We traveled the entire length of the Alaska Highway– 1,422 miles and we still have 750 miles to go to get back to the lower 48 from Dawson Creek, BC to Glacier National Park in Montana!
The end of our 1.422 mile journey on the Alaska Highway. We started at the north end and ended at the southern most point!
Our first stop along the highway was Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory and then a side trip to Skagway in SE Alaska. There’s lots of gold rush history in both towns. The stampeeders traveled through Skagway and then Whitehorse to get to Dawson City where gold was discovered. Out of 100,000 who started the journey to the Klondike, only 30,000 made it there and only about 400 struck it rich. Not great odds for the sacrifices they made to get there but fascinating stories about that period in history!
Our next big stop was Watson Lake also in the Yukon Territory. It’s known for the sign post forest. There are over 70,000 signs that people have posted there. It all started in 1942 when a homesick serviceman who was working on building the Alaska Highway posted a sign for his town in Indiana. It’s fascinating to see where people are from that have traveled the highway – literally all over the world! We added our sign to the thousands already there – it was fun to be a part of the long standing tradition! About 3,000 signs are added every year!
Laird Hot Springs was a really special treat that we stopped at along the highway. We camped in a provincial park and relaxed in the natural hot springs that were nestled in the forest at the end of a boardwalk. What a treat to be in a natural Jacuzzi!
We saw some beautiful mountains and lakes and encountered bison, stone sheep, elk, a lynx, foxes, coyote and moose along the highway.
But the journey down the highway wasn’t all rosy. Poor Rose had lots of rocks thrown at her by the passing trucks – she was able to dodge most of them but THREE of the rocks hit her right in her windshield..what a bummer!
Highlights:
- Learning all about the 1898 gold rush in Whitehorse and Skagway
All that's left of a gold rush town with 10,000 people in 1898
Gold Rush cemetary
Sternwheeler that delivered stampeeders and their supplies to Dawson City
- Watching a brown bear fishing for salmon
Click on the arrow to see the brown bear catching a salmon. A very good fisherman!
- Posting our sign at the Signpost Forest in Watson Lake
- Relaxing in Laird Hot Springs – so natural
- Wildlife along the highway
Next stops:
We’re hoping the roads ahead are kinder to Rose ( and us)! Next stops are the Canadian Rockies to see Lake Louise again ( it was frozen over in May) and then on to Glacier National Park in Montana - back in the lower 48 ( or as the Alaskans say - outside)!
