Locked In

Day 5
423 Miles
2997 Total Miles
Charlie Lake - Liard Hot Springs BC

This morning we got up early so that we could be the first ones in line to leave the park. We got there about 0530 and sure enough we were the first in line. We should of saved ourselves the trouble because when the gate opened at 0700 we were still the only ones in waiting.

We passed through Fort Nelson and Summit Lake. At Stone Mountain we saw the unusual rock formations of the mountains. Summit Lake was very beautiful. As we passed through the area between Summit Pass and Muncho Lake we saw a black bear and numerous stone sheep. These sheep are the dumbest animals because you can't get them out of the road. The road is very curvy with lots of steep hills and the sheep makes it that much more dangerous. Between Muncho Lake and Liard River we saw a wild herd of buffalo and horses. They eat the grass on the shoulder of the road.

We arrived at Liard River Hot Springs Park. Here they have two large hot springs that you can soak in. One is nine feet deep where you can actually swim around in. The water is very hot but the mosquitoes is very bad and will eat you up. Andrew and I did the swimming while Dad watched.

Here Andrew built his first campfire and chopped a log into with a hatchet. He got two blisters for his hard work. He a great help and does a lot of things without being asked. I'm glad that he is along to share this trip with me and Dad.

Charlie Lake Provincial Park

Day 4
661 Miles
2574 Total Miles
Battleford Saskatchewan - Charlie Lake, British Columbia

We got up at 0330 and had the tent broken down and everything loaded up by 0400. We made good time and there was little traffic until we went through Edmonton where there was a lot of construction.

We finally made it to Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alaskan Highway. We took time out to do the usual tourist thing like having our pictures made with the Mountie under the sign that designated the start of the highway. We decided to drive a few more miles to Fort St. John and then find a place to camp. There wasn't a good place to camp there so we drove on to Charlie Lake Provincial Park. We quickly located a nice place to camp. The price was $14 to camp and an additional $5 for firewood. The firewood was damp but my Dad - who was known by my Scout Troop as Bonfire Tilley - quickly got a fire started. I went for a quick run and ended up at the front entrance to the park. I noticed a sign that said that the gate would be closed from 2300 to 0700. I asked the girl that worked there if there was anyway to leave before 0700 and she said no. This was a problem for us because we had made it part of our routine to get an early start. We had noticed that most of the big campers didn't get on the road until the afternoon. By then we would have most of our traveling done.

I returned to the campsite and informed Dad. He wasn't too happy but there was nothing we could do other then to pack up and leave. We decided to get up early so that we would be the first ones lined up and the gate.

Crossing the Border

Day 3
690 Miles
1913 Total Miles
Jamestown ND - Battleford, Saskatchewan


We woke up at 0400 and by 0500 we were on the road. We went up HWY 52 and starting out it was very dark. I was following a tractor and trailer and every so ofter he would hit his brake lights for now apparent reason. The road was very straight and there was no traffic other then us. We finally figured out why he was hitting his brakes so often, there were a lot of deer by the roads. I sure was glad I was following someone because I would have hated to his a deer this early in the trip. I did hit a bird which flew into the windshield but there was no damage.

We detoured off Hwy 52 and took a scenic route at Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge. Andrew drove about five miles on the dirt road. On the surrounding hills the local High School graduating classes color rocks white and lays them out in big letters and numbers. The earliest that we saw was the class of "57".

We crossed the border and the Candian Border Guard asked me if I had written permission from my wife to take my son into Cananda. I said, "No, but you can call her." He said that in the future we would need a notirized letter from my wife allowing me to take Andrew out of the country.

We drove to Battleford. We camped out at David Laird Campground. We went to the Fort Battleford National Historic Site where we took a tour of the fort. This was the site of fighting between Native Americans and the RCMP.

It took a little work but we managed to get the tent up. This is our first night sleeping in it but would not be our last. Dad went to sleep early and Andrew and I stayed up playing connect the dots. The prairie dogs are farting althought it smells a lot like Andrew.

Jamestown ND

Day 2
510 miles
1223 total miles
Fort McCoy WI - Jamestown ND

This morning I got up at 0500 and even though Matt said he would be up to see us off, we left quietly after fixing us a cup of coffee. Today we planned on stopping at my wife's sister house in Jamestown ND. We plan on stopping long enough to meet and greet and then to push further north. At Jamestown we will leave Interstate 94 and pick up HWY 52 to the Canadian border which is approximately 260 miles from Jamestown.

We ran into our first heavy rain since leaving home. Just as we entered Fargo it started raining. For some reason they ripped up the east bound lane of Int 94 for about 10 miles. There is nothing but dirt where the road used to be.

We made it to my Sister-in-Law's house. we had some trouble finding it because 7th Ave. stops and then starts again on the other side of the college. Her and her husband was very nice and we had a great time. We went walking down by the Jamestown reservoir. We walked to the small island there and afterwards they insisted that they take us out to dinner. It was a great dinner and we all had a wonderful time. I missed seeing my niece who is in Germany with some classmates.

Enroute to Alaska

Day 1
713 miles
Pittsburgh - Fort McCoy WI

After about a year of planning we are finally on the way to Alaska. We plan to drive from Pittsburgh PA to Fairbanks Alaska via the Alaskan Highway.

The travelers are: my father, James; my 14 1/2 year old son, Andrew; and myself. Andrew was a little upset this morning. He's not quite the adventurous traveling type. He's been moping around and isn't talking much. Andrew wants to stay behind and try out with a Soccer Cup team with his friend. I told him that he can play soccer anytime, but this is a trip of a lifetime. I think someday he will appreciate spending three weeks with his father and grandfather while camping and driving 8,000 miles.

Today we left home with the intentions of stopping at Tacoma WI, where I have a friend there named Matt Colley. We was stationed together here in Pittsburgh before he had to PCS. He's now an instructor at the ARTEC at FT. McCoy.

We covered today's leg in 11 1/2 hours, driving 706 miles and only stopping three times. I myself drove to the WI state line which is approximately 550 miles. We meet heavy traffic coming through Chicago. We also discovered that the road from the PA Turnpike until we got onto Interstate 94 in WI was just one toll after another. In Chicago it was 80-cents every five miles or so. It got annoying very fast.

We had some problems finding Matt's house. He had emailed me the directions; however, I forgot to bring them. I printed some directions from YAHOO, unfortunate Tacoma isn't the best when it comes to posting the names of their road signs.

After passing a key turn off, we backtracked and finally found Matt's house. It was easy to spot because it had a large Pittsburgh Steelers flag on the front of his house.

We was welcomed with open arms and was treated to smoked ribs and chicken. There was plenty of beer as well. He also gave us packs of Cheese curds from WI to take with us. We had a very restful night--maybe our last for sometime-- with Dad sleeping in a bed in one room and Andrew and me sleeping in our sleeping bags in another.