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Early, early, early stages of planning...
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Author:  jimymc [ Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Don't know what literature or maps you might have, but you really need to get "The Milepost". Google it and buy it. It gives info on every mile of the Alaskan highway; where to eat, where to sleep, where to get fuel, and what to expect in terms of road conditions. Everyone we have talked to about the trip said this is a must have. We are planning to go there this summer with our motorhome towing our '03 Liberty Renegade.
Author:  jimymc [ Sun Mar 07, 2010 8:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Everywhere we possibly can. We plan on touring for a couple of months once we reach Alaska.
Author:  durangotang [ Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
I don't know if I ever told you this, but I was born and raised in Fairbanks. We'll have to get together sometime and I can probably answer most of your questions about the trip. You're going to have to pick and choose what you're doing though with only 3 weeks... if you haul butt it'll take you 3 days to get there and there's a LOT of ground to cover to get from one place to another ;)

I can also get you a free place to stay/wrench/shower once you get to Fairbanks. Also know plenty of people with garage space and equipment should you need it. I've made the drive between AK and the states 12 times now so hit me up sometime... You're going to love it... :BANANA:

Oh yeah... I also have some older mileposts you can have for free if you like... I think they're 2000-2003 or something like that. Most things have stayed in the same place AFAIK :lol:
Author:  BVCRD [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 2:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
We lived in Alaska for 5 years, but all of them were in the Bush in the Southwest. Had to take 3 planes to get there. I do know that you can't drive to Barrow. Have to fly there but it may be worth the visit. You can get a flight out of Fairbanks. The Milepost is a decent book. We got one once before we drove down here for the summer. One must stop place is the Liard Hot Springs. We saw a bear there, and a couple of years before that, a guy was killed there. Camping is close by. We took a big rock hit in the windshield once. An egg sized rock got kicked up by a passing RV. I saw it coming, but couldn't get out of the way. We saw many caribou around the Milk River and some moose. 6 bears. It took us 9 days to drive to Grand Junction from Anchorage. Once you get up past Edmonton alberta, you really get a sense of the wildness. Before then, just make as much time up as you can. Haul booty. You will come to the milepost place where many travelers leave a sign or license plate. I found that interesting. Hit a few grocery stores while in Canada and look for a cookie that is shaped like a maple leave. It has the best maple flavor, almost concentrated. Another quirk I found out about was most Canucks eat french fries with brown gravy. Damned good!!! We have family in Fairbanks, and a friend from down here drove up last summer. Skagway is a touist trap, but a must see place. A little out of the way though.
Author:  BVCRD [ Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
You could go on down to Seward from Anchorage. It's about another day down and back, or combine it with a trip out on the Kenai
Pennensula to Homer for some Halibut fishing. When we were down on the Alaskan Penninsula, we would fish for halibut right on the beach. Throw sort of a trot line with a big circle hook with a chunk of salmon on it out, then tie off on a drift log. Check it every 3 hours or so. We put out crab pots for monster dungeness crabs too. Made those crabs in the Puget Sound look like little crawdads. There are very few roads in Alaska that take you out into the real bush. It will be hard to squeeze all that Alaska has to offer in just a few short weeks. You should be there long enough to know that you must come back for another trip. One thing I found out was, that once you are in Alaska, you can come back home, but Alaska never gets out of your system. You are hooked for life. We may go back up for another tour of duty when our son goes off to college.
Author:  Fairbanks_KJ [ Sun May 09, 2010 5:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Been away from the forum for a bit, but i live in Fairbanks, and would love to answer any questions you have regarding the interior. I know a handful of trails here in the area, as well as some points of Interest.

If you are driving up, might I suggest taking the trip up to Chicken, Eagle, & Dawson. They are about a Day's drive up the Taylor Hwy. Most of the area has recovered from the Forrest fires. There's a lot of history and beauty up that way.

In Fairbanks, Might I suggest Chena Hot Springs. There are a lot of trails of the road, and the Hot Springs are nice after a trail ride.

Be sure to head south to Healy. Tons of great trails including the infamous Stampede Trail. You can get most of the way back to the bus in 2 wheel, but unfortunately you can't make it all the way in a Liberty.

I'll post more ideas as they come to me...
Author:  jimymc [ Sun May 09, 2010 7:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Thanks, Fairbanks KJ. Keep 'em coming.

My wife has already declared that the Chena Hot Springs are a must and she also wants to do the road to Dawson. That road is gravel isn't it? Do you think the road to Dawson is too bad for a large motorhome? I would hate to damage ours.

Our travelling friends also have a motorhome and a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Any specifics you know about trails would be greatly appreciated, especially ones that have good views/vistas. Are there any maps that you know of that show the trails and maybe ratings?
Author:  BVCRD [ Mon May 10, 2010 1:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
If it's on or near a road system, it's not in the "interior."
Author:  jimymc [ Mon May 10, 2010 3:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
BVCRD wrote:
If it's on or near a road system, it's not in the "interior."


Huh :roll: :?: :?:
Author:  durangotang [ Tue May 11, 2010 1:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
....and all this time I thought I grew up in interior Alaska :lol: :lol: :roll:
Author:  BVCRD [ Tue May 11, 2010 9:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
durangotang wrote:
....and all this time I thought I grew up in interior Alaska :lol: :lol: :roll:





Nope. not if you were in the banks. You basically have to have been in the bush like we were to be clasified "interior." That's the only real Alaska that I am aware of. You know that tang. :roll: I get a kick reading about how folks in a Jeep drove out to the "bush today". It's not something you can drive to. lol....... It's like people living in Denver saying they live in the interior. Well, techniquely they are correct if you start measuring from say...Kansas. lol They say, "yep we live in the Rocky Moutains." I consider "living in the mountains" only if you don't have to look UP to see them. Fairbanks at best would be discribed as the gateway to the interior.
Author:  BVCRD [ Tue May 11, 2010 2:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
yellocoyote wrote:
Fairbanks falls in the 'interior' region of all 3 of my maps, so I'll probably end up referring to it that way as well. :P




It's a bush thing. You had to be there. :SOMBRERO: You know what we called folks on the road system....tourists. :P Truely, to experience the REAL Alaska, you have to leave the roads behind. It would be like someone coming to Colorado from say...Kansas City. They stop at Limon on the eastern plains and go back home all excited about how they saw Colorado. If you can, stay away from the tourist stops. Buy a bush plane ticket to Barrow, King Salmon, Dillingham, Bethel etc. Up there, they are called air taxis. It will be an adventure you will always cherish.
Author:  jimymc [ Tue May 11, 2010 5:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Yeah, I would have so done that when I was young. This old body just wouldn't stand for that type of abuse now.
Author:  BVCRD [ Tue May 11, 2010 8:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
yellocoyote wrote:
I've been living vicariously through this guy lately. Simply inspiring. 8)

http://www.andrewskurka.com/AK10/index.php

I wish I had the time/money to prepare and do the things he's done. In the meantime, I can watch his journey across Alaska.




I'm perfectly fine with being a 'touristy' to a degree for the first voyage... but the trip definitely will not be about travel company guided tours and lush accommodations - I'm sure you can see and do a lot with them, however, we are of the exploring mindset. ;)





Often, that's all it takes. You are limited however to what you can experience. Alaska has so much to offer. Wolves killed a teacher last March in the village we were once at. Native culture can not be replicated. I saw whales so close to the beach that I could hit them with a rock. Went on a seagull egg hunt on a uninhabited island. Saw a 1200# bear run past my front door. Did I tell you that we are moving back up there in 14 months? :BANANA:
Author:  BVCRD [ Wed May 12, 2010 8:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
yellocoyote wrote:
BVCRD wrote:
Did I tell you that we are moving back up there in 14 months? :BANANA:


You wanna adopt me? :mrgreen: :wink: :lol:




Sure. We're going up in the Northwest around Wainwright or Kotzebue. Bring your parka. Try to eat at least a dozen spoiled anchovies a day to prepare you for the tainted (there's that word again) whale blubber. :dizzy: :pepper:
Author:  mapco [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
Too bad Circle Hot Springs closed down.
Author:  jimymc [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 7:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
mapco wrote:
Too bad Circle Hot Springs closed down.


Circle Hot Springs?

Did we miss one?
Author:  mapco [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 8:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
jimymc wrote:
mapco wrote:
Too bad Circle Hot Springs closed down.


Circle Hot Springs?

Did we miss one?

Hot springs up near the town of Circle. The owner closed it down a few years ago. Very historic little place. The main building was built in early 1900's.
Author:  jimymc [ Sun Nov 28, 2010 9:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Early, early, early stages of planning...
mapco wrote:
jimymc wrote:
mapco wrote:
Too bad Circle Hot Springs closed down.


Circle Hot Springs?

Did we miss one?

Hot springs up near the town of Circle. The owner closed it down a few years ago. Very historic little place. The main building was built in early 1900's.


Yup... we missed it.
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