This was such an amazing trip that I was so blessed to have been able to experience.
In total I drove 12,120 miles! Every mile had different and changing scenery and I loved every minute of it! The Ford Transit was very easy and comfortable to drive. I had lots of power for driving the hills and rough roads. With only being 22 feet long, I could easily drive into towns and park and visit many sites.
Overall, our weather was fantastic. We had few days where it rained during the day. Never did rain interfere with our excursions or plans. The only downside of the trip was smoke from wildfires. I know our drive north in Canada and also in Alaska would have had very different views if we had no obstructions from the smoke. But even with smoke the views were amazing!
The trip started out with a week at the Coachmen Owners Association Rally in Elkhart, Indiana. I met up with old friends and met new. There were around 45 Class B RV’s just like mine in attendance. The Class B community that I am a part of is made up such wonderful people.
After leaving the Rally I headed west to meet up with the tour group. On the way I stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This was the first of 9 National Parks that I visited on this trip.
The first day of the Alaska RV tour was an orientation meeting with the wagon masters, tail gunners and all of the travelers. There was a total of 25 RVs with 48 people traveling in the group.
Fellow travelers were from all corners of the United States. Maine, Florida, California and many other places. Everyone was so nice and throughout the 61 days we became “family” and friends. There were some tears on the last day as we parted ways and headed to our next adventure.
On the RV Tour portion of my trip, I stayed overnight in 31 different places:
Lake Liberty, Washington
Fort Steele, British Columbia, Canada
Calgary, Alberta Canada
Banff, Alberta Canada
Hinton/Jasper, Alberta Canada
Dawson Creek, British Columbia Canada
Fort Nelson, British Columbia Canada
Liard Springs, British Columbia Canada
Watson Lake, Yukon Canada
Whitehorse, Yukon Canada
Dawson City, Yukon Canada
Top of the World Highway, Canada (Boondocked)
Chicken, Alaska
Tok, Alaska
North Pole / Fairbanks, Alaska
Denali, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Seward, Alaska
Kenai, Alaska
Homer, Alaska
Palmer, Alaska
Valdez, Alaska
Tok, Alaska (second stop)
Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada
Haines, Alaska
Whitehorse, Yukon Canada (second stop)
Nugget City, Yukon Canada
Dease Lake, BC Canada
Stewart, BC Canada
Terrace, BC Canada
Prince George, BC Canada
U.S. National Parks visited:
Theodore Roosevelt
Denali
Gates of the Artic
Kenai Fjords
Wrangler St. Elias
Katmai
Glacier
Yellowstone
Badlands
Tour Included Meals
(I am sure I am missing something)
Welcome Dinner
Calgary-Breakfast atop Calgary Tower and Observation Tower entrance
Lake Louise lunch buffet
Dawson Creek- dinner prepared by our leaders
MukTuk Kennel- lunch prepaired by the owners
Chicken- dinner prepared by our leaders
Tok- Pizza dinner
North Pole- Salmon Bake Dinner
Denali-Cabin Theater Dinner Show
Anchorage- dinner prepared by our leaders
Seward- Buffet Lunch during our bay boat tour
Kenai-Dinner cooked by the campground staff
Valdez- Boat tour included breakfast and lunch
Destruction Bay- dinner prepared by our leaders
Haines- Wildlife boat trip included breakfast and afternoon chowder
Nugget City- Spaghetti Dinner at the campground
Terrace- dinner prepared by our leaders
Prince George- Wine and Cheese & Snacks for an art show
Prince George- Farewell Dinner
Prince George- Farewell Breakfast
Many days we enjoyed desert while having our travel meetings
Snacks while on bus tours
Tour Activities Included:
(I am probably missing something that was included)
Winery Tour
Fort Steele Heritage Town visit
Unlimited rides pass on the Calgary C-Train
Calgary Stampede tickets to the Chuckwagon Races and the Rodeo,
Banff- Bus tour Takkakaw Falls, Lake Louise, Lake Moraine
Columbia Icefields- walked on a glacier!
Liard Hot Springs entrance pass
Watson Lake-Sign Post Forest and visitor center movie
Whitehorse-Bus tour of the area included a visit to the Fish Ladder and the SS Klondike Tour
Whitehorse- MukTuk Sled Dog Kennel
Dawson City-Walking tour of the city
Dawson City- Diamond Tooth Gertie’s Gambling Hall and Can-Can show
Chicken- Tour of the Dredge and panned for gold
North Pole- Sternwheeler Riverboat Cruise
North Pole-University of Alaska Museum
North Pole- Palace Theater Show
North Pole- Dredge #8 Tour
Denali-Bus tour of Denali National Park
Anchorage- Alaska Native Heritage Center
Seward- Resurrection Bay Boat Tour
Seward- Alaska Sea Life Center & Puffin Experiences
Palmer- Musk OX Farm tour
Valdez- Prince William Sound Boat Tour
Haines- Wildlife and Whale viewing boat trip to Juneau, Alaska
Juneau- Mendenhall Glacier tour
Haines- Fast Ferry to Skagway
Skagway- White Pass-Yukon Railroad Train trip
Nugget City- Living History presentation by the owners of the campground
Several Campground Fires
Activities or places I visited on my own: (not inclusive of everything I did)
Explored Banff and the gardens in Banff
Athabasca Falls
Hinton, Canada- Beaver Boardwalk
Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway and the Dawson Creek visitor center
Dawson Creek Pioneer Village
Fort Nelson Heritage Museum
Watson Lake- Northern Lights Center
Dawson City- Midnight Dome, Explored the town, and stopped at the homes of authors Robert Service and Jack London
Dawson City- Sourdough Saloon Sour Toe Cocktail
North Pole- Flew across the Artic Circle to Coldfoot, AK
North Pole- Gates of the Artic National Park
Denali- ATV Adventure
Denali-Hiked in the national park
Denali- Flew to the Base of Denali and landed on Rose Glacier
On way to Seward- Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center
Seward- Hiked to Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park
Seward- Iditarod Dog Sled experience
Kenai- Soldotna Museum, Visited the Russian Orthodox Churches
Homer- Visited the Homer spit
Homer- Flew to Katmai National Park
Palmer- Visitor Center and Museum
Palmer- Visited Hatcher Pass and Independence Mine
On way to Valdez- Wrangler St. Elias National Park
Valdez- Valdez Museum, Old town of Valdez visit
Valdez- Solomon Gulch Hatchery, bear and other wildlife viewing
Destruction Bay- walked to Kluane Lake
Haines- Chilkoot River area for bear viewing
Juneau- Explored town
Skagway- Explored town
Whitehorse, Yukon- Glass blowing shop
Nugget City- Northern Lights!
Stewart- Drove to Hyder, AK to visit FishCreek to view the salmon and look for bears
Terrace-Boat ride around the lake by the owner of the campground
Dinners with new family/friends at various restaurants along the way
After I departed Prince George, I spent one night in Banff. From there I headed to St. Mary’s Montana to visit Glacier National Park.
Other stops on my way home were Yellowstone National Park, Wall Drugs, and Badlands National Park
Upon arrival home I was greeted by some Turkeys.
I can’t say enough how much I enjoyed this trip. Definitely a bucket list experience!
America is a beautiful place! I highly recommend jumping in your vehicle and exploring small towns, national parks, state parks. Visit a coffee shop in a small town, hike a beautiful trail. Take your time and don’t rush. Take in the beauty of this country! You will not be disappointed!
Hopefully the posts of my adventures were as interesting to read as it was to experience. This will be the final post of this awesome adventure!
Thanks for following along!