Dawson Creek

June 5th 2012,

We got an early start and left Whitecourt by a little after eight am, It was raining hard and the forecast was for high winds so it was pretty easy as there was nothing holding us here. I drove for the first bit and then Renita gave me a spell before it really started raining harder and the traffic increased so we switched driving seats yet again.
I was suprised at all the traffic and I had somehow expected Canada to be more wild, but with all the oil wells and the Athabasca Tar sands I shouldn't have been so naive. Renita did spot a deer but other than that it was just a long day of windy and wet driving on a busy four lane highway. We did reach the tioga, at Whitecourt, and so trees have pretty much closed in the road. It is a lot like driving in the Upper Pennisula or Northern Minnesota, but that should also be no suprise.
My first impression of Dawson Creek is that its kind of like an oil town in Wyoming. I did manage to drive through the roundabout and we did spot the Mile Zero marker but today is a day to jusr check in and rest after finishing the East Approach to the Alaska Highway. The Milepost has already been a personal tour guide as we follow the listed bits of information as we pass them. It is the book to have!
With Renita's great navigation skills we found and checked into the Mile Zero Rv Park where the manager gave us the impression that we were lucky to have found a spot.He was nice and helpful but the place is pretty full.  We plan on being here for two nights before we start on the actual Alaska Highway. However we do plan on going a lot slower, covering less miles and enjoying the sites and things to do along the route.