Summer 2015 13,000 mile Round trip RoadTrip Phoenix, Arizona to Alaska by Rick Quinn

[Mark Sedenquist]

A day-to-day accounting of this adventure with lots of cool photos can be found here.

Days on the Road: 57
Total Miles Traveled: 12,996
Total Photos Taken: 9,644

FUEL:
Most Expensive: Toad River, BC: $5.37 per gallon
Least Expensive: Helena, MT*: $2.75 per gallon
Average cost: $3.88 per gallon
Total Cost: $2,195.24

Lodging was by far my most significant expense. My original plan called for camping or sleeping in the vehicle two nights out of three, with a hotel every third night. That plan went into the shredder pretty quickly. The weather is partly to blame; nobody likes pitching a tent when it’s raining and cold. My age was likewise a factor, much as I hate to admit it. When I was a young man in my 20’s I lived on the road for weeks at a stretch, but I’m no longer a young man, and my priorities have shifted. On those (many) nights when I opted for a hotel in lieu of a campground, my desire for a comfortable bed won out over the need to hold down my costs.

ACCOMMODATION:
Staying with Friends: 7 nights
Sleeping in the Jeep: 4 nights
Camping in Tent: 10 nights
Hotels: 35 nights

Camping Highest: Homer, AK: $55.90
Camping Lowest: Yellowstone N.P.: $8.00
Camping Average: $16.83

Hotel Highest: Colter Bay, Grand Teton N.P.: $224.83
Hotel Lowest: Helena, MT*: $55.00
Hotel Average: $117.41
Total/Total: $4,345.12

*I thought it interesting to note that Helena, Montana had both the cheapest fuel, as well as the cheapest lodging on the entire route

MISCELLANEOUS:
Travel Guides (The Milepost; Guide to the Alaska Highway): $45.00
Denali Tour: $48.00
Kenai Fjords Tour: $162.93
Oil changes and car washes: $203.06
Speeding Ticket (oops!): $156.00
TOTAL: $614.99

I spent a few hundred bucks on camping gear: tent, sleeping pad, a good raincoat, and other miscellaneous, but I still have all that stuff, so I don’t consider it strictly a trip expense. I did NOT keep track of the cost of food and drink, souvenirs, gifts, or incidentals.

[landmariner]

Nice summary of your mega trip. I can see why you didn't sleep in the vehicle much. Shame the weather didn't cooperate for more tent camping.