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| Life on the open road |
It's not just the story of how the
Alaska Highway was built which fascinates but the characters along the way who make a living here in the middle of nowhere. Day One of our trip from Whitehorse in the
Yukon to
Dawson Creek in
British Columbia. (Around 800 miles) You already feel that every cafe or store owner along this route is your friend.
Never more so than discovering Andrea Underwood and her amazing baked goods. To a lass from northern England the sight of freshly baked pies and sausage rolls is like a call from the mother ship. Andrea keeps the bakery open year round in all kinds of weather for those needing emergency pastry. Delicious.
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| Not more splendour? |
The Highway which runs from
Dawson Creek in BC to Delta Junction in Alaska was a reaction by the Americans who feared attack on their west coast following Pearl Harbor. The road connected the lower 48 states to Alaska and was built in record time by American soldiers. When work began black soldiers were segregated but it is said that the building of the highway changed the way the military viewed them.
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| Teslin lake is 78 miles long |
There are plenty of slightly offbeat stops such as the Moose Hotel at mile marker 804 where stuffed animals gaze down at you as you drink your coffee and strange oversized tableaux of wildlife scenes live in giant glass displays. (moose attacked by wolves for example) Or the quirky but cosy Rancheria restaurant at historic mile marker 710 where I read a warning against feeding coyotes while eating butter tart and a pot of Earl Grey tea (yes folks no teabag garnish). I was impressed.
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| Catching up on coyote stories |
Other places to look out for along this stretch from Whitehorse to Watson Lake includes the
Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre where you can meet tribe elders and learn about how these native people are restoring their culture after many years of it being supressed. Don't miss the traditionally decorated canoes on the water's edge.
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| Big mountain, long road |
I haven't really mentioned the mountains but they are constantly in your sights - as you steer your course they seem to rise up at every turn - watching over the highway and the drivers who travel on it.
Read the next post:
Wildlife on the highway
If you want to know more about the Alaska Highway try these links. Let me know if you know any other good ones.
Northern BC Tourism
Yukon Tourism
Tourism Dawson Creek
PBS - great history of the Alaska Highway
The Milepost - tons of info here
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