Pages

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Days 25-26: Homeward Bound...Talkeetna to Border City

We started for home the day after our fly-in to Denali National Park. It was September 1st, Day 25 of our trip. Considering the lateness of the season, we knew the likelihood that many of the services on the Alaska Highway would be closing soon. There aren't that many services to begin with, and we didn't want to take a chance on not being able to get gasoline for Harvey when needed.

We left the Talkeetna Camper Park that morning and drove to Wasilla to get an oil change for Harvey. We also filled the gas and propane tanks and bought some Subway sandwiches and cookies for our lunch.

The scenery on that day's drive was beautiful, although some rain and clouds made photography a challenge. We were surprised to see how much the fall colors had come out during our short time in Alaska.

Matanuska Glacier, with yellow aspen showing among the evergreens in the foreground.

Slana River from Tok Cutoff

Doug managed to get more speed out of Harvey, once we were turned toward home. We made good time and arrived in Tok about 6:00 p.m. We called ahead to Border City RV Park and were able to reserve a camping space there for the night. Then we ate a quick pizza at Fast Eddy's in Tok before driving the 90 miles to Border City. We arrived at the RV park about 8:30 p.m. There was a computer available to guests, so I used that to check and send e-mails while Doug was getting Harvey hooked up.

The next day, September 2, Day 26 of the trip, we left the Border City RV Park about 9:00 a.m., after dumping Harvey's tanks at the dump station, and crossed the border into Canada about a half-hour later. The border guards just asked how many were in the vehicle and how long we would be in Canada, then waved us through. We immediately lost an hour as we moved from Alaska Time to Pacific Time.

We stopped for coffee and baked goodies at Buckshot Betty's in Beaver Creek, Yukon, then continued down the highway...very slowly because of the bumps and frost heaves, which plagued us all the way to Destruction Bay. After that, we could pick up the speed a little.

Here are some pictures from the day's travel:

Buckshot Betty's

A Bald Eagle

Pickhandle Lake Rest Area

At Pickhandle Lake Rest Area





We stopped in Haines Junction for gas about 4:00 p.m., then drove on to Whitehorse, Yukon's capital, where we camped at Hi Country RV Park.

Haines Junction Town Monument

Along the Alaska Highway between Haines Junction and Whitehorse


4 comments:

  1. I like the name of buckshot betty's.LOL The strange flowers almost have a bloom like Prairie Smoke,Geum Triflorium. Wonder if they were in that family that blooms here in early spring.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Some of those photo's are just breathtaking, what a wonderful journey, so glad you're sharing it :o)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those flowers look like paint brushes. What a trip! And you've documented it so well (I can't believe you remember all your stops).

    ReplyDelete
  4. Steve - I had never seen flowers like that, but they were growing all along the roadside in that area. When I saw this many all together, I just had to get a picture.

    Deborah - Thanks for giving me someone to share the journey with. :)

    Elizabeth - As I told Steve, I'd never seen flowers like that. They fascinated me. As for my memory...well, I kept a journal. :)

    ReplyDelete