We’ve made the drive up or down the Alaska-Canada Highway (The Al-Can) six times along various routes. At times, it can seem like a journey into the past, especially once you get north of the U.S. border. Wildlife viewing can be astonishing. On one trip we counted over 30 bears. Owls and other birds of prey, elk, deer, moose, coyotes, foxes, both grizzly and black bears (sometimes with cubs) and bison are all likely encounters, and although we’ve never seen wolves, we’ve heard their wild howls from our camp. There’s good fishing, too, if you’ve got the time and can suss it out. More unusual are the old-fashioned gas pumps you might still encounter – the kind with the glass bubble on top. And once you clear Vancouver, everything slows down. People have time to talk, and are happy to do so. Campgrounds are spare but well-maintained, and there are plenty of places where you can simply pull over and spend the night. From late spring through mid-summer, the further north you travel the longer the days become till by the time you reach Alaska nighttime has all but disappeared.

Go. If you’ve never made the drive, set aside the time, make a budget and go. The Al-can is surely one of the world’s greatest behind-the-wheel adventures.