July 28-29, 2006 (Days 65-66)

When we retired for the night at Chicken, we were shocked to hear a cannon being shot off. It seems that at the saloon in “downtown” Chicken, the boys were having a good time. It is a very small place with a bar and about six barstools and a couple tables. Some of our group was down there joining the locals for a beer. The walls of the saloon were covered with baseball hats (last count over 500) and business cards. Hanging from the ceiling were many bras and panties. Everyone that surrenders a bra or panty gets them shot off with the cannon. That night we heard four blasts. It was enough to wake the dead. The next morning, we heard those bras and panties were from our group! Now, considering we are one of the youngest couples, those had to have come from some of the “sourdoughs” on the trip. We are still trying to find out who it was! Anyway, I guess you can say we left our mark on Chicken. Who knows? Those bras and panties may be hanging from a moose’s antlers somewhere in the woods!

Dan and I were part of the parking crew that left early. We left at 7 a.m. with the two couples that are our leaders, and one other couple. The dirt road out of Chicken was as bad as the one coming in for about five miles, then it turned to pavement. Shall I say, part pavement. This section had a lot of potholes and rough spots. We stayed on it until we reached the Alaska Highway 70 miles), then the road was good once again. We were warned to watch for frost heaves. This is due to the road freezing and thawing over and over. The highway department just cannot keep up with repair of these areas.

It wasn’t long until we spotted a very tall, snow-covered mountain. We stopped with the others for a picture opportunity. This was Mt. McKinley. It was breath-taking. We soon saw the Alaskan Range and other snow-capped mountains. The leaders told us that it is very rare that one can see the mountain tops because of the clouds. We felt very lucky.

We continued on until we came to a small town called Tok. Here we stopped for a delicious breakfast at Fast Eddy’s. Well, it was anything but fast. We had to laugh because of the difference. We have been in Fast Eddy’s in Alton, IL, before and the two are nothing alike! We were at the restaurant long enough that other caravaners from our group caught up with us and also stopped to eat.

We continued on the highway and arrived at Delta Juncion, AK, around 12:30 p.m. This is a very nice campground. There’s grass! It is the first grass we have seen for several days.

The others started arriving around 1:45 p.m. The other lady and I were at the entrance flagging them in, welcoming, and I even sang a little song I had made up. This is the Green Acres RV Campground. I sang (to the Green Acres of TV fame theme song):

“Green Acres is the place to be.
We’re one big happy family.
Go park your rig and stay the night.
Here at Green Acres, you’re going to be treated right!”

Most everyone got in and parked by 4 p.m. Everyone was arriving with clean rigs. We found out that they had all found a car wash and had stopped and waited in line to wash their trucks and trailers. That helped with the parking, as they arrived one or two at a time.

At 5 p.m., there was a happy hour where everyone gathered and told tall tales. (That is a daily norm). We then went to dinner with Ed and the Kolley’s. We found the Buffalo Diner and had a nice choice of food; however, it was quite warm. They had no air conditioning. A lot of places up here do not have A/C, because they use it so seldom in a season.

When we returned, we visited with some people then headed inside to bed. Couldn’t believe with all the daylight that it was 10 p.m. It felt good to have a good, hot shower.

Till tomorrow………..


Saturday, July 29, 2006

It was good to sleep in this morning. I was awakened by mosquitoes buzzing around my face four times. I finally decided to get up and fight the battle. We don’t know how all the mosquitoes got in the trailer. Mosquitoes have been bad, but we haven’t had such trouble with them in the trailer before. I got Dan up, so he could take his share of bites!

We are parked right across from the laundry and actually found it empty. So a couple loads of laundry were necessary. I was glad to get some of the mud from Chicken washed out of jeans, etc., and do a load of sheets and towels.

Here is a bumper sticker saying from Chicken: “Come to Chicken where there is not one single mosquito. They are all married and have very large families!” So goes the saying here in Delta Junction.

We learned yesterday that Alaska is 50% marsh and wetlands. Under-ground for about 6-8” is a bog or marsh made up of spagmum moss which freezes and thaws causing problems for the roads and building houses, etc.

After laundry, we went to check out Delta Junction. It isn’t much of a town, but has a grocery, bank, post office, auto repair, and gas station. We went to the Visitor Center, then drove out to see the Alaska pipeline. It is by the Tanana River. It is something to see. On we went to Rika’s Roadhouse where we ran into some of our group and had lunch together. They had some nice jackets and we all decided to buy one, plus a sweatshirt and some souvenirs. We toured the property, then headed back to the campground.

While we were gone, there had been a dust storm and our trailer was filled with a fine, talcum-powder-like dust. Again, we had to shake the bedding outside, sweep the rugs and furniture, and wipe everything down. This is not fun! Following the driver’s meeting, we played Chicken Foot with Fred and Dottie Steurer in their trailer. We will leave tomorrow for Fairbanks.
Later, words fro

July 23-25, 2006 (Days 60-62)

A bright, sunny day faced us for our departure to Dawson City. We traveled again with the Kolley’s and Ed. It was a pleasant 60 degrees. We left at 8:30 a.m. to make the 175 mile trip. What we did not know was that facing us was a good test of some roads to come. Shortly after leaving the campground at Minto, the road turned to a gravel washboard. Sections of it were rough and so very dusty. All you could see ahead was a big dust ball indicating a vehicle of some kind. At times, visibility was zero. We drove about 15-25 mph. One gravel section was 14 miles long. The dust was very evident in the trailer. It was good that we had put 55-gallon trash bags over all our clothes the night before. Dan and I had to wipe down all the flat surfaces in the trailer of the fine dust and shake out our bedding.

The only wildlife we saw was a beautiful red fox lying on the embankment along the road. He was enjoying the early sun. There was a hole in the dirt embankment he was laying beside, and we assumed that was his den.

We pulled off for lunch in our trailers on a turn-out by Gravel Lake. We were probably there, enjoying the scenery, for 45 minutes to an hour. Several other Airstreamers stopped there, too. We almost had enough for a rally! The only birds we saw were huge black ravens which are quite plentiful up here. I thought one was a small dog. They are very big.

It was 78 degrees by 2:30 p.m. when we pulled into Dawson City. The campgrounds up here are nothing more than large, gravel parking lots. This one has utilities, for which we are grateful as we will spend the next four days dry camped. That will be a long stretch for us.

Dawson City is located 165 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Population is 1,876. It sits at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers. It was once a summer fish camp, but with the discovery of gold in the late 1800’s, it became a boom town to serve the gold seekers.

The city is like an old western town. You expect cowboys to come riding into town on their horses and wagons at any time. The streets are all dirt and the walks along them are wooden, just as you would see on a TV western. A ferry operates 24 hours a day. It carries vehicles and passengers across the river (there is no bridge) to the Top of the World Highway. Sometimes the waiting line for the ferry waits 3-4 hours until being able to cross. Locals and commercial vehicles have priority. We get to do this Tuesday night (the 25th).

Upon arrival at the campground, Dawson City RV Park, we got set-up, then went downtown to check it out. Our final potlatch was at 5 p.m. at the campground. After the potlatch and dinner, we then went into town again for a show at the renovated theater, featuring a touring group of youth from Ontario, who are called the Fiddle Heads. They (14 of them) played fiddles and incorporated the playing and dancing into story they told. They were very good, and we immensely enjoyed their performance. We found the local ice cream shop and enjoyed ice cream cones afterwards.

The next day, we toured the town and visited some historic sites. We each had three tickets we could use for the sites of our choice. There were about twelve places to choose from. We also did some shopping. Lunch was at Klondike Kate’s, which reminded us of an old saloon.

We went to the Gold Dredge #4. It is the largest wooden hull dredge in the world. It is no longer in operation; however, gold mines still operate daily here. They still hope to find the motherlode of gold. Many millions of dollars in gold has been found in this area in the last few years. Following the tour of the dredge, the Kolley’s and we went panning for gold. It is quite an art. I found the most gold flakes and had them put in a vial. Dinner was at the J&J Hotel restaurant. Prices were high, so we all had appetizers and salads.

Today, July 25, we had a caravan-sponsored lunch at Klondike Kate’s and then toured the town again. We stopped at the local grocery and bought some essentials. Prices were really high. Gas fill-up was around $5.00/gal. There’s not much choice, since there’s only one place to get it!

Dan dropped me off at the campground and I did three loads of laundry. Washers and dryers were $2/load. After dinner in the trailer, we prepared to leave. We and about half the caravan have decided to follow the leaders to the ferry and across the river tonight. We may sit for a couple hours before we can cross. This will all be after drivers’ meeting. I’m a little nervous about crossing in the dark.

Till tomorrow, I hope………….

July 22, 2006 (Day 59)

We left Whitehorse wishing we had more time there, but we were reminded that on our way back, we will be staying in Whitehorse again. That’s good.

Our departure time with the Kolley’s and Ed was at 8:30 a.m. That’s becoming a good norm for us. There are always the early risers that leave early and those who wish to sleep in later. It’s nice that we can always leave when we want, as long as it is after the leaders and early parkers. They don’t care when we leave or how long we take to get to the next stop, as long as we don’t enter the campground before they do. That allows them time to look over the place and get rigs assigned to a specific spot before everyone comes in. Unfortunately, we have some that refuse to honor that rule. Why is that?

This morning it was a cool 48 degrees when we got up and ready to leave, but it was sunny and that alone promises a warm day. I think this is Saturday, but hard to believe because every day is Saturday! It is easy to lose all track of day and date.

Just west of Whitehorse, we left the Alaska Highway and turned north on Highway 2, the Klondike Highway, heading for Minto. We saw acres and acres of remnants of burned forests from fires in 1998, 1958 and 1995. The hills still had burned tree trunks, but the green foliage was coming back and some new trees 4-6 feet in heighth already. It was a sad sight, but the promise of rejuvenation was evident.

We stopped at Braeburn Lodge where their specialty is large cinnamon rolls. They were actually baked in small cake pans. Dan and I couldn’t even eat one! Needless to say, that roll has lasted us for three breakfasts!

Our miles per hour averages 50-60 mph on good roads. The speed limit signs say 100 km/h. They call it 100 klicks. We saw a wolf today. We also passed a reindeer farm. Well, I guess we are getting close to the north pole!

We arrived at our next stop at 2:35 p.m., having gone 167 miles to Minto Resort and RV Park. We drove off the main road through a wooded thicket and ended up on a plateau above the Yukon River. It was so secluded and peaceful. The only problem was that the campground was double-booked with another caravan. So we had to share space and divide the usage of the large gazebo which provided room for meals and meetings.

Minto has no utilities, so we were dry camped. The mosquitoes were waiting for us. We enjoyed sitting in our lawn chairs by the river (Yukon). It was on the very edge of the river and was about a 50’ drop to the water. We saw some local fishermen, mostly young boys, bring home their catch of the day, three river king salmon. One filled the outstretched arms of a teenager. They sure were proud and enjoyed having our people take their pictures. They next day we saw them fixing the salmon over an open fire and there were several local neighbors there to share in the eating.

Minto is not a town, and there certainly weren’t any sights to see. We enjoyed the peacefulness of the river.

The cook-out committee served us a supper of soft tacos with all the trimmings. They were sure good.

Gas today at Carmacks was $1.29/liter, or around $5.20/gal. The farther north we travel, the higher the price of gas.

We continue driving north, as long as we can pay for the gas. (We can, can’t we, Renae?)

Till tomorrow…..

July 20-21, 2006 (Days 57-58)

We left Teslin at 8:30 a.m. this morning. It was 53 degrees
Before leaving Teslin, we spotted bald eagles at the very top of one of the evergreen trees that surrounded the campground. They sat there majestically as everyone left. We were told by the campground owners that the eagles had a nest in a nearby tree. The photographers of the group had fun taking pictures with their telephoto lenses.

We stopped along the way for breakfast and had sourdough pancakes and eggs (I did). I noticed that the yolks of the eggs were a very light color of yellow, almost white. I’m wondering what kind of eggs I actually had! The pancakes were huge and each one covered the entire dinner plate. I couldn’t eat both of mine.

The campground, Pioneer RV Park, was located six miles south of Whitehorse. We arrived there at 2:30 p.m., after 105 miles and the daily spattering of rain sprinkles. Among our wildlife sightings were a wolf and a black/brown bear. We are constantly amazed at the number of bicyclists and hikers we see on the road.

Dan noticed a lot of wear on one of the trailer tires and felt he needed to seek help. After several hours of driving around Whitehorse to a tire shop, then welding shop that does alignments, then back to the tire shop, it was decided to purchase two new tires and to rotate them. One shop said it looked like an alignment problem. Our options were to order a new axle and wait two weeks for it to come in and $1,000, or put on new tires at $150 each. We elected to do two tires. After assuring us that they had them in stock, they had us move the trailer to a spot in the back of their building to have them installed. Then we found out they didn’t have the right tires after all, so we just had them rotated. We hated starting out from here with a bad tire and continued wear and tear on the others, but we didn’t have any options. Finally, Dan decided to get a new tire for the spare, instead of the one we carry that is not in good shape. That way, we would have a good spare if we needed it.

During our time at the shop, we were getting hungry, so the tire man directed us to a little place a block down and around the corner that sells sandwiches at the lunch hour. It was a “mobile kitchen” where the two gals made sandwiches, fries, and some pastries. Dan had two hot dogs and I ordered a Halibut burger. No burger to it. The halibut piece in a sandwich was delicious. The meat of the fish was so white and mild. I have never had such a good fish sandwich before. That is what I like to experience…the local foods.

That evening, we went into town to see “Frantic Follies” at the Westmark Hotel. These tickets were part of our fee. It was a theater where dancehall girls entertained us with can-can dancing, rousing music and hilarious skits (vaudeville) for over an hour and a half. It was a good show and lots of laughter.

The next day (July 21), we toured some suggested places in town, including the S.S. Klondike, a grand old stern-wheeler which sits on the Yukon River at Whitehorse. It was built in 1929 and carried mail, general supplies, passengers and silver lead ore along the 460 mile route between Whitehorse and Dawson City until 1955 when it was retired. It is dry-docked at the edge of Whitehorse and renovations were completed in 2005. An interesting fact: there was a tourist and his wife that toured the boat with our group. We found out he used to work on the Klondike and this was his first time back to see the ship in its restored condition. He was showing his wife where he slept and ate and worked.

We also saw the Old Log Church Museum, Whitehorse Rapids Fish Way with the longest wooden salmon ladder, and shops in the downtown. We had to exchange American money for Canadian. For $100 U.S., we got $111.40 Canadian. Not bad! There was a potlatch and driver’s meeting in the evening.

Dan and I were postmen at this stop. We picked up the general delivery mail for our caravaners and delivered it. Several got packages and letters from home. We also carried stamps for purchase (Canadian and U.S.) and some extra greeting cards (birthday, sympathy, “Thinking of You”, get well, etc.)

Whitehorse has a population of 22,241 and its elevation is 2,306 ft. It is the capital of the Yukon Territory and serves as the center for transportation, communications and supplies for both the Yukon and Northwest Territories. There are a lot of ethnic groups here, the largest seeming to be Chinese. Whitehorse will serve as the Olympic Games Training Center for the Canadian Olympic Games in 2007.

Whitehorse has the world’s largest weathervane at the airport. It is a Douglas DC-3 which was mounted on a rotating pedestal in 1981 and now serves as a weathervane, pointing its nose into the wind.

The evening found us getting our rigs ready to depart Whitehorse the next day. There will be no services at the next stop, so fresh water tanks should be full, and gray and blackwater tanks empty. Our gas up today was $1.17/liter, or close to $4.68/gal. Ouch!

Continuing our way north…

July 19, 2006 (Day 56)

We left the campground at 8:30 a.m. It was 56 degrees and sunny. The nights keep getting shorter. It is nothing for it to be daylight at midnight. It’s not sunlight, but rather like a night with a bright full moon. Everyone finds it hard to go to bed at a decent time.

We traveled today with our St. Louis friends, the Waters and Steurer’s. We stopped a short ways up the road at Nugget City. They have good value souvenirs and Canadian-made gifts. I bought a beautiful jade necklace.

We saw a lot of rock formations along the road. They are names and messages made out of white rocks are spelled out in the banks along the highway. They were started in the summer of 1990 by a traveling swim team and people continue to make them today. Again, the views were beautiful. There were forest-covered mountains with valleys and bubbling rivers running along the road. Every curve in the road produces a new, breath-taking view. The mountain range before us is the Cassiar Mountains.

We stopped at Rancheria Falls Recreation Area and walked a half mile to two beautiful falls, took pictures and then were back on the road. (I kept my eyes and ears open for bears!)

We arrived around 2:20 p.m. It was 63 degrees. We had a very unlevel spot and had to jack up the trailer on one side 5 blocks. We rode with friends to view the Yukon Wildlife Gallery and an Indian (Tlingit) Heritage Museum. The locals seem to be of Eskimo heritage. They have dark hair and eyes and are beautiful people. One thing we have noticed is that most of the shops and museums are taken care of by children (junior high age and up). We don’t always see an adult around.

We traveled to Teslin, Y.T. (Yukon Territory) today and are at the Yukon Motel and RV Park. Elevation here is 2,266 ft. and miles traveled were 162 miles. Teslin is a very small town.

A fact to know: Akutag, better known as Eskimo Ice Cream, is a traditional snack made of whipped seal oil, berries, and sugar. I think this just cured Dan’s desire for ice cream!



July 17-18, 2006 (Days 54-55)

We awoke to cloudy skies and 54 degrees. Today we were deparkers with Bob and Carol Luther, a nice couple about our age from Massachusetts. We had to get up early to be on duty by 6:45 a.m.

The duties of deparkers are to check everyone’s rigs as they depart the campground. We check their lights, turn signals, hitches, tires, doors to make sure they are locked, antennas down and steps up and if they have seatbelts and headlights on. When each unit is found to be in compliance, they are released to hit the road. We were on duty until 9:20 a.m. It took half an hour to get our own rigs checked and check the grounds to make sure no one left anything before we could leave. We had 164 miles ahead of us, so we didn’t feel in any hurry.

Just after leaving the campground, we came upon a pack of stone sheep on and by the road. We took several pictures. On up the road, I spotted a baby black bear on the opposite side of the road. We stopped to watch him “eat breakfast”, took some pictures and went on our way. By now the sun was shining and the temp was up to 64 degrees. We passed a couple traveling in their car in a pull out by the rushing river. They had their lawn chairs out and a small grill going cooking their breakfast. Ah, what a life!

Next thing we came upon was a pack of wild horses, probably 10-12. They didn’t seem too wild, and after pictures, we went around them without them hardly moving out of the way. They were beautifully colored and very big and strong-looking horses.

The next stopping point was when we came upon a herd of buffalo. There were several young ones still nursing their mamas. Shortly, another curve in the road produced a still bigger herd of buffalo. One huge buffalo was walking along the roadside and we were able to get great pictures. He didn’t seem to be bothered that we were there.

It seems as though we were driving through a wild animal refuge viewing the wildlife. Instead, we are the ones inside the fence (car) and the wildlife is viewing us!

A recommended stop from our leaders was at the Fireside Lodge for breakfast. When we got there, we saw a lot of Airstreamers parked. When we got up on the porch, an elderly gentleman inside the established flipped over the “Closed” sign on the door. There were lots of people inside eating and Dan asked if they were closed, and the gentlemen gruffly said “Yes. Too many people. Worn out. Must clean up kitchen.” Well, as you guessed it, we went on our way and only heard about the good breakfast there from the others that got in while the restaurant was still “open”. I guess an elderly gentleman and his wife ran the café, Dora’s Café.

On up the road, we saw three RV’s sitting along the roadside. (We have learned that this is a good sign that someone is seeing something!) We stopped, and sure enough, there were two grizzly bears, around one year old, frolicking in the grasses off the road. They were fun to watch. This was our first sighting of grizzlies. You can see why it takes us so long to travel a short distance. We make a lot of stops!

We came upon a lookout point that overlooked the Liard River and decided to stop and eat something in the trailer. It was a pretty view. We read that this was a favorite spot for outlaws, back in pioneer days, to watch for and rob riverboats traveling the river.

Shortly after arriving in Watson Lake at the Downtown RV Park, we had another potlatch and met some more people on the caravan. It turned cooler and clouded over, and we had some sprinkles of rain. The temperature changes that day caused me to change clothes four times!

At 7 p.m., we all met at the Sign Forest for a ceremony to nail our caravan sign to a post. The Signpost Forest was started back in 1942 by a homesick U.S. soldier working on the Alaska Highway. Ever since, travelers had added signs with their names or hometowns and dates on to the posts in the “forest”. (I hope Dan can add a picture of it in the blog.) Today there are over 60,000 signs there. Some of the Airstreamers added their own personal signs. A good rain came up and everyone scurried back to their trailers.

The next day we were free for sightseeing or shopping. We slept in late and then did laundry at the campground laundromat. It was very busy, as I think all the Airstreamers were there at one time or the other that day. They were waiting in line three-deep at one time. It took me two hours and $12.00. Afterwards, we drove around town and saw some of the attractions which included the Northern Lights Center and Planetarium and a former WWII Watson Lake Airport. At 5:30 p.m., we met at the Belvedere Hotel for social hour and a wonderful buffet dinner with prime rib, barbecued chicken, roast pork, Caesar salad, fresh green beans, baby new potatoes and mashed potatoes, rice, rolls, and a variety of desserts. It was a very nice meal and part of our fee. We had our driver’s meeting there following dinner.

Watson Lake was a nice town. Population is 1,794. Elevation is 2,265 ft. Average temperature here in July is 59 degrees. It has been a little warmer than that and is perfect! We are at the 60° parallel. The North Pole is at 90º. Groceries (one grocery store) were very expensive. We needed milk and bread.

The rivers and streams are all fast-moving and so clear. You can see to the bottom sometimes. The fish that are caught here are: grayling, steelhead, trout, salmon, northern pike and Dolly Varden.

Till tomorrow…..

These are a heard of Stone sheep, female and little ones. This "family" was right along the highway as we drove by. We've seen other animals along the road that Beth will mention in the blog.

These are a heard of Stone sheep, female and little ones. This "family" was right along the highway as we drove by. We've seen other animals along the road that Beth will mention in the blog.

We met this creature along the drive between Muncho Lake and Watson Lake, YT. As you can see he/she was right along the road. Seems I only upload 1 picture at a time.

July 16, 2006 (Day 53)

We awoke to cloudy, overcast skies and 50 degrees. It almost looked like it could snow! We were at Muncho Lake, B.C., a very beautiful resort area. The sunshine would have made so much more of its beauty. This lake sits at 2,700 ft. elevation. There are mountains all around the lake.

It was a free day for sightseeing or whatever we wanted to do. A group of us decided to go to the suggested tourist spot of Liard Hot Springs. It is about one hour up the highway in a provincial park. We put our swimsuits on under our sweatsuits and left around 10 a.m. For several of us, it had been quite a while since wearing a swimsuit, so it was a humbling experience for us! We had to walk about ¾ mile down a wooden boardwalk back to the springs. We had been warned, in all seriousness, to be on the lookout for bears. They, too, like this area and a few years back, a woman had been attacked and killed on the boardwalk to the springs. If the bear didn’t get us, we figured we would all die of mosquito bites, as they were just thick. We felt as if we were in a jungle.

Well, we all made it to the springs. A few other people from the caravan were there already. We stripped down and cautiously entered the water. It was so very warm. It was probably warmer than any bath water I have ever known. There were hot spots and the mouth of the springs, which Dan and I both walked to on a dare, was at 138 degrees. We didn’t stay in that spot very long, just long enough to get our picture taken!

The springs had a gravel bottom and a few concrete benches on the bottom, so we could sit with our heads above water and have the rest of our bodies under water. What a relaxing feeling. There was a lower level and stairs down to it where the water was cooler. There was also a waterfall there. One of the women from our caravan lost her halter top while sitting under the falls, because the water was so fast and powerful!

After braving the cool temperature of the air and the mosquitoes, about an hour, we struggled to climb out of the water. We felt like noodles. We got dressed and walked the distance back with no sight of a bear. We had all taken some kind of noise maker, (they suggested bear bells but couldn’t find any at the lodge store) so we dug out our noise makers from the parade at the rally and carried them. These were to make noise and scare away any bears that might want to approach us. (This is all a true story, folks!)

After having lunch at the lodge, we drove the distance back to the campground. Today was the first day we saw mountain sheep. In fact, we couldn’t miss them, as there was a herd of them in the road. They were mostly mothers and babies. A while later we saw the rams with the curved horns. These are called stone sheep. We just pulled off on the side of the road and watched them for awhile. Even though being wild, they didn’t seem to be afraid of us. Later we saw a large black bear on the other side of the highway and he didn’t seem to mind our presence either. We also spotted a marmot, a beaver-like animal with gold coloring and a bushy flat tail.

Forgot to mention that the sun came out at Liard Hot Springs and made it pleasant. By the time we got back to the campground, it was cloudy again.

There was a potlatch at 4:30 p.m. Our group was large with ten couples. We got to know some more people. Then supper was on our own. A campfire started at 7:30 p.m. with the driver’s meeting following.

Tomorrow, Dan and I “de-park” It involves checking everyone’s rig before they leave the campground, hitches, tires, lights, steps up, antennas down, etc. We have to be ready when the leaders leave at 7 a.m. and remain in place until 9:30 a.m. We will then check the grounds for anything forgotten before we can leave. Obviously, we will be the last to go.

We were dry camped here for two days, so we will be ready to get to the next campground in Watson Lake where there are full hook-ups. Dry camped means no electric (work off batteries), no water (use water in tank), and no sewer (hold waste in holding tanks). We can do that for 3-4 days, but we really have to watch water consumption and battery use.

After a few chores and preparing the trailer to leave tomorrow, we went to bed. And, oh yes, it is still light at 10 p.m. and was for about another hour. Last night for the first I slept with my sleep mask to keep the light out of my eyes. It worked well.

Till on up the road……



July 15, 2006 (Day 52)

We were glad to leave Fort Nelson, B.C. this morning. It was a rather dismal campground with crowded facilities and little organization. There was a lot of water standing around, but expected it since they had had a lot of rainfall in the couople days before our arrival. However, more than one of us suspected leaky sewage. The smell was bad. It was Friday night and several locals had come in to pary and smoke pot. The odor was very evident in the air. Restrooms were dirty and grounds unkempt. The mosquitoes were very thick. I think our leaders were disappointed in this campground.

When we left this morning, it was cloudy and chilly. Temp was at 56 degrees when we left at 8:10 a.m. The sun peaked through the clouds occasionally, but mostly it was gray and cloudy with sprinkles of rain off and on. It was also windy.

We had a short trip today, just 156 miles. We traveled with our St. Louis friends, Darrell and Sharon Waters and Fred and Dottie Steurer. We look every day for wildlife. I haven’t yet understood why we get so excited when we see a deer. We see them in Missouri all the time! However, today we hit the jackpot and saw two big black bears, two moose, a family of five caribou and two other caribou at another time. The family of five caribou was in the middle of the road and just stood to look at us. Darrell was in the lead and he came to a complete stop, as well as we, and Fred behind us, did. Darrell would start to go forward and the caribou just turned and walked down the middle of the road ahead of us, then stop and turn to look back at us again! After a little game of dodgeball, they finally turned off to the side and went into the vegetation so we could travel on. They were fun to watch.

On the way, it was recommended that we stop at a wilderness lodge and have their famous cinnamon rolls. The lady knew ahead of time that we were coming, so she and her neighbors had been baking for us. The rolls were being pulled out of the ovens when we all in separate groups stopped by. They were about 6x6” and 2” high, covered with cinnamon sauce, and they were warm. Yum. What a delightful, sticky experience. This was a fishing camp on a river and all the buildings were in deplorable condition, but they are known for their baking and hospitality year-around. All electricity is by generators. They had a few motel rooms and cabins. A building housing the showers and bathrooms was labeled: “Hot showers, $5.00”. The inside of the little building where we bought the rolls was lined with skins of all kinds of animals. This was nothing like we had ever seen before.

For today and tomorrow, we are at a campground on Muncho Lake. What a beautiful lake nestled down in the valley with mountains all around. Muncho Lake is the color of jade green an is so beautiful. The campground at this resort is right on the lakefront. We were lucky to get a spot on the lake. The back end of the trailer is probably 8’ from the water. I told Dan to be sure to set the brakes good and put blocks behind the tires!

We just got set up when we found out we were scheduled for a boat ride around the lake. They took four groups, as the boat only holds 16 at a time. It was an hour ride with narration on the history of the area and the lake. It was very interesting.

When we got off the boat, supper was waiting. Tonight was the first cookout. We had grilled hamburgers, baked beans, slaw, and all the fixings for the hamburgers. It was very good.

After a couple hours there was a campfire by the lake, which was almost behind our trailer. It stays light here until about 11 p.m., so you can’t wait for dark to do a campfire!.

There will be a day on our own tomorrow, so we will take in some suggested sightseeing. Till then……..

July 12-13, 2006 (Days 49-50)

We left Prince George this morning at 7:45 a.m. It was a heavy mist and 54 degrees. Our traveling partners were Ed and Joyce Hawkins from Calgary. The last gas stop was $1.17/liter, Canadian. I think that calculates to around $4/gal. A sighting of a bear or moose will take the edge off of that!

We drove about 4 hours (199 miles) to Chetwynd where we stopped for sightseeing and lunch. Thankfully, it had stopped raining and the sun came out. Chetwynd is about 3,000 in population and is known for being the “Chainsaw Sculpture Capital of the World.” There are sculptures all over town. We walked around a couple blocks after lunch and saw them. The craftsmen are very talented, as some of the sculptures are really awesome. I hope Dan will include some pictures in the blog.

Chetwynd is also known as the forestry capitol of Canada. There were a lot of mills and pulp plants around town. Other industries of this area are forestry, mining, natural gas processing, ranching and farming. We saw some of the pipeline today.

Tumbler Ridge lays about 56 miles south of Chetwynd and one week prior to our being in Chetwynd, a large forest fire went through the ridge. Over 4,000 people in that area were evacuated. Neighboring towns and villages took in the people, some staying in persons’ homes who had room for them. We were told that they just take care of each other. I don’t believe any homes were lost, and the people had been able to return to their homes.

After leaving Chetwynd, we drove the last 60 miles to our next campground in Dawson Creek. With the rains in the area, the campground was rather muddy. There was no grass; only some gravel in spots and dirt in the rest. So, our muddy and sandy shoes sit at the door!

Dawson Creek is milepost “0” of the great Alaska Highway. It runs 1,390 miles to Delta Junction, AK. It is where we will leave from on Friday morning. Till then……….



Next day: (Thursday)

With two days scheduled for Dawson Creek, it gave us a chance to sleep a little while this morning. Yet, we were up around 7 a.m. I was up for a potty break at 5:30 a.m., and it was already daylight. The nights are getting shorter and the days longer. It doesn’t start to get dark until 10-10:30 p.m.

After breakfast in the trailer, we took a short tour on the old Alaskan Highway to see the curved wooden bridge over the Kiskatinaw River, which is the only original timer bridge build along the Alaska Highway that is still in limited use today. The old highway is still usuable, although in bad condition, to the locals that live along it.

Then it was our daily routine to get gas, ….$103.xx American dollars at the pump today…. get some lunch and pick up a few groceries and supplies. We had earlier visited the Visitor Center and watched a video on the making of the Alaska Highway. Then one of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were near the center, so we had our pictures taken with HER.

Till tomorrow from Fort Nelson, B.C…….

Note: A “Cheechako” is a new comer, greenhorn or tenderfoot, and the opposite of old-timer. I guess we are “Cheechakos”!

July 11, 2006 (Day 48)

While we could have slept in this morning, the alarm went off at 7 a.m. There is a lot to do before leaving on the caravan tomorrow, and Dan wanted to get an early start.

The caravan is called “The Alyeska”, which means “The Great Land”. Alyeska is an Aluet word and was first used to refer to the Alaska Peninsula and later, to the entire state. This caravan is referred to as “the granddaddy” of all caravans, lasting 61 days and traveling over 5,100 miles. I don’t know how we chose to start with the big one. Dumb and Dumber, I guess!

We gathered the laundry this morning and found a quiet laundromat in Prince George. It cost $12.50 for three washers and two dryers. Dan went to a large auto center, called Canadian Tire, and looked for a bug screen for Black Bear (the Suburban). It is also to help repel rocks that are kicked up on the road. There is a lot of logging up here, and while traveling, we pass many log trucks and other large vehicles. We’ve heard there are some gravel roads on farther north and we need to protect our vehicles from rocks. He came back to the laundromat just as I was finishing up. We had a quick lunch at a Taco Del Mar, then went to Wal-Mart for groceries and supplies.

This afternoon’s social was at 4:30 p.m. The host and hostess were parked across the street in the campground. There were seven couples there. These get-togethers are called a “potlatch” and are designed to help the caravanners get acquainted with each other. There will be six of them in the next couple weeks. By the time they are over, we should have met everyone and everyone else will have met us. Each time we go to a different host, take a snack, our own drinks and chairs, and sit and visit and introduce ourselves to each other. So, after tonight’s potlatch, we have met six other couples of the 36 that are here.

Every night before a departure the next morning (sometimes we will spend 2-3 days at the same stop, while others will just be one day), there is a driver’s meeting, requiring both spouses to attend. We had our first one tonight, preceeded by ice cream. J There is a tent canopy set up at one of the leader’s trailers for these meetings. The canopy is not large enough for all of us to sit under. Tonight it misted rain all through the meeting. We weren’t under the canopy and we got damp. Temp was really cool with cloudy skies. When we got back to the trailer, we turned on the furnace for the first time.

There is a “Ham Radio Airstreamer” on this caravan who is placing our location on the internet each day we move to a new location. You may access it by following these directions:

http://winlink.org/positions/PosReports.aspx
(This address is upper/lower case sensitive)

--Allow the world map and right sidebar to load completely.
--Click on AA8Q from the right sidebar column.
--Double click on the “green pin” highlighted to center the map.
--Use the map scale adjustment to expand (Zoom in) on AA8Q
location
--I will enter a position note giving the current location and
the next projected stop.

On a personal note: Dan and I each needed haircuts before leaving Salem. So, we thought the shop at the Salem Wal-Mart would work well for us, as it was walk-in appointments. We each had the same young gal. I told her I needed my hair shortened, that I wore bangs, but didn’t want them hanging in my eyes, and a shaped back. She combed some hair down on my forehead, took scissors and whacked them right across the middle of my forehead. I look like I did when I was in first grade and went to Rit the barber in my home town for a 50 cent haircut. My bangs are about one and one-half inches long. They stick straight out in front and are uncontrollable. I have a boy cut in the back. I have less hair than I ever had. I call it my Alaska hair cut! She really shaved Dan, too. I can see his scalp in the back in places. The front turned out fairly well, but the cut doesn’t bother him, as it does me! Oh well.

The people here in Canada are friendly, and we are appreciative of that.

Till next time……

We'll try some more pictures:
1. Beth getting redy to serve pie at our St.Louis group meeting at International Rally. 2. Mt Hood (East of Portland, Or), 3. Our first "Welcome meeting" of the group going on the Alaska Caravan in Prince George, BC. during this portion of the meeting it was nice, then came the rain for 5 minutes, then the sun again. The meeting never stopped. 4. Flowers seen on our tour to Mt Hood. One is an Orange Poppy and the other is the California Fox Gloves.

This picture was taken along the road between Hope, Bc and Lake McLeese, BC (Just Awsome)
July 10, 2006 (Day 47)

It was nice to sleep in this morning. We awoke to rain falling gently on the trailer roof. After our showers, we studied the travel books given to us at the caravan meeting. After lunch, we attended the mandatory “driver’s meeting”. This was an informational meeting that lasted most of the afternoon. The caravan leaders went through our books with us and explained a lot of things.

Before breaking up, we (each unit) were given an envelope. Inside was a piece of a postcard, cut up like a puzzle piece. We had to find the other couple who had the matching piece. They would be our dinner partners tonight and our travel partners on Wednesday when we leave for Dawson Creek. Their names are Ed and Joyce Hawkins from Calgary, Alberta.

There was a “welcoming” dinner at a nearby restaurant called the Log House Restaurant. Our table partners were Ed and Joyce. We had a delightful meal and conversation with them. My meal was Salmon Wellington (fresh peaches, seasoned spinach and sockeye salmon fillet wrapped in puff pastry) with oven-roasted potatoes, steamed cauliflower and fresh green beans. We had French onion soup and a delicious salad prior to the meal with a wonderful pound cake drizzled with caramel sauce and served with fresh pear slices. Dan had Ancho Chili Honey-glazed breast of chicken with potatoes and fresh green beans. Following some computer time once back at the trailer, we turned in for the night. Even after the heavy rain late this afternoon, I can say we’re hoping that tomorrow brings another beautiful day here in British Columbia, Canada. The high temperature today was 75.



July 9, 2006 (Day 46)

We left McNeese Lake Campground at 8 a.m. We knew we wanted to stop at Barkerville, as recommended, and it would be about 45 miles off the main road. So, we decided to leave earlier than normal.

The skies were cloudy and clouds hung over the tops of the mountains. It looked as though it could rain. Temp was 62 degrees.

We stopped with the group a short distance up Canada 1 to re-group and make refrigerator checks. (That is a term for bathroom stop---we need to check the refrigerator. J) Then drove on to Quesnel (pronounced kwe-nel) where the junction to Hwy. 26 to Barkerville was located. We and another couple unhooked our trailers and left them in a Wal-Mart (yes, Canada has Wal-Marts!) parking lot (with the manager’s permission) and we all rode together to Barkerville in cars to save gas. It was a 45-minute ride.

Barkerville is a historic town in the B.C. province and was named for miner Billy Barker, who struck gold there. This resulted in the gold rush of 1862. When the gold mines were empty, Barkerville became a ghost town. The government began restorations on this historic site in 1958. The buildings are boardwalks are faithful restorations from the town’s heyday. Actors in period dress worked in the shops and recreated scenes in the streets. Visitors could pan for gold, watch videos about the town, visit the general store, blacksmith shop, eat at the restaurant or walk the dirt streets and wooden boardwalks. A stagecoach gave rides for extra $. We spent two hours there.

We returned to Quesnel and our trailers, hooked up and continued on our trip, after a short stop at Tim Horton’s, a chain of restaurants up here similar to Panera’s, for a sandwich. Temperature by then was 81 degrees.

On the road back we saw three deer, a moose and calf and a herd of wild bison. We arrived at our campground at 4:45 p.m. The temp was different in Prince George. It was only 70 degrees. The campground (South Park RV Park) is nice and full of Airstreamers. This is the rendevous point for the Alaska caravan. All going (36) are to be here by tomorrow.

As soon as we were hooked up, a social hour was starting. All were asked to bring a snack and drink and lawn chairs. That lasted about 2 hours, a little long, but it was the first night. We went into Prince George for dinner with JoAnn and Ray and Ed.

Prince George offers a variety of services. With its location in the geographical center of British Columbia, it has become a focal point for financial and professional services, equipment and wholesale firms, machine shops and many services for the timber industry. Agriculture in central B.C. is basically a forage-livestock business, for which the climate and soils are well suited. Dairying and beef are the major livestock enterprises, with minors in sheep and poultry. The major industry of Prince George is timber with three pulp mills, sawmills, planers, dry kilns, a plywood plant and two chemical plants to serve the pulp mills. We have seen many log home builders and lots of timber mills, with piles and piles of logs for miles.

Until tomorrow…..





July 8, 2006 (Day 45)

We left Hope, B.C. this morning and it was another beautiful day. We had 62 degrees with blue skies and a few white, puffy clouds. Driving through the mountains was awesome. Many were straight up, and across the road was straight down, all covered with tall evergreen trees. Most of the time, a river flowed beside us with rapids. There were also waterfalls coming out of the mountains in many places. The range we came through was the Cascade Mountains.

We stopped for gas at Cache Creek. It was $3.85/gal. U.S. dollars. In Canadian it was $1.13/liter. That is deceiving, as we are still fuzzy about conversion to the metric system.

We ate lunch in our trailers after stopping at Trader Joe’s, an old Indian Trading Post. There was not much there to buy except all kinds of hats, mostly cowboy hats in all colors.

About 30 minutes before arriving at our campground, it started to rain.
This was north of Williams Lake to McNeese Lake for our campground for the night. It is not as nice a campground as we had hoped. Our space is very short and unlevel. Good thing we are leaving early in the morning.

After getting here and setting up, we all went across the lake to “The Pub” , right on the water, and had a wonderful dinner. The owner, “Gigi”, a French Canadian, had made honey garlic pork ribs. They had roasted all day and were delicious. She sat at our table and talked with us all through our dinner.

After watermelon at Ed’s motor home (one of the five of us), we all retired for the night, as we plan to leave early in the morning for our last leg of the trip to Prince George and a stop at an historic village called Barkerville. More on that tomorrow.

All for now…….




July 7, 2006 (Day 44)

We traveled today 167 miles from Lacey, WA, here to Hope, B.C. Gorgeous weather! Skies were deep blue, white puffy clouds, 73 degrees, and mountains were very visible….something unusual because there are clouds on the mountains so often. We plainly saw Mr. Ranier and Mt. Baker. Breathtaking!

Our trip up on I-5 took us through Seattle. From what we could see from the interstate that went right through the downtown, it is a beautiful city. It has tall skyscrapers and beautiful bridges. Saw the Port and ships docked there taking on loads and also cruise ships. We saw the Space Needle from a distance.

We crossed the border at Alderton, WA. None of the five of us were stopped or had any problems. We were told to remember that: “If a fish would keep its mouth shut, it wouldn’t get into trouble.” Same thing crossing the border. I told Dan not to chit-chat with the agents!

We arrived in Hope and the campground (Hope Valley Campground) around 3:30 p.m. Everyone had dinner at their trailers and spent the night visiting around the picnic tables. After arriving, some went into town to exchange U.S. dollars for Canadian currency. Today’s gas was $3.14/gal in Washington.

Tomorrow we will move onward and upwards! So far, 3,328 miles since leaving Wentzville! Till another day……….

The pictures are Dan getting registered for the International Rally, Dan installing the Alaska caravan decal on our trailer,Beth getting ready for the July 4th parade, a scene from the road between Hope, BC and Chache Creek, BC. , and Mt. Ranier taken from I-5. This is unusual as there are very few times the peak can be seen due to the clouds. This program only lets me upload 5 pictures at a time, so I'll try to get some more added.

July 5-6, 2006 (Days 42-43)

After the morning meeting, we hooked up and left with another couple for our first stop on the way to Prince George, B.C. The drive was, once again, beautiful. Temp was around 60 degrees. Skies were cloudy, but no rain even though it looked very possible. We drove through Portland where there is much architecture and modern buildings and bridges. Along the interstate were tall pine trees and it certainly had a feeling of being in the north.

Our campground, an Airstream campground exclusively for Airstreamers, is at Lacey, Washington, which is just east of Olympia. The first two units that left Salem, were parked and watching for us to arrive. The fifth of our group arrived about an hour later after we did. Now the flock of five is all together. As soon as we were set up, we went to dinner at a local restaurant that is also a casino. Food was good. I had seafood gumbo. There were large prawns, scallops, and shrimp in a delicious broth. Dan had pork chops. When we got back to the trailer, we were soon ready to get some rest.

On Thursday morning, we didn’t awaken until 8:30 a.m. Dan did some things outside the trailer. I straightened up inside. We changed out our summer clothes for winter clothes. I brought too many summer clothes; because the temp was so cool in Salem, we mostly wore warmer clothes. Now we have our real warm winter clothes in the trailer and packed away the summer things in the Suburban. We are set to go north.

After lunch, we went to the post office and mailed all birthday and anniversary cards for the month of July. Our next U.S. stop for mail will be in Fairbanks, AK. We have heard that Canadian mail service is not good; takes longer, and costs more. So, we will probably not be mailing anything else for a couple weeks. Then we picked up a few things from the grocery, being careful not to get any fresh meats or produce. Those will be taken from us at the border if the agents find them. We are also restricted on cigars, cigarettes, and liquor. The first two items won’t bother us, but with three bottles of wine in the trailer, we will be over our limit. So, rather than having it confiscated, I started drinking wine this afternoon! J

The whole group went to dinner on the bay at Olympia. We watched the sailboats while we ate. I had another experiment with seafood and had almond-crusted halibut. Very mild and good. Dan had St. Louis ribs.

After returning from dinner, we five couples had a drivers’ meeting and set a departure time for tomorrow morning. We will drive to our next campground in Hope, B.C. We have to cross the border and stop to exchange American
currency for Canadian. We hope the border crossing will be smooth.

This is all for today. We will continue, “on down the road”. (Or, should I say, “up the road”!) tomorrow. Till then………

Another week plus since we have “blogged”. We have been busy with all the events of the rally. The rally is ending tonight (July 4th; I am hearing fireworks and firecrackers as I type) and we will be heading north tomorrow. Then we should have more to talk about and do more blogging once we start seeing new scenery.

Our days during the rally were similar. We would get up and go to our perspective “volunteer” jobs, break for lunch, work more, break for dinner, then attend the evening activities and program in the big pavilion after the rally officially began on Tuesday, the 27th.

Every Sunday there were interdenominational services on the grounds, put on by our rally ministry services (usually Airstreamers who are ministers, song leaders, choir members, etc.). Offering from all three Sundays raised almost $5,000 which was distributed among two local charities: The Salvation Army and the Homeless Ministries in Salem.

The first night of the rally, June 27, were Opening Ceremonies. Dan represented our St. Louis club by carrying our unit flag and placing it in its proper place in the front of the auditorium. This was repeated by over 140 other unit presidents from across the United States and Canada. It took almost an hour to complete and was an impressive ceremony.

On June 28th, the evening entertainment was sponsored by the City of Salem. It was a group of musicians and vocalists who performed songs from the 50’s and 60’s. They were very entertaining. Many from the audience got up and danced. Now considering the average age of the people being in the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, that was quite a sight! One man came down out of the bleachers struggling with his cane, got to the floor, hung his cane on the railing and danced the night away with his spouse! Another gentleman picked his wife up out of her wheelchair, leaned her against him, and they danced. (She seemed to have had a stroke.) As Dan has always said, these Airstreamers are the oldest young people he has ever met.

On June 29th, a day to wear our rally colors (burgundy and beige), the entertainment was the Festival of Music, presented by our rally orchestra (yes, people who are Airstreamers that bring their musical instruments and form a band/orchestra). They put on a great program and once again, people danced to the music (a lot of it Big Band sounds). Since Dan’s cousin, Jim Grubb, enjoys music and playing himself in community concerts, etc., we invited him and his wife, Kathy, to join us for the evening program. He was quite impressed that this group of people could get a band together to sound as good as they did in such a short time.

On Friday, June 30th, Dan and I were both off. We took some time and did the laundry and went grocery shopping. We were back in time to clean the trailer up and attend that evening’s program. The Lettermen (yes, the original Lettermen) entertained us with many of their popular songs.

Earlier in the day, there were presentations by other cities who are trying to win the bid for future rally sites for upcoming rallies. The cities represented were: Perry, Georgia (where next year’s rally will be held); Bozeman, Montana; Madison, Wisconsin; Burlington, Vermont; and Gillette, Wyoming. Each city represented showed videos and had handouts. The president and vice-presidents and executive board will choose the future cities. This is exciting to look forward to, because of the travel to these areas.

On Saturday, (Canada Day), July 1st, we wore Canadian colors of red and white. We registered for next year’s rally in Perry, GA, and enjoyed a couple seminars. That evening, Dan and I skipped the entertainment. It was Irish dancers. We just felt like we needed to organize the trailer, and Dan finished the newsletter for our St. Louis group and sent it out by e-mail (some we printed and handed out in person to those who were here.)

We also drove north of here to a fruit and vegetable farm that also makes pies, etc., out of their fresh fruits. Dan and I had planned a pie and ice cream social for our St. Louis group that is here in Salem (about 14 trailers). We brought back apple pie, marionberry (blackberry) pie, apple-berry pie, peach pie, raspberry-rhubarb pie, and I made a fresh strawberry pie, sugar-free. This was for the social we planned for the next day.

After church and lunch on Sunday, we prepared the picnic area here at the fairgrounds for the pie social and had it set up and ready for the 3-5 p.m. event. There were about 30 people that attended. That evening the entertainment consisted of the Oregon Coast Lab Band. This is a group of high school students who excel in music. They play big band sounds and entertain. They were very talented.

Following that program, the International officers for 2007 were installed. This was another “pomp and circumstance” event that was impressive to watch.

Today, July 4th, all volunteer work was over by noon, and offices were torn down and packed up. Equipment and supplies are sent ahead to the next rally site for storage until next summer. Today, we wore red, white, and blue colors. This morning was a flea market, with “fleas” being brought by Airstreamers. This is always a popular and heavily-attended event.

There was a Region 8 (our region, which consists of units in the Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas states) picnic of fried chicken, potato salad, slaw, baked beans and rolls. At 4 p.m. was a parade. There were 60 entries, again all Airstreamers and units. Our region paraded with kazoos and noisemakers. It was a lot of fun. We also threw out candy to the audience.

Tonight’s evening entertainment was “Elvis”. He was an impersonator from Las Vegas and was very good and entertaining. A fill-in act was a Buddy Holly impersonator. He was also good. Then we had closing ceremonies where all unit presidents “retired” the flags.

A lot of people will be leaving tomorrow, as we will. There is an executive board meeting that we and another couple will be staying to attend. We should be leaving around noon to head north. Our stop tomorrow night will be in Lacey, Washington, where we will stay for two nights. At some point along the way, we will update this blog again.

For a point of information, there were 1,038 trailers registered for this rally. So, there were approximately 2,400 people on the grounds during the rally.

Until we are farther up the road, I will sign off for tonight.

Beth and Dan