Alaska

[Stetay]

just getting back fro a 2 month trip to Banff and Jasper Canada. Next I want to go to Alaska, but the wife says she doesn’t want to go where you travel all day and don’t see but one or two cars all day, is it really that primitive?

[grumpy0374]

Not that primitive at all. Yes, going up the Alcan Hwy there will be streches where you'll see few vehicles, but most of the time there will be vehicles going in both directions.
You just have to plan ahead for fuel and camping areas.
Once in Alaska, there are many more fueling stations and campgrounds. Just don't expect 5 star resort type campgrounds. They will have full hookups, but this time of year many will fill up quickly. Even though at 4-5 pm it will still be bright daylight, it's best to stop early and get a spot.
This time of year it stays light until very late. Got up several times at 1-2 am and you could still read a paper without any additional light.
Grumpy

[fanrgs]

Not even the gravel roads in Alaska and western Canada are that lonely. We had two flat tires on our truck at the same time on the Top of the World Highway between Chicken, AK, and Dawson City, Yukon. Before I could get the first wheel off the truck, a lowboy truck driver stopped, plugged and aired up both flats, and was back on the road in 20 minutes. I couldn't have gotten help that timely on I-70 in eastern Colorado!

[Stetay]

Thank you! Still going to take some convincing, would like to go sometime next May

[fanrgs]

If you go very early in May, your wife may be right. June is the first month of summer in Alaska. Having worked and played in Alaska in every month but December between 1972 and last year, I would advise working your way north very slowly if you leave home before mid-May.

Even in the Colorado and Montana Rockies, May is not yet summer. Trail Ridge Road (US 34) in Rocky Mountain NP does not open until Memorial Day weekend and the Going to the Sun Highway in Glacier NP opens 2-3 weeks after that. We never plan RV trips before mid-May when we are headed for the mountains and the mountains start two miles from our house.

Altitude has the same effect on seasons as latitude. March 21 is not the start of spring out here!

[Stetay]

Thank you! I am just starting this and don’t have a lot of information on this yet. Sounds like early June would be the best bet. Any recommendations on where to go? We love seeing wild animals as well pretty country. A lot to learn and investigate. Thank you again

[fanrgs]

Buy a copy of "The Miepost" from Amazon and study it thoroughly if you have never been to Alaska. It will help you plan not only your route in Alaska, but all the optional approach routes to Alaska through Western Canada.

Also check out the Alaska TourSaver coupon book at their Website HERE.. One 2/1 coupon for a glacier boat tour from Seward to Kenai Fjords NP will pay for the book.

The main highways in Alaska form a big loop, so the only real decision you need to make is whether to go to Fairbanks first or last! But two "must do's" for me are Valdez and Seward.

Finally, since your wife is apprehensive about the roads, have her look over the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry routes and schedule for either the trip up or back, at least from or to Prince Rupert, BC. Not cheap, but can be a great way to relax in a cabin on the trip home after putting many thousand miles on your RV. You may even stop at some ports that cruise ships never visit! Their Website is found HERE.

BTW, my absolute favorite town in Alaska is Sitka, the old Russian capital. And it can only be reached by ferry or air. My least favorite is Skagway--too many cruise ships and way too many tourists in a town with a winter population of only 600.

[Stetay]

Thank you very much

[fanrgs]

That should be "The Milepost", not the "The Miepost". Sorry!