Alaska: Caravan or Go It Alone?

July 29, 2009

by Jaimie Hall Bruzenak
as appeared on RV Home Yet? July 27,  2009

We are in Soldotna, Alaska at the Diamond M Ranch RV Park, staying one more night because of another tire problem! (I’ll let George tell that story.)

The park pretty much emptied out yesterday afternoon on Sunday; the weekend fishermen went home. This afternoon, though, suddenly RVs started pouring into the overflow section where we are parked. A caravan! This one is Adventure Caravan, the same one we’d seen in our park in Anchorage.  We hopscotched with a small caravan from Watson Lake to Whitehorse in the Yukon too.

If it’s your first trip to Alaska, should you take a caravan? While George and I would not, it could be a good choice for some RVers.

Here are the pros and cons that I see.

Pros:

* Someone else makes most of the decisions and arrangements. You don’t have to fool with RV park reservations or reservations for included excursions or meals. Where a day is open, you’ll have recommendations for activities.
* If you have a breakdown, the tail gunner will make sure you get help.
* You have built in social interaction with other RVers.
* You’ll benefit from inside knowledge about Canada and Alaska, depending on the knowledge andCaravan experience of the leaders.

Cons:

* More expensive.
* Confining schedule. If you’d like to stay an extra day somewhere, you can’t.
* If someone in the group is unpleasant, a complainer, late or difficult to deal with, you are stuck.
* RV parks are pre-selected as are some activities.
* Activities are chosen for the majority. If you like hiking and biking, those will not be planned activities.
* Group activities seem to be those that are more touristy and that accommodate large groups. (Smaller caravans could be different.)
* You are expected to join in at the meetings and planned activities that you have pre-paid for. If you need alone time to recharge, you may find it too much togetherness.

I have never taken a commercial caravan. The closest I have come is a tour when my RV friend Betty and I did a trip via railroad through China, Mongolia and Russia. We did have a good mixture of planned activities and time on our own. But we were several days on a train together. That did get to be wearing for me, but I like my space.

You absolutely can travel to Alaska by yourself. It is quite safe, the roads in much better shape than they were ten years ago. The Milepost gives you practically a mile by mile description so you know where all services are. Plus, there aren’t that many choices of routes! You might want to read the article George and I wrote about preparing for a trip like this.The question is, do you want to travel by yourself or do you like company (and everything planned)?

Weigh the pros and cons and then decide. However you go, RVing through Canada and Alaska is the trip of a lifetime!

Please add your comment below or email Jamie at calamityjaimie@gmail.com

reprinted with permission

Posted by RVchurchesUSA | Filed Under RV Lifestyle, Uncategorized 

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