In July of 2007 Bill and I flew to Alaska, rented an RV, picked up my family and toured Alaska from an RV point of view for 10 days. We had my daughter-in-law, my 2 grandsons and 2 of their friends. With camping gear for the kids, fishing poles, tons of kid friendly food off we went. None of us have ever been to Alaska.

My favorite stop was Miller’s Landing. Miller’s landing is a family owned and operated camp site with a Bed n Breakfast, fishing, tent camping and plenty of space for RV’s, 5th Wheels and cabin rentals. The people there are so nice. Most of the helping hands are folks who came there from the lower 48 to stay the summers to earn some money for college and to experience the wilderness. It is very affordable and you can’t beat the view!

Miller’s Landing is right on Resurrection Bay at Seward AK which is just down the street from Lowell Point AK. From Miller’s Landing you can see Lowell Point, the cruise ships and night lights in the evening hours. The mountain range is awesome! You can fish, canoe, kayak, hike, camp, shop and visit the wild life sanctuaries in and around Seward and Lowell Point.

It is a most beautiful place. I cannot begin to describe all that I saw while at Miller’s Landing. The native people are kind and generous.

Leaving Seward off we went North to the Denali National Park. Denali Park’s headquarters is located along Alaska Route 3, the George Parks Highway, approximately 240 miles North of Anchorage. It is primitive camping for sure. To enter the National Park you go by bus or railroad. No autos of any kind are allowed. We toured the Denali by bus which took about 6 hours. Bring your own food and water, good walking shoes and sun screen! The bus will drop you off at any point and you can hike/camp thru the park stopping at any point along the main road to be picked up by a returning bus.

If I ever get a chance to go back to the Denali I will tour the park by train. Any place you visit North of Anchorage is tundra and primitive. South is more "beachy" in nature and good for folks who still want creature comforts. Fishing is abound any place you go. Just pull over, drop a line and enjoy!

It is very expensive. Save your pennies.

Well, Bill and I bought  an RV. It is a 28’ 5th wheel and is cause for celebration! It took us a year or more of research and going to every RV show that was close to our home. 

I have always loved the out of doors and as a child was athletic and wanted to be outside always. I enjoy the smells of the woods, the sounds of being in a forest and if there is water near by I find I am at peace with Mother Earth. All is good and well in my life.

Bill and I started our relationship with the agreement that we wanted to camp out and to travel all the beautiful National Parks and forests in Florida where we live and grew up and to possibly see nature in the Southwest territories. However, as I found out in rapid succession I am no longer 14 years old and getting off of a sleeping bag or an air mattress is no longer my style. Not to mention looking for a potty at 2 a.m. in the woods is a little disconcerting at times.

Being some what spoiled as a result of my life lived with creature comforts that I can not give up I told Bill I could no longer tent camp. The Eagle Scout wanting to please his Princess off we went in search of an RV that would satisfy my need to be comfortable and dry and his needs to play in the dirt, woods, build fires, tie knots and go for long hikes in the noon day sun in the summer months. And so, a comfortable lounge chair, a good book, my favorite umbrella, I have found a new appreciation for being in the woods. A good fast action camera, plenty of batteries and a screened room helps.

As Bill goes off to hike the Ocala National Forest, battle Orienteering with thicket, spiders and other creatures too small to see with less than perfect vision I have found my place under the Oak trees. I found squirrels love Layes potato chips and the sound Carlos Nikai!

We love RV’ing. We have met so many nice people, seen the beauty of Florida and if a hurricane ever decides to come this way we can be comfortable as we run in the other direction.

With a comprehensive “Check List” that includes everything under the sun so that we don’t forget to go to the dump, lock the camper door and pull up the stairs off we go down the highway of our dreams pulling a small condo behind our truck packed with all the needs for a Princess and an Eagle Scout’s functional accommodations!

I found making lists has worked well for a Princess. An Eagle Scout needs lists. Many of them. We have the Princess List, the Eagle Scout List, the Truck List, the Camper List and some other list I have not named as yet! Not to mention each list has a sub-list. Thank GOD for excel spread sheets and spell check!

The road to happiness is knowing what to put on the list and in what order those items should be listed. Simple right?