Driving to Alaska has always been a dream of mine. I would actually love to live one full year in Alaska, experiencing 24 hours of daylight in the summer and full days of darkness in the winter. (Erick says I could never handle the darkness of an Alaska winter as I have a hard time with the gray Michigan days!)
In my head, I have been planning this trip forever, but decided to make it happen this year. I planned most of the trip at the beginning of the year, even buying airline tickets for Erick to join us, which obviously isn't able to happen with his Germany deployment.
Anyways, yesterday we left Hinton, Alberta and proceeded through Grand Cache and Grand Prarie to Dawson City, BC to start our drive on the ALCAN- the Alaska Highway. Dawson City, BC is mile zero on the Alaskan Highway that runs 1382 miles/2232 km through Canada ending in Delta Junction, Yukon at the Alaska border.
Our drive takes us through the Icefield Parkway to stay in Hinton, Alberta, then Hinton to Fort Nelson BC, Fort Nelson to Watson Lake Yukon, Watson Lake to Haines Junction, and finally, Haines Junction to Tok Alaska.
We are 2 days into the drive. It has been long, beautiful, rewarding, and full of animal sightings!
We have made lots of stops, some quick- some long. We seem to be traveling with the same people, leapfrogging each other as we go.
It is so interesting to talk to people and hear about their plans and experiences.
A great example of this was today at the sign forest in Watson Lake, Yukon. This is a 'forest' of over 100,000 signs on posts. Robert says, 'Hey mom, I found a Yooper sign!" another couple says- 'What? A yooper sign- we've been looking for one, we are from Gladstone!'.
Turns out they live on Minnesota Ave a block or two from my husband's grandma, in the next town over from my inlaws and where my husband is from. It is such a small world!!
We ended the first day in Fort Nelson at Lakeview Inn and Suites, another place we would recommend. Got caught in a good rain as we were getting to town,but were rewarded with a double rainbow 🌈!
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