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.