The Alaska Highway: North America's Iconic Roadway

 "The road to success is not always paved with a straight and easy path."

Anonymous

Sometimes it leads you around curves and up over high mountain passes,

sometimes it forces you to take a leap of faith over deep gorges,

and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it throws a rock your way.

Yet despite the challenges, our journey along the Alaska Highway has been filled with breathtaking beauty mile after mile (or kilometer after kilometer, depending on which side of the border you are on).

The story of this important link between two countries is a story of international determination and cooperation.

In March of 1942, the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Canadian government knew that they certainly didn't have a straight and easy path ahead of them. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they realized that the war had suddenly gotten too close to home. Both countries feared an invasion of the North American west coast ... a region that was strategically vital but incredibly remote and difficult to access. In an effort to secure an overland route to supply and defend that vulnerable coastline, the United States and Canada worked together to construct one of North America's most important and iconic roadways ... 

The Alaska Highway.

This 1700 mile road, completed just 8 months later, provided a secure land route to move troops, weapons, and supplies north quickly in order to defend Alaska from enemy attack. In the years following the war, the highway has been re-engineered and realigned in places, so today, it measures about 1,390 miles long. With the modern day improvements, it continues to serve as an important link for commerce and tourism between Canada and Alaska ...

and leads to some pretty amazing places. 

We drove the western half of the Alaska Highway in the summer of 2022 on our way back from Alaska. During that time, we drove on possibly the roughest part of the highway ... from Delta Junction, Alaska to Watson Lake, Yukon before heading south on the Cassiar Highway. That section is especially difficult because permafrost, wild weather, and remote conditions make it a constant struggle to maintain a rut-free road.

This summer it was time to complete our Alaska Highway journey when we found ourselves at the eastern starting point ... "Mile 0" in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

We started this summer's Alaska Highway journey a little before the "official" Mile 0, when we headed north from Jasper National Park. Here, the mountains give way to Alberta's northern plains once again. From our overnight location in the charming small village of Grande Cache, the peaks of the Northern Rockies could be seen in the distance.

As I wandered through a giant labyrinth in one of the town’s many scenic parks, I found myself lost in beauty of my surroundings.

And despite being in the middle of nowhere, we once again enjoyed some international deliciousness at a local restaurant.

Step aside, Canadian poutine ... it’s sushi’s turn to shine!

Just outside of Dawson Creek, the Walter Wright Pioneer Village's collection of early 20th century buildings

and artifacts

... offered a glimpse into what life was like before the Alaska Highway connected this and other remote Canadian villages to the outside world. 

Despite the increased traffic, these towns retain their charm as they warmly invite travelers to stop and stretch their legs for a bit by ...

taking a walk in their lovely city parks,

strolling through a pine forest to one of their hidden waterfalls,

admiring one of the massive boulders left behind by retreating glaciers,

or learning a thing or two about the forces that shaped this amazing convergence of rivers.

A couple of our favorite Alaska Highway "must stop" locations this time around included:

Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park

This hot spring fed pool in the middle of a lush spruce forest is a favorite "re-charging" station for weary travelers. 

And while we are always hoping for sunny and 70, 

we were happy to put up with a few rain drops and a little "chilliness" knowing that 110-125 degree hot spring water awaited us!

Watson Lake Signpost Forest

After leaving the town of Fort Nelson, there is a long stretch of amazing beauty as the highway summits the Northern Rocky Mountains, but, unfortunately, not much of any other kind of "services".

So when we reached Watson Lake, we were happy to be connected to civilization once again as we checked out its claim to fame ... the Signpost Forest.

Here, what began with a home-sick soldier in 1942, has developed into an explosion of craziness. American GI Carl Lindley hung a sign from his hometown of Danville, Illinois on a tree here and unwittingly planted the seed for this unique "forest".

Besides the hours of entertainment that you get while wandering through the forest until you find one from your neck of the woods,

 the town also offers free boondocking and all the other services that weary travelers would need including the all important ... Gas, Lattes, Showers, and Internet!!!

Carcross Desert

At this point, we left the Alaska Highway to head toward the southeast panhandle of Alaska. Suddenly, we began to wonder if we'd gone a little too far south as we found ourselves surrounded by a desert-like landscape.

While technically not a desert, this collection of sand dunes does make one think that they made a wrong turn a few miles back. Once again, glaciers are to blame for this warm arid mirage in the midst of a cool northern climate.

We've left the Alaska Highway for now, but with our travels in the past, we're happy to know that we have covered all 1390 miles of not necessarily straight,

or easy roads,

but definitely roads full of entertaining roadblocks,

friendly roadside greeters,

and beauty that is found along every mile (or kilometer) of North America's Iconic Roadway ...

 

The Alaska Highway.

From Prairies to Peaks: Alberta's Wild Rose Personality

 

Our first trip through Alberta three years ago? Let’s just say it was more of a scenic flirtation than a proper visit. Sure, we marveled at its majestic Banff and Jasper National Parks, but we barely scratched the surface of the rest of the province. We totally missed out on its prairie roots, agricultural spirit, and buzzing city life. This time, true to what Alberta’s license plates promise, we came to experience its full ...

“Wild Rose” Personality.

From prairie plains to mountain peaks, Alberta is colorful and hardy. Like the wild roses that adorn the countryside, Alberta's charm and resilience shines through no matter what nature throws its way ... be it blizzards, heatwaves, or wildfires.

Lloydminster, Saskatchewan and Alberta

... depending on which side of the main street you live on.

It was kind of confusing when we entered the town of Lloydminster on the Saskatchewan side and soon found ourselves in Alberta. It happens that the city of Lloydminster was established long before the provincial boundaries were formed. When it was decided that the 4th Meridian would be the new border between the two provinces, the citizens of Lloydminster had to figure out what to do when the border ran right down the main street in town. Today they have a shared city government, but they each follow their own provincial laws depending on what side of the road they live on. Thankfully they did decide to follow Alberta's time zone, because there is a time zone change (from central to mountain time) at Alberta's eastern border.

Our overnight Harvest Host stay at 4th Meridian Brewing had my chauffeur smiling with delight as he enjoyed a tasty IPA along with some very good sushi. Canada's international personality and culinary talents shine through even in its small and remote communities.

Elk Island National Park

Our next destination was one of Canada's smallest national parks that plays a big part in wildlife conservation. Elk Island National Park is famous for saving the plains bison from extinction and helping to reintroduce them to the wild in other areas of North America. While the entire national park is fenced in order to help encourage the successful growth of the bison herd, it didn't take away from the natural beauty that we found there.

Astontin Lake lies in the middle of the national park, and is a haven for frolicking wildlife and vacationing humans.

As we walked across the Living Water Boardwalk, we enjoyed watching a hungry beaver chow down on his tree bark dinner.

Despite a few trips around the Bison Loop, we only caught a distant glance at these giant prairie icons. But a hike on the Beaver Trail showed us the handy work of some timber-chewing creatures ... and reminded us of why our friends that have lake cabins don't appreciate "Mr Beaver's" tree trimming skills.

Edmonton

As we continued across Alberta’s plains, we noticed the familiar grain storage bins gradually give way to oil storage tanks.

While Edmonton is a major hub for Alberta's oil and gas industry, it was the city’s sprawling urban green spaces that left the biggest impression on us.

The Edmonton River Valley urban parkland adorns both sides of the North Saskatchewan River and boasts of being 22 times the size of New York's Central Park. Many kilometers of walking and bike trails as well as gardens and parks welcome Edmonton's hardy citizens to embrace the great outdoors no matter what the season.

Situated on the east side of the river, Muttart Conservatory and Gardens was where I found my "happy place".

As I wandered through the four different pyramid sections, I was drawn into the beauty and serenity of ...

The arid biome

with its blooming cacti.

The temperate biome

 with its flowing water and wide range of colorful and familiar blossoms.

The tropical biome

whose flowers and plants brought back fond memories of our travels to the tropical forests of Colombia, South America.

And the frequently changing but ever so special ...

"Special" exhibit biome

which currently is geared toward the blooming imaginations of all the children that will be visiting during the upcoming summer months. 

Of course, the other "obvious" reasons to visit Edmonton included ...

another provincial legislative building photo op,

craft brewery visit #700,

a desire to check out Minnesota's Mall of America's "rival" ... the West Edmonton Mall with its amusement park, skating rink, water park, and around 800 stores, services, and restaurants,

and to experience one of the reasons Edmonton is known as the "Festival City".

The music was lively, and the empanadas were delicious at the Latino-themed Edmonton Carnival that took place at a community center near our boondocking spot.

Alberta's Agricultural Scene

After leaving Edmonton, we had the pleasure of spending the night at a very memorable Harvest Host location.

Cory and his family allowed us to camp under the shadow of their giant storage bins on their 3000 acre dairy, grain, potato, sod, and strawberry farm. And much to my delight, the strawberries were at their peak, and I was able to pick my own.

Doug had his doubts that I could find room to store my five pounds of sweet berry delight, but I accepted the challenge. Let’s just say short-term storage wasn’t a problem ... they disappeared fast!

Jasper National Park

Last summer we were saddened to hear about the wildfires that had destroyed a significant portion of one of the gems of Alberta ... Jasper National Park. But we were also encouraged to hear that they were making great strides towards recovery. So we heeded the call of the mountains and, along with our tourist dollars, headed to Jasper.

And while it was sad to see so many acres had burned,

and portions of the townsite were gone,

there were also signs of community recovery as they warmly welcomed back the tourists with a lively Canada Day parade.

 At the foot of the charred landscape, delicate flowers and a blanket of green plants are emerging,

and the Canadian Rockies rising in the distance seem to shine just as magnificently as we remember.

While the town of Jasper and its surrounding area were hit hard by wildfires, other areas of this vast national park remain as breathtaking as ever.

We enjoyed hikes and scenic parking spots along Pyramid Lake and the Sunwapta River.

Glacial runoff provided a magnificent show of force at Sunwapta Falls.

And a drive up the ultra-scenic Icefield Highway led us to the spectacular Columbia Icefield where we got to experience what it is like to walk on a glacier

and sleep in its shadow.

During our travels around Alberta, Canada, we saw that ...

from its sweeping prairies,

to its towering peaks,

Alberta's Wild Rose personality

is as diverse as it is resilient, 

and it invites everyone to come explore, connect, and be in awe of nature's beauty.