Day 62 Wednesday June 29, 2022 We departed Missoula at 8:30 AM for our 225 mile trip to Bonners Ferry Idaho. We drove through some tall mountains but thankfully we didn't have many long climbs to make but lots of curves. The views were really nice. The road got instantly worse as soon as we crossed into Idaho. We went through a little town named Wallace, population 960. We filled up with fuel the last time about 30 miles before our campground. The fuel in Canada and Alaska is even more expensive than in the lower 48 states. The fuel was $5.999 a gallon. The highest price we have paid for diesel.
We got to Blue Lake RV Resort near Bonners Ferry at 12:15 PM Pacific Time Zone, which is three hours behind the time at home and set up in site A6.
Lena had set up the crock pot again with the Amish Chicken dish so we had a great lunch ready shortly after arriving and setting up. We got two small rain showers in the afternoon, the most we have had since leaving North Carolina. It is also cooler, mid 70's today, and that is nice. We stayed here one night in 2015 on our return trip from Alaska. I wouldn't call this a Resort but it is a nice RV campground. They have a very deep lake, depth unknown. There are two docks on the water with benches, canoes and kayaks to rent, several geese, two community fire rings and two very “Croaky” bull frogs. There is a train track between the park and the highway that is very active but we are getting accustomed to the train noise.
Our friends from Virginia, Tom and Gloria, arrived about 2 hours behind us and setup in the site beside us. We met them in 2019 on the Canadian Maritimes Caravan. They live about 2 miles from where we lived in Virginia from 1991-1996. They will also be on the Alaska Caravan and we will be traveling together from here to the meeting point in Dawson Creek British Columbia Canada.
Day 63 Friday July 1, 2022 Lena wanted to try one more time to find a good Latte in the US so I told her to pick out the place in Bonners Ferry because the places I have been finding were all a bust. So we drove to Bonners Ferry and went to The Gathering Place. It was good, could have been hotter, and was in a real cup and the large donuts were also good.
We only have 3 eggs so we wanted to save them for breakfast in the morning. There are several food items we are not supposed to carry across the border, like eggs, produce, fresh meats, etc. We will have to restock a little in Canada but can't get too much because we will be in Alaska in 9 days and we have to go through a border crossing there also and aren't supposed to carry across some food items.
After we returned we did a few maintenance items around the motorhome to be ready to cross the border tomorrow. Today is Canada Day, similar to our July 4th.
Day 64 Saturday July 2, 2022 Our drive to the Regency RV Park in Cranbrook British Columbia Canada today was only 92 miles, much shorter than a normal day. We had to stop at the border but even with 8 cars ahead of us it only took 15 minutes, a few questions and we were on our way.
We arrived about 1PM in Cranbrook and set up in site 22. This is just a basic campground and our site and our friends only has 30 AMP electric and water, no sewer. We are only here one night so don't need sewer dump. The reason for the short drive to stay here is we wanted to visit the town of Kimberly. We stayed there in 2015 and enjoyed the town. Some of the downtown area had been revamped to look like a town in Germany. They did this when the Sullivan Mine closed down so the town could draw tourist and not die out. Us and our friends wanted to go Chef Bernard's German restaurant for a German schnitzel. We got very disappointed because the restaurant had closed down since 2015 and several of the buildings have been changed to a style different than a German village. We did get good brick oven pizza and chicken wings across the street. We ate there also in 2015 so we knew their pizza was good.
After returning to Cranbrook, Lena and I went to Walmart to get some produce and eggs since we had to eat up what we had before crossing the border, even though they didn't ask anything about food or come in and inspect.
Since we only have 30 AMP electrical service we can only run one air conditioner and it is rather hot here this afternoon so it was after sunset before we could get the inside temperature comfortable. Most RV Parks/Campgrounds in the USA that can accept large RVs have 50 AMP service available but Canada and a lot of parks in Alaska only have 30 AMP.
Day 65 Sunday July 3, 2022 Since we forgot to get eggs yesterday at Walmart, Lena wanted to go to Tim Horton's for breakfast this morning and satisfy her Latte addition and mine. Umm, maybe she forgot the eggs on purpose. Tim Hortons's are all over Canada. They have good coffee, pasties and breakfast sandwiches and wraps. Sure wish they would come to our area in North Carolina. If they did McDonald's would be in trouble.
I washed the bugs off the windshield and front of the motorhome when we got back to the campground. The bugs messes up the photos Lena is taking through the windshield as we drive. We packed up and departed at 9:40AM for Whispering Spruce Campground in Golden British Columbia about 150 miles away. We all thought it was an easy and very beautiful drive. The views to our right was the Rocky Mountains and some other mountain range to our left. Lots of snow on the mountain tops. We had a little rain for the first few miles then it cleared and stayed overcast and much cooler.
There were lots of road signs warning of wildlife but all we saw was one small squirrel on the road. Tom and Gloria saw one deer.
We got to the campground about 1 PM and set up in site 32. Lots of tall spruce trees in the campground for shade. It began to rain about 4PM and is about 66 degrees. We did get to set outside for a couple of hours and enjoy the cooler temperature.
Day 66 Monday July 4, 2022 USA Independence Day! Tom and Gloria and us loaded up in the Jeep and drove about 90 miles to Banff Alberta. We tried to get reservation at the campground there but there was no room at the inn but we still wanted to see the town. We had heard so much about it. We knew it would be busy with tourists like ourselves, especially since today is the Monday after Canada Day and they have a long weekend. This is really a major tourist town, Summer and Winter, with sking and other Winter sports in the area. I am sure they were really effected during COVID, because Canada was more strict in some areas than in the USA.
It was a nice drive and the town was very pretty and very clean. We found a parking spot without too much trouble and walked first to Tim Horton's to get a mid morning snack and then to the town center where they have a pedestrian area with the street closed off to cars except the town shuttle buses. The town kind of looked like an Alpine Town. They have all types of restaurants of different nationalities. There were some beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains from the streets. It was a nice day to be out walking, 55 degrees and somewhat overcast.
We returned to Golden after a quick detour into Lake Louise for a few minutes We saw two black bears on the way back. By the time we got back to Golden at 3:30PM we were all hungry again so we went to Ricky's Grill for a great Fish and Chips meal.
A few days ago a section of the Alaskan Highway that we have to travel on July 14th washed away between Liard Hot Springs and Watson Lake after a heavy rain. This is a major road in Canada that connects several towns and is the major route to Alaska and there is a lot of tourist traffic plus commercial traffic on this road. There is only one other major route and that would require a lot of extra miles and backtracking for those that are trying to get through that area. But as of this afternoon we got word they have built a temporary road around the washed out area to get traffic moving by alternating traffic from each direction following a pilot truck. So that makes two times we have almost had to take a long detour on our trip.
Day 67 Tuesday July 5, 2022 Our friends had a little issue with one of their slides this morning but we got it figured out and was able to leave at 8AM as planned. There was some serious road construction just a few miles down the road on the Trans Canadian Highway (we drove through it yesterday so it was not a surprise). They are building a stretch of 4 lanes that are literally hanging off the side of the mountain. The workers are wearing heavy safety harnesses because if they were to fall it would be very bad.
We saw another black bear beside the road this morning, After about 50 miles we turned onto the Ice Fields Parkway, paid our $21 CAD (Canadian Dollars) for a two day pass to drive through the National Park.
We drove this road in 2015 on our return trip but today we are driving in the opposite direction and the views are a visual overload. They seem even more spectacular than in 2015. Lena is taking lots of great photos through the windshield but even with our better camera it just can't capture what our eyes are seeing. Lots of snow on the mountains and some down beside the road. We saw several glaciers including the Athabaskan Glacier across from the Visitors Center.
We stopped at the Visitor Center for a break and to get some photos of the glaciers across the road from the parking lot. They have paid tours where they take you out onto the glaciers in a large wheel vehicle and also a bus will take you to the glass walkway that hangs off the side of a cliff 400' above the ground below. I DON”T THINK SO! They would have to drag me out there kicking and screaming.
We saw several adolescent Long Horn Sheep a few miles before we got to Jasper Gates Campground about 1PM and set up in site 11. After a lunch of leftovers we rode with Tom and Gloria into Hinton a few miles away to pick up a couple of items and a lunch for them at Smitty's. Lena and I had ate lunch but we spotted Blueberry Crepes on the menu so we split one with some coffee.
Then it was back to the campground to relax. We have non-existent WiFi at this campground so I hope to update the Blog when we get to Dawson Creek Thursday. We have cell coverage near the towns which is good but are limited to .5 GB of fast data service a day since we are roaming in Canada.
Day 68 Wednesday July 6, 2022 We joined our friends for a ride into Jasper to do some window shopping and walking around town. On the way we saw 4 adult long horn sheep grazing along the shoulder of the road. After we had checked out the town we walked over to Tim Horton's for a Latte and some of their pastries.
On the way back to the campground we saw the adult long horn sheep on the opposite side of the road. They were laying down so close to the road we could almost reach out of the truck window and touch them. After we got back to the campground we did some prep work for our early departure tomorrow for Dawson Creek British Columbia, which is the meeting point for our Alaska Caravan group.
Day 69 Thursday July 7, 2022 We pulled out at 7:15AM this morning for our 300 mile drive to Northern Light's RV Park in Dawson Creek. Dawson Creek is mile “0” of the Alaskan Highway. Most of the first 200 miles was through a very remote area. Lots of tall trees, hills and oil rigs. We saw 8 deer, 1 caribou, 1 antelope and 1 dead moose before we got to Grande Cache. We stopped in Grande Prairie Alberta for fuel for the motorhomes and ourselves.
Not long after we set up a rain cloud blew through but it did wet the windshield down and soften up the bugs so I could easily wash them off.
Counting our stay at Stone Mountain State Park for the month of May we are 69 days and just shy of 5,000 miles into this adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment