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  • Savoring the Dempster (Part One)

    The Dempster Highway is 575 miles of gravel road. While Alaska’s Haul Road was completed specifically to support the oil and gas industry, the Dempster connects towns and hamlets, mostly indigenous communities.  When we began traveling this road in 2010, it ended at Inuvik, a “government town,” supporting the oil and gas industry. After years… Read more

  • Top of the World

    With Alaska in our rear view mirror, we take the Top of the World Highway from Tok to the town of Chicken, then on to the Canadian border.  Chicken is a great stop. This little mining town has turned into a destination of sorts. It was named by the miners who captured and ate the… Read more

  • The Haul Road, aka the dalton Highway

    After spending the day in Fairbanks, doing laundry, checking tires, and filling the water tank, we headed towards Prudohe Bay and the Arctic Ocean. The Dalton Highway is 476 miles of mostly gravel road. Completed in 1974, the road initially banned tourist traffic. It was strictly meant for vehicles and equipment bound for Deadhorse, the… Read more

  • Denali !!!

    Denali Road 8 is one of our favorite drives. Mostly gravel, the 135-mile road meanders alongside dozens of glaciers and high tundra. We rarely see animals.  They mostly stay in the high country and away from this heavily hunted area. Hunting season has not yet begun, but we saw many scouts and guides searching for… Read more

  • Copper River and Valdez

    Before we left Liberty Falls, we took a drive to Chitina and the Copper River, home to the famous Copper River Salmon. (Photo of Copper River and Mt. Wrangle.) Yesterday I met several ladies from the Philippines who were going dipnet fishing the day before, with no luck. Alaska’s fishing laws depend on a variety… Read more

  • Alaska Mainland and Liberty Falls

    Alaska!  We made it to the mainland. So far, we’ve traveled over 4,500 miles, through four time zones, and registered over 100 hours of drive time.  It was an arduous drive through the Yukon. Between Destruction Bay and the Alaska border, the Alaska highway was replete with permafrost damage, resulting in road heaves, breaks, and… Read more

  • Haines, Alaska

    Our trip up the Alaskan Highway held lovely views but nothing exciting. We passed old haunts, like the Rancheria, a favorite for breakfast and pancakes. Last year it burned to the ground.  After sixteen years of traveling these roads, I suppose the change should be expected. (Yes, for those of who haven’t been following us,… Read more

  • The Cassiar Highway

    We spent our first night on the Cassiar at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park. Our favorite camp spot was taken, so we chose a site up on the hill, overlooking the lake. The gnats and mosquitoes drove us into the camper early.  We had settled in when Sam gave her “alert” bark. We both looked but… Read more

  • 2,500 Miles Later

    Our journey continues at a relentless pace. I think Sam feels like a prisoner of the highway. We are beginning to see a bit of wildlife, but the temperatures are still high, leaving most critters to find shelter in the high country. Our timing is off because of the fires. While we had planned to… Read more

  • Our Journey Begins

    We’re currently camped out in a national forest outside the Canadian border on the Washington side. We plan to cross over tomorrow morning. It’s been a wild six days. We’ve made it through three time zones and traveled over 2,500 miles, a crazy number. Trust me, we feel it! Our goal has been simple… to… Read more