The Milepost 2009 Alaska Travel Planner

The Perfect Guide
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The only thing that could be improved would be dates for openings in more places for out-of-season travelers.

Must Have
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The Milepost 2009 by Kris Valencia the book that has been the Bible of North Courntry Travel since before Alaska was a state is now revised and updated for its 61st Edition. No one should go to Alaska without it! It includes maps, camping, restroom stops, handicap travel , every kind of transportation, all about wildlife and birds, gas stations, recreation of all kinds, and guides you Mile by Mile through this vast state, covering every mile of anywhere you could choose to go, by foot or any means of transportation. You will learn about the best sightseeing and wildlife viewing so you can plan your trip well before you go, as well as the contact information for accommodations and restaurangs. It is updated each year by editors in the field, so they can really tell you accurately the conditions and information you need. Be SURE to take this with you, as ANYONE who has been to Alaska will tell you. It is the First thing to pack!

Alaska.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very informative on roads and full of good side trip information a must for travel to Alaska.

Alaska Travel
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I had borrowed an earlier version of the Milepost from a friend and decided I needed my own current copy. Great for planning our month long road trip to Alaska. Up to date with road conditions, services along the way and animals to keep an eye out for, etc.

It was not what I needed, but I’m sure that it’s great for others
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I knew that this book was designed specifically for those driving on the Alaskan Highway, which I was not going to do. I flew into Anchorage then flew to several other Alaskan cities, including Barrow. Still, since this book was so highly rated I decided to buy it before my trip thinking that the information would still be useful. Not so much.

This review is not saying that The Milepost is not helpful to those driving to or in Alaska. I just what to point out that if you are flying to cities that the highway does not reach, you get no information on that destination at all. Maybe I should have figured that out (since this is a highway guide) but it is also billed as a travel planner. Barrow was not even mentioned (not that I could find anyway). Plus, since I was not driving I found the format very confusing since it is divided into destinations reached by a specific highway, not necessarily by geography. Another point, this book has a very high percentage of it’s pages space given to ads. I almost felt that it was a commercial travel brochure, not an impartial travel guide.

Anyway, I left it home and brought my copy of Frommers guidebook to Alaska instead. If you are driving the Alcan, this is the book for you. If you are taking a cruise through the inland passage or flight-seeing, maybe it isn’t the best choice.

Frommer’s Alaska 2009 (Frommer’s Complete)

Hook up the RV, grap this book and go.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Milepost can be a bit costly but it is worth it. I have spent hours researching and dreaming of places to visit, inspired by the beautiful pictures and travel info. in this book. I just booked a cruise and trip inland and have been checking out the points of interest and hotels and even some interesting history for all the areas I will be going. Good work Milepost.

Makes trip planning so easy
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Going to Alaska is easy. Every place and anything that a person wants to do is right there. You can know what is just ahead of you or you can call and make reservations for activites as your driving down the road or make reservations from home before you ever leave. As soon as we started planning a trip, I mmediately ordered the Milepost. We used in 2004 so therefore we were familar with it. No one should go without it.

Thanks,

Phyllis Holman

2009 Milepost Travel Planner
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
In process of planning a fishing trip to Alaska in year 2010. Have been to Alaska four times over past 9 years; however, used Milepost as a guide to other parts of Alaska. Maps provided were helpful in pin pointing location and driving directions to popular and successful salmon fishing areas in Kenai and Matsu-valley areas. The fishing areas were derived from Alaska Outdoor Journal entries for 2009.

The Journal would be more useful for fishermen if it had a section that focused on productive salmon fishing locations across Alaska. Part of a memorial Alaska fishing or hunting trip for the lower 48 Alaska visitors are facilities that can be used to freeze fish for further transport home. A section that lists freezer facilities that can be rented on a daily basis in Anchorage, Matsu valley, and Kenai. For those who prefer others to process their fish, fish processing facilities across the state would also be helpful (filleting, vacuum packing, freezing). Ended up using a lot of time doing internet search to identify a few places in Anchorage, could not find anything outside of Anchorage. Same with businesses that smoke fish for visiting fishermen. Couple of random business ads indicated potential for smoking fishermen caught fish with little other info.

More information concerning halibut fishing should be provided as well – which ports are better than others, average costs, etc. Fishing guide information would also be useful to those who do not have time to enjoy Alaska on their own.

Hunting was not mentioned, but should be since this is another part of the Alaska experience that people are interested who use the Milepost guide. There are specific regulations concerning hunting for visitors from outside of Alaska that should be mentioned for people planning a hunting and fishing trip to Alaska.

Milepost appears to be primarily oriented to the RV traveler, not the visiting sportsman. Milepost 2009 would be better informational source if it addressed the sportsmen who are RV visitors and non-RV visitors. More info on dumping stations would be useful to the RVer. All in all, good map source with good camping/RV area information, plus some benefical suggestions for the visitor to consider.

Due to the bear and human integration problems in the wilds of Alaska, it would be benefical for Milepost to include a couple of pages on how to interact with Alaska’s wildlife. This can save the lives of humans as well as the animals that attack because they feel threatened. Milepost can use some of the information on Alaska’s Dept of Fish and Game website to supplement this good reference document.

Lastly, there was no information about RV’ers camping in areas outside of RV parks. National forests allow camping in remote areas outside of designated campgrounds. The guide should address any regulations associated to camping/RV parking in National forests.

All in all, a definite 4 out of 5 stars and well worth the purchase price.

wealth of information
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We recently took a 9day RV trip logging over 1600 miles, all in the great state of Alaska. This book was like having our own personal tour guide. The general information about each area that we traveled into was very informative, telling of events in that area for a particular time of year, or things not to be missed while visiting. The introduction and history sections are also very interesting (something for everyone).

Using the roag logs is very straight froward. Easy to find what you need as you drive along. every turn off and parking area noted, along with points of interest.

We would recomend this book to anyone planning to do any extented driving in the north country.

Indispensible for travelers to Alaska
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was first “introduced” to the Milepost more than 25 years ago when I was working in Denali National Park. It has a staggering amount of information, but it’s so well organized that it’s surprisingly easy to use. Basically, the Milepost takes you mile by mile along the major highways and roads of Alaska. So whether you are planning a trip or already enroute, you can easily find out where the traveler services and accommodations are along your route.

That’s just the beginning: there are also schedules and descriptive information about the various ferry routes and about the railroads (the Alaska Railroad and the White Pass & Yukon Route). So whether you traveling by private vehicle, boat, or train, you will find the book extremely helpful.

I highly recommend that anyone traveling independently in Alaska carry the current edition of Milepost. However, those traveling in Alaska with a tour group would also be well served by picking up a copy — the historical information and insights provided will definitely enrich anyone’s Alaskan experience.