Rustydog
Bethel Park, Pa
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Joined: 12/02/2003
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Ken & Barbie wrote:Here is another tour co to investigate. www.rvalaskatours.com
Spike is the tour leader/owner. We went with his tour in 2006.
The first time we found the tour great - we are going back in 2008 by ourselves.
No matter how you choose to get there -- GO!!
We also used Spike in 2002, my wife had serious health issues, I needed the support. It was a great tour with the caravan we were sorry when it ended. We made a lot of new friends on the trip.
* This post was
edited 12/19/07 08:49pm by Rustydog *
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HarryWM
Wherever we are parked this time.
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Joined: 08/23/2004
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We just spent 4 months in BC, Yukon, and Alaska by ourselves (except in campgrounds where we always met friendly people to socialize with). Several places we stopped had caravans in the campground. Generally comments were positive except for the limited time available at the stops and the long days of travel. We really did appreciate having the ability to stop where we wanted for as long as we desired. What the caravans did in 40 days we did in some 120 days.
Harry
With wife Carole 10 yrs fulltiming
Retired U.S. Army
2002 Carriage LS 37' 5er; 2006 Lance 1181
2008 F-450 King Ranch 4x4 fully loaded
2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee toad
SKP # 54751
Geocacher "DosTortugas"
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thecaptain
Belleville,Mi.48111 USA
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Joined: 05/12/2004
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We went this year with Adventure Caravans , and had a great time . They do a great tour . You are with a group but traval from place to place on your own and meet at the next campground and a lot to see and do as a group also. Driving was from about 150 to 300 miles on travel days and we stayed 1 to 3 days at differant stops , lots of time for site seeing along the way . the group dinners and people we met were great .
* This post was
edited 12/20/07 06:51am by thecaptain *
Ken/Ellen(RET)
2000 F250 Superduty
7.3psd/Banksbrake/Smartlock/Trans command/3.73gear/Edge EZ module
2002/29ft-Terry 5er:
Take life one day at a time.
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Skip and Norine
Fulltiming since Oct 2006
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joe b. wrote:The question of caravan travel is always interesting in that most of the negative comments come for folks that have never been on a caravan. (some have never been to Alaska by the Alaska Highway) The positive comments tend to be from those that have taken a caravan to Alaska.
How exactly did you determine this, Joe?
Traveling our country and seeing the sights, enjoying fun-filled days and campfire nights
See our travel pics
The rig: 2006 SportsCoach Cross Country SE
The toad: 2006 Saturn Vue
The Captain: Skip
The Co-Captain: Norine
Furry passengers: Penny & Biscuit
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joe b.
Florida
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Joined: 08/24/2002
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Determined by reading the posts this time and previous times. This question has been asked numerous times in the last 5 years I have been on the forum. On this and many other questions, the first thing responders mention is that they have been to Alaska. (if they have) Then the next thing mentioned on the "caravan" question is if they went alone or with a caravan. Following that is the "advice". These things may not be mentioned every time but by reading past postings of a person it can usually be determined. The failure to mention one of these is, to me, a sign that the responder hasn't done "it". No one that has been to Alaska, gets on this forum to give their advice/opinion, and never mentions going to Alaska in any of their postings. (everyone wants to establish their credibility)
The question of recommendations on caravan companies has come up numerous times over the years and every time it is asked, some see it as their opportunity to give their opinions on caravans to Alaska. (of which, some have apparently never done one)
Some of the responders get rude, IMHO, with their answers, using terms like "not needed","a waste of money",the macho comments of "I did it alone", etc. Why some try to rain on another's parade is a mystery to me. If a person doesn't want to go on a caravan, then don't but why insult someone else that wants to go on one?
Most everyone that makes the trip has a great time, with a caravan or without. The small percentage that don't enjoy the trip, probably shouldn't have tried it in the first place. It is not a trip for everyone as it requires a person to be flexible and roll with a few punches from time to time, i.e. dirt on the rig, having to slow down in construction zones, different type campgrounds for the most part (very few resort types), not a bear or moose on every curve, some towns don't allow big box store pavement "camping", etc. As someone just said above, the important thing is to just go, if you are seeking an adventure and no matter how you do the trip, an adventure awaits you.
I would think it would be the more experienced Alaska Highway traveler that would have the fixed, ridged views of how the trip should be done for the highest fun factor. But it seems to me, that the "here is how you have to do it to have fun" postings generally come from the first or second time travelers. It is fun to read and watch the folks that last spring were asking all sorts of questions brought on by their pre-trip anxieties and now after spending a couple of summer months in Alaska, have the "answers" of how to do it properly. Just fun to watch the transformation of some fellow forum members. LOL I throughly enjoy reading the excitement in new traveler's postings of their trip to the north country. Especially those travelers, that share their photos of their expeiences on their trip.
* This post was
edited 12/21/07 05:17am by joe b. *
joe b.
South Florida, Stuart
Formerly of Colorado and Alaska
Driving a Dodge/Cummins
www.jbpacooper.com web site
http://www.picturetrail.com/jbpacooper Alaska 2004 - Alaska 2006 - Colorado photos
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N.TEXFLLTMR
North Tex. USA
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Joined: 12/16/2004
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My wife and I traveled with Rv Alaska Tours --- Spike Fortier on his # 3 trip of 2005. We had a much better trip than we could've expected.
We had plans to go to Alaska regardless of how we went and we did a lot of research including asking advice of others on this forum on many subjects. We got a lot of great advice from others, so we decided to go by caravan because we just ended up with a lot of unanswered questions and we felt a little uneasy. We are very happy with our decision. Spike Forier is probably the most knowledgeable person there is on Alaska. He knows a lot of people everywhere he goes; and he takes full advantage of those relationships, and that benefits the people on his tours. He narrates the trip as you travel from 1 beatiful place to the next and he escorts the group to each and every attraction. He gets in the streams with you and teaches everyone how to pan for gold ( everyone found some )and he is great. That's just a small sampling of how great his trip is.
The best thing is, once the tour is over you have truly made some very good friends. We have friends that were on the trip with us ( that we wouldn't have met any other way ) that live 100 and 280 miles away. We visit each other as often as possible. We also made good friends with couples that live over a 1000 miles away that we frequently talk to and correspond by email with. We took a 1 month vacation on the east coast with one of these couples the next summer after Alaska. My point is that there are things that occur as a result of caravan trips that couldn't possibly be expected, and RV Alaska tours is a great one.
David/Minka/Jesse(minature shnauzer)
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Dodge Ram SLT 6.0L Turbo Diesel 3500 LWB; DRW
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Nascarcruzin
Home is where the RV is parked.
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We prefer to travel at our own pace, too, but have signed on for the June caravan with Adventure. Because of gas prices, dh would put off the trip if we hadn't puchased it. I knew I wanted to go, while we can, so I pressured him to go for it and now he is excited, waiting for April, 2008.
To each, his own.
Rebecca
Ronnie & Rebecca
Check out our journal: North to Alaska
Another website to view our trip to Alaska:
Adventure to Alaska
FMCA #388387
Full-time RVer's since 2004
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tandkj
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Sent you a Private Message on 12/19. Please read the PM.
08 Camelot
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One lost Golden Retriever
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