RETURNING TO ALASKA

It's been a few years (2007), since our last trip north to Alaska.  This summer, along with our pal Nancy in her motor home, we're headed back to the last frontier.  We'll be leaving Tucson in about 10 days, with the first stop at Nancy's place in Atwater, CA.

From our first visit to Alaska on a cruise ship in 1999, we were hooked.  In 2001, we sold our business, and spent a good part of that summer traveling around Alaska in our motor home.  After that trip, we were really hooked!.  A few years later, we found a way to live in Alaska, while working for a family business in Skagway for the entire summer.  That work gig turned into 3 more summers of living in Skagway, one of the most beautifully scenic places that we've ever experienced.

In 2001, I remember there was a lot of uncertainty, and a little bit of trepidation, as we started our journey up the Alaska Highway for the first time.  To our surprise, most of this road built during WWII, is in much better shape than many of the roads in the lower 48.  Since that first trip up the"Alcan", as it was first called, we've driven to Alaska 5 times.  It's a long drive, especially from our home in Southern, Arizona.  If we were to travel the most direct route (which we're not), the distance from Tucson to Fairbanks is just under 4,000 miles.  By the time we get back home, I'm estimating that we will have put close to 10,000 miles on the motor home.  In terms of mileage, this trip will be similar to the one we took in 2010, where we made a complete loop around the U.S., including parts of Canada,  putting 12,000 miles on the motor home.

If I were preparing a budget (which I'm not), at today's fuel prices, diesel will cost us somewhere around $6 -7,000.00.  Right now, the lowest diesel price in Dawson Creek, B.C. (start of the Alaska Hwy), is $1.30 per liter.  At the current exchange rate, and converting liters to gallons, that price equals approx. $4.90 per gallon.  In Fairbanks, the lowest diesel price today, is $4.24 at Sam's Club.

We will be spending a lot of nights boondocking (no hookups), but we'll also be paying for many nights in RV parks.  I'm kind of guessing that we'll be spending about $3,000 for the conveniences offered by RV parks.  There will be a lot of things that we want to do along the way, such as sightseeing excursions, train rides, & other touristy attractions, all of those come with a price.  The cost of food is something you pay for whether you're home or away, so it really doesn't figure in to the cost of the trip.  Having said that, food is quite a bit more expensive, especially in Northern Canada.

Over the years, when people (especially RV'ers) learn that we've made this trip many times, there are usually lots of questions.  Most of those inquiries are about the Alaska Highway.  No, it's not a gravel road anymore, but during the short summer construction time frame, there are usually some current road improvement projects.  These can be short stretches of dirt and gravel, to major projects like bridge replacement.  Trust me, the scenery and the wildlife exposure is worth any inconveniences regarding road construction.

If there's one trip that I would recommend to anyone who has an RV, it would be the trip we're about to take for the 6th time.  If you hate to drive, a trip up the Alaska Highway might not be for you.  For me, the adventure, and excitement of what's around the next corner is what it's all about.