Some people like the structure and certainty of a vacation where every day is planned and outlined in an itinerary. I am not one of those people. I am part of the group that prefers a little more spontaneity and freedom. One of the best ways to get to know a new place is to drive its roads, eat the local food, and take your time talking to the people. Although road trips have a more spontaneous nature, there are still steps you need to take before leaving to ensure you and your car will be safe. While it’s important to check your car often, I’m not talking about the two-hour drive to Grandma’s house for Christmas. Several times, I’ve driven the 910 miles to Florida and back (1,820 miles round trip). I chose to drive at night when traffic was thin, packed food that was easy to eat while driving, and queued up my playlist for the long haul. While it’s thrilling, exhilarating, (and sometimes just plain boring), being in the car for thirteen hours straight isn’t for everyone… especially if you don’t have cruise control. The first time I drove this route, I had a blood vessel burst in my leg from using the accelerator for thirteen hours straight after I arrived. I learned my lesson and borrowed my father’s van with cruise control the next time. My dad went into what he calls “semi-retirement” a couple years ago and wanted to fulfill his dream of going to Alaska. We had two full size spare tires with us, emergency kits, and our backpacks. The car we drove was a Dodge Grand Caravan that he drove town to Kentucky to buy. My dad knows his way around used cars, and thought it was the suitable option for our trip. He built a full-size bed frame out of PVC pipe to put in the back above the spare tires and our various belongings. (We ended up sleeping in a hotel all but one night, but that’s beside the point because the concept and execution of the frame worked well). We averaged around 607 miles a day. In the first leg of the trip, we tag-team drove from our home in Ohio to Miles City, Montana. He drove for a while, then I drove while he slept (about ten hours through Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska), and then he drove again until we arrived at a hotel for the night. It took us around 21 hours to drive from Ohio to Montana. From Miles City, we drove across open range gravel roads up to Glacier National Park. We drove around the outskirts and were in southern Alberta by the evening. Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta ended up being the most beautiful area we visited during the whole trip. Our van was running fine and proudly chugging along carrying us northbound by the day. If you’ve never been to Canada or Alaska, it’s hard to describe the expansiveness. It’s vast. There are some roads where fueling up is absolutely necessary every time you see a fuel station. I’m talking about the kind of areas where bears outnumber people. We made it to Smithers, British Columbia before Dad locked the keys in the car at a fuel station. I felt a little embarrassed. The stupid Americans locked their keys in the car! Oh well. We ended up using a man’s screwdriver to prop the door open while using another man’s heavy wires to lift the lock. The man who owned the screwdriver had to leave, so he just gave it to us. Dad didn’t want to get a second key for the car because it was chipped and would be expensive to get a spare made. A spare key (even if all it does is open the door) in a magnetic box under the car is a good idea to get around this issue. When I drove to Florida and back, I actually wore the spare key on a necklace around my neck to ensure I would have the spare in case I locked my keys in the car. Once we finally reached the Alaska Highway (also known as the Alcan), we were headed North West, through Yukon, and toward Alaska. They tell you there are two seasons… Winter and road construction. They’re not wrong. The Alcan on Canada’s side was torn up. A nice gravel road would have been preferred. My dad’s back went out because the van was constantly rumbling. There was dust coming in the van’s vents. It was rough, but about the time we got back into America, the Alcan was a road again. That isn’t to say that Canada’s roads are bad. In fact, they are incredible! I’m sure the area of the Alcan that beat us half to death is now smooth sailing. Where construction was taking place, we would often have to wait for a pilot car to escort us through construction zones. Another interesting observation is the abundance of Subaru automobiles across Canada and Alaska. I’ve never seen so many in my life. The first thing you see when you drive into Anchorage? A giant Subaru dealership. Want to know what the mailman drives? A Subaru Outback. Other than Dad locking the keys in the car, we had no car trouble at all… that is, until I hit a deer outside of Richmond, Indiana—just thirty minutes from home! Luckily, it only grazed the back end of the car and we were safe. We assessed the damage and because we had driven up and down the torn-apart Alcan, all the deer did was wipe dirt off of the car. For many people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip. As for me, I’d love to go back when I’m in better health and have more time to spend with our beautiful northern neighbor. Our trip from Ohio to Alaska and back put 9,109 miles on the odometer.
If you’re planning an expansive road trip, I’ve outlined a few things to remember before you set off:
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AuthorLiberty White Archives
November 2017
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