Helpful Ideas for Alaskan Travels

[JANETRUPP]

What Not to Miss -

ALBERTA

Icefield Parkway - Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Mile "0" Signpost - Dawson Creek, Alaska Highway
Liard Hot Springs - Alaska Highway (historic mile 497)
Dease Lake (Cassiar Hwy) drive Telegraph Creek (not suited for large RVs)
Atlin – south of Tagish/Whitehorse area
Salmon Glacier - end of the road past Stewart BC & Hyder AK

YUKON

Frantic Follies Show - Whitehorse
Klondike Rib & Salmon BBQ – Whitehorse
Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre – Whitehorse
Dawson City Museum – Dawson City
Top of the World Hwy - Dawson City
Keno City Mining Museum – Keno
Watson Lake Sign Post Forest
Wildlife Gallery – Yukon Motel, Teslin
Kluane Museum of Natural History – Burwash

ALASKA

Barrow – north Alaska, fly-in only
Chicken - Tisha's School House via Taylor Hwy or Top of the World Hwy

SOUTHEAST ALASKA
White Bus (Lunch) – Hyder via Cassiar Hwy B.C.
Skagway AK - drive south of Whitehorse YT
Haines AK - drive south of Haines Junction YT
Wrangell Jet Boat Tour - LeConte Glacier Ferry (ferry or fly-in)
Ketchikan - Deadliest catch Tour (ferry or fly-in)
Juneau - glacier helicopter & dogsled-on-glacier tour

FAIRBANKS & AREA
Santa Claus House - North Pole AK near Fairbanks
Knotty Shop – Mile 332 Richardson Hwy near Fairbanks
Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

ANCHORAGE & AREA
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center - Downtown Anchorage
Alaska Native Medical Center - Anchorage
Crow's Nest (meal Captain Cook Hotel)
Simon & Seafort's Saloon - Anchorage
Charter Plane - Anchorage/Chugach Mountains
Alaska Native Heritage Center
Moose Tooth Pub -Anchorage

KENAI PENINSULA & AREA
Seward
Kenai Fjords Boat Tours – Seward
Seward Silver Salmon Derby - Aug 10-18 Kenai Peninsula
Alyeska Tram & Resort - Girdwood (dinner is great here-Seven Glaciers)
Winner Creek Trail at Alyeska, near Girdwood
Double Musky (Dinner) - Girdwood
Pratt Museum – Homer
Homer High Rd Drive
Halibut Cove in Homer - Dinner at Saltry
Community of Hope - Between Anchorage and Seward
White water Rafting - Hope
Williwaw Campground (Chugach National Forest) - Portage Glacier
Glacier Tours – Glaciers

DENALI & PARKS HWY AREA
Denali Park Bus Tour
Denali River Rafting - Rafting (mild to wild)
Mary's McKinley View Lodge (view and dinner) – Trapper Creek
Drive Denali Hwy between Cantwell & Paxson
Talkeetna Alaskan Lodge
Talkeetna Sightsee Flight- Mt Mckinley/Denali

EVENTS
Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival – June 7-9, Whitehorse YT
Chickenstock Music Festival – June 14-15, Chicken AK
Atlin Arts & Music Festival – July 12-14, Atlin BC
Dawson City Music Festival – July 19-21, Dawson City YT
Alaska State Fair – Aug 22 – Sept 2, Palmer AK
108th Annual Midnight Sun Baseball Game - June 21, Fairbanks






Packing Ideas:

Milepost
Travelers Guide to Alaska Camping - Church
Toursaver Coupon Book
Binoculars
Camera
Extra batteries
Kindle- Books-Audio Books
CD's and DVD's
Special Food Likes
"Roll Call Alaska 2013" signs
Walkie Talkie
Deet
Fishing Gear
Puppy Documents
Passports
Raingear
Mud Boots
Fishing Gear
Tarps
Window Bug Cleaner
Black-out Curtain or sleep masks- Window coverings
Prescriptions or special meds ie: Prilosec, Tylenol PM
Debit Card and Credit Cards
Canadian Coins
Sign for the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake - Nails and Hammer
Maps/ GPS
Books/ Magazines
Cell Phone/ Internet
Smart Phone/ Tablet apps for Camps/business and fuel
Spare Parts -Fuel Filters, Engine Belts, Extensions for E,W,S and Cable
Tools
Fuses
Gorilla Tape
Reflectors
Velcro
Evaporated Milk
Vehicle Insurance Documentation
Extra Air Filters
Cell phone amplifier / external antennas
Personal Locator Beacon
Bear Spray
Cash
Non-beef pet food in orginal containers





Things to do before leaving

Turn off water to house.

Set yard sprinklers (we have 2 meters, one for house and one for lawn, I’ll be shutting off the one for the house)

Turn off water heater

Put Saran wrap on toilets, on drains in sinks, bathtubs, showers, make sure to do kitchen sink (make sure to fill trap first)

Set AC in house for 85 to 90*

Stop newspaper

Stop mail (in our case we are forwarding it to UPS store and they well mail it to us where we ask them)

Set up auto billing for monthly ocurring costs and have electronic billing. (Utilities)

Get lawn care service if needed

Talk to lawn service to make sure they don’t leave any receipts on the front door

Talk to the police to see if they have a vacation watch

Neighbor across the street is going to place their trash cans in our drive once in a while and make sure no fliers are left on our front entry.

Set timers to turn on and off lights and radio in room that has the blinds closed

Unplug all electrical appliances (TVs, coffee pot, toaster, clocks that are plugged in, chargers, cable boxes, DVD players, Surround sound amps, printers, shredder, electric blankets, mirror, plug in flashlights, night lights, table lamps unless used with timers, night time reading lights, sewing machines, refrigerator in garage)

Drain coffee pot

Shutoff ice maker and empty the ice

Turn the refrigerator in house up a couple degrees. (empty contents except condiments)

Turn off gas to fireplace

Suspend trash service.



******These lists were a great help to all of us that traveled this year. Hope it helps all future Alaska bound RV'ers. Thanks again to everyone that contributed to making these lists and our travels wonderful.*******

[trcgolf]

Does anyone have any must stay away from campgrounds?
Now only in reverse...what were your 2 or 3 top camping sites...
starting to get real for 2015....

[flybob63]

You should be fine but remember that a lot of things change from year to year and as we experienced having knowledge from a current issue can make a big difference. We were traveling through the Yukon and were going to traverse a long stretch with limited facilities. The current issue had info about a gas station that had closed down and I'm quite sure that knowledge helped us decide to fill up beforehand and saved us from running dry. It wound up being 180 miles between available diesel stops.

So follow the old rule of not letting it get below half in many of the remote areas and if in doubt call ahead about road conditions and such. There is an 800 number in the book if memory serves so the older issue should be fine. It can help you make informed decisions. All the recommended scenic drives and tourist info should be basically the same except for road conditions which can change from day to day depending on weather and construction.

I've mentioned it before on this forum and I think it holds true that the locals can be a great source of info on road conditions, things to see, campgrounds etc. When we went up this July the AlCan near Destruction Bay was horrendous. We saw people with flat tires, busted axles, busted trailer necks etc in an 80 mile stretch that was under construction in the rain that day. We just took it slow. On the way back down in August I asked a State Trooper about road conditions on the AlCan and the Top of the World Highway. He said the AlCan was fine at the time and the Top of the World had been torn up good by massive rains. We drove the Alcan on the way down and it was just fine. Nothing like on the way up. Without asking that Trooper we would have gone the other route. Local knowledge....

Hope this helps!! Enjoy your trip...

[CA_Traveler]

Okie Lady Traveler wrote:
Is it important to get a 2015 Milepost for next summer or will a 2014 work?

2014 will be OK. We'll probably use our 2013 Milepost from that trip.

[Okie_Lady_Trave]

Is it important to get a 2015 Milepost for next summer or will a 2014 work?

[CA_Traveler]

flybob63 wrote:
Once you start getting further north there is a fantastic chain of stores called Fred Meyers. They are like a Super Walmart on steroids except they are much cleaner, the stores have friendly personnel the actually ask you if you need help and the fresh food they serve is very good. They allow you to stay in their lots, as do Walmart's. Great stores and they are all over Canada and Alaska.

Part of Kroger. Get a card from any of the Kroger chains and you will get 10 cents/gallon discount for every $100 purchased up to 35 gallons.

[flybob63]

Once you start getting further north there is a fantastic chain of stores called Fred Meyers. They are like a Super Walmart on steroids except they are much cleaner, the stores have friendly personnel the actually ask you if you need help and the fresh food they serve is very good. They allow you to stay in their lots, as do Walmart's. Great stores and they are all over Canada and Alaska.

[sheltieRV]

trcgolf wrote:
For anyone who has done the great northern trip, did you stock up on the supplies like soaps, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. From home.? Or did you travel light buying on the way?

We packed a few hundred pounds of extra "stuff". However, there are several Wally Worlds, and Costco at Prince George, Grand Prairie, and Anchorage. When we do it again, we probably won't worry so much about packing tons of extra "stuff".

[flybob63]

We stocked up on many things like soap, detergent, paper towels, etc. Prices north of the lower 48 tend to be a little high so it's worth it as long as you don't go overboard considering weight and space.

Not sure which way you are coming but there are a couple of states with no, or very low sales tax. I believe they were Oregon and Montana, if memory serves.

[trcgolf]

For anyone who has done the great northern trip, did you stock up on the supplies like soaps, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. From home.? Or did you travel light buying on the way?

[mabynack]

b2egypt wrote:
We did this trip summer 2013. One thing we did in preparation was hang a map on wall of Alaska and Canada. Then as we researched we could look at map and mark area's. Helped us plan, which is half the fun!

This sounds like a great idea. I think I'm going to buy a corkboard so I can do the same. Planning the trip is half the fun.

[b2egypt]

We did this trip summer 2013. One thing we did in preparation was hang a map on wall of Alaska and Canada. Then as we researched we could look at map and mark area's. Helped us plan, which is half the fun!

[flybob63]

We just did our first AK trip. Pulled a 26 ft fifth wheel from Florida. A few thing to think about
1. Have a trusted friend with a key watch your house while you are away. They can come by a couple times a month to give you peace of mind.
2. Leave your info with the local police. That way they have contact info for you and your emergency contact and will probably have volunteers check the house once in a while. We did that. The dept I retired from had that service too.
3. You mentioned vehicle length and height issues. We often one-night in Wal-Mart parking lots when between point A and point B. Wal-Mart in Shreveport Louisiana has a low entrance and a sign saying 12 feet. We pulled in 1/2 asleep, saw the sign and thought "It's Wal-Mart, we have to fit. Nope....Hit the AC unit. No issues at all the rest of the way.
4. Maintenance. I think you said you were rebuilding or fixing up a fifth wheel. Make sure to have the equalizer on the leaf springs checked by a pro. It needs to be checked every 15-20K miles and will cause undue stress on the leafs and tire wear if it is not. I kept wearing tires on the outside and could not figure why. Finally three of the leaf springs snapped. We were not even close to overloaded. An expensive repair that could have been avoided. Wheel bearings. We bought our fifth wheel used in 2009. Been on a couple major trips but it had sat for two years prior to this trip. Had not the wheel bearings inspected and professionally packed since before the last trip. I always just use the Ultra-Lube system and keep them full by checking every 1000 miles or so. We burnt out a bearing and an axle very shortly after having the leaf springs fixed. Thank God this was in Dallas Texas and not on the AlCan. Get them checked and you might consider having them inspected while you are in Ak too.

4. An old adage up there; don't let it get below 1/2 and carry a 5 gallon spare can of fuel with you. Those words of wisdom served me well. I drove a diesel truck and there was a place in the yukon where, because of station closures and remoteness we had 180 miles between available fuel.
5. By a copy of The Milepost when you get up there. It's dubbed The Bible of North Country Travel for a good reason. It's updated yearly with border information, road information, tourist information, gas stations, restaurants, scenic drives and etc. Well worth the $32 we paid at a visitor's center for it.
6. Locals. Locals are a great source of info up there. I asked people about road conditions on particular highways when deciding when and where to go. They were very helpful, in particular the State Troopers.
7. Free things to do. There is a plethora of free things to do for value conscious travelers like my wife and I. Hiking in DeNali was awesome as was the walk up to Worthington Glacier. Believe that was in either Seward or Valdez. If you go past the end of the maintained trail you are on your own but many, including us, kept right on going and walked right up to the glacier. Touching a glacier and drinking water from a melting glacier was quite an experience for a Florida boy and his wife from Thailand.
8. Pullouts. Pullouts all along the AlCan and many of the highways up there provide nice, free places to stay for a night between points a and b. They are remote and you will more than likely be on your own. I choose to carry a 12 gauge in the rv. You can research Canadian Border website and download the rules and paperwork for declaring the gun. Expect to be searched so don't hide anything.
9. Fishing. Spend the money to either deep sea or salmon fish. Fishing is the best I've ever seen. Caught my limit of Halibut and had fish for the rest of the trip. Fresh fish on a grill. Didn't have a freshwater license but salmon were running so thick I couldn't help myself. I waded in and picked two of them up right by the tail!!! Threw them right back of course. New version of catch and release?
10. Reservations. We do not like to make reservations because we like to float as we choose. That said; there are a couple places you at least need to consider making reservations. These are the national parks of the American West and the tourist areas of Alaska. We wanted to stay a few days in Yellowstone but it was all booked up and we wound up with only one night. In the tourist areas of Alaska if you arrive the same time as the cruise ships and RV Caravans you're gonna be S.O.L. We had that befall us in Skagway and we could not get a place to sleep except in an overflow with no hook-ups and we were unable to book a single one of the many things to do because the caravan and ships had everything all sewn up.
11. Have fun-enjoy this trip of a lifetime. Do not be in a hurry. Many of the "highways" in Alaska are very optimistically named. In many places you cannot plan on traveling X number of miles in a day. A highway can be twisty and windy with 25 MPH speed limits for a good distance, could be under construction. You just never know. Just give yourself plenty of travel time and you'll be just fine.
12.... ENJOY!!!! Hope this helped.

[mabynack]

Thanks for posting this. I've dreamed of RVing to Alaska for years. It was my Dad's dream, but he died of cancer before he ever got the chance to take the trip. I'm saving up and getting my Fifth Wheel and truck in shape for the trip in about four years when I retire. Your post is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.

My plan is to drive from Florida to Mt Rushmore. Stop by Yellowstone on my way to Glacier National Park. And then take a leisurely drive up to Alaska, stopping to see the sights as I go. I've seen lots of posts from people who say how beautiful the drive is, but they don't give many details about the route they take and exactly what to see and do.

Thanks again for posting this.

[2gypsies1]

A good time to cross the U.S. border is toward the end of May. Before that, ice will still be on the lakes and some businesses will still be closed.

[GGeorge]

I am planning a 2016 trip. When is a good time to hit the WASH/BC border for the start of the trip?

I am planning on being at the MT/ALBERTA border by 20 Sept.