We left Jasper at 6:05am for Fort Nelson. This marks the longest drive yet (10.5 hours). Right away once we got back onto the main road, we saw a pack of caribou, they didn`t have the biggest antlers but it was still exciting and helped wake us up a bit. On the road again ... switching between music/talking/silence. We missed a sign. Yup. We didn`t stop at the sign marking the start of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek...big oops.
Fort Nelson (July 25-26) - We read in our bible (The MILEPOST: which covers mile for mile in Alaska, Yukon, B.C. Alberta, and the Northwest Territories) that the Ramada Limited in Fort Nelson had "ample free parking" so we kinda got our hopes up that we`d be staying in their lot, come to find they`re in the midst of building an addition and that took up our lot! So driving around looking at our options, we ended up parking at the IGA (grocery store). It was nice and quiet honestly, better than the $35+/night spots at the nearby campgrounds where you are on top of one another. We had the whole lot to ourselves! Sam got on a conference call right away and I walked to the liquor store to get rum and pina colada mix ... because why not? Thanks Jon for the magic bullet!! Sam had to wake up early to work again. Once he was finished, we dumped our black/grey tanks and filled our fresh water tank outside their visitor center for free (have I mentioned before that we like free?). Our next stop was Watson Lake. Along our drive we saw more caribou, 2 bighorn sheep, bison, and bears (finally)! Some say the bible speaks to you, ours sure did. Our bible (MILEPOST) was telling us that we were going to pass "world-famous cinnamon buns" so we had to stop. The nice women in front of us even covered the cost ($5) and told us to pay it forward - ok, we can do that! These cinnamon buns are big, soft, and delicious!! If you ever find yourself driving the Alaska Highway, we recommend the stop at Tetsa River Services and Campground (building pictured below) to get one for sure. Well, that`s it for British Columbia Pt.1 ha ... Pt.2 will be more adventurous as we explore the Vancouver area!
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Calgary (July 21-22) - It was a long drive from Moose Jaw to Calgary (just under 7 hours) with 35-mph gusts of headwind. We finally made it to the Walmart connected to the Westbrook Mall. Seemed like an alright spot and we were parked next to a few other RV set ups. About to go to the liquor store and we get a knock on the door from a Peace Officer letting us know we have to move - no overnight stays because the groups that were there the week prior for the Calgary Stampede left a huge mess and ruined it for everyone else. So we got our drinks and were on our way to the next closest Walmart, along with all the others. When we parked at the new one it was clear we were in a better area ... so we weren't upset about the move. We met Barb & Todd who were traveling with Todd's brother and sister in law. They were from Minnesota! After some light chat outside, getting to know each other, they offered to make Sam a bloody and let us take a tour of their RV. Greeted by two beautiful Gordon Setter dogs, we were in awe ... by the dogs and their home! We ended up chatting for 3-4 hours until we all realized it was past midnight and we all had big days ahead. They were one of the nicest couples we've ever met; giving us their bear spray, bear bell, Good Sam card, Safeway card, providing us with tips for our drive ahead and even exchanging American for Canadian dollars. It's too bad we weren't heading in the same direction! We hit a little stand on our way out of town to pick up some fresh cherries, plums, and nectarines. *We didn`t take any photos from here - oops. Banff National Park (July 22-24) - We knew we were putting ourselves into a pickle heading into the village on a Saturday in the middle of summer...oops. But we got lucky and after a couple laps found a spot to park (12 hour limit). We stopped at the visitor center to get the run down and pick up all the maps/info we would need and from there we walked through town and up the Tunnel Mountain Trail. What a view!! We met some great people along the way too; a couple from Oregon, a young woman who moved to the area from LA and had her step mom visiting, and a nice family up from Calgary. After the hike we freshened up a bit and walked to one of the Indian restaurants in town. I (Abby) was soo excited for this meal! We got chicken tikka masala and butter chicken with a side of naan and papadum. The food was amazing and we had a great view of the town and mountains! Campsites were full, but over our price range anyway, so we stayed at the Lake Louise Overflow which was $10.50 CAD, granted it was nothing special, but it was all we needed. The next morning we were hoping to get up early to beat the crowd at Lake Louise, but we both needed the sleep and didn't get going until 10am. Canoe rentals on the lake were $100/hour. I'm serious! And they were all out. We had our own canoe so that wasn't an issue for us, but we didn't want other canoes/people in our pictures. So we hiked up the Fairview Lookout and got a great view of Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau. The parking filled up quickly with no availability to Lake Moraine, so we unfortunately missed that one. We went back to the camper and organized a few things, made dinner, and headed back around 8:30pm to be out on the water for the sunset. It was cloudy and the sun was beaming through the mountains at points, but we never really saw it. There were three rental canoes out at this time and they were all on their way back so after about 10 minutes out, we had the whole lake to ourselves! It was pretty amazing. We paddled to the end, where the lake turned to a river and we were the closest we could get to the glacier. We pulled the canoe up on the side to relax out on the shore a bit. Nelly hopped out and ran around chewing every stick in her path. The clouds got darker and we could tell a storm was on its way. As we were paddling back the wind got stronger and stronger, first blowing at us from the front and then from the side (very close to tipping at one point). This was the most intense workout I have ever done! Made it out just in time. Jasper National Park (July 24-25) - We'd been hearing from others what a beautiful drive it was from Banff to Jasper, and we were pumped! The individual we spoke with at the visitor center had highlighted the main points to stop at along the way and you could tell he knew what he was talking about, so we just took his word for it. We stopped at Crowfoot Glacier, Bow Lake, Bow Glacier/Falls, Icefield Centre, Athabasca Falls, and our own spots - all beautiful in their own ways. We were planning to stay in Jasper for a while if the reception was good enough for Sam (he had to put in some days of work) but the closest spot to the town for us to park did not have a strong enough signal. We stayed at an overflow parking spot again, this one much more exciting than the one in Lake Louise, and spent the night planning our route to Alaska. We were up and out of there at 6:05 the next morning; 5 minutes late is pretty good!
Moose Jaw (July 20-21) - We got into Canada!! It was about a 3 mile drive from Ambrose to the border. Quite possibly one of the most deserted borders there are, they were so relaxed about everything; asked us questions and relied on our honesty, checked our passports, never asked a single question about Nelly, and we were on our way. It was just under a 3-hour drive to Moose Jaw where we were staying for the night, thanks to Boondockers Welcome. Before we got there we stopped into town at Original Joe`s to hit up their $3 happy hour. It was just 15 minutes away from where we were staying, which was a pasture with a horse, cow, and bull. The only instruction we had was to lock the gate behind us so they didn't get out. Nelly had a whole field to run around in, she was loving it! Used the night to get in touch with family and just relax.
Bismark (July 18) - We arrived late Tuesday night. Sam`s sister Ali was there with her three kids visiting a friend, so we decided to get some needed items shipped there to pick up on our way to Canada. Most important item; a roof rack for the new truck to strap the canoe down! Theodore Roosevelt National Park (July 19) - We stopped at the Painted Canyon Visitor Center on our way in to get the first good look and panoramic view of the park. We drove through Medora and entered in the South Unit. We drove the 36-mile scenic loop drive and saw lots of prairie dogs, along with buffalo. I think Nelly is getting used to Buffalo :) The drive was beautiful through the park so we decided to drive next to it on our way up to Fort Union. Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (July 19) - This is the site of a partially reconstructed trading post on the Missouri River and the North Dakota/Montana border. Yes, we popped into Montana for a little bit! Built in 1828 or 1829, Fort Union was the most important fur trading post on the upper Missouri until 1867. Sam`s 4th great-grandma was part of the Assiniboine Tribe, which was just one of the tribes that traded there back in the day, so it was pretty neat to see. Ambrose (July 19-20) - Founded in 1906, laid out on the Soo Railway in Divide County, the city was named after a railroad worker. According to the census, the population was at its peak in 1920, totaling 389. It dropped to 109 in 1970 and all the way down to 26 in 2010. We found the tip to stay here on freecampsites.net and we`re so glad we decided to check it out. There were many open/vacant lots in which you could choose from for the night. We met a man in his 70`s and asked where he was from, "I grew up here" he said, and we asked if there was anywhere to grab a bite or a drink. "Well, there used to be a great bar! Not anymore." he replied. This was really sad to us. To think this man grew up here when it was still a lively town and he`s just seen it get smaller and smaller over the years. We explored what was left of this town in the morning. Sidewalks over grown and old homes/buildings run down. The post office is still there though, so we sent out some mail!
The Corn Palace (July 14) - On the drive we were seeing signs for "Worlds ONLY Corn Palace!" ... they got us, we had to go! The Corn Palace is located in Mitchell and the building is decorated with crop art; the murals and designs covering the building are made from corn and other grains, and a new design is constructed each year. It was very fascinating! Oacoma (July 14-16) - We wanted to break up the drive from Minneapolis to the Badlands National Park so naturally we chose an area next to a river :) Oacoma is right outside Chamberlain and thanks to freecampsites.net, we found out that there were 5 free spots along the Missouri River. We got in around 9:30 pm and luckily snatched the last available site. Nelly ran around and explored, happy to get out of the car. It was HOT! Even at night. We woke up and I made an egg scramble with corned beef hash. Being our first morning, I set up the chairs to eat outside. That lasted all of 2 minutes due to the flies and other bugs. This free site had no electric so our camper became a sauna pretty quickly. "Well, lets go down to the river to cool off" ... great idea right? No! The flies are everywhere!! To escape the heat and bugs, we jumped in the truck and blasted the AC. We drove into town and went to Al's Oasis and some antique stores and also over the bridge to Chamberlain to grab some items from the Dollar Store. When we returned to camp we thought we'd try the river again - this time in the canoe. We got in and were a good 5 ft from the shore when the motor mount broke.... The current was strong and we weren't up for a paddle ride so back to shore we went. We booked it out of there by 8:30 the next morning. Badlands National Park (June 16) - We entered in the Northeast Entrance and stopped at the Big Badlands Overlook right away. Pictures and words do not do justice for this great place, you just have to see it. It was so hot that it was almost unbearable for us, yet alone Nelly. We did the overlooks but didn`t explore any trails. We drove the Badlands Loop Road and exited out the Pinnacles Entrance. Just north of there is Wall. Of course we had to stop at the tourist trap...Wall Drug. That was quick, grabbed a bite to eat and our free bumper sticker, and we were on our way. Custer State Park (June 16-17) - We got in and loved the area right away, unfortunately there were no sites available to camp (in our price range). Driving down the Wildlife Loop, we weren't seeing a thing and we were more than half way through. Right after saying "this will be such a waste of money if we don't see anything" we turned a corner and were stopped in the road due to a HUGE bison herd crossing. They were taking their sweet time! Custer State Park is home to a famous herd of 1,300+ free roaming bison. We also spotted mule deer and the burros along the side of the road. The next day we returned without the camper to drive Needles Hwy and boy oh boy are we glad we came back! It was such a beautiful drive with narrow tunnels and we even saw mountain goats looking down on us! Prairie Berry Winery & Miner Brewing Company (June 16) - Who doesn't like free wine tastings? The current winemakers great-great-grandmother immigrated to the Dakota Territory in 1876 from Czechoslovakia and had to adapt her winemaking traditions to match the landscape (using only prairie berries). They are the only winery in Hill City that produces all wine on site. We enjoyed each of the wines we tasted, especially their award winning Red Ass Rhubarb (90% rhubarb and 10% raspberry wine). We grabbed a drink at the brewery as well which had great patio seating. Echo Valley Park (June 16-18) - We wanted to stay in the area to hit Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse the following day and we couldn't have found a more perfect spot! This park was located right outside Crazy Horse and was fairly priced. With a total of 58.5 acres, the spot offered a great half mile walk down into the valley which had 3 ponds and 1 "lake". Nelly loved exploring the area and swimming. The area used to be a homestead with an old building from 1903, which the owner keeps up. We met a sweet couple in their 70's who were traveling the states from Baja California with their 20lb cat, Thor. We had great conversations and they even made us dinner one night. We ended up eating in the camper due to a storm...it was great to have our first guests! A couple days leading up to this we realized the black tank (a.k.a potty tank) was clogged....grrrrrreat. Sam stepped up and after shoving his hand down the pipe with a wire hanger, it was all good! That`s something we will never let happen ever again. Mt.Rushmore & Crazy Horse (June 17) - If you're playing the license plate game, this is the place to be...you'll cross quite a few, if not all, off your list. Both monuments get lit up late at night however we decided to hit them both during the day. Crazy to think that the all the heads on Mt. Rushmore fit into the face of Crazy Horse! We'll definitely return later on in our lives to see the progress that's made on Crazy Horse. Deadwood (June 18) - We were driving through so figured we had to stop. We walked a ways to the historic Main Street and found Wild Bill's Bar - the location where "Wild Bill" (James Butler Hickock) ate his last meal and was shot at point blank. Wild Bill was a folk hero of the American Old West known for his work across the frontier as a drover, wagon master, soldier, spy, scout, lawman, gunfighter, gambler, showman, and actor. The bar that we were actually sitting in was not in fact where he was sitting back in the day, the street level has risen a substantial amount due to two fires and two floods, but hey, it was close! Get this though ... they didn't even have their full liquor license! So the cocktail Abby got had probably 1/4 shot of rum...better than nothing? From there we wanted to get a bite to eat and we took our "bartender"s advice for where to go, but we think we fell into a tourist trap, their cheese curds were $8! Being from Wisconsin, maybe we're snobs about our cheese but Culver's has better curds for under $4!
Duluth (July 2-3) - The Minnesota state sign is right off the bridge from Superior so it was a challenge, but we got it! It was really busy, assuming so because it was Fourth of July weekend, but we managed to find a parking spot at their movie theater. The electrical in the camper was not working which put a damper in our moods but we figured we`ll take care of it later. We met Sam`s sister Ali, her husband Chris, and their three kids at Sister Cities Beach along Lake Superior and ate PB & J`s while skipping rocks and throwing sticks for Nelly. Then we walked along the boardwalk and explored a bit more of Duluth. They came up from Minneapolis to meet us so we got an ice cream and they hit the road. That night we parked outside a family friends house, which was just 10 minutes from the city. Jesse, and his roommate Maggie, had just moved in so we decided to go out for some drinks. Back over to Wisconsin we went, into Superior. The Anchor Bar & Grill, as featured on Food Network, was no disappointment! Their burgers are amazing! Boundary Waters (July 3-6) - We weren`t quite sure where the best place to go was but figured anywhere up in this area would be beautiful, so we stopped at an outfitter in Ely and asked for a permit and some direction. It was slim pickings but we ended up leaving out of Entry Point 24 and camping on Mile Island, which was on Fall Lake. What a perfect spot we got! This was the first canoe trip with the Green Bean :) We packed her up with all of our stuff and started paddling. We had one adventure day and one chill day. On the Fourth of July, we ventured off to see Newton Falls and had to pass through a portage to get there....never again. To top it off, the way home was against the current and the wind... we were exhausted by the time we got back. But lets think positively...we saw 8 bald eagles and 3 loons! We were canoeing down a creek when we spotted one eagle up in a tree and as we were getting closer for a picture, we spooked one that was on the ground enjoying a meal. It flew right in front of us - wow are they big! How`d Nelly like all of this? Oh she LOVED it, minus the flies, but she found her ways to avoid them (hiding in the woods). We just fell in love with the area. We had 2 beautiful sunsets and 2 HUGE storms. If you know Nelly, you know she HATES storms. The first was at night, we woke up to the wind blowing and quickly ran out to tuck away some loose items around the campground and attach the rain top to our tent. Nelly was so pooped from the days adventure that she did not seem fazed by it at all ... we jinxed ourselves though because then came the panting. We got to experience this all over again when we tried leaving the morning of the 6th. We were hoping to beat the storm, packing up everything but leaving the tent for last just in case. Good thing, because the storm showed up fast and we made a run for the tent. Sleeping bags and pads were put away so it was a cold floor and long wait. Luckily the sun came out and we made our way back to the car, dried everything out and hit the road. International Falls (July 6-7) - We ventured up here thinking we would be crossing the border into Canada. After the drive though it was pretty clear, the Tacoma was not going to work for our trip. If it can`t handle the midwest, it surely would struggle in the mountains out west. We slept at a Menard`s this night and made the decision to head to Minneapolis in the morning to stay with family and see friends while dealing with trading in the truck for a new one. We couldn`t just show up to a dealer with the camper and canoe...we`d look a bit desperate. So we needed somewhere where we could unhitch and leave all of that behind while shopping. Minneapolis (July 7-14) - Our mission was to find a new truck for the trip. We visited multiple dealers and ultimately decided on an F150. We love it, there is so much more room! Although it was not in the budget, we are happy we made this decision. Throughout the week we were able to spend time with family and friends in the area which was great. It set us back a week, but was much needed.
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