Crossing the Border While Respecting the Boundaries

We crossed the border and entered Alaska on Fri., Sept. 21, 2012. I did my best to expedite the process by staying on my own side of the car and keeping my mouth shut, which was not easy given that the first question we were asked was, "Why do you have Alaska license plates?"

Just so you know, the correct answer goes something like, "Because our vehicle is registered in Alaska," not "Because we stole these plates from the world famous Sign Post Forest in Watson, YT."

Almost there!

As we approach the border and get closer to these snowy, mountain peaks, I'm regretting my decision to wear flip-flops.

He said, she said: Trapped in the stairwell

Whitehorse, YT has been voted our least favorite stop on this 4,500+ mile journey three times in a row. We have many and various reasons based previous experiences in 2004 and 2009. The following can be added to that list.

He said: "Hurry up, please. I've already checked out and we need to get out of this town. I hate this place."

She said: "I'm almost ready."

He said: "I'll be in the car." 

She said: "Okay, I'll be right there. I just need a minute." 

Twenty minutes later in the parking lot, she said: "Thanks for leaving me a room key. Since I couldn't access the elevator, I tried taking the stairs. Guess what? You can't get out of the stairwell without a room key. I was trapped. How is that safe in the event of a fire?" 

He said: "So how did you get out?"

She said: "I went all of the way to the bottom and the housekeeping staff finally opened the door. I don't think they're accustomed to having guests pop in, but they were kind enough to laugh with me, not at me, and even escorted me to the exit."

He said: "Did you even try getting onto the elevator without a room key?"

She said: "No, why?"

He said: "Because you don't need a key to take the elevator down."

After a long pause, she said: "Hurry up, let's go. I hate this place."

Abandoned in the Sign Post Forest, Watson Lake, YT

The world famous Sign Post Forest is located in Watson Lake, YT. In1942 Carl K. Lindley, a U. S. Army Engineer working in the area, added a sign to a  post stating, "Danville, Illinois 2,835 miles." Travelers passing through Watson Lake have continued that tradition. I don't know the current sign count, but more than 49,000 signs had been posted in the forest by travelers from all over the globe as of 2002.

What I do know is that the forest is big enough to get lost and 'accidentally' abandoned in. I made my way back to to the car only to discover it was gone. At this point in the trip, I can't say I was surprised to find myself kicked out of the car, just disappointed that Mike didn't leave me behind in a larger city, preferably one with a full service hotel.

Eventually I found Mike in the Visitor's Center. He swears he called out for me before leaving the forest and was in fact at the visitor's center looking for me. Still,  I'm not wandering too far off from this point on, at least not until we reach civilization.

Yukon Wisdom

Overheard in the Yukon Territory:

"Driving in the Yukon is like therapy because there's no one else on the road."

"Buck was a great dog, but when we went hunting I had to set two traps if I wanted him to leave me one rabbit for breakfast in the morning. If you don't want to go hungry, you should always set two traps."

"Moose outnumber the people in the Yukon, dontcha know. There are 65,000 moose and only 27,000 of us living here. But it's hunting season and they're pretty smart, so you won't see one around here."

Photos from Muncho Lake, BC

We stayed at the Northern Rockies Lodge on Wed., Sept. 19. Beautiful place to visit but the staff is not very friendly or accommodating. We didn't have time to sit down and eat breakfast on Thursday morning but knew there wouldn't be another place to stop for food for at least a couple of hours. As we were checking out, we asked if they could make us breakfast sandwiches to go. The response, "We don't know how to make those. Our cook isn't Canadian." We tried a different approach and asked if they could possibly pack us each a piece of toast layered with eggs, a piece of bacon and topped off with a second piece of toast. As it turns out, they could easily do that...for $22. Our wallets are really missing America at this point.

(Mike had an experience similar to the breakfast sandwich experience in Alberta when we stopped at Tim Horton's for coffee. He ordered an iced coffee only to be told, "We don't know how to make that. It's not on the menu." Instead, he asked for a cup half-full of ice with some coffee poured over the ice. It took some more explaining, but was doable.)

Photos from 9/18/12 - Edmonton, AB to Fort St. John, BC (350 miles)

We began traveling on the Alaska Highway on this day.

Photos of British Columbia and the Yukon Territory

The views are stunning this time of year along the highway as it winds through the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia and into the Yukon Territory.  As we grew closer to the Yukon, many signs were posted warning of Wood Bison on the highway. Interestingly, we were so engrossed in watching for bison, which can weigh up to 2,000 pounds, that we almost hit a Willow Ptarmigan walking across the highway.

Mike's Bucket List

Mike was finally able to cross one more item off of his bucket list: Pose with giant1,500 pound, 18-foot beaver. (The town of Beaverlodge, BC unveiled the Giant Beaver, which was created to increase tourism, as part of its 75th Anniversary of incorporation on July 21, 2004.)

We Finally Reach the Alaska Highway

We reached Dawson Creek, BC, which marks Historic Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway, on Wed., Sept. 19, 2012. The Alaska Highway spans 1,420 miles between Dawson Creek and Delta Junction. Below are photos, including some depicting  conditions we encountered later. The highway is narrow with soft shoulders, steep inclines/declines, areas of loose gravel and poor visibility . For more info about the Alaska Highway, visit http://explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-mileposts.htm.

http://explorenorth.com/library/yafeatures/bl-mileposts.htm

No Vacancy or Internet in the Yukon

We arrived in Whitehorse last night only to discover the Canadian Workman Compensation Board is in town for its annual convention. We were able to get a room but all Internet and cell phone service has been down since Thursday. The connection through our portable WiFi device is slow and I can't upload photos. Will try again when we reach ciivlization, which might be today. There ae no rooms available  where we're headed, Tok, AK. We will either be sleeping in the car tonight or driving nearly 700 miles to reach Anchorage. Let the fun begin!

9/20/12 Update

We've traveled 3,369 miles so far and are about to leave a lodge on Muncho Lake, British Columbia. We drove through the Rocky Mountains yesterday. Beautiful drive. I have tons of photos to post from the last few days but the WiFi connection here is terrrible (wind is also blowing and lights are flickering). Plus, I was just informed that "We need to be on the road by 8 a.m." I hope to post some photos later today.

Wine kills germs. Who knew?

I admit that I'm somewhat of a germaphobe and traveling with me is no picnic. Every night we check in and then go through a 15-point inspection process in the room. Mike is a trooper and has gone beyond  acceptance to being a participant in the inspection process. Understandably, it would normally take a couple of bottles of bleach and lots of scrubbing to get me into a hotel jacuzzi tub. I've had a pleasant and recent discovery, after a couple of glasses of wine, no bleach is required.

Hers:

 His: