Our Last Few Days...

July 10, 2014

Today, as we traveled the

Tok Cutoff Road, Rich was experiencing a few problems with the motor home.  Even though it seemed to be driving and shifting okay, there was something just not right.

I know he was watching the gages so much that he didn't even get to enjoy the

beautiful rivers and lakes that we passed along the way.

Thankfully, we weren't too far out of town, and he made it safely to the

service center in Tok.

While the techs were checking it out, we had lunch at

Fast Eddy's...home of the giant plate of fried mushrooms.

As soon as lunch was over, Rich headed back across the street to the repair center.  Results...the top radiator hose had a small hole in it.  No other damage, and something they could get get fixed that afternoon.

Sadly, this is where we said good-bye to Rich and Mary.  From here they are heading back to the lower 48.  Wishing you a safe trip home to Illinois.  The journey has been great.

Now, we are down to two rigs...Bob, Molly, Mark and I.  We traveled out of Tok

and on towards the

Yukon border.

We were still enjoying the beautiful

flowers and

views when we came to

the dreaded road construction that starts around Beaver Creek and ends on the other side of Destruction Bay...some 100 miles!

We thought the frost heaves and that section of road was bad 6 weeks ago, but, it is

so much worse now.  Although they

continually work on it, I am not sure

they will be finished before winter.  And, then to think they have to start all over next summer.

I may never complain about I-40 ever again!

Makes me wish they could get this

experimentation done...learning how to keep the perma frost from melting.  Maybe some day.

Driving this road leaves your

tow vehicle looking like this!

As we approached

Kluane Lake, we decided to start looking for a place to call home for the night.  And, I do believe we picked out the

the perfect place to say good-night to a rough travel day.

July 11, 2014

This morning, we woke looking forward to continuing our Alaskan Adventure.  Yes, we might be in Yukon Territory, but, we are not quite ready to say good-bye to Alaska.  So, we decided to make a side trip to Skagway.

Just out of Whitehorse, we picked up the Klondike Hwy.  We made a stop in

 

Historic Carcross which was formerly known as Caribou Crossing because large numbers of caribou traversed the narrows here between two lakes.  In 1901, the gold stampeders stopped here as they made their way to the Klondike goldfields.  It was also a major stop for the White Pass and Yukon Route railroad from 1900 until 1982.  Today, it is a great stop for visitors traveling to and from Skagway.  Carcross is also becoming a great destination for mountain biking, where bikers can challenge the trails on the 7,233 foot Montana Mountain.

Our stop was at the local bakery for a yummy strawberry scone.

Leaving the quaint little

town of Carcross  and Yukon Territory behind us, we entered

British Columbia.

We found ourselves enjoying the beautiful

lake and mountains, that have shed their ice and snow since we where here in late May, when we came upon

the dreaded stop sign!

In the recent weeks a

rock and mud slide closed the road.

Now, they are working day and night

to get it cleared away and the road repaired.

Even though we were lost in the

cloud of dirt, we soon emerged on the other side and worked our way back into

Alaska.

We arrived in Skagway and found Pullen Creek RV Park, our home for the next few days. It is a site with water and electric and situated right on the

parking lot of the

harbor and

the Skagway Fish Company which just happened to be serving lunch!  A great meal of halibut and chips.

After lunch, we walked into

town for a little shopping.  By late afternoon, the rain settled in over Skagway and by night, the

fog lay over the harbor almost obscuring the view of the departing cruise ship.

July 12, 2014

The rain that started yesterday is part of a slow moving system in the area.  It rained all night and was still raining this morning.  We didn't let that stop us from our plan for the day.  And...our bus driver,

Buttermilk, picked us up to drive us just out of town to

Liarsville.

Our trip included an all-you-can-eat

Salmon Bake, grilled up by Sloppy Joe and his helper, Peanut.

Molly watched as they grilled, hoping to get a pointer or two.

Even though the rain persisted, we enjoyed

 

the perfectly grilled salmon and all the fixings that came with it!

Then it was short walk across the street to the Lairsville Gold Camp.

This is where the gold stampeders gathered to start their trip to the Klondike.  They purchased

supplies before heading out on the rugged trail leading them to Dawson.

The newspaper reports camped here

reporting about the gold rush...not always the truth...thus, the name Lairsville!

This is the story...

This was certainly not a must do to add to the list of adventures, but, the food was good, and

although not in the Klondike, Mark tried his hand at gold panning.

His take

two little flakes.

We said good-bye to the

actors of Lairsville and returned to Skagway where Molly and I did a little more shopping while the guys headed back to the campground.

Tonight, the steady rain is still with us and once again, the fog settled over the harbor as we enjoyed a hot bowl of chowder and watched

cruise ships depart Skagway.

And, even with the rain and fog, we are choosing to take advantage of our last few days in Alaska.

  See you tomorrow in Juneau!