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Alaska - 2007
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Third Stage: Day 8 - Day 9 - Day 10 - Day 11 - Day 12
Day 8 - July 4: Edmonton, Alberta - Dawson Creek, British Columbia
British Columbia
4th of July
Today's Mileage: 375 Total Mileage: 3,037 Start: 8 AM Stop: 4:30 pm Weather: Another great day, sunny, 75 - 80 degrees
Via: AB - Yellowhead Highway (#16A/16) to AB-43
AB-43 to British Columbia
BC - BC-97 to Dawson Creek (BC-97 is the continuation of AB-43)Hotel: Inn on the Creek; nice hotel - new furniture, new 32" TV
Breakfast: At Hotel Lunch: Ernie O's (Fox Creek) Dinner: Boston Pizza Comments: Very light traffic. After days of not seeing any US license plates, we finally saw one today. We have not seen a police car on the highways in Canada.
Most of the day was spent on divided highways, but we have run out of them. Until we get to Fairbanks we'll have to settle for 2 lane roads.
The windshield got hit by a stone. Just a small crack - I expected that to happen. I only hope we don't have to replace the windshield the next time.
Made a number of quick stops, mostly to see sun dials, which seem to be big around here, a trestle and the worlds largest beaver. What more could you want?
In Grande Prairie, which is much larger than I expected, with many of the stores that we are used to, we bought Saskatoon jelly at the visitor's center. A Saskatoon is a berry, looks like a grape - at least in the pictures I have seen.
Went to our first Wal-Mart in Dawson Creek - twice as a matter of fact! We are now 3 hours behind the East Coast.
Mets lost again today. We were still able to get them on XM.
Dawson Creek is Milepost 0 of the Alaska Highway. The next three days we will be traveling on it.
Click to see a larger Picture
Edmonton -
Dawson CreekSun Dial -
SangudoFox Creek Furniture -
Fox CreekHouse on
the MoveThe Beaver
- - - - - Grande Prairie - - - - - - - - - - - Inn on the Creek - - - - - Top | Back to Index | Next Stage | Prior Stage
Day 9 - July 5: Dawson Creek, BC - Fort St. John, BC - Fort Nelson, BC
Today's Mileage: 285 Total Mileage: 3,323 Start: 7:30 am Stop: 5 pm Weather: Sunny, light clouds, high 70's - excellent day
Via: BC - Alaska Highway (BC-97)
Hotel: Ramada Limited - OK, but nothing special
Breakfast: At Hotel Lunch: Shepard's Inn Dinner: At Hotel Comments: Our first day on the Alaska Highway. Started out in Dawson Creek in the visitor's center/museum which we didn't have time for yesterday. They also just opened a new building which is devoted to the Alaska Highway.
They gave us a Passport for the various cities in British Columbia, so now we are on a mission to get the passport stamped at the visitor's center of all the towns we go through. There might be a prize someday - MIGHT!
Of course we had to take pictures of Milepost 0 of the Alaska Highway.
Then we were on the road. First stop the historic Kiskatinaw Bridge, the last of the original wooden bridges built on the highway. You can take a loop road over the original Alaska Highway.
At Taylor we had the Passports stamped and finally escaped the clutches of the lady at the visitor's center. It wasn't easy. She did give me good directions to the Honey Place, where we learned about the bees and honey and bought some of the sweet stuff.
Then on to Fort St John we we again had the Passports stamped and visited a heritage museum.
At about 12 pm we were stopped and had to wait 20 minutes for traffic to continue - they were doing repairs on the road. This isn't at all unusual and should be taken into consideration as one plans a trip. Once we got going we stopped for lunch and by 1:30 pm we had covered 72 miles. So we had to step on it to get to Fort Nelson at a reasonable hour.
We had our first real wildlife sighting - a moose and a black bear. The moose was really close to the road.
In Fort Nelson we got the Passports stamped and checked into the Ramada. Even though I had reserved 2 rooms with a couch, they only had one but did offer me a suite, which I took. Rose & Jeanne prepared dinner since we had dishes etc. in the suite. We had a big lunch nobody was all that hungry.
The Alaska Highway was easy to drive today - but it is only 2 lanes, except for some passing lanes on hills. We were very surprised that quite often we were the only vehicle on the road in both directions as far as you can see. I didn't expect a lot of traffic, but I have to believe that visitors are down this year. Perhaps the high gas prices have something to do with it.
Tomorrow on to Watson Lake and the Northern Lights.
Click to see a larger Picture
Dawson Creek -
Fort Nelson- - - - - - - - - Dawson Creek - Milepost 0 - - - - - - - -
- - Dawson Creek - Visitor's Center - -
- - - Dawson Creek - Town - - -
- - - - - - - - - - Dawson Creek - Museum - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - Kiskatinaw Bridge - - - Taylor - - - Honey Place - - - Peace River Bridge
- - - - - - - - - Fort St John Visitors Center - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - Fort St John Museum - - - - - - - - -
Fort Nelson - - - Ramada Limited - - - Top | Back to Index | Next Stage | Prior Stage
Day 10 - July 6: Fort Nelson, BC - Watson Lake, Yukon
Yukon
Today's Mileage: 326 Total Mileage: 3,249 Start: 8 am Stop: 6:15 pm Weather: Some sun, but light rain most of the day; 50 - 60 degrees in the Rockies
Via: BC - Alaska Highway (BC-97)
YT - Alaska Highway (YT-1 - continuation of BC-97)Hotel: Big Horn Hotel - seems to be the nicest place in town
Breakfast: At Hotel Lunch: Lodge Dinner: At Hotel Comments: Our second day on the Alaska Highway. Most of the day we were in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, so the scenery was the best of the trip so far, and it certainly added to our wildlife sighting.
The day started with a visit to the Fort Nelson History Museum. It was sort of a mini-Williamsburg with various houses that they collected, in addition to many artifacts of the olden days. Quite interesting.
We stopped at Laird Hot Springs, but only Arnie visited the springs. Although this is a paid attraction when we said we only wanted to take a look they didn't charge us - but we promised to tell them if we went in the water.
In the morning some people who stayed with us at the hotel said that Watson Lake is very depressing. I would have to agree. It's basically a place to spend a night. We did visit the Northern Lights Center. They showed two movies, one devoted to the scenery around the area and one on the Northern Lights. It wasn't quite what I expected, but then many things aren't.
This town had me completely fooled. When I researched the hotels, I picked one that met most of our requirements, but not one that was one of the best - so I thought. Once we got there I was amazed at the condition of the 'better' hotels and I think in the end I may have picked the nicest place in town.
Tomorrow on to Whitehorse and a day of rest.
Click to see a larger Picture
Fort Nelson -
Watson Lake- - - - - - - Fort Nelson History Museum - - - - - - -
- - - - - - Wildlife - - - - - Hotel Top | Back to Index | Next Stage | Prior Stage
Day 11 - July 7: Watson Lake, Yukon - Whitehorse, Yukon
Today's Mileage: 289 Total Mileage: 3,938 Start: 8 am Stop: 4 pm Weather: Nice sunny day, a little cooler - in the 60's
Via: YT - Alaska Highway (YT-1)
Hotel: Yukon Inn, YT - nice hotel; not fancy but it has everything we need, including a laundry!
Breakfast: At Hotel Lunch: Mukluk Annie's Dinner: At Hotel Comments: Today we again spent the entire day on the Alaska Highway. Except for the first few miles, we will repeat this day on our return - the only significant mileage we will repeat on this trip, not counting some Interstates in TN & NC.
First stop was the World Famous Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake. Considering that this is the most interesting thing in Watson Lake, you get an idea what this town is like.
Most of the day we were in mountains and lakes as we climbed over the Cassiar Mountains. In Teslin we checked on our reservation for the return trip - everything seemed to be in order.
We had lunch at Muklak Annie's, after waiting in line after a bus tour. The tour stayed in the hotel next to us in Watson Lake last night.
After lunch we went to Teslin Tlingit Council Heritage Center. Watched a movie and saw some native art. This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Apparently other people had caught on to this because nobody else stopped there while we were there.
In Whitehorse we went to the visitors center and they suggested the Frantic Follies Revue - we didn't even ask the price once Arnie & I heard that they had Can Can dancers. It was fun show.
Mets won today in 17 innings.
We will be in Whitehorse for two days. This is the first of 6 consecutive stops which will be 2 days or longer - something we need.
Click to see a larger Picture
Watson Lake -
WhitehorseSign Forest - - - - - - - - Teslin - - - - - - - -
Muklak Annie's Tlingit Council Heritage Center Whitehorse
- - - - - - - - - - Frantic Follies Revue - - - - - - - - - Top | Back to Index | Next Stage | Prior Stage
Day 12 - July 8: Whitehorse, Yukon
Today's Mileage: 20 Total Mileage: 3,558 Start: 8:30 am Stop: 7:30 pm Weather: Rain, sunshine, cloudy - everything - and cool, in the 60's
Hotel: Yukon Inn, YT
Breakfast: At Hotel Lunch: Tim Hortons Dinner: A&W Comments: After providing shuttle service to church (no tips, please) we went to see the worlds largest weather wane at the Whitehorse International Airport - a DC-3. And it is really is an International Airport - they have flights to Germany, for instance.
Also at the airport is the Yukon Transportation Museum - interesting place. Next in our search for the biggest, longest, highest etc. we went to the largest fish ladder in the world.
Then it was time for lunch. We had seen the Tim Hortons chain every day we are in Canada so I requested that the committee consider going there some day - and my requests was immediately acted upon.
Food was good, coffee was excellent and we even had the opportunity to assist in training new employees - 13 year olds. They have trouble finding help in the Yukon! I did a little research and although most of their locations are in Canada, there are more than 300 in the US also.
Wal-Mart was next, after that back to the Hotel and rest.
Whitehorse is a much larger city than I thought after reading some reviews and it's still growing.
Mets lost, we are still getting them on XM.
Tomorrow we are off to Dawson City for two days and then Alaska. We will leave the Alaska Highway, but cover most of the remaining miles (or kilometers) on the return trip.
Click to see a larger Picture
Whitehorse
Yukon Inn Weather Vane Fish Ladder
- - - - - - - - - Yukon Transportation Museum - - - - - - - - - - Top | Back to Index | Next Stage | Prior Stage
