The Adventure Begins April 15, 2012

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.  Dream.  Discover.”    – Mark Twain

The Long Way to Alaska

Many visitors fly or cruise to Alaska, but the magic of the north doesn’t begin at the state border. The Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon offer wildlife, scenery, and history of their own, as do the states of the northern and western United States. Because of this, some people make the excellent choice of reaching Alaska via the Earth’s surface. It can be done by car and Alaska is best appreciated when you sense its remoteness by taking the long road to get there.

For this long road trip, I will be using a newly purchased Ford E-350 Super Duty passenger van. This vehicle will be moved from its current location in Suwanee Georgia to Anchorage Alaska, a distance of over 5,000 miles. The new Ford will join its twin brother in Anchorage and will be put into service in 2012 to take visitors  on some great adventures in Alaska with my company, Planet Earth Adventures.

Planet Earth Adventures Vehicle #2

Preparing for the Long Road Trip

Traveling great distances across multiple US States & Canada, variable terrains and experiencing diverse landscapes is significantly rewarding, however the pre-trip preparation is very important to avoid costly breakdowns, delays and/or re-routing.

The amount vehicle preparation depends on the type of adventure you are about to undertake. The depth of preparation will depend on if you are traveling the highways of USA or tackling the ‘dirt roads’ in Canada & Alaska. During the process it is best to have a hands on approach. I have thoroughly checked every system of the vehicle to make sure that everything is in working order.

For the extreme climate of the north, the Ford got outfitted with a Wolverine battery heater, engine and transmission oil heaters. Because the vehicle is used in many dirt/gravel roads, all the interior door panels and trim have been reinforced to prevent panels from rattling or coming loose on the rough roads. I hate annoying rattles and squeaks!

I have also installed some electronic equipment to help me along the way.  The Ford van is equipped with a VHF Radio for 2-way communication; an Iridium Satellite Phone to connect with the outside world when you are in the middle of nowhere and a GPS Navigation system to help guide the way. For navigation aid, I like to use both a Garmin GPS and an IBM ThinkPad T-40 loaded with GPS Navigation software by Magellan. The advantage of a PC Navigation set-up over a Garmin GPS is that you have the ability to calculate your fuel stops and overnight stops based on data entered into the PC. The PC based navigation system is more flexible in being able to download externally available topographical maps, retain tracks, way points and can co exist with other programs.

Keep up with my progress as I start this adventure on April 15! Subscribe to this Blog below to receive automatic updates or share this on Facebook.