Just beginning to do homework
Considering going to Alaska Summer of '22 and looking at tour/rally packages and if better to do trip on our own, or not at all. We are from East Coast so budgeting 2-3 weeks to drive out and back and...
Forum Discussion
Been reading the forum for past 6 months to help make a buying decision, but my first actual post.
It was a long time ago in another life, but the ex and I did that very same trip back in '94, in a 1990 Tioga Arrow 17' class C (remember, no slides back then). We lived an hour north of you, and without much going out of the way, it was 15,000 miles. We were both going to night college, so left after my Drexel final 3rd week in June, and had to be back first week of Sept for her St Joe start. So 12 weeks, maybe 13 (would have to look actual dates up the photo package I put together to be sure).
I had traveled the US extensively at that time (been in 42 states on motorcycle), and would have to say it was the best trip ever. Anyone who can, should try it at least once. Yes, quite an investment in time and $$.
As some of those motorcycle trips involved 600-700 mile days, we set a limit of 350 miles per day. Stuck to it until the last few days home when we were running out of time. Despite the trip being a "relaxed" pace, with rest days as we wanted, or time to explore whatever we saw a need to investigate, I can say that for us, the trip should have been a few weeks longer. Would have liked to stay in AK for another 2 weeks (or NW territories) to see the northern lights. REALLY sorry I missed that.
In '94 there were no hand held cell phones (we had a bag phone, think it only had reception 3x in AK)), and there was no such thing as mobile internet, so you needed to know everywhere you wanted to go, or had to ask locals once you got there. We had a AAA trip-tik, and we used the Milepost. Never had any trouble navigating (not that many roads up there), and were fortunate that we did not have any MH issues.
As we were driving a LOT of dirt roads, I did string up a heavy wire screen attached to poles clamped to frt bumper, and that extended 10" above the hood. A rock catcher. Wasn't all that pretty, but stopped a few rocks from the trucks going the other way; grill, radiator, and windshield were not damaged.
We took it slowish, but there never any grass growing under the tires either; we were not the fastest nor slowest thing on the roads. A few times we hit the frost heaves at speed, and once I honestly thought we would flip on our side (but didn't).
Seem to remember it took us entire month to get to AK, but we did spend 5 days in Glacier Nat Park (anyone with limited time can just visit the east side of Glacier - it is very close to Alaska scenery). As I recall, from Glacier we went to Banff, Jasper, then west to Stewart and up the 350 mile dirt Stewart-Cassier highway. About half way up you can duck across the CA/AK border to Hyder,AK, then get back on the S-C and headed north to Al-Can at Watson Lake. At White horse, we headed south to Skagway AK (mostly dirt), took the ferry to Haines, then drove back north to the Al-Can and to Tok AK. They said the salmon run was just starting in Valdez, so we headed down south. Stopped at McCarthy, then Valdez. Great camping on the rocks right at the bay. As I recall, that was the 1st 7,000 miles and took 4 weeks.
Next back up to Palmer, Portage Glacier, Seward, Soldatna, and camped at the tip of the spit on the beach at Homer for 3 nights. Went Halibut fishing here, and mailed the frozen fish home. Tried to get a flight to Kenai to see the bears, but the weather didn't cooperate so we bought the video (funny, never watched it). Then worked our way back up to Anchorage, Denali (camped in the campground inside the park for the max 4 days), and then Fairbanks. Took a bus trip up the haul road to the Arctic Circle, and got the photo in front of the sign.
Went back south to Valdez to see the end of the salmon run. Back up to Tok, then up the (another 400 miles of dirt) Taylor highway (Top of the World highway) to Chicken, over the ferry to Dawson, and down the AL-Can from there to Vancouver. Took a week in the Olympic Nat Forrest, down Oregon coast, visit the redwoods in CA, then right home.
We drove almost every road in AK we could. Even if the town was one way in and same way out, we drove it (dirt or not). Didn't think we would ever get back, so wanted to see it all. We spent as little time on the Al-Can as we could. Saw a LOT of class A rigs with blown out air bags at the Al-Can stops, and did not see many A rigs (of any size) on the dirt roads. Sure it is very different up there today.
My advise is to go to for it. I still remember most of that trip like it was yesterday. Most of the folks I met there from lower 48 were 60s and up (I was early 30's), and more than half were doing the trip alone. It was their "together" dream trip, but one got incapacitated or died, so remaining spouse was doing it with friends/family. Do it while you can!!!!!
With current wife, we are looking at buying a MH and traveling in retirement (starts at end of the year). Probably won't get back to AK, but do plan to get back to Glacier and at least share that beauty with her.
It was a long time ago in another life, but the ex and I did that very same trip back in '94, in a 1990 Tioga Arrow 17' class C (remember, no slides back then). We lived an hour north of you, and without much going out of the way, it was 15,000 miles. We were both going to night college, so left after my Drexel final 3rd week in June, and had to be back first week of Sept for her St Joe start. So 12 weeks, maybe 13 (would have to look actual dates up the photo package I put together to be sure).
I had traveled the US extensively at that time (been in 42 states on motorcycle), and would have to say it was the best trip ever. Anyone who can, should try it at least once. Yes, quite an investment in time and $$.
As some of those motorcycle trips involved 600-700 mile days, we set a limit of 350 miles per day. Stuck to it until the last few days home when we were running out of time. Despite the trip being a "relaxed" pace, with rest days as we wanted, or time to explore whatever we saw a need to investigate, I can say that for us, the trip should have been a few weeks longer. Would have liked to stay in AK for another 2 weeks (or NW territories) to see the northern lights. REALLY sorry I missed that.
In '94 there were no hand held cell phones (we had a bag phone, think it only had reception 3x in AK)), and there was no such thing as mobile internet, so you needed to know everywhere you wanted to go, or had to ask locals once you got there. We had a AAA trip-tik, and we used the Milepost. Never had any trouble navigating (not that many roads up there), and were fortunate that we did not have any MH issues.
As we were driving a LOT of dirt roads, I did string up a heavy wire screen attached to poles clamped to frt bumper, and that extended 10" above the hood. A rock catcher. Wasn't all that pretty, but stopped a few rocks from the trucks going the other way; grill, radiator, and windshield were not damaged.
We took it slowish, but there never any grass growing under the tires either; we were not the fastest nor slowest thing on the roads. A few times we hit the frost heaves at speed, and once I honestly thought we would flip on our side (but didn't).
Seem to remember it took us entire month to get to AK, but we did spend 5 days in Glacier Nat Park (anyone with limited time can just visit the east side of Glacier - it is very close to Alaska scenery). As I recall, from Glacier we went to Banff, Jasper, then west to Stewart and up the 350 mile dirt Stewart-Cassier highway. About half way up you can duck across the CA/AK border to Hyder,AK, then get back on the S-C and headed north to Al-Can at Watson Lake. At White horse, we headed south to Skagway AK (mostly dirt), took the ferry to Haines, then drove back north to the Al-Can and to Tok AK. They said the salmon run was just starting in Valdez, so we headed down south. Stopped at McCarthy, then Valdez. Great camping on the rocks right at the bay. As I recall, that was the 1st 7,000 miles and took 4 weeks.
Next back up to Palmer, Portage Glacier, Seward, Soldatna, and camped at the tip of the spit on the beach at Homer for 3 nights. Went Halibut fishing here, and mailed the frozen fish home. Tried to get a flight to Kenai to see the bears, but the weather didn't cooperate so we bought the video (funny, never watched it). Then worked our way back up to Anchorage, Denali (camped in the campground inside the park for the max 4 days), and then Fairbanks. Took a bus trip up the haul road to the Arctic Circle, and got the photo in front of the sign.
Went back south to Valdez to see the end of the salmon run. Back up to Tok, then up the (another 400 miles of dirt) Taylor highway (Top of the World highway) to Chicken, over the ferry to Dawson, and down the AL-Can from there to Vancouver. Took a week in the Olympic Nat Forrest, down Oregon coast, visit the redwoods in CA, then right home.
We drove almost every road in AK we could. Even if the town was one way in and same way out, we drove it (dirt or not). Didn't think we would ever get back, so wanted to see it all. We spent as little time on the Al-Can as we could. Saw a LOT of class A rigs with blown out air bags at the Al-Can stops, and did not see many A rigs (of any size) on the dirt roads. Sure it is very different up there today.
My advise is to go to for it. I still remember most of that trip like it was yesterday. Most of the folks I met there from lower 48 were 60s and up (I was early 30's), and more than half were doing the trip alone. It was their "together" dream trip, but one got incapacitated or died, so remaining spouse was doing it with friends/family. Do it while you can!!!!!
With current wife, we are looking at buying a MH and traveling in retirement (starts at end of the year). Probably won't get back to AK, but do plan to get back to Glacier and at least share that beauty with her.
