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Forum
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RE: Keep MH plugged into ac at home when not using?
We keep our DP plugged in when parked next to our cabin. We also keep the refrigerator running (Robert read that this was the thing to do with refrigerators ... something about lasting longer). I guess the most important reason we do it is to keep the house batteries fully charged. We have noticed that the Inverter with NOTHING ELSE RUNNING uses lots of battery juice. If we have no hook ups for extended period of time we even turn the Inverter off when not needed to preserve batteries.
We use our DP as an appartment at the cabin. This has really worked great and gives everyone more space and privacy.
Diann
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robanddi
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09/27/08 04:54pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: DeGray Lake SP in Arkansas, any comments?
We stayed there last November when we took my Daddy (92) and his lady friend (95) to Branson. We only stayed one night but it was lovely and saw wild turkeys and whitetail. Had nice view of the water from our site.
Diann
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robanddi
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09/26/08 12:42pm |
Campgrounds, Resorts and Attractions
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RE: XM Radio
We have XM and can get signal in AK when we are stationary. Moving signal breaks up too often.
I have had Verizon for years and generally get coverage in cities or major towns in Alaska. It does work in Canada but is expensive (and there is limited signals in the boonies).
Diann
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robanddi
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09/07/08 08:24am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alaska Checklist
I think lists are a great idea. After our first trip, I made a list of things I ran out of or needed but did not have. I review and update the list periodicslly.
Diann
P.S. When we bought our current DP, one of the requirements was that I could get the bedroom pitch black at noon!
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robanddi
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09/07/08 08:20am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Satellite TV Dish
We would like some assistance in selecting a replacement satellite TV dish. Preferences:
1. Compatible with DirecTV
2. Fast locking onto signal
3. Large footprint (get signal into southern Canada)
In motion would be nice to have but not necessary and we are not interested in HDTV reception. Would appreciate personal experiences with various brands of satellite TV dishes.
Diann
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robanddi
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09/01/08 05:24am |
Technology Corner
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RE: DirecTv in Canada?
Campgrounds in southern Canada may have the coordinates. If you don't have automatic seeker, extrapolate from nearest US zip code. As you move north elevation of satellite (from horizon) will be lower. We could get signal with dome at Tunnel Mountain in Banff. With portable dish we sometimes could get signal mid way up BC.
Diann
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robanddi
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09/01/08 05:10am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Alaska Highway Condition
We are at Border City and will say good bye to Alaska tomorrow morning ... alas. We drove from Fairbanks today and there are quite a few 'Pavement Breaks' with at least two Pilot Car areas. Nothing was awful and we took it fairly slow.
It took us 9 1/2 hours to go 282 miles BUT (1) we filled up in Fairbanks and at Tok then topped off here at the border (2) we also stopped for popcorn break and ate lunch in Tok (3) I drove a couple of hours and I don't go nearly as fast as hubby. Other than that it was pretty steady driving.
Diann
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robanddi
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08/15/08 06:55pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Disconnect toad from Class A's on Marine Hwy??
Some of the smaller ferries (Prince William Sound) requires that you detoad (or at least that is what they told us). Example: DP had to be backed off ferry from Cordova to Whittier.
I believe we also had to do this between Skagway and Haines in years past.
Diann
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robanddi
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08/12/08 10:22am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Best (Most scenic) Dry camp in AK ????
We spent last night at Williwaw and were impressed. The site was big, private but with a view (as most of the sites are since the view is up). Enjoyed watching some salmon in the viewing area which was almost next door to our site. I still like Childs Glacier best BUT if you factor in ease and cost of getting there, this NF campstie has got to be near the top of the list.
Diann
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robanddi
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08/12/08 12:52am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: AK traveler's, what are your plans this week?
TenOC, not sure when we will arrive at Seward but will look for you.
Diann
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robanddi
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07/31/08 08:41am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: AK traveler's, what are your plans this week?
We are taking ferry from Cordova to Whittier tomorrow morning. After that we will head back to Kenai (Seward first) for some relaxation.
Diann
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robanddi
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07/30/08 08:53pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Best (Most scenic) Dry camp in AK ????
New Candidate: Childs Glacier Nat'l Forest Rec Area and Campground
Well, we think we may have found the best dry camping site in Alaska. It is not all that easy/cheap to get to but the trip is worth it I assure you. Take the ferry from either Valdez or Whittier to Cordova. Town is fishing centered but they are struggling to get some of the tourist trade. There is a campground in town (we stayed there one night since ferry arrived after 7 pm) but the place to go is the $1,000,000 bridge and US Forest Service campground situated across the Copper River from Childs Glacier. Heard the forest service spent $12,000,000 on the campground last year and it looks it. There are no hookups, dump station or water fill but there are both RV and tent sites as well as covered picnic areas and many nice new chemical toilets. There are 11 RV sites which will accommodate the biggest rig and four are pull thrus. The icing on the cake were the host and hostess – two of the nicest and friendliest people we have met. They are from Lafayette, Louisiana, and have been full timing for 13 years.
Bridge is just under 50 miles from Cordova and road is paved first 13 miles (to airport) and then gravel. It is straight as an arrow with only a couple of “S” curves and many small concrete bridges crossing tributaries or ‘braids’ of the Copper River delta. There are numerous trailheads but we only took the hike up Haystack (about 20 miles out of town) and the 2 mile round trip hike from campground to the bridge. Saw bald eagles and one male moose driving out but there was a black bear in camp while we were there. Also saw small/medium size brown bear driving back to town.
Now how to describe Childs Glacier. It is 300-400’ high (off the surface of the river); 3 ½ miles wide; and goes back 12 ½ miles to the icefield. It is the only advancing/receding glacier in the world that dumps on a river according to the host. From the viewing area it is about ¼ mile across the river to the face of the glacier. When we set up camp, we could hear pistol shots (cracking of ice). The three days we camped here, the glacier face was active under overcast skies, in the rain and with bright sun shining. Even at night we hear what sounds like thunder but isn’t and sometimes it even shakes the motor home.
What is so neat about this glacier is that, unlike on a boat, you can pick a spot and stay there as long as you want scanning back and forth looking for tell tale signs of imminent calving. There are multiple viewpoints and most have benches and fire rings. We saw some biggies fall but nothing like what happened in 1993. According to the brochure the face collapsed (???) and caused a 30’ high wave to wash up the beach and hit the viewing area (30’ or so above the river). Car size icebergs were tossed on the beach and viewing area. No one was killed but people were swept into the trees by the wave.
The blue color is dark and deep and amazing to watch thru the binoculars. Again not being on a boat, you are steady so you can really study the face. Because of the frequent calving, the face changes hour by hour and each day you wake up to a ‘new’ glacier front.
The bridge (to nowhere) and its history is also interesting. It was built in 1910 to carry rail traffic from the Kennicot Copper Mine to Cordova. When mine closed, bridge was converted for auto traffic and there were plans to build road to connect Cordova to Chitnia but 4th span collapsed in 1964 earthquake. In 2005 a trucker carrying rock load wrecked on the wooden ramp put in place where span collapsed. He was almost killed so they jacked up the span somehow and reconnected it. The road goes about 2 ½ miles further; it is said you can go 10 miles with 4-wheel drive and high clearance. River is high now and we can’t really see how you could cross. We certainly were not going to try it in our 4-wheel drive Avalanche. From the bridge you can see both the Childs Glacier and the Miles Lake and Glacier further up stream.
Diann
Couple of pictures of area
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robanddi
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07/30/08 07:53pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Valdez, Anyone?
Thank goodness you noticed the problem!
Enjoyed talking with you (rain continues; we did drive over to watch the salmon run this afternoon at Allison (?) point. I could have walked on their backs.
Diann
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robanddi
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07/24/08 08:08pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Stewart/Hyder Campground
Camp Run-a-muck is in Hyder and we like it. It is closer to bear viewing and also closer to Seafood Express (the psychedelic school bus where Dianna is the cook). Their dump is almost always closed but you can dump for free in Stewart on the way in and/or on the way out.
Diann
P.S. Don't forget to drive up to Salmon Glacier. It is very nice drive and fantastic view looking down on a glacier.
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robanddi
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07/24/08 12:44pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Advice for a ‘short’ vacation in Alaska …
In 2000, 2006 and 2008 we had family/friends fly up and stay with us for 1 or 2 weeks. I thought I might share our schedule for those planning a visit to Alaska but have very limited time. In our case everyone flew in and out of Anchorage so that was the starting point:
Anchorage – 1 or 2 nights
Denali – 2 nights to allow 1 full day for the bus trip into the park
Fairbanks (skip if only 1 week trip) – 3 or 4 days with side trips
Denali – drive by and check out mountain
Seward – 2 nights so you can take cruise to Kenai Fjords NP
Homer – 2 nights … fishing? Boat trip?
I highly recommend the Great Alaskan Tour Saver book available on-line or at Safeway/Carrs stores. It cost $99 and offers two-for-one coupons. (Book should pay for itself with one boat cruise out of Seward.) Organization of book needs work BUT, being very left brained, I plug data into an Excel spreadsheet so I can sort coupons by town. The book has encouraged us to try things we would not normally do and results have been great.
Diann
P.S. I know two weeks is not nearly adequate time to visit this great state but if that’s all the time you have, it can be done where you won’t completely exhaust yourself and still get a cross-section view.
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robanddi
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07/24/08 10:57am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Valdez, Anyone?
Sent pm with site #.
Diann
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robanddi
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07/22/08 03:55pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Valdez, Anyone?
ak_traveler: Are you still here in Valdez? We arrived this morning after spending the night up on Thompson Pass. We are at Bear Paw; come by and say hello if you get a chance. We will be here for 4 nights and then take ferry to Cordova (a first for us).
Diann
P.S. If you need to get rid of any excess fish, my refrigerator would hold some!
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robanddi
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07/22/08 01:26pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Buying Alcohol in Alaska
Not sure of the liquor laws in Alaska but our experience has been the further north you go the more likely you may not be able to buy alcohol. Example: At Barrow several years ago, you could bring in alcohol (possess it) but you could not buy it directly. You had to have it shipped to a 'control point' which doled it out on some schedule.
Being from a blue laws state, I found it funny that you could not buy beer or wine in the grocery store (had to be attached separate room/facility) but they did sell it on Sunday morning (at least in Palmer they did).
Diann
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robanddi
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07/20/08 06:01pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Arctic Circle
We have been north of Arctic Circle several times but always on someone else's wheels (or wings). This year we drove pickup to Yukon River Crossing and had lunch. Drove back with very short side trip to a friend's cabin (only a mile toward Manley Hot Springs on Highway 2). On the return trip just past junction of Elliot and Dalton highways we had a flat!
We changed it in the middle of the road as shoulder was pretty soft. Three trucks stopped to see if we had everything we needed and one guy stayed until we got the spare mounted (actually he helped put the spare on) to make sure it had air. Ended up getting 4 new tires at Sam's Club when we got back to Fairbanks. (We calculated we had just under 40,000 miles on tires - driving and towing. They looked okay but failed the penny test.)
Now the $64 question is did we get the flat because of the haul road or the sidetrip to cabin. We don't know the answer BUT earlier we had talked about taking the DP and toad to Coldfoot later this summer and I have no desire to do that now!
Diann
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robanddi
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07/20/08 05:55pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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Tourism up or down?????
This is our fifth driving trip to Alaska and each year there were more and more crowds until this year. Or at least that is my perception. We have had no problems getting into campgrounds with no reservations or calling only a day or two ahead. Same has been true when making reservations on whale tours, into Denali, riverboat in Fairbanks.
I have heard border crossings are way down but more Europeans are coming. Also heard numbers of people flying either thru Whitehorse or directly into Anchorage is way up. Don’t know what the facts are.
What has been your experience this summer? For those who have been here before do you see a difference?
Diann
P.S. We are also seeing fewer animals especially on the Kenai.
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robanddi
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07/19/08 03:31pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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