GREAT ALASKAN HOLIDAY SPRING ADVENTURE 2013 IOWA/ALASKA

[RV_RS]

We have just been confirmed for the Great Alaskan Holiday Spring Adventure 2013 from Forest City, IA to Anchorage, AK (leaving May 10th). Although we have travelled Canada and Alaska by air, rail, and water, this is our first road trip through Canada. Would love to hear from anyone that is booked for 2013 as well as those of you who have made the trip in the past.

[SkiCruiser]

Hi RV'RS:

We have driven 28, 30, 31 & 32 footers and have averaged about 8 1/2 miles per gallon and the length has not made a difference! Hope this helps!

We have also done the route you have described twice and it it doable! The first few days we hit it hard since it's mostly interstate. Some years the wind has been the hardest thing we have faced other than snow and blizzards in northern BC. Once we make it to Alaska we are able to spend a couple days in one spot but usually only stay one night at each location. We usually only spend 16 or 17 days on the trip before we head home! A cruise back south sounds awesome! We would consider it, but since we both still work, three weeks is about all we can take at one time.

[RV_RS]

We received our GAH contract for a 31' (17days) leaving May 10th. Plan to drive through SD (Mount Rushmore)thru Glacier National Park, up through Banff, etc. For those of you who have made this trip before, is it realistic to make the trip in 17 days and this proposed route without "wearing ourselves out" each day. We have a cruise booked and have to turn in the motorhome on day 17. Trying to decide if we need to skip some of the U.S. touring. Also, what mpg can we expect with the 31'?
Your comments and sharing of your prior experiences are appreciated.

[jstrips]

cr 180

I just started our trip planning for our Iowa to Alaska trip with a GAH 28'. We also leave on the 12th so that makes at least two of us.
This is our first time to make this trip although we flew to Anchorage 5 years ago and rented a unit from them for three weeks. It was glorious. Granma Carol is wealth of knowledge and I will be checking out the others. Thank Goodness I found this forum. I'm usually pretty good on "winging it" but didn't dare do it on this trip.

[SkiCruiser]

Happy New Year Grandma Carol!

Got our contract from GAH last week! It will be time to leave for MSP before we know it! We have not decided on our route yet! Every time I pick a new route, part of it doesn't open until June. So, other than the Cassier I'm still working on which way to go!

As for the grocery store in Forest City, we have never stopped there. We always seem to end up at a Walmart Supercenter somewhere along the way.

Will miss seeing you this, since this will be our last GAH trip, for a few years at least, since there are a few other places that we want to see - like the Four Corners area and Italy.

Have a great summer!

[GrandmaCarol]

SkiCruiser - what are the musts that we need to advise these newbies on the GAH trip to pick up at the local grocery store near the Winnebago factory? I was thinking today about how wonderful their sausage is! Wasn't there something else we made sure we stopped there to get? (And I sure do agree with you about the great info we've gotten from Sue.t - as well as Murray!)

[SkiCruiser]

Sue T,

Not a nuisance at all! I so much enjoy your pics and info about your Yukon! Since I have to work even when I'm on vacation, I look forward to the pristine silence and limited connection to the outside world when I am in the Yukon. It is the one time on vacation that I truly love. Being a Florida girl even the spring in the Yukon is chilly for me. I can't imagine the winters. Kluane, Boya, Meziadin are places that we have stayed in due to you're website and someday when we retire I hope to try out some of the other places you have introduced me to! Thank You!

[sue_t]

SkiCruiser wrote:
... We keep saying that this our last trip but the call of Sue T.'s country is too strong! Her new pictures make me think about the Yukon on a daily basis! ...

Oh dear ... I'm terribly sorry to be such a nuisance. Maybe I need some legalese to reduce my liability for distractees. :B

I have some more time on my hands so will be finishing up the 2012 entries soon. And of course, starting on 2013!

[SkiCruiser]

Rv'ers,

The Milepost that GAH will be sending out to everyone that signs up for 2013 trip will be the 2012 Milepost. This is our 5th year doing this trip and I usually pre-order the newest Milepost each year from Amazon for about 20 bucks. They are updated each year, so the updates in the 2013 version will be from the Milepost reviewers travels in 2012. The winters can be wicked and so the road conditions can change from what you will find in even the most recent version of the Milepost. The group that's does the updates is out on the roads each spring/summer season and try to keep the MP as up to date as possible. Enjoy!

[cr180]

Count us in for the 2013 Iowa to Anchorage trip, although we don't leave forest city til the 12th. It's our first trip, so we have a hefty stack of books and several lists. We're working on our route now. So far it looks like we are the only ones on here leaving on the 12th. I have certainly enjoyed reading GrandmaCarol's blogs. Thanks for sharing them!

[alaskan-rver]

RV'RS wrote:
...We were unable to wait for GAH to send The Milepost, so we went online at Amazon and purchased the 2012 issue for $20.00. We also purchased a 2013 atlas and therefore did not have to pay shipping. My understanding is GAH will send The Milepost after the first of the year and hopefully it will be the 2013 issue....

FYI, the newest edition of the Milepost typically doesn't hit the streets until early Spring (like March or April), so don't expect the new one by mid-January. That said, typically not much of any real substance changes year-to-year, so you should be fine planning and even traveling with a 2012 edition.

[Fer2005]

Grandma Carol, loved your journal. I hope to do this one day with lovely bride!

[cwcawcAL]

Thanks 2Gypsies, Churches Camping and TourSaver look good. I did load the Milepost to Ipad and looking it over. Have been reading a lot but sort of slowed downed for a while.
And Skicrusier, we are new and will be one day ahead of you.
ccjohnson, thanks for another journal to read.
I have read several, from different years. Made a few notes. I will have plans and a route made, then also plan to to flexible, and hope we're blessed with a good trip.

Cecil

[2gypsies1]

cwcawcAL wrote:
I have not checked into the milepost as yet, bur I have all ready cut out pages
from Woodalls Campground book. Take only pages dealing with trip. Plus Woodalls
is now available on Ipad, if have wifi.

The campground book you really need is Mike & Terri Church's "Alaskan Camping" which covers BC and Yukon, also. They have lived in Fairbanks and regularly travel there personally checking out the campgrounds. They even give great dry camping spots. You can get it on Amazon and other sites. Also, get the TourSaver 1/2 price coupon book BEFORE you begin your trip as there might be something in it you'll want to do on your way up. One glacier cruise will pay for the book. It's available online. We loved Stan Stephens tour out of Valdez. Have a great trip. Wish we were going again!

[GrandmaCarol]

Hi Cheryl! No - we're skipping this year. Hope you enjoy the TOW as much as we did last year - we went across the first day the border control was on duty, and had one snow detour on the route but loved it! We also saw Prudhoe Bay on that trip - but only the airport on our way to Barrow. Glad your sister is able to go back with you again this year. Tell her I said Hi! And I sure do know what you mean about Sue's pictures!! Between she and Murray, I've fallen in love as much with the Yukon as AK!

[SkiCruiser]

Hi Grandma Carol!

Are you guys doing the trip again in 2013?

We are going to try to do the TOW and Prudhoe Bay again! We decided to start the trip on saturday to give us an extra day on the other end to try to get up to Prudhoe since we missed being able to do the trip by one day this year!

Look forward to hearing from you!

Cheryl