We rented a truck camper last year from ABC Motorhomes, but if you need two beds, you'll probably have to go with a standard RV. They rent them as well. ABC included insurance as long as you could prove you were insurable in your home state by showing them your policy.

State park campgrounds were very nice. No need to camp in commercial campgrounds that are parking lots. You will be self-contained, so you won't need those hookups unless you absolutely have to have TV. Dumping and water were no problem.

We also camped by the side of remote roads, which was the nicest experience.

We did not see B&Bs at every turn in the road. If you want stay in them, you're probably limited to staying in towns.

Since you need to be close to Anchorage on your last night to turn in the RV in the morning, we camped at a city campground in the northern part of Anchorage. I believe it's name was Centenial Park. It wasn't as nice as the state parks, but lots better than the parking lot affairs we saw around the city.

Some tips: Get a courtesy card at the supermarket. You can get one on the spot, and it saved a bunch.

Pick a hotel in downtown Anchorage for your first and even second nights- most will pick you up at the airport - so you can stop by the visitor's center for all kinds of good information. The Anchorage Art Museum is well worth a visit, even with kids. The upstairs part has intersting exhibits about Alaskan history. And the flowers planted all over downtown Anchorage are gorgeous.

Every laundrymat and many small restaurants had book exchanges. Just leave what you've read and pick up a handful for the next leg of the trip.

We found that doing laundry was an intersting insight into local life. They all have showers, which was a puzzle until I realized that people living in out-of-the-way places don't have indoor plumbing. The take a shower while they do their laundry.

Driving the Denali Highway was the highlight of our trip. It's not for everyone, but if you want to go slow and savor the scenery, as well as enjoying a remote camping experience, you can't beat it. Near the western end, there is a pulloff with a stellar view of Mount McKinley if you're favored with good weather as we were.

I second the suggestion to go early or late in the season. We went at the very end of May. We spent two nights at the Seward campground. Yes, it is a parking lot fronting on a gorgeous body of water, but in late May, there was only one other RV there and a couple of tenters.