Event Coverage North to alaska living the dream

Bob and Maggie, Sounds like another great trip. Subscribed. Drive careful. It was good talking to you at the Back to the 50's. Steve and Barb on Hwy 2

 

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The route is Mt Rushmore, Devils Tower, Portland. Seattle, leave from Bellingham on the ferry, Juneau, Haines, Valdez, Kodiak, Homer. Anchorage. Denali, Fairbanks, Chicken, Dawson City, Whitehorse, Skagway, Watson Lake, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Calgary, Winnepeg, Antigo. With a lot of stops in between.

More later

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Good Luck Bob & Maggie on your cross border adventure! Make sure you update the H.A.M.B. often. While most hot rodders go south you have decided to check out the Great White North!
You won't be disappointed!

 

I did this trip last year in a motorhome.
There will be long distances between fuel stops,carry extra fuel.
Its a blast,the roads are not as bad as most people say.
we never drove over the speed limit.
Watch for red paint on the roads,its a warning about frost heaves.
There will also be flags and cones marking frost heaves,don't be afraid to get in the other lane to miss them.

 

was just wondering if this great adventure was still going to happen this year. Have a great time and look us up if you got any time in Seattle...Alan

 

awesome .
be safe

 

This a nice and clean place to stay in Watson Lake. The Air Force Inn.

 

Looks like a road warrior now! See you guys tonight, tell Jesse to stay in touch with us!

 

Looks like a blast!!

 

thanks mr. bob!! I needed a vacation and yours came just at the right time...lol have fun and be safe. god im jealous!!!lol

 

I'm subscribed as well....safe travels Bob & Maggie. Can't wait to see the pics!
Driving to Alaska is on my bucket list.

 

Have a great trip. Very jealous. Love the modifications to the car for the trip.

 

Subscribed! Have a great trip. I look forward to having mine ready for a cross country. Good luck...

 

go north to alaska go north the rush is on.

 

Have a good trip and hope to see you at the cheaters show

 

Right on Bob! I've always wanted to do the AlCan Highway, you kids are living the dream. Say Hi to Trent for me.

 

Bob, your route up is a cakewalk. Be aware you will not be allowed to access the vehicle while underway on the ferry. Sleeping is either via aircraft recliner style chairs on the common enclosed deck, sleeping bags, or a state room. You may want to put a heavy coat of wax on the car before boarding the ferry and washing the vehicle at your last stop - in Homer.

The drive up from Homer to Anchorage is absolutely gorgeous. Be sure to stop in Soldotna and see the world record king salmon. It's in a museum on the left, just before crossing the Kenai River. You'll also see mounts of 20 pound rainbow trout there. Worth a trip to the city beach in Kenai to see the dip netters fishing for sockeye (red) salmon. Park up on the bluff and walk down the trail to the beach... Later on up the highway take a pause to see people combat fishing for reds at the confluence of the Kenai and Russian Rivers. Keep an eye out for bears.

Seward is worth a side trip on your way to Anchorage. Boat cruises on Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords to see marine wildlife, birds, and scenery. You can drive to Exit Glacier and walk the short trail to see the glacier up close.

In Turnagain Arm, stop by the museum in Portage to see glacier info, artifacts, and ice worms. I don't recommend the boat ride there. The glacier has retreated out of the lake so you will not see any calving there. A few miles closer to Anchorage (town) is Girdwood. Home to Alyeska Ski Resort and the infamous North Face.

When you are in town, get together with me and I'll tell you about what to see and do here. Good places to eat and such.

When visiting Denali be sure you have a powerful set of binoculars or a spotting scope. Frequently the critters are not close to the road.

Get a matchbook cover (with enclosed goodie) in Chicken. All of the road, except 20 miles, from Tetlin Jct to the Canadian border is gravel and/or dirt.

In Dawson City go to Diamond Tooth Gerties and see the 3 shows. It's one of the few air conditioned places in town. On the way to Whitehorse, via the Klondike Hwy, stop by and see Gold Dredge #4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqtF7GEoZM

In Whitehorse, do not partake of the Chinese food. In fact, nowhere along the ALCAN do you want to eat Chinese food! There's a nice mall there, a WalMart, and fish hatchery on the Yukon River. King Salmon make the 1800 mile trip from the Bering Sea to above Whitehorse to spawn.

Skagway! Ah, the town comes alive when the cruise boats and ferry is in port. The shops close when they leave. It's a beautiful drive down the Klondike Hwy to the city, which is only 12 miles from Haines by ferry, over 300 miles away via road. Be sure you have good brakes. While there, take a train ride on the narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon Railway to Lake Bennett. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CvEVut8qcU and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY3OQaowEAM The train used to go all the way from Skagway to Whitehorse (the route may be in full operation now?) and another set of rails went from Whitehorse to Dawson City.

Driving from Anchorage down the ALCAN. Frost heaves, uneven pavement, dips, bumps, stretches of gravel road, chip sealed surfaces, and road construction is the norm. You'll see cones, little red flags, and paint marking the hazards. Some can be taken at 50 mph, others you'd better slow down to 25. Otherwise you'll be airborne for a few seconds and hope your tires land on road. There's only two seasons in AK and along the ALCAN. Winter, and road building. Believe the kph signs in the Canadian towns. The Mounties are not bashful about issuing speeding tickets. The roads commonly have no guard rails or shoulders. Towing a broke down vehicle from Port ALCAN to Anchorage will cost you $1500. The Canuks will tow you as far as the border and leave you there. We have a common saying about British Columbia. BC = Bring Cash! You don't want to break down on the ALCAN. The Cassiar is even more remote. Rental car companies will not come to retrieve you on that road. Consider bringing two spare tires, and make sure your jack is in good repair and handy. A couple of boards to place the jack on is a good idea too. You will be replacing your shocks when you get home to WI.

I do not drive the ALCAN at night. The roads are just to hazardous. It's also a good way to have a personal encounter with a 1500 lb. bull moose. When he sees the shadow cast from your headlights he'll dance around in the middle of the road in front of your vehicle chasing a phantom bull to fight. All the while you're pounding your brakes praying you don't hit him.

Driving through Canada you will need a passport and no criminal record (including a DUI). Forget about bringing firearms through Canada. For the most parts Canadian and US Border Patrol/Customs officials are courteous and prompt.

At Watson Lake is the Signpost Forest. Muncho Lake has a nice log resort, and then you drive up past Stone Mountain and the summit lake. Stop by the Laird River Hot Springs. The road from Watson Lake to Dawson Creek is where you'll encounter the most up and down 6-10% grades and the most critters. During my trip this June I counted 22 bears and 15 elk along the highway in one day. Numerous buffalo. This stretch of the road is where you will see wildlife. Don't feed the critters, especially the bears. It's common to see fools outside their cars taking pictures of the bears along the road.

You'll have to let me know how the road from Dawson Creek to Prince George, the Yellowhead Hwy from Prince George to Jasper, and then the Icefields Parkway to Banff and on to Calgary is. I've never driven that route and I definitely want to know about it.

There used to be gas stations about every 100 miles along the ALCAN. Now it's usually every 200 miles or so. A spare five gallons of gas in a plastic jerry can may be useful to you. There's a big casino in Prince George. Nice parking area. Right on the SW corner of the Yellowhead Hwy and BC 97.

All in all the trip will be a grand experience. Just be aware you will travel remote stretches of highway. I'll be looking for you when you arrive in town. John

Forgot to mention. If you are using a VISA credit card on your trip. Be sure to call the customer service number on the back of the card and inform them of your travels, route, and what you intend to use the card for. If not, expect them to shut the card down on you while you're on the road. There's portions of Canada you will not have cellular service. You'll be at the mercy of a merchant deciding whether or not to allow you to use their phone to call a toll free number. Has happened to me on two different road trips through Canada and I notified VISA via internal email on their website and/or chat on their website each time before I left Anchorage. I've had no such trouble with American Express. However, not all merchants accept AMEX.

 

Awesome, and in a convertible WoW!....

 

Makes easier access to your cooler for the bears.
Mike

 

Now you kids keep your eyes on the road and your hands to yourselves. Safe travels.

 

I don't know your time table, but there's a new NSRA event just north of Portland next weekend. My parents are headed over in their '50 hardtop pulling a trailer on Thursday.

 

Best of luck on the trip, Bob! Looks like you're well prepared! My girlfriend, Ryann, is from Alaska and has made the drive before. She is very jealous!

 

Have a fun trip. My 37 Chevy delivery went to a buyer in Alaska somewhere. Guy's handle was Alaska Fly Fisherman.

 

The John Hart Highway from Dawson Creek to Prince George is a great two lane highway. But, like the Alcan, you have to be aware of critters crossing the road, especially in the early mornings and dusk.

Roads east to Jasper are Very scenic and smooth. Again......those darn moose moving around in the AM and PM time slotts.

Jasper to Banff, thru the park is beautiful, but watch for sheep on the road and tourists in rental motorhomes. These motorhome renters don't signal, stop anywhere they feel like it and generally ignore signs and rules. They are also prevalent in Alaska and the Yukon. CruiseCanada, CruiseAmerica
and other rental firms supply these.

Have fun.......

 

pg409, thanks for the info on the highways I haven't experienced.

Agreed about tourists driving motorhome rentals. They'll stop on the highway because critters don't choose to graze, lick road salt, or cross the road at rest stops and arrears where there's wide shoulders. A shoulder on the ALCAN (non existent) wide enough to park on is viewed by highway engineers as wasted and costly material. It could be better used as a traffic lane. John

 

Enjoy the trip of a life time Bob, looking forward to following along...

safe travels for you two.

 

Great to see ya and chat for a bit at St. Paul. Have a great trip.

 

missed you at B250's

have a fun trip kids

 

I forgot to say, try and buy the latest issue of the "Milepost"....they are not cheap....about $40.00 but they have mile by mile info and resorts, gas, eateries, etc all the way Dawson Creek to Anchorage and more.

I am also a WW11 Airplane nut and the Northwest Staging Route is REAL
History of ferrying aircraft to Russia along the various Montana/Alberta/
British Columbia/Yukon/Alaska airports. There are many emergency strips and regular strips still accessable.

 

Best price and availability for the Milepost, that I know of, is at Costco.

 

Had some killer pizza with Bob and Maggie tonight. http://lintzbrospizza.com/

Voted best in the Black Hills several years running!

And Proof they made it to the Strawshop.



I personally love the spider caps and trim rings on the car, it has a whole new persona!