Day Five

Day 5 We got up and had a great Breakfast at Klondike Kates kitchen and looked around the town again. We went to Robert Services , Pierre Burton, and Jack Londons cabins. It is great to see all the history. A short ferry ride across the Yukon River started our trip to Chicken Alaska. We rode 100 miles of gravel over the Top of the world Highway with spectacular views from the mountain tops in all directions. The 100 miles of gravel was well worth it to see the amazing scenery. At the US border into Alaska, we watched a herd of caribou cross about 30 metres in front of us. Wow what a sight!!! As we started our descent from the mountain peaks it started to rain and rain and rain, turning our crazy gravel road into a very slippery crazy gravel road. Mike and Randy kept us shiny side up. All is well. Lynn and I needed drinks when we hit Chicken. Well, we made it to Chicken ,Alaska. What a place. Best hamburger Ive ever had and the saloon was a unique experience. Underwear from tourists hangs from the ceiling and walls. The whole bar holds about 12 people.Our first real American beer was Alaskan Ale. Randy started chatting with a local goldminer, named Toad. He lives about 7 miles from Chicken and comes to town 2 times a week for the mail plane. He lives in an old cabin year round. The roads are closed and so is the town of Chicken so he has to store enough supplies to get him through a long Alaskan winter.Randy asked him what supplies he gets from town before winter and he says all he needed was his blowup love doll, Rita! He told us his cabins lower logs are rotting and his cabin is now shrinking and the door is only about 4 feet tall and he bangs his head all the time. He says he doesnt remember when her could stand up and do stuff. He was a geat guy. The bartender is a young kid from Louisiana that comes to Chicken in the summer to work. He loves the north and the quietness. From Chicken the roads were paved again and made travelling lots less stessful. We are now in Tok, Alaska in a campground. There is fire ban on so we are enjoying our beers around the picnic table reading more history of the areas. Oh and whoever says there are bugs in the North should visit again as we have seen nothing so far!!! Tomorrow is on to Valdez and Prince William Sound.....