Sorry for the lack of posts! I could make a bunch of excuses, but the bottom line is we have just been too busy. We are currently outside of Anchorage with a day to catch up – so a quick update.
Dawson Creek, the start of the Alaska Highway.
It is hard to believe we have been on the road for a full month now. So many breathtaking sights and more than a few good stories. We worked our way up through the Canadian Rockies, across the AlCan highway into Alaska, up to Fairbanks, across the Denali Highway, and down to the Kenai Peninsula. We have now driven as far west as you can go – without getting on a boat or plane.
Wildlife Cruise on the Resurrection Bay near Seward, Alaska.
Several folks have asked what the best part of the trip has been so far. That one is easy! Carrigan and her boyfriend Travis were able to fly up for a week – and that has hands down been the best part. During their visit, we were able to explore gold mines, watch Orcas and Humpback Whales, and ride with a dog sled team, among many other things.
Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula. This is as far west as you can drive in North America. We are wearing our Mile 0 Key West shirts - as far South as you can go in the continental US. If you are curious, that is 5,313 miles from Anchor Point to Key West.
Now we are starting to plan our return trip. Mother nature is making this a challenge as we have to work around floods, wildfires, landslides, and washouts that seem to pop up on a daily basis. The current tentative plan is to head back into the Yukon via the Top of the World Highway to the old mining town of Dawson Creek. From there, north to the Arctic Ocean at the hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk. Then back south to Dawson Creek, back through the Canadian Rockies, and then into the “lower 48.”
A few questions we have been asked on a regular basis:
How many miles have you traveled?
We are currently sitting at about 7,800 miles and over 150 hours of driving time!
What have the gas prices been like?
In Alaska, we have seen everything from $5.14 to $5.89 a gallon. Along the Alaskan Highway in Canada, we paid about $10 a gallon US at one stop in the middle of nowhere. It was the only stop so you were pretty much going to pay whatever they wanted to charge.
Have you seen any bears?
Yes! Many black and brown bears, and a few cubs. Also elk, moose, bison, porcupine, wolf, and many other smaller critters.
What has the weather been like?
In Alaska, it has been very dry and unseasonably warm (which is the mid to upper 70s.) It has felt wonderfully cool for us “Floridians.”
Is it true the sun never sets in Summer?
Well, it depends on where you are. Up in Fairbanks, it dipped below the horizon for a couple of hours. Here in Anchorage, we have about 4 hours of twilight, but it never gets really dark. If we are lucky enough to make it to Tuktoyaktuk we will have 24 hours of full sunlight. All of this takes some getting used to – it really screws up your biological clock.
That’s all for now! Have to get back to planning our route back to Canada. More to come!
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