Heading Back to the Lower 48

July 25 - August 5, 2024

With doctor appointments coming up in South Dakota, we did a lot of back-to-back travel days going from Tok, AK, to Hermosa, SD. We did stop for two nights along the way about every third night in order to give ourselves a break. We retraced the AK Highway to Dawson Creek, forgoing the Cassiar Highway. From Dawson Creek, we headed along what the Milepost book calls the Eastern Access route that enters the USA in Montana.

We skipped the Jasper and Banff areas for this trip and will hopefully visit them another time. Not only were we short on time, the wildfires had been through Jasper, leaving a trail of destruction.

Our first two-day break came in Whitehorse, YT. On our day off, we slipped over to nearby Miles Canyon. It was good to stretch our legs a little. You could easily spend a day hiking the canyon area.

Our next two-day stop was in Edmonton, AB. We went to the mall on our hot day off. That may sound a bit anticlimatic, but West Edmonton Mall is one of the largest malls in North America. Mall of America in MN has more square footage, but West Edmonton has more stores, not to mention an ice rink, a waterpark, an amusement park, two mini-golf places, a dinner theater, an IMAX theater, a sea lion show, an indoor paddle boat area, and several other activities. Who knew?  

A few more overnight stops in Lethbridge, AB; Malmstrom AFB in MT; Hardin, MT, and we were "home" in Hermosa, SD, more than ready to stay in one place for awhile. 

Pedestrian suspension bridge Miles Canyon

Miles Canyon

Beaver Lodge, AB

Lego Lamborghini

Sea Lion Rock - West Edmonton Mall

West Edmonton Mall - ship

World's largest indoor amusement park - sponsored by Hasbro

World's longest and tallest steel viaduct - Lethbridge, AB

 Where Are We Going Next? 

If You Can't Spell Ptarmigan

July 24, 2024

If you can't spell ptarmigan, simply call it Chicken. That's how Chicken, AK, got its name. There were a lot of those birds with that pesky name around this remote Alaska area. The goldpanners had better things to do than to spend time thinking about how to spell. 

Westbound across Top the World Highway to the Taylor Highway, Chicken is one of the few signs of civilization once you cross from Canada to Alaska. It's primarily a couple of campgrounds, a cafe, a saloon, and an emporium. It's bragging rights.

We opted to drive our Jeep up the Taylor Highway from Tok, AK. So glad we didn't take the trip in our motorhome. That road was bouncy.  There are RV caravans that take the route though. We're just glad we didn't. 

Anyway, we took a couple of photos and met Jay from Korea. We had lunch with him at the only cafe in town and heard some of his story. He's an adventure motorcycle rider who has gone from the tip of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. Then there's all the riding he has done through Europe and Asia. We wish him the best in his travels. 

FAQ's

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