The wonders of Alaska are well-known, loved, and appear somewhere in the top five of many folks’ bucket lists of places to see. Some speak of being on a cruise ship to experience the sight of playful whales and awe-inspiring glaciers, but many who have taken the trip have expressed some sense of dismay at not feeling quite like they experienced Alaska’s frontier enough.
Cindy Boyd of Alaska Excursion Caravan heard the woes of those wanting to not only see more of Alaska but also visit places off the beaten path they didn’t know existed; and to truly experience living there. Thus, Cindy, along with husband Jim, created Alaska Excursion Caravan travel service to offer the trip of a lifetime. Says Cindy, “So many people have been disappointed to have their visit end without knowing or having the opportunity to ‘take in’ Alaska.” She set out to create more than a visit by way of RV. Alaska Excursion Caravan is an in-depth RV adventure that lasts approximately 60 days.
“It’s actually about 75 days from start to finish, depending on where people are traveling from to meet us at the starting point. We travel through Canada as a part of the journey before arriving in Alaska,” Cindy explains. “You could breeze through that part in a couple of days, but we like shorter driving days in order to stop and see the sights, have lunch, and rest along the way.” The portion of the excursion going through Canada takes upwards of ten days.
Cindy became hooked on traveling with her grandparents and never grew out of it. If anything, as she grew older, the itch to travel became even more urging. After meeting her husband, she discovered the joys of Alaska while visiting family and Jim was also anxious to return. Being a travel planner at heart, Cindy soon realized the trip was unforgettable.
A stop at a beautiful RV park in Alaska with views for days [Photo/Cindy Boyd]
‘Why join this Caravan?’ you may wonder. Why not simply hop in the RV and make the trip on one’s own? Why pay? Sounds like a ‘tour group’, some might conclude. Perhaps at its core, but Alaska Excursion Caravan is a heavy-duty adventure where visitors ‘leave the little stuff’ to Cindy and Jim. Concerns such as, “where can we stay on the way to meet you?” to “who can mind Rover while we’re visiting grizzly bears?” is covered by the abundance of knowledge and planning done ahead of time by the couple.
For starters, the Caravan is friendly and intimate, allowing only a maximum of 14 RVs on the trip. This allows for personalized attention to all and provides for a fun, group type of atmosphere where people can stop and get in a little fishing or take photos on a hiking trail together. Cindy is well-informed of the best parks for any size of RV, as she and Jim are full-timers with a 45-foot rig of their own. Large parks. Smaller ones. Quaint areas. Cindy knows it all too well. The charges to stay at each park along the way are included within the overall price.
In fact, when the trip has begun, ‘caravaners’ are expected to check in at their reserved parks and if there is a no-show, participants go out looking for the non-arrivals, which is a convenient, built-in safety feature. “We also provide the best routes to take because some roads can cause damage to rigs,” cautions Cindy. “No one wants a tow bill, either, for lack of knowing where parking isn’t allowed.”
“Our goal has been taking things that could go wrong out of the equation so that people can experience the adventure of a lifetime.”
Since going through Canada is part of the trip, concerns about what can be taken across the border and obtaining a passport is taken care of and relayed beforehand. Travelers are sent checklists that help to organize and easily narrow down what steps need to be taken in preparation. Cindy explains, “the biggest problem is that people simply do not know what they need to do and can be caught unaware – or, worse, in legal trouble by not having the proper paperwork at the Canadian border. It’s a breeze getting through when you have everything in order.”
Travelers, often in the 40, 50, and 60-age group, are invited to take another path with the Caravan at the end of the trip by going down “back to the Lower 48” along the Washington coast. However, prior to heading back, the highlight comes at the end of the trip when stopping to experience the breathtaking beauty of the Northern Lights. “We know exactly where to go to watch them play,” says Cindy enthusiastically.
Cindy and her husband, full-time travel lovers, endeavor to provide an Alaska trip that packs a punch. “Tour a variety of areas, including the ocean, where little to nothing is missed along the way; yet we allow for free time, too, so that RVers are able to go exploring on their own,” Cindy informs. According to their website, their devoted love for Alaska resulted in the partners living in Alaska for four months at a time for the past four years.
During off-season, the couple enjoys continued travel all around the ‘Lower 48’ discovering new areas. They are looking at incorporating more caravans in the future. There are so many places to see and things to do which people don’t know about, that all cannot be fit into one caravan.
In the meantime, Cindy and Jim are plotting and planning the next Alaska Excursion Caravan to be underway in Spring of 2019 as well as 2020. As Cindy further explains, “Visiting Alaska is not cheap at any time. And while what we offer is not cheap, either, we cut down on a lot of potential costs and problems travelers commonly run into. No one wants to have [ugly] surprises. We simplify as much as we can so that people can take [Alaska] all in.”
If experiencing Alaska is on your bucket list, take the unforgettable journey in your RV with confidence, and leave all the ‘little stuff’ to Cindy and Jim using Alaska Excursion Caravan. When one is hassle and worry-free, experiencing the fullness, joys, and wonders of our amazing 49th state is easy-peasy.