Journey to Alaska Episode 08
Join us in this episode, “Our 2019 Journey to Alaska Episode 08”, where our border crossing is interrupted by our first break down of the trip. All patched up and back on the road we travel about 850 miles through the beautiful British Columbia countryside toward Alaska.
We’ve journeyed a couple of months and just over 2,000 miles to get to this point but the journey to Alaska is really just beginning.
Make sure to join us our Alaskan Summer on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
Journey to Alaska Episode 08 – Finally Entering Canada
Things don’t always go as planned
Just less than 10 miles from the border we smelled diesel fuel. That is NEVER a good sign no matter where you are, we were able to find an auto parts store and in this video, Aaron explains what happened.
There was a small leak in the fuel line and he was able to get it fixed and we were off again to cross the border, 2 hours later, it was a long morning but we were finally on our way into Canada!
Crossing the Border
We made it! The border crossing was an easy five-minute crossing, the wait to get over the border was longer than the questions asked. The questions are always different for each person crossing the border.
Most the time they are asking if you have any other the following: Firearms, cannabis products, fresh veggies or fruit, any pets. Not sure what you can take across the Canadian border?
Check out this page for more information to help make your border crossing a little less stressful.
We had all our paperwork ready to hand over BEFORE getting to the border, 2 passports and rabies certifications for our pets which include Maggie and 2 cats.
Once we were done with the border crossing we were off to Costco since we tried to eat everything or tossed what we couldn’t take across. We needed to stock up for the next 6 travel days in the middle of nowhere Canada.
That was done and a small Walmart outing (bring your own bags, they charge you per plastic bag) and we were off to our campground for the night to relax and prepare for a long travel day.
Prince George
Day 2 was uneventful compared to the day before, and that is the way we like it, no issues with the truck. Prince George, BC was our first overnight stop on this long-awaited journey.
We found a casino that allowed overnight parking, got settled and went to dinner at the casino, I mean it is the least we can do since they are letting us “camp” overnight in their parking lot.
The next day was full on drive mode! We were hoping to make it to Mile 0 for the day. The highway was nice, the views were beautiful and the weather was perfect! We couldn’t have asked for a better day.
We came across a nice rest stop to take a break and it turned out to be a beautiful waterfall! What a nice place to visit with picnic tables, bathrooms and plenty of parking.
Bijoux Falls Provincial Park. The park is located north of the city of Prince George on BC Highway 97 on the southern approach to the summit of the Pine Pass through the Rocky Mountains. Perfect place to stop and have lunch and admire the view.
Alaskan Highway – Mile 0
What a fun summer trip this is starting out to be, beautiful countryside, mountains, and so many farms. A few bears were sighted and some bison. This drive will ultimately take us 7 days to reach Alaska via British Columbia highway 97 and the Top of the World highway in Dawson City, Yukon.
So make sure to join us our Alaskan Summer on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook
The Alaska Highway (also known as the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, or ALCAN Highway) was constructed during World War II to connect the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. When it was completed in 1942 it was about 2,700 kilometers (1,700 mi) but in 2012 it was only 2,232 km (1,387 mi). This is due to the constant reconstruction of the highway, which has rerouted and straightened many sections. The highway opened to the public in 1948. Once legendary for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is now paved over its entire length. Its component highways are British Columbia Highway 97, Yukon Highway 1 and Alaska Route 2. - Source Wikipedia
Dawson Creek, British Columbia
Dawson Creek was designated as “Mile Zero” for the Alaska Highway, and thousands of military and civilian workers poured into the village, turning it into a boom town. The village experienced more growth after work on the Alaska Highway had completed, into the 50s. This was due to the construction of links to other parts of BC. This included a railway and two more highways. - Source Travel British Columbia
The start of the ALCAN (The Alaska Highway) and the all-time famous Mile 0 sign. We waited a long time to finally come this far north like so many travelers before us, we have seen many photos from others and now we have our own, plus we left our sticker on the sign with other travelers stickers.
Figuring it would be crowded like many touristy places we have visited, however, that was not the case. We were able to spend time taking pictures, checking out the visitors center and chatting with other Alaskan bound travelers which is always a nice plus.
After a nice break visiting and taking pictures, we decided to push onward to get a little further since it was still early in the day. We were still kind of shocked that we are finally in Canada! We made it! So we got back in the truck and headed even further west to find a nice place to call it a day.
Buckinghorse River Wayside Provincial Park
We ended up at Buckinghorse River Campground for the night. (review coming soon). Nice big sites, tables and for $12CAN you can’t beat that! In next week’s video, we will continue our journey to Alaska! Won’t you join us?
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