Our Next Roadtrip - Alaska or Northeast
The journey begins long before the road.
Before we ever pick a destination, we always start in the same place: Bessie goes into the shop.
After 20,000 miles, three cross-country routes, and more national parks than we can count, she earned a spa day. Meanwhile, we set off to the West Palm Beach RV show to see if we were truly ready for a bigger van. More space is tempting…but so are the tiny parking spots at crowded trailheads. It was a small show—more “test lap” than deep dive—so the real comparison shopping will happen at the massive Tampa RV SuperShow in January.
Still, we came away with a few early revelations:
What We Learned at the RV Show
We’re not giving up lithium batteries.
A propane generator is a step backward, but we’d consider a hybrid if the layout was perfect.If we choose Alaska, Bessie needs an upgrade (or three).
Think: better shocks, higher suspension, space for extra water, fuel, DEF, starlink and—yes—a spare tire mounted on the back doors. Alaska is the land of no services for many, many miles. You outfit up or you get stuck.
Back to AAA… and Two Very Different Trip Tiks
Our next stop was AAA in Delray to see Fran Shapiro—our route whisperer. She’s guided nearly all of our past trips, and she knows I’m a sucker for the old-school paper maps. There’s something magic about unfolding your whole journey across the kitchen table.
Fran printed TripTiks for two possible adventures, and now the decision is sitting with us like a coin toss.
Option 1: The Big One — Alaska
Boca Raton → Fairbanks → back down through the West.
We’d head north through the center of the country, cross into Canada, and make our way up the famed Alaska Highway. On the return, we’d get a second attempt at the North Cascades NP, plus Glacier NP and Theodore Roosevelt NP.
The catch?
Alaska’s parks aren’t like lower-48 parks. Most of them don’t have roads at all.
Denali and Wrangell–St. Elias do, but the rest?
You need ferries, bush planes, and creativity.
There are a handful of TV-show-worthy towns where we could pretend we’re living in Northern Exposure, but they book fast and cost a small fortune. Leaving in late May might give us a shot at decent weather and a few open cabins.
This trip would be epic. Rugged. Remote. Legendary.
It would also require Bessie to become the Toughest Girl in the South.
Option 2: A Postcard Fall — New England & Beyond
Boca Raton → Berkshires → White Mountains → Acadia NP→ (maybe Canada?)
This route feels gentler, closer, and more nostalgic. We traveled through parts of New England with our kids years ago, but doing it in Bessie—with Kodi’s nose out the window—would feel brand new.
We’re talking:
Berkshires, NY
White Mountains, NH
Acadia National Park, ME
Side trip to Quebec, Montreal, or Nova Scotia
And on the return: Shenandoah NP, New River Gorge NP,
Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Congaree NP,
plus the waterfall loops in TN & GA
It’s a perfect fall trip—fiery leaves, crisp air, towns that smell like cider doughnuts—and best of all, no major van upgrades required.
Packing Lighter, Traveling Smarter
Every trip teaches us something. This time we're going in with:
✔ Less clothing
✔ Less pantry clutter
✔ Fewer toiletries
✔ Less gear we swear we’ll use but never touch
(vintage binoculars… tripod… the giant camera that weighs as much as Kodi)
My new hiking backpack was too big—I just filled the extra space and weighed myself down. Next round: smaller pack, lighter boots, fast-dry leggings, and water shoes. I’m ditching the climbing harness I optimistically bought at REI.
And I’ve learned my lesson with snacks.
On hikes, I don't want bars or nuts—I want Frog Fuel gel packs.
Swallow, lift, keep moving.
We’ll also be:
Downloading all hikes on AllTrails ahead of time
Using GuideAlong for driving (our favorite)
Adding VoiceMap for walking tours
And carrying offline maps because we know better by now