The AlCan (Alaska Canada Highway)

This highway is a continuation of the Alaska Highway as it goes through the various Canadian provinces of the Yukon and British Columbia. In many of the Canadian towns the street signs call it Alaskan Highway. It's in pretty good shape from Destruction Bay going east and south.

My first stop on it was right at Destruction Bay. There are two for-pay campgrounds, but then three dirt roads down to the lake. I was told later by another van dweller that the campgrounds aren't even on the lake where these free boondocking sites are! Excellent!

The water was so clear, pristine and COLD! I wanted to jump in, but the temperature was not that hot. I don't well cold so I didn't. I almost stayed another night to recover from the Highway from Hell, but laying around doing nothing felt like a waste of time.

I stopped in Whitehorse again, only this time found Save-On Grocery Store which has some gluten-free and organic food. I stopped at the visitor centre and loaded up on free water (that really wasn't very tasty) and used their internet. 

Continued along the highway (hoping to see wildlife!) and camped on a little dirt road along side the river. I saw this spot on the way to Alaska:

Then it started raining. And the mosquitoes swarmed. UGH! This is my view from my bed:

The next morning I drove away and not a mile later I found the rest stop where several RVs and vans were parked. I do that a lot...find a spot then the next morning realized if I just would have continued a bit further a better spot is available. But this camping spot was private.

The next morning I headed out early. The woman at the Whitehorse visitor centre told me to get gas at Watson Lake, but it was 20 miles out of my way as I had planned to go back Highway 37. The gas station on the corner of my exit wasn't working right so I thought OK, head to Watson Lake. I'm so glad I did! First they have the coolest attraction right on the highway free to strolled: The Sign Post Forest!

 

Unfortunately it was raining or I might have strolled all day looking at these signs from all over the world.

The visitor centre told me the AlCan was now open. Due to the forest fires in the northeast part of British Columbia they closed it which is why I took Highway 37 to Alaska. So on a spur of the moment I thought, Why not take a new route? See more things? I continued on the AlCan heading east.

My first stop was the Liard River Hot Springs. I was tired, really hungry and braindead! I could have purchased a day pass for $5, but I opted for the $26 camping spot. It's raining. I jumped into that hot springs anyway! It's the second largest natural hot springs in Canada. It was glorious, huge and hot! I kept worrying, How am I going to dry my towel let alone my hair in my van. That's going to create way too much moisture and mold! When I got out I asked the reception if the campground has dryers. No. Do they have wi-fi? No. Do they have electrical outlets. No. It was pretty primitive. 

Then I realized I had driven all day in the rain. I know better. The solars don't charge in clouds and I should have had the power station hooked into the van's battery. I'm down to zero. This is not good. I left, forfeiting my $26 campsite and drove for another four hours to charge the power station!

Along the way I saw two bears, a moose, two herds of bison, and a caribou! It's hard driving a highway. Sometimes it's not a good idea to slow down or stop especially in the rain or by the time I do stop the animal has disappeared so I tend to just do a drive-by and look. With this one bear no one was behind me or in front of me so I stopped, backed up 30 feet and took a photo.

I often see moose on the highway usually far away. They must like the pavement. I notice, too, bears love to poop on the sides of the highway. This feels like passive-aggressive resentment toward human enroachment on their land. Do you blame them?

The bison were just laying on the side of the road. They look so much smaller than those monsters I saw on the way to Alaska! Maybe a different breed? 

At one point in the drive I rounded a corner and was faced with the devastation of the wildfire from a couple weeks ago! I was shocked. First, I thought the highway was closed due to smoke. I didn't realize the fire went over the highway. Acres and acres of destruction still smoldering which made me a little nervous. It was creepy!

I continued traveling, constantly checking the Bluetti charge. I would have loved to have stayed at Muncho Lake. There were pull-outs right on the lake, but without a good charge, that would have been risky. I continued traveling through gorgeous greenery, mountains, lakes, rivers. British Columbia is spectacular.

I arrived in Fort Nelson around 9pm when everything was closed BUT my Bluetti was up to 50%! Found a camping spot outside of town at the Parker Lake Recreation Site. One other car was parked there. Next to a lake. Lots of mosquitoes with one tormenting me for hours until I finally killed it.

I woke early as usual and speed-walked the dirt road to and from the highway. Sitting all day requires exercise or my back starts hurting. I drove to town. Nothing opened until 9am. Visited the visitor centre, went to the health food store, went to a cafe that does gluten-free and got a breakfast sandwich to go. With the Bluetti not charged fully, I didn't want to chance cooking anything. Did a load of laundry at the laundromat that had top loading washers to wash my towels including the towel I soaked at the hot springs. Lovely laundry lady talked my ear off about the community and criticizing Canadian politics, both local and nationally. Although she was bashing on their liberal policies, it sounded just like American politics and I told her, "I don't think it's political party. I think it's men in charge!" She agreed. It was a fun conversation.

Left for Dawson Creek on the AlCan. I love how they have wide expansive fields next to the highway. This is where one sees the bears. Very nice drive, nice road especially in sections when it is so smooth it's like driving on glass, a little boring, but the traffic at times was bumper to bumper. Along with rest stops they have a lot of pull-outs with bear-proof garbage containers. The highway is very clean. They also have emergency phones all along the road. 

There is nothing more gratifying than a full tank of gas! About halfway through this beautiful route, my tank was down to half. I avoid less than half a tank just because I have no idea when the next gas station will be. The next gas station was out in the middle of no where, I pulled up and the price was about $1.50 more than normal. Call me stubborn or just indignant, but I kept driving. As I drove I got a little worried. Maybe that was the only gas station until Dawson Creek!? OMG! Thankfully there was another one that had a reasonable price. When I finally get a full tank for the next hour I sing, "Got a full tank of gas! I am on my way!" It's such a relief!

The gas stations all along the AlCan are often "antique". Absolutely ancient. They have those pumps where the numbers flip like back in the 1960s! The first one I encountered I thought, I hope I remember how to work one of these! Or often they have just a huge metal container with a hose but little else. Many of the stations have you pump first, then tell them the amount when you pay. 

Bought new windshield wipers at the Fort St. Johns Ford dealership. Along the way was sun with thunder showers and my wipers were not doing well!

By the time I got to Dawson Creek, I was really tired. The Walmart has received glowing reviews on allowing nomads to park overnight. I like parking at Walmart. It always feels safe. However, I don't do anything that makes me look like I'm camping...or living in the parking lot. I don't cook outside. I don't wash my van. Etc. The store is one of the smallest I've seen with the weirdest layout, but there must have been thirty RVs, cars, and vans parked around the perimeter (as instructed). I had to move at one point because a camper pulled in beside me and whoever was inside started smoking cigarettes which filled my van with stink. I ended up next to a woman also in a Transit from Washington so that was much better! Very little mosquitoes (OH THANK GOD FOR SMALL MIRACLES!), great temperature, and quiet. I slept really good surrounded by "my people". 

Next stop was Chetwyn. I started driving through with no thought to stop and I kept seeing amazing sculptures on both sides of the road! Once I got to the far end of town where the sculptures stopped, I parked, got out and walked the length of the town looking at each work of art. It seems two weeks ago and every year since 2005 this little town has the International Chainsaw Carving Championship! It was just two weeks ago so I missed it. Some of the sculptures were amazingly detailed! It was fun. I was exhausted by the time I got back to Big Blue and I didn't even see them all as I was told they are also all over the town. There are over 200! I love these kinds of travel surprises. Such a gift!

This one was one of my favorites
called The Monsters We Make.

At Prince George the AlCan ends or rather Highway 97 ends and this is a full circle as I came through Prince George on the way to Alaska!