Ken's Journal
No. 5 - Summer 2005

The Alaska Highway, Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, AK (1422 Miles)
June 15-21, 2005 - Days 15-21 on the road. Part I.


The Alaska Highway begins in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Somehow, the city's accommodation to the tourists has created some confusion as to just where the Highway starts. Here you see the plaque commemorating the "Official Starting Point".

Located under this sign outside the Dawson Creek Visitor's center. If you read all the brochures, . . .

You'll find the "Genuine Official Starting Point" is actually a couple blocks away from the Visitor's Center in the middle of a busy (busy for Dawson Creek) intersection. It seems that too many tourists were causing traffic problems running into the intersection to have their pictures taken by the start point and the Dawson City Fathers decided to create the "Official" starting point at the Visitor's Center. . . Didn't work. Dumb ass tourists still dodge traffic to race into the center of the intersection to have their picture taken by the "Real" start.

This is the view across the valley through the front window of my Motor home while camped at the Northern Lights RV Park in Dawson Creek. Actually, this is a shot of the view through a 400mm lens!

On the road again north of Dawson Creek. Just one of the distracting views through the windshield. I did stop at a pull-out for this shot though.

Yet another of those scenic views by the road to Alaska. If I'm not mistaken, this would be Muncho Lake, somewhat north of Toad River and Watson Lake.

So here you go!! Welcome to the Capital of the Yukon. I found it interesting that the locals, and everyone else for that matter, refers to this province as THE Yukon and not just Yukon Territory. It's as if THE Yukon is more a matter of state-of-mind rather than a state-of-place. Ever heard anyone refer to their place of residence as THE Pennsylvania or THE Maryland?

The SS Klondike, a restored stern-wheel steamboat which once plied the Yukon river between Whitehorse and places to the north. This is well worth the $5 (Canadian) entry fee!!

The largest weather-vane in the world - a whole DC-3 located at the Whitehorse, YT International Airport. And it actually works! While I was standing under it, the wind shifted slightly - really a light breeze, and the plane rotated on it's support with a squeal of un-oiled metal-on-metal - scared the hell out of me!!

From Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, you can take a tour to Skagway, Alaska. A bus picked me up at the Campground and took us to Fraser, British Columbia where we went through Canadian Customs and boarded a restored White Pass & Yukon Route (WP&YR) railroad train for Skagway - boarding pictured here. We cleared US Customs once we arrived in Skagway. After a few hours touring Skagway, we returned to Whitehorse via the tour bus.


Next - The trip to Skagway and downtown Skagway
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