Dawson Creek, BC, Day 3, May 30, 2010

Today's adventures with Dave and Jody began at 9 am with them picking us up. We were then off to Tumbler Ridge where they had recently opened a Dinosaur Museum talking about recent finds found in 2000 by a couple of boys of dinosaur walkways and fossil bones. You know I love this sort of thing, both Bob and I were soaking up all we could.

Even found some fossils like what I found on the farm I grew up on in SE Ohio. Crinoids.

This example of a trackway was on display outside the entrance.

On our way to Tumbler Ridge, Dave spotted a bear along the roadside. Our FIRST BEAR. He was eating dandelion flowers.

Then onto Kinuseo Falls which is in Monkman Provincial Park. This drive took about two hours on gravel road beyond Tumbler Ridge with different degrees of potholes. Great job of driving Dave.

Once we arrived at the Park, lunch was in order. We all collected wood and Jody collected some scrap paper to get a fire going so we could have a hot dog roast. Dave had gone to their local butcher and bought some hot dogs they make – wonderful! Lunch was watermelon, strawberries, red peppers, these delicious hotdogs with all the fixings, and banana nut bread for dessert.

The perfect DOG!!

Dave also cut us roasting sticks!

Well, near where we are lunch, guess what we found, moose droppings, don’t they add contrast to the background for the dandelions?

This is Kinuseo Falls, now this was spectacular and the roar of the spring runoff was deafening! These falls are taller than Niagara!

The day had been overcast, but the sun came out when we were at the falls, creating this rainbow!

Evidence of beavers in the area.

And of course, the wildflowers.

Thanks for a wonderful day Dave and Jody!!

Dawson Creek, BC, Day 2, May 29, 2010

This morning at 10 am Dave and Jody who live here in Dawson Creek were to come to our RV, pick us up and give us a tour of their town. In 2008 on a Rick Steves tour in Harlem, near Amsterdam, is where we first met them. We were on the Best of Europe in 21 days Tour together.

Stopped at a local Farmers Market, and a Museum at the Visitor Center. This is where we saw this clock, off by 2 seconds, fast.

We then had lunch at this small cafe called Under the Willow, where the menu is written on a large chalkboard. Great food!

Dave was so kind to take our photos at the Mile Marker “0”.

Also stopped at a local butcher shop. Look at this huge roasting chicken, 7.81#.

We then took a drive out of town to see some wind turbines up close and personal.

Standing as close as we were, you could hear the wind sound as the propellers (not sure that is the correct word) turned. They were huge!!

We then stopped at McQueen Slough, saw a little wildlife, Canadian Geese and a muskrat swimming in the water and this beautiful bird (don’t know what it is-Grant or Kathy any ideas). Beautiful day for sightseeing.

We are not done yet, for dinner we attended a delicious BBQ with the car club that Dave and Jody belong to.

Everyone is standing beside of Dave’s red Mustang convertible.

These lovely flowers are from Dave and Jody’s flower garden. I am going to title it “Dare to be Different”.

We had a great day seeing the Dawson Creek area, thanks Dave and Jody. Tomorrow, another day of exploring at Tumber Ridge and Kinuseo Falls.

Dawson Creek, BC, Day 1, May 28, 2010

Dawson Creek has these two signs we have been anxious to see.

Hard to believe we are at the “0” mile marker [of the Alaskan Highway-Alcan] after driving 1840 from Sacramento, CA!  Just for comparison, we have 1600 miles to drive to get to Fairbanks. 

The Alcan was completed in 8 months.  On March 9, 1942 the first troop trains of the US Army Corps of Engineers arrived in Dawson Creek to begin construction of the 1523 miles of the Alaskan Highway.

Love this moose mural.  Think I am destined to see moose in the future.

Chetwynd to Dawson Creek, BC, 62 miles, May 27, 2010

What is not right with this photo?

Well we are hitched up and not at the RV site – all of those are OK, but when you add the fact our  Motosat is NOT stowed, then it gets really bad!!  Always when we do something out of order, not everything gets done as was this morning.

First this morning, we walked around Chetwynd and were amazed by all of the chainsaw carvings.

 

There were many many more, but I think the moose was my favorite.

So after coming back to the coach to leave, we forgot we had not stowed the Motosat.  Earlier when it would have been stowed, the power to the controller had been turned off so the blue light on top does not show.  With the power off, it won’t stow, it was then turned on and then waited for it to power up.  Well we left to visit the carvings without stowing.   So when we came back we thought everything was ready to roll, Bob backed out of the site due to trees being in our way to pull forward and I was to drive the car around to hook up, well the car keys were in the coach, so I walked over to where Bob was going to be to get the keys and that is when I saw it, the Motosat was still UP.  So at this point, Bob turns on the inverter, waits for the controller to power up, then stow it.  All in all no damage, well, maybe to our psyche.  I guess it is back to using the checklists!

Our drive today to Dawson Creek was short, only 62 miles.  We are staying in the Mile “0” RV Park and it has many open spots.  The fellow next to us must think it is OK to use a green garden hose for his fresh water.

Can you pick us out?  We are on the right hand side with the red Explorer parked behind.

Our first sunny sunset since entering BC.

Prince George to Chetwynd, BC, 194 miles, May 26, 2010

Big day for us, our first fuel fill in BC.  This morning Bob left the coach and yours truly at the Casino in Prince George and went on a  mission, to find a gas station that had diesel that we could get the coach in and out.  He got caught in some traffic redirection due to construction and was gone longer than I thought he should be.  But he did make it back to the coach about 30 minutes later, we hooked up and backtracked a couple of kilometers.  He pulled into this Shell station, which had Flying J pumps on the side.   We bought 249.55 liters (62.92 gallons) for $246.31 Canadian (about US$231.25), that makes the price per gallon about $3.67/gallon.  Since we charged the fuel, I won’t know until tomorrow or the next day what the actual conversion amount will be.

At our lunch pull off along Rt 97, Bob found out we were not the first visitors of the day.  Prints of moose??

These falls at Bijoux Falls Provincial Park were swift and loud.

This park is also know for its sightings of the BC provincial bird,  the Stellar’s Jay.  I did see one, but the photo isn’t the best.

The closer we drove to Chetwynd, the more mountains.  This area is the Rocky Mountain Trench, marking the western boundary of the Rocky Mountains.

  Also in the mountains they were doing more road construction, here is the  lineup in front of us.

Upon arrival in Chetwynd, you can see how dirty our car got going through the road construction area.  It had rained before we got there, so…it was muddy.  Shortly after arriving at Westwind RV Park, we did get a heavy rain shower which did wash some of the grit and grime off.  I still got out and washed the coach’s windshield and front as we had murdered way too many of a black fly/bug creature.  Bob helped out and washed the Explorer’s windows.

You can see the black spots on the coach, well they were all over the windshield too!

Tomorrow morning we are going to be visiting the town of Chetwynd and see some of their chain saw sculptures.

Williams Lake to Prince George, BC, 150 miles, May 25, 2010

We drive today was broken up by a stop about half way here in Quesnel.  They are known for their  23 painted fire hydrants.

Here are just a couple of them.  Very unique!!

 

 

 

Also toured the Quesnel & District Museum and Archives.  I always try to spot at least one new item in a museum that I have not seen before.  It was very easy here.  Below on the left two medicine dispensers (probably 1 t and 1 T) and on the right a bell and candle used in the local hospital-the V shape behind the candle is a crutch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a Green Onion Holder with salt container in the middle.  Circa 1890.

 

 

This is especially for our grandson Zach, he loves anything about the Titanic.

The above brushes and mirror were in the possessions of a Helene Baxter Douglas, she was on the Titanic with her Mother.  The two women were rescued by the Carpathia and these items were saved. 

 

 

 

 

  Here I am next to the bucket of an authentic steam shovel manufactured by the Vulcan Iron Works Co, Toledo, Ohio (probably around 1882).

Enjoying the view of the Fraser River in Quesnel.

 

 

 

Our drive from Quesnel to Prince George had it share of road construction.  This power shovel was tearing up the pavement right along the white line as we passed by.  I was very glad he was highly trained and very accurate!

Here we are tonight right along side another HR Endeavor and a few other RV’ers at the Treasure Cove Casino.