Geocaching -- near Tok, Alaska

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BEST THING: Actually getting to GO Geocaching cuz we haven't gotten to do it in ages! We did two caches:

The first one was near the Four Mile Lake. We had to walk on dirt and then on "muskeg" under the trees. (It's fun to walk on muskeg but kinda hard. When you step the muskeg squishes and your foot sinks in!) I got the prize from this one--a set of fancy barrettes. We left Elmo & Cookie Monster hair scrunchies!

The second one was over a BIG hill and then past that. I didn't find it--Jakob and Dad did. Jakob got a postcard for a prize and left some fancy button decorations.

The MOST SCARY thing was they went over a hill with tons and tons of snow. I sat near a bush and waited for them. At first Mom stayed by the road cuz she didn't think she could climb the steep part. But then when I was alone, Mom called and didn't get an answer from any of us. So then she came up to find me. Then I felt better!

FAMILIES should definitely try to geocache near Tok Alaska. The first one is good for everyone, but only do the second one if you have very big kids.

S.S. Klondike -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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The S.S. Klondike is a place that the entire family will have fun walking through on the tour. One of the coolest parts was being able to see the size and furniture in the rooms. The first class people slept in rooms about as big as me and Anna's!!!

On the tour you get to see the places the passengers ate, slept, and had fun.

Besides that, you can see the sort of cargo the ship would have carried, and how the ship was powered.

We had fun looking at all of these things and a few more.

Families--come here and take the tour for a fun time!

The Yukon Beringia Centre -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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We went to the Yukon Beringia Centre while in Whitehorse, and I had a lot of fun. When you first go inside there is a small room with a model of a type of cat that existed during the last ice age and was believed to be a hunter. One of the things we did was we watched a 17 minute long movie about Beringia.

After the movie, one of the people who worked there gave a demonstration on the atlatl. The atlatl is a piece of wood that is designed to work almost like an extension of your arm so you can throw a longer distance and with more force. The atlatl is about the length of the user's forearm and has a small point at one end facing the other end at an angle so it can hold the spear. I learned this from the demonstration and then I got to try it three times!!

Even without that the place was a lot of fun. All families should come here at least once.

Dad tried the atlatl also. Here are some photos:

Yukon Beringia Centre -- Whitehorse, Yukon

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The BEST THING was getting to see what a glacier might look like, complete with water running down. This was the best because I've always wanted to see what a glacier would look like for real.

I thought that hearing some of the stories and watching the movie were the MOST BORING things there. The reason I found this boring was because it was too complicated for me to understand very well.

I really think that FAMILIES should come here. Something that they need to do is look for the glacier wall.

Reid Cemetary & Reid Falls -- Skagway, Alaska

:-( -- Cemetary

Don't bother to stop and look at the cemetary if you have kids! Cuz it's really BORING!

:-) -- Waterfall

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Go to the waterfalls back behind the cemetary. We guess it falls about 600 feet---but not all at once. It falls from ledge to ledge to ledge all the way down.

We found a good place for a fairy house, but I didn't get to go back to it to play. We drank some of the water and took some back in our water bottles. It was GOOD!

The Northern Lights Centre -- Watson Lake, Yukon

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The Northern Lights Centre offers a spectacular Northern Lights viewing for people during the summer when they can't see them for themselves because it's too bright most of the time and there is almost no night. During the show they freely offer a number of the myths and legends that relate to the Northern Lights (or the Aurora Borealis) that were introduced by Gold Rushers and Indian People alike.

They also sometimes show a short program on space.

We had a lot of fun and I think that all families should go there.

The Signpost Forest -- Watson Lake, Yukon

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The sign post forest is a spot that all families should go to. Inside the info center there is a small museum about the building of the Alaska Highway and the Yukon. When we went into the museum we had a little fun looking at the things in there. These included a couple of dioramas, and a number of billboards with a bunch of information on the Yukon and the highway.

Another fun part was looking at the signs and seeing all the places people came from. We saw a lot of plates from Oregon and other spots. There were license plates, wooden boards with writing on them, and a number of city limit signs. There was a plastic bottle with a note inside, nailed to one of the signposts. There were a couple of toilet seats, two spots where we saw ONE boot (not related to each other!), a smooshed soccer ball and a couple of other weird things!

We put up our own signs for The ROCK (Middle Bass Island), a license plate from Denver, and a small thing about James. If you have a sign, you can go into the visitor's center and they will let you borrow a hammer and some nails.

Every family should come here and look at the signs!

The Signpost Forest -- Watson Lake, Yukon

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Of all the things that we did there, the BEST THING of all was thinking up our own signs. What made this the best was that even though we had help, we got to choose and stick up our own things for our signs.

I found that sitting around and staying so long was probably the MOST BORING. Part of why it was so boring was because there wasn't very much to do other than walk around and look at signs and play pretend which I don't always want to do.

FAMILIES should definitely come here and you have to bring and put up your own sign. If you don't have one, you can get wood from the hardware store to make one.

Liard Hot Springs

We had only one regret about stopping at these hot springs---that we didn't plan for a longer stay so we could take two or three dips instead of just one!

This place is amazing--the hot mineral water is very relaxing (similar to Glenwood Hot Springs in Colorado) BUT the pools here are mostly natural shaped. You can relax in the water, enjoying blue skies above, tall trees surrounding the pool, and mosses and ferns decorating the banks. The end closest to the hot spring also had a pretty waterfall which helped cool the water down a little bit.




Randy enjoyed challenging himself to see how close he could get to the actual hot spring itself---without boiling!! He learned from a young hotshot that as long as you keep your arms moving to sweep the hottest water away from you, it's okay. Saner me (?!) declined to try it!


There is also a cooler area at one end, past a small waterfall, which was great for Jakob and Anna. They liked that it wasn't so hot and I liked that it was shallow enough not to have to worry about them :-)

We will DEFINITELY return here again---and plan at least an overnight next time! (Thanks, Dad, for urging us to stop here!)

Liard Hot Springs

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Liard Hotsprings has two different springs as part of it even though it sounds like one spring to me. The two springs are called the alpha spring and the beta spring, the first one (alpha) is cooler and has a shallow bottom to it.

The second one (beta) is farther into the woods, is hotter, and is deep enough that you cant really touch the bottom even though you wouldn't want to touch it because its slimy. [Beta pool is in the above picture]

The alpha pool is in a crescent shape that splits into two parts, one that's a little bit hotter and the other part which is cooler which where me and anna went. We found two thick short logs that were floating inn the water as well as two tree trunks that span the width that we climbed onto and slid off of for entertainment.

It's great fun that all families should go to, and bring your kids!!

Liard Hot Springs -- BC

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the BEST thing: Sitting under the waterfall! The area that we swam in was fun cuz it had some logs. You can pretend that they are a boat! It was NOT a swimming pool...it was a NATURAL place.

the HARDEST thing: having to leave when we wanted to stay!!!

the WORST thing: It was a very hard time to put our feet in the water. My feet STUNG all over! It was TOO hot. We got in the big pool for a little bit, but then we went to the pool at the end, past the waterfall cuz it was much more comfy.

FAMILIES: should definitely come here. Even if you are going past here, you should stop here for a couple of hours at least---especially if you have kids! The kids area is shallow enough you don't have to know how to swim.

Muncho Lake BC

Plans--written 4/25/09

This is where the Alaskan Highway crosses the Rocky Mountains. Muncho Lake is supposed to be a beautiful example of a mountain lake. We hope to stay here overnight. We have a reservation for a lakeside RV site---but as of April 30th the RV park is still covered with snow. Hopefully it thaws enough for us to stay here on May 13th!

I'm sure we will have plenty of photos of the area when we pass through...

Review:

Yes, we have ZILLIONS of photos of the mountains surrounding the lake here. We indeed had a lakeside site---although the lake was still frozen so just white instead of brilliant turquoise blue :-(

As a warning: do NOT, repeat NOT, try to stay at this lodge. The prices were atrocious, the owner had told us a number of things that were either untrue or not feasible about the campgrounds, NOTHING was free including wifi and showers(although implied that it would be), etc, etc. I beat myself up for quite awhile about my stupidity in believing what was implied and for wasting our family money. Sigh...

Anna and I spent a number of hours on my bed--reading/playing and looking out the window to see from moment to moment which mountains were visible or hidden from sight.

Here are some of my favorite photos of that view:

Heritage Museum -- Fort Nelson BC

Plans (posted 4/25/09):

Randy and I have had an interest in old cars for many years. Jakob is beginning to find them interesting as well. Hopefully Anna won't get TOO bored when we drag her here!

According to reviews, the Heritage Museum has an "amazing collection of historic vehicles." It also has a trapper's cabin. (Maybe that will be of more interest to Anna?!)

We plan to visit this place on May 12th. We will let you know what we think!

For more information: http://www.fortnelsonmuseum.ca/

Review:

The inside of this museum was a jammed-packed hodge-podge of a little bit of everything old found in or donated from the Fort Nelson community. There were news clippings, photos, furniture, mounted animals, a canoe, fire equipment, boxes and tins of food and medicines, old tools (Randy said these looked just like in the old garage at his family's farm!), and more. Even Anna found interesting things in here!

I stayed inside a while longer, talking to the woman working at the desk. Randy and the kids wandered out to the shed holding all the old cars. The owner continues to collect any old vehicle he can get his hands on, then lovingly fiddles with them to eventually get most of them running again. These cars aren't JUST for show--a few of them get driven in local parades each year! (I know a few guys, including Randy's brother Rick, who would LOVE to get the chance to drive these beauties, I'm sure!)

The replica of a trader's cabin was interesting, although bigger than one would be for the usual single trader living alone. Yes, Anna liked it---but enjoyed looking for "treasures" in the main museum more than this building.

This place is DEFINITELY worth a few hours to wander through!

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum -- BC

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A few days ago I got to see a 101 year old car that had driven from Ft. Nelson to Whitehorse and back, a distance of nearly 1200 miles that go through mountains along the way! I got to see this at the Heritage Museum in Ft. Nelson which has a nice little inside museum as well as a lot of old equipment and cars. With the equipment we saw some of the bulldozers that built the Alaska Highway, some old tractors of several designs, and a few cars, most of which were still mainly intact and more or less recognizable.

We saw most of those when we were walking around outside and getting slightly cold...but when we were inside a car "shed" which was more like a barn, we saw at least 15 cars from various times that were all still running.

One of the cars we saw was an old Studebaker Champion with a bullet nose like the one that gets painted lots of wild colors in The Muppet Movie. Along one wall there was a whole line of old Ford Model T's and some Model A's as well. That was also the place where I saw the 101 yr old car that was still running.

This museum is a place that definitely should be visited by every family, and you should take a walk around the place as well.

Fort Nelson Heritage Museum -- BC

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The BEST thing: I liked seeing the old cars. I think the coolest one was the one that they drove all the way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. That was also the oldest one there.

The MOST BORING: We were there SO long. My legs were hurting cuz I was bored. I liked it at the beginning when there was so much to see. But then we were looking at stuff I didn't care about.

Families: come here for a little bit of time. The animals were especially interesting!
If my Grandpa Bob had gone here I think he would have liked the old cars best.

Dawson Creek BC -- Mile ZERO of the Alaska Hwy!

Plans -- written 4/25/09

We plan to spend 3 nights and 2 full days in Dawson Creek, British Columbia from Friday May 8th through Monday 5/11.

Dawson Creek is the official beginning of the trek to Alaska. It has a large milepost in the center of town---Milepost 0 of the Alaskan Highway. We will be sure to get a family photo standing next to this marker and post it here.

This will also be where we get an oil change, new air filter, and add extended towing mirrors and mud flaps to the truck. Then, Alaskan Highway here we come!

Review/Photos posted 5/11/09:

Here is a photo of our family taken by the ceremonial Mile 0 Marker by the Visitor's Centre in Dawson Creek. (We traded photographer duties with another family here at the same time as us to get one of the few FAMILY photos of us!)

This is a photo of the original Mile 0 marker one block away from the Visitor's Centre. The Highway originally went down the main street of town, now it follows the railroad tracks at the edge of town.

We indeed got the oil change and new air filter here in town. The only extended mirrors were in the next town down the highway, so we didn't pick them up til the day we left. Then Randy & Jakob didn't actually get them put on for another few days!

Dawson Creek History Museum -- British Columbia

I didn't mention this place in our plans for visiting Dawon Creek...but it was worth seeing. We spent quite alot of time studying the stuffed birds, trying to figure out which ones we had already seen. Aren't these owls cool?!

Anna wanted Bitty's (her unicorn) picture taken with the wolf.

Randy and I found the early snowmobile fascinating---especially since it was built by teen boys PLUS they have been given no credit for inventing the snowmobile, even though theirs was closer to today's style than the one usually credited as being first. They added a motor and a track to their old wooden kick sled.

I liked the working model plane. It reminded me of the big yellow one my dad had when I was a kid---and of the little red line-controlled one I made and flew with my dad. I had forgotten about those happy memories!

Dawson Creek History Museum

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The Dawson creek history museum is a place that is somewhat interesting to a little bit older kids because there is a room with a bunch of old things such as instruments, paintings, toys, and other household things. In the room before that, there is a lot of stuffed birds and animals (as in elk and that sort of thing, not toys). In the other end of the building there is models of the old train station and how it would have worked and the station masters house in the station.

Kids might like it but it depends on the things that the child likes, but bring them anyway.

Dawson Creek History Museum -- British Columbia

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The COOLEST thing: all the animals and birds that were there. They were in scenes. There were different owls. There were different water birds. There were big mammals. The mountain goat was cool. It's like a bighorn sheep. Bitty [unicorn stuffed animal] liked looking at the WOLF. The SAD thing: that all these animals got killed and stuffed.

There was also a HISTORY part of the museum. It was about people who traveled here. There was stuff like jewelry, a quilt, a OLD washing machine, other furniture, some clothes, and...a really cool model airplane. It really FLEW! Mom says that Grandpa Bob had one kinda like it and she had a little one.

Families should go here to see all the animals. The other stuff was kinda boring. Daddy liked it cuz it helped us figure out some of the animals we've seen.

Alaska Highway House -- Dawson Creek BC

Plans -- written 4/25/09

I'm excited to eventually visit this small museum about the construction of the Alaskan Highway. My paternal grandfather spent time in Watson Lake, Yukon Territories helping to build an airplane hangar while the road was being built. I like the idea that I have a family connection to the road we are about to follow all the way to Alaska!!

Here's a photo of part of the map of the highway from this museum, which talks about the significance of the air field in Watson Lake:





For more information: http://www.tourismdawsoncreek.com/alaska_highway_house.php




Review:

This was a small museum, but full of interesting detail. The combination of signage, quotes from journals or letters, and exhibits helped us better understand how big of an undertaking the construction of the highway really was.

It is absolutely amazing what was accomplished in just 9 months when put into the hands of the army---it would take years and years to do today, if it could even be done over the objection of environmentalists!


This photo shows a want ad put in various newspapers, looking for workers for the highway project. I'm not quite sure WHY anyone would have chosen to participate if not done involuntarily because of being in the Army!!


We also watched an hour long video here. Anna got bored, but the rest of us found it full of interesting information.

For now, this museum is donation based. I suggest a generous donation since it helps to fund future exhibits!

Alaska Highway House

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The Alaska Highway House is a place that all families should go to.

Inside there is a lot to learn about the building of the highway during world war II and other things about it. The highway covered a distance of approximately 1500 miles and was built in only nine months. It was really hard work. How the highway was built is one of the things you can learn there. you can go through the posters about it or you can just watch the movie that they have in the back corner of the museum...

I personally suggest that you read the posters and then watch the movie for a little more info.

Alaska Highway House -- Dawson Creek BC

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The BEST thing: the model of the Kiskitiwam wooden bridge being built. It was a really curved bridge and part of it looked like metal but it wasn’t. The next day we drove to see the actual bridge and walked on it!

The thing I wish we did NOT do: watch the movie. It was mostly people talking about the different people who were there and were building everything on the Alaska Highway.

Families should MAYBE come here…but do NOT watch the movie if you have kids!

Look at the pictures at the beginning---there is a jeep on a dirt road, an old car driving the road later, and an RV driving it like we are doing.

Banff (Canadian) National Park -- ALBERTA

4-25-09 -- We plan to make a day trip to Banff and to Lake Louis on May 5th. I have been told by many people over many years that this is some of the most beautiful scenery any where in the world! We will give you our own impressions after we see it for ourselves.

Unfortunately the Icefields Parkway running between Lake Louise and Jasper still have winter driving conditions as of April 30th, with full snow cover, so we are making this just a day trip instead of driving the full length of the park.

For more information: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/index_e.asp



May 6th -- We took a day trip to visit Lake Louise and Banff in the National Park. The visitor's centre was excellent at Lake Louise---focused on the geology of the area, including a video that Jakob enjoyed. We also liked the animals posed on "cliffs" in the lobby area--including a mama bear who finally had to be killed because she kept returning to the area campgrounds, no matter how far they flew her away!

Lake Louise is indeed in a beautiful setting, a high lake surrounded by mountain peaks. Unfortunately it was still ice & snow covered so we enjoy mountains reflected in bright turquoise green water.

We oohed and aahed over the views along the drive back toward Banff. Then we walked along the falls just outside of the town of Banff. They were quite different than any other falls we have seen---with many, many narrow channels of water jumping and splashing between layers of rock. That was definitely worth taking the time to see!

I've heard from a number of friends how gorgeous this area is---and it is indeed beautiful. But...since then we have travelled to many other areas that are just as beautiful...plus have almost NO people. We enjoyed this day trip---but I suspect we would have hated it in full summer with a zillion people crowding around.

Calgary, ALBERTA

4/25/09 -- We plan to spend at least part of a day in Calgary. It looks like there are a number of outstanding things to see (such as Historic Park and the Canadian Olympic Center), however the most interesting parts of these places don't open until May 16th. We will let you know if we find any "don't miss" sites in Calgary while we are there!

5/5/09 -- We visited both the Canada Olympic Centre AND Fort Calgary. Both were excellent places to visit with families.



I was surprised to find that the Olympic Centre was free to wander as you wanted. (The Museum and Hall of Fame had a fee---so we didn't bother with that part.) Because our family enjoys watching "Cool Running" about the Jamaican Bob Sled Team which competed here in 1988, we especially enjoyed getting a close up view of the bob sleigh track.

Randy and Jakob explored much of the entire length of the track. After exploring the bottom portion including the finish line area, Jakob and Anna played on a fun playground. I stayed there longer with Anna while Jakob wandered off with Dad.





Fort Calgary was one of the better history museums we have been to---excellent hands-on activities for kids. We really needed more time---so the kids could have done more playing at various points, and so that Randy and I could have looked through the "scrapbooks" filled with photos and journal quotes in the many areas of this museum.




Calgary is definitely an interesting city, although we HATE the urban sprawl, and how close all the houses are to each other. There are enough things we didn't have time for (or were here at the wrong season) that we will have to plan a longer stay some other time.