all Alaska videos

After the disastrous border crossing in an RV into Canada, we decided not to take any chances for round two! Even though we were entering back into the US and should be greeted with a hug and a cup of hot cocoa, we knew that it would be assumed we were a threat to national security until proven otherwise.

For border crossing in an RV this time we planned ahead. Here's what we had organized way ahead of time so when we rolled up to the border guard there wouldn't be any fumbling around:

1.) Passports- Yes, we had them last time. I understand if it sounded confusing in the previous video. We've visited somewhere around 30+ countries. We know we need passports. (Email my mom if you're still upset about last time. )

2.) List of all meat, vegetables, and fruit in the RV- Is this overkill? Yes. Have the border guards really liked it? Yes. Have any of the border guards confiscated anything based on this list? Also yes- two limes.

3.) List of all alcohol in the RV- When you're driving around what is essentially a house, you forget how much alcohol you might be dragging around with you. We had quite few fifths of different kind of alcohol that might have been 1/4 to 1/2 full, some assorted six packs, a couple bottles of wine...you get it. While you're supposed to pay duty on anything over a certain limit going into the US or Canada the border guards liked that we had a black and white list of exactly what alcohol we had on board. While we were above the limit through several crossings we never had to pay duties.

4.) All dog health records- We were never asked to present these but based on online research you need to be able to prove your dog is current with rabies shots.

Next time you're doing a border crossing in an RV we hope these little tips help. Might seem like overkill but they made our experience much smoother!

The Dalton Highway has a reputation as dangerous and wild- which is likely why its on every motorcycle riders bucket list. Come along with me on a three day journey through the Arctic Circle while I contemplate mosquitoes, tent camping in the tundra, and wondering why I didn't bring along an extra jacket.

While the Dalton Highway motorcycle experience is something that many people spend weeks (or even months) prepping for it was more of a last minute decision for me. I'm not saying that to sound like a cool guy- more so, it gives you an idea of how unprepared I was going into it. Learn from my mistakes and have yourself a much better time on the 414 miles North.

I made the ride up from Fairbanks, AK to Deadhorse and back over three days during August of 2018. I reserved the bike on a Monday night, picked it up Wednesday after, made it to Deadhorse and back by Friday evening at last light. Here are my takeaways:

Bring Plenty of Gas for Your Motorcycle Ride up the Dalton

As I was using a rental BMW GS I had to trust the rental company that the RotopaX I was taking along would be enough to get me between fuel stops on the Dalton. While running out of gas on the highway probably wouldn't result in your demise, it would certainly be inconvenient. I wish I had taken more fuel along- I would have had a much less anxiety filled final 45 minutes rolling into Deadhorse on with the fuel light on. Additionally, I could have spent a bit more time looking for my tent that fell off the back of my motorcycle without worrying about being stuck out in the tundra.

A Tool Bag (and Knowing How to Use Them!) for Your Motorcycle Ride up the Dalton

When I rented my bike I asked if the tool kit would have everything needed to survive the Dalton. I was given a handwave and told that there was everything needed to fix a flat including an electric air pump. Next question- "What about tightening up the chain if it gets loose?"

I was assured that the chain would be fine. Twice.

Guess who ended up destroying a sprocket on the last 100 miles of the trip because of a chain that kept slipping?

It's cute when something breaks and you don't own it. It's a lot less cute when it might strand you on the side of the Dalton. Bring the tools and the knowledge with you to fix the basics. If you're renting, insist on them providing tools. For the tools they DO provide, make sure you check to make sure that they're functioning and that the last renter didn't use the air pump as a hammer.

Cash for Your Motorcycle Ride up the Dalton

I was able to use my card at Yukon Crossing, Coldfoot Camp, and Deadhorse amazingly. It wouldn't hurt to bring a big wad of cash just in case though. Especially if you end up needing help. Cash is king, right?

Full Protective Riding Gear for Your Motorcycle Ride up the Dalton

I have to be honest- I'm not a huge ATGATT guy. I almost always have a helmet, mostly have a jacket, and specialty gloves and boots if I'm doing a long ride. For the Dalton I would recommend you go all out- borrow gear if necessary. I haven't had a slide on two wheels since I was 17 but probably came the closest to having it happen to me again on the Dalton while driving on some thick loose gravel. Since the choice to ride the Dalton was a last minute audible I didn't have protective leg wear and that could have made for a very bad fall.

Do yourself a favor and be as complete as possible for protective gear. You'll be more comfortable as well.

Oh- and waterproof tall boots. My feet were soaked for two full days out of the three.

Much Warmer Clothes Than you Think You'll Need for Your Motorcycle Ride up the Dalton

You won't believe the temperature change between Fairbanks and Deadhorse. That should be obvious though. What I forgot about is the multitude of factors that can make a motorcycle ride in otherwise comfortable temps absolutely bone chilling. 1.) You're not moving your body. 2.) Windchill 3.) Exhaustion 4.) Sweaty/Damp clothing. Don't be a dope like I was- bring as much warm clothing as you could possibly imagine needing...and then a little more in case that stuff gets wet!

Valdez, Alaska in an RV is the best way to experience this small ocean side town. Valdez is nestled among fjords on Prince William Sound. You probably know it as the primary location affected by the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spill in the 80s.

It was the perfect spot for us to hide out for a week between Tim’s crazy Dalton adventure and the arrival of Tim’s parents the following week in to Anchorage.

It was SO NICE to finally be next to the ocean. After being in an RV for months driving through the center of North America we finally reached the coast. This finally felt like the RV experience we had been looking for. We had all the comforts of “home” as well as adventure and beautiful views right outside our door.

Valdez is a very very small town with only a few restaurants, a Best Western hotel, and LOADS of RV parks.

Somehow we managed to call the same day and get a spot right on the water at the Bear Paw RV Resort.

We had to move spots due to availability after a few days in to town, but there’s not a bad RV spot around. Every where you look you are surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and bald eagles.

It was really nice here catching up on work. The fact that Valdez Alaska is one of the wettest places in north america meant we spent a lot of time inside. We didn’t do much vlogging… hence the abnormal amount of voiceover in this episode, but we want to show what Valdez has to offer as it was one of our favorite places in the state.

It’s popular to take a day cruise out to the near by the Columbia Glacier. We opted out mostly because we were using this week to work and it was a little long to leave Pepper at home. We did love all of the other things to do in town.

Our favorite was the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery.

Every year this hatchery releases approximately 230 million pink salmon and 2 million coho salmon. The fish later return to the hatchery by entering the facility using a fish ladder which carry the fish from Prince William Sound “up stream”. This process is known as ocean ranching and occurs every year!

The amount of fish here was just astounding. This of course made the entire area a popular destination for other wild life.

Just up the road at other river inlets is a popular place to spot our favorite animal right off the side of the road. BEAR

There’s only one road in and out of Valdez so you’ll definitely won’t miss Bridal veil falls and the X glacier on your way in and out, unless of course you’ll be riding the ferry on the Alaska Marine highway which can take you down to south east Alaska or up closer to Anchorage.

It was time to head to Anchorage where we met up with a couple who had found us through our New Zealand videos. Fortunately for us they happen to be the owners of Double Shovel Brewing in Anchorage and were wonderful hosts for the evening.

So at this time, Double Shovel isn’t on Harvest Hosts yet, but there is one harvest host in Anchorage. We would definitely recommend checking them out because, surprisingly enough, downtown Anchorage had THE WORST RV options we’ve seen the entire trip.

Another big thanks to Galen and Morgan who made our visit to Anchorage very memorable, or not… if you know what I mean.

Stay tuned for Sunday where we head to Seward with Tim’s parents and kayak to the Aialik Glacier with one of the funniest people we met on the trip…

Seward lies in the Kenai peninsula and should definitely be a stop on your Alaskan Road Trip. Even the drive here from the airport is listed as one of the most beautiful in the country.

Today we venture to Seward – with 2 more people in tow. On our way back from Valdez we swung through Anchorage to pick up my parents while waiting at the coolest Airport Cell Phone Pick up lot we’ve ever seen.

For $40 you can park oceanside with water and electric and even dry camp on a budget with cruise ships out your front window for $20

The main reason we’re here is my number one Alaska bucket list item: kayak to a glacier. We’re heading out on a ferry to a remote island inside the Kenai Fjords National Park where our wilderness guides keep their kayaks. Already, just on the ferry ride we were visited by sea otters, harbor seals, bald eagles, puffins and were surrounded by ice, glaciers AND lush temperate rainforests. Yes, rainforest, in Alaska.

How do we know all this? This is our Wilderness Guide Norris. We booked a full day trip with Kayak Adventures Worldwide and, while we were sharing the ferry with other groups, it was just Norris and the four of us that were going to be off exploring the glacier. You know how sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw? Well, we were quite “lucky” with Norris. He was immediately on board for our shenanigans, so we just handed over the camera and said – ok – you’re in charge of YouTube today 😊

Yes, it cold; it was wet; but it was one of the most incredible places we have ever been. It was time to paddle back to “kayak island” to be picked up by the ferry, and, with some time to kill, we decided to interview a WILDERNESS EXPERT on how to stay “bear aware” in the park.

Wet, tired, hungry and cold we laughed on the way back and we applauded Tim’s parents who hadn’t hardly been with us for 24 hours before we threw them into one of the most challenging days of the trip.

This video is not in any way sponsored by kayak adventure worldwide nor did we receive this trip for free. This was a serendipitous day with a great guide and company. At the end of our trip each participant selects a eco friendly non profit to donate to. Out of all of the guided adventures and tour companies we taken throughout our travels, this by far was the best experience and we hope you give them a look if you are visiting Alaska.

Stay tuned for Thursday where we show the stark difference of what happens when you DON’T get a assigned a great guide as we go Halibut fishing out of Homer with someone who would rather be Moose hunting.

Homer Alaska Halibut Fishing

Homer is known for being “the end of the road”. The 5 miles out in to the ocean on to the Homer Spit is the farthest WEST connective road goes in North America. After driving all the way to Alaska from Florida, we were beyond excited to arrive.

We left in the early morning on a charter boat to head out far from shore out to the deep shelves where the Halibut like to hang. It wasn’t long however, before we realized just what the day was going to be like. Our captain rolled his eyes and let us know we were “lucky” he was out with us on opening day of moose hunting season… maybe luck, along with $325/person,, ok. The day began with 6 of us watching a very hands-off training on ‘how to fish for halibut” and off we went..mmm wrong, I guess.

But, eh, it was all good, I mean at least is wasn’t raining! Then… we had one!... Maybe.

After 5-12 times of catching each others lines and dismantling tangles the captain decided we should try our luck elsewhere.

We arrived to find the largest waves we've ever been out in!

It wasn’t exactly the “woooo! Take a picture with your fish” crowd – and off it went in to the bin it went. But – Debbie and I decided it called for a it more – celebrating.

With an hour left on the carter, bob continued to try his luck while Debbie and I sat back and decided catching each others lines all day had meant we had the biggest catches on the boat!

Hah, it wasn’t all a loss. By the end of the day Bob had another fish up in the boat.

And even Tim caught a second one.

We even had the captain warmed up a bit at the end.

In this video we journey to Katmai National Park to hike to Brooks Falls to view the brown bears at the waterfall. This tour was our huge Alaska bucket list item.

We took a sea plane with Bald Mountain Air Service who took us out to Katmai NP. When we arrived at the park ... bears. Bears bears everywhere. A dream come true.

This is Alaska in 4k. We've stripped away voiceover and vlogging so you can enjoy the beauty of Alaska without interruption. Using our drone, dslr and timelapse we've put together a quick escape or 'trip" to Alaska.

This "A Trip to" series is much different from the rest of our channel. We make documentary-style travel videos with two goals: to make you laugh and inspire you to travel.

RVing through Alaska was the primary reason we purchased the RV. Alaska sounded like the ideal place to RV, camp and get away from it all. This video combines all Alaska episodes into one.

First of all, if you’ve never looked at a road map of Alaska, check out google maps for a minute. There are VERY few roads in the entire state. So unless you’re a bush plane pilot there are really only a few locations that are even accessible by car.