Points of Interest on the Alaskan Highway

My first photo here is the one of the last that I took in the Yukon Territory. we were getting closer to the US boarder. The rest are some of our first glimpse of Alaska.Several weeks of rainy weather were ahead during our first few weeks in Fairbanks.

The 6 Day Journey.7

Finally it was Friday, the last day of our excursion. The stretch of highway from Whitehorse to Haines Junction has the most majestic mountains. The most captivating peaks can be seen while driving through Haines Junction. Driving the Alcan Highway became more challenging as we began to travel northwest toward the Alaskan border. There are stretches of dirt road, which aren't bad. The pavement here for the rest of our drive through the Yukon Territory was extremely warped from weather damage. David had to maneuver so many times that it became impossible to shoot any more photos until we reached the boarder of Alaska.

It felt wonderful to be back in the good ol' USA! We were welcomed by the boarder agent. He walked out of his booth, holding our driver's licenses and passports. He placed is hands on his knees as he hunched down to look inside our little car. We were asked why we were moving all the way up here. He was not surprised by our reason to move to Alaska.

We were weary, but determined to reach our final destination. We bought 2 Rock Stars in Tok. One would have been sufficient, for the buzz it gave us later on. We checked into the Golden North Motel, a quaint, yet spartan, clean place to lay your head. This would be "home" for the next 8 days.

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We slept a little late Thursday morning, and freshened up the car at the local wash, only to encounter more rain. We stopped to fuel up at the little Rocky Mountain Lodge, mile post 397 BC on the Alaskan Highway. As soon as we got out of the car and closed the doors, the owner was there to provide full service. This service is a little surprising, since it is rarely seen these days. "You're living in God's country," I told the man. "Yup, that's why I'm here." Snow capped mountains scraped the sky, reminding us what minuscule creatures we are.

We eased down several miles of road. I started to tear open the chocolate that I had purchased on impulse, when David noticed the Northern Rockies Lodge, mile post 462, Muncho Lake. This place is one heck of a dream. The timing for lunch and this place of grandeur were perfectly met. I can't estimate how much investment was poured into it. I can't imagine the costs of keeping it warm in the winter months. It had vaulted ceilings, an enormous wood carved map of British Columbia and spectacular pine covered mountain views from the dining room. A Q-tip tour was finishing lunch as David and I entered the dining room. Our cravings had been cured and we continued westward.

Our goal for Thursday, the night of the 10th was Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory. Desperate to shoot photos of mountains without stopping the car, I managed to frame up a few ranges by leaning toward the windshield of the car. This was my normal technique throughout the trip and a few splattered bugs have found fame in my photo gallery. Whitehorse has a lot to offer the tourist, such as scenic train rides, so we'll be back. We stayed at Canada's best Value Inn.

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Hundreds of miles and hours of daylight were spent taking us to Wednesday's destination for Fort Nelson, British Columbia where we would spend the night of the ninth. Anyone who has driven the Alaskan Highway, also known as the Alcan Highway will warn you to take some important items. We had a reliable vehicle, David's 2007 Pontiac Solstice. We also had the necessary items for road travel, but we had to add plenty of bottled water and a roll of TP. In the winter it's also necessary to have plenty of blankets, or sleeping bags. Services are few and far between on the Alaskan Highway, and should you break down, the wait could be 24 to 48 hours. Cell phone service barely exists at a few of the lodges along the way.

We finally arrived in Fort Nelson somewhere between 11 and midnight. The sun was setting later now, so dropping into the local Boston Pizza to put up our feet wasn't an issue. We ordered drinks and pepperoni pizza from our waitress. The drinks came and the hostess kept them full. David noticed that people who came into the establishment after we did were already dining.

"Everyone is eating except us!" David said in an observant voice.

"They must have ordered pasta and that doesn't take as long," I answered.

He flagged down the hostess to find out what had happened. "Oh," she said. "I thought something seemed kind of funny... Let me find out what happened to your order."

"The reason better be a good one, because we haven't seen her since we ordered."

She briskly walked away and maintained the same pace when she returned. "I found your order. Kristi just found out that her friend died and left as soon as she heard the news."

David decided that the reason was good enough and we were promised our pizza in another 8 minutes. We got a break on the tab and left with satisfaction.

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Ahh, British Columbia. All my adult life I had dreamed of going there. Wednesday marked the halfway point of our journey. The world famous Alaskan Highway would finally take us from Highway 43 to the last frontier. Dawson Creek, British Columbia is the beginning of our most adventurous stretch of endless pines. We decided that I should take the wheel and give David a break.

We were swept through a magnificent valley and then onto the rugged pine forests. We were cruising along at 100 kmph, about 63 mph. A sudden creature from out of nowhere struck the passenger side of the car. Whump! "What did you hit?" my astonished passenger asked me. " I think a fox ran into the car." A quick glance into the rear view mirror confirmed that a four legged canine, tossed into the air, had run into the side of the vehicle. "Trish! My door has been destroyed! Pull over!" I was already reducing speed. We pulled over to assess the damage. A dent in the rocker panel and a minor crease in the door was the damage the decimated critter left as his mark.

Our committee of two decided that David would drive from now on.

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It was Sunday, June sixth, our journey took us to Pocatello, Idaho where we found some good eats, thanks to the advice of the nice lady who had checked us in at the hotel. P.S. this is the best way to learn about local cuisine. We stopped at "Wingers", enjoyed the grub, but David was still grumbling about his tooth ache. We consulted the yellow pages to find an emergency dentist.

Six hundred miles had added several hours of grief to David's toothy grin. We rushed to the dentist's office in order to arrive two minutes before Now with "only" 30 teeth, and 300 fewer dollars, we were on our way. David was required to take the big V (and I don't mean Viagra), so I took the wheel.

By mid-morning, Monday, the 7th we were on our way through picturesque Butte, Montana and onto Great Falls, Montana. We had enough time in Great Falls to walk along the river before catching some shut-eye.

After Great Falls, the land flattened out. I-15 took us onward to Alberta Canada. David gave up the big V. He was tired of being the passenger. Hundreds miles took us through stretches of winter wheat fields. Would you believe they drive more American cars in this province than we do in our own country? The best part: no Obama bumper stickers! We had to get used to the kmph speed postings. Forty-something eyes have to squint at the speedometer to get the car's accurate kilometer reading.

We got a little tangled up with our Map quest instructions in Calgary. We managed to find our way out of it. While there, we took a self-guided tour through the magnificent Bass Pro Shops! Our destination for the day, however, was Edmonton, Alberta. We made our goal, but by now, we were enjoying our second day of rain, drizzle and overcast skies.

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We caught I-15 and headed north to St. George, UT. This is a quaint little town surrounded by its own mountains and serene beauty. This appeared to be a nice community, ideal for raising a family. Its friendly main street would beckon any wayward stranger to stay. We spent the night at St. George after arriving late, a habit that would continue every day after that. We were anxious to head out the following morning, but David was already suffering from several hours of tooth ache. We visited the pharmacy and picked up some comfort aids.

We made our way through the narrow mountain valley where the great Salt Lake City is nestled. This bustling city has an eye catching skyline, stretching upward to the sky like her surrounding mountains.

The 6 Day Journey

It was Saturday, June 5th, my baby brothers birthday. This was the day that we embarked on our long journey to Fairbanks, Alaska. I rushed to pack boxes - all of the things that wouldn't fit into the trunk - to ship to Fairbanks. We traveled light and I boxed up as little as possible, but I made sure all of my turtle necks would make it.

We could have gone directly from Prescott, Arizona, through Page, but decided to say farewell to Las Vegas, in hopes that we would meet again. We grabbed a bite to eat at Taqueria Canonita located at the Venetian. This restaurant is one of dozens located along a river inside the casino, created for the purposes of fantasy. Tour guides take tourists and lovers alike on gondolas. Tones from their tenor voices echo and resonate as the gondolas are guided down the slow current. The guacamole at the Taqueria Canonita is divine. The avocado is my favorite fruit and it can become to easy for me to over indulge. I did 7 spins (my limit) in Mega Bucks, no luck, and we went on our way.

Fairbanks by Friday

I am proud to announce our arrival at Fairbanks, Alaska!

My name is Patricia Spence (I use the nickname, Trish). I have been married to my husband, David for almost 24 years. We met in high school, in my hometown of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Shortly after we were married, we moved to Prescott, Arizona and raised a family. We enjoyed many successes there until David was laid off from his job as a flight instructor on February 1st of this year.

Arizona has been hit extremely hard by the recession. It's difficult to find a job in Prescott, let alone a job as a pilot. As time progressed it became inevitable that a job outside Arizona, or the Southwest would be the only option. Nearly every evening, David searched for jobs, placed applications and resumes on websites designed specifically for pilots searching for jobs.

Finally by the middle of May the phone rang - twice! One call was from a university setting up a flight school in South Korea. The second call was from an airline in Alaska. David had an interview with each potential employer and chose to work in Alaska. David and I flew to Fairbanks together when he interviewed with Art Warbelow.

We had enough time to see the layout of Fairbanks, to see the operation of Warbelow's Air Ventures and try some "new" restaurants. The airline took us north of the Arctic Circle for the first time and we caught a glimpse of Alaskan Wildlife by air.

We returned to Prescott for a few short weeks to tie up some loose ends, finish home repairs, prepare the car for the long trip, and pack. Our long journey began Saturday, June 5th and ended Friday, June 11th.