Day 7: Whitehorse, YT to Tok, AK (387 miles)
Leaving the hotel in Whitehorse around 9:30, we made a quick stop at a full-service gas station before getting on the road. A very nice man pumped gas for me while I was eager to scrub the bug spatter off of our windshield. The Macan was starting to look extremely nasty. The front of the Thule clam was bedazzled with thousands of insects, and my front license plate was so caked that the number was barely legible. With no carwash in the foreseeable future, all one could do was to pray for rain to wash the goo away.
Having loaded up on gas and Red Bull, we got back on the road and hightailed it for Tok. The scenery quickly became beautiful as we sped through the Elias Mountain Range. After hanging a right to change our direction from west to north in Haines Junction, YT, we drove along the beautiful shores of Destruction Bay.
Just when we thought the scenery could not be any more scenic, we rounded a corner and the views became even more breathtaking than the ones preceding. We stopped in the town of Destruction Bay for a gas and potty break, and bought a few souvenirs (including maple syrup – Canadian maple syrup is the best!).
The more we drove on, the more the excitement built inside the Macan! Alaska was literally within spitting distance. After countless hours in the car and over 3500 miles racked up on the odometer, we were almost to our destination.
Before crossing the border, we stopped in Beaver Creek at Buckshot Betty’s for lunch. As we pulled in, we noticed a guy outside smoking. He spotted our car right away and asked if he could take pictures of it. “You don’t see too many Porsches up here and that’s my girlfriend’s favorite car!” In a thick German accent, he inquired about our journey, and we shared our little adventure with him.
The restaurant was also a bar, gift shop and hotel. As we sat ourselves, I overheard the German man reserving a room. He inquired to the hostess if there was wifi in the restaurant, and our ears perked up. No, it was only available in the rooms. This meant there was coverage, so I very anxiously turned the SkyRoam on and Vanessa and I eagerly logged on to social media. Feeling badly for the poor guy, I gave him the password to my mobile hotspot so he could use it too. He was very grateful.
Following the consumption of the best chicken noodle soup both Vanessa and I have ever had in our lives, accompanied by a giant slice of homemade bread, we got back on the road. Ten minutes later, we went around a bend in the road and there it was:
WELCOME TO ALASKA! We had arrived!!!!! Finally. After a quick stop at customs, we were on our way. The road was nice and twisty into Tok. Just a reminder, a big reason for wanting to do this trip is because the Macan is fun to drive. These are the roads we have been waiting for. And the landscape left nothing to be desired. From pine tree forests, to rivers, to little lakes and NO traffic, it was the realization of a dream. All the planning, all the anticipation, all the excitement: we were finally HERE.
In Tok, we stayed at a place called Young’s Motel that was attached to Fast Eddy’s Restaurant. We stayed in a super clean, newly constructed “cabin” (i.e., manufactured home). It was very comfortable and cozy. We ate at Fast Eddy’s for dinner. Vanessa feasted on French fries and chicken nuggets and I had a taco salad. Nothing fancy, but it was totally acceptable and satisfying. And the people could not have been nicer.