Roll Call Alaska 2015

[trcgolf]

I know its early but we have been planning for the past 3 months. I know its another 15 months at least till we leave but we are just going crazy...
So here is our very rough plan overview. Leave mid June from western NY; travel west up through Ill., Wis., Min., ND, into Canada.
Diagonally across Saskatch. and Alberta, BC, and YT...
Our first destination is Fairbanks, via Top of the World Highway... thinking of doing the Dempster to the Arctic Circle. I know there will many stops... some short, some long but all will be great.
Fairbanks to Homer with the obligatory Denali stop for a few days.
Homer to Portland Or; Oregon to San Fran; San Fran to home via the Northern US.

We have so much planning yet to do but reading all the Roll Call posts in 2013, and 2014 just keeps us going. Started to plan finances which brings us to the first major question.
I have heard all the diesel advantages and draw backs of the gas engines. We invested in a 32' fifth wheel and 2013 GMC 2500 HD with 6.0L Crew 4x4. The fiver weighs about 8K empty, I would guess 10,500 loaded. ( I will get that checked for sure)Brand new to Rving

The truck is my every dayer.... need the 4 wheel drive here in winter. The decision with gas was pure economics. A Cummins diesel and matching tranny was $9500 more. Doing the math it was going to take a bunch of miles to save enough in mileage to pay for the increase in price. About 100000 mile by my calculation. We not going to be full timers; one long trip a year to Florida.
Traveling around NY and Pa and maybe Florida, that all makes sense but going on a trip like this, I am not so sure gas was the way to go. So I am asking for those who used a truck like mine to haul a fifth wheel through Canada...Alaska...et al... What kind of mileage can I expect? Sorry for the novelette...I will get better at this.

Edited to add 'Alaska' within the title.

[NewallaBus]

I hear you should get your tour saver now, as there are things in the book you can use on the way up. We have ours and will be doing all we can on the way. Richard

[okgc]

sljohnson1938 wrote:
where can i get the 'tour saver' coupon booklet?
i know i can get one on-line, but who sells them once i get there?

Forget the Tour Book...:).....My wife would like you bring along a bottle of Dark Shadows wine from your home town. :B :B

[sljohnson1938]

where can i get the 'tour saver' coupon booklet?
i know i can get one on-line, but who sells them once i get there?

[CA_Traveler]

Phone and Data Charges - From the 4/27/15 news 4 companies do not charge the 3% foreign transaction fee, Capital One, HSBC, Pentagon Federal Credit Union and Discover. This is related to the embedded chips which make the transaction more secure. Note that all charges will be based on the current exchange rate. In Canada we use the PenFed Cash Rewards card which gives us 5% monthly cash back on fuel purchases including propane and use our Discover card for other purchases.

Data can be very expensive and you may get significant fees regardless of what your carrier tells you beforehand and this may include a prepaid SIM card. While in Canada we add Verizon phone access for $15 per month, turn off data on the phones and use WiFi for the computers. Call Verizon before you enter Canada and after you leave.

In the US we use the PefFed card for fuel purchases and AmEx (5% yearly cash back) at the truck pumps.

[mabynack]

stickdog wrote:
Took a break from our North bound trek at Custer SP. Beautiful time of year to tour the Black Hills, the park was all but empty weren't more that four other vehicles on the Needle Highway. Plenty of baby Bison, they're so cute.
Met up with a couple we volunteered with last winter they're heading to Cody WY for a summer camp host gig.
A short drive today to Devils Tower, it's still there.

That was one of my favorite stops on my last trip west. My favorite was the wild donkeys in the park.

[stickdog]

Took a break from our North bound trek at Custer SP. Beautiful time of year to tour the Black Hills, the park was all but empty weren't more that four other vehicles on the Needle Highway. Plenty of baby Bison, they're so cute.
Met up with a couple we volunteered with last winter they're heading to Cody WY for a summer camp host gig.
A short drive today to Devils Tower, it's still there.

[fanrgs]

dahkota wrote:
I looked at pictures of Okanagan Valley and I think that would be the preferable route, longer, shorter, or whatever. In fact, we may cross a few days early to spend some time there. Thanks!

Try the Quail's Gate Winery in West Kelowna for lunch while you are there. Absolutely gorgeous winery with a wonderful restaurant--terrace dining room with glass walls that are opened on warm days, beautiful flower gardens and fountain, all high on a hill overlooking the vineyards and beautiful Lake Okanagan. I have been to wine regions all over Washington State and Oregon and you won't find any wineries there with comparable scenery, food, and wine.

A nice overnight stop on your way into BC would be the River Oaks RV Park in Oroville, WA. It is a few blocks west of the highway and next to the river, so is quieter than several of the others in town. Then you can leave early in the morning to cross the border at Osoyoos and have more time to stop and explore the Okanagan Valley before your next overnight stop.

[garyhaupt]

One liter of wine/booze per person, 12 beers per person.

Actually, one of the nicer things to do as you drive thru the Valley is to stop at some of wineries and just enjoy a glass. If that is your pleasure, stop in at the BC Info booth in Osoyoos and get a vineyard map.

There are many many..like Napa Valley but not so much. The Prov cg's are not open yet..May long weekend..the 18th. If you are going to be coming over then...there is a fab prov cg about 2 miles or less from the border. On your right..but it is the busiest cg in the province, sooo..but, try. Haines Point.



Gary Haupt

[sljohnson1938]

what is the limite i can carry over from the USA to Canada?
two adults. no kids or pets.

[Kidoo]

You should find some good wine in the Valley, take some because as you go up, prices goes up until you get to Alaska. Beer is "quite" expensive in BC and Yukon. Bring all you can from USA up to your limit.

[dahkota]

Thanks everyone.
As for the wineries, I need to ditch some before crossing the border, not be tempted into buying more! However, after we cross, I can buy all the wine I want.
I looked at pictures of Okanagan Valley and I think that would be the preferable route, longer, shorter, or whatever. In fact, we may cross a few days early to spend some time there. Thanks!

[garyhaupt]

Kidoo wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:
"We are currently near Leavenworth, Washington " I am missing something here. Why suggest they drive all the way west, back over the Cascades, to cross at Sumas, and then have to drive all the way back east again to Cache Creek? Why not just go to Wenatchee and straight north?


Gary Haupt

According to Microsoft streets and trips, you save a few minutes going through Sumas and maybe half a mile! It depends on your preference, I liked both ways.

I'll be darned...I did it on Google and yep. 6:40 vs 7hr and 356 vs 399 miles. You are right kidoo.

Having said that...the trip thru the Okanagan Valley is still the prettier way to go.



Gary Haupt

[Kidoo]

garyhaupt wrote:
"We are currently near Leavenworth, Washington " I am missing something here. Why suggest they drive all the way west, back over the Cascades, to cross at Sumas, and then have to drive all the way back east again to Cache Creek? Why not just go to Wenatchee and straight north?


Gary Haupt

According to Microsoft streets and trips, you save a few minutes going through Sumas and maybe half a mile! It depends on your preference, I liked both ways.

[garyhaupt]

"We are currently near Leavenworth, Washington " I am missing something here. Why suggest they drive all the way west, back over the Cascades, to cross at Sumas, and then have to drive all the way back east again to Cache Creek? Why not just go to Wenatchee and straight north?


Gary Haupt

[fanrgs]

dahkota wrote:
We are currently near Leavenworth, Washington and plan to cross in the next three weeks. Gotta finish off some of the wine first! Not sure if we are crossing in Oroville or Sumas. Anyone know which might be preferable?

Go with Oroville. DO NOT MISS the Okanagan Valley if you are a wine lover. Absolutely gorgeous, which is very different than the dry US portion of the valley. Vineyards covering the hills on both sides of long, narrow glacial lakes, wonderful wine, great food, and fresh fruit stands along the road (although you may be a little early for that). The Okanagan is one of our favorite places in Canada and one we are planning on revisiting this fall.

Think Lake Como region of Italy with an English-speaking (well, Canadian anyway) population!