Sunday, May 8, 2011

Sunday, May 08, 2011 – Mother’s Day

­Another good reason to drive 50 mph:  it allows more time to count the dashes down the middle of the road...

            It’s now1685 miles to Ninilchek, Alaska – our destination.  From Big Bend we have driven near 3000 miles…  The TomTom says it will take 42 hours of driving time from here to get there.  So, it looks like we’ll make it on time next weekend.  It is 895 miles from here to the Alaska 1 Highway - at first we assumed that was to the state line - but it's not.  That is the distance to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory.  Still a way to go...

            It has become more difficult to go to bed with the sun and get up with it.  We’re in Pacific time, now.  5:08 was sunrise this morning and 9:44 was sunset last night.  At 4:00 am Bob was awake, though, and it was bright daylight out.  We may not see dark night for awhile… AND, since the sun was already up when we got on the road at 5:40 this morning, we may not see too many early morning grazing animals.  Ruthine doesn’t want to miss anything – but she definitely has an aversion to getting up at dawn.  We’ll see how this works out.  Ruthine knows she WILL get pictures though.

            And we have also left the 3G area for phone/internet.  I don’t know how many of these I will actually be able to post daily.  Just checked the phone and there is NO signal.  We should have coverage at Fort Nelson.  But it will be interesting to see when and where we get it after that.

We just passed a big sign with a picture of a big moose on it.  It said “This means watch for wildlife, use caution.”  We’re definitely getting into the back country, although the road is good and should be for awhile, yet.  Right now we’re driving through a heavily wooded area of 50 foot tall “Christmas” trees – tall pines that remind us of East Texas, except they’re the wrong type of pine.  The road is rolling, but there’s not a mountain in sight.

“All those with speeding tickets, raise your right foot” – sign in Fort Nelson…

We did get into the mountains. - But since 3G was non-existent, and there was only intermittent phone coverage, not many pictures went to facebook.  Suffice it to say, the drive has been fantastic.

We’ve stopped for the day – and for tomorrow – and for tomorrow night.  We’re at a place called Toad River Lodge and RV Park in British Columbia.  And it’s time to stop for just a little while.  The view out our door is wonderful – an iced over river, with snowy mountains in the distance.  They say the warm weather is about a week behind in getting here.  But it’s a mild 60 this afternoon, and the sky is beautifully blue with white fluffy clouds.  We are blessed.  Happy Mother’s Day to all you Moms – and Happy Day to you Dads – and to everyone.