MotorhomePlanet.co.uk https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk Travel, self-build conversions & more Fri, 07 May 2021 15:37:13 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://r54646.n3cdn1.secureserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/favicon.ico?time=1710845023 MotorhomePlanet.co.uk https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk 32 32 Brit Stops 2021: a great way to get back on the road https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/8027?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brit-stops-2021-a-great-way-to-get-back-on-the-road Fri, 07 May 2021 15:37:10 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=8027 Brit Stops 2021

European travel is still rather tricky for motorhomers. Quarantine and travel restrictions plus Covid-19 testing requirements make it easier to stay in the UK.

Fortunately, campsites have reopened already and are welcoming visitors with self-contained facilities. Judging from the number of campervans and motorhomes I’ve seen locally in North Yorkshire, many owners are keen to get back on the road.

Campsites are always the obvious choice in the UK, but personally we find them a bit of a faff, especially for just one night. They’re not cheap, either. Fortunately, there is another way. The Brit Stops scheme gives you access to 1,060 UK motorhome stopovers and aires. Brit Stops are locations such as pubs, cafes, farms and vineyards that have agreed to let members stop overnight in their car parks.

Most Brit Stops are free, although some aire-type locations do have overnight charges. The hope is that in return for a free night parking in a scenic location, you’ll sample some of your host’s wares. But there’s no requirement to do so — all you have to do is to make yourself known to the management.

One year’s Brit Stops membership costs £28. That’s roughly the same as a single night on a decent campsite.

In return for this, you get access to more than 1,000 locations across the UK. We think it’s a great scheme and would highly recommend it to other motorhomers.

Things to remember

Brit Stops do not generally provide any facilities (unless specified otherwise in the guide). You’ll be expected to be fully self-contained, including toilet and waste water. So if you’re planning Brit Stops into your trip, make sure you remember to turn up with enough water and empty waste tanks.

Check out the parking arrangements and arrival restrictions, too. Some sites have size limits and you’re sometimes asked to phone ahead or turn up before the business closes for the day. Brit Stops hosts aren’t paid, so if they have a poor experience with ignorant motorhomers, they may well choose to withdraw from the scheme.

Get started: buy the guide!

To use Brit Stops stopovers this year, you need to buy the 2021 guide. This includes details of all locations and the 2021 windscreen permit, which must be displayed when you visit Brit Stops sites.

You can buy the guide direct from the Brit Stops website at www.britstops.com.

Each guide is valid for one Brit Stops year, which runs from 1st March to 28 February.

Brit Stops 2021 costs £28 plus P&P

Disclosure: I received a free copy of Brit Stops 2021 from the publisher for the purposes of this review. I was not required to write a positive review.

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Review: VW Camper – The Inside Story (ideal Xmas gift!) https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7891?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-vw-camper-the-inside-story-ideal-xmas-gift Fri, 20 Nov 2020 16:57:58 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7891 VW campervan
David Eccles’ book “VW Camper – The Inside Story” is an in-depth guide to the evolution of the classic campervan.

Few things evoke happy memories and the thought of better times to come than a VW campervan. This iconic vehicle has now been around for 69 years, during which many converters and travellers have done their best to develop the ultimate conversion.

The long evolution of the VW campervan is covered in depth in the new third edition of VW Camper – The Inside Story, by well-known ‘van expert David Eccles.

VW Camper – The Inside Story contains over 200 pages, each of which is filled with photos and descriptions of VW camper conversions. David bought his first VW camper in 1976 and in his day job is the editor of VW Camper and Commercial magazine – his passion and expertise is evident throughout this book.

The story start in 1951 and has been brought up to date in 2020, so it includes every model of van from the split-screen T1 through to the current T6-based VW California.

The book is organised by converters and includes a total of 45 companies. These include legendary converters such as Westfalia, Bilbo’s, Dormobile and Reimo, along with many other brands that have now faded into history.

Who should buy this book?

Anyone who’s interested in VW campervans will be able to spend hours leafing throught this book. It’s pure eye candy — sourcing the photos must have been a labour of love.

More seriously, if you’re thinking about converting or restoring a VW van, especially an older model, then I’d consider this essential reading. It tells the story of how small van conversions have evolved and provides photos and details of pretty much every conversion layout that’s ever been tried. You might be surprised at how many alternatives there are to the classic VW side conversion isn’t the only choice – I was.

Whatever generation of van you’re buying, the information in this book should help you achieve an authentic but usable conversion.

In short, the latest update to this classic book brings it right up to date and is as good as previous editions. Highly recommendedand the ideal Christmas gift for the camperfan in your life!

Book details

Buy on Amazon =>

Title: VW Camper – The Inside Story, by David Eccles (3rd Edition)
Publisher: The Crowood Press
ISBN: 978 1785007613

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author for the purposes of this review. I was not required to write a positive review.Links marked with (eBay⇒) or (Amazon⇒) are affiliate links. This means I get paid a small commission if you buy something after clicking on the links. This money helps to pay for the running of the website.

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Brit Stops 2020: Perfect for a staycation road trip https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7871?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brit-stops-2020-perfect-for-a-staycation-road-trip Sun, 09 Aug 2020 15:01:50 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7871

I’ve had the latest edition of the Brit Stops guide on my desk since lockdown. I decided to wait to post it until we were allowed to venture out again in our motorhomes, but then July somehow got away from me. So my apologies to Steve at Brit Stops for being so slow to post this review.

What is Brit Stops?

If you’ve not heard of Brit Stops before, it’s a scheme that allows you to stay overnight at more than 1,000 pubs, farm shops and other such venues, all over the UK. There’s no fee for the overnight stops — all you pay is the annual cost of the Brit Stops guide, which is currently £28 plus P&P and includes a parking pass to display in your windscreen.

COVID-19 update: Although most Brit Stops sites are now able to operate, some may have remained closed. Opening hours and facilities may also have changed. Brit Stops’ advice is to phone ahead to every site to check if you’re still welcome.

Brit Stops are a great way to find new locations and overnight in stunning settings. I can’t reveal any of the exact locations here as that information is for members only. But the guide includes a map and directory with details of each location. They are widely spread across England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

With campsites often running at £20+ per night, you can save serious amounts of the folding stuff by including some Brit Stops on your holiday route.

How do Brit Stops work?

Of course, Brit Stops hosts hope that if you’re interested, you’ll sample their wares — some fresh produce in a farm shop, or perhaps a pub meal. But there’s no obligation.

The only requirement is that you introduce yourself to the host when you get there and remember that this isn’t a campsite. The code of conduct is very similar to European aires — you are parking, not camping:

  • No awnings, camping furniture, BBQs, generators, etc – you’ll be given a parking space and should not occupy any other space outside your vehicle
  • Your motorhome must be self-contained, including a toilet. Arrive with water and an empty waste tank. Most stops don’t provide any facilities and you should not expect them.
  • 24hr maximum stay
  • Motorhomes/campervans only – no caravans, tents, unconverted vans or cars

What are you waiting for?

The Brit Stops 2020 guide is available to buy direct from the Brit Stops website and is valid until 28 February 2021. So there’s still plenty of scope for getting plenty of use from this year’s guide, even if you’d rather wait until things calm down after the school holidays.

We think Brit Stops is a great scheme. Founders Steve and Mandy have worked hard to continually add new UK stopover locations since they launched Brit Stops in 2011. Over the last nine years, the number of hosts has risen from 75 to more than 1,000. We think it’s an impressive achievement that provides a real alternative choice for UK motorhome travel, where campsites are often the only option.

If you’re staying in the UK this summer and are looking for new experiences (and wanting to avoid over-crowded campsites), then Brit Stops could be perfect. Why not take a look?

Buy: Brit Stops 2020 (£28 +P&P)

Website: https://www.britstops.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BritStops/

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Guide to Solar Power for Leisure Vehicles https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7862?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guide-to-solar-power-for-leisure-vehicles Sun, 09 Aug 2020 13:51:56 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7862 Motorhome solar panels
Rigid solar panels on a motorhome roof – the most common type of setup

For motorhome travellers like us who prefer to stay off the grid and away from campsites, one problem is making sure your leisure batteries stay well charged. Long driving days usually do the trick, but if you’re travelling short distances then you may not put enough charge into your leisure batteries to recharge them fully.

A generator is one solution, but to be honest we think generators should be a last resort – they’re noisy, polluting and must sit outside your vehicle. They’re certainly not a clean or discreet solution.

We’d prefer to rely on solar panels where possible. These are a clean, automated and more elegant solution to the problem of off-grid power. Panels are lighter, cheaper and more efficient than ever these days, so in good weather at least, solar panels may be able to provide all the power you need.

If you’re new to solar you may be unsure where to start and what you’ll need. To help you get started, the good people at West Sussex-based Motorhome Workshop have produced this guest post for us, covering the basic requirements for a solar energy system for leisure vehicles. The post also highlights some considerations unique to motorhomes or caravans that you may not have thought of.

[This is a guest post from www.motorhomeworkshop.co.uk]

What’s in a solar power system?

All solar power systems are made up of several components.

They are:

  • Solar panels to generate the energy from the sun
  • Charge controller to manage battery charge and prevent battery damage
  • Panel mounting to stand or mount the panel for use
  • Cables and connections to make it all work

This type of system is similar to a home solar power setup except the energy you generate will be used to recharge your leisure battery.

To make life a little easier, you can buy complete solar power kits that contain everything you need to put a leisure vehicle solar power system together. All you will need is the kit, some basic tools and some free time. A good kit will come with all the instructions you need.

Leisure vehicle solar power considerations

There are some considerations specific to leisure vehicles that are worth bearing in mind if you’re thinking of a solar power system.

Those considerations include:

Size of solar panel

The size of the solar panel(s) dictates the generation potential of your system. Our most popular panel is 120w which for most people generates enough to keep your battery topped with a little capacity to spare.

That spare capacity is useful for cooler months or overcast days when the sun isn’t very strong. It balances providing enough power for everyday use with extra capacity for those overcast or shorter days.

For a more detailed idea of what you will need you can use a solar panel calculator like this one on Parked in Paradise.

Roof mounted or portable

Solar panels can be fixed to the roof of your caravan or motorhome, set on a ground mount or set up in the windows of your vehicle. Each has pros and cons you should take into consideration.

Roof mounting makes use of otherwise unused space, allows you to charge your battery while on the move and doesn’t need setting up when you stop. Roof mounting can require drilling, but roof mounting can also be achieved with a bonding agent and plastic mounts. Roof mounted panels are inconvenient to clean and a dust covered panel will reduce its efficiency.

Ground mounting uses an angled rack with the solar panels fixed to it. When you park, remove the rack, point it to the sun and you’re good to go. The benefit is that you can angle panels in whatever direction you need and they are easy to clean.

The downside is that you need to be manually set up and connected every time you park. Similarly, setting panels up behind your windows is likely going to mean putting them up and taking them down regularly. In addition, a panel behind glass or plastic will work but will be less efficient.

In general, we find most people preferred the roof mounted setup.

Polycrystalline or monocrystalline

Solar panels come in two main types for vehicles, polycrystalline and monocrystalline.

Polycrystalline solar panels are constructed from multiple silicon pieces and are bluish in colour. Polycrystalline solar panels are less ‘pure’ than monocrystalline so are slightly less efficient. They are also cheaper.

Monocrystalline solar panels are constructed from a single piece of silicon and are usually black. These panels are purer and are more efficient. They are also more expensive.

Of the two, we tend to recommend monocrystalline solar panels for leisure vehicles. They are more efficient, can be smaller in size for the same generational potential and work best in low light.

Rigid or flexible solar panels?

Solar panels can either be rigid or flexible. Rigid solar panels usually come in a lightweight frame that is mounted in place. Flexible solar panels are lighter and can fit curved roofs. They are usually bonded onto the roof and then connected to the system.

Flexible solar panels can be bonded to a roof, even if it’s not flat.

As long as there is suitable roof space, we suggest rigid panels. The frame allows airflow around the solar panel keeping it cool. They are also cheaper than flexible panels at the moment.

Charge controller

The charge controller manages the energy generated by solar panels. It feeds it into the battery, prevents the battery from being overcharged and ensures power only flows in the intended direction.

There are two types of charge controller suitable for leisure vehicles, PWM and MPPT.

PWM charge controllers are simple devices that use a switch to control energy fed to the battery. They are cheap but are also limited in their effectiveness and cannot cope with mixed battery voltages.

MPPT charge controllers are more advanced electronic devices. They are more expensive than PWM but have been seen to be up to 30% more efficient than PWM charge controllers in partially shaded and overcast conditions. Which is something we have tested for ourselves! On balance, we recommend MPPT charge controllers as we feel this is where you get the most for your money.

We hope that you have found this article useful!

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Brit Stops 2019 – essential guide to UK motorhome stopovers https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7832?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=brit-stops-2019-essential-guide-to-uk-motorhome-stopovers Fri, 12 Jul 2019 15:50:57 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7832
Brit Stops 2019 contains details of more than 970 free motorhome stopovers around the UK.

Disclosure: We received a free copy of Brit Stops 2019 for this review.

This review is rather late in the year, but better late than never.

In any case, I’m sure that many of you are still in the final planning stages for your summer motorhome trips, in which case the latest Brit Stops guide could be the ideal last-minute purchase to help you find great stopovers around the UK.

For the uninitiated, Brit Stops is a scheme similar to the France Passion scheme. Hosts such as pubs, vineyards, craft centres and farm shops sign up to allow motorhomes to stay overnight on their property, free of charge.

In return, it’s hoped (but not required) that motorhome visitors will sample their hosts’ wares and perhaps spend a little money.

The number of hosts has risen from 75 in 2011, when the scheme was launched, to more than 970 today. So coverage in most areas of the UK, especially England, is now quite impressive.

Brit Stops is a membership scheme, with each year’s book and accompanying windscreen sticker acting as your proof of membership. At £28, it’s cheaper than a single night on some campsites — and opens up a huge range of interesting locations you couldn’t otherwise stop at.

Brit Stops don’t provide any campsite-type facilities and your stay is limited to 24 hours. As such, it’s only suitable for self-contained motorhomes with on-board toilets, etc.

However, for most motorhomers that’s not an issue, especially for one night. The guide book contains full details of each location, including description and postal address. So it’s easy to use.

We’d strongly recommend Brit Stops as a fun, interesting and affordable alternative to campsites.

If you’d like to know more or buy the 2019 guide (valid until 29 February 2020), then full details can be found at www.britstops.com.

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Review: All the Aires France 2019. Still a classic? https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7807?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-all-the-aires-france-2019-still-a-classic Fri, 29 Mar 2019 20:28:28 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7807 All the Aires France North & South

Disclosure: We received a free copy of All the Aires France for this review.

It seems a long time since we bought our first copy of All the Aires France, back in 2010. Many things have changed since then. Not least of these is that the number of motorhome aires in France has ballooned upwards.

My photos suggest that the All the Aires France guide we used in 2010 contained 1,600 stopover locations. It was a single A5 volume.

The latest version of the guide made a much bigger thud when it dropped through my letter box recently, courtesy of Vicarious Media. Since 2015, this guide has been formatted as two A4-size volumes, one for the North and one for the South of France.

Together, these contain 3,944 aires. That’s more than double the total from nine years ago. According to authors Chris and Meli, motorhomes now make up about 1% of the traffic they see in France. It’s a pretty astonishing figure but it would help to explain why 1,998 new aires have been opened over the last eight years or so.

Just imagine if that happened in the UK? Not likely, I know. But we can dream.

Bigger and better

Getting back to the guide, happily the winning and easy-to-use format of the original All the Aires guides has never been changed.

If you’ve used these guides before you’ll know how easy they are to understand. All you need to know is that this new edition contains 509 new aires that weren’t included in the previous edition.

If you’re an All the Aires virgin, then here’s a quick overview of what to expect:

  • Each guide starts with a fold-out map showing the locations of every aire and also service-point only stops. The map is colour coded for different regions.
  • Next up, there’s a comprehensive guide to the aires system and the detail of how all the different types of service point work (for filling up with fresh water and emptying your toilet/waste water). If you’re new to aires, this is invaluable.
  • This is the bit you’ve been waiting for. The North and South guides each have about 300 pages of detailed aires listings. Each listing includes two colour photos, a detailed list of facilities (using a graphical key), GPS co-ordinates, driving directions and information about the local area. They’re easy to understand and I know from experience that they give you a clear idea of what to expect.
  • Wait! That’s not all. At the back of each guide, you’ll find a list of aires that have closed. There are also two text indices – one lists all the aires in the guide with location details. The second is ordered by location name, allowing you to look up aires in a chosen location. Finally, there’s also a list of LPG filling stations.

All the Aires France is still just as great as it always was. It’s a bit bigger and a bit older (just like the rest of us!), but like a good French wine, it’s improved with age.

Recommended.

All the Aires France is available direct from the Vicarious Books shop.

Book details:

Title: All the Aires France North & All the Aires France South
Publisher: Vicarious Media
ISBN: 978-1-910664-13-1 (North) and 978-1-910664-14-8 (South)
Price: £16 each (including free map) or £26 for North and South together (including free map)

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Could your motorhome be making money for you? https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7787?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=could-your-motorhome-be-making-money-for-you Fri, 04 Jan 2019 16:29:24 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7787 Goboony campervan

Perhaps the biggest problem with owning a motorhome is the cost. Because most people can only manage a few weeks usage each year, owning a vehicle that probably cost between £10k and £50k can become an unaffordable luxury.

The reality is that it often makes more financial sense to rent a motorhome or campervan than to buy one. However, we all like to make our moho’s our own — I know I certainly do.

One solution to this problem is to rent out your motorhome, rather than paying to rent someone else’s.

Of course, most of us don’t want to have to setup a rental business and market our motorhome, even if we are happy to accept the extra wear and tear on our pride and joy.

Given all of this, I was very interested to learn about a new business called Goboony which allows motorhome owners to rent out their motorhomes. Goboony is a Dutch firm which now operates in the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and the UK.

The company’s website claims to have the largest selection of rental motorhomes in the UK. Although I haven’t used this service myself, most of the user reviews on the website seem positive.

If you’re a motorhome owner or are thinking about buying a motorhome, I think that Goboony could certainly be worth considering as a way of cutting the cost of owning a motorhome.

Disclosure: I was not paid for this post and have no commercial relationship with Goboony.

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Leaving Alaska: USA / Canada 2018 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7741?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=leaving-alaska-usa-canada-2018 Tue, 23 Oct 2018 15:12:55 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7741 We flew from Anchorage to Seattle with Alaska Airlines. We have to say we were thoroughly impressed with the airline – extremely friendly attendants and the plane was clean, very modern and very comfortable. Unlike on some airlines (including our flight from Seattle to London with Thomas Cook Airlines) water was readily available along with ample tea and coffee.

We can’t wait to fly with them again! We flew with Delta a few years ago and we were equally impressed with their very similar approach.

Our flight left Anchorage very early and we were treated to stunning views for the whole of the flight, including clear views of Mount Rainier as we flew around Seattle.

View from flight Anchorage to Seattle, Alaska Airlines

View from flight Anchorage to Seattle, Alaska Airlines

Mt Rainier, Seattle from Flight

Once landed in Seattle we had a bite to eat then headed on to our next flight to Manchester with Thomas Cook Airlines. Although this plane had the advantage over the Virgin Atlantic flight we used last year of having a 2 / 4 / 2 seat layout across the plane, the plane was very basic, more suited to short haul flights with no personal entertainment screens and very basic seats. If we flew this route again we’d be torn between Virgin Atlantic and Thomas Cook – it’s a long flight so the comfort of the Virgin Atlantic flight is an advantage, however being able to sit in a two on the Thomas Cook flight was a real bonus. However, we’ll figure that dilemma out should it arise! This was a night flight so we had a view for a while then enjoyed watching the sunset on our holiday.

View from flight Seattle to Manchester, Thomas Cook Airlines

We’ve had a a thoroughly amazing time in Alaska. The people are so friendly, the country so beautiful and the experience of visiting such a truly awesome state made us very grateful at the opportunity we had to visit.

We hope one day we’re able to return.

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Hope And Turnagain Arms To Anchorage: USA / Canada 2018 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7739?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=hope-and-turnagain-arms-to-anchorage-usa-canada-2018 Mon, 22 Oct 2018 15:01:29 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7739 Leaving Soldotna early we headed north to Hope, just on the north coast of the Kenai Peninsula. Arriving early was certainly the right decision, it soon started to get busy. It’s a strange old, picturesque and trendy little town.

Hope, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Hope, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

Hope, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska

We had a brief wander but having been stalked by wasps wherever we went we headed off to a lay-by on the road outside of town overlooking Turnagain Arm, beautiful.

Turnagain Arms, Alaska

Turnagain Arms, Alaska

Our plan from here was to head to Girdwood and then to Anchorage for our final night. However, we didn’t realise it was the Annual Girdwood Forest Fair and were greeted with queues of traffic from the main road up to the town of  Girdwood and also back up the road to Anchorage. Luckily for us the queue was only south from Anchorage to Girdwood so we decided to skip Girdwood altogether and head on north up the the Seward Highway – Girdwood has been added to our list for next time!

 

We called off at many of the mile point lookouts as the weather was so beautiful, including Bird Creek, Windy Corner and Beluga Point. Then headed to mile post 117 and Potters Marsh.

 

Turnagain Arms, Alaska

Turnagain Arms, Alaska

This is a nice area just outside of Anchorage with lots of boardwalks raised above the marsh giving lovely views. We were delighted to see a moose grazing in the marsh, a real treat on our last day.

Moose at Potters Marsh, Anchorage

From here we headed into Anchorage for a brief wander around the Saturday Market, where we enjoyed another delicious chocolate dipped ice-cream!

Then, it was down to Ship Creek to look for salmon – no salmon and no fisherman. Our final call was a stop into Walmart to pick up some much loved Milk Duds!

Walmart, Anchorage, AK
Walmart, Anchorage – the cheapest place we know to get Milk Duds!

We’d booked a motel close to the airport for tonight due to the very early flight. We stayed at the Puffin Inn Motel, having booked early we got our room for only $75. It was basic but clean with parking, breakfast and friendly staff. The added benefit is that it is just across the road from Lake Spenard and Lake Hood where there are lots of float planes allowing for a lovely evening stroll before we left Alaska.

Float Planes, Lake Spenard, Anchorage

On a side note – we’d purchased bear spray before leaving Anchorage a the start of our trip and of course we’d returned to Anchorage with it unused. Now, our dilemma was – what do we do with a canister of bear spray before an international flight? A quick enquiry at the motel reception discovered that they’re happy to take canisters to put behind the desk for future guests to take!

That completes our road trip of Alaska and into the Yukon, Canada. We were left with one treat – the flight from Anchorage – the weather forecast was for clear skies so we were looking forward to some lovely views….click here to read more.

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Exit Glacier & The Kenai Peninsula: USA / Canada 2018 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/archives/7707?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exit-glacier-the-kenai-peninsula-usa-canada-2018 Thu, 18 Oct 2018 10:03:43 +0000 https://motorhomeplanet.co.uk/?p=7707 On leaving Seward we headed straight to Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park. Once again we had lovely clear blue skies and sunshine, perfect for exploring the many trails at the glacier. We first hiked to Glacier Overlook, amazed by the year markers that show how the glacier has retreated. Having seen it 20 years ago it is astonishing.

Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park
Exit Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park.

Given such perfect weather we then decided to hike up to the Marmot Meadow – this was an uphill hike! We were rewarded with stunning views and were very jealous of people who had time to carry on this trail taking them further up. Something we added to out list for next time!

Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula

Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula

We then completed the loop stopping by Glacier View at the bottom.

Exit Glacier, Kenai Peninsula

Once we’d finished our lunch we headed north and stopped by Bear Creek Weir again, but there were no bears or salmon so we went on and had a wander around the Russian River Ferry area. This is now a paid area, however, we found a small lay-by just a little before were we parked for a short time to visit the ferry landing and look at the river.

Russian River. Kenai Peninsula

As we had time we did a small detour and drove down the Skilak Lake Road towards Hidden Creek. We’d read about this road and were interested in seeing some of it. It is a dirt road, we drove down around 5.1 miles to the overlook but decided to head back after this, however when we visited it was a nice solid road.

We were using Soldotna as our base for the next couple of nights, so explored the boardwalks along the river near our hotel. Not quite what we were expecting but pleasant!

The next morning we headed straight out to Kenai town – a strange small town, then continued south on the road towards Homer. We had great views across the water and stopped at mile points 125 and 127 to enjoy the stunning views of the volcanoes across the water.

View driving down the Kenai Peninsula
View driving down the Kenai Peninsula.

We then made our way  to Ninilchik to have a look around the historic Russian Orthodox church. A beautiful building in a stunning location.

 Russian Orthodox church, Ninilchik,
Russian Orthodox church, Ninilchik.

Next, it was onto Anchor Point at mile 157 – the most westernmost highway point in North America, we like these sort of marker points! This was another beautiful spot, very busy with fishing boat trailers.

Then it was down towards Homer Spit.

View from Homer

View from Homer, Kenai Peninsula

We got a fab parking spot right on the waterfront where you could park for up to 7 days for free, if only we’d had a motorhome! Although there were lots of cars parked up it wasn’t manic with people and nice for a wander.

Homer Spit, Kenai Peninsula

We enjoyed a very tasty salmon & halibut with chips and some very yummy Tahitian Vanilla Bean ice cream, however, at $4.50 for one scoop, we shared!

Fish & Chips on Homer Spit

There are lots of boardwalks to wander around the wooden shops or along the waterside and the marina.

Homer Marina, Kenai Peninsula

On leaving the Spit we headed to the overlook on West Skyline drive – a truly amazing view.

View from Skyline Driver Overlook of Homer Spit
View of Homer Spit from West Skyline Drive Overlook.

On our drive back to Soldotna we had the pleasure of viewing a moose with two calves, ahh! Another thoroughly enjoyable and amazing day.

On a sidenote, our hotel was very near to the Moose Is Loose Bakery which we have to say offered some very delicious bakery items!

Moose Is Loose Bakery, Soldotna, Kenai Peninsula
The Moose Is Loose Bakery, Soldotna, Kenai Peninsula.

Next, it was back north to Anchorage….first calling in at Hope then taking a tour up the Turnagain Arm. Read all about it here.

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