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Sunday, 02 August 2009 16:26:35 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada

DAWSON CREEK TO WATSON LAKE
Just before leaving Mackenzie, we forgot to mention that we were lucky enough to see an Arctic Fox! He had a darker coat for the summer but will be pure white through the winter months and is much bigger than the foxes we see in England. Dawson Creek, in Canada, is ‘Mile 0’ and the official start of the Alaska Highway (previously known as Alcan – Alaska- Canada Highway). We took a detour for a while and got to drive on the original windy gravel road. The permafrost made for an interesting adventure! We drove over Kiskatinaw Bridge which is a 162 metre curved structure. It was one of the first of its kind in Canada and today it is the only original timber bridge built along the highway, still in use today. We have had lots of warning about the size of the ‘bugs’ as we head north......mosquitoes the size of birds.....however – we didn’t realise they meant ostriches! So what effect will these flying critters have on us? Who knows? Only time will tell! We have all the lotions, potions and candles that are possible to fight the War of the Killer Mossie! We have bought a sticker which says that there is not a single mosquito in Alaska – because they are all married with large families! – Fantastic! Pink Mountain was the next great place to camp. We took a wander in the woods for as long as our nerves would allow! No bear luck yet but lots of warnings that Brown Bears are a fact of life in these parts- Do not be alarmed! Another fantastic wildlife spotting day as we drove between Pink Mountain and Beaver Lake. We passed through Fort Nelson and through more amazing scenery. We spotted 3 moose and a baby along the way and at Beaver Lake we saw 2 beavers at work! Busy as a beaver! Phil took the dingy fishing but spent more time watching the beavers! This lake was perfect for the boat but not good for swimming as there were lots of big hungry leeches! We had set up camp here, which was in the bush, all alone, many miles from any civilisation. The remoteness reminded us of being through the centre of Australia. Kangaroos are one thing – angry bears are another....... We had seen bear tracks, earlier, down beside the lake – of a mother and cub...... Just after Phil and the children had enjoyed smoked kippers for tea, cooked outside (hindsight is a wonderful thing!), I decided that I needed to chance the bush toilet hut! As I was walking down the track and minding my own business – there was a rather loud and continuous, spine tingling growl, coming through the bushes.......Realising that Phil was too far back to be winding me up , I shouted for him to ‘PLEASE STAND UP AND MAKE LOTS OF NOISE!!’ I retreated slowly back to base (no longer requiring the toilet!) Phil took a wander in that direction, brandishing an axe for protection and came back confirming that he too had heard ‘SOMETHING BIG!’ So we thought of our plan B! So - just to recap......we are in the bush, somewhere in British Columbia, in dense woodland, no telephone, no internet, no nothing.......sun setting as we speak.....and Nessie. It was a unanimous decision that we leave NOW! It was our quickest pack up ever (including getting the boat back up onto the roof). Jemma and Ben were placed on lookout duty facing the bush and told NOT to take their eyes off once! We made our escape........ We would like to point out how very keen we are to see a bear – but there is a time and a place- and an angry bear is probably not the best one to begin with! It was too hot for the windows to be shut and if we had stayed there, in the pitch black, we had visions of us being on century duty-all night long! So we travelled again through the evening, with camp grounds few and far between! We had interesting stretches of road and mountain passes, where the surface dust was as thick as dense fog and Phil was getting rather concerned about his new air filter! Eventually we found the Tetsa River Recreation Park and we opted for that idea! Even though we were in the bush again, we were not alone! We visited the toilet huts all together! As we rounded a corner we were honoured to see a MALE MOOSE this time-with his antlers in all their glory, wading in a roadside water hole-just for us! WOW! We were all mesmerised as we watched – very quietly and got some good movie shots and photos! At the Strawberry Flats Campground, our pitch allowed us to step right out of Nessie and into a crystal clear lake! The children lasted a little while with their wet suits on and then resorted to the boat! The lake is glacier fed-so no wonder it was a tad on the chilly side but they still insisted on snorkelling as the water was so tempting! They are still remembering the Great Barrier Reef! We spent a lovely time with our neighbours, Sandy and Margaret and wish them well on their travels too. As they are also heading to Fairbanks, maybe we shall meet again along our way! The evening bought a spectacular sunset over the Rocky Mountains –‘Red Sky at Night – Shepherds Delight’. The children are asleep, it is 10pm and still very light- the silence is golden and tranquil....and at the water’s edge the overgrown mossies are having their own party, because they think we are their supper! Dream on! The next day – we WERE the mossies lunch! We had another amazing day for wildlife – one of the best day ever on Macswayround for variety! We walked down to the river to take a close look at a wild herd of Bison (approximately 30 with 6 calves) and the mossies saw us coming.....all this amidst the freshly trodden footprints of deer, elk, wolf, bear and bison down at the water’s edge! A few minutes before – along the Alaska Highway from Lake Muncho to Watson Lake we had been lucky to see Stone Sheep, Caribou and a BLACK BEAR eating his morning clover!! After being eaten down by the river we chanced upon another herd of Bison, casually resting by the roadside (maybe 25 with 5 calves) and then a solitary Bison Bull who was clearly on a mission as he tramped along the roadside beside us! All this wildlife to be seen – and from the safety of our Nessie – it has been an absolutely superb day.......bites and all! Our fuel ran VERY low again (bringing back memories of us being in the centre of Australia!) as we kept stopping to see the wild animals, in their natural habitats! It feels like a safari, as we wonder what we might see next! This time, we had a couple of full spare fuel cans (we learnt our lesson!) and we made it to Watson Lake without any bothers! A welcome SHOP for supplies, and a FUEL station met us! Afterwards we set up camp at the Campground Services site in Watson Lake. This is home to the infamous Signpost Forest.....which was began during the construction of the Alaska Highway, by homesick soldier, Carl Lindley, in 1942. He put up a sign pointing to his hometown of Danville, IL. Now, the forest consists of more than 61,000 licence plates, road and traffic signs, and unique home-made signs. Each year more than 2000 signs are added by travellers and the forest continues to grow! We added our own sign –so that ‘Macswayround’ will live on, in Signpost Forest!
Sunday, 02 August 2009 07:30:10 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada

DAWSON CREEK TO WATSON LAKE
FACTOIDS – The Alaska Highway: • The Alaska Highway is a remarkable achievement and has developed into a major transportation link. It stretches from ‘Mile 0’ at Dawson Creek, British Columbia, through the Yukon Territory and into Alaska. 1,528 miles of road needed to be punched through the ‘vast untamed wilderness of Northern Canada and Alaska.’ • Seven regiments of American engineers, approximately 11,000 men (including 3 regiments of men of African American heritage), 16,000 civilians from Canada and the United States and 7,000 pieces of equipment were thrown into action against some of the toughest and unforgiving wilderness areas in the world. • For soldiers and workers it was a difficult life. Fatigue, hypothermia and accidents were a part of life as the workers struggled to set down 8 miles of road a day, seven days a week. • It took a little over 8 months to complete the Alaska Highway and it was officially opened in November 1942. It was then opened to the public in 1948. • The cost of the construction was approximately $140 million U.S wartime dollars. • In 1996, the Alaska Highway was awarded the 16th International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in the World.
Sunday, 02 August 2009 07:28:03 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada

Mackenzie to Dawson Creek in pictures.......

Sunday, 02 August 2009 07:14:04 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada

USA to CANADA in Pics......

Friday, 31 July 2009 08:23:14 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada | USA

San Francisco to Canada.......
We left Vallejo (near San Francisco) after 1 year and 1 day on Macswayround! This travelling life is proving to be very favourable to us all! We found the Wine Country RV Park at Rohnert Park, still in California. It has been much busier this time around in the USA, being mid-summer, and so it has not always been so easy to find a camp spot. However- perseverance has paid off! We spent some time in the Redwood National Forest and State Parks and the children did some more work to become Junior Rangers here – as they have enjoyed doing at each available park. Here, we walked amongst the TALLEST trees in the world and we went on a hike with ‘Ranger Renee!’ In human terms the Redwoods are ‘timeless’. This area was also Big Foot territory – so we kept our eyes open wide! As we continued our journey, the Mad River Rapids RV Park at Arcata was our last stop in California. Across the Stateline and into Oregon and we stopped off in Brookings. The next day, north of Florence, we took a look at the ‘Sea –Lion Cave’ – the largest Sea- Cave in the world! A lift took us down the 208 foot drop to a viewing area. The cave was jam packed inside with Stellar Sea-lions, where the fishy smell was immensely over-powering! It was wonderful to see the sea-lions, once again in their naturally chosen environment. In Waldport, at the Handy Haven RV Park, we enjoyed spending time with John, Becky and a toddling Nina! We shared their camp fire and had an extended happy hour, toasting marsh mallows! It was great to have happy hours back again and maybe we will meet again along our travels! We decided to head inland for a while to get some more of the hot stuff before we get too far north! At McMinnville, the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum was very entertaining. It is now home to the ‘Spruce Goose’. This is the world’s largest wooden airplane and has the largest wing span. It was built by Howard Hughes and co-incidentally the plane is not made from spruce at all – but 95% birch! We camped at the Tri – Mountain RV Park in Ridgefield, before taking a big drive the next day which took us through Seattle. It was not raining in Seattle which was lucky as it is renowned for being a very soggy place! We found Creekside Camping at a place named Concrete and the children built a dam in the river. Taking a little detour, the North Cascades National Park gave more Junior Ranger Fun! We took a river loop walk and found out more about yet another amazingly wild place. Over 94% of the land located within this park is designated to the Stephen Mather Wilderness and there are over 400 miles of hiking trails! The National Parks help create a link between the past and a safe-guard to the future..... We rested at the Cedars RV Park in Ferndale and enjoyed a happy hour with Norman and Margaret and got some advice on Canadian ways! The next day we were ready and we crossed the border into Canada! Another stamp in our passports! At Hope we saw the Visitor Centre and Museum. Hope is home to many movies as the setting is very favourable, including ’Rambo 1- First Blood’, in 1982. We discovered that the First Nations people were also referred to as Aborigine which was interesting, and in Hope, the first nation people were called ‘Sto:lo (meaning ‘people of the river’ in the Salish language). Anderson Creek Campground, in the Fraser Canyon was our first taste of a Canadian camp spot and it was lovely! Maybe those were signs that a bear had paid a visit to a tenting party just down by the river- side? Later, at Willow Springs Campground near Clinton, Jemma and Ben tried out our new Challenger dingy on a perfectly calm lake! We got some good Alaskan travel advice from our Canadian neighbours. McLeese Lake Resort gave Phil his chance to go fishing in the dingy! This lake was too big to let the children loose in, as they need a spot more practice at rowing first! We would like to thank the McLeese Resort for donating our camp fee as we are continuing to raise money for the Devon Air Ambulance. Prince George was our next port of call in our trek north, and to the Hartway RV Park. We found another place named Mackenzie and had an amazing time! At a quiet river, Phil caught 3 fish and we saw 3 Bald Headed Eagles – YES! Another BIG wildlife hit was a female moose –chumping at the grasses and standing leg deep in a lake – double YES! We watched quietly as she continued her daily business! This is what Canada is all about for us and in Ben’s words – ‘This is what MACSWAYROUND is all about!’ At the river a couple of quad bikes came through as they headed back down from a nearby mountain. They stopped for a chat as Nessie is a bit conspicuous –bless her! Al and Pete recommended that we visit a sandy beached lake and Al even came back around to show us the way there! Thanks! They said that they had been making the most of this beautiful weather as they were used to having 20 foot of snow in Mackenzie! The children had a dip and then we headed to another recommendation- Williston Lake. This was the landing place of explorer Alexander Mackenzie who was the first European to trek here in 1793. He and his team were looking for a North West Passage and surveying the Rocky Mountains. There was a beautiful camp spot by the lake and the dingy was made use of once more. The scenery which we passed through from Mackenzie to Chetwynd was absolutely stunning – Mother Nature doing what she does-at her very best. The contrasting colours were a continuous picture and this really is a magical time of year to be exploring Canada! We arrived into Dawson Creek and stayed at the Northern Lights RV Park. Phil ‘dressed’ Nessie in preparation for her adventure- Alaska bound! She now has a protective matting taped to her bonnet and very thick plastic stuck to her headlights. Stone chips are a big problem on these types of dusty roads and a cracked light would cause major hassle as we would not be able to replace them in either country (they point the other way to the locals!) Prevention is better than cure-we hope! More about Dawson Creek – next time!!
Friday, 31 July 2009 07:28:44 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada | USA

FACTIODS-San Francisco, USA to Mackenzie, Canada
FACTOIDS: U.S.A * Coastal Redwood trees can soar to more than 370 feet tall, but they are not the only tree that grows tall in a Redwood forest. Douglas-Fir trees have grown even taller; one record breaker in British Columbia measured 400 feet! * The Banana Slug (Ariolimax Columbianus) does good work as a decomposer and further benefits the forest by spreading seeds and spores through their waste. It is amazing that Banana slugs eat anything – apart from Redwood seeds and seedlings. * The Redwood National and State Parks are pretty special places as they are home to 45% of all protected old-growth Redwood forests remaining in California. Only 4% of 2 million acres remain today, since logging first began in 1850. * The formation of the amazing sea lion cave began over 25 million years ago. The interior now soars to the height of a 12 story building and stretches for the full length of a football field, making it the world’s largest sea-cave! * The North Cascade National Park complex contains over 300 glaciers (which is more than any other park in the 48 contiguous states). The mountains of the North Cascades are one of the snowiest places on Earth, with Mount Shuksan being commonly referred to as the most photographed mountain in the world! CANADA • To forge a route through the Fraser Canyon proved to be one of the most difficult highway projects in the province of British Columbia. Seven tunnels had to be blasted through the rock but with that difficulty- came the birth of the breathtaking Fraser Canyon Highway. • MACKENZIE – is known as the gateway to Northern Rocky Adventure! • The Williston Lake at Mackenzie covers an area of 166,000 hectares (410,000 acres) and is British Columbia’s largest reservoir. It is also Canada’s largest man-made lake. • Mackenzie is home to the World’s largest tree crusher! This giant 175 ton machine was used in the 1960’s to clear non-merchantable timber from the Rocky Mountain trench prior to the creation of Williston Lake. It has sat idle since then and is now a popular roadside attraction!
Friday, 31 July 2009 07:25:34 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada | USA

CANADIAN WILDLIFE HITS....
CANADIAN WILDLIFE HITS: • American Robins • Ospreys • Belted Kingfishers • Northern Rough Winged Swallow • Northern Flicker Woodpecker • Varied Thrush • BALD HEADED EAGLES (magnificent!) • Brook Trout • MOOSE! (male, female and babe!) • Mule Deer • Swallow-tailed Butterflies • Chip-Monks • Squirrels • Pelagic Cormorants • BEAVERS • American Kestrels • Common Loon • White-Tailed Ptarmigans * ARCTIC FOX
Friday, 31 July 2009 07:21:08 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  Canada

USA WILDLIFE HITS
USA WILDLIFE HITS: • Swallow –tailed butterflies • Bats • Mule Deer • Chip-Monks • Squirrels • Californian Sea-Lions • Stellar Sea-Lions • Blue Jays • Brown Pelican • Great Egret • American Robin • Californian Quail • Black Oyster Catcher • Pigeon Guillemot • Rock Dove • Anna’s Hummingbird • Acorn Woodpecker • White-Headed Jay • American Crow
Friday, 31 July 2009 07:18:49 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  USA

USA - LA to San Francisco in Pics.....

Monday, 27 July 2009 05:57:09 (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)      Comments [0]  USA