Roll Call Alaska 2015

DaveKirby wrote:
I think we will leave Nevada end of May and plan for a couple months.

When you are planning the length of time for your Alaska trip, be sure to consider the distance and the speeds you will be driving. Last summer, we spent nearly 3 months and drove 9,000 miles from Denver through BC and Alaska. On the way back, we did the Top-of-the-World Highway to Dawson City, then hit Whitehorse, and down the Alaska Highway to Dawson Creek. We came home through Jasper and Banff NPs to save some of our favorite scenery for last.

Although some of the people we met were trying to do the entire trip from the Lower 48 in 4-6 weeks, that is a pretty short time to really enjoy the sights. If you drive 9,000 miles in 6 weeks, you would have to average 200 miles a day, every day, rain or shine, tired or rested. But there are few places on the Alaska and Cassiar Highways where you can drive 65 mph, much less 75. In fact, the frost heave is so bad in one 100-mile stretch near Beaver Creek that we barely got up to 40 mph towing our trailer and frequently had to go even slower. So, nearly half of a 6-week trip would be spent driving, which doesn't leave much time for "seeing."

And, after all, "seeing" is the reason for going to Alaska. When you work up your trip budget, you will quickly understand that fuel likely will be your biggest expense (especially in Canada). Then you will realize that the fuel cost for the trip is the same no matter how long you stay. So, staying longer will actually reduce your average daily cost.

But, no matter how long you stay or how many cruises or fly-and-drive trips you have taken to Alaska, your RV trip will be the one you'll remember for the rest of your life!