Day 21- 22 Friday and Saturday  Leaving Canada and crossing into Alaska

Cathy, our "tour guide" made a video of all the animals we have seen in Canada. It is your worth the time to watch it!!! Cathy did an amazing job!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N51MxorWOyI

Our journey on Destruction Bay Highway (Alaskan Highway) was everything we were warned about. On both the Canada and the US side! Lots of construction. As Cathy explained, they dig up the roads and then fill it in with gravel. Then the cars and trucks drive over it to flatten the gravel down. This makes for an extremely slow and bumpy ride. It took us 8 hours to go 363.6 km (232.2 miles) that should take 4 hours and 25 minutes! (See our You Tube video posted soon.)

We made sure we secured everything. Ed has mud flaps on his truck (thanks Kevin) and PPF film covering the front bottom half of the RV to protect from stone and rock damage. Only one issue- one of the blinds and valance fell down. Easy fix. All it took was a molly bolt. Good job Cathy & Ed!

                                                    All is took was a molly and a new screw.

We were happy to cross the border into the USA and had no problems. We had all the papers we were told we needed for Aussie, including a special health checkup form. Didn't need any of it. When we told the border agent that we had a dog he said that it was fine. 

                                                                   

                                                                                  

USA Visitor Center

Happy to arrive at TOK RV Village in the USA!

 

First thing we all did was wash the trucks and RVs which were covered with dirt from the drive. 

Worth the $40!

Then off to dinner at FAST EDDY'S, a short walk from the RVs.

Tomorrow a rest day and then off to Fairbanks, Alaska!

 

Days 18- 20  A lot of Traveling! Whitehorse, Yukon Canada and Kluane Lake

Day 18-19  Tues.- Wed. We spent two days in Whitehorse at the Hi Country RV park to get groceries and relax. Cathy and Charlies had a tire issue so it was good that we had an extra day.

Can you believe that this was taken at 11:00 pm?

The office was very rustic at Hi Country and the gift shop had some cute things that I got for Ralph. One thing was a really cute book Alaska's Three Little Pigs, by Aelene Laverde.      The three little pigs wanted to move to Alaska to grow big cabbages. The story follows the same theme with building houses and the third pig building the strongest house- a strong glacier. The enemy is a grizzly bear. The ending is really cute with how the pigs catch that grizzly bear!

Day 19  Thurs. Kluane Lake was beautiful even though it was windy and cold! We boondocked and was joined by 8 other RVs by the end of the night.

This whole area used to be covered with water from the melting glaciers. 

Now there is only blowing sediments in the background.

Hard to imagine that it was one week ago we crossed into Canada!                                        

Tomorrow we travel on Destruction Bay Highway and cross the border back into the USA.

Aussie is doing great and enjoys sleeping in the backseat. He liked walking on the beach. After I took the pictures, he had the zoomies and really wanted to run around! BUT...

 

Day 17- May 26 Ft. Nelson to Watson Lake

 What an amazing day! 

Got on the road early at 7:00 am because it was going to be a busy day. Ed and I are adjusting to the time change (we are three hours behind Eastern Time) and at 10:00 pm it’s still light outside! We traveled into the Yukon Territory. 

Our first stop, after three hours of driving we stopped at Toad River for coffee and cinnamon rolls. In the river there was a large beaver lodge but we didn't see any beavers. 

I couldn’t believe how many animals we would see by the road along the way!

On the side of the road there were two cubs with their mama bear. They loved eating the dandelions by the road. They were so close to the truck and trailer it was almost hard to get pictures! We saw six more bears along the way.

                                   This one crossed the street and we had to stop.

Stone sheep were climbing (or trying to climb) up the rocks.  One of them kept sliding down.

                                       
                                     Bison and their babies were by the road too.

                                             

         

            

This one is tagged which means they are tracking it.

 There was a moose and Elk but I couldn’t get the pictures. But I got a picture of the    caribou licking the salt off the road.

Then we stopped at the Hot Springs. It was so relaxing, reminded us of our hot tub that we sold with our house.

We arrived at the Watson RV Park early enough to eat an early dinner, then walked across the street to the “SIGN FOREST”. It was unbelievable! I only took pictures of maybe 1/4^th of the area. 

There were signs from all over the world that people have hung on the trees. 

I read there are here are over 100,000 signs hanging in the Sign Forest.

Of course Cathy & Charlie and Ed & I hung our signs on a tree!

Getting closer to the Alaskan border!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 16- May 25th The Alaskan Highway, Dawson Creek to Ft. Nelson RV Park

          Driving on the Alaskan Highway highway mile marker 0 today after going to the visitor center.  

                                                     We have now traveled  4,300 miles.

                                                             

    
                                         

We arrived at the Ft. Nelson RV Park around 2:30 and were joined by another Alliance RV couple from Canada, Kevin and Nienke. We hope to see them later in our travels in Denali.

                                                      So we have triplets for a night. 

                                                               Ft. Nelson RV Park

ALSO_

The nicest thing happened to us while we were staying in the Walmart parking lot. A gentleman knocked on our door and gave us a "Canadian Rubber Duck" and one for Cathy & Charlie. He said that he has lived in Dawson Creek his whole life and wanted to welcome us to his country!

Tomorrow going to the Laird Springs and then to Watson Lake for the night.

Day 14- 15 A trip through the Rocky Mountains

                           Banff and the Ice Fields today and a stop at the Beaver Lodge

We had an early morning. Fueled the truck, picked up Mc Donald's breakfast for the road and drove to Banff National Park. The park cost $19 for two. For the next 6 hours we drove and enjoyed to most amazing sites! 

I kept taking pictures of the amazing Rocky Mountain Range which starts in Northern British Columbia, Canada then southward through the US and ends in Mexico. 

They were so beautiful that I made a video of them along with the Columbia Glacier pictures. The video is posted on the You Tube Channel (link on side bar- if you don't see it on your phone you will have to type the link).

The Columbia Ice Fields and glacier reminded me of the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. It is sad to see how quickly the glacier is melting. Cathy said she was surprised the difference from two years ago. Global warming!

                                                 Then we stopped at Beaverlodge for photos.  

                         Aussie is enjoying the trip especially when he gets to get out of the car for "photo ops"!