Dalton Hiighway adventure

[wisc9757]

Hi all:

 

Question for anyone who has done the Dalton Highway trip to Coldfoot and Deadhorse. Are credit cards accepted in these town or just cash. Leaving next Sunday on the Princess Cruisetour. Any comment, good or bad, would also be helpful.

 

Thanks!!!!!!

[PennyAgain]

I'm always surprised when people book this trip especially so late in the season.

 

I stayed at Deadhorse as part of my job and meals were included so I have no idea about how you pay for meals. The food is very high quality as there is no reason to bring in junk for such a remote location.

 

Where you stay is typical for Deadhorse. Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed, but you will have a private bathroom unlike us poor working folks who have a bath (far) down the hall. Many of the visitors complain bitterly especially the older women. It is an industrial work site. Give us a break!

 

It will be cold. As you live in Wisconsin, you won't have an issue with the weather. Dress in layers and be prepared to be too warm inside.

 

If it has not yet snowed the road will be very dusty. GreatAm can give you more info on that as she has driven it many times. You will have a new definition for the word 'bleak'.

 

Deadhorse is bone dry. No booze allowed.

[greatam]

They take credit cards at both the Caribou Inn (Deadhorse/Prudhoe) and Coldfoot (in the cafe).

 

As PennyAgain posted, BE PREPARED. There is NO luxury-single beds, 13" TV's, shower only, no luxury towels or sheets and no "amenities" (soap only). The food is good in Prudhoe-buffet style, with lots of variety usually. Fairly expensive, even by Alaska standards, but filling and lots of it. The cafe in Coldfoot is REALLY expensive IMHO-you are truly a "captive" audience.

 

Don't miss the Ranger presentation in Coldfoot. It is REALLY good (if you can get everyone to sit down and SHUT UP). And in Prudhoe, BP SOMETIMES puts on a VERY good presentation about how the oil was found, about how drilling is done, how the pipeline was built, about all the environmental issues that surround drilling in the Arctic (they do NO heavy construction work unless the ground is firmly frozen). It is usually done about 2 hours before the bus leaves for the tour around the oil fields. Most women hate it and talk through the presentation. VERY irritating because it is INTERESTING. You may have to ASK if they are doing the presentation. Do you know BP is currently pulling oil within 20 miles of ANWR??? Horizontal drilling leaves NO impact on the landscape.

 

We are driving north on Sept 8 or 9th. Taking friends who want to see what all the whoopla is about regarding ANWR. Still trying to find a charter to fly us to ANWR for the day-getting hard as we are going so late in the season, but someone will turn up hopefully. We are going to drive UP in one day. Hope we have good luck on the road-if we leave early from Fairbanks and have no problems, we should be there by 10PM. Then the next day, hopefully get to ANWR via bush plane. Then we will drive at least one BP van back to Anchorage for trade in. Need to be back in Homer by no later than the 15th, so a lot of driving in a few short days.

 

Enjoy the trip up north. It is truly a special experience (although MUCH better on a private tour because the bus is too big to get to a lot of places and you miss a lot).

[Pssunshinegal]

We are driving north on Sept 8 or 9th. Taking friends who want to see what all the whoopla is about regarding ANWR. Still trying to find a charter to fly us to ANWR for the day-getting hard as we are going so late in the season, but someone will turn up hopefully. We are going to drive UP in one day. Hope we have good luck on the road-if we leave early from Fairbanks and have no problems, we should be there by 10PM. Then the next day, hopefully get to ANWR via bush plane. Then we will drive at least one BP van back to Anchorage for trade in. Need to be back in Homer by no later than the 15th, so a lot of driving in a few short days.

 

Greatam,

 

A lot of people want to be friends with Oprah and Angelina Jolie. I want to be friends with you. You have some of the most interesting experiences of anyone I have heard of.

 

Janice

[PennyAgain]

I was so hoping you would be near a computer and would answer. Never know where you are in the world.

 

It really hurts my feelings when visitors complain about their accomodations as that is better than what the workers have! When I am up there I've always shared a room (same sex) and had the trek to the bathroom/shower room down the hall.

 

I've seen the cooks nearly in tears when visitors complain about the food.

 

Why don't people get that they are at the end of the earth?

 

Please!

[greatam]

I was so hoping you would be near a computer and would answer. Never know where you are in the world.

 

It really hurts my feelings when visitors complain about their accomodations as that is better than what the workers have! When I am up there I've always shared a room (same sex) and had the trek to the bathroom/shower room down the hall.

 

I've seen the cooks nearly in tears when visitors complain about the food.

 

Why don't people get that they are at the end of the earth?

 

Please!

 

Kabul, Afghanistan (Bagram AF-30 miles from Kabul). It is really spooky here-many more kabooms than when I was here this past winter. Keeping my head down and only traveling in convoys with military escorts and on gun trucks. They even gave us kevlar to wear around the base. Always got to wear the helmet, but the kevlar is a little too much with civilian clothes (and civilians can't wear camo). Just not a fashion statement with Dockers and a polo. Thank goodness, they have really good facilities here, although you can only have computer access without your own laptop for 30 minutes.

 

I agree with everything you said-people who go to the Far North of Alaska seem to think there should be Four Seasons or Peninsula hotels. Well, for what they are paying on the rip off cruise tours-they should get those kind of accommodations. But then they would miss the REALITY of the land.

 

As I post so frequently, you are NOT in Kansas anymore, Toto!!! Take the experience for what it is, enjoy it, DO NOT complain. YOU picked the tour. And PLEASE be aware of what you are buying. Plenty of info, pictures, etc out there to SEE what you are getting.

 

I have never had to stay in one of the "bath down the hall" rooms, but after walking 250-500 feet to the bathroom at 2 AM in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, the bath down the hall would be welcome.

 

You are more than welcome to accompany me on any of my business trips. Most times, I would welcome the company. Book a plane to Alaska next week and I am sure we can fit you into the car going north.

[Pssunshinegal]

You are more than welcome to accompany me on any of my business trips. Most times, I would welcome the company. Book a plane to Alaska next week and I am sure we can fit you into the car going north.

 

Another year I will keep this in mind. I just returned from a month in Belize and I need to stay here for a couple of weeks and get some business done. Have a great trip.

 

Janice

[wisc9757]

We are not expecting much in the way of accomadations. This is a work area. I know several people who worked on the pipeline and filled us in on Coldfoot and Deadhorse. Several years ago w travelled through the Australlian outback. We stayed in unAC tin cabins. I had to get on my knees to shave. No kidding!! The two places we will stay at can't be any worse.

 

Thanks for the hint about the Ranger and the BP presentation, it's what we are looking for.

 

Thanks to all

 

wisc9757

[PennyAgain]

GreatAm, would if I could. Thanks for the invite, but hauling me up the Haul Road is more than you would like to do.

 

These days I fly a desk in an office.

 

The 'bath down the hall' really isn't awful when you are 30 but is an issue at my age. Too many midnight trips.

 

I always made friends with the cooks up at Deadhorse. They do a fine job but often are criticized. They have to have all meals available at all hours due to people working shifts. I nearly fainted with joy one time when the server presented me with a bowl of strawberries and cream. Real strawberries and freshly wiped cream!

 

Best London broil I've ever had was at Deadhorse! Absolutely perfect! I also love soft boiled eggs and one cook would make me some when he saw me come in the dining hall. Fresh eggs at the top of the world!

 

I was always grateful and lavished praise on the cooks and servers. Always! Put on more than a few pounds. Saw one of the cooks working years later at the Captain Cook Hotel in Anchorage and was remembered kindly.

 

Travel well and come home to us in one piece!