Just an FYI... We will not have cell service until we get back into the states. Best way to get in touch is email. We use Skype for outbound calls when we have a Wifi connection. Our cell is 806 790 9299 and anyone is welcome to leave voice mail. When we get service we can retrieve the voice mail
link to pictures with descriptive captions
FYI... A few of the readers might wonder why I put so much "Gold Rush" stuff in the blogs. With well over 100,000 rushers from all over the world coming into this area and heading for the Yukon in the 1890s, it is possible that you may have had a rusher in your family. We don't know of any in mine or Barbara's. The museums and libraries in this area, are a hangout for the gold rush history buffs.
Many pictures that I used in this posting are from the descriptive interpretive signs on the pull out spots along the highway. There are many of these and each denotes some historical event or a scenic view of some kind. Rather than try to write about them, I just took a picture of them. Use the enlarge button in the gallery and I think you can read them. Each one has a piece of history to report and I think you will enjoy reading them.
And for those that have been following my "looking for Sargent Preston and King", I found them in Skagway. Check out the attached picture.
Sept 9, 2009
Another big day as we head down to Skagway, AK, this afternoon. This morning was a shopping trip to Walmart (not far), Canadian tire, the Super Store for food items. We also went to a bank to change American dollar for Canadian dollars. We pay our camping fees with Canadian dollars.
A reader wrote and asked about the fuel prices.
Note, these are from Whitehorse, the prices in the remote areas will be around 20% higher
The prices for unleaded gas and diesel are ~$1.009 per liter, so if you do the math, it is around $3.60 us dollars. We also needed propane and a 30lb cylinder cost about $30.00 us dollars to fill. That is about $12.00 more than it is in Lubbock. Today's money exchange is ~$1.04 Canadian for $1.00 USD. When we entered Canada, in July, it was $1.08 Canadian for $1.00 USD. Whitehorse is the last big town before we head south on the Cassiar highway. This is the more westward route down toward Stewart, BC, Hyder, AK, and on to Prince Rupert, BC. My propane tanks are full as well as the two 5 gal extra gas cans, so we should be good to go.
More about the historical and scenic route that we are on at this time. We are camped at the city campground in Carcross, YT. This is another gold rush trail of the late 1890s. Carcross is on the Yukon highway and is north of Skagway about 50 miles, the entry port of the majority of the 1898 Gold Rushers. Up to 100,000 rushers from all over the world came through this port or the other nearby port of Dyea. They followed the White Pass trail or the Chilkoot trail up and over a 3000 foot mountain and then built boats to sail down the Yukon river to Dawson City. It took many trips up this pass to carry the almost two tons of material to build their boats, food and supplies to live on. Only about 30% of them made it to Dawson City. This trail is still used by many hikers. The narrow gauge White Pass and Yukon railroad was built starting in 1900 and completed 1902 and is an international historic civil engineering landmark. Check it out at wpyr.com. There was so much history made here in a very short period of time.
We left Carcross early for a day trip to Skagway. I spent several hours at the museums and around the rail center while Barbara got in some last minute shopping. The weather was rainy but that didn't slow us down any. There were 5 large cruise ships in the harbor, so the stores were busy and everyone was having a good time.
Sept 11 2009 our 73rd day on the road
We spent the morning in Carcross at the WP&Y railroad museum and a short shopping trip to a 100 year old store that is still in business. Our plan this afternoon is to travel the 250 miles toward Watson Lake and stop at a YT campground in that area. We made it about 230 miles to the Big Creek YT campground. Nice place, so we built a really nice fire and then I worked on the blog.
I meet a couple here in the campground from Vancouver, BC. One of them has grandfather that was a pastor near Dawson City during the height of the gold rush. They are visiting some of the places where he lived. Of course, as with most of the gold rush towns, they were short lived. Very interesting chat. They have found information and he has shared a lot of personal documents that have been in the family since the gold rush.
Tomorrow we will spend a few hours in Watson Lake and then turn south on the Cassiar route, highway 37. That is where I will post this blog.
That all for now.
John and Barbara..... still wandering along the Alaska Highway
No comments:
Post a Comment