The Insider's Guide to Heading Off to Alaska

If you plan on taking a drive, and you have a lot of time on your hands, rent an RV and drive to Alaska. The number of activites to do along the way fit an array of personalities. I have personally gone from Maine to Alaska and can tell you from experience how incredible it is. Wildlife, scenery, and activities keep you completely occupied.

First there is the stop at Niagara Falls in New York and Ontario. Remember to carry your license with you, and don't forget it in the camper like I did! You will need it to even walk across the bridge to get a different look at the falls. At night, this beautiful natural wonder is lit up with lights that illuminate the falls. You can also take a ferry ride at the bottom of the falls on a boat called Maiden of the Mist. You even get to keep the blue poncho! It's amazing. You get so close to the falls that you get drenched in the mist. There is also a tunnel that goes underneath the American side of the falls.

If you are heading across at the right time, you can meet up with the not so elusive cicada in the central states. This is a dreadful noisy bug and they sound like a fleet of trucks when they are all together humming.

If you are driving across the states, don't forget to make a pitstop at the BlackHills National Park to see Mt. Rushmore and all of the incredible wildlife of Custer National Park. In Black Hills, the arrangement of the land is unlike anything else in the country. Vast red mountains of alien shapes and sizes litter the landscape.

Also, in South Dakota, there is a legendary town called Wall. It is home to the historical Wall Drug, which has been in and out of the lime light since its first days of trading. The New York Times has records focused on Wall Drug.

My family and I took a side trip, mostly due to construction at the time, in Wyoming and ended up going through Yellowstone National Park. I have never seen such an astonishing sight as seeing Old Faithful and the hot springs in the area. I can't even explain what the wildlife was like. Bison, wolves, coyotes running along side the car...just amazing.