# Help me plan my next road trip. Georgia to Alaska! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 21, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089 "2013-07-21T04:17:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/81 "2014-03-31T17:39:47Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Thank you! No there is nothing specific about 16 or 37 that made me chose those roads. That’s just what came up in Google Maps as “the way”. I don’t want to drive on any rough roads at all. Especially not with this trailer! I want to drive on the biggest, smoothest, ice-free road that Canada has to offer. I don’t care if it takes me out of the way, as long as I end up in Alaska and don’t have to endure another repeat of my drive through Albania. Good luck with that. The roads in northern Canada tend to be rough no matter which way you go, due to the low population density and tax base demanding they’re repaired vs. the frost heaves and weather ripping them apart. > [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > Now I am entering Canada from I-15 in Montana and adding Elkhorn and Liard Hot Springs to the trip. Easier driving that way? Much easier. > [@Chefguy](#): > > Good plan. I didn’t want to put you off if you were intent on seeing some wilder country, but those two roads are way off the beaten path. If you continue on the road you’re now considering, it will take you through Calgary and Edmonton, where you’d hook up with Highway 43 to Grand Prairie and Dawson Creek (well, 16 briefly, then 43). At Dawson, it changes to 97 heading north. Then you just stay on 97 until it magically changes into Highway 1 just before Watson Lake. While the road through Canada is paved, it can be rough and frost-heaved, so keep your speed down hauling that trailer, especially farther north. I’m agreeing with everything Chefguy is saying. The big thing I’d recommend changing is skipping Edmonton. Now if your only concern is fast and smooth sailing, Calgary -\> Edmonton -\> Grande Prairie is the fastest route, as it has more multiple lane highways and is roughly 30km shorter. Even factoring that in though, I’d still take Highway 1 out of Calgary instead and going up through Banff and Jasper to Grande Prairie. There’s a toll for driving through Jasper National Park, but I think its worth it for the view alone. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/82 "2014-03-31T19:15:30Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > I’m agreeing with everything Chefguy is saying. The big thing I’d recommend changing is skipping Edmonton. Now if your only concern is fast and smooth sailing, Calgary -\> Edmonton -\> Grande Prairie is the fastest route, as it has more multiple lane highways and is roughly 30km shorter. Even factoring that in though, I’d still take Highway 1 out of Calgary instead and going up through Banff and Jasper to Grande Prairie. There’s a toll for driving through Jasper National Park, but I think its worth it for the view alone. Yes, don’t forget you need a park pass to stop in Banff, and you need one anyhow to just drive through Jasper (aforementioned ‘toll’). If you’re taking Hwy #1 to 93, you’ll hit the gates just before Banff and can buy your pass there. I think it’s around $20/day. This route is a really, really scenic, but as said, will take longer, there are very steep hills and hairpin turns, and a max speed limit of 90 km/hr. You will still have snow and the possibility of a snowstorm at this time of year. You also have that potential on the major highways, but have more options for stopping and hunkering down if needed. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/83 "2014-04-01T03:13:14Z")
WHAR Bear? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/84 "2014-04-03T05:28:22Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > If you do decide to try to make it to the Trinity Site, be aware that they stop letting people in at 2 pm. If you’re already there you can stay until 3:30 pm but the Stallion Gate (the only entrance) closes at 2. I will be there. Driving to Carlsbad in the morning and will be in White Sands on Saturday. Can’t wait! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/85 "2014-04-03T12:27:44Z")
> [@Bear\_Nenno](#): > > I will be there. Driving to Carlsbad in the morning and will be in White Sands on Saturday. Can’t wait! Very cool! I’ll look for your truck and trailer in the parking lot when we get there. I think I’ll be able to recognize you, I’ve seen your picture on the Giraffe Boards. I’ll just look for a big guy with dark hair. My visit has turned into a family outing since my brothers decided to go along with me and my parents. So look for an elderly couple accompanied by three middle-aged guys. I’ll be wearing a skydiving t-shirt. We will be getting there around 11 am. My parents are in their 80s and tire easily so we may not be there very long, but with any luck we can meet up. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/86 "2014-04-06T04:09:55Z")
I am sorry we were not able to meet up. What a day it has been! Long-story-short: I thought the entrance for the Trinity Site was the same entrance as White Sands National Monument. Boy was I wrong. I arrived around 11:00 and spoke to the Ranger at the entrance who told me where I needed to go. It was over 160 miles away. Fortunately, I had already dropped the trailer off at Holloman AFB. After stopping for fuel, I was able to make it to the Trinity Site gate around 1:40. Just barely made it! We were even able to make it back before the sand dunes closed. Now we are back at Holloman for the night. I am so glad we went there, though! Thank you so much for the suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/87 "2014-04-06T04:34:42Z")
Oh man! Glad to hear you made it in time. We got to the turnoff from Hwy. 380 at 10:45. We drove 3 miles and came to a stop- traffic was backed up for the next 2 miles, all the way to the gate. It took another 45 minutes to cover those 2 miles. Once we got through the gate traffic was fine, but there were a _lot_ of people at the site! The soldier who checked our IDs said they never expected any where near that many people. When we left the line coming in was much shorter. Yeah, too bad we couldn’t meet up, but that’s the way it goes. Again, I’m glad you at least got there. And how about that wind? ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/88 "2014-04-06T15:04:33Z")
We didn’t have a line, and it wasn’t too packed at 2pm. So, I guess it all worked out. Thanks again for tbe suggestion and for the rest of your detailed post. I should have printed it out. LOL. Reliable internet is not as ubiquitous as I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/89 "2014-04-07T15:27:59Z")
Glad to help. If you want, send me a PM when you’re in the Albuquerque area- maybe we can meet up then. I know a couple of good micro-breweries around town. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/90 "2014-04-13T14:52:15Z")
The trip so far: I ended up going to Colofado Springs before continuing west. It turned out to be a great decision. I left the trailer there, so I can actually drive at a decent speed and get acceptable gas milage. Plus, driving from there to the Grand Canyon meant I would get to see the Navajo National Monument and pueblo ruins, four corners, and dinosaur tracks off the highway. After the canyon, we stopped at the Hoover dam and stayed in Vegas for a couple days. Im on my way back to Colorado Springs to pick up the trailer and heading North. Today I will visiting the Meteor Crater in AZ, The Petrified Forest, and then Bandelier National Monument. Ive driven 4300 miles since the trip began! Unfortunately, the more I see, the more I realize all the stuff I have yet to see and may never get to… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/91 "2014-04-13T19:16:55Z")
Any ideas when you’ll be in Lethbridge/Calgary? We’d certainly like to take you out for a beer if you stop in either of those places (we can drive down to meet up with \*\*Spoons \*\*in Lethbridge if that’s your stopping place). ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/92 "2014-04-14T00:34:03Z")
Would love to. I will have a better idea once I cross the border. Tentatively it should be somewhere between the 23 and the 28th. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/93 "2014-04-14T01:33:45Z")
Oh - I see from my calendar that that’s the one week of the year that we have other stuff going on (Calgary ComicCon and my husband in class for three days). We’ll make it work, though! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/94 "2014-05-08T13:01:40Z")
I want to thank everyone for your help. It’s too bad I didn’t get to meet up with any of you, but I pretty much stayed on the move the entire time. Here is a little summary of the trip. Start: Columbus, GA Finish: Anchorage, AK Days: 26 Miles: 9484.5 Fuel Used: 771.6 gallons States Visited: (14) Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, South Dakota, Montana, Alaska Main Attractions: - New Orleans: French Quarter; Bourbon Street; Cemeteries, WWII Museum - San Antonio: Alamo; downtown River Walk - Carlsbad Caverns - Roswell - White Sands National Monument - Trinity Monument - Three Rivers Petroglyph Site - Colorado Springs: Pike’s Peak; Garden of the Gods - Navajo National Monument - Four Corners Monument - Navajo Nation Dinosaur Tracks - Grand Canyon - Hoover Dam - Las Vegas (3 Days) - Meteor Crater - Petrified Forest - Bandelier National Monument - Crazyhorse Monument - Mount Rushmore - Devil’s Tower National Monument - Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument - Yellowstone National Park: Old Faithful; Mammoth Hot Springs - Drove the Alaska Highway through Canada into Alaska. A few hundred miles of it through ice and snow. The trip was insane, but so much fun! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/95 "2014-05-08T14:34:43Z")
Congrats on making it in one piece - great thread! ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089/96 "2014-05-08T23:24:55Z")
I think you win the “What I Did On Summer Vacation” contest- and it’s not even summer yet! Seriously, it sounds like it was a fantastic trip. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-plan-my-next-road-trip-georgia-to-alaska/664089.md?page=4)