatch Crossing) we stopped for some coffee and a snack. When we got to the door a sign said their furnace was broken and they were closed but a man let us in and we used the facilities. They had hot coffee and some great looking Cinnamon Rolls and we gathered some up. When we tried to pay he wouldn;t let us...saying I don't know how to work the machine so just take 'em. Stop here and get a Cinnamon Roll on your way up.

We didnt see a lot of animals on this trip being the time of year that's not so surprising. But we did see a herd of 65 Bison near Coal River all eating and relaxing by the side of the road.

May is one of the best months to come up here. And if you do the drive in May you will see lots lots more animals. Most folks leave the trip till June which in my opinion is a mistake of great proportions. Some of the clearest weather is in May and your best chances of Seeing Denali (Slim at the best of times). Early June can be good also but as June progresses it turns more rainy and cloudy at times. Also the Mosquitos come out. Last Summer they were not bad at all except in some remote campgrounds.

If you can make the trip in early mid May you wont regret it.

[2lazy4U]

LOL on Andrea's in Watson Lake. I stayed there two summers ago and when I was through taking a shower, I noticed all the water had gone onto the floor instead of down the drain. And yes, I had the curtain carefully pulled, but it was somehow leaking anyway. I could tell from the way the floor was curling up that I wasn't the first to have that happen. I cleaned it up as best I could and left, not wanting to get charged for it, as I had a feeling I would get blamed, given the general attitude around the place.

[RDJeff]

Just remember, you're unlikely to see the Northern Lights between May and September, simply because it doesn't get dark enough to see them!

[FunnyCamper]

thanks PghBob

I will get a copy of that book for sure.

and you are right I should be getting an idea of my route and what to see and how long to stop etc. Being such a long trip I need time to set this into action 🙂

And we did cancel, reset for later. not too long tho 🙂 We are dedicating 3 months on the road. the entire off school time. smack in middle of touristy time but even that is ok cause we 'have time' now to enjoy vs. it being impossible to enjoy in such short time the way we want to enjoy this trip....kind that once in a lifetime with my kiddo!


Thank you ALL fellow RV'ers! I appreciate the help on this trip planning.

[PghBob]

FunnyCamper: I think you are wise to postpone until there is more time to take the trip. In the meantime, however, you can begin to plan. Consider purchasing a "Mile Post" book for Canada and Alaska. The new edition comes out about now, and we got ours from Amazon. While things will certainly change between now and when you go, at least you can begin to see what is available on your trip to Alaska. Depending on your route, you might want to consider spending some time at the Badlands NP and Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota, Glacier NP in Montana, Waterton Lakes NP in Alberta, Head Smashed In World Heritage site in Alberta, Banff and Jasper NPs along the Icefields highway in Alberta, cultural activities along the way, Alaska Highway history in Dawson Creek and more.

If you want to camp in specific CGs at specific times, start making reservations in January before you leave home. Many rvers, however, go without reservations in advance. If you consider taking the Alaskan Ferry System, the bigger your RV and toad (if any), the earlier reservations are suggested. BTW, the ferry charges by the length of your RV.

Keep in mind that July 1 is Canada Day, and it is a big holiday there just as July 4 is here in the US. Expect CGs in Canada to fill up then, and some parks like Banff will be quite busy. Banff is only a couple of hours from Calgary so it gets busy around that date.

Have fun planning your trip.

[FunnyCamper]

yes, I wish I could 'schedule those northern lights' for me specific if I did get to Alaska and they were right in my path when we wanted to see them. 🙂 🙂

min. 2 months for this big travel. yes I thought this would be pushing it way too short for so much to see.

hubby and I are rethinking this trip. planning a whole 3 month trip in 2 years. got a new appreciation for what this 'big fun' trip will be all about 🙂

thanks a ton guys for waking me up. we don't want to be hurried, pushed, miss a ton cause of time. I would rather wait and do this right! thanks for the help. if northern lights don't get seen totally etc. when we do go, I am sure the other adventures will take over 🙂

[AKsilvereagle]

Sunday night-Monday AM March 26th-27th - the northern lights here in the interior were spectacular and ampin' real nice, especially between 1230am-200am.

[AK_Old_Timer]

As an Alaskan I sure welcome you to come up and visit, but the trip you're posting about is much too long for the time you have available.
I think you would enjoy Alaska much more if you scheduled more time.

Now, if the sole purpose of your trip is to see the northern lights there are other options. Check out this site:

Aurora Forecast

As you can see there are several parts of Canada which have excellent Aurora displays which are much closer to your hometown. You could probably see a great display with half the travel distance.

Just remember, it's still on the cold side in both Alaska and Canada.

This Aurora map is for tonight and viewing in SE Alaska is supposed to be fantastic BUT, it's cloudy outside, so nothing to see. The weather gods are against us.

[2gypsies1]

Funny Camper: I don't think you'd enjoy the drive or being there in March or April. Also, you don't have a 100 percent chance of seeing the Northern Lights.

Since your husband has back problems and can't drive long days, it would really help that you can share in the driving, also.

I agree that one month is going to not be enough time for a relaxing, enjoyable trip. There is so much to see even before you get to Alaska and Fairbanks would not be our choice for a destination without seeing the rest of Alaska. there are more beautiful places.

This would be a very costly trip but flying to Anchorage, renting a Class C and tooling around Alaska for a couple weeks would probably be the best use of your time.

I hope you can work this trip somehow and your child would have a great experience but don't concentrate on the Northern Lights and being there when it's cold. Northern Lights can even be seen from one of the northern states in the lower U.S. - a lot closer but still not predictable.

[Veebyes]

FunnyCamper, we have done Alaska from MD 3 times. Each trip was in excess of 120 days. Each trip we came back wondering where the time went & feeling cheated somehow.

Alaska itself is not that big. What is huge is Canada. People don't seem to take that into consideration. They also don't appreciate how much there is to see in Canada both in scenery & what is walking around in the trees.

IMO a trip to The North should be a minimum of 2 months. Anything less is a blur of road & gas stations.

[PA12DRVR]

To risk hijacking the thread..

Funnycamper..some thoughts from a long-time Alaska resident:

- The drive from NC to Alaska would be a great drive if you can take time...I doubt a month to and from Alaska is enough time to enjoy it
- Maybe consider some longer RV trips in the Lower 48?
- You mentioned Northern Lights as the attraction for Alaska. As others have mentioned, consider flying up. I'd suggest a trip where you fly in to either Los Anchorage or Squarebanks in late October....the time needs to be dialed in, but I drove from Anch to Fbks last October and saw lots of lights...for a week or 10 days and motel it and drive
- FBKS to Glenallen....some of the most awesome scenery in the winter time; cold, yes, but an early winter trip (i.e. Oct/Nov) will mitigate that a bit;
- Glenallen to Valdez: again, spectacular driving
- In the late fall, many of the tourist-related activities (i.e. flightseeing) will still be available, even if most RV services are not
- I haven't researched it, but there are a couple of outfits (based in Squarebanks and Los Anchorage) that do sightseeing (to include NL's) trips within Alaska once you're here. Again, pending research since I haven't been on one of these, they'll generally be flexible to the client's requests for activities, viewing, etc.

[CA_Traveler]

And while Alaska is the goal there are interesting stops along the way which you will basically miss.

[FunnyCamper]

thanks guys.

hubby is saying fly also but kid and I want the 'rv travel trip' and the journey.

I also am worried, hubby and I discussed the 'drive' and know it will not be 10 hrs per day straight etc. He said he won't be able to enjoy it when he gets there cause heck he has back troubles and we stop around every 2 hrs for him just to stretch.

hmmm, I do believe I sure have to rethink this thru.

Thanks for telling me that so much is possibly closed etc. in that time frame. I am thinking the 'summer tourism' months might be not the best time to do this but might be the smartest if we plan it.

chatting time also, we might stretch to 6 weeks possibly but even then most of that extra time would be spent on drive and stop vs. really using that time in alaska for its' tourism.

We have alot to think about for sure. THANKS A TON for this helpful info! I appreciate it!!

[CA_Traveler]

70 hr drive? That's what over 600 miles a day for 7 days one way?

Sure doable especially with 2 drivers but what if you have any delays, etc? And 70 hr is likely based on the average speed limit which is very questionable IMHO.

Consider flying or having the rig driven to Seattle and flying there etc.

[PghBob]

FunnyCamper: We went to Alaska in the summer of 2015. If you are thinking that you only have one month, and you will drive up and back, it will be a push. Do you really want to do that? Many of the campgrounds in March will not be open. There may be some services (gas) that may not be open as well. But, having said that, folks have made the trip out of season for various reasons. Fairbanks in March will still be very cold.

Consider a few options to maximize your time up north. Consider flying to Fairbanks, and renting a car at the airport. Spend what time you want looking for the "lights". Travel south on the Parks Highway, drive by Denali NP (it will be closed in March I believe) and look for the mountain. Maybe stop in Talkeetna and take a flight over Denali NP and perhaps land on a glacier. Spend a little time in Anchorage, then drive south to the Kenai, visit Seward, Kenai, and Homer. Return to Fairbanks, fly home.

Or, you can fly into Anchorage, and rent an RV and visit some of the sights. Don't know if any campgrounds will be open.

In any event, I think from your post that you want to spend some time there. Flying up will save a bunch of time, and you will not be exhausted when you get there.

Have fun and be safe.