Consider Upgrading Before Starting Long RV Trek

If you plan to tackle a major RV road trip like a multi-month tour of Alaska or a cross country trek across the U.S., now is the time to assess your RV needs and start shopping. RVT.com offers great online deals on new and used RVs. Even if you’re an experienced RVer, if you mostly RV on weekends and have never traveled extensively in your RV, you may want to consider upgrading your current RV model.

It pays to plan ahead for the type of traveling you want to do so you have plenty of time to shop for the proper equipment before you hit the road. For example, if you plan to drive extensively through Alaska’s mountainous areas, you may be more comfortable navigating the state’s narrow, twisting, gravel roads in a motorhome or truck camper instead of trying to keep control of a trailer. 

If you plan to camp primarily in national parks, check the National Park Service website for size or weight restrictions at the parks you plan to visit. Not all national parks offer hook-ups and RV services. You may be more comfortable camping at nearby RV resorts or state campgrounds that offer full RV services.

If you’re planning to live in your RV for extended periodsof time, you may want to upgrade to a model that offers slideouts, a larger bathroom or more extensive kitchen facilities. Whatever you’re looking for, you’ll find the RV you want at a good price on RVT.com.

Farewell to Alaska; We’ll Be Back!

Our summer trip to Alaska was amazing. A land of majestic, rugged beauty, its hardy adventurers embody America’s pioneer spirit. We met folks who lived off the land in the bush in log cabins they’d built themselves. We shared adventures with RVers from across the U.S. and Canada and a few from around the world. We found Alaska to be very RV friendly. We could fill volumes with our Alaskan experiences, but it’s time to move on to the next RV trip.

Here are a few more things you won’t want to miss in Alaska: 

* Salmon running in Ship Creek along Whitney Ave. and off the Reeve St. bridge in Anchorage.   

* Shoulder-to-shoulder “combat” fly-fishing along Bird Creek north of Girdwood.

* Breath-taking views of Portage Glacier near Whittier.   

* Dog sled ride and tour of a working Iditarod racing kennel at Seavey’s Ididaride in Seward.

* One-mile hike to the foot of Exit Glacier.

* Alaska Sea Life Center in Seward for underwater views of puffins, sea otters, seals and more.

* Great souvenir shopping in historic downtown Seward.

* Excellent full-day, ranger-narrated Major Marine Tours cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park. We saw sea lions, whales, puffins, porpoises and eagles and watched a glacier calve. Excellent salmon/prime rib lunch. Leaves from Seward wharf.

* Fishing boats displaying their catches at the Seward wharf. Watch for eagles.     

* Salmon dinner at Ray’s on Seward’s waterfront.

Visiting Denali: Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Denali National Park is home to North America’s tallest peak, 20,320-foot Mt. McKinley, but few RV travelers are lucky enough to glimpse it in summer. During a July trip to Alaska, we had glorious views during a morning tour into the park, but by afternoon the typical haze set in and the snow-capped behemoth disappeared. Many RVers we met never saw the mountain. The same is true of wildlife. Denali’s 6 million acres are home to moose, bear, caribou, wolves and dozens of other species; but without powerful binoculars or a telephoto lens, you’ll only see a brown splotch in the distance.

Denali offers limited RV campsites (no hook ups), so book early and pay attention to size restrictions. Visitors can drive 15 miles into the park, then must travel via park bus, hike or bike into the interior. The Wonder Lake tour at the end of Denali’s single, 135-mile gravel road is worth the 12-hour trip. Shuttles stop for scenic views and wildlife sightings and make a rest stop every 2 hours. Carry food and water; the only concessions are at the entrance visitors’ center.

Want to see McKinley up close? K2 Aviation in Talkeetna south of Denali will fly you right between the peaks and land on a glacier. A staging area for climbers and rafters, Talkeetna is a bit rustic but has excellent gift shops. Eat a gourmet meal at the Wildflower Cafe prepared by President H.W. Bush’s former White House chef, now a part-time dog musher!

Can’t Miss Alaska Attractions

If you can afford the time, plan to spend at least a month RVing in Alaska. Invest in a camera with a telephoto lens if you want to take pictures of wildlife. Here are our favorite attractions:

An old-fashioned paddle wheeler, Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks cruises up the Chena River with stops at a sled dog training camp and Chena Indian village. A great introduction to Alaska. Pair it with the El Dorado Gold Mine tour and save. Our gold panning efforts netted $52 in gold flakes! Gift shop selections and prices are excellent. You won’t find better.

The University of Alaska Museum of the North overlooking Fairbanks offers excellent displays of native ivory carving and art, historic photographs, and Ice Age animals, including Blue Babe, an Ice Age bison mummy. On clear days, look for Mt. McKinley.

Experience the numbing cold of 40 degrees below zero at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. The Alaska Salmon Bake is worth the price. Shops offer native crafts at the best prices you’ll find.

Want to travel to the Arctic Circle? Unless you’re an experienced ice road trucker, don’t attempt the Dalton Highway; take a narrated tour with Arctic Circle Fly/Drive Adventure. On the 13-hour drive north, we passed several recent RV hulks alongside this dangerous, isolated gravel road. The Arctic Circle is just a disappointing sign, but the views of the tundra and oil pipeline are fascinating as is the 30-minute flight back to Fairbanks.

We’ll wrap up our Alaska RV tour Monday with Denali and more favorites.

RV Traveling in Alaska

Nearly three times the size of Texas, Alaska’s landscape, climate, attractions and activities change every couple hundred miles. Driving Route 3 from Fairbanks south past Denali to Anchorage then Seward, we passed through arctic tundra, glacier-carved valleys, meandering rivers, towering snow-capped mountains, temperate rain forest and rocky fjords. Our roadway bible was the Milepost, a mile-by-mile guide to campgrounds, attractions, scenic views, gas stations, restaurants, gift shops, emergency services, etc. along Alaska’s isolated highways. Keep an eye on your RV’s gas gauge; it can be a long way between gas stations.

If there’s something you want to see, do, eat or buy, do it when you see it. Don’t count on it being available later in the trip. This particularly applies to native Alaskan art crafted by nine regionalized tribes. Expect to pay over $100 to $1,000s for highly prized native art: scrimshaw, carved antlers, birch baskets and etched baleen. Less expensive replicas are available in gift shops. While souvenir prices seemed high, attraction fees, gas, food and restaurant prices were on par with tourist areas in the lower 48. Prices rose in remote locations due to higher shipping costs. Nearly everything in Alaska has to be shipped in, often by plane.

You’ll have plenty of time to shop, fish, hike and enjoy the sights during a summer RV tour of Alaska. Fairbanks enjoys nearly 24 hours of daylight. By the time we got to Seward nearly 500 miles south, it did get dusky at night but not fully dark.