AT HOME IN WILD ALASKA

I’ve been curious about campervans ever since a couch surfer asked to park one in our driveway for a night. We sat on our porch with him and talked for hours, sharing beers and trading road-trip stories. He left us packages of instant noodles and a burning curiosity to try out the RV’s smaller, hipper cousin.

At the time, I was planning a trip to Skagway, in the region of Alaska just south of the Yukon, for a writer’s conference. My wife was to meet me after the conference for an adventure into Denali National Park, but the cabin rentals we found left us lukewarm—who would want to be in a cramped cabin next to all that stunning scenery? So, this meeting with the couch surfer seemed like fate.

He went on his way, and we started planning. After a few phone calls, my wife