It was another day of mostly travel with not very exciting scenery. We left our campsite about 9 and continued north on some of the worst “pavement” known to man. We actually enjoyed the dirt construction sections because they were much smoother than the pavement. The only downside was that in some areas they were running water trucks to keep the dust down and that resulted in the most tenacious mud coating all over the truck and trailer.
It took us 1 ¾ hours to reach the border even though it was less than 60 miles away. They let us back into the country. We had to go through the commercial lane since we were too tall to fit through the normal car and RV lane. It was nice to be able to determine the speed limit and distances to towns without having to convert from metric. The roads were a little better than in the Yukon, but better is a relative term. Until we reached Tok, the first town of any size, the roads were still pretty miserable.
In Tok Nana bought some groceries while I used $9 in quarters to blast the mud off the rig with a pressure washer. That was not to make it clean – just to remove the heavier mud. A real washing will have to wait. We also picked up our free ¼ pound of fudge from a gift store in Tok. We had purchased a book of coupons before we left the lower 48 and that was our first opportunity to use it. Most of the coupons are buy one get one free, and they are for tours, cruises, dinners and such. We will get our money’s worth before we are done.
We drove north toward Delta Junction and the roads improved dramatically, although the scenery still left much to be desired. We drove through stunted forest and past pretty lakes, but mostly over relatively flat land. All the mountains were far off in the distance.
We stopped at a parking area by a stream for the night. After a dinner of taco’s we watched Jewel of the Nile and got ready for bed. The temperature sure has changed from last night. The sky is clear and it is still 70 degrees at 10 PM. Of course, we gained another hour when we crossed into Alaska so now the sun will not set until around midnight. Sure is strange trying to get to sleep when the sun is still up!
Now you're in territory that I have been through. Robin and I drove the loop from Anchorage to Fairbanks, Tok and back to Anchorage. We also drove down the Kenai Pennisula to Homer, and did a cruise on Prince William Sound.
ReplyDeleteI guess you'll be in Fairbanks tomorrow. Do you plan to drive north so the kids can say they've been to the Arctic Circle?
You better be on the lookout for your picture opportunity to get a new header.jpg for your blog. The setting will be beautiful up there!
By the way, try to pick up "The Milepost". It's Alaska's best local touring book. They publish it every year, and it's a mile-by-mile guide. Excellent!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna. We have been using the Milepost since the beginning of the trip. It actually starts in Great Falls, MT with an incredibly detailed guide all along the main route and every conceivable side route. No one should make this trip without it.
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