Tok and Fairbanks

June 16, 2010

The wind did let up during the night but then it started raining. Not real hard but enough to get everything wet. So we dilly dallied around and had decided to layover a day and wait for better weather to move on. However, somewhere around the middle of the day (we have been confused on the time) conditions improved enough we were willing to pack up and move on.

We knew it would be a hard day driving. The section of road from Destruction Bay to the Alaska border is in worse shape than what we remembered. We went through several construction zones and threw a lot of mud on the front of the camper. It dried like cement.

Previously I had mentioned 'frost heaves'. The roads cause the permafrost to melt and the road sags and breaks up. Roller coaster type roads. That would not be too bad if that were all. The worst thing is where the road seems to have big ditches in the middle of it, that wander back and forth. If we saw them at home we would think it was caused by tractor trailers. Not these. Some are at least three feet wide, several inches deep and up to 50 feet long. I finally resorted to tactics I had learned here previously. Use the whole road. If the oncoming lane was better and empty drive in it. Weave back and forth all over the place. That's called 'drunk driving' at home.

Stopped at Buckshot Bettys in Beaver Creek to have what we thought was a late lunch. I asked the time and was stunned to find out it was 4:00 instead of the 2:00 I thought it was. Like I said, we had been confused about the time zones and what time it was. We have gone from Alaska time to Pacific time to Alaska time in two days. You might be confused too.

When we came through US Customs they took our 3 oranges. Like they grow oranges here. At least they did not get more. In 2006 they got a bag of apples and a cut of meat we had intended to eat for supper. I wonder what they do with what they confiscate. Take it home and eat it themselves?

Well, we will be on Alaska time for a while, so maybe we can keep up with it. Heading to Fairbanks tomorrow where we will spend two nights and restock our larder.

June 17, 2010

Left Tok (rhymes with Poke) this morning. Roads much better. Saw 7 Moose along the way. We are now in North Pole, AK at the Santa Land RV Park. Next door is the Santa Claus house with a pen full of Reindeer (Caribou).

Got here mid day and did a grocery run. Then to Wal-Mart. I needed a voltmeter to check to see if I was getting current to the battery for the camper. It has not been charging. While we can get along without it, it does limit where we can camp. We need it when dry camping(that is,without electricity). The battery checked out OK. When I got back to camp I confirmed that no juice was coming to the battery. Upon closer examination, I found where it appears that a 20 amp fuse has vibrated out of a circuit. Will get one tomorrow and replace it and see what happens. Hope that will fix it.

Talked to one of my friends in Denali today. Plan to get together with she and her husband sometime in the next few days. Joyce and I plan to spend the day being tourist in Fairbanks tomorrow.