June 26, 2012                     Day 18/60                            Dawson City, YT

Today was another late start. Rick and I went to pick up some skim milk as the dairy delivery was due at the market today. They only had 2L so that will have to hold us until we get to Tok, AK tomorrow.

We walked over to the Dawson City Museum only a few blocks away. We got there just in time to see the best documentary at a museum so far this trip. It was actually nominated for an Oscar when it came out. It told the story of Dawson City from the perspective of a famous Canadian author (Pierre Bertan) who had grown up here. His father had come over on the Chilcoot trail during the initial Gold Rush. Very interesting.

Due to limited staff, the train/locomotive shed is only open twice a day. After the film, we headed over to the shed to check out what is left of the Klondike Railway. A few locomotives have been saved and refurbished. Four-year-old Dominic would have loved it except that y couldn’t touch anything. Thirteen-year-old Dominic was done quickly and wanted to head back over to the main museum for the Gold Rocker and Smelting/Pouring demonstration. He didn’t need to rush because the same staff person from the shed ran the gold demo. It was interesting but Dominic was a little disappointed that the crucible wasn’t hot enough for the gold to actually pour out. It sort of slid out in a semi-solid chunk. Still, I thought the info was good.

Back to the trailer for a quick lunch before heading off to the Robert Service Museum for a live talk. The interpretive programs here have very good. This one was too. The boys and I had heard Robert Service verse (he apparently didn’t like to use the word poetry) at Webelos and Boy Scout camps. Mom and Mike have some of his books. He spent a bit of his life near San Diego. We got to see the little cabin he lived and wrote in and a docent spoke of his life and recited some of his work. We found it very entertaining. A new verse (I almost said poem) to look up is “The Three Bares.”

From here most of us headed down the street a bit (regular a bit not Yukon a bit) to see Jack London’s very small cabin. It had been moved here from another location and actually split in half with the other half in Oakland, CA at Jack London Square. The docent here was very nice and knowledgeable. I didn’t realize that Jack had almost died of scurvy and lost all of his teeth while up here for a very brief period working his claim. We saw pictures of the dog that inspired White Fang.

Rick headed back to help Mike change a tire on the trailer and I took everyone else for an ice cream. Dominic realized he didn’t have his retainer. I thought it was in the big trailer where we had lunch. When we returned to the trailers, the tire was changed and Mike and Rick were preparing for a fishing trip with the boys. The retainer and case was not in sight any place. The guys all continued to look at the trailers while Mom and I retraced our steps. When Mom and I returned without finding the retainer, Rick found it on the back of the sofa in the big trailer. Panic gave way to relief and the guys left for fishing. Mom and I went to the Commissioner’s House. The house itself is not as interesting as its most famous inhabitants, George and Martha Black. George had come to Dawson on the Chilcoot. So had Martha who had left her husband in Seattle and her two boys with her parents! When she got over the Chilcoot she discovered she was pregnant. I can’t imagine climbing the pass at any time but especially not while pregnant! She met George here and they later married. Together they served the people of Dawson and the Yukon for 50 years. At one point George was too ill to continue in his elected position so Martha ran and became the 2^nd woman elected to the Parliament. She was an unconventional woman in the same vein as the Unsinkable Molly Brown. You could see it in her eyes in the photographs.

From here, Mom and I headed over to finish the City Museum. We had missed some from when we went home for lunch. I found the museum too hot and much of the material was familiar from other stops. The most interesting things were the mannequins. The faces were modeled from local people who had connections to the subject matter or had done a lot of public service. The hands were modeled from people who bought the privilege at auction. The features were a little bit creepy, a little bit Cabbage Patch, and a little bit I don’t know. 

I got to baby-sit the pork roast in our oven while the others gathered in the big trailer and prepared the rest of the dinner. It was another awesome dinner. I called home to talk to our cat sitter and catch up on how things are going for them in Millbrae. All was well, as I expected.

June 27, 2012                     Day 19/60                            Dawson City, YT to Tok, AK

It was time to move on. We got to the free ferry across the Yukon River at about 8:15. The guidebooks all say that at peak time there can be as much as a 3-hour wait to cross. We waited about 3 minutes. Remarkably, both our trailers fit side by side on the ferry. The current was strong in the middle and the little ferry’s powerful engines worked hard to get us across and lined up with the opposite shore. By the way, no fancy ramp or dock on shore like you might see in the lower 48. This is the Yukon. The ferry pushed up against bulldozed dirt, the gate went down, and down there you go.

Today we are taking the Top of the World Highway. I don’t know how it got its name. We didn’t seem particularly high. I think Mike 9who has an altimeter on his watch) told us we were at 4,000+ feet. The road itself is mostly gravel, which is actually better than the potholes found in the paved sections. Rick spent the day dodging potholes and loose gravel. The rest of us watched miles of trees, distant mountain peaks, and occasional snowy patches.

It was slow going. Many impatient travelers sped past us at unbelievable speeds for the conditions. We all wondered if we would see them down the road changing a flat tire or worse. We didn’t though. We eventually came to the northern most US border crossing (Population: 2). What did these guys do to get this posting? Maybe they didn’t update the sign or maybe he was just visiting, but we did see a boy about Luca’s age come out of the little family cabin there. Can’t imagine spending my summer there. The border guard was very nice and we were on our way without delay.

Many hours of driving brought us to Chicken, AK. The guide book said it has a population of only 6, down significantly from the Gold Rush time when there was a camp of 700+ miners here. However, it looked like there must be at least 10 people to run everything that is going on here. There are at least 3 distinct areas competing for traveler’s money; the “Town of Chicken” which is on the highway, “Chicken Gold Camp” which has the dredge and gold panning in the creek, and “Downtown Chicken” which is three small interconnected businesses all owned and operated by the same woman (with a little help it from two guys it turns out). The latter was our destination for lunch. Rick and Mike had Reindeer Bratwurst. I had a bite. It was pretty good. Rick bought a hat, the lady gave the boys pencils, and we bought a few other souvenirs.

Years ago when I first started teaching, Mom had brought me a book written by and about a white woman who came to teach in Chicken in the 1920s, Tisha. I found it to be an interesting story about the young woman’s struggles to understand the culture she was teaching in, to be understood by the natives and to eventually form bonds of community.  Today, the schoolhouse is on private property and you have to arrange a tour, so we didn’t bother. The power of her story was not contained within the walls of the small school and it would be meaningless to anyone who did not read the book.

The drive continued for quite some time with the roads on the American side not as well-maintained and potholes not as well-marked as on the Canadian. I forgot to mention that before lunch it started raining.  So now we have wet roads too. We finally got to Tok and got settled at camp and then it really started to rain. Mike and Rick braved the weather for fishing licenses. The campground is nice enough but there is not much to do here. Tomorrow we move on to Quartz Lake and maybe Fairbanks (with a stop at Eielson AFB for some much needed groceries and supplies).

June 28, 2012                     Day 20                   Tok, AK to Fairbanks, AK

It is another rare day where I get to blog about the day before I go to bed. All but one of the previous blog entries were actually made the next morning.

We left Tok at 8 AM and headed north on the Alcan Hwy toward Delta Junction, the official end of the Alcan. It is raining again today so we aren’t planning any stops. The guys had all hoped to fish and we pass a few lakes, rivers, and creeks that sound promising but not in the rain.

One of the ways we have found to keep everyone happy in the car is to play DJ. We plug in Rick’s iPod and take turns selecting songs. The adults always get to veto and we try not to repeat a song during the day. We all have pretty similar musical taste so it usually works out pretty well. Dominic and especially Luca tend to like harder rock but we can usually stand a song or two. The rest we tend to agree on and even compliment another’s song choice from time to time. Another rule is that the song can’t be played louder than the most sensitive person’s tolerance. Usually, I am the one to turn it down just a touch.

I was playing DJ today and searching for Dominic’s selection when Luca said, “Moose. Moose cow and a calf.” He said they were standing along the side of the road just watching cars go by (not too many cars but more than their cousins on the Top of the World Hwy would see).  A little later, the DiMaios all saw a large bull moose cross from right to left in front of the car. He was just far enough ahead that we didn’t get a picture, especially with the rain.  He stepped into the trees before we passed and just as we had thought, the trees were so dense that he completely disappeared within a few steps.

Later Judy and Mike saw a moose on the right side of the road that we had somehow missed.

We stopped at Delta Meat and Sausage Company. It is run by some folks from Montana who are now raising cattle up here. They sell really interesting blends including reindeer, bison, and elk. We got a selection of links, brats, and summer sausage.

For lunch we stopped at Eielson Air Force Base. They had a decent food court. It was the first one we had ever seen with a drive thru on a military base. The boys indulged in some Burger King fast food for the first time in weeks. Mike and Rick got haircuts. Rick looks great. I love his short hair.  We got supplies from both the BX (Base Exchange) and the commissary (food).  The prices were great. Hope we got enough to last until Anchorage (another base and a Costco).

We also stopped at the North Pole. Not because we had an overwhelming desire to see Santa or heat Christmas Carols in June. We thought we might be able to find a unique nutcracker for someone who can be difficult to shop for. Alas, their selection was not very good and we left.

We are staying at the River’s Edge RV Park in Fairbanks. We are only a few sites from the Chena River. It is a large place and filling up as the evening goes on. Rick is getting really good at driving our trailer and trouble-shooting as issues come up. He can park the Suburban in the smallest of corners in the park.

I am doing laundry and Mike and Rick have gone to fish at the river.  I will see what I can do about getting some pictures up while we are here.

Leave me a comment if you are reading...this is Day 17/60

June 25, 2012                     Day 17/60                            Dawson City, YT

We got to sleep in again. I love seeing new things but it is really nice to see them in the same place we camped in the night before. It is rough when Rick has so much to do outside to prepare the trailer to move and I have to push the kids along and prepare the inside.

We started our day with a drive up the locals only road to The Dome, a great vista point where locals and visitors celebrate the Summer Solstice by watching the sun set at midnight behind a 6,000 ft. mountain. It is supposed to be just as good a few days before or after the solstice. We are going to take their word for it because none of us wanted to go at midnight.

On the way up, we passed the town cemetery. We didn’t get out as some of us could spend an entire day looking through the history there. You could see most of it from the car and as usual there were no other cars on the road so we slowed way down. There is rumored to be a man buried there who upon his death wanted a guest book placed at his grave for all visitors to sign. We saw very old tombstones made from very old stone and all matching. On the other side of the road, we saw all matching wooden head “stones.” Trees had grown up inside many of the fences around graves. Some of the fences were made of steel water pipes, bed frames, etc. It is yet another example of the resourcefulness of the people in the Klondike.

Once at The Dome, we had a 360 degree view of the area. You could see the tailings along the river valley. You could see most of the town and the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon Rivers. It was a wonderful view but I am glad it was not midnight.

From here we headed back to the trailers for some forgotten gold panning equipment and some snacks for the day. As luck would have it, our late start this morning meant we missed the 9:15 tour to Goldbottom Mines. For $45 they drive y out to their active mine, give you a tour (ok, we sort of got this experience on Duncan Creek for free) and then let you pan their tailings (no salting, no guarantee). All this can be yours for $35 per person if you drive yourself out. The next tour was after lunch and we felt it would be to hot then. At this time, we thought we would try for the tour tomorrow. Later, we decide to skip it entirely.

Thirteen kilometers off the main highway, along Bonanza Creek the site of gold discovery first responsible for the Gold Rush in the Klondike) we came to Dredge #4. We took a tour and our guide was very personable and knowledgeable. This incredible beast was used for about 60 years in the Bonanza Creek valley. It swept its way from one side of the valley to the other, dredging many feet above the water line of its floating pond and about 50 below.  There were several of them used after the initial Gold Rush period ended. It is impossible to describe how large this dredge is. It had about 60 large iron buckets that scooped up everything in its path and fed it to a huge rotating drum (you can imagine how noisy this thing must be when operating) that kicked out anything bigger than about 1.5 inches. The rest fell below and was put through giant sluice boxes. All the water they needed was piped from over 100 kilometers away. The dredge ran on electricity so they had entire teams of men running wires out the valley. Then there were teams of men responsible for removing everything organic from the front of the dredge and thawing the ground (permafrost is really hard to dig in). The dredge and others like it created the large worm-like mounds of tailings everywhere you look. There was not environmental impact concern during the gold rush and the company went bankrupt in the 1960s. I wonder if that was so they wouldn’t have to ‘put everything back nicely.’ Sadly, there is no funding to keep this dredge open to the public. It will be closed for tours and people will only be able to read about it from plaques on the side of the road. Ironically, they still are doing restoration work on part of the dredge that was approved and budgeted for 5 years ago.

Nature is returning to the Bonanza Creek valley. Trees are growing out of some of the tailings. Moose are said to calf in what is left of the floating pond (now more like a swamp). There are barn and cave swallows and purple martins. We even saw little flowers pushing their way up through the rocks on the tailings.

Just up the creek from the dredge, Dawson City owns Claim #6 and allows the public to pan for gold. You can’t pan anywhere else in the valley as all the claims are currently active. The price of gold has created a second rush. From the creek you can see modern mining going on all around you. The guys from Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush” are out here somewhere.

We decided to try our luck at panning. It is after noon now and we haven’t eaten, so we all grabbed some snacks and set to work. I helped divert water to our sluice box that Mike and Dominic were setting up. Rick and Luca went for “pay dirt.’ We all helped out at first while Mom cheered and filmed us. It wasn’t long before we attracted the attention of other tourists. Most were nice and asked, “Any luck?”  Some said they would try their luck and promised to let us know when they struck gold by yelling “Bonanza!” I guess this the Yukon version or “Eureka!”

One older gentleman stopped by repeatedly to offer advice and explain the process to us. He never asked our level of experience or understanding. He just wanted to tell us how it should be done. Oddly, he was not doing any panning. We all bit our tongues, assured him that we had some idea what we were doing, and thanked him for his advice. Later, he came back to show us the tourist map that indicated we should get our pay dirt from across the road. We thanked him again and quietly suggested under our breath that if the tourism board really wanted us to find the pay dirt indicated on the map they simply should put up one of the helpful roadside signs with an arrow pointing to the gold. Well, after several buckets with no gold we decided to go back into town.

Having skipped lunch we all felt our hard work had earned us an ice cream. We went to the cash only place we had found last night. The prices were not outrageous. It was delicious and refreshing. Luca opted for a slushie, which they made fresh. You could also get mix-ins in your soft serve (like a blizzard). However, the rest of us went for pre-made ice cream. In my opinion, Rick’s Pralines and Cream was better than my Triple Chocolate Brownie.

We went to the visitors’ center (stamp and washrooms) and a few shops. While the rest of us were inside, Judy and Rick saw a woman walking bare-chested down the boardwalk on the main street. Apparently, that is not a problem here. The attitude in the Klondike is pretty much, “Whatever.” Rick said she was not attractive. I wonder how the boys would have dealt with it had then seen her. I wonder how I would have dealt with them dealing with it.

The small First Nations cultural center (another stamp) is one of the nicest we have seen. It had a collection of dolls on a traveling exhibit that were made for the Olympics. Some were made by local artists. There was a good short film on the history of the First Nations people in the area. I stayed awake, barely. The native language is taught to everyone in the schools here (First Nation and settlers) through third grade. There was a docent led tour of the other room. This docent is First Nations and could relate to the artifacts in a very personal way. It was interesting but the boys got cold and the grandparents were waiting outside.

We had to get groceries and the store on the waterfront didn’t have everything so I dropped everyone off to start dinner. Mike and I went to the other grocery in town. It was smaller but had a deli. They didn’t have skim milk but a delivery is expected tomorrow. After a delicious chicken dinner (Rick did a great job with the chicken), I was ready for bed. It was only 7 PM! I didn’t get to go right to sleep. As at home, there are always a million things to do first.

Alaska Post 4

June 22, 2012                     Day 14/60                            Whitehorse to Mayo, YT

So much for my nap…as soon as I completed the blog entry, there was a clap of thunder like I haven’t heard in a long time. I am talking rattle your bones, shake your trailer thunder. Soon after the thunder, I got a call (yes, cell phones were working here) letting me know they were going to come home for dinner and go back out to fish after the storm passed.  This storm is a good one. Huge drops of rain were followed by small hail stones. But the storm eventually passes and our fishermen head back out. They had found a beautiful area in Miles Canyon. For a moment I contemplated going with them. However, I really wanted to shower and wash my hair. While showering at my mom’s trailer, I hear the rain start up again. In no time, the storm has returned. We had been enjoying the fresh evening air that follows a storm, so only the screen door was closed when the storm returned. Before we could get the door closed, it had rained into the trailer a good 6-7 feet drenching the linoleum, cabinets and anything that was sitting there.

After we got that mopped up, I headed back over to my trailer to prepare for the return of some pretty drenched guys. Sure enough, they were wet, but not as bad as I had anticipated. Their jeans and shoes would need to dry but their rain jackets kept the tops dry. They were in good spirits and not too down about a fishing trip cut short or being caught in the rain.

The next morning we head out toward Mayo. For today’s drive, we leave the Alcan (I have since found out that it is indeed one word) and take the Klondike Hwy. There is not a soul out on the highway. The guys really want to fish so we pull into a government campground at Fox Lake. It is a gorgeous lake. Rick and the boys try their luck at shore fishing and catch nothing but are all improving their casting. I thought maybe fish here don’t like left over spicy shrimp that has started to turn, but they weren’t biting on lures either. Mike went down the lake to where a creek empties into the lake for some fly fishing. Not only did he look good doing it, but he even caught a rainbow trout. He showed Luca how to gut it and Luca cut off the head. I am glad he is interested this will help him earn the Fishing Merit badge.

Not far down the highway we stop at Braeburn Lodge for lunch in the trailer followed by what have got to be the largest cinnamon buns ever. They were as big as Luca’s head. Well, almost. I have the picture to prove it. We split one 6 ways. It was still plenty.

There are supposed to be agate trails near Carmacks, so we pull into the native heritage center there to ask (and get our Yukon Passports stamped). I am the only one to get out of the car to ask. I am greeted at the door by two barking dogs. They didn’t seem unfriendly, just loud. A few other tourists who arrived while I was there were put off by this greeting, however. The First Nations lady running the place said she is a rock hound and gave me directions to her favorite place to look. She said she has found larger agates and geodes there. I thought I understood where she was describing until we were on our way. Then I realized that there may have been a cultural communication issue. What exactly is “not too far down the road” to someone who lives in the vastness of the Yukon? What constitutes a pull out? She didn’t mention that big hill. I was not familiar with the highway ahead so I hadn’t thought to ask if it was before or after the hill. She described a rocky area we saw grassy hillsides. You get the idea. We didn’t stop and didn’t get to look for agates. We were all disappointed.

Next we stopped at the Five Finger Rapids Overlook. It is a narrow spot in the river similar to Hell’s Gate that caused early river travelers much difficulty. They installed cables to winch boats through the most treacherous area. The guys all hiked down 219 steps to a better viewing spot. Mom and I stayed behind. Again the guys did it faster than the estimated hour. The sun was pretty intense and they were ready for a cool treat. So we stop at Pelly Crossing. The Milestones book described The Selkirk Heritage Center as “having self-guided tours of First Nations heritage and crafts for sale.” It failed to mention the fact that it was one small room with a terse cashier. Well, we got our stamp at least. We headed over to the gas station/convenience store/everything rolled into one Selkirk Centre. It looked like the whole area regularly empties its ashtrays onto the parking lot. It looked like someone had tried to break the glass on the door with a brick. There were two circular impact marks like I have only seen on TV crime dramas. Again the store folk were not overly friendly. The First Nations lady did give Mom a big smile and wave as we pulled out.

After stopping for gas at the nearly extinct Stewart Crossing, we turned off the highway. The road to Mayo was lined with larger piles of logs from trees removed from the roadside presumably to make a fire break. They looked like beaver lodges made by large prehistoric beavers (we saw replicas of these at the Beringia Museum).  

Mike was leading the way and we heard Mom radio that there was a tree across the road. This didn’t make much sense as we had seen several cars come toward us. There was something in the road, but it was a mother black bear and her cub! After they had walked the full width of the road, along came the other cub, clearly the runt. They both were so small and a light brown. They were clearly this year’s cubs. After they got across the road, the runt started to climb up a tree but momma bear turned and gave a look and off they all went. It was so cool!

Turns out the Midnight Marathon is this weekend in Mayo. Instead of staying at the municipal campground, we are at the Bedrock Inn and RV Park. We are still dry but have electrical that we have to share with Mom and Mike. It is very informal here and only $5 per night. The Bedrock Inn is very strange. We never did see the office when the boys and I went in search of the bathroom (or washroom as they say here). We did find a long hallway with anonymous rooms on each side. The doors were propped open slightly and the lights were off. Upstairs there was a communal room with a BIG tv and a kitchen. The gravel voiced lady there steered me toward the washroom. When was the last time you say an ashtray installed on the bathroom stall right next to the toilet paper? Exactly. And this one was freshly used. I have to wonder …..

We couldn’t run the A/C with the shared electrical and it was a warm night. We opened up all the windows and it cooled down enough to get some sleep.

June 23, 2012                     Day 15/60                            Day trip to Keno, YT

Today was all about mining. We started out early for our day trip to Keno. Not far out of Mayo, we saw a black bear sitting on the side of the road like he was waiting for a ride. I was driving so I didn’t get the camera out in time.

The road out to Keno was a long, bumpy 37-mile gravel road. We saw one of the many emergency shelters in the area. It looked barely larger than a phone book. We decided that there better not be many in your party or you better be very chummy. Also, don’t get sleepy while there. There isn’t enough room to lie down. The speed limit on these small gravel roads is insane. On the highway the maximum is 100 k/h or about 60 mph. On the gravel the maximum is 90 k/h or about 55 mph! We would shake apart at that speed.

There isn’t much going on in Keno these days. There are about 20 hearty souls living out there. This is much lower than the 600 during the silver mine hey-day. The lady at the Mining Museum was very nice. She might be a bit lonely as we didn’t see more than 6 cars out at Keno the whole day. She gave the boys, Mike and I samples of Galena, silver and lead from her friend’s claim. I got enough for a whole class set so let’s hope I get hired back for 4^th grade. When she found out I am a teacher she gave me a book written about the area. The museum was nicely done. The downstairs was about the mining history of the area and the upstairs was about the daily life of the miners out here and their families. They wintered out here when temperatures could fall to minus 40 degrees outside. They listened to a lot of radio. The lady was quite proud of their newly renovated outhouses. I must agree that they were the nicest I have ever seen. They were well-ventilated and screened. There was a separate hand washing station in its own building. Inside was a wooden cabinet with sink like you would find in an old house. On the counter was an Igloo with water and the marble sink had a bowl to catch the water.

After the museum, we drove up a steep, winding gravel road to the summit of Keno Mtn. There is a sign post at the top showing distance to various places in the world. There was still snow up there (6,066 ft.). There were artifacts and remains of buildings from the old mining days. After a little wandering around by the sign post, Luca stayed in the car while the rest of us explored near an old cabin. Dominic and Mom found interesting crystals in rocks. Mike and Dominic wandered down the hillside to get a closer look at a dilapidated mine cart and what is left of the rail system. We saw hoary marmots dashing in and out of the little rock piles.

On the road up to the summit we saw a series of garden hoses linked together on the side of the road. They eventually led to a pump system and then across the road and over the side of the hill. On the way down, we determined that the hose system was well over 1 mile long. Someone went to a lot of trouble to put it together. Hey must be working a claim up there.

We had to wait for the pizza place in Keno to re-open at 1:30. Mike Mancini runs the place and he uses his mother’s recipe. He was born in Bari, Italy and moved here when he was 3. Wow, talk about culture shock! He looked a little like Dominic’s English teacher, Mr. DeZutti. We had to wait quite a while. However, it was very good pizza. He has all of his water delivered by truck and was running low. This had a few implications for us. First, I ordered a Pepsi instead of my new usual, water. Second, all four DiMaios went to the bathroom but only the last of us flushed. Yep, that is right. Many families might be familiar with “if it is yellow, let it mellow.” However, this is the first time I have ever seen a sign in public about it. I am happy I was the first to use the facility. The boys also got to watch TV for the first time in 2 weeks. They have seen movies but this was TV! We watched a re-run of “Wipe Out with Ariel from “Flying Wild Alaska.” I wonder if her appearance on “Wipe Out” led to her other show. 

After lunch we took Duncan Creek Road out of town. The road was about the same if not better in parts than the road we took into to town. Our goal was a family placer mine on Duncan Creek. My parents had been here twice before and wanted us to see it. The family welcomes visitors for free tours anytime. The non-mining brother was fixing kids’ bikes when we arrived. He gladly stopped what he was doing for our tour. Two little boys stuck their heads out of the door to see “the visitors.” I don’t think they get many people stopping by. Again we had a little communication issue. He said the tour would take us up creek “a ways.” We felt sure we would all be fine with it and could use a stretch of the legs. We walked more than a mile, I am sure of it. The guy was nice enough but had a slow way of getting to his point that kind of lost the boys. The operation was a lot like what we see on the Discovery Channel’s “Gold Rush Alaska.”  Our tour guide arranged a ride back to the main house for Mom while the rest of us walked. Hard to believe they are making a living for several family members out there. The guide had to fix the generator so they could have daily functions like water from the pump.

There was supposed to be Art in the Park (always the same weekend as the marathon) so we drove by to see what this was about thinking we could find some First Nation people selling crafts or some good food. Not so much. There were a hand full of people listening to a band (almost the equal numbers) and someone with a grill selling I don’t know what. We decided not to go. By now the other three adults are thinking a cold beer would be nice. No such luck. Not even at the Chinese restaurant. Yes, you read that right. This little town in the middle of the Yukon has not only a Midnight Marathon but a Chinese restaurant.

June 24, 2012                     Day 16/60                            Mayo to Dawson City, YT

We got to sleep in because we wanted to see the Binet House in Mayo and it didn’t open until 10. I woke up at 6:30 but convinced myself to stay in bed and dosed until 8! The Binet House was worth the late start. It had some interesting photos and displayed aspects of life in the Yukon that we haven’t seen elsewhere. There were photos and a newspaper article showing what happens when a Grizzly bear gets in your house. My mom said it reminded her of nasty teenagers destroying the place. I think I have seen similar scenes on “Hoarders: Buried Alive.”

Upstairs was devoted to medical history, artifacts, and stories. The most amusing one I saw was about a doctor who performed dentistry during the winter because the dentist didn’t stay the winter. He had borrowed tools and looked at manuals as he went. His first patient needed a tooth extracted. He charged the guy $5 but since it didn’t hurt the guy gave him a nugget worth $70! After that he only charged a bottle of alcohol (there is something wrong with this). The patients often drank some of the bottle on the way to the doctor and nurses always knew that the guy staggering down the sidewalk with a bottle tucked under his arm was there for tooth removal.

We didn’t have far to go today so the plan was to look for fishing spots. Since we got a late start, we hadn’t been on the road long when it was time to stop for lunch. Might as well pull over at a place that sells “award winning” pastries. They didn’t look too great to me. Luca and Dominic each took a brownie. After lunch in the trailer, Dominic ate his. It was a dry brownie with Hostess-type frosting. He said mine are definitely better.

We passed a big lake that at the right time of year is a migration stop for many species of birds. This is not the right time of year. As a matter of fact, June shows the lowest number of birds there historically. Still a pretty lake with many water lilies.  Farther on we stopped at the Tintina Trench (the largest fault in all of North America). It looked like a gorgeous wide valley.

Finally we stopped at a turn out in the road nearly to Dawson. The signs here said we were on the edge of the Klondike Gold Discovery area. This fork of the Klondike River was clear and looked like a good fishing spot. There were signs that a moose had been there, but we had the place to ourselves this afternoon. It took Dominic a few tries to get the hang of casting into rushing water and in a breeze. He snagged a tree and Mike and I worked together to get him out. Rick waded out to a rock bar in the center and caught a grayling. We all missed it while we helped Dominic. Luca stayed up in the trailer with Judy until he got another fish cleaning lesson from Mike. I went for a wade and found it quite cool and refreshing.

There are huge mountains of mine tailings on both sides of the highway as we head into Dawson City. Miles and miles of tailings. It is kind of disturbing to think of how the ecology and natural environment of the area has been forever changed by the mining here.  The town itself has many preserved and refurbished building dating back to the late 1800s-early 1900s. The hosts here are very nice. It started to rain just as Rick was setting up the trailer and unhooking the Suburban and I was putting in 4 loads of laundry. Mom and Mike have a washer and dryer but there was just too much that needed to be done. So for a little over $16 Canadian and in about 2 hours I got most of our clothes clean. The boys are going to learn which clothes can be re-worn on the trip (if it isn’t stinky, can’t stand up on its own, etc.).

About 9 PM, the DiMaios went for a walk around town. It wasn’t even close to being dark yet. I read that around the time of the Summer Solstice (June 21) they get about 20.9 hours of daylight. We spotted a good place for ice cream/frozen yogurt (cash only and we didn’t bring any), a bank with an ATM (for cash for the ice cream, but I didn’t have my ATM card) and 2 small groceries (these two were closed). There were a handful of tourists walking around and a bunch of locals who had had way too much to drink. I said, “Who goes on a bender on a Sunday night?” To which Dominic replied, “Unemployed people.” He didn’t mean all unemployed, of course.

Leg 1 Part 3

June 19, 2012                     Day 11/60                            Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake, Yukon Territory

I usually don’t get to write my blog until early the next morning so this is a treat. Today’s drive was just as spectacular as yesterday’s. We saw so many bison (American Buffalo) that we actually lost count. We saw single bison eating alone along the highway. I wonder if they are alone by choice or pushed out of the herd for some reason. We saw several cows (female bison) with calves along and in the highway. We motored slowly behind them but they stayed on the road in front of and beside us running up the steep grade. We were close enough to see their tongues hanging out the sides of their mouths. I tried to tell them to take it slow and easy. I don’t like to run either and certainly not up a hill. We eventually got past the bison and saw a larger herd of mostly males lying at the top of the hill. Maybe when the cows got their calves safely with the herd, they could relax and stop running. (Shout out to all my mom friends who spend so much time running their kids here and there.)

Later we saw a group of 6 male bison crossing the road. The first to cross was the largest and he stepped confidently into the road and strutted across with style. The next three sort of sauntered. The next to last looked over his shoulder as if to say to the last reluctant one, “Come on. It’ll be fine.” He then went back to give the last one a nudge. The last one eventually put a hesitant hoof onto the road and got across.  Interesting group dynamics at play, I think.

We saw 8 bears today! Most were just eating greens along the side of the highway completely disinterested in us. Luca was lucky enough to see a cub in a tree. The most spectacular of all were two young bears (Mom thinks they may have 3 years old and away from their mom) wrestling beside the road. They tumbled and play fought for as long as we watched and probably after we left. They were quite tall when they stood on hind legs. It was like National Geographic in person. We had front row seats and Mike got it on video. (I will try to learn how to add photos and video links before the end of the trip.)

I may have seen a grizzly bear down a side road all covered in grass that may have been part of the old highway. (Speaking of old highway, I think I forgot to mention that when we left Dawson Creek we drove a section of the old highway and crossed a 70-year-old bridge. I got a picture before we crossed. For now, you will have to take my word for it.) I definitely saw a cinnamon brown furry lump, but no one else did and we couldn’t back up or turn around. I don’t feel I can claim it as a grizzly-sighting.

We settled in quickly at the empty parking lot with hook ups that they call the Downtown RV Park. What it lacks in ambiance and shade, it more than makes up for in shower facility (yay, I finally got a shower!) and it is close to many attractions. We walked across to Kathy’s Kitchen for lunch because a) Judy was tired of eating lunch in and b) Dominic wanted to try a bison burger. The service was slow but not in the European “Here’s your drink, honey. Enjoy while we make your delicious lunch. And then when we bring it, take as long as you like.” It was more like they kitchen was backed up with orders and she didn’t bring our drinks right away. The food was ok in my opinion but Rick seemed to like his Bison Bacon Cheese burger and soup.

After lunch, we went next door to the Northern Lights Museum. The guy behind the counter was super friendly and talkative. Rick, Mike and I took advantage of good Internet connections on the free computers to check a few things. Then we all went in for the presentation in the planetarium-like dome theater. I would love to tell you about the fantastic two-part presentation, but I fell asleep as I always do at these things. Really, ask anyone who has gone with me. I always fall asleep. I have never seen the whole show at the Academy of Science where we are members. Well, maybe the whole thing but not in one sitting. Anyway, the first part seemed to be about the vastness of space. Dominic told me later that some of the information was outdated (well, the copyright was 2004, per Dominic). I fell asleep when we got to the Andromeda System. Rick woke me up at the end of part one or the beginning of part two, I am not sure. Part two was about the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. I was really hoping to see this part since I had already slept. The beginning was about the difficulty of filming the lights in wide screen and color, etc. They had to wait for science and technology to catch up. Then they started to talk about where they went to film and then I fell asleep. Seriously. I am not that old. I have no idea why I can’t stay awake at these things. Very annoying. You will just have to come to Watson Lake to see it for yourself or read my step-dad’s blog. I am not sure how to tell you to find him, being new to blogging. His blogs have all the facts of where we went, stopped, ate, etc. His name is Mike Eisman (can you even search by person?)

After the museum, we discovered it was raining again. Of course, it rained. I had put on a tank top and shorts (purchased when we stopped at Cabela’s near Eugene, OR) in order to enjoy the 78+ degree weather. There was one dark cloud in an otherwise gorgeous blue sky and it was right over us. At first, it was only a sprinkle. No problem. We went across to hang our sign in the sign post forest (a seriously strange collection of sign posts left by people passing through town, really look it up). While Rick and the boys hammered in the sign we made from an art project a darling little girl had given me at Cub Scout family camp, my camera froze (refused to take the picture) and it started to rain harder. It was a cold rain with huge drops but it passed quickly.

Next stop bank for the ATM, then the little Department Store in town. That is a loose term to mean the place where you can buy just about everything from housewares to fishing licenses to underwear. Rick and Mike got fishing licenses and lures. Rick and I headed back to the RV Park with the boys to check out the showers (very nice) and the lake across the street. Mom and Mike went to the variety store which is not to be confused with the grocery store. A very eclectic mix of merchandise can be found in small town stores. The lake was nice with a board walk over the marsh. Dominic spotted 3 coins in the lake and tried to get them with a stick. By now the sun was out again and beating intensely on the backs of the boys’ necks. I wanted to get going so I waded in to get the coins in my several year old but never been wet Keen sandals (aah, a mother’s sacrifice – picture back of hand to forehead). I gave each of the boys one of the Canadian quarters and kept one for my trouble.

Mike and Rick cooked steaks on the grill and Mom and I contributed more instant mashed potatoes (thank goodness that box is gone, but at least it was a break from pasta noodles) and peas. Delicious meal. All the males left to go fishing and Judy did the dishes while I went to the market for more milk and taco seasoning. Prices on junk food really encourage you to eat healthier so I did not go off the list and get any chips, soda (day 19 without soda, except for a few sips here and there), or candy. I did get a box of coconut cookies because I love coconut and they were only $1.69. I only had half a serving so they will last.

There were only a few other campers in the RV park when we checked in. Now that it is almost 9 PM (and still broad daylight, btw), it has somewhat filled up. I am glad I showered early. Rick and the boys will want to shower after fishing (or at least I will want them to). I may be asleep by then. Grandma Judy put blackout shades in the boys’ bunk area so they will be able to sleep better. Judy/Mom/Grandma and I both could have gone to bed an hour ago.

Rick found a nail or screw in one of our tires (after 5 PM of course, but at least we are in a town and not 54 miles down the road in the rain). We will have to delay our start a bit tomorrow to get it taken care of.

June 20, 2012                     Day 12/60                            Watson Lake to Whitehorse, YT

The guys did not get back from fishing until after 10 PM. Don’t worry it wasn’t even close to dark yet. (I guess Alaskan kids don’t get told to go play and come home when the street lights come on.) The y didn’t catch any fish but had great stories to tell. I wasn’t there so I may get some of this wrong. At some point Mike borrowed Rick’s fishing rod and the whole end flew off when he cast. It started to rain, so Rick tucked his hiking boots under the tailgate of the truck when he changed into his $5 thrift store rubber boots (perfect for fishing from the shore). When Rick cast, he snagged a tree and didn’t want to lose his $3.99 lure purchased at the Watson Lake department store. He took off his boots and wool socks. He rolled up his pants and put his boots back on. He waded out to the tree and unsnagged his line. In the process the water went over the tops of the boots filling the rubber boots with water. When it was time to go, Rick discovered that water had drained from the tailgate in a steady stream into his hiking boot. He poured more than 2 cups of water out of his hiking boot. I still chuckle when I think of it. Wish I had been there or someone had captured it on video (cue AFV voice over by Tom Bergeron).

We only saw two bears today, but one was a gorgeous cinnamon color. As we got closer, I dared to hope that it might be my first wild grizzly sighting. However, it was a black bear. Black bears come in many colors. In California, I have seen black, brown, cinnamon, and blonde. So far we had only seen black bears with black fur on this trip. I was starting to wonder if the various colors were a California thing. You know how we like our wild and crazy hair colors in California.

Mike saw a grizzly cross in front of his truck but by the bear had scampered (can something so big really scamper?) down the embankment and we had a semi-truck in a really big hurry between us so we couldn’t stop to investigate.

We saw some beautiful meandering rivers today. It looked like a scene from “A River Runs Through It.” There were few pull outs of any size and no real access to the river so no fishing. We stopped at Rancheria Falls for a short 10-15 minute hike on a raised board walk out to an overlook. The falls were not as tall as imagined they would be. The walk was still enjoyable after so many days in the car. We saw interesting plants and evidence of animals (including bear scat right next to the walkway. Still wishing for more photos?).

We stopped for lunch in Teslin. We parked across the street from the gas station near the bridge where you cross the Yukon River (you know the one). It lacked the ambiance of some of our earlier stops (lakeside is preferred) but there was no diesel exhaust. Rick and either Mom or Mike or both ate what was billed as award winning rhubarb pie that we had stopped for. At $5 it had to be good. Rick said it was some of the best he ever had. I should hope so.

 After lunch we went to the George Johnston Museum. He was part of the Tlingit First Nation (native) and a very successful trapper. So successful, in fact, that in 1928 he fulfilled his dream of owning the first car in the Yukon. There were no roads yet, so he drove on the frozen lake and built a 1.5 mile road into town. He learned to drive it during a lesson at the Whitehorse airport and had it transported to Watson Lake on a boat. They had to cut a hole in the wheel house to fit the car. This was one determined, powerful, and wealthy man. The museum housed artifacts and photographs (taken by Johnston) from the time. He was truly a man who straddled two worlds. It was very interesting.

Less interesting but still somewhat interesting was the lonely Filipino lady who ran the place. She was desperate to talk to us in her broken English and part of me wondered what brought her to Teslin. I didn’t have to wonder for long. She soon told Mom her life story. Mom has that effect on people. The museum was so small I couldn’t help but over-hear her. Her father was an attorney (I think, I was only have paying attention) in the US Army, so she moved here. I later found out that her husband was working several hours away and “left her here, all alone.” They own a rice farm in the Philippines. So why are you all alone in the Yukon, I thought. I didn’t have time to find out as we had another museum to get to.

The Heritage Museum in Teslin was hosting a tribal meeting so we got in for half price and couldn’t listen to the audio portion. The gift shop was larger than the display area. Outside there were 5 nice totem poles and some dugout canoes on the beach. I did pick up a pamphlet on how dugouts came to the Yukon when there are no cedar trees to make them from. It turns out they were fabulous traders. Some of these canoes held 50+ men. Very impressive.  If I had it to do over, I would skip this stop, however.

We didn’t have many choices for campgrounds for the night. Many in Whitehorse were full. We found one that had parallel spots for us. Well, okay at least they have full hook ups. Well, no way we could pull in to the spot for us so Mike and I went back to the office. The lady there said there were two others reserved for us and they were pull-through spots but closer in.  We couldn’t decide if she was confused, trying to book her least desirable first, or what. We opted for the close-in spots.

June 21, 2012                     Day 13/60                            Whitehorse, YT

This morning we found a long line of RVs, trailers, etc. lined up outside our spots to fill up at the gas/diesel/propane tanks right across from us. However, Dominic still managed to sleep through the engine noise. He didn’t get up until after 8:30. Mike and Rick had taken both trucks in for oil changes so there was no hurry.

Today we went to the Yukon Bernicia Interpretive Center. It had a few very nice displays about the migration of animals and people by way of the Bering Strait Land Bridge. The docents here were very nice. One helped the boys with a treasure hunt and seemed very excited about their involvement and completion of it. I wonder if it was his project. Upon completion, he gave them both a poster from the collection available for sale. We didn’t have to pay any extra for this activity. It kept the boys interested. We also watched a brief video about the Beringia. I stayed awake this time but just barely. The room didn’t go completely dark and the seats didn’t recline. I think this helped. After the film, another docent took us outside for a demonstration and activity involving atlatl. It is an Aztec word meaning “throwing board.” However, many cultures have used the atlatl as a hunting tool. Everyone got to try to throw one. I didn’t try as my wrist still bothers me. I mentioned to the docent that I run summer camp and he gave me his curriculum for a Ferocious Furious Fun camp.

We stayed so long at this museum that we had to go to lunch before hitting the Transportation Museum right next door. At first we thought we would try the Klondike BBQ and Salmon Bake. However, it was very pricy and nothing for Luca who is quite picky. We were very close to downtown and decided to walk to see what we could find. Several blocks later, we stumbled upon a Canadian and Italian place in a hotel. Mike and Rick ordered Vietnamese Beef noodle soup. So it was clearly an international place. I think everyone was happy. The boys and I walked back to pick up the car so Mom wouldn’t have to walk so far. It rained a little, of course, because we had neither umbrella nor jackets. Oh well, it is a familiar thing now.

After we had everyone in the car, we went to the visitors’ center to inquire about campgrounds between here at Dawson City. We also stamped our Yukon Passport. These passports encourage you to visit sites throughout the Yukon and stamp your passport. If you visit 10 sites this summer you will be entered in a drawing for 1 oz. of gold and 20 stamps for 2 oz. drawing.  There are also consolation prizes of tourist souvenirs. Mike agreed to take our passports into the Old Log Church (someone thought it was Old Dog Church, we got a chuckle out of the devout canines of the Yukon). Actually, it is a story of a priest who got so hungry over a long winter that he ate his boots. Mike also ran into the SS Klondike for stamps for us. We skipped this attraction as the boys have slept on the Delta King in Sacramento and it is very similar.

We headed back up the hill to the Transportation Museum (another stamp). There was a lot of information about moving people and things around the Yukon before, during and after the Alaska Gold Rush (1898). There were photos of early bush pilots (crazy, brave guys). There was a life-size diorama depicting the Chilcoot (spellcheck) trail. There was an amazing story of survival. Two people survived a plane crash outside Watson Lake. They were in less than 40 degrees below for 49 days. The movie stars Ed Asner as the pilot and Sally Struthers (Gloria from All in the Family) as the passenger.

Now the guys were all headed to Wal-Mart to look for cheaper lures (Luca didn’t recover one of the $3.99 ones from an underwater snag last time) and then off to fish. I am contemplating a nap.

June 15, 2012     Day 7                     Lac La Hache to Prince George

We drove past more beautiful countryside. I drove a section (without the trailer. We dropped it off along with my parents’ whole rig in Quesnel and all jumped in the Suburban). We took a side trip out to Barkerville, a reenactment site. Gold was discovered near here and a town soon followed. They had many buildings and even a Chinatown. There were people dressed in costumes from the various periods of note during the town’s history. I saw a school group coming through and was a little envious.  Each person in the group got a profile of someone who lived in Barkerville (the barber, the laundress, the hotelier, etc). I think they should do this for all their guests to make the experience more meaningful and fun. They should also create a hands-on area where kids could learn games or make crafts. While interesting to the adults, the boys soon lost interest. Luca said he was fine though since Rick had bought him some fudge.

On the way to Barkerville, we stopped for lunch at Wells. The town is hardly a blink and probably only exists because it is so close to Barkerville. The nice young lady at the Visitors’ Center suggested we eat at the Pooley St Café.  There weren’t many options so we tried it. As soon as we walked in the door, we heard raucous kids. There was a table of 4 boys all under the age of 7. The rest of the children (I lost count but maybe 3 more) and the adults were at another table. I think they were locals and at least one of them seemed to work there but maybe wasn’t on duty. The adults finished eating and went out on the front patio leaving the boys unattended. They were so loud we could hardly hear to place the order with the waitress who seemed like she just came off the Northern Exposure set. The boys left their open Cokes and proceeded to run circles through the two doors leading to the outside. The adults said nothing. After the 10^th door slam, the boys’ lunch was ready and they came to sit at the table next to us completely unsupervised. They continued to whoop it up until my mom forcefully said, “Enough.”  The boys immediately quieted down and moved outside with the adults probably complaining about the mean old lady. We ate the rest of our lunch in peace.

The restaurant was strange in other ways. They discovered they had left yesterday’s soup selection up but nobody made a move to change it. You had two choices of bread – white or brown. The Northern Exposure waitress could hardly be heard or understood but checked back often to make sure everything really was ok. When it was time to pay, they had lost what little phone connection they had and the credit card machine wasn’t working. They let another customer leave his business card and run errands (where to I don’t know the town only had about 20 buildings total and at least 6 of them were closed or empty). He was going to come back later to pay. We paid cash and got on our way.

The skies turned gloomy on the way to Prince George and we had rain all night. The Visitors’ Center showed rain for the next four days for this area. I hope we can escape it by heading north. One good thing is that it may bring out the animals. We saw lots of moose signs but no moose.

June 16, 2012                     Day 8/60              Prince George to Dawson Creek

Today it rained.

We drove along the western most edge of the Rocky Mountains but we couldn’t see much due to cloud cover. The cascades along the roadside were roaring, however. We did see some patches of snow and there was certainly snow at the higher elevations.  And trees, we saw lots of trees. Trees stretched in every direction for as far as we could see. They were growing so close together that if a person walked in 100 feet and turned around three times, s/he would have a hard time finding the way out.

We also saw many wide rivers and huge lakes. The rain kept us from stopping to enjoy any. Also, it is very hard to find a place to park about 100 feet of trailer combined length with the folks’ trailer).  It is hard enough to find a safe turn out to let the cars and semi-trucks pass. See my earlier entry about the Slowskis, especially on hills where our engine really need to work to pull us up.

We finally saw a moose! We had just driven passed a Moose Xing sign and had a laugh because it was only for the next 1 km. Then we saw a car on the opposite side of the road pulled over. I radioed Gypsy to let them know someone had spotted the 1 moose in the 1 km. Sure enough the moose was standing there as if placed by the Chamber of Commerce or tourism bureau. It was raining and there was no turn out so we didn’t get a picture.

We had lunch in Mom and Mike’s trailer at the side of the road in Chetwynd. It claims to be the Chainsaw Sculpture Capital of the World (wait that sounds familiar). It did have a lot of very nice sculptures. Luca liked the Pegasus so I took a picture in the rain. If I had a reliable and strong Internet connection, I would show it to you. For now, you will have to imagine it or look it up on the Internet yourself. I am sure it is there.

We arrived in Dawson Creek. It is famous for being Mile 0 on the Al Can Highway. The highway was completed in a very short time in 1942 as part of the war effort. We went to a nice museum at the visitors’ center. It had an amazing collection of taxidermy of the animals in the area.  From there, Rick and Mike went to find out about fishing licenses. Mom and I took the boys for their first Blizzards at the Dairy Queen. Yes, it is true. At 10 and 13 they have had all manner of junk food but never a Blizzard. We just haven’t had the opportunity until now. They loved them, of course. Luca couldn’t even finish his small, however, so Grandma Judy who only had a dipped cone helped him. Mike and Rick joined us and they each had a dessert (Mike only had a cone too).

Fishing on Father’s Day weekend is supposed to be free and fishing licenses are $56 for 8 days. We decided to try to find a place to stop tomorrow to try our luck. No sense in getting the license before we have to.

Mom wanted to walk the length of downtown (only a couple of blocks). My hips were a bit stiff from sitting so I thought this was a great idea. Many of the stores were closed (after 5 on a Saturday night). Maybe they had tickets to John Mellencamp (yep, he was playing in Dawson Creek). The thrift store was open. Interesting items, but it reeked of cigarette smoke. They had Cabelas waders for only $15. Too bad Rick and Mike already had some. I don’t intend to fish, but thinking back now, I wish I had gotten them just because they are such a bargain and you never know when you might need waders. Rick did pick up some rubber boots for $5 and Dominic got the DVD of Matrix Reloaded for $5. Luca wanted Super Smash Brothers Brawl for the Wii for $35 but it had been opened and we had no way to check it out. He was super bummed.

June 17, 2012                     Day 8/60                              Dawson Creek to Ft. Nelson

More rain, more beautiful countryside. I am running out of things to report. My brain has gone on vacation and I am feeling relaxed. The highway is mesmerizing, almost hypnotic. More trees.  I find myself getting very sleepy as I scan the bushes and closely growing trees for any sign of wildlife. I doze for 5 minutes here and there until a head snap wakes me. I don’t know if I dozed or looked at the wrong side at the wrong time, but I missed the first bear sighting. Mike, Judy, and Luca saw it and radioed us. This got my attention. I sat up straighter (not easy after so many hours in the seat) and scanned with greater concentration. And still, I almost missed the next one, Dominic who sat behind me said, “Black bear.” In a split second I snapped my head to the right and behind and radioed the others. I looked just in time to see a little (well, relatively little) black behind. Luca (who was in the other truck) later told us that it was two cubs.  I can’t dwell on the picture I didn’t get to take (again) or the bear (or other animal unseen, they are out there). This vacation forces me to live in the moment and enjoy what I have right now.

We stopped for lunch (before the bear sighting, actually) at Sikanni Chief River. The campground there has day use and nice wide spaces. The rain let up just long enough for us to get out and stretch our legs a bit. Dominic tried gold panning but the river was muddy and rushing. He got in some deep mud in his boots at one point. Luca threw rocks in the river. This reminded me of when he was 2 years old and we were in Glacier. We had taken a boat across a lake and hiked across a boardwalk to a small waterfall. Rick went on ahead to see if there was anything else we needed to see. The boys started throwing rocks in the pool beneath the waterfall. I sat down on the bank to rest. Somehow Luca got behind me and threw a potato-sized rock that hit me in the back of the head. It was a good thing I was already sitting because I saw stars. We laugh about what a good arm he had even at such a young age. But I don’t stand anywhere near him when he is throwing rocks into water, which is pretty much every chance he can get.

There were shale deposits with fossils in the area. The campground manager showed us a big oyster and gave the boys a fist size sample with what looks like clams. I don’t know what he was expecting, but Dominic seemed a bit disappointed. I guess he is spoiled by his nice collection at home. 

Once we were settled in the Triple G Campground in Ft. Nelson, Rick and Mike went to try a fishing spot at a former gravel pit that is a stocked lake. While they were gone, the boys jumped on the Internet. They have gone 8 days without TV but can’t seem to give up games. I walked over to the Heritage Museum to see if it was still open (being Sunday, many things either never opened or closed at 5). Once I determined it was open, I called Judy who had the onerous task of getting the boys unplugged and over to the museum. It was a very nice small town museum, the kind that has everything associated with area history loosely grouped in crowded displays in one room. It was visually overwhelming and hard to focus. Judy wanted to read everything and the boys were done in minutes. I was somewhere in between. They had wonderful taxidermy and many gadgets. They had a proclamation about the Boy Scouts which I found interesting.

When we had finished the inside, we were asked to wait for our docent in the car shed area. The car shed was amazing. It had all manner of cars, trucks, machines, and gadgets. The walls were lined with license plates that Luca wanted to take credit for in our attempt to get all 50. We decided that it must be attached to a vehicle capable of movement. It had cans and signs that made me feel like Mike and Frank from “American Pickers” would walk around the corner any moment.  From here we wandered to a post office and telephone/business machine house. Our docent met up with us and took us to a company house. The house was part of the Hudson Bay Co. which I was surprised to find out was still in business. I wonder if any of my friends who teach 5^th grade (early American history) know this little tidbit. It was just the four of us on the tour and the docent did a nice job of including the boys by asking them questions and pointing out things they might like (the heavy giant rolling pin which is not to be used on your brother.) From here we went to a log cabin that was about 3 to 4 times larger than a typical trapper cabin but included some of the things a trapper would have. Again, the boys were included and got to touch things and try them out. Dom tried a draw knife and Luca tried a guitar made from gnarled wood. Luca didn’t want to try the draw knife because he doesn’t have his Totin’ Chip (Boy Scouts must prove they are safe with all manner of sharp objects.) The docent wants to be a teacher and likes to talk so there was more to the tour, but those were the highlights.

The men returned without fish or mosquito bites, but had a good time. After dinner, I read to the boys from a book we abandoned last September when I went to work full time. We started over as none of us could remember it. We only did a chapter but it was nice to read together again. It was light until at least 10:30 when I went to bed.

June 18, 2012                                     Day 10                   Dawson Creek to Liard Hot Springs

It was a beautiful morning when we started out on what is considered by many to be the most scenic stretches of the Al Can Hwy. We didn’t get far before it started raining. It also didn’t take long before I spotted our first moose standing just off the highway at a dirt road. We tried to pull over but the trees (those darn trees) hid the moose from the highway and there was no backing up or turning around our big trailers. As it turns out, that was just the first of many animals long our route. In all we saw 5 moose (including one cow eating in a bog with her calf standing nearby and one bull sauntering along the road), 4 bears, 2 stone sheep, 1 caribou calf that was too young to be without its mother, and a deer . Mom and Mike say they have never seen so much wildlife in a week along the highway let alone in one day. I am so glad we saw so many for that is more how I had imagined the trip and more that makes up for the long stretches of I-5 earlier in the trip.

In addition to the animals, we saw fantastic scenery today. We crossed the Rockys again but could hardly see them due to clouds. We saw beautiful stretches of rivers white with silt from the area upstream.  There were fantastic displays of geologic history where entire rock layers had been pushed up (in some places nearly vertical) and then later bent back down. We could clearly see the layers of time laid down in the rock.

We stopped for lunch at Muncho Lake. Here the highway snakes along the shore with the lake on one side and tall rock cliffs with rock slide fencing. We found a wide turnout right along the shore line. The lake is a beautiful patina green (made more spectacular by my polarized sunglasses) from the copper oxide in the lake and an incredible 7 miles long. The rain let up just long enough for us to eat. This is happening almost every day and I feel very lucky that we get a brief break to stretch. Mike offered to take a family photo for us before we pulled out. We jumped at the offer not realizing that the delay would cause a greater delay down the road. Just beyond the lake, road crews had completely stopped traffic. We were the third car back so you see we might have made it through if not for the photo. The photo turned out very nicely so I think it was worth the 15-minute delay.  We also talked Dominic into getting out of the car and lying down in the road in front of our car. Why you ask? Because from time to time it is good to do things that are a little outside your comfort zone, a little strange. Because when he goes to college and his buddies dare him to do something, he can say, “Nah, I already laid down in the middle of the Al Can Hwy.” Who else will be able to say that? Also, it is great for “Two Truths and a Lie.”

We had planned to stay at Liard Hot Springs in a private campground across the highway from the provincial park with the actual hot springs. When Mike and I jumped out and ran to the office in the pouring rain, we discovered that the generator was out. We decided to go across the highway to the provincial park to dry camp (funny term considering how hard it was raining at the time). We would spend the night on battery power using only the water we carry in our tank. Mom and Mike have a generator so they invited us over to cook dinner together and watch a DVD (White Fang).

After settling in to our camp sites, we all changed into swim gear and rain slickers for the ½ mile walk to the hot springs. We saw many interesting plants along the way and no moose or bears which in this case is good. The hot springs has several staircases down into pebble-bottomed pools. They were very warm and a welcome treat after the rain and long hours in the car. We soaked for about 30 minutes or so. We are on vacation so we lost track of time. The unfortunate thing is that many of us had thought to wash our hair today and now we don’t want to use the propane to heat the water.And now we have sulphur water in our hair. Go ahead. You can say it. Ewww! We are really looking forward to nice showers in Watson Lake tomorrow.

Alaska 2012 Leg 1

June 9, 2012       Day 1/60  Millbrae to Lakehead, CA

Today we left on our grand adventure to Alaska. We had breakfast at the Millbrae Lions’ Pancake breakfast. An easy way to start our day with no preparation or clean up. Also a good reminder of how much we are a part of the community around us. It was nice to see friends like Bill and Cal that we have known since our boys were Tigers together in the first grade. Just two days ago, those same boys graduated from 8^th grade! Nice to know that Millbrae is small town enough that two of our City Council members (also Lions) were right there at the grill making Mickey Mouse pancakes – even though there was no media coverage. Sorry couldn’t help a little cynicism.

Not much to say about the drive today. A few sights worth mentioning…a deer (yes, I know we have them at Crystal Springs, but I never get tired of seeing one), a turkey and a lot of cranes and egrets. I think I even saw a golden eagle in flight but we were on the freeway so hard to tell.

Today I was struck by how much the media influences our lives and cultures. Even on this great getaway where we will have many fewer hours of electronic media per day, I am reminded of commercials that are shown ad nauseum during my boys’ favorite TV shows. First reference – towing the trailer, our speed limit is 55. On some hills that is not even a remote possibility. As a result, we were passed repeatedly by all kinds of vehicles (including semi-truck s who do not feel compelled to obey their speed limit and cars on the frontage roads). I don’t mind really, makes it easier to see the sights. However, we all had a good laugh when we realized we are the “Slowskis” from the Comcast commercials. Embrace it. Own it.

Second media reference – the commercial with the family that spontaneously breaks out into the chorus of “Crazy Train.” Yeah, that is not us. We can drive for miles in complete silence, each of us in our own thoughts. I imagine Rick is wondering about the wind, the pull of the semi-trucks as they pass us (we can feel the pull before we see them, reminds us of when the Titanic left the dock and nearly pulled another ship into it. If they had actually collided, how would that have changed history?), and trying to see as much of the scenery as he can while concentrating on the road. Luca spent most of the day busy with his DSi. This will change as we get into more scenic areas and we wean him from the dependence on media. Dominic slept and thought about rings he could make next summer at Grandpa Mike’s “jewelry camp.” I managed to stay awake despite averaging 6.5 hours of sleep a night since April 1. I am just too excited, I guess.

One last thing…before we even left Millbrae, my mom called me on the walkie-talkie (note to self, look up origin and first use of this strange name), “Gypsy to Scout.” I recognized her voice and, really, who else would be calling me on that channel. However, we had never discussed call signs. I am happy with Scout and just like 45+ years ago, it seems appropriate that my mother name me. Well, part way through the day, Dominic decided that we should all have call signs. So it was quickly determined (by me) that Rick would be Ranger in reference to his zoology degree and life pre-Julie when he spent so much time in the outdoors. He is returning to those pursuits with Boy Scouts. Dominic chose Element since he is really into the Periodic Table right now. Luca is Hawkeye because we all really enjoyed “The Avengers” and he is really good at spotting things and archery (for his age). We are still waiting to hear if Grandpa will have his own or simply share with Mom like he does so many other things. Suggestions:  Jewelryman, Engineer, The Wanderer, Chief, Guide….But, of course, he will ultimately pick his own.

June 10, 2012     Day 2/60              Lakehead, CA to Eugene, OR

Day 2 brought a very scenic drive through the Cascade Range. The trees were so densely packed on either side of the freeway that one couldn’t see more than a few feet. I found myself wondering what it would have been like for the first white settlers to the area and for the native peoples already living here. Did the natives find comfort in the cover of the forest so that they could study the strange new people to the area to try to determine their intent? Were the settler children frightened by strange noises coming from the darkness of the forest? I am sure more than one settler cursed the density of the trees as they tried to gain passage for their families and belongings.  Modern technology made that easy for us. Nice, wide, and surprisingly uncrowded freeways made it so easy, especially for me since my wrist injury keeps me from driving the Suburban with the trailer.  Could this really be the same Interstate 5 that is so jammed through the entire LA basin and passed my old hometown in Fullerton?

Speaking of Fullerton…strange thing happened. I went to check the local weather when we arrived in Eugene and my AccuWeather phone app had automatically placed us in Fullerton. I don’t recall ever checking the weather for Fullerton. Seems like a strange coincidence.

Things I learned today…the Sacramento River goes surprising far north. There is a Phoenix, OR (and it even has a mesa). There is also a Saginaw, OR. The dense trees of south Oregon give way to an almost desert-like valley with very few, yet hardy, plants. It was not overly hot, just dry.

I read somewhere that different personality types recharge themselves in different ways. Introverts tend to recharge with periods of quiet and solitude (caving). Extroverts tend to recharge through interaction with others. This could prove problematic on this trip. This first leg of our journey is almost all travel days. We need to drive for 5+ hours (250 miles +/-, mostly +). That is a lot of togetherness in the car. No choice about that. I am fine. I am an extrovert. I can talk with my family throughout the day and feel connected and recharged. The introverted family members will have more of a challenge. We are together in the car all day and even with the “larger” trailer (we went with the 26’ as opposed to the 18’), there is no getting away in the trailer at night. Well, that is the case so far. We are overnighting in Eugene at the Elks Lodge on a main street in town. I don’t think anyone wants to get out a chair to sit in the parking lot to enjoy the night air.  I read about cultures where many people had to share living quarters (like the longhouses of certain Native American tribes during the long winter months). Ok, I may have seen it in a movie, too, but I can’t remember the name. The inhabitants developed a sense of privacy by not looking directly at each other and people went about their “business” (whatever it may be) as if they were alone.

 Sounds like a major challenge for all of us. Introverts will have to adapt to new ways of recharging. If we have no Wi-Fi or the connection is slow, there can be no computer caving. Maybe it is time to draw or read a book. Extroverts will have to be quiet and give others space. 

I will have to learn other new tricks as well. I am not an organized person. Living in 26 feet if mobile space with 3 other people forces me to make sure I put everything in its place every day. If I don’t, we will have no room to do our daily routines and things could get damaged while we are in motion. It is only Day 2, but I am doing pretty well so far. Maybe I will form habits that will carry over to life back home. Then I would just need to find the time to un-do all the piles that are already there.

June 13, 2012                     Day 5/60                              McChord AFB, WA (near Tacoma)

It is morning of Day 5. I am successfully on vacation. I think I know what day of the week it is, but had to look up the date and count how many days we have been on the road. It seems like we have been doing this a lot longer than 5 days. I mean that in a good way, not a “we’ve been gone forever” way. I am finding it hard to blog daily. There are always so many things to do, both chores and fun. I wonder if the first white settlers to the area ever got any down time. I think I remember reading that the concept of leisure time didn’t come about for common folk until the Industrial Revolution. Could that be right? Of course, it doesn’t help that the boys have been on the computer whenever they got a chance. Something they didn’t have to worry about way back when.

The drive through Oregon and Washington was pretty uneventful. We got so used to the relative solitude of the long expanse of I-5 that we didn’t like the crowded freeway section through Portland and a few other cities. We stopped for lunch with my mom’s cousin and his wife whom I had not seen in 20 years. They couldn’t stay long because of a prior commitment. The food wasn’t great but we needed to eat so we did. I was so excited when Dominic agreed to try something new – Spaghetti Carbonara. We had been trying to get one of the boys to try this for so long. Unfortunately, it was not very well prepared. I ended up trading him for my so-so salad. It had been advertised as a Chicken Caprese Salad. It had only 5 dice-sized cubes of mozzarella cheese and the balsamic dressing was only on the tomato and cheese. Some awful house dressing was on the rest of the salad. Oh, well.

We had to stay an extra day here because the check engine light keeps coming on in my parents’ truck. The dealer couldn’t diagnosis the problem even with the On-star code so we will move on and hope for the best. I am a little worried about heading into even more remote areas with a potential engine problem. They say they have Good Sam and we will do ok.

I was glad to have the break from the monotony of the driving mile after mile all day. It is harder on Rick who is doing the actual driving, but it is hard on all of us. The boys haven’t complained once about the drive and hardly even asked, “Are we there yet?” The campground here is gorgeous but nothing to do (no hikes, etc.) as we are in the middle of an active military base. We finally got groceries but now wonder if any of it will be confiscated at the border when we cross today. Planning.

Having gained an unexpected day in the Seattle area, the boys asked if I could try to get them another tour at Valve Software. We had toured there last year when we came up for a cruise to Alaska. It was hard to arrange then as the company contacts are not listed on the internet. I wrote about 3 emails to the contacts I could find and they got back to us with a 3:30 tour time. The boys were thrilled.  The tour was very different this time. Last year, we had a very techy guide and very techy adults on the tour. We got to spend time with some of the designers and programmers who were working on Team Fortress 2 and the boys got to see some of the weapons still in production for the game. This year we got to see how some of the art progressed from mock up through to finished concept. They sure seem to be constantly evolving as a company. Everyone there was super nice as they were last year. I am so glad that fate intervened and gave us this extra day. The boys both finally had something they wanted to blog about. I mentioned this in a thank you email to Valve. The lady said they want to read the blogs. Uh-oh, pressure. We are having trouble with internet connections everywhere so we may have to wait until we have a strong Wi-Fi spot anyway. At least they are writing.

June 13, 2012     Day5/60               Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia

We didn’t enjoy driving through Seattle. Even at 11 in the morning, the traffic was pretty backed up in areas. They have an interesting system where each freeway lane is assigned a speed limit based on congestion. Interesting, but a few thoughts ran through my head. One, this would not work well in California. It is difficult to enforce and Californians don’t do much unless they have to. Oh yeah, make me. They opening break the laws we do have, often right down the street from the police station. Two, does this mean that the people of Seattle lack the common sense to adjust their speed to conditions without being told to do so by some higher authority. Common sense says if it is crowded, slow down. If you don’t, you may have a crash. That seems like pretty natural consequences for your actions. So I suppose the authorities are protecting the innocent victims of the other drivers’ stupidity.

Somewhere near Bellingham, WA we left the I-5 for a smaller, two-lane country “highway.” This was very scenic and a nice change from the concrete of I-5. We passed farms, ancient and modern, and small towns. The closer we got to the border, the more flags the small towns had lining their downtown area. It reminded me of my trip to Ohio with Mom about 5 years ago. This led us over to a smaller border crossing area and I was relieved we wouldn’t be driving through Vancouver. I am sure it is lovely, but I wanted to get away from the traffic and I wasn’t even driving. 

We have crossed into Canada. Thankfully the border crossing was pretty uneventful. The boys rode with the grandparents all day, leaving the Suburban oddly quiet. It felt very strange and after several miles I asked my mom if they indeed had both my children in their car. I had heard stories of kids left behind at rest stops and had this horrible feeling that one of mine was at the camp ground at McChord. I guess a military base is a pretty safe place to leave behind a kid, but I am so glad we didn’t. The border agent was fine with all of us being in separate cars as long as the grandparents had the boys’ passports and Rick and I were right there to vouch for the grandparents’ right to transport the kids out of the country.

We had to declare shotguns at the border. “What is your purpose for bringing a shotgun into Canada?” There are only a few acceptable answers to this question. The friendly border agents seemed to think it completely reasonable that we have one along for remote fishing and berry picking. After cautions about not having it out in populated areas and not discharging it in populated areas and storing ammo separate from gun, etc., they sent us on our way. While we waited for the paperwork, I got in some good people watching. There was a fairly nicely dressed woman of undetermined middle-age. She was there when we arrived and seemed to be waiting for them to process her. We couldn’t imagine what would take so long. Then out of nowhere came a scruffy looking guy who looked like he had been on the road for some time. The agents escorted him from the windows over to low cubicles where he was asked to take his shirt off. I didn’t hang around to see what that was all about. I am trying to imagine what he said to make them want to see what was under his shirt and why they only provided low cubicles in the lobby area for such a situation. Well, the agents were satisfied and he left….wait for it…with the nicely dressed lady. Uh? I still can’t figure out what this was all about. Rick said maybe it was profiling and since the two travelers seemed so different, the border agents needed to check it out.

At one point, they cautioned Rick not to bring our shotgun inside for inspection unless he wanted to get shot at. The border agents I saw all looked like they just stepped off the Canadian version of a Rose Parade float and I wondered whether under their Chamber of Commerce smiles they could hit the side of a barn. I decided it would not be a good idea to test them, however, and we were on our way.

The small highway continued on the Canadian side of the border. The view was very peaceful and we really felt our vacation had begun. The boys convinced the grandparents to stop at Harrison Hot Springs for the night. We checked in and got parked at relatively pricey RV park in Harrison Hot Springs. It looks like people buy a plot and park their RVs here permanently. They build fences and gazebos right up to the RV. It is sort of like a mobile home park.

From here we walked to the beach and downtown Harrison Hot Springs. It wasn’t far and for me it felt good to stretch the legs a bit after so many days of inactivity.  I think it was harder for Mom with her sore knee, but she made it. Once there, we bought our way into the local public pool complete with towels and a shared locker. This was not a swimming pool, but a therapeutic pool fed by the hot springs. It was 100 degrees and the only people there were a few much older Germans and an Asian family with small children. Ah, it felt good to soak. The boys seemed to enjoy it, even if they couldn’t rough house or really swim. Then a woman and two boys about the same age as Dominic and Luca showed up. They were allowed to rough house and splashed water on us. I used my teacher voice, which seemed to have more of an effect on the mom who moved them away from us. After a soak and a shower, I dried my hair with the hand dryer. I can’t remember if I had done that before.

We had dinner at a great Swiss place on the beach. All the adults had the special, St. Gallen Schnitzel, a pork cutlet with caramelized onion gravy, pan fried Yukon potatoes and red cabbage with soup (Rick and Mike) or salad (Judy and Julie). The boys went for pasta, of course. Rick and Mike enjoyed some good German beer and the food was delicious. The only complaint is that it was European service (slow on purpose, usually appreciated so we don’t feel rushed) and we were starving. However, it was worth the wait.

After dinner we walked out to touch the water in Harrison Lake and it was cold. They have inflatable slides set up near the Marina and I can’t imagine the lake water getting warm enough for me to want to go sliding into it.

June 14, 2012                     DAY 6/60              Lac La Hache

Thanks to my fabulously talented husband, we were ready to leave by 8 AM. We didn’t get far before we stopped at a little town called Hope (flashback to a certain presidential campaign from my youth). This Hope is known for chain saw carvings. They were typically nature-themed:  salmon, bears, foxes, and wolves were popular. However, there were also strange-looking human figures: old men, native peoples (creation stories) and mythical beings. The wind was really blowing so we did the only sensible thing and ducked into a small Belgian Waffle place. Sharon was there to wait on us. Turns out, Sharon owns the place and is efficient yet laid back. It is a great combination. Five of us split 2 waffles (Luca abstained). We also bought some nice looking lunch meats and cheeses for our lunches (usually at rest stops along our route, but today we stopped at Hell’s Gate, more on that soon).

Next stop, Hell’s Gate, the narrowest part of the canyon on the Fraser River. Great story about the first white guys to go through here ages ago without benefit of modern equipment. They used ropes and branches to hang from the canyon walls to make their way down the canyon. Much later, people decided to build a fish ladder of sorts to help the salmon fight the waters upstream. They even built a resting pool. I might have some of the details wrong as I was still dizzy from crossing the bridge. Mom chose to take the gondola down the shops and exhibits. Not being a fan of gondolas, I walked about 1 km down with Mike, Rick and the boys. This was not a tough walk and definitely the road less taken. Once we crossed the Canadian Pacific/British Columbia Rail tracks (no crossing gates here, pay attention and cross at your own risk), we still needed to cross the suspension bridge across the gorge. I am not a fan of bridges with open grate walkways, but I needed the bathroom on the other side (good motivation). I walked across without whimpering or holding anyone’s hand. I even managed a few pictures and looked down a few times. The bridge is much lower to the water and sturdier than the one that gave me a panic attack at Neuschwanstein. I did great! I did not reward myself with one of the 32 flavors of fudge advertised.

Once the family was all together, Mike bought the boys a gold panning experience for only $5 Canadian. They each received a “salted” gold pan. He helped them each find some amethyst, agate, tiger-eye, and small flakes of gold. They both got the idea that gold panning is really tedious. It started to rain at this point and I decided not hike back up. Mom, Luca and I took the gondola up and started prepping lunch. Rick, Mike and Dominic made great time (21 minutes).

It rained most of the rest of the day. Not too hard most of the time, just enough to keep us from stopping to see a 2000+ lbs. slab of jade. We saw it from the car and my folks have larger jade pieces at home. The little towns have to find some draw to pull in the limited tourists we see on the road. The towns are very depressed economically. There are many dilapidated churches and abandoned homes. Stores and businesses look like people just closed the doors and walked away.

Today’s animals include our first Bald Eagle. I woke up just in time to see it soaring over the confluence of the Fraser and Thompson Rivers. So majestic that we all agree that we are glad that Benjamin Franklin was out-voted when he nominated the turkey as the national bird. We also so one of the healthiest coyotes I have ever seen. It ran across the road in front of Mike and up the side of the highway. He had a full healthy coat and fluffy tail. No sign of mange at all. Luca claims to have seen a honey badger but I saw only a badger crossing sign. Everyone but Mike saw two marmots standing watch on the side of the road. One was standing up tall on hind feet like a meerkat. All in all, not a bad second day in Canada.