Best itinerary for Alaska
We had a whole summer repeat trip planned for Oregon and now wife seems to have decided to go to Alaska instead. We have July, August and Sept. Can someone guide me in a few campsite stops, best r...
Forum Discussion
Couple of further thoughts about AK.
- Roads are a mess in certain areas...no question. Just slow down. On occasion I drive a 5-yd dump truck (unloaded) between Los Anchorage and Fbks or Homer. Although that truck is very stout and can take any bumps, the driver not so much, so I slow down and enjoy the scenery even though there's almost no risk of damage to the rig.
- Tires: In 45+ years of driving in AK, including 20+ trips on the Alcan, I've had 3 flat tires in AK (on the road...a couple more around the house) and 1 (!) on the Alcan. That one was a monster PITA as it was on a big flatbed truck, but it happened just outside Whitehorse, so solvable. Point is, although flats can happen, the odds are in your favor.
- Windshield damage: it happens. I've got 5 vehicles, all have damage...but strangely enough, except for the Jeep Wrangler, all of the vehicles picked up the first ding / crack in the L48 (not even the Alcan, just in the L48). Slowing down helps windshield damage as does not having to see the bumper of the guy in front of you.
- "You can drive all of the paved roads in the State easily in less than a week."....although more or less accurate for the Anchorage-Fbks-Valdez-Homer loops, it would have to be a pretty fast drive and that wouldn't include the Dalton North of Fbks that's paved. One would also miss some of the relatively decent gravel roads on those loops.
- If you can bring yourself to go slow between Dawson Creek and Delta/Fairbanks/Tok, and if you can identify where to stay in AK for a few days at a time so you can use your truck to get out and see / do, a trip to Alaska would be enjoyable IMNSHO.
- Roads are a mess in certain areas...no question. Just slow down. On occasion I drive a 5-yd dump truck (unloaded) between Los Anchorage and Fbks or Homer. Although that truck is very stout and can take any bumps, the driver not so much, so I slow down and enjoy the scenery even though there's almost no risk of damage to the rig.
- Tires: In 45+ years of driving in AK, including 20+ trips on the Alcan, I've had 3 flat tires in AK (on the road...a couple more around the house) and 1 (!) on the Alcan. That one was a monster PITA as it was on a big flatbed truck, but it happened just outside Whitehorse, so solvable. Point is, although flats can happen, the odds are in your favor.
- Windshield damage: it happens. I've got 5 vehicles, all have damage...but strangely enough, except for the Jeep Wrangler, all of the vehicles picked up the first ding / crack in the L48 (not even the Alcan, just in the L48). Slowing down helps windshield damage as does not having to see the bumper of the guy in front of you.
- "You can drive all of the paved roads in the State easily in less than a week."....although more or less accurate for the Anchorage-Fbks-Valdez-Homer loops, it would have to be a pretty fast drive and that wouldn't include the Dalton North of Fbks that's paved. One would also miss some of the relatively decent gravel roads on those loops.
- If you can bring yourself to go slow between Dawson Creek and Delta/Fairbanks/Tok, and if you can identify where to stay in AK for a few days at a time so you can use your truck to get out and see / do, a trip to Alaska would be enjoyable IMNSHO.
