The End of the Alaska Highway
Top of the World Highway, Yukon, Canada to Alaska Thursday, July 17, 2003
We took a small ferry across the Yukon River in Dawson City to go on the Top of the World Highway to Tok, Alaska on our way to Fairbanks. This road was supposed to be half paved and half gravel – not true. It was at least 80% gravel with miles of washboard, clouds of dust, no shoulders and very narrow, but the scenery was worth the drive. 
The 200 miles took 5 very long, bumpy, dusty hours and we logged the third windshield chip. Took a rock on the side of the RV that actually punctured the fiberglass, but didn’t go all the way through, a ding in the headlight casing and lost two snap-on center pieces to the hubcaps. Other than that, the road was fine.
It truly felt like we were on top of the world, looking down at mountains with clouds below us. 
We changed one more timezone going into Alaska and are now four hours behind the east coast – finally back in the USA and using American currency. The Taylor Highway took us through the greater metropolis of Chicken and we stopped for the night at Tok. 
The RV park is pleasant with trees and space between sites. They have high-pressure hoses for RV and car washes that we used even before we went to the campsite. 
Alaska Highway, Alaska Friday, July 18, 2003
Left Tok, returning to the Alaska Highway and drove up the last leg to Delta Junction where the Alaska Highway ends – mile 1422.
Continued on Richardson Highway to North Pole Alaska, just outside of Fairbanks. The roads were great compared to the Top of the World Highway with fantastic views of snow-covered mountains to the West – not just snow capped – completely snow covered in late July. And we thought the Canadian Rockies were spectacular – those have been downgraded to a 9 and these are definitely 10.
This is the big one - Mt. McKinley - and this was the only time it was out from the clouds the entire time we were in Alaska. The mountain is so big that it makes it own weather system and is seldom visible due to the clouds.
Stayed at a nice campground – grassy and spacious. Spike likes to just hang out on top of the picnic table.
The town of North Pole, just outside of Fairbanks, has everything Santa-related – street names, store names – everything. Took a short ride to Fairbanks downtown, and it is both bigger and smaller than we thought. It’s a legitimate city with a very small-town feel. Fairbanks is not surrounded by mountains and has no special scenic beauty. Had dinner at a really good Italian restaurant.
