Day 3 on the Alaska Highway is a record for us, four driving days in a row. Although it is not the way we usually prefer to travel, there are a lot of miles to cover. But we plan to slow down at this point as we head on to Muncho Lake.
The rest area where we spent the night was surrounded by mountains, but they were not visible in the morning as there was a combination of smoke and fog in the area. Fog is common in these mountains and the smoke is from a nearby wildfire.
We planned a much shorter drive, through an area known for wildlife, and drove very slowly. Which is possible because there is not much traffic and there are pullouts to let other vehicles by. After Fort Nelson, the road has definitely changed and feels very remote. There is only the very occasional roadhouse, some with fuel (out of some very funky pumps).
It began to rain early in the day, probably a good thing if in fact there is a wildfire nearby, but not so good for driving and photography. Fortunately, it was mostly a light rain. As we drove on this section, we were watching for stone sheep, caribou and bear. None appeared. Perhaps they were hiding from the rain.
We stopped to sample some “world famous” cinnamon buns at Tetsa River Services and Campground. The little shop on the property is a combination bakery, café and gift shop. The buns were delicious and we bought some fresh bread.
Another cool little shop with a cool proprietor. We loved the “No Sniveling” sign at the gas pump and apparently there is another on the property.
When it began to rain a little harder we took a break and stopped for lunch at the Toad River Lodge, particularly because they offered Wi-Fi access for CA$1.
We had a couple of good soups, and were able to publish yesterday’s blog post. That and saw the 8,000 hats on the ceiling!
By the time we finished the rain had subsided somewhat, and we took a couple of photos in the cute cutout outside.
Tip of the Day: Because we cannot use our cellular-based internet in Canada and there are large areas with no coverage on the Alaska Highway, we have to find alternatives for internet access. We have had zero cell signal since Fort Nelson and many campgrounds do not have WiFi, so we instead take advantage of visitor centers, big box stores (can sometimes access WiFi from the parking lot), Tim Hortons restaurants, cafes and libraries. As we head north there are fewer choices so we’ll see how that goes.
Day 3 driving recap:
Road Name (s): British Columbia Highway 97 (Alaska Highway)
Road Type: 2-lane
Road Conditions: Relatively Smooth with some dips and gravel breaks.
Miles Today: 102
Miles driven from Canadian border: 1170
Miles on the Alaska Highway: 443
Driving Time: 4:00
The drive was quite scenic, even with the rain. We were surrounded by mountains, most of which are covered in green. In fact, with the fog around some of them reminded me of a tropical forest. There are rivers and riparian zones by the road, and we saw quite a few large beaver ponds (but unfortunately no beavers).
As we continued on our drive we encountered our first rocky mountains, with very few trees. This was by far the most spectacular part of our drive so far.
As we left Toad River, we saw a moose by the side of the road, but he went back into the forest when he saw us approaching.
Our plan is to stop for a few nights in the area of Muncho Lake, a beautiful glacial lake. There are two Muncho Lakes Provincial Parks with RV sites: Strawberry Flats and MacDonald. Both are very similar but we preferred MacDonald, and it had more spaces and seems a bit better for kayaking.
We have a lovely spot right on the shore of Muncho Lake, and are planning to stay put for a few days.
~Brenda
Those gas punps are a crack up! What a gorgeous site on a lovely lake.
There are lots of “interesting” things around here!
Muncho Lake was my favorite lake in BC! Im so glad to read you are finally taking a break!
At that stop we had the most expensive gas ever in our travel and the store gave us a loaf of bread! Those cinnamon buns are killer 🙁
Looking forward to photos of you kayaking on Muncho Lake.
It was gorgeous! This year the gas prices are generally not as bad, thank goodness!
That was a loong 100 miles. Glad you guys found a spot to settle for a while.
Nina
Fortunately we were going slow by choice!
Brenda & Hector,
I returned to the US on the AlCan from my motorcycle trip to the arctic ocean in 2010. The area you are in is indeed the most scenic landscape on the trip to the Alaskan border. Not that the other areas are bad or boring, but this one is the best. Enjoy.
M:)
Wow, that sounds amazing. It really was a stunning area, but definitely none of it is bad or boring. Thanks!
All of the green is making me antsy to get on the road. Beautiful!
Almost there!
It’s slim WiFi pickings for awhile. The restarant by the bridge in Teslin has WiFi. Lots of WiFi locations when you get to Whitehorse – McDonald’s at the Walmart was MUCH faster than the Visitor Center there. The bakery in Haines Junction also has WiFi – it’s a couple blocks off the highway if I recall correctly.
You are so right about slim pickings. Thanks for the tips, we will use them for sure!
Sure looks like fun
Yes, wonderful fun!
Gorgeous — excited to “be” with you! xo
We are excited you are with us!
Hi guys
Sorry to see you have to travel through such beautiful country in such poor weather. But you still have the wood bison area to look forward to and you need not be in any rush to get to Alaska. There are several weather systems stacked up heading this way that started producing rain here yesterday and it appears that the entire area from Palmer south is looking at two weeks of solid rainy weather, so sit tight and wait for it to clear where you are, it’s going to be soggy here for a while.
I have some cute moose shots on today’s post if you want to see some moose.
Bob
No problem, you can see from the last post we made up for it. Those weather systems sound serious, but we have a ways to go. Will check out the blog for your pics.
Brenda
Glad to see that you are having a break from the daily driving. I wish for much wildlife in your future and great kayaking. 🙂
Thank you, thank you!
So envious! You are experiencing one of the “problems” with driving to Alaska. You see so much beautiful scenery on the way through Canada, it is just overwhelming! We kind of felt like we might not be able to absorb another snow covered peak, or frozen lake, or moose and bear. We got over that pretty quickly, however. Alaska is an experience all of its own!
It’s true. But we are prepared for all of those snow covered peaks, lakes etc. 🙂
You two are living the dream. Rain on the Alaska Highway? Bring it on! We’ve been following you now for many months and totally enjoy your blog and photos. Until our Great Escape in 2016, we’re living vicariously thru you and a few others. Nice campsite you picked for us at Muncho Lake. Should I start the campfire while you make the hot chocolate? Woohoo!
Thank you so much! The countdown is on – we know about that countdown stuff. Always up for a campfire and hot chocolate!
Brenda