CHICKEN,ALASKA & TOP OF THE WORLD HIGHWAY (TAYLOR HWY)

May 22, 2017 MONDAY

First job of the day ---- laundry!!!  There is a cute little camping laundromat right outside of Tok, Alaska so we went and did the laundry!!!!  Two days in the same underwear is above and beyond!!!  Now we have enough clean to get us all the way home!!!!

Then needed to fill that ole gas eating car up with some more fuel.  Buck the Buick is doing very good with his fuel but every so often he does like to have a fresh supply!!!!

11:00 AM -- we are off down the road to Chicken, Alaska!!  We have heard a lot about this town so it is imperative that we see it for ourselves!!!

The scenery again is incredible.  The day is another sunny one!!  You know God watches over us as far as the weather goes.  The only 2 days that we have had cloudy and rainy type weather this whole trip is on the Sundays --- when we don't travel!!  The rest of the time has been sunny and gorgeous!!  Not hot and cool enough that my sweatshirt feels very good.

Some of the roads are so very straight!!  You can almost see forever.

A forest fire remnant with all the new growth bursting forth!!

The Post Office at Chicken, Alaska.  The Post Mistress was working so we talked to her for a while.  She said that the mail is flown in on Tuesday and Friday and there is usually about 600 lbs of mail on the plane.  She said that they used to deliver to two old gents out in the boonies -- but they both passed away so now there is no mail delivery and all the people have to rent mailboxes and pick up their mail.

Robin -the Post Mistress of Chicken, Alaska - population 7 in the winter and the town that turns into a thriving metropolis in the summer with a population of 23!!!

Austin, the young med student from New Orleans that is biking from Skagway, Alaska to Deadhorse, Alaska!!!!  Two years ago he hiked from Mexico to Seattle, last year he kayaked from Anacortes , Wa. ( about 90 miles from our place) to Juneau, Alaska and now he is on this trip!!!  He is a student at Tulane University and hopes to be an ER doctor!!  I asked him if his mother approved of his escapades and travels ---- She is getting used to it!!!!!!  

Chicken has a total of 3 businesses.  Not too hard to find a place to shop in this town but you might not find what you are looking for!!!

Chicken was supposedly named by early miners that wanted to name the town Ptarmigan - but none of them knew exactly how to spell it so they settled for Chicken which is what they called the Ptarmigan. Chicken is actually an active gold mining community and most of the gold items that are for sale are made from gold mined in the Fortymile Mining District!

We had lunch at the Chicken Creek Cafe -- we shared a wondeful burger and raw fried potatoes!!!!  Trevor, a young man from Ames, Iowa cooked for us and we had a delightful conversation with him. He is working in Chicken for the summer and will be going back to Iowa about the middle of September when the tourist season comes to a close and things get locked up and the population returns to 7!!!

Served in a gold mining pan!!!  Well, it is plastic so obviously a replica!!!

And now back on the road, after spending some time and money at the local gift store.  It is so easy to spend money on the giftie things in life.  We were coming out of the store and someone yelled, 'HowDee"!!!!  It was John and Rita --- the people we met in Prudhoe Bay.  They are camping and spent a bit more time along the road than we did. It was great to see them again and we did a bit more laughing!!!!!

We drove out of Chicken and down the road and along the Jack Wade Creek.  We enjoyed the beauty of the rippling water that is bordered by a lingering bit of snow.

We found the area that is called Jack Wade Public Panning area.  We walked down to the river and looked around for a bit.  Saw some good size animal tracks and some other tell tale signs that something other than human had been there --- so we didn't stick around very long.  We have been wanting to see a Grizzly Bear ---- but not out there and a block from our car.  I told Howard to leave the car unlocked -- just in case we had to run!!!!!  Nothing like being a scaredy cat!!!

On down the road just a it and here we met Bernie, from Wisconsin!  He was by the river and searching for gold with his metal detector.  He said that he and his wife bought a claim several years ago - 17 acres for $12,000 and have more than recouped their money just in the gold that they have found.  I asked him about claims and he said that all the claims were sold back in the late 1800's and now the only way people can get them is to buy one of those claims from the owners or the descendants of the original claim holders.

I showed him this silvery piece of stone that we had found back at Jack Wade Camp and asked him what it was.  He said, "Oh, that is Leverite!"  I said, 'Leverite?' - "Yep, Leave er right here!!!!!!"  Boy, did I fall for that one!!

Good-Bye Alaska.  We crossed the border back into the Yukon about 7:00 PM Pacific Time -- we are back on our own time again.  We were the only car for miles around so we talked to the border agent for a while.  He is stationed here until September and will then return to his normal post - The Peace Arch Crossing near Blaine, Washington!!  About 30 miles from home!!!!  See - a small world shines through again!!

We were told that we would see numerous wildlife along the road.  We saw none - zilch - nada!!!!  But we did see this cute little bird - not sure what he is but he was quite friendly little bird.

We are traveling along the Taylor Highway which is also known as the Top of the World Highway.  It is really as if we are on top of the world.  We are literally above the trees and the mountains and driving along a gravel world --- on top of the world!!!!   AND  - it is up here that we met Christl & Wernel Schertz - a German couple that is traveling the US and Canada.  They shipped their motorhome from Hamburg, Germany to Halifax, Nova Scotia and have been traveling through Canada and the US and will be doing so for a total of 3 years.   Because of the legal stuff they can only spend 6 months in the US and then have to go across the border and then can again travel for 6 months in Canada and back and forth.  After they tour Alaska they are headed to Seattle and will store their motor home for a month while they return to Germany to visit their kids and grandkids!  They bought the truck and the truck box but then Wernel, a retired electrician built the inside of their 'home' on wheels. He said that it took him about a year.  They showed the inside to us and it is very cozy, complete with a shower and bathroom,  oven, stove, sink and all the comforts of home.  They were truly a delightful couple and we exchanged e-mails.  We had such a nice conversation with them and we laughed a lot.  Their English was very good as compared to our knowledge of German!!!!  I am starting to think that we should take some language courses!!!

                                                SCHNECKERL - THE LITTLE SNAIL

And now back on the road ------- to Dawson Creek, Yukon!

Love all the variegated greens of the hills and valleys.

A budding aspen!!  We have experienced the sprouting of Spring in Alaska all along the road and this is a closeup of all the colors of green that we are seeing in those beautiful mountains.  Again, we are seeing the beauty of God's nature - right up close!!!

The Yukon River.

The only way to get across the Yukon River to Dawson City - a free ferry, compliments of the Yukon Territory!!!!  The river is not that wide at this point ----- why has there never been a bridge built?  But who are we to ask the thinking of the government!!!

Stocking hat # 10 - complete!

And now it is 1:00 AM --- still light outside. I would say it is about equal to our 9:30 PM at home!!  But light or dark --- I'm going to bed!!!