Date: Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:08:54 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: was Crossing into Canada ...how about AK Ferry?
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re
"I don't want to drive the Alcan in both directions"
and
"I've been advised not to miss the route the ferry takes. No other way to
see
> what you see than from the ferry.
The Alcan is somewhat long and boring and featureless, with a few
exceptions, like Liard Hot Springs.
What I recommend for an easier and more direct route from White Horse down
to wherever - Lower Mainland or the US is,
take the Casiar Highway.
That goes from near White Horse down to Stewart BC ( and eventually to
Williams Lake and lower BC ) ........and near Stewart BC there's a fun
side trip to Bear Glacier, Hyder, AK, and the Salmon Glacier, if it's still
there. ( I personally obsreved that glacier diminish by about 50 % between
trips 8 years apart to it. I was magnificent, and the only place I've ever
been where you could drive on an abondoned mining road, and look down on a
long curvy glacier that came right at you, then split left and right in
front of you, a few thousand feet below. The right brance is all melted
away though now )
Hyder is something else. A tiny town inside Alaska, accessed only through
BC, on roads anyway. No taxes there. They use Canadian money, or did 10
years ago ......quite a trippy nearly 'outlaw' 'town, if you can call it
that.
but the Casiar a more fun and quicker route than the Alcan. And more scenic
in some places.
Another variation, is Sagway down to Prince Rubert by ferry.
that gets you about 2 days and 2 nights on the ferry, to Ketchikan, sort of
to Juneau, and you avoid bunch of driving, but you also don't spend well
over a grand ( guesitmated ) on the ferry with your vehicle and crew, ,
going from AK all the way to Washington. .
If in the fall, check for when winter rates start on the ferry system, at
least the Alaska Marine Hwy system used to have that - cheaper in the winter
I think.
scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Stevens" <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 8:23 PM
Subject: Re: was Crossing into Canada ...how about AK Ferry?
> On Sat, Sep 12, 2009 at 9:08 PM, Paul Guzyk <paullist08@guzyk.com> wrote:
>
>> Instead of driving and paying over $1 per litre of fuel in Canada, you
>> could take the ferry from Bellingham, WA to AK... probably still more
>> expensive but you go along the "cruise ship" route and see the same
>> scenery
>> as the love boat etc....and you'll never have to worry about the border
>> guards or hitting a moose along the way.
>>
>> http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml
>>
>> ------
>> And I gotta admit, as much as I want to "see it all, experience it all"
>> in
>> AK next year, I don't want to drive the Alcan in both directions. Only
>> the
>> way back. I'm doing what Paul suggests next year and taking the ferry
>> from
>> Bellingham to Anchorage, then making my way back south over the next 3
>> months. I have a niece & her family in Anchorage, so good reason to go
>> that
>> far north.
>
> I've been advised not to miss the route the ferry takes. No other way to
> see
> what you see than from the ferry.
>
> bob
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