JANETRUPP
Bullhead City, AZ and on the road..
Senior Member
Joined: 10/28/2006
View Profile
 Offline
|
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.*******
Loving our life. Life is too short to complain,go live it to the fullest
Coachmen Concord 2018 Class C with 2 slides
2012 Equinox tow
|
2gypsies
Enjoying the West!
Senior Member
Joined: 04/02/2003
View Profile
|
Gosh Janet, you must have some 'pull' to get a Sticky for all your efforts. Thanks!
Full-Timed for 16 Years
.... Back in S&B Again
Traveled 8 yr in a 40' 2004 Newmar Dutch Star Motorhome
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel
|
Acampingwewillgo
USA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/15/2002
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Nice to have all this info in one place, Thank You!
96 Vogue Prima Vista
The Kid's: Humphrie, the Mini Schnauzer and Georgie,wire haired dachshund.
Rainbow Bridge: Laddie,Scoutie,Katie,Cooper,Kodie,Rubie,Maggie, Cassie, Mollie, Elvis, Potter and Rosie Love You! (40+ years in all)
|
Passin Thru
N VA
Senior Member
Joined: 06/17/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
We just ler our stepdaughter stay at our house as we have cattle. Really simple. She loves running a John Deere in her Bikini and causing traffic jams. I think it's funny you tell people to haul all this extra weight to AK. Having driven 2.4 million miles I only carry Duct tape, a pair of wire twist pliers (they have nippers) and a roll of SS wire, binoculars, camera, and reflectors as they are required. Bear Spray? Whats that? Deodorant for a bear? They won't blink if you have a chance to spray them and you will be mauled if a bear is that close. I work with a number of people who have spent many years in the woods here in AK. One actually used bear spray many times in his work to try and chase off bears. His expereince was that it worked on some bears but some bears weren't effect at all by the spray. He carries a firearm as do the others
|
lizzie
Unaka NC &Sopchoppy FL
Senior Member
Joined: 01/12/2008
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I kept a blog for friends and family before and during our trip to Alaska this summer. A friend commented that my post about trip planning was not very specific. She noted that everyone looks at maps and makes lists and asked what else do I do when confronted with the challenge of three months and more than 10,000 miles? I am posting my response below. I know that everybody has different strategies and uses different resources, but this is what worked for me.
Step 1: Consult my battered 2006 Rand McNally Road Atlas and Travel Guide, pages 4 & 5, with the layout of the whole USA with all the interstates and “red roads” on it. (Canada is on page 129). Look at where we are and where we are going. I repeat this step hundreds of times during the planning process to remind myself of what we are getting in to.
Step 2: Go on-line to Rand McNally Mileage Calculator and get point-to-point mileage, a sketch of the route, and shortest distance driving directions.
Step 3: Divide 300 miles per day into the mileage and get the minimum number of driving days needed just to get from point A to point B. From Dothan, AL to Anchorage, AK is 4,445 miles, that’s 15 days one way or at least one month just to cover the distance out and back.
Step 4: Go on-line to the Good Same Trip Planning site (you must register to use it) and start playing with Itineraries. This site will give you a Personal Itinerary from the origination point to the destination point of your choosing with directions/route information, accumulated miles and time, remaining miles in times, location of rest stops, and other options of your choice. You can also indicate the kind of route you want (e.g. shortest, only interstates, scenic, certain road numbers, etc.) I love this site because of the way it formats the itinerary and it is fast. I use the road atlas to “try out” different possibilities on the GS site, changing my origination and destination points to reflect places we might want to visit and I usually print out a bunch of different itineraries to cover Plans A through Z.( I have kept the itineraries from previous trips and have notes scribbled all over them.)
Step 5: The format of the GS itinerary allows me to see where our overnight stops should be. I look at the accumulated miles column on the left and see about where we will be when we have traveled 250 to 350 miles. Back to the Atlas to see what towns are in that area? At this stage I also use National Geographic Road Atlas: Adventure Edition, because it shows all the National Parks and lots of other scenic attractions.
Step 6: Back on-line to RVpark reviews. Armed with the names of the towns in my targeted area (250 to 350 miles out), I check to see if there are reviewed campgrounds in the area. I might also do a search on the RVNet Open Road Forum. If all else fails, I will resort to using Woodall’s North American Campground Directory. I also use Don Wrights’ Guide to Free and low cost Campgrounds. I make brief notes on my GG Itinerary regarding the location, ratings, etc. of potential overnight stops. I rarely make reservations ahead of time unless it is a holiday weekend.
Step 7: I continue to check on our projected routes (I usually have at least three), adding 300 miles to the distance from our last stop to get an idea of how we will progress. I am also beginning to explore the attractions and activities that we might enjoy along the route and thinking about places where we will want to stay over for a day or two.
Finally: utilize the resources of Visitor's and Welcome Centers. Get all the local information you can find.
|
|
|
CA Traveler
The Western States
Senior Member
Joined: 01/03/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
This Fuel log should give you some idea of Canadian fuel prices.
While future fuel prices will change the chart will be useful for relative comparison of fuel prices for anyone traveling to Alaska.
* This post was
edited 11/03/13 02:49pm by CA Traveler *
2009 Holiday Rambler 42' Scepter with ISL 400 Cummins
750 Watts Solar Morningstar MPPT 60 Controller
2014 Grand Cherokee Overland
Bob
|
Passin Thru
N VA
Senior Member
Joined: 06/17/2012
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
I figure $4.25/ gallon from VA to ANC-FBK-VA a RT mileage of 10 K and at 10 MPG that will run $4250. The other scenario I have adds $4500 on the ferry from Haines to Bellingham, fuel remains about the same If anyone sees Yoda, toot at him, he rides the back ladder and waves at everyone but I think he might only wave a finger at some because they go by looking pretty mad when we get passed on one of those 2 lane 20 mile climbs.
No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try. Yoda
|
CA Traveler
The Western States
Senior Member
Joined: 01/03/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Our process was similar to lizzie except I used Streets and Trips. S&T does not use the internet so I could update the trip whenever which worked at great with the limited internet access as you head north.
I also used a temporary route to quickly calculate mileage from point A to B. This was used to bypass fueling at higher fuel cost areas when possible. It's all relative since there are no low cost areas as you head north, only high and higer.
|
CA Traveler
The Western States
Senior Member
Joined: 01/03/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Adding to Janet’s great list:
Alberta
Smashed in The Head Buffalo Jump, World Heritage Site, NW of Fort MacLeod
Heritage Park in Calgary. Boat and train rides, nice Gasoline Alley, native displays and more
British Columbia
Toad River RV CG on a lake with moose, beaver, birds and museum next door
Salmon educational signs just before the bridge in Teslin.
Kluana National Park before Haines Junction. World’s largest non-polar alpine ice field
Namino Bar, Haines Junction, great cinnamon bun, scones, etc
Rendezvous Theater, Beaver Creek, funny show
US border, stop and take your picture standing in Canada and Alaska
Forestry & Train Museum, Price George
Alaska
End of the Alaskan Highway, Delta Junction
Dredge 8 tour, Fairbanks
Discovery Riverboat trip, Fairbanks
Pioneer Park, Fairbanks
Hurricane Turn train ride, Talkeetna
Talkeetna, interesting shops in this small tourist town, West Rib Pub
Dog sled kennels, Denali Park
Visitors Center, films and displays, Denali Park
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage Valley, very interesting
Visitor Center on Portage Lake
Whittier, harbor town
Major Marine Tour of Resurrection Bay, Seward
Exit Glacier, Seward
Le Barn Appétit on Old Exit Glacier Rd, great hosts and food, Seward
Kayak Adventure, Homer
Pratt Museum, Homer
Danny J boat trip to Halibut Cove, Homer, beautiful restore boat
Deep Creek Beach RV park, Ninilchik, watched eagles soar for hours plus halibut charter boat launching (no harbor), very interesting
Halibut Charters, Ninilchik, Closer to the halibut grounds than Homer
Tram ride, Girdwood
Glacier boat tours, Valdez
Gold Rush Days, Valdez, great family fun and kids rowing there cardboard boats and some finished by swimming, big event of the year for Valdez (8/4/13)
Copper mining area, Chitina plus ghost towns down the gravel road
Grizzly Lake RV Park, Tok Highway, great views and close to Nabesna Rd, interesting drive
Kathleen Lake, Haines Highway, nice CG near the lake
Chilkat SRA, Haines, nice glacier and waterfall views
Fjord Express to Juneau, Haines or Skagway, 85 miles on way on high speed passenger ferry, very interesting, Juneau and Mendenhall glacier
Bear watching north of the car ferry, Haines
Haines to Skagway car/RV ferry, 15 water miles
White River Railroad trip, Skagway. Part of the views can be seen from the road north of Skagway
Ranger tours of Skagway
Day of 98 play, Skagway, play of Soapy a con man
Note: Both Juneau and Skagway are interesting and both have cruise ships and Caribbean jewelry store, same companies and people, for the cruise ships of course
Salmon, bear and wolf viewing area, Hyder
Salmon Glacier 5th largest in N America, up the gravel road past the viewing area. Here you can look down at the glacier, Hyder
Note: From Steward you cross the border into the US (Hyder), then into Canada on the way to the glacier, back into the US (Hyder) with no border agents, not that there is anywhere else to go. Then through Canadian Customs into Steward. Interesting
|
ejfranz
Maple Ridge, BC, Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 03/12/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
Passin Thru wrote:Bear Spray? Whats that? Deodorant for a bear? They won't blink if you have a chance to spray them and you will be mauled if a bear is that close. I work with a number of people who have spent many years in the woods here in AK. One actually used bear spray many times in his work to try and chase off bears. His expereince was that it worked on some bears but some bears weren't effect at all by the spray. He carries a firearm as do the others
Bear spray is required in some areas. My son had to carry it on his last job. He had few close calls, but never had to use it. The spray has a life span of ~ 6 months. It is only sprayed in the face of a charging bear. National parks and provincial parks do not allow firearms! We carried it when we canoed the bowron lakes - never had to use it!
Some morons think you spray it around you to deter bears. The pepper itself will attract bears as will most foods and perfumes.
06 Chevy Silverado 3500 Crewcab SRW 4WD - Allison 6 speed & Duramax LBZ.
Upgrades: BD diesel exhaust manifold, Edge Evolution, Timbrens & KYB Monomax.
Camper: 2005 Adventurer 90FWS - Electric jacks, LEDs, 6V batteries, roof rack, ladder & awning.
|
|
|
|
