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So, you have been with me as I have prepared and planned this monumental RV trip to Alaska, and finally, it is time for us to embark on our vacation of a lifetime!  Boy, was this day exciting for us.  It was like Christmas eve, and we were all so anxious to just get going.  The kids were anxious because they love anything having to do with the RV.  For some reason, they would much rather sleep in an RV bed, and go to the bathroom on a small, RV toilet.  Oh well, I guess it could be worse!  For me, I was anxious about everything.  What did I forget?  What did I do wrong?  Is the rig ready to go?

Once again, checklists came to my rescue, and helped to alleviate my anxiety and worry.  This is the checklist I used for our departure:  http://www.thecampingjournal.com/PDFs/DEPARTURE%20CHECKLIST%201.pdf .  Now, I read just about every single checklist available on the internet, and this one was the best.  I made a bunch of copies of this list and had them on a clipboard, so they were ready every time we departed.   The clipboard is very near the front door, and is always available when I need it.  Trust me, this was a lifesaver for me, because I constantly worry about forget something.  I once forgot to close one of the slide outs on a previous trip, and that really made me nervous!  Luckily soon after we left a fellow RV’er was honking like crazy and motioning to the slide out, and I quickly figured out what I did.  But, that will not happen again, as I have my trusty checklists to guide me every step of the way.  This checklist is just about your RV, and what you need to make sure is done before leaving home, or leaving a campground or destination.  It reminds you to bring down the satellite and/or antennae, turn off the water pump, drain holding tanks, etc.  It does not give you a list of what you need to bring, or what foods you will want to purchase prior to your trip.   

For kitchen supplies and preparation, I used this checklist: http://www.thecampingjournal.com/PDFs/RV%20Kitchen%20Checklist%20PDF.pdf .  Yes, it is a bit long, but this list really details every last thing you could possibly need.  You can change it as you would like, cross off what you won’t need, and add additional items as you see fit.  For me, an ice cream scoop is not needed when any old big spoon will suffice!  And I didn’t bring a bread machine, as it is too large, but I did bring my crock-pot, and I used it all the time!  It was such an easy way to cook, and I would recommend it highly.  

For general supplies, I made my own checklist out of other checklists that I found online.  The one I used the most of was this one:  http://www.thecampingjournal.com/PDFs/RV%20Kitchen%20Checklist%20PDF.pdf .  It is not a checklist per se, but a list of things to bring.  I redid this document so that it had a checkbox where I could note that I had the item.  I liked seeing that I checked off something…it was a visual way for me to know that I was prepared.

Once all my checklists were checked, and we were all packed, we got on our way.  The house was secure, and a friend would be checking in on it weekly.  The mail was handled, and newspaper put on hold.  There was nothing less for me to worry about, and it was time to go.

My kids thought it would be fun to leave first thing in the morning, and to sleep in the RV the night before.  We did just that, and left very early in the morning on Saturday, May 5th.  We chose that date since May 6th was my oldest son’s birthday, and he wanted to spend it in Las Vegas, which was our first stop.  We only spent one night in Vegas, as we were all anxious to get up north as soon as we could.  We drove through Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and Montana, and from there we crossed the border into Alberta, Canada.

I must admit, our departure day was so much fun.  I really love RV’ing, and for reasons that are different from why my kids love it.  Obviously my kids like the fact that they have a hotel on wheels, with all their favorite things available, and a refrigerator on the road!  I love the freedom.  I love the fact that I go can wherever I want to go, whenever I want.  I don’t have to deal with snotty hotel clerks, or pay exorbitant rates for a small hotel room.  My bed has my favorite sheets on it, and I know the bed is clean.  I enjoy meeting other RV’ers, and love the friendships I have formed with these families.  I know I am biased, but people who RV are some of the nicest, friendliest, and most generous people I have ever met.  I just love the lifestyle.  It is such an exciting and fun way to travel.

From here on out, the articles will detail what we do, what we visit, and any and all recommendations I may have for those of you who are also thinking of visiting Alaska by RV.  I will also discuss my RV concerns as we traveled, and what we did to make our trip as comfortable and as fun as possible.

Please come back on Tuesday, October 7th for our fourteenth installment, “Border Crossing“.  See you there!