We only spent a few days in Alaska on this trip.
Leaving Dawson City, we took the ferry across the Yukon River and travelled the gravel Top of the World Highway to the US border. We were very much looking forward to this leg of the trip and the famous views, but unfortunately smoke from forest fires near Fairbanks AK limited the visibility. The gravel road was in great condition and the border crossing was uneventful. There is some good pavement after you cross into Alaska; however, the Taylor Highway soon changed to a rough well-travelled gravel road as we continued on towards Chiken.
Chicken, Alaska is a must see.
The fun quirky little town of Chicken is a must see. With only a dozen or so full-time residents it is a settlement rich in gold mining history. There are a couple RV parks, a saloon, cafe, gift shop and liquor store. The town services gold miners in the area and the RV park was full of occupants who were there to pan for gold - many of whom were regulars who returned every summer.
ball caps and underwear from visitors from across the world
The saloon is a key attraction and is an absolute must see, with the ceiling covered in ball caps and underwear from visitors from across the world. A small deck at the entrance was a great place for a nice cold afternoon beer and to chat with visitors from near and far.
We stayed one night at the Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost and we would most certainly stay there again.
Frost heaves on the Alaska Highway highway made for slower going
Early the following day we packed up and headed down the Taylor Highway to meet up with the Alaska Highway and then onwards to our next stop at Tok, Alaska. It was the 4th of July and when we arrived in Tok the highway was temporarily closed to allow the parade to pass through town. We stayed two nights in Tok to top up with supplies and do laundry. We took a day trip down the Nabesna Road to Wrangell-St-Elias National Park and Preserve. Unfortunately forest fire smoke limited the views and photo opportunities, but we will most certainly visit again on our next trip to Alaska.
On the 6th of July we packed up and headed east on the Alaska Highway back towards the Canadian border. Frost heaves on the paved Alaska Highway highway made for slower going. The permafrost in the area results in signifiant frost heaves all along the route from Northway Junction, Alaska down to Destruction Bay Yukon. No big issues, if one drives for the conditions.
It reinforced one of the golden rules of travel in the north - always carry cash!
Crossing back into Canada was uneventful but we soon learned that the internet was down all across the Yukon. We later learned that a fibre optic cable had been severed in southern Yukon, knocking out connectivity to the entire territory. Stores and gas stations could not take credit cards so all payments had to be made in cash. Lots of people were not prepared for this, especially when it came to paying for fuel. We were good, but it reinforced one of the golden rules of travel in the north - always carry cash!
In the afternoon we pulled into the empty Lake Creek Territorial Campground. We had our pick of sites, picked a good one beside the creek and settled in for some nice grayling fishing and a cold beer...
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