Thoughts About Alaskan Trip

This was truly the trip of a lifetime.  This was our second trip through western Canada and Alaska.  But this time was different.  The first time we were tourists—eager to see all we could and go “ooh” and “aah”.  This time we experienced the journey.  The 2004 trip was our first long RV excursion.  Is that the difference?  Or is it our age and, I hope, some accumulated wisdom?  Whatever, it was even better than before.

In addition to stunning scenery and abundant wildlife, what did we encounter this trip?  Canadians and Alaskans must really love and respect their lands.  We saw almost no litter.  The RV parks are really nothing to write home about.  We found what we needed—electricity (20 amp or 30 amp often, rarely 50 amp).  Some parks even provide their own power with generators. Sewer hookups are unusual.  For one reason, permafrost makes it difficult to run the lines underground.  Two times we encountered parks that required us to take our trash with us.  It seems Yukon no longer provides trash pickup.  Except for a provincial park and two national parks in Alberta, we almost always had wifi and at times it was very fast and reliable.  It was much easier to get email this trip and I seldom had trouble posting my blog. These parks do make us appreciate the amenities we encounter in the lower 48.

The local people were almost invariably friendly and helpful.  RVers provide a major portion of their annual income and they are grateful we are there. All along the route, gas stations are very RV friendly—plenty of room to maneuver and no worry about low canopy roofs. We had no trouble finding diesel fuel, wherever we went.  We carried a 5-gallon container of diesel, but never needed to use it.  We experienced a sense of camaraderie with other RVers on the same journey.

The roads are mostly 2 lane and often have no shoulder.  In places they are downright awful.  The good news: traffic is light and you can drive as slow as you wish or need to without worrying about interfering with other vehicles.

We experienced a summer that locals call “a little winter.”  It was cool, often cloudy and rainy.  We didn’t sit outside much.  But we did get out and go places, often on foot.  The weather didn’t stop us from exploring.  We only had mosquito issues a couple of times.  We never encountered what we have read about—hoards of what some call the Alaska state bird.

Traveling to Alaska with a 36-foot 5th wheel trailer, that happens to be your home, is not for the faint of heart.  Knowing you are not just miles from any technical help you might need, but at times 500 to 800 miles from that help, leads to a sense of vulnerability. 

We didn’t drive the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City and Chicken, as many do.  We didn’t drive the Cassiar Highway or go to the Arctic Circle.  No flightseeing excursions.  No chartered fishing trips.  All of these were choices we made and we have no regrets.  For others, they may be the highlight of their trip. We did what we wanted, when we wanted.  Walking Valdez and Haines several times.  Visiting a botanic garden outside Fairbanks.  Going to Rica’s Roadhouse and watching Alaskan residents net fishing. Some days we did nothing.

Although it was the most expensive part of the trip, we are so glad we took the Alaska Marine Highway ferry from Haines to Bellingham.  It saved us 2 1/2 weeks and hundreds of miles of driving and we were tired of driving.  And we were able to again see the Inside Passage, at least part of it.  We really did nothing for 3 1/2 days. 

Let me repeat, the scenery and wildlife were spectacular.  That is what we enjoyed the most.

We considered buying a smaller trailer to make this trip.  We spent several days last summer shopping.  We never found something reasonably priced that we felt we could live in for three or four months.  At this end of the journey, we are glad we didn’t get another trailer.  That purchase would have saved wear and tear on our Montana, which is home, but would it save money in the long run?  We would have a trailer to sell now.  We aren’t sure the amount we would lose in that transaction would be less than the damage we must deal with on the Montana today.  We’re glad we went in the Montana.

Our only advice to others—take as much time as you possibly can. There is so much to see and to savor. Don’t hurry. It is much better to be “full” and ready to leave than to rush through it and miss things you really want to do.

There are lots of ways to see Alaska. You can take a cruise or a cruise and land tour; you can RV on your own or join a caravan. You can stay in commercial campgrounds all the time or boondock most of the time. You can RV in a pickup truck camper, a 5th wheel or travel trailer, or a motorhome. We did it our own way and loved it. No regrets. Nothing we wished we hadn’t done or were sorry we did do.

We stayed in commercial campgrounds all but two times during the trip.  If you are reading this post, you probably followed our journey on this blog.  We also followed another blog of a couple RVing in Canada and Alaska, but boondocking almost all the time.  They spent a whole lot less money.  And they experienced the journey differently than we did.  From what we read, they were very happy with they way of doing it.  Just like we are happy with our trip.  You can read what they did here.

What did it cost?  I will only include rv park expense and fuel in Canada and Alaska and our ferry trip back to Washington.  Everyone has to eat, wherever they are.  We spent some money on tours, etc.  Those are decisions everyone makes on their own.  I will say that the bus tour through Denali National Park and the boat tour to Kenai Fjords National Park were highlights of the trip and worth every penny we paid. 

RV park expense—26 campgrounds for 84 days, $2709.16.  This was $32.25 per day

Diesel fuel—6,300 miles of travel in Canada and Alaska, $2,517.49. That is 40 cents per mile.

Ferry trip back to the lower 48—$4605.00.

Bank charges were $129.39.  That was mainly foreign transaction fees for credit card purchases and $9 fees for using ATMs that weren’t part of our bank’s network.  If we leave the US again, I will investigate a credit card with lower foreign transaction fees.  I’m not sure if using all cash would be less expensive.  It would result in more frequent trips to the ATM so we wouldn’t have to carry a lot of cash around.  We are used to charging everything because we get 1% back on all purchases and we pay the bill in full each month.

One other consideration.  Telephone.  I added Canadian roaming on my Sprint phone so we could use it in Canada.  We felt there would be enough places with no cell phone coverage that we should have a calling card for pay phones.  Before leaving the US, I bought an international card from a Kroger store, only to find when we reached Canada that it didn’t work in Canada.  (The card included a Canadian flag.  Go figure.)  Next, I picked up a $10 Telus card in Canada.  On reading the fine print, it wasn’t honored in Northern British Columbia or Yukon. I was able to use it once in Jasper National Park.

The trip of a lifetime.  Make it, in an RV, if at all possible.  You won’t be sorry.

Alaska -- Day 47

What is there to do in Delta Junction? We found so much today, I will split it into two blog posts. First, of course, we had our picture taken at the official end of the Alaska Highway.



The Visitor Center had a great collection of wooden model trucks, donated by Michael and Ingrid Clay.





We encountered a group of 24 German tourists, traveling in this interesting bus. They flew into Toronto and are spending a month touring Canada and Alaska. They sleep and eat in the bus.



We see a lot of equipment from the construction of the Alaska Highway. Near the visitor center we saw an old roller for smoothing the road, as well as some other really big piece of equipment. I couldn't keep John off the old vehicles.

I had seen wooden water pipes before, but never a wooden culvert. I wonder how it held up under the road?



The Sullivan Roadhouse, which served travelers along the Valdez to Fairbanks trail during the early years of the 20th Century, has been moved to land near the Visitor Center. There were beautiful gardens out front. (My next post will be all about another roadhouse.)

We also visited the Delta Meat and Sausage Company, where they sell sausage made from buffalo, reindeer, elk and yak, as well as beef and pork. They also have beef, buffalo and pork cuts, all from Alaska-raised animals. We had to sample the various sausages. We left with reindeer polish sausage and elk summer sausage. The wild meats are mixed with beef and pork in the sausage. We also bought some pork chops.



All along the roads in Yukon and Alaska, we have been seeing beautiful wildflowers. Today, since we weren't towing the trailer, John pulled over so I could takes some pictures.

Alaska -- Day 46

We had a really short drive today, 108 miles from Tok to Delta Junction. John celebrated Eucharist, then we packed up in the rain. The road was good--wonder why Alaska's roads don't have the frost heave issues of the roads in Yukon.

It is hard to believe, but the sun will set tonight at 12:09 am and rise again at 3:27 am. That is only 3 hours 18 minutes of night. No wonder things grow well here, despite the short summer. There is so much light. I wonder how the animals cope, especially those that are nocturnal.

It stopped raining about the time we arrived in Delta Junction. Tomorrow we will see the sights here. Today we hung around the RV, walked around the park some, and John bought some diamond willow branches from the campground owner. He hopes to make more walking sticks. I love the one he made for me.

Alaska -- Day 31

There isn't much for tourists to do in Dawson Creek, especially when they don't feel very good. We did make the obligatory visit to Milepost 0, where the Alaska Highway begins.



Some other folks traveling to Alaska were there, as well. So John took their picture and they took ours.



We visited the Northern Alberta Railways Park and checked out the art gallery, gift shop and exhibit of historic Alaska Highway construction photos. That was very interesting. I just finished reading Stephen E. Ambrose' book, "Nothing Like It in the World" about building the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s. Building the Alcan is nearly as impressive.

A few weeks after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, 10,000 US troops came to Dawson Creek to begin the road. Eight or nine months later, depending on what you read, they completed it to Delta Junction in Alaska. It was spurred on when Japan invaded two islands in the Aleutians. Construction was done from both ends, meeting in the middle at Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory, October 28, 1942.

The photo display described brutal winter conditions and terrible mud. River crossings began as pontoon bridges, then were improved to temporary wood bridges, then upgraded to metal where needed. One hundred thirty-tree metal bridges were mass produced for the job.

We drove through the Dawson Creek city center and saw this interesting hotel.



We checked out two small shopping malls--nothing to write home about. Then returned to the RV.