on august 26th, 2011, two friends and myself will be embarking on what i hope to be the most epic adventure of all time. we will be traveling from minnesota to alaska, hoping to visit denali, homer, anchorage, fairbanks, etc. we will try to fit in as much as we can before we head back. one of my fellow travelers has lived in alaska before, and i was born in homer, although i have not been back since i was very young. as we are in the preliminary planning stages of this trip, and i am an organizing nerd, i would love some insight from seasoned road-trippers.

we are planning to rent a vehicle in minnesota, and return it there at the end of the two weeks. we are hoping to make it there in four days. once we arrive, we will have some friends here and there to stay with, but were hoping to camp in denali at some point as well.

since the farthest i've traveled by vehicle is from minneapolis to chicago, i welcome any and all advice. :)

does it make more sense to rent an rv for the two weeks so we can save costs by cutting out hotel stays? or should we stick with a midsize vehicle and crash at a hotel only when we absolutely have to?

is four days a reasonable amount of time to allow ourselves to get to alaska?

is it a good idea to camp in denali? what are the chances of being visited by a grizzly bear?

i'm sure i will think of more questions, but for now, i just want advice...and of course to make new friends on the forum. :)

thanks all!