Alaska Bound Days 88,89 and 90

Note: Couple of photos from the Rock City Day parade that I was able to download from the web.

Day 88 Clarendon Hills, IL Preparing for my departure tomorrow, I updated the Garmin maps and my I Phone as well as studying road maps. Ginny and I took a long walk viewing all the new “monster size” houses in the area and admiring the gardens. I checked the oil which has slightly less that 5000 miles since the Fairbanks change. I’m hoping to make the next 1300 and do it in Stuart. I’ve been running the refrigerator on propane and that gage has lowered so I will have to keep an eye on it. At least I know I won’t need the heater from this point on.
Emily will stop by tonight to say goodbye and then it’s homeward bound in the morning.

Day 89 Miles 457 Flying J off Exit 2 I-65, Franklin, Kentucky Another first for me and Big Mama. I have friends who like to stay at Flying J’s (a truck stop facility) but I’ve never tried it before. I may have to pull out the ear plugs to drown out the diesels but I think it will fill the bill for tonight. I had selected a KOA in Franklin but it seems to have disappeared. I checked the Wal-Mart and they thought it was still there so I went back to the area a second time. Wal-Mart said I could stay there but it was pretty isolated and no other RV’s. Here there is only one other so far but lots of trucks and activity. I even treated myself to dinner in their restaurant, a good ole Southern buffet. Since my lunch had consisted of all day snacking, I thought a regular meal was a good idea. It gave me credit on my “rewards” card which I’ve been carrying for 2 years and a senior discount. Now if I can just sleep.

I left Ginny’s driveway about 8:30 and had light traffic around Chicago on I 294 to I 80 to I 65 which runs the length of Indiana. I saw very few RV’s on the road and more trucks than cars. Before and after Louisville I had some intermittent rain, some fairly heavy, but short lived. They were predicting heavy rains tomorrow night but hopefully I’ll be away from that pattern.

Day 90 Miles 407 Ozark RV Park, Ozark, Alabama (southeast corner of Alabama on route 231) I stayed in this park almost 2 years ago as I was making my way home from my first “long” Roadtrek trip to Cincinnati. It’s a nice park but hardly anyone here. My neighbors though have been here 3 weeks with a sad and scary story. They are from Ocala, FL and were on the first day of a trip to Michigan with a pickup pulling a trailer when a young man lost control of his vehicle coming out of a Wal-Mart down the road. Their truck had major damage and the trailer some damage. It was a miracle that no one was killed as other vehicles were hit as well. When the truck repair is completed they’ll return home to get the trailer repaired. It is a sobering story.

I left Flying J about 7:45 a.m. and had intermittent rain enroute to Nashville but fortunately none going through town as happened in Day 2 of this trip. However it continued off and on all day, at times quite heavy. A couple of times Big Mama caught a gust of wind and it was good I had both hands on the wheel. I debated going further but the storm clouds, fatigue and uncertainty on where to stop were enough to get me to quit while I was ahead. Tomorrow however will be a 9 hour day if I decide to get all the way home. I have mixed feelings. I’ll miss my cozy “quarters” believe it or not. I do hope to do some short Florida trips and definitely have some camping rallies in October, November and December. Lots of other plans including a late October visit by Michael and his family to celebrate granddaughter Katherine’s 2nd birthday in Florida!

Alaska Bound Day 86 and 87

Day 86 Miles 125 Ginny’s house, Clarendon Hills, Il A beautiful summer day again and clean up time at the Davidson’s. I’m not sure how many people slept on the property last night but heads kept popping up during the morning. Emily, Brett, and I caught a mid morning breakfast and then prepared for our departure. I decided to take back roads and avoid Illinois’ toll way system which penalizes for not having an I Pass card by charging double and causing you to go off the road into a toll area. It added time and some miles but the roads I took luckily were lightly traveled on a Sunday afternoon.
My plan is to start for Florida on Wednesday and perhaps arrive by the weekend. I sense that I am ready to get home and “regroup.” It was great to see Ginny and her beautiful summer gardens. She’s a friend of 40 years and a winter neighbor as well. It’s almost like being home to visit her.

Day 87 Clarendon Hills, IL Michael and Katherine picked me up and we headed for the Brookfield Zoo. She loved the bears which were surprisingly active for a summer day. They cooled off in their pools and then moved about looking for food. There were polar and black bears from Alaska. We bought some lunch after visiting the children’s zoo. She was starting to get sleepy and so was Grandma, so not long afterwards we headed out.

The Lutzow’s invited me for dinner which was a delicious cookout eaten on their patio. Very few bugs joined the crowd. Getting in and out of Ginny’s narrow driveway is a challenge but I managed ok coming in the dark. I’m leaving Chicago without making many of the contacts I planned. I regret this but I think it is a sign that I am getting anxious to get the next few days of straight interstate driving behind me. The Chicago area with family and friends is a “return engagement.”

Alaska Bound Days 84 and 85

Evan, Jim and Brett perform; Katherine checks out Grandma's van; Emily leads her Swiss Canoe crew.

Day 84 Davidson’s Driveway, Rock City Illinois The day began quietly and I used my time to do some catching up with the blog though there is very limited Wifi that I can only pick up with luck and no ATT & T cell phone service! I used my sister’s phone to work on some arrangements for the coming week and reactivate my home telephone by August 1. I’m starting to feel like the horse with the barn in sight. My mail has been forwarded here until recently so I had a pile of that to sort and review.

By afternoon the family began gathering as did nature’s storm clouds which brought thunderstorms by evening requiring dinner for 35 to be inside. The food was delicious wherever and the celebration was for my nephew Luke’s 30th birthday. His sister Sarah had purchased a kayak and driven all the way from Ithaca NY with it on the top of the van. Two of the guys carried it in amidst the birthday presents much to Luke’s surprise.
Most of the crowd headed for the street dance on Main Street around 11 when the skies had cleared. I was happy to have Big Mama into which I could call it a night.

Day 85 Davidson’s Driveway, Rock City, IL I started by walking a few blocks to the Lions Club Pancake breakfast. It was a busy place shortly after 7:s0 and a delicious breakfast. As I left the house, one sleepy head appeared ready to begin work on the parade float. However when I returned everything was status quo with the flat hay rack only showing wisps of hay evident. The participants were rubbing sleepy eyes and moving uncertainly. The theme was “the world comes to Rock City”. I was to play Amelia Earhardt. Emily had found a leather jacket and purchased a cap, goggles, and scarf at a costume shop. She put together a cardboard box with wings on the side, a propeller and “nose” on the front. It was taped around me with duct tape. So remarkably by 10:30 Amelia and others including the Statue of Liberty (Emily), the Pope, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Hurricane Katrina, Sara Palin, Mickey Mouse, Bart Simpson on a skateboard, the new Supreme Court Justice, Queen Elizabeth, a Harlem Globetrotter, Fidel Castro, Chiquita Banana, and several others to whom I couldn’t quite identify but were amazingly costumed were lined up on a float whose cardboard banner read “Nuts about Rock City” were waiting in the parade staging area along with a contingent of motorcycles, floats from churches and various organizations, and vintage cars.

I was on foot in front of the float and flew my plane back and forth across the parade route streets in my plane sometimes asking the crowd if they could direct me to Hawaii or Guam. I have to say it was fun and I was surprised at my stamina. The disappointment is that I wanted to take photos but hopefully I’ll eventually get a copy of others’ photos.

Son Michael and his family arrived in time to see Grandma “in action” and after the parade we went together to all the activities going on in town throughout the day. It was fun to see granddaughter Katherine’s development after four months and her two brothers enjoyed the various activities for children but also a dip in the above ground Davidson pool. My sister Gayle and her family came from Madison, WI and brother Jim and wife DeAnn from Rockford. Jim played guitar along with nephew Evan and Emily’s partner Brett in a set of music performances at my sister’s gift and flower shop’s late afternoon “gazebo presentations.

The day ended there for me as I watched a great fireworks presentation from there with Margaret and some of her friends. The weather had been perfect and it was fun to be a part of an event of which I’ve known about but not witnessed before. I was probably the first to bed in my van using my ear plugs for the first time on the trip as the street dance continued at a loud volume a few blocks away.

Alaska Bound Days 80-83

L Rock City, Galena, Missippi River

Day 80 Miles 300 (exactly!) Red River State Park Campground, East Grand Forks, Minnesota This is a fairly new park along the Red River. The area had been a housing development at the time of the 1997 flood and the state agreed to take the property for a park. Streets and sidewalks still exist. Unfortunately I can’t see the river, only the bridge.

I didn’t wake up until 7:45 which resulted in a later start than planned. The campground owners had given me a computer map indicating where they thought the RV dealer in Winnipeg was located. I had found an address on the web with a postal code and decided to use that for the GPS. I followed the GPS which was a mistake and ended up in a residential neighborhood. Fortunately I found a Chevrolet dealer nearby who researched on their computer and gave me another map and talked me through the details. Even then I had to be on the alert to see the place. The “donut” was still in the box which took some searching to locate and then a while for a price -$33 with tax. I’ve become so used to going without it and knowing how difficult it is to replace, I’ll probably continue holding the waste hose down with a rock (be sure to see Judy’s blog for a photo of our pumping out).

The next challenge was to find North Dakota, but fortunately that wasn’t too difficult though I have to say not very well marked. I had a nice visit with customs/immigration though the facility was a bit confusing partly because half dozen huge trucks blocked the sign and the way. Apparently it is a crossing used more by the truckers than passenger cars but there were 3 lanes open for cars and only 1 for trucks.

Into the US I turned on my phone and managed to connect with daughter Emily. Since then I’ve been catching up a bit with family and friends. I’ll visit Stuart winter neighbors, the Schauers, tomorrow near St. Cloud MN, about another 300 miles.

The road today was again for the most part flat and straight with fields of canola (bright yellow) and flax (lavender) which really makes the ride more lively. I haven’t mentioned all the grain elevators or the shiny silver silo type structures which reflect the sun almost blinding to the viewer. I would not hesitate to recommend this route on the Transcanada Highway 1 at least as far as Manitoba. It’s four lane and though the pavement is a bit rough in places, the traffic was light and towns were few and far between.

Day 81 Miles 274 Schauer’s driveway, Clear Lake, Minnesota I took a short tour of Grand Falls before filling up the gas tank and getting back on I 19. I seem to remember working on a project for downtown revitalization for Grand Forks in the early 80’s. What I saw looked pretty healthy almost 30 years later. A nice park has been created on both sides of the river.
I 29 had construction from the border to I 94 and much of it was two way traffic. Once into Minnesota with more construction, rain was added to the equation. Fortunately when I arrived at Schauers it was dry but rained soon after. They are in a beautiful manufactured home park and they over look the Mississippi River. Bird feeders and large oak trees abound. I enjoyed seeing their “summer” digs and we caught up on each others lives. They have been Rv-ers in the past so had an appreciation of my days on the road. Barbara fixed a great dinner, my first home cooking in a long time.

Day 82 Miles 324.Govenor Dodge State Park, Dodgeville, Wisconsin I am in the rolling hill, limestone cliff area of southwest Wisconsin not far from Spring Green, site of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin. About 30 years ago I tent camped here with my kids. It’s a beautiful park but not very many campers. I meandered my way here south from I 94, enjoying the beautiful countryside. I saw horse and buggies so there must be a pocket of Omish. The weather is in the low 70’s and I did have some rain coming through the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Lots of bird calls here but tough to spot them with all the foliage. One of the campground handouts was discouraging campfires and encouraging stargazing or seeking out wildlife with a flashlight. No bear warnings were seen though.

Day 83 Miles 126 Davidson’s Driveway, Rock City, Illinois A beautiful morning with the sounds of birds started my day in Wisconsin. I had a shower at the campground facilities which had no temperature controls and seemed to shut off every time someone flushed the toilet, but nevertheless was warm enough water. Today is a difficult day, July 23. It would have been my husband Les’s birthday and so it is one of the “trigger” days when tears come easily. It also marks 2 years since I decided that the answer to dealing with my grief was to get an RV. Looking back over the last two years, I can’t imagine life without “Big Mama”, my Roadtrek, and my travels I’ve done and the friends I’ve made. It has been an enriching and affirming experience. Some might call it escapism, but I call it continuing the life adventures I had in my time with Les.

I had telephoned an old friend of Les’s and mine, Tom Sprague. He and his wife had retired to the Galena Territory Development outside Galena, Illinois once the home of Ulysses S. Grant, General and President. It’s a town full of beautifully restored buildings. The southwest Wisconsin area and Northwest corner of Illinois are beautiful hills or ridges, as they are referred to here that the glaciers “missed”. Eagle River, where the Spragues live epitomizes that terrain which results in a development where houses are tucked in among the hills and lush greenery is abundant. It was great to see them enjoying their beautiful new setting and to hear that Tom continues as a Kiwanian in the Galena group.

A little further east is the town of Rock City, population 313, or so the special postmark designed by my brother Jim (He won the contest!) states. It will be used Saturday to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the town. My sister’s house was built only 6 years after the town. Only a short distance from the Wisconsin border, there are many dairy farms in the area. Rock City Day on Saturday has a full line up of events beginning with the Lions Club breakfast and ending with the fireworks. Our family will be represented by a float and music performance as well as many of the games and contests of the day.

Tonight though was a delightful evening in the garden drinking some of brother in law Dennis’s great wine made from his own vineyard and catching up with some of the family who had arrived from New Mexico and New York. Many more will arrive tomorrow including daughter Emily. On Saturday, son Michael and his family will come for the day.

Alaska Bound Days 78 and 79

Day 78 Miles 266 Prairie Oasis Motel and Campground, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan I had an early start at 8:15. Yesterday I telephoned the Roadtrek dealer in Winnipeg and my “donut” is there. I decided to push on rather than staying at Cypress Hills. I am happy though that I made the 40 mile round trip. The terrain in the area is fascinating with high rolling hills, primarily grazing land for cattle. Bright yellow fields stand out. I later confirmed this is canola being grown. It makes a colorful landscape sometimes paired with purple flax. I didn’t mention that both yesterday and today there are oil wells pumping in the area and also I think gas pipelines. At the information center when I entered the province I was told all of the southeast area is booming with gas and oil exploration. The landscape both days has been much more interesting than I expected. One anomaly today was piles of white material looking like snow but is some form of salt. Dinosaur bones are a frequent find in the area which has an ancient and fascinating story.
Moose Jaw itself is not what I expected. A thriving town less than an hour from larger Regina, one of it’s claims to fame is Al Capone. The Chicago gangster ran a bootleg operation here and I took the “Tunnels” tour, a type of moving “theatre” telling the story of those years. Capone would take the train from Chicago and live quite royally in Moose Jaw. A web of tunnels under the building and secret doors hid the comings and goings of the operation. All furnished in the period of the times, it was entertaining. I was with a group of 15 traveling together. 2 were young boys who became somewhat part of the show to the amusement of the rest of us and added to the improvising of the actors. An annual four day event in which I’d hoped to sample is Moose Jaw’s “Festival of Words” with authors and playwrights putting on workshops and presentations. It looked like a great program but none of the times worked with my hours in town. The program’s website for future reference http://www.festivalofwords.com/ I learned this at a wonderful bookstore, Post Horizon Booksellers where I stopped to check on some titles that Judy recommended. Neither were available but I still walked out with 2 books. They sell online through http://www.abebooks.com/
I was disappointed in the laundry facilities at Prairie Oasis. There really is only one working washing machine and most of the room is taken up by machines designated for the motel operation. It is a very large park with a number of permanent installations as well as transients. I’m again in a type of “overflow” but do have electric and water for the first time in almost a week. I’ve been pleased at how well my battery has performed with the dry camping. I have yet to run the generator though with the warmer days I may need to if no electricity is available for the AC. Today was as high as 87 but fortunately a nice breeze. The name Moose Jaw is said to come from the Cree word Moosegaw meaning “Warm Breezes” which perfectly describes today.
Day 79 Miles 272 Meadowlark Campground, Brandon, Manitoba I decided to hold off on the laundry and the facilities here are great and the most reasonable I’ve found. I had an early start even allowing for time to upload some blog entries before leaving the campground. The terrain flattened considerably east of Moose Jaw but the road was straight with little traffic and I was able to set cruise control at 62 mph and just cruise along for more than 2 hours. CBC broadcasting is great company with good programming that I can usually connect to all along the way. Apparently there have been recent changes to Highway 1 and the GPS frequently thought I was off the road. It has been four lane all the way which is quite a change from the previous weeks.

I arrived here at 2 p.m. local time, central daylight. This was a good day to loose the hour. Tomorrow I will head into Winnipeg and then on to Grand Forks, ND. After laundry, I did some reorganizing and repacking of clothes. It should be warm weather from here.
I tried to put a new map together tonight but I still don’t have the hang of charting my path on Google Maps. If anyone has a suggestion, I’d sure appreciate it. Just email me sandy41mail@gmail.com

Alaska Bound Days 76 and 77

Cypress Hills area; town of Banff; Overlooking Moraine Lake; See Judy's blog for photos of our last days.

Day 76 Miles 188 Lake Louise Campground, Banff National Park. The drive here was beautiful with incredible turquoise lakes and majestic mountains along the way. We stopped at the Columbia Icefields Visitor Center which had spectacular views of the neighboring glaciers. Dramatic detail of how large the glacier was at the beginning of the 20th century was displayed. Markers in the parking lot illustrated the location even more recently. At one pull out stop we met three couples from Pennsylvania beginning their trip to Alaska. While visiting with them, emergency vehicles began flying by, police, fire and several ambulances. Somewhere on the route we’d just traveled must be a terrible accident. I had been amazed at the speed of some of the cars and motorcycles on roads with a lot of traffic and a lot of pull outs. In addition there were a surprising number of bicyclists!

We continued into Lake Louise and found a line at 1 p.m. waiting for camping sites. Most like us did not have reservations. I walked up to the kiosk and was assured it was worth the wait. We might not have electricity but we would get a site. As it turns out they put us together on one long site and only charged us for one. No electricity but good proximity to the toilet/shower facilities.

We started withMoraine Lake which is further out of town. The guides warn of parking problems at both this lake and Lake Louise and vehicles were parked down the road. Judy drove again and does much better at parking in tight spaces managing to get us into the lot. Incredible numbers of people were there admiring the beautiful turquoise blue lake. Rental canoes were moving in and out and they looked tempting. We opted to walk most of the trail that goes along one side of the lake through the woods.

We then headed to Lake Louise and the famous hotel there, now part of the Fairmont chain. Even though it was after 5, the parking was crowded and hundreds seemed to be taking their photos in front of the lake with the hanging glacier in the background. Judy assisted a Japanese family with their camera and then they took one of us with our cameras.
We decided to treat ourselves to a drink in the hotel lounge. We were able to get a table at the window overlooking the lake. The lounge menu had some good, not too expensive choices which appealed to both of us. The food was excellently prepared and served. I couldn’t resist and had their apple strudel. It was the best I had ever eaten. What a way to cap off a fantastic journey together.

Day 77 Miles 349 Cypress Hill Provincial Park, Elkwater, Alberta This was farewell day. Judy heads west toward BC and I, east. We have been so fortunate that all has gone so well in the last almost 2 month’s time. We asked someone to take our photos before heading off. We each needed to pump out and took more photos there much to the amusement of those around us. There are at least 5 dump stations and all were busy.

I headed out on Transcanada Highway 1 which will be my route until I reach Winnipeg Manitoba. I wasn’t sure of my destination for the day but my first stop was to check out the town of Banff. Crowded with tourists as advertised but I walked the main street. Jasper and Banff both remind me of Aspen Colorado. Back on the road I stopped a short while later for gas at Canmore. The two stations I found at Banff were very crowded and had little room for maneuvering which was somewhat true at Canmore, as well. An attendant pumped the gas, rushing from vehicle to vehicle.

In Calgary I encountered a long traffic jam due to road construction with lane reductions. Fortunately I had stopped at a pullout earlier to eat some lunch. I concluded that I better just stay at the Walmart in Medicine Hat. The address I had from my Walmart atlas was not the location. I then found a closed Walmart before locating the new supercenter. No other Rv’s at 6 p.m. but I was told I could stay. It was hot so I decided to go get gas and then check the GPS for a park where I could hang out a while. The park that came up was the one where I had considered camping and it was 27 miles away. I hit the road again.

Cypress Hills Provincial Park is a wonderful facility and they had a full schedule of activities planned for the tomorrow’s Parcs Canada Day ending with fireworks (July18(. It is a very large park, but unfortunately all that remained was overflow parking on their rodeo grounds. Isolated from the park itself, it’s a quiet grassy area with another Roadtrek belonging to new owners from Vancouver.

Alaska Bound Days 73, 74, and 75

Note: This is being posted from Moose Jaw SK I'm quite far behind with the blog and I will catch up later today. Remember could can increase the size of the photo by mouse clicking on them one at a time.

Day 73 Miles 107 Pocahontas Campground, Jasper National Park, Alberta Before leaving the Grand Cache campground we parked near the office where we could connect with their internet service. After topping off my gas tank, I was the first to head south along Highway 40 known in Milepost as the Big Horn. The road surface was ok for the most part and I did see deer near the road. Very little traffic was going my way. The road ends at Highway 16, Yellowhead Highway which to the east is Edmonton and to the west Jasper. I pulled over at a parking area to get something to eat and Judy soon pulled in. We were headed for Pocahontas Campground which is on the road to the Miette Hot Springs, the hottest in the Canadian Rockies. We were there to test the temperature by 2 p.m. It was definitely a “homogenized” version of our previous 2 experiences. The pools looked like regular swimming pool and the sulfa smell was gone due to chlorination according to the life guard. The pools are adjusted to different temperatures and we ended up in the hotest one. I tried to lead Judy in Ai Chi moves but it was pretty hot even for that. However it made me look forward to doing Ai Chi again at Schooner Oaks in Florida.
One of the amazing things about the facility was the number of mountain sheep everywhere but in the pool area! And even more so the fact that they got down on their front “knees” and twisted their heads in order to lick the exhaust pipes of all the vehicles in the parking lot. It was later explained that they crave salt and that is what they are after.

We had a good dinner at the Pocahontas Café one of several cottage facilities in the area. It seems that most of the people we are encountering are speaking a language other than English. During dinner we began listing some of our favorite experiences of the trip. It was a good opportunity to review our time together. Hopefully we will continue via long distance and produce a list of the recommended highlights. By the time we headed back to the campground, the rain which had been threatening was in full force.

Day 74 Miles 40 Wabasso Campground, Jasper National Park, Alberta Province The first stop in the town of Jasper was the tourist information office. Judy arrived first and was getting lots of hiking ideas for our short stay in the area, as well as ideas for campgrounds. We choose Wabasso as it was a bit out of the traffic of Jasper (on 93A) and would be the way we’d be heading on Thursday. Our two sites are adjacent and as was the case at Pocahontas, a bit of a challenge to back into. Judy directed me as I tried to get between 2 trees.

We then took Judy’s Trek for our excursion. Our destination was Maligane Lake. The winding road up past the river and Medicine Lake end in a large parking lot over looking Maligane Lake. The lot was full of Rv’s as well as cars. Many of the RV’s were from rental companies. We choose a picnic table in the woods near the parking and had our lunch to the sound of birds that seemed to want part of our offering of curried chicken salad and apples.

We selected the Moose Lake trail through the forest which ended along the beautiful green lake. The surrounding mountains were reflecting on the water. Rain began as the trail came along side the emerald green Maligne Lake.. On the drive down we stopped at Maligne Canyon which the flow of water continues to carve with impressive water falls. A restaurant is also there and we splurged on strudel, coffee, and tea before beginning the decent over 4 of the six bridges that cross the water. Lots of photo opportunities but of course we also had to climb back up. Stairs run along side the water intermingled with flat pavement. It was strenuous but I doubt it took care of those calories.
We stopped for groceries at a small store in Jasper crowded with tourists and locals. It was raining in earnest, soI prepared one of my quickie dinners, following which we played dominoes.

Judy is enjoying the game and we haven’t played since Wilfrid and Judy’s on Vancouver Island.

Day 75 Wabasso Campground, Jasper National Park, Alberta Our campground is not far from the road to Mt. Edith Cavell with road up described as “narrow..tight switchbacks and rough” Publications vary on maximum length of vehicle but the Roadtrek barely qualified. Undaunted as ever, Judy took the wheel and up we went. Compared to the top of the World road in Alaska this one wasn’t so bad. The parking lot held a number of larger RV’s, mostly rentals. We began the longer trail which was a climb to a Meadow going through a subalpine forest. Incredible views of the glaciers, beautiful wild flowers and some hoary marmots were part of the experience. I found it necessary to stop before getting to the meadow area but enjoyed the part I did do. I then walked the Glacier loop trail across an area which once was a glacier and past the Cavell pond filled with broken pieces of the glacier. While on the climb we heard sounds of calving and met a woman who said there was also a column of snow that dropped down. The day was sunny and bright and there were hikers of all ages and abilities and again many speaking languages other than English.

We went into Jasper for gas and a stop at the library for internet service. I hadn’t brought my computer so just checked email on their computers. The charge for ½ hour is $2.50 no matter if you use it five minutes or 30. If you have your own computer, its $2.50 for an hour.
Judy grilled vegetables and some kabobs she bought in Watson Lake and then froze. We do manage to eat well.

Alaska Bound Day 72

Day 72 Miles 205 Municipal Campground, Grand Cache Alberta Today begins the third phase of the trip. When I had arrived in Dawson Creek my mileage to date was 8445 since leaving Stuart April 30. Before departing Dawson Creek I bought gas and propane at the Co-op. This is agricultural country with large grain bins and vast fields as I proceeded down Highway 43 toward Grand Prairie, the first stop, which was a sizeable town. Rotary has a campground located near the visitor center and there is a free dump station which had a line up of RV’s waiting to clear their tanks. The community college has a grand building with undulating brick walls. Both it and the visitor facilities are located on a reservoir connected by a nice walking paths and picnic and seating areas.

From Grand Prairie route 40 was the most direct to the Jasper National Park Area. I had seen some maps showing this as a secondary road but it turned out to be more than adequate with some passing lanes on the hills and it turned more west toward the Rockies. Warning signs were posted on leaving Grand Prairie that there were no services until Grand Cache. I guess that why I was so surprised to round a curve and see a huge industrial facility with piles of coal. It is a generating station and was going strong on Sunday. They provided a turnout with a partial view so I took a photo as well as of the surrounding scenic area. I saw an oil well and signs of natural gas facilities and pipelines. Judy saw wildlife! There were abundant signs cautioning about logging trucks and I saw one for a Weyrhauser facility. I was happy it was Sunday.
The campground is quiet and sparsely occupied. It has full services and flush toilets as well as showers and laundry. According to Milepost the town was not established until 1969 and then in conjunction with McIntyre Porcupine Coal. In 1980, a sawmill was built and in 1984 a medium security correctional facility (guess I should lock my doors). The area was known as a staging area for trappers and their stored “caches of furs” and hence the name. The town is 132 miles northwest of Jasper National Park, where we’ll head tomorrow.

Alaska Bound Day 71

Day 71 Miles 57 Mile “0” Campground, Dawson Creek, BC This stop marks the end of our original itinerary and the end of our trip on the famous Alaska Highway. The day has been sunny and warm and although there was one section of construction, the short drive here went smoothly. I was able to get two loads of laundry done before the campground began filling up. This is a popular spot for caravans to assemble before starting their trip to Alaska. I met a man who will be leading 13 vehicles beginning next Wednesday. Most are 40 footers pulling cars and one is 45 ft. I can’t imagine the logistics. It’s difficult enough for Judy and me to co-ordinate our days.
We met up in Fort St. John at the Farmers Market which is held in the Ice Arena building (I got lost finding it and had to call on Greta Garmin). Many of the vendors are Mennonites. We are going to share a rhubarb/Saskatoon berry crisp and we each bought rhubarb/Saskatoon jam. Apparently saskatoons are somewhat like blueberries but grow on trees. I also bought some fresh rhubarb which I was told was cut last night. I cooked it in the slow cooker with a little water and honey.
Judy arrived in Dawson Creek a couple of hours after I did so we headed off to sight see including the Alaska House which features information and the PBS film on the building of the highway. As you arrive from the north, there is a pull out with an information panel on the repeater stations that the 843rd Signal Corps Battalion operated for telegraph and telephone transmissions along the highway. This would have been Les’s group I suspect. I inquired several times but all the “information” people didn’t even seem familiar with the highway panel! I did pick up one flyer that may be of some assistance in pin pointing his location. We also visited the train station where all the troops arrived.
The Alaska Hotel which was to be the location of our “farewell” dinner has closed its restaurant and only operates a pub. Carusos, a local establishment, was recommended but was only so-so. Of course we will continue traveling together for about a week as we head down to Jasper National Park. Tomorrow we will be on Mountain Time and in the province of Alberta.

Alaska Bound Days 68, 69, and 70

Day 68 Miles 130 Laird River Hot Springs Campground Along the Alaska Highway, British Columbia. The builders of the highway in this area layed the board walk to the hot springs and used it for their relaxation after their arduous work. Avoiding the Laird River Canyon route brought the road to this area. Today the hot springs are a popular destination and we were fortunate to get campsites easy walking distance to the board walk that leads to the pools fed by the hot springs. By the end of the day no regular sites were available, and the “day use” parking lot was full of Rv’s who apparently are allowed to camp there. We went into the pools around 2 p.m. after walking the area upon our arrival. The temperature is over 100F and varies around the pool. I was amazed at the numbers of people and the ages ranging from 2 months to seemingly quite elderly. After about a half hour I’d had enough. The air was cool and it was windy and by the time I returned to the campsite I was chilled and had a cup of hot tea. Judy though stayed much longer and went back later in the evening. She did another cookout, this time with delicious pork chops. We headed over to the boardwalk for the7:30 p.m. ranger walk. He described how many of the plants are somewhat tropical and there are varieties of orchids though none currently in bloom in the warm water swamps. Areas are surprisingly lush and green.

I spent some time in the afternoon going over maps and blocking out miles east to Rock City Illinois, a small town in which my sister Margaret’s family has lived for over 30 years in a 100+ year old house. Each year they gather along with friends and other family members to celebrate Rock City Days. http://www.dayinrockcity.com/ Originally I had planned to arrive after the celebration but in time for a family wedding. The wedding is not going to occur so I said I’d try to get there in time to see everyone. Of course on this end of the trip we’ve been expanding the schedule too.

What I have concluded is that I’ll have to forgo my Wisconsin plans which would have brought me into the states around International Falls. Instead I’ll pick up Interstate 29 south of Winnipeg where I need to acquire my missing “donut” for my sanitation hose. I’ll connect up with I 94 to Wisconsin and then head south to northwest Illinois. It will still be a push. The result was also tightening the plans on this end of the trip. Hopefully we can reach Jasper National Park next Monday. Depending on the crowds there I’ll try to do at least 4 days in the area.

Day 69 Miles134 Tetsa River Regional Park, along the Alaska Highway, British Columbia. After photographing areas of Laird Springs I departed the campground with several options for the day. We had been warned that the campground in Ft. Nelson was terrible and to try to stay before that town. There was a lot of road construction as well as gravel areas and some pretty good sized holes. In a couple of areas vehicles were led through the construction zones by a pilot car. Around Lake Muncho, a beautiful Green glacier fed lake, the road is wearing away on the lake or southbound side. Since the completion in 1943 the road has had many changes particularly eliminating curves, but this area still has plenty. Stakes on the sides may indicate some more changes. There are also several older bridges of which at least one is being replaced. It has to be a very costly upkeep along the entire route. Caravans of RV’s were heading north. Much fewer are south bound. I am very happy with our timing.

The campgrounds at Muncho Lake were full and the one at Summit Lake did not look very appealing. We found fantastic cinnamon buns at the Tetsa Service Center but decided to go further for camping and are very pleased with this park. Our sites back up to the river and it is very quiet and away from traffic noises. Our food supply though is getting low so we’ll each wing it tonight and hopefully restock at either Fort Nelson or Fort St. John. Lack of supermarkets since Whitehorse is part of the problem. I should add that there are few opportunities to get gasoline from Watson Lake to Fort Nelson. The ones that are available make me question how long they’ve had the fuel. There are establishments that look long abandoned and others recently closed. Those open appear to be barely hanging on. It has to be difficult. The main traffic through here are the Rv’ers and trucks carrying goods north. Neither are likely to stay awhile or spend much.

The majestic mountains today are the Northern Rockies. Signs explain the Alaska ranges are not part of the Rockies and are different geologically. The areas are sparsely settled except by the mosquitoes though we are passing a lot of wildlife right on the side of the road. Yesterday several groups of bison including those with babies. Judy also saw and photographed a bear. Today she spotted and photographed a moose in the lake and we both saw Elk and Dall sheep along the roadside. Lots of warning signs and lower speed postings but I have to think some get hit.

Day 70 Miles 297 Charlie Lake Campground, Fort St. John, BC This day didn’t start out with a plan to stay here. The night at Tetsa River was very peaceful with the rushing river about 300 yards away, I slept very well. The morning was warmer but also brought rain. First stop was Fort Nelson. Along sides the Alaska Highway are frontage roads with the businesses which is helpful when you are looking for a grocery store. Judy spotted an IGA which was clean and well stocked. I suggested a rotisserie chicken for our dinner and then succumbed to a piece of pizza that was calling me.

I wasn't to get the gas tank full but with the thought of less than 100 miles to our overnight stop, I wasn’t worried. There were few turnouts and most of them muddy in the continuing rain so it was 2 hours later that I ate my cold Canadian bacon/ pineapple pizza. Judy caught up with me as I was finished and we agreed to meet at Sikinni Chief River Campground. However when I reached it, I was not impressed with what I saw. I parked so Judy would spot me as she came around the highway curve. A Kodiak RV from Ontario arrived with her and we all three went into the office to inquire about sites. “You can choose anywhere but number 12. The cost is $25 for full service (water, electric, sewer) and the showers are free” said the unenthusiastic man behind the cash register. He suggested we drive around and select our sites and come back and make the arrangements. Perhaps it was the gloomy weather but the sites in what was more like a parking lot and the toilet/shower room looking on the exterior like a very tired mobile unit, and the hum of the generator which was probably supplying the electricity, and the 3 p.m. time, caused us to agree to go further down the road to the next option, Pink Mountain. Turns out Kodiak made the same choice and pulled into Pink Mountain behind us. We drove the campground first and found wooded but very muddy sites. By this time I was back to ½ tank of gas so I decided to fill up. Judy visited with the Kodiak folks and told them we were thinking of Charlie Lake about another 100 miles. They’d stayed there on the road north and said it was very nice and then they promptly left.

Charlie Lake, a forest of Aspens, was worth the wait and long drive. It’s our 3rd night of dry camping and all have been much better than anything we found of a commercial nature. This park is very near the town of Fort St. John and we’ll check out their Saturday morning Farmers Market before heading the 50 miles to Dawson Creek. It would be tempting to stay another night here but the need for laundry, a shower, and the threat of more rain and thunderstorms probably point to the sensible thing to do is the short distance to the end of the Alaska Highway. This portion has been in the best condition we’ve experienced but still with short rough sections and bridge replacement construction.

Alaska Bound Days 66 & 67

Day 66 Miles 146 Dawson Peaks Resort Campground Teslin, Yukon Territory The trip north began as a repeat of yesterday when someone else was driving and we made photo stops along the way. As a result I continued to Carcross where I found the parking areas jammed with tour buses and large RV’s pulling cars. I think most were there because the train was about to depart. I was there because I knew where the toilet facilities were! By the time I was ready to leave, all of them had proceeded me and the train had left. A short distance further was the turn for the Taglish Road which would take me back to the Alaska highway and points south. I rendezvoused with Judy at the Taglish River Bridge. We each had our lunch while cutting up veggies for her to marinade for the evening cookout.

Milepost had listed cinnamon buns at Johnson Crossing, about 20 miles along the Alaska Highway but it was a big disappointment. The best so far was in the Skagway bakery, straight out of the oven. We stopped in Teslin to visit the two Tlinglit (pronounced Kling-it) sites. The first was an exhibit of local carvers work including masks and canoes as well as beading. The wonderful setting on Teslin Lake and great facility I’m sure is used for community events. Then on to the George Johnston Museum. George was an amazing man, a Tlinglit who had no formal education but ordered a camera and developing equipment from Eaton’s in the 20’s and taught himself photography. He also purchased a car in 1928 before there were roads in Teslin and together with other community members built a road which many years later became part of the Alaska highway. He’d paint the car white in winter and use in on the ice. We watched a long video on this amazing story that had a poignant side as well. According to the film, the US was surveying the area for the road before Canada had agreed to it. The Tlinglit people through whose property it ran were never consulted. In addition they were required to pass through check points and show ID’s so they wouldn’t be confused for Japanese. This in what was their native area for many, many generations. They contracted illnesses because they had no immunity to the diseases of the men building the roads and many died. In essence their entire way of life changed with the building of the road. Now they are attempting to bring back traditions and culture and are doing this in part with their kinsmen, the coastal Tlinglit.

Our campground for the night was chosen due to Judy’s familiarity with the book Dead North by Sue Henry, a mystery writer living in Anchorage. This book’s ending was at Dawson Peaks Resort and many of Henry’s fans frequent the place. Apparently she has two series and the protagonist in both are women, traveling by RV in Alaska and the Yukon. I’m going to have to read those.I don’t know if they are featured in the book, but the mosquitoes here are fierce. The owners say the worst they’ve experienced. I’m trying out my new mosquito zapper paddle. They do have good internet connection and I was able to add some photos to the blog as well as correct and add to some links. We shared bumbleberry and rhubarb pie made by the owner and both were winners! The resort is located on a bay of Teslin Lake which is supposed to have good fishing.

We are finding most of the commercial campgrounds accept the Good Sam membership card and offer a 10% discount. We have been going without reservations and most campgrounds have more than enough room.

Day 67 Miles 164 Campground Services, Watson Lake Yukon Territory A late start after a difficult night. The mosquitoes had to be finding a route in. They were dive bombing me all night. I’d get up and use my zapper and it would quiet for a while and then begin again. Dead mosquitoes everywhere and some were “vaporized” by the zapper.

Today's route crosses the Continental Divide. The rivers that run west join the Yukon into the Bering Sea. The east side joins the MacKenzie River and empties into the Arctic Ocean. It was almost 2 when arrived in Watson Lake and time for the show at the Northern Lights exhibit. I was disappointed. The museum at the University of Alaska Fairbanks was a much better illustration and explanation of the Northern Lights. They also had an animated presentation on their sky dome re the astronauts which I thought was rather juvenile. Maybe it had to do with my fatigue. The “sign forest” was amazing and almost more than could be taken in. One showed Hollywood Florida 4100 miles away. I suspect that is as the crow flies, not as Sandy will drive! A stop at the visitor center to get information on some sites down the road which will be in British Columbia and assistance with tonight’s campground. Then we made a stop at the local supermarket with high prices and small selection before finding the campground (after incorrect directions!).Hopefully the last night in the Yukon will bring a good night sleep

Alaska Bound Day 65

Day 65 Garden City Campground, Skagway, AK This day brings to an end my travels in the state of Alaska except for about 20 miles to the Canadian border in the morning. It has been an outstanding experience. The vastness and magnitude of the state with its history are mind boggling and difficult to fully portray in this blog. Yet, I have only touched a small portion. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to experience the land and its people first hand. In my opinion that can be best experienced by traveling the roads as well as the sea.

This day however actually took us again to Canada (2 more border crossings!) Upon our 7:15 a.m. arrival at the train station we learned our trip had been changed and we would be bused to Carcross about 50 miles to catch the train. Our transportation was a small bus and with 8 other passengers. Interestingly enough, 4 were Danish citizens, one of which has lived in Alberta for many years, his Canadian wife, 3 from Wales, and the 2 of us. The man from Alberta had done the ride before and so he was our adviser on where to sit (last car) and such essentials as recommending black cherry ice cream on a homemade waffle cone at the Carcross General Store! Our driver on the route north was very informative and made stops for photos along the way. We had over an hour in Carcross and so in addition to the ice cream we took a walk to an overlook of Lake Bennett which we would be following on the first part of the trip. Judy had found this on our visit to the town earlier in the week.

The views from the train were wonderful with the stillness of the lake reflecting the mountains. We stopped in Bennett which had once and for a short time been a town of 35,000 in 1898. The White Pass Trail, and later train as well as the Chilkoot Trail used by the Klondike “stampeders” came together in this town. This is where they built their boats to take them the remaining 500 miles to the gold they expected to find in Dawson City. After lunch we were taken on a walking tour of the area. A remaining rusty can showed that at that time cans had been sealed with led. It is thought that some died of lead poisoning as a result but also that many were mentally deranged by the lead.

When the train departed Bennett we were joined by some hikers who had completed the Chilkoot Trail and we gave them a round of applause. Our group of 10 though continued to have the last car to ourselves together with a bicyclist who rode part of the way. We could go out on the back platform or between the car ahead. It was a beautiful and very warm day. Waterfalls were frequent as we made our way down from the summit of White Pass. The canyons were awesome. Shortly after Bennett we passed over an area that had been washed out in mid May and the train had only resumed last Thursday. This is a narrow gauge track and the bridges and engineering of the track are amazing. We both agreed that we are so happy we decided to do this route. It was a fitting conclusion to our visit and we topped it off by excellent salmon (Judy) and halibut (Sandy) dinners at the Stow Away Café where we had a great meal our first night in Skagway.

So it is “goodbye Alaska”. It is time to finish the Alaska Highway

Alaska Bound Days 62, 63 & 64

Day 62 Miles 112 Garden City Campground, Skagway AK Back in the US for the 4th of July celebration here in Skagway. The trip along the South Klondike Highway was very enjoyable with beautiful Mountains and dark green spruce forests. In addition an area outside Carcross is billed as the smallest desert. Sand dunes formed in the area from former lake beds and the strong winds are credited with keeping out the vegetation for the most part. Yet the plants that do survive there are of a surprising variety including kinnikinnick, a low trailing evergreen with small learthery leaves used for tea. Carcross, originally Caribou Crossing, is the farthest the White Pass/Skagway Railway goes at this time and we saw the departure about 11 a.m. This was a stop for the gold miners on their way north and as we went further south we were close to the Chilkoot trail, up which thousands of prospective miners travelled in 1897-98. I think this was my fifth time through US customs. I know to remove my sunglasses and have my passport ready to show. The line of RV’s heading this way was amazing and we were happy to secure a site. I had telephoned this campground and another and were told they were full, but this one had said “stop and see.” We went ahead and booked for 4 nights. We will celebrate the 4th of July and on the 5th will take the White Pass Railroad to Carcross returning by bus the same day.
The fireworks are scheduled for the 3rd depending on the strength and direction of the wind. The time is 11 p.m. when hopefully there will be enough darkness. It is getting dark noticeably earlier and the surrounding mountains will benefit that.
At least 4 cruise ships were in port here and the streets were lined with shoppers! I can’t believe the number of jewelry stores. We’ve been told the Cruise lines have an ownership interest in most of the shops. We did a historical walking tour with a National Parks ranger. They have a number of buildings under their jurisdiction similar to that of Parcs Canada in Dawson City. We hope to take advantage of some of their other programs tomorrow.
Day 63 Garden City Campground, Skagway AK We arrived at the National Park Service Visitor Center in time for the 10 a.m. presentation. A ranger dressed in early 1900’s fashion portrayed a leading Skagway business woman, Harriet Pullman. Reading from Mrs. Pullman’s writings as well as historical information she told the story of arriving without money or employment and being hired at $3 a day as a cook She had brought dried apples from her Washington home and began making apple pies at night in tin cans flattened to make a pie tin and selling them. She went on to have a freight hauling business and a hotel. Quite amazing. A film on the Gold Rush followed. While I have seen, read and heard so much about this short period of time 1896-1899 I always learn something new. Another ranger later walked us through the different trail options up to the Klondike area. The long and short is most who followed never found gold but some like Harriet Pullen found other ways to make money in the area. Many died too including from an avalanche on the Chilkoot trail. They are buried near Dyea, the start of that trail (the Skagway trail was the White Pass trail) and people are still coming to claim their ancestor’s remains and rebury them in family plots elsewhere according to our afternoon tour guide who took us over to Dyea for a 1 ½ hour ranger walk to the archeological site of what was once a town and home to over 10,000. When the railroad came to Skagway it doomed the town which was already impacted by a very low water harbor. This was a glacial area and after the glacier recedes no longer compacting the land, the land rises and fills in the water areas. Small spruce are starting to sprout in this area called “the flats”. It has taken many years for the soil to no longer have a salt content and allowing more vegetation.

Our evening began with a fun presentation of Robert Service poems at the NPS visitor center. The tourism director for Skagway goes by the “Buckwheat” and does very dramatic presentations of the poems. He injects a lot of humor and story telling of his own and made for delightful entertainment.

Skagway has its 4th of July fireworks on the 3rd. One explanation is that the same company does Skagways as does Haines, a not too far distant town via water. As 11 p.m. approached, the townspeople and visitors gathered at the dock area for spectacular fireworks with dark snowy peaked mountains as a backdrop and the water of the Linden Canal (actually a very deep fjiord) as a reflection. The mountains also provided echoes to the pyrotechnics. The only ship in the harbor was the ferry. Judy took some awesome photos so be sure to check her blog.

Day 64 Garden City Campground, Skagway, AK HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! The warmest day of the trip marked this holiday. There was a complete program of activities that gave the flavor of a small town celebration. The children’s parade began at 9:30 and I had a seat near the reviewing stand. The judges were all visitors from other states. I didn’t envy them their jobs. The kids were very imaginative. The regular parade began at 10 and was also full of winners. Hopefully my photos will tell the story. The theme was Alaska’s Birthday, “Fabulous at 50”, and was used on most of the floats. The Mounties and kiltie band from Whitehorse which we saw 3 days ago were there as well as a Whitehorse float honoring the birthday. One hit was a Sarah Palin impersonator carrying a sign “I Quit” walking with an impersonator of her husband. I spoke to the woman later in the day and she said the idea came up about 4 days before. However when she heard of the resignation she wasn’t going to do it but her friends said, “just carry an I quit sign”. Some in the crowd had not heard the news and thought that was part of the spoof. Bits and pieces of conversation would lead me to believe people were not too upset though some expressed a fondness for her.

Games such as 3 leg races, tug of war, arm wrestling, egg toss (Skagway made it into the Guiness Book of World Records last year with more than 1100 participating in this one) and many others kept the crowd busy. Food was provided by different local organizations and I had a brot from the Eagles. All in all it was just a fun time. We went back to the campground to do some overdue maintenance and prepare for our next segment which will involve small towns in the Yukon and British Columbia. I filled both my water tanks. I also cleaned my battery which was full of all the road dirt and checked the water levels. The dust from the roads is everywhere
We hurried back to town for the duck race. They had this in Whitehorse as well. Judy had bought a duck and we watched as the 1000 little plastic ducks went into the rushing Pullen Creek. The race took less than 5 minutes and no winner for Judy but a fun time and more socializing. This days activities give one a sense of a strong community spirit here in Skagway.

Alaska Bound Days 60 & 61

Day 60 Walmart Parking Lot, Whitehorse, Yukon Territory We are staying here for two nights. It’s closer to town and of course the price is right. I purchased a bug zapper at the store. I had seen one of the guides on a Holland American tour bus waving around what looked like a badminton racket. Upon inquiring I learned it took batteries and would zap the mosquitoes. One local said “I couldn’t do summer without it”. I haven’t tested it yet since the bugs haven’t been too bad here. I wonder if it works on Florida “no see ums”.
The RV repair place was not able to find the source of Judy’s leak so that is still of concern. While it was in the shop, we toured the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre http://www.beringia.com/ in Big Mama. Good visuals on the receding water with glacial formation creating the land mass connecting the continents. In the last Ice Age Alaska, Siberia and the Yukon did not have glaciers but were a grassy cold windy tundra. I had thought this only occurred in one period of history but it turns out it was multiple times allowing numerous plants, animals, and humans to make the journey some arriving in this area and some along the coast. Frozen remains which are still being found, some by miners, are remarkable. A new exhibit will open next week featuring a 26,000 year old horse part of which was consumed by another animal but part of which was frozen and the guide said the hide looked as though it was from a horse that had died only a few years ago! Imagine the DNA testing that can happen with these findings. The knowledge that is being gained with the new tools will result in a number of changes to textbooks of the future. Perhaps it will be an advantage to learn on line to keep up to date. The building that houses the exhibit is remarkable in itself and the toilet rooms are unbelievable. They are individual bathrooms with very European style fixtures and painted purple! Unfortunately I didn’t photograph one of those but did the outside of the building.
We then drove over to see the DC3 wind vane. While there the wind shifted and the plane rotated! Wish I had a video. The plane was built in 1940 and served in WWII in flights to Indo-China area. It is billed as the world’s largest wind vane. The nearby airport has Condor flights from Frankfort Germany several times a week. Air Canada and Air North also serve Whitehorse.
We stopped in at the RV Rental place, CanadaDream. They offer class B rentals that are Pleasure Ways on a Ford chassis and are similar to Roadtreks. They rent for $205 Canadian a day with no tax added. Early bird specials can be reserved up until February to get some good deals. While I am happy I made the trip, renting would also be an option to save the long trip here. We are going to try to compare our costs with that of renting. Of course depreciation on our vehicles is difficult to calculate. If anyone is interested in this idea we can get more information.
We lunched on our incredible cinnamon “cake’ from Mom’s Bakery in the Beringia parking area. It is great to take your house with you. We then headed over to the fish ladder that assists the salmon get past the hydro electric dam as they are headed to their spawning ground. They won’t arrive until later in July but we had a nice visit with one of the staff who told how they count the fish and the markings on those that have been artificially produced (clipped fin and wire in nose). The count has been quite low the last two years and they expect the same this year. The reason he gave was the Pollack fishing off the coast of Alaska. They are also taking salmon which they throw overboard dead.
Later we toured the SS Klondike a steam paddle wheeler that served Dawson City until 1955. The primary load was cargo but there were accommodations for passengers and the first class were treated well. It took 4 hours to go down river to Dawson City and 4 days to come back. The river freezes over by mid October so it was a short season. As always an excellent interpretative guide from Parcs Canada, fluent in French and English.
We decided to repeat last night’s restaurant Klondike Rib and Salmon, which had excellent food. Arriving ½ hour later at 6 there was about a 40 minute wait and then we agreed to share our table. The other couple, residents of the Maldives, had just returned from a guided canoe/camping trip on the Teslin River and were continuing on for a horse/camping tour. We had a lively conversation sharing travel experiences. We finished just in time to go to the Follies vaudeville type show. It was very entertaining with talented high energy performers. Most of the audience was from tour groups and a few of them were brought up from the audience to be part of the act. Robert Service poems were acted out as part of the show. The Walmart parking lot was full of RVs and very quiet upon our return.

Day 61 Walmart Parking Lot, Whitehorse, Yukon HAPPY CANADA DAY! A day that started quite cloudy with a brief shower at the 11 a.m. start of the parade blossomed into a beautiful sunny warm evening that prompted me to take a long walk along the path that runs adjacent to the Yukon River. Here the Yukon is quite clear and a green color. We are not that far from its headwaters and it flows all the way to the Bering Sea making it one of North America’s longest rivers. I let my imagination roam and thought of Les spending time in Whitehorse in the 40’s, the stern wheelers loading at the docks still represented by large rotting bollards on the river’s edge near the train station, and the First Nation peoples using the river as their summer home so many thousands of years ago. I’ve come to appreciate Whitehorse, a working government seat that hosts tourists from many places.
The parade commencing the Canada Day (142nd birthday) was led by a Kiltie bagpipe and drum corps. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in their sharp red uniforms were striking. There were politicians, the Territory Commissioner, the Mayor, both women, and Member of Parliament walking and pushing his baby in a stroller which amused and pleased the locals. Fire trucks old and new, community groups, hand crafted floats, and a particularly colorfully costumed group of the Vietnamese Community with a thank you to Canada for welcoming them. The parade ended at Shipyard Park where the initial focus was on swearing in new citizens who represented many countries including the US. A young girl did a remarkable unaccompanied rendition of the National Anthem, Oh Canada, both to open the ceremonies and during them.
There were many young families in the crowd. I chose the Filipino food plate which was delicious. Free birthday cake and juice were served and we also had birthday cupcakes at the visitor center in the morning when we picked up our Canadian flags to wave at the parade. To get to the parade we took the Trolley which runs along the river and was a free ride for the day.
After watching young girls doing the Irish jig and Highland fling and sword dances as well as amazing show dog exercises we headed back via the grocery for a few items. Having learned that one of the hotels had internet accessible in the parking lot, we spent some time there catching up on email and internet activities. Dinner was leftovers but enhanced by a bread pudding dessert complete with ice cream. Judy had taken it from the restaurant last night and stored it in her freezer before going to the Follies. Another example of how great it is to carry your house around.
This is probably my 3rd or 4th Canada Day and I always feel good about the celebrations. The message today from the politicians and just by observing the people was one of inclusion. Yes there are divisions but I don’t think of the magnitude in the US. Perhaps being a smaller population makes it easier. The celebrations are more low key but very sincere with strong pride in their history and their people. It has been a privilege to once again be a part of their celebration.