Milepost 5-21-14 Fillmore, California
The countdown has begun and the anticipation is building with every passing day now! In just a few days, we’ll be pulling out onto the highway and heading north on our epic 4000-mile journey to Denali. We have spent the winter and spring in our first work-camper assignment at Kenney Grove Park in California but our time is about up and the open road beckons.
Our original plan was to spend only the winter in California and then wander across the south and head up the east coast back to Michigan in the spring, but our park manager talked us into staying here for five months. We have really enjoyed living in California for awhile, but the restlessness has started to set in over the last few weeks; it’s time to move on. Our route to Alaska has changed since we are heading there from California rather than Michigan. It’s a triangular path that gets us back to Michigan by mid-August.
We have been studying the route via Google maps and the standard Alaska highway resource, Mileposts, a 760-page volume that includes every detail of the route, from fuel stops to campgrounds to historic sites. I don’t think we’ll get lost if we stick to the main highway. Then again, this is all about adventure and exploration, so what are the chances we’ll stick to the main highway?
All right, then, we are going to get lost.
We are loving the Pacific coast and plan to follow the shore for the first few hundred miles, first visiting the hometown of John Steinbeck who inspired us with his novel, Travels with Charlie. Then we’ll rubberneck our way through the giant Redwoods and north through Oregon and Washington to Vancouver where we cross into Canada.
Our goal is to make it to Denali before the summer solstice when they are experiencing more than 21 hours of daylight. Cool!
If you’d like to see where we end up each night along the way, subscribe to the blog on the left sidebar above, or Like the Facebook link on the right sidebar. We will post updates whenever we can find an internet connection, which might not happen every day while we are traveling the actual Alaska highway, because the hotspots are few and far between.
Our planned departure date is Thursday, May 29th. Yippee!
Where the Robert Meets the Road 
Living in Alaska and doing outdoor shows across the US I have made about 8 trips up the Alcan. I ‘follow’ every blog I find that is driving up to Alaska because I truly miss the ‘road trip of a lifetime’. Best of luck on your journey!
Pete, we are on our way to visit our kids who live and work at Denali every summer. They have also driven the Highway several times. Thanks for sharing!
In 1972 I went to Alaska from Texas with my family, and aunt and uncle’s family. We each had a truck with a shell and pop-up camper. It was a great adventure. It’s on my bucket list to do again. Look forward to your venture there!
Cindy, other than our kids who own a business at Denali, I only personally know one other couple who have ever made the trip. I hope you get to do it again!