Advice for a Road Trip to Alaska

So along the way I started keeping track of all of the little (and moderate) things that someone towing a small trailer or just plain driving the highway might want to know.

1.  Always carry cash and back-up debit and/or credit cards. I had all kinds of issues with my cards. I also saw other people having issues. They all worked out but be prepared- even if you call your bank and credit union to let them know you're travelling.

2.  If you're in the middle of nowhere and see a big bright box with a traffic light connected to it AND there's a sign that says wait for the pilot car- stop and wait. It's amazing how many people blow past those putting themselves and others in great danger in the huge road construction sites.

3.  Go before mid-September or be prepared for shorter hours at information centers and many closed RV parks, gas stations, etc. and possibly snow; definitely freezing weather.

4.  Decide when to go by what your priorities are. I saw fewer critters because it was hunting season in Alaska and moose rutting season everywhere. Think about the weather. I had heavy rain and incredibly clear sunny days. I experienced everything from 90+ degrees to just below freezing. Be ready for snow anytime of the year. There were less tourists when I went which made for happier information center and gift shop folks. The salmon runs were near the end so it was harder to see any bears. Don't forget bugs!

5.  Face it- you'll always have the wrong lens on your camera. Have a point and shoot and your phone available. Keep them next to you at all times.

6.  Signs are not always there. There might be one sign directing you to a rest area or the second sign might be right at the turn. Just slow down.

7.  4wd or AWD vehicles are recommended. They come in handy in the construction zones.

8.  Never let the gas tank get below 1/2, really. I carried an extra 5 gallons just in case. I'm glad I did in a couple of cases. One time because the station wasn't obvious and my truck's gas tank was low. Since my gas mileage was pretty low I was quite concerned when it got below 1/2.

9.  Plan for an average of 55mph. There are lots of steep hills, curves, construction, and more things that slow you down.

10. Don't drive between dusk and dawn. If you do, you really raise your risk for a collision with wildlife.

11. Stop at the small funky, eclectic places. Talk to the people. Connections with others is an important part of the adventure.

12. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

13. Carry lots of music. I could only listen to my set of 6 CDs twice in a day. Radio stations are few and far between and limited in the type of music.

14. Don't forget to stop, look, and listen once in a while.

15. Check your tires! Often. Make sure your spare is good, too.

16. Don't expect to see wildlife. Be surprised.

17. Slow down for the frost heave warning signs and/or orange flags/cones. If you don't, well sometimes it's okay but many times it's not going to be pretty when you hit it.

18. Make sure your windshield wipers are new. So much rain and so many bugs.

19. Bring your own laundry soap if you don't want to run around looking for some and those will be full of perfume. And doing laundry can cost $8CDN for 1 load wash and dry. 

20. Showers- tough. I suppose you could go to an RV park and pay. I only stayed at one B.C. Provincial Park that had a shower and the Yukon and Alaska Parks didn't seem to have any. Be prepared for few showers if you don't have a shower in your RV and you don't stay in RV parks.

21. Review and read the parts of the Alaska Milepost BEFORE heading out on this big trip. I reviewed the various highways I would be driving. Then every night while on the trip I reviewed the next days target camp spot, gas stops, and other interesting stops I might have time for.

22. Have a target of 250-300 miles. Check the Milepost for camping spots (and gas) and then have a back up spot.

23. Wifi is rare. If you stay at an RV park you might only get 1 hour or you pay $5 for unlimited time except they turn it off at 9pm. And none of it is strong enough to download photos. 

24. Coffee shops- bring your own. The larger towns have Tim Horton's otherwise there aren't really espresso stands all over the place. Or stop in a restaurant and grab a cup of coffee or tea. Or bring your own.

25.  Bring a tennis ball. It will come in handy for the long driving days when you hold your neck wrong. You can drive with it behind your neck or lie on it to get the kink out. It works great!

26. I finally took my truck to the car wash and it's shiny. Expect to find many windshield flecks (slight chips) when you return home. I found 24 in my truck's! 

Day 20 Just Another Day

My exciting sighting of the day- bear poop in the campground!

NOTE: There will be at least 5 more blog entries and photos added (photos by the end of the month). So please check back throughout the month. Since this blog is also a journal of sorts I will also be editing and adding to each day's entries. I'm often writing at the end of the day when I'm tired or early morning when I need to get on the road so I want to clean up the entries.

260 miles from Tyhee Lake Provincial Park to Canyon Creek Campground RV park in Hixon B.C. I’m so glad today dawned cloudy with the sun peeking out now and again. It made for much easier driving. From the looks of the clouds and roads around Prince George, I just missed some pretty heavy duty rain showers. The campground host confirmed that it has been raining for a week and the rain has been heavier than normal.

Today was pretty much just driving down a typical two-lane highway. Too cloudy to see the mountains I read about.

Watched the bushes come alive at Lake Tyhee this morning as robins gorged themselves on red osier dogwood berries.  Once again I fell asleep and woke up to the serenades of common loons. I wish we hadn’t developed all of our lakes in western Washington and allowed motor boats on them. Maybe we’d still have some common loons nesting on them.

As I left this morning I found evidence of the bear that the little yellow signs throughout the campground warned of- a giant pile of fresh bear poop in the road!

I have been thinking about all of the wildlife crossing signs everywhere. They are warnings for deer, moose, elk, wild horses, sheep, bear, and caribou in the appropriate areas however, the only one slowing down or seemingly paying attention is me. I swear everyone else speeds up! I’m doing at least 60 mph and they’re going 80. I think the conclusion that these warning signs don’t work is evident here. And drivers here love to pass just before the no passing zone starts. People are crazy passers here. I keep an eye out for them passing the opposite direction in case they are still in my lane which has happened a couple of times.

Random thought- I’ve noticed that Canadians refer to bathrooms/restrooms as washrooms.

I have so much time to ponder. (Chuckle) This land feels only partially domesticated; other places totally wild. There are still large tracts of intact temperate forest, boreal forest, tundra, taiga, muskeg, lakes, ponds, and rivers. Most areas have small to tiny towns which all seem to have bear, moose, wolf, elk or some other truly wild wildlife roaming around. It’s not like western Washington where we have eliminated the habitat for all but the hardiest- coyote, raccoon, opossum, sometimes deer. It’s not a panacea here. There’s plenty of poverty evident, especially in the First Nations villages/towns. And the resource extraction for forestry, mining, and oil and gas is extremely damaging. Roads and towns have been built in wildlife migratory paths and reduced the population of those species, e.g. caribou. I like that there are less people here and I saw no major development anywhere- none. The wild places aren’t being swallowed up like what is happening in Snohomish County (third fastest growing county in Washington). There are tradeoffs but how much money do you need? Besides things in our state have become so expensive making it impossible to get ahead. Retiring here is not my choice because I won't be able to afford a house or food on a fixed income in 6 years. It’s finding the balance of what you need in your life to be safe, secure, and healthy with the sacrifices you’re willing to make (weather, grocery stores located farther away, etc.). Life-pondering stuff.

Tomorrow I'm headed to the Cache Creek area for my final night out on the road. Back to the rest area where I started this amazing trip. It's unlikely there will be wifi so the next time I write it will be from home, IF I can get through the border crossing!

Advice- If you ever travel the Yellowhead Highway #16, avoid the Chevron at Fraser Lake. This is the first time I’ve come upon such condescending and rude people. If I’d known there was another station just down the road I would have left. Based on his comments, I suspect it’s because I’m an American and a woman. Pretty good for 20 days and no other assholes, though.

Canyon Creek RV Park

Wildlife- several kestrels, bald eagle, black bear, winter wren, common loons, American robins, hairy woodpecker, black-capped chickadees, Canada geese, osprey, tiny frog (I missed him and so did everyone else if he kept his pace up), crows, coyote.

Lesson #20 Your happiness comes from within. Find your happiness spot and take it wherever you go.