Trips by Adventure

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

August 12, 2013 -- We are moving to Fairbanks, AK today. We plan to stay at the Eielson AFB FamCamp. It is about 20 miles from downtown Fairbanks, AK. RV parking is $22.00 a night for water and electric. There is a dump station, showers and toilets in the campgrounds. You can get about 6 TV stations. There are some mosquitoes but deep woods bug spray keeps them away. We have several things we want to do in Fairbanks. Our list includes city tour, trip to Arctic Circle, shopping for food, laundry, oil change and tire rotation for truck, haircuts and whatever else we can find. Hopefully, they have a MWR that can help. We are parked at the north end of the runway by a lake. This afternoon we had our own air show. 20 –F-15’s, 30 – F16’s and 6 A-10’s took off all about the same time. The base holds an exercise called the Red Flag of the North. Prissy just looks up and thinks that sounds like the Blue Angels to me. I need a nap. The base is new looking and about the size of Hurlburt AFB. Our only wifi is in the food court or library so a visit across base is needed daily.

Tree are already turning yellow for fall

Trees starting to change to fall colors

FamCamp is on Bear Lake. Very nice location

Trip to Alaska and West coast

Spruce Tree have cone at top not scattered around

Prissy walking Jo Ann around Tok RV Park

August 11, 2013 – Looks like a great day to go to Alaska. It is partly cloudy and 56 F. We crossed the Yukon River on the ferry with little wait. The Top of the World Highway is just that. It follows the ridge line across the mountains so you have deep gorges on both sides of the road as you drive along. The road is gravel and mud/dust for about 100 miles of the 186 miles from Dawson City, Yukon to Tok, Alaska. You would not want to drive the road in the rain. We had clear blue skies with wonderful views. Chicken, Alaska is just a wide road side stop. You can see why only 3 people live there in the winter. We stopped briefly and considered stopping over night but it was not worth it. They wanted $8.00 for a hot dog and fries and the campsites were $34.00 for a dust pit. We moved on to Tok RV Village in Tok, Alaska. It is a real nice RV park; however, it is not cheap at $43.43 a night. People in Alaska are still panning for gold. We saw several campsites with people out in the creeks panning for gold as we drove to Tok, AK. We cooked outside spaghetti, meat sauce and garlic bread. It was great. The weather has been wonderful on our trip with 50’s in the morning and 70’s during the day and very little rain.

George Black Ferry from Dawson City, YT to Alaska "Top of the World Highway"

Road is not open year around It closes at first snow . Last year that was Sept 21.

Road follows along top ridge line

Customs Station coming into Alaska from Canada not open year around

Chicken, Alaska town sign

Downtown Chicken, Alaska

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

August 10, 2013 – Good morning Dawson City. We rested all day. Jo Ann still has a cough. It is getting better slowly but it drags her down. We took baths and got gasoline for truck to leave in the morning for Alaska.

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

August 9, 2013 -- Today, started out cloudy and cool (59 F). We slept in today. However, about 12:00 we did find our clothes and went to Dawson City. What a time capsule. You can still feel the miners going to the dance halls, saloons, and boarding houses. The town had 30,000 gold fever people in it in 1898. Today, there are only about 2000 people there mining the tourist. We rode around town, looked at the Dawson City Museum, viewed Authors- Jack London’s Cabin (it has been brought to town) and the Canadian Robert Service's Cabin. Also, we saw The Palace Grand Theatre (built in 1899), Klondike Spirit paddle wheeler, Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall, and the ferry that crosses the Yukon River to the Top of the World Highway. Jo Ann found ice cream which we had for lunch. This evening we washed clothes and had dinner. Tomorrow will be another light day. We need to wash more clothes and visit Dawson City again before we cross the Yukon River for Alaska.

Klondike Spirit Paddle Wheeler- Yukon river rides and meals

The Palace Grand Thertre (1899)

Downtown Souvenirs shop

Diamond Tooth Gertie's Gambling Hall - She had a diamond she wore between her teeth

Main Street Dawson City, YT The light spot on mountain is from a ancient landslide. The 1898 miners used it as a direction indicator as they came down the Yukon River or over land as to how close they were getting to Dawson City.

Jack London's Cabin

Klondyke Ice cream - The best in town and only ice cream in town.

Downtown Dawson City, YT

Ferry across Yukon River to Top of the World Highway and Alaska

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

August 8, 2013 – We have arrived in Dawson City, YT. We are camped in Bonanza Gold Hotel and RV Park. We plan to stay here and hope for a clear, sunny day to cross the Yukon River into Alaska on The Top of the World Highway. Chicken, AK here we come. The people in Chicken wanted to name the town Ptarmigan but no one in town could spell it so they named the town Chicken. The Alaskan State bird is the Willow Ptarmigan. Looking at the forecast tonight it looks like Monday before we have a sunny day. Both Jo Ann and I are tired tonight. We have driven over 600 miles in two days. Construction, pot holes, mud, rain and hills makes the going tough. Tonight, we sat up the trailer, had dinner and went to bed. Tomorrow will be a little rest, chores, and a drive into Dawson City. We are camped about 2 miles out of town.

Road construction everywhere

Gravel and mud

Gold Mine Dredge tailings outside of Dawson City, YT

When it rains mud gets on everything

Bonanza Gold Hotel and RV Park

Trip to Alaska and West coast

August 7, 2013 -- We are going to move back north into Canada today. Carmacks Hotel and RV Park, we now call home. The campsite and Carmarks, YT sit on the Yukon River. The RV site is more like a fish camp than some of the other Good Sam’s sites we have been in. It will be ok for tonight—no wifi, no TV, no phone -but only $29.00. Tomorrow, we will be in Dawson City, YT. Today, we traveled from Skagway, AK to Carmacks, YT (200 miles). The 1898 Klondike gold rush folks would have taken 3 months with a ton of food and supplies to go from Skagway to Whitehorse (100 miles). Dawson City is the start of the Klondike Gold rush area. I hope to have wifi so I can catch up on the blog and check the internet bank accounts. Time, time oh! what time is it? We move back and forth across time zones daily, so we have no idea what time it is half the time.

Yukon River flowing North to Dawson City, YT at Carmacks

Old Hotel and restaurant between Carmacks and Dawson City

Remains of the 1900's Montague Hotel

Campsite in Carmacks, YT

Trip to Alaska and West Coast

August 6, 2013 – What a Fantastic Day! The Fjord Express to Juneau was a great trip. We saw whales, sea lions, bald eagles, C-Dories, sea planes, buses, glaciers, waterfalls, snow, beautiful mountains and dark blue

water. We departed about 8:00 am and returned around 9: pm. Downtown Juneau was not what I expected. It is still a little place looking very much like in the gold rush days. Jo Ann and I made a mistake and did not walk in the old town area. We did not see it until we were on the bus departing. We ate lunch over by the sea plane area and harbor. You could smell the JP-4 exhaust-Great! Jo Ann had chicken salad (maybe) and I had two halibut tacos. Also, chocolate candy and ice cream were consumed. They were all great. The boat served coffee and muffins going down and smoked salmon corn chowder and bread coming home. They were both excellent.