Forgot to mention yesterday that when we were eating our ice cream that 2 fire fighting vehicles went through town sirens blaring. Later in the afternoon we heard a helicopter. When it came into view it had a water bucket beneath. On the news we heard that a forest fire had broken out near the golf course. This morning it was announced that the fire was under control. This part of Canada is very dry and has had some strong wind gusts. Forest fires must be a way of life here.
Driving north out of Whitecourt the view was nothing but trees. Pines and birches as far as you could see. Signs appeared warning of lumber trucks hauling, but we never did see one. You could see areas where trees had been cut.
Hwy 43, AB
I need to let you know again that signage in Canada is somewhat limiting. But, there is one road sign to heed: the 3 sawtooth sign (3 triangles aligned to look like 3 mountain peaks)! The first time I didn't know what it meant. But after hitting the first unexpected rough dips in the road and looking in the mirror and seeing a nearly 7 ton trailer airborne strikes a cord with you. (Part of the previous sentence is a fabrication!) Wow! I now slow down when I see these signs. To be honest, if Omaha were to post similar signs, there would be one every 10 feet! OK...enough of my editorializing!
We passed into British Columbia and had to stop at the border sign for a photo op. This is the first time we have been in this Province. It also marks the change from the Mountain to Pacific time zone.
Think the wind is blowing?
We cruise into Dawson Creek, BC, around 11:30. This town is the southern point for the start of the Alaska Hwy. I was expecting some little, quaint, town. But it is a busy city with all the amenities. We are camped at the Rotary Club's Mile 0 campground. Very nice here as another service organization runs it. We will spend the day being tourists. There are 2 visitor centers we want to go to. And we need to restock provisions before leaving town.
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Peggy and I made the rounds in Dawson Creek. It has plenty of history, but it's no longer the town depicted by the stories of the building of the Alaska Highway. It has the size, hustle, and bustle of 7500 citizens who are all driving their vehicles simultaneously on streets with no turn lanes, and everyone is wanting to turn left. However, they do have an excellent museum on the Alaska Hwy. That alone was worth the stop here. The docents were exceptional and while we watched a movie on the building of the highway, they were compiling information to answer questions we had about camping, fuel, and supplies, etc., along the highway.Dawson Creek is at mile marker 0 for the Alaska Highway. So, in my mind our real adventure begins here, for beyond is the highway that made legends telling of broken windshields, quagmires that cars were gobbled up in, and the constant dirt, dust, and gravel that made driving to Alaska an expedition. But, we know that the Alaska Hwy is all paved yet crosses through some of the more remote areas of North America.
We have come about 1975 miles to reach the start of the infamous Alaska Highway. We have just over 1500 miles left to go to get to Wasilla. And, Peggy and I are still smiling! As often is said, it is not the destination, it is the journey!
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