Becky's Journal - June 8 - June 13
On the Road:
Alaska Bound
June 8, 2009
Got on the road early enough – before 8 a.m. – but
after 406 miles hauling our fifth wheel – and a couple of delays – it
was a tired crew that rolled into Seven Feathers in Canyonville, Oregon
tonight. Cruising up
Interstate 5 – not 60 sixty miles into our “sabbatical” journey – we had
a flat on the trailer. Tom
changed it, but we stopped at Les Scwaub in Orland and purchased four
new trailer tires for the road to Alaska.
(an hour spent on the side of the road and an hour in Orland)
The scenery rolled by – many vehicles, signs, and the
ever-traveled blacktop. We
enjoyed Lake Shasta, Castle Crags, a peek-a-boo view of Mt. Shasta, and
the mountains of Southern Oregon.
Two deer started off our “wildlife” sightings.
After dinner, we walked around the RV park (very
nice). It will be early to
bed and early to rise.
Traveling Interstate 5: Trip down memory lane
June 9, 2009
Oregon was true to its reputation with dreary,
drizzling skies most of the morning.
The sun broke through about 10:30-11:00, but the temperatures
weren’t too warm. It is much
greener than California, and as we headed into Washington state, the
trees and woodlands were in evidence.
Oregon remains the land of triple-trailer trucks and full-service
gas stations (no pump-your-own here), and George Washington’s bust on
state road signs makes me feel right at home.
In the early 1970s, I spent four years at Whitman
College in Walla Walla, Washington and a year teaching in East
Wenatchee, Washington. Many
of these roads bring me back to those years – miles and miles in “Pooh
Bear,” my honey-gold Plymouth Duster – traveling between Huntington
Beach and Walla Walla or visiting with college friends in the Northwest.
When I think of Oregon, I will always relive hitting
black ice on I-5 and “crawling” to my uncle’s home in the Portland area.
(Carole and I have extra grey hairs from that I’m sure.)
Many of the towns up and down I-5 were the hometowns of college
chums – some of which, like Tacoma and Seattle, I visited on breaks from
school. Lots of good
memories.
Our trek north to Alaska along this stretch of road
will be remembered for the SLOW travel south of Tacoma due to a major
accident. That, another
accident, and hitting rush-hour traffic through Seattle delayed us, and
we pulled into Mount Vernon quite tired after 7 p.m.
Welcome to Canada!
We’re not in the USA anymore.
June 10, 2009
Leaving Mount Vernon, WA, we crossed the border into
Canada at Sumac late morning.
I enjoyed reading the border-crossing signs in French (Arrêt!)
and seeing cheery red-and-white Canadian maple-leaf flags.
Canadian towns always have a touch of the English about them,
too.
The drive to Cache Creek, where we are camped for two
nights, was beautiful, as Canada Highway 1 wound along the Fraser River.
The forests are green and lush.
We picnicked at a roadside, wooded area and continued to trek
north. On the mountain
roads, several times we were greeted with sudden downbursts and luminous
lightening streaks. As we
descended into Gold Country and the Cache Creek area, the green wooded
hillsides disappeared into desolate scrub vegetation, and we were
surprised by a dry arid climate.
Gold Country 101:
Cache Creek
June 11, 2009
Spent the morning getting caught up on a few things
around the trailer and simply relaxing.
After lunch, finding a Canadian ATM, and getting a few
groceries, we were ready to learn about the Cariboo Gold Rush of the
1860s. The region and local
mountains are named Cariboo after a caribou found in the mountains –
although I never discovered the reason for the spelling discrepancy.
With little to see in Cache Creek, a town of about 1,000, we
headed back down the highway where we had spotted a historical spot –
Ashcroft Manor. Toured it,
with lots of information from the proprietress and then headed over to
the town of Ashcroft, a town of 1600 on the Thompson River.
There we wandered through the displays of Heritage Park, learning
more about the area’s history.
Gold Country 102: On the road to Prince George
June 12, 2009
Took the trek to Prince George at a somewhat slower
pace. We stopped at a
heritage site at Mile 108 Ranch and walked about the 13 historical
buildings. The section of
road covered today, the Cariboo Road dates back to the Cariboo Gold Rush
in the 1860s, when it was a trail.
All along the road, mileposts date back to the stage stops and
roadhouses of yesteryear.
With our trusty Milepost guide (the Alaska Highway “Bible”), we continued lessons in
the region’s history. Many
of the French names date back to times of first explorations, fur
trapping and trading posts.
We had lunch overlooking a picturesque lake – McLeese
Lake. Mid-afternoon, we
stopped at a Wal-Mart in Quesnel when the opportunity presented itself.
Prince George is a booming metropolis of 80,000.
In the early 1800s, Simon Fraser of the North West Trading
company founded a post, which he named for the reigning monarch.
On to the Alaska Highway: Mile 0, Dawson Creek
June 13, 2009
Today was full of beautiful scenery, as we headed into
the foothills of the Rockies.
Mid-morning, we stopped beside Bijoux Falls, a jewel that lived
up to its name. Mile after
mile of forested hillsides rolled by, as we traveled north to the
beginning point of the Alaska Highway, Mile 0 in Dawson Creek.
Dawson Creek is much bigger and spread out than I had imagined.
After setting up the trailer at Northern Lights RV
Park, we drove into town, stopped at an information center, got our
bearings somewhat, and checked out churches.
We will be here three nights – to see some sights, re-provision,
and relax.
As we have headed ever northward – further north than
either of us has driven before – we have noticed that each evening it
stays light longer; last night it was still dusk at about 9:30 p.m.