Day 5: Dawson Creek, BC to Toad River, BC ( 399 miles)
Again, it was our intention to wake up early but we slept until 9. The level of exhaustion that can come from so many hours simply sitting in the car is unbelievable. In the morning, I feel so groggy and achy, and wish I could just stay in bed longer. Not sure if that is from driving or just from getting old!
We left our very sketchy hotel in Dawson Creek around 10AM and headed for Toad River. We filled our tank up with gas and stopped for a photo op under the Alaska Highway sign. Vanessa and I took pictures of each other, and then a very nice older couple from Indiana pulled up. We took photos of them and they returned the favor. After several minutes of friendly conversation, we began our journey across the Alaska Highway (or AlCan Highway) towards Toad River. The drive was uneventful at first. It is a nice road, very smooth with fun twists and turns that go up and down gently rolling hills. The posted speed limit is 100KPH (roughly 62MPH), but it seems that is more of a suggestion than anything else. Everyone goes much faster, unless they are driving a motor home, and passing is a pretty common occurrence. The only thing you have to be careful of is big game. Our eyes are constantly scanning for things like bison, moose, elk, caribou and deer!
Our first stop along the Alcan was at Pink Mountain for a bathroom break. It is a little tiny gas station / road-side stop / general store that is, according to the sign, run by Korey & Lory. They had a basket full of pins and Vanessa found me one with a Canadian flag crossed with an Italian flag – pretty cool and very random.
After our pee-break and shopping spree, we walked back to the car. Vanessa very eagerly asked, “Can I drive????” So she took over from there. We passed an incomprehensible number of pine trees (logging is no doubt big business around these parts), and many cautionary signs depicting various wildlife, as previously stated, of the big game variety. We passed a dead porcupine – no signs for those, but I suppose those prickly little guys are the least of one’s worries! Better that than a moose for sure. While we did not see any moose or caribou that day, we did see a brown bear snacking on some grass by the side of the road.
A few hours later, we stopped for lunch in Fort Nelson, BC at A&W. They not only had wifi, but they had POUTINE!!!!! It’s French fries with gravy and cheese curds: a delicacy! So delicious. We were very reluctant to leave after we finished eating. It is crazy to be so dependent on social media! There were a couple of people that were concerned we were being so public about our journey, but I think it’s a good thing that we are able to let everyone know who we are and where we are at all times; it’s more of a deterrent, in my opinion.
On our way out, I stopped a truck driver in the parking lot and had him help me fix the antenna on our CB. He was super nice and suggested we visit a place west of Toad River called Liard Hot Springs. We took note, put the antenna back on the roof and went on our way.
At this point the landscape started to change. The flat fields and forests turned into rolling hills and then they suddenly became mountains! Vanessa was still driving, and she had her first experience navigating a mountain pass. We traveled up above the clouds and with each turn our surroundings became more and more beautiful.
Our next stop was at Testa River. They are known for having the best cinnamon rolls in the world. According to Vanessa, “In my opinion, they were the best I have ever had.” It is a cute little restaurant / gift shop in an RV park, and I am sure we will stop there again on our way back down.
Following our brief stop at Testa, we encountered another bear. We pulled over this time and watched it as it feasted on the grass (it was hard to get a picture of, and there was no way we were getting out of the car!). It was just a brown bear, not a Grizzly. He was minding his own business, so we minded ours and continued on down the road.Shortly after, we were in another mountain pass, this time in the rain. Vanessa was still driving, and she did a very good job managing the narrow road that was sometimes paved and sometimes not. There was a lot of loose gravel and often times no lines and no shoulder.
Around 5PM we pulled into Toad River Lodge in Toad River, BC. It is located on a lake and boasts a collection of over 10K hats! I made sure to bring them one of my own. It was a florescent pink trucker’s hat that read “Get Salty” with a little map of the Hawaiian Islands. I wrote our names on the bill along with “Girls Go North”. If you ever make it there, keep an eye out for it!
Oh … and our room. It was exactly like reliving summer camp as a kid. We had twin beds with a tiny nightstand in between. Both beds were flush against the wall. A TV rested on top of a space heater and the toilet ran so much that I just shut the water off (I mentioned it to the staff, but they never fixed it). The accommodations were extremely basic, but it was perfect. It was a motel/camp with a charming gift shop, restaurant and gas station. And a lake. Rustic? Yes. Charming? Absolutely! Would I go back? In a heartbeat.
And so we went to sleep to wake up to the following day’s adventures.