I’ve gotten a few comments and questions about where we are and where we expect to be on this grand journey through Canada and Alaska. Here is a general breakdown of our non-planned plan.

We have NO reservations and no firm hit list. We like the spontaneity and the lack of pressure. Just today we found out about a town to go see that will delay us one additional day getting to Prince George. And we are relaxed to be able to do this without a qualm. That said, we do have a general route and some desirable waypoints. Everything – absolutely everything – is up for discussion at any time. But if nothing changes, here’s our itinerary:

• Abbotsford (done)
• Hope (done)
• Prince George
• Prince Rupert
• Watson Lake
• Whitehorse
• Dawson (city)
• Dempster highway to Inuvik and back (optional)
• Chicken
• Tok
• Fairbanks
• Circle and back (optional)
• Prudhoe bay and back (optional but unlikely)
• Fairbanks
• Anchorage
• Bunch of places on the Kenai and southern Alaska

That’s it, and only for the north-bound part of the trip. We will plan the return legs after we learn a whole bunch more than we know now. Here is a high-level map of the whole trip north, showing the Dempster side trip but not Prudhoe. The little date stamps down south are where we’ve over-nighted so far.

As you can see by the mileage scale, this is not a small place to explore. Just to get from where we are in Clinton, to Fairbanks via Dawson, is a bit under 2,000 miles. One-way. Throw in the side trip to Inuvik and the number is 3,000 miles. That doesn’t count little side-trips along the way like Prince Rupert, Stewart, and ones we haven’t thought of yet.

From this you can see why four months is both a long time and also not enough time. This is a huge area of land, and we suspect that we are only beginning to explore it with this trip. Stay tuned to the blog (subscribe if you haven’t already), ‘cause I’m sure there will be a lot of stuff I’ll want to share.