Weather at Dawson Creek, British Columbia

The Canadians are celebrating and are out in their tee shirts without coats because the temperature is a balmy 11 degrees C which is 52 degrees F. Yes, we are still wearing our winter coats!

Shelby, MT to Dawson Creek, BC

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We were fortunate to have three sunny, beautiful days of travel in Alberta with dry roads. We headed north from Shelby to the Canadian border. We didn't know what to expect with customs. When we pulled up to the window the customs officer asked Dan some general questions about where we are from and where we are going and looked at our passports. Then he told us to pull in to a parking lot and go inside. I was a little concerned but, of course, we followed directions. The lady inside took our passports and told us to wait. When she returned she called Dan to the counter and asked him some more questions. Then she called me up to verify that my passport was correct. We had to sit down again and wait. When she returned she gave us our passports back and told us to have a safe trip. As we were leaving I hoped it was not too obvious that I let out a big sigh of relief. It only took about 15 minutes but the fear of the unknown made it seem like more time had passed.



The terrain through Alberta was very similar to Montana. If we had not gone through customs we would not have seen a difference in the land. It was mostly brown with some snow on the grass. Did I mention that the roads were dry??? Yippee! The mostly flat grassland turned into rolling hills and some pine trees appeared on the sides of the road. I got a chuckle at the horse covered in a blue coat.



We went around Calgary and Edmonton with ease. The roads were well marked and easy to navigate.



Once we were away from the large cities we traveled through small towns. Thanks to the Milepost 2011 book that sits on my lap along with the camera, I can tell Dan the population, elevation, and other interesting facts about the towns. We knew we were getting into northern territory when moose caution signs were added to the deer caution signs.



We haven't seen a moose yet, but we stay on alert. I haven't done much reading during this part of the trip because I don't want to take my eyes off the road for too long.

It's been interesting trying to think in Canadian measurements: liters not gallons, celsius not fahrenheit, kilometers not miles. By the time we get expert at it, we'll be in Alaska!

Today, Saturday, April 23, we are going exploring at Dawson Creek. It's a neat city whose main attraction is that it is Mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway.  We have traveled 3779 miles from home, and are looking forward to the adventure on the Alaskan Highway. We have talked to several folks who have traveled the highway and feel pretty confident that we will have no problems. The weather ahead looks clear so we're hoping the roads will remain dry.

I'm not sure when we will get WIFI connection again, and we don't have our cell phones on. Depending on how things go we should be in Alaska around Thursday.

Happy Easter to all.

Monticello, MN to Shelby, MT

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It was a good idea to wait the extra day in Minnesota. When we left on Saturday the roads were clear and most of the snow was gone.  So we had an easy trip to our next destination which was Jamestown, ND between Fargo and Bismark. When I called ahead about a campsite the lady said there was plenty of room but she neglected to tell me that they had 12 inches of snow. When we arrived the parking area was clear but they had not plowed the campsites. So we had no choice but to pull in through the snow. Fortunately Dan was able to get us on the spot.  After we got the jacks down and slides out he decided to shovel the snow so we could get out the next morning.



He didn't have a shovel so he used a hoe and it worked. The next morning our prayers were answered and we pulled right out and headed on our way across North Dakota. We called 511 to get the road and weather report and the roads were good and just snow flurries ahead. When we started out the road was dry. As we headed west the flurries came and the road was wet. As we proceeded we entered into a snow squall and had about 40 miles of treacherous driving. Fortunately all Dan's years of driving in the snow kept him calm and in control. He did a wonderful job of safely getting us through the mess.

 

When we entered Montana the ground went from white to brown. All the snow was gone. Brown became my new favorite color! The drive through Montana was pleasantly uneventful. We stopped overnight at Glendive, MT and on Monday drove to Shelby, MT about 30 miles south of  the Canadian border. Today it is sunny and beautiful. We're taking the day to do laundry, clean up the vehicles, sort through mail that finally caught up with us. The USPS really screwed up our forwarding but that's another story.

So far we've travelled 2995 miles from Spring Hill so we're more that half way to our destination. Tomorrow we will enter Canada and expect to travel through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Yukon Territory on our way to Alaska. This will take at least a week and probably more depending on the weather and roads.  We have become accustomed to the cold and wearing jeans and winter coats. We don't know how much internet connection we will be able to receive in Canada so I don't expect to write again until we are in Alaska. 

Uniontown, OH to Monticello, MN

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We left Uniontown, OH on Tuesday and headed for Elkhart, IN. It was a beautiful and uneventful travel day. On Wednesday we appreciated having another picture perfect day for travel because our plan was to go around Chicago. Since we had never been there before we did not know what to expect. Dan did a wonderful job maneuvering through traffic with the RV and following the correct signs to get us around the city. I'm glad I did not have to drive the six lanes bumper to bumper!








We stopped in Wisconsin at Wisconsin Dells, the Waterpark capital of the world. It looks like a great place for families to vacation, but not in April. There were a few indoor parks open, but the majority of them were outside. We took a walk and were fascinated by all there was to see in addition to the waterparks: Army Duck tours, boat tours, race tracks, bungie jumps, magic show, zipline tours and many more.

On Thursday we traveled from Wisconsin Dells, WI to Monticello, MN which is west of the Twin Cities. The interstate took us around St. Paul and Minneapolis so we didn't see the downtown sections of the cities. We stayed a a campground on the Mississippi River. Here's where the weather went down the tubes. We planned to leave Friday morning to head west to North Dakota until we saw that they were expecting 3-6 inches of snow and strong winds. So we huddled in the RV with the electric blanket, ceramic heater, computer, good books, and movies we recorded on our Dish DVR. The roads should be clear tomorrow so we plan to continue west. When we cross over to N. Dakota we will have been to 49 states. Oregon is the only one that we haven't seen.

 Most of you know that we are Florida wimps, but we are starting to toughen up. At this point 60 degrees would feel warm!

  

Myrtle Beach, SC to Uniontown, OH

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The storms that caused damage in GA fizzled out by the time they got to Myrtle Beach. By the time we were ready to leave Tuesday morning it had passed through with just a little bit of rain. We traveled to the mountains of VA and stopped at  Hillsville, VA the first day. After we checked in at the campground as we headed back to the RV Dan noticed some white flakes in the air. I said that it must be pollen. By the time we got to our site and were setting up we were in a wet rain/snow storm. Fortunately it passed quickly but it was pretty cold. We went from summer in FL to spring in SC to winter in VA. Out first few days in OH were cold, rainy and ugly, but the weekend was beautiful with temps up to 80 degrees. Dan & Dan designed and built a cover for the Blazer to use in case we need it in Alaska. By using a rug, grommets and bungie cords they did a great job. Maybe since we are prepared we won't need it. We had a very nice visit with Dan, Kelly and kids. We had planned to leave today, Monday, but severe storm were to to pass through. We decided to wait it out and once again we just got a little rain. The storms went south of us. So tomorrow we head west to Elkhart. IN.

Fun in Myrtle Beach, SC

After spending the night at Brunswick, GA, we drove to Ocean Lakes Campground at Myrtle Beach, SC. Our oldest son Dan and family were staying in a condo for the week and they came to the campground Thursday and Friday. Our youngest son Doug and family brought his camper up from Goose Creek, SC from Thursday to Sunday. Our daughter Donna and family stayed with us in the RV. Our spot was three sites up from the ocean and near the indoor pool, miniature golf, arcade, and ping pong. The weather cooperated enough that the grandkids were able to play beach volleyball and basketball, and we took walks on the beach. There was plenty to do to keep everyone happy. We were very happy to get the whole family together.

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