June 12,  Instead of driving down to Skagway after our trip into Alaska, we decided to take a bus/train tour to Skagway.  We got picked by a bus at our campground at 8:40 this morning, had a stop in the small town of Carcross, Yukon, for about half hour to 45 min.  Back on the bus and then stopped again in Fraser, BC, and got on the train, had to have our passports ready for them to check it.  The train climbed to 2,865 ft and then down to sea level in Skagway, had gone through 2 tunnels, saw waterfalls and mountains, avalanches and beautiful scenery.  Spent two hours in Skagway, finding something to eat and roam the streets and checking out some stores, lots of people everywhere, two cruise ships where at port.  Got back on the bus for our 3 hour ride back to the campground.  The weather wasn’t the greatest, raining off and on, but that didn’t deter our trip, great day.

June 11, Went into town, Whitehorse, which has been the capital of Yukon since 1953, today to visit the different museums.  We took a scenic drive to town and saw the Miles Canyon, water was greenish looking, beautiful.  First visit was to the information center, she showed us the different places in town to see, also got a free parking pass for the next few days.  Next we drove to see the Dam and Fish Ladder, world’s longest wooden, only saw the salmon babies, the larger salmon don't’ arrive until July.  Walked through the S.S. Klondike, a grand old stern-wheeler which sits beside the Yukon River, which has 7,000 artifacts on display, it was built in 1929 and was the largest on the Yukon, had a cargo capacity 50% greater than previous boats and could carry over 300 tons.  Next onto the Old Log Church, which opened in 1900 and then to the MacBride Museum, which has a comprehensive view of the colorful characters and events that built Canada’s Yukon.  Then to the World’s largest weathervane, a Douglas DC-3, a vintage plane that was built in 1942, after blowing an engine on takeoff in 1970, it was then stripped for parts and parked at the Whitehorse airport.  At last we visited the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Center, it traces the Ice Age in northern and central Yukon, which, unlike the rest of Canada was ice-free.  Had skeletons of the great woolly mammoths, giant short-faced bears and lions.

June 10,  Left campground about 9 am, ran into construction waited for about half hour before moving and then it was dusty and loose gravel for miles and miles.  While driving we saw 1 cinnamon and 1 black bear.  Stopped took picture of Nisutlin Bay Bridge, longest water span on the Alaska Highway at 1,917 ft.  We had stopped at George Johnston Museum & Heritage Park, a Tlingit Indian, the innovative George Johnston (1884-1972) was known for his trapping and his fine photography, sorry no photography inside.  We then stopped at the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre, highlights the last 200 yrs of Inland Tlingit history and includes displays on the lifestyles of the Tlingit people and “power of the mask.”  The 5 outdoor totems, represent Wolf, Eagle, Frog, Beaver and Raven clans.  We finally stopped at Johnson’s Crossing which is known for their famous cinnamon buns, we bought the last one, too sugary and had raisins, which Ken doesn’t like. We finally stopped for 2 nights outside Whitehorse, about 5 pm, we are 3 hours behind time at home.

June 8,  We pulled out of the camp about 10 am drove about 120 miles before stopping for some lunch and to stretch our legs.  While driving today, we saw 3 black bear, cinnamon bear, bison, fox, stone sheep and an eagle.  We continued our drive for another 62 miles before stopping for the night in Watson Lake, Yukon.  We planned to stay for 2 nights, plan on visiting the Alaska Highway Interpretive Center, Sign Post Forest and Northern Lights Centre.  We visited the Interpretive Center and their museum, found out that the Northern Lights Centre is closed on weekends, plan to visit the Sign Post Forest tomorrow.  Did some laundry, while Ken washed the truck, hopefully wash the trailer tomorrow.

June 9,  Went to visit the Sign Post down the road about 2 blocks from where we are parked.  Never saw so many signs, at the end of 2004 there was about 55,000 signs posted.  Went to visit the Northern Lights Centre, but it was closed today.  Pulled the trailer out of our spot and took it down and washed it, pulled it back and parked again, campground got quite a few trailers in again today.

June 7, We woke up to 38* this morning.  We drove in the rain again today, the truck and trailer can’t get anymore slopped up any more than it is.  We had driven 290 miles but mostly slow driving, ran into some construction and had to wait for about 10 minutes and then slow because of all the stones on the road.  While whining around the mountain we saw a bear, stone sheep, lots of them and I think I saw a bobcat and a moose inside a township salt shed.  We finally pulled into Strawberry Flats Campground, Muncho Lake Provincial Park for the night, right along a beautiful green colored water lake, with mountains on all sides, some with snow on top.

June 5, We woke up to it raining this morning, waited a little and then pulled out about 9:30.  It rained most of the day off and on, we drove about 258 miles, stopping in Grande Prairie, Alberta, for the night, at a Rotary Club Campground.  The road was hilly, curvy, and had construction on it, also came upon oil drilling, and tree clearing, the road was muddy and dusty at some spots, a lot of trucks traveling.  Went to grocery store to pick up a few things, filled with fuel and back to camp for supper and to catch up on internet stuff, it’s 10:30 and raining again.

June 6, We woke up to it raining again this morning, we where thinking about staying put for the day, but Ken decided to move on.  We waited for it to stop raining, but by 10 am it was still raining, we hooked up and pulled out, traveling west, northwest on Route 97.  Stopped at Dawson Creek at the Information Center and took pictures of the Alaska Highway sign, ate some lunch.  We traveled to the 20 miles marker, for the interesting side road that gives the travelers the opportunity to drive the original old Alaska Highway and to across the curved, wooden bridge, Historic Kiskatinaw River Bridge.  A sign at the bridge notes that the 531 ft long structure is the only original timber bridge built along the Alaska Highway that is still in use today.  Stopped in Fort St. John for fuel at a Safeway, I walked into the store to see if they sell the Alaska Coupon Saver Book, but no, second one we stopped in to see, but neither one of them had them.  We stopped for the night at Pink Mountain, staying in front of a restaurant and RV park but the park is full of oil drilling guys, the lady said just stay where we are at for the night.

June 4, We decided to drive back to Athabasca Falls which is about 19 miles away, south of Jasper.  The falls are beautiful, when we where here before there wasn’t as much water running over the falls.  We then drove back to Jasper, filled with fuel and then went to the grocery store, to pickup a few items.  Went back to trailer, been raining off and on all day long, these mountains make their own weather. The campground is a hidden gem, if you don’t mind dry camping, we where the only one there and they put way back in the corner, before three other trailers pulled in later.