Drive to Chicken, Alaska--June 30

Bob and I ate in the coach this morning and all we had to do was pull in one side and unhook the electric. Some of our crew went across the ferry last night and played midnight golf so they left from that side. The rest of us started pulling out about 7am and went to the ferry. At the ferry they usually could put on two coaches or 5th wheels and then finished with cars except when they put on a tour bus and a back hoe. Everyone got across fine but as you got closer to the other shore and you saw the river flowing one way and and the shore and you were moving up river still--it was a strange sensation.


We drove the Top of the World Highway today which once you got up onto the ridge you just kept following the ridge. Most of it was either gravel or dirt on both sides of the border. We crossed out of the Yukon and back into the U.S. to Alaska. It was so foggy you could hardly see the border booth--no problem. Shortly after crossing the border Bob saw this animal to my right on top of a small hill and moving away from us. I think it was a badger. That was the only animal we saw.

The water up here is a goldish brown. Have to find out why. But regardless I went down to the creek and at least stuck my hand into it. I think it was Walker Fork Creek because we crossed the bridge shortly after. There must have been a fire at some time because thruout the whole drive you could see the burn. I found out that the water is that color because of all the tannin that leaches out of the ground and from the mineral content.


We also saw 4 old cars going up the road away from us. We got in fairly early about 12:30 because it was only 108 miles although the road was wash board and had some pot holes so we were only going between 15 and 25 mph the entire trip. At least we didn't have any problems because the dirt road was more narrow and the shoulders were soft so you were cautioned not to get onto them.

Two things I forgot. In the afternoon before supper while the boys took the tour on the dredge a bunch of us panned for gold at a table. Most of us found a few "tiny" flecks and put them in a vial and my back has been paying the price for two days. The other is about the cities in the paragraph below.

Last night the four of us walked over the road to the big town of Chicken. There were four buildings strung together: a gift shop/liquor store(you have to have a separate entrance), a bar and a small cafe. It was quite a place. The tour masters had dinner for us again: chicken patty, 3 bean salad, potato salad, buns, lettuce and tomato and we brought our own drinks. It was very good. After dinner Bob and I went back to chicken because my T-shirt was too large. We came back to the park and everyone was gathered at the Cafe/gift shop out on the patio for our crazy hat contest and the owner told us a little about the town of Chicken and mining, etc. There are 4 people that live here year round. Chicken has no police or fire department although they have one of the oldest post offices in the state. They have no state income or property tax or state tax on purchases. No one much bothers them up here.

The owner served us a berry dessert with ice cream and quizzed us with 3 questions: what are the 3 largest cities by area in Alaska(they are also the largest in the U.S.) with Jacksonville, Fl being the 5th. The largest city in area is Yakutat City with 7,650 sq. miles for 808 people. Isn't that a hoot. The next is size is Sitka followed by Juneau followed by Anchorage. The second question was how long is the Yukon River(1980 miles) there were a lot of people who thought it was 2000+ miles so we had to break the tie and I won. I won an old 1st addition of the book Tisha(written by the named person) who lived and worked up here and raised a number of First Nation children. I was thrilled. You know how I love books especially old books.

At 8:30 pm we took a tour of another old dredge named Pedro. The owner and another man had saved this from being dismantled and destroyed. They move it about a mile and put it in his park and he gives tours and it has all the tool and equipment left inside. Dee and I went because the boys went earlier and it was interesting to learn more after taking the tour on Dredge #4 but I was certainly ready for bed when we finished. The boys went looking for moose and went up to see the airstrip.

Tomorrow is a short trip of 80 miles to Tok and we don't have much time on Wifi so we'll see what I can do. See you.