Wednesday, August 17, 2005
DAWSON CREEK, BRITISH COLUMBIA
07/19/07 Tuesday Through 07/22/05 Friday
We got up today and the rain had stopped. We unhooked to coach and went o
ver to a Huskey Station, which had the best prices on fuel. We had to buy the fuel by the liter, and it was 88.9 cents a liter. There are 3.87 liters in a gallon. I’m not sure what that makes the price per gallon, but it cost us 396.00 to fill our tank. That is economic and culture shock.
After we got the fuel we went back over to the RV Park and took our Motor Home through the RV wash. It is like a high-pressure spray car wash. It didn’t clean real well, but it got off the worst of the mud. I spent several hours with a spray bottle and a wet cloth finishing the cleaning. I found some cleaner that does not have to be rinsed, just spray, wipe and then wipe with a dry cloth. It works very well. While
I was doing this, Mary cleaned the inside of the house. It is a never -ending battle to keep dirt out, because nothing is paved except the driving surface on the road. The rest is either dust, or when it rains it is mud.
On Wednesday, we took in the area and did some shopping. We bought some groceries and looked of a camera and some stronger binoculars. We found both at the same store. I have some 10X50 power glasses now. I need something stronger to see the distance, which we are looking at, up here. At Wal-Mart I found 12X50, but at the camera store where Mary went I found 16X50 and that is a lot better. I got them and Mary bought the camera and took it home to try. It wasn’t really the one she wanted and after trying it out, she decided to return it. Maybe she can find
what she wants in Fairbanks.
On Thursday we finally had our organizational meeting and began to feel that we were really going to go to Alaska. We got an overview of the way we would function as a group on the road. We also discussed the road, the trip, optional activities, weather and anything else anyone wanted to talk about. The next day, Friday, our Wagon Master and Assistant along with what they call the Tail Gunner and their wives fixed us a pancake, egg and sausage breakfast. (The tail gunner is a factory-trained mechanic who is the last guy to leave each morning so he is behind everyone and can help if anyone breaks down.
After breakfast we went to the post office and to a German bakery which someon
e told us about. We bought some wonderful bread and pastry. It’s nice traveling with someone who has been there before. Our three staff couples have done this several times between them and they can tell us where to find most of the things we need in the areas where we stop.
We met at the town Welcome Center and had a group picture made under the arch acknowledging the start of the Alaska Highway. The photographer who took our picture was the lady who owned the camera store where I bought my binoculars.
We loafed around and took pictures the rest of the day and at 7:30 we had our departure meeting. We did a pretty detailed coverage of the trip we are to make on Saturday. There is a book called the Milepost, which gives more detail than you will ever want to know about the road you are
traveling. It is nice to have it because along with geography, road conditions, historic markers it also give you where to find all the services like food, fuel, groceries, medical help, dump stations for your holding tanks and fresh water. About anything you need to know is in there
TOMORROW WE TAKE OFF!!!!!
We got up today and the rain had stopped. We unhooked to coach and went o
ver to a Huskey Station, which had the best prices on fuel. We had to buy the fuel by the liter, and it was 88.9 cents a liter. There are 3.87 liters in a gallon. I’m not sure what that makes the price per gallon, but it cost us 396.00 to fill our tank. That is economic and culture shock.After we got the fuel we went back over to the RV Park and took our Motor Home through the RV wash. It is like a high-pressure spray car wash. It didn’t clean real well, but it got off the worst of the mud. I spent several hours with a spray bottle and a wet cloth finishing the cleaning. I found some cleaner that does not have to be rinsed, just spray, wipe and then wipe with a dry cloth. It works very well. While
I was doing this, Mary cleaned the inside of the house. It is a never -ending battle to keep dirt out, because nothing is paved except the driving surface on the road. The rest is either dust, or when it rains it is mud.On Wednesday, we took in the area and did some shopping. We bought some groceries and looked of a camera and some stronger binoculars. We found both at the same store. I have some 10X50 power glasses now. I need something stronger to see the distance, which we are looking at, up here. At Wal-Mart I found 12X50, but at the camera store where Mary went I found 16X50 and that is a lot better. I got them and Mary bought the camera and took it home to try. It wasn’t really the one she wanted and after trying it out, she decided to return it. Maybe she can find
what she wants in Fairbanks.On Thursday we finally had our organizational meeting and began to feel that we were really going to go to Alaska. We got an overview of the way we would function as a group on the road. We also discussed the road, the trip, optional activities, weather and anything else anyone wanted to talk about. The next day, Friday, our Wagon Master and Assistant along with what they call the Tail Gunner and their wives fixed us a pancake, egg and sausage breakfast. (The tail gunner is a factory-trained mechanic who is the last guy to leave each morning so he is behind everyone and can help if anyone breaks down.
After breakfast we went to the post office and to a German bakery which someon
e told us about. We bought some wonderful bread and pastry. It’s nice traveling with someone who has been there before. Our three staff couples have done this several times between them and they can tell us where to find most of the things we need in the areas where we stop.We met at the town Welcome Center and had a group picture made under the arch acknowledging the start of the Alaska Highway. The photographer who took our picture was the lady who owned the camera store where I bought my binoculars.
We loafed around and took pictures the rest of the day and at 7:30 we had our departure meeting. We did a pretty detailed coverage of the trip we are to make on Saturday. There is a book called the Milepost, which gives more detail than you will ever want to know about the road you are
traveling. It is nice to have it because along with geography, road conditions, historic markers it also give you where to find all the services like food, fuel, groceries, medical help, dump stations for your holding tanks and fresh water. About anything you need to know is in thereTOMORROW WE TAKE OFF!!!!!
