Ever since we left Richmond, and indeed, even before then, I have been concerned about the end of the Alaska Highway. I had been told that the road was steep and windy and very rough, with the surface totally broken and distorted by the thawing and freezing of the road bed. Well, yesterday and today, we finally got to the part that I had dreaded. Yesterday we traveled a bare 200 miles to find that the place where we had wanted to stay was full, yea, overfull of Airstream trailers. They had 33 Airstreams in a campground meant for 16. Packed in cheek by jowl. It was a caravan passing through. We had fun with the Wagonmaster for a brief while (“What do you mean we can't come in. This is an Airstream isn't it?”) and then retraced our steps 11 miles back to Destruction Bay, where we got a nice space and a good dinner. A Good nights sleep and on the road again.
More frost heaves, more broken pavement, meandering gouges in the pavement. The stuff of nightmares. We traveled 128 miles in 3 ½ hours. Not spectacular time, but at the end, we were at the US border. Now please do not misunderstand me, here. I REALLY like the Canadians. They are kind, friendly, polite and just as welcoming as any people can possibly be. Their contry is beautiful and they seem far more carefree than the Americans I k now. But there is just something about coming up over a ridge and seeing Old Glory waving from atop a pole that makes me choke up a little.
We passed through customs with minimal effort and, after a brief boo-hoo and a prayer of thanksgiving we got back on the road to Tok. With the improved road surface, we did the next 90 miles in just under two hours. We actually found someone going slower than we were! And we passed him! We arrived in Tok at about 3:30 and found ourselves a nice site at the Sourdough Campgrounds, We are finally Inside.
Tomorrow Glennallen, Wednesday Anchorage and Thursday, home to Seward. It hardly seems possible. It feels like we have been traveling for months. I can hardly wait.
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