I went with Adventure Caravans for the Rose Bowl Parade and was very satisfied. I agree, however, that to do a long tour especially thru Canada you don't need a tour. There is enough books and research already done that you can do it at your own pace. My second year after I was widowed I drove my own motorhome to Alaska and back. Left mid May and returned mid August. If I were to do it again I would do an extra month. We had a small group and dry camped most of the way. The SI's wanted to stay in campgrounds but I convinced them that we could do it without campgrounds. There were times I was completely alone and felt safe. I overnighted in a road side rest area and spoke to a couple who were from near where I was from and asked them that if they heard my horn in the middle of the night to check on me.
The trip is awesome. We arranged side trips at Haines with a travel agent in town to fly to Glacier National Park where we boarded a tour boat for most of the day. Another boat trip to Juneau that also included a bus trip to see the city. Another day we took the ferry to Skagway and the train ride.
When we were at Prince Rupert we timed it to be there so we could take the ferry to Ketchican as walk on's, stay the day sightseeing by taxi, and return via the southbound ferry that night. It was a 24 hour day but we napped on the return trip. Another great adventure we did was to go "fishing with the bears". We arranged to fly out of Soldotona by a float plane. It took us across Cook's Inlet, landed and we stepped right into a boat that took us to a cove where we literally fished with the grizzley bears. Awesome.
We are going to Fairbanks this year. Bob and his wife did the cruise, train, plane trip and I have told him that he missed the best part. BC & AB. So we are going to that. Since they didn't spend much time in Fairbanks we are including that.
BTW you won't be alone long. You keep meeting people at campgrounds (if you choose to stay at them) that you met at previous ones and if you are at all outgoing you will have made new friends.
Donna
