RVing Alaska and Canada [Paperback]

Sharlene G. Minshall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 19, 2002

"How-to: chapters encompass vehicle and mental preparation. Practical suggestions and information accompany solo full-time RVers touring along "usual" roads, plus the Dalton, Dempster, McCarthy, and more. "Why not" chapters combine RVing with wilderness canoeing, Katmai grizzlies, boondocking, and outlying villages.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With the usual progression from tent camping to truck camper to mini-motorhome, Sharlene "Charlie" Minshall and her husband traveled all over the country on a shoestring while raising their children. They dreamed of eventually taking on a full-time traveling lifestyle together. This was not to be. "Charlie" became a full-time solo RVer after the death of her best friend and husband.

In 1986, Minshall left her native state of Michigan and has since traveled over 250,000 miles throughout all fifty United States, seventeen Mexican States, and all Canadian Provinces and Territories except Nunavut.

Although Sharlene stayed home to raise her two daughters, the last ten years before going on the road, she was a medical secretary in a Regional Radiation Oncology Center in South Bend, Indiana. Prompted by her daughters and various friends, she combined traveling with writing. She has published nearly 400 articles and columns in numerous regional and national RV magazines. Minshall has written six RV-related "how-to" and "on-the-road" adventure books. Since 1996, she has been an instructor for the Life on Wheels educational conferences held each year in Idaho, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.

Major adventures outside of Alaska have found her living on a beach in Baja; RVing old Mexico as far south as Acapulco; traveling the Trans-Labrador Highway from Goose Bay to Baie-Comeau, Quebec; and being part of the first RV barge campground trip down the Mississippi River. Not satisfied with average adventures, she has often combined RVing with kayaking, motorcycling, paragliding and whitewater rafting.

The author has made four major trips to Alaska since 1987, collecting "how-to" material, adventures and stories. On the trip north in 2001, the author's faithful Sprinter motorhome odometer turned over 200,000 miles. In a humorous and very personal way, Minshall tells about opening her arms to adventure, turning the lemon of losing her mate, into the lemonade of life after fifty.

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Gypsy Press (April 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964397048
• ISBN-13: 978-0964397040
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #756,550 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #76 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Alaska

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Kick in the Pants!, April 16, 2005

By 

D. Johnson (FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: RVing Alaska and Canada (Paperback)

I bought this book thinking "one day, when we retire, maybe we'll go." The author, "Charlie" as you'll get to know her, makes the trip real. All the details are given, with explanations of what to take, when to go, what to watch out for, and what to see while you're there. More importantly for us, however, was the underlying theme of the book...GO AND DO IT! "Charlie" points out repeatedly, "I did it, so can you." Use some common sense, but GO!

This book gave us the kick in the pants to pack up our two small boys (2.5 years and 6 months old), buy a small RV, and GO! We didn't want to wait for retirement. Ten weeks and 12,000 miles later, we had the time of our lives. We also had memories of things that most people only dream of doing!

My father borrowed this book from me, fell in love with the stories of faraway places, and took off to see it for himself.

The book's a great motivator, and Charlie is a down-to-earth storyteller. Thanks, Charlie, for the kick in the pants!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RVing Alaska and Canada, August 7, 2003

By 

Sue Hahn (Lynchburg, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: RVing Alaska and Canada (Paperback)

This book is a GOLD NUGGET for Alaska Travelers or Arm Chair Travelers.

I read about "Charlie's" adventures twice through and couldn't resist going there myself. Although I traveled by car I included many of the places which I enjoyed in her book. I found many delightful tiny villages and friendly Alaskans like she wrote about. My trip was unforgetable.

Whether you're an "armchair traveler" or you're planning to visit Alaska, this book is a MUST. I give it five stars!

Sue in Virginia

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quite a ride!, August 18, 2006

By 

James G. Broadwell (Vancouver, WA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: RVing Alaska and Canada (Paperback)

This is more a "travel writing" book than an RV book, and very interesting reading. My only problem with it is that her writing style was rather jumpy - there might be several subjects and locations in one paragraph, and I often got lost as to where we were and what we were doing... Then it didn't seem to matter, I just enjoyed the ride.