Nabo's Adventure to Alaska 2017

[Nabo]

OK - both of us will be retired in the spring of 2017 and want to do a trip to Alaska after the North America Heartland Owners Club Rally in June, heading out from Goshen. I've heard good, and bad, things about going with one of the commercial rv tours groups so I'm real confused on what to do since I understand that campgrounds are a premium because of these tour groups.

1. Has anyone used one of these tour groups like Fantasy or Caravan? Was your experience ok - or don't use them?
2. Would a Heartland group be out of the question leaving from the NAHOC rally? Who would lead it?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We were there last summer. Save your money and go it alone or with a buddy. Yes it's a long trip but conditions are not as bad as they're made out to be. Reservations required for Denali area and Talkeetna otherwise just show up or maybe call a few days ahead.
You'll have no regrets. Pick my brain at the TN rally.


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[Nabo]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Thanks Lyle - will do. If you have your itinerary, can we gander at it?

 

[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Thanks Lyle - will do. If you have your itinerary, can we gander at it?

PM me your email address. I've shared same with several others

L


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[dlw930]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

The DW and I are planning to go next summer also. Not sure of itinerary yet as we'd like to allow time to go thru Oregon, Washington, Banff & Jasper on the way up and back. We're both retired so we have the time. Some other HOC members in TX, OK & KS have also expressed some interest.


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[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

The DW and I are planning to go next summer also. Not sure of itinerary yet as we'd like to allow time to go thru Oregon, Washington, Banff & Jasper on the way up and back. We're both retired so we have the time. Some other HOC members in TX, OK & KS have also expressed some interest.


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If you're in Washington Jasper is a bit out of the way if you're Alaska bound. Depending upon arrival and time you want to spend in Jasper, reservations might be good. We lucked out and had a spot for 2 nights midweek near the end of July, dry camping.


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[dlw930]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

If you're in Washington Jasper is a bit out of the way if you're Alaska bound. Depending upon arrival and time you want to spend in Jasper, reservations might be good. We lucked out and had a spot for 2 nights midweek near the end of July, dry camping.


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Was thinking about doing WA & OR on way up and Banff/Jasper on the way back or vice versa.


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[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Was thinking about doing WA & OR on way up and Banff/Jasper on the way back or vice versa.


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Copy that. We went via MT, have a son that lives near GNP, to Portland OR, to the coast, up to Seattle, over to Lake Chelan WA, then up to BC. Stopped over at Jasper on the way back, drove through Banff on the way back into MT for another week plus visit with son.
Awesome trip. One that we'd like to repeat !!!!


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[Nabo]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Did I hear "repeat"???? We would love to do about 60+ days round trip. Would need to be in eastern US by 3rd week of September.

 

[MTPockets]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip in 2011. Visit www.bigtrip11.blogspot.com - our blog begins in Florida so for the Canada and Alaska portion look at blog pages starting late May. We took the Western route North from Vancouver then up the Stewart Cassiar highway to Whitehorse. The return trip Was all the way back on the Alaskan highway. Make sure you get the most current printing of the Milepost magazine; that's a must... Don't buy into the caravans, take plenty of time.

 

[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Did I hear "repeat"???? We would love to do about 60+ days round trip. Would need to be in eastern US by 3rd week of September.

You did but not next year. Other places to see for the first time!!!
60 days. We were gone 4 months and drove 18K miles!!! 56 days north of the border alone


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[Nabo]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

It could be 90 days ending in Sept. We are booked for the FL rally going in the 1st week in October so that why we need to be back.

 

[jassson007]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We would love to join y'all on that trip but Jo has 12 more years teaching so we can't commit to a trip that long. Wish we could though. I have been twice but next time we will get there early to mid May and stay through end of August.


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[davebennington]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We would be interested in joining, however not with a caravan.

dave

 

[Nabo]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Dave - define caravan - two or three rigs or ten? It would be fun to have about 2, 3 up to 5 rigs going but more than that could get into a lot of kayos. I know you and Julie did it in (I think) 2011 and would love to see ya'll itinerary if ya'll still have it.

 

[travelin2]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We noticed several friends traveling together. It's doable with some planning


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[MTPockets]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We noticed several friends traveling together. It's doable with some planning


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. We noticed that too; something to keep in mind though, we did encounter some travel delays due to road construction, road condition, Forrest fire, side road site seeing, etc.. So, a planned stopover can get in the way of an unplanned stop. Also, without a plan there are lots of places to dry camp along the way which is what we did in our 26ft Class C, but space may be limited for a large 5th wheel or several rigs. We stayed in several spots that a large trailer, or multiple trailers would not work. My opinion, individual stopovers or wing it individually and with occasional rendezvous places for multiple rigs. The Milepost magazine also shows pullouts and suggests stopover spots.

 

[davebennington]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Dave - define caravan - two or three rigs or ten? It would be fun to have about 2, 3 up to 5 rigs going but more than that could get into a lot of kayos. I know you and Julie did it in (I think) 2011 and would love to see ya'll itinerary if ya'll still have it.

When I said not with a caravan I meant the ones that you pay to escort you around, if you have 2 or 3 going together I could be interested. Here is the link to our last visit to Alaska. Link

 

[jjwink]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

We also went in 2011- same time and route as Dave and Julie but with a 19 rig caravan of SOB's ( Jayco sponsored and planned it and provided wagon master) I still have that info and will forward it. We are interested in going again. Agree with others you can do it without a professional company. If you keep the number of rigs to 3-5 there should be few problems with camp sites. We have friends who used our info to go last year. We went up through Calgary, Banff , Jasper and returned Via Vancouver , started mid June , returned home mid August.

 

[usnaviator]

Re: Anyone for Alaska in 2017???

Sheila and I would love to go to Alaska. We've been talking about it for a couple years but haven't gotten off the fence yet. But like Dave said we are not interested in going with a commercial caravan. However we would thoroughly enjoy going with some Heartland folks. Leaving from the Goshen rally sounds like a great idea!