Life Interstate Road Trip Tournament - The Championship!

**Rain Man** · 07-03-2020, 08:24 PM

We are down to the final two contestants, and have determined that we will road trip in Alaska. But on which route? Pick your favorite, and that will be the official chiefsplanet road trip.

A3 from Wasilla to Fairbanks
7 Day Trip
315 miles, 45 miles per day on average
Passes through Denali National Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Parks_Highway

Alaska A1 - Homer, AK to Alcan Border (with Canada)
7 day trip
620 total miles - Average travel of 89 miles per day.
Passes through Anchorage, AK and adjacent to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Route_1

**mlyonsd** · 07-03-2020, 08:33 PM

Of the few road trips I've taken I have learned that shorter distances which leaves more time to stop and enjoy the local area. So I picked the shorter one.

**Rain Man** · 07-03-2020, 08:46 PM

So here's what I'm seeing.

Alaska A3 has the advantage of avoiding that heavy Anchorage traffic. You start north of town and head north. You drive right by the entrance to Denali National Park. While Mount Denali is outside the 10-mile range from the highway, you can still hit the visitor center and do some hiking around there. You can probably see Mount Denali from the highway as well. At the end, assuming a south to north route, you end up in Fairbanks. It's a shorter drive, so you'd spend more time on the ground.

I'd likely rent a smallish RV, drive the 195 miles to Denali on Day 1, and then I'd camp there for three days. Then I'd drive the last 120 miles to Fairbanks and spend four days there. So it's not much of a road trip, but it's a nice vacation.

With Alaska A1, I'd probably start at the Alcan border and go east to west, so you'd have quiet time for the first 400 miles, and then you'd get to Anchorage where you could find a nice restaurant. The last 200 miles would be down the pretty Kenai peninsula, and then I'd end up in a pleasant little tourist town of Homer.

For this one, I'd rent a nice SUV and put some food in it. I'd drive 200 miles to Gakona on Day One, making a lot of stops along the way to sightsee. Then on Day Two I'd drive 200 miles to Anchorage and spend a couple of days there. On Day 4, I'd do the last 200 miles to Homer and spend the rest of my time there. I'm cursing because Whittier is a really nice town and I was hoping to stop there for a day or two, but it's 12 miles off the highway.

**Rain Man** · 07-03-2020, 08:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyonsd

Of the few road trips I've taken I have learned that shorter distances which leaves more time to stop and enjoy the local area. So I picked the shorter one.

Yeah, I've been to a couple of towns on the Kenai Peninsula and I really liked them. I'd love to go back, but I've always wanted to go to Fairbanks and have never been there. I don't need to drive a lot, so I'll go north on A3.

View Poll Results: Which Interstate would you choose for your road trip?
A3 - 7 days, 315 miles through AK	7	50.00%
A1 - 7 days, 620 miles in AK	4	28.57%
For the last time, I'm staying home. STAYING HOME!	3	21.43%
Voters: 14. You may not vote on this poll

07-03-2020, 08:24 PM
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3398491 VARSITY	Interstate Road Trip Tournament - The Championship! We are down to the final two contestants, and have determined that we will road trip in Alaska. But on which route? Pick your favorite, and that will be the official chiefsplanet road trip. A3 from Wasilla to Fairbanks 7 Day Trip 315 miles, 45 miles per day on average Passes through Denali National Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Parks_Highway Alaska A1 - Homer, AK to Alcan Border (with Canada) 7 day trip 620 total miles - Average travel of 89 miles per day. Passes through Anchorage, AK and adjacent to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Route_1
Posts: 141,214

07-03-2020, 08:33 PM	#2
mlyonsd Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Spink, SD Casino cash: $1753762	Of the few road trips I've taken I have learned that shorter distances which leaves more time to stop and enjoy the local area. So I picked the shorter one.
Posts: 38,851

07-03-2020, 08:46 PM	#3
Rain Man NFL's #1 Ermines Fan Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $3398491 VARSITY	So here's what I'm seeing. Alaska A3 has the advantage of avoiding that heavy Anchorage traffic. You start north of town and head north. You drive right by the entrance to Denali National Park. While Mount Denali is outside the 10-mile range from the highway, you can still hit the visitor center and do some hiking around there. You can probably see Mount Denali from the highway as well. At the end, assuming a south to north route, you end up in Fairbanks. It's a shorter drive, so you'd spend more time on the ground. I'd likely rent a smallish RV, drive the 195 miles to Denali on Day 1, and then I'd camp there for three days. Then I'd drive the last 120 miles to Fairbanks and spend four days there. So it's not much of a road trip, but it's a nice vacation. With Alaska A1, I'd probably start at the Alcan border and go east to west, so you'd have quiet time for the first 400 miles, and then you'd get to Anchorage where you could find a nice restaurant. The last 200 miles would be down the pretty Kenai peninsula, and then I'd end up in a pleasant little tourist town of Homer. For this one, I'd rent a nice SUV and put some food in it. I'd drive 200 miles to Gakona on Day One, making a lot of stops along the way to sightsee. Then on Day Two I'd drive 200 miles to Anchorage and spend a couple of days there. On Day 4, I'd do the last 200 miles to Homer and spend the rest of my time there. I'm cursing because Whittier is a really nice town and I was hoping to stop there for a day or two, but it's 12 miles off the highway. __________________ I'm putting random letters here as a celebration of free speech: xigrakgrah misorojeq rkemeseit.
Posts: 141,214