The research paper

This is like being in college again. When is the research paper due? 

As I research our trip north through the States and Canada and into Alaska, there's a different feeling here ... a different sense of intense interest. Yes, 'someday' is nigh and this is the most fascinating reading, the most interesting video and the most intriguing  blog I've ever read. The books are piling up now and I'll have to decide which ones to actually bring with us. The little one in this picture "Alaska TourSaver" are coupons "buy one get one free" in Alaska. We paid $109 for it ... we'll let you know when we use is if it was worth the money. (anyone used it before?)

Just like in college, the research is overwhelming. It even interferes with my sleep now. One long night I kept thinking of and seeing visions of all the places we could actually go to and experience and learn about. This is a good definition of anticipation. 

So with lack of sleep the next day, I went to a doctor's appointment (it's on my pre-trip checklist) and WOW ... right there on the office wall was hanging this picture titled Teklanika Sunrise. Just the day before, I had made reservations for Teklanika River Campground 29 miles inside of Denali National Park ... the ONLY campground inside of Denali. We really want to boondock much of our trip and be flexible with our routes and plans ... however if we don't reserve, we don't get inside the park to camp.

So far, we've decided on the trip north to hopscotch from home to Yellowstone in Wyoming, to the FMCA region 8 rally in Coeur d'Alene, to the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper in Canada..... and then to Fairbanks for the winter solstice celebrations and then Denali. Of course, that includes lots of fascinating stops along the way which we'll share as we get there. That should take care of the first four weeks.

The Planning Phase

This is April 26 ... doesn't that count as Spring? Not in Colorado. We call it Springtime in the Rockies. This is our Coyote today. 

 picture taken from above.

The pre-trip planning ... A study showed that the largest boost in happiness comes from the simple act of planning.  We can also say that it certainly gets our minds off what's happening right now and keeps us occupied with the details of preparation.

As part of our planning phase for our trip to Canada/Alaska, we have a checklist to attend to ... as long as we're snowed in per se.

• Get Dan's health resolved ... radiation will be completed on May 14, then a two week rest and then time to GO!

• For the Coyote Roadtrek RV ... we're cleaning out, sprucing up, purchasing supplies, and getting an oil change and safety check. We already replaced bearings and brakes.

• Dan is also going to install solar panels on top of the Coyote as we plan on boondocking sometimes (camping without hookups ... off the grid).

• Our trip research involves checking multiple blogs and three different Facebook pages as well as Roadtrek organizations and Yahoo groups. People who have been to Alaska have a lot to share. Oh ... also bought the book Milepost ... everyone says it is indispensable. 

• On previous shorter trips (three weeks each) in 2013 and 2014, we developed (by making a lot of errors) a pretty good checklist for what to bring, what to check on, and meals and food lists. We also found a great pre-trip checklist for a long trip on a blog and adapted it for ourselves. Anyone interested in these checklists, just let me know and I'll email them to you. 

Welcome to our Travel Blog & Why Coyote?

Welcome to our travel blog!

This marks the beginning of our trip. We're in the planning stages now. We're heading North to ALASKA in May, 2015. We are embarking on an adventure in our 70's; a bucket list buster checking off a number of items in one trip ... and a chance to live life more fully and discover what happens when we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the world again. Things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, surprising and refreshing life will rush in. (apologies to D.H. Lawrence)

Why have we chosen Coyote for our theme, mascot and nickname for our Roadtrek RV? Whimsy for sure, but there are a couple of reasons ... this guy represents tenacity, determination and stubbornness. Surely we are embracing his resilience and daring as qualities for our trip. Also leaving home on such an adventure is a little bit scary, so we are taking a part of it with us … our street name is Coyote.

So ... come along with us and share in the adventure.
Dan & Vicki
P.S. Please leave a comment - let us know if you want to come along with us in spirit and especially if this blog is easy for you to access and read and/or you have any hints or suggestions or tips for our travel.