Chicken to Tok, Alaska

June 15, 2023.

On my way to Chicken, Alaska. It was only about 20 minutes from my camp and I arrived in a very peaceful setting. The RV store wasn’t even open, but I took a better look and headed towards the airport road which was bustling. Apparently Chickenstock is starting tomorrow, which is like Woodstock, a music festival, where there are thousands of people expected. There were already several RVs and many tents set up in the fields surrounding this area as I noticed quite a big stage. For a split second I entertained getting tickets and staying on as the show was going to last through the entire weekend. But honestly, I wasn’t into socializing with quite that many in a Woodstock type crowd. And I had no idea of what type of music was going to be performed. I stopped quickly, wanting to get a fried chicken sandwich as I figured I might as will have chicken in the town of Chicken. But the chef said that they have been extra busy and ran out of chicken! So I had an egg sandwich and took a slice of cherry, and blueberry pie to go. For the next couple of hours I did my best dodging all of the potholes, washboard, ripples and deep ruts, keeping my eye focused until I got to the end of the line, as this highway connects back onto the Alcan. I spent a little time in the town of Tok, getting an overdo RV wash, and grocery shopping along with a stop at the visitor center. It got to be late afternoon and I still wanted to cook up some dinners and breakfast so I decided to spend a night behind the Shell gas station. It was fine until a 2 AM disruption when two cars pulled up with my all-time favorite door slamming routine, and yes, they woke me up. The ambience here is probably the worst I’ve ever experienced next to the ace hardware store, next to the lumberyard, and in a parking lot that I hope to God doesn’t have nails, but it’s got plenty of other junk including a big pile of concrete that someone just dumped. I had a bit of a sore throat and I am feeling tired and wondering what I should do at this stage. Whether I hang out here or perhaps, just go another hour or two down the road. I am OK here for this minute, only because I have great reception and actually some TV channels so I get to watch the Today Show along with PBS. There is rain in the forecast and right now it’s pretty dreary and gray. Keeping this flexible, if I can.

















Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At home now… from the great 2023 Alaska Road Trip!

Image
​ Jo Jo and I are home, from the trip of a lifetime! 106 days, 11,539 miles, 675 gallons of gasoline, a ton of fun, beautiful views, and amazing experiences. Other than a brief head cold, no other mishaps, except my souvenir windshield chips. The Sylver Gypsy performed wonderfully. She kept me safe and warm. My last days were drive heavy, but I managed a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park. My last night was in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, where I also made a brief stop at Sunset Crater. I’ll need a few moments to adjust being back to reality, but it’s nice to be home!
Read more

Bryce Canyon National Park, then almost home

Image
​ A great night in the Utah desert, and a rather chilly morning, surprisingly, but I got up and hurried out of there with the intention of getting to Bryce Canyon National Park. I wondered if I would have enough time and decided it was only 20 minutes one-way, out-of-the-way as I continued on my route home. This would be my third time visiting Bryce and I’m so glad I did. As with any National Park, there are some new changes and the Ranger told me that because I’m over 20 feet I would have to park in the main parking lot and take the shuttle bus in to see the viewpoints. She gave me a tag to hang in my window. My heart sank to the bottom, since I know the shuttle buses will not except pets, and I was not willing to leave Jo Jo. However, upon examining the tag, it indicated vehicles over 23 feet to park and shuttle. My Travato is 21 feet. Hmmmm, I was annoyed. So I ignored the directions and went straight to the parking area at the sunrise amphitheater and not only did I see other campe...
Read more

Montana to Blackfoot, Idaho

Image
​ Well, other than spending the day driving I didn’t do much else. Unless you consider the excitement of filling up my gas tank for $80.00. It’s the first time in a long time when I looked down I saw my gauge in the red and the yellow warning light came on indicating low fuel. I never do these things, but I must’ve been in “the zone” while driving. Either way, I made it to the next gas station and I also have 2 gallons as a spare mounted to my ladder. I wound up staying in the same place that I stopped in May, as I was traveling up north. It’s Rose Pond Park near the town of Blackfoot, Idaho. I even recall exactly where I stayed and it was open and available. However, there was a radio concert going on right around the corner. I wasn’t into listening to the “boom boom.” I found another spot just as a truck came with three ATV, mini bikes and kids who spent the next two hours driving around, mostly in the parking lot. I was actually concerned that they would come by too closely or lose ...
Read more