Travels from Birmingham, AL to Alaska

2gypsies Thanks for all your info and post. I have read many that you posted on AK and they are VERY helpful. I have made notes of a lot of your entries for reference. We look for nature also and not so much attractions. I know there are some attractions that we will probably want to do, maybe a glacier tour. I wish we were as comfortable traveling and boondocking in our 40 footer as yall seem to be. Maybe by the time we leave AK, we will be! Your info make it easier for all us "first-timers". Thanks again.

jandjhawk: No, you're not too late to take off for Alaska. Hopefully, you still have time to pick up the Milepost and also Mike and Terri Church's Alaskan Camping book. (Don't rely on the Milepost for camping information. Those are all paying advertisers.) The Church's lived in Alaska and return often to update their book. It's highly recommended. Also, order online the Tour Saver 2/1 coupon book. One or two activities (glacier tour, etc.) will pay for the book. It's a big savings. The 2 books might be found in a bookstore like Barnes & Nobles or all 3 are available online if you have the time.

Also, mosey on over the the 'RVing in Canada and Alaska' forum on this site. There lots of good information. Also, on the first line of that forum site is a 'Sticky' of this year's forum members making the trip right now. They're chatting back and forth on their trip in progress with good hints on campgrounds, etc.

Hope you have your passports. We crossed at Sumas, Washington which is a smaller entry and less congestion. Have a great trip and get movin'!!

Hey Pleasant Grove, we are from Hueytown.
We are in LaPine, OR and hope to head to Alaska in a few days. I have been reading this forum getting as much info as possible. When we left home May 28 we had no plans to go to AK. We were just going to CA, OR, WA. Now we have decided since we are this close, we should go.
We were concerned it might be to late leaving OR. but sounds from some of the replies here we might have time to go and not have to hurry to much!
We have been to several of the places yall are planning for your trip next year. I will try to reply back to you when we get home with some info.
If anyone has any advice/info for us, it would be greatly appreciated. We don't have any info with us. Like I stated, we just decided to go last week.
Are we crazy for heading to Alaska without planning and this time of year?!?

Wow! Hope you're not planning on doing that this summer. :)

You're asking for a LOT of information. I assume you have no time limit and that you'll be starting next March/April. First, there are 4 books recommended: The Milepost for Alaska, Mike and Terri Church's Alaskan Camping, the Mountain Directory - West, and a good Atlas.

Begin by highlighting in the atlas the routes you want to take and for the western states double check any mountain roads in question. For Alaska you don't have too many choices - it's either the Alaskan Hwy or the Cassier Hwy. We would recommend going up on the Alaskan and returning on the Cassier. Both are very doable in an RV.

I would also recommend that you not make advance reservations. Just GO! However, about 3 weeks before the July 4 weekend make reservations when you can better judge where you'll be in Alaska. Also do the same for your visit to Denali Nat'l Park, especially if you stay in Teklanika campground in the park (highly recommended). That's really all you need to make.

We've full-timed for 16+ years and rarely make reservations and try to stay off interstates, traveling the secondary roads. You'll see more of the countryside. I suggest you leave Alabama in March/April and take your time to the Canadian border. Plan to cross around the 3rd week of May otherwise you'll find many things still closed. Then spend the summer travel to Alaska. The roads will be slow-going so don't plan on more than 200 miles a day, if that. Many times we'd travel 50! Sitesee as you travel so you don't have to backtrack. Distances to attractions are great.

Stop often. Don't rush it. Then return around mid-August to early Sept via the Cassier Hwy and be sure to stop in Hyder to water the bears with the salmon run.

Travel down the Oregon coast on 101 and continue into California. It's a beautiful drive and the state parks in Oregon are awesome.

I would also suggest you mosey on over to the Alaska forum on this site. There's a lot of helpful information posted. There's a group that have been communicating the past year throwing ideas back and forth. They even made window signs and are now meeting up with them as they travel. There's a new post now for those traveling in 2014 so join the conversations!

In the meantime just read all you can on these forums. You'll get lots of ideas depending on your interests and the type of RVing you like to do - private parks, public parks and mix in some dry camping/boondocking. There are some beautiful places to spend a night on your trip to Alaska by just pulling off on the side of the road. You'll see many RVers doing just that.

Have a great trip!

Several years ago we started from home, near Victoria, on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada and went north, en-route to Mexico, via Alaska!

Our blog entries for that trip start here.

The blog reads from most recent post, so to start from the beginning you will have to scroll down. You can select the rest of the trip from the list of post to the right.

And here is another Alaska travel blog from 2010. http://kb7q.blogspot.ca/

You should also check get Mike and Terri Church's books on Alaska Camping and the Pacific Northwest. http://www.rollinghomes.com/

Have a great time!

My best advice is to do a Google search for `_____ tourism' and put the city, state, place, area or whatever in the blank space. You'll get lots of ideas from the experts for what to see/do in their area.
Mountain Directory West is a good resource for such a trip.

What I have on the Black Hills Area of SD.

If wanting full hookups, Never been to this one, but many people give it rave reviews: Rafter J Bar Ranch Resort - Hill City.

http://www.rafterj.com/

Many RV parks in & around Custer as well. RV Park Reviews Custer, SD

We have only stayed in the State Park campgrounds & at a Nat'l Forest CG.

There is also a private Horse Thief RV Resort which is also close to Hill City.
http://www.horsethief.com/

Don't forget the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Aug 5-11. A heavy use time in the BlackHills. But by Aug. it would be a little late to start to Alaska. IMO.

We really enjoyed the Glass Blowing Studio between Hill City & Keystone. Black Hills GlassBlowers - Keystone
We saw someone waving at a glass blowing shop when riding the Hill City Tain; we went back to see it, a neat place, friendly people.

Deadwood is northwest of Custer.....lot of History happened there, but is more of a Gaming Center now if into gambling. We stopped once years ago, when out kids were young; I wanted to see where Wild Bill Hickok was killed. We did go to a melodrama while there, but mainly just walk around some. It was just starting to become a gaming center at that time. Not stopped since.

I believe the answer(s) to that "question" would take a book, and would depend on your own preferences in many regards. We currently are in Skagway AK as the asst wagonmaster on a 71 day caravan. We went North from Great Falls MT, hit the Alaska Hwy at mile 0 at Dawson Creek, BC, and will re-enter the US at Sumas just NE of Lynden WA. The Canadian Rockies West of Canmore to Lake Louise and beyond are awesome. The Icefields Parkway/Columbia Ice fields, Yukon Territory, Whitehorse, the drive from Whitehorse down to Skagway, Whitepass/Yukon Railway, fast ferry from Skagway to Juneau, Top of the World Hiway to Chicken AK, Denali, and on and on. Visit Canadian Visitor Centers along the way as they will provide much info and some discount info. Get a copy of the Mileposts magazine to help in trip planning. The Tour Saver coupon book can give you info, and save $$ on many events/tours. There are many, many rv parks/campgrounds along the way ...just do an internet search for the areas where you want to stay. And I strongly recommend a road service plan ...Coach-Net, Good Sam, etc.

That is a very ambitious trip, you might get more responses if you break it down into smaller bites.