We Arrive in Alaska

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On June 28, we finally reached the Alaska border crossing only to see the height clearance was marked 13 feet—at least 6 inches too short! What were we to do? The high-clearance RV lane was closed for construction. The commercial/truck lane (which had no canopy) was blocked by cones from the lane we occupied. A sign clearly stated that travelers should NOT get out of their vehicles unless instructed to do so by a Border Patrol officer. So, of course, Bill (driving the coach in front of ours) got out of his vehicle to investigate and went right into the building. By this time, we were blocking at least a dozen vehicles behind us.

The officer finally told him the height clearance was actually 13 feet 6 inches and we should proceed. So, we sneaked under the canopy very slowly as he came outside to watch us grimace, listening to our roof antennas bending and scraping the ceiling all the way through. At least the officer was polite during our interrogation. No harm done, but couldn’t someone have at least posted some temporary signs?

Once across the border, road conditions miraculously improved--almost no frost heaves, road construction, loose gravel, or flying rocks. We breathed a sigh of relief and headed for Tok, where we would overnight. There was an RV wash area at the park, so we attempted to remove some road grit and grime from our vehicles. It was somewhat futile, since we weren’t allowed to use soap; but even our half-way job was better than none. Apparently, Tok is known as the “car wash capital” of Alaska and we now know why.

The next morning, we headed for Valdez, where we would spend a week.

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Photos

Alaska, Finally
Did I only take one picture that day?