Hat Creek RV Park in Cache Creek, BC

This was the only night that we had to dry camp and it was a beautiful grassy area. The rain was frustrating but didn't really stop our tour of the old stagecoach stop.  Gift shop and restaurant here too !

 The Stagecoach owner was not happy that we were not all done by 4:30. Never smiled once and sure didn't care if anyone else wanted a ride. Interesting lack of customer service here sometimes.

Underground room! !
















On the road, again
Alaska's state flower is also here in Canada, LOL. Didn't know that there was a border, I guess ! ! 

Nice to finally see cattle farming.

Traveling to Smithers, BC

Big city tonight....  they have Subway, McDonalds and A&W here !  LOL.  No wildlife again today...  others saw a couple of bears but not us. We saw a dead porcupine on the side of the road. So surprised that this is porcupine country. Boy the fireweed is telling us that the season is about to change as well as the trees are changing color. At home, it is still summer but here they are counting the days to the first snow. 

Just, along the way ! Starting to see some farming, none up on the permafrost!

Another glacier, on the way !

Teslin and Watson Lake, Yukon; Iskut and Stewart, British Columbia, Canada,

A lot of one night stays on our way back to the "lower 48".  Getting back into Canada is always a "treat". You never know how the border guards are gonna treat you and if and why you may be pulled over for a complete inspection. The border guard was walking down the passenger side since he had been dealing with tour buses in front of us. As he came closer I noticed that he wanted our door open and in he came, only after asking if we had a dog and would they charge him. At first I couldn't understand him so Ken had to intervene which we have been told is a no-no. LOL. This was the first border guard to question us about our dog and make us prove that she had had her rabies vaccine. They not only ask about guns and/or any weapons on you but do you have them at home. I found that very interesting but couldn't tell him it was none of his business. 

In Teslin we had a halibut and chips night.  People who fished in Homer donated fish and those that didn't donate contributed to the rest of dinner.  Was very good ! ! 

Next we stopped at Watson Lake. They had a nice restaurant and bakery so we had to try them both. Our group did a white elephant games after our Traveler's Meeting. WOW, some people are very inventive with their give-a-ways ! ! But Viagra, really !?!?!?!

On to Iskut, Dease Lake RV Park. On the way we stop at Jade City. They have signs up saying that by just being on their property we have given permission to be filmed for an upcoming series on Jade in BC. They have quite an operation there. Prices were a bit steep, even with our 10% discount, but beautiful pieces. Sitting by the fire for our Traveler's Meeting a beautiful red fox just ambles by. He acted like we were not really there. Stopped to look at us and continued on through the park.

Today we arrived in Stewart, BC; only five miles from Hyder, Alaska.  Take your passports or you will not get back in  the country ! !  Hyder is the prime bear watching area around and is a National Park. The ranger refuses to allow use of our Golden Age Passes. We happen to have a retired National Park Worker in our group and she says that what he is doing is not ethical. Wonder how he gets away with it. We did see two bears on our travels here today. The first wildlife in days. Only were able to get pictures of one. Also got picture of a glacier that was very visible from the road. I am sure that today's road was a grey line on the map. Mostly no shoulder and no middle line.  Lot's of construction again and boy is it different than in the US. We drove right by the blade of a piece of equipment. No safety here at all. Dinner tonight was chili, chicken chili and chicken taco soup. We made the chicken taco soup. It turned out great. I am happy ! ! 

Fish River in Hyder, Alaska

 Don't want to be there when it starts stinking ! !

OK went out to Fish Creek tonight to see the bears.  The locked, walkway is funded by the National Forests, not Parks and the "ranger" selling tickets is a volunteer.  There were two paid Rangers there also but t
hey really didn't talk like we are used to in Oregon. People were quite noisy and the bears stayed away. According to the listing they show the public, only one bear was seen all day and that was at 7:00am. The fish are spawning and then dying here and it is sad until you really realize that this is the life cycle. So many dead fish on the banks and in the water. Starting to smell now. Glad we won't be here next week!  LOL   Turns out the property is Federal land but not Parks, therefore, charging was legal and fair. Was actually a volunteer who was selling tickets.  He did need an attitude adjustment but......

OK, got go through the border crossing again to get back to Stewart cuz the bears stay in Hyder ! !  LOL

Half an hour to get through and then drive the five miles back to camp ! ! 

While in Skagway, Alaska

OMG, I don't know how it can get better but this trip sure does. We needed to catch the boat at 7:30am, however our phones were messed up with whether we were on Canadian time or Alaskan time so we were already outside, waiting and wondering where everyone was when we realized that we were an hour early. Well, when the correct time came around we all walked across the parking lot to the 50 person catamaran. But getting up early let us watch two new cruise ships dock in Skagway. Amazing how they get maneuvered into place.

We are camped right across from the small boat harbor so we have a terrific view of all these boats, fishing and yachts. Boarded the catamaran and started out the harbor. The seats on the catamaran were a little tight but what a great boat.  Our captain, George, was great narrating all the scenery we were passing. I loved that we could easily see land on both sides, not any open ocean as we were in fjords. George told us that the tide swings could be as much as 25 feet, twice a day. He said that it can average 3 feet an hour change. He stopped so we could watch the Dall dolphins playing on the other side of the water.  Too far for great pictures and he said that they were shy animals so he really couldn't chase them. He also stopped for us to take pictures of the Eldred Rock Lighthouse. Old place but now is automated so that the Coast Guard just uses a helicopter to check on it twice a month.

The boat served muffins and apples on the way to Juneau. We really got off the boat at Auct Bay and rode a bus about 20 miles into Juneau. First thing, we have lunch at The Hangar right on the bay. We watched four float planes come in and take passengers out while we ate lunch. Fun place to watch from. 

 Then on to shop around town. Juneau is very small. Don't remember it from our cruise 12 years ago because we took shore excursions and missed seeing any of the towns. Did a little shopping and then boarded the bus to go up to the Mendenhall Glacier.  Another amazing site. 

Cruise ships here too.

There was a Visitor Center at the glacier that was very interesting.  Movies and lots of pictures, however, didn't expect to see a porcupine in a tree in Alaska ! !

From the glacier we went to the small boat harbor in Juneau to catch the catamaran back to Skagway.

Here's some shots along the way...

This is the community of Haines. About a short 1/2 hour boat commute or about 350 miles by land from Skagway to Haines. Take your pick! George lives in Haines and works in Skagway.

 New, high speed ferry ! 

We are now another 25 approximate miles from Skagway and I am thinking OMG, I am so tired, wish we could be back to the RV..... HOWEVER, George said that while we were in Juneau he went out looking for whales and wasn't very hopeful that we would find any.... BUT, when we were in the North Pass area, about 20 miles out of Juneau, we saw a pod of 8 - 10 whales doing what George called "bubble" fishing. You could watch the whales actually circling around the fish. George put a sounder in the bay so you could hear the whales, then watch and up they would come and also you needed to watch for the sea birds as they were there just as the whales were coming up. We watched for about half an hour and so we got to watch the process three to four times. Absolutely amazing ! !  George has worked summers in Alaska for 22 years, the rest of the time he lives in Florida. He says that he only sees this 3-4 times a season. We were soooooooo lucky today! ! 

There was this huge pod of whales and then about three way over on the other side of the boat.  George said that they had been ostracized for not properly hunting and so were sent away.  Again, AMAZING ! ! ! 

Tomorrow we ride the White Pass/Yukon Railroad ! !  

Rode the White Pass/Yukon Railroad today, Sunday, July 31st. Went up the other side of the valley that we came down getting into Skagway. It was 12 miles of very steep road coming into town and 20 plus miles on the train! !

Over the border into British Columbia ! No passports needed as we didn't get off the train ! !  LOL.  Can't tell you how many times we have had to go through border checks ~

 Old wooden bridge

While in town today, Monday, we talked with a shop owner that told us that the "bubble" fishing only happens in two places in the world and here is one!!  Again, AMAZING ! !