Do it! According to the AAA Tour Guide for Western Canada and Alaska, "Natives didn't call this state Alyeska--the Great Land--for nothing. There are approximately 3 million lakes, 3,000 rivers, 1,800 islands and 100,000 glaciers in Alaska's 586,000 square miles of untamed wilderness" (p. 600). Kind of makes Minnesota's boast of 10,000 lakes feel pretty puny. And driving there is half the adventure! We would do it again at the drop of a hat (although Steve says I need to unpack before I begin planning my next trip.) We ran into people who do it every summer!
If you have ever considered driving to Alaska, do it. (Of course, if you hate spending more than half an hour in the car, it's probably not a good idea, but then in that case, you have probably never considered driving to Alaska.) Driving gives a much better idea of the hugeness of the North and of Alaska itself. To pop in and out on a plane and bus to Denali would give only a tiny glimpse and little of the feel of this huge reality. Steve has added up our expenses and in three weeks, including food we spent significantly less that we would have spent for one week flights and tour without food. And we saw so much more!
Hotels are not cheap (even the ones that look and feel cheap.) By the number of RVs on the road, that is the way most drivers go. Camping is no doubt a great option for those who can sleep in those conditions. Steve can't, so camping has never been our thing.
Restaurants are also expensive. Entrées often start at $20. The Alaskan crab I didn't order one night was $52 and that was NOT a fancy restaurant. You definitely want to bring lunch fixings. Needing to be near a restaurant at lunch time would significantly cramp your travel schedule. Most places we have stayed had microwaves. A box of Hormel Compleats microwavable meals, canned stew and instant noodles has been invaluable for dinner alternatives. One night in Anchorage we bought a roast chicken and a bag salad. We have eaten in restaurants about every other day.
The hours of sitting (even if I was oo-ing and aah-ing) made me glad for a simple kitting project to do with my hands.
The three weeks we spent traveling were really a minimum. You could shave a few days off if you have already been to the Jasper-Banff area and are willing to skip them, but I can't imagine just driving by. We missed the Kenai Peninsula because the only day we had was raining and the mountains were invisible in the mist. There were so many more places we could have explored.
The Alaska Tourist board will be happy to send you their booklet on three separate routes. We steered away from gravel roads, but needlessly as we discovered. If they don't say "four-wheel drive only" your regular car can do it just fine.
In short, I highly recommend driving all that way.
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