Well, it’s time for some exciting news over here at Life Like Retirement! A lot of things have happened in the last few weeks. I moved out of my apartment and into my RV. I gave my notice at work. And now, I am in the last stages of preparing to head North to Alaska (cue Johnny Horton song). I will be driving from Colorado to Alaska in my motorhome, stopping along the way to visit friends and family. I will also be taking time out of the trip to enjoy the beauty of national parks both in the US and Canada. It will be an adventure on a grand scale! I am so excited for this next step in my life and hope you follow along with me as I embark on this journey.
Motorhome Life
Lyla enjoying an adventure outside our new temporary RV site
I have already been living full time in my motorhome for almost two weeks. I will be writing a blog post on the process of moving from an apartment to the RV soon, so check back for that in the near future. It has been both a little scary and amazingly wonderful. Lyla (my cat) and I are both adapting well and enjoying the freedom. Check out my post about our Maiden Voyage if you want to know more about our adventures and how Lyla did during our first trip!
We also were blessed with a chance to stay in a wonderful and safe RV park that happens to be less than two miles from my workplace. It has been ideal in terms of convenience as I maneuver through these last few weeks in the Denver area. I haven’t had any real issues with the motorhome, although I did have to do a small bit of plumbing one weekend. Thankfully it was easily fixed and everything else has been smooth sailing.
The North to Alaska Timeline
My last day at work will be Friday, May 18. My plan is to then hit the road north to Alaska on May 19. Because I am already living in my motorhome, the final process for getting on the road should be fairly minimal. The current plan is to head towards Wyoming for my first stop visiting a dear childhood friend. Next will be several days hopefully exploring the area of Yellowstone and Tetons National Parks. I will then head towards Montana to visit family in the Missoula area before crossing over into Canada.
The journey through Canada should involve stops at both Banff and Jasper National Parks, as well as enjoying a trip to Liard Hot Springs. I have fond memories of stopping at Liard with my family whenever we traversed the Alaska Highway during my childhood, so I am planning to keep up the tradition. Although I will be taking my time as needed, I plan to be in Alaska by early to mid-June.
Summer Plans
I have also decided to take a few months off from working full-time (quite a jump for me, but very exciting). Instead, I will spend the summer visiting friends and family, plus enjoying the beautiful Alaskan countryside that I have been missing for the last eight years. I am excited for all the adventures and road trips to follow, and will definitely be sharing it all here on the blog. So, if you have ever thought about a trip north to Alaska (RV or not), definitely follow along to see what is awaiting you in the beautiful Last Frontier.
Beautiful Alaskan Scenery (a teaser)
How to Follow Along
In the spirit of sharing this adventure with all of you, I have set up Instagram and Facebook pages where I will be sharing more of the day-to-day journey between blog posts. Check them both out if you are interested! Keep in mind that there are a lot of vast open areas between Colorado and Alaska that most likely will have absolutely zero cell service. So, some of my posts may be a bit delayed. But, they should show up eventually!
Have you ever taken a big leap like this one? Or, have you ever made the drive north to Alaska? If so, let me know in the comments below – can’t wait to hear from you!
