Alaska Trip FAQ's
1. How long did your trip take?
Our Alaska adventure was in 2003, our first summer as fulltimers. We had decided to take the trip because we weren't sure how we were going to like fulltiming. If we gave up traveling, at least we would have this special adventure to remember.
We left Wenatchee, WA on May 19, 2003 and crossed the border into British Columbia, Canada about 2:00 p.m. on US 27 north of Oroville, WA. We re-entered the lower forty-eight states just under three months later, on August 16, on I-15, just north of Sweetgrass, MT. We didn't hurry through Canada on our way north or south. We enjoyed plenty of gorgeous scenery in British Columbia, Yukon Territory, and Alberta. It was all covered in The Milepost and was definitely part of our Alaska adventure.
Alaska is a big place, even counting only the places that can be reached by motor vehicles. Although we sampled many of the "not-to-be-missed" spots, there were several notable omissions. We'd have no difficulty spending another summer (or two!) in Alaska.
2. What were the roads like?
Because we were driving our big rig, we stayed on main roads. These were mostly paved, although occasionally they were gravel. Sometimes they were four-lane divided highways, like the
John Hart Highway, north of Prince George, BC. Other times they were red roads, like the
We had one very bad section of washboard. We shattered a couple of pieces of Corelle dinnerware that bounced out of the cupboard and hit the floor. We decided to take a commercial tour rather than drive our rig on the
All in all, it was hard to complain about driving conditions as we made our way through
3. Did you see lots of animals?
We spotted our first black bear on our first afternoon in Canada, while driving west on the Crow's Nest Highway. We saw quite a few of them on the trip, including this
Locals, other travelers, and The Milepost often alerted us to areas where wildlife were frequently spotted. One campground owner in Prince George actually circled a spot on the map, telling us that we'd probably see stone sheep on the road there. Sure enough, when we got to that location, there were
One of our favorite animal encounters was on our excursion trip to the Arctic Circle, out of Fairbanks, AK. We spotted a young moose just about the same time she took note of us. As the driver slowed the van so we passengers could take photos, the moose ducked behind a tree to escape further notice. The trouble was,
On our shuttle bus trip to Eielson Visitor Center in Denali National Park, AK, we learned about "rock sheep." Our driver had encouraged us to call out any independent wildlife spottings so all bus riders could enjoy seeing the animals. With the advantage of his binoculars, David excitedly reported to first sighting: Dall sheep high up and far away. The driver gently pointed out that what he saw were rocks. Because so many people mistook them for sheep, such rocks along the way had been dubbed "rock sheep." (As our family continued to travel, we began to apply this naming pattern to other natural features mistaken for wildlife. We saw stump bears and bush bison.)
For photos of some of the other animals we saw, see the northern wildlife photo album.
We also saw lots of animals on our wildlife cruise in Prince William Sound. The cruise photo album shows some of them.
4. Did you go to Denali National Park?
We showed up at Denali without a campground reservation on a Wednesday in the middle of July. We were able to reserve four nights at Riley Creek Campground, starting the following night (Thursday). This meant we only had to spend one night in a campground just outside the Denali entrance. We also reserved spots on the bus to Eielson Visitor Center for Friday. That was a great trip on what turned out to be our only sunny day in the park.
Bud didn't let two days of rain stop him from completing his junior ranger badge. We even took a rain hike and were treated to a bull moose sighting by Horseshoe Lake. Our next stop was Fairbanks, where we learned that the rain had caused considerable flooding and damage in the Denali area.
From Denali National Park, I took a special souvenir back to our former hometown in Ohio. It was a receipt for items we had purchased at the Riley Creek Mercantile in the park. In Ohio, I gave it to the owner of our town's own Riley Creek Mercantile, where we used to shop. We explored Riley Creek in Denali and I thought about the Riley Creek that ran behind the house we had sold in Ohio.
5. Did you go fishing?
Although none of us is a proficient fisherman, David and Bud did have several good experiences. The first one was in the Chilkoot River, near Haines, AK. David purchased a three-day license and some appropriate tackle in town. According to the daily postings at the ADF&G fish weir, sockeye salmon were returning to Chilkoot Lake. Our fishermen snagged only Dolly Varden, a fish we had never heard of before. David and Bud did not keep any of the fish they caught. The experience was memorable because of the awesome setting: mountains, rushing water, river rocks, and eagles.
David and Bud went on a salmon charter out of Valdez, AK. They contributed more than their share to the boat limit of pink salmon. Bud was pleased with
For three days, we stayed at a fishing campground in Soldatna, AK. Bud and
6. Did you take a cruise?
J really enjoyed our cruise aboard the Lu-Lu Belle out of Valdez. This luxury yacht was actually the home of the captain and his wife, who spend summers in Valdez. The scenery was spectacular and the narrative was quite interesting and informative. We learned how to watch for whales' footprints; we saw puffins fly; and we heard an interesting story about sea lion relocation. For photos, see our cruise photo album.
The next time we go to Alaska, I think we'll try to take a wildlife cruise on the other side of Prince William Sound, maybe out of Seward. We would like to get closer to a glacier and have a chance to see (and hear!) it calving.
7. What was your favorite activity?
For Bud, a real highlight was
From the Columbia Icefield Visitors' Centre, in Banff National Park, BC, we took a Brewster snocoach (Ice Explorer) tour on the Athabasca Glacier. J enjoyed this a lot! The ride itself was an experience, being in a
The activity that I enjoyed the most was our ride on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad out of Skagway, AK. Although an
8. What would you do differently?
People sometimes ask us this question when they are planning a trip to Alaska. I suppose they're hoping we'll give them some advice on things to avoid or things to do so their trip will be a "success." It seems to me just about any trip to Alaska would be an adventure! While it is worthwhile to research ahead of time, a trip planner would do well to keep three things in mind: allow as much time as possible (Think "months" instead of "weeks."); be flexible, willing to change to "Plan B" when necessary; consider your first trip as just that, your first trip, with more to come!
It's hard to say what we would change about our first trip to Alaska, because it was an awesome experience. However, we all have ideas about what to do when we return to Alaska.
David would like to take a chest freezer for fish. It was wonderful to have fresh salmon, but he would have like to catch more and freeze it.
I'd return in a truck camper (when there are only two of us). There would be more overnight parking options. Also, I'd take it on the ferry and see some of the places that can't be reached by road.
J would like to go in the winter to see the stars and the aurora borealis. (In the summer, there is virtually no night sky.) But first, she'd have to figure out a way to keep warm because she dislikes cold weather!
Bud would spend more time fishing on the Kenai Peninsula.
9. How did you decide where to go and what to do?
As navigator and "coordinator of learning" for our family, I relied primarily on two print resources during our trip. One was the current edition of The Milepost. The other was Frommer's Alaska. I also found local resources (tourist materials) readily available and picked them up along the way.
The Milepost is published annually, with the year's edition usually available in early March. It is an amazing guide for anyone traveling within Alaska by road. Included is detailed information about routes to Alaska through the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories. You can get much of the information in this resource at the web site, but take the book along with you for daily reference as you travel. I studied it before our trip and highlighted places I wanted to see. The next time we go to Alaska, I'll use checkmarks in The Milepost as a log of our adventure.
Frommer's Alaska 200_ (updated edition yearly) is a travel guide written by Charles P. Wohlforth, a lifelong Alaska resident. He gives information about activities and services, using a rating system. He also has a web site with helpful information. He'll even answer questions on his message board!
As far as choosing actual activities, we had to weigh the usual considerations: time, cost, and residual effects. Residual effects are a combination of several very personal considerations, including the "wow factor " (a rating system for sights and activities that take away your breath), the "I've always wanted to" factor (for things you've always wanted to see/do), and the "serendipity factor" (for recognizing and taking advantage of unplanned, suddenly-arising opportunities which will create strong and lasting impressions). Personally, I also had to consider the "fear" factor. After all, there's a lot of wilderness (and wild-ness) up north! But seriously, folks, there's plenty of good advice available for how to view wildlife safely, how to "hike smart," and how to enjoy yourself on your great Alaska adventure.
