Like many RVers, an RV trip north to Alaska has always been high on our bucket list. We are excited to announce that we are going to Alaska with Alaska Excursion Caravan! In this video, we visit with Cindy and Jim, the owners of Alaska Excursion Caravan and discuss why we are choosing their RV tour as our first RV caravan experience.
No matter how you visit Alaska: take an Alaskan cruise, fly in and stay in hotels while you explore, or drive up in your RV, an Alaska trip is the trip of a lifetime. We fully expect the trip to be unlike anything we have experienced so far.
We have considered taking a cruise to Alaska, and Tom flew up there with his parents to visit family when he was a kiddo. But we have decided that we want to see as much of this amazing state as we can during our stay, and what better way to maximize our experience than by spending a couple of months exploring in our RV?!
Remember, the journey is the destination. And for us, a trip to Alaska is as much about what we are seeing and experiencing along the way as it is the individual destinations on the route.
While we 100% believe that RVing is the best way to see Alaska, we definitely have some concerns about making the trip on our own.
Don't get us wrong, we have friends who have trekked to Alaska and back via RV on their own without any issues. And they came back with amazing stories. Our good friend Don Hagge is a perfect example of this. A few years back, Don took his Newmar New Aire to Alaska on his own and without any reservations. The stories and photos from his trip were incredible.
But, you never know... this may be our only trip to Alaska. The last thing we want is to make the trek all the way up there, spend time exploring and publish videos on our experiences only to receive tons of comments about all of the things we DIDN'T see! We miss some good things on every stop, and we love that folks share their recommendations of things to see and do on our next stop in each place. But, it's a lot more challenging to get back to Alaska than it is to visit Tennessee or Colorado again.
And we've all heard stories of folks who have traveled to Alaska in their RV and damaged their RV in the process. Our Newmar New Aire is our home 365 days a year. Beyond the expense involved with repairs, we face damaging not just our vehicle, but our home. We definitely want to minimize the risks. We've spoken with many folks who have rented or bought truck campers or very small RVs for their Alaskan adventure... something temporary for them with the sole purpose of this trip. We bought our motorhome to explore the USA and Canada. We really don't want to change RVs because of one trip.
We've been researching driving to Alaska for years. And for us, we believe the best way to minimize potential damage to the RV and maximize our adventures is to join an RV caravan.
Plus, it's a huge bonus to leave 2 months worth of travel planning to experts who have done this before. We don't have to worry about booking RV parks or planning a route. YAY!!
We think it's fantastic that there are several options of traveling to Alaska with an RV caravan. Once we decided to travel by caravan, the next question was which one? At first glance, it looked like our choices were between Fantasy RV Tours or Adventure Caravans. Both of these companies offer a variety of Alaskan caravans to choose from, and we have friends who have enjoyed tours in a variety of locations with each company.
But, back in 2021 in Perry, Georgia we attended a seminar for FMCA members about caravanning to Alaska. And we knew immediately that we wanted to learn more. That seminar was hosted by Cindy Boyd of Alaska Excursion Caravan. Fast forward 3 years, a few phone conversations, and we crossed paths with Cindy and her husband Jim Snethen at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa. After sitting through another seminar and asking a ton of questions, we signed up to travel with Alaska Excursion Caravan in Spring 2025. Here's why we chose their caravan...
Cindy and Jim are full-time RVers who LOVE Alaska. They have been traveling to Alaska for over a decade because they love the beautiful landscapes, the Alaskan people and the local culture. After several successful trips, friends and folks that they met began asking for tips, and Alaska Excursion Caravan was born.
We love supporting small businesses, especially when those businesses are experts at what they do! This caravan company is a true Mom and Pop business! Cindy and Jim are the company. As guests, we are always in direct contact with the owners and operators (Cindy and Jim) for every bit of the planning. During the caravan, Cindy is the wagon master and Jim is the tail gunner. (In caravan speak, that means that Cindy heads out first thing in the morning on travel days, driving their RV to get everything prepared at the next destination and Jim brings up the rear in their truck making sure that everyone departed and makes it to the next destination without an issue.) If anyone does run into a challenge, Jim and Cindy are there to help resolve the problem.
Like we mentioned, we have no idea what the future holds, and this could be our ONLY Alaskan adventure. Jim and Cindy have driven the roads for more than a decade. They have personal experience with the tour guides and outfitters. They know where the frost heaves in the roads are and where to stop for fuel. They travel in a 45' diesel motorhome and know the best routes for RVs (and where not to go). We feel like we are in the best hands for maximizing the experience and minimizing potential challenges.
As we mention in the video, our friends Cindy and Curtis participated in the Summer 2023 tour with Alaska Excursion Caravan. To say they loved it is an understatement. When I asked Cindy (our friend who took the tour last year... so many Cindys LOL) about their experience with Alaska Excursion Caravan, she described it as the "Best Trip Ever"! During the RV SuperShow in Tampa, Florida we had the opportunity to visit with another couple who picked up their brand new Mountain Aire Class A motorhome in a factory pickup at Newmar. They drove their brand new coach straight up to Dawson Creek, British Columbia to participate in the summer trip with Alaska Excursion Caravan. They loved it so much, they have signed up to go back in the spring with (guess who...) Alaska Excursion Caravan! Now THAT is a strong recommendation!
Alaska Excursion Caravan starts and ends at Dawson Creek in British Columbia, Canada. Other tours that we looked at of the same length (63 days) meet in the US and drive through Canada together. By meeting at Dawson Creek (Mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway), our caravan will enjoy more than 50 days in Alaska! But, Cindy will also provide us with tips and recommendations for exploring Western Canada before or after the caravan.
Here is part of an example itinerary for Alaska Excursion Caravan:
Everyone's Alaskan dream vacation is different. Some might want to focus on fishing, hiking, boat cruises, wildlife viewing, or visiting sled dogs. Others may be more interested in history of the local villages and small towns, exploring the numerous national parks, or the state parks. We love that Alaska Excursion Caravan is a guided tour of Alaska that allows the members of the caravan to build their own unique adventure of a lifetime. We don't have to do what everyone else is doing. We can choose to participate in excursions every day with other tour participants, we have the freedom to wander off and explore side trips on our own, or we can just relax at the campground and do our own thing while everyone else is out enjoying the day's RV caravan tours.
Before and even during the trip, you work directly with the caravan leader (Cindy and Jim) to plan what you want to see during your time in Alaska and build your unique adventure.
Spring - Start Date: May 18 to End Date: July 18 - features whale sightings, baby wildlife, snow-capped mountains and long days.
Summer - Start Date: July 20 to End Date: September 19 - features state fairs, Fall colors in the Canadian Rockies and the Northern Lights!
Both tours start and end at Dawson Creek. And both tours include the same stops and excursion options but in a different order to work around mosquito season. (I tell ya, these folks think of EVERYTHING!!)
For most of us, a trip to Alaska is a long one. It's not close. Just getting to Alaska from the lower 48 states requires a lot of time and fuel. So most of us, look at exploring Alaska by RV as a once in a lifetime, bucket list trip. And after the long drive through Canada to get to Alaska, it's not very likely that you will spend one night so that you can add the state to your RV's sticker map and then turn around and head south again.
To answer the question, yes... Alaskan caravans (from any tour company) are not budget travel. A trip to and around Alaska is considered an investment in life experiences by a lot of travelers no matter how you choose to go.
For us, we have decided that it is worth investing the money with a great tour company that we 100% believe in to provide the most amazing experiences for this leg of our journey. Yes, we will be spending a chunk of money to make this dream come true, but in return we'll have full concierge services, top-rated excursions from the best tour companies, constant guidance and support as we travel amongst the great places all along the whole trip.
We'll have two-way radios to communicate with our caravan RV community and our travel guides Jim and Cindy will be equipped with satellite phones to call for assistance if we need it during any portion of the trip.
Alaskan Excursion Caravan only travels in a small group of 16 rigs (including Jim and Cindy's 45' diesel motorhome). Everyone we have talked to about their experiences with this RV caravan has shared about the great friendships that they formed with their fellow travelers during their time in Alaska.
And, we are completely confident that this will be a great trip. We may not see and do everything, but we won't come back feeling like we missed out on anything. We cannot wait for Spring 2025. We'll be sharing a lot more about our experience with this tour and caravan company as we get closer to our trip. And, of course, we'll be taking you along for the adventure in 2025 as we drive from South Florida to Alaska!
Be sure you're subscribed to our weekly newsletter so you don't miss out on any of the fun!
For more information about Jim and Cindy, what is included in each session and the current cost of the caravan, visit the Alaska Excursion Caravan website.
Hey y'all! We are Native Texans and (since 2018) Full-Time RVers sharing the adventures, challenges, and joys of RV life as we travel. We love camping and hiking in State and National Parks, discovering history, visiting interesting and quirky places, and exploring small towns. We're on a mission to experience life, not just live it with our dog, Star, and our cat, Astro. You can also find us on our original RV travel website, RVTexasYall.com. Thanks for joining us as we RV America Y'all!
