How much time to spend on the trip is so personal, that one person's trip has nothing to do with anyone else's. So many factors to consider, the traveler's ages, their health, their financial situation, how much traveling have they done over part of the route to be used, and the list goes on and on.
If a person is middle aged, I can hardly remember that far back, LOL, and feel they may make several trips to the north country, then there is no big rush to try and see it all. Alaska and Canada are so huge that you can't see it all in one lifetime, in my opinion. I did my best to wear out 5 airplanes, a half dozen RVs, numerous boats, trying to see it all and in 25+ years of living in rural Alaska, I probably saw no more than 70 or 75 percent of the state, and much of that was from 3,000 feet in the air or at some off the ground altitude.
Some first and second timers do extensive planning for the trip and have a great time, so they give their "outstanding" planning lots of credit for the success of the trip. What they don't seem to understand is that others did their trips completely different and had just as great a time. Some will try to convince other that if they don't make their trip the very same way, they will have a terrible time, just not true in my opinion. Over the 51 years I have been driving the Alaska Highway, I have found that a nice 8 week time slot will work for many people, including my wife and me. A month for travel up and back and spend a month in northern Canada and Alaska and you have the trip of a life time for most people. If you have longer, go for it. If you have less time, look at the options available to you.
No matter what, I have never heard anyone say, "I am sure glad I waited to make the trip to Alaska" Keep in mind, many people do wait just about too long to make the trip, and have to recognize, this will be their one and only trip because of their ages and declining health. Do I have any regrets to taking off one summer when I was 20 years old and driving to Alaska, and then flying to Nome? Not the least. I was broke most of the time, had to sleep in a military surplus tent and sleeping bag or wrap up in a tarp to sleep. Had to get a job in Nome to make some money to get back home to Oklahoma but the memories of that trip are great. I have often said, I would fly to Alaska to spend a weekend if I could afford it, which I can't.
Lots of good options, drive long days to get to Canada, consider a fly and rent an RV program, line up a summer job in Alaska to cover some of your costs, the tourist businesses are usually looking for workers. I figure 10 driving days from south Florida to Fairbanks, and I want to spend my time in the north country, not watching the grass grow in a bunch of campgrounds along the way. For those that like to drive 3 to 5 hours a day, it is going to take them longer to get to Alaska, so they need to plan more time for their trip. I love Yellowstone NP but we don't stop there on most trips to Alaska. We made a special stop there this past summer on our way to Colorado, from Florida and spent a week at West Yellowstone and in the NP.
Again, figure out what you and your companions want to see and do in the north country. Try to figure out why you want to go to the north country. Then prioritize what you can do in you allotted amount of time that you have. The few people I have talked to that didn't enjoy their trip to Alaska was those that really hadn't given any real thought to why they even wanted to go. Turned out, most of them didn't have any real reason to go and should have gone elsewhere, IMHO.
joe b.
Stuart Florida
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
2016 Fleetwood Flair 31 B Class A w/bunks
www.picturetrail.com/jbpacooper
Alaska-Colorado and other Trips posted
"Without challenge, adventure is impossible".
