A day in Dawson Creek to catch our breath.

We woke up early this morning without an alarm clock but had a much more relaxed time to enjoy our morning coffee and tea.  At 7:30 we walked across the parking lot to the hall where the local Rotary Club was hosting a breakfast for us of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages.  Terry shared the story of the convoy including the planning and then the Rotary conducted their morning meeting.

I took some time to clean out some cupboards and organize all of the Convoy 'stuff' while Lou went and did a few loads of laundry.  It was nice to be able to get things organized again in the RV and pull out some clean sheets and towels etc.

We joined Muriel and Terry for lunch at "Stuies Diner".  It is an old style Diner that we learned is constructed in Alberta and serves great food.

After lunch we took a drive out to the Kiskatinaw Bridge which is about 21 miles  from Dawson Creek.  When the Convoy left town on August 4th, the Military Vehicles detoured from the main highway over to a part of the 'old alaska highway' and drove over the bridge.  Because the bridge is curved and narrow, the RVs didn't take that route and missed the bridge.

Information about the building of the bridge.

Mile marker on the highway near the bridge.

The wooden bridge.

Another view.

A butterfly came to visit.

For dinner the convoy participants that were still in Dawson Creek all went for dinner at Boston Pizza and then said our good-byes.  We met some wonderful people and saw some amazing scenery.



Fort St. John to Dawson Creek

Thursday August 30th, we left Fort St. John at 9am for the shortest journey of the entire convoy.  We only had 53 miles to go and pulled into the Mile "0" RV Park at about 10:00am.  After checking in we took the RV and trailer over to the truck wash and probably rinsed off about 20 lbs. of dirt.  It still needs a good scrubbing but it's much better than it was.

Lots of dead BUGS!!!

We chose to skip the luncheon and went to the White Spot for lunch.  In the evening we attended the wind-up banquet which was held at the George Dawson Inn and they put on a lovely buffet dinner. 

The Convoy totalled 4109 miles.  We left Dawson Creek on August 4th and returned August 30th.  There was one head-on collision, one jeep roll-over, many flat tires and lots of other mechanical 'adjustments' but no one was hurt and everyone kept rolling along.

Fort Nelson to Fort St. John

Wednesday August 29th, we pulled out of Fort Nelson at 6:45 heading for Fort St. John.  The roads were good so we made good time even with a delay at a construction area. We made a couple of short rest stops and a stop for lunch at a little coffee shop in Pink Mountain and pulled into the Rotary Campground in Fort St. John at 12:30pm.  What a great campground.  We had nice roomy sites and even were treated to grassy areas.

It was a peaceful afternoon and a quiet nite.

At 7:00am we headed out of the campground and over to the Legion for a really nice breakfast.  There was a short driver's meeting before we all pulled out at 9:00am for our last daily drive of just over 50 miles into Dawson Creek.

The Fort St. John Legion.

A cool statue in front of the School District Office.

A line of support vehicles ready to go.

Liard River to Fort Nelson

Tuesday, August 28th we pulled out of Liard River at 6:50 after a brief driver’s meeting.  Our first break was at Toad River Lodge and fuel was $1.69/Litre so we only added $50 worth.  We stopped for lunch at Steamboat Mountain Rest Area and just made a sandwich. 

Lots of wildlife were out today.  We saw quite a few Bison, Cariboo, Mountain Goats and some Deer.  At times they were on the road and we had to come to a stop before they would leave.

The problem with being the advance team and on the radio - I couldn't stop and take pictures so I borrowed this one from Janet D.

We arrived in Fort Nelson about 11:45 and went straight to the Blue Bell Motel and RV Park.  We fueled up at $1.50/Litre and went and hooked up the RV in the ‘dirt parking lot with hook-ups’ they called RV sites. 

At 5pm there was a Military Vehicle parade down the main streets lead by the RCMP.  It was raining off and on so we chose to remain in the truck on the side of the road and watch. 

After the parade, the town hosted a bar-b-q of hamburgers and hotdogs but we decided to join another couple and hit the Boston Pizza instead.  I think it was a good choice because when we came out after dinner – it was pouring and the Bar-b-q was outside under large tents.

Back to the RV around 7pm and enjoyed a quiet evening listening to the rain on the roof with the fireplace on.

Swift River to Liard River Hot Springs

Monday, August 27th we pulled out of Rancheria at 6:30 but this morning we were armed with hot coffee and muffins courtesy of Brad & Nancy Nelson.  They travel in an MV and tow a small trailer that has a machine in it to make ‘dog tags’.  Brad has been busy making and selling ‘dog tags’ along the trip in most towns and because sales have been so good – he decided to share the wealth and treated us all to breakfast.

The roads were good and our first stop was at Watson Lake for fuel and a break.  Diesel was $1.40/Litre so we filled up as we were advised that at our night stop it was almost $2.00.
We continued along and saw a few dead animals along the highway.  A Bison, a cow and a small black bear as well as a porcupine.  Farther along we came across quite a few Bison grazing on the side of the road.

A sign we saw many times along the road.

A bit of the winding road.

We stopped for lunch at Allan’s Lookout and just made a sandwich and took a ½ hour break.  We then continued on to Liard River Lodge and RV Park where we pulled in just before noon and set up camp.  Since we were at least 3 hours ahead of the MVs we decided to take a nap. 

Some of the ladies took a walk up to the Hot Springs but said they were scared by 2 bears when walking back.  A little later the park ranger stopped traffic going in and out of the Provincial Campground because of the 2 bears that were in a tree at the entrance.

The MVs started rolling around 3:30 and were all in and settled by 5:00.  The campground had one diesel and one gas pump and it was selling for $1.97/Litre.  We sat outside for a nice dinner with Muriel and Terry and then just had a quiet evening.

Whitehorse to Swift River

Sunday, August 26th we left Whitehorse at 6:30 leading the support vehicles.  The road was much better and we were able to maintain 55mph most of the time.  We had a brief rest break around 8am and then continued on to The George Johnstone Museum where they hosted a luncheon for us so we waited for the MVs to arrive and then headed back out on the road about 1:15pm.

We continued on to Rancheria Lodge and RV Park and were assigned a pull through site in the trees with 30amp power but no water or sewer.  We pulled out the propane grill and cooked a nice dinner of chicken and bison burgers along with potato salad and brown beans.

 

After dinner there was a driver’s meeting and then we pretty much called it an early night around 9pm.

Rest Day in Whitehorse

We slept in today and took our time to have our breakfast and showers and then headed downtown.  We went to get a few more groceries and I also checked out the local Quilt Shop.  Most fabrics were around $18 a metre so I only bought a pattern by a local quilter.  We walked around the downtown area for a bit and then headed back to the RV for lunch.

Waterfront Trolley

Mural on wall of CBC radio.

World's largest weather vane.

Our truck & trailer are filthy.

After lunch we just lazed around and did a couple of loads of laundry.  It was nice to have a rest day but we are back to the early mornings again tomorrow. 

Haines Junction to Whitehorse

This morning before hitting the road we had a driver's meeting out front of the Kluane RV Park where the majority of the Convoy stayed last night.  The RCMP from Haines Junction came out at 7am to block any traffic and escort us out of town. 

Once on the road we were heading into the sun as it was coming over the mountains and it was so beautiful.  The drive today was very pretty and the roads were much better.

After a brief rest stop along the way, we arrived at Pioneer RV Park in Whitehorse at 9:15am.  We fueled up and hooked up the RV and then just sat around while everyone waited for the MVs to roll into town.  Around noon we headed downtown to get a bite to eat and pick up a few groceries.  I took a few pictures around town as they have some interesting places.

The S.S. Klondike

Cute Barber Shop

A 'BIG' chair and desk.

White Pass train car.

Outside the Interpretive Centre.

We went back to the RV and took a nap and just had some quiet time.  Tomorrow is a free day and we are expecting rain so I might just knit and read all day.

Beaver Creek to Haines Junction

Thursday, August 23rd we all met at the staging area and there was a presentation for the cast of the show that many convoy participants enjoyed the previous night. 

We then pulled out at 7am with the Support Vehicles leading the MVs as we paraded slowly through town.  There were lots of people on the roadside taking pictures and waving as we left town. 

The road today was not very good.  There were lots of frost heaves and a few construction areas.  The sun was shining and the views were fabulous.

We made a couple of rest stops and arrived in Haines Junction at 12:30pm.  The truck and trailer are soooooo dirty from the construction zones. 

Tok, Alaska to Beaver Creek, Yukon

Wednesday, August 22nd we were on the road at 6:30am leading the support vehicles back into Canada.  We only saw one rabbit and a fox along the road. Once we crossed into the Yukon we found some nasty roads.  They were doing road work so we had some very rough washboard gravel.  About 20 miles later we came through the Canadian Customs and then pulled into the town of Beaver Creek. We set up camp at the Westmark RV Park and walked up the highway to Buckshot Betty`s to try one of her famous Cinnamon Buns.

The people look real but they arn't.

Once the MVs arrived there was a driver’s meeting and then it was a nice quiet afternoon – perfect for a nap.  With no TV or internet we did some reading and I did a little knitting.

North Pole to Tok

Tuesday, August 21st we again slept in and hit the road around 8:30am.  We only had about 85 miles to go so we took our time and took a short coffee break along the way.  We came across a long bridge and were able to get a great view of the Alaska Pipeline.

At Delta Junction we went directly to the Fairgrounds to meet up with the MV’s.  The local Lions Club provided us with a nice bag lunch and there was a ceremony with the local dignitaries and the  Military personel from Fort Greeley presented the colors.

The community brought in school buses to transport us to the Visitor`s Centre and the Alaska Highway End Mile Post.   They took group photos and supplied us with cake and ice cream for desert.

Once again we were on the road and headed for Tok.  We pulled into Tok about 4:30 and stayed at Tundra RV Park.  We made a quick meal and then headed over for a driver`s meeting.  We fueled up, hosed off the truck, did a little shopping and headed back to the RV.  We went to bed at 9:30pm.

Denali to North Pole, Alaska

Monday, August 20th we decided to sleep in this morning as the MV’s were taking a different route than the support vehicles.  They pulled out at 6:30am heading south for the Denali Hwy which is 130 miles of rough gravel and they stayed the night in Paxson.  We pulled out around 8:30am and headed north for Fairbanks and stayed the night in North Pole, Alaska.  Our road was very good and we stayed at the Riverview RV Park with full hook-ups.  Once we were situated on our sites, 5 of us piled in the truck and headed out for lunch at Little Richards Diner. It was a fun place with great food and lots of it.  

After lunch we went over to Santa Clause House and dropped a few dollars.  We then went to the visitors centre and also to see the original ‘North Pole’.  The town of North Pole is very quaint with red & white striped streetlights.

We then went back to RV to get some laundry done and have a little R & R.