The Alcan

This is a first!  We are barreling down the highway toward Watson Lake, Yukon and I’m trying to type.  The road is so bumpy…I keep missing the keys.

From the Quesnel VC we are traveling north toward Prince George stopping only to take a few pictures of the fire hydrants in Quesnel.

Getting a really late start due to my slow blogging and even slower internet connection at the visitor center, we find ourselves in an isolated mountain valley as evening approaches. 

At a gravel rest area we are heating leftovers and dining in the trailer, contemplating spending the night on the side of the road.

But the town of Chetwynd is just ahead!  It’s claim to fame is 100+ chainsaw wood carvings.  The public parking lot behind the gas station is our home for the night.  And I was so grateful!

It’s starting to rain,  first rain since leaving Kentucky.  After spending some time checking emails and admiring the carvings, we are heading out toward Dawson Creek and the beginning of the Alcan Highway.

 

 

Dawson Creek is about an hour up the road.  The visitor center provides a photo op.

The center gives us a list of gas stations and distance between fuel.  From now on we are driving off the top half of our tank…at times going less than 100 miles before filling again.

A grocery stop at Fort St John eats up over two hours of travel time.  Seems like we are not making much progress.

After driving all day in the rain, we stop at the Bucking Horse River Lodge which offers free parking for RVs.  They are out of gas, very bad news! But a mining camp across the road provides us with a fill up. 

The River Lodge also has food.  Bacon and pancakes for me and corn beef sandwich for the hubby….$24!

We are learning from our mistakes, hitting the road at 6 AM the next morning.  Fort Nelson is an hour away providing us with breakfast at the A&W and a free dump station.

Our goal today is Liard Springs Provincial Park, 300 miles. This park has a natural hot spring making it a popular stop.

We travel through the Northern Rocky Mountains and Muncho Lake Park, beautiful parts of the Alcan, on our way to Liard Springs.

 

On our way to the park we seen a momma bear and her cub, our first moose and 2 mule deers!

It’s worth the drive!  Lovely place.