Finally, Alaska

Finally, at about 4,920 miles into our journey, we've made it into Alaska. Today's trip was only a total of 110 miles from Dawson City, YT to Chicken, AK, but it took us 7-1/2 hours. There is no bridge across the Yukon River from Dawson City to the Top of the World Highway, only a small ferry. Our 15 coaches were in line for the ferry shortly after 7:00 a.m., but unfortunately, there was already a long line ahead of us. It was 4 hours before my coach made the trip across the river.

For the next hour or so, we climbed up to the Top of the World Highway. Even though it is a gravel road for 66 miles to the US Customs Station, Canada does a great job on their gravel roads. We were able to cruise along at 40-45 miles an hours fairly smoothly. Once past customs, into the US (Alaska), it was a different story. For the next 44 miles, it was a maximum of 20 miles per hour, all the while being shaken, rattled and rolled. A heavy downpour for a while didn't help either, turning the gravel road into mud. After driving for hours on the narrow, pot holed, gravel road, through the muck, with sheer drop-offs to the side at times, Marcia was ready to jump out of the rig and kiss the ground upon arrival at the campground in Chicken, AK.