Muncho Lake to Fairbanks, Alaska

So much has happened since I last blogged.  We are just too busy and many times we have had no internet.  But here in Fairbanks we have good internet so I will try to catch up!

After Muncho Lake we went to Laird Hot Springs.  Since we were cold from our stay at Muncho (where it rained most of the time), soaking in the hot pools was a welcome relief.  After Laird we arrived at Watson Lake and spent most of the morning installing the sign that Ron Poutney made for the group that is traveling to Alaska this summer.  It is a great sign and in a great place in the front of the sign post forest.  We used the library internet, did some shopping and visited the visitor's center in Watson Lake.  Our pick of boondocking spots was not very good on this night since we chose a church parking lot on an indian reservation.  When a local came around at 10:00 and said we needed to pay $10 per rig we packed up and went on down the road.  Luckily, there was a rest area close by.

     Whitehorse, Yukon was our next stop.  We stayed at Pioneer RV Park in the dry camping area which used to be free but now cost us $10 per night.  We stayed two nights - did laundry, walked around town, and went to the Frantic Follies (a vaudeville performance at one of the hotels).  During our stay at Pioneer RV a black bear walked right by our rigs.  Quite a thrill!

     We have been fortunate to find some very nice boondocking spots.  After Whitehorse we stayed at a large area by Crazy Creek Bridge on our way to Dawson City.  When we got to Dawson City we asked a closed gas station if we could park there for a few nights.  The couple that owned the station said of course and  we all became great friends, even inviting them over for HH one night.  During our stay we drove to Quartz Creek and visited some friends we meet in Whitehorse.  This couple owns the ground that Gold Rush (a reality TV show about mining in the NW) was filmed on.  We spent the day with them and even got to pan a little gold.  Very nice people and they are from Oklahoma!  The rest of the time in Dawson City we played tourist - going to the museum, Robert Service cabin, Keno sternwheeler, Grand Palace theater, and checking out the ferry we need to take to cross the Yukon.  We left on June 6 when the sun finally came out so we could cross the Top of the World Highway when it was clear and sunny.

     After taking the free ferry across the Yukon we drove the Top of the World Highway for a couple of hours and then found this incredible spot to boondock.  Off the road about 1/4 of a mile to a large lot that was an abandoned mine building with only the foundation remaining.  Beautiful!  The next day we drove across the US border and had lunch in Chicken.  That night we found another great spot in a large gravel pit.

     We arrived in Tok on Saturday, June 8, and meet up with the last member of our group - Sally and Gregg.  After fueling, washing rigs and toads, dumping and filling tanks and getting our free fudge (Alaska Toursaver coupon) we were off again.  And again we found a beautiful spot by a river to spend the night.

Now we have been in Fairbanks for 3 days.  During that time we stopped at the North Pole, spent a lot of time at the UofA museum, did the Riverboat Discovery, and took a tour of the Large Animal Sanctuary of UofA.  Tomorrow 6 of us (and Chica) are flying to a lodge in the northern part of the state for three days.  It will be an adventure!  Here are a few pictures -