And I Live to Tell...Barely

How did they do it during the gold rush? I mean, honestly.

According to a popular travel guide, the route I travelled with my sister and her four kids a little over a week ago (the world famous Alaska Highway!) is detailed as follows:

"Today, almost all of the two-lane highway is surfaced with asphalt. But it’s no freeway. There still are stretches where the highway is narrow and curvy, where it lacks center lines and ample shoulders. Also, watch out for sudden loose-gravel breaks where the pavement has failed or is under repair. Sometimes the gravel gaps are marked with little, red flags; sometimes they aren’t. And that asphalt paving can ripple like a roller coaster track in places where “frost heaves” are caused by seasonal freezing and thawing of the ground."

Yup, that about sums up the first day. I believe they use the term "paved" loosely up in them thar hills. Imagine if you will, a mini van loading down with two adults and four children...then take every available inch of free space and pack it with suitcases, diapers, movies, laundry - you name it. Needless to say, the back of the van was pretty close to scrapin' the pavement at full capacity; and when we approached the ripples in the road, the bottom of the van would scrape the pavement and make this terrible noise that is still making me cringe.

The guidebook also suggests that the trip from Fairbanks to Seattle should take anywhere from 7 to 10 days, but sis and I weren't pussyfootin' around. We made it in three.

The remainder of day 1 took us from Fairbanks, Alaska to the U.S - Canadian border in the Yukon Territory where we finally wound up in Whitehorse, YT at the end of day one. Tired, but still optimistic about the trip that lay ahead. At least we actually had hotel reservations on our first night - we weren't so lucky in some of the nights that followed.

The highlight of day 1, other than the beautiful scenery in Alaska was crossing the border into Canada. My sister had me freaking out about not being let into the country, seeing as I don't have a passport. If we got held up at the border, we wouldn't make the drive in the time that we needed to - I was really nervous.

The border wasn't what I thought it would be. I envisioned a chain link fence with tons of barbed wire and flood lights...you know, the whole prison atmosphere. Sort of like the pictures i've seen in the media detailing our Southern borders. The Canadian border isn't like this at all. We approached a large building and pulled up to a drive in window which reminded me of a really large bank. Then, the nicest woman I have ever met leaned out the window and started chit chatting with us like we were in line at the grocery store. Instead of the strip search and interrogation I had cooked up in my mind - she basically asked us a couple of questions, and then I swore she was going to invite us in for milk and cookies. Welcome to Canada!

The first thing I noticed as we pulled away from the border was that the posted speed limits are a lot higher in Canada - I was stoked...pedal to the metal baby. Yeah, that's because they're not in MPH....annnnd i'm an asshole American. After pulling into the hotel that night and putting the kids to bed, sis and I headed down to the bar for a much needed beer and discovered that they really do overuse the phrase "eh!" I was starting to love Canada.

Summer Road Trip '06 - Alaska to Seattle

I'm taking my first two week "vacation" since my college days. In fact, i've never been away from DC for more than a week or so...adios Federal City!

I say "vacation" because i've agreed to help my sister drive herself and her 4 kids ( a 14 year old, twin 6 year olds, and a 2 year old) from Fairbanks, Alaska to Seattle where she and her husband are moving. My brother in law couldn't get military leave to help my sister with logistics so it's little sis to the rescue. Not exactly the tropical vacation I had in mind, but i'm excited all the same!

So, what could be exciting about road tripping with a mini van full of bored kids (who I will also note, are prone to car sickness...)? The lure of the great american roadtrip! Now, i'm sure my bubble will burst about this adventure just as sure as a tire will burst on the most remote of Alaskan highways, but i'm trying to pump myself up about this as much as I can...just bear with me.

I'm the youngest in a particularly large family (5 sisters & 2 brothers) and was robbed of the roadtrips that my older brothers and sisters tell stories about to this day. By the time I came along, my parents declared themselves too old to haul kids across state lines and through national tourist traps. I enjoyed my summers at the NJ shore and have fond memories of the beach, but little experience on the road.

Now I feel as though this is the time to make up for all of it and judging from the stories i've heard time and again about my dads road habits a.k.a "we only stop when we need gas whether you kids have to pee or not," i'm stoked to be making the trip as an adult, with my sister.

I'm not totally clear on the entire itinerary at the moment, but my adventures will start off this Friday as I fly up to Alaska with a lengthy layover in Seattle (our final destination). I'm hoping to use the layover time to explore Seattle on my own a bit before ending up there with my sister and the kids.

I've also looked into purchasing a travel journal to chronicle some of my adventures and share them with you upon my return. Until then, i'll be getting my kicks on the AlCan Highway; Pacific Northwest, here I come!