Reporting Errors Please report any spelling errors to any of my gradeschool teachers and any typing errors to my highschool typing teacher!

On the road We left home Sunday August 11th. Didn`t tow the car because we didn`t want to get it banged up on the rough roads. We made overnight stops at Tupper Lake, N.Y., Driftwood Provincial Park, Ontario, City Park, Cochrane, MacLoed Prov. Park, Geraldon, and Sandbar Prov. Park, Ignace,Ontario. When we left Ignace we stopped in Dryden for gas. This is the boyhood home of Chris Pronger, former Whaler, now playing for St.Louis. We were told he is not well thought of in Dryden. It seems he has forgotten his roots in favor of St.Louis! We also were told the was an accident on Route 17 ahead and we needed to take a 6 hour detour south around the accident. All roads out here are 2 lanes and major accidents close them down. We decided to continue on Rt 17 and stay in the motorhome if we got stuck. By the time we got to the site, one lane traffic was going by. So we went right on to West Hawk Lake, Manitoba. We found out 4 people died in a van that crossed the road and hit a tractor trailer, headon! We next passed Winnepeg and started on the Yellowhead Highway (2 lane of course). We stayed in a city park in Minnidosa, Manitoba, then on to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. We arrived just in time to see the end of an air show with planes doing acrobats over our campsite. We also had a Saskatoon berry pie that was delicious! Stopped for gas somewhere in Alberta. It was full service. The young attendant asked the question of the day, "where is Massachusetts?" Surprised, I answered, "on the east coast near New York". Next stop was Elks Park, Vegreville, Alberta, home of the worlds largest Pysanka (Easter)egg. We camped in the shadow of the egg! We stopped in Fox Creek, Alberta. Traveled 6 miles down a gravel road to Smoke Lake to camp. Absolutely beautiful! Then on to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, the beginning of the Alaska Highway, formerly called the Alcan Highway, for Alaska and Canada. I prefer Alcan as it is mostly in Canada. Click on picture #1 below.

The `Highway` Don`t know why they call it the Highway. It`s a 2 lane road! Our first overnight stop was at Mile `O` Campground in Dawson Creek,B.C. Nice city park and only $7+ US including water and electricity! Next day we saw our first moose. A very large bull! Stopped for gas at one of the few gas stations only to find out it was out of gas! Had to drive another 60 miles to the next stop, Lum`N`Abners in Prophet River,BC. Had to wait for a gas tanker to fill the station to get gas. Total amount was $123.00 Canadian (79.60 US)! Wow! Stayed in Ft. Nelson in a private campground. Not up to our standards. Next day we stopped for lunch at Toad River Lodge. It is the home of hundreds of caps left by customers and are now hung from the ceiling. The food was good and we bought a Dreamcatcher for the motorhome. We camped at Strawberry Flats campground in Muncho Prov Park on Muncho Lake. Another beautiful spot right on the lake, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Toxey rode her scooter on the beach. Only a couple of other campers in the park. Nice and quiet!

The Yukon After leaving Muncho Lake we passed a herd of buffalo with one lying in the road. He didn`t move even as we drove by(see picture 5 below). Then we came upon a cow moose and a calf(see picture 6 below). Excellent. Arrived in Watson Lake, Yukon, home of the Signpost Forest. Went 5 miles outside town to Watson Lake Provincial campground. Found out you have to get passes in town prior to camping Yukon parks are self serve with prepurchased permits only. Went back and we were the only ones there! Next night we stayed at Johnson`s Corner, a nice private campground with a cafe and bakery. Next morning we had their specialty, fresh baked cinnamon buns! Then we were off to Congdon Creek Provincial Park, about 55 miles north of Haines Junction, Yukon.

The `Hook` Stopped at the general store in Haines Junction, Yukon. They had excellent smoked fish and meat! About 40 miles north we went through some rough construction. One bump too many and the antilock brake light came on, speedometer went bonkers and the transmission took on a mind of it`s own! We were a little concerned but we have had this happen several times before. We limped to Cottonwood Campground on beautiful Kluane Lake. What a place to be stuck. Absolutely beautiful! (see picture 4 below) In the office I explained our plight to the owners. They had no phone (common for the Alcan Hwy), but they did have a two way radio that we could use the next day to contact our towing service. Called for the tow at 9am and was told it would take about an hour. At noon I returned to the office. The owner told us we were now on Yukon time, meaning the hour could be days. Tow did come at 3pm. Got back to Haines Junction at 5pm. 50 miles. The garage was closed but would open at 9am. We camped next door in a gas station that had RV spaces.

The Repair Mike at Kluane Machine started working on the motorhome at 9am. Abut noon he thought he found the problem, a faulty speed sensor. Part cost $15, over night delivery, $25! Worked 1 hour the next day. Test run, not fixed! He only wanted to charge for 1 hour labor. I told him that wasn't fair as he spent 4 hours. We settled on 2 hours. $150 Canadian ($90 US). Called towing service for another tow to Ford dealer in Whitehorse, Yukon, another 100 miles.

Hook #2 Called for 2nd tow about 10am. Arrived at 12:15. Excellent. See photo. Towed 100 miles to Ford dealer in Whitehorse. Offered the driver $10 tip. He said to buy myself a 6 pack of beer instead. Said to get Yukon Gold as his picture was on the label. Right! Well, what do you know, it was! Click on Yukon Gold below for picture. Couldn`t get motorhome looked at until next day. Rented a car and toured the town and got Chinese takeout. The rental had a chipped windshield which I pointed out to saleswoman. She said almost all vehicles up here have chipped windshields. We did acquire our mandatory chip in the motorhome windshield somewhere on the Alcan! Slept in the motorhome on the street behind the Ford dealer. We`re becoming experts on Ford dealerships! We were parked right next to Locksmith Services of Whitehorse LTD. and saw a steady stream of customers going in. I decided to go in and check it out and try and find out the secret to their success. Found out their secret. They are the only locksmiths for a hundred miles. They do make service calls but it can take up to a few weeks! They did warn me that there was a motorhome at the Ford dealer that was still waiting for repairs 6 weeks later! Seems they had an electrical fire and there were no schematic for the wiring as the manufacturer had gone out of business. Luckily, Ron(must be good with that name!) the mechanic started on the motorhome about 2:30 the next afternoon. Found a short in the wire to the speed control. Fixed in 1 hour. Cost $250 Canadian ($150 US). Great! Stayed in a private campground in Whitehorse. 100 channel cable! Hadn`t seen TV since we left home!

Camping at Walmart Most Walmarts allow overnight parking for self contained campers. We wouldn`t consider it unless there was some serious emergency. While in Whitehorse we had occasion to shop at Walmart. It`s the only one on the Alcan Highway. In the lot were several large, expensive motorhomes staying overnight. Now, there are at least 5 nice private campgrounds nearby. Why these cheap bastards don`t use them is beyond me. More towns should prohibit overnight parking if there are campgrounds nearby.

`On The Road Again` Drove 200 miles, past the 150 we were towed. Net gain 50 miles! Stayed Kluane Wilderness Campground. Not nice but took shower and did laundry. Next day we stopped at Buckshot Betty`s in Beaver Creek, Yukon for lunch. Got signed wanted poster of Betty! Lunch was good too! Saw three trumpeter swans along the way. Crossed border into Alaska about 2pm. Lost another hour. Now on Alaska time! Stopped at the Visitors Center to get a state campground directory. That`s when we first spotted them, foreign tourists driving rented motorhomes. The majority of campers in Alaska and back down the Alcan seemed to be from Europe, mostly German. Camped at Tok River State Park. in Tok, Alaska. Nice. Made it to Delta Junction, the official end of the Alaska Highway. See picture. Stopped for lunch at Rika`s Roadhouse. Reindeer sausage! Bought 2 bear claws for desert. God Damm! Just passed Rika`s, is the Alaska oil pipeline, the only place to see it from a paved road. Impressive! Camped in Fairbanks. Next day we got to Denali National Park, home of Mount McKinley, highest peak in North America. Next night we stayed at Montana Creek. Then it was on to Anchorage with a stop to change oil. Stopped at a Sears shopping center for a break and to check out why the CO2 alarm kept going off. Found nothing, finally stopped. Next we went to the Kenai Peninsula. Camped at Granite Creek, a Nat`l Forest Service campground. Beautiful!

The Kenai Peninsula On the way south of Anchorage, we followed the Seward Highway and turned west toward Homer. We passed the prime salmon fishing areas. Went through Homer( the halibut capital of the world) to Homer Spit to the Homer Spit Campground. This is the farthest we could drive from home on a paved road(5,366 miles to be exact!). No where to go but back toward home. We stopped a Granite Creek Campground again. This time we were kept awake all night by not to distant gun fire. Without much sleep we headed back stopping at Indian Valley Meats for gifts to send back home and also some for ourselves. Heading along the bay toward Anchorage we saw beluga wales swimming alongside. Beautiful!

Heading East Left Kenai Peninsula. Going through Anchorage, it happened again. The CO2 detector kept going off as we neared the Sears shopping center. We didn`t stop, but it did. The same thing happened in 1995 in Fairfax, Nova Scotia. I guess it must be the smog or something setting it off. Headed east across southern Alaska. Stopped at Matanuska Glacier. See attached picture. It was the day we call Ron so we stopped at a pay phone at the Eureka Lodge. Not knowing what town we were in I asked someone walking by, what town we were in. She replied " there is no town" Only in Alaska, I guess. Stayed overnight at Tolsona Wilderness Campground. It turned out to be the nicest camp we stayed at in Alaska(see pic). Got back on the Alcan Highway in Tok,AK. Camped in Tok RV Village. A pickup camper pulled in across the road with Connecticut plates. I asked them where they were from. They said they were from Ellington, a small town northeast of Hartford. I laughed and said we lived there for 25 Years, about a mile from where they lived! We knew some common friends. Small world! Next day it was back to the Yukon.

Heading South Stayed at Lake Creek Gov`t Campground. Nice. Then back to Haines Junction. This was 9/11/02. Planned on getting the motorhome washed(RV washes are everywhere along the Alaska highway as it is dusty when dry and muddy when wet). As luck would have it we had no `Loonies`. Loonies are dollar Canadian coins. They are called Loonies because the have a loon engraved on the coins. There are also two dollar coins called `double loonies`. Never did get washed! Next night we stayed at Teslin Lake Gov`t Campground. After leaving Teslin we passed another bad truck accident. Stopped at the Beaver Post just north of Watson Lake to shop for Gold. Bought a Gold Nugget necklace for Taunya and Toxey. Stayed at Watson Lake Gov`t Campground again. Had one extra Yukon camp permit that we weren`t going to use. Walked Rockey around the campground. There was only one other camper, Keith from Vermont. He was in Alaska salmon fishing. He didn`t have a permit. I gave him ours. He wanted to pay for it(cost $12). I told him he could have it. I was just glad someone could use it. The next two days we saw the most animals, especially between Muncho Lake and Buckinghorse Provincial Park. Ate lunch at Steamboat Mountain Cafe. While talkng with the owner I told him we wanted to get to the Northwest Territory but couldn`t because if the 80 miles if gravel road. He said the only think different about the Northwest Territory is more dust and more black flies. Yuch! He also told us about the strange trucks. Starting this year there are new tandem trailers, with fuel tanks on the bottom and a flatbed on top so they can haul fuel and freight. He said the cost $250,000 apiece! Back on the road it was as if someone opened up the gates! Moose, mountain goats, caribou and elk! Ran out of film! Oh, well. Took the Kiskatinaw Bypass over a 531 foot curved, wooden bridge, the last one left on the highway. Then it was on back to Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Coming up we came from the east. We decided to head south on Route 97. What a pleasant surprise! Toxey saw a red fox. I must have been paying attention to the road, because I missed it! This stretch of road to Prince George, had the nicest scenery we saw on our entire trip.

Wild ducks and???????????? Our first overnight stop on Route 97 south was at Crocked Creek Prov Park. There was only one other camper here also. Rockey was trying to make friends with the ducks coming up from the lake. While we were sitting in the camper I looked out across the lake and saw something swimming and it was bigger than a duck. I got out my binoculars and low and behold, it was an older, plus sized woman swimming. Now, mind you, it was about 40 degrees! I watched a while and she finally swam to shore, got out of the water, put a towel around and changed out of her suit. My,oh, my! It is true. You do see something new and different every day! The next morning it was raining when we left. A little way down the road we saw the same lady walking in the woods near her old motorhome in the rain. I guess she likes to get wet!

The Canadian Rockies Stopped in Prince George for groceries gas and propane. Then headed east on the Yellowhead Highway. Camped at Robeson Prov Park. Next it was on to Jasper, Alberta and Jasper Nat`l Park. Nice little town. Took the Icefield Parkway south to Banif, stopping at Jonas Campground, Woke up next morning to our first big snow. Two inches! Had to sweep it off the awning to put it up and away before leaving. Took bypass on Bow Valley Parkway into Banif. It was also a nice little town but we couldn`t park close to any grocery store so we went to Canmore, Ab. to shop. Stopped at the Visitors Center in Canmore to find out about the back road headed south. The lady said Rt40 through Kananaskis Country was the scenic way to go. So we did. Kananaskis Village was the site of the recent G-8 summit and the 88 winter Olympics. What a pleasant drive! Camped in Pincher Creek,AB at Sleepy Hollow. As we were approaching the town we saw things moving over the hills that looked very strange from a distance. When we got closer it turned out to be a windmill farm with about 60 very modern electric producing windmills. The next day it was back to the States!

Back in the USA Crossed the border into Montana at Chief Mountain. It is truly the back door into the States. It is just north of Glacier Nat`l Park, always one of our favorite spots. We weren`t ready or tired enough to head home, so we decided to wander down toward Utah and poke around. But first we stopped at Lewis and Clark State Park near Butte. We stayed here in the spring, a few years ago. It`s in a remote valley and we saw five herds of deer at one time then! No deer this time. Then we went down toward Yellowstone stopping at Virginia City, MT, an old preserved mining town. Just like the old west!

Wyoming We camped in a nice Nat`l Forrest Service campground in West Yellowstone, Idaho after having having a great Mexican dinner at a place recommended by a local woman. Drove through the south western part of Yellowstone, through the Grand Tetons. There is a major drought here and lakes are very, very low!. Stopped at one marina and the water was nowhere in site. Then we came upon a large wildfire. Luckily it was fe hundred yards to the east and blowing away from the way we were going. Stayed outside of Jackson Hole.

Utah Crossed into Utah and Ashley Nat`l Forest! Surprise! Camped in the forest near Flaming Gorge. It was the day we call Taunya but there was no pay phone and we were so far out, I knew the cellphone wouldn`t work but we tried it anyway. A perfect signal! Told Ashley about her forest! There were so many deer wandering the campground we couldn`t keep count! Rockey was excited! We stayed at some beautiful places in Utah including, Bryce Canyon Nat`l Park, Red Canyon, Zion Nat`l Park, Kotachrome Basin State Park(absolutely beautiful!), and Capitol Reef Nat`l Park. There were more but we didn`t keep a diary for this part of the trip. We were headed northeast toward Arches Nat`l Park and had to get on Interstate 70 for a short stretch. This is when Toxey and I decided it was time to head home. We could see Arches another time. We had been gone 8 week which is our usual limit. We would follow I-70 all the way east in short order.

The dash home Stopped in Grand Junction, Colorado for Chinese and an oil change. Then we crossed the Rockies. Hit snow but luckily we were able to stay ahead of the storm. Reached Denver about 8pm(we usually stop for the night about 3-4pm). Had to drive another couple hours to the next rest area where we stopped for the night. The next day we decided to stay in campgrounds and not rest areas because of the truck noise and we wanted electricity for the heaters. Stopped in Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. While driving through St.Louis we hit the roughest stretch of road on the entire trip. One bump knocked open the freezer spilling out the frozen food and snapped the holder for our rear window curtain. Pulled off the highway at the next exit to make emergency repairs only to find no entrance back on the highway. Had to detour around and got back on the highway BEFORE the dreaded bump. Went real slow this time! At one service area in Ohio or PA a limousine pulled up to a fast food restaurant, the passenger ran in to get food an came out. I had my binoculars at the ready, but couldn't ID him. Toxey saw a truckdriver taking a wizz out the door of his truck. Luckily I missed it. A couple trips ago we both saw a truck driver taking a dump beside his truck. Those truckers!

Conclussions Trip of a lifetime! We didn`t care as much for Alaska. Lots of junk and garbage alongside the roads. We saw several abandoned pickup trucks beside the road that appeared to have been there for a long time. The Canadian Rockies we our favorites. The people in western Canada don`t know how to build good roads! Black flies were almost everywhere, even after the frost. You had to get upwind of them, if there was any wind. As for Rockey, I can`t tell you how many people wanted to adopt him! Total trip was 8 weeks and 12,353 miles! Wrote a letter(e-mail) to Country Discoveries, thanking the and the author of the Alaska Highway article that inspired the trip. Our letter was published in the Jan/Feb 03 issue!