Alaska Bound, FINALLY, Alaska at Last: The Estate Takes on Alaska

Copyright 2019, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

July 1, 2019

Happy Canada Day

Left camp about 10:30.

Arrived border check 10:25. Yep, another time zone. Now Alaska time zone. 2/3rds vehicles in line at border crossing are RV’s. 

Took till 11:13 to get through the border. Easy questions, handed over passport, asked what state rig was licensed in, plate number. Any egg by-products?  At least I think that was the question, I told her we had some left over eggs, “that’s ok she said”. Where you staying, I said, tonight Tok, after that and shrugged my shoulders.  She said - “good for you”. That was pretty easy. No questions on fruit or meat. We have no fresh fruit anyway, so cool!  We do have a few hot dogs. She did not ask. No questions about any pet. It felt like she processed us quite quickly, where some peeps took much longer.  I asked Man about that after I typed this and he said the exact thing. 

Stopped Visitors Center. of the Tetlin National Refuge, check out the sod roof!!

And the Alaskan Cache - - a storehouse on stilts. Homesteaders and trappers would use them to store supplies, sleeping gear, axes, saws up high to keep them from bears and fire or varmints. (Photo taken from the back)

Still some smoke, scenery - - 

Frost heaves, more frequent. And a bit more “juicy”.  Some pot holes, which I managed to miss, never hit one!  Ya me!  Talked to a lady on check in and she said they hit some, did not sound happy. But she was in a big ole class A, The Estate is a pip squeak in comparison, we can weave from side to side of the lane and maybe never get out of the lane. 

57 degrees give or take. Man tells me “coldest part” of Alaska.  

Mile marker 1289 we stopped. Nice over look. Man took over driving and road conditions improved immensely. Hmmmm.

Arrived Tok about 2:30 ish.  Checked in at campground.  Got site assignment, drove back into town to late lunch at Fast Freddy’s. Fuel, Visitors Center, supplies at the grocery store, hardware store (fail, but Man said it was quite the store).

I think this is a coffee shop - - isn't it cute?

Back at camp, the electric does not function.  With some assistance from Man the volunteer here fussed with the pole and we are now powered. 

This totem/wood carving is watching over the group campfire area - - 

Man and his new local girlfriend  - - 

 

The campground has a sourdough pancake tossing contest every night, if you get the pancake in the bucket on the second toss, not the first, only the second, you get a free breakfast here. I was exhausted and frankly I was not very interested. Man drug me up there, and yes, I had Sony III with me. This is what one does when you have no telie and on/off again internet. 

Look closely at Man's extended hand, you will see he has just let loose with his "sourdough pancake".  He did not win a free breakfast. 

Tired. It’s been 6 hard days of travel. 

Today we traveled 119 miles. We are about 4000  miles from the stick built.

And we are in Alaska! Ohhh. And no. We did not stop at the state line to get that photo. I was driving and was too focused on the border crossing procedure. 

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