Starting Point

We’re starting our trip in Phoenix, Arizona where I live. Connor is going to fly in from New Jersey as soon as possible after finals are over and we’re going to start our amazing journey! The current plan is to have everything packed up and ready to go so when I pick him up at the airport we can start driving. If he lands late at night however, I’ll show him around town and maybe go to Mill, a whole street of bars, for a drink or two. We’ll take it easy of course since we have to be up bright and early to drive fifteen and a half hours to the Redwood Forest!

33°27′N 112°04′W

♡Steph

The Third Person, Elena.

Hey y'all. First off, I would like to thank Steph and Connor for letting me come on this adventure with them. I have always had a passion for nature, and a sense for traveling. Although, this is first major road trip I will ever go on, I can't wait to get on the road. I am 22. Currently in school to be a Pharmacy Tech. My ultimate goal in life is to become a Marine Biologist which was Influenced throughout my childhood as I grew up on the beach in Norfolk, Virginia.  That is where I met Stephanie actually. We have known each other since the 8th grade, and it blows my mind that we are see each other again soon :) I lived in 4 states , Washington, Oklahoma, Virginia, and I'm currently living in Tennessee. Ive experience both worlds in a sense of city and country, and my heart seems to belong in both. I can't wait to start my traveling experience with an amazing trip with two awesome people!

Oops! We forgot Dakota!

Last night we realized that we forgot to post about Dakota! Dakota aka Kota, is a four year old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog mixed with some sort of hound based on her very "talkative" nature. She's about 65 pounds, which is small for a "swissy" which are usually about 100 pounds.I adopted her from the local shelter on September 8th after seeing her picture online for a few months. When my roommate and I went to check her out before I left for the weekend, she didn't seem very interested in either of us and I was a little disappointed. I thought about whether or not I should take the chance on getting a dog that didn't seem to particularly like me. When Monday came around and we went back to the shelter I had made my decision. I walked up to the counter, told them her kennel number and filled out her paperwork. Within an hour she was officially mine and renamed from "Fallon" to "Dakota".

Once she was out of the shelter she became a totally different dog. She was instantly happy and became attached to me within a few days. Now, she follows me around everywhere (even without a leash!) and she loves snuggling and sleeping all day. Tennis balls are her favorite toy and if you throw more than one she'll try to pick them all up at the same time. I recently found out that Dakota is also a great camping dog and will wander around the camp site as long as she can always see where I am. If she loses track of me, she actually starts looking around for me and gets all happy when she finds me. She also absolutely loves car rides and sticks her head out the window the whole time. I think she'll love going on this trip with us and she'll be even more mellowed out since she'll be six years old by then.




♡Steph

Summer Possibilities

Hey guys!

I've been reading a book about camping in Alaska and of course, most of it is about summer. Reading all of the great possibilities (not that winter doesn't have awesome ones as well) made me start thinking about moving the trip up a few months. I talked to Connor about it and we made a list of the different activities we could do along with the pros and cons which I've put below. This isn't set in stone, it's just another course of action that we're considering. We're always open to suggestions!

Festivals and Events

• Fairbanks Farmers Market
• Kodiak Crab Fest
• Midnight sun (around June 21)

Activities

• Bear and Wolf viewing
• Hiking
• Salmon fishing
• Glaciers
• Breweries/Wineries
• River trips
• Horseback riding
• Marine wildlife kayaking (whales and otters!) (multiple times XD)
• Dog sledding

Lodging

• Camping in most places (car or tent) (saves on money)

Pros and Cons

+warmer

+save money on gear

+safer

+midnight sun

+more wildlife (whales, otters, salmon, bears, wolves, eagles and other birds) (FOOD)

+ Connor can drive anytime :D (yay!)

+easier on car

+extra week

+not missing any holidays

+more things open

+less things to bring (big bonus- less carry ons)

-possibly very rainy

-northern lights

-amount of time off (jobs)

-MOSQUITOS (eww GIANT ones) GROSS

♡Steph

Directions

Hello!

As you guys have noticed, our trip is going to be long and expensive which is one of the reasons why we decided to go in two years instead of sometime sooner. Connor and I are both getting jobs in the near future to fund this trip and all the equipment required. With just the two of us going we have to save up about $2000 each, Connor needs slightly more for the flight to Phoenix. We're trying to find a third person to cut down costs a little bit and have someone to help do all the driving. 

To keep you guys updated on our progress, we'll each post a little something every month to help us stay on track. Starting next week we'll also start posting about the places we plan on visiting once a week. We're getting really excited about planning out this trip and we hope to take you on the journey with us!

♡Steph

Check It Out

Hello All,

As Steph and I we're in the process of making our itinerary we thought it would be a great idea to start making a list of needed items. Everything from what we each needed individually, what Dakota (Steph's dog-sometimes referred to as Kota) needed, and what we needed for the car. As you can see I'm way more detail oriented (sorry Steph!). These lists cover everything and anything we might need ranging from the obvious to the less thought of, we will be in the middle of nowhere after all... and yes we had to put everything (it helps with planning).

As you guys can see a few items are bold and red. These are the items we need the most, yes I need my tripod. Last time I saw the Northern Lights (in Iceland if anyone was wondering), I had left it back home in New Jersey. And it helps for taking pictures of both of us when there's no one around. Just in case we cant find a 3rd friend to join us. The rest of the red stuff, besides Kota's rabies vaccination sheets (for access into Canada) are in case we get stranded/ items for the car.

Below is our check list.

Checklist:

Connor’s Stuff

• Clothing
• 7 shirts
• 3 pants
• underwear
• swimsuit
• PJs
• hoodie
• jacket
• hat
• scarf
• gloves
• socks
• boots
• sneakers
• Shower/Toiletries
• flip-flops
• towel
• wash cloth(s)
• body wash
• soap
• shampoo
• toothbrush
• toothpaste
• deodorant
• razor
• shaving cream
• Camping gear
• Sleeping bag
• blankets
• pillow(s)
• Electronics
• Camera
• extra batteries
• memory cards
• RSR
• tripod
• Laptop
• Cellular
• Flashdrive (we can share, ill get it)
• Miscellaneous
• Passport

Steph’s Stuff

• Camping gear
• Sleeping bag
• Pillow
• Blanket
• Sleeping pad (egg shell mattress cover/memory foam, queen/full size)
• Mom’s camera (?)
• Laptop
• Passport
• Shower
• Shampoo
• Soap
• Flip flops
• Toothbrush
• Tooth paste
• Clothing
• Snowboard jacket, pants, socks and gloves
• FreezeOut glove liners
• Winter/fuzzy socks
• All the hoodies in the world
• Scarf
• Jeans (three or four)
• Leggings
• Thermals
• Long and short sleeve shirts
• PJS (always forget)
• Hat
• Boots
• Regular shoes
• Underwear
• Towel
• Bathing suit (hot springs)

Both

• GPS
• Chargers for EVERYTHING
• Phones
• Laptop
• Camera
• Car Adaptors
• Maps
• MUSIC
• CDs and Spotify
• Medicines
• Pain relievers (yes!)
• Tums
• Foods
• Cooler
• Snacks (bags on bags on bags of chips)
• Water
• Soda/Juice
• Soup to go
• Peanutbutter
• Cookiebutter (its amazing)
• CHOCOLATE (Spongebob fish voice, from that episode)
• Plastic plates
• silverware
• Sunscreen (for the glaciers)
• Tide Pods
• Hand/foot heaters
• Tent (borrow?)
• Whiteboard with markers (pictures)
• Flashlights
• Matches
• Extra batteries
• Toilet paper
• First aid kit
• Two boxes of baking soda

Car Stuff

• Plastic shelf containers instead of suitcases
• Dryer sheets
• Roof rack?
• Tow strap
• Garbage bags (inside box or container of some sort with baking soda)
• Paper towels
• Spare keys
• Ice scraper
• Corrugated cardboard (to cover radiator if it gets too cold)
• Block heater
• Battery blanket heater
• Oil pan warmer
• Flares
• Candle sticks
• Tin foil
• Possibly borrow:
• Air pump
• Jumper cables
• Shovel?
• Gas cans
• Tie downs/ratchet straps/bungee cords
• Tow straps
• Bag of kitty litter
• Glove Box (or other easily reachable place)
• Passports
• Dakota’s rabies verification
• First aid kit

Dakota’s Stuff

• Rabies proof
• Collapsible crate with bed
• Travel bowls (spill proof water for the car)
• Food and water
• Leash/harness
• Doggy bags
• Treats
• Booties
• Sweater
• Seatbelt
• Pack
• Dedicated closed container for poop with baking soda inside
• LED light

☆Connor