Gold Pan Provincial Park, BC

August 22,  Woke up this morning to 61degree temperature, quite a few trains going during the night, but still slept ok.  Went for a drive to the town behind us, Spence’s Bridge, it seems like an Indian reservation, nothing there, drove a little ways out of town on route 8 and saw some hoodoo’s pretty neat. While in town we did see a passenger train go through, wish we where at camp to see it, looked pretty full of people.  Did see a water fall across the road from the town, pretty high, went back to camp, made lunch and just sat around for the day, and watched the trains going by. Temperature at 9:50 pm is 76 degrees, had a great day just relaxing, ready for another driving day tomorrow, should be in Washington state in the afternoon.

Williams Lake, BC

August 20,  Drove up to Barkerville this morning so I could get a magazine about the place, I forgot to pick one up before we left yesterday.  Got back to camp, hooked up, went and dumped and filled with water.  While driving back to Quesnel, we had taken a side trip to see the ghost towns of Stanley and Van Winkel, 1 1/2 mile dirt road which had come back onto the highway, we had seen signs of the town and the story that it told, I had walked up to the cemetery to see the tombstones, which some dated back to 1880 & 1873 deaths.  We then headed south on route 97 through Quesnel, stopped at WalMart to see about filling our water jugs, to no avail, went next door to another grocery store and they did have a place to fill our jugs.  Continued south to Williams Lake, saw a Ford dealer and went in for an oil change in the truck, got there about 1:30, they told us they could change it at 3:30, so we waited, we pulled out shorty after 5 pm.  We then stopped for the night at Lac La Hache Provincial Park for the night around 6:30.  We had driven 159 miles today, was a nice sunny day and then it got cloudy with 80* weather.

 August 21,  Left campground, which was a very nice one, no bugs, around 9:30, still traveling south on route 97, through the town of Clinton, yes they do have a town of that name, and outside of town of course construction, sat for about 15 minutes before continuing on our way.   We drove into the town of Cache Creek, where we got onto Canadian Highway 1, such beautiful scenery today while driving, with rolling hills, it looks like a desert really.  We stopped for the night at Gold Pan Provincial Park, we where here back in 2010 after a caravan and really liked it so we decided to stop again.  The campground is along the Thompson River with railroad tracks running across the road from it and railroad tracks on the other side of the river, with a cover for rock slides and a tunnel for it to go through, really neat to see.  We had driven only 131 miles today and the temperature at 5:30 is 88 degrees, partly cloudy.  What a beautiful night, with moon and stars shining. 

Barkerville, BC

August 18,  Pulled out the campground around 9:30, drove for 89 miles and stopped at WalMart in Prince George.  In Prince George we turned onto Route 97 south, right before Quesnel we had turned east again onto Highway 26 toward Barkerville.  Right after getting onto Highway 26, we had stopped for fuel, decided to drive to the first campground we could find, but it was closed, so we had driven 49 miles to pulled into Lowhee (Barkerville) campground.  Got set up and had to drive back to Barkerville to register, which was only 2 miles away, paid for 2 nights and for 2 day passes into the National Historic Site.  Barkerville was named for miner Billy Barker, who struck gold on Williams Creek, the resulting gold rush in 1862 created Barkerville.  More than 130 buildings have been restored or recreated so that visitors may relive the excitement of the 19th-century gold rush town in an authentic setting.  When we paid for our tickets we got to go into the town for the rest of the evening until 6pm.  We decided to eat dinner at the Chinese restaurant which the food was really good.  Got back to camp and just relaxed for the evening.  We had traveled 205 miles today before stopping for the night.

August 19,  Went to Barkerville today, arrived about 10:15, sat and listened to a Native talk about life as a native, pretty touch for the younger generation, they still have 30 yr. old kids living with their parents.  Walked around the buildings, looking inside some and shopping in others.  Went into the theater to watch the performers sing and dance and tell jokes, an hour long show.  Went and had a late lunch in Wake-up-Jake Restaurant, had a Ruben sandwich with a salad, very good.  Watched the guy forge metal at the Cameron & Ames Blacksmith shop, he was making a drink holder that you put into the ground.  Another great day, nice weather after getting up this morning and it being 33 degrees overnight.

Hagwilget Canyon Bridge & Moricetown Canyon

August 17,  Left the campground around 9:30, still heading east, turned off to drive through Old Town Hazelton, to be able to drive over the Hagwilget Canyon bridge, which is a crossing at 262 feet above the Bulkey River.  We had stopped again at Moricetown Canyon to see guys fishing with dipnets, with it raining and drizzling all day there was only one guy there fish, when we where here before they where selling fish, but a sign there said they can’t sell fish anymore.  Next we stopped in Smithers at the grocery store and got some fuel before heading south to Houston.  We had stopped at an A&W for a root beer float, which is across from the largest fishing pole, which is really neat to see.  We had stopped then for the night at Beaumont Provincial Park, drove 211 miles today.

Cassiar Highway to Yellowhead Highway, BC

August 16,  Pulled out of campground this morning at 9:30, drove toward the border, only a few miles, and had to stop and wait for half an hour, they were searching a trailer from Texas, a single guy with a dog, the people he was traveling with said he was there already an hour, we were cleared and entered into Stewart, BC.  Stopped in town and dumped the trailer and got fuel before heading out of town.  Stopped at Bear Glacier to get some different pictures from the other day.  Headed south on Cassiar Highway, saw two black bears, had to stop for construction, repairing the cracks in the road, drove into the town of Gitanyow, which is a First Nations village and has one of the largest concentrations of standing totem poles in northwestern British Columbia.  We then got on Route 16, The Yellowhead Highway, traveling east.  Stopped for the night at Seeley Lake Provincial Park, west of the three towns of Hazelton, South Hazelton, Old Town Hazelton and New Hazelton.  It is sunny and warmer today, 80*, drove 159 miles today, but had quite a few stops along the way.

Hyder, Alaska & Stewart, BC

August 15,  We drove to Stewart, BC this morning around 11:30, hoping to get some pizza, but the shop doesn’t open until later this afternoon.  Came back into Hyder, saw a bear along the road walking and then ate lunch at the Bus, which is converted into a cooking bus, with seating outside and a building behind the bus with tables and chairs.  This lady has been in business for 21 years serving her husbands catch of halibut, salmon, dungeons crab, and oysters, I had the halibut and fries and Ken had a halibut sandwich with tomato, onion and lettuce on it, both where very good.  We went and sat outside the library to use the internet, I was trying to download some updates on the I-pad but only got two done, took way too long.  Came back to camp, I made some baked oatmeal for the next few days to eat, while Ken sat and relaxed outside.  It’s 62 degrees here at 9:15 in the evening, really didn’t warm up much today.

Cassiar Highway to Hyder, Alaska

August 13,  Pulled out of the campground around 9 am, saw a black bear before driving into Watson Lake for fuel and then back to the turnout to Cassiar Highway, running south.  Entered British Columbia, part of the way traveling south.  Drove 186 miles, pulled  into Dease River RV Park for the night with full hookup and with a laundromat, laundry is cheap here only $1.25 for washer and $1 for dryer, only catch is two washers and one dryer.  Made dinner, ate and then went for a drive to the grocery store, didn’t buy much, too expensive, and then got fuel.

August 14,  Left campground around 9:30 traveling south on the Cassiar Highway, while traveling today we saw 6 black bears along the road and Bear Glacier.  We pulled into Hyder Camp Run-a-Muck campground in Alaska, around 3pm, not very full, with water and electric, plan to stay for three nights.  Ate dinner before driving back to Stewart, BC, which is just a short drive, drove through town, stopped at the park where there is strong wi-fi, campground wi-if isn’t very good.  Then proceeded to the bear viewing area, which is past our campground, just a few miles up the road, they charge $5 per person, didn’t go in, asked a lady when she came out if they saw any bear and she said no.  We’ve seen bear here before, but they saw they haven’t been seeing many bear, the salmon seem to be there, we saw that.  We had traveled 246 miles today.

August 12, 2019

August 12,  Pulled out of Conrad Campground about 8:30 am, drove to Carcross, 13 miles, stopped and made some phone calls and pay a bill when we got service on the phone.  We then drove from Carcross to Atlin road which took us to the Alaskan Highway at Jake’s Corner.  We continued east, stopping at Johnson’s Crossing Lodge and RV Park to buy some cinnamon buns, continuing to Rancherias Falls Recreation Site, stopped and walked the 1/3 mile through boreal forest until we got to a boardwalk which led us to two falls, pretty nice but not real big.  We continued on our way until we reached Big Creek Yukon Government campground, only 15 sites, but didn’t take long for them all to get filled up.  We had driven 238 miles today.

Carcross, Yukon

August 10,  We had left the campground around 9:30 heading north from Skagway, got checked at the border and off we went.  Stopped at Yukon Conrad Government Campground for the next two nights, we pulled in about noon, time has changed again we gained an hour, Alaska is 1 hour behind the Yukon.  Gathered up firewood for a campfire, they supply the wood, but we had to find some that where split because we didn’t bring our maul or axe along, found enough for both nights.  Started a fire and made hotdogs for dinner over the fire.  Getting chilly outside it’s 9:30 and already 59 degrees.

August 11,  Got up a little late this morning, went for a drive into Carcross, visited the bakery, and information center.  I had asked about the drive to Atlin to see if the road is dirt or paved, she said paved.  We started to go that way, but decided to drive that way tomorrow on our way back to the Alaskan Highway.  Came back and just relaxed the rest of the day, with a campfire, did walk around the campground this evening.