We left Fairbanks, AK Aug 4th and headed to Tok, AK.  After just 95 miles we stopped in Delta Junction at the Visitor Center where the Alaska Highway ends.

Delta Junction, Alaska
Northern Terminus of the
"ALCAN" HIGHWAY

Mile Post 1422
End of the Alaska Highway

Although the sign says 1,422 to Dawson Creek, where we began our caraventure, we have actually
gone 3,032 miles, so far, and we still have 11 more days!!!  Finally arrived in Tok, AK after another 100 miles.

The next day we drove from Tok, AK to Dawson City, Yukon Territory and, OH MY GOD, what a drive that was!  Only 192 miles BUT it took us 13.5 hrs.  We left TOK around 7:00 and arrived in Chicken, AK 2 hrs later.  Chicken is just one of those SMALL stops in the road you HAVE to make just to say you've been there.

Chicken
Gold Camp

Road to Chicken

Town of Chicken

We left Chicken at 10:30 and continued our drive over Top-of-the-World Highway.  The road (HWY?) is steep and narrow in places with little or NO shoulder and is not paved!

Top-of-the-World Hwy

Kim following us

View of what's ahead

View from the top of Top-of-the-World Hwy

View as we begin the decent

It took us 6 hrs to drive the Top-of-the-World Highway.  We finally arrived in Dawson City and had to wait 4 hrs to get on the ferry because the ferry would take all cars, buses, and commercial vehicles as they drove up, before any RVs could get on.

Finally arriving at the Dawson City Ferry

The Ferry

Our tour director, Barb, sat there all day and took
a picture of each rig (all 23) on the ferry

Fellow travelers waiting in line for the ferry

Looking back AFTER our 5 minute Ferry ride

Needless to say, after we drove to the campground and got the motor home set up, Rich had a Cup of Noodles and we went to bed.

Dirty car AFTER Top-of-the-World Hwy

Motor Home Top-of-the-World Hwy

Car engine after Top-of-the-World Hwy 

So far we have been to Dawson Creek, Ft. Nelson, and Liard Hot Springs, all in British Columbia.  Then to Watson Lake and Teslin in the Yukon Territory, into Skagway, Alaska, back to the Yukon Territory where we stayed in Whitehorse and Destruction Bay.  Then back to Alaska where we stayed in Tok, Valdez, Mendeltna, (near Glenallen), Anchorage, Homer, Seward, Houston, and Healy. Now we are in Fairbanks.

Ok, well Rich & I caught the creeping crud so we've had a little bit of down time. I'm going to TRY to bring you up to date.  As you know we have seen lots of wild animals and beautiful scenery. But the trip hasn't been without it's ups and downs. Just 4 days into the tour, we discover we have a FEW holes in the radiator.

So after a few prayers, a few bottles of "radiator stop leak" in the radiator, and few bottles for backup, we left the campground and headed to Skagway for 4 days with our fingers crossed! And so far so GOOD!!

I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story!

Watson Lake, YT

These signs have been put here by
 people from all over the world

I found this one amongst all the signs

So of course, we had to add one of our own

11% incline, narrow road,
 VERY FOGGY leaving Skagway.

Even the Yukon Territory has desert

Another GOOD road

Bald Eagle

Whales playing in the ocean

Typical Road Construction, but on a Sunday??

Here are a few pictures when we went to see the glaciers!

Pam thinks she's on the Titanic

Now I know WHY Pam thinks she is on the Titanic

Columbia Glacier

Just a few more pictures!

Some of the guys went on a fishing trip
while we were in Homer

Bus ride through Denali National Park and Preserve
What a Fantastic trip that was

View of Mt McKinley from Denali National Park
(Can you beat this, Ruie?)

Well, I kind of skimmed the surface just to give you a taste of what we have seen.  So far, I have downloaded over 1700 pictures to my computer and we STILL have about 2 mores weeks left on the tour.

We leave Fairbanks tomorrow for Tok, for one night, then we will be crossing back into the Yukon Territory.  Cell phone service and internet is VERY sporadic once we cross the border so I don't know when or where the next update will be.

Take care and we WILL be in touch!!

 

Red Deer Alberta and Edmonton, Alberta

Pam trying to make the birthday boy look "good" for his party

June 27th we left Lethbridge Alberta and drove to Red Deer, Alberta Canada where we stopped for the night at The Westerner RV Park so we could visit with our fellow Nova Scotia "Back of the Bus Gang", Eugene and Linda Yaworski.  What a GREAT time we had!  Pam had planned a little get together to celebrate Rich's birthday.

Pam sitting in her chair she bought in AZ in February but had to wait  for us to bring it to her in June

Eugene giving the birthday boy some "needed" advice

Just the girls having a "good" laugh

It was so good to see Eugene & Linda again.  It was like being on the Nova Scotia Tour all over again!!   We left Red Deer the next day and headed to Edmonton Alberta Canada for a one night stay. After an unplanned tour of the city due to following the GPS instructions to a Flying J Truck Stop that NEVER existed where the GPS took us, we HAD to see the great Edmonton Mall.  It has OVER 800 stores, eateries, an ice skating rink, and 12 theater Cinema, PLUS several Amusement Parks!!

Waterslides in Water Park in Mall

Wave Rider in Water Park

Amusement Park in middle of mall

12 Theater Cinema

June 29th, we drove to Dawson Creek, British Columbia where the  Alaska Caraventure was to begin on July 3rd.  We pulled into the Northern Lights RV Park  with plans of cleaning the motor home, doing laundry, and just plain relaxing. Weather was cool and cloudy. 

Storm's a comin'

Dave & Pam taking advantage of storm to wash RV.  They soaped it up and let the rain rinse it off

We were quite shocked at the cost of laundry. $3.00 to wash and $2.00 to dry. Bathroom was $1.00 for a 3 min. shower.  But the shocker was, you had to take your shoes OFF before entering the Bathroom/laundry/meeting room building. Now how inconvenient is THAT!!!  Try holding your clean clothes and putting on your shoes at the same time! It doesn't work!!!

June 29, 2012

I can't believe it, but I forgot to mention in my last Blog, that our 13 year old granddaughter, Machaela, had her first book, The Clues, published.  We got our SIGNED copy at the Pig Roast.  We are SO proud of her:-)

Well, we have arrived in Dawson Creek, BC, Canada after being on the road 8 days and are VERY glad to be staying in ONE place for a while.

We still don't know what caused Rich's face to swell up, but after  2 days it was back to normal.  As far as the generator, Rich called a company in the town of Helena, MT to see if they could check it out.  They said they only service them but would call a shop in Great Falls and see if they could help us.  While waiting for them to call back, which they never did, Rich checked on the internet for any ideas as to what could be wrong.  Someone had suggested checking the rubber hoses for any kinks.  Well, we stopped at the first Rest Area, and sure enough that was the problem.  Rich did a little cut and paste and the generator has worked perfectly:-)  Because we got a later start than we had planned and Gene and Betty had decided to stay in Shelby, MT an extra night after getting their windshield repaired, we caught up with them at the Lewis and Clark RV Park in Shelby.  It was another WARM day of traveling but the clouds rolled in and the thunderstorm hit after we got all set up.  It was WONDERFUL!!  Lots of thunder and lightning and rain!

The Storm's a comin' to Shelby, MT

Lewis & Clark RV Park

Neat RV Park.  Everyone was parked in circles.

Now here are just some of what you see as you drive through Montana on I-15!  Pictures just CAN'T do it justice!!

Tuesday, June 26th, we, along with Gene & Betty, drove to Casino Lethbridge in Alberta Canada where we met up with Dave & Pam Cressman from Ontario, Canada.  The weather had changed so it was a much nicer drive UNTIL we crossed over the boarder into Canada.  Suddenly the dark sky got black and we had to pull off to the side of the road because of a hail storm!!  Finally, the hail let up but we drove the rest of the way in the rain!

Had a great time catching up with Dave & Pam and checking out their new motor home.  VERY NICE!  Once the rain stopped, we walked over to the Casino for dinner then back to the rigs for some much needed sleep.  However, the storm was not done!  We had WIND and rain and lightning.  Oh yea, did I mention WIND?!?!?!  It was SO windy, we were ROCKED to sleep in the motor home!  It was still VERY Windy when we left for Red Deer, Alberta the next morning.  Had a GREAT time in Red Deer with some DEAR friends, Eugene & Linda, but you will have to wait for those pictures until I write again.

So, HAPPY TRAILS to all of you, until the next time :-)