Help me plan my next road trip. Georgia to Alaska!

In My Humble Opinion
41

Okay, drove a Jeep from Dallas to Anchorage around '90 so a little has changed road-wise, part of the Al-Can was still dirt but obviously the scenery hasn’t. Being a geologist I went up the spine of the Rockies most of the way, up the Front Range in Colorado (I-25) and through the Wind River Range, Yellowstone and the Going to the Sun highway in Glacier National Park. All beautiful but for my money the most spectacular part of the trip is a little west of Alberta when you hit the Canadian Rockies, Banff, Jasper, etc. I’ve been several times since and it still simply blows me away how beautiful this country is. Also, I’ve got a bunch of ridiculous pictures of large game nearby, Bighorn sheep, Dalls, grizzly, moose, porcupine, black bear, etc., many taken from little more than a car length or two away.

Continuing north I camped at Strawberry Flats at Muncho Lake and woke to the mesmerizing sound of tiny ice flowes tingling against each other as the drifted on the lake by moonlight. While you’re on the Al-Can be sure and get the guide as early as you can. It lists most everything you’ll need to know about sights and stops along the way, history, etc. A most excellent guide. Much of the route has improved over the years but you can still tell in stretches that they intentionally wove and turned their way along without lengthy straight stretches so as to avoid getting a convoy straffed by Japanese planes. I probably had 25 to 30 miles of dirt to traverse but surely it’s all paved now.

The Yukon, Tok, Teslin Junction, all the way past the Matanuska Glacier and into Anchorage… I think it was around 4500 miles and it took me about 8 days pushing it pretty good. Coming back in December I stopped at all the ski resorts along the way. That too was awesome and took a couple of weeks.

You mentioned the ferry, the year before I rode the train from Anchorage to Denali and then hitchhiked to Whitehorse and Skagway, then caught the ferry down to Juneau, Sitka, Petersboro (sp?) and Ketchikan. Yes, it was stunningly beautiful, auroras at night, humpbacks, killer whales, etc. If you go that route you won’t be sorry but I wasn’t paying 5k for a car either.

I’ll secong Flattop when you’re in Anchorage just to get the lay of the land. I used to run up and down it twice a week when I was training for Mt. Marathon hill climb races in Seward and the scenery never got old. Same with Wolverine and a coupla others. The Kenai Penninsula, Soldotna, Homer… we’ll have lots more advice for you once you get settled up there. Chilkoot Charlies!

I look back on my drive up and back as one of the better adventures in a pretty adventurous life. Take lots of pics and notes and enjoy the experience. Everyone should do it once in their lives. I’m taking the family up next summer to see the state and wish we had the time to rent a camper and drive up again. It’s just a great trip and it sounds like your schedule will really let you take advantage of many of the notable stops along the way.

42

Yeah, The Milepost is the bible for driving through BC/YT and for all roads in Alaska. I have a copy of the one we used back when we drove the Alcan in 1959. The guide has grown significantly since then.

For the OP, gas stations are now pretty frequent along the highway, but don’t pass up the opportunity to stop if you’re getting near half a tank. On our trip down in 2009, The Milepost said there was a gas station at one location, so we passed up an earlier one, only to find out that the place had gone out of business since publication. Once across the border, there are gas stations in Tok, then at Glennallen, Palmer, etc., all the way into Anchorage. It’s not a problem at all.

43

Yup, they’ve only finished the head and arm, but what a head and arm! We spend the morning there, touring the area and watching a film on the history of the Crazy Horse Memorial, and it was one of the most interesting tourist stops we’ve made.

That is something to take into consideration once you get into the north (or into the mountains) - every small town has a gas station, but they probably won’t be open overnight, and there aren’t always small towns around. We plan our routes in the mountains and in the north to make sure that we’re hitting a place with gas before the car runs out - the signs are helpful, but planning is better.

My response to his post was, “Well, if we didn’t let you in, we probably had a pretty good reason.” :slight_smile:

It is quite nice, I’ll agree.

44

Man, when I read things like this, it sure makes me realize how lucky I am that I live here. I was just in those mountains on Saturday. :slight_smile:

45

Take that Can-Am to Moab! Then hit Tahoe on the way up. The riding will blow your mind!

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Aww…I was all excited when I saw this thread…**Rhiannon8404 **has friends outside Fairbanks, and I’ve decided that one of these years we need to drive up to see them, so I thought we might be able to get some good info out of this thread. But it looks like you’re skipping the best part of the drive! (that being the 2000-or-so miles of the trip that take place in the less-well traveled parts of Canada)

Oh well, I hope you have a great trip!

47

Let’s talk about the logistics of your trip.

You’re planning a trip of over 6000 miles. That’s a lot of ground to cover in 3 or even 4 weeks as you plan on sightseeing along the way. That’s 300 miles a day, every day, for 20 days. That’s 5 hours driving - plus rest stops - before you’ve even visited anywhere. What if your car breaks down? A bit too much drink one evening? A dodgy burger? I’d suggest 4 weeks minimum, preferably 5.

You mention a trailer: presumably this is loaded with your stuff. Why not save yourself a lot of hassle, worry, and petrol by having your stuff shipped? You won’t have to worry about your stuff being stolen overnight, your driving will be easier because you’ll have no trailer, and you’ll save petrol.

I presume you’ll be saving money and making contacts by staying in barracks whenever possible?

48

I don’t want to get all up in his business but I question the trailer too. Trailers are a pain in the ass in general let alone one trip that length where you have to cross over the Rockies and other tough terrain. My little brother is in the military (Coast Guard Officer) and he doesn’t have to ship anything himself when he does long-distance moves.He just tags what he wants moved and they send someone to his house and pack it up and move it to the new destination and it is all free to him. Is the same service available in this case? If so, I would definitely take them up on it. It will save you no end of heartache, worry, money and be just a generally more pleasant trip overall.

49

We’ve done a couple of DIY moves rather than let the military handle it; you have far more control over your things and your timetable. Our last one was over 2000 miles w/ 2 trailers; you get used to trailer traveling. Plus you get paid back for keeping the hassle off the military’s shoulders
When the military moves you, it’s possible your stuff will get broken or stolen or lost; and though they compensate you when those things happen, it’s on their timetable and your proof. They pack up your home weeks before you move and you have to keep stuff behind to live w/ anyway; same for when you get to your new station ahead of your things. And if your housing’s not ready and your stuff is, that can really suck.

50

One important thing to keep in mind, if the OP decides to drive through Canada: Springtime in the Yukon is not like springtime as you know it. We drove out of Alaska in May and the lakes were still frozen over. Earlier than that and there is the possibility of running into a late winter storm. Before you leave Dawson, BC, make sure you have a current forecast for the next few days it will take you to reach Alaska. There is a motel or two in Tok, AK (Fast Eddy’s, for one) where you can spend the night if necessary, before the last leg to Anchorage.

51

Good point, Chefguy. You might still need snowtires or chains in that area at that time of year. Make sure you plan for winter driving conditions.

52

That is a good point; I missed the part where it was a spring trip to Alaska. Yeah, highways will definitely be a concern - any snowstorm in the mountains or up north can shut the highways down, or make driving really slow and miserable.

53

McLeans did a survey on that a few years ago. Turned out that the Newfoundlanders were getting enough sex to make up for the rest of the country.

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1Kayaking/rafting the spring floods in Idaho and then spending the evenings in natural hot springs can’t be beat. Lochsa River Photographs

55

Liard Hot Springs… awesome.

56

I hear you. Just keep in mind, the purpose of the trip is to relocate. I am just trying to make the drive as enjoyable as possible by breaking up the driving with little stops. For instance, total time spent in San Antonio would probably be about 2-3 hours tops. And that is only if we eat there. Just long enough to check out the Alamo, stretch my legs, take some pictures and hop back on the road.
The road trip itself will be part of the vacation. The driving will be part of the sightseeing and fun, not the burden in between. But you’re right, I will eventually have to work out the logistics, time, costs, etc. Too early for that just now. I figured I’d start this thread and give everyone a general idea of the route, and people could mention enough little stops on the way. More stops means shorter legs, means easier driving. Even if it adds a lot to the overall distance.

Good question; worth an explanation. Most of my stuff is getting shipped at no cost to me. The trailer has several benefits. In fact, I purchased the trailer specifically for the road trip. It is an 8.5x24x7 ft enclosed trailer. The benefits:
I am reimbursed for the weight of everything I take with me in the trailer. So, by loading the trailer with only a few heavy items such as my gym equipment, a couple pieces of heavy furniture, and my Can Am I will easily max out my weight entitlements and help pay for the trip. In fact, it will more than pay for the trip right there. Not even including the mileage reimbursement and per diem. Just by taking a trailer, I will fund the adventure. Second, taking the trailer allows me to have the Can Am with me, so I can take it out for a spin where possible. Maybe some trails in one of the National Parks or desert or something. But mainly it means I will have it available right away when I get to Anchorage, instead of waiting a few weeks for it. Third, the trailer will give me a comfortable place to spend sleeping at a rest stop or something. There will be so much room left in there, I can just throw some beanbags or something comfortable back there. This way, I don’t have to spend money on a hotel every single night. I can just pull over at a rest stop and sleep for a couple hours back there. That will also save money on lodging. Finally, I am likely going to sell the trailer as soon as I get to Anchorage. In Alaska, it is worth more than twice what I paid for it in Georgia. Having the trailer will also mean I am less likely to speed (bad habit) and therefore less likely to accumulate tickets on the trip. So the trailer is an asset on this trip.

57

Bear_Nenno, let me again say that from Dallas to Anchorage, which with side trips was around 4500 miles, pushing it pretty hard on the way up in April or May took me about 8.5 days. You can start with that as a reasonable ‘bare’ minimum and extrapolate out based on additional considerations.

58

If sleeping in the utility trailer, bring a bug net tent.

59

One thing I remember about that trip was listening to all the small AM radio stations along the way, many of which dealt of course with local issues via listener call in and you got to hear stories, concerns and a sense of perspective you’ve never have been privy too otherwise. I found that quite enjoyable really.

Oh yeah, given the distance don’t forget you may need to schedule an oil change along the way too.

60

Also Kluane Lake, one of my favorite places.