We’re hitching up and leaving tomorrow for Alaska. It’ll be our first trip there and our first time traveling as part of a caravan.
This escapade all started four years ago at Smokemont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina. We asked a camper about the Alaska sticker on his map on the side of his motorhome. We were pretty new to camping, and Alaska seemed so remote.
Barry & Monique, left, Meet Wagonmasters Ken & Carole, right, and Tailgunners Spence & Madi
Since then we have gotten into conversations with maybe 250 or 300 RVers about their trips to Alaska. All but one thought it was about the greatest thing they had done with the RV, but none – zero – had signed up to be part of a caravan going there, with the exception of a Good Sam Club “wagonmaster” in Key West, Florida.
We had planned to head north from Key West this spring to visit the Maritime Provinces of Canada, but Monique suggested that we should veer left at Tampa and set our compass for “The Last Frontier,” Alaska. That was at the end of 2009,
We bought “Milepost,” the bible of RV travel to Alaska, and Monique started poring over its 800 pages to map out our route and stops along the way. During the process, a neighbor mentioned that there was a wagonmaster in the camp, so we sought him out and spent an hour hearing about the benefits of caravanning.
Over the next two months, we continued to gather information from the internet and kept asking RVers about their Alaskan adventures. All of them said, “Go!” and none of them had any problem doing it on their own.
Week after week we waivered, until I finally said, “Let’s just do it.” With the caravan, we don’t have to worry where we will camp, we’ll have advice each day on what’s worth seeing and what to skip while on the road, and we won’t have to hassle with getting tickets to boat excursions along the way. And since all the extra attractions are pricey by our standards, this would eliminate the decisions of whether to spend the money for a boat trip, a show or other offering that would heighten the experience.
What we didn’t want was to be one of a line of ducklings following mother duck 7,000 miles. That’s not what a caravan is. Each day we can go on our own or join one or more other members of the group. It’s very flexible.
I’ll write about the company we signed up with once we get on the road. We didn’t really eliminate any company in our research. Our decision was made based on the length of the trip (58 days) and the stops along the way.
Sunday we met Ken & Carole, our wagonmasters, and Spence and Madi, our tailgunners (they follow the caravan to help anyone having problems). For the past three days, we’ve been getting ready for the long journey and spending time getting to know the other members of the caravan. When we link up with a few more RVs, we will have 18 rigs, plus the two staff motorhomes.
Spence, right, guides me and Fellow Caravan Member Larry in Putting Protection on Front of our Truck
Thursday we depart from Soap Lake, Washington, heading for our first stop, Oliver, British Columbia.
In the days ahead, when internet service is available, I hope to share our experiences with you so that you’ll join us in our excitement without being so detailed that we take away the discovery that lies ahead when you make the long trek north yourself.
I just ask that you wish us fair weather and paved roads …
From the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
Continue to Part II – “Our Alaska Trip Crossing into Canada” >>