The Alaska Highway descends into the Muskwa River Valley, British Columbia. Because travelers are crossing borders, they need to have their passports with them (including passports or IDs for minors). (David Skidmore / Chicago Tribune)
A road trip to Alaska is easier, but preparation is important.
A motorhome climbs a hill at the start of the Dalton Highway, which stretches over 400 miles north from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Slope. Headlight protectors and radiator screens are no longer essential on the main routes but are helpful on secondary highways that are mostly gravel. (David Skidmore / Chicago Tribune)
The Alaska Highway and the Alaska Range west of Tok, Alaska, are seen near the junction of the Tanana and Robertson rivers. Traveling the roughly 1,400 miles of the Alaska Highway is not as risky since paving was completed in 1992, but a road trip still requires planning. (David Skidmore / Chicago Tribune)
