We’ve been considering several options for our upcoming summer – from RVing to Alaska, boondocking in the mountains of Colorado, crossing through Canada or exploring the Northeast of the US.
And we’ve picked a path.. that is really none of those.
For the past several weeks we have been putting together details of our summer travel plans, and we’re ready to share with you what we have so far.
We still have some more details we need to figure out, but before we commit to anything we thought we’d ask our friends, fans and followers for ideas!
Here’s a quick video we created that explains what we’re up to… and a text version is below:
Step 1: Zephyr Gets a Major Upgrade
Can you believe this summer will mark FOUR YEARS since we rode the rails around the US and found our vintage bus? When we bought it, our intention was to slowly make it ours as we lived & traveled.
We’ve done lots of projects over the years – like updating the interior, building a lithium ion battery bank, an engine rebuild, adding solar and much more (view our entire bus log page).
We knew when we bought our vintage bus for a mere $8,000 that there would be a lot of big projects if we wanted to keep Zephyr on the road for the long term. It’s been fun spreading out the projects – it helps keep our sanity in tact, as well as our home improvement budget.
But there’s one big looming and critical project that we’ve been hesitant to tackle.
A new paint job.
Not only is it a pricey one.. but it’s also a time intensive one. So we’ve been putting it off until we had both the resources to dedicate to the project and a shop we trusted to handle our baby.
We decided this summer is the right time to do it. And after interviewing and getting quotes from several paint & RV shops across the country in the past year – we’ve selected Master Tech RV in Elkhart, IN.
We had some work done there last spring when we were in the area and loved the shop. In the year since, we’ve met up with father & son team Tim and Austin Klenk across the country as they’ve toured around and deepened a friendship too.
Not only is this a skilled shop that can tackle the paint job and some minor body work.. they can also get some other upgrades done for us too. And, we feel they understand our obsession with combining high-tech & vintage, care about us, are social media savvy enough to keep us informed and will treat us right.
So, we’re on our way north, and plan to arrive in late May (with a few stops along the way.) Zephyr will be ‘at the spa’ for 6-8 weeks.
(For those curious.. yes, we’re keeping the same basic paint scheme.)
Step 2: Go on our own Adventure!
As much as we love being hands on involved in projects on our bus.. we really don’t want to live in the shop for that long. (Been there, done that.) Besides, we wouldn’t be able to live in the bus some of the time so we’d be seeking other lodging options anyway.
So… it’s time for a non-RV adventure!
One of our possibilities this summer was RVing to Alaska with a bunch of RVing buddies (Gone with the Wynns, Snowmads, Tales from the Mutiny, Mali Mish and many many others.)
The past few years have been jam packed with exciting projects (RVillage, mobile apps, Xscapers, writing a book and launching a resource center) and major life changes.
We’ve somehow ended up working incredibly long hours when what we intended was an extended sabbatical.. and honestly, we’re overdue for a break.
So after we leave Zephyr in the capable hands of Master Tech – we are heading to Alaska.
Step 3: Land & Rail Adventure to Alaska
But we’re going to Alaska a bit differently than the RV trip we were originally considering.
Instead, we’ll come back full circle to the way we found Zephyr by hitting the rails. We’re booked westward on the Empire Builder Amtrak route all the way into Vancouver, BC.
We’ll spend a couple days touring this city we’ve heard so much about (and totally open to invitations.. we haven’t figured anything out yet for our stay, including lodging).
And then we’re boarding the Coral Princess on a one-way cruise up the inner passage of Alaska. We’re considering this part of the journey to be our vacation splurge. We’ve not had a just us vacation in.. hmmm.. what’s a vacation again?
It’s time for a little romantic get-away where someone else makes the bed, prepares the food and does the dishes while we watch glaciers and whales.
So, the trip TO Alaska is pretty much planned, paid for and figured out.
Once we get to Anchorage.. well… we’re still planning that out!
Step 4: Figure out our Alaskan Adventures
(Your help appreciated here!)
We love trusting in serendipity to guide us.
But given this is prime Alaska tourism time, we probably do need to book some stuff if we want to secure options.
We’ve been looking into multiple adventures, and there are so many it’s overwhelming!
We’re open to anything ranging from renting an RV for a week or so, riding the rails, renting cottages/rooms on AirBnB, couch surfing .. or any other adventures.
We’ll be each traveling with just a backpack (yes, even for formal night on the cruise) – and want to mix it up between luxury and budget travel.
And that’s where you come in. If you’ve spent time in Alaska, or have dreamed about it.. if you had 10-14 days to spend on land, what would you recommend we do? Where should we go? What should we see? Where should we stay? How should we get there?
Got ideas to share? Please leave them in the comments.. or write us directly at contact@technomadia.com
And of course, we’re also open to invitations.
Our Shaping Up Plans (updated April 19)
With much thanks to all the awesome input & invitations we’ve gotten from when this post went live, here’s how our plans are shaping up:
- June 1: Head back to St. Louis in the Mini to drop Kiki off with her grandparents.
- June 3: Train up to Chicago (seeking overnight accommodations? Invitations? Ideas?)
- June 4-6 : Travel by Amtrak train from Chicago, IL to Vancouver, BC
- June 6-10: Visit Vancouver (a kind host has offered us lodging.. thank you!
- Vancouver Meet-Up – June 8! Click for Details / RSVP
- June 10-17: Boarding the Coral Princess to Whittier for an inner passage cruise (vacation!)
- June 17-25: Riding the rails around Alaska with multi-night stops in Fairbanks and Denali (stays with hosts & borrowed local transportation lining up for these visits!)
- June 26-July 2: RV around Kenai Peninsula – we have a deposit down on a small rental unit for this adventure.
- July 2 – 5: Unplanned time after we drop the rental back off in Anchorage. Ideas??
- July 5-12: Boarding the Holland America Zandaam for a 7-day southbound cruise back to Vancouver. Can you believe it was about the same price to book an oceanview cabin as doing the ferry?? Yup, we’ll take gourmet food, private bath, comfy bed with linens, windows and room service!
- Once back south, we’ll figure out the best way back to the bus in Elkhart depending on its status.
All and all.. we’ll be out traveling around 6 weeks, possibly longer depending on how things play out.
We will be working some remotely, mostly content & support for our RV Mobile Internet Resource Center and advising to Xscapers.. so this isn’t all vacation. But hopefully we’ll achieve some reduced hours as compared to our hectic pace of the past couple years.
But what about Kiki?
Oh right… we have a cat.
She can’t ride the rails or cruise ships. So instead, she’ll be staying with her grand-meow in St. Louis. We’ll probably enjoy the first week being cat-free, and then go bonkers missing her. But we know she’ll be spoiled in our absence.
So there it is… our big summer plans revealed. Zephyr gets some much needed TLC, and we get a much needed new adventure.
It’ll be a more expensive summer than RVing & boondocking in Colorado, for sure. But what the heck, life is short!
Post Summer Updates
How’d this all play out?
The Alaskan adventure was fabulous. Here’s the recap:
The Alaska 2015 Adventure Wrap-Up
The bus renovations went WAY off track, with the project pretty much stalled part way through our trip. It was extremely frustrating, and took us moving onsite and managing the remaining projects. We didn’t end up getting out of the shop until mid-September. But the bus improvements have been fabulous. Here’s the recap:
If you end up taking a cruise back from Alaska, or if you get to the Juneau area via other means, I highly recommend doing the helicopter excursion that takes you over the mountains from Juneau to a glacier where there is a summer training campsite area for sled dogs. It’s a pricey trip, but SOOO worth it! It’s one of the most unique and memorable experiences of my life. The coolest helicopter ride (and I’ve done several including one that landed in the Grand Canyon and one that circled Fenway Park) is only the beginning…mushing the sled dogs and getting to interact with those adorable and engaging animals in that barren, but beautiful, environment is incredible.
By the way, sorry we will miss you. We are heading up the Pacific Coast currently and we’re in Santa Barbara, CA now and won’t get to Vancouver until June 23-28.
This sounds like a great plan! Curious as to why you feel you need to paint the bus. We considered the expensive paint job too then figured we would cringe every time a branch scraped us. We went with the dragon/koi instead. Have fun!
The bus needs it.. the paint is falling off and metal is getting exposed. If we want to protect it long term (which we do), it needs a new paint job. And we want it done right, and to look great.
When I visited Alaska we added some Bed & Breakfast stays to our rustic cabin stays and it was SUCH a treat! Found and booked all online!
When we visited AK, we rented a RV from Great Alaskan Holidays. We were very happy with their service. We did extend our time with the RV by one day so we could turn it in late in the day on the night we flew home which allowed us time not to rush back to Anchorage.
There is a great wooded campground on the north side of Anchorage versus the very cramped campground by Costco. The city camping/parking lot in Seward is wonderful for watching wildlife. We were there in June and the combat fishing on the Russian River (on the road to Soldotna) was something to see. Have an awesome time!!
Kayaking in th Reserection Bay while in Seward. I spent a summer working as a traveling nurse with the natives. 5months was not enough. Have fun.
Don’t know if you guys like fishing, but if you do, take a guided float trip on the upper Kenai River. Trophy size rainbow trout and scenery of a lifetime. All catch and release so the trout stay huge. You may hit the red salmon run, or not, we hit the not side. but still gorgeous scenery in the Kenai.
If you are in Skagway try the White Pass Railroad trip and say hello to our son Matt Russell who is one of the conductors on the trip.
just discovered your site, very informative, also considering becoming a refugee from – wait for it – “OHIO”! Also born in the golden state, California, lived in Colorado for 25 yrs with my honey of now 43 yrs. We are considering Florida, due to extreme desire to boat our remaining years in tropical climate, scuba diving in water not needing a wet suit, and really REALLY sick of the taxes in this sucky state. (I really dislike Ohio with a passion – not our kind of place/people). So it was very informative reading about establishing residence in Florida using RV mail forwarding place – we will seriously be using your information. Thank you very much. Good luck going to Alaska, sounds like another trip of a lifetime!
How exciting! Can’t wait to see your videos and blogs. Katmai NP and watching the brown bears is a bucket list item for me. There’s a millions things to do and you don’t have to worry about the losing daylight. 😉 Enjoy you two!
my favorite alaska excursion (lived there 35 years) is the 135 mile denali highway from cantwell to paxson. it is like mt mckinley national park only without rules and restrictions.
you will need a rental vehicle contract that allows travel on gravel roads. Use BLM campgrounds such as brushkana.
try to do about 30 miles a day
Include a stop in Dawson city, Yukon. Really fun place!
Yes, life is so short! We love, love, love Vancouver BC. We walked the perimeter of Stanley Park one day, and then went back and explored the interior the next day. Such a beautiful urban park. We were there in summer 2010, and we stayed in downtown at The Loden, a boutique hotel ( http://theloden.com/ ) We could have “lived” at Joe Fortes ( http://www.joefortes.ca/ ) We also love good, quality hot dogs, and were thrilled when we had our first Japadogs ( http://www.japadog.com/ ) I fell in love with Vancouver years before DH, when I was single, and to share it with him 5 years ago was pure bliss. We took time and walked all over downtown, which is easy to do. It’s such an amazing city, and best seen on foot. The Orpheum on Smithe Street, the 2010 Winter Olympic Village area, the Olympic torch plaza, Sunset Beach, and … not to be missed: Granville Island Marketplace!! That’s a “must see”. We took the False Creek boats and watched the Dragon Boat rowing teams practice. Vancouver is enchanting. We’re saving to go back for an extended time in our RV. Please take lots of photos so we can be there vicariously through your visit! 🙂 We miss it so much, especially the wonderful Canadians we met.
you guys may want to check out couch surfing….its free and you travel light!
If you are into Sushi, Vancouver is one of the best places to get it….and in Alaska one of the most single interesting and exciting things we did was to kayak among the icebergs….
Cherie –
Fellow busnuts (& 4106 owners) Tom & Doreen Caffrey live in Ketchikan, might be fun to visit if you haven’t met them yet. PM me for their contact info.
Vancouver’s “Gas Town” historic district might be of interest. It’s where my daughter met her husband on a blind date. . .
Have a great trip!
hmm, no one has mentioned anything about Vancouver yet. When will you arrive and what sorts of things are you interested in when you hit a new city?
Oh that sounds like so much fun! Excited to follow along!!
We’re excited to get there .. should be lots of fun one way or another 🙂
Don’t bother with the expense of going into Chicago to catch the Empire Builder. You can take either the Capitol Ltd or the Lakeshore Ltd right out of Elkhart into Union Station. In Seattle there’s a great Hostel just blocks from Amtrak — don’t schedule your cruise too close to the arrival of the Empire Builder due to frequent and long delays (check actual arrival times) But even with the delays we love the Empire Builder. If you can visit Vancouver BC it’s awesome and another hostel at Jericho Beach is wonderful — it’s a very bikable city if you have time to rent bikes. Have a great trip. Jude
Thanks.. we are indeed planning to take Amtrak from Elkhart into Chicago. And we have 4 days planned in Vancouver in-between the train and cruise for exactly those reasons (padding for possible delays and exploring a new city). Should be fun!
You guys are going to love your trip . Wayne and Ruth here and we live in Wasilla, Alaska and would love to take you both out to dinner one evening you are here if that would work out with you both. I would recommend a trip on Kenai Fjords to Aliak bay out of Seward, Ak 2 hours south out of Anchorage on a highway that is one of the scenic wonders of America. Stop at Alyeska Princess hotel and take the tram ride to the top of the mountain and have lunch. If we can be of any help to you in any way please let us know. Followed your blog for yrs and enjoy your insights and wisdom.
Thanks so much guys! If it works out to meet up, that would be awesome. Any suggestions on affordable ways to stay in Anchorage for a night or two at a time? It’ll be a transition point for us between rail & RV adventures.. and hotels are looking extremely pricey there.
Actually, just noticed the train to Fairbanks can leave from Wasila too, might it be better to stay up that way?
Train does stop in Wasilla and Ruth and I would love to have you stop over and stay with us for the evening. Save the price of a hotel. You can reach us at wayne@mtaonline.net. If you need a ride to the valley, we can come into Anchorage and get you guys. Let us know any way we can help.
If you need a place to stay while in Indiana, you’re welcome at my house. I’m in Indianapolis. Just let me know.
Thanks so much, always appreciate such sweet invitations! Not sure if we’ll be passing through this time around, but the offer is very touching.
Be sure to eat at the Pump House Steak House in Fairbanks and the Brewhouse in Anchorage. And go see Santa Claus in North Pole
North Pole sounds fun 🙂
We are thinking Summer of 2016 in our rig, so looking forward to your posts. Why does paint job take 6-8 weeks?
The paint job itself will likely only take 4 weeks (lots of prep – taking all accessories off, stripping the paint, minor body work, priming, painting, sealing, etc.). The extra time will be for the other projects we’ll be having them do.
YAY you guys!! Sounds wonderful! Wishing you all the fun-filled days and nights you deserve! And Kiki will be just fine! i can see her being pampered to the point that it’ll be hard for you to keep it up when you get her back! Our Fancy(free) is jealous that Zephyr’s gets new paint!! Have FUN….we KNOW you will! Smiles from here! Stevi & Ed
Oh gosh.. every time we leave Kiki with grandmeow she picks up new demands… like ‘I now get bonus dinner at 5pm. Feed me, or pay the consequences’. 😀
How fun! Looks awesome and I can’t wait to read along. Haven’t ever been to Alaska so I can’t offer you any help, but I know you will have a great time! And glad KiKi has her summer plans worked out too. 🙂
It should be a great adventure.. but will miss meeting up with you guys in the NE for sure. Will be watching your adventures as well.
And continued healing to Nikki… so scary!
Two things that are must-do in Alaska: Fly-in bear viewing and Flight-seeing over Mckinley with a glacier landing. See my blog posts here:
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/fly-bear-viewing-2/
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/fly-bear-viewing-part-3/
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/flight-seeing-mt-mckinley-part-1/
http://www.cheaprvliving.com/blog/flight-seeing-mt-mckinley-part-2-glacier-landing/
I’s going to cost you some money, ($1200 total) but without doubt they were the two best experiences of my life and might very well be of yours too.
Bob
Sounds like awesome adventures. I know Chris would love them… not so sure about me. I’ve gotten quite traumatized by flying these days.
If you’re doing the Denali bus tour, apparently you must book ahead of time. Here is a link to people who have do the tour recently.
http://everywhereonce.com/2013/12/13/denali-bad-and-good/
Cool.. thanks!
There are inexpensive ways to get from Anchorage to Haines via shuttle (a 2 day trip). From Haines you can take the Alaska Marine Highway to Seattle, a fantastic trip.
When in Anchorage take the train to Denali National Park. Catch the shuttle to Wonder Lake and stay at the campground. With some luck you will see the mountain and you will be in awe. Or, while in Denali National Park, hike the Polychrome Pass area, with some luck you will be able to observe wolfs.
Another great trip from Anchorage is to fly to the Katmai National Park and do some hiking in the Valley of Tenthousand Smokes. Watch bears hunt salmon at brooks falls or relax at the shore of Grosvenor Lake.
Take the train from Anchorage to Seward and visit the Kenai Fjord National Park.
Last but not least, visit the Alaska State Fair in Palmer and admire the giant vegetables.
Have fun.
Michael
Alaska is amazing. The animals, the views, the days that never end. We took the cruise to Alaska and then got on the Alaska Railroad to Fairbanks stopping at Denali for a couple of days. We took a plane and landed on a glacier on Mt McKinley as well as a bus tour through Denali’s. We were lucky enough to see Mt Mckinely which is usually covered in clouds. The rail trip includes local docents (teachers and HS students) explaining the history and faua you are riding through. Our favorite experience was taking a bush plane from Fairbanks to Cold Foot ( a truck stop on the Dalton Highway) We then got on a bus and for the next 8 hours we drove the Dalton Highway following the pipeline, with many stops along the way (Artic Circle, frozen tundra) exploring this amazing state of Alaska. Oh by the way watch out for the mosquitos, they are like B-52’s.
How exciting! Sounds like so much more fun than our summer plans. ;). Can’t wait to live Alaska vicariously through all of you guys.
And notice.. our summer plans have us ending up back in Elkhart. Depending on timing, we may make a pass your way (we loved our Michigan summer last year!). Too soon to tell, but it’s on our radar 🙂
We were there in 2000 and loved it! Let’s see…there is the Moose Dropping Festival in Talkeetna, the Salty Dawg Saloon on Homer Spit, Ray’s for salmon in Seward, the Burger Bus in Kenai, ABC Motorhome Rentals in Anchorage, seeing the sun in the middle of the night in Fairbanks…we could go on and on, Cherie! Have a blast and make some memories.:)
Jim (and Diana)
Thanks guys.. sounds like the options are endless and our two planned weeks up there will go by way too quickly!
We really enjoyed the bus tour through Denali national park, bears, caribou, moose, etc. Now, the bus tour is on an old school bus, so a bit rough riding, but the scenery is so worth it.
If your cruise stops in Skagway, our most memorable shore excursion there was the hike up the Chilcot Trail and then the float down the river. We were the only hiking group that day that didn’t encounter a grizzly on the trail and we saw more Eagles than you could count on the float part of the trip, our raft went right over a huge school of salmon that made the water feel like it was churning beneath us in an otherwise placid part of the river.
If you’re sailing with Princes, you might see if you can get any deals on their land tours, at the time we did our cruise there they had the largest network of their own hotels and properties that made it easy to connect some wonderful trips together. They also offered a train trip from Denali to Anchorage that went through beautiful scenery.
If the Alaska state ferries are having issues, you might check out the BC ferries, I don’t remember how far north they go, but we were much more impressed with the BC ferries vs. the WA state ferries.
Thanks for the tips, Ruth! Sounds like you guys have a memorable experience. Last I was in Skagway (I did a cruise before knowing Chris), I did a bike trip – and it was amazing. Hiking & floatings sounds our speed!
If you get a chance, check out Hatcher’s Pass. It’s close to Palmer, AK. We lived in AK for 3 years in the late 70s. It’s probably changed a lot since then, but Hatcher’s Pass is the most beautiful spot on the planet!
Most beautiful spot on the planet… hmmm.. we are truly looking forward to experiences like that. Of course, we’ve had some pretty incredible views over our years on the road.
What, you don’t want swoops and swirls? Ha ha, I love that you are keeping with the current look and can’t wait to see it all shiny and updated. See you guys in Alaska!!!
Can’t wait guys… not like we schemed together last summer, but, it should be awesome! You guys have an impressive itinerary ahead of you!
Wow…10 – 14 days on land will be a whirlwind trip! I highly recommend getting the Alaska TourSaver Coupon Book. We didn’t know about this until we were half way through our trip but it still more than paid for itself. You guys are going to have a blast!!!
Yeah… 14 days is now feeling like way too short with all these great suggestions! Thanks for the tip on the coupon book, looks like they have an app version too. Perfect for backpacking!
This is awesome news! I’m so looking forward to reading about your adventures. And Zephyr is going to be absolutely drool worthy!!!
Todd
Can’t wait until our drool-worthy rides are back together again.. 🙂 I couldn’t remember, are you guys heading to Alaska with the gang? If so, maybe see you up there. If not, our paths MUST cross again.
I’ve been there three times, yet have seen so little of it as Alaska is so enormous.
The Kenai and Homer are great, as is the Halibut fishing out of that area. There are other small towns and villages in this area too. All worth a consider.
Denali National Park, if time allows. And if you do go there, it’s almost inexcusable not to go the ~2 hours more to Fairbanks. If you don’t want the larger city experience of Fairbanks itself, head that direction anyway, as there are other small communities around to visit. But more importantly is the scenery of an area the far north.
Get flown in to a remote camp, usually on a lake, but make a fly in only drop off experience. Stay as long as you like. These places usually have breath taking scenery on the flights in and out,max well as while there. The fish, hiking, scenery, ect while there, along with absolute solitude, is unlike anything else.
Or, if you can’t swing the fly in trip, get a scenic flight via small plane or helicopter. There are many available for a variety of experiences and scenery types. You won’t go wrong.
If the salmon are running somewhere you happen to be, spend a day salmon fishing. Another great Alaskan experience.
There are many routes and methods home. But here’s one that’s a little different. Fly from Alaska to Vancouver, BC. Then take the Trancontinental Canadian Railway as Far East as you need to. From there take a plane, bus, or whatever, back into the U.S. where your bus awaits you.
Unfortunate you’re fulltimers but making a trio this big so short. But… Enjoy the adventures and the journey. 🙂
Some excellent suggestions… especially love the idea of the Canadian Railway as our way back. Thanks so much.. now more options to noodle over!
I’d concur with the above commenter saying the BC Ferry system is very good. I’ve no personal experience, but living here in western Washington I’ve heard many people talk about there experiences fondly.
Maybe take the ferries all the way to Vancouver and then the train thru the Canadian Rockies. Now those would be two darn impressive rides on one journey back home.
I’m envious I don’t get to go. 🙁
Looking forward to reconnecting with you on your layover! <3 <3
Thrilled it should work out.. looking forward to it!
What a great trip! As a flight crew I’ve been to Anchorage many times and my husband and I spent 9 days driving the interior. You can take the train to Denali and Seward but if you have a car, you can also add some small stops as well as Fairbanks and Homer. In some semblance of order:
Rent a car – head north – Wasilla has and interesting dog sled museum. Talkeetna is a funky town that you would enjoy a stop in.. K2 and other operators run small airplane tours around Denali from here.
Denali- take the 8 hr bus ride into the park, see Mt. McKinley. It’s a school bus, you might want to reserve ahead. We stayed north of the park at the Touch of Wilderness. I highly recommend them. If you go up there, stop over at EarthSong Lodge/Henry’s Coffeehouse. They have an evening program about Denal. They have sled dogs too.
Fairbanks is 2 hours north from here.
Heading back south, Anchorage has two things I wouldn’t miss: their farmers market and Humpy’s Bar/Restaurant.
The drive south from Anchorage to Seward along the Sound is stunning. I would definitely go to Seward. (The train goes there too.) In Seward we took an 8 hour cruise. You may want to kayak the Kenai Fjords.
If you drove, you could continue on and go to Homer. (There is a bus between the two towns but its sporadic.) It’s a sleepy little town. It is where you can catch the Alaska Marine Highway System to Kodiak Island – a 9-13 hour ride. (where all the famous bear catching fish pictures are from).
Back in Anchorage, you can catch the train back down to Seward and take the poor man’s Alaska cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway System back to the lower 48 at Bellingham Washington.
I hope this gives you some ideas. 🙂
Susan
Thanks for all the excellent suggestions, Susan! Love them, and they have definitely given us some direction on where to focus our time at. Thanks so much!
For your trip on the Empire Builder it might be worthwhile to buy a couple lapel pins: Amtrak and BNSF. A friend who was receiving poor service put those on his jacket then left it visible when he went to dinner. He had fabulous service after that. 🙂
If you’re traveling in a sleeper be sure to check out the lounge in Chicago station–free food!
Hahaha.. cool tip for great service. We were super happy with the service we got on our last rail adventure, crossing our fingers for the same this time around. And we have booked a sleeper car and do remember the lounge in Chicago being pretty snazzy. Thanks!
Hi Cheri!
I am a long time reader. Your summer sounds wonderful. One of the things that I think is so very cool about Technomadia (and all Full Timers) is that you aren’t bound by geography. Where do you want to go? Close your eyes and point on a map. Your work, your life come with you. It’s fascinating and inspiring. And how cool is it that you are taking bids across the country as you search for someone to paint your “house.” None of the normal obstacles/anchors associatied with staying in a house. I so enjoy your (and Chris’) travels and all that you do to make your lifestyle seem attainable. Thank you! -Chris http://www.cuontheroad.net
Awww.. thanks Chris. It is indeed an awesome lifestyle that allows you to approach life a bit differently. Sometimes I forget how cool it is to just say ‘we shopped for bids across country’. It’s a great freedom.
We spent summer before last in Alaska-93 days, much of it boondocking. The very top highlight was a bear watching trip to Katmai National Park with these good folks: http://www.sasquatchalaska.com/bear-viewing-day-tours/ out of Homer. SO many Grizzlies! We also got to see glaciers and volcanoes from the air. If you’d like to see our photos, send a facebook friend request to hubby Joel Docter–his camera is the good one.
Halibut fishing is fun, but what will you do with the fish? We had ours processed and took it with us. Maybe you can ship it, for a price. $$$$
Denali is a must, of course–can’t go all that way and miss out on a mountain large enough to create its own weather!
I love your plan, and I’m jealous. I want to go back to Alaska, without any wear and tear on our coach. Someday…
Thanks for the suggestions Gail… we so look forward to one day boondocking our way across Alaska too, it sounds amazing .. hopefully this trip gives us the inspiration to commit to making the journey.
Sounds fantastic. We loved our cruise to Alaska and envy your rail time. We’ll miss seeing you on the road, though.
Hugs!
I did an Alaskan cruise several years ago (pre-Chris) and it was fantastic. I’m so excited to share the experience with him. When you do next see us on the road, we’ll be super-shiny 🙂
WOW! Fabulous and exciting plans indeed! We’ve only been to Alaska once on a backpacking trip. We saw the salmon run (and bears!) in Katmai National Park and then took a biplane to Valley of Thousand Smokes to backpack for a week. I certainly recommend the park, and if you get a chance, a small plane ride. Alaska is amazing from the sky. Can’t wait to follow your adventures!
Nina
I may just have to get past my dislike of flying.. sounds like by air is an amazing experience. I fondly remember some of your stories about your Alaskan adventure (and we’ve been tasked with tempting you guys north with us.. so.. poke poke 😉 ).
Great plan! I have no input as I’ve not been to AK, but am sure looking forward to hearing/seeing your adventures 🙂
And we look forward to sharing them 🙂
It is a bit pricey but the helicopter tour of the ice fields from Juneau is unforgettable. I have done it twice and it is worth every penny. You land on a glacier and get to walk around and look down into the crevasses. one of the coolest things I have ever done.
Very tempting.. thanks! And awesome that you loved it enough to do twice.
We used the ferry late last summer (August) to take our truck and truck camper up the southeast coast of Alaska–the absolute best way to go! The ferries have state rooms–spartan but totally usable–there is an outdoor deck where many young/not so young people pitched tents or camped out under the heated overhang. The food was good and the scenery breathtaking! As a walk on with perhaps a bicycle–not expensive at all!!
Thanks for the feedback on the ferry. We’ve priced out the return trip by ferry and by the cheapest cruise option.. and they’re about the same (with the cruise including food and such). But the experience of the ferry may win us over 🙂
Sounds like a lot of fun. Can’t wait to see the “new” Zeph. What do you use to pop up your names at the beginning of your video?
Thanks. We use iMovie for our (amateur) video editing.
We just spent the summer in Alaska this past year, 2014, and if we only had a few weeks we’d probably head back to the Kenai Peninsula. But, I don’t know what to recommend for accommodations because we were in our rig. There is a big hotel at the very tippy tip of Homer Spit that could work out for you.
Exploring Kenai Peninsula by rental RV is definitely one of the options we’re considering.. so thanks for the feedback as that being a place you’d head back.
Be sure to spend some time in Fairbanks. Anchorage, to me, is just another big city, but Fairbanks has character.
Awesome to hear.. we’ve had some feedback that all the ‘big’ cities are just cities and to not concentrate on them. But Fairbanks is tempting us anyway.
Make sure Denali is in your plans! We took the bus all the way into Kantishna and then flew out. Amazing! We spent all last summer in Alaska, many highlights, Homer and halibut fishing, helicopter ride in Valdez, hiking in Juneau, Valdez, Seward, etc, driving up to the Arctic Circle and Coldfoot, salmon fishing in the Kenai, on and on and on…..
Sounds like the adventures are endless up there.. can’t wait to at least check some of them out.