Dawson Creek BC - End of the First Leg
We made it to Dawson Creek today, the starting point of the Alaska Highway... what some still refer to as the "Alcan". This is day 10 of our journey to the north country and making it to Dawson Creek completes the first of four major legs of our journey. From homebase Wisconsin, we've logged almost 2400 miles.
We're going to pause here for a couple nights, catch up on chores, blog post, pictures, laundry, etc... and just to take a breather from our quick pace. Might even pick up a pizza for dinner tonight. Cravings are common with travelers, I'm told. Earlier today I had my "Tim Horton's" fix... had the first donut I've had in over 6 months. We're holding up well, I'd say. And very excited about getting on the way again.
We're in the Northern Lights RV Park just outside of Dawson Creek, where we have internet that seems to be working ok. Remember, until we're in Alaska, the only way we can reach out is via WIFI when we find it or with the InReach satellite communicator, from which I've been sending out daily location fixes. But even in Alaska there are more places without cell service than there are with. You can also always go to our website, click on the Alaska tab, and find a link to our InReach Mapshare Map with our last known location. The map is interactive so you can zoom in or out to get the perspective you'd like. If you're on Facebook or Twitter, I also have brief updates there on a more regular basis.
The drive north has been all we hoped for so far. The Canadian Rockies just spectacular -- words are inadequate. Wasn't expecting all the oil industry hubbub in Alberta and even here in Dawson Creek -- business must be booming. Not seeing as many RVs as I'd expected, but then I have nothing really to compare. The days are getting noticeably longer and so far we've had no problems sleeping with the brightness.
Weather has been holding up fine too. Although rain has been common, the mornings are generally sunny and we can't really say we haven't seen something due to weather. In the Canadian Rockies the mix of sun and clouds actually enhanced our experience, somehow giving a more dramatic effect to the views of the mountains and ice fields.
The truck and camper are holding up well so far. We're honing our "camper choreography" skills to the point where the little rig really hasn't been an issue at all. Camping is more expensive than I was hoping, in the $30 to $45 (Canadian) range. But we have the advantage of a strong dollar this summer, which knocks those prices down by 20% when converted to US dollars. Gas goes for about 1.15 per liter, when converted to gallons and US dollars is about $3.50.
Got some disturbing news from good friend Jim that there's a nasty wildfire in and around Willow AK. This is near where Jim's daughter Sara and her partner David are homesteading a chunk of land along the Yentna River. Willow is their "home away from home" when they're not out at their cabin. We'll be watching the news and getting more updates from Jim as time goes along. We weren't expecting to get to that area for a few weeks yet, but it does sound like a bad fire and we have no idea how it might impact our tour through there. Stay tuned.
We're going to pause here for a couple nights, catch up on chores, blog post, pictures, laundry, etc... and just to take a breather from our quick pace. Might even pick up a pizza for dinner tonight. Cravings are common with travelers, I'm told. Earlier today I had my "Tim Horton's" fix... had the first donut I've had in over 6 months. We're holding up well, I'd say. And very excited about getting on the way again.
We're in the Northern Lights RV Park just outside of Dawson Creek, where we have internet that seems to be working ok. Remember, until we're in Alaska, the only way we can reach out is via WIFI when we find it or with the InReach satellite communicator, from which I've been sending out daily location fixes. But even in Alaska there are more places without cell service than there are with. You can also always go to our website, click on the Alaska tab, and find a link to our InReach Mapshare Map with our last known location. The map is interactive so you can zoom in or out to get the perspective you'd like. If you're on Facebook or Twitter, I also have brief updates there on a more regular basis.
The drive north has been all we hoped for so far. The Canadian Rockies just spectacular -- words are inadequate. Wasn't expecting all the oil industry hubbub in Alberta and even here in Dawson Creek -- business must be booming. Not seeing as many RVs as I'd expected, but then I have nothing really to compare. The days are getting noticeably longer and so far we've had no problems sleeping with the brightness.
Weather has been holding up fine too. Although rain has been common, the mornings are generally sunny and we can't really say we haven't seen something due to weather. In the Canadian Rockies the mix of sun and clouds actually enhanced our experience, somehow giving a more dramatic effect to the views of the mountains and ice fields.
The truck and camper are holding up well so far. We're honing our "camper choreography" skills to the point where the little rig really hasn't been an issue at all. Camping is more expensive than I was hoping, in the $30 to $45 (Canadian) range. But we have the advantage of a strong dollar this summer, which knocks those prices down by 20% when converted to US dollars. Gas goes for about 1.15 per liter, when converted to gallons and US dollars is about $3.50.
Got some disturbing news from good friend Jim that there's a nasty wildfire in and around Willow AK. This is near where Jim's daughter Sara and her partner David are homesteading a chunk of land along the Yentna River. Willow is their "home away from home" when they're not out at their cabin. We'll be watching the news and getting more updates from Jim as time goes along. We weren't expecting to get to that area for a few weeks yet, but it does sound like a bad fire and we have no idea how it might impact our tour through there. Stay tuned.
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| Not often photographed... the official mile 0 trash can. |
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