Keep in mind.... your forum name is 'Salty Dog' so be sure to go to Homer, Alaska and visit the 'Salty Dog' saloon.... fun place!
First, you need to allow all summer for your Alaska trip.
Go up to Alaska on the Alcan and return via the Cassier Hwy for varied scenery and also a stop in August at Hyder and watch the bears fishing for their meal. Fun to watch!!!
Either travel across Canada or across northern U.S. and cross into Canada at West Glacier to get on 93 heading north. Fuel will be a LOT more reasonable in the U.S. than in Canada for that cross-country. We like to do Banff and Jasper on our way home because the trails are clear of snow. If doing them first thing in your trip you'll see lots of snow which is pretty buts depends if you just want to drive or stop and do things. Since you'll probably be leaving in spring some things along the Canadian route may not be open yet. You could head out via U.S. and do across Canada at the end of your trip.
Many people doing the Alaska trip plan to cross the border toward the end of May. Crossing too early, the lakes could still be frozen and campgrounds not open. They start leaving Alaska mid-August or some, even later.
There is a LOT to see in Canada and the Yukon before even getting to Alaska so don't pass things up.
This is not a trip to rush. How often would you be doing it? Probably only once (although we did it 3x).
Don't bog yourself down with reservations. The only ones we made were for Denali National Park and the July 4 weekend. Those we only made a couple weeks prior when we could better judge when we'd be in the area. As it turned out on one trip we were early for our Denali reservation so on a whim we boondocked nearby at a lovely spot and pulled into Denali early morning. We easily secured 5 nights in Riley Creek campground in Denali without reservations. Then we moved farther into the park to Teklanika campground for an additional 5 nights with our reservation. We saw 'THE' mountain 7 of 10 days. Many never see 'THE' mountain during their stay because of rain, fog, haze. We were so lucky. We also saw all the big animals; many more than once. We covered every part of the park that was available to us.
I'd highly recommend getting the Milepost for history and maps. We took turns driving daily so that the other could read from the book aloud about things we were seeing and the other could focus on the awesome scenery rather than driving.
Also get Mike and Terry Church's book 'Alaskan Camping'. It includes some of the U.S. near the border and Canada & Yukon. They lived in Fairbanks & traveled south yearly so they knew the spots. They give the RV parks and also beautiful boondocking areas... which you should think about doing at times.
Keep in mind that with this year's closing of the border because of Covid things may have closed down because of not having tourists. Their season is short & they rely on tourists. Be flexible in your plans.
Plan to take at least one glacier tour from Alaska. We did two - one from Valdez and one from Seward.
It's not a hard trip but it is just long. Don't think of it as a whole. Break it down into chunks of distance.
We didn't get any damage to our motorhome or our car during the trip. Drive more slowly than normal. When in areas of construction and gravel, you should be driving no more than 40mph, if that. If you see an oncoming semi truck pull way over to the right side and even stop, if possible. He'll be going fast and throwing rocks, most likely. As soon as you cross into Alaska you come to a stretch of highway that will have frost heaves. It'll only take the first one you cross at a high speed to know how to look out for them afterward! In the distance you'll see the road as 'wavy'. That's your clue. There are usually red cones or signs at these places but not always. Otherwise the roads from the U.S. border are good.
Have fun planning! NOTE: There's also a 'Canada and Alaska' section on this forum for additional information.
