We Are Back In The U.S.A.! Reflections On Our Adventure To Western Canada and Alaska

U.S Border (Canada/Montana)

We entered back into the United States on September 25th!  Whew!  It was an adventure of a lifetime. We started in Tampa Florida on January 20th and headed west over 13,000 miles.  We visited ten states, three Canadian Provinces and one Territory along the way. It feels good to be home in the U.S. and we really feel proud to have accomplished this bucket list adventure.

Our route from Tampa Florida to Port Angeles Washington (5900 miles) 

Our route from Port Angeles, Washington to Great Falls Montana (7418 miles)

Highlights of our adventure...

Betty's RV Park
Abbeville, LA

Lost Dutchman State Park

Apache Junction, Arizona

Hearst Castle

San Simeon, California

California Coastline

Fern Canyon Hike

Redwoods State Park

California Redwood Trees

Haystack Rock

Cannon Beach Oregon

Olympia National Park
Washington

Butchart Gardens 

Vancouver Island

Zodiac Boat Trip
Tolfino, Vancouver Island

Peak to Peak Gondola Ride
Whistler, BC

Okanagan Wine Country, BC

Chetwynd Chainsaw Festival, BC 

Liard Hot Springs, BC

Grizzly Bear checking out a fish hut (he eventually got stuck in the window)

Funniest moment

Haines, Alaska

Grizzly Bear eating wildflowers
Destruction Bay, Yukon

Lulu Belle Glacier Cruise
Valdez, Alaska

Our traveling friends (Valdez, Alaska)

Cooking King Crab Legs 
(best meal ever)
Valdez, Alaska

Kenai Fjords Cruise
Seward, Alaska

Watching Game and Fish sort  salmon
Salmon Rodeo
Ninilchik, Alaska

Brown Bear Watching
Ketmai National Park and Preserve


Mt. Denali
Denali National Park

Chicken Alaska

Dempster Highway
Yukon

Salmon Glacier
Hyder, Alaska

Aurora Borealis (we saw it but not photos)
Most awesome experience
Pelly Crossing, Yukon 

K'san Historical Village
Hazelton, BC

 \
Columbia Icefield, Alberta

Jasper National Park, Alberta

Chateau Lake Louise ,Alberta

A few observations....

The roads in Alaska were in better shape then we had expected

Having campground reservations in advance worked out well. Probably would not have needed them in August and September except in the Canadian Rockies

The Glacier Boat Trips in Valdez and Seward were amazing

The trip to Kenai National Park and Preserve to see the Brown Bears was worth every penny

Gasoline and alcohol in Canada is very expensive 

We saw less wildlife in Alaska then expected

It took longer to drive from one campground to another because you have to drive much slower

Weather was better then expected

Long sleeve shirts and long underwear were worn most of the time

There were very  few mosquitoes

Groceries except in Skagway were reasonable. Finding fresh vegetables was more difficult in Alaska

Hiking the trails is the best way to really appreciate Alaska and Canada

Alaska is so VAST

We loved all the wildflowers growing along the sides of the roads in Alaska 

Did not see the moon or stars due to the midnight sun for several months

Getting used to the almost constant daylight in June and July took some getting used too. Black out shades are a must 

We enjoyed this adventure even more than expected and our expectations were high!!!

Travel to the Heart of the Klondike Gold Rush - Dawson City

Dawson City, Yukon (50ish, rain most of the time, one sunny day)

Traveling to Dawson City from Chicken Alaska involves going over the Top of the World Highway. This is a challenging stretch of road with sections of pavement, gravel, and pot holes. Lots of pot holes. From what we have gathered you either arrive in Dawson City covered in dust or covered in mud. We got mud!

The road climbs to over 4000 feet and the views are spectacular. On a clear day it must be really beautiful. John had to be very careful and stay on the road even when large trucks passed by. The shoulders of the road are very soft and steep. We had heard rumors of a few motorhomes toppling over this season. We crossed into Canada at the top of the highway and entered the Yukon Territory. It rained most of our trip and although it was only 108 miles it took us 5 hours to accomplish. It was our toughest drive.

The road ends at the Yukon River and we waited for a free ferry to take us over to Dawson City. The river was rushing and the ferry looked so small as it approached. However, we quickly got on with the expert help of the crew.

Here is a brief video of our Dawson River Crossing

Within minutes it bumped into the shore and we were off. Our campground was only a few minutes from the port. It was a welcome site.











Speaking of sights....when we arrived our motorhome and Jeep were covered in mud. People stopped to take pictures. I couldn't stop laughing at how it looked. That evening a heavy rainstorm came through and John went out and was able to brush off a lot of the mud on the motorhome during the storm. Sweet!

We really like Dawson City. It's had had an extensive renovation by Parks Canada and local residents. This historic gold rush town has been lovingly restored. It's a gem. You may remember our earlier visit to Skagway where the gold prospectors originally landed. They eventually floated down the Yukon River with all their goods to try and strick it rich.  This is where all that took place.

Here is a link to our earlier post in Skagway.

S.S. Keno

Excellent place for dinner

Yukon poet Robert Service cabin

Pretty hanging baskets adorn ths lovely home

Commissioners Rescidence

Good example of the false fronts of many of the buildings

A must see show is Diamond Tooth Gerties. It's a non-profit gambling casino which offers three completely different shows each night. It's a Klondike style, can can show and lots of fun. We went with our friends Bob and Becky for the 10 pm and midnight show. Next thing we knew Bob was commandeered to be part of the show.  He was a great sport.  Check  out his special hidden talents we were unaware of in the video below. He is the fourth person from the right. 

Lots of people have told us to be sure and stop at the Downtown Hotel and join the Sourtoe Club. Currently, believe it or not, there are over 100,000 members who have drank a cocktail which includes a shot of alcohol where your lips touch a "dehydrated" toe. "You can drink it fast, or drink it slow, but your lips gotta touch the toe".  Well, of coarse we had to check this out one evening. Barry, Becky, John, and I are now certificate carrying members. I thought there would only be a few of us who would show up. I was mistaken. There was a long line of people down the stairs and out the door most of the night waiting for their turn.  

We also enjoyed a tour of the Gold Dredge #4. This was a more effectve way to get gold and was utilized  in Dawson City and other areas from 1914 to 1959. The mechanics of this "digger" was made in Ohio and was carried by ship to the mouth of the Yukon and then by a river boat upstream where it was assembled. In today's money it cost $16.5 million dollars.  Our friend Becky called it "the largest pac man like dirt eating gold sifting monstrosity".

There were 64 two ton buckets which basically scooped up the dirt from just above the bedrock. It then entered into this structure where it was sifted.  Huge amounts of water washed the dirt and mud away and they were able to clear 200 ounces of gold per day. Amazing!

Slues where the water separated out the rock and gold

You can probably tell we had a great time n Dawson Coy. It really exceeded our expectations and ts a fun place to visit. It's not the easiest place to get to but well worth the effort. 

Campground Review:  Gold Rush Campground, 3 stars, 30 amp gravel full hook up, parking lot style, sites very close together, terrible WiFi. good Verizon signal. What is great about this campground is it's location. You can walk downtown and visit all the attractions and restaurants.