Alaska 2016

[wingnut60]

Have begun to have dreams of repeating the '12 trip in '16. So far, looks like the same 4 for sure--maybe another Okie couple who will be retired early '16, and maybe BIL who retires in '15. Countdown is +/- 700days.
Joe

[JEBar]

WOW indeed .... that's our dream trip but every year it seems to get further and further away .... looking forward to following your preparations and the trip itself

Jim

[Bkins]

Joe,

Have you made any posts or comments about your trip in 2012?

[ColoradoNative]

WOW indeed .... that's our dream trip but every year it seems to get further and further away .... looking forward to following your preparations and the trip itself

Jim

Just Do It!

I'm reminded of a story my wife's uncle told us once.
One fellow asked the other why he was spending money traveling when he felt it was better to save. The other said that in 15 or 20 years we will be sitting here and you will say "I wish I had done so and so" and I'll say "I did it".

You are not getting younger or healthier as the years pass while you "Dream".

[garyk]

Alaska is certainly on our bucket list..

[AVid]

No way to go wrong going to Alaska.

[JEBar]

Just Do It!

You are not getting younger or healthier as the years pass while you "Dream".

well, no argument about not getting any younger or healthier .... the issue is $$$$ .... the last fellow we talked to who pulled a 5er from our area to Alaska and back told me that they had budgeted $20,000 for the trip but in the end they spent over twice that amount

Jim

[ColoradoNative]

well, no argument about not getting any younger or healthier .... the issue is $$$$ .... the last fellow we talked to who pulled a 5er from our area to Alaska and back told me that they had budgeted $20,000 for the trip but in the end they spent over twice that amount

Jim

hmy:

We have never spent that much on any of our three trips of 3 months each. I don't keep track of every dollar, but $20K sounds about right for the last trip we made in 2007.
We have flown around and over the top of Mt McKinley twice, Went on flyout 4 day guided bear viewing trips on two trips, I did a lot of fishing - even 2 flyout Salmon fishing trips - and we went on several boat tours from Valdez & Seward. We also went on at least one and sometimes two charter fishing trips for Halibut each time we traveled to AK.

To spend $40K plus, I would think that you would have to partake in many very expensive excursions.

The Ferry system has become quite expensive so we chose to drive both ways in 2007.
By the way, I do all the driving as I assume you do.

[JEBar]

We have never spent that much on any of our three trips of 3 months each. I don't keep track of every dollar, but $20K sounds about right for the last trip we made in 2007.

To spend $40K plus, I would think that you would have to partake in many very expensive excursions.

The Ferry system has become quite expensive so we chose to drive both ways in 2007.
By the way, I do all the driving as I assume you do.

it would cost us a bit more to get from the east coast to your starting area and then back home .... I don't know what all they did while up there but they did say they realized it would most likely be their only trip so they tried to make the most of it .... while Maureen handles the truck in our hooking up and unhooking she doesn't want to drive while towing the camper .... I've tried tell her that if I should not be able to do so, she needs to be able drive, she told me that her sons would come and get her .... the fact is, they would .... for the last few years I've had a strong mental block against driving back into Canada and that complicates things .... we've talked of towing our rig to Seattle and putting it in storage .... we would then fly or take the boat to Alaska where we would rent a small class-C .... after traveling around we would then fly or take a boat back (the opposite of what we did to get up there)

Jim

[Rob_Fla]

An Alaska trip is on our bucket list too, probably still a few years off.

[greg]

I don't know if it is still operating, but many years ago I read about a cruise ship for campers. You drove your rig onto the cruiser in Wasl hington and cruised to Alaska and then drove home. Always been a dream to some day make that trip after retirement. Old article below,

Cruise Ship On Alaska Run Set Up For Rv Owners, Too


February 19, 1989|By GEORGINA CRUZ
If you would like to enjoy Alaska by sea on a cruise ship, and by land in your own recreational vehicle or car, don`t despair.
Admiral Cruises` Stardancer may be the ticket for you.
A 27,000-ton vessel, it is the only cruise ship on the Alaska run that combines 10 passenger decks with two vehicle-carrying decks.




It`s really easy to cruise with your car or RV, says Admiral Cruises` spokeswoman Laura P. Bennett of Miami. ``You literally drive in and park your car, then take the elevator to your cabin.``
The feature is very popular, Bennett adds, with the vehicle-carrying decks filled to capacity on most sailings. It is particularly appealing to pet owners who travel in RVs.
``If you have a dog, you can bring it and keep it in the RV; that`s one of the big bonuses if you like to travel with your pet.``
Stardancer sails on seven-night Inside Passage cruises from Vancouver to Ketchikan with calls at Juneau, Skagway and Haines along the way. Passengers can disembark with their vehicles at the ports of their choosing, explore and re-board.
Fares for the cruise range from $1,300 to $3,000. Fees ranging from $10 to $18 per linear foot are charged for cars and RVs.
Admiral Cruises, whose ship Emerald Seas sails from Miami, is at 1220 Biscayne Blvd.,

[wingnut60]

Our trip cost about $6500 in fuel and another $8000 for everything else. Not sure where it all went, but well worth it for 4 months of seeing places we had only read about.
Joe

[drfife]

At $0.50/mile fuel cost, you could drive the circumfrence of the earth (25,000 miles) for $12,500.

For the past 2 years, my fuel cost per mile was $0.35.

A $20K total budget for an Alaska trip is good, if not a bit generous.

[wingnut60]

"At $0.50/mile fuel cost, you could drive the circumfrence of the earth (25,000 miles) for $12,500."

Darn it, just couldn't get my wife to let me do it...got far enough north and I had forgotten the studded snow tires.

Joe

[MikeR]

it would cost us a bit more to get from the east coast to your starting area and then back home .... I don't know what all they did while up there but they did say they realized it would most likely be their only trip so they tried to make the most of it .... while Maureen handles the truck in our hooking up and unhooking she doesn't want to drive while towing the camper .... I've tried tell her that if I should not be able to do so, she needs to be able drive, she told me that her sons would come and get her .... the fact is, they would .... for the last few years I've had a strong mental block against driving back into Canada and that complicates things .... we've talked of towing our rig to Seattle and putting it in storage .... we would then fly or take the boat to Alaska where we would rent a small class-C .... after traveling around we would then fly or take a boat back (the opposite of what we did to get up there)

Jim

Having done our Alaska trip in 2003, I find it very hard to believe, even with inflation, that an Alaskan trip would cost 40k. Our trip costs were nowhere near that amount or their budgeted amount. We did stay mainly in state, provincial & national parks, but we did want to see Canada & Alaska, not the inside of an RV resort. We brought a canoe, so we fished on our own a lot. We did take boat trips out of Valdez & Seward also. Our trip was 11,000 miles. When we pulled in to our driveway, my wife asked if we could just turn around and go back.

Once you're in Alaska and touring, you'd be surprised how many times you go through customs for Canada and back to the U.S. Renting a class c won't keep you out of Canada.

Hopefully we will make our second trip to Alaska in 2015.