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From Whitehorse, it's an easy two hour drive, about 96 miles along the historic Alaska Highway, to Haines Junction. The highway community of Haines Junction is nestled at the base of the St. Elias Mountains and the junction for the Haines Highway south. So the scenery changed dramatically as the 7,000 to 9,000-ft. summits of the Kluane Mountain Range parallel the highway; also the St. Elias Mountain Range just to the west contains many of Canada’s highest peaks, including Mt. Logan at 19,550 ft. We were fortunate to be coming down the highway and experience our first Grizzly Bear sighting! It appeared to be young and was next to the road eating yellow flowers. As we slowed to observe I got out my Nikon D700 with a 80-200mm telephoto lens. Stopping, I parked and turned on my hazard flashers about 15 to 20 yards from the animal really expecting it would run off. Instead it acted as if I wasn't even there and continued its meal. From my driver's seat I captured a few images just over the hood of the truck. At this point I thought, what the heck, toot the truck horn and see what it does, hoping it would at least look up at the sound. Much to my surprise It never looked up and frankly appeared to care less about our presence. I rolled slowly by so Sean and Kathy could get their photos and we continued on keeping a sharp lookout for other wildlife. We were driving towards Kluane Lake located in the southwest area of the Yukon; it is the largest lake contained entirely within Yukon at approximately 158 square miles and 50 miles long and home to the infamous community of Destruction Bay. Our destination was Congdon Creek Campground at Mile 1071 on the Alaska Hwy near Destruction Bay; a very pretty campground for dry camping with some sites close to the lake. It is first come, first serve and big rig friendly. The tent area is enclosed inside an electric fence because of bear activity. Really?! There are pit toilets as well as free fire wood. There are some pull thru sites but not all are big rig friendly since they have a very sharp turn to them or have trees close to the site. We were fortunate to get two pull thru sites near one another. The campground is outside Destruction Bay which is a small community on the Alaska Highway (historical mile 1083) in Canada's Yukon on Kluane Lake. It is populated mostly by non-aboriginal residents; community residents provide Yukon government services in the area (school, highway maintenance), including nearby Burwash Landing, and some tourism-related businesses along the Alaska Highway. The name is derived from the wind blowing down structures erected by the military during highway construction in 1942–43. We camped here for one night on Friday, June 28th but we sure could have stayed longer. The setting here was stunning and peaceful; I enjoyed the quiet interrupted only by the lapping sound of the lake nearby. But we are now so close to the goal and getting a bit anxious about the next leg of the trip. From Destruction Bay to Tok, Alaska we heard reports that this would be the worst part of the highway. With another day without cell coverage or internet, it adds to the uncertainty of our situation. Questions like; How fast can we safely drive? How long will it take? Is there road repair happening on Saturday? Ultimately, it doesn't matter because we didn't come this far to turn back around now. Our intended plan is to get to the US Border crossing and into Alaska on Saturday, June 30. This is a journey of 232 miles and over four plus hours of driving. Yeah, but tomorrow we will be sleeping in Alaska!

Journeying to Whitehorse in the Yukon from Watson Lake would take us through known caribou country, over black spruce tree covered hills, valleys, lakes and sharp curves. Eventually we crossed the Continental Divide at 699.4 miles from the start of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek. We are now over halfway to the end of the Alcan in Delta Junction, Alaska with 687.6 miles still to go. As you are standing on the continental divide – the ridge line that separates two of the largest river drainages in North America-the Alaska Highway crosses the divide at one of the lowest points. Only humps of sand and gravel separate the west-flowing Swift River from the east-flowing Rancheria River. Drop a leaf into the Rancheria River to the east and it would float to the Liard River near Watson Lake, continue to the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories and eventually reach the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean); a long journey of 2,650 miles for our waterlogged leaf. Drop a leaf into the Swift River to the west and the current would take it to Teslin Lake and the Teslin River. The Teslin flows northwest to the Yukon River which cuts across northern Alaska en-route to the Bering Sea (Pacific Ocean); a journey of 2,300 miles. We cross back over the border with British Columbia at Swift River then back into the Yukon near Lake Morley.  The road conditions are favorable with some 6 to 7 percent grades to deal with while pulling a 13,000 pound fifth wheel. Again, thank goodness for the exhaust braking and the turbo charged features of the one ton RAM 3500 diesel truck. We have enough control to brake and accelerate whenever necessary to keep us safe. We drive over the Nisutlin Bay Bridge-the second longest water span on the Alaska Highway at 1,917 feet in length- before we pass through the town of Teslin at Historic Milepost 804, population 239. We are at 2,239 feet in elevation and only 111 miles from Whitehorse. We stop to fuel up in Johnson's Crossing, population 10, and continue by Marsh Lake, our original campsite location, until we considered Caribou RV Park instead which is 14 miles south of Whitehorse. Caribou RV Park was highly rated, but in truth it was over-rated in our opinion; tight sites, close together with water and electric at $64 Canadian ($46 US). I guess the advertising worked, but too late to change our minds at this point in the trip, so we paid for the one night only. We drove into Whitehorse to get some information and have dinner. I was shocked at the amount of graffiti on the buildings in town; just didn't expect to see that kind of urban blight in a region associated with all the natural beauty. The Visitor's Centre was a good first stop. We got plenty of good information and some local recommendations for places to eat. We left the truck in their parking lot and walked up the Yukon river to the SS Klondike. SS Klondike is the name of two stern-wheelers, the second now a National Historic Site located in Whitehorse, Yukon. They ran freight between Whitehorse and Dawson City, along the Yukon River, the first from 1929 to 1936 and the second, an almost exact replica of the first, from 1937 to 1950. Klondike I was built by the British Yukon Navigation Company (a subsidiary of the White Pass and Yukon Route railway company) in 1929 and had the distinction of having 50% more capacity than a regular stern-wheeler, while still having the shallow draft and meeting the size requirements in order to travel down the Yukon River. Klondike I had a cargo capacity of 270 metric tons without having to push a barge. In June 1936, Klondike I ran aground north of The Thirty Mile section of the Yukon River (at 61°40′17″N 134°52′22″W). The company salvaged the ship's boiler, engines, and many fittings to build Klondike II the following year. The remains of the hull of the Klondike I can still be seen at low water by canoeists on the Yukon River. Klondike II carried freight until the early 1950s. Due to the construction of a highway connecting Dawson City and Whitehorse, many Yukon River stern-wheelers were decommissioned. In an attempt to save Klondike II, she was converted into a cruise ship by White Pass and Yukon Route. The Duke of Edinburgh (consort of Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada) was invited to tour the ship in 1954, being taken on a short trip down the Yukon River and back to Whitehorse during his day-long visit to the city. The cruise venture shut down in 1955 due to lack of interest and Klondike II was left in the Whitehorse shipyards. The ship was donated to Parks Canada and was gradually restored until 1966, when city authorities agreed to move the ship to its present location, at that time part of a squatters' area. The task required three bulldozers, eight tons of Palmolive soap, a crew of twelve men, and three weeks to complete. Greased log rollers eased the process. On 24 June 1967, the SS Klondike was designated a National Historic Site of Canada and she is now open during the summer as a tourist attraction; except this summer, because S.S. Klondike is undergoing extensive restoration and lead removal work. This is a long-term project. During this time, the boat is not be accessible to visitors. We found our first totem while walking through the Friendship Peace Park along the river-walk in Whitehorse from the SS Klondike. This Friendship Totem Pole was created by Stan Peters in 1973. It is located in Rotary Peace Park near the Yukon River. This totem pole was made to encourage unity and friendship among all Yukoners. As in any art, there is symbolism in everything you see. Starting from the top of the pole: The Thunderbird with outstretched wings represents power and protection. He controls rain and ensures vegetation growth. Prominent in Indigenous legends, the thunderbird is depicted as strong enough to pull a killer whale out of the water with his talons. Only the most powerful and successful chiefs and families use the thunderbird in their crest. The Wolf holding “Skookum Jim” Mason, represents one of the major Indian clans. Mason is one of the men credited with finding the first gold nuggets in the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. The Crow, represents the second major Indian clan. The Beaver symbolizes economy and trade, especially the fur trade. The Bear symbolizes motherhood and is the protector of the animal kingdom. With its great power and human-like qualities, the bear is known as the Elder Kinsman. The bear also symbolizes strength, by supporting everyone above him on the totem pole. The Colors are also symbolic: Black represents the charcoal of campfires. Red symbolizes mother earth and white represents the rapids that existed on the Yukon River. We finished our day trip to Whitehorse with dinner at the Cooper's/Dirty Northern, a cozy neighborhood pub serving creative comfort fare, craft beer & cocktails in laid-back surroundings. Between the 4 of us, we ordered some pizza creations, bison burger with salad and a chicken burger with fries to satisfy our appetites after a long travel day and self-guided tour of the town. Back to the Caribou RV Park to get some sleep and prepare for the next leg of the journey.

In preparation for leaving Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park heading to Watson Lake in the Yukon we filled our trucks with diesel fuel before the fueling station closed. At $2.20 Canadian per liter it feels like we are paying California fuel prices! That’s about $6.11 per gallon after the conversion, but fuel locations can be some distance apart so regardless of the price at the pump we fill up whenever possible. We make it a practice of looking for fuel as soon as we are at half a tank and it has worked out well. Wednesday, June 26, 2024, is the sixteenth day on our journey north from the lower forty-eight. We’re always on the lookout for any wildlife along our route and today we got some long expected satisfaction. Eighty miles into the trip on the ALCAN we spotted a black bear on the right side of the highway. Our excitement was tempered by the realization that he or she was ...pooping. Not a Kodak moment, exactly, but it was a bear sighting! Another black bear eating grass came later, but the real treat was near the Historic Mile 596 and the Hyland River when we observed in the distance a mama black bear with two cubs eating grass on the south side of the road. This time we slowed and pulled over hoping she wouldn't run off into the trees with the cubs, We rolled by, stopped up the road and got some photographs from a safe distance. We felt very fortunate to catch this amazing treat that many Alaska Highway travelers get to see along the route. This is beginning to feel like a window into a Jack London novel. Unique wildlife sightings and incredible scenic landscape vistas are becoming a daily occurence. What will we see around the next turn? Wednesday, June 26, 2024 we left British Columbia and crossed into the Yukon Territory at 60ºN Latitude making an important stop to get take this photo for the blog. This first sign, "Welcome to Yukon" is uniquely covered with stickers and autographs of many travelers to the territory. This would be the first of many dips in and out across the BC and Yukon border as we travel generally west. When we arrive at Historic Milepost 635, "Gateway to the Yukon" we are 330 miles northwest of Fort Nelson and 275 miles southeast of Whitehorse in Watson Lake, Yukon. Originally known as Fish Lake, Watson Lake was renamed for Frank Watson, who settled here in 1898 with his wife Adela Stone, of Kaska First Nation heritage. Watson, who was born in Tahoe City, California, had come north looking for gold. Watson Lake was an important point during the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. The airport, built in 1941, was one of the major refueling stops along the Northwest Staging Route, the system of airfields through Canada to ferry supplies to Alaska and later lend-lease aircraft to Russia. Today Watson Lake is best known for its "World Famous" Sign Post Forest started by Carl K. Lindley of Danville, Il., a U.S. Army soldier in Company D, 341st Engineers, working on the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. Travelers are encouraged to add a sign to the collection and they now number more than 100,000! Sean, Kathy, Karen and I added a contribution to the forest, hopefully a lasting memorial to this trip of a lifetime. All the spaces at eye level or below were taken years ago, so we needed a ladder to mount ours. It is secured with two wood screws to a 6x6 post near the southeast edge of the forest now totaling at least 100,002 signs. After our signs were mounted we visited the nearby Visitor's Center to get more brochures, maps and the local information. Later it was on to the Baby Nugget RV Park to stay the night in their "Dry Camping" lot. We fueled up once again the next morning and got back on the road with the expectation of reaching Caribou RV Park south of Whitehorse, Yukon. This leg of the journey would be a four plus hour drive and put us 246 miles closer to Alaska.

Leaving Fort Nelson, British Columbia northbound we decided to drive all the way to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Campground. The highway veers to the west and winds through the Northern Canadian Rockies for the next 200 miles. It is a densely forested region and there are many scenic vistas where rivers meander through the wilderness only to disappear in the haze of the horizon hundreds of miles away. About 22 miles outside of Fort Nelson, near the Steamboat Creek bridge, we spotted our second Black Bear. Our last bear sighting was outside of Jasper. BC on the Icefields Parkway. We are on high alert for wildlife on this leg of the ALCAN. The Milepost book and highway signage has numerous warnings for moose, bear, caribou and Stone sheep. As we reach mile marker 357 we reach the Tetsa River Services and Campground. Advertised as a “must stop” on your Alaska Highway vacation and known for their world-famous cinnamon buns (said by thousands to be the best they ever had); well….they were closed! Bummer. We continued onward, disappointed after looking forward to “the best cinnamon rolls in the galaxy”, I’m now eating a granola bar as we drive. Crossing the Tetsa River bridge with a clearance of 17 feet over a metal grating roadbed, we near the Stone Mountain Provincial Park. Just past Muncho Lake Provincial Park we watch for caribou and Stone sheep. Stone sheep are frequently spotted in this area. They are indigenous to the mountains of northern British Columbia and southern Yukon. Darker and somewhat slighter than the bighorn sheep found in the Rocky Mountains, they are often mistaken for mountain goats, which are not found in this area. We spotted some on the cliff side as we drove by Muncho Lake; there were 5 sheep in a group walking on the rocks just to the right side of the road. Just prior to arriving at the Liard River Hot Springs Campground we observed a juvenile caribou. Not an attractive specimen and rather awkward looking. At historic milepost 496 we turned into the park and found it was full for the night. Our option was the overflow parking lot across the highway, which we gladly took for $26 dollars Canadian ($19 USD). After checking in we set up next to one another and decided to do a recon of the provincial park campground and hot springs facilities. Personally I was glad to be in the overflow parking area after looking at some of the campsites in the park because we had more room. The park is completely surrounded by an electrified fence to keep out the bears in the neighborhood and the main gate is locked from 10 PM until 6 AM. From the campground, we walked along the boardwalk out to the hot springs. Liard River Hot Springs has long been a favorite stop for travelers on the ALCAN. We got set up and took a walk to check out the facilities. From Aboriginal Peoples to fur traders to gold prospectors, people have been attracted to the hot springs for a long time. The American Army built the first boardwalk and pool facility in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway. We walked back to our RV’s and decided to make an Earley dinner (Sean and Kathy’s last name, not a mis-spelling!) and come back later to soak in the hot springs after the afternoon crowd left. We built a campfire and the Earley’s prepared their classic camping culinary specialty of “Chili Mac” on the open fire in a dutch oven. It was worth the wait and I personally enjoyed two helpings. We even had enough to invite our RV neighbors Bob and Virginia from Oregon over for dinner. The smell must have attracted a neighboring black bear who wandered by across the creek just ten yards behind our camp. We all got a good look at it just walking by and never stopping…thankfully. After dinner it was off to the hot springs to enjoy the warm water of the this natural wonder. This hot spring is the second largest known thermal spring complex in Canada, with at least six springs feeding into different pools and streams that drain into the marsh. The resulting wetlands or swamps, instead of a creek or stream, doesn’t even freeze during the winter. Temperature of the water ranges between 36ºC (98ºF) at the Alpha Pool down to 12ºC (54ºF) along the boardwalk over the swamp. It felt quite warm when you first entered the main pool but cooled as you moved through the pool. There are concrete benches in the middle of the pool to sit on and benches along the pool by the stairs from the deck. It is a beautiful facility with washrooms and changing rooms available, benches around the deck area, storage bins for your dry clothing and towels. We soaked about an hour enjoying the quiet pool environment and taking in the total hot spring experience. What a wonderful place to stop and take in and rest to recharge before getting back on the road.

We departed Dawson Creek at 8:30 AM on a sunny Sunday morning and began the first day of our trek up the ALCAN highway. The weather forecasted for this travel day was predicting rain, sometimes heavy at times, so we anticipated getting wet along the route. After stopping for fuel about two hours into this leg of the trip we thought it wise to continue on to Fort Nelson, British Columbia instead of staying at our original intended campsite at the Sikanni River Campground & RV Park at Mile 162 Alaska Hwy, Pink Mountain, BC. This campsite was located at the bottom of a steep highway grade and was just past a bridge re-construction site. Besides the pouring rain, I'm sure we would have had to endure the sound of truck exhaust brakes the entire time we stayed there. This would work out to be another long travel day of about five hours long. We had our eye out for wildlife along this route, but alas we only saw a dead female moose on the side of the road. It was the size of a dairy cow and would do some serious damage to our truck. Hense, we keep our heads on a swivel as we are traveling. We arrived in Fort Nelson at 2 PM and decided to stay two nights at the Triple “G” Hideaway RV Park & Campground at Mile 300 on the famous Alaska (Alcan) Highway, in Fort Nelson, British Columbia. Fort Nelson, named in honor of the British naval hero Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, was established by the North West Trading Company in 1805 as a fur-trading post and is the gateway to the Northern Rocky Mountains and the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. Life in Fort Nelson began to change drastically in 1941 and 1942 mainly as a result of World War II. The Northwest Air Staging Route established an airport in 1941. The population of Fort Nelson increased substantially in 1942 with the arrival of US Army troops to begin construction of the Alcan Highway, now called the Alaska Highway. With so many people working on the highway, it only took 9 months to survey and build the 1500 mile stretch of road. During the construction of the Alaska Highway it became a larger settlement due to the influx of people. Today Fort Nelson's economy is diversified into oil and gas, forestry and tourism. Since 1942 Fort Nelson's history is a history of modern experiences. The economy has expanded to include more than just fur trapping. It now includes guide outfitting, the forest industry, oil and gas industry, farming, transportation and tourism. According to Wikipedia, contrary to popular belief that the construction of the Alaska Highway commenced in Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson was the original Mile 0 on the Alaska Highway because of the existence of a previously constructed road from Fort St. John to Fort Nelson. The United States Army built perhaps the most notable historical artifact in the area, the Alaska Highway. Construction began in 1942 out of a firm belief that Alaska faced a significant threat of Japanese invasion. Initial highway construction was performed by over 11,000 U.S. soldiers. After approximately nine months, the highway was finally completed, making Fort Nelson a bustling service-centre along the road. After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the U.S. Army ceded the Canadian portion of the highway to the Canadian government, which it made accessible to the public in 1948. A little competitive controversy between two Canadian cities, I suppose. After we got set up in the rain, we relaxed before an early dinner at the Triple "G" Saloon and restaurant. In addition to their normal dinner menu, tonight they were offering an extensive buffet. After looking at the selection of items offered we chose to go with the buffet. Joe and Debbie, a couple from Minnesota we met while in Dawson Creek, joined Sean, Kathy, Karen and I for dinner. We later all got together for a card game of 4up, 4down in our rig and had a great time of it. Lots of ribbing and laughter to close a great day of travel. Monday will be a day of rest. Many of the rigs we observed on the road yesterday are pulling out early. The exodus of RV's, all shapes and sizes, is almost continuous during the morning hours. Joe and Debbie are already on the road again but we will stay another day to relax. By the early afternoon I imagine the pattern will repeat again with another massive arrival of RV's, of all shapes and sizes. This must be the summer life rhythm of the RV campgrounds on the ALCAN. I got up early to enjoy a restaurant breakfast of 2 eggs, bacon, potatoes, rye toast and coffee while Karen is sleeping in. We need to get some more diesel fuel for the truck before tomorrow, so a trip into town is on the agenda. Sean and I might play disc golf later if the weather clears up. Other than these few chores, we chill until tomorrow. Tuesday, June 25 we plan on a drive and stay at Muncho Lake Provincial Park, Strawberry Flats campground at Mile 438 Alaska Hwy, Muncho Lake, BC. For the next few days our internet and cell coverage will be spotty at best, so it may be a while before you see any new postings on the blog. Stay tuned!

On the longest day of the year, Friday June 21, 2024 at 1:30 PM we arrived at the Northern Lights RV Park & Cabins in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. It took four hours and 23 minutes to drive the 242 miles from Prince George. We have created a new metric for our traveling schedule that we are using to determine our length of stay as we travel to Alaska. One hundred miles traveled in one day equals one overnight stay. Two hundred miles traveled in one day equals two nights, and 300 miles traveled in one day equals a 3 night stay. Based on this new metric we are staying in Dawson Creek for two nights. We arrived early enough to set up before we all (Sean, Kathy, Karen and I) headed into town to play some disc golf. After that long ride in our vehicles we like to get some walking in and the disc golf course is a great way to get some exercise and have some fun. Saturday, June 22 we visited the Visitor's Centre and picked up some additional ALCAN traveling resources. We learned that the Dawson Creek Visitor's Centre had a brochure available listing every campground, fuel station, and other important resources for the entire ALCAN route free of charge...all summarized on a single sheet of paper. This single resource was used by many of the YouTubers we watched during our research for this trip. From there we walked to the farmers market in the parking lot and took our required travel photograph with the gateway sign. Ironically, the actual starting milepost is in the middle of their downtown intersection. This is now the official starting point of the Alaska Canada Highway. The Alaska Highway was the engineering marvel of World War II and was once described as the largest and most difficult construction project since the Panama Canal. The highway is often referred to as the Alcan Highway, which came from shortening “Alaska and Canada Highway.” The Alcan Highway is the 1382 mile road that connects Dawson Creek, BC in Canada to Delta Junction, Alaska. It is a mostly paved or chip sealed highway, which is open year round and passes through the rugged northern landscape of British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. This sign, between the old railroad station which is now Visitor's Centre and the Alberta Pool Elevators building, was very helpful in educating us about the ALCAN but also the origins of Dawson Creek itself. This is just the beginning of a fascinating journey up this historic highway. Sunday, June 23 we hope to leave Dawson Creek at 9 AM and officially begin our trek up the ALCAN to our first scheduled stop: Sikanni River Campground & RV Park at Mile 162 of the Alaska Hwy in Pink Mountain, BC. We might stay the night, but some of the reviews on our RV Life Trip Wizard don't sound very impressive. Leaving by 9am gives us more options on how far we travel on any given day. With first light tomorrow at 2:36 AM and sunrise at 4:00 AM, it's easy to get an early start. We will have 18 hours and 26 minutes of daylight at this latitude (55º45.93' N 120º17.38') and the days will only get longer as we travel farther to the north. We are heading to Fairbanks, Alaska (64º50.1' N 147º 46.52') which is our furthest destination to the north. Today in Fairbanks the sunset is at 12:49 AM, and no, that not a mistake! Sunrise is at 2:59 AM, which is a total of 21 hours and 49 minutes of daylight. It will be very interesting to see the midnight sun in person!

Our journey continued up the Trans-Canada Highway on Tuesday, June 18th to just outside and south of Jasper, Alberta. The route took us up the Icefield Parkway to the Columbia Icefield RV Campground in Jasper National Park. This is a large asphalt parking lot located on the west end of the Icefields Visitors Centre. There are 100 sites lined out on the asphalt. Unfortunately the entire parking lot is not level and gently slants towards the highway. It’s not intended for long-term use but does make for a nice rest stop or an overnight stay. If your RV is over 10ms (30ft) this site is the only option if you plan on exploring this area. There is no water, services or firepits here but there are pit toilets. The Icefields Visitor Centre RV site has some of the nicest views you can find in the Canadian Rockies. Mount Athabasca, Mount Andromeda, Snow Dome, Mount Kitchener, Mount Wilcox and the Athabasca Glacier are all located near here. This area is absolutely beautiful but it was crowded with visitors and tour buses. We had hoped to spend the day here exploring the glacier but opted to just stop to refresh and take some photos then keep on truckin'. Before getting to Jasper, we stopped after 209 miles and 3 plus hours of driving at the Wapiti Campground to spend the night. We were hooking up the next morning as a herd of elk grazed in the field across from our site. These handsome deer are known by many names. “Wapiti” is one. Wapi means “white” in some native Algonquian languages like the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti, which refers to the deer's large white rump patch. On Thursday morning we turned west on Highway 16 along the Miette River and traveled past the west entrance to Jasper National Park towards the border with British Columbia. We stopped for fuel at the majestic Mount Robson Rest Area just past Moose Lake. The Mount Robson mountains looked like something out of the Swiss Alps. Our intended stop for the day was Pruden Lake Provincial Park, about three and a half hours from Wapiti but upon our arrival we discovered the campsites were a little too tight for our RV's. We opted to continue on to the Costco in Prince George, British Columbia about 45 minutes away to consider other options available. While driving, I suggested to Karen she go to the Harvest Host website as soon as we had a cell signal and see if there were any in Prince George. She found two, but only one had three sites that would fit our size RV's. John and Arlene have a Harvest Host called Edgar's Haven just outside Prince George on our route to Dawson Creek so we requested a two night stay when we made contact with them using the website. They got back to us via email and confirmed two spots available for the two nights we wanted to stay. In addition, they had water and electrical connections for us to use. The price was a very unbelieveable $14 a night! This leg of the trip was over four hours long and 244 miles when we finally stopped. The two night stay from June 19th to June 21st gave us time to rest up from that long travel day. Karen was able to get in a swimming session. Both trucks got fueled up with diesel and DEF, and Sean got the oil change he was hoping to get done. I got the tires on the truck re-torqued, made a couple of additional grocery trips and made an obligatory Dairy Queen run, of course. We departed Edgar's Haven on June 21 at 9AM with the goal of reaching Dawson Creek, British Columbia in the early afternoon. Dawson Creek is the official beginning of the Alaskan Canadian Highway, otherwise known as the ALCAN.

Our travels have taken us through Calgary, Alberta on towards Banff National Park. The plan is to drive through Banff and Jasper National Parks up the Trans Canada Highway to the Icefields Parkway and on to Jasper, Alberta. We decided to spend two nights at the Bow Valley Provincial Park; Bow Valley Campground is about 30 km east of Canmore, just north of Hwy. 1 and off Hwy. 1X. We arrived on Sunday afternoon, June 16th and registered for a first come, first serve pull-thru site with 15 amp electric service. It is situated along the Bow River with spectacular views of the valley and surrounding Canadian Rockies. Interpretive programs, concession, a playground and showers were available for our use. The local weather was very unusual for June. We weren't surprised by the rain but the temperatures got down to near freezing. Fortunately for us, the 15 amp service was enough to run our electric space heater in the bedroom at night. That, along with our propane furnace, provided all the heat we needed for the unseasonable chilly conditions. Day two, Monday morning, we journeyed up to the tourist city of Banff to check out this world recognized sightseeing venue. As we exited the highway for Banff we were greeted by a herd of elk grazing the grass-covered landing strip of the Banff airport. We meandered through town ultimately stopping by Starbuck's for coffee and a snack, then on to the Visitor's Centre to get some information about the area. We decided to drive up to Lake Minnewanka after walking the main thoroughfare of Banff. The city is typically jammed with tourists during the summer, but we were visiting about a week before the end of the school year, so we missed the crowds and had almost empty streets. Lake Minnewanka means "Water of the Spirits" in Nakoda and is a glacial lake in the eastern area of Banff National Park in Canada, about five kilometres (3.1 miles) northeast of the Banff townsite. The lake is 21 km (13 mi) long and 142 m (466 ft) deep, making it the 2nd longest lake in the mountain parks of the Canadian Rockies (the result of a power dam at the west end). From Minnewanka we drove a short distance to hike around nearby smaller Johnson Lake. It was great to get out and continue our exercise and enjoy the stunning beauty of the Canadian Rockies. This is a 1.8-mile loop trail near Banff, Alberta. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 42 min to complete. We stopped periodically so it took us over an hour. It's advertised as a very popular area for hiking, snowshoeing, and running. We encountered a few other people while exploring but it was very quiet and serene. We all worked up an appetite so we got back in the truck and journeyed east back towards Canmore for a late lunch/early dinner at a local brew pub. I liked Canmore better than Banff because it was located right up against and below the incredible mountains. We sat outside at the Grizzly Paw Brewing Company and enjoyed our meals before the rain ultimately arrived to shorten our day. I had the Beef Bulgogi Burger, made with shaved marinated beef, Kimchi aioli, mustard slaw, lettuce on a brioche bun. It was unique and tastier then a traditional burger and fries. Karen had the Roasted Broccoli Bowl; it was a very generous portion and I even had to try some. Once we finished our meal we got back to our campsite and hunkered down for the expected cold evening. Little did we know we would get snow! Yes, snow and I mean huge wet snowflakes falling for hours! We couldn't believe our eyes as our surroundings were covered with white. On June 17th, just 3 days from the Summer Solstice event, we are snowed on. .

Our trip to the Dinosaur Provincial Park got us thinking about a change in our original route to Calgary. Not far to the north from our Brooks, Alberta campground is the Royal Tyrrell Museum, about an hour and a half away. So on Friday, June 14th we checked out of Tillebrook Provincial Park and drove 88 miles to the Hoodoo RV Resort and Campground in Rosedale, Alberta close to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. Our campsite was in the unserviced area and allowed us to park with our RV doors facing each other's rigs. On that Friday afternoon we drove into Drumheller to get some supplies. I stopped by the Canadian Tire Company store and got a great quote on some tires for the truck. We've been thinking it is about time to replace our Cooper tires with 45,000 mile on them before driving into Alaska. The tire price on sale was less than I paid two years ago so we made an appointment for noon on Saturday to bring the truck back for the installation. We returned to the campground and I got busy cleaning the front of the fifth wheel. It was covered with dead bugs from the trip north and I wanted to try this new cleaner with wax I purchased. We enjoyed a "happy hour" before our gourmet dinner provided by Sean and Kathy. Sean built this contraption that turns the campfire ring into a pizza oven! They made two delicous pepperoni, sausage, ham and cheese pizzas over the campfire. Later, after dinner we sat around the fire and made s'mores with Reese's peanut butter cups. Late Saturday morning we both drove into town. Karen and I dropped off the truck and we got into Sean and Kathy's truck and headed for the museum outside of Drumheller. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (RTMP) is a palaeontology museum and research facility in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada. The museum was named in honour of Joseph Burr Tyrrell, a Canadian geologist, cartographer, mining consultant and historian. He discovered dinosaur (Albertosaurus sarcophagus) bones in Alberta's Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884. During the late 1970s, the government of Alberta began to consider building within, or adjacent to, Dinosaur Provincial Park. In 1981, the provincial government formally announced plans to build a palaeontology museum. However, the museum was built in Midland Provincial Park near Drumheller, as opposed to Dinosaur Provincial Park. The museum's personal collection includes over 160,000 cataloged fossils, consisting of over 350 holotypes, providing the museum with the largest collection of fossils in Canada. The museum displays approximately 800 fossils from its collection in its museum exhibits. In addition to exhibits, the museum's fossil collection is also used by the museum's research program, which carries a mandate to document and analyze geological and palaeontological history. The museum was extensive and the exhibits simply amazing. Many of the reconstructed creatures were made from fossil castings of the original animals, but some exhibits were of the original fossil remains recovered. Some of the museum exhibits were from the very Dinosaur Provincial Park we visited days earlier. The building was not only designed to function as a museum, but as a laboratory/research facility. The original structure was completed in 1985 and has been expanded twice. According to Wikipedia, the museum building now encompasses 135,000 square feet. This is a fascinating museum to visit and we were all glad we made the decision to modify our plans to see this wonderful natural history site.

Thursday, June 13 we ventured up to see the Dinosaur Provincial Park in the Alberta Badlands. This park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated within a two hour drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometers (30 mi), about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks where we are staying. The park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979. We started in the Visitor's Centre (note the Canadian spelling) to get our bearings. The park employee recommended we drive the 3K scenic loop past the campgrounds. We also purchased tickets for the 2 PM Explorer Bus Tour into the restricted "Paleo" zone of the park. During our drive through the scenic loop we stopped periodically to walk the trails and examine the display structures protecting the excavation sites preserved for the visitors. It was really fascinating to see the fossil remains still in the rock and the extent and care that the researchers use to recover them. According to the park information displays, the geologic sediments exposed in the badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park were laid down over a period of about 1.5 million years during the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch, and belong to three different geologic formations. The top of the terrestrial Oldman Formation, which outcrops at the base of the sequence, is the oldest. It is overlain by a complete section of the terrestrial Dinosaur Park Formation, which is in turn overlain by the base of the marine Bearpaw Formation. The Dinosaur Park Formation, which contains most of the articulated dinosaur skeletons, was laid down between about 76.5 and 74.8 million years ago. It was deposited in floodplain and coastal plain environments by river systems that flowed eastward and southeastward to the Western Interior Seaway. After a brief break for something to eat we walked back up to the Visitor's Centre to meet our tour group for the bus. Our tour guide and driver Griffin told us we we about to travel back in time as we entered the restricted preserve area, She talked about the historical, cultural and scientific value of the park. One of the highlights of the tour was the story about the Corythosaurus exhibit on the tour. The first specimen was discovered in 1911 by Barnum Brown in Red Deer River of Alberta and secured by him in the Fall of 1912. As well as an almost complete skeleton, the find was notable because impressions of much of the creature's skin had also survived. This Corythosaurus is among the finest dinosaur specimens ever found. The preservation of fossilized skin impressions and a meshwork of calcified tendons that stiffened the tall vertebrae make it a rare find. Corythosaurus is a member of the group of duck-billed dinosaurs called hadrosaurs, which walked and ran on their two hind legs. The species’ strange skull is capped by a crescent-shaped helmet that contains extended tubes, which formed elaborate nasal passages. Its name is derived from the Greek word κόρυς, meaning "helmet", named and described in 1914 by Barnum Brown. This specimen found on the preserve site was left in the rock and examined near where it was found to prevent damaging the fossil remains in transportation. An exhibit was built around the remains so visitors can walk up to and see up close this creature from the past. From our campsite at Tillebrook Provincial Park we plan on traveling north near the town of Drumheller, Alberta to visit the Royal Tyrrell Museum where many of these fossil remains are assembled and on display.

We arrived in Plentywood, Montana on Sunday at our overnight location at the Bolster Dam Campground. Both couples needed to get laundry done, so we took some time in town to get that completed. And fortunately there was a Dairy Queen across the street : ) Later, when we got back to the campsites, Sean presented me with a wood carving he had been working on for a couple of months. He told me that as he was working on it, over time, he came to the realization it was starting to look a lot like "yours truly". It wasn't planned that way, he said it just happened to come out of the wood and he wanted me to have it. What a cool and wonderful gift! What do you think? At 9 AM in the morning on Monday, June 10, 2024, it was raining heavily as we prepared to leave for Canada. We're prepared for the crossing and hoping we've got all our "ducks in a row" regarding what we can and cannot bring over the border, (Aa). No firearms, no mace or pepper spray, no marijuana (yeah, right), and no root vegetables (potatoes, onions, etc). All the food in the refrigerator is grocery store purchased and original wrapping, no more than 2 bottles of wine, 2 bottle of hard liquor and no more than $10,000 in cash. The night before we found out that there might be a snag in the plan. Canadian border agents were in contract negotiations and according to press reports, they might slow down the entrance process at the border if they didn't get a new agreement by Wednesday, June 12. So the plan was to not to wait any longer and make the attempt to get over that Monday morning...in the rain. On our way out of town I missed the turn onto Highway 16 towards Canada. It was only 15 miles to the border, but the road we were on, Montana Highway 5, was a good two-lane road with almost no traffic further west into Montana so we continued until we reached Montana Highway 13 to turn north. This indeed worked out great because we showed up at 10AM at this rather remote border crossing station with no traffic and a very friendly Canadian border agent. The fit into the border station for the truck and RV was narrow and tight but we got in without any issues. He asked his questions, I answered his questions and in five minutes we pulled through the facility back into the rain. Sean and Kathy were right behind us and made it through with flying colors. This was expected to be a longer driving day, about three and a half hours to Notukeu Regional Park in Ponteix, Saskatchewan. When we arrived in Ponteix we decided to stop to get some Canadian currency and check-in with the Town Hall on Main Street. This sleepy little town and its camping facilities were suspect, so I thought we should check out the camping venue before making any commitment. It turned out the sites were on a large grassy field and the rain had made it dicey terrain to park our RV. Not to mention the park was right next to the railroad tracks; oh my! So we wisely opted to pass and continue driving. We tanked up with more diesel and DEF before getting back to the road. Our next campground on the scheduled route was two and a half hours farther to the west and we pressed on. It was after 4 PM when we finally arrived at the Eagle Valley Campground near Maple Creek, Saskatchewan off the Trans-Canadian Highway 1. This was a long, long travel day, over six plus hours of driving (not a do over). We unhooked, made camp and drove into Maple Creek to eat dinner. This would be a two night stop over to make up for the extended time to travel. We planned to rest up and recharge our minds and bodies before continuing. It was a good reminder for me to factor in that long day in the saddle. This journey is meant to be leisurely and we still need to find the right sweet spot traveling to Alaska with another couple and their rig in a convoy. Sean and I think two & a half to three & a half hours driving is ideal. Arriving at two in the afternoon is best, so that's the goal for now. We still have four hours to Calgary, Alberta. To give you some perspective, Calgary, Alberta to Fairbanks, Alaska is still over 2000 miles away! We're hoping to make Fairbanks by the fourth of July, so we're looking at 24 days to travel that distance. About 84 miles per day at 50 MPH average speed means about one and three-quarters of an hour driving time daily. This is a very doable schedule that even allows us periodic two day stays along the route. Tuesday, June 11 we took a quick trip to Cypress Hills Provincial Park to play disc golf. This was Karen and my first attempt at disc golf. Sean plays often, Kathy plays occasionally so we had an instructor, a cheerleader and a variety of different disc options. We played 18 holes in a forest of Lodge Pole Pines under a zip-line in the trees. We all played the short and challenging course together and had fun. We celebrated completing our first disc golf event with soft serve ice cream before returning to Maple Creek. Tomorrow we have a short two hour plus drive to Tillebrook Provincial Park just east of Brooks, Alberta. The plan is to stay two days and visit the Dinosaur Provincial Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated a two hour drive east of Calgary, Alberta, Canada; or 48 kilometers (30 mi), about a half-hour drive northeast of Brooks. The Dinosaur Park is situated in the Red Deer River valley, which is noted for its striking badland topography, and abundance of dinosaur fossils. The park is well known for being one of the richest dinosaur fossil locales in the world. Fifty-eight dinosaur species have been discovered at the park and more than 500 specimens have been removed and exhibited in museums around the globe. The renowned fossil assemblage of nearly 500 species of life, from microscopic fern spores to large carnivorous dinosaurs, justified its becoming a World Heritage Site in 1979.

The North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a bit off the beaten path alongside North Dakota Highway 85. Its ruggedness and beauty, and the solitude you'll find in this less-visited unit of the park are well worth the 50 mile drive from Interstate 94. The views of the badlands and the Little Missouri River are spectacular, the Caprock Coulee Trail is tons of fun to hike, and this unit tends to be a bit less crowded than the South Unit. The Juniper Campground is 5 miles from Hwy 85 and is the only campground in the park's North Unit. All sites are open to tent camping and most can also be used by vehicles/RVs (no hookups). All regular sites are first come, first served. We drove to the end of the North Unit scenic drive at Oxbow Overlook and saw a large herd of bison on the way up the road. Karen got some great shots with her iPhone as we drove the scenic road. The overlook has a sweeping view of the Little Missouri River as it bends and meanders down the wide valley below. All along the banks of the river Cottonwood trees border the shoreline. The color contrasts of the vegetation and soil layers is on full display here. It was such a beautiful, quiet, serene place. I highly recommend driving all the way to the end of the road if you ever visit. It was well worth it! Our two campsites were located adjacent to the Little Missouri River running through the National Park. The weather for our two days in the park was ideal and the sunsets majestic. Honestly I couldn't decide which unit was my favorite. I'm glad we made a point to visit them both. As were leaving the North Unit on Sunday morning, June 9th, Karen got one last farewell photo opportunity out the passenger side truck window at the main gate. There, in all his glory, was a solitary bison to wish us a fond goodbye. A fitting end to our four days with this symbol of the American expansion to the west. From here it was west and then north on to Plentywood, Montana for an overnight. This town is just 15 miles from the Canadian border. We will cross into the Province of Saskatchewan on Monday, June 10th. At long last, we will be on yet another great adventure to the 49th state in the Union. ALASKA, HERE WE COME!