8/10 - This AM, I left Alaska. I have to say, even though I know I'm going to hit a few more spots in Alaska, I'm feeling sad to be leaving.
Since I'm flagged (from when I entered CA in Aug 2024), I had to go inside at the border control. The guy was looking everything up and said he didn't feel the need to search my rig. Yay! And he put in a request to have the flag removed. He said he has no idea how long that will take since they still have flags from Covid waiting to be cleared...
Bob and Sherry pulled up as I was pulling away and I decided to follow them to Destruction Bay to eat a the restaurant there. I wasn't planning on driving that far because I knew I'd be tired. This is the stretch of road that everyone on the RVing to Alaska Facebook page warns about. I was happily surprised by the roads. Large sections were recently paved or in process. The in process parts had long waits and then long drives following pilot cars, but not too bad. The rest of the road required attention watching for dips in the road. The ones I need to slow for are the ones with skid marks on them; I assume from trailers. Some are really bad, but all in all it was no big deal because I had low expectations. Beautiful drive as always!
Leaving AK, entering the Yukon again
Beautiful views with Bob and Sherry's van in the foreground
Stopped at a rest stop that had these lovely views
The photo doesn't really convey how steep that hill/Mtn is
After having an amazing dinner in Destruction Bay of Artic char with a creamed caper sauce (so good!), rice, and buttered vegetables (not too buttery and perfectly cooked), we headed to a nearby campground. There were plenty of places we could boondock, but it was super windy and those spots were on the lake and exposed, so we decided to head to the campground and park in the wooded areas (lakefront sites were full by this time ~ 8 PM, which is late to show up at FCFS CGs. This CG had a ton of sites, so we had no problem finding one that fit both our sprinters.
Congdon Creek Campground - very serious about the bears! None seen by us.
Tent campers camped in here, though I didn't see any tents in there.
Kluane Lake
That, in the distance, is sand blowing. We didn't know this for sure at the time, but after leaving we came across a desert like area which I'm sure is what we're seeing.
Zoe is up for the challenge to fit into (or on) the smallest bed to date. Boone, Bob and Sherry's dog is only 5 lbs and Zoe is determined. 😂😂😂
Boone looking on, like "what the heck?"
Boone saying "I'm not thrilled with how this turned out."
"Mooom. That's my bed!"
Holding on for dear life
Boone trying out Zoe's less than comfortable mat
Phew! Got my bed back!
8/11 - Morning walk on Kluane Lake before heading to Haines Junction. Bob and Sherry had a HH stay booked for the night and asked them if I could also stay. I wasn't committed so wasn't really sure where I was going to stay for the night, but it was a good option. I didn't want to encroach on their space if they were wanting to go it alone. But nice to know I could.
I'm not sure what they are, but they're cool looking
The clouds over this mountain reminded me of the wigs used (do they still?) in British courts.
Once reaching Haines Junction (not too much here), I took Zoe for a little hike. It was sunny and warm, and though it started along the river, it veered away and I hadn't brought water for the girl.
More bear warnings! I found this one saying that the bears use the path more disconcerting than most bear warnings. No bear encounters thankfully. I half want to, but am certainly scared to meet one, especially with just me and Zoe.
After the walk, I stopped at the Alcan Motor Inn for a much looked forward to shower. $10 CAD for unlimited, big, cleanish bathroom, towel and bath mat provided.
Boone, being so small, gets to go everywhere with Bob and Sherry.
He is so stinking cute!
Bob and Sherry had stopped at the HH and decided to not stay and we ended up sharing a site at Pine Lake CG. It was an OK CG. I had chatted with Christa and Denise at my hike, who had said they were staying here, so I had a chance to visit with them again. Christa lives in Dawson City and loves it.
Bears, bears everywhere, but how come I never see them???
8/12 - I headed towards Haines with the plan of staying there and then taking the ferry to Skagway. Skagway is a cruise ship town, so I wasn't all that excited about it, but figured I'd hit it via ferry and then head to Atlin, BC from there. If I didn't do the ferry, I wasn't planning to drive down to Skagway. Bob and Sherry are taking the ferry from Haines to Juneau and then down to Bellingham, WA, so they decided to head towards Whitehorse, then down to Skagway and ferry to Haines so they could see Skagway.
Kluane National Park
View of Katherine Lake from a pullout
Katherine Lake. So clear and beautiful. Zoe and I walked the shore for quite a ways. It was probably hard on her feet, but the rocks were smooth at least.
I'd heard that the drive into Haines is amazing, so I had high expectations. Much of the drive, I was thinking that the drive to Valdez was way better. But then...
Once I got down the pass approaching Haines
From Picture Point in Haines
From Picture Point in Haines, view of the town and cruise ship
Shortly after arriving in Haines, I made my first destination the weir for bear viewing! And I was treated to being able to watch a mama and her four cubs.
Jaques, the ranger/officer, who was directing people and the bears
Cub carrying a big salmon. I'm not sure if the cub caught this or if mama did.
So many videos!
Mama let the babies get pretty far from her and she was on one side of all the spectators, while the cubs were on the other side. This is a short clip of her running looking for her cubs.
Mama and cubs reunite
Heading out across the weir
Hard to see, but there is a bear in the center of this photo. This is up at Chilkoot lake
8/13 -
We camped here for the night (in a proper site)
Plenty of Bald Eagles to see in Alaska and it never gets old for me. Christine mentioned that it took her a while to be impressed by seeing a bald eagle after living in Alaska.
They keep track of the number for Sockeye heading up river.
Very hard to get a good photo of this Welcome to Haines sign
Bob and Anja were in town at the Oceanside RV park, so we stopped by to visit them. We hung out around the fire and had some pizza. I wasn't feeling all that sociable, so I ended up heading out. I had considered parking in the parking lot, but I'm so glad I decided to move along as I found a beautiful spot along the road.
8/14 - Morning views from where I parked for the night.
I really enjoyed watching three eagles; one on the beach and two others in a tree behind me. They were having a good conversation.
Eagle hanging out on the beach
Zoe watching the eagle?
Contemplating the meaning of life. 😂
The hammer museum. I did not visit.
Cute stone sculptures around town. Plane
Walrus
Bear with fish
After walking around town, I got gas (only $4.60/gallon LOL), then headed to the laundromat to shower and do laundry. It's change machine was out of service, so I headed to the pool for a shower. The pool was closed. So, I headed to the RV park where Bob and Anja were staying, 'cuz I knew they had a change machine and Anja had told me the code to get into "the clubhouse". I got my changed and decided to shower there (cleaner than the laundromat), and then, since no one was doing laundry, I did my laundry there too. No one said anything. Lucky me!
Sherry and Bob arrived from Skagway today and we shared a campsite at Chilkoot Rec Site. Sherry made up an appetizer plate and I made some chickpea curry for dinner.
Zoe stole Boone's bed again.
8/15 - It was supposed to be cloudy today, but it was beautiful in the morning! Sherry and Bob took out their kayak and paddle board and got out on the lake. Jealous!
As I was leaving, I caught this bear chowing down. There was no room to park, so I didn't stay, but had a chance to take a few photos from the van.
Big Bertha heading for the mountains
Fort Seward. It reminds me of the Fort in VT where Shorey lives. Even though it looks nothing like it! 😆
Rain moving in
Bob, Sherry, and I stopped in here for a drink. I had a really good bourbon with spruce tip drink. OK, so I had 2 and had to get some cheese and crackers to help absorb the alcohol. I still had to drive. The drink didn't taste strong, but after two - yikes. I ended up walking around town and visited with Bob and Anja to say goodbye, maybe for the last time on this trip? After an hour or so I felt ready to drive.
Sherry, Bob, and I parked at a pullout again and this was our evening view. It started raining again, so we hung out inside their van. Bob cooked up some salmon (mine and theirs) with Lawry's seasoning and it was so yummy. I'm going to have to get some of that for my last salmon.
8/16 - I had a bad night sleep and was awake in the middle of the night for several hours. I had set my alarm so I would be sure to get up for the ferry, but I had my ringer volume down (Apple really needs an alarm volume separate from the ringer volume!) and I didn't hear it. At 10 AM (had to be at ferry at 10:45), I wake to a knock on the van. It's Sherry checking on me before they headed out to see the bears again. Yikes! I wonder when I would have woken if it weren't for them. Phew! When I checked in at the ferry, they said to come back at 11:45 (Ferry leaves at 12:45), but I ended up waiting there. Bob and Sherry stopped in at the ferry dock for a proper goodbye now that I was awake...
It was interesting how they loaded the ferry. I imagine it's quite a puzzle figuring out which vehicle should go in when. There was a truck with a huge 5th wheel that seemed like it was going to be a challenge to get on the ferry.
Ferry to Skagway
Vehicle loading dock
Driving onto the ferry
Loaded ferry (BB is on the left)
I was hoping for some music out of these folks, but each time I visited this deck, they just seemed to be tuning up...
Dogs are supposed to be left in your vehicle. And this most definitely isn't a service dog. Maybe they used the fact that they're French as an excuse. Poor Zoe was left behind in the van...
Approaching Skagway with 4 cruise ships in port
Each of these hold over 2000 passengers
Cute tiny home in town.
I didn't expect to like Skagway at all because of it being such a huge cruise ship Port, but I do. It's cute and not too crowded, surprisingly.
Gold Rush era buildings. These little ones were cribs and were used by sex workers.
Zoe, having a drink at the bar
I always like seeing this due to the Edison link to Blue Mountain Lake
This is a plow for the railroad tracks. Pretty cool
I stopped at the Klondike brewery and Zoe made friends with Hank. Same colors - almost. I had a flight of 3 4 oz beers and was a bit tipsy - empty stomach again!
Beautiful garden in town
View from near the port looking into town
This is where I parked for the night.
I had found the spot on iOverlander and there was another rig there when I arrived, so figured it was OK. Nope. I got the knock and chatted with the cop. I told him I had parked there and then went to dinner and had a beer and didn't want to drive, so he let me stay and shared the info with the rest of the dept. The other people weren't there, so they stayed the night as well. In the late morning, while I was working on this blog and Zoe was still sleeping another cop came by and told all of us that it was time to leave. Fair enough. He said I could park at the Ferry dock and no one would bother me, but there are no camping signs there. Is No Camping the same as No overnight parking??? Not according to Google - Camping is setting up tents, campfires, cooking outside, etc. Overnight Parking without that should be OK I guess.
8/17 - Rainy, rainy day. One of the very few overwhelmingly rainy days of my Alaska trip, even of my 2 years in the van really. It's not raining super hard, but certainly not pleasant out!
After finally leaving my parking spot, we parked in town and walked around. I had been told to go to Woadie's South East Seafood by a local, so I went there for lunch and had their Salmon poke bowl. It was awesome! It looked small, but I was super full by the time I was done.
Back to the van to finish up the blog catch-up! I'm going to leave Zoe for a bit while I visit a couple of other spots and sample the other brewery, Skagway Brewing Co. I had a Hazy IPA, which was good. They gave me a couple of samples so I could decide. There was a brewery in Haines, but I read the reviews and they don't provide samples and they don't allow dogs, even on the patio. No samples, no dogs, no business!
Later, since I had tried the distillery in Haines, I had to go to Skagway's. 😀 Stephanie was the bartender from Minnesota (?). Super nice. Wouldn't give Zoe treats if she barked at her - a person after my own heart! I tried their vodka and gin and had a yummy Lemon Drop drink. I would have loved another, but I had to move my van to the RV park. It was only <0.5 mile, but still. The Garden City RV park has tent spots for $10, so I decided to do that. Took a shower, but man, this place needs some work! I would have stayed at Pullet Creek CG by the docks, but they didn't have tent sites and cost $75. I just can't pay that kind of money when I don't need electric and water.
This place looks haunted
Yikes! In spite of the appearance it was a good shower The bathroom was clean, so I'm guessing this was just discoloration Very happy I had my shower shoes!
8/18 - Monday, still raining, so I stayed at the RV park until about noon, though checkout was 11. It's not like they were busy... Then I walked into town. Yikes! So many people! Zoe is like a star walking around town. Everyone wants to pet her, though she's rarely interested. She usually attracts attention, but I think so many people traveling on a cruise having left their pups at home make them really want some dog loving. Too bad Zoe doesn't love it. Some people really have a way this her and she seems to really enjoy their attention. At one point, we had created a traffic jam on the sidewalk, not realizing there was a person in a wheelchair waiting patiently to get by. Ooops. 95% of people look at Zoe and you can see that they love dogs and then there are the few who look almost disgusted and then some that just look scared.
We walked back to Woadie's, but the line was super long. I wanted to get the salmon chowder and the halibut ceviche, but decided to pass. I walked back to the candy/ice cream shop as I wanted to get some more of their salted caramels. I waited in line and got their last 4 caramels and decided to have ice cream for lunch. After that I went back to Woadie's and waited in a little shorter line and chatted with a nice family and a bunch of other people. The wait was about 30 minutes to order. I was disappointed in both the chowder and the ceviche. The salmon chowder tasted good, but I had been expecting chunks of salmon based on reviews and there were none. And the ceviche just tasted like lime, not much else. Bummer!
I was shocked by how many people were on the street after Saturday and Sunday being pretty quiet.
I met a woman on line at Woadie's who had just made this hat for her son that morning. No. 5 yarn, super soft. Just double and single crochet. I want to make some of these. I know it's easy, but I've never made a hat before.
I was definitely ready to get out of town with all the crowds. I hit up the Gold Rush Cemetery and Lower Reid Falls on my way out of town. Skagway was a key Gold Rush town, with so many people coming into town heading for the Klondike Gold Rush. Initially, it was the closest saltwater port to the goldfields, making it a crucial gateway for stampeders heading to the Klondike via the White Pass and Chilcoot trails. This influx of people led to rapid growth, with Skagway evolving from a tent city into a town with well-laid-out streets and numerous buildings.
What is often overlooked is the displacement of the native people who had lived on this land for many many years. The stampeders and the business people pushed them out. It's heartbreaking what people will do for money with no concern for others. Unfortunately that is still the case and I supposed always will be.
We drove out to Dyea Campground and stayed the night there. After the rain, the road was in pretty rough shape with lots of potholes (dirt road) and the tour companies (float trips and dog sled tours down this road) just speed over them making them worse. I wasn't looking forward to driving back out! The CG was pretty quiet, so it was easy to find a quiet spot. Zoe and I took a walk down a trail and explored a bit. I started on the Chilkoot trail, but it was too steep for Zoe, so we turned around.
8/19 - Drove in a little farther and checked out the Historic Dyea Townsite. Not much left there at all. Just a couple of bits of metal. Cool mushrooms and moss carpeted woods.
The whole forest around this Townsite was carpeted like this
Remains of something...
Remains of a boat. Due to the tides, this boat could have been left this far inland.
Well kept paths
Happily, they had graded the road in the morning, so the drive out was much better than on the way in!
I caught these two juveniles eagles having a fish lunch
View of Skagway from Dyea road
At the top of the pass heading out of Skagway.
Goodbye Alaska! Leaving Alaska for the last time. I crossed the border into Canada and was again pulled aside because of the flag. I was in a bit of a rush, but didn't tell them that, since I'm sure it wouldn't matter and might even have created some suspicion. They did not search my van again, but asked a million questions. Thankfully, they realize that I'm not a threat! They even asked me "What firearms do you have?" Not, "Do you have any firearms?" LOL.
This was cool, the transition of color. I didn't get a chance to stop, but there appeared to be a bit of a barrier between the darker blue and the lighter blue. I wonder the difference in the waters... This is called Moon Lake, at least once it turns the lighter blue. And I can see from the terrain around it why it is called that. Other than the greenery, it looks a bit like a moonscape.
