Tuesday, May 18, 2010

May 18, 2010

On to Dawson Creek

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Drive north and then east on Canada (and US further south) 97 again.  Very good road most of the way.  Wide, smooth two lane with many passing lanes.  The country side ranged from forests, mountains, and rivers, to rolling hills covered with agriculture, farms ,and ranches much like the Sierra foothills.

The day started out overcast and stayed that way much of the time. 

Notice I said most of the way and much of the time.  There is about ten miles of the road through the mountains that is undergoing major construction to widen and straighten it.  We had nice overcast weather all day except a short period of drizzly rain.  Guess when it rained.  Just before we got to the construction zone.  As a result the carbus is pretty dirty and the car is filthy.  We had to do a major washing of just the windows of the car so we could drive to town after setting up in the campground.  The large RV next to us and the car it is towing are sparkling clean.  They must have had them cleaned in town or they came from a different route.  We are about to drive 1500 miles, parts of which will be wet and dirty.  Guess the carbus and car will stay dirty for a while.  Supposed to rain in the next few days.  Maybe it will rain HARD.  :)

About 40 miles west of Dawson Creek we passed through the town of Chetwynd.  Chetwynd calls itself the “Chainsaw Carving Capitol of the World”  The streets of the town are lined with chainsaw art.  Here is a link to last years carving championships.  Watch the videos.

Dawson Creek is the beginning of the Alaska Highway.  Two and a half weeks and 1500 miles of travel and we just reached START.  :)   I will not relate the history of the highway here.  It is easily researched but probably not fully appreciated ‘till you see some of what the builders endured and what they accomplished in such a short time.  There is museum here devoted to the building of the road.  Very well done.

There are two “Mile 0” landmarks in town a couple of blocks apart.  The first is the original, historical beginning of the road.

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The stone monument under the sign commemorates the original beginning of the Alaska Highway. 

 

 

 

Several years after the highway was completed the local chamber of commerce placed a second “Mile 0” a couple of blocks away, right in the center of downtown.  Imagine that.

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