Alaska or Bust!

I recently had a wild idea. I could just get in my car and drive to Alaska. Like at any point in a day, I could hop in and take off, Alaska-bound. I marinated on that for a couple months (something unpleasant happening? the car is just right there...) and then started talking about it with friends and family. Guess how many people thought that sounded fun. Zero, lol. I couldn't stop thinking about it, though, so I planned a trip.

Planning a trip like this is tricky. It's a lot of miles between home and Alaska and back. You have to break a road trip like this up into digestible pieces, and then plan accordingly. When I hit the road, I map it out in advance. I plan how many hours a day to drive, where to stay, what to see, and when to spend a few nights in one place.

I also like to carry drinks, snacks, and stuff to make breakfast and lunch - this helps keep costs down and also helps keep you healthy through the whole thing. I try to eat out once a day only - this takes planning and packing supplies.

Now, it begins. Here I am - day one of many on the road to Alaska. Today I went through Spokane (lunch at DeLeon's - what a treat!), crossed the border at Eastport, stopped to grocery shop in Cranbrook, and ended up in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. Check out my Instagram (@worldbyautumn) for pics, stories, and videos.

The highlight, though, was stopping along Columbia Lake, north of Cranbrook, to take in the source of the mighty Columbia River. Most of my life has played out along the banks of this river. I grew up swimming in it all summer, looking for Kettle Falls in the spring when the water level dropped behind Grand Coulee Dam, and crossing over it almost every weekend. As a young adult there was much time spent with friends and family on its beaches, talking and laughing and drinking well into the night. Then later as a professional traveling the world, setting eyes on it always made my heart beat faster - it meant I was home. Now, I make my new home in a different part of Eastern Washington, but still along the same river. Seeing where it all starts was a moving experience. Then I waved "See ya later!" to the water (because I probably will literally see it later as it flows through its course) and continued on this amazing journey.

I am a pro at this road trip stuff. I have planned so many road trips - it is second nature. I even have a spreadsheet planning tool I use to map it out. If you are thinking of undertaking a road trip adventure of your own, I'd love to help. Let's talk about it.

OG Waters of the Columbia River