Well it's been a few weeks now since I started writing this entry and Alaska is still in our blood. We received the deposit cheque in US Dollars on the RV Rental, and the Aussie Dollar has hit record highs so it' worth less than what it cost when we paid the deposit :)
Some key thoughts upon reflection, learnings from the adventure include:
For the RV:
Check the kitchen utensils well before buying your food, so any specific tools like a pair of tongs, egg flip and the like are in the RV before you cook the meal and you can buy these cooking tools if they are missing.
We took our own Flannelet Sheets to add comfort in the expected cold weather as the RV only comes with those cold cotton sheets. The weight was an issue to manage but a months worth of comfort was worth it.
The Australian Commonwealth Bank Travel Money Card was perfect for a cost effective buying power. One or two service stations in the Yukon were not geared to accept it, so we had to use our credit card. To confirm our excellent choice, upon checking our Credit Card transactions where the Travel Money Card was not accepted, the bank fees were ridiculous, simply greed.
The Tomtom GPS with our researched 'favourites' from viewing Google Earth along our route prior to travelling in Alaska & the Yukon was excellent. It afforded us to navigate to these points for great remote wild places that we would have missed otherwise.
Ensure you buy a box of disposable gloves for dumping the waste waters, grey and black. It provides confidence in this slightly yucky task.
Accessing water became a problem toward the end of the trip, as camp grounds and other water points had turned their water off as the ground was freezing solid and of course so were the water pipes. Petrol (aka Gas) Stations often provided both water and dump facilities.
Trip Panning:
The freedom of having an idea of places to visit, without committing to a timetable was truly liberating. The research stimulated the senses, heightened our excitement and availed us of at least the ability of 'which way next'. However, we never felt pressured to head off from any spot until we'd satisfied our hunger of the wonders where we were.
Engaging with the locals enhanced our experience, affording us of 'local info' for what was best to explore in an area. Such conversations also allowed us to learn and understand Alaska and the Yuykon a little better.
Smart Buying:
We signed up for a Fred Myer Card and a Safeway Card, these are large supermarket chains. I think we only gave an Alaska address that fitted into their forms :). The cards gave us discounts on groceries and fuel, saving us 100's of dollars. We found Safeway to be the best place to buy (price) groceries, and Fred Myer for all those other items that made our trip comfortable, as well as some cheap tourist buys, as they have Alaskan Gifts.
The memories
For us the community of Haines made us feel very welcome. Journeying to remote places like Dawson City and up over the Top of the World Highway and driving up to the Arctic Circle were true achievements to remember. But most of all, it was the people we met, travelers and locals, that made the trip memorable. Spending time talking was very important, and made this trip far better than our previous. Having camp fires also made our evenings memorable for around camp fires, great conversations are had. Buy firewood and keep a stash in the RV for camp fires.
Live without fear, just get out there and do it. Enjoy.
