Last week in Alberta I met the Muellers and Glasscocks who were driving their Honda Goldwing motorcycles more than 5,000 miles to Alaska. It wasn't hard to spot the folks who belonged to the tricked out motorcycles in the parking lot of the Alberta Travel Centre just over the border from Montana.

They were sitting at a picnic table planning their overnight in Banff, still about four hours' drive away. But since it doesn't get dark this far north until well after 10 p.m., they had plenty of time.

They had almost 2,000 miles behind them and would spend another two weeks to reach Alaska. They expected to take six weeks for their epic journey, which began in the Florida retirement community where the couples met.

They're paying about $30 a night to camp in the pop-up campers they're towing behind their $35,000 motorcycles. The pop-ups open to a comfortable 5 by 14 foot space that keeps them well out of the elements.

They're driving the Cana-Mex Highway, a major route for traffic between Mexico and Canada that follows an ancient trade route used by Indians for thousands of years.

Find out what the Muellers and Glasscocks expect to spend for their epic journey in the News-Herald's July 6 Travel section.
That's also where you'll learn about purple gas and the numerous Alberta oil wells that provide more than 15 percent of our fuel.
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