Day 18 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska - 5/30/14 Leave Dawson Creek & Travel to Fort Nelson, BC

This morning we left the campground at Dawson Creek at 8:00 as planned.

There was a business we passed outside of Dawson Creek that had huge mounds of long logs...might have been a mill of some sort.

We traveled approx 20 miles to see the Kiskatinaw River Bridge which is the only original wood bridge still in use on the Alaskan Highway and is interesting because it curves as it crosses the river.

To the west, on down the highway several miles, stood a 30 foot statue of a lumberjack which is a marker for Clarke Sawmill.

We saw several caution  signs for wild animals. Today we saw an owl and a black bear along the highway.  Jesse  & Ginger also spotted a moose and a fox early on into the trip today.

We pulled over off the highway when Bob spotted this black bear in grassy area beside the highway.

As we traveled Northward, we could see the beetle killed  pine trees.

We passed a old, small white church with a steeple that was picturesque ---  it was St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church (at Historical Mile 232).

Prophet River was at Historical Mile 233.

Bob wanted to note that so far after traveling 3200 miles, the worst roads we have traveled were outside of Custer SD in the USA.

We arrived at Triple "G" Hideaway RV Park on the edge of Fort Nelson, BC, Canada at approx. 1:45 pm which is at Mile 300 on the Alaska Highway. ($40.95/ 1 night/30 amp full hookup/cable TV/WiFi).  As soon as we got to the park, we washed our rig because it was a filthy mess on the outside.  This park, so far, has good WiFi so I am happy because posting my blog isn't such a chore for once.  Most nights so far at the different campgrounds we have stayed, the WiFi is so slow that it takes forever to upload pictures; and that is all I get accomplished and don't really get to have time to unwind.  I love fast WiFi!!!

Bob filled up truck with diesel (31.36 gal = $171.83) which calculates at $5.479/gal.

Total Miles Traveled Today = 340

Have a good one!!.

Groc09.50Cap

jl

Day 17 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska - 5/29/14 Dawson Creek, Canada

We are just checking out Dawson Creek today.  Ginger & Jesse, Bob & I left at 9:30 am and went to a local restaurant for breakfast.  After eating, we went to the Visitor Center where they had a movie about building the Alaskan Highway, as well as a museum and art gallery.  Dawson Creek is in British Columbia.

Mile 0  Post of the Alaskan Highway is located in Dawson Creek and is a popular tourist attraction (especially for those traveling to Alaska).  This is a landmark which celebrates the famous route.

The Mile 0 Cairn was designated by US Army Surveyors as the exact beginning of the Alaska Highway.

Bob and Jesse took some time out to wash their trucks.

For dinner tonight, Ginger fixed a Chicken Alfredo Spaghetti Bake & hot bread and I fixed a garden salad & tea.  It was tasty.

Bob filled truck up with diesel 38.54 gal = $195.85 Cap

Have a good one!!

Rest 017.10Cap

Souv 019.03Cap

Groc 024.03 Cap/05.82Cap

jl

Day 16 of Our RV Journey to Canada & Alaska - 5/28/14 Leave Jasper National Park and Travel to Dawson Creek

This morning we left Whistlers Campground at approx. 7:50 am.  We are leaving Jasper National Park and traveling to Grand Prairie (Alberta) Canada.  This destination was later changed to a couple hours more driving with the  "new" destination being Dawson Creek.

Along the route we saw lots of wildlife.  We saw:
Elk (8 at various places along the highway), a Big Bull Elk, and a huge herd of elk (too many to count)
10 Whitetail Deer
3 Mule Deer
2 Eagle
1 Coyote

Not too far into the trip, we saw a big bull elk along the  left side of  highway.  That was a pull-over/picture taking moment.  Bob got us safely pulled over off the highway and I get out of the truck, camera in hand with my ‘not-so-much" running shoes on.

I ran down the side of the highway and get to where I have a perfect shot.  He was massive and his antlers were fairly good size for this time of year and they were in velvet.  He is standing perfect for the picture wanted … I click the camera and nothing happens…my camera battery just died.  So, I run back to the truck, which is several hundred yards away, and change out  the batteries.  I start running back to where the big elk bull was at, and he is still there just munching away at the grass.  I snapped a few pics and then had to make some strange noises (aka elk calls) so he would look up at me so I could get a better pic.  Luckily for me, he wasn’t the least bit interested in me or the loud noises I was making.  I wasn’t up for a elk chasing after me!!!  That was definitely an adreniline rush.

Some sights along our route today:

a coal mining operation

see how bluegreen this water is....and how you can see the bottom

Today’s journey brought us into a new time zone (now Pacific Standard Time),  a new Canadian Province (British Columbia) and we left the  beautiful Canadian Rockies.

Our trip today was mostly rainy or drizzle, and SLOW!!!  We arrived at our destination at  a little after 2:00 pm Pacific time.  Some of the roads were not the best as the pictures show below.

logging trucks were pulling on to the highway in this area

causing the highway to be a muddy mess

Total miles traveled today:  333 miles  (Approx 180 miles of today's travel is scenic with not so great highways so we went 45-50 mph on that road., Highway 40 North.)  We arrived at Dawson Creek approx. 3:20 pm. ($40/night x 2 = $80.00 Cap)

We had dinner at our camper.  Ginger & I prepared the meal.

Jesse & Bob making travel plans after eating dinner.

Tomorrow we are going to see some sights here in Dawson Creek.  

Have a good one!!!

jl