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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!

Upon our return from Portland, Oregon on Tuesday, June 4th we renewed our RV travels from Billings, Montana heading east once more but this time towards North Dakota. We stopped briefly for one night at the Jaycee West City Park in Glendive, Montana after 223 miles on the road and a four hour drive. No services at this stop but portable potties and garbage. Level pull-thru sites with some low trees but quiet during the night. Walking distance to Raleys grocery store and Ace Hardware. It was a free overnight dry camping location with just a short drive on to Teddy Roosevelt NP south unit. June 5th we arrived in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit and met up with our Alaska traveling buddies, Sean and Kathy Earley from Erie, Pennsylvania. We drove up into the Cottonwood Campground on E River Rd, after entering the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Main Gate and Visitor's Center in Medora, ND. Half of the campsites in Cottonwood are first come, first serve and we able to find two sites for us both for the two nights we planned on visiting the South Unit. The price with the NP Senior Pass was only $7 per night. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is an American national park of the badlands in western North Dakota comprising three geographically separated areas. Honoring U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, it is the only American national park named directly after a single person. Wonderful views surround the park. The landscape is like a blending of the Badlands of South Dakota and the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Wildlife can be seen mostly in the evening hours and sometimes Bison grazed right into the campground. Very quiet at night. Only a few generators were heard during day (allowed from 8am to 8pm). This is a very typical national park. No hookups, 'skinny roads' and sometimes challenging pull-throughs. In our site 12, it was actually a very long pull-thru but had a tight curve (for our 35ft fifth wheel). We had a bit of a time getting into a position but felt confident that we could unhitch and then hitch back again. Near the Little Missouri River, there are multiple opportunities to see the wildlife. We got set up and settled in to our new home for the next two days spending the afternoon relaxing and catching up with Sean and Kathy in our camping chairs. We made it an early evening and had an incredible quiet and restful night. The next day we drove down to the South Unit Visitor's Center, experienced an fantastic Teddy Roosevelt (TR) reenactor who was very knowledgeable and friendly, then toured TR's Maltese Cross Ranch Cabin. Later we drove back towards the campground and continued out to the park's scenic loop drive looking for more wildlife. We stopped early on at the Peaceful Valley Ranch site to get some photographs of two free-range Bison. A little later and up the road at Prairie Dog Town we were greeted by a large herd of Bison in and among the Prairie Dogs. The bison grazed as they walked towards the road. One even decided to roll in the dirt near our viewing area. It was like we weren't even there. The Park Rangers recommend a safe distance equal to two bus lengths, but many got closer than that. We didn't! Roosevelt first came to the North Dakota badlands to hunt bison in September 1883. During that first short trip, he got his bison and fell in love with the rugged lifestyle and the "perfect freedom" of the West. He invested $14,000 in the Maltese Cross Ranch, which was already being managed by Sylvane Ferris and Bill Merrifield, seven miles south of Medora. That winter, Ferris and Merrifield built the Maltese Cross Cabin. After the death of both his wife and his mother on February 14, 1884, Roosevelt returned to his North Dakota ranch seeking solitude and time to heal. That summer, he started his second ranch, the Elkhorn Ranch, 35 miles north of Medora, which he hired two Maine woodsmen, Bill Sewall and Wilmot Dow, to operate. Roosevelt took great interest in his ranches and in hunting in the West, detailing his experiences in pieces published in eastern newspapers and magazines. He wrote three major works on his life in the West: Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and The Wilderness Hunter. His adventures in "the strenuous life" outdoors and the loss of his cattle in the starvation winter of 1886–1887 were influential in his pursuit of conservation policies as President of the United States (1901–1909).

We traveled to Billings, Montana for one reason only; to attend our oldest granddaugther's high school graduation. After leaving Denver and driving north, Billings was strategically ideal for us to fly out of. We made plans to take this RVing hiatus and fly on Alaska Airlines to Portland, Oregon. Denver's airport is a nightmare to fly in and out, so we looked at Billings as the next best option and we weren't unhappy with the decision. The Billings airport only has ten gates but is serviced by Delta, United/Continental and Alaska/Horizon. Parking was nearby and $9 a day, long-term. TSA had no waiting. Unfortunately, our flight was delayed because of a aircraft issue from it's departure location, but we eventually arrived in Portland and our daugther Elisa picked us up at the airport. The airline provided $48 in meal vouchers for the inconvenience and also complimentary drinks while enroute. We had booked an AirBnB for two nights around the corner from Aaron and Elisa's home. We had a great family re-union with our kids, grandkids and other proud grandparents on Sunday evening, our arrival day, June 2nd at the Edgingtons. Elisa ordered pizza so the meal planning was easy. Tim and Diana Edgington, Aaron parents, and his cousin Seth, all from Missouri were staying at their home so it was a cozy first night get-together. We enjoyed ourselves catching up on life with the extended family. Graduation was Monday, June 3rd at 4:30 PM and the biggest concern was the weather. It rained most of Sunday night and early Monday morning, but we were prepared for the worst. Fortunately, the weather window cooperated and the graduates didn't need to worry about wearing clear plastic parkas over their graduation gowns. In addition to us and all the family members staying with Elisa and Aaron, Denise and Tom Hatch, Elisa's mom and step-dad were in attendance The graduation venue was Providence Park stadium, the home of the Portland Timbers, an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. Diana was very cool and composed as she walked up to receive her diploma, but we all went a little crazy cheering her on like any proud family would do in the same situation. The graduation was about an hour and a half long. Apparently there was another graduation for another high school scheduled for 7 PM, so we were ushered out of the facilities fairly quickly. Of course, we stuck around for some family photography outside and then headed out for dinner at Reverend's Barbeque restaurant to celebrate. From the restaurant it was back to Aaron and Elisa's for some games. We returned to our AirBnB and prepared for an early morning flight back to Billings on Tuesday, June 4th. A quick trip to honor the graduate was well worth the time and expense. Congratulations to our first grandchild on this significant milestone in her life. We hope and pray for continued blessings and great accomplishments in the future.

Boondocking refers to camping outside of campgrounds without any hookups, while dry camping simply refers to camping with no hookups. In other words, all boondocking is dry camping, but not all dry camping is boondocking. When you stay at a campground with no hook-ups you are not boondocking. So, when we were staying at Standley Lake Regional Park or Devil's Tower National Park, that was dry camping. Rather than relying on hookups, boondocking uses the RV's onboard fresh water (and holding tanks), electricity, and propane, meaning you have a finite amount of water and propane and must generate (or store) your own electricity. You and your rig are self-sufficient. Camping in undeveloped, primitive campsites basically means you pick where you camp. Imagine overlooking a valley where camping is allowed. You head into the valley and pick your spot. It's not marked, labeled, or reserved, and you didn't directly pay for it—though you might have paid to get "into" the valley. You picked it because it's level, close to the river, and sheltered by a large rock, and it has enough room to navigate your rig. Maybe there are signs of a rock ring from a previous camper or the last time you camped here. There are no services: no camp host, no quiet hours, no dump station, no hookups, no level pad to park on, no gazebos, and no restrooms From Devil's Tower, Wyoming we departed on Friday morning, May 31, to drive north across the state border into Montana. Stopping for lunch at the Red Shale dispersed camping area in the Custer National Forest we discussed whether to drive on to Billings, Montana or stay the night there and boondock. It was a beautiful location and the smell of the Ponderosa Pines was a huge selling point for staying, but we opted to have a relaxing lunch break and continue on our journey. Our route took us by the Little Big Horn Battle Monument in Hardin, Montana on the way to Billings. This is where General George Armstrong Custer and the 7th Calvary met their end during that famous, historic event. I decided to pass on stoppping while pulling the fifth-wheel. We arrived in Billings and thought about spending the night at the Cracker-Barrel restaurant like we did in 2022. We choose to run some errands like grocery shopping at Walmart and stopped for dinner out at the Pizza Ranch. We ultimately decided to stay in the parking lot at the Cabela's Sporting Goods store. Both business allow RV's to overnight and we thought the Cabela's would be better. It was the better choice in the end as we were with four other RV's parked in a very large, designated RV parking area next to the back of the warehouse. It was quiet and felt safe. Saturday, June 1 was our check-in day for the Hipcamp venue we booked just outside of town. Before scheduling our arrival, we stopped by Pierce RV in west Billings and dumped our gray and black water tanks, filled up our fresh water and made a Costco run for more Keurig coffee pods. We got to the Hipcamp venue around 11:30 AM where Alex, the son of the owner, met us at the ranch gate to let us in and guide us to our site. As we drove the dirt road, we spotted a female Pronghorn in the field where we were headed. Suddenly we observed two pronghorn fawns race out ahead of the truck Alex was driving in front of us. They ran parallel to the dirt road and eventually turned to the left as we followed the road in the same direction. Mama started running to meet up with the two fawns who eventually figured out we had no nefarious intentions towards the wildlife. What an awesome introduction to the property! This Hipcamp is located 4 miles north of Billings, MT with multiple sites in trees, overlooking the lake, in the rocks, or above buttes. For security purposes they meet you at the gate and take you to your campsite upon arrival. After that you can come and go at your pleasure. There is a common area with a BBQ, fire pit, and picnic tables. This not an RV park, but an undeveloped, remote, down a single lane dirt road to a grove of trees. This is a legitmate .boondocking experience. It is as natural as possible. They warn you that you are camping with cows, coyotes, eagles, owls, deer, and antelope. The large tree area where we are located is about 3 acres and can accommodate 7 campers at one time. There only appears to be one other small, A frame trailer on the site with us. It is serenely quiet with the occasional sound of birdsongs and their chirping. Tonight, if the sky is clear, I'm hoping to get a real star studded show in the heavens There is even a chance to see the Aurora Borealis this evening.

We left Denver expecting an uneventful afternoon of travel. After all, the truck was repaired and running great; the electrical system on the RV was fixed and the solar panels were charging our batteries. Well, life on the road is never completely uneventful. About an hour and a half into our journey north on Interstate 25 as we were approahing the last exit for Cheyenne, Wyoming, our trailer's TPMS alerted. A TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) is an optional feature you can put on your tires to alert you of low tire pressure and excessive tire heat. The alert we were getting indicated that the driver's side front tire on the RV was losing air quickly. We went from 85 PSI down to 35 PSI by the time we took that last exit. We bought our trailer tires at America Tires, also known around the country as Discount Tires so we google searched for a dealership in Cheyenne. Fortunately there was one only three miles away and we headed for their location. We got there just in time, our tire was down to 29 PSI of pressure! We have made it a practice of purchasing the tire warranty, given we are on the road constantly ,and once again it proved to be a prudent decision. So we headed into the tire store with the expectation they would take care of the problem. Ramon was our service adviser and he looked up our account. He told us they would take care of the problem, so we left the RV and walked to an early lunch. Two hours later we were back on the road with three new tires. Three tires? Well, the service manager looked at the side wall bulges I mentioned observing earlier in our trip and he authorized replacing all three of the questionable tires at no charge. Yay, amazing customer service, product quality control and integrity. Thank you Lord once again! We got to Riverside City Park in Douglas, Wyoming along the North Platte River. Meticulously groomed, wide easy pull thru sites, a dump station & potable water along with a restroom/shower building (we didn't use so no comments). Thank you City of Douglas for a lovely one night stay at no charge. Wednesday, May 29 afternoon we reached Devil's Tower, Wyoming after a short break in our journey for fuel for the truck and the driver. We stopped at the Coffee Cup Sinclair truck stop in Moorcroft, Wyoming for a Pastrami sandwich at Heidi's Brookyn Deli. The staff was very nice and they served a delicious Pastrami sandwich on Marbled Rye. The first come, first served campground (no reservations) called Belle Fourche River Campground is a 2-loop, 46-site campground (43 pull-through sites with room for RVs up to 35'), 4 ADA sites and 3 tent-only group sites. Drinking water is available at water spigots and in the restrooms. No hookups are available and there's a 14-day limit on occupancy. Large cottonwood trees provide shade. A picnic shelter and tables are available north of the campground. We picked out a pull-through campsite at the very end of the A loop with a spectacular view of the "Tower" from our big windows. Devils Tower rises 1,267 feet (386 m) above the Belle Fourche River and features the world's largest example of columnar jointing. A sacred place to over 20 Native American tribes, the Tower is also known as Bear Lodge. Devils Tower was designated as America's first national monument in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. Our first night in camp we had to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind...so we rented it on Amazon Prime. Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a 1977 American science fiction drama film written and directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Melinda Dillon and Teri Garr. The Tower features heavily in Steven Spielberg’s 1977 Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The film tells the story of several individuals’ experiences with extra-terrestrial phenomenon. Focusing on the experiences of Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), the story follows him from his initial encounter with a UFO to his growing obsession with visions of a mountain and desire to go there. After Neary’s actions grew more intense, his family leaves him. He decides to travel to Devils Tower with fellow UFO witness Jillian Guiler (Melinda Dillon), whose son had been taken by the alien visitors. The Tower had been selected as the contact point, and the area was evacuated by the military under the guise of a chemical leak. Made on a production budget of US$19.4 million, Close Encounters was released in a limited number of cities on November 16 and 23, 1977, and expanded into wide release the following month. It was a critical and financial success, eventually grossing over $300 million worldwide. On Thursday, May 30 we drove to the visitor's center at the base of Devil's Tower and walked the mile Tower Trail. This paved trail starts across the upper parking area from the visitor center; an accessible concrete path leads past the pavilion and up to the intersection of the loop. The Tower Trail is a 1.8 mile loop around the base of this magnificent rock tower. The Tower is also a popular place for rock climbers; we saw 3 people climbing as we walked the trail. As we walked the Tower Trail, we noticed cloths or small bundles attached to the trees. These are Native American prayer cloths and represent the spiritual connection many tribes have with the Tower. The park service asks you to not touch, disturb or remove these prayer cloths. It is even considered culturally insensitive to photograph these prayer cloths, so I respected their wishes. The tower is impressive from a distance but even more awe inspiring up close and personal. The shear scale of the column doesn't hit you until you're standing next to one in the boulder field below. Despite its long exposure to the elements, the hexagonal column shape is still visible. Where does the name come from? Richard Dodge in 1875, commanded the military escort for a scientific expedition into the Black Hills. Keeping a journal during this expedition, Dodge wrote that "the Indians call this place 'bad god's tower,' a name adopted with proper modification..." And so the label "Devil's Tower" was created. According to the park service, as darkness falls on Devils Tower, a different kind of light illuminates the sky on a clear night. That light comes from objects in deep space, and transforms the night from a place of darkness into a place of wonder. Unfortunately, the weather hasn't cooperated for any night sky viewing. I'd like to come back on a moonless night with clear skies to see the view from this vantage point. This is a spectacular place to hang out for more than two days. Maybe we'll return next summer with one or more of the grandkids.