Alaska Planning

We would like to travel with our RPod to Alaska next year (2020). However, my wife is not comfortable with us going it alone. I know I have spoken with some others about such a trip. However, so far it has just been in generalities. It is time to get down to specifics.

Who here would like to participate in such a trip? If you are willing, when would you be available to take such a trip? As I see it, there are two options:

1. Go with an organized group such as Fantasy RV tours or Great American Caravans. This would be predictable but expensive. The fee for the tour would cover much to include places to stop but would not include fuel or a number of meals. Nor would it cover getting to the starting point or getting home from the ending point. My wife is leaning toward this though as she would feel better knowing that there are people there to help should a breakdown occur.

2. Go with an informal group. This is less predictable but also less expensive. None of the organized events nor scheduled meals nor reserved camping sites would be there unless someone with experience in making such a trip helped organize these things.

Also, since any of the organized trips would definitely take more than 30 days (48 was the shortest one I saw), what do those who are on the road longer use for mail and taking care of bills, etc. for their homes? Does anyone have any experience with the various mail forwarding services, either from the USPS or from the service offered by Good Sam?

Given that this trip is likely to have many places out of cellular range, how does one keep in touch and be available if something should happen at home? Having experienced one break-in while we are gone, we do now have an alarm system, but it is self-monitored. Without cell or WiFi, I do not know if the alarm is triggered. Part of this is to get someone trusted who can monitor when we are out of contact but I am open to looking into other options.

I guess that is enough questions to get the discussion started.

The only problem with mail hold is that the USPS will only hold for 30 days maximum. An Alaska trip will last longer than that. I was able to work around it a little bit last year by extending the hold a few days (helps to know the postal carrier). However, I can't count on that being available so that is why I was asking about mail forwarding services also.

After telling my wife the prices for a couple of the caravan group tours, she is leaning that way also.

That leads to a good plan that includes Canada. My AT&T plan includes Canada, so not issue there. If yours doesn't, then possible a Pay-as-you-go SIM may be a solution. Funny how even in USA, yet on the fringes of Canada, the towers are Canadian. Don't know about Alaska and the border areas.