This blog is for all you spreadsheet lovers—you know who you are.
Alaska!
Alaska was a state that was never really on my radar. Those of you who know me, know I am a girl of summer. Give me tropical breezes and a hammock over snow and cold every time. To be honest, in my desire/obsession to drive the Pan-American highway in its entirety, I wanted to drive to Prudhoe Bay, ring the proverbial victory bell, and head south as quickly as possible.
My husband, however, wanted to explore the state. Thank you, Kevin! Alaska is magical! The scenery is second to none with its snowcapped peaks, jagged rock mountain croppings created by millions of years of being squeezed by moving plates, beautiful boreal forests with their scrawny evergreens that make this northwest girl chuckle, and majestic glaciers so awe inspiring in their mass and power I took way too many photos. The wildlife is so abundant we were able to watch a mama bear with two cubs cross a river and snag a salmon for lunch and a moose dance in the middle of the road oblivious to our presence. In short, I am a certified convert. I love Alaska!
Now for the stats:
Days spent in Alaska: 65 (not nearly enough)
Miles driven: 3,625
Spent on fuel (diesel, Ugh): $1,766.99 – Daily average: $27.18
Average MPG: 12ish
Spent on repairs: $5,353.67
Spent on food and beverage: $1,558.65 – Daily average: $23.97
Spent on lodging: $1,548 – Daily average: $23.81
Spent on lodging sans hotels, as we never again plan to hotel at $300 per night: $417 – Daily average: $6.95
Nights in hotel: 5
Nights in campground: 18
Nights boondocking: 42
Boondocking is camping without fees or amenities
We have done this in the wilderness (my favorite), in primitive campgrounds, in Walmart parking lots, and in generous people’s driveways.
Overall spent in Alaska: $10,227.31 – Daily average spent: $157.30
We DO NOT consider this any sort of projection into the future. That certainly would not be sustainable for us. We consider this the honeymoon phase, in that we spent way more freely than we plan to in the future; and the break down/shake down tour, in that all the bugs were (en sha Allah) worked out and repair costs will be a thing of the past (for the most part).
And now for your viewing pleasure, a compilation of my favorite photos taken in Alaska.
*click on the photos to see them full size
Love, love this! Thank you for sharing pictures.