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.