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Daily Log to Alaska |
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May
18th to July 8, 2001 for 52 days Travel:
Left Nashville at 5am.Used I-24 to I-57 to I-64 to I-70. Listen to the CB.
At St. Louis I-70 westbound was backed up for 6 miles. Followed
trucker’s suggestion to stay on 64 in St. Louis to pick up I-70 at
Wentzville. Sailed trough. Fuel:
Fueled up in Missouri at Flying J on I-70 Exit 188. $1.43/gal. RV Island Camp:
Stopped 3:30pm and stayed at
Trailside Campers Inn, Grain Valley MO on
I-70 Exit 24. Camping cost $21.70. Tricky on/off. Campground is located on
the south side of I-70 make left under I-70 then make right at traffic
light make a right again at the first street. Good campground with 75
23x75 pull-thrus. My rating 4* Traveled 556 miles. Day 2 Travel:
Left Grain Valley, MO at 7am. I-70 to I-435 to I-29 to Exit 10 in Iowa
picked up NE 2 to Lincoln 50 miles away. Easy to find, just follow
directions to I-80. Very windy on I-80 head and side winds 30 miles/hour. Fuel:
Fueled up in at TA I-80 Exit 305 in NE. $1.55/gal. Station across street also OK Camp:
Stopped 2:45pm and stayed at Corral Camp, in Ogallala, NE I-80 Exit 126.
Camping Cost $17.50. Easy off/on. It is a skimpy campground with 32 20x60
pull-thrus. OK for stop. My rating 1* Traveled 495 miles. Day
3 Travel:
Left Ogallala, NE at 7.05am on I-80 to I-25 in WY. Still VERY windy 30
miles head wind. Almost run out of fuel because of the wind.
Fuel:
Fueled up at the Conoco station on I-25 Exit 185 in Casper for $1.52/gal.
The mileage for the day was only 6mile/gal. There is a Flying J at same
Exit but it is very hard to get in/out of. No RV Island. $1.53/gal. Camp:
Stayed in FREE campground at our sons Ranch. Traveled 365 miles. Day
4 Visiting with family in Casper WY. Day
5
Travel:
Left Casper, WY at 5am, I-25 to I-90 to Exit 452 to MT 87 North. Nice ride
on 87 to Great Falls, MT. 87 is a 2-lane road with construction for about
5 miles after Lewiston. Speed limit is 70 except a couple of towns 25 Mph.
Camp:
Stopped 2:30pm at Dick's RV Park. Nice RV Park with 27x60 pull-thrus.
From the east go to Exit 0 just before I-15 make right turn on to 14th
Street SW go to 13th Ave. SW make a right, go to the end (Dead
end) From I-15 Exit 278 go east to Exit 0 on 89/87/200/ then follow above.
Camping cost $23.63. My rating 4* Traveled 531 miles. Day
6 Travel:
Left Great Falls, MT at 7:15am on to I-15 North (at Exit 278). Fuel:
Fueled up at Flying J I-15 Exit 280 in MT, hard to find. After the exit, go over a
bridge; make the first left at the end of the bridge. Flying J is about ½
miles down. Pull in the back with the trucks. Cost 1.70/gal. Travel:
I-15 north to Canada is rough. Canada customs is small but busy with many
trucks. Go to car and camper lane on left. Pulled over to side for
inspection. Questions: Do you have any bullets, do you have a handgun, do
you have a handgun at home, and do you have a shotgun at home? We had to
stay outside for an inside inspection by a custom agent. After about 5
minutes of door and drawer banging was told to have a nice trip. They pick
RV’s at random. The roads in Alberta Highway 4 to 3 to 2 are good to
excellent. Use truck by-pass on 2 around Lethbrige to get to 3. On 3 in
Forth Macleod across the street just past the Museum there is a good place
to exchange $$$ at the CIBC Bank. Got 1.558 Canadian for 1 US $. Camp:
Stopped 1:30pm at Pine Creek Campground
in DeWinton, AB just south of
Calgary on 2. Nice campground with large sites and easy off/on to Highway
2 with 50, 60x80 pull-thrus. Camping cost was $26.96 C or $17.31 US.
My rating 4* Traveled 312 miles. Day7 Travel:
Left DeWinton, AB at 6:30 am on 2 North. Follow 2 and 22x Truck Route
around Calgary. Road conditions on 2 are Fair to Good. At Edmonton follow
Truck By-pass on 19 to 60 to 16 to 43. Traffic was light. Fuel:
Fueled up at Shell in Whitecourt on 43. Nice friendly station. Cost was
(.629/liter C) $1.45/gal US. Gasoline was .749/ liter or $1.73/gal. Tried
to Fuel up at an Esso Truck Stop on 2 by the Edmonton Airport. Pumps are
turned off no one was around to help. Camp:
Stopped 12:15pm at Sagitawah
Tourist Park in Whitecourt. Friendly and
quiet place with 53 25x55 pull-thrus. Camping cost was $23.54 C or $15.11
US. My rating is 3*. Had lunch at ErnieO’s in Whitecourt. Can’t cook
all the time “Happy wife = Happy life” Traveled 312 miles. Day
8 Travel:
Left Whitecourt, AB at 6:45 am going to
Dawson Creek on 43 AB to 2 BC. Provisions should be purchased in Grand
Prairie AB the last larger settlement to AK. No Provincial sales tax in AB
and fuel is less expensive. They have most stores including a Wal-Mart.
Highway 43 is good and some of it is divided. Nice scenery with deep thick
woods and farmland. This part of BC must be the Dandelion capitol of the
world. I have never seen so many of them anywhere. Some lawns are
completely covered no grass is visible. If you like dandelion vine or
salad you will be in hog heaven. Camp:
Stopped 10:30am (gained an hour) at Tubby’s in Dawson Creek close to the
town with pull-thrus. First choice was Northern Lights. No good sites left
by the time we got there. Better choice is (found out on return trip)
Mile
0 Campground. Nice Public Park with hookups, grass and trees. Should be
first choice. Camping cost at
Tubby’s was $22.00 C or $14.12 US. My rating 1* Traveled 257 miles Day
9 Travel:
Left Dawson Creek, BC at 6:30 am going to Fort Nelson on 97 the Alaskan
Highway north. Rained all day. Arrived at Forth Nelson 11:30. Weather was
bad decided to press on to Muncho Lake 145 miles away. About 10 miles
north of Dawson Creek there is a steep down grade to the Piece River. The
road is VERY rough SLOW DOWN. The speed limit on 97 is between 50-100
km/hr. or 30-63 miles/hr. in most places 60-65 is too fast for big rigs.
We ran into some gravel patches, MUST slow down to 25-30 miles/hr. The
road so far has been fair to good. We saw mostly deep woods with Aspen,
White Spruce and some Poplars. Warning signs for Moose, Caribou, Rock
Sheep and Deer are all along the road. North of Forth Nelson the road is
somewhat rough but can travel at 55. At Summit Pass the scenery changes to
mountains. Summit pass is the highest point on the Alaskan Highway 4250
ft. It was snowing on the pass. Summit Lake was still frozen. Fuel:
Fueled up at Fas Gas in Fort Nelson on 97 next to a Shell station. Shell
station was too small to get into. Fas Gas is easy in/out. Price of Diesel
was .859/liter or $1.73/gal. Gasoline was .859/liter or $1.984/gal Camping:
Stopped 3:40pm at
J & H Wilderness Campground
in Muncho Lake BC. What
a site next to the lake and mountains all around. For a pull-thru with
electric (15 amp only, they generate the electricity on site) and water
the cost was $21.19 C or $13.60 US. It is a nice campground along the road
with spectacular VIEWS. My
rating 4* Traveled 431 miles. Day
10 Travel:
Left Muncho Lake, BC at 7:30 am going to Teslin, YT on 97. The road out of
Muncho Lake is narrow and somewhat bumpy. We hit a section of loose
gravel, SLOW DOWN it is not that bad. Before Laird springs the road
becomes good to very good for the rest of the way to Teslin except for a
short section around Fireside. They will be fixing this section in the
next couple of years. We saw many Bear and Bison warning signs. Saw some
Bison’s and three Black Bears. On the good section of the road you can
travel 65 miles/hr. On other sections 50-55 should be max on the gravel
25-35. Watch out for bumps from the frost. Usually they have a bucket with
2 red flags in it sitting on the side of the road.
The Laird River still has ice floats and large chunk of ice on its
banks. Swan Lake east of Teslin is also frozen. It was partly cloudy in
the morning with 43 F and the afternoon 53 F. At Laird River Hotsprings
you can camp and soak your body in the Hot Springs. Must get there early
campground get filled up fast. Fuel:
Fueled up in Teslin at the Shell, Yukon Motel and Campground. Good place
to stop easy in/out. Diesel was .809/liter or $1.87/gal. Gasoline was
.819/liter or $1.892/gal. Camping:
Stopped 1:45pm at Yukon Motel in Teslin, YT. Good place for overnight with
pull-thrus and easy in/out. Cost for 30amp and water $18.00 C or $11.55
US. My Rating 3* Traveled 326 miles. Day
11 Travel:
Left Teslin, YT at 8 am going to Whitehorse. Nice scenery. The road is OK
with some rough spots. 50-65 speed in most places. Camping:
Stopped 10am at Pioneer RV Park east of Whitehorse. It is a large gravel
parking lot with back-to-back parking very close sites. The best sites are
68 and below. Others are too short and it is very close to the road. It
has low voltage in the 30amp electric service only 98-105 volts. Camping
cost with full hookups and cable $21.19 C or $13.60 US. Mackenzie RV is
better. My rating 1* Sightseeing:
Saw the Frantic Follies show in the Westmark Hotel. It was very corny but
we loved it. It is well worth the $19.00 C or $12.20 US price. Go see it. Traveled 105 miles. Day
12 Stayed in Whitehorse, YT Day13
Travel:
Left Whitehorse, YT at 7:50am to Tok, AK. Today was the WORST traveling
day of our trip so far. East of Haines Junction there is a stretch of
gravel road. West of Haines Junction about 3 miles from town there is a
bad section they are working on. Just before Kluane Lake it becomes very
narrow with lots of curves. At Destruction Bay watch out for POT holes
some of them are a foot deep. About
20 miles north of Destruction Bay a long section (miles) are lose stone
and it is like a washboard and with dust you can’t believe other
sections are muddy. This road is ugly. The paved portions are full of
frost heaves and very rough spots. Speed is from 25-55. They are working
on the gravel part of the road. When large trucks pass the best thing to
do is to slow down until the dust settles. Look out for the little red
flags they are warnings for frost damage, dips in the road or broken
pavement. SLOW DOWN could break an axle or damage the rig. Must have some
protection for the towed. In AK to Tok the road was better but many frost
damage spots with red flags. Speed limit is 55. Fuel:
Fueled up at the Texaco in Tok, AK at milepost 1313.3. Diesel price was
$1.879/gal. Got a 5-cent discount/gal by mentioning the add in Milepost. Camping:
Stopped 4:45 pm at Tok RV Village across from Texaco. Nice large park with
long pull-thrus. Camping cost $19.80. Many of the Caravans stop here. Good
place to stay. Washed the rig and the towed at the campground. Cost for
both is $13.00. A mile down the road at Discount Gas Diesel is cheaper and
you can wash your rig free with a fill up.
My rating 4* Traveled 394 miles. Day
14 Stayed in TOK. Day
15 Travel:
Left Tok, AK at 7:25am to Valdez, AK. The road is from fair to very good.
There are some bad dips and frost heaves. From Glennallen to Valdez the
road is very good. Speed limit is 55. Nice scenery with mountains etc.
Enjoy the ride. Camping:
Stopped 1pm at Eagle’s Rest RV Park in Valdez. A large gravel campground
sites are back to back with no trees. Cost $23.60 full hookups with cable.
There are other campgrounds in Valdez about the same quality. It is close
to the harbor but others are closer. The town is in a very nice setting
with mountains all around. My rating 2* Traveled 255 miles. Day
16 & 17 & 18
Stayed in Valdez. Sightseeing:
Went on the Prince William Sound Glacier Tour for 6.5 hours. (The 9.5
hours tour was sold out). The wildlife and the glaciers are worth the
trip. Good place to eat Mike’s Palace facing the Harbor. Day 19 Travel:
Left Valdez, AK at 7:00am to Anchorage, AK. The road is OK to Glennallen
but from there to Palmer is fair to good. There are constructions with
gravel flying (chipped car windshield) traveled 25-35 miles/hr still
damaged the car. Some part of it is VERY narrow and winding. Large trucks
coming at you at 55 have to hold on for dear life. The scenery is
beautiful with mountains, valleys and rivers. Matanuska Glacier is visible
from the road. Camping:
Stopped 1:45pm in Anchorage RV Park in Anchorage. It is a very nice park
with lots of flowers and large private sites. Cost $30.60 full hookups
with cable. It has easy off/on to the Glenn Highway. My rating 4* Traveled 296 miles Day
20 & 21 & 22 Stayed in Anchorage. Many things to
see it is a nice busy city with shopping Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Sam’s
Club etc. Stocked up on food and spirits. Changed the oil in the coach at
the Freightliner just off of the Seward Highway. Price for Oil change and
lube $200.00 with MY oil filter and fuel filter. They do not have CAT
filters (I carry spares) they supplied the oil and labor. Day
23 Travel:
Left Anchorage at 8:30am to Seward, AK.
The speed limit is 65mph. A few rough spots and a short
construction. Good road with mountain scenery. Arrived in Seward 12:00
noon. Camping:
Checked out the campgrounds on Bear Lake Road. The Creek side RV Park
& Motel and the Bear Creek RV Park. To me both of them are worthless.
The best place to stay if you find room is at the Waterfront Camp Ground
in town at the Harbor. Cost $10.00/night no hookups all pull-ins/back-ins.
Owned by the town of Seward. My rating 1* Fuel:
Fueled up at the Shoreside Texaco, Bird Creek, AK about 5 miles south from
Anchorage on the Seward Highway. Cost was $1.499/gal. Cheapest fuel so far
in Alaska. Diesel in Anchorage is $1.599 to $1.699 gasoline is around
$1.679. Diesel in Seward was $1.749. Traveled 152 miles Day
24
Stayed in Seward. Attraction:
Kenai Fjord Tours. The 9 ½-hour tour costs $139.00/person. Others tours
are also available for shorter time and less $. Glaciers and wildlife.
Fishing is also a major attraction in Seward. Day
25 Travel:
Left Seward, AK at 9:30am to Anchorage. Camping:
Stopped 12:30pm in Anchorage RV Park in Anchorage. Traveled 145 miles Day
26 Travel:
Left Anchorage, AK at 7:30am to Denali NP. The road was good to very good
with 55-65 speed limits. Nice easy ride not much traffic and very little
construction. The mountains around Denali State Park and the National Park
is a must see. Still have lots of snow in the higher elevations also along
the road. Very lush green forests before getting to Denali. Camping:
Stopped 12:30pm in Denali at
Denali
Riverside RV Park. Large gravel
parking lot with water and 30amp electric no sewer. Back to back sites in
a valley next to a river. Cost is $27.82. My rating 2* Traveled 236 miles. Day
27 & 28
Stayed in Denali. Lots to do and
see if you like nature. Hiking, Flight seeing, Rafting, Jet boat ride, Bus
tours into the park. We had a perfect sunny day to see Mt. McKinley
(20,300 ft.) and the Alaska Range by plane. What a sight no clouds just
blue sky’s all around. If the weather co-operates this is a must. Denali
Air Tours in a 6-person plane go up to the “Mountain” about 95 miles
away. Cost is $190.00/person for a 60-70 minute flight. We got to within
1000 feet of the face of Mt. McKinley at 12,000 feet. We saw climbers on
the trail at 12,500 feet and a base camp at around 10,000 feet. The Bus
tours are very popular into the park you may need reservations. Try to get Gas or Diesel close to
large cities. It is a lot more expensive outside of the larger towns. In
Denali and Haley, AK Gas is $1.899 and Diesel $1.819 Day
29 Travel:
Left Denali at 7:00am to Fairbanks, AK on the Parks Highway. The road is
good to very good. A short construction and some dips. Watch out for
Moose. We saw 5 of them. Lush forests cover the hillsides before and
around Fairbanks. Camping:
Stopped 9:30am in Fairbanks at Rivers Edge RV. Called for reservation the
day before. The campground was full so they wouldn’t take reservation
but I was told if we get there before 10am they probably will have a spot
for us. It is a nice park with trees and grass. Some pull-thru sites are
short and no place to park your car also it is crowded, people move about
you constantly also lots of mosquitoes.
Cost is $24.25. My rating 3.5* Traveled 118 miles Day
30 & 31 Stayed in Fairbanks at the Rivers
Edge. There are other Campgrounds in the area if this one is full. Sam’s
Club on College Ave has a large accumulation of campers occupying the side
parking lot with slides out and TV antennas up. This was during the day so
they are camping not just overnight resting. Many tours are available in
and the surrounding area of Fairbanks the Riverboat Discovery
tour, the El
Dorado Gold Mine tour, Bus and Flight tours to Prudhoe Bay, city bus tour
and to the Artic Circle. Shopping at K-Mart, Fred Meyer’s, Sam’s Club
and other stores. To me the most interesting thing about the Discovery
Boat tour was the BUSINESS they created from riding a boat up and down the
river. Other than that it is a boat ride. Some people LOVED it some hated
it and for others it was something to do. Day
32 Travel:
Left Fairbanks at 7:15am to Beaver Creek, YT on the Richardson Highway.
The road to Delta Junction is good. A few loose gravel sections. The
Alaska Highway begins or ends in Delta Junction. To Tok the road is good.
From Tok to the Canadian border it has some dips and bumps also lots of
gravel sections. Crossing the Canadian border was an cinch. Questions: How
many in the vehicle, any pets, firearms and where is home? Have a good
trip it was a 1-minute stop. Fuel:
Fueled up at the Texaco in Tok again. Diesel was $1.85 with the 5cent
discount. Camping:
Stopped 3:30pm (lost an hour) at Westmark RV in Beaver Creek, YT. It is a
small flat park with short pull-thrus. You can take any site you like. I
had to use 2 of them. Cost is $19.26 Canadian or $12.40 US with electric
and water. OK for overnight. My rating is 1*. Traveled 317 miles Day
33 Travel:
Left Beaver Creek, YT at 6am to Whitehorse YT. This is the worst part of
the Alaskan Highway. Everyone I talked to hates it. My camping neighbor in
Fairbanks from Alabama swore he will not come up to Alaska until they fix
that #&!*? Road. He lost two tires on his truck. It is by far the
WORST section of the entire trip. It rained all day so we didn’t have
dust instead we had MUD. Not much traffic this early in the morning so I
slowed down to 20-25 miles/hr. Still shook up the coach and my teeth where
rattling. What a miserable ride. I was glad to head south since most of
the traffic was going north. Camping:
Stopped 11:30am at the Mackenzie RV Park 6 miles north of Whitehorse, YT.
A quiet gravel park with long pull-thrus and full hookup, cable but only
20AMP electric at our site. Others have 30AMP. Camping cost is $19.26 C or
$12.40 US. My rating 2.5* Traveled 274 miles. Day
34 Travel:
Left Whitehorse, YT at 9am to Skagway, AK on Klondike Highway 2. The road
is good except for a 12 km (7.5 mile) section in Canada. This section is
gravel but it is smooth. Have to slow down to 30-35. The scenery is one of
the best. The road goes down fast from the US/Canada border nice to have
the engine break. I was warned about this road but it is not bad at all I
wish the Alaskan Highway were as good. The trip was worth it. Skagway is a
very nice old town with lots of history. Expect big crowds when the cruise
ships pull in. Tuesday and Wednesday are the worst days. Usually 4 ships
dock during the night but by 5pm the crowds are gone. The ships pull out
in the early evening. Fuel:
Fueled up in Whitehorse at Petro Canada. Diesel cost was $0.819/liter
or $1.89/gal. Camping:
Stopped 11:15am (gained an hour) at the Garden City RV in Skagway. The
park is OK but not great. It is a big gravel parking lot with some pull-thrus
and full hookups. Camping cost $24.00. My rating 2* The Newmar Kountry
Klub Caravan was at the campground. They are going to Alaska. I am glad we
went on our own. We all have different needs and wants mine is not
compatible with a large group traveling together. Attractions:
Lots to do in Skagway all you need is money. Look in the Milepost also go
to the Visitors Center. Brochures are available everywhere. Day
35 & 36 & 37 & 38 Stayed in Skagway to enjoy the
scenery the tours and the town. From the corny “The Days of “98” to
the White Pass & Yukon Railroad. The 3-3.5 hour train ride is
$82.00/person to the White Pass and back. The tour to Glacier Bay is
fantastic but very long. It leaves Skagway 5:15am by plane to Gustavus
then transfer to a high-speed catamaran the Spirit of Adventure for an 8
hour tour of Glacier Bay’s wildlife and Glaciers. Then return by plane
to Skagway. The cost is $463.00/person. We saw black and grizzly
bears, humpback whales, mountain goats, sea lions, etc. and the GLACIERS.
The Spirit of Adventure is very comfortable with a park ranger as a tour
guide to the Glacier Bay National
Park. The Fjord Express to Juneau is
also from Skagway or Haines. It travels in the Lynn Canal, a portion of
the inside passage with spectacular scenery and wildlife including whales.
Then tour Juneau and the Mendenhall Glacier. Leave Skagway 8:00am and
return at 8:00pm. The cost is $119.00/person. Unfortunately when we got to
Juneau 6 cruise ships where in town with wall-to-wall people. Four of the
same ships showed up in Skagway the next morning. Day
39 Travel:
Left Skagway at 5:45am going to Watson
Lake, YT. The roads today where good the only gravel we hit was from the
Canadian border north on the Seward Highway about 7.5 miles and on the
road from Carcross to the Alaskan Highway on the Tagish Road for 14 miles.
If you are going to Skagway or coming from Skagway to/from the Alaskan
Highway (Teslin direction) it is worth to take the Tagish Road. You can
save a few miles. Canadian customs went through the same routine questions
then he came in to look around in our drawers and cabinets. Getting a
little tired of this bull but it is their country so if I don’t like it
I guess I just have to stay out of Canada. Camping:
Stopped 2:15pm in Watson Lake, YT at Down Town RV Park. It is easy to find
the pull-thrus sites are nice and long. With full hookups (20amp electric)
it is OK for overnight. By 3pm all the pull-thrus were gone. Stop early or
make reservation. Cost was $18.00 C or $11.55 US. My rating 2* Traveled 320 miles. Day
40 Travel:
Left Watson Lake at 6am to Fort Nelson, BC. Only one construction the rest
of the road is good. I got a big stone in my windshield today from a
passing Motor Home on the paved section of the highway. Windshield have to be replaced
because of a 6 inch round bull’s-eye in the bottom of the driver side.
Could not have been prevented with any type of shield. RV’s are pouring
into Alaska on the Highway. Hundreds of them in packs of 5-10-20 and
single ones all day long. Saw two caravans all bunched up following each
other at a close space good way to get a stone in your windshield. One
group had 10 or 12 Prevost’s none of them waved back. Most people wave
to each other as we pass. Fuel:
Fueled up in Muncho Lake at the Petro Canada, Highland Glen Lodge.
Diesel was $0.829/liter C or $1.915/gal US. Gasoline is $.899/liter or
$2.07/gal US. It is easy to get to with full service. Do not get Gas or
Diesel at the station on the south side of Muncho Lake he charges
$1.00/liter C or $2.31/gal US. Camping:
Stopped 2pm in Fort Nelson at the Westend
campground. We got the last
pull-thru everyone else after us had to unhook the towed. A treed camp
ground with ample space between sites. The mosquitoes greet you as you get
out to connect your hookups. They are fighting each other to get to your
body and trying to get to you through the windows. Not a place to sit
outside under your awning. Cost was $21.84 C or $14.00 US with full
hookups and cable. It rained all night some of the sites get a little
muddy. My rating 3* Day
41 Travel:
Left Fort Nelson at 6am to Dawson Creek, BC. The road was good all the way
except for a short construction with gravel on the road. We saw more
18-wheelers going north today then we saw in all our travels on the
Alaskan Highway and Alaska combined. RV’s are still heading north;
Alaska will be full in the next couple of weeks. In the past couple of
days we saw 5-6 caravans some with large number of rigs passing us.
Tomorrow, Sunday a large Good Sam’s Caravan will be coming to Dawson
Creek. I am glad we are heading the other way. Camping:
Stopper 12:00noon in Dawson Creek at Mile 0 Campground just north of town
on the Alaska Highway. We should have used this Public Campground on our
previous stop in Dawson Creek. It is a very nice campground with grass,
trees and long pull-thrus. Cost for 30amp and water is $17.00 C or $10.90
US. My rating is 3* Traveled 284 miles. Day
42 Travel:
Left Dawson Creek at 6:15am to Grand Prairie, AB on to Hinton AB. Traveled
on BC 2 to AB 43 to AB 40. We are going to Jasper and Banff. Our original
plan was to go to Prince George then on to Jasper but a fellow BC traveler
told me I can save 175 miles and the road is good with nice scenery on 40.
I strongly recommend this route to and from Dawson Creek and Jasper, AB. Fuel: Fueled up in Grand Cache, AB
at Fas Gas. Diesel price was $0.64/liter C or $1.48/gal US. Camping:
Stopped at 1pm in Hinton AB at Best Canadian Motor Inn and RV park. Had to
get some repairs done. The belt broke on my coach. Camping cost was $21.40
C or $13.75 US. Full hookups with cable no sewer very small and short
sites. My rating ½* Traveled 302 miles. Day
43 Travel:
Left Hinton, AB at 1pm to Jasper
AB. Entrance fee for 2 nights $20.00 C or
$12.85 US. Jasper is a beautiful place with
lots of wildlife especially elk. They are calving at this time so they may
become aggressive if you get between the mother and the calf.
Camping:
Stopped 2pm in Jasper at Whistlers
Campground. What a place if you like
piece and nature. Elks walk all over the campground. The cost for a long
pull-thru was $21.00 C or $13.50 US with 30amp electric. My rating 5* Traveled 51 miles. Day
44 Stayed in Jasper Day
45
Travel:
Left Jasper at 7:30am to Banff and
Calgary AB. Lots of tourists all over. The park and the Ice field road are
very busy but it is an extremely nice ride if you like mountains. It is
worth the trip but I like the US national Parks just as well. Our plans
called for 2 days in Jasper and 2 days in Banff but the air-conditioning
compressor on my coach froze up and broke the belt that also drives the
alternator. Without battery power the coach dies. We had to get to Calgary
Freightliner for a repair. Arrived at 1:00pm within a half hour they
started to tear down and ordered a new compressor. They where the most
helpful bunch of people I ever met. Don Fraser is the Manager I have to
give him a lot of credit for running a good clean shop and helping us get
on our way. We left at 6:30pm for the local campground. Camping:
We got to the campground at 7pm. Pine Creek Campground in DeWinton, AB
just south of Calgary on 2. Nice campground with large sites and easy
off/on to Highway 2 with 50, 60x80 pull-thrus. Camping cost was $26.96 C
or $17.31 US. My rating 4* Traveled 268 miles Day
46 Travel:
Left Calgary at 7:15am to Great Falls, MT. Nice sunny day finally and
familiar roads. Fuel:
Fueled up twice today. Once in Fort Macleod at the Shell. Had to spend the
last of our Canadian Dollars. Price
was $0.649/liter C or $1.50/ gal US. The second time in Great Falls, MT at
Flying J. The cost was $1.58 US. Camping:
Stopped 1:30pm in Great Falls, MT at Dick’s RV Park. This is a very busy
park must stop early to get a good site. My rating 4* Traveled 321 miles Day
47 Travel:
Left Great Falls at 7am to Casper WY on Highway 87 to I-90 to I-25. Camping:
Arrived in Casper at 3:30 Staying with relatives. Traveled 531 miles. Day
48 & 49 Casper WY. Day
50 Travel:
Left Casper at 6am to Henderson, NE I-25 to I-80. Very hot day with lots
of bugs on the windshield. Fuel:
Fueled up in Casper on I-25 Exit 185 at Conoco. Cost was $1.389/gal.
Fueled up again in NE at I-80 Exit 305 Cash & Shop Phillips 66 Cost
was $1.37/gal. Camping:
Stopped 5pm in Henderson, NE I-80 Exit 342 at Prairie Oasis RV Park. Good
place to spend the night it is quiet with long pull-thrus. Cost was
$22.50. My rating 3* Traveled 640 miles Day
51 Travel:
Left Henderson NE at 7:30am to Danville, MO on I-80 to Exit 397 to NE 2 in
Lincoln to I-29 to I-70. Heavy traffic on I-70 not very enjoyable but had
to use it. Camping:
Stopped 2:30pm I-70 Exit 170 in Danville at the Lazy Day Camp. Very nicely
kept campground with trees, grass, and peace and quiet. We liked this
campground we will use it again. Cost was $15.66. My rating 4* Traveled 426 miles. Day
52 Travel:
Left Danville, MO at 7am to Nashville,
TN. Arrived at 3pm Fuel:
Fueled up at Flying J on I-70 Exit 188. $1.28/gal. RV Island Traveled 406 miles. WE ARE HOME.
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