April 24 - Courtney

Sometimes, having a few drinks and taking a walk alone at night turns out to be the best thing you can do with your time. Sometimes, not all the time. I'm not advocating getting drunk and being intoxicated in public. However, if you ease up on your logical and critical mind your perspective can change dramatically.
Today, my parents and I walked around town memorizing Skagway's history. There were 100 pages single spaced that we were given and told we needed to memorize by the time we got to town. I got stuck in my mind today. Not only was there a large amount of history I needed to learn, but there was an entire town that I had to learn the layout to and be able to match the history to the layout. I've only been in town for two days, and I'm not always the fasted learner.
For a reprieve we went to a trivia night. At first, I was embarrassed. I love my parents, but I'm 24 years old and feel like I'm still a child. I know intellectually I will always be their child. And, I don't wish to be a child for any other couple. But that still leaves me at 24 years old, living with my parents, and not knowing exactly what I want to do with my life. Everyone around us were in large groups of people my age laughing and having fun. And I felt unsure how to connect with them. It wasn't because my parents were there. Even if I was completely alone, I would still feel like a fish out of water.
We had a lot of fun at the trivia night. After a few beers, a group next to us ordered my parents and me shots. They were handing out an olive branch. It was very kind. They were all helicopter pilots and glacier tour guides.
It was Redneck night, so we got to see people from all walks of life dress up in ridiculous outfits. There was even a man with a cowboy hat who recited Kenny Chesney's "She Thinks My Trackers Sexy," in a Shakespearean accent.
Afterwards, my parents drove home and I walked the 13 blocks back to the RV park. That was the first time I looked around without the fear that I may never become a fully independent individual. Around me were snow covered mountains. That's where I've wanted to be for a few years. But not only that, but I was surrounded by people who said hello to me on the streets and didn't know me. I can't take a walk without someone being friendly and saying hello. I don't get that back in Missouri or Texas for that matter.
But here, something magical has occurred. Every single human is worth your time and you are worth their time.
So, to sum it up. We are lucky enough to be in a town where everyone is friendly, if I want to go snowboarding I can, and even if I feel completely alone I'm not.
Then, I started venturing into my head again. I am my parents' child. I am 24 years old. I live with my parents in an RV with very little privacy. We live together. We eat together. And, typically, my parents cook dinner for me.  I am not only their child, but I get to relive my childhood. The right way.
I've held a lot of resentment because my family lived apart for seven years. I thought that I would always be broken because of that. But now, in Alaska, I can be the kid again. But I can be the kid with my own responsibilities too. I pay bills like an adult. I can drink like an adult.
But, ultimately, the gift that I was refusing to see is that I get my parents, together, like it should have been. And I get to enjoy it with the intelligence of an adult and with the freedom that comes with an adult.
How can I complain when I get the best of both worlds? Especially when that's what I was wishing for all along.
I'm not sure I would have seen unless I took a walk tonight, with a little Fireball Whiskey in my system.

April 22 - Last Full Day in Canada

We had another exciting day on the road. Filled with unexpected events. It all started the from Toad River RV park, after crossing the summit, the highest elevation on the trip.

Two hours into our journey, we came across a flipped 18-wheeler on the side of a ridge. There was another 18-wheeler surveying the damage of the scene. Turns out the accident happened the night before without major injury. All that lost mulch and soils gone down the hill. The trucker surveying damage pointed us to a local Hot Springs. Of course, our mermaid daughter wouldn't miss a chance to swim even if it meant in 105-118 degree water. As she was enjoying the springs, she struck up a conversation with a family of five. They pointed out a cold spring connected to the hot spring. Courtney swimming and Sandy soaking her feet and legs enjoyed the spring for an hour. Courtney refused to bring a towel stating that she might not get in the water, but we knew better. She bravely walked a fourth mile back to the RV in her swim suit in 50 degree weather, with snow off the sides of the walkway, snow banks and an ice covered pond.

We also crossed the Continental Divide. Courtney bravely tried out the snow. She sank up to almost her knee. Our poor dog Nova the chiweenie, sank up to her belly, not enjoying it one bit.

We saw more snow and beautiful scenery than we had seen before on the trip so far. The tops of many of the mountains were covered in snow or glaciers. Thank goodness the peaks were still much higher than we were. The roads were clear and all paved except for about 100 yards of gravel.

We saw 62 buffalo in 5 herds, beside the road, enjoying the sunshine, five skiddish elk, one brown bear, two baby beavers, and four big horn sheep eating along side of the Alaska Highway. We could have gotten out and petted them, yeah, right!

We drove and drove getting a little bit of get “are we there-itis”. I think that was the longest day of the trip. We got within 165 miles of Skagway and just decided it was time to quit.

We pulled into a motel, restaurant and RV park. Unluckily the RV part was closed, due to frozen water. However, they had us pull up next to the motel and plug into their electric. We said that would be great, how much? “$15.00” I said sold! Their motel rooms started at $79.00! Daylight lasted until after 10:00PM and lightens up at 5:00AM.

We found much of the food in Canada to be over priced, the special of the day for supper is usually around $20.00 and it goes up from there. Gas is sold by the liter, roughly 3 and 3/4 liters makes a gallon. It looks cheap at $1.039 per liter, but it takes a lot of liters! More tomorrow.  

April 21: Seventh day on the road

Oh  Boy, seven days on the road and what haven't we seen?  We've driven through rain forests, over snow capped mountains, and past sheer cliffs, frozen rivers and waterfalls, plains that extended past the horizon, industrial zones, miles devoid of human touch, and busy cities.

Everyone has given a go with driving the RV. Courtney drove for two hours while battling 45 mph winds, Jim has driven most of the time through all kinds of conditions, and Sandy drove for a few hours over bumpy roads.

Canada and USA are very similar. Northern New Mexico looks like the outskirts of the Northern Rockies, and most of Mid-Canada looks like the Great Plains in the U.S.A. We almost couldn't tell the difference. But there is one huge difference. Prices are higher for most everything, however, you pay with credit or debit card and the price is diminished by about 15% because of the exchange rate.

So far, we paid anywhere from $2.04 in the USA to $5.00 a gallon here in Northern Canada.

We are a mere 10 hours from our destination in Skagway, AK. We have been staying in Walmart parking lots and RV parks over night.  The parking lots have all the concessions of home; all the food you could buy and spacious bathrooms. The RV parks are very varied in services and prices.  In one we paid $2.00 for a six minute glorious shower, instead of a weak spray hot then cold and hot again shower. Most of the time showers are free. The last two RV places water was still frozen.  The RV park we are staying in tonight is beautiful, right beside a mountain stream complete with a beaver dam and beaver lodge.  Snow capped mountains surround us in a 360 degree panorama. Here in North Canada we are paying $15.00 a night, maybe we'll stay a bit longer. But, Skagway will be $600.00 a month.

We went across the highest mountains on our trip today, I was beginning to think we weren't going to make it - first gear at 35 MPH for 30 miles up and down in second gear and using the brakes to slow down.  At one point, we drove over a few fallen rocks with one tire.  It bounced off the siding on our RV and sounded like we popped two tires.   After pulling over and frantically checking out the RV we decided we were lucky, and nothing was amiss.

Currently, we are half way between Fort Nelson and Watson Lake, surrounded by snow topped mountains (very High Mountains) and waterfalls, even frozen waterfalls. It's a small town that isn't on the map. There is an airport and a camp ground, that's about it. But its adorable. Courtney scared and got scared by a baby beaver out on its own. She took a few pictures after she composed herself, but didn't manage to get a good shot.

April 17 - Alaska Bound Day Three - Courtney

The last time I went through border patrol in a foreign country I had a melt down, and they threatened deportation. Of course, I figured the same thing would happen this time around, even though it was in a different country.

Throughout the day, I joked that I would be deported. When we got within yards of the border I told my parents we'd be pulled over and searched. They knew I was being over dramatic because of the last time. Dad and I jokingly argued back and forth about it. I was on the side of us being detained and he was on the side that we'd drive on through no problem. But, we did get pulled over to be searched. I'm not sure if that's a win I should be proud of.

We had contraband. No, the Kentucky Fire Bourbon I had didn't count. They didn't even care we had two dogs on board. It was the contraband eggs that got us. Eggs. Really, eggs? That's what got us searched at the border! 

We had to grab our passports, escort our dogs into a kennel, and proceed inside to be detained while they searched our vehicle for drugs and firearms. And the eggs? Well, they didn't search our frig or our freezer for more eggs. Hell, we could have hidden 3 more cartoons. Though, we had to give up 4 cartoons of farm fresh eggs to get into Canada.

I guess you could say I knew that we'd be detained. But I would've never guessed it'd be over eggs. I mean, we got to keep GMO packed meat products that are banned all over Europe. It's cool. Banned meat isn't poison, but eggs could be. 

We were detained only a short while.

After a few hours on the road after that we found a lovely RV resort to stay at over the night where we were able to get access to the internet. We even had time to visit downtown Winnipeg. Forks Market was a cute addition to our trip. Local artisans sold their wears and food in an old train warehouse. 

April 15th - Alaska Bound - Jim

We have just started on our GREAT ADVENTURE!!

We have been on the road for 3 months, traveling and visiting our sons - one in South Texas the other in North Carolina. We had a 2 week stopover in Washington to repack the RV.

Today we left Washington enroute to Skagway, Alaska. We left at 8:45 this morning from Sandy's brother Gary and his wonderful wife Michelle's farm in Concord Hill. We have stopped in Council Bluff, Iowa at a Walmart for the evening. We've seen gas prices from $2.11 just west of Columbia to $2.39 in Iowa, I hope it goes down in South Dakota.

We stopped a few times for the dogs but mainly kept up about 57 MPH, everyone kept passing us. Tomorrow, off to Fargo, ND, then Canada. We had a scare when Courtney said she lost her passport! Thankfully she found it, right where she left it. More tomorrow from ND..... Jim