Ahh.... Alaska! This grand state not only possesses the most magnificently beautiful landscapes, but is home to the warmest of people. While here, we all marveled at how clean it is - not just scrubbed clean by the winter snows, but free of all litter and junk. Plus, Alaskans were so darn friendly! They are so proud of their state, and how they live. They didn’t just ask how you are, or where you are going for the sake of asking – they really wanted to know, and listened to what you had to say.
A trip to Alaska is on most people’s Bucket List. To be able to do it the way we did is a dream come true.
Would I do it differently were I to do it again? Perhaps a little.
Choosing when to go is always a gamble. Had we gone a little later in the summer our chances of seeing the aurora borealis would have been good, and we wouldn’t have had to experience the adjustment of sunlight for 22 hours a day. But we also could have had snow towards the end, and that would have been scary driving an RV! Going when we did we were able to see snow in the mountains,( and not on the roads) which really added to their rocky drama which after we were there about 3 weeks the sun had mostly melted them away.
We also regret the trip to Kennecott and McCarthy. It was nice, but was awfully expensive for what it was and what we did. In hind-sight (which is ALWAYS better) we might have chosen a flight - tour to Kodiac Island; where we would be guaranteed to see the biggest, fiercest bears on earth. We also could have done the glacier tours from several different places along the way. I also would have loved to spend more time in Valdez. There is so much to do there. Just saying.
We also learned a little something about ourselves after spending 6 weeks with another couple. We discovered we prefer to take extended vacations alone. We certainly all got along, and it was great having more people when hiking amongst the bears ,but worrying about where we are going, where we are stopping, what we are going to do, etc. etc. just detracted from the experience. I suspect they feel the same way.
I enjoy meeting up with people for a few days here and there a lot, but not for that long, and that big a trip.
Other than that, I can’t say I would do much differently except push my limits a little more on the hikes. I have since discovered I am capable of a lot more than we did. Whether or not the other couple could have I don’t know.
We have heard many mixed reviews from those who had driven their RV’s all the way to Alaska. I heard without fail that it was the most beautiful trip they have ever taken, and the abundance of animals was mind-bogling. ( We didn't see many animals or even birds ) But some sustained a lot of damage to their RV’s and very often to their tow cars, So a lot of people praise us for doing it the way we did.
If it wasn't for the time and the potential for damage I wish we went by ourselves, without a schedule.
Next year we plan to go again to British Columbia, so perhaps we will explore a little of the Yukon while we are there.
