V's On Tour: July 2022

After playing in Skagway for the day and night, we got ready for our next leg of our adventure. This included a ferry boat ride down the Lynn Canal of the Inside Passage of the Gulf of Alaska to the very “Alaskan” town of Haines. Before we could set off for the ferry line, some interior repairs needed to be made. One of the slide-out trim pieces came nearly 90% off (mishap caused by falling interior items, during our last drive, behind the slide-out and then getting jammed when the slide-out was pulled open) and needed to be screwed back in place. I got right to work once we were able to find the right screws in town. This is not the only repair we have had to make on this journey and I’m sure will not be the last.

So, once again, we packed up, closed up

I loved that old truck and camper behind us!

We became fast friends with the Québécois folk in the camper next us when they asked us if we had an air compressor (we did) they could borrow as they just discovered they had a tire with a leak. There were 7 people traveling in that camper for two weeks!

and moved just about 1000 feet to the ferry loading area. The ferry runs once a day to/from Haines to Skagway and we knew to get our spot in line. This wasn’t our first time taking the truck and camper over water, but it is a little nerve-racking.

The dogs had to stay down with the truck as we rode the hour long cruise down the canal to Skagway. If the weather wasn’t so misty and cloudy, I think we would have seen some spectacular mountains that slammed into the water. There was a solarium on the top deck that we hung out in. There were heat lamps and it was super comfy even with the cold wetness all

around us.

Once arrived Haines, we off loaded from the ferry and drove to town where our next campground home was. We were in walking distance to the museums, harbor, beach, stores and restaurants. Sadly, most restaurants were closed and lack of staffing was the reason. We visited the American Bald Eagle Foundation which had a huge display of stuffed animals and an aviary with live birds we could visit.

We visited Fort Seward which is an old army settlement there on the hill of Haines overlooking the beach and harbor. Beautiful site.

As we were leaving the fort, we saw this cute art gallery and snapped a picture. The sign reads, “Usually open Daily”, very “Haines”. Little did I know, the artist was just opening, that’s him in the corner, so we stopped in.

The artist, Thresham Gregg, is a very talented person and we did a little shopping…

A fun small market we stopped into to grab a little lunch

If you look closely, this sign says “Welcome to Haines” in mixed media: shells and sticks. It’s sitting on the dock where small passenger ships come in.

Vic took himself on a distillery and brewery crawl and visited the Haines establishments. He brought back some fine adult beverages.

Chilcoot River Distillery

Vic’s flight of aged spirits: rum, bourbon and rye whiskey.

The gentleman at the Haines brewery is filling Vic’s 32oz. cans of their IPA and a lager

We parked next to this cool pop up camper that expands with windows all around it.

Dinner of local grilled salmon, sautéed veggies, and our Skagway Brewery IPA

It was a lovey visit to Haines. There’s much to do here and we can see why this should be on your Alaska itinerary. Now, we are off again back north through British Colombia and Yukon to head up to the Alaska Highway to make our way to Fairbanks. We will fall off the cell signal landscape as we do this, so our next check in will most likely be in Fairbanks.

As we left Whistler, BC we immediately were on a highway (BC99 from Whistler to Lilooet) with some of the most steep grades I have ever been on. The sign read “16% Grade” as a warning to truckers and us. Our truck has a display of our pitch, and at one point I could see we were on a 7 degree pitch. I’m sure it read 9 degrees at a the steepest. I had been anticipating this drive for the last few days(months) with much dread and worry, but to my great relief, truck, camper and crew made it up and over that pass. We were rewarded with a lovely winery in Lilloet where we stopped in for a taste. Berens Winery had lovely wines for us to take along our journey.

The following pictures are numerous and many are out of order, for which I apologize for my lack of technical expertise at this blogging. The drive and days up here to the Yukon Territory took us through beautiful wild lands where there was no cell service. So this why I have to put so much in a post as we finally are in a spot long enough to be able to write this and post. I’m writing this from our campsite in downtown Skagway with a view of an enormous cruise ship just a half block away. It’s a blustery 58 degrees with threats of rain coming tonight. We will be here for just one night as we are taking the ferry across to Haines, AK in the morning.

Can you see the relief on my face that we survived Highway 99!

Getting ready for a Scrabble game at our site at Lac La Hache, BC

At our site in Fort Telkwa, BC We were up on a bluff overlooking Buckley River

Preparing dinner at Ft Telkwa

Taking advantage of electric hook up, using the Insta pot at Ft Telkwa

Two bridges over the Buckley and Telkwa Rivers were they join

Though road construction on the Cassier Highway made for longer and sometimes miserable conditions, I took this picture because it reminded me of our son Burke. He’s in driving school currently to get his license to haul just these types of equipment.

We learned very quickly to pay attention to these signs …

Our dinner of steamed mussels and Caesar salad

Beautiful Lake Squanga, YT

This is a picture of some kayakers out on Lake Squanga. There’s not much to note about this except IT’S TAKEN AT 10:00PM!!

Tlingit home

Bridge in Ft Telkwa over the Buckley river

These wild flowers are everywhere

Not your typical outhouse at the numerous rest stops. I just loved the whimsical style of this one.

On the pass over the Canadian-USA border near Fraser, BC we saw these poles. We think they are to help the road crew clear the snow off the road and to show them where the road lines are.

This suspension bridge was a tourist attraction we opted out of

Skagway, AK with the cruise ship in the background at the end of the street

It has gotten significantly colder as we have come up north. Most mornings it’s in the 40s when we wake up. Very difficult to get out of bed…

A porcupine was one of some wild animals we saw along the way. Not photographed were 2 black bears, a red fox, and many grouse

Stopped for a snack, a picture and a rest.

On a hike in Ft Telkwa, saw this hockey rink with Pickleball courts painted on it. Missing our Pickleball friends!❤️

Vic has started on Chapter 4 after successfully submitting Chapter 3 to the editors

A beautiful bronze statue of a gold hopeful and his ever faithful companion in Skagway, AK

Saw many bicyclists along our route and would be at our campgrounds

George Johnstown’s Chevrolet, the first car in Teslin, Yukon. There were no roads here, so he mostly drove on the frozen lake in the winter and they built a road just for him to run a taxi service in town

Dinner on the open fire. This time marinated chicken (ala flambé), steamed broccoli, and rice. Lake Squanga Yukon Government Campground

This is a video of the suspension bridge in BC we chose not to go across. Instead, we bought T-shirts from the gift shop 😀

Our yummy breakfast in Smithers, BC

Staying warm and dry under the awning and down blanket in rainy Lake Squanga, Yukon

More campsite art

Agi and Bodi have this uncanny ability to garner treats from complete strangers in Skagway, AK

The original Broadway in Skagway

Traditional garments of the Tlingit

Lakeside park in Ft Telkwa

Upon leaving Whistler, BC we encountered some of the most steep climbs I’ve ever made: 16% grade. Truck and camper made it up and then down the mountain pass with no troubles.

We visited a Tliglit First Nations museum “The George Johnston Museum” in Teslin, BC

Our camp table had been decorated by a very talented previous camper

Beautiful Lake Kinaskan, BC

Our campsite at Squamish Lake Yukon Government Campground

Coming up over the mountains in Yukon, heading towards Skagway, AK

A rare treat: we stopped in for a special breakfast at Twi Sisters in Smithers, BC

The George Johnston Museum

Many rest areas are in some of the best places to grab a picture

Sign Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon

We made a simple dinner of steamed mussels in garlic butter sauce over brown rice

Sign forest

On the continental divide on the Alaska Canada Highway. This is the continental divide between the Pacific and Artic Oceans

A pretty painted rock at our campsite at Squanga Lake

Some folks we met at the rest area of the continental divide. We chatted for quite a while there. They were heading home to Illinois as we were heading up. They had great advice for our travels and told us what to expect up in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Denali. Super friendly!