Alaska - 2023

PA12DRVR wrote:
For the OP, I'd second most of the destinations suggested by Wadcutter as good places to visit. It is beautiful country around Chicken, but (IMHO) that's the draw, not the town itself. Similarly in my view, Valdez and Juneau are scenic spots and great starting points for "adventures", but I believe the "adventures" can be duplicated in other parts of AK. If one catches the right combo of weather and seasons, the drive from Glennallen to Valdez can be spectacular in late summer / early fall.

I've always enjoyed Whitehorse, Watson Lake, Muncho Lake, and Dawson Creek. It is striking to me how much all of those have changed since '74.

One should be cautious about frost heaves, but..again opinion...the biggest concern is if one is trying to flog a big MH or 5th wheel along the Alaskan / Canadian roads like they were on a freeway in the L48.

...and you neither want to hit a moose in AK nor a buffalo in Canada. 'nuff said.

And not to further pound the horseflesh, but: My dad worked on the road during it's construction for a few months as a catskinner, called it the "Alcan"; in '74, my first trip, it was referred to, in Alaska anyway, as the "Alcan"; upon entering Canada (if coming from Alaska) or entering Dawson Creek otherwise, the road was referred to as the "Alaska Highway" on road signs, billboards, sign forest, etc; and, sometime in the early '80's when there were enough roads that I had to look at a map, the Alcan / Alaska Highway had road numbers, either "BC #xxx" or something similar. The nomenclature doesn't really matter, but in my 7th decade now, I've become habitual about calling the road the "Alcan".

No pounding here either, my uncle was a surveyor for the Canadian Govt, and was working with the US and Canadian governments jointly building the Alaska Hwy during its entirety.
He was actually working in the Yukon for mining companies at the time the war broke out in 1939 and joined up then.
He was then stationed in Ottawa and shortly after that because of is northern experience sent back to the Yukon / Northern BC to work on securing the northern guard, what that meant I have no idea, he didn’t talk about it, as he died when I was in my 20’s back in the 70’s.
There are many names for different things in this world, However I will always call that Hwy the Alaska Hwy because my Uncle Jack worked on it for start to finish, and that’s what he called it.
He lived in Whitehorse from 1937 to 1976, so he had some seniority of northern life.
Oh, I’m in 7th decade as well.
Cheers