Princess Explorer Tour with Prudhoe Bay?

[igloo42]

Hi - we have a group of 10 going on the Princess Explorer Wilderness Tour from Anchorage to Denali/Fairbanks/Coldfoot/Deadhorse(Prudhoe Bay)...we are set up with the Tundra tour in Denali, golf & the Discovery Riverboat in Fairbanks, Pump Station #1 tour in Deadhorse...my questions are -

 

has anyone else done this tour?

any suggestions for other sights/tours on route?

any thoughts on clothing (other than layer, layer, layer)?

any other suggestions?

 

Note: we are going on the Southbound Dawn Whittier - Vancouver and we are scheduled for dog sledding, Capt Larry's etc.

 

Thanks in advance for thoughts and advice!:)

[Budget Queen]

Are you flying any of the way??? IT is a LONG boring drive on the buses. It looks like you overnight in Coldfoot? Be prepared, Prudhoe and Coldfoot, Wiseman etc are UGLY outposts that were set up for the pipeline workers. You will be seeing plenty of pipeline- gets old fast. :) Interesting on the Yukon River Bridge however. There also were many many miles of fires last year, so your trip will have a lot of blackened areas. The bus people I've seen unloading, are "shell shocked". Not the best option on a tour bus since you don't have the freedom of stopping many places along the way etc that you do on the small shuttle buses. You do not have any "tours" options "on route". Just the bus ride. There may be flightseeing in Wiseman and Coldfoot, which is worthwhile since seeing the area from the air is vast. Also a good look at the fire destruction. Be well prepared in bug precautions, you are traveling one of the most significant bug areas.

 

 

Just giving some factual comments, no flames. :)

[GlacierLady]

I have driven the haul road myself and as BQ stated it's a very very long road. I personally would NEVER take a bus and would have serious 2nd thoughts on driving it again,only with a certain special friend or two. We drove up in June and at 9am it was a white out with snow.( Found out later that even in July there can be blizzards that can leave you stranded)Couldn't see anything but ugly buildings.We had planned on staying overnight but at 75pp for a trailer with rooms built in we headed out and slept in the van.We waited for the gift shop to open,paid extremely alot for gas(the most on our whole trip) and got out of there.We had been at Chena Hot Springs the morning before and it was in the 80's.

 

 

We stopped at Coldfoot,Hot Spot(they saved us with a used tire for $45 and Coldfoot had wanted $150 ouch),camped at the Yukon river,camped at Manley Hotsprings,our favorite spot and where we got 2 flats at once.

 

To summerize I wouldn't even consider taking a bus and would really have to think(and plan on having 10 ply tires! we had 3 flats and started with 4 brand new tires) about driving it again.I love to drive and do it to survive but that gravel road is very slow going with lots of semi trucks and red pipeline security trucks.Did see some wildlife but wouldn't consider the drive worth it.If Prudoe bay and the pipeline are of SERIOUS interest then FLYING would be the best option.

 

Ohhh and the skeeters WILL carry you away......they are very very hungry and you'll be dinner!