2gypsies

Get the Milepost for maps and history. Get Mike and Terri Church's book 'Alaskan Camping' which includes Canada and the Yukon. They lived in Fairbanks and traveled to the lower 48 all the time so they know the highway stops. They give RV parks, campgrounds and great boondocking spot. If you have unlimited time I'd suggest you plan to spend at least 3 months once you cross into Canada. There's no particular crossing to begin the trip..... just depends where you're coming from and how you'll get to the beginning of the Alaska Highway. We crossed at Sumas, Washington and finished at the Roosville crossing near Glacier Nat'l Park. Try to incorporate stops at Banff and Jasper Nat'l Parks. Canada and the Yukon are just as beautiful as Alaska so plan to spend time. Many return via the Cassier Hwy. Both routes are great. Crossing around the third week of May is good. If you do so any earlier you may encounter things still closed and ice on the lakes. We enjoyed the Provincial Parks of Canada and the Yukon. Plan to sitesee as you travel. Don't go to one campground and backtrack 50 miles to see something. You're not going to go expressway speeds. Some places have a long section of frost heaves and you'll be going at 20-30mph., if that. Other places you'll encounter gravel construction areas. Others you'll have good roads and can go faster. Every day is different. Plan to stay IN Denali Nat'l Park for the best experience. The only two reservations we made for the whole trip was for the July 4 weekend and for 5 nights in Denali's Teklanika campground - the farthest you can drive. These were only made about 3 weeks prior when we could better judge when we'd be in the area. Don't load yourself down with reservations. It's not necessary. There are RVs of all sizes on the roads and people of all ages and marital status. You'll be just fine. It's not a difficult trip; it's just a long one. Break it down in your mind to small sections and it won't seem so overwhelming. Have a good one!

We sold through PPL in Houston. Our RV insurance company just added a rider for around $25, if I recall correctly.

We like Weather Underground ON EDIT: Oops.... thought you meant a web site!

Dishes are so minimal for two people. Plus, we grilled just about nightly. We can't see a need for it but everyone is different. I've never looked into them but we dry camped in public parks most of the time. Do you need hookups and electric to use them?

From reading reviews and looking at the photos, I get the impression that this isn't geared to big rigs and it's not one we would go to. Have you ever seen this web site? We used it all the time as we did a LOT of national forest camping. It's especially good for directions, easy in/out and site size. This couple personally visited all these campgrounds throughout the country. http://www.forestcamping.com/dow/pictures/pictures.htm

If we were to go there with our 40' motorhome and seeing these photos, we would have no hesitation. On some of the pictures you can even see the road for an idea. It looks like an excellent place!

We always enjoy Custer State Park and didn't have an issue with rusty water.

Here are some photos: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pipi-campground-pioneer

Here are photos of the campsites: https://www.campsitephotos.com/campground/ca/upper-billy-creek/

The state and national parks we've visited give you a post tag with the date out on it that can be viewed by someone who is wondering if the site is occupied or not. They shouldn't take your site while you're gone. If they do, just go to the office and they'll be kicked off because that site is yours.

Welcome to the forum! Here's a site that may help. https://www.ezbordercrossing.com/the-inspection-experience/clearing-customs/what-will-it-cost/

Just a thought..... traveling distance is no different than a short trip. Break the trip up in your mind as a couple short trips. It's 2 short days of driving - 650 miles total. Plenty of RV parks & gas stations along the way. The dogs will be fine on the trip if they're used to riding in the truck. Just stop & walk them every couple hours. It would be good for you, also, to get out and take a walk. Take 84 out of Lubbock to I-40 west at Santa Rosa, NM. Continue on I-40 to Holbrook, AZ. Take 377 to Heber, AZ & 260 to Payson, AZ. Have a good trip!

for the future.... don't rule out a bigger RV. We used forest service roads and BLM roads all the time to find our boondocking spot.... with a 40' motorhome.

An outside shade keeps the glass cool. It really makes a difference.

Late Sept. is the time when many full-timers or snowbirders begin their southbound trek to AZ, CA or TX for the winter season. They hit all those parks on the way down when it's cool temps. Also, foreigners do their trips of all the national parks at that time. Toward the end of Sept is also a skydive festival, road bike tour and 'Pride' festival. There's always something going on in Moab!

If you live in the RV you're in a single family residence.

OP: If you're an Escapee member you could stay at the Escapee Co-op in Sutherlin, Oregon monthly - very reasonable and a nice park.

Public places aren't going to risk illnesses because of the water. Along with the national forests, the national parks also regularly test the water.

Welcome to the forum! You REALLY have to explain your comment about the ottoman and the litter box! 😂 Friends of ours cut a hole in a sliding door closet's floor which led to a basement storage area. They made a ladder and the cats got used to going down there and it was easy to open the bay door and lift the litter box out to clean it. No smells upstairs. They also made some kind of fencing around it so the cats couldn't wander anywhere down there. It worked great. Of course you'd need to remember to leave the closet door cracked so they could get down there.

Take Oregon 97 north to OR26 east to I-84 in Idaho. Then get on ID 95 north and stop around Cascade - Lake Cascade State Park, McCall - Ponderosa State Park, Riggins - Canyon Pines RV or even Lewiston if you'd like to take a boat tour in Hell's Canyon. Hells Gate State Park is very nice and has shade. It's a hot area around Lewiston. There are other RV parks in these areas. From Lewiston (a big climb) take 95 north to Coeur D' Alene/Spokane - lots of choices to stay. Continue north to I-90 and then 95 north to Montana Hwy 2 at Kalispell, MT and Glacier NP. All is a beautiful drive! We've drive all those roads with our 40' motorhome.

We've stayed along the Poudre Canyon. They are national forest campgrounds, not national park. They're very nice and very busy! The white water rafting is fun! Have you checked out Terry Bison Ranch? Here's a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44dI8-AK22Q

I wouldn't change your banking until you're on the road and see how it works for you. We did use Wells Fargo for small misc. deposits and only kept the minimum in the savings acct which was used for emergency funds. Wells Fargo is all over. Our investment accounts are at Fidelity and Vanguard and Fidelity does our checking actt. It all works out smoothly once you get going. Planet Fitness and the 'Y's': They're only in big city areas. If you're boondocking or in most public or RV parks you probably won't find them. If you're in RV parks they'll have showers. Otherwise, why not just use your RV? A lot easier. Black tanks? It really is an easy chore. We both took care of doing it. In fact, we both did everything - took turns driving and doing the hookups. You never know when one would get sick or injured. That was our backup.

Honestly, in 16 years of full-timing, and traveling constantly we just didn't encounter drunks. We were also volunteers in parks and can say this is not an issue. I think SANDSYS is correct in saying that the active people aren't seen. They're out doing things and I still feel that younger RVers, for the most part, are more active. Health and eating right is a big part of their lives. In other generations we didn't hear a lot about either on television or in the news. There are health clubs all over now even in the smallest of towns. Every public government offers classes of all types for all ages. Kids get into sports at young ages. I can't even recall sports teams when I was young. Sporting stores do a big business for all equipment and clothes. Go to a bigger RV 'resort' and take a look at the Pickleball courts they have nowadays. A huge amount are playing and competing against other local clubs. Senior Olympics is always a big draw for all kinds of sports - and some participants are in their 80's. Even when traveling we were able to compete.

We used the Escapees mail forwarding for approximately 20 years with absolutely no issues.... even traveling to Alaska. Our kids had enough on their plates so we didn't want to add to it. They also didn't stay in the same states - moving where the jobs were. Our address would have been all over the place.

Let's not forget that we are on the Escapees forum. If you don't know the background Escapees was founded by Kay and Joe Peterson about 50 years ago. They were in their 40's with two children. Joe was a freelance electrician and Kay a licensed nurse. They were 'workers' who lived in RV parks and traveled from park to park. Good people live in RV parks. Don't knock them!