This am we crossed into the great(cool) north, customs took all of about two minutes, only one car ahead of us and we were on our way to Lethbridge, this is via I-15. This was our 5th crossing into Canada but our first with the TT. Never have we encountered any delay nor problems at all. Once on our boat, I anchored and went to town in the dinghy, found a phone and called in to customs some number of miles away. Bingo cleared and that was it.
We are a bit over 3600 miles from Patterson, La. and no we are NOT planning on flooding----if the levees hold and so far that looks good. People are actuallyu evacuating TO Patterson.
We have a ring levee with large pumps, so if no levee failure all is well.
Looking fwd to the trip through Canada to Alaska plan to arrive around June 1 or so.
Oh, did get a Canada Plan on our Verizon ph $20 per mo and NO contract so we can cancel at any time. Worth it already!
Great stop before the border is Shelby, Montana, cheap, $18 city camp ground and reasonably priced restaurants in town----nothing else there!
There is a Catholic church.
CCC
MNdrifters said
06:58 AM May 16, 2011
Enjoy your adventure. We had no problem getting into Canada. Just getting back into the states. We had some meat marinating for dinner. It wasn't in the original package so they confiscatted it. Lesson learned.
charles said
10:39 PM May 21, 2011
Travel updat on road to Alaska.
Do NOT miss the drive through the National Forests from Banff to Jasper. SPACTACULAR. From the road even, saw a bear, deer and elk.
We are in Prince George and will head up the Cassier Highway toward Watson Lake where we will get on the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse.
Actually did a Bluegrass Festival yesterday in Hixon, a very small village but some good music. The people at the festival could not have been nicer; they “noticed” that we were not local! Came up and talked and asked all kinds of questions and really ingratiated themselves to us. When the concert started they introduced us to the house. (An oddity?) In the course of the day others would come up and talk, we have found this attribute on both coasts of Canada. This is our 3rd trip here, as we spent two summers on the east coast on our boat.
charles said
04:52 PM May 24, 2011
We took another scenic route the last few days through Houston ,BC, Stewart and , TA DA, Hyder, Alaska. Hyder is immediately up against Stewart, BC we were there only a few minutes and came back into BC. It is on the coast so there was the Pacific. Google it, not much there at all! Another border crossing, NO US customs only Canadian, took just a couple of minutes to clear back into Canada.
What a magnificent drive, outstanding. Mountains, streams, snow forests the works. Today we did a 2.5 mile 9 percent grade, climbing!! The rig never missed a beat. We are in a camp ground just outside of Iskut, BC and are the ONLY unit here, we are alone. Beautiful spot right on a river and in the shadow of snow covered mountains. We are just early for the season. Oh yes, almost forgot, on our way to Stewart, within the span of 2 hrs or so we saw and photographed TEN bears, from the truck.
These two detours from the accepted route, is well worth the travel time, that is through the two National Parks at Banff and Jasper and then to Stewart. A grand route. Beautiful scenery and roads, wish that Louiisiana roads were half so well maintained as these.
CCC and THE WIFE
Mike and Gloria said
05:10 PM May 24, 2011
Are you going to put up the pictures? Sounds absolutely wonderful! We're going to the Vernon/Okinagon area in BC in August, hopefully.
charles said
05:58 PM May 24, 2011
Gloria, It is , well, glorious. Eventually I will post pics but two things, cannot use my Verizon air card in Ca as it is way too expensive and using slow wifi is not conducive to posting pics. So, yes I will but I dont know when. This route is a DONT MISS. Our intention is to return thru Dawson but from all reports this is the most scenic by far.
We cant wait to arrive in the YUKON, that is going to be better, for me, than arriving in Alaska, I guess it is a hold over from "Sargent Preston of the Yukon", now you know how old I am. CCC
Mike and Gloria said
06:19 PM May 24, 2011
We have both the Verizon air card and the unlimited Verizon cell phone that we can switch to Canadian before we cross the border. We know the phone will cost $20 more. How much more is the air card - or don't I want to know? We had been told it would be about $20 more as well.
We have watched a video of a man (brain dead, can't remember his name) who lived by himself in Alaska and built his own tiny cabin. If he got the cabin up to 40 in the Winter, it was a miracle! It was fascinating to watch and the scenery was gorgeous!
charles said
06:52 PM May 24, 2011
This yr, for the first time, we have the Verizon cell ph cov for Ca but coverage is so spotty that we decided to not do the aircard for Canada, did not even look into it as we know how spotty cov is in Ca. at least where we have been in past yrs and it appears to be abt the same now. We have not had cell cov at all for the past 4 days or so. I am using a very slow wifi in the CG. CCC
bjoyce said
07:52 PM May 24, 2011
Unless something has changed in the last couple months do not use a U.S. aircard or data on a U.S. phone in Canada, they charge high rates and there is no deal like adding $20 a month for voice. You can get prepaid aircards in Canada but I can't vouch for coverage.
Mike and Gloria said
08:02 PM May 24, 2011
We were told when we bought this phone that all we had to do was call before we crossed the Canadian line and they would switch us to a Canadian plan for $20 more. Plus we can keep our 5(?) most used phone #'s in the US and call them as much as we want at no additional charge. When we come back over the border, just call them back and they'll switch us back to the US plan. We're planning on being up there 2 months so they better not have been pullilng our leg. We told them where we'd be and they said there would be coverage there (Vernon area on the eastern side of BC).
I'll have to call Verizon tomorrow and verify the information for the air card though.
Bill Adams said
05:34 AM May 25, 2011
DO NOT USE YOUR AIR CARD IN CANADA!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes Verizon will even give their users the incorrect information and tell them that the N. America plan covers the air card. It does not! You will be charged very high usage fees somewhere along the line of $2.50 per MB if I recall correctly. Put the air card in your pocket while you are in Canada.
Mike and Gloria said
06:29 AM May 25, 2011
Wowzers! I've already had one run in with Verizon when we first got our unlimited plan. The phone they gave us was a piece of junk. The sound was horrible.
We decided that instead of using the phone supplied, we would buy our own phone. They wanted to charge us a restocking fee for the free phone. Sorry, that didn't compute well in this redhead's brain. Talked to a supervisor who ended up lying to me by saying she'd take care of it - but didn't.
At that point I registered a huge complaint on their 'service survey' that I was emailed. Ended up getting a phone call from a district manager who was extremely apologetic. He knew who had lied to me and was going to take care of it. We now have the better phone and didn't have to pay a restocking fee.
But now I'm suspicious they lied about the air card in Canada. Grrrrrr. Satellite is looking better and better all the time. Just can't afford it right now.
Bill and Linda said
07:30 AM May 25, 2011
Another warning – they are not fibbing, DO NOT use an air-card in or near Canada.In fact, we don’t even use it within 40 miles of the boarder – could hit the wrong tower.The cost is waaaaay more than anyone outside of a business can afford.
We checked on this like 4 times over the past 2 years and as recently as a month ago with the same answers from the CSR's.The Verizon Aircard will work in some places in Canada, but “we” can’t afford it. The CSR's even said, "you can't afford it."
Yep, it’s WiFi and not much of that up there for Internet.
Now, the $20 / month for you Canadian Cell phone (not tethering) service is correct and worked for us last year just fine and that $20 plan was reconfirmed for this year’s trip.That is, for $20 we added (and will add) Canadian service to our family Verizon cell phone plan for the 2 months we will be there.However, DW has to turn off her iPhone data so she doesn’t “hit” a Canadian.Basically in an iPhone you turn DATA ROAMING off.
Verizon phone coverage:In AB and BC, not too bad and fine in larger cities.Whitehorse as I recall was OK but not much at all in the YT.(Frankly, Alaska isn’t much better.)We’re going to the Northwest Territories and outside of probably Yellowknife and maybe Dawson City I don’t expect much.Maybe in Inuvik, NWT, we’ll see. {Grin}
Bill
Mike and Gloria said
08:50 AM May 25, 2011
Thanks, Bill. Will be leaving the air card turned off while in Canada and will be looking for hot spots in the area instead. I know the McDonalds up there have free wifi as well as here in the US. And several people we know up there run over to the local Holiday Inn. Even with the air card here in RI, if we want to download software, videos, etc., we run over to the local McDoanlds so we don't use up all our GB on the air card.
Someday, satellite.
charles said
05:43 PM May 25, 2011
AAAHHHHHH Broke the $6/gal on gas today, a really rural station that had a skid mounted gas dispensing unit all self contained.
Food aint cheap either!!! But we are having fun.
The drive up the balance of the Cassiar Hwy was really scenic, mountains, valleys, 8% grades up and down. Several 18 wheelers passed us! Some beautiful lakes, streams and water falls.
The adventure continues.
CCC
Bill and Linda said
06:38 PM May 25, 2011
charles wrote:
AAAHHHHHH Broke the $6/gal on gas today, a really rural station that had a skid mounted gas dispensing unit all self contained.\CCC
Glad to hear its not gone to the $7+ we had once palce on the Alcan last year. Diesel. We didn't have to pay that as we had an aux tank and were in good shape. But it will be "intersting" before the summer is over in the far North.
Bill and Linda said
07:04 AM May 26, 2011
Mike and Gloria wrote:
Thanks, Bill. Will be leaving the air card turned off while in Canada and will be looking for hot spots in the area instead. I know the McDonalds up there have free wifi as well as here in the US. And several people we know up there run over to the local Holiday Inn. Even with the air card here in RI, if we want to download software, videos, etc., we run over to the local McDoanlds so we don't use up all our GB on the air card.
Someday, satellite.
Gloria and Mike:
I don’t want to burden you with a bunch of techo stuff but I have a suggestion for your Canada trip based on our experience.
It may be worth your long term trouble to invest in a WiFI Ranger with “Mobile Boost” about which there are some threads in the Forum.As you may know, this will allow you, in your rig, to connect to Campground, or McDonald’s, WiFi’s at much greater range.
Our experience in Canada is that this kind of system is a real convenience allowing you to connect and still be in the rig.Many of the places we stayed in Canada, and Alaska, had free WiFi.But its range was very poor and we would have to go to “the office” with our laptops to connect had we not had this type of system.It really extends the reach of this rather “limited” WiFi systems.
We’ve found this, even with an Aircard, to be invaluable, or at least a really nice convenience, depending on your point of view both in and out of the US.
Just a thought – you will love the great North of Canada and Alaska.It is the ultimate RV trip in our view.That’s why we’re going back.
Safe travels
Bill
charles said
08:33 PM May 30, 2011
Border Crossing Canada to US at Skagway
After a half dozzen crossing it finally happened.
Discussing the fresh fruit and vegetable issue with a freindly US Border Agent, in his own words, "the rules keep changing". So what I relate now may not be in effect when you cross. Took our fresh mango but our fresh CUT tomato was OK, fresh cherries OK, dried peppers, NOT ok.
From now on we will NOT have fresh veggies nor fruit on any crossing!
Forewarned is forearmed.
When I turned on the computer here in Skagway, I called Verizon on our Verizon cell ph to make CERTAIN that I was OK on their system, the tech assured us we are OK, took her name and noted the exact date and time of conversation and the gist of it. One cannot be too careful with Verizon!
The scenery is fantastic, took a ferry ride to Hains today and will go by ferry tomorrow to Juneau for the day. These are the passenger ferries not the car ferries, the TT stays rt here in Skagway. CCC
charles said
10:19 PM Jun 2, 2011
Arrived in Tok, Alaska today.
Someone on another list asked about using a tour company to go to alaska, I answered as follows:
That is a good question. THE WIFE and I were discussing that very subject today.
This as we approached the US Customs hut at the US border with Alaska near Tok, Ak.
At that point we had covered just over 5,800 miles from Louiaiana to Alaska proper, as we also went into Ak at Hyder just to say that we did and also spent a few days in Skagway and took ferry trips to Juneau and to Haines, Ak. Dont want to miss anything.
We see absolutely NO reason to pay for such a caravan, of course this is our opinon. The roads are excellent, except for the 128 mile stretch leaving Distruction Bay, Yukon approaching the US border going to Tok,Ak. it is bumpy and uneven but this can be avoided by going through Dawson City.
$5,000 for a guided tour is a bit much and then crank in the cost of gas or diesel.
We stayed in National and Provencial parks, dry camped in some places and stayed in commercial camp grounds. NEVER made a reservation more than 2 hrs in advance and 9 of ten times jsut showed up at a cg just as we did today in Tok. If we wanted to stay two or three nits in a place we did.
In planning the trip I did look at the web sites of two such outfits and quickly disabused myself of doing such.
We have NO schedule and decide where we are going as we travel. The only date certain that we have is to leave Ak by sept 1.
We had a grand time wondering around BC the roads are great and darn little traffic----except for a lot of RV's!!
We intend to go south by way of Dawson City so will not repeat the rough road, at this junture, we would opt to go to Dawson City and avoid the rough road, only reason we came this way is that we intend on going to the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage before Fairbanks. All a toss up.
While on the subject do NOT miss going to Juneau, ok it is another touristy town town but it is the capitol and worth the stop and on the ferry ride, to Juneau from Skagway, saw dozens of whales, and hundreds of sea lions ans seals, be sure to use FJORDLINE ferry, it is owned by the captain and his daughter is the deck hand, they really showed us a great time, taking all the time necessery for us to see the whales, seals etc, HEAD AND SHOULDERS better than the other ferry outfit, we took that one to Haines and would not use them again. Almost forgot, so many eagles on that ride that we quit counting. UP close at that.
We found it shorter in miles to go to Skagway and then ferry to Haines than the other way around also a better ride to Juneau, not sure but dont think the tour companies take you to Juneau, could be wrong on that.
Again, our opinion and YMMV,
We are having a ball, and reccommend the trip to all. Will spend two nts here and head toward Valdez.
CCC
Tim & Robyn said
07:04 AM Jun 3, 2011
charles wrote:
AAAHHHHHH Broke the $6/gal on gas today, a really rural station that had a skid mounted gas dispensing unit all self contained.
I haven't been to Canada since the mid 70's. If memory serves they were at that time transitioning to the metric system.
Also, a gallon of gas was an imperial gallon which is larger than a U.S. gallon, which might take some of the sting out of gas prices if they are still selling it by the gallon and not by the liter.
Now I'm going to have to go google 'imperial gallon' and see just how much bigger it is than a U.S. gallon.
Enjoy your adventure.
Tim
Tim & Robyn said
07:25 AM Jun 3, 2011
I just finished googling 'imperial gallon'.
An imperial gallon equals approx 4.54 liters.
A U.S. gallon equals approx 3.79 liters.
So, when you buy an imperial gallon of gas you're getting about 3/4 more than you would get if you bought a U.S. gallon.
I don't want to do the math to figure out how $6/$7 per gallon of gas in Canada equates to U.S. gas prices, because I'm already getting a headache. But I think the bottom line is that it takes fewer imperial gallons to fill up than it would if it were being measured in U.S. gallons.
Of course this all assumes that Canada is still using imperial gallons.
I don't know what the current currency exchange rates are now, but when I was a kid growing up in Detroit I remember they were pretty much 1 to 1, so you could spend U.S. currency in Canada, and Canadian currency in Detroit... when you got change you could wind up with either currency.
Nowadays that's another issue to consider when traveling to or through Canada. Whenever you exchange currencies I wouldn't doubt that something is going to be skimmed off the top so that a profit can be made, and to protect against fluctuations in the exchange rate.
Can anyone who's had recent experience comment on that?
Tim
Bill Adams said
07:42 AM Jun 3, 2011
They still sell the fuel by the litre. I suspect the poster just make a conversion to gallons. Currently regular unleaded appears to be selling for 1.20 to 1.30 Canadian per litre at a major retailer. Most folks then multiply by 4 for an easy conversion but at 3.79 litre per gallon that would be 4.55 to 4.93 Canadian dollars. For the conversion to US dollars you are on you own!
Tim & Robyn said
07:55 AM Jun 3, 2011
Bill Adams wrote:
They still sell the fuel by the litre. I suspect the poster just make a conversion to gallons. Currently regular unleaded appears to be selling for 1.20 to 1.30 Canadian per litre at a major retailer. Most folks then multiply by 4 for an easy conversion but at 3.79 litre per gallon that would be 4.55 to 4.93 Canadian dollars. For the conversion to US dollars you are on you own!
Maybe we need to start a math thread... or someone come up with a spread sheet that does the conversions...
$4.55 - $4.93 per U.S. gallon is about a dollar a gallon more than where I live, but I know that some places in the U.S. have already gotten there - if not more.
I taught at a university in Saskatchewan Canada for a year in 1975-76, and out of sheer boredom when driving back up there from Christmas with my family in south Florida I figured out in my head a formula for converting celsius and farhenheit temps back and forth.
I'm not that bored anymore, so I'm letting this go...
charles said
09:26 AM Jun 3, 2011
Gas and diesel is sold by the litre in Canada. I made the conversion, most guide books have it. Cost is $1.38 per litre and up, saw it above $1.62, diesel is a few cents LESS per litre than gas. Hey, I call um like I see um.
Plan to WASH the TT today, it is covered with mud from yesterday.
Very little dark time here, at 11pm you can read a newspaper outside and the same at 2:30 am moving to NO dark later this mo. Pat has fitted black trash bags over the bedroom windows and the exhaust fan.
Bad news, we are the ONLY unit in the whole RV park.
CCC
charles said
09:39 AM Jun 3, 2011
Tim, There is an exchange rate that changes often. Credit cards charge to make the conversion OF COURSE. Some charge a 2 percent fee for this convenience. Master Card is 3 percent Discover is 2. We get cash from the ATM and pay cash for most purchases except gas. This is cheaper. To convert if you have a computer just put litre to US gallons in the search engine, BINGO.
CCC
RVPAINTER said
10:02 AM Jun 3, 2011
You use to be able to fill out a form when crossing back into the USA and get back some of the Canadian tax money you paid for certain items - check into it, save receipts - it adds up!!
charles said
10:15 AM Jun 3, 2011
This is our 3 rd trip to Canada, two summers on our boat and this one in the TT This is our first trip to Ak. That rebate is a fraction of the tax paid and only on certain items, NOT food and gasolin/diesel so we never fooled with it. In addition to the foregoing a few T shirts and post cards. Lots of record keep is required. Our experience, YMMV
CCC
-- Edited by charles on Sunday 5th of June 2011 08:09:07 PM
charles said
08:06 PM Jun 5, 2011
Wish that I could skype right now. The cg where we are the owner feeds the bald eagles everyday at this time and there are a dozen flying around and on the ground. Taking pictures and skyped to the neices and nephews and sev friends. (He has a permit for the feeding.) Awsome as the kids say.
We are in Valez, Ak and this is a dont miss place.
Driving in passed a glacier and took pics, saw moose, fox, wolf, bob cat and trumpeter swans, among other wildlife. I will set up a link to a page with pics later.
All I can say is come to Alaska, but it is expensive as mentioned. Hey, you only go around once, and as I have said , we are doing all that we can up here because this will be the only RV trip here.
CCC
charles said
09:57 PM Jun 17, 2011
Interesting Find:
At the FRED MEYERS discount store (to say they are similar to Wal Mart would denegrate FM) anyway a large chain. Here in Soldotna,Ak not only is it ok to park overnight in their parking lot but the store has a dump station and a portion of the lot is setup for RV's that is large marked off parking spaces. 3 night max stay. Of course no services but it does not cost!
Took a day trip on an Alaska state ferrry, a big ship, abt 400 ft. Went from Homer to Saldovia, Ak that is on the mainland but NO road to it. A neat trip. The ferry has a number of staterooms for the overnight legs. We did not take the RV as it a day trip.
-- Edited by Bill Adams on Saturday 18th of June 2011 05:25:04 AM
charles said
08:52 AM Jun 18, 2011
Bill, Yes I have but tried sev times to no avail. I will try again.
On another subject, in planning a trip to Ak, consider an electric oil heater, the "radiator" type. We have one and use it every night. It stands up but I kept the box that it came in and place it back in the box and lay this under the dinette. That and a small table top radiant ceramic heater and we have been good to go. The latter we place on a peice of rubber mat to keep it from "walking". We have a front bedroom TT so I just set it on the floor on the rubber mat even when traveling.
CCC Having one of your satilite systems would be REAL nice. One would think that as much as Verizon charges (air card) that the speed would be much better.
Mike and Gloria said
10:01 AM Jun 18, 2011
Charles, our Verizon air card was going lickety split in the campground until the last 2 weeks we were there. Then it turned into slower than a turtle that had died. It said the signal was strong so don't know what was going on. We had not moved our 5th wheel to another spot nor had the position of the air card in the rig changed. We are now at Mike's sister's for a couple of weeks on comcast cable so haven't been using the air card. Will have to remember to try it here and complain to Verizon if it's not any better. We are in a prominent Verizon area so there shouldn't have been a problem even at the campground.
charles said
12:24 AM Jun 25, 2011
Uploaded the Alaska pics to snapfish but this server will not take the link. I will work on it and see what I can come up with. If anyone knows what I can do please get in touch with me.
CCC
charles said
07:54 PM Jul 8, 2011
Greetings all,
Below are some comments that we have made on this trip. If you have any questions let us know. It has been wonderful so far---. We did a full month in Alaska, thought we would be there longer but we are site seers and not outdoorsmen so we made just about every highway in Ak, there are only 11 and saw all that we inteded and more. Drove to just short of the Artic Circle included. Lestening to so many about the poor roads coming up here we were pleasantly surprised at how GOOD most roads are. NOT to worry as long as speed is not your intent. We saw two destroyed RV's one was obviously from speed, a trailer, demolished on the sided of the road at a CLEARLY MARKED area of rough road, these rough areas are marked with red flags and or signs---no excuse.
The other was a DP destroyed, details below, again, I suspect speed, as he was dodging a pot hole as opposed to slowly hitting it, and rolled over the side of the road.
-------------------
On our way into Ak. last month we did the Destruction Bay (Beaver Creek) to Tok road, yes it is slow going but slow is OK by far the worse road. But NOT a problem unless you must drive 55. After that OK but some on the US side not so good but again not 55 but OK. We drove virtually every Alaskan hwy while here and I am impressed on how good they are----considering the icy winters!
The following are posts on our South bound trip after we turned in Ak. Today we are in a dry campground in Delta Junction headed to TOK will spend the nt at Tok yea, it is only 100 miles, but we are NOT in a hurry.
Then on to CHICKEN, there the pavement ends. We will ck conditions on the road out of Chicken to Dawson while in Chicken and decide. Want to do it but am not crazy either! It was closed last week for a few days, terrible rains, and one DP went over the side and was destroyed, I SAW THE PICTURES last evening by a fellow camper who took the pics. Guy was dodging a pot hole and well you now know what happened, no one died but I understand some injury. (Later, on our arrival in Tok we saw the destroyed DP and it was a sobering site, destroyed to the floor.)
Pot holes on a road like that are the same as animals on the road, don’t dodge them HIT them. That has been my driving philosophy for life.
Of course if there is plenty of room to dodge a pot hole you can miss it but big swerves are likely to cause a problem ----conditions dictate, that is what driving EXPERIENCE is about.
CCC ============ TOP OF THE WORLD ROAD CHICKEN TO DAWSON
Did it today. 5hr 15 min to do 110 miles. But it is an OK trip, we met many RV's and some big trucks and a large bus. For the Chicken to the Canadian border the roughest portion, my top speed was 25 mph. I saw people going MUCH faster some even in rv's. Stay in your lane and do not approach the shoulders and all is fine. We understand why it is called Top of the World. DO NOT MISS THIS LEG
Take your time and enjoy the ride, THE WIFE noted that many of the drivers were women. When meeting some big rigs and I mean BIG RIGS as in trucks, tankers pulling two trailers, I would stop in my lane and allow them to meet me in that manner. Often did the same if a big bus or a large RV coming toward me. I was NOT moving over from my lane, there generally is NO shoulder on either side of the road so I would stop and that would make it easier to meet. (aside, in Denali Park the bus drivers always stopped, both of them, and then would creep past each other. Makes sense.
OH, the two camp grds at Chicken have little in way of service one has 20amp for $28 and $8 to dump and no water. The other is a bit more expen but does have some 30 amp. Gas is $4.76 There is one cg that allows free overnt dry camp with gas fill up.
CCC Lying Dawson City, Yukon Territory
Heads up on GAS/Diesel in BC
Muncho Lake BC NORTHERN ROCKIES LODGE avoid this place! This is on the Alaska Hwy. We are south bound from Ak and stopped there to get gas, big MISTAKE, $1.86 per liter. Do the math close to $7 PER GALLON, NO reason for this, the next station up, 30 miles, or so $1.55 In the cities $1.35 per liter. For warned in forearmed.
Other than that a GREAT drive, scenery out of this world and good road. Fantastic. Today on this leg, Canadian Rockies, beautiful and animals everywhere, saw 3 black bears, a moose, several Stone Sheep and buffalo. The last 3 nights we have dry camped in what is called a “turn out” all along Canadian roads and Alaska roads are turn outs, that is a gravel area that one can pull off of the highway to allow followers to pass, to have lunch, rest a while or even spend the night. Last nt we did again and it was great, the traffic on the Alaska hwy ceased abt dark, that would be abt 11 pm and the sound of the stream just 25 ft from the TT was nice. It was a fast moving stream , shallow and rocky, several bears visited it just a few yards from the TT. Pretty neat. One day at a turn out, we had lunch and then I took a nap! Got up and drove another 100 miles! Saw a sign for a Province camp grd, ok lets go, on a winding gravel road way and I mean way into the forest finally got to it. Neat, thick woods and NO one around not another camper. No services at all, later in the evening, recall that it does not get even close to dark until after midnight, a few more did show up, total 6 for the entire cg.
By the way, even with the limited tank capacity that EVERGREEN installs we have had no problem dry camping for 6 days straight, VERY careful with water usage. We do drink water from the tank, filtered into the tank with an inline filter the disposable ones from the camp supply store and then a BRITA pitcher.
We are south bound as the foregong reflects. Now at Dawson Creek,BC. From Dawson City at the Alaska/Yukon Territory border about 1,200 miles, beautiful drive, mountains, lakes, forrest the works. And the outrageos cost of gas, recall the $7 per gallon above. Many %7 to %9 grades and LONG ones at that,of course up and down.
From here to the Lower 48, South America as the Alaskans say it is about 865 miles to "cheap" gas! Yesterday paid $1.42/liter Here we saw a sign for $1.29
We have had NO problem with room in camp grounds, none and we do NOT make reservations in advance, if we have cell cov, seldome , we may call ahead by an hour or so to ck.
Pat and I agree that, for us, no way would we spend the $5,000 or more to caravan to Alaska, we cannot see the worth of it. Note that this is only our opinon after having made the trip. We are over 9,000 miles into this trip starting in South Louisiana.
Today we detoured to cross the last wood bridge on the original Al-Can Highway, this, literally at the last moment, abt 200 yards before the turn. Try that one with a caravan.
Stuck inside with pouring rain all nt and all day today. Using wifi, and we have the Verizon Air Card turned off, even the Verizon rep, cautioned us to NOT use it in Canada. When we detoured and went to Hyder, Ak just over the BC line I even CALLED Verizon to make certain that their system picked me up as being in Ak and not BC.
Sorry that the above is somewhat disjointed but the info is there.
This am we crossed into the great(cool) north, customs took all of about two minutes, only one car ahead of us and we were on our way to Lethbridge, this is via I-15. This was our 5th crossing into Canada but our first with the TT. Never have we encountered any delay nor problems at all. Once on our boat, I anchored and went to town in the dinghy, found a phone and called in to customs some number of miles away. Bingo cleared and that was it.
We are a bit over 3600 miles from Patterson, La. and no we are NOT planning on flooding----if the levees hold and so far that looks good. People are actuallyu evacuating TO Patterson.
We have a ring levee with large pumps, so if no levee failure all is well.
Looking fwd to the trip through Canada to Alaska plan to arrive around June 1 or so.
Oh, did get a Canada Plan on our Verizon ph $20 per mo and NO contract so we can cancel at any time. Worth it already!
Great stop before the border is Shelby, Montana, cheap, $18 city camp ground and reasonably priced restaurants in town----nothing else there!
There is a Catholic church.
CCC
We had some meat marinating for dinner. It wasn't in the original package so they confiscatted it. Lesson learned.
Do NOT miss the drive through the National Forests from Banff to Jasper. SPACTACULAR. From the road even, saw a bear, deer and elk.
We are in Prince George and will head up the Cassier Highway toward Watson Lake where we will get on the Alaska Highway to Whitehorse.
Actually did a Bluegrass Festival yesterday in Hixon, a very small village but some good music. The people at the festival could not have been nicer; they “noticed” that we were not local! Came up and talked and asked all kinds of questions and really ingratiated themselves to us.
When the concert started they introduced us to the house. (An oddity?) In the course of the day others would come up and talk, we have found this attribute on both coasts of Canada. This is our 3rd trip here, as we spent two summers on the east coast on our boat.
What a magnificent drive, outstanding. Mountains, streams, snow forests the works. Today we did a 2.5 mile 9 percent grade, climbing!! The rig never missed a beat.
We are in a camp ground just outside of Iskut, BC and are the ONLY unit here, we are alone. Beautiful spot right on a river and in the shadow of snow covered mountains. We are just early for the season.
Oh yes, almost forgot, on our way to Stewart, within the span of 2 hrs or so we saw and photographed TEN bears, from the truck.
These two detours from the accepted route, is well worth the travel time, that is through the two National Parks at Banff and Jasper and then to Stewart. A grand route. Beautiful scenery and roads, wish that Louiisiana roads were half so well maintained as these.
CCC and THE WIFE
It is , well, glorious.
Eventually I will post pics but two things, cannot use my Verizon air card in Ca as it is way too expensive and using slow wifi is not conducive to posting pics. So, yes I will but I dont know when.
This route is a DONT MISS. Our intention is to return thru Dawson but from all reports this is the most scenic by far.
We cant wait to arrive in the YUKON, that is going to be better, for me, than arriving in Alaska, I guess it is a hold over from "Sargent Preston of the Yukon", now you know how old I am.
CCC
We have watched a video of a man (brain dead, can't remember his name) who lived by himself in Alaska and built his own tiny cabin. If he got the cabin up to 40 in the Winter, it was a miracle! It was fascinating to watch and the scenery was gorgeous!
I am using a very slow wifi in the CG.
CCC
We were told when we bought this phone that all we had to do was call before we crossed the Canadian line and they would switch us to a Canadian plan for $20 more. Plus we can keep our 5(?) most used phone #'s in the US and call them as much as we want at no additional charge. When we come back over the border, just call them back and they'll switch us back to the US plan. We're planning on being up there 2 months so they better not have been pullilng our leg. We told them where we'd be and they said there would be coverage there (Vernon area on the eastern side of BC).
I'll have to call Verizon tomorrow and verify the information for the air card though.
Sometimes Verizon will even give their users the incorrect information and tell them that the N. America plan covers the air card. It does not! You will be charged very high usage fees somewhere along the line of $2.50 per MB if I recall correctly.
Put the air card in your pocket while you are in Canada.
Wowzers! I've already had one run in with Verizon when we first got our unlimited plan. The phone they gave us was a piece of junk. The sound was horrible.
We decided that instead of using the phone supplied, we would buy our own phone. They wanted to charge us a restocking fee for the free phone. Sorry, that didn't compute well in this redhead's brain. Talked to a supervisor who ended up lying to me by saying she'd take care of it - but didn't.
At that point I registered a huge complaint on their 'service survey' that I was emailed. Ended up getting a phone call from a district manager who was extremely apologetic. He knew who had lied to me and was going to take care of it. We now have the better phone and didn't have to pay a restocking fee.
But now I'm suspicious they lied about the air card in Canada. Grrrrrr. Satellite is looking better and better all the time. Just can't afford it right now.
Another warning – they are not fibbing, DO NOT use an air-card in or near Canada. In fact, we don’t even use it within 40 miles of the boarder – could hit the wrong tower. The cost is waaaaay more than anyone outside of a business can afford.
We checked on this like 4 times over the past 2 years and as recently as a month ago with the same answers from the CSR's. The Verizon Aircard will work in some places in Canada, but “we” can’t afford it. The CSR's even said, "you can't afford it."
Yep, it’s WiFi and not much of that up there for Internet.
Now, the $20 / month for you Canadian Cell phone (not tethering) service is correct and worked for us last year just fine and that $20 plan was reconfirmed for this year’s trip. That is, for $20 we added (and will add) Canadian service to our family Verizon cell phone plan for the 2 months we will be there. However, DW has to turn off her iPhone data so she doesn’t “hit” a Canadian. Basically in an iPhone you turn DATA ROAMING off.
Verizon phone coverage: In AB and BC, not too bad and fine in larger cities. Whitehorse as I recall was OK but not much at all in the YT. (Frankly, Alaska isn’t much better.) We’re going to the Northwest Territories and outside of probably Yellowknife and maybe Dawson City I don’t expect much. Maybe in Inuvik, NWT, we’ll see. {Grin}
Bill
Thanks, Bill. Will be leaving the air card turned off while in Canada and will be looking for hot spots in the area instead. I know the McDonalds up there have free wifi as well as here in the US. And several people we know up there run over to the local Holiday Inn. Even with the air card here in RI, if we want to download software, videos, etc., we run over to the local McDoanlds so we don't use up all our GB on the air card.
Someday, satellite.
Broke the $6/gal on gas today, a really rural station that had a skid mounted gas dispensing unit all self contained.
Food aint cheap either!!!
But we are having fun.
The drive up the balance of the Cassiar Hwy was really scenic, mountains, valleys, 8% grades up and down.
Several 18 wheelers passed us!
Some beautiful lakes, streams and water falls.
The adventure continues.
CCC
Glad to hear its not gone to the $7+ we had once palce on the Alcan last year. Diesel. We didn't have to pay that as we had an aux tank and were in good shape. But it will be "intersting" before the summer is over in the far North.
Gloria and Mike:
I don’t want to burden you with a bunch of techo stuff but I have a suggestion for your Canada trip based on our experience.
It may be worth your long term trouble to invest in a WiFI Ranger with “Mobile Boost” about which there are some threads in the Forum. As you may know, this will allow you, in your rig, to connect to Campground, or McDonald’s, WiFi’s at much greater range.
Our experience in Canada is that this kind of system is a real convenience allowing you to connect and still be in the rig. Many of the places we stayed in Canada, and Alaska, had free WiFi. But its range was very poor and we would have to go to “the office” with our laptops to connect had we not had this type of system. It really extends the reach of this rather “limited” WiFi systems.
We’ve found this, even with an Aircard, to be invaluable, or at least a really nice convenience, depending on your point of view both in and out of the US.
Just a thought – you will love the great North of Canada and Alaska. It is the ultimate RV trip in our view. That’s why we’re going back.
Safe travels
Bill
After a half dozzen crossing it finally happened.
Discussing the fresh fruit and vegetable issue with a freindly US Border Agent, in his own words, "the rules keep changing". So what I relate now may not be in effect when you cross. Took our fresh mango but our fresh CUT tomato was OK, fresh cherries OK, dried peppers, NOT ok.
From now on we will NOT have fresh veggies nor fruit on any crossing!
Forewarned is forearmed.
When I turned on the computer here in Skagway, I called Verizon on our Verizon cell ph to make CERTAIN that I was OK on their system, the tech assured us we are OK, took her name and noted the exact date and time of conversation and the gist of it. One cannot be too careful with Verizon!
The scenery is fantastic, took a ferry ride to Hains today and will go by ferry tomorrow to Juneau for the day. These are the passenger ferries not the car ferries, the TT stays rt here in Skagway.
CCC
Arrived in Tok, Alaska today.
Someone on another list asked about using a tour company to go to alaska, I answered as follows:
That is a good question. THE WIFE and I were discussing that very subject today.
This as we approached the US Customs hut at the US border with Alaska near Tok, Ak.
At that point we had covered just over 5,800 miles from Louiaiana to Alaska proper, as we also went into Ak at Hyder just to say that we did and also spent a few days in Skagway and took ferry trips to Juneau and to Haines, Ak. Dont want to miss anything.
We see absolutely NO reason to pay for such a caravan, of course this is our opinon. The roads are excellent, except for the 128 mile stretch leaving Distruction Bay, Yukon approaching the US border going to Tok,Ak. it is bumpy and uneven but this can be avoided by going through Dawson City.
$5,000 for a guided tour is a bit much and then crank in the cost of gas or diesel.
We stayed in National and Provencial parks, dry camped in some places and stayed in commercial camp grounds. NEVER made a reservation more than 2 hrs in advance and 9 of ten times jsut showed up at a cg just as we did today in Tok. If we wanted to stay two or three nits in a place we did.
In planning the trip I did look at the web sites of two such outfits and quickly disabused myself of doing such.
We have NO schedule and decide where we are going as we travel. The only date certain that we have is to leave Ak by sept 1.
We had a grand time wondering around BC the roads are great and darn little traffic----except for a lot of RV's!!
We intend to go south by way of Dawson City so will not repeat the rough road, at this junture, we would opt to go to Dawson City and avoid the rough road, only reason we came this way is that we intend on going to the Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage before Fairbanks. All a toss up.
While on the subject do NOT miss going to Juneau, ok it is another touristy town town but it is the capitol and worth the stop and on the ferry ride, to Juneau from Skagway, saw dozens of whales, and hundreds of sea lions ans seals, be sure to use FJORDLINE ferry, it is owned by the captain and his daughter is the deck hand, they really showed us a great time, taking all the time necessery for us to see the whales, seals etc, HEAD AND SHOULDERS better than the other ferry outfit, we took that one to Haines and would not use them again. Almost forgot, so many eagles on that ride that we quit counting. UP close at that.
We found it shorter in miles to go to Skagway and then ferry to Haines than the other way around also a better ride to Juneau, not sure but dont think the tour companies take you to Juneau, could be wrong on that.
Again, our opinion and YMMV,
We are having a ball, and reccommend the trip to all. Will spend two nts here and head toward Valdez.
CCC
I haven't been to Canada since the mid 70's. If memory serves they were at that time transitioning to the metric system.
Also, a gallon of gas was an imperial gallon which is larger than a U.S. gallon, which might take some of the sting out of gas prices if they are still selling it by the gallon and not by the liter.
Now I'm going to have to go google 'imperial gallon' and see just how much bigger it is than a U.S. gallon.
Enjoy your adventure.
Tim
I just finished googling 'imperial gallon'.
An imperial gallon equals approx 4.54 liters.
A U.S. gallon equals approx 3.79 liters.
So, when you buy an imperial gallon of gas you're getting about 3/4 more than you would get if you bought a U.S. gallon.
I don't want to do the math to figure out how $6/$7 per gallon of gas in Canada equates to U.S. gas prices, because I'm already getting a headache. But I think the bottom line is that it takes fewer imperial gallons to fill up than it would if it were being measured in U.S. gallons.
Of course this all assumes that Canada is still using imperial gallons.
I don't know what the current currency exchange rates are now, but when I was a kid growing up in Detroit I remember they were pretty much 1 to 1, so you could spend U.S. currency in Canada, and Canadian currency in Detroit... when you got change you could wind up with either currency.
Nowadays that's another issue to consider when traveling to or through Canada. Whenever you exchange currencies I wouldn't doubt that something is going to be skimmed off the top so that a profit can be made, and to protect against fluctuations in the exchange rate.
Can anyone who's had recent experience comment on that?
Tim
Maybe we need to start a math thread... or someone come up with a spread sheet that does the conversions...
$4.55 - $4.93 per U.S. gallon is about a dollar a gallon more than where I live, but I know that some places in the U.S. have already gotten there - if not more.
I taught at a university in Saskatchewan Canada for a year in 1975-76, and out of sheer boredom when driving back up there from Christmas with my family in south Florida I figured out in my head a formula for converting celsius and farhenheit temps back and forth.
I'm not that bored anymore, so I'm letting this go...
I made the conversion, most guide books have it. Cost is $1.38 per litre and up, saw it above $1.62, diesel is a few cents LESS per litre than gas.
Hey, I call um like I see um.
Plan to WASH the TT today, it is covered with mud from yesterday.
Very little dark time here, at 11pm you can read a newspaper outside and the same at 2:30 am moving to NO dark later this mo.
Pat has fitted black trash bags over the bedroom windows and the exhaust fan.
Bad news, we are the ONLY unit in the whole RV park.
CCC
There is an exchange rate that changes often.
Credit cards charge to make the conversion OF COURSE.
Some charge a 2 percent fee for this convenience.
Master Card is 3 percent
Discover is 2.
We get cash from the ATM and pay cash for most purchases except gas. This is cheaper.
To convert if you have a computer just put litre to US gallons in the search engine, BINGO.
CCC
This is our 3 rd trip to Canada, two summers on our boat and this one in the TT This is our first trip to Ak.
That rebate is a fraction of the tax paid and only on certain items, NOT food and gasolin/diesel so we never fooled with it. In addition to the foregoing a few T shirts and post cards.
Lots of record keep is required.
Our experience, YMMV
CCC
-- Edited by charles on Sunday 5th of June 2011 08:09:07 PM
Awsome as the kids say.
We are in Valez, Ak and this is a dont miss place.
Driving in passed a glacier and took pics, saw moose, fox, wolf, bob cat and trumpeter swans, among other wildlife.
I will set up a link to a page with pics later.
All I can say is come to Alaska, but it is expensive as mentioned. Hey, you only go around once, and as I have said , we are doing all that we can up here because this will be the only RV trip here.
CCC
Interesting Find:
At the FRED MEYERS discount store (to say they are similar to Wal Mart would denegrate FM) anyway a large chain. Here in Soldotna,Ak not only is it ok to park overnight in their parking lot but the store has a dump station and a portion of the lot is setup for RV's that is large marked off parking spaces. 3 night max stay.
Of course no services but it does not cost!
Took a day trip on an Alaska state ferrry, a big ship, abt 400 ft. Went from Homer to Saldovia, Ak that is on the mainland but NO road to it. A neat trip.
The ferry has a number of staterooms for the overnight legs.
We did not take the RV as it a day trip.
Inside Package Photos
Hope the link works to see a picture of the MV TUSTUMENA the ferry on which we traveled.
CCC
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Tuesday 4th of June 2013 09:02:34 PM
Have you heard of tiny URL? It would help you reduce that link to this http://tinyurl.com/6c4q76y
-- Edited by Bill Adams on Saturday 18th of June 2011 05:25:04 AM
On another subject, in planning a trip to Ak, consider an electric oil heater, the "radiator" type. We have one and use it every night. It stands up but I kept the box that it came in and place it back in the box and lay this under the dinette. That and a small table top radiant ceramic heater and we have been good to go. The latter we place on a peice of rubber mat to keep it from "walking". We have a front bedroom TT so I just set it on the floor on the rubber mat even when traveling.
CCC
Having one of your satilite systems would be REAL nice. One would think that as much as Verizon charges (air card) that the speed would be much better.
Charles, our Verizon air card was going lickety split in the campground until the last 2 weeks we were there. Then it turned into slower than a turtle that had died. It said the signal was strong so don't know what was going on. We had not moved our 5th wheel to another spot nor had the position of the air card in the rig changed. We are now at Mike's sister's for a couple of weeks on comcast cable so haven't been using the air card. Will have to remember to try it here and complain to Verizon if it's not any better. We are in a prominent Verizon area so there shouldn't have been a problem even at the campground.
I will work on it and see what I can come up with.
If anyone knows what I can do please get in touch with me.
CCC
Greetings all,
Below are some comments that we have made on this trip. If you have any questions let us know. It has been wonderful so far---. We did a full month in Alaska, thought we would be there longer but we are site seers and not outdoorsmen so we made just about every highway in Ak, there are only 11 and saw all that we inteded and more. Drove to just short of the Artic Circle included. Lestening to so many about the poor roads coming up here we were pleasantly surprised at how GOOD most roads are. NOT to worry as long as speed is not your intent. We saw two destroyed RV's one was obviously from speed, a trailer, demolished on the sided of the road at a CLEARLY MARKED area of rough road, these rough areas are marked with red flags and or signs---no excuse.
The other was a DP destroyed, details below, again, I suspect speed, as he was dodging a pot hole as opposed to slowly hitting it, and rolled over the side of the road.
-------------------
On our way into Ak. last month we did the Destruction Bay (Beaver Creek) to Tok road, yes it is slow going but slow is OK by far the worse road. But NOT a problem unless you must drive 55.
After that OK but some on the US side not so good but again not 55 but OK.
We drove virtually every Alaskan hwy while here and I am impressed on how good they are----considering the icy winters!
The following are posts on our South bound trip after we turned in Ak.
Today we are in a dry campground in Delta Junction headed to TOK will spend the nt at Tok yea, it is only 100 miles, but we are NOT in a hurry.
Then on to CHICKEN, there the pavement ends. We will ck conditions on the road out of Chicken to Dawson while in Chicken and decide. Want to do it but am not crazy either!
It was closed last week for a few days, terrible rains, and one DP went over the side and was destroyed, I SAW THE PICTURES last evening by a fellow camper who took the pics. Guy was dodging a pot hole and well you now know what happened, no one died but I understand some injury. (Later, on our arrival in Tok we saw the destroyed DP and it was a sobering site, destroyed to the floor.)
Pot holes on a road like that are the same as animals on the road, don’t dodge them HIT them. That has been my driving philosophy for life.
Of course if there is plenty of room to dodge a pot hole you can miss it but big swerves are likely to cause a problem ----conditions dictate, that is what driving EXPERIENCE is about.
CCC
============
TOP OF THE WORLD ROAD CHICKEN TO DAWSON
Did it today. 5hr 15 min to do 110 miles. But it is an OK trip, we met many RV's and some big trucks and a large bus. For the Chicken to the Canadian border the roughest portion, my top speed was 25 mph. I saw people going MUCH faster some even in rv's.
Stay in your lane and do not approach the shoulders and all is fine. We understand why it is called Top of the World. DO NOT MISS THIS LEG
Take your time and enjoy the ride, THE WIFE noted that many of the drivers were women. When meeting some big rigs and I mean BIG RIGS as in trucks, tankers pulling two trailers, I would stop in my lane and allow them to meet me in that manner. Often did the same if a big bus or a large RV coming toward me. I was NOT moving over from my lane, there generally is NO shoulder on either side of the road so I would stop and that would make it easier to meet. (aside, in Denali Park the bus drivers always stopped, both of them, and then would creep past each other. Makes sense.
OH, the two camp grds at Chicken have little in way of service one has 20amp for $28 and $8 to dump and no water. The other is a bit more expen but does have some 30 amp. Gas is $4.76
There is one cg that allows free overnt dry camp with gas fill up.
CCC
Lying Dawson City, Yukon Territory
Heads up on GAS/Diesel in BC
Muncho Lake BC NORTHERN ROCKIES LODGE avoid this place!
This is on the Alaska Hwy. We are south bound from Ak and stopped there to get gas, big MISTAKE, $1.86 per liter. Do the math close to $7 PER GALLON, NO reason for this, the next station up, 30 miles, or so $1.55 In the cities $1.35 per liter.
For warned in forearmed.
Other than that a GREAT drive, scenery out of this world and good road. Fantastic. Today on this leg, Canadian Rockies, beautiful and animals everywhere, saw 3 black bears, a moose, several Stone Sheep and buffalo.
The last 3 nights we have dry camped in what is called a “turn out” all along Canadian roads and Alaska roads are turn outs, that is a gravel area that one can pull off of the highway to allow followers to pass, to have lunch, rest a while or even spend the night. Last nt we did again and it was great, the traffic on the Alaska hwy ceased abt dark, that would be abt 11 pm and the sound of the stream just 25 ft from the TT was nice. It was a fast moving stream , shallow and rocky, several bears visited it just a few yards from the TT. Pretty neat. One day at a turn out, we had lunch and then I took a nap! Got up and drove another 100 miles! Saw a sign for a Province camp grd, ok lets go, on a winding gravel road way and I mean way into the forest finally got to it. Neat, thick woods and NO one around not another camper. No services at all, later in the evening, recall that it does not get even close to dark until after midnight, a few more did show up, total 6 for the entire cg.
By the way, even with the limited tank capacity that EVERGREEN installs we have had no problem dry camping for 6 days straight, VERY careful with water usage. We do drink water from the tank, filtered into the tank with an inline filter the disposable ones from the camp supply store and then a BRITA pitcher.
We are south bound as the foregong reflects. Now at Dawson Creek,BC. From Dawson City at the Alaska/Yukon Territory border about 1,200 miles, beautiful drive, mountains, lakes, forrest the works. And the outrageos cost of gas, recall the $7 per gallon above. Many %7 to %9 grades and LONG ones at that,of course up and down.
From here to the Lower 48, South America as the Alaskans say it is about 865 miles to "cheap" gas! Yesterday paid $1.42/liter
Here we saw a sign for $1.29
We have had NO problem with room in camp grounds, none and we do NOT make reservations in advance, if we have cell cov, seldome , we may call ahead by an hour or so to ck.
Pat and I agree that, for us, no way would we spend the $5,000 or more to caravan to Alaska, we cannot see the worth of it. Note that this is only our opinon after having made the trip. We are over 9,000 miles into this trip starting in South Louisiana.
Today we detoured to cross the last wood bridge on the original Al-Can Highway, this, literally at the last moment, abt 200 yards before the turn. Try that one with a caravan.
Stuck inside with pouring rain all nt and all day today. Using wifi, and we have the Verizon Air Card turned off, even the Verizon rep, cautioned us to NOT use it in Canada. When we detoured and went to Hyder, Ak just over the BC line I even CALLED Verizon to make certain that their system picked me up as being in Ak and not BC.
Sorry that the above is somewhat disjointed but the info is there.
CCC and THE WIFE