Home » 2006 Alaska RV Road Trip

Great Alaskan Holidays RV Rentals, AK

Saturday, July 15, 2006 - 8:00am by Lolo
0 miles and 0 hours from our last stop

Travelogue

It was a very long day, as we knew it would be, but we had nothing to complain about--our flights were smooth and on-time, none of our luggage was lost, and we were promptly picked up at the airport by a friendly employee of Great Alaskan Holidays.

Lolo and boys waiting for pickup at the airportLolo and boys waiting for pickup at the airportGreat Alaskan Holidays turned out to be as efficient and quality-run as we had hoped it would be. I wouldn't expect anything otherwise. Herb does not do anything without researching it to the fullest, and his inquiries among various RV groups had all pointed to using this organization.

After watching the obligatory 45-minute video on our motorhome (which actually was quite informative), we were given the keys to our 2006 Winnebago and sent on our way. The only extras we asked for were a BBQ, for an additional $18, and a toaster for $5. Everything else--linens, towels, pots and pans, plates, glasses, and utensils, coffeemaker, etc.--was included.

From Great Alaskan, out first stop was food shopping at a Fred Meyer's (similar to a Wal-Mart Supercenter) about 2 miles away. We were so tired and hungry at this point that we went right to the deli, ordered some dinner, and ate it right at dining area there. Now we were ready to get down to some serious food shopping. I always find this part of the trip stressful. It's difficult enough trying to figure out everything you need for the next 4 or 5 days, but it's even worse when you're dealing with an unfamiliar supermarket. We must have run back and forth through each aisle at least 3 times. However, the pleasant surprise was that all the rumors that food in Alaska was so expensive didn't appear to be true. In fact, the prices didn't really seem that much different from back home. Our friends, who were meeting us in a few days, were shipping out a cooler full of meat for this very reason, but it really wasn't necessary after all.

Tired Andrew post travel with paper towelsTired Andrew post travel with paper towelsOne thing I must say about the Winnebago vs. the Lazy Daze is that there is plenty of storage in the bottom compartments. I could have stored enough food there to last the whole 2 weeks. However, there is a price to pay for all that storage. Our Lazy Daze is much more stable, low to the ground, and smoother riding. For now though, I was really grateful to have all that space.

Fully loaded with supplies to last us the next couple of days, we headed north out of Anchorage on the Glenn Highway (Route 1) to look for a place to spend the night.

Description

Great Alaskan Holidays is one of the largest motorhome rental companies in Alaska. It has a large fleet of slide-out and conventional class C late-model Winnebagos which they rent from April 1st to October 5th. Their rental fees are among the lowest in Alaska, and they also offer the greatest number of free essentials, such as housekeeping and linen packages, brand name cookware, color TV/DVD players, lawn chairs, unlimited use of power generator, free cleaning and dumping of holding tanks upon return, and complimentary airport pickup.

They are located at 9800 Old Seward Highway about halfway between Diamond Blvd. and O'Malley Road in Anchorage.

Anthony Launer on March 22, 2007

Don't ask me how i came about finding your website, i somehow just stumbled across it, and im so glad i did. Im really enjoying the read. Your writing is very good, Im hoping to get a few tips on how to word and express myself in writing. Im not much of a writer.

I've just started putting together a website called www.thelauneradventures.com
(the launers adventures) as i thought is would be a good idea for my family to read and check out photos while we are away on holidays in the great USA next month. Im loving putting the site together, but im just not much of a writer.

Well im off to read some more of your adventures. Sounds like you guys have life worked out and know how to enjoy it.

All the best
Anthony

Lonny & Diane Livingston on April 22, 2007

We rented from Great Alaskan Holidays and were also very pleased with their equipment and their service. Loved Alaska (we've been twice) and want to return. Thanks for the wonderful site. Been following you for awhile.

Herb on April 22, 2007

Thanks for the kind words. It helps to motivate Lolo to keep documenting our trips when she learns that people are reading her travelogue. We will definitely return to Alaska - hopefully using our own Lazy Daze next time.

Jim on May 13, 2013

Someday, we're gonna do Alaska.
As we live near chicago, and own 40ft DP towing a wrangler,we will drive from home.
I'm thinking 3 months worth.

Someday...

We came to own our first motorhome thru one of there "drive or rent" dilema's.
We decided to buy rather than rent paying extra (a lot) for everything from sheets and blankets to pans an dishes, just seemed outragious. (note this was a west coast trip, not alaska, the holy grail of RV trips!)

Herb on May 15, 2013

We are definitely going back,,, and in our own RV, possibly pulling a Subaru Forester. I'm in the process now of setting up the Subaru as a Toad and am looking forward to see what it does to our mode of travel.

All this will hopefully happen once we resettle to the west coast. Then Alaska becomes a bit more manageable and we hope to have the time to linger a bit longer.

Great Alaskan Holidays RV Rentals location map in "high definition"

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