-----Alaska has always been a very romanticized place in my mind, as there are very few places in the world that are like it. I've been fascinated by it since I knew of its existence, although at first I just thought it was cool because it was on the same continent as the 48 contiguous states but remained staunchly separate from its kin. Both Alaska's scale and ostensible nothingness intrigued me, especially when I first saw it overlaid on the familiar US outline. It seemed almost too good to be true, in a way; too ideal and pristine a landscape for me to consider it reality.

-----Today, Alaska is still the ultimate wilderness, the ultimate destination and about as remote as you can get on the entire North American continent. It is a fantastical playground, full of untamed wilds and days that last for months. The culture of Alaska was another attraction, as its landscape and scale have contributed to the formation of an entire subculture of Americana. The Wild West may have long since been tamed, but its spirit is alive and well in the Last Frontier.

-----All of which brings me to this: the ultimate road trip. Due to my college schedule and the possibility of summer internships and programs and festivals, this may very well be the last Great American Road Trip—at least for a while. A trip to Alaska is certainly the trip of a lifetime, and one that I feel honored to take simply because very few people have had even an opportunity to do so.

-----I have been in each every one of the 48 contiguous United States, and I have been in nine of the ten Canadian provinces. In four years of Great American Road Trips and the Toronto trip preceding it, we’ve been over 30,000 miles. We’ve flown over the Grand Canyon, broken down in an Acadian village, witnessed my dad rubbing his beard on a reserved parking sign, and eaten more than our fair share of incredible food. The walls of our basement are adorned with pennants marking our visits to professional baseball stadiums and our Christmas tree is adorned with little else but trinkets of commemoration.

-----The 49th state admitted will be the 49th state that I will have been in. We'll take the Alaska Marine Highway on the return journey, but our travel into the state will adhere to the Alaska Highway, an over-1,000-mile long strip of asphalt that has inspired legends and fueled the mystique of generations that have looked north to the future. While not as perilous as it once was—for one, it's entirely paved, which could not be said a mere thirty years ago—the "Alcan" is still no laughing matter, and myriad dangers still abound along its meandering route. The return journey will see us go across the northernmost land border crossing in the world when we take the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City.

-----I've said before—both in these trip preamble entries and to members I've been fortunate enough to meet along the way—that these road trips exemplify my long-held belief that it really isn't the destination that matters. There's never been an ultimate goal for any of these trips. In essence, we've done due diligence to turn a continent into a backyard. Naming a single destination for any of these trips would be as impossible, as it would oppose their essential philosophy.

-----Taken from this perspective, a trip to Alaska is fundamentally different. Our itinerary is meticulously planned and serves as the culminating point of years of research. On top of this, we have a single northernmost destination, the topmost item—in more ways than one—in my bucket list for longer than I can remember.

-----I'm talking, of course, about the Arctic Circle.

-----Well beyond the borders of nowhere, the Arctic Circle is the invisible line that crosses perpetually frozen tundra, delineating the true Land of the Midnight Sun from the mere Land of a Whole Lot of Sun. Getting to a place only accessible by two roads—one Alaskan, one Canadian, and neither fully paved—is daunting and more than slightly terrifying. But all that's left now is the drive itself; everything that had to be thought through has been thought through. We've got enough supplies to turn our vehicle into a mobile command post should the need arise. As my dad has said, this is a military operation in the guise of a civilian vacation.

-----There are few places that remain mostly untouched by human activities and affairs, and Alaska is one of the few. It is a privilege to have the chance to drive this route, seeing wonders and experiencing life on the asphalt (and occasional gravel) far better than the sterilized pseudo-comfort that air travel affords. So much is special about Alaska and the journey there that words could not begin to describe the anticipation I feel. It's not going to be easy, but I haven't the slightest doubt that it'll be worth it.

-----Wednesday—tomorrow—we leave. By the time we get back, we'll have traversed well over 10,000 miles, making this trip the most ambitious yet.

-----Buckle up, BZPower. It's gonna be a whole lot of fun.