Tok

OK, my original plan was to hop the ferry from Skagway over to Haines and spend a week drinking beer at their very tasty brewery, but I got a call from Wallace down in Seward. He says “the salmon are coming in!”. That’s enough for me! I can visit Haines later, time to fish. First, however, I have to get there.

Back up the hill and through Carcross, and on to Tok. This involves crossing back into Canada, then eventually, you get back to Alaska again.But first, you have to manage one of the roughest sections of road on the whole trip. We’re talking frost heaves galore! They don’t look like much, but you quickly learn to slow way down for them. I routinely got down to 30 or 35 mph just to get across these sharp dips with the RV intact!

  

Sometimes, the road goes away completely, and you have to drive offroad to get past construction areas. All in all, it is a slow drive, and requires a fair amount of cussin’.

I finally make it back into Alaska, in mostly one piece, and of course I stop for a sign pic. I’m in “Big Alaska” now, but the road doesn’t get any better.

  

I find a nice free campground on a lake, just a little ways past the border crossing, and take the rest of the day off. Ahhhhh….

Everyone driving to Alaska has to pass through Tok, there just ain’t any other way.

Being guaranteed every single car, truck and RV driving to Alaska, you’d think Tok would be a big city…. think again! Tok is just a few gas stations, RV parks, and small businesses, but it does have it’s attractions. Possibly the #1 best attraction is Fast Eddies, home of the mountain of mushrooms. I’ve been waiting for these for many miles! They are too good to share, even with fellow Loosey Goosey members! Don’t toucha my shrooms!

  

I stay a night at Three Bears campground, very basic, but inexpensive. In 2014, They had a small shop that sold fishing licenses and some fishing gear, but it was about the size of a closet. This year, they have an impressive brand new store with just about anything you might need to fish or hunt. I pick up my yearly non-resident fishing license there, it’s $145, but I consider it a good investment and try not to think about how many pounds of already-cleaned and filleted fish that would buy at the store. Hey, we’re talking fishing here! Wanna dance? Gotta pay da band.

  

On to Seward next!