Alaska was a trip John and I kept talking about, but I was a little intimidated with all the planning that would be required. We knew we wanted to do it with the adventure van. We knew we wanted to drive up and ferry back, and we also knew we wanted to try to make it to all 8 of the national parks. It gets complicated, because you can only access 3 of the 8 national parks by car….the rest require private planes and boats. We decided to do it 5-6 weeks, and late summer/early fall felt right – less tourists, less bugs, cooler temps, and an ability to catch some of those autumn colors. Try to beat the snow.
This was a trip of a lifetime. We just didn’t realize how incredible it was until we got here. We have been all over this state – as far north as the Artic Circle, as far southwest as Homer, as far southeast as Ketchikan, and everything in between….Anchorage, Fairbanks, Valdez, Seward, Haines, Juneau, Skagway. We drove across some epic highways – The Alaskan, Dalton, Richardson, Glenn, Parks, and Seward. We traveled across beautiful parts of Canada – Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon. We made it to all 8 national parks – drove to Denali, Wrangell, and Kenai Fjords; plane/seaplane to Katmai, Kobuk, Gates, and Glacier; and a boat/ferry to Lake Clark and Kenai Fjords. We saw tons of wildlife up close and personal – moose, caribou, bears, mountain goats, sea lions, dolphins, whales, puffins, and sea otters. We encountered all kind of weather – sun, wind, cold, warm, and lots and lots and lots of rain.
Some of our favorites were…..
- Driving the entire Alaskan Highway
- Driving to the Artic Circle and flying to two of the most remote national parks in the US, Kobuk and Gates
- Epic drives like Thompson Pass/Richardson Highway, Glenn Highway/Hatcher Pass, and the Seward Highway
- Glacier Sea Kayaking in Valdez
- Hiking in Denali and the Chugach Mountains
- Attending the Alaska State Fair
- Bear watching in their natural habitat in Brooks Falls and Lake Clark
- Glaciers as close as we could get in Kenai Fjords and Glacier Bay
So many moments that were so surreal it didn’t even seem possible. John and I would just look at each other and say, “Wow, that was the best thing ever!” And we found ourselves saying that over and over.
We stayed in some great places overnight – all for free except for the campground in Denali. The rest areas were easy, but we also found a ton of free campgrounds and abandon campgrounds next to beautiful seafoam green babbling rivers all over.
A key aspect of our trip was flexibility. At the end of the day, nothing happens here unless the weather allows it. We dealt with cancellations on a regular basis, and we just had to be patient and wait some things out. And continue to find joy in whatever each day brought.
Alaska is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. It’s the best of my favorite parks in the lower 48 – pine and aspen trees, mountains, glaciers, alpine blue lakes, jagged cliffs, star filled clear nights – but absolutely everywhere you look. It is raw, massive pristine, pure, and unapologetically majestic. It doesn’t owe humans anything. It feels at times like you are the smallest being in the world looking in on the most magical place. A secret only a few get the opportunity to take a peek at. The wildlife we experienced doesn’t see us as a predator, because it hasn’t experienced us that way. And that made for a very special dynamic.
There were a few things Alaska didn’t allow us the opportunity to see, given all the rain….Lady Denali never showed her beautiful face, and the northern lights never came out. I see that as a sign we need to come back.
Alaska has taken a part of my soul. It has made me a better person, with a different perspective on the world and my place in it. And for that, I will be forever grateful, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.
We will exit our 3-day ferry ride in the morning with our van from Haines, Alaska to Bellingham, Washington….and then we start our trip back home. With a massive appreciation for the experiences we have had across this wonderful US in our adventure van – the lower 48 and Alaska. But also, with a strong desire to get home and hug those we love and miss so dearly.
Get to Alaska as soon as you can!
