Exploring Whitehorse

Friday morning we met for our bus tour of Whitehorse.  We had an excellent driver who really knew the history and changes that have occurred in the city.  One of our first stops was at the hydro electric plant which is a dam that has generators that provides electricity to the city.  But, before construction

could begin a plan for fish ladders had to be made to prevent the interference of the spawning of the salmon.  The fish ladder is a wooden trough which slopes uphill allowing the salmon to swim to the top of the dam. The salmon must have a way to travel upstream to the area where they were born.  It was interesting that the salmon swim over 2000 miles from the Bering Sea up the Yukon River to spawn.

Today the spray from the gates of the dam is similar to the spray that was created many years ago by rapids and whirlpools.  This spray gave the city its name because it reminded them of the mane of a white horse. 

We also stopped at the Klondike II which was a ship that was used to transport supplies, ore from the mines, and passengers.  This was critical to the Yukon area because it was the only feasible transportation at the time.  The boats were steam driven paddlewheelers which were able to travel up and down the shallow river.  Even though this was the best transportation available it still took 36 hours to travel from Dawson City to Whitehorse.  Today the trip can be made in less than 9 hours.

Later in the day we drove along the river and saw the float plane harbor. Today small planes provide a valuable service to remote areas which may not be accessible by cars and trucks.  In the winter the same planes are retro fitted with skis so that they can continue be of assistance to the backwoods areas.4

The Transportation Museum was a must see for us. In front of the building is a full size DC 3 airplane which has been mounted on a pedestal and allows the plane to turn in the wind.  It has been dubbed the world’s largest weather vane”.  

We saw the” Queen”, which was a sister plane to “The Spirit of St. Louis” plane that was flown by Charles Lindbergh.

Learning about the Tlingit First Nation Culture and Traditions

We left Downtown RV Park and headed for Whitehorse Pioneer RV Park.  It was another beautiful drive and we stopped at Rancheria Falls.  The boardwalk took us to an overlook which allowed great views of the falls.

After viewing the falls we crossed the Continental Divide and it was all downhill from there…..not exactly.  We still had several hill climbs.

Our next stop was the Tlingit Heritage Center.  Here were learned about the First Nations’ Culture and traditions.  The center had a Native American who had lived in the area all her life.  She shared her life experiences and told how she tanned hides.  She used a tanning soap in the tanning process which she makes.  It is made of moose brains, butter, bacon

grease, and…….surprise……Velveeta Cheese.  What a combination of ingredients, but it works and we saw the results.  The end product was beautiful soft leather which would be used for vests, jackets, or mukluks.   In front of the center were hand carved totems which represented the 5 clans.

Watson Lake Here We Come

Traveling from Muncho Lake to Watson Lake was the most rewarding day to date for wildlife.  But first we had a long stretch of construction.  Canada resurfaces their roads with a process called “chip and seal”, and it is a substance of tar which is applied to the road.  The tar is then followed by large amounts of gravel which is abundant.  The only problem after it is applied is the tremendous amount of dust.  You can see in the picture the coach and car ahead of us seems to disappear in a cloud of dust.

The first wildlife sighting of the day was sheep. There were over a dozen along the side of the road and it was cute to see the kids staying close to their mothers.  What a surprise!

No matter how many times you see buffalo, it is always amazing to see these huge beasts.  They appear to be slow moving creatures, but when challenged or frightened they are able to run at a very rapid pace.  They certainly were not intimidated by our large coaches because they walked right in front of us to cross the road.  Guess who waited……

This day we saw several bears and again they would cross right in front of you when driving.  What a sight to see these animals in the wild and not in a zoo.

After arriving at Watson Lake, we went to the sign post forest.  It is an amazing sight.  There are over 82,000 signs.  We thought that we might see signs posted by some of our friends, but that proved to be an impossible task.  We borrowed a ladder and proudly posted our “Hope, IN” sign near the top of a post. Click the picture below to enlarge the photo to see our sign. There it stands as a reminder that someone from the small community with a population of 2,300 people came to visit Watson Lake.

Continuing through British Columbia

Tuesday, we continued our trek toward Alaska.  On the way we stopped at Tetsa and got cinnamon buns fresh from the oven.  They were gooey, but delicious. After enjoying our buns we climbed 4,250 feet to the highest point on the Alaskan Highway.

   

For those who have traveled this route, you probably stopped at Toad River Lodge.  This is a point of interest that is frequently visited.  The reason…. there are 68 hundred hats/caps that are nailed to the ceiling and walls.

We ended this day at the Muncho Lake RV Park.  The electricity was poor, but the views made up for this inconvenience. It was beautiful!

We did try to visit the Liard River Hot Springs but, road construction and rain prevented us from taking a dip in the hot springs.

Off to Fort Nelson

Left Dawson Creek and headed for Fort Nelson.  We hadn’t traveled far before we got our badge of honor….our first stone chip in the middle of the windshield.  Other than that problem we enjoyed the fantastic scenery. As you can see from the sign we encountered several inclines and downgrades. Also, this leg of our journey included the lowest point on the Alaskan Highway.  

Next to the park was the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum.  It was an eclectic collection of memorabilia including a Coleman lantern that had a modification that made it a film projector.  Weird….

We stayed at the Triple G Hideaway Campground which had a buffet and the museum.

Kiskatinaw Bridge

We visited the Alaska House in downtown Dawson Creek.  It had a excellent museum that profiled the history of the construction of the ALCAN/Alaskan Highway.  The highway was built in 1942 following the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  The nation recognized the importance of having a land connection to Alaska.  It was feared that Japan would invade the USA through a northern route into the nation.  This urgency lead to the construction of a highway through the wilderness in 8 months.  Many considered this an
impossible task, yet it was completed in record time.  The weather, frozen tundra, supplies, and materials were all obstacles that had to be conquered. Yesterday we took a drive out of Dawson Creek on the old ALCAN Highway to the Kiskatinaw Bridge.  This bridge is a trussel bridge which crosses a gorge.  The bridge is supported by wooden timbers and the deck is made of wide wooden planks. It is interesting that the bridge has a curve built in to follow the contour

of the land.
The views from the bridge were spectacular.

In the town of Dawson Creek we visited the museum in the train depot and the Alaska House.  The town has had an interesting history which included moving the town to the present site.  The interpreter told a story where the hardware store was jacked up, placed on rolling skids, and moved without even closing.  Can you imagine being in the hardware store and ending up 2 miles down the road when you left.

We are having a great time and meeting many very friendly people.

0 Mile Sign Post

Arrived in Dawson Creek and stayed at the 0 Mile RV Campground.  This is a popular spot to begin the ALCAN Highway or the Alaskan Highway.  For those who have already been to this town the picture of the 0 Mile Sign Post is one that you frequently see in photos by travelers traveling to Alaska.

Adjoining the campground is a pioneer village which has a variety of buildings the were built in the early 1900's and structures that were built
during the construction of the Alaskan Highway.

After touring the village we enjoyed country music performed by several different local musicians.  It was interesting to see many of the guests doing the two-step.  No, we didn't attempt the two-step, but it was fun to watch.

Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump

Tuesday, we crossed the border and stopped at the Visitors Center at Milk River.  It had a small museum that described the history of the settling of the area.  It also explained the daily activities of the Indians that are native to this area.  The visitor  center staff was most helpful in assisting us with our travels north.  She also recommended visiting the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump.

We did stop and it was certainly worth the visit. The views were magnificent and you could see for miles.  We were intrigued with name and this is the explanation...."according to one legend, the people were driving buffalo over the sandstone cliffs.  A young brave wanted to watch the buffalo tumbling past.  Standing under the shelter of the ledge, he watched the great beasts fall.  It was an unusually good day and as the bodies piled up.  He became trapped between the animals and the cliffs.  When the people began butchering, they found him with his skull crushed by the weight of the buffalo carcasses, and they named the place Head-Smashed-In."  When the Indians hunted they chased the buffalo over the cliff.  They did this all on foot.  Later with the introduction of horses, the whole hunting process changed and they could hunt the buffalo wherever they roamed.

We also treated ourselves to buffalo stew and buffalo chili for lunch.  Both were delicious and if you ever have a chance to try either one go for it.

We ended the day at the Westerners Campground in Red Deer, AB.  It was a very nice campground, but soon after we were setup a wind
storm blew through and damaged trees and branches in the park. It also caused a loss of electricity, but it was restored before we went to bed.

Roadrunner Trail

The last day in the US we spent at the Lewis and Clark Campground and the manager suggested that we hike the Roadrunner Trail.  We forgot that we are "flatlanders" and that we were in a more hilly terrain.  The trail went into the town of Shelby, MT, and was about 5.5 miles.  We walked about four miles total and that was just right.  Along the trail we found several wild flowers in bloom and many rocks that were a variety of colors.

Shakespeare in the Park

We have enjoyed spending time with family playing croquet, board games, and shopping.  Saturday, we went to Montana State University which was hosting Shakespeare in the Park and the company was performing Macbeth.  It had an interesting twist on the classic play.  The actors spoke in the dialect and dialogue that could have been used in the 1600's, but the costuming was more contemporary and reminded one of clothing that might have been worn in Star Wars.
You can see that the back of the stage had Rosie the Riveter painted as the backdrop which was very unusual.

Tomorrow we will be on our way to Alaska stopping at the US/Canadian border.

"Destiny" Statue

The trip to Bozeman was uneventful, but we stopped at our favorite rest stop in Chamberlain South Dakota.  For those who have never stopped at this rest area it is worth your visit.  It has a museum that chronicles the Lewis and Clark Expedition.  Exhibits include many reproductions that help the visitor understand the trials, the goals, and the successes of this adventure by Americas early explorers.  They have reproduction of keelboats and canoes that were used for travel as well as tools, clothing, and food provisions which were needed for the long trek across the United States.

A new addition to this rest area is the 50 foot statue named "Destiny".  The statue represents the rich Native American culture of South Dakota.  The Native woman gracefully wears a dress of the 1850's and holds an outstretched quilt featuring her star quilt.  It is a representation of respect, honor and admiration of the Native American culture.  What a beautiful piece of art that glitters in the sun.

But the best part of the day was gathering with family upon our arrival in Bozeman.

Quiant Historic Village

We had another beautiful sunny day which allowed us to take a walk through Amana and enjoy the old homes and buildings that were built by the early settlers.  Many of the structures were made of brick and sandstone which was quarried locally.

As a testament to their craftsmanship, the buildings
have remained structurally sound and retain the style of the period in which they were built.  It was also interesting to note that trellis were attached to the homes and buildings to support grape vines which were used to grow grapes.  The grapes were later harvested and made into wine.  After enjoying the sights we had a great German lunch at the Ox Yoke.  One lunch was wiener schnitzel and the other was jager schnitzel and both delicious.
In the afternoon we enjoyed a musical performance at the Old Creamery Theater. "The Million Dollar Quartet" which is a musical that was set the the 1950's when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash got together for the one and only time at Sun Recording Studio.  The show chronicled the lives of each singer and included many of the hits that made them famous.  The actors/singers were well chosen for their outstanding voices that reminded you of the past musicians.

Amana truly is an interesting place to visit.

Just Blew in to Amana Colonies

After looking forward to this trip for several years, planning, and packing, we left before 9:00 this morning. We got off to a slow start taking two detours, and one took us through downtown Indianapolis.  After leaving Indiana we had beautiful weather, sun shining, and no rain.  There has been several construction sites along the way, but no delays.  We had cross winds which proved challenging, but still arrived 438 miles later at Amana Colonies, Iowa, by 5:00.
 Tomorrow we plan to spend the day in Amana Colonies which is a historic town that was settled in 1856.