July 21, 2005 (Fri)
Golden Nugget Camper Park, Anchorage, AK (2)
Although this park has hookups available we have chosen to save $10 a night by using a no-hookup site. An RV caravan is coming in today so we "borrowed" one of the full hookup sites to dump and top off our water supply (most campgrounds have separate special facilities for this). Then we took off in search for a gas station where we've earned a 6 cent per gallon discount with a $50 plus purchase at a Safeway Supermarket.
There was a fast lube place nearby so we went on and had Q's oil changed. The fellows there suggested that we might want to have our battery checked and recommended a specialist. Two tests: battery good. Two tests (and owner conclusion): battery bad. We now have an "Alaska Gold" battery and Q is like a new motor home.
Bob, Pat, Ed, and Kathy were waiting for us when we got back and we all took off for some shopping, lunch and sightseeing. Red Robin is a gourmet hamburger chain around here. The hamburgers were very good - and free as it turned out! We waited over an hour because our order got lost so we weren't charged. We kind of wished we'd ordered more expensive burgers.
After lunch we took a self guided sculpture tour of the city. The sculptures were a little disappointing but we got to know the city. Anchorage also has painted salmon sculptures (not part of the tour) similar to New York's cows and Lakeland, FL's swans. They were interesting.
We also went out to Lake Hood to take a look at the worlds largest and busiest seaplane base (600 take offs and landing on a peak summer day) and Merrill Field (104th busiest light plane airport in the nation) also right there too. Result: many, many little airplanes. Not much activity though.
Mount McKinley was visible from the road. We have really been lucky!
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July 22, 2005 (Fri)
Golden Nugget Camper Park, Anchorage, AK (3)
While Ed and Kathy were off to have the 10,000 mile service done on their motor home, we and Bob and Pat went downtown to check out some quilt and yarn shops. Kim had reported that The Quilt Tree was the better of the two in town so we went there first. It was, in deed, a nice quilt shop well stocked with good fabric. The yarn Branch was located in one corner of the shop. The yarn selection was limited but of good quality. We found a better selection at Knitting Frenzy but the proprietor and assistant (we assume) were more intent on the conversation between them than selling yarn.
We also stopped at a store owned and operated by a musk ox yarn cooperative (native indians). The yarn is very light, very soft, and apparently very warm. It is also very expensive at $90 a skein. Joy bought a $3 sample (1 ounce). On the way home we stopped at Costco, across the street from the campground, for a few things.
After lunch Joy and Pat went to check out a used book store - two as it turned out, one of which was huge to the extreme - while Mark and Bob stayed home to clean up some things that have been put off due to intense sightseeing. The rest of the afternoon was devoted to enjoying
the sunny low 80s weather.
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July 23, 2005 (Sat)
Williwaw Campground, Chugach National Forest #17 dry $6.00 B-
Anchorage, AK to Girdwood, AK (66/6593 miles) Q018907
The bicycle trails in Anchorage are extensive and complex. We and Bob and Pat found a trail head near our campground and entered the network. Before we were done we had ridden all the way across the city and out the other side and to the airport. All along the way there were
intersections with other trails complete with sign posts as distance markers. We were lucky to make it back with only one wrong turn. We went 20.3 miles.
We had planned to stay one more night but when we got back to the campground we found that there was no unreserved site available for Ed and Kathy - we were OK because our motor homes are smaller. So we all packed up and left.
The Seward Highway south along Turnagain Arm was beautiful - bright sunshine, blue sky, fluffy clouds, and snow laced mountains plunging into the water. It helped soften our disappointment about losing the extra day in Anchorage.
We checked into the nearly full Williwaw Campground and headed out to see Portage Glacier. This involved an hour boat trip on Portage Lake and was well worth the cost of the ticket. Seeing a glacier up close was an exciting experience, like seeing what we've always thought of as the "real" Alaska. We were disappointed not to see it "calve", a chunk breaking off into the water, but not many people do.The late afternoon and evening were spent peacefully and restfully on our own.
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July 24, 2005 (Sun)
Williwaw Campground, Chugach National Forest (2)
The drizzle started as we all piled into Ed and Kathy's toad and headed for Whittier. The only way to reach Whittier, except by boat, is through the longest highway tunnel in North America - 2.5 miles long. It is one way and shared with the railroad. Every hour on the half hour traffic is allowed into the tunnel eastbound. Every hour on the hour traffic is allowed into the tunnel west bound. When there is a train all auto traffic is held up. We wondered what would happen if a train came along during the 6 minutes or so that we were in the tunnel. Fortunately we didn't have to find out.
Whittier was built as a year round ice free port on Prince William Sound during the second world war and even today there is very little to see. What there was, shops etc., were closed (combination of our being there too early and it being Sunday. We left when the tunnel opened west bound. "Been there, done that".For lunch we went up the highway the other way, toward the village of Girdwood, to a little restaurant at a ski resort that specialized in soup and sandwiches. The grilled pastrami and cheddar (Mark) and grilled veggie and swiss (Joy) on thick sliced sourdough bread were superb! We stopped at a local farmers/craft market on the way home. "Local" sums it up.The tide comes into Turnagain Arm with attitude. Under certain
conditions the "Bore Tide" comes in as a wave 12 to 18 inches high. Theconditions were right for a good one tonight so everyone but Kathy piled into Ed and Kathy's toad and headed for 20 Mile River, the closest good viewing point. It was supposed to pass that point at 9:04. We waited until 10:15. No bore Tide! It was evidently on the way because there were two cars there who had seen it down the road and were there to seeit again. But it was late and we got tired of waiting.
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July 25, 2005 (Mon)
Best Western King Salmon RV Park #15 w/e/s $21.00 C+
Girdwood, AK to Soldotna, AK (110/6712 miles) Q019017
It rained steadily and hard all night and it was still raining this morning as we broke camp. Q was sitting in a lake that we had to move out of to keep from getting our feet too wet. Although we'd been dry camping for several days, we had enough water left to take showers this morning. We are really getting good at conserving water!
We got off at 7:55 (57.9°) and headed on down the Seward Highway. In Soldotna we got spaces in an RV park in back of and run by the Best Western Motel - these days full of salmon fishermen hoping to bring home lockers loaded with fish. Bob and Pat took off to visit Pat's cousin who lives here in town and Ed and Kathy left to see friends who live in a town south of here. This left us to our own devices so, after lunch and laundry, we went grocery shopping and topped off Q's gas tank. We also went to a Jo-Ann Fabrics (shudder) to pick up some fabric for a picnic table cloth.
To Soldotna, AK - #52-14
To Anchorage - #52-13
July 12, 2005 (Tue)
Pioneer Park RV Campground, Fairbanks, AK (3)
Pioneer Park is on the Tanana River. This morning we discovered a bike path along the river while we were out walking. The mosquitoes are a little more abundant there but not bad. It apparently goes all the way to city center (Pat rode her bike there later) but we went only a mile and a half before turning back. It was a lovely walk.
A trip to the migratory bird sanctuary was next on our agenda. It turned out to be a big empty field. It might have been interesting during migration season but not today. No one was interested in the dairy barn tour available at the same location. We then went to the Alaska Bowl Co. factory. That was interesting as we were able to watch part of the production process but the bowls were too expensive.
Before lunch we took Q to Sears to have his battery checked again (Wamart checked it yesterday and found nothing wrong) and again the tests showed nothing wrong. There still seems to be a problem but since Sears charged us for their testing they must be right. After lunch Mark, Bob, and Ed went to the library to do email. Later Joy and Pat went into city center with Ed and Kathy to check out a craft shop - and others.
We are now in another part of the parking lot. Busses bringing tourists to the Alaska Salmon Bake often wait for their charges to eat their fill - with engines running - near our motor homes! Most annoying!
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July 13, 2005 (Wed)
Pioneer Park RV Campground, Fairbanks, AK (4)
Today we took a ride on Discovery III. No not the space shuttle, a sternwheeler riverboat. We boarded at 8:45 for a 3 1/2 hour "cruise" down the Chena River and then up the Tanana River a way. Although it wasn't a long trip and was tightly orchestrated, it was very well done and interesting. In addition to the informative running commentary, we stopped to watch a float plane take off (twice) and land (once), a reindeer herd come out of the woods, Susan Butcher exercise her dogs, and an Athabascan Indian village. Susan Butcher has won the previously male dominated 1,100-mile Iditarod dogsled race four times (1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990). She lives on the Chena River and came out to talk with us before she took some of her dogs for a (fast!) run pulling a disabled ATV.
We actually got off the boat at the indian village where we were treated to four excellent interpretive talks around the village.
It was a beautiful day, sunny and 80° so this afternoon we just "hung out" at our parking lot camp site and read - to the wonderful sound of dueling generators. Ed and Kathy left for Denali this morning, while we were on our cruise. Chip and Kim left mid afternoon. We, and Bob and Pat are off tomorrow.
While we were cooking our tailgate salmon barbecue for supper, the parking lot around us began to fill up with vintage cars, sports cars, and trucks. Thirty some of them! Apparently they were gathering for a parade. An old jeep wrangler, painted bright red, sported flags on both front fenders and a sign stating "Vernon L. Nash Antique Car Club of Fairbanks". Q, vintage 2003, was definitely out of place in their midst. Then they were gone in a single long line bound for downtown Fairbanks.
Dominoes ended the day.
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July 14, 2005 (Thu)
Denali RV Park & Motel #J6 elec $22.50 C+
Fairbanks, AK to Denali Park, AK (143/6202 miles) Q018516
Up at 6:00 (50°), Showers, Breakfast and off at 7:10 (60.4° and clear). There was on and off road construction for the first 25 miles or so. Construction here usually means the road surface is completely taken up and discarded leaving dirt, gravel, or today, mud. Guide cars kept us from going too fast or sliding off the road. the rest of the trip, though somewhat flat with a slow steady climb, was beautiful. We could see snow covered mountains off in the distance most of the way.
In the visitor's center in Nenana, AK we were given sightseeing ideas by an enthusiastic (maybe overly enthusiastic) older gentleman. He's retired from driving a tour bus in Denali National Park and loves helping people enjoy visiting the area. While there, we toured the old railroad depot building and stopped in to see St. Mark's Episcopal Church (a log structure) around the corner. The pews are hand carved and the altar cloth is a bleached moose hide beaded by local women.
Once we were settled into our campsites, we went into Denali National Park to insure that our reservations were in order. They were, but it's good we went on and got the chore out of the way today. Arranging for the bus ride deep into the park got rather complicated. The visitor's center (new and still under construction) had a wonderful movie about the character of the park with very little voice-over narration. The interpretive displays were equally well done.
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July 15, 2005 (Fri)
Teklanika Campground #46 dry $8.00g A-
Denali Park, AK to Denali National Park, AK (27/6229 miles) Q018543
Up at 6:00 (53°) and off at about 6:45. Our stay in the National park will be four nights without hookups or facilities except for toilets - i.e. no fresh water and no dump station. Once in the campground - about 20 miles into the park - Q is not allowed leave it until the end of our stay. Needless to say, we emptied our holding tanks and took on a full tank of fresh water on our way in.
We were denied access to the restricted area until 10:00 because - well, the reasons vary and none are really credible. More confusion! But to make up for the hour and a half wait at the gate, a caribou became our road companion for a while on the way in. He jumped out in front of us and trotted down the middle of the road ahead of us for over a mile. He was a little wary of us being there behind him, he kept looking back over his shoulder, but not wary enough to detour into the shrubbery. We also got a rare view of Mount McKinley. It was a hazy view from a distance but it wasn't completely shrouded in clouds as it usually is. Beautiful!
After getting set up in our campsite and eating lunch, we and Bob and Pat took a 7 mile bicycle ride deeper into the park. The weather - big puffy white clouds with the temperature in the low 80s - was perfect, the scenery - mountains all around - magnificent, and the road - gravel with only a couple of steep hills - tolerable. For wildlife we saw only a grizzly bear far off and on the other side of the Teklanika River.
July 16,2005 (Sat)
Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park, AK (2)
Access to Denali National Park is severely restricted. At Teklanika Campground, we are as far in as private vehicles are permitted to go and only campers are allowed this far. To go further we needed to purchase passes on the park shuttle bus which we had and today we went the rest of the way in - 100 miles round trip. What a trip it was! Had our bus been painted yellow it would have been a school bus. It was green. The road was a narrow, twisting, winding one lane gravel path into the most spectacular country we've seen so far. Like the Dall sheep we saw high in the mountains along the way we often clung to sides of the steep mountain walls and looked down into the flat rocky river beds hundreds of feet below. Our bus driver was asked how high up we were. "Fifteen bus-rolls." he said, "But I can make it in ten." It's hard to understand why some of those roads didn't slide off into the void. The bus was way too long to make it around some of the turns, but it did, and far too wide to pass another bus on that road, but it did constantly.
Our driver/guide knew the road and his subject well from several years of experience. He also knew where the wildlife might be located but his passengers helped by yelling "stop" when we saw an animal. And other buses indicated a sighting by stopping on the road. As a result we saw not only the Dall sheep but several grizzly bears - some with cubs, caribou, mooses, foxes - one a vixen with three kits at their den, a golden eagle - and nest, and a couple of gyr falcons - a rare sighting so our driver said. At Wonder Lake, the end of the road, we were 90 miles from the nearest commercial establishment and well over a hundred miles from the nearest McDonalds. And most amazing of all, we were less than 600 miles from Russia!
We staggered into our campsite after the nine hour adventure exhausted and rump sore but fulfilled.
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July 17, 2005 (Sun)
Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park, AK (3)
We started off today with Bob celebrating Holy Eucharist for us in Ed and Katy's motor home - A nice way to begin a day with uncertain weather prospects. It was pouring rain when we got up and we both got soaked trudging over to the rest rooms. It did stop raining though and the sun came out a few times during the day. The temperature never got above 66° though. We spent the rest of the day, most of it anyway, just sitting around enjoying this beautiful place.
This evening we all got together at Bob and Pat's motor home to help Chip and Kim celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Bob and Pat fixed hot wings and barbecued lamb. The rest of us filled in the gaps.
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July 18,2005 (Mon)
Teklanika Campground, Denali National Park, AK (4)
It was raining again this morning and the sky looked as if it might keep up all day and it did. With no sun to warm things up the temperature only got up to 57°. Chip and Kim said last night that they planned to leave this morning and they apparently did as we haven't seen them. They were in another part of the campground so we can't tell from here. Ed and Kathy were going to leave this morning too but decided to wait until afternoon in hopes that the rain would let up some.
We'd hoped to do some bicycling today but instead we hung out inside reading, knitting and napping. In the evening we played dominoes with Bob and Pat.
Q is still giving us a problem starting. It's intermittent and does start with some coaxing - and a boost from the house batteries. We are debating what to do about it.
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July 19, 2005 (Tue)
Byers Lake Campground, Denali State Park, AK #D5 dry $10.00 C-
Denali National Park, AK to Denali SP, AK (120/6349 miles) Q018663
4 days dry camped and we still had a half tank of fresh water. Our reward for being frugal was much needed showers. We got off at about 7:30 and drove out on a 15 mile ribbon of mud slurry - from yesterday's rain - before hitting the paved road. The weather was definitely better than yesterday but the haze/fog/cloud was too thick to see Mount McKinley. But the mountains we could see were beautiful, shrouded in cloud with heavy fog lying in the valleys. We dumped the holding tanks and took on fresh water at the park entrance. Then we were southbound on the George Parks Highway (AK-3).
Along the way and out in the middle of nowhere we overtook a fellow frantically pumping a wheelchair down the shoulder of the highway. A sign on the back of his escort car read "Caution wheelchair racer ahead". A few miles later we came across another and still further, others - some 10 or 12 in all). We learned later that they were on the third 50 mile leg of the "Sadler's Ultra Challenge" a 267 mile Fairbanks to Anchorage wheelchair race. 267 miles in a wheelchair in 6 days! Think about it.
Our plan was to spend the night at Denali View North campground. We thought it would be a fantastic place to camp with a panoramic view of the Alaska Range featuring Mount McKinley. The "campground" turned out to be a parking lot at an overlook. That wouldn't have been a problem except that the it was also finish line for today's leg of the wheelchair race. The parking lot was filled up with racer service tents and refreshment tables, official vehicles, news vehicles, and exhausted racers. We could have found room but decided to go on because the mountain was not visible anyway. Byer's Lake campground, also in Denali State Park, is typical "state park" - in the woods with plenty of space between sites. It's a nice campground but the mosquitos are prevalent and the pit toilets are in need of maintenance.
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July 20, 2005 (Wed)
Golden Nugget Camper Park #206 dry $17.00 B
Denali State Park to Anchorage, AK (178/6527 miles) Q018841
Up at 6:00 (51°) to find clear skies and the thought that Mount McKinley might be visible. So we walked up the half mile path to the Alaska Veteran's Memorial where we were treated to the most spectacular view. The mountain was crystal clear and dominated the western landscape. It was like a huge snow bank towering over the closer jagged mountains of trees and rock. The sun made it glow as if lit from within. What a way to start the day!
We drove up the the memorial overlook on the way out for another look at Mt Mckinley then proceeded south on the George Parks Highway. Other view points along the highway were socked in with fog but Denali View South - an overlook - gave us a clear view. But the parking lot was also being used as the start for today's leg of the wheelchair race so there was a lot of activity there.
The rest of the trip down was beautiful but uneventful except for almost running out of gas in Wasilla - the gas gauge showed empty as we sat dead stopped in a construction traffic jam. We also took a side trip to the village of Talkeetna. Pretty little town but not at all set up to take large RVs - no place for them to park. Talkeetna Roadhouse Restaurant is also a bakery - Wonderful raspberry scones, cinnamon buns, and blueberry cinnamon buns. We were very bad!
We pulled into the Golden Nugget Camper Park in the middle of Anchorage at about 1:20. We'll be here at least three nights. Chip and Kim joined us for dominoes after supper. They got here last night and are leaving tomorrow.
Top of the World #52-12
July 7, 2005 (Thu)
West Fork Campground #7 dry $4.00 c-
Dawson City, YT to West Fork, AK (131/5792 miles) Q018106
Last night we woke up several times, never in the dark. It never got dark. Even at 2:30am it seemed like only early dusk. If we'd opened our shades, we could have read without turning the light on. It made getting up at 4:30 easy so we could get off at 5:52 (53.6°). We headed for the ferry across the Yukon River under blue skies with high puffy clouds - a beautiful morning! The ferry was very small, able to carry only a couple of RVs and 4 or 5 cars (or the equivalent) in two lanes. We got off early in hope of avoiding the "rush hour traffic" of a departing caravan. We just made it! As we cast off there were 11 RVs in line waiting. The 11th may have had to wait as long as 1 1/2 hours!
The section of our route we were on is called "The Top of the World Highway" And what an apt name! From the ferry landing, we climbed nearly 1500 feet into the mountains on a gravel road and were treated to a wonderful view of Dawson City and the Yukon and Klondike River valleys far below. The road continued to climb for several miles presenting panoramic views out either side (and sometimes both at once). Topping out at over 4000 feet the trees were gone, we were above the timber line, and the views of mountains were endless. Except for the gravel road - so rough at times that 25 MPH was way too fast - it reminded us of the Blue Ridge Parkway but without any sign of civilization. It was 106 miles of wilderness and spectacular views. It was also an exciting ride. There were many times when the edge of that rough, very dusty road dropped hundreds (maybe thousands) of feet directly down into the river valley below without the protection of either shoulder or guard rail. One doesn't go to sleep at the wheel on that road!
Chicken, Alaska is a tiny village with a few stores, a post office and a couple of campgrounds. We stopped, perused all the stores, mailed some post cards, for the post mark, and went on. West Fork campground, 20 miles further on, belongs to the U.S. people and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Like a National Forest campground, it is low on amenities - there are pit toilets only - but it's not a parking lot like those in Chicken. The mosquitoes are bad but the camp fire seems to be holding them at bay.
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July 8, 2005 (Fri)
West Fork Campground, West Fork, AK (2)
We are so far out in the wilderness here (Chicken 20 miles North, Tok 50 miles south, and nothing but this campground between) that we can't get any radio, not even the ever popular high powered rock music stations. Obviously there's no TV, cell phone, or WiFi either. Some would find this uncomfortable but we like it. In fact we've decided to stay another night. Chip and Kim needed to go on so it was only us and Bob and Pat (and Thandi, their poodle).
Our campground host, Don Marshal, is a WW2 veteran of Iwo Jima among other battles. He drove a tank. Since being discharged from the army he has lead a very interesting life with many varied careers. Among them is writer and has had several fiction and non-fiction books published. Because we seemed interested, he stopped by this afternoon to loan us three of the books he has written, one was a magazine devoted to the battle of Iwo Jima in which he was the principal author telling of his experiences there and explaining some of the photos taken, including the famous one of GIs raising the flag. Another is a book about ship wrecks off the coast of Oregon. And a third was a compilation of common words and phrases that have their root in terminology of the sea. i.e. bamboozle, Posh, big wig, between the devil and the deep blue sea, and even little bo peep. He is a very interesting fellow.
The afternoon was devoted to sitting around reading and enjoying a beautiful warm day. This evening it was another rousing game of dominos.
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July 9, 2005 (Sat)
Tundra Lodge & RV Park #15 w/e $20 A+
West Fork, AK to Tok, AK (62/5854 miles) Q018168
Up at 6:00 (50°) off at 7:25 (57°) Another beautiful clear morning with a few clouds. Although it was cool last night it has warmed up nicely. Traveling South on the Taylor Highway, we could see how devastating the forest fires were last year. We drove through mile after mile of dead and charred trees and the hill and mountain sides were black and barren as well. We understandably saw no wildlife - except for a young red fox who obligingly stood watching us as we looked at him. At one turn out we thought we could see Mt McKinley but the campground operator doubted we would be able to see it from there. We may continue to believe we did though.
We rolled into Tok at about 9:15 and found Ed and Katy waiting for us in road side pull out. After some discussion we decided to stay at Tundra RV Park as originally planned. It's a very nice campground with roomy, quiet and wooded sites at a good price. The atmosphere is very much "state park".
After an in-motorhome Eucharist it was dinner at Fast Eddy's down the road. The fish and chips - although they called it Halibut Fingers - was delicious and the restaurant lived up to its name. Service was prompt but we never felt hurried. Six hand dominoes at 7:00 in the campground office lobby yielded great fun.
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July 10, 2005 (Sun)
Pioneer Park RV Campground # dry $10
Tok, AK to Fairbanks, AK (205/6059 miles) Q018373
We went to sleep with rain on the roof last night even though there was blue sky all around. Up this morning at 6:30 (54°) and off at 7:00. There is a bicycle trail north out of Tok along the Alaska Highway. We'll have to remember that for next time. The snow laced mountains of the Alaska Range, muted to pastel by hazy distance, made a beautiful picture straight ahead. The road was mostly flat and straight - except where it curved to around the base of one set of mountains and the next. Wildlife was scarce, as it has been the last several days, but we did see a big bull moose with a huge set of antlers cross the road up ahead then stand to watch us approach. Another car approaching fast southbound scared him into the woods. A female who crossed the road a few miles on didn't even pause, she was into the woods long before we got to her.
Delta junction is the official end of the Alaska Highway - mile post 1422. We stopped to have our picture taken in front of the sign post stating that, to prove that we had made it. The name of a dog grooming place on the way into town: Doggie Style. This is where we picked up the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks. It's where we now sit in a parking lot for Pioneer Park, a city run small amusement park. What an experience it was driving here - 4 lane highways, big buildings, and heavy traffic. It's been a long time since we've experienced such civilized surroundings! After settling in, we went with Ed and Kathy to do some shopping at Sam's and the Safeway. Chip and Kim arrived while we were gone.
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July 11, 2005 (Mon)
Pioneer Park RV Campground, Fairbanks, AK (2)
Now that we're back in civilization we had some real shopping to do - Walmart first for a new inverter, and RV supply store for a part shaken off Bob and Pat's motor home, the post office to mail packages and buy stamps, and a grocery store. Joy says that the grocery shopping was the most exciting because it was a "real" grocery store for a change. It was a "Fred Meyers" store and was more like a Walmart Supercenter - huge and maybe a step up in quality. Lunch was a buffet at Pizza Hut but we won't talk about that!
This afternoon, while Mark, Ed, and Kathy hunted up the city library to "do" email and web research, Joy, Pat, Bob, Chip and Kim ventured out of town to find a yarn shop. The shop was in the owner's home, a log cabin - through the living room and up stairs - and had some wonderful yarn. Most interesting was Yak yarn at $90 a small skein from the under side of a Yak. It's still on the shelf out there! Later we all went to the University of Alaska Museum to see the displays on local Native American history. It was very small but very good and interesting. On the way home we stopped at the University experimental gardens. It was so interesting to see what all the additional sunlight can do for plants and flowers.
Pioneer Park is really a grouping of reconstructed or moved, gold rush one room log cabins converted into little shops. There is an amusement area for kids - small kids. The only ride suitable for adults is on a small train that circumvents the park. "The Alaska Salmon Bake" is also part of the park. At $28 a head for all you can eat, it remains untested.
Whitehorse to Dawson City - #52-11
July 2, 2005 (Sat)
Pioneer RV Park, Whitehorse, YT (2)
We both slept well last night - and late. We didn't get up until well after six. After breakfast we went with Ed and Kathy to see Miles Canyon - a narrowing of the Yukon River - where many gold rush miners lost their supplies or lives trying to negotiate the rapids. It was interesting but not spectacular. A hydroelectric dam has since been built that has calmed the waters greatly. We were going to tour the S.S.Klondike, a stern wheeler used during the gold rush to transport supplies, but found it booked up with a caravan group. We were going to eat lunch at the best Chinese buffet in Whitehorse but found it closed, as were most other stores, because of Canada Day weekend. Staples and Walmart were open though. So was a knitting shop where Joy bought some yarn from Nepal. The quilt shop was closed because it had a flood last night - both shops are in the basement of a larger building. We couldn't locate Canyon City, a ruin that Ed and Kathy were interested in seeing but we did find the fish ladder built to help salmon negotiate the dam. We also explored some back roads.
This afternoon we sat back and put our feet up in preparation for a hot domino game in the evening.
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July 03,2004 (Sun)
Pioneer RV Park, Whitehorse, YT (3)
After on-board showers - the campground showers are for those who paid for hookups and have a limitless supply of water in their rigs so don't really need the campground facilities - and breakfast we headed back into Whitehorse. The first stop - a drive-by actually - was at a three story log building billed as Whitehorse's first skyscraper - there aren't many buildings of any type taller even now. Then we took in the tour of the S.S.Klondike.
This was a fascinating tour lead by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable Yukon Parks guide. The Klondike is one of three surviving river boats that moved freight and people up the Yukon River to Whitehorse and gold and people down the Yukon to Dawson City. It was very interesting seeing the working areas of the boat and to see how people traveled "way back" in 1938. We got back to the campground just in time to meet Bob and Pat arriving after their long ordeal getting a fuel pump replaced in Watson Lake.
After lunch the six of us, in Ed and Kathy's little Tracker, went to the Beringia Interpretive Center, a museum of prehistoric Siberia/Alaska/Yukon when it was all one land mass. A 17 minute video and a small but well done display told of migrations back and forth between what is now two continents. It was the story of woolly Mammoths, giant sloths and beavers, and man. Of particular interest was the current belief that the elephant and camel originated in North America and migrated west into Asia.
Q's battery was dead when we got back. Mark had forgotten to unplug the inverter, used to recharge the computer's batteries this morning. We got him started, barely, and took a short drive to bring the power up a bit then dumped and took on water in preparation for travel tomorrow. Dinner was on our own but we all got together over munchies to discuss up coming mutual destinations. We went to bed early and watched two "crossover" episodes of Law and Order that we had taped before we left home.
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July 4, 2005 (Mon)
Pelly Crossing Campground #10 dry free D
Whitehorse, YT to Pelly Crossing, YT (184/5502 miles) Q017816
Up at 5:30 (52°) and off at 6:45 (54°). Q started with great reluctance but started and we were on the road again - hopefully far enough ahead of the caravans to be by ourselves. We'll be traveling with Bob and Pat for a few days up the Klondike Highway. Ed and Kathy will stay on the Alaska Highway and meet us in Tok, Alaska on Saturday. Our first stop was at a road side rest area at the site of a large forest fire in 1998. There was a short walk with interpretive plaques which we took.
North of Carmacks, YT we stopped at the Five Fingers Recreational Area. The recreation is a 2 mile (round trip) walk to a Yukon River overlook. The "Five Fingers" refers to the Yukon splitting into 5 channels as it passes through the rock cliffs here. Negotiating the river through them was a tremendous challenge for river boat pilots but for us the challenge was getting to the overlook. It was some 219 stair steps down and, more challenging, 219 steps back up. The view was worth the effort though and we needed the exercise.
A few miles up the road we pulled into a rest area, took out our chairs and ate lunch watching two thunder storms move into the Yukon River valley. What a life!
This is a free campground on the Pelly River, maintained, sparingly, by local indigenous Indians. There was no information about how or where to register so we inquired at a little store across the road and learned that we just go in and set up. We felt a little uncomfortable about staying here at first, there were no other campers, but a few are beginning to come in as I write this. Chip and Kim pulled in as we sat around our pre-dinner campfire. It was good to see them and to hear what they had been doing since we last saw them in Skagway.
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July 5, 2005 (Tue)
Guggieville Campground & Gold Panning, Dawson City, YT #39 dry $9.90 D-
Pelly Crossing, YT to Dawson City, YT (159/5661 miles) Q017975
Here we are in Dawson City, Yukon, in the heart of the Klondike gold rush country. We followed the Klondike River most of the day and are now camped in a campground built atop the trailings of the Guggenheim Gold Miles. We got off this morning at 6:50 (54° and partially cloudy) after on-board showers, breakfast, and a short walk around the campground.
The turn-off to Mayo (YT), an old silver mining town and major shipping point just prior to the stampede to the gold fields, is about 40 miles north of where we were camped. The six of us squeezed into Bob and Pat's toad and drove 30 some miles into the wilderness. In town there are a museum and several plaques around town illustrating what life was like there in the late 1900s. It was interesting but the highlight of the trip was seeing a lynx cross the road in front of us. The young woman in the museum said she'd lived there all her life - she was about 20 - and she never seen one of these cats. We felt very privileged.
This is an interesting campground - the full name is Guggieville Campground & Gold Panning - in that so many of the permanent camping units are in their last days, rusting and falling apart with lots of clutter. We are in the no hookup section. Of the 20 or so campsites here, 8 or nine have tents. They all look as if they have been here for weeks. We are guessing that the residents are workers of some kind, maybe mushroom pickers. There is no one around. Most of these units are across the road from us out our living room window. Bob and Pat's RV is parked about 10 feet to our rear and Chip and Kim are 10 feet or so behind them. There is a pond - of sorts, left over from the gold dredging operations - out our dining room window and another permanent tent in front of us.
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July 6, 2005 (Wed)
Guggieville Campground, Dawson City, YT (2)
Breakfast this morning was high carb and sinful but delicious! There is a little bakery about 5 miles south of where we are that produces and sells the most wonderful breads. We had a cheese danish (Mark) and a cinnamon danish (Joy) and coffee. We also bought a few things to bring home. We declared ourselves "good" for not indulging more. It was a hard fought battle!
Although about the same vintage as Skagway, Dawson City presents a completely different atmosphere. Like Skagway, it came into existence with the discovery of gold on the Klondike. But while Skagway is a tourist attraction, Dawson City seems more an old town that caters to tourists passing through. There are several small gift shops as expected but there are also more routine stores such as grocery, drug, and a hardware store mixed in. Except for the main road through, the streets are all dirt with wooden sidewalks that actually serve the purpose of lifting pedestrians above the mud - and there was mud from some recent rain. Most buildings are gold rush vintage in various states of repair - from well maintained to falling down. In many ways the atmosphere is much more authentic. Since we needed the exercise, we walked the 2 1/2 miles into town, wandered the streets, then walked the 2 1/2 miles back to the campground. While in town we had a wonderful lunch of halibut fish and chips.
This afternoon we again squeezed into Bob and Pat's toad and drove 12 km up Bonanza Creek to see the world's largest gold dredge. Before Bonanza Creek, it saw service on the Klondike River. It is now retired and is owned by the Canadian Park Service. It was a fascinating tour lead by a well informed and well spoken young park guide.
Skagway - #52-10
June 28, 2005 (Tue)
Pullen Creek RV Park #30 w/e $20.00 B (x3)
Teslin, YT to Skagway, AK (151/5212 miles) Q017526
WOW! what a place! Very touristy but exciting. Our campground is just back from the waterfront where there are 4 large cruise ships docked, as well as several private and commercial boats. We can hear the small sightseeing planes and helicopters coming and going from a small airport downtown. Several narrow gauge trains with 10 to 12 old time passenger cars pass by across the road in front of Q. The sidewalk along the road has a steady stream of people from the cruise ships coming and going. Skagway's year round population is 870. Today there are maybe 12,000 walking the streets, browsing the little shops, boarding the sight-seeing trains, busses, and airplanes, and generally having a good time.
We walked downtown but found it too crowded to be really enjoyable. Most store fronts have a late 1800's gold rush motif and the village tries to present a similar atmosphere. i.e. in second story windows of one building two "ladies of the night" sat with a black gartered legs hung over the window sill calling provocatively to passers by below.
The only road into Skagway, the Klondike Highway, was spectacular through White Pass. Even though it was a dreary day, the mountains overpowered the gloom by peaking through the mist and very low wispy clouds. They gave us the best scenery of the trip so far. We can imagine what it must be like on a clear sunny day.
We took off from Mukluk Annie's this morning at 7:30 (50°) in misty rain, glad to be on the road and away from the mosquitoes that whined in our ears all night. At Jake's Corner we turned off the Alaska Highway onto the cutoff road to the Klondike Highway. After going through U.S. customs into Alaska - the customs officer said, "Welcome home." as he waved us through - we began a long, 12 mile or so, 3000 foot descent out of the mountains. At the top, the landscape reminded us a lot of the rocky coast of Maine. But that changed drastically as we worked our way down through the rocky gorge into a living fantasy land.
Tonight we walked out to the docks and watched, close up, a couple of the cruise ships leave. Fascinating!
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June 29, 2005 (Wed)
Pullen Creek RV Park, Skagway, AK (2)
We awoke to a bright clear morning. After breakfast, we walked downtown and found the streets almost empty of people and cars. What a difference! There are 4 cruise ships in (5 due today) but the hordes haven't been released yet. With mountains so clearly visible we could see how they drop steeply all around producing the deepest fjord in North America. What a wonderful sight, looking down a seemingly 1898 vintage street and seeing a snow laced mountain in the background. The shops are typical tourist fare, but obviously cater to the rich tourist. I guess if you can afford a cruise to Alaska, you can afford some expensive jewelry (or what ever) when you get here. Interesting browsing though.
Skagway is well known as the place where hundreds of "stampeders" - wannabe gold miners - started their grueling climb into the mountains via White Pass during the late 1800s klondike gold rush. A few miles away, at the foot of the Chilkoot Pass was another village of nearly equal size vying for the honor of being THE place to start out. Dyea was established in 1897 at the site of a small Tlingit indian village, grew to a population of some 8,000 and died within a year - defeated by the dangerous Chilkoot Trail and the coming of the railroad to Skagway. Today there is nothing left of the once thriving community but a few piles of rotting lumber from its collapsed buildings. This afternoon a very vibrant and energetic young woman ranger (Molly from Monmouth County NJ) gave us a very interesting and informative tour of the site.
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June 30, 2005 (Thu)
Pullen Creek RV Park, Skagway, AK (3)
We both slept very well last night. It may be that we are finally getting used to going to bed while it's still light and light again long before we need to wake up. This morning we walked downtown again and signed up for the NPS walking tour of Skagway. As luck would have it Molly, our guide in Dyea yesterday, was our guide today too. She really is a character! We ran into her again after the tour and talked with her a bit about her job (she loves it) and living conditions (not so great). When we left, she gave us each a big hug. This tour, like the one in Dyea, is well worth taking as we learned a lot about the city, the gold rush living conditions and the National Park Service involvement in Skagway (it owns, has restored, and maintains about 13 buildings here).
This afternoon we drove out to see some gardens and a garden railroad with Ed and Kathy. The gardens were very small and getting in to see them was vastly overpriced ($8.50 ea) so we didn't go. This evening we checked out The Skagway Fish Company - the restaurant designated by the locals and semi-locals as the best in town. The fish (halibut) and chips (french fries) were good but not outstanding - the fish was heavy on the breading. The Alaskan beer was worth ordering it again sometime.
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July 1, 2005 (Fri)
Pioneer RV Park, Whitehorse, YT #5 dry $9.00d C
Skagway, AK to Whitehorse, YT (106/5318 miles) Q017632
It's Canada Day in these parts - that's Canada's version of our 4th of July - but it was plain old July 1st in Alaska U.S.A. where we started out. We got off at 7:40 (60.4°) in a light rain and soon found ourselves in the clouds as we started up the mountain. Driving 10 miles without being able to see more than a few feet in front of the motor home was bad enough but we were missing the spectacular scenery of the gorge as well! We finally broke out of the clouds at about 3100 feet and soon the sun was shining.
The customs officer at the Canadian border asked a few quick questions and sent us on our way with a friendly "Have a nice visit." Just past Carcross, YT there is a sandy patch, once the bottom of a glacial lake, that is billed as the smallest desert in the world. It really is like a desert and looks completely out of place here. We stopped and took pictures.
Whitehorse is the capitol of the Yukon Territory. After getting set up in the campground, we went with Ed and Kathy to do some shopping. Most of the stores were closed but Walmart wasn't. Nor were the grocery stores. We'll go out tomorrow to do the town. Back in the campground Joy did some laundry while Mark reconciled our bank accounts (we have free WiFi right at our site). A rain storm, with thunder and lighting, made dinner time exciting and Q a cozy little home.
Pioneer RV Park is a big campground with several sections. We are in a no-hookup area in a wooded strip next to the parkinglot-style full hookup area. On the hill above the "parking lot" is a state park type water and elec hookup area. There is also a free camping parking lot up there. It sounds like a bargain but it is a long way from any facilities.
