We're at the Beginning of the Alaskan Highway Here!

We left bright and early this morning from home and were on the road just after 4am.

We drove to Coleman, about 20 mins from home to pick up a road to take us North and we got to the beginning of the road and it was a terrible road so I made Todd go a little further into the Pass (Crowsnest Pass) and pick up Hwy 22 to go North to Black Diamond instead.

Off we go! Away to Banff and Jasper for a mid trip stop!

Just as we arrived in Canmore the sun began to rise. The mountains were gorgeous around Canmore and Banff.


This is one of the tunnels on the TransCanada Highway near Banff. It allows the wildlife to cross over the road way. Spencer loved going under the "tungels"!


More photos from the TransCanada....




We decided to make one little side trip up to Lake Louise before proceeding on to Jasper. We drove a few kilometers up a winding mountain road....


At the top we stopped at the hotel at Lake Louise. They had this cool ice seat just outside the front doors so we all got out and had our picture taken sitting on it! The area was gearing up for an ice sculpture weekend.

We arrived at the beginning of the Icefield Parkway leading to Jasper and lo and behold.... the thing was a pure sheet of ICE!!! The sign at the beginning showed the road as being in POOR condition! NO KIDDING! We decided rather than risking a longer, slower and more dangerous ride but to turn around and travel the 100km back towards Calgary to catch a road leading North again! What a pain in the butt! The lady at the Jasper Provincial Park office should have told us that the highway was rated in poor condition when we entered the park!!! We did stop to get our money back for our park pass though.

So we ventured back to Hwy 22, the road we had orginially been on to travel North again.

As we got farther and farther North, we started to see signs for wildlife. Deer. And others.....

Can you tell what the photo below is of?


Well it was quick attempt to photograph a real live and wild moose. That small dark brown blur just above the snow line on the right side is his antler! So much for a moose photo! My very first live moose siting.

As the sun set, we got a beautiful cloudy winter sky as our scene. This was taken as we reached the road from Edmonton and traveled more West towards BC again.


We have arrived safely in Dawson Creek, BC at 8:00pm our time. We took a quick travel around the Jeep lot but the Jeep is no where in site so we think it's inside getting all "prettied" up for us tomorrow morning.

I know Todd is going to be thrilled to get his ultimate birthday present tomorrow! What a way to celebrate your 42nd birthday... getting the thing you have waited most of your life to get... a Jeep! I have a few birthday gifts for him too.... that I think he'll love!

Take care all! Wish us luck for good weather to travel home.