WEEK TWO

BACK TO MENU Tuesday, Aug. 14We started at Mile Zero on the Historic Alaskan Highway where this sign commemorates its beginning. The highway was constructed in 1942 by the US military to provide a supply route for the defense of Alaska against an expected Japanese invasion. It is an interesting story and an engineering marvel.

At mile 21 we took a side trip to view this curved wooden bridge. It is the only one still in use but is typical of the construction of the bridges on the highway. This section of the original Alaskan Highway was extremely rough...5 mph on several short sections.

Wildlife wanders along the roadside and sometimes we have to stop to wait for them. It is a kick for us to see them in their wild habitat rather than in a zoo or a park setting. They are not protected or managed here.

The road is very isolated! Food, gas, and lodging stops are few and far between. We decided to stop in a motel last night to get out of the rain but we passed two placed many miles apart that had closed since the guide was printed. Then there was one that was just downright creepy. Finally we found a "lodge" with a cafe. The menu was fish, buffalo, and several ground beef dishes. The food was very good! The delux cabin accommodation is pictured. We chose to sleep in the van after all.

In defense of this "lodge"...location, location, location. Just look at the views from our campsite. How often can you watch a moose in the wild feed and frolic while you drink your morning coffee? Can you find her? She is dwarfed by the majesty of her habitat.

Very few people live here. This community has 75 people. They work either maintaining this highway or providing services for the people who travel it. There are 25 children in their K - 12 school. They have no school bus. The children arrive by horse, atv, snowmobile, and even airplane. Some of the students travel 50 miles to school. Here is a pictures of the school which is adjacent to the grassy, gravel airstrip.

Wednesday, Aug. 15Today is the first day we have not had rain. It is also the first time the temperature has gone above 60. We entered the Yukon Territory at Watson Creek where we visited the famed "Signpost Forest". A homesick soldier from Danville, Illinois nailed a sign to a tree with an arrow and the distance to Danville. Other soldiers did the same. The forest grew, and now people who travel this road add their signs. Of course, we nailed up our sign! Hello Villa Grove from the Yukon Territory.

We drove across the Yukon Territory and ended in Dawson Creek. Dawson is an old gold mining camp on the Yukon River. It is a mix of touristy and real.

We took a small ferry (4 vehicles at a time) across the Yukon River.

We camped on the bank of the Yukon River. This is the view from our campsite.

Friday Aug. 17Today we drove the "Top of the World Highway". It was far more rugged that we expected. Instead of paved it was mostly dirt road with big potholes and rocks. The gravel sections were tire shredding shards of mountainside! The road was narrow, steep, twisty, no shoulder, and breathtakingly lovely! Not many pictures though. This was a bit of a white knucle ride.

The road was mostly dirt. It had been paved but the paving wouldn't hold up in the extreme weather so they ground it up and changed it back to tire shredding fist sized chunks of mountain. It is way more extreme than it looks in the picture above. The picture below shows a motor home that went over the edge a few days ago. Miraculously, nobody was critically injured. We just can't believe it after seeing the wreckage.

We saw a grizzly bear and her cubs on this road...from the van! No pictures. She was WAY too close to get out of the vehicle. She didn't hang around for pictures.Customs office on this road.

We finished the Alaskan Highway at Dawson at this monument. What a ride!!!!!!!