After sitting all winter, winterized, lots of cleaning to do before the season starts.  Had to replace one of the tvs, fix some cupboard doors, day/night shades and I had diamond plate installed on the front of the trailer to protect it from flying rocks.  I purchased a "bottle" jack and an extra tire in case we have a flat or two on the trailer.  Serviced the generator and had all 4 wheels on the trailer checked and bearings cleaned and greased.   I've purchased extra motor oil and all the filters for the truck for an oil change on the road.  Never know, they tell me, if you can find the right filters and belts needed when you are in Alaska.  Slowly, but surely, I'm getting items checked off the list.  Connie is supplying a surge protector and an exterior water filter.  So many things to remember to pack.  Hope we don't forget something critical.

We sat down together and tentatively mapped out our route to the starting of the tour and then the route we'd like to take on the way back.

In the Beginning

I'll start this blog for Connie and myself before we ever pull out of the driveway on our big trip to Alaska.  My name is Jane Hiatt and I live in Minden, Nevada.  I love, among other things, to rv travel.  My friend, Connie De Coud, from Eldorado Hills, California, also shares the love of rv-ing.  Connie and I met several years ago when I joined Freewheelers, which is a chapter of RVWomen, a national organization.  Both of us are widowed, have 2 sons each, are only children, we quilt, absolutely love to fish and we share quite alot of opinions about alot of things.  We have traveled to Europe together and marveled at Austria, Switzerland, Italy and Germany.  We got to talking last summer about how much fun it would be to rv to Alaska.  It grew from that one thought and as I write this today, we are scheduled to leave Minden sometime after the first week of June.  The plan is to go together in my 5th-wheel and truck in order to share expenses.  We have no idea what diesel will be when we get on the road, but it is rapidly approaching $5.00 per gallon.  We have signed up with a small tour group leaving Hazelton, B.C., Canada on June 26 and ending up 34 days later on the Kenai Penninsula.  From there, Connie and I will go by ourselves as we travel to visit friends, fish, sightsee, blog and gawk through beautiful British Columbia on our way back home.  Connie says:  "We'll be gone at least 3 months".  We'll see.  It is a trip of a lifetime, though.  Connie will take her little chihuahua, Mimi and my constant rv companion, Abby will not let me leave the driveway without her.

Our plan is to "gaggle" about the wonderous, magical and unbelievable things we'll see and even though justice is not served sometimes, we will share some of our photos here.