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Castaway · 09-13-2014, 07:54 PM

My wife and I are wanting to drive to Alaska but do not want to travel alone, so we are looking for others who may want to go with us. We are aware of the WBBCI caravan but we do not want to travel with 30 other units. This WILL NOT BE AN ORGANISED CARAVAN where there is a leader, planned activities or a kitty fee. It would be a group of like minded travelers going on a loosely planned trip.

We would expect the trip to last 3-5 weeks and would like to travel back south using the Alaska Merritime Highway from Skagway to Prince Ruppert BC.

Gary

tsunami · 09-14-2014, 01:23 PM

Any idea what year or month you'd be going?

Castaway · 09-15-2014, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tsunami

Any idea what year or month you'd be going?

We were thinking last 2 weeks of July to mid August of next year.

Gary

Schools Out · 09-15-2014, 09:49 AM

This is a trip we have talked about taking. I would love to travel with a small group sharing planned routes, campgrounds, points of interest etc. Is that what you're thinking?

Castaway · 09-15-2014, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schools Out

This is a trip we have talked about taking. I would love to travel with a small group sharing planned routes, campgrounds, points of interest etc. Is that what you're thinking?

This is exactly what we would like to do, we like to travel with few commitments, preferring to let the trip kinda plan itself.

Gary

Mike91208 · 09-15-2014, 10:59 AM

Definitely interested.

msmcv51 · 09-15-2014, 11:08 AM

We would be interested in this kind of trip idea for the lower 48.

Tincampers · 09-15-2014, 11:14 AM

That might work for us as well. Alaska is on our list of places to go and is the only state I haven't visited.

SilverCabin · 09-15-2014, 11:37 AM

Having been on the WBCCI caravan, I would suggest that you have an idea of where you will be staying each night on the Alaska Highway, and make reservations if you can. The caravan goes in the even numbered years, so 2015 wouldn't put them in your way, but there are a lot of commercial caravans on the road. Dawson Creek, Whitehorse, and Fairbanks were especially crowded in the RV parks. I know that doesn't lend itself to "having the trip plan itself," but sleeping in Walmart every night (the Whitehorse parking lot looked like an RV park) may not be the experience you want.

Randy

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HowieE · 09-15-2014, 11:51 AM

Go by yourself and plan at least 2 or 3 months. You can't get there and back in 5 weeks. I took 2 weeks to get there and I drove 500+ miles a day. Our trip from Jersey was over 15,000 miles

The problem is our maps do not show the upper half of Canada and thus most people thing is is an afternoon drive from Dawson creek to Alaska. We also sho Alaska at 1/5 it's size when tucked in next to Canada.

2 months is the shortest because it will take you 1 month to get there and back because Canada offers almost as much as Alaska.

Unless you are following a planned schedule, ie a caravan, you will find places you want to do in greater detail than others and that will cause problems. Even Caravans do not travel together. There is a morning meeting and a planed place to stop that night. Caravaners may travel with someone today and another person the next day and by themselves the third.

If I were to do it again I would leave before the end of May because the bears were almost full by the time I got to Katmi. I missed the North West Territory because of our short schedule.

All gas stations are required to have water, only had one on the way to Homer that did not, and you can park anywhere for the night. Some Overwaitea groceries had lines at the dump stations. Our 1000 watt generator served us will keeping the batteries up.

drew05 · 09-15-2014, 12:15 PM

A trip to Alaska is on our 'Bucket List' for 2016. We are trying to decide if we would go via a caravan, or on our own.

I agree with the previous posts about duration/time needed. Every trip I have seen lasts 8-10 or even 12 weeks in just Canada and Alaska. Doing 500+ miles a day isn't fun and doesn't allow you to enjoy the trip.

We just came back from Burning Man and Sacramento. It was a long 3800+ miles, and we could have spent more time wandering off our paths...

I'll follow this thread with interest...

Good Luck

crisen · 09-15-2014, 01:10 PM

As previously said, 3 weeks is impossible unless all you do is drive and don't see anything. From Ohio 5 weeks could be done but you won't have much time to see anything here. From my former home in southern Michigan it is almost 4000 miles to Fairbanks.

Late July and August is also the wettest time of the year for much of Alaska, earlier is better if you want a chance at better weather. (Of course we have had a record for wet summers this year so can never tell, and if we are having a dry summer you run the risk of getting into smoke from forest fires before the rainy weather sets in.) You will get advise to go late because the roads (especially the Alaska highway) will/should be better. To me that is not worth the tradeoff since you need to slow down anyway.

Last your comment on taking the Alaska marine highway. Look into this carefully before you commit in your plans. For a tow vehicle and trailer it can get very expensive since they charge by length and you will need a reservation for you vehicle(s) so that can't be left to a whim as to make the trip.

Castaway · 09-15-2014, 01:11 PM

We were also thinking at least 2 months total trip with mid July to mid August in Alaska alone. I see no point in driving more than 5-6 hours a day when going through Canada, way to much to see there. In Alaska I think 150 to 200 miles a day would be about right but if something good comes up at 50 miles we would have think about stopping nearby for as long as needed to enjoy it. We are open to most anything and have a much as needed to do it right.

As far as reserving campsites in Alaska , I do not think that would be a problem. There are many campgrounds both private and state, not to mention BLM sites.

We are happy to that others are interested in this keep the ideas and suggestions coming. Maybe if we get enough interest we should start a Facebook page

Gary

gaylejoe · 09-15-2014, 10:48 PM

My wife and I just finished the WBCCI Alaska Caravan and we would recommend that Caravan to anyone. It is the experience of a life time. You will see and do things you will not do if you are along. Its is great fellowship and you will make friends for a life time. We traveled in groups of 5 or less Airstreams. A lot of members traveled along and did their own thing. As stated earlier in this thread we knew where our next stop was and how much time it took to get there. If you encounter a mechanical problem there is plenty of help to assist you.

We fished for Salmon and Halibut. Saw glaciers close up. There was lots of time to do things on our own.

ROBERTSUNRUS · 09-15-2014, 11:59 PM

Hi, we went to Alaska a few years ago. We went alone. We were gone for 50 days and drove over 10,000 miles. A big part of "Bob and Lee's random trip" is the fact that we just go and never make reservations. We left home on July 1st and got home around August 20th.

Castaway · 09-16-2014, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaylejoe

My wife and I just finished the WBCCI Alaska Caravan and we would recommend that Caravan to anyone. It is the experience of a life time. You will see and do things you will not do if you are along. Its is great fellowship and you will make friends for a life time. We traveled in groups of 5 or less Airstreams. A lot of members traveled along and did their own thing. As stated earlier in this thread we knew where our next stop was and how much time it took to get there. If you encounter a mechanical problem there is plenty of help to assist you.

We fished for Salmon and Halibut. Saw glaciers close up. There was lots of time to do things on our own.

Having been on 3 WBCCI caravans we are familiar with the routine part of that routine is why we want to travel in a small group, we like the flexibility of being able to stay longer in the places we enjoy and drive by those that we would not.
We have only good things to say about those caravans but do not feel that it would fit our wants when going to Alaska.

Castaway · 09-16-2014, 06:01 PM

I forgot to include that this is not an Airstream caravan only, any motor home or travel trailer is welcome.

Gary

wixsan · 09-17-2014, 03:20 PM

I have lived in Fairbanks for the past 41 years and am now in the process of purchasing a new AS from a dealer in Oregon. Since, in my opinion, it is getting too late in the year to risk dragging the new trailer back to AK, the dealer has agreed to store the trailer until May.

I saw this thread and thought that it would be just the ticket since I really would like to have the experience of an Airstream veteran to travel with while on the ‘shake-down’ cruise back north. July and August are just too late in the year for me, but I am still interested in finding someone who might be heading this way in May.

My plans are to pick the AS up on May 15th and to maybe spend a few days outside in the Pacific NW-Montana area and then to begin the trip home. This would be my 16th round-trip on the AK Hwy from Fairbanks to Lower 48, even though the last time was in 1991 (My first was a hitch-hiking trip in 1972. I’ve been told the road has changed pretty significantly since then).

Prabbit · 09-17-2014, 07:47 PM

We are planning Alaska for next year. Had to postpone this years trip.
We traveled Alaska in 1996 and had a great time. At that time "The Milepost" had a suggestion for the Russian River Campground" "Bring a 30-06 caliber rifle or better". Salmon runs attract a good number of bear at that time. The Milepost has since deleted the suggestion.
Any way, we will be happy to share our schedule as we get closer.
Highlights are Drumheller Royal Terrel Museum, Edmonton Mall, Cassiar
highway, Hyder and Stewart, Tok, Chicken, Valdez to catch Pinks and/or Silvers from the bank near the oil terminal, Kenai Peninsula for clamming,
fishing and eagle viewing, having a quart cup of coffee from some of the road kiosks, Gold Panners Association claim gold panning, rock and mineral collecting, Dalton Highway for Grayling and gold panning. Maybe go by Haines and take the tour to see where the Schnabels mined.
It will be a full trip and there are other stops. Dawson City to watch someone have a "Sour Toe" cocktail and maybe Diamond Tooth Gerties Saloon.
Be happy to share some experiences. We camp and travel whenever and almost wherever we want to in Alaska so it is a very interesting time.

We'll send a schedule, emaill address, and cell phone to coordinate if you wish when final plans are made.

Castaway · 09-17-2014, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prabbit

We are planning Alaska for next year. Had to postpone this years trip.
We traveled Alaska in 1996 and had a great time. At that time "The Milepost" had a suggestion for the Russian River Campground" "Bring a 30-06 caliber rifle or better". Salmon runs attract a good number of bear at that time. The Milepost has since deleted the suggestion.
Any way, we will be happy to share our schedule as we get closer.
Highlights are Drumheller Royal Terrel Museum, Edmonton Mall, Cassiar
highway, Hyder and Stewart, Tok, Chicken, Valdez to catch Pinks and/or Silvers from the bank near the oil terminal, Kenai Peninsula for clamming,
fishing and eagle viewing, having a quart cup of coffee from some of the road kiosks, Gold Panners Association claim gold panning, rock and mineral collecting, Dalton Highway for Grayling and gold panning. Maybe go by Haines and take the tour to see where the Schnabels mined.
It will be a full trip and there are other stops. Dawson City to watch someone have a "Sour Toe" cocktail and maybe Diamond Tooth Gerties Saloon.
Be happy to share some experiences. We camp and travel whenever and almost wherever we want to in Alaska so it is a very interesting time.

We'll send a schedule, emaill address, and cell phone to coordinate if you wish when final plans are made.

I sent you a pm, it is nice to finally see another informative post on this thread instead of those who list all of the reasons what not to do or where not to go.

Gary