Jul 26, 2011 - Back in Canada

We had our sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage breakfast before heading out into the rain. Stopped at a small RV repair shop and had the oil changed and everything looked at for the trip back home, he also repaired the low point drain I knocked off the 2nd or 3rd day in Nebraska. It was still raining when we left Tok and most of the way to the Canadian border. The Canadians wanted to look at my shotguns and liquor, a woman border agent tried to unload my Remington 1100 as a pump, after I told her how she still almost got her fingers in...

Jul 12, 2011 - Haines Junction, Yukon, Canada

Got to bed last night around 9 or 10...or at least Dave did...Ann's a nightowl... 1:30 People with a crying kid came to room next door. Listened to that until the kid calmed down. Ann was still up and on the computer. 2:45AM Still awake...Ann still up...says she can't get to sleep. Doesn't like bed. Will be glad to get back in camper. Thought I'd never hear that!!! 3 AM OK...lets shower and get outta here!!! 4:10AM Checked out of hotel. 4:30 Coffee and McMuffins in hand from the drive thru and we're on our way south... 8:10AM At Tok RV Park...

Jun 18, 2011 - A Major Road Trip

Our three days in Skagway passed by quickly, and so the time has come to drive north into the Yukon. We had filled the car with gas the night before to the tune of $4.65/gal. There is only one gas station in the whole town of Skagway, so it can pretty much charge whatever it wants. Before we left town we stopped to buy stamps and take a few more photos of town, but by 10:00 we were driving up the Yukon Highway headed into Canada. The scenery was incredible with beautiful views around every corner. Arch and I commented that we thought it...

May 23, 2011 - 6th entry

The weather on the way from Watson Lake to Teslin was very strange, at times it was raining on one side of the road and sunny on the other. Watching for wildlife on the road was a must, Bison, Caribou and Moose don’t often move for vehicles on the road. Most of the vehicles have moose guards on the front of them. The scenery on the way to Teslin was even more beautiful than we have seen yet. The River under the Teslin Bridge was frozen solid. We stayed in a campground just on the other side of the bridge. The campground was not open because...

Sep 11, 2010 - Day 59 - Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YT

Today we traveled from Tok, AK east into Yukon Territory to the Kluane RV Kampground in Haines Junction, YT. This will probably be the longest day that Eddi has to drive, about 6.2 hours. When we leave there tomorrow, most of the driving legs will only be about 4 hours, since she is not that used to driving the coach. This leg of the trip is also the worst as far as road conditions go. There is a lot of frost heave and damaged road between the Canadian Border and Destruction Bay. The campground that we stayed at on the way to Alaska,...

Sep 10, 2010 - Travel Day To Haines Junction

I know I have started many of these blogs with "Oh, what a day". But, believe me this has really been one of those days. We traveled from Tok, crossed the Border back into Canada, to Haines Junction, Yukon Territory for a total of 292 miles. Doesn't sound like that many miles, but it seemed like 500. These roads are unbelievable. We really think they have gotten worse since we traveled them the first time. We got our RV spot in the park and as soon as Tommy got the gas turned on, I began preparing dinner. We ate and absolutely collapsed. I...

Sep 10, 2010 - Beauty and the Heaves

Date: September 10, 2010 Tonight’s Location: Haines Junction, AK Mileage: End - 52878 Start - 52585 Total Miles for the day: 293 Weather: partly sunny, a few periods of drizzle, with sun breaking through making rainbows Temperature: start 47º High 51º Wildlife count: wild horses, trumpeter swans, ducks, camp-robber jay, sandpiper, Brant (goose), pine squirrel, Arctic ground squirrel We had a relaxing start to this day, which we knew would be the most difficult day on the Alcan Highway for frost heaves. We took extra time to prepare for the...

Aug 10, 2010 - Haines Junction

It was dry overnight and partly sunny, 60 degrees in the morning. After three construction delays, we crossed the border into Canada and twenty miles later, cleared customs. We had lunch in Beaver Creek, at Buckshot Betty’s, where we sat with another retired Air Force couple from Omaha. (We miss the original “Omahas.”) Then it was the “joys” of the Alcan to Destruction Bay; when we stopped, we found that the couch had actually moved away from the wall; we had thought it was fixed in place. Drove around Kluane Lake and mountains –...

Aug 5, 2010 - Summer 2010/Alaska Caravan - Travel (Haines Junction, YT

Driving again today – tough driving at that! This is the section of the Alaska Highway that is all broken from frost heaves. For some unknown reason, the perma-frost here is very active and tears-up the road. Even though most of the road from Tok, AK to Haines Junction, YT is in Canada, the US Government has accepted responsibility for this whole section of road. They are trying all kinds of different approaches to fix the road – foam and plastic foundations, vent pipes under the road, and others. Regardless, the 182-mile drive takes about...

Jul 31, 2010 - Haines Junction, Yukon Territory

Saturday, July 31, 2010 It was 63˚ and sunny when we left Tok RV Village at 9:24 am. We went across the highway and bought 38 gallons of diesel for $3.79. We stayed on the Alaska Highway all of the 292 miles to Haines Junction. What a trip this was! If we thought the day before had lots of frost heaves this day had many more. There were several places where signs warned that the roadway was damaged and we needed to slow down. There was a 14-mile construction site that was about 20 miles west of the Canadian Border. We were stopped at 2...

Jul 20, 2010 - July 19th, Haines Junction, Yukon

July 19th,.We drove 135 miles today. We spent most of the day in Haines. Haines sets on a fiord and has a state park on the left of it and one to the right of it. The one to the right is about 7 miles out of town. The last 3 miles are gravel and dirt. There are up to 14% grades. We saw a hanging glacier and another glacier from the park. We had a slippery ride on the way out. We then went to the state park on the left, it is about 5 miles outside of town. The road there follows the fiord then a pretty blue river. We saw several bald eagles...

Jul 13, 2010 - Summer 2010/Alaska Caravan - Travel (Haines Junction, YT)

Oh, oh – a few problems today. We planned to take the Top-of-the-World Highway to Chicken, AK. It has been raining all week in Chicken, AK and we learned that several sections of the road have washed out. Since the road is impassable, the US Customs Office closed the boarder. Our Wagon-Master found out this information late yesterday afternoon and immediately began working on an alternative. Instead of traveling just 111 miles to Chicken, we now traveled 411 miles to Haines Junction, AK. This new route took us back to Whitehorse, back onto...