Preparing for a big adventure - Part 1: Trip Planning

One of the things that has kept me occupied this winter is planning for our upcoming trip to Canada and Alaska with our truck camper.  

Winter reading material

For me, planning for a trip is part of the fun. I've been monitoring RV forums on Canada and Alaska, reading guide books and maps, and spending lots of time with Google Maps putting a proposed route together.  Our plan is to leave here in the second week of May and to travel without a schedule as much as possible.  We will be heading west through Canada and returning through northern US. We will likely return home at the end of September (give or take a week or two).  

Proposed Route

Each of the letters on the map is a proposed overnight stopping point.  I have a companion spreadsheet that includes mileage and estimated driving time between each point as well as references to pages in the various maps and guide books that cover that portion of the route.  It includes comments - like where we will be crossing time zone boundaries or expected road conditions.  I also put together a list of things to see (and microbreweries to visit) along the route.  All of this is meant to be a guide, not a strict plan.  This route has us driving on about 75 days (less than 5 hours at a time) and covering about 13,500 miles but everything is subject to change as mood (and weather) dictates.

Now that we have a game plan, it is time to get things ready for departure.