Texas to Alaska and Back--15,358.5 miles--All The Way To Prudhoe Bay

[gypsydreamer]

<br />Hello to All!&nbsp; Those of you who knew me as AnninaVan from vandwellers may remember that I worked on GypsyDreamer ('05 E-150 Conversion) all winter to get ready for The Big Trip to Prudhoe Bay, AK.&nbsp; This has been a dream of mine for a long, long time.&nbsp; What began years ago as, "I want to see Alaska", over time evolved to, "I want to change my life."&nbsp; Somehow, the journey to Alaska became a journey of self-actualization.<br /><br />As I learned to use tools, how to take things in the van apart and put them back together, all the things I had to do to convert a passenger van into a living space, I learned many things about myself.&nbsp; As work on the van progressed, I took myself apart and put myself back together, too.&nbsp; What used to be "men's work" became "my work".&nbsp; I would look at something and think, "I need to find somebody to do (insert job)."&nbsp; I learned to think, "Hmmm...I wonder how this (insert job) works?"&nbsp; And that there are many things that appear complicated and really are not.&nbsp; It was empowering!<br /><br />I read as much as I could find about traveling in a van, driving Canada and Alaska, traveling with dogs.&nbsp; I was told to take three spare tires, extra cans of gasoline, a gun, a man, tire chains, extra power sources, a portable toilet, a portable shower, the list was quite long.&nbsp; I thought long and hard about how I live, what I really needed, what was important to me.&nbsp; I kept it as simple as possible.&nbsp; One spare tire, no extra gasoline, no gun, no man (lol, can you buy one of those online? with reviews?), no tire chains, no extra power sources other than batteries for the lantern and fans, no portable shower, a 3# coffee can for a toilet.&nbsp; I also took my small battery powered keyboard so I could play music.&nbsp; Two one-gallon jugs of water.&nbsp; An electric and a propane heater (Mr Heater/Buddy).&nbsp; Lots of blankets.&nbsp; A small back-packing stove.&nbsp; I ate very simply--a lot of ramen noodles, cold cereal, sandwiches.&nbsp; I discovered the joys of cooking with Spam.&nbsp; Boiled eggs, fresh fruit, canned veggies (yuck but it was what it was), cheese and crackers.&nbsp; I can count on one hand how many meals I ate in restaurants.&nbsp; I never stayed in a motel/hotel.<br /><br />After 15,358.5 miles (Austin, TX to Prudhoe Bay, AK and back), I am proud to say, "I DROVE THE HAUL ROAD."&nbsp; (And almost everything in between.)&nbsp; I stayed at truck stops, county/state/BLM/national/provincial forests and parks, boondocked, stealthed (is there such a word?), a few private RV parks in cities (think shower, laundry, restocking of supplies).&nbsp; Yep, a WalMart or two, which is the only place where I was a little nervous, btw.&nbsp; Crossed the border into Canada with pets (don't believe what you read on the internet--a lot of it is wrong!).<br /><br />I stood on the edge of the Arctic Ocean.&nbsp; The wind almost blew me over!&nbsp; Along the way, I met some of the most interesting people:&nbsp; a lady musher and her 12 Siberian Huskies, a retired tiger trainer in a European circus, a trucker and his wife from Australia, a native Alaskan who, btw, lives in his van.&nbsp; A couple gathering mushrooms in a burned out forest and their cute little Yorkie.&nbsp; Other van travellers and we always showed off our handy work in our vans and I saw some great ideas!&nbsp; A lady who rode the Haul Road on a motorcycle (and her husband).&nbsp; Now there's a woman with some real ovaries!&nbsp; I hiked up the side of a mountain, looked down into the valley below where my van was parked, and there was a full rainbow with one end ending in the roof of my van.&nbsp; And I thought, "Wow!&nbsp; How beautiful!"&nbsp; And then I thought, "Maybe there's a pot of gold there waiting for me!"&nbsp; And the last thought was, "Yep, you could call it that!"&nbsp; And I laughed.&nbsp; My little shihtzu glanced at me with a puzzled look on her face.&nbsp; "Look, Kirby!&nbsp; There's Home!"&nbsp; And it began to rain so we hiked back down and the rainbow was gone.&nbsp; But it remains burned into my memory.<br /><br />My mantra now is, "I drove the Haul Road".&nbsp; And very few people may understand what that means.&nbsp; It was a life-changing experience.&nbsp; It was a spiritual awakening.&nbsp; It was hard!&nbsp; It was easy!&nbsp; It was complicated and it was simple.&nbsp; Am I glad I did it?&nbsp; YES!&nbsp; Would I do it again?&nbsp; Probably not.<br /><br />If you have specific questions, I will be happy to answer.&nbsp; But to all the people who answered my questions about vanning, how to do this or that, how does this or that work, advice on traveling, THANK YOU!&nbsp; You know who you are!&nbsp; Wait...maybe not, as I may have read your forum postings and you don't even know how much you helped me.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I'm back home, a little lost in the city and stick house.&nbsp; I wonder what my next adventure will be?&nbsp; I don't know but I hope it will be soon.<br /><br />The Van?&nbsp; GypsyDreamer?&nbsp; I will never get rid of her.&nbsp; She was my Rock the entire time.&nbsp; She ran like a dream.&nbsp; She took good care of me and my little doggies.&nbsp; She kept us safe and comfy.&nbsp; I took good care of her, too.&nbsp; She has all new shoes, a new windshield, air filter/multiple oil changes along the way.&nbsp; I am very protective of her, too.&nbsp; We are joined at the fenders!<br /><br />Peace, Joy, and Love,<br />Ann in a Van/GypsyDreamer<br /><br /><br /><br />

 

[Guest]

Excellent adventure Ann...glad you did it....<br /><br />

<span id="post_message_1274440360">no man (lol, can you buy one of those online? with reviews?),</span>

<br /><br />You know what they say about Alaska and finding a man up there? "The odds are good but the goods are odd"!<br /><br />It certainly used to be that "In Alaska a guy doesn't get divorced, he just loses his place in line."<br /><br />Just kidding around. <br /><br />Thanks for sharing your fun and if you don't mind, how about a photo of a couple favorite parts????<br />Bri

 

[KatieinKansas]

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">What a beautiful description of your experience!&nbsp; Thanks for sharing.<br />Katie</span>

 

[mockturtle]

How wonderful!! I still hope to get to AK some day, too.&nbsp; I can relate to doing 'a man's work' on the RV!&nbsp; I've done some pretty amazing [to me] things so far and it's always something needing attention.&nbsp; You are an inspiration and you've helped me keep my dream alive.&nbsp; Thank you! <img src="../images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" />

 

[gypsydreamer]

The Things I took that I Couldn't Have Lived Without:<br /><br />1.&nbsp; The screen doors!&nbsp; Worth every penny!<br />2.&nbsp; The mosquito netting that goes over a hat.<br />3.&nbsp; The heaters.<br />4.&nbsp; GI Issue camo pants--BIG pockets and LOTS of 'em!<br />5.&nbsp; The coffee can.<br />6.&nbsp; The little back-packing stove.<br />7.&nbsp; The pink, fuzzy (fleece-like?), satin-trimmed blanket that I bought at Target.&nbsp; It kept me warm in below freezing temps all by itself.<br /><br />Other concerning tidbits:<br /><br />1.&nbsp; Traveling with pets:&nbsp; Canada requires ONLY a current Certificate of Rabies vaccination.&nbsp; Alaska requires the rabies certificate AND an inter-state (NOT international; it is the same form, just signed differently) health certificate, which does NOT need to be signed by the USDA vet, only by the issuing vet, and yes, it must be less than 30 days old when you cross the border from Canada into Alaska.&nbsp; And yes, they did ask to see it.<br /><br />2.&nbsp; Canada does not allow you to cross with bear spray.&nbsp; And guns (mostly; you can apply for a permit, see their website).<br /><br />Roads:<br /><br />Most of the roads in Alaska are just fine.&nbsp; You must always be alert for weather damage and there are many repair/construction areas.&nbsp; If you think you can drive it in four hours in the lower 48, plan on six to eight hours there.&nbsp; Same thing in Yukon Territory and parts of BC.&nbsp; And the northern states of the continental US, where very cold weather conditions occur.<br /><br />Phone/Internet Service:<br /><br />I have AT&amp;T.&nbsp; Good service throughout most of the lower 48.&nbsp; Not much, except in cities, in Alaska.&nbsp; AAA will do you no good--your phone won't work.&nbsp; However, there are plenty of people passing by that you can flag down if you require assistance.&nbsp; I shut the phone down in Canada -- didn't want to pay international rates.<br /><br />The Haul Road:<br /><br />Parts of it, 20 mile long stretches, are paved and in very good condition.&nbsp; Parts of it are packed gravel and fine to drive.<br />Parts of it are under construction and you must never take your eyes off the road in front of you.<br />Parts of it are hell.&nbsp; I drove 5 mph and even that seemed too fast.<br />But it's all very do-able, if you are careful, observant, and patient.<br />My mantra was, "Slow and steady wins the race."<br />I drove it with 2ply/4ply passenger tires.&nbsp; In retrospect, that may not have been the smartest thing I've ever done.&nbsp; But I did not suffer a flat.&nbsp; I will say, it was four days (2 days in/2 days out) of exhausting driving.&nbsp; Now, GypsyDreamer sports 4ply/10ply light truck tires.<br />I did sustain four chips in my windshield.&nbsp; An 18-wheeler blasted past me and there it happened.&nbsp; Within a couple of days, those little stars turned into long cracks.&nbsp; I replaced it.<br /><br />Money:<br /><br />Everything there is expensive.&nbsp; Regular gasoline (87 octane w/ethanol) was $5.51/gallon in Prudhoe Bay.&nbsp; The rest of Alaska varied from $4.39 to $4.89/gal.&nbsp; Canada--$1.33 to $1.80 per LITER (Canadian).&nbsp; I didn't do the math.&nbsp; I didn't want to know.&nbsp; <br />Groceries:&nbsp; Bananas--$1.29/lb; apples--$2.39/lb; soda--$6.00/12 pk of cans.&nbsp; Cigarettes--$7.00/pk in Alaska; $12.00/pk in Canada.&nbsp; Just a few examples.<br />Camping Fees:&nbsp; National Parks:&nbsp; $12.00-$24.00, depending on where and what facilities were in them.&nbsp; None had flush toilets.&nbsp; Few had hook-ups.&nbsp; Most had a central drinking water supply.&nbsp; Some were pack it in/pack it out.<br /><br />Wildlife:<br /><br />LMAO!&nbsp; Saw one dead road-kill grizzly in Alaska.&nbsp; And I stayed three days in Denali (at the 29mi milepost campground). One small bunny.&nbsp; The rear end of a caribou as it ran into the forest, lots of ground squirrels, lots of bald-eagles.&nbsp; A few moose.&nbsp; In Canada, lots of black bears, a few grizzly, a fox.&nbsp; Overall, it was a bit of a disappointment.<br /><br />In General:<br /><br />If you want to see the stuff that is shown on NatGeo, you will need to charter a plane or boat or take the cruises/train rides for tourists.&nbsp; The roads don't go there.&nbsp; I was very disappointed in Homer--it was like a cheap carnival for tourists, not my thing.&nbsp; Seward is pretty, but again, very touristy.&nbsp; There is nothing to see in Prudhoe Bay except the vast tundra and, if you pay $45 for a ticket, there is a "tour shuttle" that will take you the last 8 miles or so, through the BP property/security checkpoints, to the Arctic Ocean.&nbsp; You are required to wear safety glasses IN the shuttle.&nbsp; Windows on the shuttle van have been blown out by truck-thrown rocks.&nbsp; (This I know to be true, I saw one of those shuttles.)&nbsp; It is recommended by locals that you wear safety glasses IN your vehicle while on the Haul Road.&nbsp; After the truck blasted my windshield, I did.<br /><br />This covers what I seemed to read the most doom and gloom about while researching this trip.&nbsp; Don't listen to the doomer/gloomers!&nbsp; This is a very doable drive!<br /><br />I left Austin, TX on May 9, returned July 17.&nbsp; No crowds of people anywhere until about the third week in June.&nbsp; No problems with snow/ice on the roads anywhere.&nbsp; A few days of rain, nothing to even bothering remembering.&nbsp; Some cold nights but...come on, you're above the Arctic Circle.<br /><br />It was very strange to have 24 hours of daylight (I was there for the summer solstice). I had made black-out curtains all around for the van, to keep light IN when stealth/boondocking.&nbsp; LOL!&nbsp; I was very glad to have them to keep light OUT!&nbsp; They are double heavy fabric--they also helped with insulation from the cold radiating from the windows.&nbsp; And the heat, on the way back home.&nbsp; When I returned to dark nights, I realized...I hadn't seen the stars in weeks.&nbsp; Very strange feeling.<br /><br /><br />

 

[gypsydreamer]

bk2valve: I had heard that about the men in Alaska.<br /><br />I did notice the women in Alaska were very independent and self-sufficient. There are many strong, independent women in this world.&nbsp; It was great to meet them!

 

[gypsydreamer]

Mockturtle:<br /><br />Never give up your dreams.<br /><br />

 

[gypsydreamer]

Katie,<br /><br />Thank you.

 

[Lifemagician]

<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><strong>I DROVE THE HAUL ROAD!</strong></span></div><br /><br />Come on Gypsy... shout it from the rooftops.&nbsp; Such a great achievement.<br /><br />Earlier this year, I too, drove the James W Dalton Hwy.&nbsp; I agree, it is a life changing experience.&nbsp; I understand exactly what you are saying... what you mean.&nbsp; I even stood in the Arctic Ocean.&nbsp; (Years earlier I had stood in the Antarctic Ocean.)<br /><br /><em>"It was a life-changing experience.&nbsp; It was a spiritual awakening.&nbsp; It was hard!&nbsp; It was easy!&nbsp; It was complicated and it was simple.&nbsp; Am I glad I did it?&nbsp; YES!"<br /><br /></em>That says it all.&nbsp; <br /><br />My only question is... I would be interested as to how old you are.&nbsp; I drove it as a septuagenarian.&nbsp; My children - and to some extend my grandchildren - think I am out of my mind.&nbsp; They are convinced I have lost my marbles.&nbsp; (If I knew how to, I would include a link to my trip here.)<br /><br />But good on you.&nbsp; Great trip.<br /><br />Lifey<em><br /></em>

 

[Guest]

I don't want to hijack your thread GypsyDreamer....but just a side note on the Haul road...<br />My wife and I were planning a year-long motorcycle journey from Prudhoe Bay to Ushuaia, Agentina and back and our first leg was to be from our home on the Kenai Peninsula to Prudhoe Bay and back....with two friends, and we had a friend who works for Arco on the slope who was going to meet us and give us the employee tour of the installation and a visit to the coast to get a bottle of sea water to pour on the bikes front tires.<br /><br />The four of us riders met at the Last Frontier BMW rally in Willow, AK and headed north. To shorten up the story, about 40 miles into the haul road portion, my wife's bike had a mechanical failure and she jumped off at about 50 mph&nbsp; as the bike tumbled down the highway.<br /><br />She was knocked unconscious and broke her left wrist terribly..open, compound fracture that got scrubbed into the gravel a bit. Since she is an ATTGAT rider (all the gear, all the time) that was the extent of her wounds. The bike was totaled....<br /><br />Thankfully, one of the friends who was with us is a surgeon and not only the trucker who was behind us stopped, but a native couple...both EMTs also stopped and someone went and got the paramedics at the closest pumpstation. The Aleyaska paramedic crew took her to one of the Fairbanks hospitals in the ambulance 60 miles each way and never charged a penny.<br /><br />As she had to have four operations to repair the wrist, although she started riding again as soon as she could, we had to put the rest of the trip on hold and somehow I got old in the meantime and there it is.....I am not a candidate for that type of ride any more but she may yet as she is only 54....<br /><br />Yep, I love strong and capable women and most of my family and friends are....<br /><br />Cheers,<br />bri

 

[Guest]

See if this comes through and you will see my son and our bikes at the Arctic circle on the haul road....<br />It is a scanned photo so pardon the quality...<br />Bri

 

[gypsydreamer]

That looks familiar.&nbsp; I saw several people on their motorcycles on that road.&nbsp; That's pretty impressive.<br /><br /><br />

 

[gypsydreamer]

<br />Bri,<br /><br />Oh my!&nbsp; I am so sorry to hear about that!&nbsp; So, maybe you can still do it, just not on the bikes?&nbsp; Or skip that road.&nbsp; I think the fact that you've been on it certainly counts!&nbsp; Especially considering the circumstances.&nbsp; Oughta count double!<br /><br />And you didn't hijack anything!&nbsp; Thanks for posting!<br /><br />Ann

 

[gypsydreamer]

<p>edited</p>

 

[yesican]

You should be proud of yourself Gypsydreamer.&nbsp; I live here in Alaska and have dreamed about the doing the Haul Road on my motorcycle but have not made it that far.&nbsp; Since&nbsp;my current buddy is a dog,&nbsp;perhaps the truck or a van would be more appropriate now.&nbsp; You give me hope that dreams don't have to die, only the means by which to achieve it.&nbsp; I can't wait till the debts paid off, then it'll be time to hit the road.&nbsp; Congradulations and thanks for sharing your glory!!!<br />Rae

 

[mockturtle]

<span id="post_message_1274440961">Canada does not allow you to cross with bear spray.</span>

Wow, I didn't know that!&nbsp; So, is it readily available in Canada?&nbsp; I carry bear spray [the 'real deal', large canister] all the time.

 

[gypsydreamer]

edited

 

[yesican]

What works better than bear spray is Wasp spray.&nbsp; It shoots further and bears don't like it at all and it's totally legal.&nbsp; If you don't get the bears in the eyes with bear spray they tend to use the pepper in it for seasoning when they're chowing down on ya..."Tourist ala king" and the bear scat on the trails&nbsp;will have shiny bells and smell like pepper!