What it cost

Alaska Pictures and Info (link)

It helps to be a teacher or unemployed or retired and to have a small fuel-efficient car in good condition, because the greatest expenses are time and gasoline. On my way up, I was a little apprehensive about my little Geo Metro, until I met a lady driving an older Metro with Alaskan plates. She told me she drives back to Alabama every year and has never had even a flat tire.

The driving was easy. The roads are paved or excellent gravel. The major problem with roads is that many are under construction during summer (the only time they can do it) and there are delays (mostly brief) because of this. But the "flag girls" (that's their term, not mine) are friendly and informative and watching the heavy equipment can be part of the experience. There is no mountain driving, unless you seek it out, because the roads follow old routes through valleys. For you easterners this may be important. As a Californian, I missed the mountain driving.

It did get lonely on long drives, so I picked up hitchhikers when I could. One was a half- Inuit all-Canadian on his way home to Inuvik. One was a college girl in Haines who was traveling the Marine Highway (state ferries.)

My basic cheap diet was instant oatmeal and cocoa for breakfast, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, cups of instant chili or curried lentils for dinner, supplemented with fresh vegetables and fruit. I ate heartily in Seward at Don's Kitchen where the meals are generous and the prices right.

I saw all the wildlife I had hoped for and met many nice people from all over the world (Singapore, Germany, Netherlands, Connecticut, Texas, Czech Republic.) The very first day on the Alaska hwy, I saw moose, elk, black bear, Stone sheep just while driving. During the entire trip, the only animal I didn't see was wolf. A day long boat ride from Steward to the Kenai Fjords was well worth the cost. There were more marine mammals and birds than I care to list here. My cameras were clicking all the time. I wish I had the capability to show you my pictures but I have provided links to more favored websites for that.

I visited so many glaciers (drove to some, hiked to some, camped at one, boated to others) that I started skipping them.

The most thrilling experience of all was hiking up Igloo Mountain in Danali National Park to hang out with the Dall Sheep. These sheep were only "Dall Dots" through my binoculars, but up close (I stayed the recommended 75 feet away) they were eight frollicksome babies and twenty watchful moms. The sheep were very interested in me and kept moving closer. I had been told that most wild animals do not like human speech, so I was careful to stifle any remarks when I tripped or gasped at the beauty of it all. The Dall sheep were particularly curious when, during lunch, I choked on my drink and had a coughing fit. The babies especially found this interesting.

Other high points of the trip were: World Eskimo Olympics (free) in Fairbanks where the athletic contests are based on traditional skills . (Imagine watching a short person hop on one foot and kick, with the same foot, to a height of eight feet!) Taking pictures of a family of bald eagles as they flew and fished and chattered just 100 feet from me. (I was surprised that these big raptors made such small high pitched sounds.) Visiting the University of Alaska's Georgeson Botanical Gardens in the early morning and finding moose prints leading to half eaten giant cabbages. Driving 60 rough miles (it took 4 hours) and then crossing the river on a hanging handcart to visit McCarthy and the abandoned Kinnecut copper mine.

The state campgrounds are what some call primitive. You pump your water by hand, and sometimes need to boil it, and there are no showers. I sometimes camped in private campgrounds just to shower. Sometimes I slept in the car at a rest area. Many with campers or motorhomes do this.

The weather in Alaska is quite changeable, so it's best to be prepared for anything. I especially did not want to have to buy something in a remote area (although the prices in Fairbanks and Anchorage are comparable to Los Angeles.) Here's a list of what I took with me.

North of Washington, I never had to use my lantern because it was never dark. There was still twilight after midnight and the sun was up again before I was. This nearly constant daylight was an amazing experience. It seems to give one a real energy boost and diminished need for sleep. While camped on a lake near Fairbanks, I watched, amazed, as young people waterskied at 11 p.m.