First trip--what would you do different?
I'm thinking of a solo trip from San Antonio to AK this summer, for a total of 3-4 months. Maybe leave in July so I can catch a touch of chill on the return trip. I've read a lot on this forum over th...
Forum Discussion
A re-occurring comment, from most of the more experienced northern travelers, is to stay flexible. Everyone needs to decide why they want to go to the north country? It is a long expensive adventure, for most of us. Decide before you go, why? Do you mainly want to fish, take scenery photos, wildlife photos, etc, learn more about the history of the north, such as the gold rush era, etc
But stay flexible on your trip, and it is your trip, for you and your companions, no one else's. Think about fall back plans. A couple of summers back, one of the forum members took the trip with one and only one reason, that to take scenic outdoor photos. However he had picked a rainy summer to go, not the best for photography outdoors. His comments were to the effect that the rain had ruined his trip. It made me feel sad for him as he didn't have the flexibility or a fall back plan in case of bad weather.
To me, he could have hopped a flight to Barrow, and photoed many of the local residents in the local tourist shows available. Or flown out to Dillingham, and take a few thousand shots of the Bristol Bay fishing fleet. Alaska is so huge, if the weather, smoke from the forest fires, volcanoes, etc are not to your liking, go elsewhere. If you are in one of the areas where flight seeing is available, stop in and talk to the people running the place. They may be able to take you to a place that will be the high light of your trip.
After the first trip, most visitors have a better idea about what they want to see and do in northern Canada and Alaska. Others seem to make the same trip, numerous times, which appears to work for them. In reading comments here on the forum, we all at times have to ask ourselves, if the poster is qualified to have such an opinion. Not always easy to decide
But again, it is your trip, so make sure it fits your needs, not someone else's unless you are a copy of that person. Some people can take as long as they wish for their trip, and others can't as they have something/someone to get back to at some given time. But most of us, have some time restraints on how long we can stay gone, be it a job, family, schools, medical care, volunteer services we offer when home and the list goes on.
I have a cousin in Seattle, that gets to Alaska about 125 to 150 times a year, but as an Alaska Airlines captain, he only see the state from 35,000 ft or when landing or taking off from one of the towns serviced by AA. But he would not be my go to person about RV camping in Tok. LOL Great pilot, high time Wild Weasel driver and Wart Hog pilot for the US military.
But stay flexible on your trip, and it is your trip, for you and your companions, no one else's. Think about fall back plans. A couple of summers back, one of the forum members took the trip with one and only one reason, that to take scenic outdoor photos. However he had picked a rainy summer to go, not the best for photography outdoors. His comments were to the effect that the rain had ruined his trip. It made me feel sad for him as he didn't have the flexibility or a fall back plan in case of bad weather.
To me, he could have hopped a flight to Barrow, and photoed many of the local residents in the local tourist shows available. Or flown out to Dillingham, and take a few thousand shots of the Bristol Bay fishing fleet. Alaska is so huge, if the weather, smoke from the forest fires, volcanoes, etc are not to your liking, go elsewhere. If you are in one of the areas where flight seeing is available, stop in and talk to the people running the place. They may be able to take you to a place that will be the high light of your trip.
After the first trip, most visitors have a better idea about what they want to see and do in northern Canada and Alaska. Others seem to make the same trip, numerous times, which appears to work for them. In reading comments here on the forum, we all at times have to ask ourselves, if the poster is qualified to have such an opinion. Not always easy to decide
But again, it is your trip, so make sure it fits your needs, not someone else's unless you are a copy of that person. Some people can take as long as they wish for their trip, and others can't as they have something/someone to get back to at some given time. But most of us, have some time restraints on how long we can stay gone, be it a job, family, schools, medical care, volunteer services we offer when home and the list goes on.
I have a cousin in Seattle, that gets to Alaska about 125 to 150 times a year, but as an Alaska Airlines captain, he only see the state from 35,000 ft or when landing or taking off from one of the towns serviced by AA. But he would not be my go to person about RV camping in Tok. LOL Great pilot, high time Wild Weasel driver and Wart Hog pilot for the US military.
