3 weeks down and, oh, about 14 or so to go.
And the adventure really begins.
Hit a few frost heaves between Dawson Creek and Fort Nelson in British Columbia. A little damage but nothing we can't live without. Lesson learned. Pay attention to the look of the road ahead and slow way way way down.
Our file cabinet and bar stools have pretty much bitten the dust. Recliner bounced around and got a few loose screws but salvageable. Desk lamp is no more!
This is what I saw when I opened the door. Our little frig was on it's side with the contents and shelves thrown around but not broken, thank goodness. The liquor cabinet drawer opened and bottles flew out, but did not break. Whew, am I glad I wrapped them good. More of a mess than anything really.
We drove 283 miles Sunday & 293 on Monday. Don't really care to do that again. Listened to "The Big Burn" on audio to help pass the time while watching for wild life and historic sites. Lots of pretty lakes, rivers and mountains.
Rugged country for sure.
Managed to see this mama bear and her cubs climbing the hill side, right after I got this shot she covered them with her body so no more viewing them.
Down the road a short distance we were stopped by this herd of buffalo with two calves. Not near as big as the ones we see in South Dakota but impressive never the less. First time I have seen young ones, didn't realize they are brown.
Really enjoyed the Heritage museum in Fort Nelson and chatted with ole timer who has lived in the area since 1957. The road noise was a little much at the "West End/TripleG Hideaway" park we stayed at but pickens are a bit scarce.
So we just sucked it up and bellied up to the bar. Don't ya love the saddle bar stools? Comfortable for some I am sure. Everyone has nitch I guess.
Headed out Monday morning early, stopping at the famous "Toad River Lodge" (ceiling covered with thousands of hats) for fuel where there was a line up of RVs, trucks, and construction workers.
We got a coffee to go, some cheese, crackers, and salami from the rig and headed on down the road.
Also passed these folks again, broke down on side of road about an hour or so before Watson Lake. We stopped briefly to see if we could help and they said they had already called for help but thanks anyway. Poor kids. At least the weather was accommodating for waiting.
We have seen some great sites and met some really interesting folks. One couple from Nevada are making their 14th trip to Alaska. They brought 2 freezers, a smoker and a caner. They are hard core. They insist the salmon are bigger, better and it is cheaper to fish right from the shore in Valdez instead of what they call, "paying the big bucks in the Kenai. they invited us to join them in July. We just might do that for a bit.
Down the road a short distance we were stopped by this herd of buffalo with two calves. Not near as big as the ones we see in South Dakota but impressive never the less. First time I have seen young ones, didn't realize they are brown.
Really enjoyed the Heritage museum in Fort Nelson and chatted with ole timer who has lived in the area since 1957. The road noise was a little much at the "West End/TripleG Hideaway" park we stayed at but pickens are a bit scarce.
Headed out Monday morning early, stopping at the famous "Toad River Lodge" (ceiling covered with thousands of hats) for fuel where there was a line up of RVs, trucks, and construction workers.Thought we might take a break and have some breakfast. Wrong! Just as we finished gasing up a tour bus showed up and tons of folks filed off the bus into the restaurant.
We got a coffee to go, some cheese, crackers, and salami from the rig and headed on down the road.
We have seen some great sites and met some really interesting folks. One couple from Nevada are making their 14th trip to Alaska. They brought 2 freezers, a smoker and a caner. They are hard core. They insist the salmon are bigger, better and it is cheaper to fish right from the shore in Valdez instead of what they call, "paying the big bucks in the Kenai. they invited us to join them in July. We just might do that for a bit.
Also met a couple from Tawas, near our old place, who are making their 4th trip up. We continue to see many of the same campers from campground to campground.
Yet another time zone and Province.
When we got to Watson Lake, "Downtown" RV park the first thing we did was wash the rig. Windows were so dirty we couldn't see out. Folks told us it wouldn't do any good as a mile or so down the road they would be dusty all over again. Oh well, at least one night of seeing out the windows.
Second thing we did was walk over to the "sign post forest" and hang our shingle. 
Literature reports some 67,000 signs people have left from all over the world. We found a spot in the front row facing the road on the second or third post in, so if you are traveling the Alaskan Hwy be sure to look for our mark (we are on the post with the big El Paso sign) We spent about an hour walking around which only covered a very small section so if you decide to visit, give yourself lots and lots of time. Very interesting.
Petro didn't quite know what to make of this forest!
Returned to the camper for some dinner than off to the Northern Lights Center (only planetarium in North America with Northern Lights show) for a presentation of aurora borealis and astronomy. Well worth the $9 admission. Back at the campground another dozen or so RVs had pulled in, some of the same folks we have seen at the past 2 or 3 parks. Met 3 couples from Vancouver who had just come from Whitehorse and now heading back south. They informed us part of the road is gravel but not bad. So much for washing the rig!
Headed toward Whitehorse Tuesday morning with warm sunny weather which turned cloudy and spit rain later. Stopped at " The Continental Divide Lodge" for some of their famous Cinnamon Buns, coffee and potty break. Don't bother, so dry I couldn't eat them. My mom made much much better rolls when she was baking way back when. I wrapped it up after a couple bites deciding it might be better when warmed up later in the camper.
We passed miles and miles of these rock signs along the side of road. Literature says the first one was in 1990 by a swim team and folks have just been adding to them ever since. I would guess there are probably over 200 such messages. Briefly thought about pulling over and leaving our own mark, but came to my senses and moved right along.
No wild life today, and no audio book, so the drive seemed to take forever. I got a head ache and throbbing ears an hour or so out of Whitehorse, so by the time we arrived (2 ish) I was more than ready for a nap. Carl sure is a champ to be doing all this driving and maintaining a great attitude. Lots of conversation, lots of quiet time, lots of looking for interesting sites. And so it goes. We are so relieved to be in an area of civilization, amenities, and services that we have decided to stay here at "Hi Country RV Park" for several days. We plan to take side trips to Skagway, Haines, etc. and just chill and enjoy. No pulling the rig for at least 4 days. We should be more than refreshed by the time we hit the road, knowing we are again, heading into no mans land.
Headed toward Whitehorse Tuesday morning with warm sunny weather which turned cloudy and spit rain later. Stopped at " The Continental Divide Lodge" for some of their famous Cinnamon Buns, coffee and potty break. Don't bother, so dry I couldn't eat them. My mom made much much better rolls when she was baking way back when. I wrapped it up after a couple bites deciding it might be better when warmed up later in the camper.
The highway took us past the 86 mile long Teslin Lake which provided fantastic views.
For our snowmobile enthusiasts friends I thought this was a great sight. Semi truck loaded with new machines headed south, perhaps in anticipation of boosting the economy.
No wild life today, and no audio book, so the drive seemed to take forever. I got a head ache and throbbing ears an hour or so out of Whitehorse, so by the time we arrived (2 ish) I was more than ready for a nap. Carl sure is a champ to be doing all this driving and maintaining a great attitude. Lots of conversation, lots of quiet time, lots of looking for interesting sites. And so it goes. We are so relieved to be in an area of civilization, amenities, and services that we have decided to stay here at "Hi Country RV Park" for several days. We plan to take side trips to Skagway, Haines, etc. and just chill and enjoy. No pulling the rig for at least 4 days. We should be more than refreshed by the time we hit the road, knowing we are again, heading into no mans land.
No comments:
Post a Comment