(May 20, 2018) Status Update

As of this writing, we are in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Our travels through northern British Columbia into the Yukon, have gone smoothly. The Alaska-Canada Highway has been in very good repair, other than for just a few rough patches of road damage. (Hint: Pay attention to rough road signs and, especially, to traffic cones with orange flags stuck in them & slow down! The flags mark a rough patch, frost-heave or other road hazard – like a seemingly bottomless pothole.) We have seen some stunning scenery and much wildlife along the way.

Fort Nelson, British Columbia

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Part III

From Dawson Creek our first stop was at Fort Nelson, BC. The drive from Dawson Creek to Fort Nelson was nearly three-hundred miles through lovely, but increasingly remote country. There are very few gas stations or other amenities along the way, so pay close attention to your vehicle fuel gauge.

Once at Fort Nelson, we stayed three nights at the Triple G Hideaway RV Park & Campground. The Triple G is a very nice, quiet, forested park set amidst poplar and pine trees. We enjoyed several meals at the park’s family restaurant. A meal at the restaurant was especially welcome after a long day on the road.

While grocery shopping in Fort Nelson, we found fresh rhubarb in the produce section. We couldn’t resist picking up some stalks, along with a few Granny Smith apples – together they made a very tasty cobbler – yum!

Toad River, British Columbia

Moving on from Fort Nelson, we stopped for two nights at the Toad River Lodge in Toad River, BC. We had originally planned to drive straight from Fort Nelson to Watson Lake, almost 320 miles, but decided to break up the drive with a stop in Toad River. We were glad we did!

Nestled in a lovely mountain valley, along the shore of a small beaver-dammed lake, the Toad River Lodge and RV park features a gas station, gift shop, café, Canada Post and Greyhound bus stop. The gift shop and café are especially interesting for the large collection of hats on display – hats signed and donated by visitors passing through the area. We really enjoyed our stay at the lodge – it’s in a lovely setting and was a great base from which to explore the area.

Highlights of our stay in Toad River included day trips to Stone Mountain and Muncho Lake Provincial Parks, as well as to Summit Lake. We enjoyed the stunning mountain vistas of snow-capped mountain peaks, rushing waters of the Toad River, and partly frozen expanses of Summit and Muncho Lakes. Along the way, we saw bighorn sheep, a bull moose, a female moose and calf, as well as several caribou and black bears. We briefly explored the Summit Cafe, an interesting roadside ruin just below Summit Lake.

Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

From Toad River, we moved on to Watson Lake, YT. Again, a very scenic drive with sweeping vistas of forest and snow-capped mountains. For much of our drive we loosely followed course of the Liard River. Along the way we saw more wildlife, including forest bison, black bears and a few caribou.

We passed through Watson Lake on the way to our chosen RV park, but then found the park was still closed for the season. We drove back to Watson Lake, checked out the two RV parks in town, Tags & Downtown parks, and decided to stay at Downtown RV Park. Downtown was a very basic park, little more than a parking lot with hookups, so we only registered for a one-night stay.

A highlight of our short stay was a visit to the Sign Post Forest, a unique roadside attraction along the ALCAN Highway. Throughout the years, visitors have posted signs commemorating their home towns and journey on wooden posts in this ever-growing ‘Forest’. Truly a fascinating place to wander through.

We also enjoyed a visit to the information center and museum at the Sign Post Forest, as well as a walk along the boardwalk at Wye Lake, across from the Downtown RV Park.

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

From Watson Lake, we moved on to Whitehorse, YT, again passing through areas of stunning natural beauty. We particularly enjoyed the vista views around Swan Lake and Teslin Lake.

Arriving in Whitehorse, we checked into the Hi Country RV Park, another quiet, forested park. We planned for a four-night stay, but may extend our stay a few nights as we are waiting for a mail shipment that is still in-transit.

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That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!