I was happy that it was raining the Friday evening that Matt flew into Portland. Mostly because everyone flying from the East coast expects it to be raining when seeing the Pacific Northwest for the first time. I picked him up at 10 at night after I had spent the day hauling the trailer from the high desert to the coast. I had a reservation at Jantzen Beach for a couple nights, which is just north of the city and closer to the airport. We stayed up late acclimating with wine and then enjoyed a really leisurely day on Saturday before heading out for an afternoon adventure on Alberta Street. We hit happy hour at the Tin Shed Garden which also happened to be a foodie hot spot for Matt's particular favorite foodie, Guy Fieri. We strolled up and down NE Alberta for a bit to work off the sweet potato, black bean, jalapeño, cheese and raspberry jam stuffed quesadilla which we happily consumed.
Before I keep going, I should explain that my brother-in-law (and this will be the last time I use that ridiculously long phrase in this write-up) flew to Portland to be my co-pilot for the drive north. Brian is still away at work and I finished up my seasonal job in Eastern Oregon and wanted to scurry up to Alaska to begin working at the winery again for the summer. Seeing that Matt had never been to the West coast, never mind Alaska, he was my first call for the job. Slightly apprehensive, definitely nervous, but mostly excited, he agreed.
Sunday was our sea trial. We hooked up the trailer and drove 6-7 hours north to Birch Bay State Park which is in the Northwest corner of Washington close to the Canadian border. Brian and I stayed here last summer as well. I decided that we would take the same route that we did last year. Everything went really smooth and Matt got a small feel for life on the road (well paved roads). The sunset we watched from the beach was spectacular. We planned on having a fire at our campsite but decided to bring a cheeseboard and wine to the soft sand and warm sun instead. Not having a campfire came to bite us in the ass, but more about that in a minute.
Monday morning we overslept but it didn't set us back all that much. There were no hook-ups at this campground which makes things faster when you are packing up and heading out in the morning. We felt pretty confident as the wheels rolled up to the British Columbia border. The confidence diminished after the customs officer handed me back our passports and slip of paper and asked us to pull around back and come inside. Yeah, at this point, I was uncomfortable. What was probably only a few minutes, felt like an hour until the agent called me back up to the booth. After answering all the same questions twice from the two officers we've spoken too, it all came down to the firewood. He asked if I had some, I said yes, then he said we'd have to return through US customs, get rid of the firewood and then come back through B.C.. We gave the bundle to a lovely group of ladies at the dairy that were happy to help us out. I grabbed a milkshake for me and a Dr. Pepper for Matt and got back into the ring for round 2 with the border crossing. We passed with flying colors and were finally on our way. I have to mention though, never once did the officers check to see if we had the firewood in the first place and definitely did not inspect to see if we got rid of it. Just saying.
Important steps when driving through Canada - Step 1: Turn the metric system option 'On' in your vehicle. Step 2: Add "eh" to the end of every sentence and question, eh? Step 3: Leave your firewood and firearms at home!
We camped at a Provincial Park called Lac La Hache just south of Williams Lake. The camp host was a Bruins fan. Also, the ranger never came around to collect the camping fee, it helped a little after our first encounter with Canada. We drove a respectable amount of kilometers for our first day considering everything else that had occurred earlier. From Sumas, where we crossed into B.C., we hopped on B.C. 1 north, the Trans-Canada HWY, and avoided going through Vancouver. Last year Brian and I took B.C. 99, the Sea-to-Sky HWY which went right through the downtown, I like Route 1 better. It was a scenic drive along the Fraser River and the most northern section of high desert.
After Birch Bay, I did not have any other camping reservations set up. Way of the road, Bubs! We'd drive as long as we wanted but kept check-points along the way seeing how we felt at each one as the day went on. We were strict with our 0700 wake-up but would often see the clock and wonder how on earth it was already 1600. Side note, Matt has no idea what time it is when I'm using military hours such as now.
We picked up Route 16 in Prince George and the road nosed us west. We made a couple of vital stops while still in civilized areas. First we stopped at the tire shop where a nice technician torqued the trailer lug nuts because the tires were through their break-in period. We also picked up a more versatile tire iron and stopped at the Chevy Dealership to grab some DEF for the truck. Finally getting that confidence back, we pushed on and pulled into Tyhee Lake Provincial Park for the evening. This park had showers! Also, the park ranger, Linda, came around to collect the fee and offer firewood for sale. We couldn't help but to decline the offer due to our current track record with cut lumber and Canada.
On Wednesday we took on 37, the Steward-Cassiar Highway. Brian and I saw a lot of wildlife on this road last season, so I was looking forward to it. It didn't let us down, Matt-o and I saw 15 black bears and 1 moose. We really pushed on this road, almost completing it in a day. All the lake side sites were taken by the time we pulled into Boya Lake after 2000 but we found a suitable site and quickly got set up in the rain. Matt was becoming more comfortable with the camper duties and took on the responsibility of directing me into a space as well as unhitching the truck if necessary, and getting us level and putting down the jacks. Tortellini with a spicy Alfredo sauce for supper, a game of cribbage and a little of Avatar completed the evening. The next morning the rain lightened and we walked down to the turquoise lake for a few photos before we hit the road.
We finished up the Cassiar with a couple more bear sightings and a fuel stop at the Alaska Highway Junction. We nicknamed the gas attendant, Dirty Dale, he was a real hoot. Finally on the AL-CAN, we trucked on to Whitehorse without blinking. Matt drove for the first time on this section, which ironically happened to be the worst section we'd driven through so far. The road construction was very raw and very rough. He did great though! There is no easy way to get over some of the terrain other than to go really slow and let others pass when possible. We pulled into Haines Junction with less than a quarter tank of fuel in the truck and in our stomachs. But I knew Kluane Lake was only about an hour away and it is the most beautiful place to spend the night so we pushed on. We repeated the tortellini dinner we had the night before and enjoyed a peaceful night by the Lake. It is truly a serene sight.
We awoke to rain and low hanging clouds but bright spirits because we were getting to Alaska today! A crepe bakery in the middle of nowhere allured us and we stopped for a coffee refill and second breakfast. It was amazing. The US border was much easier to cross and we pulled into Tok by mid afternoon. Hot showers, cell phone service and dinner at Fast Eddy's were all wonderful rewards for making it to Alaska in once piece.
Now that we'd made it to the 49th state, I wanted to take a little time to show Matt around a bit. We left the trailer in Tok and let the truck run free as we drove up to the tiny town of Chicken, AK which has a population of 12 in the summer and 5 in the winter. It is an old gold mining town and a truck stop between Dawson and Tok. There was a lot of road construction on this road, I was thrilled we did not have the trailer behind us. Though, plenty of others were on their motorcycles or had their fifth wheels in tow. We had lunch at Chicken Sue's place, chicken pot pie of course.
After the excursion to Chicken, we headed back to Tok and took a breather and then hooked up the trailer for another couple hours of towing. 180 miles later with sun still high in the sky, we arrived in Glenallen and pulled into Dry Creek Campground for the night. We had dinner at the Fireweed Grill and then grabbed some beers from "Cookie" and her "old man" at the local package store. Both pretty beat, we had an early night. The next morning we ventured out again without the trailer. I wanted to show Matt the majestic Copper River. It is, in fact, where I first fell in love with Alaska and I could never be so close and not go see her. Luckily my favorite art and gift shop, Spirit Mountain, was open as well as the Chitina Hotel. We had an amazing lunch at the bar and then drove down to the river to watch the dip netters pull out some sockeye beauties. Still on a time schedule, we repeatedt the routine of the day prior and headed back to Glenallen to pick up the Hideout and continue on to Anchorage. The Richardson highway is much better than most of the roads leading up to it so we could maintain a normal speed.
My old pal, Keith, came over to Eagle River Campground once we arrived and the three of us headed out for some wings and monster beers. Literally, they were 32 oz. mugs. We had a really fun night out.
The next morning Matt-o slept in and I ran out with the truck to grab some groceries and a couple cups of coffee. It was the last day we'd be on the road together. To say the least, the drive was somber. But it was really an incredible feeling as we completed the Seward Highway and pulled into the final destination. No flat tires, no broken windshield, no problems the entire trip whatsoever. It was truly an accomplishment.
Matt flew out of Homer the following evening. After a really easy morning, laundry and a couple errands, we headed to the winery to visit my work family and a have a tasting. It was perfect for a rainy afternoon. From there, we drove out the road looking for moose but turned around so we could make our dinner reservation at Cafe Cups. Dinner was amazing.
All of Matt's flights were on schedule and he made it back to Boston the following afteroon. After dropping him off at the airport, I came home and sat in the truck for about 25 minutes. I am never good on transition day. Our brother/sister travel bubble inevitably burst. Matt returned home to his life and routine and I began my new one at the winery the next day.
The best thing about these bubbles, very much like the real bubbles you blew when you were a kid, no matter how short lived they may be, they are filled with everlasting memories, love, beauty and wonder. Thank you so much Matt for being my co-pilot, companion, ride or die b*@!& and most importanly, my brother.
Matt's first dip in the Pacific
The mobile command unit
