Laird Hot Spring and uncovering a secret

Ahh the pause that refreshes, after driving for an hour and a half or so.

There are 3 areas each hotter than the lower one.  We all felt refreshed and "younger" (not really but had us asking if the "fountain of youth" is in Canada not Florida

Jo is enjoying the relaxation, and then discovers the secret! 

Where Santa Clause spends his summer

Who knew that the caravan would be lead by Santa

Sights on the Road to Fort Nelson

The "guest blogger" is back.  Jo has taken on the task of publishing the pictoral log of our trip.  It looks like you are stuck with me.

We are proceeding down The Alcan Highway and beginning to become familiar with the most frequent activity of the Alcan;  ROAD CONSTRUCTION and the resultant traffic delay. 

Typical Alcan Activity Hurry up and Wait

Occasionally we get something to look at; like a giant lumber jack.

But no critters

Finally, a critter on the Alcan

Mile "0" on "The Alcan" Onward to Alaska

The guest blogger here; we arrived in Dawson Creek, where other caravans meet and start the trek for Alaska.

Jo and I at the "original mile 0"

The SMART Caravan ready to enter the "current Alcan"

To get to know our fellow travelers we played a round of playing card bingo.  We stopped at 7 places and collected a card at each location.  From those we had to make the best 5 card poker hand.  Didn't place.  Its hard to beat 5 aces.  Most of the locations were taverns and pubs, and of course we had to try out the local brews.

First pub

Sister Shar getting to know a fellow traveler and a local bar fly

More bar flies

Also a round of "what is it"

Snowshoe for a horse

Also traveled some of the original Alcan Highway and experienced some of the Army engineering

A wooden bridge with all the planks curved.

Lake Louise, Banf and Jasper

At last a campsite with WIFI.  Today's trek was 280 miles through the breathtaking Canadian Rockies from Banff National Park to Jasper NP, with a stop at the Columbia Ice Fields for an Ice Buggy ride to the Athabasca Glacier.   Wildlife was plentiful - we dodged herds of mountain goats, saw a grizzly bear and several elk. 

Shari, Charlie and me at Lake Louise

Charlie at Lake Moraine

One of many pull-outs en route

Columbia Ice Fields feeds several glacier

Andromeda is a hanging Glacier

Our ride parked on the Athabasca glacier

Tires on the ice buggy are 5' tall approx 2' wide

Pardon me, this is a goat crossing (so cross will you)

Grizzly having a roadside lunch

Elk (roadside lunches are popular with the locals)

North to Alaska

Success - the insurance adjuster showed up a day earlier than scheduled.  So we are on the road headed North - pretty much on schedule.  State Farm will pay for the new front cap and the paint job.   The dealer will have them by the time we return from Alaska.  So we will hot foot it to St. Paul for the installation and paint.  

We are spending the night in Moorehead, Minnesota -- our first Walmart boondock experience.  I have loaded up on supplies.  It's pretty cool, wheeling my groceries out to my RV kitchen.  I foresee many sunrises in a Walmart parking lot.

St Paul

Here we are camping at the Shorewood RV Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

The Shorewood genies have made the coach roadworthy for our Alaska trip - Not pretty, but safe.  We have a new headlight, and the mirror has been repaired.  The front is covered with screws - not sure what is behind the screws - definitely not pretty.   A very large BandAid is appropriate. 

We need a new front cap, a generator door, and a paint job.  We will have to sit here until the insurance adjuster arrives - hopefully tomorrow, probably Thursday.  Then we plan to go on to Alaska.  We may have to play catch up with the caravan.  After Alaska we will return to St. Paul for 1-2 weeks for the cosmetic repairs. 

Headed for Alaska

After a few days in Iowa, we began headed westward to meet our Alaska caravan.  Just north of Cedar Rapids we had a collision.   A three point buck jumped out of the tall grass right in front of our rig.   Fortunately no one else was involved.   We are ok, the rig and the deer are not.

The Generator door is catty-wampus

Front Cap is broken

Headlight required a little duck tape

Charlie called Red Bay and they suggested we go to Des Moines for repairs.  90 minutes later the Des Moines dealer told us that we needed a new front cap but that they did not do body work.  They did make the coach roadworthy so we can drive to St. Paul where there is a body shop.  That involved securing the generator door so that it will not fall off driving down the road - Charlie offered them his duck tape, but they preferred screws.  They said we were lucky that it had not fallen off during our 90 minute drive.

Light is still gone, but generator door looks pretty good

Since we do not have a headlight we cannot drive at night.  So tomorrow we are off to St. Paul.  Meanwhile a glass of wine (or two) is on the agenda.