Alaska Highway Drive
 

along the alaska highway in the British Columbia portion, check out Muncho Lake approx 3-4 hours north of Fort Nelson (mile 300 Alaska Highway), a really nice place to eat is the Highland Glen Lodge on the lake, 1/2 hour north of Muncho Lake is the Liard Hot Springs, which is a natural hot springs with a short walk into the springs on the boardwalk there are 3 natural hotsprings with a change room available.

In August of 1996 we did a 30 day Great Road Adventure to Alaska from Kansas City - - an awsome experience involving 7,747 road miles plus 1,317 miles aboard two Alaska Marine Highway car ferryliners. By far the most important investment you or anyone else can make who is going to Alaska (and by WHATEVER mode, but especially driving) is to obtain a copy of THE MILEPOST which is the bible of north country travel - - simply call 1-800-726-4707 and they will mail it to you (about $20). It will describe (1) EVERYTHING along every road in Alaska as well as the Yukon, and (2) do the same for every route leading to and from that region, (3) explain traveling via the wonderful Alaska Marine Highway car ferryliner routes, (4) provide explanations about every town and city and site of interest - - etc. etc. Also, do an Internet search for the Alaska State Tourism home page as well as the Alaska Marine Highway Home Page (also at telephone 1-800-642-0066) which will lead you to a vast array of great information. Also Contact Alaska's state tourism office so they can mail you their excellent package of information. Many cities provide local tourism packages, too.

Our journey involved driving to Bellingham, taking the Alaska Marine Highway car ferryliner M/V Columbia (with a stateroom) on Friday evening for a 3-day voyage to Haines. It stops at 5 ports with time for brief guided tours at Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau. Fine sit-down dining room plus a good cafeteria. This 418 ft. ferryliner is a SUPERB platform for enjoying the Inside Passage - - and very reasonable compared to cruise ships. The precarious Wrangle Narrows is a great highlight of this voyage - - and it is a facet which passengers on cruise ships never see because they will not traverse it. From Haines we drove to Beaver Creek, Fairbanks, Denali Park/Healy, Anchorage, did the Kanai Peninsula, and then put our van on a piggyback rail car 40 miles south of Anchorage at Portage and rode the rails to Whittier for a pre-arranged connection with the AMH ferryliner M/V Bartlett for a 6 1/2 hour afternoon journey through Prince William Sound to Valdez - - another great voyage because it takes you right up to the Columbia glacier. Both ferries have Forest Service employees on board who provide interesting lectures and answer to all your questions. Then it was overland to Tok, 175 miles of good gravel road to Dawson City, and then Carmacks, Whitehorse and Skagway which is a great tourist town easy to enjoy by walking. Rode in a helicopter to land on a glacier and did the round trip train excursion to the pass. Then turned homeward down the Alaska Highway through Watson Lake, Fort Nelson and Dawson Creek - - then Jasper, Lake Louise, Banff, Calgary, Winnepeg, and southward.

Travel is my addiction - - including 15 great road adventures like this one now totaling more than 67,000 miles. I write about such things and have done a one-page summary of our Alaska journey - - and a one-page intinerary showing our overnight stops, driving distance between them, name of each motel and its cost - - plus a 58-page chapter detailing all facets of this journey. Next year it's off for a drive across Labrado's interior to Labrador City and then Goose Bayr and from there we'll car ferry and drive our way through Canada's Maritime Provinces including Newfoundland.

I am wondering how much time you plan to allow for your Alaskan driving adventure. Feel free to Email me directly if you have specific questions and believe I might be of help. By the way, that Inside Passage car ferryliner can get booked quite early, so don't procrastinate as it is a major highlight for anyone who plans to drive to Alaska - - and a super alternative to having to retrace hundreds of miles of the Alaska Highway. Bon Voyage!

IF AND WHEN YOU DO YOU DRIVE TO ALASKA, BE SURE YOU DO GET A COPY OF THE MILEPOST, BELIEVE EVERYTHING IT TELLS YOU ABOUT THE ROAD YOU ARE ABOUTTO DRIVE. IF IT TELLS YOU THAT YOU MAY BE DRIVING OVER FROST HEAVES, BELIEVE THE SIGNS YOU SEE BEFORE YOU ENCOUNTER THE HEAVES. THEY DO GIVE YOU APLE TIME TO SLOW DOWN. ALSO DO NOT FOREGET TO STOP AT MILE 101, IT IS ALSO THE NAME OF A TOWN. WHEN YOU DO STOP DON'T JUST GO TO SLEEP IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM AND WAIT FOR THE MORNING AS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS AR E SITE TO BEHOLD, YOU MAY WANT TO TALK TO SOME OF THE LOCALS AND FIND OUT WHAT TIME IS THE BEST FOR WATCHING THEM, YOU WON'T BELIEV YOUR EYES. TAKE ALONG EXTRA HEADLIGHTS, WATER, RADIATOR HOSES, AND IF YOU CAN TAKE 2-5 GALS OF EXTRA GAS, THE GAS STOPS ARE JUST FAR ENOUGH SPART THAT YOU CAN USUALLY MAKE THE NEXT ONE, BUT JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T IT WOULDN'T HURT TO HAVE SOME EXTRA. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THE ALCAN HIGHWAY THERE IS REALLY NOT MUCH TO SEE BUT YOU COULD ENCOUNTER SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AT ANYTIME ALONG THE WAY, SO BE PERPARED WITH CHAINS AND SOME WARM CLOTHING, THE LOCALS ARE NICE AND THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE WILL TRACK YOUR MOVES THROUGH CANADA, BUT THERE MAY NOT BE A CAR FOR SOME TIME IF YOU BRAKE DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. DON'T PANIC AS SOMEONE WILL BE BY IN ABOUT 5-10 HRS. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO TAKE SOME CASH OR TRAVELERS CHECKS WITH YOU, GAS WILL BE PRICEY, AND FIX-IT SHOPS WILL BE ALSO, BUT IF YOU PREPARE PROPERLY YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE TROUBLE ALONG THE WAY AND HAVE AN ENJOYABLE TRIP. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN FOR THE SEMI'S THAT USE THE ROAD ALSO AS THEY WILL NOT SLOW DOWN EVEN IF THEY SEE YOU FIRST, AND DON'T GIVE MUCH OF THE ROADWAY TO YOU. DON'T LET ANY OF THIS GET YOU DOWN, THE TRIP IS WELL WORTH THE TIME, AND DRIVE. HAVE GREAT TRIP AND ENJOY THE SITES AROUND SOME OF THE REMOTE COUNTRY AND LAKES. YOU CAN STOP AT SOME OF THE CANADA FOREST SERVICE STOPS AND TALK TO THE RANGER ABOUT THE WILDLIFE IN THE AREA, THEY MAY EVEN HAVE A SPOTING SCOPE SET UP TO LOOK AT THE ANIMALS WHERE THEY ARE. GOOD LUCK!