A Summer in Alaska: The Good, The Bad, and The Best

We're going to meet up with some traveling buddies who are planning an RVing trip to Alaska next summer. And I know that questions will come up about the good and the not-so-good experiences during our summer in Alaska. Where do I start? We enjoyed so many wonderful adventures and also learned so much since boarding the Alaska Marine Highway ferry in Bellingham, Washington on June 1st bound for a summer of exploring the Last Frontier ... Alaska.

As my husband will attest to ... I was more than a little bit apprehensive about our journey into the wilderness. Three months in the middle of nowhere with high gas prices, limited supplies and services, and a long drive in order to get back to the ''lower 48''. And yes, at the end of our journey we found that traveling in Alaska presented a few ''challenges''...

but we also found many ''treasures'' as well! 

For anyone wondering if a trip to the land of the Midnight Sun is worth the time, money, and effort, here's our take on the Good, the Bad, and a Little of Both.  And in the end, we look back at our time in Alaska as one of our Best RVentures to date.

For those considering a trip to Alaska, we highly recommend seeing it in two unique and different ways ...

#1 A ferry or cruise trip through Alaska's Inside Passage and 

#2 A land excursion along the roadways that go through Canada and connect to Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula, Valdez, and all points in between.

Our Inside Passage Route:

June 1-3 ferry ride with a 4 hour stop in Ketchikan, AK

June 4-6 Juneau, AK

June 7-9 Haines, AK

June 10-11 Skagway, AK

After our Inside Passage journey, we got off the ferry in Skagway and started heading up the highways through British Columbia and Yukon Territory and into the massive wilderness of Alaska.

Our Overland Route:

June 12 Whitehorse, YT

June 13 Carmacks, YT

June 14 Dawson City, YT

June 15 Chicken, AK

June 16 Tok, AK

June 17-21 Fairbanks, AK

June 22-23 Chena Hot Springs, AK

June 24 Fairbanks, AK

June 25-29 Denali National Park, AK

June 30-July 2 Talkeetna, AK

July 3-4 Eagle River, AK

July 5 Girdwood, AK

July 6 Cooper Landing, AK

July 7 Boondocking along Kalifornsky Beach, AK

July 8-9 Captain Cook State Park, AK

July 10-11 Homer, AK

July 12 Soldotna, AK

July 13-14 Hidden Lake, AK

July 15-19 Seward, AK

July 20 Hope, AK

July 21 Whittier, AK

July 22-24 Anchorage, AK

July 25 Boondocking along Glacier View, AK

July 26-Aug 1 Valdez, AK

Aug 2-3 McCarthy, AK

Aug 4 Boondocking along Nesbena Road, AK

Aug 5 Tok, AK

Aug 6 Boondocking along the Donjek River, YT

Aug 7 Haines Junction, YT

Aug 8 Kuane National Park, YT

Aug 9-10 Haines, AK

Aug 11-13 Whitehorse, YT

Aug 14 Watson Lake, YT

Aug 15 Laird Hot Springs, YT

Aug 16 Watson Lake, YT

Aug 17 Boondocking along the Cassiar Highway, BC

Aug 18 Boondocking along Salmon Glacier, BC

Aug 19 Hyder, AK and Stewart, BC

Aug 20 Prince George, BC

Aug 21-24 Jasper National Park, AB

Aug 25-29 Banff and Lake Louise, AB

Aug 30 Crossed back into the ''lower 48''

We found that even though Alaska is huge, the number of paved roads that lead anywhere are somewhat limited. The map and our overnight stops gives you a general idea of where we traveled during our three months in Alaska, the Yukon, and northern British Columbia. I estimate that we put on around 10,000 miles, although I didn't keep track of exact mileage. 

So let's start out with ...

The Good

Being able to travel at a slower pace.

Because we allotted ourselves three months, we were able to enjoy a slower pace and were able, as the saying goes, ''take time to stop and smell the roses'' ... or peonies in this case. While it's possible to enjoy some of the beauty of Alaska during a week long vacation, having more time allowed us to make many memorable stops at ''out of the way'' places along the way.

Meeting friendly people and animals ... even the sea otters had a smile to share!

The people that we met along the hiking trails and in the small towns were just so nice. They loved to share suggestions of ''local gems'' that we needed to visit. They welcomed us to boondock on their property. They invited us to their neighborhood feast after Fairbanks Midnight Sun Run. They proudly showed us around their quaint small town. They shared traveling stories and tips. They made us feel at home even when we were far from home.

It was not a ''typical'' hot and humid summer ... and that was OK with us!

For those considering a summer trip to Alaska, bring layers of clothes, rain gear, waterproof boots, and a winter coat, hat and mittens. While there were very few ''shorts'' days, there was no complaining here. Long pants, fleece sweaters, and down jackets are the fashion of choice to compliment the beautiful mountain and glacier scenery.

History, History ... Everywhere! 

From Native American art,

... to remnants of stampeders in search of gold,

... to a 2.5 mile one-lane train/auto tunnel through a mountain that aided in the defense of our country during WWII,

... to informational displays of the devastating effects of the 1964 earthquake on Alaska's land and people,

Alaskan museums, roadside plaques, and recreational areas highlight its rich historical past.

Immersing ourselves in nature

OK, I'll admit it ... it was a challenge to have limited internet service. But we soon learned to appreciate the joy of immersing ourselves in the peaceful, quiet, and beautiful nature that surrounded us.

Discovering hidden treasures along the way

A friend who has visited Alaska many times gifted me with a Milepost book before we began our Alaskan travels. This popular travel guide points out many hidden treasures alongside the Alaskan and western Canada highways. It was a very good way for me to learn about the unique beauty and history as we traveled down roads that would have otherwise just seemed like just endless forests of trees. Finding hidden waterfalls, stopping for a short but scenic hike, and learning fun roadside facts made our travel days a lot more enjoyable.

The Bad

The rough roads and frequent road construction 

Despite its large size, Alaska doesn't have a lot of paved roads. And on the few paved roads there are, frost heaves (an upward push of soil during freezing conditions) wreak havoc on the paved surfaces requiring a constant state of road repair during the summer months. In order to avoid the perpetual repairs, a majority of the roads are gravel ... which has its own set of problems in the form of dusty or muddy conditions, pot holes, and flying rocks. Fortunately, my skillful driver was able to avoid flying projectiles and most of the jarring bumps while traveling on the gravel roads that lead us to some amazing destinations.

Mud and Bugs

After traveling on these gravel roads and through hoards of flying insects, Baby Beest needed a ''spa day'' or two. Our best discovery ... a free power wash station in Tok, Alaska when we got off the scenic but muddy ''Top of the World'' highway.

Lack of internet and cell service ... oh, no!!!

We found that the more spectacular the views, the less likely that there would be internet or cell service. And while the views from our boondocking spots were amazing, I'll be honest ... it was frustrating to lose conductivity at times. At first, I hated admitting how attached I was to my computer screen. But gradually, I learned to embrace the joy that comes from curling up and reading a book ... or taking a late evening walk around our private piece of paradise.

Mosquitos

We were warned ... and yes, the mosquitos in Canada and Alaska are large, numerous, and annoying. Thankfully Doug was able to fairly quickly eliminate their ''easy access'' into our van by blocking the vents of our skylight. But they were still pesky whenever we ventured outside. Our fashionable mosquito head netting made us the envy of all whom we met on the trail. I'm sure that if I would have brought extras, I could have sold them to fellow hikers who were frantically swatting these persistent pests.

High Gas and Food Prices

During a summer when everyone was feeling the pain at the pump, Alaska felt it on a slightly higher scale. Despite being surrounded by rich oil deposites, Alaska does not have any refineries, so they need to ship all that oil south and bring it back in the form of gas and diesel. As a result, we paid an average of about $5.50/gallon in Alaska and $6.50/gallon in Canada. Not terribly bad except that we drove ...

A LOT OF BEAUTIFUL MILES!

Food also seemed to be more expensive, and it was difficult at times to find some of our favorite products in the small local stores. We quickly learned that it was our lucky day if we happened to stop at the local grocery store on the day that the food shipment arrived. Our advice to future travelers: stock up on necessary medications and beloved non-perishable foods before heading north.

Frequent Border Crossings and Getting Rid of Forbidden Foods

Fruits, vegetables, chicken, and eggs are pretty much my ''go-to'' items for easy meal prep in the van. They are also the four main food items that are not allowed when crossing the border from the US to Canada and vice versa. Since we did six such border crossings during our time up north, I learned not to ''stock up'' if a border crossing was in our future. Five of the six times they didn't even ask about the food, but during our last crossing back into the lower 48 I was forced to turn over a contraband onion.

Cold, Cloudy, Rainy, and Foggy Days 

The locals say that there's no bad weather in Alaska, just bad clothing choices. Best advice is to have lots of clothing layers, rain gear, boots, and a warm jacket. It's Alaska ... It's rainy ... It's muddy ... It's cold ... It's beautiful!

An Invasion of ''Turons'' 

After two summers of relatively few visitors, Alaskan townspeople, business owners, and wildlife were once again inundated by throngs of tourists. I'm sure that a few annoying visitors rightfully earned the name ''turons'' when their vehicles would suddenly stop at the side of the road, and their clicking cameras would wake a sleeping bear ... I may or may not be guilty as charged!

Missing summer activities with family and friends

Being in Alaska all summer meant that we missed out on some of the traditional summer activities back ''home''. Fourth of July firework displays? Not going to happen in the land of the Midnight Sun. Summer picnics and special birthday celebrations? I hope that we can plan another big party for #61 next summer, Sis! 

A Little of Both

There were a few things that we experienced while traveling in Alaska that were both challenging and rewarding.

Local radio

Often times our radio selections were a bit limited. Occasionally, our only option was the local ''talk radio'' which let us know that Macy, the golden retriever, was missing, or that Harvey had some snow tires to sell. Sometimes we got lucky and found one music station ...  which was usually country music. While that may not have been our first listening choice, it forced us to expand our musical tastes. Doug's new favorite song is ''I like you like I like country music''... not sure if I should take that as a compliment?

It was often ''just you and me, Babe''

Three months of traveling together around this vast land in a small van meant ... a lot of together time. And while I love my travel partner dearly, there were times when we both craved conversations with other people. Luckily, we were able to meet up with some traveling buddies and meet a few new friends along the way. Having a community of friends on the road is a treasure, and I can see why some RVers choose to travel around Alaska with groups of other RVers.

Beautiful, Plentiful, and (usually) Restful Boondocking Spots

Using the iOverlander app, we were able to find some pretty sweet boondocking sites. We enjoyed resting spots beside mountains, glaciers, rivers, and forests. All very peaceful ... until someone decides to run their generator or carry on loud conversations late in the night. But, the joy of boondocking means that if we don't like the neighbors, we just move on.

Pit toilets

At first glance, pit toilets can conjure up some not-so-pleasant thoughts. But we were pleasantly surprised to find well-maintained facilities while hiking or boondocking. Just always keep the hand-sanitizer handy!

The Midnight Sun 

During June and July, when the sun sets around 12:30 am and rises again less than two hours later, it's great to be able to be able to hike or sight-see late into the evening. But it's also easy to ''forget'' to eat or go to sleep at a decent time. Having room-darkening shades and being disciplined at bedtime is definitely recommended.

Finding Dumps, Showers, and Water Fills 

With a short tourist season, full service campgrounds seemed busy and expensive. And we were just as happy to find a boondocking spot or a inexpensive primitive campground which meant that we needed to find our own dumps, water fills, and shower facilities. iOverlander to the rescue once again! We found that quite a few gas stations and city facilities provided free dumps and fills. Need a shower? Think about washing your clothes also as most laundromats often had coin-operated showers alongside their washers and dryers.

Wildlife 

Amazing wildlife around every bend of the road, but be sure to have your mosquito head netting, bug spray, and bear spray with you at all times ... 'cause you never know who you'll meet along the path!

Plenty of Fresh Fish 

Salmon, halibut, cod, rockfish, and trout were certainly plentiful and fresh ... but they were definitely not giving it away. If fact, halibut cost about $28/pound at the local fish markets. Salmon was between $9 and $12/pound, and after our first freshly caught salmon dinner, we were ''hooked''.

Everything Seems a Bit Bigger Up North

In the land of massive mountains, glaciers, and wildlife, everything is just a little bit bigger including this gigantic cinnamon roll. It will easily feed four people and is so popular among visitors, that this business put in an airstrip across the road so that planes can easily land and load up!

The Best of Alaska

Best Hike: Russian River Recreation Area

Tourists pay big bucks for the chance to hang out with grizzlies in the wild. A flight-seeing trip from Homer to Katmai National Park where hundreds of bears can be seen feasting on salmon and berries range from $600 to over $1000 dollars. So the $11 admission fee to Russian River Recreation Area seemed like a bargain especially when our stroll along the river turned in an ''almost too close for comfort'' bear viewing opportunity.

We found many beautiful trails along our various travel routes. Mountain views, glaciers, waterfalls, lakes, rivers, and wildlife of all sorts wait to be discovered by anyone willing to park at one of the many trailheads on the side of the road and hike a mile or two.

Best Entertainment: Wildlife Watching

The expressions of the sealions, delightfully full after their all-you-can-eat salmon buffet, entertained us for hours near a salmon hatchery in Valdez. Keep your eyes peeled whenever you are out and about ... bears, moose, eagles, sealions and others are frequently preparing to give quite a show. A side trip to Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site near Hyder, Alaska during the salmon run is also a must! From the safety of a raised platform, we were entertained for hours as the bears fished for their dinner.

Best Restaurant: 49th State Brewing in Haley, Alaska

OK, the name says ''Brewing'', but 49th State Brewing delivered top-notch food as well as amazing beer. Located about ten miles north of Denali National Park, this was a perfect place to fill-up before starting our Denali adventure. It tasted even better after our five days of camping in the park. The halibut and chips and seafood chowder were good, but the crab-stuffed grilled cheese ... amazing!

Best Brewery: Haines Brewery; Haines, Alaska

We stumbled upon this small town brewery and found a Cheers-like atmosphere along with unique Alaskan-inspired craft brews. The owner told us how he goes out in March each year to pick the new-growth spruce tips ... that would soon become an important ingredient in their signature spruce tip IPA. And in a land where the cost of living is high, it was possible to enjoy a $5 home brew here.

Best Home-Cooked Meal: Sockeye Salmon

The sockeye salmon were returning in force when we visited the Kenai Peninsula, and we were happy to see it on sale at the local grocery store for $9/pound. A Google search produced numerous cooking possibilities, but frying it up in just a little butter and garlic and serving it on rice along with Alaskan-grown sweet corn made it our most memorable Alaskan meal.

Best Boondocking Spot: Salmon Glacier

Remember those gravel roads??? Well add 12 miles of uphill climb, a number of hairpin turns, numerous potholes, and a few steep drop-offs, and you are ready to travel to an amazing boondocking experience. Salmon Glacier sits at the top of the road ready to reward all for their adventurous (and slightly crazy) spirit. 

Best City For the ''True Alaska'' Experience: Valdez

We came to Valdez for a few days and ended up staying a week. Surrounded by glacier-topped mountains, it is not surprising that the town's nickname is ''Little Switzerland''. The scenery drew us in, but it was the abundance of hiking, biking, kayaking, and nature-viewing that made it easy to fall in love with this quaint Alaskan village. 

Best Tourist Activity: Kenai Fjords Boat Tour

There is no lack of tour companies and excursions vying for the tourist's dollar. Flight-seeing planes offer an easy way to visit the five national parks located in remote areas of Alaska ... but will set you back anywhere from $600 to $1000 each depending on the length of the trip. Numerous tour buses and trains allow you to just sit back and enjoy the journey as they take you through the scenic countryside.

But it is the boat tours that seem to be the most popular way to see Alaska's treasures. When we were in Seward, Alaska, our boat tour of the Kenai Fjords National Park's glaciers, shorelines, and wildlife proved to be a highlight of our trip. The seven hour tour cost $175/each and took us past orca whales, sealions, sea otters, eagles, and puffins. We got close enough to see and hear the calving of a glacier. We appreciated being able to see up close the magestic scenery of the national park that is being preserved for future generations.

And a Close Second ...

Doug talked me into taking a guided kayaking trip on Valdez Glacier Lake when we were in Valdez. Paddling through the maze of icebergs and gazing into the caves of centuries-old blue ice kept the smiles frozen on our faces!

Reflections of Our Alaskan Summer RVenture

Looking back, its hard for me to fathom all the things we saw and did during our three months in Alaska and western Canada. There are a lot of beautiful areas to explore, and I feel grateful that we were able to take enough time to visit most of the places that Alaska is famous for. Because of the flexibility that RV travel affords, we now understand why so many RVers make a trip to Alaska a top ''bucket list'' item. 

And as John Muir reflected ...

''To the lover of Wilderness,

Alaska is one of the most wonderful countries in the world.''

''The mountains are calling, and I must go.''

And we are happy that we did!