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North to Alaska By RV 2021

May - August 2021
With the US-Canada border closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to ship our RV and toad to Anchorage and fly ourselves there to embark on a 14-week trip ... including the travel time required to get us to/from Tacoma. Read more
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  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    Delta’s at It Again!

    April 25, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Another flight change ... this time to our inbound flight in August from Anchorage to Seattle.

    And once again, we don’t mind the change since it means one less hour to kill at the airport — or in the city with our bags in tow — after we deliver the RV and toad to Tote Maritime for the “cruise back to Tacoma.

    All’s good in our travel world. 🤞🏻it remains that way.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    Rentals ... 3rd Time’s the Charm?

    April 26, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Car rentals are expensive this year! And that’s if you can even get a car. We’ve seen recent news reports of people renting U-Haul’s at their destinations, just so they have some wheels to get around.

    I understand that there are a couple of reasons for cars being worth their weight in gold these days. Of course, there is the “sudden rush to travel” that is causing a degree of scarcity. But also the rental agencies sold off parts of their fleet during the pandemic to stay afloat. Now, they want to build up their fleets, but there is a shortage of cars because there is a shortage of chips and other materials needed to build cars. A vicious circle.

    Luckily, we’re in good shape. We acted early in our planning process and managed to snag a couple of rentals while we await the RV & toad to join us ... one for the week in Anchorage and one for the week in Washington State. That doesn’t mean that I liked the prices, however. Nope ... way too high! But with no money exchanging hands, I figured we’d keep trying.

    I’m happy to report that the third go around yielded rates that we can live with. In fact, I don’t think we can beat the rate for Anchorage since the most recent search yielded NO available cars for our dates either at the airport or the downtown office.

    The rental for our Seattle-Leavenworth getaway is still pricey, but I did manage to drop the price by some $200+. I’ll keep trying, but it is slim-pickings at the moment.

    The last price drop for the Seattle rental was thanks to a web-based tool called AutoSlash. Request a quote online ... receive an email with offers ... pick the offer you like ... click the button to book directly with the company providing the quote (in this case Priceline). Easy peasy. I’ll be using this website for sure when looking to book a vehicle rental in the future.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    Bugs Away

    April 27, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    I mentioned previously that Alaska has a “state bird” called the mosquito 🤪.

    We had no problems with these pesky critters when we visited mainland Alaska in August 2010. But it was a whole different ballgame when we were there in June 2001. Mui still “un-fondly” remembers being bitten on the head, with a hat on, no less, as we were hiking to Thunderbird Falls on the outskirts of Anchorage.

    Sure, we have bug jackets and Deet if the mosquitoes are really bad, But we also sprayed our trekking clothes with Permethrin so that we don’t have to use Deet every time we go outdoors. The spray lasts through a number of washings, so we should be good with this protection.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    COVID-19 Entry Requirements for AK

    April 28, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    Since making the decision in late March to travel to Alaska, we’ve been monitoring the entry requirements for the state. We found good, up-to-date info on the ANC website. Basically …complete a form on the Alaska Travel Portal; take a PCR test within 72 hours of arrival; social distance; mask up. The usual stuff.

    “Ugh” on the testing. But we did our research and figured out where and how to fulfill the requirement. The good news … if the test results were delayed, we could still fly, but with a quarantine in Anchorage until we upload the results when we get them. That was a relief.

    A further relief came when Alaska began offering free testing on arrival. The caveat was to quarantine until we got our results. Not ideal … but we could do that as an alternative, too.

    Then the “must do” tone was softened to “should” and “strongly encouraged,” and quarantine requirements changed to social distancing. Alrighty then. I read about the softening rules on Points Guy first. Then, I found the“should” recommendations on the Delta website, and confirmed it on the ANC website.

    Even the requirement to complete a form on the Alaska travel portal was no longer “a thing.” Nonetheless, we created our accounts on the portal, completed the form, and uploaded our vaccination records. The result? A form showing us as being compliant. There was a QR code on the website, but the link went nowhere.

    I’m thinking the code might become active on 12 May since that is our arrival date in Anchorage. I made a note to login and check when we get to the airport. I also made a pdf copy of the travel forms and printed hard copies in case we need them.

    We will, of course, check the requirements again closer to our flight departure. After all, you never know with this pandemic.

    That said, Alaska is doing OK with its COVID numbers. They are currently #46 in the US … as compared to Colorado, which is #22. That could all change quickly as the tourism season in Alaska picks up. But I think we will be OK with our current plan to go without testing. 🤞🏻

    We will, of course, mask up around other people and will continue to social distance.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021

    AK TourSaver

    April 30, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 43 °F

    I first learned about the AK TourSaver coupon booklet when we went to Alaska in 2001. On that trip, we saved “beaucoup bucks” on tours with two-for-one coupons ... flight-seeing, glacier cruising, admissions, and more. The cost — which I don’t recall — was recouped after just one tour booking. That’s a good thing!

    So, I looked into purchasing the booklet this time as well. I reviewed the list of coupons on the website. Not nearly as many as there were in 2001, but still enough of interest to make buying the booklet worthwhile. Even better, there was an app that could be downloaded ... no internet needed to access the coupons once the app was on the iPhone. And now, regional coupons were available for a discounted rate, too.

    I downloaded the app a few days ago — SouthCentral & Interior ... for $69.99. Pricey? Yes. But. That afternoon, I booked a Wrangell-St Elias flight-seeing tour. Not only has using the coupon recouped the cost of the app, we’re ahead of the game some $80! That’s a good thing.

    P.S. By the way, remember how we were going to keep our road trip fluid? Turns out that if you have your heart set on doing something, you’d better book it pronto. We almost didn’t get our flight-seeing of choice ... and even then, had to settle for a morning flight instead of our afternoon preference.

    Methinks Alaska is going to be more crowded with tourists this year than we thought it was going to be.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    1
    Day 1

    This Is What We Wake To!

    May 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 39 °F

    And the white stuff is still falling. Luckily there is no accumulation on the roads. It, is still snowing in Laramie, Wyoming as well ... our planned destination today. At least the horrendous winds that blew overnight are gone.

    Methinks our “fluid” trip may be off to a jiggle from the get go. Will monitor the weather and make decisions accordingly.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Day 1

    A Hitch in My Step

    May 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 34 °F

    Don’t ask me how it happened. Being on my feet a lot these past weeks probably didn’t help.

    Until last week, all was well. Then, on Wednesday, I started experiencing a dull ache radiating up from my heel. When the ache didn’t dissipate over the next two days, I went to my doc for advice. Normally, I would have waited a bit longer to seek medical advice, but ... well, you know Alaska was looming on the horizon.

    Anyway, the diagnosis confirmed my suspicion of Achilles tendinitis. So, I now have a boot to wear when I am out and about. For how long? At least for the next couple of weeks.

    I’m just grateful it’s not anything more serious. RICE therapy will help ... Rest / Ice / Compression / Elevate.    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    2
    Day 1

    Spring Blooms and Snow

    May 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ❄️ 32 °F

    Before heading off on our road trip, we stopped off for a doctor’s appointment. It’s why we didn’t leave over the weekend when it was sunny with temps between 70-84F ... before the front moved in, that is.

    Leaving the doctor’s office this was the scene!    Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Day 1

    And we Begin

    May 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ❄️ 32 °F

    Taking it slow and easy ... snow falling, but the roads are just wet ... and above freezing, so no ice. And no wind to contend with.

    We’re in no hurry and will get off the road if conditions worsen. That said, once we get below 7,000 feet in elevation there is no snow in the forecast ... 🤞🏻.Read more

  • North to Alaska By RV 2021
    Day 1

    Lunch Time!

    May 3, 2021 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 41 °F

    It never fails. Anytime we head north on I-25, we seem to end up at the Colorado Welcome Center in Fort Collins right around lunch time. This place is also a rest area with a huge parking lot, so it is a good place to take a break.

    On the menu today ... chicken salad sandwiches, baby carrots, and melon for dessert.

    By the way, though the skies are overcast with thick grey clouds, there is neither snow nor rain. That’s a good thing!    Read more

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