Finally….Alaska!

Arriving back on the old US of A soil felt good until the border guards wanted to confiscate our two bags of apples.  I remarked that they were in their original bags and, after looking at the labels, the guards returned our precious fruit.

The road from the last Yukon town of Haines Junction to the border was downright awful.  Driving between 35 and 45 miles per hour, it took all morning.  And we are stressing even more when the check engine light comes on.  But after 20 miles it goes back off.

A few miles into Alaska we find a campground at Deadman’s Lake.  The price is right…free!  It has no water but pit toilets and a nice campsite right on the lake.

Screeching sounds are heard as we are backing into the campsite.   After securing the camper we look for the source of the noise and find a welcoming committee of one to greet us.

It’s a golden eagle!

 

He was content to stay in the tree allowing us to admire him, flying away only after a boat startled him.

Later that night we were entertained by a naturalist lecture on permafrost (only 9 inches down) and learning a few wildflowers.

Labrador tea

A wee bit behind on our postings…..currently in a campground in Tok where we will stay another night,  heading toward Valdez tomorrow. Today’s Tuesday, 6/18.

The Yukon!

 

The Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake is our first stop in the Yukon.

The first sign was placed in the early 40’s by a homesick military man.  Now there are over 70,000 signs placed by tourists, often giving the mileage back to their hometown.

By night we find ourselves in the village of Teslin at the Yukon Motel.  I go in and inquire about rates….thirty-one dollars for electric hookups, $15 for dry camping and free in the parking lot! 

A rainbow appears behind the restaurant as I walk through the camp.

Moose statue welcomes travelers at the Yukon Motel.

Pushing on we get through Whitehorse….a real city with 75% of the Yukon’s population residing there.  There are two McDonald’s!  They are serving egg mcmuffins instead of sausage and biscuit, so disappointing but happy to get some protein.

The day ends at a Cottonwood RV park, our first private campground.  The pictures will explain why we paid the $30 for a non electric site.

Kluane Lake

Rest Stop

Campsite…lakeshore  behind me.

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.

Beautiful BC

 

After leaving the peaceful forest campsite in western Montana we find ourselves crossing the some of the largest mountains that we’ve seen.  No cell signal for hours! 

Stopping at the Spokane, WA visitor’s center we encounter helpful workers who plot our route to Omak, WA, taking us through a vast expanse of nothingness.  We are leaving I-90 after a thousand rolling miles. The area between Spokane and Omak is flat and barren but we  cross the Columbia River at the Grand Coulee Dam.

This is some of the art found at the Grand Coulee Visitor Center.  It’s amazing how an idea from the 1800’s became real after WWII and turned a desert into a lush river valley.

Saturday night we are guests at the Omak Wally World rv park, parked right next to the tires and oil change department.

Sunday morning we are preparing to enter Canada and I wonder if it’s going to be a problem with the banks closed on Sunday.  Did not remember to call our bank cards and tell them we are traveling out of the country.  But there is soo much to remember!  We get our oil changed and strike out for the border.

The Escape rally at Osoyoos, BC has just ended this morning; we exchange toots of the horn with numerous eggs as they travel south toward the States.

We are traveling through this awesome valley viewing the Okanagan River.

Stopping for groceries at the next large town, we find that the hubby’s check card will not work.  I was able to use my card and obtain some Canadian money.  Everything’s in metric…we soon figure out the speed limits.  I am missing my phone already…wishing for the calculator…but the data is turned off at the border and the phone is turned off at the suggestion of those who know about roaming charges.

We stop at the Merritt Visitor Center inquiring about the closest provincial park.  Monck is not far and it’s another beautiful lake.

A wind is surfer showing off his talent.  The above Escape is from Vancouver; nice folks on their way home from the rally.

British Columbian’s love their parks!  Found this at an empty campsite.

Quesnel Visitor Center provides the laptop with a jolt of juice  as we wait for the banks to open on Tuesday morning.  Heading for Prince George.

(For those who are following on the map….we are on 97 N and will hit mile 0  of the Alcan at Dawson Creek.)

Quartz Flat cg, Lolo NF

 

We are heading down the road and make a pit stop, but this rest area is unusual.  It has a national forest campground sign at the end of the parking lot.  My hair is dirty and my number one desire is to get it clean….we brought our sun shower for backup.  This may be the place!

So for the $5 camp fee (senior discount) we find ourselves dumping our tanks, refilling the water, washing clothes (by hand), taking showers and cooking dinner.

  Also there’s a little nature trail that leads to the Clark Fork River (named after Lewis and Clark.)

Clark Fork River

 

I am looking for a place to jump in the river.  Not a good decision, wading in and wading out immediately! The surrounding mountains still have snow melting making it icy.

These beautiful yellow flowers are growing everywhere.

Wash Day!

Ponderosa pines dominate the campground.  This stand is 80 years old according to the trail guide.

Thank everyone for their concern over hubby’s condition…glad to report that the medicine appears to be working.

We are 150 miles away from Spokane, still in Montana.  There’s a short piece of Idaho that we must get through before entering Washington.  Not sure of our route after leaving the interstate in Spokane but the destination is Omak, WA, right below Osoyoos, BC.

No internet connection here….hope to post and catch up on the road this AM.