Mile 4396 – Valdez, AK

Thurssay, 30 June:  Arrived in Valdez today.  We plan to be here for a week or until our mail arrives.  Light rain and heavy low cloud cover as we neared Valdez.  The first two pictures are from the drive in and the next is the view from the RV Park.

Saturday, July 2:  We are enjoying Valdez.  We decided to take some more pictures because the sun came out. Traveled back  the way we came in stopped and took pictures of Horsetail Falls then the Bridal Veil Falls heading to Thompson Pass an eagle flew down on the road right in front of us grabed a squirrel I thought we would hit the eagle before he gained height flew away it only lasted a few seconds not enough time to take a picture.  Went through the pass and on to Worthington Glacier. What a beautiful place and cold.  The lady who works there has lived in Alaska for 47 years and said the Glacier had receded over the years and that it use to go all the way to the road.  People were climbing on the Glacier.  Not me!  On the way back there 4 eagles were flying over the road and heading for the mountains and later 3 more flying over the bay looking for fish.

Later after lunch went to the other side of the Bay there was tons of people fishing and one lone Grizzly Bear eating on the side of the road.  Just made our day .  The loading terminal for the Alaska pipeline is less than a mile away.

Sunday, July 3:  Got a fairly close picture of an Eagle resting.  I stood by the tree for at least 10 minutes waiting to get a good picture when he took off.  When he did take off it was in the opposite direction behind the limbs.  I managed to get a good shot of his butt throught the limbs.   Took a walk down by the boat harbor and found a very happy Halibut fisherman, 123 lbs.  Current leader in the ongoing Halibat tournament is a lady with a 337 lb. Halibut.

Tuesday, July 5:  We took an all day cruise (about 9 ½ hrs) from Valdez to Mears Glacier.  Enjoyed very much.  The glacier was really outstanding.  The boat pilot took us very close to the edge of the glacier (approximately ¼ mile).  The sound of the glacier cracking and sliding towards us was really outstanding.  Not to mention the occasional glacier calving (chunks of ice falling from the face of the glacier into the water).  At the point where the glacier meets the water its height is between 100 and 200 ft.  Of coarse it is much thicker as you move inland.  During the trip we saw a good many sea lions, harbor seals and hump back whales.  Past by the reef where the Exxon Valdez ran aground.  It now has a marker on it (not sure if it did back in `84).  According to our guide the Exxon Valdez was not the first ship to run aground on this reef.

On Wednesday we did exciting things such as washing the RV and clean up inside as we got ready to travel on Thursday.  However during the afternoon Doris did manage to get the following picture of and Eagle in flight.

Mile 4142 – Tok Again, AK

We returned to Tok today and will travel to Valdez tomorrow.  Gave the RV and car a well needed wash.  On our trip from Chicken to Tok we found this group of moose.

Note:  For most of the photos on this blog you click on the picture to enlarge and for some a second click will enlarge even more.

Mile 4065 – Chicken, AK

Spent last night in Tok and drove to Chicken today.  We will take the car over the ‘Top of the World Highway’ tomorrow to Dawson City and back.  Chicken aint much but it is a sort of interesting.

The entire town of Chicken.

Top of the World Highway casualty of the day.

Made the round trip to Dawson City today (Tues) over the TWH.. Lots of rain, mud and fog so we did not get much out of the scenic drive.  We did pass another broken down motorhome on our way back.  Below are a couple of pictures of Dawson City.

A true ‘Rambo Mobile’.  We passed this robust RV on our return trip from Dawson City.  Turns out they spent the night in the same park as us.

Mile 3880 – Beaver Creek, YT

Over night at Westmark RV Park.  The road from Whitehorse was terrible!!!  Frost heaves, 20 to 30 inch dia pot holes some 6 to 10 inches deep.  That’s the paved part.  The procedure for repairing the roads appears to be covering the pavement with gravel.  They still have pot holes but with the added wash board feature normally only available on dirt and gravel roads.

Mile 3601 – Whitehorse, YT

We are spending a couple of nights here in Whitehorse.  There are a few sights (museums) and we will attend the “Frantic Follies” tonight.  Headed to Beaver Creek tomorrow, the last stop before entering Alaska.  We have been advised that this will be the worse stretch of road we will encounter.  Frost heaves damage the road during the winter and Canada has no interest in maintaining this section of the road as it goes nowhere but Alaska.

Below is Doris in front of Sam McGee’s cabin (as in “The Cremation of Sam McGee”).  The poem is complete fiction and the author simply asked Sam for permission to use his name as he just liked the sound of the name.

Below are the remains of military vehicles used in the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942.  Photos were taken at 10:40 pm.

Mile 3493 – Teslin, YT

Wed, 22 June:  Another one nighter on the Alaska Highway.  Beautiful day and much appreciated after 10 days of rain.

RV Park is a far end of bridge on right.

We visited the George Johnston museum.  George was a fairly interesting local Tlingit (klink-it) indian living in Teslin.  George was a store owner, hunter, trapper, snow shoe maker and photographer.  George bought a 1928 Chevy in Whitehorse, had it barged to Teslin where there were no roads at all.  George had local workers clear a three mile stretch of road and then charged $1 per person for the three mile ride.  His family helped with the “taxi” service and also dressed the part.  During the winter after the lake froze, George painted the car white in order to hunt on the frozen lake.  See below.

Mile 3328 – Watson Lake, YT

Tues, 21 June:  Spending the night at Downtown RV Park.  No cell phone service in this town for either T-Mobil or Verison.  Satellite internet can not quite get connected.  Could be the heavy cloud cover.  Steady light rain for the last 3 or 4 days.  About the only point of any interest here is the “Sign Post Forest”  See below.

Mile 3168 – Muncho Lake, BC

Sun, 19 June:  Spending 2 nights here at the Northern Rockies Lodge & RV Park.  Light rain but not cold (60’s).  Fuel prices are a little high, $7.20/gal.  Muncho Lake is very beautiful.  Saw some wild life on the drive up from Fort Nelson.  First we Stone Sheep.  These guys lick rocks to take in the minerals.  A moose a black bear and some sort of Canadian Flying Trout.

Mile 3014 – Fort Nelson, BC

Sat, 18 June:  Overnight at Blue Bell Inn and RV Park.  Very thick fog this morning leaving Dawson Creek.  Saw a deer, a moose, and two black bears on the way up.

Mile 2734 – Dawson Creek, BC

Trip to Alaska begins in earnest as Dawson Creek is the beginning of the Alaska Highway.  Believe it or not the entire highway was constructed in 9 months in 1942 (a very good year).  Plan to stop in Fort Nelson tomorrow and then Muncho Lake all in BC.

Creative plumbing at Mile 0 RV Park

Mile 2377- Edmonton, CA

Stopped at Calgary for the night on Monday.  Traveled again on Tuesday and reached Edmonton, CA.  We will be here untill Friday.  Heading to Dawson Creek BC,CA will be staying at the Mile 0 RV Park.  This is where the Alaska Highway starts.  We are excited as it will feel more like we on our way to Alaska.

The West Edmontion Mall is truly an amazing place.  Never seen anything quite like this place.  Below is a shot of the beach inside the mall.

Mile 1675 – Big Timber, MT

Overnight stay at Spring Creek RV located on the banks the Bolder River.  I understand the movie “A River Runs Through It” was filmed a few miles upstream from this location.  Also the movie “Horse Whisperer” was filed  2 or 3 miles downstream from this location.  Apparently R. R. likes this area.

Mile 1424 – Buffalo, WY

Thursday, 9 Jun:  Arrived at Deer Park RV in Buffalo to meet with our traveling companions Jim Shupe and Lois Roe for our trip to Alaska.

Spent two nights here.  Good to see Charlie and Louise Goodman (our Newmar club friends from Texas) who also arrived on 9 June to spend the summer in Buffalo.  Can’t blame the Goodmans as this is a very nice town.

Mile 824 – Raton, NM

Continuing our trek towards Alaska.  Spending the night at Cedar Rail RV in Raton, NM.  Plan to drive straight through Colorado and overnight at Terry Bison RV just south of Cheyenne, WY.

Looking southeast from Cedar Rail RV.

Mile 599 – Amarillo, TX

The journey has begun.  Overnight at the Oasis RV Park.  Have stayed here two or three times in the past.  Actually a very nice RV park but hot and very windy. 

Mile 251 – Grapevine, TX

We had a great visit with Ginger in Dallas.  Got to tell you it is just as  HOT in Dallas as Houston. 

Ginger and Doris at Vineyards Campground on Lake Grapevine.

Mile Zero - Thursday, 2 June

RV washed, loaded and ready to travel.  Lawn sprinklers working and grass is still green.

Will be heading to Dallas to spend the weekend visiting with our daughter Ginger.  From there it's on to Alaska and cooler weather (100 deg here in Houston today).