Planing a NJ to Alaska Trip,what to plan for?
Wife and I are thinking of a special RV trip this year and have 3 ideas on where we would like to travel too. Rockies/Cascades or just go to Alaska..We have been to the first 2 but not Alaska. So my q...
Forum Discussion
So, some thoughts on a trip to Alaska from a dated perspective of 20+ trips over 30 years and a more-or-less lifetime Alaskan
- I don't think Alaska scenery can be beat, but there are parts of BC, Alberta, and the YT that are equally impressive (and NW Idaho and NW Washington and ....)
- Mosquitoes: Can be horrible out in the muskeg and other places; typically aren't so bad on the road system. If they are "bad" start a campfire, find a breeze, or wear a headnet....I've been bothered more by bugs in Texas than in Alaska except for the infrequent time spent on spruce bogs or remote lakeshores
- Along the bug line.....the PITA ones are the gnats/sox. Harder to escape from but breezes and smoke work, albeit slightly less effective than with mosquitoes. Headnets need to be fine mesh "no-see-um" netting
- Bears: In my time, I've never seen a bear in the wilds that I didn't want to see; but I usually don't hang around piles of fish or animal guts and I don't frequent the heavy spawning streams on foot. There are "urban" bears around Los Anchorage and other places but they tend to either: a) concentrate around smelly places like garbage dumps or smelly coolers; or b) show up more in the "spring" just after hibernation. While I admittedly carry the old smokepole during my hikes at the cabin....not on the road system....fears about bears are overblown unless in one of the situations above.
- If time is an issue, flying into Alaska and renting an RV is an option. If time isn't an issue, both the drive to and the drive around Alaska are spectacular
- The ferry (Alaska Marine Highway System) is always an option. Spending if taking a vehicle as they charge $$/foot. At 50+, I view a cabin as a necessity for anything longer than 12 hours on the ferry.
- To the greatest extent possible, gather $$ to spend on activities once in Alaska: fishing, flightseeing, ATV trips, etc.
- This will be heresy, but here it goes: For my $$, I'd get a campsite at or around Denali if you'll be driving through, but unless you plan on actually hiking or camping in Denali, I'd only stay a day or two to take the bus and then move on. More mountains can be seen by flightseeing from locations outside the Park (i.e. Talkeetna). Part of my cynicism is that I find the glitter gulch area around the Park entrance to be absolutely disgusting. There, I said it. :)
- On what I think was my 2nd or 3rd trip (it was to/from Seattle in '76, I think), I drove a duece-and-a-half back from Seattle. Everything that could go wrong did: Flat tires, busted axle seals, broken headlights, hole in the oil pan and gas tank. Other than that trip, I've had one broken headlight and two flats.....as noted, in some 20+ trips; and the last of those trips was 10 years ago. One should be prudent, but the road is not impassable.
All FWIW.
- I don't think Alaska scenery can be beat, but there are parts of BC, Alberta, and the YT that are equally impressive (and NW Idaho and NW Washington and ....)
- Mosquitoes: Can be horrible out in the muskeg and other places; typically aren't so bad on the road system. If they are "bad" start a campfire, find a breeze, or wear a headnet....I've been bothered more by bugs in Texas than in Alaska except for the infrequent time spent on spruce bogs or remote lakeshores
- Along the bug line.....the PITA ones are the gnats/sox. Harder to escape from but breezes and smoke work, albeit slightly less effective than with mosquitoes. Headnets need to be fine mesh "no-see-um" netting
- Bears: In my time, I've never seen a bear in the wilds that I didn't want to see; but I usually don't hang around piles of fish or animal guts and I don't frequent the heavy spawning streams on foot. There are "urban" bears around Los Anchorage and other places but they tend to either: a) concentrate around smelly places like garbage dumps or smelly coolers; or b) show up more in the "spring" just after hibernation. While I admittedly carry the old smokepole during my hikes at the cabin....not on the road system....fears about bears are overblown unless in one of the situations above.
- If time is an issue, flying into Alaska and renting an RV is an option. If time isn't an issue, both the drive to and the drive around Alaska are spectacular
- The ferry (Alaska Marine Highway System) is always an option. Spending if taking a vehicle as they charge $$/foot. At 50+, I view a cabin as a necessity for anything longer than 12 hours on the ferry.
- To the greatest extent possible, gather $$ to spend on activities once in Alaska: fishing, flightseeing, ATV trips, etc.
- This will be heresy, but here it goes: For my $$, I'd get a campsite at or around Denali if you'll be driving through, but unless you plan on actually hiking or camping in Denali, I'd only stay a day or two to take the bus and then move on. More mountains can be seen by flightseeing from locations outside the Park (i.e. Talkeetna). Part of my cynicism is that I find the glitter gulch area around the Park entrance to be absolutely disgusting. There, I said it. :)
- On what I think was my 2nd or 3rd trip (it was to/from Seattle in '76, I think), I drove a duece-and-a-half back from Seattle. Everything that could go wrong did: Flat tires, busted axle seals, broken headlights, hole in the oil pan and gas tank. Other than that trip, I've had one broken headlight and two flats.....as noted, in some 20+ trips; and the last of those trips was 10 years ago. One should be prudent, but the road is not impassable.
All FWIW.
