North to Alaska By RV 2021

maj - augusti 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. Läs mer

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North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 25 apr. 2021
- ☀️ 68 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 014 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835701, -104.82150338°50’9” N 104°49’17” W
Delta’s at It Again!
25 april 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 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.Läs mer
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1 gilla
North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 26 apr. 2021
- ☀️ 70 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
Rentals ... 3rd Time’s the Charm?
26 april 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☀️ 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.Läs mer
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Resenär The next question will be, will the car be there when you get there?
2021-05-01Svara
Two to Travel I keep remembering the scene in Seinfeld where Seinfeld arrives to pick up his reserved car ... and there is no car for him☺️. We actually called yesterday to re-verify and will call again before we get on the plane to say we are definitely coming. Working with the downtown office instead of the airport. All we can do is keep our fingers crossed.
2021-05-02Svara
4 gilla-markeringar
North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 27 apr. 2021
- ⛅ 55 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
Bugs Away
27 april 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ⛅ 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.Läs mer
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Resenär Wow!
2021-05-03Svara
I had a permethrin jacket and trousers for Rwanda and they also repelled black flies; I was the only one in the group on whom they didn't land. What was ironic is that the Permethrin was grown in Rwanda; we saw the fields. [Brenda Gorman]
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Interesting; I didn’t know that.
2021-05-03Svara
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 28 apr. 2021
- ☁️ 43 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
COVID-19 Entry Requirements for AK
28 april 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 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.Läs mer
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Resenär so complex. geez.
2021-05-03Svara
Resenär What's a PCR state? I hope you won't have problems entering AK.
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Thanks for catching the typo. Should have been PCR test.
2021-05-03Svara
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 30 apr. 2021
- ☁️ 43 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
AK TourSaver
30 april 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 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.Läs mer
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Resenär Welcome to 2021 travel. Not like it used to be.
2021-05-03Svara
I always learn tips from you, my travel mentor! [Brenda]
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Happy to share tips and ideas ... as do you.
2021-05-03Svara
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 3 maj 2021 05:30
- 🌧 39 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.835678, -104.82149538°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
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Dag 1
This Is What We Wake To!
3 maj 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ 🌧 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.Läs mer
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Resenär oh my goodness
2021-05-03Svara
Resenär Sounds a bit like our trip, full of weather! Be safe.
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Thank you.
2021-05-03Svara
Snow DOES decorate a landscape! [Brenda]
2021-05-03Svara
2 gilla-markeringar
North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 3 maj 2021 07:30
- 🌧 34 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 017 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Colorado Springs Acacia Park 38.83568, -104.82149238°50’8” N 104°49’17” W
Dag 1
A Hitch in My Step
3 maj 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ 🌧 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.Läs mer
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So sorry to hear this...but nothing stops you and Mui! [Brenda]
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel 🙏🏻
2021-05-03Svara
Resenär Oh heck, sorry to hear this. Hope the REST helps and you're "back on your feet" soon.
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel 🙏🏻 ... feels much better today. Sitting on my butt all day is helping 🤪.
2021-05-03Svara
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North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 3 maj 2021 08:30
- ❄️ 32 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 949 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Memorial Hospital North 38.966917, -104.75500338°58’1” N 104°45’18” W
2
Dag 1
Spring Blooms and Snow
3 maj 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ❄️ 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!Läs mer
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Sonia Gelman Oh, wow. Hard to believe after 87 degrees Saturday.
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Exactly!
2021-05-03Svara
Sonia Gelman we did not get any snow. only some rain and light wind.
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel You’re lower elevation. Really coming down in Monument now, once we clear that we’ll be good until we get to Wyoming.
2021-05-03Svara
Sonia Gelman Drive safely!
2021-05-03Svara
Two to Travel Captain Mui says thank you.
2021-05-03Svara
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1 gilla
North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 3 maj 2021 08:30
- ❄️ 32 °F
- Höjd över havet: 6 552 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado El Paso County Air Force Academy Pine Valley Airport 38.980069, -104.81040938°58’48” N 104°48’37” W
Dag 1
And we Begin
3 maj 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ❄️ 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 ... 🤞🏻.Läs mer
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Resenär Brrrr!!! Safe travels!
2021-05-05Svara
Two to Travel Thank you ... once we got past Laramie, our weather luck turned for the better.
2021-05-05Svara
1 gilla
North to Alaska By RV 2021
- Visa resan
- Lägg till bucket listanTa bort från bucket listan
- Dela
- 3 maj 2021 12:21
- ☁️ 41 °F
- Höjd över havet: 4 888 ft
- Förenta staterna Colorado Larimer County Timnath Boxelder Creek 40.563244, -105.00850740°33’48” N 105°0’31” W
Dag 1
Lunch Time!
3 maj 2021, Förenta staterna ⋅ ☁️ 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!Läs mer
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Nice! You too are looking good. Isn’t it great to stop for lunch and pull something out of the fridge? [Randy]
2021-05-04Svara
Two to Travel It sure is. The only thing missing was the ability to eat our meal outdoors.
2021-05-04Svara
Resenär One of our favorite things about RV travel is having all of the comforts of home with us everywhere we go. Your lunch looks yummy and healthy!
2021-05-05Svara
Two to Travel Absolutely ... it’s those home comforts that make road travel so much nicer.
2021-05-06Svara
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