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Introduction - Our Trip of a Lifetime - RV to Alaska and Back

Have you ever sat at dinner with your family, discussing what trip would be your ultimate vacation?  One child might want Hawaii, another Disneyworld, and yet another might want to spend a week fly fishing in Montana.  You dream of seeing the museums of Europe, or perhaps, lying on a beach with an extra strong fruity cocktail  Rare is it that everyone, adults included, have the same ideal vacation on their mind.  Yet, that is exactly what happened at my kitchen table in October, 2006.  My three kids and I had gone on an RV trip earlier that summer, visiting Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, and suffice to say,  it was absolutely amazing.  So, when discussing what trip would be our "dream" trip, all 4 of us had the exact same response, "Let's take an RV trip to Alaska!".  Now, if only planning the trip could be as easy!

Alaska to me was the last frontier.  America's largest and second newest state, home to Eskimo's, igloo's, the Iditarod, and oil pipelines.  I will be the first to admit that I didn't know much about this great state, other than a few Jeopardy-worthy facts.  Alaska has been in the news this past week, as their Governor is the Republican presumptive candidate for Vice-President.  But additionally, did you know that Alaska has more coastline than all the other 49 states, combined?  Did you know that Barrow, on Alaska‘s North Slope, is the northernmost point in all of North America? Barrow was one of the cities that we visited, and although we did not travel there by RV, I can't wait to tell you all about this amazing town, and it's amazing inhabitants.   Actually I can say that about almost all of the towns and cities we visited in Alaska.  The people of Alaska are some of the nicest, most interesting people I have ever encountered.  And the scenery, well, I don't even know where to begin with that.  Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and it's geography ranges from dense, thick forests, to tundra, to permafrost and glaciers.  Denali National Park is what I often think heaven looks like, an open expanse untouched by man, freely roamed by thousands of species.  Seeing Mount McKinley in person is something every man and woman should do once in their lifetime.  Trust me on this.  Since I was traveling with my children, I also used this opportunity to make every visit an educational one.  However, one is never too old to learn, and I found myself absolutely loving all the new things I was learning about the great state of Alaska.

For the next 6 months, I am going to bring you along for our journey of a lifetime.  You will read about every step we took, from planning our voyage, to preparing the RV, packing, supplies, and of course, every little stop we took on our journey to Alaska, and back home again to Southern California.  You will hear about our every triumph, and of course, our every mistake, and believe me, there were lots of them!  There are so many aspects of a long RV trip that must be taken into consideration, many that I had never even thought of prior to embarking on our journey. For example, if one of your kids is going to get sick, you can plan on it happening in the most remote of locations.  The same goes for your RV breaking down, or blowing a tire.  I will discuss the myriad of insurances available for RV travelers, and I will tell you what you need, what you must have, and what you can do without.

Our trip began at home, in Southern California.  From there, we traveled up north, through Nevada, Utah,  Idaho, Montana, Alberta, Northwest Territory, Yukon, British Columbia, Alaska, and then back home again!  Wow, that's a lot, huh?  You will hear our many trials and tribulations, along with all the spectacular sites we saw.  I will tell you the best things to do on this RV trip, what you shouldn't do, along with the things that you just can't miss.  I will also give you the best tips for saving money, and how to visit the best places, for the least amount of money.  I knew this trip would be costly, but I found many ways to save money along the way, and I will pass along all of my findings to you.

Our RV was a Fleetwood American Dream.  It was a 40' Diesel, Class A Motor Home, with 3 slide outs.  Yep, we were stylin'.  I was extremely fortunate to have a friend who was willing to let us use his RV for our trip.  This was very important, as it saved us having to rent one,  and allowed us to use the additional money for side trips, and of course, fuel.  It was also nice to have such a nice and large RV for a trip of this length.  There were four of us on this journey, and children, especially, are prone to severe bouts of cabin fever.  However, a Class A Motor Home is not a necessity for this trip.  In fact, at times I would have rather had a Class C Motor Home, as it is much easier for me to drive.  I faced a multitude of issues with the size of our bus, something I hadn't prepared myself for.  We also brought with us our 6 year old yappy Chihuahua, and in this series I will discuss the special considerations that must be taken when bringing your family pet along.

Our trip was four months long, leaving in early May, and returning just after Labor Day.  That's a long time to be in an RV, and there are many special considerations to make when planning a trip this long.  It is absolutely essential that you make a detailed list of everything that must be done, and that you take extra special care with your RV preparation.  I will give you all the checklists I used, and point you to the many resources that were invaluable to me on our trip.  I will tell you where we stayed, the best (and worst) campgrounds, and where the RV friendly hotspots are.

So, please join me, Nicole, and my three kids, Jay (aged 10), David (aged 8), and Natasha (aged 7) for our amazing RV expedition to Alaska and back, our trip of a lifetime.  For the next 6 months, you will read all about our trip, from the very beginning, to the very end.  You will hear about the good, the bad, the ugly, and the really, really ugly.  I am hoping you will laugh with us, cry with us, and learn a lot about taking an RV to the great state of Alaska.

Please come back on Wednesday, September 3^rd for our first installment, "We're taking an RV to Alaska, Now What?!"  See you there!