Alaska Day 4

On July 26th, day four of our adventure, we flew fifty miles to Dawson Creek, the beginning point of the Alaskan Highway. After a brief look about, we continued on up the highway over Fort St. John to Fort Nelson where we spent the night.

The hotel sent a shuttle to fetch us from the airport which was four miles away? We enjoyed the shorter day, allowing Ken a little more rest, and smelling the roses as we trekked up the ALCAN. We had an excellent meal followed by what soon would become a staple of the trip, A & W Root Beer! :)

Besides enjoying the beauty of British Columbia and the Yukon, most of us were learning the history of the ALCAN as we traveled it. Fascinating!

Here's an introduction from Wikipedia and I'll add a few additional facts as we share our travel up the highway the next two or three days.

The Alaska Highway (also known as the Alaskan Highway, Alaska-Canadian Highway, or ALCAN Highway) was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon. Completed in 1942 at a length of approximately 1,700 miles (2,700 km), as of 2012 it is 1,387 mi (2,232 km) long. The difference in distance is due to constant reconstruction of the highway, which has rerouted and straightened out numerous sections. The highway was opened to the public in 1948.[1] Legendary over many decades for being a rough, challenging drive, the highway is now paved over its entire length.[2]

More to follow... North to Alaska.


Click here for more photos of Day 4
Click here for YouTube video of Day 4