DAY 27, Friday, August 9th

Today we made our way to Carcross.  The scenic drive gave way to lakes and fairly easy driving.  On the way we saw a baby Grizzlie.  We sure thought we'd see a lot more wildlife than we have, but then we aren't even quite halfway there.

The bridge leading into Teslin was about as unique as they come.

Teslin Bridge

Carcross was the next stop on our itinerary.  It has tiny shops along a board walk.  Judging by the number of tour buses, it is apparently a popular shore excursion stop for cruise ships.
Carcross boasts of the "World's Smallest Desert".  As I walked into the desert, I saw no difference in temperature, but apparently it grows flowers that are only able to survive a few places in the world.

There were interesting carved totem poles leading into the Welcome Center.

So much beautiful scenery, but one of the best was Emerald Lake.  They got the name right on this one.  It truly is the color of Emeralds.

Emerald Lake

We called it a day at High Country RV Park in Whitehorse.  Packed in like sardines, sewage odor was awful, highway and airport noise.  So, do you think I would recommend this park to anyone?  You guessed right.

DAY 28, Saturday, August 10th

Today we left the Alaska Highway and headed West on Hwy 2 towards Dawson City.

We've been noticing an increase in tour buses and caravans of RV's traveling together. 
Today we spent hours on long stretch of roads with views of rivers, hills and trees. 
Around Pelly Junction we began to refer to this trek as the Klondike version of Kansas.  Things were so repetitious.  Bad roads with bushes and brush along the side.  And then out of nowhere a river would break through or a colorful hill or mountain could be seen in the distance. 

The road from Pelly Junction to Dawson City was the worst on the trip so far.  It was very wavy and bumpy,  had soft shoulders, and had a number of gravel sections. 

Observations: 

There is very little litter along the road ways.
It seems those traveling these roads have a deep respect for the raw beauty of nature and don't want to defile it.  Or maybe it is just the fact that there are no fast food restaurants or convenience stores with disposable cups, bags, boxes, etc. waiting to be tossed out of car windows.
People speed.  A lot.
Pay telephones are not a thing of the past in Canada.  I guess because cell service is so sparce, they are still important.  I have been surprised to see them in many of the campgrounds we have stayed in.
If you turn your bedding inside out, you have clean sheets.

SUNDAY, August 11, Day 29

We were very lucky to attend Mass at St. Mary's in Dawson City.  Built in 1896, the structure is very historic.  The parish office was on the main floor and the church was up three short flights of stairs.  Having worked in the funeral business for 12 years, all Jim could think was how in the world did they get caskets up those stairs. 

The priest greeted us at the door, assigning liturgical roles to people as they entered.  I got to read the second reading and Jim helped take up offertory.  There were only a handful of regular parishioners, six at the most.  At the end of Mass the priest said that today there were visitors from Germany, the Philippines, Czech, Italy, the US, and of course Canada.

Dawson City is everything I expected Dawson Creek to be.  I guess I just had to be patient.  The buildings are very historic, and the streets made of packed dirt, just as they would have been in the Gold Rush days.  The casino seemed to be doing a booming business, but we moved on and skipped that.  We were looking towards the next leg of the trip.

DAWSON CITY PHOTOS

Our plan was to take Top of the World Hwy 9 to Alaska.  After fellow campers pulled into campground with "I survived the Top of the World Hwy" written in the mud on the back of their cars and RVs, we were seriously reconsidering our plans.  So we hopped in the 4Runner and did a trial run.  Through the rain, mist, sunshine, drop dead gorgeous scenery, rainbows, more rain, paved and then gravel/dirt roads, deep ravines, steep cliffs and inclines we went.

View from Top of the World Hwy

One of several rainbows

Yes, people bike the Hwy.  We actually saw this couple crawl out of their tent when we headed back over the Hwy the next morning.

On the way back to camp we decided with my fear of heights and drop-offs, that we would seek out an alternate route.  That thought was short lived when we realized the many miles it would add to our trip.  So, over the top we will go again tomorrow.

The US/Canadian Border is at the end of Top of the World Highway, with Taylor Hwy beginning on the US Side.  The little town of Chicken was our next "destination"

Chicken was originally known by the name of the State Bird, the Ptarmigan.  Folk lore has it that everybody spelled it different and rarely correct.  So the town fathers decided that they would save embarrassment by naming the town Chicken.  Oh the irony of it.  We pulled in front of three buildings - The Chicken Creek Saloon, Cafe, the Liquor Store and General Store.  And that in a nutshell is Chicken.  One very talented and versatile person runs all three businesses.  They even have a chicken poop, which I (unfortunately) had to use. 

In case anyone is interested, this is what a Ptarmigan looks like.  It is amazing how it blends in with its background.  I am told it turns white in the winter.  This photo was actually taken in Denali.

From customs to Chicken view

We have officially been on the road for four weeks. 

MONDAY, August 12, Day 30

Here we go!  Heading over The Top of the World Hwy again with some trepidation, this time with the trailer in tow.  Destination Toc, where we will take off towards Fairbanks.  Rather than rain and mud, we encountered overcast skies and dry roads.  What a difference.  There was very little traffic and for many of the miles we could see no vehicles either in the front or back of us, so we could easily drive at a pace we were comfortable with.  When we drove the Hwy yesterday, Jim spotted a rock and was bound and determined to find it back today.  He had an idea of what mile marker it was close to, so we started watching for "his rock".  I couldn't believe it when he spotted it.

Our kids will remember that all of their lives road trips always included bringing a souvenir rock home.  Some things never change.

We spent the night at Toc RV Park - very nice and clean.  Oh how I have come to appreciate clean RV Parks...

TUESDAY, August 13, Day 31

Today turned into a maintenance day.  Laundry was getting questionable, but I was leaning towards waiting a few days to do it.  Then Sadie Jo got sick on our sheets.  Decision made.  Laundry, then a pretty boring drive to Fairbanks.  We drove mile of mostly straight, sometimes curvy road, seeing no cars.  The traffic really didn't pick up until we were right outside Fairbanks.  There we found a Toyota dealer to pick up some oil for the 4-Runner, just in case we need it. 
Our home for the night was the River's Edge RV Park.  We arrived in pouring rain and were given a many pot holes site, so it was dodge the puddles.  But we got set up and hunkered down for the night.

WEDNESDAY, August 14, Day 32

Sunshine!  It is an easy drive from Fairbanks to Denali.  We took our time and went straight to the park when we got there.  After booking a tour bus for tomorrow we were fortunate to get a spot at the Denali RV Park and Motel.  It is within walking distance of all of the shops and restaurants.  Time for a lot of peeking at the prices and saying "you've got to be kidding me!"   There was a nice vest made out of materials unknown marked 65% off.  It only cost $800 marked down.  I did buy a nice pair of earrings made by a local artisan from the Blizzard Stone of the Talkeeten Mts.

Food has mostly been whatever we fix in the trailer, so we decided to check out the restaurants and settled on one called Moose-AKA's.  The food was Eastern European and their signature dish was Mousaka, a dish of potatoes, several meats, and cheese.  Knowing it would be way more than either of us could eat, Jim order the Mousaka and I a cup of soup and extra plate.  They explained in great detail about the dish, but truthfully it didn't taste much different than the dish I make where I fry hamburger and onion and add diced potatoes and seasonings.  The big difference was theirs wasn't presented as hash and they added cheese and sour cream.

After checking on Sadie, who still isn't feeling very well, we drove back into Denali National Park, hoping to see some wildlife.  Vehicles are only allowed to drive 13 miles into the park.  Nothing.  Until we were almost to the ranger station and there was a big ol' Grizzlie bear putting on a show for everyone.  People are crazy when it comes to wild animals in parks.  It is like they think they are in a zoo.  This is a wild bear people!  The ranger was telling people to get in their cars and they just kept taking pictures.  The bear was impressive.  I'm not sure what pictures we got (we stayed in our car).  On our way out of the park we were treated to the sight of a Bull Moose, and then a Mama feeding her babies, and another female  Moose.  Definitely a worthwhile venture into the park. 

THURSDAY, August 15th, Day 33

Denali Day!  Oh beautiful mountain, where are you?

Sadie Jo is feeling much better!

We woke to drizzling rain.  First stop was Three Bears Coffee Shop, where we enjoyed a really good cup of coffee and a really dry piece of blueberry crumble.

Yesterday we bought tickets for a bus trip into Denali.  We chose the 66 miles to the Eielson point.  The expected time for this tour, including wildlife watching, breaks, etc. round trip was 8 hours.  By the time we were loading up at 10:00 it was full out raining.  Things were not looking good for seeing the mother mountain.  But being an optimistic, I kept thinking the fog will burn off and the rain will lift.  Our guide, Phillip, was the next thing to an encyclopedia.  When he couldn't tell us about the foot hills we were going through or the mountains ahead because we couldn't see them, he told us about the streams, rivers, how the mountains were formed, the trees and sometimes lack of trees, the wildlife and their habits... you name it, he talked about it.  Did you know  that Denali National Park is 9,000 sq. miles and 6 million acres?  The most surprising to me was that they experience 3,000 earth quakes a year in Denali.  Phillip said he often feels the quaking at night in his cabin. This was a non narrated tour, but Phillip was a certified interpretive tour guide, so he used his knowledge to keep us going.  Thanks Phillip!

Early on the trip we spotted a Bull Moose, Carabou, some with impressive horns, moose cows feeding their young, and a  Ptarmigian, the Alaska State Bird.  As we headed higher into the mountains we encountered extremely rough roads, heavier rain and more fog.  Every rest stop included a rain jacket and dodging mud puddles.  Usually the road crews grade the roads twice a week, but because of the extremely rainy summer, they were spending more time fixing culverts, digging out mud slides and doing other maintenance.

So, was I disappointed in Denali?  Not in the least.  The foothills peeking in out of the rain and fog were amazing, the colors of the trees were already turning gold for an early fall, the drop offs, cliffs, and wildlife were beautiful.  The entire trip was breathtaking.  We didn't see the snow caps of Denali and get that iconic picture everyone wants, but Denali was beautiful and we loved every minute of it (except the sore butts, smokers who stunk because they put their cigarettes out just as they got on the bus, and my wet toes because I wore the wrong shoes).

FRIDAY, August 16, Day 34

Rain. Again.

Fortunately, the rain lifted fairly early in the day.  Destination was Talkeetna.  The first order of business was finding a place to park our rig.  At the edge of town was a sweet little RV Park named after the town.  It was first come, first serve.  We are slow learners, but have figured out that, as difficult as it is to do, it sure does pay to get to our destination early in the day.  We had our pick of sites.  No electric or water, but we are getting used to that. 

Talkeetna.  What a charming little town.  It is said to be the inspiration for the 1990's TV Show, Northern Exposure.  I could almost see that Moose that is featured in the show's opening scene walking down the street.  Talkeetna is full of unique shops, interesting people, and lots of tourists.  By the time we had set up camp and headed there, the cruise ship tours were just leaving, so the crowds were down a bit.

Alaskan Fathers seem to have a bit of a wry sense of humor.  Did I mention that North Pole AK named their Catholic Church St. Nicholas (I truly don't remember whether I did or not...)  Any guesses of what Talkeetna named their Catholic Church?  How about St. Bernard?  Nothing against St. Bernard (I need to check him out and see what he is all about), but all I could envision was a big old slobbery dog with a keg around his neck.

Our campsite was in a wooded area prime for bears and other wildlife.  For one of the few times this trip Sadie Jo was upset most of the night.  Apparently she heard things she was not too thrilled with and felt the need to protect us.  Go Sadie Jo!

SATURDAY, August 17th, Day 35

This morning we headed back into Talkeetna for a bagel and coffee before we got on the road.  To give you an idea of the wide array of individualism, our baristas were a combination of purple hair, peasant skirt, bibbed overalls, tattoos, and piercings everywhere.    Everyone in Talkeetna has been nice and friendly.  We really enjoyed Talkeetna.

Driving out of Talkeetna we noticed a bunch of cars pulled over along the side of the road.  That is when Jim looking in his rear view mirror and realized Denali was out!  Quickly pulling over with the rest of the gawkers, we marveled at her majestic beauty.

Our destination today is Seward, or somewhere in between.  First we spent time in Anchorage restocking the trailer.  We have chosen to not spend time in the larger cities like Vancouver, Fairbanks, and Anchorage.  It might be a decision we will later regret, but time is going so fast and this trip has been about the views and the unique.  Seward Hwy is a very pleasant, beautiful, drive.  Since it was getting late, we started looking for a place to camp.  I spotted the little town of Hope 15 miles off Seward Hwy with a National Forest Service campground.  It looked promising.  What I didn't realize was this is a very popular spot for young people fishing and floating and all other things young people like to do.  The campground was at the end of the road (mile marker 16) and brimming full.  It appeared people were camping along the streets.  Our view from the Hwy was of a booming old downtown area.  I would have love it 25 years ago.  We finally pulled into a pullout on Seward Hwy and got a good night's sleep.  Did you know people camp just about anywhere there is a pullout (and there are many) in Alaska?

Lesson learned:  Don't give up hope.