SoCal to Alaska

[Margaret C]

Hi There,
My husband and I will be travelling in June from Southern California to Alaska in our, new to us, Trillium 1300. We plan to go as quickly as possible to visit with our two daughters who live and work in Denali. We will make our way home through Alberta more leisurely . We have one month. My question is for those of you who have done something similar is, how many miles and or hours a day can we expect to travel without wearing ourselves out? Thank you for your help. Also any suggestions will be appreciated.
Margaret

[Chester Taje]

I went across Canada and drove 500miles/day. It was a rush trip in a Motor Home. I would not try it again. Too much driving and no sight seeing.

[Gina D.]

I try to limit myself to 4-6 hours a day. If there are two drivers, I am sure you can extend that. My Oregon trips usually take 3-4 days when towing, and I try not to do any one day marathon style.

After you stop, remember you are going to have at least a small set up to be comfortable and rested for the next day. I don't like to make a fuss after sitting that long so think of what you can do to minimize the daily set up and strike the next day.

When I do a rush trip, I try to keep as much in the car as possible so I can just open the trailer door and have space. Traveling with dogs (and now a cat) makes that hard tho.

In June in California, you will have heat to deal with, but once you get out of the central area, you shouldn't need to worry about being comfortable.

One mistake I am going to quit making is trying to be cheap on my stops. RV parks are far easier as far as set up than camping parks, (No water hauling, dumping, setting up solar panels etc) and as mentioned above.. I am tired and want a little luxury like TV and air conditioning. This year, on my way to Oregon, I am going to do I-5 straight up and skip the scenery and quaint parks. In the long run, I may have spent a few more bucks on parks, but it will be an easier drive and more restful at nite. They are also a LOT easier to find than camping parks. Especially in the central valley.

[Frederick L. Simson]

My question is for those of you who have done something similar is, how many miles and or hours a day can we expect to travel without wearing ourselves out?

When we were young, and driving cross country without a trailer in a small car, we would do about 700 miles in maybe 11 hours each day. Those days are long gone. Part of being able to get going early was the fact that we did not sleep well in motels.

Now we do 400 miles a day; 450 tops. With the trailer we are doing good to be on the road by 8 AM. We are usually off the road by 5 PM. Punchiness sets in if we keep going much later than that. It's not nice to be setting up the trailer in the dark after all day on the road.

[Donna D.]

Here's a couple of topics to read, from those members that have done the Alaska trip:
Joy's Alaska Adventure
Alaska Highway

[Byron Kinnaman]

Interesting topic.
As usual I'm a little different than those that posted before me. To me the thing controls when a stop is to occur is time of day, not hours driven or miles driven. We don't carry a television or DVD player, etc. so really we don't need any hook-ups when we stop. The trailer is always ready for a meal or a nap, nothing. Our basic set up is to carry in the trailer only those things that are used in the trailer. Carry in back of TV those things that are used outside. If we're on a long trip, greater than 1 week, extra clothes are carried in the back of truck also.

Stopping time comes when I've had enough driving for one day, whether it's 1 hour or 12+ hours. We drink a lot of liquids while traveling, this means that we have a need to stop every so often. A stop means we walk around a bit, stretch a bit. If I'm tired, I crawl in the trailer and take a 15 minute power nap on the couch.

I try to anticipate when I'm getting close to the end of my drive time by about an hour or so and start looking for a place to stop.

Thats all if I'm trying to get from point A to point B. If my goal is to simply play along then I may only drive an hour at a time or less.

We're planning a trip this summer that will require one long day, depending on when get out it could be a few hours than a shorter day. We'll be going from Woodburn, OR to Weed, CA on I-5. From that point on it's on or near Hwy 97 going back north. Spending the 2 week just playing, then one day back home from where ever we are.

I guess it all this boils down to not making a lot of goals, but enjoy the trip. Stopping can be for several reasons including enough driving for one day, or something interesting to spend some time with.

[Joy A]

Boy a month isn't long enough to stop and smell the roses.

I'm in Sonora just north of Yosemite. It took me 5 1/2 days to get to the start of the Alaska highway, 1766 miles.
I averaged 300 miles at about 7 hours each day on the road. Now you do have to take off time for a little sight seeing. Consider that I was the sole driver as well. You can make better time than I if you drive faster on the interstates and in Canada to Hope. From Hope, BC up you'll be on 2 lane roads, no more interstates/freeways.

Now from the start of the Alaska highway in Dawson Creek to Tok, Alaska was 1373miles with one side trip to Skaway of 147 miles which is included. Continuing up to Fairbanks from Tok down past Anchorage out the Kenai and back to Anchorage was 1283. Then Anchorage to Valdez and back to Tok was 688. It took me 5 weeks to get this far.

I did not reverse the trip from Tok back home as shown below. I caught the ferry and came down the coast to Prince Rupert, BC and then drove home. All of which took me another month.


Here's what the round trip would have looked like up and down the Alaskan highway.
1766 Sonora to Dawson Creek, BC
1373 Dawson Creek to Tok, Alaska
1283 Tok to Anchorage via Fairbanks (includes Kenai peninsula)
688 Anchorage to Tok (via Valdez)
1373 Tok to Dawson Creek
1766 Dawson Creek to Sonora

Total mileage 8249 miles.

If you averaged 350 miles per day 8249 miles would take 23 days. That's moving every day. You need to spend a couple of days in a multitude of areas in order to see things. Alaska is a long way to go just to drive by.

[Connie M.]

The roads up here will slow you down some, for sure. But you'll have plenty of daylight in June once you get up north.
Be sure to bring warm jackets and get yourself a copy of The Milepost, which is chock-full of maps and mile by mile info.

[Patrick M.]

"There is one word of advice and caution to be given those intending to visit Alaska for pleasure. If you are old, go by all means. But if you are young, wait. The scenery of Alaska is much grander than anything else of the kind in the world and it is not well to dull one's capacity for enjoyment by seeing the finest first."

National Geographic Society President Henry Gannett, Member of the 1899 Harriman Expedition to Alaska