A Day of Rest, Dawson Creek, B.C

     It was totally wonderful to stay in one spot today and make our meals and have picnics and chat with all the folks that are arriving.  Tomorrow is the day that check-in begins and tonight David was in a meeting for 11/2 hours getting details of the job he has as communication head and tail gunner to his group of like vehicles.  They group the vehicles by weight so they can move at about the same speed.

      We borrowed a fellow's jeep and went to downtown Dawson Creek and enjoyed the little western town.  Their flowers are fabulous and we loved the cut-outs that adorned their light poles.  Different ones were on each corner light post. A grocery names "no frills" reminded us of an Aldies or a Save-a-lot but they had lovely strawberries and other fresh fruit including cherries.  As you can see, the old Alaskan Hotel is painted up on all sides, the photos are actually fakes;murals that were painted to remind one of the past.      David got the grill painted installed and painted today, to save our headlights and radiator from the stones on the gravel part of the Alcan Hwy.  Finally, our friend Lanny Moore from Reston, Va arrived late las tnight and had to show off his handpainted "lady" who  beckons drivers to follow him close.  It got a laugh out of everyone.    

Can you spot the really person in the mural?

Actually the mural on the side of the old hotel.

 Official Mile 0 post with many flags of Canada

Lovely lady to beckon the followers!

Getting ready for gravel; painting was also done.

WE HAVE ARRIVED, MILE 0 Alaskan Highwayl

We have arrived at about 3:30 p.m., but before we got here, we were excited to see BC sign and earlier in the day, a REAL PHONE BOOTH!
David was so thrilled to see his buddies from the 2009 Convoy.  They immediately gathered and couldn't stop even when I began Happy Hour! 
Lots of plans for the next few days including helping celebrate Rollo's centennial, an opening ceremony with bigwigs of BC and  Yukon Territory.  Many pictures to follow this week, and catching our breath will be great!

On the Road Again. . .

We discovered several more pictures from the farm
in MN so wanted to include them.  It was certainly a nice stay with Carrie Jacobson Dorson's family!


.  We are in the town of Whitcourt, Alberta, about 265 miles from Dawson Creek, the beginning of our gathering for the ALCAN HWY. trip.  We\  have a nifty motel with fireplace, kitchen etc WiFi which was the first thing I asked about when we hit town.  We left Edmonton at 3 p.m. when guys finally got everything fixed on truck.  24 hours plus in Edmonton but ambulance's purring along now.  We drove 100 miles after leaving and decided we should stop early tonight since we can easily get to Dawson Creek tomorrow afternoon.  We will be 11/2 days ahead of the scheduled check-in starting August 1.  I have read about four books so far.  I am glad  I brought my reading material!  I was just finishing a book of essays called Bad Trips, edited by a Keath Faser, as we pulled out of Canadian Tire. I thought that was ironic, don't you? 

David worked along side of the mechanics after they had installed the new head gasket.  Also needed were to set the points and fix an oil line.  After working from 8 to 3, the head of the repair place wanted to know if 4 hours labor was fair!!!! So we lucked out, I think. The guys could not have been nicer and everyone was inspecting the vehicle as the repairs went on.   We were told by the manager Ken that Justin is asked for by many, as a matter of fact he told David he keeps his hair pink so he does get asked for. Our new best friend at the International Truck place we pulled into to try to get them to look at the job, actually connected us with this garage.  Other alternatives were to wait until Monday.  We missed the airshow yesterday and today in Whitcourt, but we couldn't have found a better spot to
be stranded at.  We could walk to everything!
    After a glass of wine and a nce dinner at the Green

Gables, we will sleep well tonight, I'm sure!

Edmonton and Holding. . .

We are in Edmonton, AB today and part of tomorrow, on our way to the Alaskan Convoy.  Yesterday, we started having truck troubles so today and at least 1/2 of tomorrow we are waiting to have new head gasket put in. That part was a mere $42.  It's lucky David could diagnosis the problem, fortunate that we could find a gasket, and fabulous we found a shop that would fit us in today or tomorrow.  David could have probably fixed it, but he worried about twisting off a bolt and then being stuck with another bigger problem so we have it in a shop.  Luckiest of all was the fact that were six motels within walking distance since our camper is locked up tonight in the shop until tomorrow morning.

We chugged into Edmonton this a.m. and the truck kept getting worse.  We did get to the west side where we were at the regional parts store for Bumper to Bumper that we were told yesterday, had an appropriate head gasket.  Next, we tried several places to discover a place that would help David do the  replacement.  A wonderfully helpful parts person at the International Truck service center, called several places and finally directed us to Canadian Tire that runs a comprehensive repair shop.  They promised to try and fit us in today, and if not today, tomorrow.  So we are having a very laid back day.  For the afternoon, we walked to Arby's for lunch and then sat in the waiting room with nice comfy chairs and the Olympics on and pleasant folks to chat with.   Finally, when the shop was closing, we packed a small bag and came to a pretty nice hotel called Sandman.  We will have a leisurely dinner, and nice rest, and refreshed we will be and ready to roll, as soon as the truck is tomorrow.

We had a lovely shower this morning and this afternoon. . .Ohioans and others, it seemed quite strange! While out to dinner last night, I decided to make lemonade out of this lemon kind of day, and took pictures of the various provinces' license plates.  The NW Territory bear was my inspiration and then we searched for more.  Not every day can one see these. . .so you are seeing them from afar.  I haven't figured out how to edit photos in my mini computer yet, so that is why you aren't seeing some of them close-up.  Oh well!

Below numbers it says "wild rose country"  we haven't seen a single wild rose!

B

Almost to Edmonton, limping a bit

     The last two days have been long. . .over 400 miles each day.  In the beginning, we didn't think we could join some of the group for a show in Edmonton Sat, but after missing the main drag for motels last night in Regina, we put in almost 400 miles yesterday, and finally found a City Park camping area, in Lumsten, SK.  It was really very nice with lovely shower facilities, but we were too tired to do anything more than sleep!  We were awake at 5 a.m and finally quit tonight around 6:30.  There was a city park here too, but we decided we wanted air conditioning and some services, like email, etc.  In a dated motel, but sufficient with microwave, coffee maker, fridge, TV and AC. 
     Next issue is we may have a blown head gasket.  It began to seem like something was wrong when we filled up after having to use one of our extra cans of gas about 100 miles ago.  The engine doesn't seem to want to idle but it drives fine on the straight away.  David hopes to run into the repair crew tomorrow in Edmonton and has a head gasket to pick up there, as well.  We have been on Canada 16 since reaching Battleford, SK and the driving has all been on four lane hwys., so that has been helpful.
   The scenery in SK is beautiful, all farm land and many oil wells, but very sparsely populated.  The minute we came into Alberta, it seems more prosperous and many oil wells again.  The farms are larger and seem more tidy.  Dad has remarked that everyone has new fancy trucks.  Gas is about $5.00 a gallon, $1.25 a liter.  Yikes!  25 gallons came to over $100.

Early rest stop on July 26 and same place with landscape in backgroung

Drake, there's a town in Canada named for you!

First time we were close to not making it to a gas station.

Arrival in Jamsestown, ND

After a delightful visit with our niece's extended family, a perfect B &B experience at the home of Ross & Kayann Rieche's, we were on the road by 7:45 a.m.  With no problems with our 1952 Dodge,Korean Era ambulance, we made it to Jamestown, ND as planned.  We thought of going farther, when we arrived at 5 p.m. and then we realized that we were in Mountain Time, so perhaps we should have continued.  But it had been hot and windy all afternoon, so we were ready to stop.  Also, we were told that because of the oil boom here in ND, few motel rooms were in our future destinations in the state.  So tomorrow the goal is to get over the border to Estavan, SK or perhaps a bit farther, if we get an early start. 

The highlight of the day was a coffee ice cream for me and a butter brickle for David, mid afternoon, at the first little town in ND where we stopped for gas.


Photo:  Clarkfield, MN leaving Carrie Dorson (kids were still asleep) 

Visiting Niece & Kids in Clarkson, Minnesota

We visited another Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN,
about an hour from where wevisited our niece. The museum was very complete with a replica of a
a sodhouse, a church, a school, in an old train station.  We had a rain storm all morning and I was the baler since the truck leaks around the
windows.  It was nice to be cooler so I didn't complain.  In the afternoon, it warmed right up again and got close to 90 degrees and muggy.  The stop at the Jacobson's in MN including a lovely dinner with Carrie's entire family.  They were so interested in our journey,  a small town newspaper editor they knew came out to interview us and took photos.  Guess we are almost "famous!"
We are hoping to get to Jamsestown, ND tomorrow and be in Canada the following day.  We're also praying the temperatures get cooler but not

too cool as we get farther North.

Leaving Chicago and grandsons & heading NW

A short over night stop in Chicago and we were headed NW through the edge of Wisconsin, into Iowa and into the edge of Minnesota for a short night stay in Harmony, MN.  First, it was too short a visit with our younger two grandsons and their parents, but the hospitality was excellent.  The boys were excited about the ambulance and explored it thoroughly and tried any buttons they could find and pretended to drive, by taking turns at the wheel.  We remembered to have Meredith take our photo in front of their home in Lake Forest.  We did encounter about 45 minutes of stop and go traffic at the circle in Chicago, even on Sunday afternoon.  Our trip on Monday across Wisconsin, the Mississippi River, into Iowa and into the edge of MN on our way to Clarkfield, MN to visit the family farm of our nephew Dan's wife Carrie and their 3 children. 
I was really impressed  by the rolling fields of corn and beans in Iowa.  Wisconsin farm fields seemed to be in drought, but Iowa's fields were in pretty good shape.  Another feature on many barns was an approximately 5x5 foot quilt pattern.  We must have seen about 15 barns each with a different quilt pattern.  Lastly, David took a picture of me in front of an Iowa museum devoted to Laura Ingalls Wilder.  We arrived too late to visit the museum which is housed in an old bank.  We are hoping there is rain tonight and it cools off.  It is suppose to be in mid 80's and less humid tomorrow.  Today it was at least 95 degrees and very humid. 

Arrival at Marblehead, OH & Chicago

O

 The Alaskan adventure began by leaving at 7:30 Friday night, July 20, with the "troops" to help open the new Port Clinton Aviation Museum on Sat., July 21.  The journey took more than 3 hours to go 90 miles since we went all back roads.  On Saturday, David and the troops and vehicles spent the day at the museum and I included photos of David by several of the WWII planes.  The museum also has a PT boat docked at Port Clinton which they toured.    I stayed at the lake house and weeded my flowers and did some cleaning and I had the fun of visiting with a neighbor and also our longtime frineds, the Tittles.  Today, Sunday, we left early so as to get to north of Chicago to spend the night with our daughter's family.  The boys had a ball tonight using the horn and "driving" the ambulance. 
Off to Iowa tomorrow!  Hope it is as uneventful as today. The day was hot but the windshields open from the bottom and with the door windows open, we didn't seem to suffer too much

Departure Day, July 20, 2012

July 20 has arrived!  This was an earlier photo before the ambulance was packed.  David is adding a mount for the sign for the back of the ambulance plus a mount for a flag we will fly on the convoy when we get to BC.  Tonight we will be in Marblehead at our lake house and displaying the ambulance along with some of the other vehicles that David's "troops" will bring to the opening of the Liberty museum at the Port Clinton Airport.  Sunday, early, we depart for Meredith's in Lake Forest, Ill.  We hope Sunday travel through Chicago won't be a bear, or the Chicago Bears won't have a game!  I may not be able to post until I get there, since we don't have internet at the lake.  We are both hoping the first leg of the journey will go well.  At least the weather has cooled.  Did I mention I have a fan if the cab becomes to hot.

Day minus one to depart for Alaska

 TIME TO BEGIN. . .

Thursday, July 29, the last night to get organized, and we are getting close.  David found the vehicle registration today for the ambulance, so we can make it through customs.  I took an online CPR class which was suppose to be free, but not the certificate. I hope I can sweet talk my way onto the convoy anyway!
 I did print the directions, so Dad is set if it is needed!
I will be sending a list of our itinerary and phone numbers I know.  It may change as we go along.  I am too tired to be excited yet. Oh, a microwave has been added since the photo so I can even be cheerful in the mornings, if I can get that cup of coffee.  I hope about 300 miles a day is doable, since we want to be in Dawson Creek, BC to start with the Convoy!  More once we are on the road and I have wifi.  I just figured out how to do photos from this computer and I moved them around to make it prettier.  Can I do it from the iPod, we will see.  More later.

Ten days and counting

Ten days until departure.  Food is planned and packed but still not ready to head out.

Fan in cab may help us keep cooler.  Hurray!  All lights work and have a laminated map for decoration in the back.

Birthday boys in Boston!

Today, we celebrated Nathan's 10th  and Alex's 8th birthday early since the Alaskan Adventure is looming and I won't be able to visit again this summer.

Little Engine that could. . .Blog!

July 2, 2012

Today we are testing the blog for Alaska, in Boston.  I am having some expert advice from my son Matt and Susan.  The boys might be impressed if I find some bears to photograph.   Getting ready to hit the road, only 18 days to go!  Keep checking!