Don't miss the most visited site in Alaska, the Portage Valley Visitor
Center. The most improved campground in Alaska is there (the Williwaw
campground). It's dry camping, but it is paved with large sites. You can
walk up to play in the snow from the campground all summer. You can make
reservations for sites there, but if you arrive in the morning there
have always been some sites available when we went there on weekends.

If you want to see moose, try Kincaid Park in Anchorage. That's where we
always took visiting friends and relatives to see them year around.

For a real hoot, go to the Fly By Night Club in Anchorage for an evening
of comedy, fried Spam, and music. We went once a year when we lived
there. Your 14-year-old will not be allowed in, though.

I think that the beachfront city camping in Seward is better than the
military resort there, but you can always move there if you want to once
you get to Seward. There is free WiFi at the Major Marine kiosk at the
small boat harbor there.

You won't see any Northern Lights in Alaska in the summer.

Have a great trip to the Upper One.

Two teenage girls????????????????  Good luck:-))

LB

Plan on a VERY slow drive from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake. During that
stretch a few weeks ago, in a single day, we got some great close-up
photos of:

1. Black bears
2. Grizzly bear (not a close up photo)
3. Caribou
4. Dall Sheep
5. Bison
6. Wild horses
7. Moose
8. Sandhill crane
9. Elk
10. Mule deer
11. White tail deer
12. Gray fox

Good place to stock up on everything you will need for the next week or
so; either because options are limited, and what's available may cost up
to 2X the price.

If you are a shopping mall boondocker, Whitehorse is probably the last
chance as you head north. You can overnight in either Wal-Mart or the
Superstore grocery outlet. From then on, especially in Alaska, "No RV
Overnighting" signs dominate all of the shopping malls.  

Great place to spend a few days and relax before tackling the Top of the
World Highway (dirt path)! :-(.  (National) Parks Canada hosts a number
of interesting and well crafted tourist tours such as: the 7-story-high
gold mining dredge; an interesting historical biographical tour of the
Robert Service cabin; Jack London, etal. If you are using wifi for
communication, the Bonanza Gold Campground at the south end of town has
free wifi accessible from your rig.

In Seward, you can camp on the gravel shore of Resurrection Bay ($12
with no hookups). From there, it's only a couple of minutes walk to the
Resurrection Bay day-cruise docks.

The cruise we chose, IIRC was Major Tours, narrated by a National Parks
ranger, and an included all-you-can-eat (tolerate?) salmon/prime rib
buffet. Perhaps not all that bad by navy standards, but . . . :-)    

Lottsa luck! I didn't understand 14 year old girls when I was 14; and
over the ensuing 50 years the only additional info I've acquired merely
pertains to interfacing with ANY female. Just say things they absolutely
love to hear, like: "Yes dear!; whatever you say dear!"

Not a chance. That's entirely a winter thing. Even if they were present
during the summer, they wouldn't at all be bright enough to be visible.
While there are still at least a few hours of "night" there, it really
doesn't get all that dark. At best, it doesn't get any darker than
twilight or a heavily overcast day.

I would make 1 change to the schedule if it was me. I would wait until
I was on the way back to visit Skagway. The highway down from the
Alaska highway is a good road and very scenic. You'll be viewing the
railroad on the opposite side of the canyon wall as you descend into
Skagway.  There is a campground right between the train station and
the harbor where all the cruise ships come in. From there you can do
the RR trip, walk to all the shops in town and catch the catamaran for
a day trip to Juneau, with plenty of whale watching on the trip both
ways.  This stop was a highlight of our trip last year.

They were in the process of building a new theater at the college in
Fairbanks last year to replace the old building. If it's open now,
they have a great northern lights show. Ask, because that's the only
way you see northern lights in summer. It has to be dark!!  Make sure
the new theater is open because they were just doing a slide show in a
small room last year.

When visiting Hyder, be sure to drive past the "bear viewing area"
(there won't be any bears) until you start going up the canyon wall. A
sign will say "road not maintained", but it is by the mining company.
What you will be seeing are glaciers on every turn, with the largest
one directly below you being the Salmon Glacier. Very scenic.  If you
drive on up to the end of the road, about 18 miles, you'll see
icebergs that were stranded during the spring thaw.

There is a campground at Jade City. No hookups, but the price is
right. See jade boulders and finished pieces of all descriptions.

Grandpa, be sure to have an ample supply of your nerve medications!!
;-)

Hi Tom,
First off, you are a very brave man!!!! On to business - The other posters
have given some good advice and places to see. Let me add a bit... The drive
from Dawson City to Tok, AK (Top of the World and Taylor Highways) will be
the worst part (driving wise that is). They are basically good gravel roads
but narrow in places with no guard rails and if it is raining the shoulders
are very soft. Tour buses use that route also and there are places where one
of you had best pull over and stop.When you get to Eielson AFB, you are 26
miles from Fairbanks. Several things to see and do in Fairbanks.First the
Riverboat Discovery tour (about 3-4 hours), second the El Dorado Goldmine
tour, the UAF Geist Museum, the TransAlaska Pipeline viewpoint, and if you
feel up to it, a two day trip from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle over the
Dalton Highway. Specifics-stop at the visitors center in downtown Fairbanks
and get contacts for these activities and a map. You can call the Discovery
people and book your tour there and the goldmine tour at the same time. The
riverboat Discovery is the second most visited attraction in Alaska,
contrary to a previous poster, it falls right behind Denali Park, the most
visited attraction in the state. Don't listen to any horror stories about
the Dalton Highway, it is now hard surfaced all the way to Coldfoot, Ak
which is half-way to the Arctic Ocean but you would only travel half-way
there going to the Arctic Circle. You will also cross the Yukon River on
your trip to the Arctic Circle. Hope this helps. If you need any additional
information, please feel free to call me, email me...I drive tour buses
during the summer here and have been in Alaska over 30 years. I will gladly
assist you in any way I can.

Sincerely,
Dave Dodson
3807 Plack Rd
North Pole, AK  99705
ddodson@acsalaska.net

What a wealth of information!!!  Thanks everybody.  :-)

See all that you can because Big Minning has succeeded in getting the
Federal government to turn over all enforcement of Pollution Control
Laws to the State of Alaska which, in the past, has made no bones about
not enforcing them in efforts to get as much out of the ground as they
can before a hue and cry from the people about the destruction can take
hold.