Quote:
Originally Posted by teach1234
Well, not to rain on your parade, but... I moved to Talkeetna (town with all the planes that fly to McKinley) and one of the guys had moved there the year before and hadn't seen the mtn for 3 months--it make its own weather systems. But when you can see it, yeah, it makes you want to climb it. Even if you're fat and fifty.
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lol. I love mountains. I know I'm not fit to climb them, but I've read a few books on Everest and the Alps.
Road trips to and from Alaska are a little adventure each time I've driven down and back and up from the states. I've done it 13 times so far. The road has become so much better since the first time I drove on it back in '95. I'm still amazed each and every time I drive on it.
If you are driving up from California, head straight north on I-5 all the way to Canada. Take a right in Bellingham over to Sumas and cross there. Take Canadian Highway 1 up to Hope, BC and go north from there. This takes you into the Fraser River Valley, very scenic trip through there. The first place I'd stay after crossing into Canada would be in Cache Creek or farther north at Williams Lake or even Quesnel. I'd avoid anything in Prince George, crazy drivers there. Just drive through it.
From there don't forget to stop in Chetwynd for the best burger on the highway at Brookside Inn. Don't take the "short cut" north of Chetwynd, it's a twisty road. Continue on to Mile 0 of the Alcan at Dawson Creek, BC. Take a few pictures of Mile 0 marker downtown and head over to the Railway Museum and get a picture taken under the big sign there of the Alcan highway. You should be able to get up to Fort Nelson from Williams Lake in one day.
Do not drive from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake Yukon at night. There are a lot of Critters on the road. You have moose, bison, elk, caribou, bears, and other animals on the road at night. This is a day time trip, if you drive this at night you will miss the entire northern Rockies here and lots of photo opportunities. Don't forget to stop at Laird River Hot Springs after you get out of the Rockies for a relaxing dip.
From Watson Lake I drive up all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon. This is where I spend my last day in Canada before pushing on to Alaska. There are a number of hotels here, I just stay at the same one each time I travel through there. The Family Hotel. Don't drive this at night either. There is lots of places to stop and take pictures along this route. Before you get to Whitehorse, stop at Jake's Corner, great food there, too. Huge burgers, well, huge proportions there on everything.
Stop in Haines Junction for gas if you wish and there are a few good places for lunch here also. North of there is Sheep Mountain, this place has the largest number of sheep on it in the world. Worth a stop here. They've been working on this stretch of road the past couple years, once done it'll be a fast drive through this area. Next stop is Destruction Bay on Kluane Lake. There is a cafe here also, a few of them. Drive down to the lake, I don't think it'll be thawed this early in the season, worth the pictures though.
The road from here to to the border is full of frost heaves. Be careful on this stretch, a bad bump will throw you off the road in a hurry. From Beaver Creek on the border of Canada/Alaska to Tok is to me the most boring drive of the whole trip. It's about 100 miles of nothing. Stop in at Tok at Fast Eddy's for some great food. Welcome to Alaska!
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Ideas driving to Alaska
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