Alaska

[Bethers]

Some tips for those of you going to Alaska (some of these apply for anyone going into Canada at any time):

Call your insurance company and have them send you a "Canada" card. Shouldn't be any cost - but something Canada wants you to have, even if hopefully you never need to show it.

Make sure you, your rig/car, dog, cat, etc all have all licenses up-to-date beyond the time you'll return to the continental US. If your drivers license or plates, or your dogs rabies, etc is going to come due while you're gone, get it taken care of BEFORE leaving to go north. Then put all those in a handy location for when you might need to show them. I kept all that with my passport in a convenient location for me.

Make sure if you need meds, that you know you'll be able to get refills - or talk to your doctor and/or insurance company if necessary to get them filled for as long as you'll be gone.

[mtngal]

Well, I'm not going but sure am looking forward to reading about the adventures of all my travel pals who are going this summer! (FYI, I am kicking around Vancouver Island for a mid summer get away in the north).

[Colliemom]

Ah, Alaska, The Land of the Mdnight Sun, The Last Frontier, the dream of many, from the goldrushers to us modern day travelers.

I have driven some of her roads, seen her wildlife, walked in the wilderness of Denali park, back in away from the crowds at the front of the park, 600 miles in from teh Bering Sea, Marveled at the magnificent Alasaka Range, (unfortunately Denail itself didn't cooperate), saw the steam rising from the volcano's of the Chugach Mountains and felt the bumps of the permafrost under her roads. I've met Alaskans and Native Alaskans, have learned some of their culture and also the fragility and life of the tundra in Denali park.
I've stood on the banks of the Yukon River and thought of the goldminers who sailed it to find their dreams. And I've fallen in love with the Yukon too. Unofortunately time constraints prevented going to some areas, and I am hoping to go back.

But I beg to differ with you Beith, on the fact that gas prices don't matter. They do. Most, not all, RVers are retired these days. They are living on SS and other monies they have saved and scraped together to be able to live their dream. They have a set amount of money a month to spend if they want to live their lifestyle without cutting corners too much and that amount won't change. But everything else is. Gas prices, food costs, medical insurance premiums, vehicle repairs, and on and on. Little by little, you watch that money getting stretched a bit thinner and thinner and most of it is going into the fuel tank to keep traveling this beautiful country. Many who are full timers live a differnt life style from those of us who are recreational RVer's We travel to see the country and don't park in one spot for long. We have too much to see and do and want to keep moving. So off to the gas station we go, for the next number of miles. Many of us who still own stick and bricks and we have our expenses to contend with. besides Property taxes, home and vehicle insurance, cost of food, our health insurance premiums, phone, cable, internet and utitility bills that keep rising. And we have errands we must run to doctors, dentists, stores and yes even work. Some places, up here for instance, an appointment with a specialist in the health field can require a 60 or as much as a 200 mile drive. So we can put miles up pretty easy in a week and back to the gas station.

When I first started with my truck and trailer, gas was cheap. Then the following year it started rising and rising. That's when I found my income staying the same and having to pay out more for gas even to haul off to the campground. And it's the biggest complaint I hear from people here. Can't afford to pull the trailer, drive the motorhome, come up north to visit family members etc. And I can't afford to keep a small second car either, so it's either drive and feed the truck or get rid of it and hang up the keys on the RV for awhile. And I know there are a lot of others out there.

So yes, in my opinion gas prices are a big deal. They impact everything we do, everything we eat etc. But this is getting off the subject of Alaska. For those of you who are making the trek this summer, enjoy, send us updates and pictures etc. The rest of us will sit and dream for awhile and scrape our pennies together, retire or whatever and hopefully make our own trip down that road.

[Bethers]

What you didn't seem to understand - that I have discovered by the way I travel - I spend LESS on gas doing this than staying in one place. So gas, while prices go up, matters some, not nearly as much as it can matter. I don't put 1000 miles a month on my vehicles in most years. Some years I put less than 8000 - and I TRAVEL. That said, sitting in one place, I was always putting more miles on. The average now is 15,000 miles a year for people. So ... gas doesn't have to be a deal breaker. But we can let anything be a deal breaker and if people want to use gas the excuse, that's fine. And you could use that gas as an excuse to move closer to where there's doctors, etc. Many do. I had to consider that when I moved to the boonies once. So, yes, it can matter - but no more or less than all the other factors - and you have to look at it from all sides.

Also, reading the thread about ages - I don't believe "most" of us are retired. That said, my income will go up when I can finally "retire".

And I agree - let's get back to talking about Alaska - can't wait to be there again.

[Travelinana]

Well, I'm not going but sure am looking forward to reading about the adventures of all my travel pals who are going this summer! (FYI, I am kicking around Vancouver Island for a mid summer get away in the north).

I tried this last year and a darned stomach infection grounded me so I too will be aiming for the NW (daughter in Seattle) including a jaunt up to Vancouver...to think of Alaska too is very appealing. Just in case, I will be doing my homework and probably be pestering those seasoned Alaskan travelers for lots of info My time frame would probably be departing AR June 1, returning Sept 1.

[AlmostThere]

Most of us have been wondering where all the snow went. I think I know. Watch the video...

http://www.ktuu.com/news/southcentral-a ... 4329.story

Here are some great wildlife photos, also included is a sundog.
http://www.ktuu.com/weather/ktuu-ugc-ga ... otogallery

[sunshinecruiserTN]

Most of us have been wondering where all the snow went. I think I know. Watch the video...

http://www.ktuu.com/news/southcentral-a ... 4329.story

Here are some great wildlife photos, also included is a sundog.
http://www.ktuu.com/weather/ktuu-ugc-ga ... otogallery

That was an awesome shot of a sundog. The ones I've seen have been much smaller. Someone on this forum asked me once what a sundog was, well here it is. Awesome!

[AlmostThere]

Sue (colliemom) added a pic, of a sundog she took, in the Morning Coffee post a few days ago, too.

[Liz]

Beautiful pics, Lenora

[JoanE]

So yes, in my opinion gas prices are a big deal. They impact everything we do, everything we eat etc..... The rest of us will sit and dream for awhile and scrape our pennies together, retire or whatever and hopefully make our own trip down that road.

Sue, you are absolutely correct. Gas prices are a big deal. I traveled about 8000 miles in the last six months of 2011. I get about 8.5 mpg and I spent $3,000 on gas alone. If I sat in one campground for an extended period, my gas costs would have been less but if you are a traveler, like me and apparently like you and others, gas prices matter. I don't think anyone should be criticized for admitting that the cost of gas might keep them from traveling. It is not an excuse. It could just be a fact of life. Nothing wrong with just the facts.

[BirdbyBird]

I keep going back to Nick Russell's posts from over the years. He gets e-mails every time the price of gas goes up from readers who are bemoaning what "dreams" or "trips" they can't now do......If the additional raise in the gas (the added cost) is figured out it may only be a couple hundred dollars more depending upon the trip/s. Does a couple hundred dollars stand between me and a trip of a life time. I will do without other things or sell something or park in more Walmarts and less Passport America campgrounds but I won't just stay home.

There are many reasons not to be able to travel at a given time. And maybe gas prices might reduce the number of trips. I didn't go to FL this winter because I want to spend that money in AK......but if we are waiting for gas prices to go down in order to pursue our dreams....what happens when they don't? Our bodies do not last forever and every moment is a gift. Do we stop dreaming...... Life is about making choices. I choose to keep moving towards the dreams. I spent too many early years doing what other people needed me to do to take care of my job and my family. I saved up all my "Spring Breaks" and "vacations" from forever and I am cashing them in now.

And like Beth mentioned: I always consider what mileage and gas money I am not spending on my car driving around locally. When I am traveling in the RV that savings can all be added to the RV fund on my budget.

[Bethers]

For me to travel the 12,000 miles, I certainly did NOT sit still. I traveled all across this country, to Alaska, down Baja ... And I do consider gas and other costs - so I probably won't go east to west coast now for a couple years. Although that was my intentions 2 years ago - things happen and I had to come back east, so I stayed here instead of west. Now, it's west, here I come. And get mad at me if you want, but whatever you decide - whether to travel or not to travel - it's your decision and your right. But don't keep blaming gas. It's only one of many factors, and you have to look at it from all angles - it doesn't have to be that much more than you would be spending on it. And that's the point I was trying to make that some of you don't understand. It can be, but doesn't have to be. For me, what I said before and will repeat now - with all the traveling (not the years I've sat still) I've spent less on gas than I would have if I'd still be in my stick and brick and just doing running around, and taking weekend trips, etc. Those all added up to more miles, way more miles.

Tina, very well said. I, for one, do not intend to say in a couple years "I wish I had done that when I could ... when my health would allow ... when ..." Not everyone can make the choice I've made ... but I'm living on way less money a year than most people, and loving my life. Gas prices helped me make the decision last year and this to work at Amazon a couple months. My dreams roll on.

[Forestgal]

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[VickieP]

[mitch5252]

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Anal one here...

9,000 miles (TN/AK/TN) @12mpg @3.65 = $2,737
9,000 miles (TN/AK/TN) @ 12mpg @4.25 = $3,187

Difference = $450, or $0.05/mile



9,000 miles @ $3.65 @ 8mpg = $4,106
9,000 miles @ $4.25 @ 8mpg = 4,781

Difference = $675, or $0.07/mile


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