Now that we're home, some statistics...

The ferry ride home was both relaxing and successful. All of us were eager for a day or two away from the car and the Alaska Marine Highway System is a pleasant way to spend a bit of time, so it was a win all the way around.

All along this excursion, we've been asked a whole lot of questions about our road trips; everything from how we maintain our sanity, to how much it costs, to how our kids handle the drive, you name it. Now that we're home, I thought this a perfect time to outline our excursion in a strictly statistical manner (in the spirit of a similar post). Hopefully, this will give everyone a better picture of how we do what we do.

• We left 57 days ago.
• We drove (round-trip) 8,064 miles.
• 365.4 gallons of gas were used.
• $1438.16 was spent on gas at an average rate of $3.94 per gallon. (Note: fuel is significantly more expensive in Canada)
• We averaged 22 miles per gallon in our 2005 Nissan Pathfinder, carrying the equivalent of 6 adult passengers (in weight) both directions.
• In order in maximize our gas mileage, traveling speed was maintained at 65mph or the posted speed limit, whichever was lower.
• An average day on the road was 8.5-9 hours of driving, which is 10-11 hours with stops included.
• The average distance traveled per day was 520 miles. (Note: this average does not include any in-town driving, once we arrived in Cleveland.)
• Car maintenance totaled $515.90. (Note: this total includes a replaced tail light, in addition to oil changes/tire rotations and general safety checks.)
• Tickets for 2 adults, 2 children, 1 pet, and 1 15-foot vehicle (round-trip) from Sitka to Prince Rupert, BC with a state room each way are $982. (Note: enormous gratitude goes out to Cindy for bearing the financial burden of this part of our trip.)
• Pet-friendly hotel rooms for 11 nights were rented at an average rate of $117 per night. (Note: Canadian hotels are significantly more expensive.)
• Coupons, AAA discounts, and hotel search aggregator websites were used to find the most reasonable rates available.
• Meals while en route averaged about $60 per day for 20 days.
• Most breakfasts were provided by hotels.
• Snacks were purchased in advance of departure to deter extra spending.
• Meals varied from fast food to ethnic restaurants, depending on availability and time.
• International transaction fees accrued for using a US credit card in Canada totaled $19.36.
• We had a total of 6 border crossings between the US and Canada.
• Nika failed to bark obnoxiously at the fifth crossing.
• Two veterinary visits were required for border crossing, totaling $245.74 (Note: pet travel papers are valid for only 30 days.)
• Cat-sitting services while we were away totaled $100.
• National Park fees totaled $56
• 2 US National Parks, 2 Canadian National Parks, and 1 Natural Wonder of the World were visited on this trip.

Note: none of these dollar totals include our time in Cleveland, except gas.

• The children amused themselves with books and toys about 20% of the time on the road, sight-seeing about 50% of the time, eating 10% of the time, sleeping 10% of the time, and asking about the next hotel 10% of the time.
• The alphabet game was played daily (sometimes more than once).
• There were no more than 5 sibling disputes in a single day.
• iTunes purchases, including audio books and music for traveling totaled $185.74.
• Raven Radio - KCAW, Sitka was missed at least 57 times on this trip.
• Porter began and completed potty training during this trip. (Note: earlier attempts were made and failed.)
• Nika made 0 messes on this trip.
• Unless you count hair. Ugh.

License Plate Game results:

• Every US state, except Hawaii
• Colville Indian Reservation (WA)
• US State Department
• Canadian Plates
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Ontario
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon Territory
• Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Overall, it was a good trip. We saw some cool stuff, spent time with family, met some new people, and had plenty of time on the road to hang out with each other and enjoy just being ourselves. Some of the best adventures aren't about the destination, so much as the people you travel with.

Then again, it's always nice to come home to your own bed.