Journey East

Journey East September 11 to September 23rd

Our journey east from Montana to Connecticut took us only four days traveling a total of almost 1300 miles. It doesn't sound like much, but when you can only go 55 or 60 in the RV towing the car, it took us longer than the normal traveler.  We had long days of driving but our goal was to get to Connecticut in time to see our children in New Jersey before they left for a vacation. Every state we traveled through had its own beauty. From rolling hills, farmland to  lakes and rivers.  On the 12th, we took the only coal fired steam engine ferry, the Badger,  left in North America across Lake Michigan, from Manotowoc, Wisconsin  to Ludington, Michigan. This was the only ferry on which we could not drive our own vehicles. Evidently, the below deck was configured in such a way that was not safe for us to do that. It took a while to load and unload all the cars and the larger trucks with huge beams, but the ferry professional drivers did a great job. We relaxed for the four hour trip and stayed in Ludington, MI for the night.

Backing the Beam on to the Ferry

Our RV Coming off Ferry

The next day, we drove in and out of Ontario, Canada on our way to Upper New York State. No issues with border crossings. We're getting quite good at knowing what is allowed to take into Canada and out of Canada into the USA.  Ontario is as beautiful as Wisconsin and Michigan with its beautiful countryside. A very enjoyable but long ride.

We arrived in Connecticut on September 15th where we stayed until September 22nd when we headed our trek back to South Carolina. During that time, we were able to catch up with all of our children and some friends. It was wonderful to be able to see them all after the long summer away. trip.

We have stopped tonight, the 23rd, in Dillon, SC and we will have less than 200 miles to go tomorrow. It will probably take us a few days to unload the RV!!

We have had an exceptionally wonderful four months on the road, but it is always good to go home again. We are certainly looking forward to getting back in to our regular routines this fall.

Traveling and Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Traveling and Theodore Roosevelt National Park September 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th

We have been traveling for 4 days now passing some beautiful green rolling hills and farms full of hay fields. We’ve seen oil wells, wind farms, and lots and lots of cows on the roadside and on the roads themselves.  We have traversed Montana and North Dakota and are now in Minnesota. We also have traveled through the North Dakota Badlands and toured the Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Medora, ND. Teddy Roosevelt was a true conservationist and is responsible for much of the protected wildlife refuges and some of the National Parks being formed. He had a ranch in Elk Horn and spent a lot of time here in the Medora area. It was because of him the area was first a wildlife refuge and then a National Park established in 1947. It encompasses 110 square miles and has a South and a North unit.

We detached our car at the Visitor Center in the South Unit of the Park and drove the loop up and through the Badlands. Incredible vistas reminiscent of the rock formations in Utah and South Dakota Badlands. It was also fun to watch about 12 Miatas touring together with their tops down on a very comfortable warm and sunny day. However, I think,  if I were in one of them crossing through 3 miles of dusty dirt and gravel construction, I probably would have put my top up!

Miatas Waiting for Construction Crew

The prairie dogs have taken over most of the lower lands in the park but the vistas of the badlands and the bison there were beautiful.  The drive took about 2 hours and then we hooked up and continued on our way across North Dakota into Minnesota.

Bison in the Badlands

Cowboys In the Badlands

At one of our gas stops, Tim checked the tires and found one of them soft and he heard it leaking as he was putting air back in. Fortunately, there was a repair shop next to the gas stop and the mechanic there referred us to a tire dealership. But, now it was 5:15 and the tire dealership across town closed at 6pm. The first shop called ahead for us and we moved quickly to get there. All was said and done by 6pm and we had a new stem on the inside rear right tire. Evidently, the stem extension was broken and leaking and it was flat and all of our weight was riding on the outside tire.  Had Tim not noticed the issue, the outer tire would have blown and we would have been in real trouble with two flat tires! I have to say that wherever we have stopped for servicing or for any issues with vehicles, the people have been fantastic. They have taken us in rather quickly and had us on our way with no problem at all.

We will spend 2 nights here in Clearwater, MN so that we can get the RV serviced and both the car and RV power washed. We brought quite a lot of dirt back with us from Alaska as do most of Alaskan  travelers. We will also get the laundry and grocery shopping done. We have been pushing it the last few days and needed a rest stop.

Tomorrow, it is on to Wisconsin! 

Waterton Lakes-Glacier National Park

Waterton Lakes-Glacier National Park   September 5^th and 6^th

Leaving Crowsnest Municipality behind on a very cold and windy morning, we drove to Waterton Lakes Park which is the Canadian side of Glacier National Park in Montana. This is also known as the Peace Park as the two countries share it.

We parked the RV at the Visitor Center and took the car through the park for the morning. It is pretty barren and reminded us a little of the red rock in Utah.  There was a huge hotel up on a hill overlooking the Upper Waterton Lake and it made quite a statement.

Upper Wharton Lake

After lunch, we hooked up the car and continued on our journey across the border back in to the good old U.S.of A!  and continued on to Glacier National Park where we stayed 2 nights in St. Mary’s Campground on the Going to the Sun Road.

We had heard how spectacular Glacier National Park was from lots of folks, and quite honestly, we were a little disappointed. I think we have been spoiled this summer seeing all there is to see in Alaska, the Yukon, and the Ice Fields in Alberta. Also, we have been to Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon in the past which we found to be more to our liking as well. That being said, we did enjoy the drive from St. Mary’s  on the east side of the park over the Going to the Sun Road with all its twists and turns to the Apgar Visitor Center on the west side.

Note Road Below

The road was slow going for all of its rock outcroppings and drop off sidings and was picturesque for sure. We had lunch and did the return trip..which was a little more challenging for me, as I was the one on the drop off side of the road.  We crossed the Continental Divide again and we can’t remember how many times that makes on this trip and our previous trip out west. 

Lake Louise to Crowsnest Pass

On the morning of September 4^th, we left Lake Louise and took a leisurely route through the Bow Valley which was recommended by the Visitor Center there. They told us we might see more wildlife with that route, but we saw none. A lovely ride anyway all the way to Banff.

We stopped in Banff for breakfast and took a scenic loop out of Banff again at the recommendation of the local Visitor Center. However, this time, we shouldn’t have taken it. It was narrow, windy and not suited for an RV towing a car! Another adventure! We liked Banff though.. a little more of a town than Lake Louise and very charming.

Tim had seen a place called Crowsnest Pass on the map, so,  since our sailboat was named Crow’s Nest, we had to go that route from Banff on route to Waterton Lakes-Glacier National Park. We camped in the Municipality of Crowsnest for the night and moved on again the next day. There was nothing spectacular here other than the name!

We are sightseeing along the way, but our focus for the most part now is to head east to New England to see our children and then home to South Carolina by October  1^st. Lots of driving and long days ahead.

Columbia Ice Fields and Lake Louise

 Columbia Ice Fields  and Lake Louise   September 3rd

Our drive from Jasper to Lake Louise was exceptional! We drove down what is called the Ice Fields Highway. The Columbia Ice Fields are a sight to behold.  The route is truly a beautiful drive with glaciated craggy mountains along both sides of the highway.

 At the Visitor Center, you could take a bus out to the Athabasca Glacier and walk on it if you wanted to. Accessible to all who pass by..just wonderful to see.

 We also stopped at the various scenic overviews such as the Sunwapta Falls and the Athabasca Falls.

Sunwapta Falls

Athabasca Falls

We arrived in Lake Louise late in the afternoon of September 2^nd but decided to tour the two lakes..Lake Louise and Moraine Lakes that evening and head down to Banff early in the morning.

Lake Louise

Moraine Lake

Tim and Kate at Lake Louise

Jasper National Park

Jasper National Park September 1^st and 2^nd

Jasper National Park is located in Alberta, Canada and this was our next stop along the way. 

Again, the trip down through the Rockies was spectacular. We stopped a lot at the turnouts for pictures of this wonderful landscape.

Just before Jasper, we noticed a huge coal mining operation that looks to be very productive. The trains came and went through Jasper all hours of the day and night. In all, Jasper is really a lovely town with all kinds of shops, restaurants and lots of tourists. The weather is still chilly. We opted not to do the Hot Springs and to move on the next day. We did, however, do the Maligne Lake Canyon Loop which included Medicine Lake and spotted Mountain Goats along the way.

Canyon Falls

Maligne Lake

Alcan Highway to Dawson Creek

Alcan Highway to Dawson Creek   August 30^th and 31^st

We are completing our Yukon journey now and moving rather quickly down the Alcan Highway through the last bits of the Yukon in to British Columbia to Dawson Creek. The road brought us through the Northern Rocky Mountains which gave us great views of rugged peaks and a reinforced appreciation for the pioneers who trudged through these mountains without the conveniences we have today.

Dawson Creek is the beginning of the Alcan Highway going north for most folks traveling to Alaska. For us it was the end of that highway as we approached our journey from the coast instead of inland.

The Alcan is short for the Alaska Canadian highway. It was built during WWII in 1942 as a route to transport troops and material through Canada into Alaska as it was thought the Japanese were going to invade the Aleutian Islands. It is 1500 miles long and was built through untamed wilderness in only 8 months. It was built through the worst conditions of 90 degrees above zero in summer down to minus 70 degrees in the winter and is considered an engineering feat even today.

 It winds through British Columbia, the Yukon Territory and continues to the Yukon Highway from Watson Lake north.  Mostly it’s a paved road but is under repair in many places during the summertime. It does bring you through some spectacular scenery.

Bison Along the Road

Roadside Rest at Summit Lake

Highway Views

Whitehorse and Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory

Whitehorse and Watson Lake August 28^th and 29^th

We stayed just one night in Dawson City and took the Klondike Highway  which followed the Yukon River down in to Yukon’s capital city of Whitehorse. Whitehorse was also booming during the 1898 Klondike gold rush. Once the Skagway and Yukon railroad was completed, this town became the connecting point between the trains and the Yukon River Paddle Wheelers.  It is now a city of over 27,000 with small town charm and a lovely waterfront walk. The  Yukon Highway views are below.

Watson Lake

The following day we continued down the scenic Alcan highway  to the Watson Lake where the famous Watson Lake Sign Post Forest sits. It started out with a lonely U.S. soldier posting a signpost to his home town in 1942. Today there are over 77,000 signs hammered to row upon row of posts. We had brought license plate from our home town of Bluffton with us, but decided to additionally buy some wood from the hardware store and make one of our own to hang up.

If you ever go there, ours is just slightly to the right of the Arch Way on the first row  of signs about knee high.

We were lucky enough to find an empty spot. The Visitor Center folks take care of the signs and never remove one unless it has deteriorated so badly that you can’t read it any more. I think ours will last a few years anyway.