Saturday, July 17… Today was a “free day” which translates into do whatever you want; or nothing at all. We’re rarely interested in “nothing at all” so we decided to go 4 wheeling. We turned off the Alaskan Highway onto Nonda Creek Road an unmaintained gravel “road”. Seventy minutes later we were on the summit of a mountain. Leaving the highway we were at 2400 feet…on the mountain top 5200. The view was spectacular in all directions…endless mountain ranges disappearing into the distance hundreds of miles away ( some with snow). The air was clean and cool. On the way up we saw; moose, ptarmigan (the Alaskan state bird), and a huge beaver dam. No evidence of  people was apparent, except the massive microwave tower that shared the mountain top with us…..

Sue:  Going back a bit to Fort Nelson .  We, along with Chuck and Margaret and two other couples, were given the pleasure of providing a cookout (with caravan money) for 70 hungry caravaners so we had all planned to do the shopping here as there were two (!) grocery stores.  However, I heard over the CB that ladies were going to a quilt shop in the morning,  Maggie and I decided that we would not be needed if six other people were shopping.  Six quilters went up a dirt road thinking the shop would be in someone’s house but found a three bay garage filled with the latest fabrics and a long arm.  The fabric was good quality but most were $15.99 a meter. I did find some $5 sale material and all Christmas fabric was 50% off.  We were there about two hours.Sue:The cookout was a great success because we made a dinner that we had made before with the unit: haystack.  All four couples had varying amounts of hamburger to fry and assorted items to chop up.  At one point we called Claire to be sure we had all the right ingredients and she told us to go to Sam’s at which point our laughter could be heard several trailers away.  Everything is so far away and we haven’t been near a Walmart for days. Everything came together well and the weather cooperated for outdoor eating.  The dessert was nanamio bars which are made from a box mix.  Delicious!  Since then we have had them twice when they were the dessert at caravan dinners. Sue: Traveling from campground to campground we’ve learned so much about how the people live.  The quilt lady said if they hadn’t opened the quilt shop they would have to go to Edmondton, AB for material,about 500 miles.  This was also true of a lady whose gas station and campground offered bison burgers but had none and it would take three days to get more.

Marl Brown is an elderly Canadian who has collected and restored cars his entire life. He is also an inventor. He has worked with the local historical society to create an awesome museum. The museum explains every facet of early life in British Columbia and his car collection traces the early transportation. The best part is ….Marl is usually there to answer questions….as he was on the day we visited. Nearly all of the cars in the museum are driven. He has a 1908 Buick. In 2008 when the car turned 100 years old he ran it up the Alaskan Highway to Whitehorse, YT  a distance of over 1000 miles.

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