We are ready to leave the coast now, that tsunami warning was scary enough for one trip, but went and got another half crab so we can enjoy our Alaska King crab dinner while it is still warm. And it was very, very good!
So we are back on the road and heading north through Anchorage, a big city and not fun to drive through with a trailer. Really not a great part of Alaska but there was this amazing fireworks stand beside the road that we just had to stop at. Just in case you wondered where Batman parks his car when he’s not using it................The weather has turned grey and wet and covered all the mountain peaks in cloud so we missed seeing Mt McKinley. All the stores have lovely post cards with pictures of the mountain on them so we do know it is there, just didn’t get to see it ourselves.
We stay in the area for a couple of nights but the low clouds hover around and keep the mountains hidden. But a moose did come out to say hi.
The museum at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks had been recommended to us so we stop by for a look. Finally a bear for me to have my picture taken with! And of course, one for Joe too.
As we head south we go through North Pole, seems a fellow bought up the town in the 50’s and changed the name from Davis, trying to attract a toy manufacturer to set up shop in town. It didn’t work out so well, but all the light posts in town are red and white candy canes and the streets have themed names.
We continue to see wildlife along the road, moose being quite common, but were very surprised to have a lynx cross the highway in front of us. Too quickly for a picture but it was much larger than we thought one would be.
Most of my scenery pictures are taken through the truck windows, there are many miles to cover on this trip but occasionally Joe lets me out of the truck to take some pictures too! Just to let my sister know that not all my pictures are drive-by’s.
So now we are on the last run through Alaska and heading back to Canada. I found a really lovely quilt shop in Delta Junction, the Calico Cow. On to the Taylor highway and the border. In 2004 the Taylor fire burned over 1.3 million acres, the highway climbs and winds in and out of it for miles and miles. It is a rough, half gravel, half paved road that goes to Chicken and then on the border. We have read all the warnings of soft shoulders and are being very careful but the poor folks in the motorhome we came across stuck in the ditch were not so lucky. They had a long wait for the tow truck.
We spent the night in Chicken, a very historic spot in Alaska. In the morning we visited beautiful downtown Chicken with it’s three stores and bought the T-shirt you just have to have! In the summer the population is 23, not counting the RV’s, and in the winter it goes down to 6. The road is not kept open in the winter either so these are really hardy folks!
In the morning it is time for the driving challenge of the trip, up the Taylor Highway to the border and then over the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City. The Taylor is gravel, or dirt really, narrow, winding and has those famous soft shoulders or no shoulders at all. It is full of RV’s of all sizes and shapes. Our trip over wasn’t too bad but there were a few corners where we were glad we didn’t meet anyone. The road climbs to over 4000 feet and there you find the Canadian customs. Just past it in Yukon is a pull out with an amazing view, you really do feel like you are on top of the world!
The road improves right away for a fairly easy trip down to Dawson City. A short wait for the ferry and we are here! Check into our campground and it is nice to know we will not be moving for a few days!
Great to see Linzi and Randy. Off to see the Canada Day parade and dinner out at the Greek restaurant, the Drunken Goat
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