Day 10, Rest Stop 2

We left the first rest stop rather early for us.  It was about 8:30am.  We didn’t have far to go before it started really getting pretty.  We started seeing the mountains off to the side of the road around almost every curve.

We saw a lot of wildlife today, some we got pictures of and some we didn’t.  If we had a place to pull over we got a picture if not we didn’t.  We saw moose, buffalo, caribou, porcupine, deer, stone sheep, and bear.

We also saw some beautiful mountain lakes such as Summit Lake and yes that is ice still on the lake at the end of May.

 

This is Muncho Lake.  It is deep green and blue which is caused by copper oxide leaching into the lake.

We crossed the lower Liard River Bridge which is the last remaining suspension bridge on the Alaska highway.  It is 1,143 feet long.

We stopped in the parking lot across from Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park.  The hot springs were used by the army troops building the Alaska Highway.  We thought we would have to pay to go into the park but since we walked in and weren’t planning on swimming we didn’t have to pay.  The fee to get into the springs is $5.00 Canadian.  Mattie and Twila did get their feet into the spring.

The lower springs are hotter than the upper springs but are much prettier.  There is a lower pool at the lower springs that is suppose to be much cooler.  It is the farthest away in this picture.

It should be noted that it is about 1/2 mile from the parking lot to the lower spring and yes a half mile back.

We ended the day at a pull off just west of the Hyland River Bridge on the south side of the road.  This about 26 miles from Watson Lake which is where we will stay tomorrow night.  We pulled out the charcoal grill and had a cookout keeping a sharp lookout for bears that might have been attracted by the smell of cooking meat.  After the cookout we cleared the table and played cards until bedtime.

This was mile 2879 since we left home.

Day 9, Rest Stop

We left Mile 0 RV Park about 9:30pm headed for Fort St John to fuel up.  We had planned on getting diesel at the Flying J but we couldn’t find it.  Gary and I went to different stations and I thought I would never get my MH fueled.  I first went to what I guess was a fueling stop for truckers cause I couldn’t get any of my cards to work.  I went to the store next to it that I thought was part of it and was told they had nothing to do with that area.  So I moved over to their pumps and ended up having to take my card into them and had them pre-charge $175.  I was able to put the whole $175 in without filling the tank but I just stopped since I didn’t want to start that process over again.  I got 45.88 gallons for my $175 so that would be $3.81 per gallon.  I think I needed another 10 gallons or less to fill the tank but will have to wait till the next fill up to figure the mileage.

We had a lot of good road and one really bad spot.  Gary was leading and didn’t see an area of frost heaves quick enough.  A sign said to slow down to 20 mph and he said he was probably doing 60mph.  He thought the front wheels on the truck may have come off the ground.  He yelled at us on the CB and I got slowed down in time.

We stopped at a park at Charlie Lake and had lunch.  Charlie Lake is the site of a very bad accident in 1942.  The army was attempting to float some heavy equipment on the lake on May 14 1942.  They were out on the lake when the barge sunk drowning 12 of the 17 men on the barge.  Five soldiers were saved by a trapper that saw the accident.  Canada has built a monument and lists the names of the 12 that died and the five that were saved.  The lake was so calm today it is hard to understand how it happened, but the story is that there were 2 to 3 foot waves that day.

We stopped and had supper at a Boston Pizza in Fort Nelson.  I got an eight inch pizza and Twila got a vegetable Lasagna and we shared them.  Real good.  We drove on another 20 miles to a rest stop on the side of the road and will spend the night here.

Day 8, Same place, second day

Yes we actually slowed down enough to stay two days in one place.  We are still at Mile 0 RV Park in Dawson Creek, BC.  Tomorrow morning we will we be starting on the official “Alaska Highway”.  I should say with the RVs since we actually drove part of it today in Gary’s Truck.  We went north on the road for 17.3 miles and then turned off east (right) on to a section of the old original Alcan road for 2.5 miles to the only remaining wooden bridge still in use.  It is the Kiskatinaw River Bridge.  It is a 531 foot curved and sloped structure that is really impressive.  It is hard to believe it was built in 1942 in only 9 months.

We drove over it and re-entered the present Alaska Highway at mile post 21.6 and came back to the New Kiskatinaw River Bridge.  Look at the size of the steel beams under it compared to the pickup on it.

 

I don’t know how often I will find a WiFi spot from here until we actually get to Alaska where I can start using my Sprint Broadband Card again so although I plan on blogging everyday I may not be able to post to the website everyday.

Day 7, Dawson Creek

We left Grande Prairie this morning about 9:30am after going to  McDonalds in the Wal-Mart for breakfast.  We were rolling down the road when Mattie announced we needed to stop at the next town to see the giant Beaver.  So I took a picture of Gary taking a picture of Mattie’s Beaver.

 

Then I took a picture of Mattie looking at her Beaver.

I guess that’s all I will say about that.

This was our last day in Alberta and since I didn’t get a picture coming in, I got one going out.

Of course I had to get one going into British Columbia at the same time.

We stopped at the Information Center in Dawson Creek and took the usual tourist pictures but hey it’s new to us.  This is the Mile 0 sign that is in the traffic circle at the intersections of highway 2 and the start of Highway 97 which is the actual start of the Alaska Highway.

It was only 82 miles from Grande Prairie to the Mile 0 RV Park at Dawson but we checked out a couple of other campgrounds before getting here.  I had planned on staying at Tubby’s RV since my Trailer Life Program showed them at $22 in 2008 but they wanted $33 and the WiFi wasn’t even working.  We went up the road to Northern Lights but they had a caravan booked and didn’t have any room so we came to Mile 0.  We only have electric and water but it is only $28 a night with good WiFi and it is a nice park.

We went downtown and had lunch at the Dairy Queen and then walked around town for awhile.  We went to the original Mile 0 where the Alcan actually started back in 1942. It is in the middle of the intersection downtown.

 

This is getting rather long so I will just finish with some murals they have downtown.  They are real neat.  Look at the picture above and then the first mural.

This is the first Moose we have seen.

Day 6, Grande Prairie, AB

We got up this morning and went to the McDonalds in the Wal-Mart at Whitecourt before heading to Grande Prairie.  Since the Wal-Mart closed at 10pm it was very quiet overnight.  We pulled out a little before 9am heading northwest.  It was a very uneventful day.  I was surprised that we had such good roads.  Most of it was 4 lane divided highway and was really good for the most part.  We occasionally hit a dip in the road that I figure to be a frost heave and they were a little worse than going on or off of a normal Oklahoma bridge.  We got to the Wal-Mart at Grande Prairie about 2pm and couldn’t believe how many RVs were already in the parking lot.  Grande Prairie is a very nice modern city of about 40,000.

Again we were able to get good parking places across from each other.  Gary unhitched from his trailer and we went to a casino about 4 blocks from Wal-Mart.  Gary and I played some Black Jack and we both won.  We both started with $40 and he cashed out $85 and I cashed out $95.  I don’t exactly what Mattie and Twila did on the slots but I know they either won or lost very little.  Actually Gary could have gotten a bigger prize or lost real big if Mattie caught him.  He had a rather tipsy “lady” that wanted him to teach her how to play Black Jack.  Every time she would win she wanted to rub his belly or hug him.  He had to tell her he didn’t think his wife would like that.

We then drove to an IGA Grocery store and bought a few groceries. The price of groceries was probably 25% more than we are used to paying in the US.  Needless to say, we decided we could do without some of the extras we would have picked up. Then we went to a nice restaurant for supper.  It was a good day.

Day 5, Whitecourt

We left the RV park about 10:30am since we didn’t have far to travel.  We drove to the Flying J on the West side of Edmonton and filled up on diesel.  The Flying J was only a little over 100 miles from the campground.  We were very pleasantly surprised at the price of the fuel.  It was .803 per liter which times 3.8 equals $3.05 per gallon.  We had driven 422 miles since we filled up in Shelby and I put 54 gallons in which cost $164.79 Canadian so I got 7.8 mpg.  Since we left home we have now driven 2047 miles to the Wal-Mart at Whitecourt.

The Wal-Mart is a small one.  It has some groceries but is called a grocery shelf since it doesn’t have fresh meat and produce.  It opens at 8am and closes at 10pm.  There are several RVs in the parking lot tonight.  It is a very good place to stay overnight to dry camp.

Day 4, Red Deer, AB

Well we made Canada today.  We crossed at the Sweet Grass crossing at the end of I-15.  I guess I was the one that drew the short straw because I got the third degree.  They were sure I had a weapon in the motor home since we live in it and and were originally from Oklahoma.  I told them I had left my pistol in Oklahoma because I understood that I couldn’t take it into Canada.  “Well then, do you feel safe without it?”  Yes.  “Do you have any bear spray or pepper spray?”  No.  “Do you have any illegal drugs?”  No.  “Well now is the time to tell us, it will be much worse if we find it.”  I said your welcome to look.  “Oh, we know we’re welcome to look.”   “Why didn’t you bring your gun?”  I knew I wasn’t suppose to because it is against your laws.  “You don’t know Canadian Law.  I have a pistol at my house.”  I said but you have to register it.  “Yes but soon you will to.”  I said probably not in Oklahoma.  We even have a concealed weapon law and the legislature is even discussing making it legal to strap it to your hip and carry it openly.  Long story short, he looked for about 30 minutes and told me I could go.  Of course I couldn’t really tell them what I wanted to.  That would be that they could control all the guns they wanted to cause the United States wouldn’t let anyone invade them.  They could have a very small armed forces cause we will protect them.  I really don’t care what their laws are, I will follow them when I am in their country but I really don’t care for the attitude about our laws.  They act like we are a back wood country when we have more freedom than they do.

That upset me and then we drove through Calgary.  It was only 2:30pm but I can’t imagine what rush hour is like.  I ended up a bundle of nerves until we had a good supper tonight and now I feel much better.  We had originally planned on staying in the Red Deer Wal-Mart.  I had checked the sites for the no parking Wal-Marts and didn’t find it listed but when we got their their was a sign saying no overnight parking.  We checked with Wal-Mart and they said they didn’t care but the city might give us a ticket so we are in the Lions Campgrounds.  It is a nice park with full hookup and 30 amp electric.

  A little high, $30 a night but nice.  We thought about staying in Red Deer 2 nights but guess we will move on tomorrow.

We filled up this morning at the Pilot Station in Shelby, Montana.  It was $3.059 per gallon and I put in 65.38 gallons.  We had gone 445 miles so I got 6.8 mpg.

Day 3, Shelby, Montana

Today was another long day.  When Gary tried to start his truck this morning he had weak batteries.  He went to the Wal-Mart where we spent the night in Sheridan, WY but they didn’t have an automotive department so after filling up with diesel we drove to Billings, MT and replaced both batteries.  This put us leaving Billings about noon with over 300 miles to get to Shelby.

When we filled up in Sheridan I put in 77.32 gallons at $3.029 per gallon or $234.21.  The good thing was that is 7.91 mpg.

Tonight we are staying in the parking lot at a Casino in Shelby.  It is another free night except Twila is over at the Casino.  Sure would be nice if she won.

Day 2, Sheridan, Wyoming

Man, what a day.  We pulled out of Goodland, Kansas this morning at 7am.  No we didn’t intend to, we were on Central time so we thought it was 8am but it was really Mountain time.  We had planned on stopping at Casper, Wyoming but since we had left so early we decided to drive on to Sheridan.  We are now in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Sheridan.  We ended up driving 610 miles which means we will cut out one day getting to Shelby, Montana which is just before the Canadian border.

I filled up with diesel this morning in Goodland.  I put in 65.317 gallons at $2.909 per gallon or $190.00.  This was just about 7 mpg.  Tomorrow we will fill up here in Sheridan and head for Shelby.

The drive was uneventful except that it rained most of the time from just north of Casper all the way into Sheridan.  We also saw a lot of Antelope in the pastures next to the highway.  The mountains going through Denver were snow covered on about the top 1/3.  We stopped at the Welcome Center just north of Fort Collins and I got this picture with the mountains in the back.

We are going fast at this time but will slow down considerably when we get into Canada leaving the Edmonton area.

Alaska Bound

It finally arrived.  Day 1, the start of our trip to Alaska.  Yesterday we wrapped up all the packing and securing of everything we will need into the motor home and moved it from our pad into the front driveway so we didn’t have to spend 30 plus minutes this morning just getting off the pad.  We pulled out of the driveway at 6:30am and drove up to the Pawnee Indian station/casino just before you get on the Cimarron Turnpike at highway 18.  I topped off the diesel tank with what will probable be the cheapest diesel of the trip.  I put in 37.59 gallons for $100.70.  That figures out to $2.679 per gallon.  The station on the turnpike was $2.829 per gallon.  We left the station and stopped at the Mc Donald’s on the turnpike and had breakfast with Gary and Mattie House and then we all pulled out heading west on the turnpike.

 

We took I-35 to Wichita, Kansas and I-135 north to I-70 and then west on I-70.  We met Don and Kathy Bryan in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Colby, Kansas.  They were coming home from Colorado Springs, Colorado with their granddaughter Felicity.

We are spending the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Goodland, Kansas.  There were hundreds of motorcycles here in Goodland tonight.  They are part of a bike rally that left L.A. four days ago and will end up at Washington DC.  It is being done to honor the Veterans.

Tomorrow morning we will fuel up and head for Casper, Wyoming.

May Campout

Twila and I drove the Jeep over to Chandler, Oklahoma today for the business meeting of our Good Sam Chapter monthly campout.  We had planned on taking the motor home over on Wednesday but that didn’t happen due to a doctors appointments on Thursday and then I had another appointment on Friday.  I had even planned on driving over Friday evening but due to the large amounts of rain we had this week our 1 1/4 miles of dirt road was pretty muddy so we decided to forget the camping out and just go for the meeting.  We had a good time and got to say good by to a lot of the members that we won’t see again till we get back from our Alaska trip in September.  Well I guess we won’t see any of the members till September so we got to say good by to the ones that were at this campout.  We are now into the final countdown for leaving for Alaska.  Blast off is scheduled for next Saturday morning.

Real Smart, like his Pa Pa

We went to a Dinner in Yale tonight at the Mexican Restaurant.  It was for the installation of new officers for the Beta Club and the Yale Chapter of the National Honor Society.  Austin is the new president of the Honor Society and is also the new secretary of the Yale Beta Club for next year.  I’m just as proud of him as I can be.  Of course I’m pretty sure he inherited it from his Pa Pa.  As I’ve mentioned before, he is a sophomore and he will start taking college classes next year at Oklahoma State University.  Not bad for an ugly white boy.

Different day same place

It seems like everyday or two “I think I haven’t written anything on my blog”.  Then I think “there hasn’t been anything interesting to talk about”.  Maybe if I do a general recap of the last few days you will see what I mean.

We got the CB installed but since there is so little CB traffic anymore I’m not even sure if it works.  I think it does since the lights move when I talk into it.  Gary House, who will be going with us to Alaska, is suppose to get his CB back into his truck and then we will see for sure.

I went to the doctor the other day and had my annual check up which included blood work and a chest x-ray.  I am suppose to go back to hear the results on the 13th and Twila will have her check up the same day.  My doctor decided I should have a treadmill EKG where they inject the radioactive dye into you after they have the heart working real good and then run a machine around you while you are lying down to see how the blood is moving through your heart.  I had this test about 15 to 20 years ago.  I have already gone to the same heart doctor and they did a ultrasound test on my heart.  I will go back next Tuesday the 11th and I guess get the results of that test.  So far all I am hearing is that it is just checking to see the status of my heart and not due to any problem.  The EKG is scheduled for the 18th which is getting really close to the 22nd which is our departure date for Alaska.  I told Twila that unless they tell me I have a hole in my heart big enough to drive a truck thru we’re leaving for Alaska on schedule.