There are many reasons to experience Alaska, whether to find yourself in the adventure and sport or to lose yourself in its immense natural beauty. It is difficult to adequately describe the awe and mystery of Alaska. One can simply experience this land for yourself and then describe what it means to you.
The wonder of Alaska first drew us north when we took a cruise along the Inside Passage to celebrate our 50th birthdays. Then two of our kids moved to the Last Frontier and we have been there many times since. In 2014 we flew to Anchorage, rented a class C RV and explored Alaska from Homer to Denali to Skagway. In 2017 we did a 7800-mile, 3-week road trip from Minnesota to Alaska and back with our Aliner pop-up camper. In 2021 we flew to Fairbanks for our daughter’s wedding, outside, in the snow, a beautiful wedding. And there have been other trips where we brought family and friends along so they could experience Alaska as well.
February 2023
And now we also have a new grandson there and in 2023 we made three trips north, totaling nearly five months in Alaska. In February we put our fifth wheel in storage in Florida, dropped our truck off at a shop to get some work done while we were gone and flew out of Tampa, which provided a significant contrast to the weather that awaited us. We made it to Anchorage fine but the connecting flight to Valdez was delayed two days and Auggie’s arrival came before ours. It was such a joy to meet him and get to know each other in the three weeks we were there.
This was our first time in Alaska in winter. Valdez doesn’t get as cold as the interior, but they sure get the snow which was around 5 feet deep and it was fascinating to see how the city deals with it all. We also got to see northern lights and the show was stunning as the sky danced over the mountains. In our time in Anchorage on the way out we also got to take part in the Fur Rondy celebrations.
Summer 2023
In May we drove to Alaska with our home in tow. We considered moving into a smaller RV for the trip but weren’t able to make that happen, so we took our Reflection 295RL fifth-wheel. Driving up enriches the Alaska experience. It was a different experience for us this time as full-time RVers. Though we again used Minnesota as our launching point we didn’t really have a base we needed to return to. And anywhere we went we were home, even in the middle of the Yukon.
Being retired we didn’t have to rush our trip, unlike the brutal schedule we had in 2017. At least that was the hope. We wanted to take our time going through Canada to savor its beauty. Unfortunately we had to rush both ways because of wildfires. In May our planned route went out the window after just one day. We rerouted a couple times, crossing into Canada at Sweet Grass, Montana and then heading up to Edmonton before turning west toward Dawson Creek and the start of the Alaska Highway.
On the drive west from Edmonton we went through towns that were evacuated and a couple areas where fire had burned forest and structures along the highway. West of Dawson Creek a growing fire was threatening the Alaska Highway and affecting traffic at times. The day we drove through the wind was blowing away from the road and we were able to get through. We could see helicopters flying around the glowing smoke clouds as the battle continued.
Our favorite stay on the way up was Liard Hot Springs just beyond the worst area of fires and we stayed two nights. We took the boardwalk out to the springs a few times and it was so nice to slow down and relax for a bit. The campground at Liard Hot Springs is surrounded by a tall wire fence to keep the wildlife out and you have to leave this enclosure to get to the springs. On one of our strolls down the boardwalk a moose crossed a couple hundred feet in front of us.
Another place we really enjoyed was Congdon Creek on Kluane Lake in the Yukon. In 2017 we stayed at Cottonwood Campground on Kluane which was very nice but it has since closed. The water level on Kluane Lake has gone down a little since last we were there because the retreat of a glacier allowed the diversion of a major river that used to flow into the lake. Kluane is still a beautiful and fascinating place.
The stretch of Alaska Highway from Kluane to Tok, AK is notoriously bad. On the Canadian side there are frost heaves and much of the road is dirt. In May the US side was actually worse. While there is more pavement there were big potholes within the dips and swells from the frost heaves. The key is to just go slow. If you can average 30 mph you’re doing good.
The final stretch going south from Glennallen took us through a couple more construction zones which can be worse than the Alaska Highway. There are no detours, you go through the work zone. Thirty miles from Valdez is Thompson Pass which receives over 50 feet of snow a year and the snow was still deep along the road in late May. It was soon after Memorial Day when we reached Valdez.
Though we made reservations in advance we weren’t able to find a campground in town where we could stay for the entire three months so we had to move periodically. However it did give us the chance to check out four different RV parks. The first was Eagles Rest. Later we spent a week at Bear Paw Two with the Camper backed up to the channel that leads into the harbor, allowing us to watch the interesting boat traffic from our back window. Next was the main Bear Paw RV Park and finally Valdez RV Park.
We had a fair amount of room at Eagles Rest but the other three were very tight. Valdez RV Park was especially crammed as it got into salmon season. It was built over 30 years ago when campers were smaller and didn’t have slides. The new owners are aware of the problem and do their best to accommodate guests, but when every site is taken it’s a problem. One of the campers that parked behind us backed into our cargo tray and damaged it but we didn’t notice till later. We were able to straighten out the tray and rivet it back together.
What was nice about the RV parks were the in-town locations. There is also a KOA but that’s a few miles out of town. We enjoyed being able to walk to the harbor and around town. And it was a short trip to visit our grandson, and his parents, which we did almost every day.
Valdez is so incredibly beautiful. It is situated on a port at the north end of Prince William Sound. All around mountains rise up thousands of feet from the sea. There is just the one road into Valdez which descends from Thompson Pass and winds through Keystone Canyon where waterfalls pour down on both sides before reaching this lovely village nestled up against the sea.
The 9.2 Good Friday earthquake of 1964 heavily damaged Valdez and the town was then rebuilt on more stable ground four miles west. Museums tell incredible stories of the catastrophic event and of the town’s ability to recover.
We loved our summer in Valdez spending time with family, helping to grow a garden and exploring the area. Periodically we visited the fish hatchery on the other side of the port to watch the return of the salmon and to observe the wildlife that showed up to greet them. We also took a few expeditions to other parts of Alaska, including a couple visits with our son in Fairbanks.
We flew out to Nome for a few days which was an incredible experience in itself. Landing in a 737 at a small airport on the remote tundra was the first indication of how unique this place is. To compare Nome to any other place is unfair. Nome is Nome. It is etched into a thin line where the open sea meets the open tundra in an environment that can be very harsh. The people who call Nome home are resilient and resourceful. Everything comes in either by plane or barge. As we walked the muddy streets of Nome, keeping an eye out for wandering muskox, we met fascinating people and learned of their rich history and culture. We also rented a Jeep and explored a bit of two of the three roads that lead to other villages. The area was hit hard by a bad storm the year before and this was evident when we drove out to Safety Roadhouse. A lot of little fish camps along the coast were destroyed.
While there is no road to Nome it does mark the end of the Iditarod Trail. It was special to see where the Iditarod mushers and sled dogs pull up off the coast onto Front Street and are greeted by cheering crowds as they head down the final stretch towards the burled arch that marks the completion of their 1000-mile journey from Anchorage. When we were there the burled arch was on display in the city park. It is moved into place on Front Street during the race.
On another expedition we boarded a ferry in Valdez with our truck and enjoyed a beautiful boat ride to Whittier. After checking out the town we headed west through the tunnel and then down to Seward for a couple days. There we saw the start of the Historical Iditarod Trail that stretches from there to Nome. The ceremonial start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is in Anchorage and we saw that site as well. From Seward we drove up to Palmer. We visited the Iditarod Headquarters a few miles west of Palmer and took a sled dog cart ride with Iditarod musher Riley Dyche. Two of the dogs pulling the cart were actually from our son’s kennel, Riley borrowed them for the summer, so it was nice to meet the dogs as well.
Traveling out to the quirky little town of McCarthy and the historical mining town of Kennicott in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park was another amazing experience. The road itself to get there is an adventure. We had a lovely stay at the Kennicott Glacier Lodge together with our daughter, her husband and the grandson. Kennicott offers both interesting mining history and amazing views of the mountains and glaciers of Wrangell-St. Elias. Often in Alaska you see a fascinating interweaving of human history and natural grandeur and this was surely no exception.
We also took three boat tours to see wildlife and glaciers. From Valdez we took a Stan Stephens tour to Mears Glacier and later a ride aboard the Lulu Belle to see Columbia Glacier. When we were in Seward we took a Major Marine tour to Northwestern Glacier within Kenai Fjords National Park. On all these tours the wildlife we saw was absolutely incredible. We got to see orca up close. We saw humpback whales bubble feeding and were able to hear them as they swam directly beneath our boat. There were mountain goats, black bear, seals, sea lions, Dall’s porpoises, otters, puffins, auklets and so much more. In Northwestern Fjord we saw the Kittlitz’s Murrelet which is in near-threatened status and this is the place to see them. The Major Marine tour was our favorite. On the Lulu Belle we were uncomfortable with how close it got to wildlife.
We left Valdez in mid-August and drove first up to Fairbanks for a river boat ride and to see our son one more time. Our stay at Rivers Edge RV Park was extended a few days because a stabilizer jack failed on the camper. We think what did it in was a construction zone we drove through on the Richardson Highway. In this particular one a dirt path went around and through a huge dip and we had to charge through in order to get back up the other side. The jack didn’t hit ground but it likely took a hard enough jolt to bust it.
Thanks to mobile techs Ryan and Paul we got back on the road. Heading down the Alaska Highway as we approached the border there was a large construction zone where they were repairing the awful roads we experienced in May. We were following an RV caravan and a motorcoach with a vehicle in tow apparently got caught in soft dirt and pulled to the right. We saw it bounce as it plowed into the back of a parked DOT pickup. The roads are definitely part of the adventure.
The ice was off Kluane Lake when we came back through and the waves were impressive. Hi Country in White Horse was another repeat stay. We took a different route back through Canada, turning south at Watson Lake onto the Cassiar Highway. It was at Watson Lake that we had our closest fire encounter on the return trip and we timed our arrival for when it looked like we would have our best chance of getting through. It had been closed many days. At the Baby Nugget campground near Watson Lake we had ash falling on our camper. Soon after turning onto the Cassiar the next morning we were picked up by a pilot truck that kept a brisk pace as we drove past the area of the fire.
Canada has lovely regional parks and in British Columbia we stayed at Kinaskan Lake and Tyhee Lake. There were wildfires in southern B.C. as well but we avoided them heading down from Fort Nelson and cutting over at Cache Creek to 5. Back in spring Cache Creek had a devastating flood and now they were dealing with fires in the region. We crossed back out of Canada at the Sumas crossing into Washington just after Labor Day.
December 2023
In December we returned to Alaska again, leaving our camper in Arizona and flying this time from Las Vegas to Anchorage. We timed our arrival with when our son-in-law happened to be in Anchorage and we rode back to Valdez with him. There was a blizzard warning for Thompson Pass but he’s a seasoned Alaska driver and got through fine. It was so wonderful to see our grandson again and to be with him for his first Christmas. It was amazing how much he had grown. As in February Valdez was a winter wonderland and in the first two weeks we were there about 8 feet of snow fell. We stayed there a month before returning to our waiting camper in Arizona.
When we tell people that we have been to Alaska a common response is, “Oh, that’s a place I want to go sometime.” Is that you? Have you never been there but long to go? To that we say – Go! It is so beautiful. Experience for yourself the awe of Alaska.
the Why in the Road 