ALASKA – WEEK 5 – JUNE 16 TO JUNE 20, 2016

June 16, 2016 – Thursday

Heading home.

Left Skagway early this morning and there were already three cruise ships and two ferries at the dock with their passengers strolling around town; the shops were not even open yet. I was a little concerned about that steep incline out of town but it went fine. Stopped for a few pictures I didn’t take on the way down (one being Robinson Roadhouse) and another was this lone grizzly eating flowers by the side of the highway. I ended the night at Rancheria, an old, historic roadhouse off the highway just north of Watson Lake.

This old roadhouse has an old hotel (original 1800s), a newer motel, a separate washroom (includes free showers) and an RV and tent section out under the pines. The owners are wonderful people. I was heading to the shower and another woman beat me to it (there were actually two showers but one was out-of-order). I said I would come back later and the manager/owner told me that room 12 in the hotel was being serviced but the shower was working and why do I not just go over there. Seriously? (it was safe)  I was so grateful... it has been over a month since I had a shower in a place that I could actually turn around in! Once I figured out that Hot was Cold and Cold was Hot, I was in heaven! The manager  and his wife were outside when I came out and I thanked him. His response—no problem. We know what it is like to have a free shower when you’re on the road. I would recommend this place to any RVers. They do also have wifi at the office but when I went to sign on, it just spun and the woman told me that it doesn’t work in the rain? Okay then. It is not that important.

The couple who camped next to me is from Anchorage and heading home from Phoenix. They have a cat who they said has traveled extremely well. I looked out the window at one point and the cat was on a retractable leash (pink) and was outside and able to explore all the areas around their RV. She was in the trees and under the vehicle. At one point, she went up to the door and the woman came out and untangled her leash, re-leashed her and this cat continued to be outside. I was amazed and thought of a friend of mine who is currently traveling with her two cats and one got out. Hmm—maybe a leash is the answer? This cat definitely did not seem to mind.

June 17, 2016 – Friday

On the way to Watson Lake, I saw four grizzlies on the side of the road but before I could get a photo, they beat it for the bushes. I planned to get some groceries and when I was paying for them, I found out that Dawson Creek (my next stop on the agenda) had been flooded; roads and bridges were washed out and travel delays were imminent. At this point, although I really wanted to get back to Muncho Lake (86 miles south), I realized that I would have to eventually head back to Watson Lake in order to take the alternate route so, Muncho Lake was out and I headed to the Cassiar Highway, the only open road south.

I guess there was truth to the tales about what an awful highway this was. At the north end of the highway, the road is narrow with no shoulders, no center line, few turnouts, and a lot of curves. On the positive side, there was not much traffic and the roads were well-paved. There were many burnout areas (previous forest fires) that are labeled with date and hectares burned. It is kind of amazing to see how some areas have come back (although years later) with lush green trees and bushes.

Stopped at Boya Lake Provincial Park for lunch. It has a very nice camping area on the lake but it was way too early to call it a day. This lake also has the turquoise and purple coloring like Emerald Lake from a few days ago.

Back on the road until I arrived at Jade City – not really a city but a store and work area for the mining of jade and amethyst. They did have free wifi so checked my email and social media and then it was back on the road. The road is getting better, meaning wider lanes and a center strip and a few more turnouts. There were a lot of marshy areas and ponds along this section and even some wildlife.

Drove on to Dease  Lake and stayed at a place called the Water’s Edge RV and Campground. This place is a private campground, well-maintained, and is run by an older couple with RV sites overlooking the lake. They did have free wifi but because it is in the middle of nowhere, the router is run using a diesel generator and that is turned off between 10:00 pm and 7:00 am. It was also a bit temperamental in that it would randomly shut down for periods of time when it should have been on.

June 18, 2016 – Saturday

Continued on the Cassiar Highway along with a ton of mosquitoes. Even though there were a lot more places to pull over and view the various creeks and rivers, those pesky skeeters were enough to keep me inside and miss the salmon spawning areas and I had to enjoy the mountains from inside the vehicle.

It was a long day of driving but found a place in Kitwanga to stay for the night.

June 19, 2016 – Sunday

From the Cassiar Highway to Yellowhead Highway 16 en route to Prince George BC: Stopped to take a few glacier photos but that was about it. Reviewed the website drivebc and found out there were a number of heavy construction projects in and around the Prince George area so I wanted to get far enough away from the city so I wouldn’t get backed up tomorrow morning. About 40 miles from Prince George, got stopped at an “accident scene” area. It was interesting that the highway had been blocked quite a distance from the actual scene so traffic was able to get off an exit ramp, travel a mile or so on a back road and re-enter the highway on the other side. This seems like a much more efficient way to handle accident backup traffic and I didn’t have to wait in a line for hours!

Ended the day at Quesnel (kwe NELL) south of all the construction. Found an RV Park within a residential area called Robert’s Roost PREMIER RV Resort. It was late and those words, premier and resort, made me think this would be the most expensive place I stayed. Nope. It was actually a little less than some and about average. It was a beautiful place on the lake;, they allow residents to pay a day-use fee and use the lake and its facilities. It was very peaceful.

June 20, 2016 – Monday

Headed out early morning to the border. Stopped at a place called Cariboo Wood, a gift shop and fudge place because I still had $20 Canadian to spend. Tasted each of around 20 types of fresh, made-on-site fudge and then spent the rest of my Canadian money on my favorites!  I swear, it is the BEST fudge ever!

Stopped to take a few photos, hit the border, cleared customs, then, because I really wasn’t thaaat far from home, kept on driving. This particular highway goes through Grand Coulee Dam (which I hadn’t seen for many years) and its surrounding residential areas which slowed me down a bit. Made it home around 10 pm.

END OF THIS ADVENTURE

LAST THOUGHTS – and for those thinking about a similar trip

It was a GREAT trip through scenery that cannot be seen anywhere else.

Wildlife: Black Bears, Grizzlies, Dall Sheep, Caribou, Moose, Deer, Fox, Lynx, Eagle, Porcupine, Sea Otter, Ducks, Swans

Favorite Place/Drive: Valdez. So many impressive glaciers.

Least Favorite Place: Probably Fairbanks. It was very spread out and there just wasn’t enough to do in the limited time. The people, however, were very friendly and helpful. Can’t say much about Anchorage as it was just a drive-through but I wasn’t all that impressed with the little I saw of it.

What I missed: Any city/place that required a ferry or plane to get to.  No to Juneau (sigh) and although it can be driven (over really bad roads that can severely damage tires), the Arctic Circle.

Must have: The Milepost. This book is a milepost by milepost, highway by highway, book that includes sites to see, places to stay, and even includes gift shops, rest areas and inscriptions from those interpretive boards, road conditions, wildlife spots, and regular turnout spots.

I encountered all weather systems: snow, rain (lots), wind (severe), heat (low 80s), cold (30s) AND some perfect weather as well. If anyone plans to make this trip, pack appropriately. If not, there are stores around as I had to find out.

In Canada, there are litter bins everywhere on the highways! It is a very clean and friendly country.

Six or seven hours days work best if driving. Depending on the season, getting a good RV spot gets more difficult after 6:00 pm and some sites even close at 6. Best time to show up for a good spot is around 4-4:30. If traveling during peak season (or holidays and Canadian long weekends) reservations can save the night.

Showers and wifi MAY cost money. Some places do have free showers with varying degrees of water pressure. Some free wifi is limited to 60 minutes and runs slow. Pay showers can run from $1 to $3 (Canadian coins) and times range from 3 to 6 minutes. If a site offers free showers, take advantage.

If driving through Canada, remember driving speed is in kilometers and gas is sold by the litre and currently runs around $4/gallon. Groceries are pretty comparable but if buying fruits/vegetables, make sure to use them before crossing the border back into the U.S.  My vehicle was only searched once at the final border entry but they were looking for fruits, vegetables, pet food. I was only asked about alcohol once and that was the first entry into Canada.

Photography opportunities are abundant.

Any questions, let me know.

ALASKA - WEEK 4 – June 9 to June 15, 2016

June 9, 2016 – Thursday

Left this morning for Valdez via the Glenn Highway 1 then connected to Richardson 4. Passed a place called Chickaloon …The whole town (cabins and general store)—for sale.  At one point it had a population of 244. Who knows, maybe they still live there and only the businesses are for sale. The community was established around 1916 as the terminus of an Alaska Railroad spur but now is more likely to be a stop for river rafters.

Drove past a braided river (I will post photos later but these types of rivers are glacier run offs and the water finds its own path). These rivers might remind some of a river with little water because there is so much land between these run offs. They are actually pretty fascinating. I was told by an older gentleman earlier in the trip that the run off braids do not necessarily occur in the same place each year.

The drive to Valdez was the most beautiful, so far, with all its glaciers and mountains in full display. Thankfully, a day without clouds, fog, or rain but plenty of sunshine! Some of the glaciers: Matanuska, Worthington, and 27 Mile plus the Wrangell Mountains.

About seven miles from Glennallen I spotted a sign for a Liquor Store and, according to the Milepost book, there were also topiaries made out of willow and birch. I stopped out of curiosity just because it sounded interesting. The place is owned by an old woman who, it appears, does not get a lot of company (sound familiar to anyone?). Her shelves were pretty bare and she knew nothing about topiaries but she did love to talk!  She did say, however, that the guy who trims her bushes hadn’t been in for awhile but she had several acres and I was welcome to walk around. I chose to leave but did wish her a happy day.

Just before reaching Valdez, I came upon a set of waterfalls – first was Bridal Veil Falls and it really did look like a bridal veil. Most impressive!  A short drive down the road was Horsetail Falls. Yes, it looked like a horsetail.

Stayed at an RV place within walking distance of town. There was a Safeway a few doors down and I decided to get some wine—forgot it was Alaska and no alcohol, including beer and wine, is sold outside a liquor store. WOW, right next door to Safeway was a fully stocked liquor store! I say WOW because as I get ready to pay, the clerk asked me for my ID (too funny) AND my Safeway card. It seems that Safeway gets around the liquor laws by buying its own liquor store AND if one uses the card, actually saves some money.  Now, I rarely shop at Safeway anymore and cannot remember what phone number is associated with it so, the clerk asks the guy standing next to me in line if he had a card. Yes, he did and it saved me $5.00. Thank you anonymous man for your assistance.

June 10, 2016 - Friday

Still in Valdez but today, the wind is horrendous and aside from doing a couple loads of laundry, I did not venture out. The wind was so awful that it blew out the pilot light on the water heater. Um, the smell of propane anyone? And then, the rain came. I decided just to call this a ‘chill out day’ and stare at the mountains and the boats in the harbor. No sightseeing in this weather! I will say, though, that this RV place rates among the top in service, cleanliness, and of course, friendliness. For future reference, the name of the place is Eagles Rest RV.

June 11, 2016 – Saturday

Still rainy but left to begin the adventure to Skagway that will take at least two days. Took a drive down by the docks in Valdez and did manage to get a couple photos of the mountains not obstructed by fog. Stopped at Huddleston Falls—one I missed on the way down. Took a short video because it sounded so relaxing.

I noted that on both the Seward and Valdez trips that one way was sunny and bright and the other way rainy and foggy.  Seward had the torrential rains driving in and beautiful weather driving out. It was the opposite with Valdez. It was beautiful coming in--all those glaciers were not visible going out. Stopped at the Worthington Glacier Recreation Center on the way out because some of the fog had lifted and I was able to get a very close-up picture with the blue tinge of the glacier visible. The mountains just north of the Worthington Glacier are sites for extreme winter sports—think helicopters.

Stayed in Tok again but at a different RV park-The Sourdough. It was raining so hard that I just wanted to get off the road!

June 12, 2016 – Sunday

The rain stopped overnight so I planned to get to Haines Junction today; the roads were so bad, I stopped about 65 miles away at a Yukon Government Campsite called Congdon Creek that sits on the Kluane Lake. It is a really nice place and not too many bugs. It was also pretty well full when I arrived. It was kind of funny that the couple who were camping next to me in Valdez showed up at this same campground. They were headed to Haines and then the ferry to Juneau.

Alaska Highway 2 was under construction and was in pretty bad shape. A lot of rough roads but then it all got worse in a hurry. Waited for a pilot car to take me about six miles then it was another 30 or so of washboard, headache-inducing roughness. Had to drive about 20 mph through all of it, making a very long and stressful day.

Yukon does a great job with their campsites but their roads are an entirely different story!

The highlight of the day was the mama brown bear with her two cubs munching away on the side of the road about 30 miles from where I called it a day.  What a site! Now, if that drive had not been so slow, I would not have seen those bears!

Tomorrow will at least make it to Whitehorse but may hold up another day in order to get to Skagway on a good-weather day.

June 13, 2016 – Monday

Began heading to Skagway but the weather service said there would be rain so stopped in Carcross.

Kluane Lake, a very large lake, looked low in water the further south I drove…at the end of the lake, there was probably 30 feet of dry land where the lake used to be. This is the first lake I’ve seen where the water was so visibly low.

Stopped by Emerald Lake, or as the Yukoners call it, Rainbow Lake. This lake is shades of green and purple and is breathtaking.  According to the interpretive boards, the rainbow-like colors result from blue-green light waves reflecting off the white sediment of the lake bottom. This white sediment, called marl, consists of fragments of decomposed shell mixed with clay; it is usually found in shallow, freshwater lakes that have low oxygen levels during the summer months.

Right before I got to Carcross, there was Carcross Desert which is an unusual desert area of sand dunes and is the world’s smallest desert; an International Biophysical Programme site for ecological studies. This desert is composed of sandy lake-bottom material left behind by a large glacial lake. Strong winds off Lake Bennett make it difficult for vegetation to take hold here and yet it has an enormous variety of plants, including kinni-kinnick, a low trailing evergreen with small leathery leaves that are used for brewing tea. It really does seem out of place among the other places before and after it on the road…sand dunes in between tall green trees.

Carcross is an abbreviation for Caribou Crossing and is home to the Carcross Tagish First Nation. They had some amazing totem poles painted on the buildings as well as some that had been carved by a local resident.

June 14, 2016 – Tuesday

Decided to stay in Carcross again today because the weather in Skagway was reported to be rainy. There are many places to see along the way to Skagway and I didn’t want another rainy driving day. I spent the day reading and listening to the rain while looking out at Nares Lake and watching the young kids ride their ATVs back and forth from the store to home (I’m guessing).

June 15, 2016 – Wednesday

On my way to Skagway. Made a few photo stops along the way and then another passport stop—leaving Canada and entering Alaska. I have had my passport since 2010 and apparently I never signed it? No one, up to this point said a thing; today, the customs guy said, “Mam, you haven’t signed your passport. Please do so when I give it back to you.” Seriously, how did I go this long with no one questioning it?

The road was so steep going down, my brakes were smelling and all I could think about was coming back up. And, I am sure this was nothing compared to what those gold-miners trekked years ago IN THE SNOW!

After I found out the first campground was full, I was directed to another down by the docks. As I drove my way around the mobs of tourists—most of whom were taking photos of themselves with their selfie sticks all in and out of the road—I found the other campground and found a place not far from the hustle and bustle. Once settled, I decided to face the throngs of people (there were four ships in town this day) and made my way into town.

I saw a couple of walking tours led by “ladies of the night” (must have been the Brothel Tour), too many jewelry stores to count, lines out the door to every eating/drinking establishment, and several souvenir shops. It was difficult to take any photos in town and it was the hottest day (over 80) since I have been gone, so I strolled down both sides of the main street and headed back to camp where I finished the book I had been reading in the comfort of air-conditioning.

ALASKA – WEEK 3 – JUNE 2 to JUNE 8, 2016

JUNE 2, 2016 – Thursday

Heading to Fairbanks with a stop at the North Pole. Stopped along the way at Rika’s Roadhouse, an old roadhouse on the Tanana River with a short working tour. Rika was a Swedish-born woman who was hired by John Hajdukovich to run his business and then bought the place in 1923 for $10.00 and other considerations (unclear what the other considerations were).  Rika’s was open year-round and catered to travelers in summer and locals in winter. She raised livestock and grew vegetables and fruits which allowed her to serve fresh produce, eggs, milk and meat. Rika ran the roadhouse until the mid-1940s; she died in 1969 and is buried on the grounds. The old buildings are still open although the roadhouse has closed for business and is now a museum (of sorts—chickens and flowers still grace the property.)

The North Pole was a charming community with candy canes on the light poles, a Santa’s house (gift shop), and an oversized Santa greets visitors. The woman at the Visitors Center told me that they do, indeed, receive letters to Santa each Christmas season and the 7-8 graders, as part of their curriculum, respond to them. In addition, other responders include the firefighters, police, senior center, and for the past few years, the Visitors Center, all take a part in responding to these letters. What fun!

Because I took too much time at this little stop, I ended up staying near town instead of driving up to Fairbanks.

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/deltajct/bigdelta.htm

JUNE 3, 2016 – Friday

Fairbanks has a great Visitors Center and if you get up that way, it is well worth the effort to stop by…free wifi as well.  I took a long walk around town with a stop off at City Hall to see if I could get any information on family who lived up here in the 1940s. No such luck but did get a website for court documents so there is a possibility that I can still get some worthwhile information. Stopped by the Husky Dog (a hot dog place) for a quick bite. The guy who runs it tends to have ‘dogs’ just sort of fall apart and he then gives a tray to those who have dogs with them. This place is on the waterfront.

Left Fairbanks to head south to Denali. I stayed about 40 miles north of the park entrance…a fairly easy drive for the morning.

JUNE 4, 2016 – Saturday

Arrived at Denali National Park and signed up for an 8 hour tour tomorrow morning. I bought my Senior Parks Pass ($10) that will admit me and a couple of friends to any National Park in the U.S. for free for as long as I live. There really are some perks to getting older. I am staying at the park for a couple of days. It is not high tourist season yet, which is nice. If anyone decides to make this trip in the future and it is during peak season, reservations are highly recommended if you want to camp in the park. I am staying at Riley Campground – will accommodate both tents and RVs and it cost me $22/night (no services but there is a dump station for RVs). There is also a mercantile on site that issues permits, sells clothes and necessities, has a selection of bulk food (like trail mix, for example) and even espresso and ice-cream. The mercantile also has showers and a laundry (although pretty pricey) and free wifi but only on site—it does not extend to the campsites.  The weather has been a bit windy and cool/cold but at least the wind keeps the skeeter population down. As I was getting ready to retire for the evening, a moose and her calf were eating their way through the campsite and there were a number of people out with their cameras—some getting a bit too close and the protective mama did start to charge (no one got attacked).

JUNE 5, 2016 – Sunday

Took a wilderness tour today through Denali and spotted herds of caribou, a few Dall sheep, and on the return, we spotted a moose who had cornered a couple of hikers. She went around them as they stood there (I am sure they were petrified) and then the moose moved to the other side of the creek and headed back to where she came. The driver told us it was like she was saying, “What are you doing in my space?  Get out of here, I’m warning you.”  It was fascinating to watch this whole dance between the moose and the hikers. I did the Shuttle Bus Trip to the Eileson Visitor Center but saw all of these places plus the one last stop at Eileson. I did not get the bus with the box lunch but our driver still talked to us and stopped if anyone saw any wild animals. There was a guy at the back of the bus who must have had telescopic eyes because he kept spotting things that few of us could see – like the grizzly. This bear was so far away that I don’t think anyone had a camera lens that could have made him out with any clarity.

Here is a link to a similar trip –

 http://www.reservedenali.com/play/tours/tundra-wilderness.aspx 

JUNE 6, 2016 – Monday

While fixing breakfast this morning, I looked up and out the window to see a large moose with two calves munching the foliage across from me.  At first, I thought she was the same one from last night and wasn’t sure where the second calf came from. Minutes after this group left, I spotted the moose and calf from last night almost camouflaged in the brush. This was definitely two different families. It was a great beginning to this day. Finally headed out for Anchorage and not soon after, hit rain and in some places, the torrential variety. Oh, and the fog…obscured every mountain I should have been able to see. Drove through Wasilla and no, I did not see the “Thrilla in Wasilla” but I was not disappointed. The fog briefly lifted through town, however, and OMG, what a beautiful place—mountains on all sides!  The weather was so bad continuing on to Seward, that I made very few stops all day. I just wanted to get through it. But, it became too much after awhile so decided to camp near the Portage Glacier. It was cold (ya think?) and windy all night.

JUNE 7, 2016 – Tuesday

Did make it to the Portage Glacier this morning and it WAS impressive. Then, it was a stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a place that takes care of abandoned wild animals. They had quite a variety including a lynx, a fox who they put a dog in its space to help him learn to be a part of a pack, there were elk, deer, bison, and oh, those brown bears. Those guys were so stinking cute (not that I would have wanted to cuddle them or anything—they weighed in at 600 pounds plus). Continued on down to Seward after numerous photo stops along the way (the fog and rain from yesterday just vanished) and ended up discovering that the City of Seward  has camping grounds right on the water at Resurrection Bay—from tents and RVs without power to those motor homes that pay for the lights. It was amazing to see all this camping right there on the water! I walked the short way into town but aside from a bunch of bars, a few restaurants, and a couple of gift shops, there wasn’t too much to see at that time of night. I did pass a great playground for kids and a very busy skate park also on the beach. It WAS pretty windy and cold right down near the water but the beauty was breathtaking. I even saw a little sea otter not too far from shore (if the picture turns out, I will post it later).

JUNE 8, 2016 – Wednesday

Off again, heading to Valdez but will need to stop someplace in between.

Stopped by Lily Pad Lake, the Upper Summit Lake (nice reflection), and the Bird Point Overlook which offered splendid views of the Turnagain Arm and the literature says this place is a favorite among locals as a wedding venue (I can see that) —all on the Seward Highway before reaching Anchorage during rush hour. I am spending the night in Palmer about half way to Valdez. Finally found a GOOD, free shower and wifi. What a gift for travelers.

EDITED TO ADD: Stopped at the Alyeska Resort, (primarily a ski resort but open all year), They have a tram here that takes people up over 2000 feet to near the top where seven glaciers are visible. The restaurant up there is actually called The Seven Glaciers Restaurant. It was magnificent view from up top and the tram operator gave a little 'tour guide scenario' on the way back down the mountain. Pictures will follow although I did take one from the top using my phone that showed the lake and mountain view in the distance. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

http://www.alyeskaresort.com/hotel/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turnagain_Arm

ALASKA – WEEK 2 – MAY 26 to JUNE 1, 2016

ALASKA – WEEK 2 – MAY 26 to JUNE 1, 2016

MAY 26, 2016 – Thursday

Left early this morning from Fort Nelson heading to Watson Lake (but didn’t quite get that far).

Shortly after leaving the campsite and near Raspberry Creek, a black bear was spotted along the side of the road nibbling on grass so, of course I had to stop and take photos. It was a pretty foggy morning and driving was slow. A different type of bear, maybe a young grizzly, was spotted a short time later. This bear was brown and had a tuft of hair on his back (but not all over) that reminded me of a Mohawk haircut. This guy was definitely not sticking around for a photo op but I was lucky to get off a couple of shots before he disappeared back into the trees.

Then, because the day started out so early, decided to stop at a rest area and fix breakfast – pancakes…yum.  Down the road a few miles, made a stop at Testa River Services for expensive gas ($1.59 liter with a sign on the pump that read “Stop Sniveling”).  The family owners of this place are famous for growing, butchering, curing, and selling their meats but most importantly “The Cinnamon Bun Center of the Galactic Cluster”…purchased enough cinnamon buns for a couple future breakfasts. Lovely people!

A few landscape photos (of course) were part of the day as were driving on gravel/dirt roads (main highway construction), a pilot car procession, lots of rain, and then…a large herd of Bison chilin’ by the side of the road. One, presumably the mother, was trying to get two young ones up to their feet. What a sight!

Ended the day by finding a boondocker (free campsite) a short distance outside Laird Hot Springs called Whirlpool Canyon Rest Area. Didn’t stop at the hot springs this time (maybe on the way back) because I had no suit and also because they charge an entry fee even for a ‘look-see’. At least I’m close enough to make Watson Lake early tomorrow and then begin the journey to Whitehorse in Yukon Territory.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Nelson,_British_Columbia

MAY 27, 2016 – Friday

Watson Lake – Stayed at an okay RV Park – the showers were great and free…free wifi too but only for 60 minutes. Apparently, only the government facilities get high speed! The manager of this park also told me that there are about 38,000 people who live in the Yukon and 28,000 of them live in Whitehorse. I am guessing a significant number also live in Dawson City as they are the only two large cities in the Territory.  Stopped for groceries and happy hour stuff before heading to the Planetarium to view a segment on space before the segment on the Northern Lights. Great show! Visited the Sign Post Forest—People from all over the world nail signs from their homelands/states and over the years, more than 70,000 of them are nailed to posts in this “forest”.  Met Glenda from Libby, Montana in the laundry room.  She was traveling to Alaska with her husband. Maybe we’ll see each other again somewhere on the trail?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watson_Lake,_Yukon

http://www.yukoninfo.com/watson-lake-signpost-forest/

MAY 28, 2016- Saturday

Left fairly early this morning in the hopes of making it to Whitehorse but didn’t quite get that far. Stopped to take photos of Rancheria Falls…no dirt path for these folks…the path was good gravel and a boardwalk through the boreal  forest. The falls were very picturesque. Snapped a few photos of the Cassiar Mountains, the Continental Divide and The Nisutlin Bay Bridge (the longest water span on the Alaska Highway at 1,917 feet).  Passed by Teslin as there was not much of interest then stopped at a rest area on The Canol (Canadian Oil) Road to snap some photos of old WWII vehicles. These old vehicles are nothing compared to today’s road warriors!

Ended the day at a Yukon Government Campground – these are VERY well-kept campgrounds with outhouses, water, firewood (the basics) and the charge is only $12. Tonight I stayed at a site on Marsh Lake, complete with a view of said lake.

http://www.trailpeak.com/trail-Rancheria-Falls-near-Whitehorse-YT-3683

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZOtiEiEilw

MAY 29, 2016 – Sunday

Another early departure morning—destination Whitehorse.  Not far after, I stopped at a rest area for a photo of the Yukon River Bridge (elevation 2,150 feet). I made it to Whitehorse while it was still early. Stopped by the Visitors Centre (always). The Canadians are so welcoming and helpful and so far, everyone I’ve met has been nicer and more helpful than the previous stop. Took a long walk around town, stopped at the old stern-wheeler S.S.Klondike (a freebie to board and look around) but most places of interest were closed today (Sunday). On this leg of the journey, I decided to stop at Wal-Mart to purchase a jacket because I forgot mine at home and it has been a bit on the cold side (read freezing).  Decided to not stay in Whitehorse and continued north to Carmacks…still on the Yukon River with a population of 444.  Along the way, I stopped at a rest area where they had the remains of Montague House…a typical early-day roadhouse which offered lodging and meals on the stagecoach route between Whitehorse and Dawson City. It definitely has withstood the winds of time but I am sure there was no grass growing on the floor of this place back then.  Am staying tonight at a regular RV park but the showers (which have been mostly free) here cost $3 for 3 minutes! If the water runs out before you enter more money ($1 for one minute), it will require another $3 and start over. I don’t know about anyone else but how does one wet, soap, and  rinse in 3 minutes?

http://www.city.whitehorse.yk.ca/about-whitehorse

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/yt/ssklondike/index.aspx

http://www.carmacks.ca/

MAY 30, 2016 – Monday

Headed north to Dawson City, Yukon and arrived early afternoon.  On the way, stopped to take a number of photos, including the Five Finger Rapids, and flowers and trees.  Before heading to the RV park, drove to the top of the Dome (Dome Road) which overlooks the city and is a special place for Summer Solstice because from there, the sun never sets. Decided to put down roots for a couple of days as there was much to do here. The couple staying next to my camp was from Thief River Falls, MN and knew some of my family from Climax and Shelly areas (at least the names were familiar). I never got their name though.  After camp was set up, headed to Klondike Kate’s for dinner…this was the first night I actually noticed  how it did not get dark and it was kind of a strange sensation to look at the clock at 10 pm and have it look like 3 in the afternoon.  –received notification early evening that my Uncle Dick had passed away today.

https://dawsoncity.ca/

MAY 31, 2016 – Tuesday

Did a walking tour of the city and took photos of a lot of old buildings. Watched a short documentary about the Gold Rush Days and how Canada passed a law requiring miners heading to the Klondike to carry enough supplies to last one year…for many miners, this amounted to about a ton of supplies and many had to make more than one trip. I am not so sure I would have had the desire to do that, especially since so few of the these miners ever struck it rich.

There was a TV series (5-6 episodes), maybe in 2015, called Klondike. It was actually a very good series and based on some of the actual people who came to the Klondike during the Gold Rush. The closing credits said what happened to those people.  I may try and find it once I get home and watch it again.

JUNE 1, 2016 – Wednesday

Before leaving this morning to drive the Top of the World Highway went out to the Dredge 4 Claim—still a working mine. Interesting. I also stopped at Claim 33 to shoot some photos of old vehicles. Claim 33 is a place I could have tried my hand at gold panning but the place was not yet open.

To cross the Yukon River out of Dawson City requires a ferry trip across. The Canadian government pays for this service so no charge to me but it can require long wait times. Thankfully, it was only a one-ferry wait.

I would not recommend driving the Top of the World Highway unless someday it actually gets paved. In reality, it is only about 66 miles but it took HOURS because the road was so full of potholes and driving was slow. The Border crossing into Alaska was pretty painless but did take longer than I would have expected—no other cars were in front or behind me. I was expecting the upcoming highway to take me into Chicken and Tok to be in better condition, but, that was not the case. Seriously, a DIRT HIGHWAY? Needless to say, it was a very long day of driving.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeqtF7GEoZM

https://www.google.com/search?q=top+of+the+world+highway&tbm=isch&imgil=zPWlqrOJ__skLM%253A%253BPSWqTEUu7Ao_TM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fen.wikipedia.org%25252Fwiki%25252FTop_of_the_World_Highway&source=iu&pf=m&fir=zPWlqrOJ__skLM%253A%252CPSWqTEUu7Ao_TM%252C_&usg=__7iGquLm5GxKZzLlmKkfjVFwfRQs%3D&biw=1366&bih=667&ved=0ahUKEwjquLOJhJXNAhVK82MKHQcCD5kQyjcIMw&ei=SEdWV-r0CcrmjwOHhLzICQ#imgrc=zPWlqrOJ__skLM%3A

ALASKA -Days One to Seven - May 19-25. 2016,

Greetings from the north! This first post will be a catch-up post as wifi has been pretty sketchy.

MAY 19 - Thursday: 
Left Spokane heading to Banff, Alberta, Canada. Had a few mishaps before even getting out of town -- wrong coffee mug for driving required a trip back home to get the 'right' one and then, another return trip home because of a forgotten passport. You know, you can't get into/out of Canada without a passport!

With the time change, and a very long drive through Kootenay National Park, finally arrived in Banff. Was told the stay could only be for one night (no reservations and it was a long weekend in Canada). The campsite was too far away from town but no biggy. The guy camping next door was from Germany (named Roger: pronounced Ra-jay in French). He was saying how crazy our politics are now.

MAY 20 - Friday:
Off to Lake Louise. Lots of people and Tour Buses. Took a few photos but down by the lake it was REALLY cold and windy so did not stay long.

MAY 21-22 Saturday and Sunday: (combo post because I can't remember my days)
Windy driving conditions heading up to Jasper. Stopped numerous times to take photos of some magnificent waterfalls, long horn sheep, the Althabasca Glacier. That glacier has retreated sooo far since 1908. There were little wooden signs placed with different years marking where the glacier was at that time. Absolutely amazing. Arrived in Jasper but because no reservations were made, there was no camping availability. Turns out this 'long weekend' was for Victoria's Day and the whole country is out doing stuff (much of that stuff entailed camping). Eventually found a little out-of-the-way place to stay the night before the skies opened and delivered a huge rainstorm. Woke up in the morning to snow!! Left before breakfast but stopped in the Wal-Mart parking lot long enough to eat something before heading further north. Thanks to Wal-Mart for their allowance of overnight RV parking--maybe should have stayed there to begin with? Back on the road--it was snowing pretty heavily so stopped at the Visitors Centre at Kelly's Bathtub. Tanya, the woman in the Centre was very nice and knowledgeable and told me that the snow was falling even heavier further north and she checked a few places before suggesting Gregg Lake as a suitable camping spot. Because the snow was falling fast and heavy, many of those 'long weekend' campers gave up their weekends and moved out leaving a few empty spaces for the night. It was a day of reading and watching the snow fall but by morning, most of the snow had melted.

ATHABASCA GLACIER

(This is not the picture I saw as it was really snowing at the time I was there).

KELLY'S BATHTUB

GREGG LAKE (without snow)

MAY 23 - Monday:
Continue to drive north on Alberta 40. Stopped by Pierre Grey's Lakes and Grande Cache Lake. The city of Grande Cache is known as the ATV capital of the world and there were plenty of them out there. Stopped at the Vistor's Centre there and picked up a bunch more reading material for upcoming cities/towns. On this stretch of AB 40 there are signs everywhere alerting drivers that this is Caribou Country--I never even saw an antler peeking through a tree.  Later in the afternoon, I arrived in Dawson City, mile zero of the Alaskan Highway.

MAY 24 - Tuesday:
Took a self-walking tour of Dawson City and stopped by the Alaskan House Museum where they were showing a documentary on the building of the highway. I knew the Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for the building (and one of my grand uncles was involved in the surveying?) but I did not know they had to build that road in less than a year. Most of them had no idea what they were doing and there was no road at all from which to begin--trees had to be bulldozed down for starters. It was a very interesting documentary by PBS. Later in the day, I took a tour of the Pioneer Village--a lot of old buildings furnished with appropriate 'donated' pieces from the time period. Later in the evening, I met a woman, Janet, from Lafayette, Louisiana. She and her husband were also heading to Alaska as were most folks in the campground. As luck would have it, I was able to catch the finale of The Voice (the only night TV has been accessible). BTW-Congratulations Team Xtina.

Building the Alcan Highway

MAY 25 - Wednesday:
Awoke to warm weather with the map saying Fort Nelson. Janet and her husband passed me on the road and then again later in the afternoon pulled off at the same turnout. They were planning to go further north before calling it a day. Was caught totally off-guard when the drive over a mountain pass produced huge snowflakes and slushy driving conditions. Once over the pass, heavy rain replaced the snow before finally clearing up. Maybe tomorrow will be more sunshine? Agenda says tomorrow will be Watson Lake.

DAY 20 - July 1, 2013 - BILLINGS TO SPOKANE -- HOME

The day started out a bit slowly even though I was on the road early. What "big" city allows for a VERY long freight train to cross downtown during rush hour!?! That would be Billings, Montana...twenty minutes later, I finally hit the freeway.

The drive was pretty monotonous but at least some portions were pretty and it really wasn't too hot. I did experience a little problem with my cruise control...at one point it would not set but eventually did...and then...it would not click off even though I hit the brakes. I was doing about 80 and had a car in front of me. That was a little scary but it did turn off manually. So much for using my cruise control the rest of the way home. I must now get it back into the shop to get it checked out.

Arrived in Spokane to see that the place I live HAS THE MOST EXPENSIVE GAS ON THIS ENTIRE TRIP! Yowsers!

My friend met me and helped me unload and then I just chilled...for days. :)

RECAP:

20 Days

9 States (Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota)

4,316 miles -- just the portion I drove. This does not include southern Minnesota, Iowa, or Wisconsin driven by my cousin, Marcia.

29 new cousins

All in all, a very good trip but I probably will not do this again...at least driving. I may need to go to Minneapolis to conduct more research but I am thinking maybe next time to take the train?

DAY 19 – June 30, 2013 – Fargo to Billings

Left fairly early this morning from Fargo and arrived in Billings early enough to go out to dinner. Billings was the first place I stayed on the way to Minnesota and the last place I chose to stay on the way home. I am even staying at the same place. J

The drive across North Dakota and Montana is really boring…I saw a couple of “ugly” accidents in Montana that I am guessing were caused because the driver “fell asleep” while driving. That is just my guess but considering the location of those cars that left the road, I think my guess is pretty accurate .

North Dakota’s gas was the most expensive I have seen on this trip although there was one small town in Montana that was advertising for $3.84 (I did not stop there).

At the Theodore Roosevelt National Park rest area in North Dakota, they had a scenic viewing area overlooking part of the Badlands. Pretty cool.

All in all, a pretty boring day although I am three disks away from finishing my third audio book. I am saving those three disks for the portion of the Montana Rockies that does not receive satellite reception.J

Home tomorrow!