Canada – British Columbia – Fort Nelson – 1 of 10 provinces on our RV Adventure

If you are a first-time reader, welcome to Lora and Erics RV Adventure Blog. You can read about us at http://www.LoraandEricsRVAdventure.com. We started in December 2017 with a goal to complete 49 states before heading home to North Carolina.

Drama in the morning. Lora work up with her side of the face swollen even more. This time it mainly around her eye. She was not a happy camper. I looked up Walk-In Clinics in Dawson Creek and found non-open on the weekend. She refuses to take any antihistamine or Advil using the excuse of her blood pressure medicine. After a bit of going back and forth I suggest to her to call the NC Blue Cross Blue Shield 24-hour Nurse Practitioner hotline. I research on line reactions to Mosquito bites.

I find similar images of reactions similar to Lora from Mosquitoes. The reaction is called Skeeter Syndrome. Skeeter syndrome is actually the result of an allergic reaction to proteins in mosquito saliva. There's no simple blood test to detect mosquito antibodies in blood, so mosquito allergy is diagnosed by determining whether the large, red areas of swelling and itching occurred after you were bitten by mosquitoes. In some cases the swelling is so extreme that the affected limb doubles in size, eyes swell shut, and the area feels hot and hard to the touch. Sometimes the bite will blister and ooze. The swelling can be painful, and can present with a low grade fever and general malaise.

The nurse practitioner says they no longer recommend any ointment or tropical lotions such as Neosporin, Benadryl, or Bactrian. Lora can take Benadryl with her high blood pressure meds or Clairton. She cannot mix the two antihistamines.

Our goal is Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. We have no reservation, but plan to stop at Triple G Hideaway Campground if they have spot available. The travel time from Northern Lights RV Park in Dawson Creek, BC, CA to Triple G Hideaway RV Park and Campground in Fort Nelson, BC, CA is 4 h 53 min 454 Kilometers (282 miles) via BC-97 Alaskan Highway.

The campground is nearly cleared out. The Caravan from Fantasy RV Tours headed off in small groups. We start out around 10:00 am from Dawson Creek. Lora finally takes a Benadryl.

We make our way onto the famed Alaskan Highway ALCAN. The entire Alaska Hwy follows a scenic 2,451 kilometer (1523 mi.) paved road from Mile "0" in Dawson Creek, British Columbia to Delta Junction, Alaska, USA. It is a recognized globally as the "16th Wonder of the Engineered World".

At "Mile 21" on the Old Alaska Highway is where the wooden curved bridge crosses the Kiskatinaw River. The alternative driving route drops into a valley and leads to the Kiskatinaw Provincial Park after crossing over the only timber bridge of its kind remaining in Western Canada. Built in 1942-43 the high banked, curved bridge is an engineering wonder extending 162 metres (534 feet) across. The structure is a called a three span, timber truss bridge and extends about 30 metres (100 feet) above the Kiskatinaw River.

Back in the day the Kiskatinaw River and the valley created problems for the engineers. The shape of the valley and the wacky sharp turn in the river forced the engineers to come up with a plan to build a banked curved bridge. The engineers created the 190 foot wooden bridge with a 9 degree curve to conform with the bend of the highway. The construction of the bridge took 9 months to complete.

We stop before getting back onto BC-97 ALCAN we stop to take pictures of a beautifully engineered beaver pond. The dams are multi-level. It is one of the best beaver dams I have ever seen constructed.

The route is uneventful for half the trip. The two hundred foot path created by the Army Corp of Engineer Soldiers is clearly evident. The road itself it wide and the sides are cut back to the woods on each side.

We reach Fort St. John and stop at Wendy’s for a quick bite to eat. After Fort St. John the road winds though the prairie as we begin to see hills and mountains in the distance. Overall the trip is uneventful. We are always on the look out for wildlife. We do see a deer early on.

We spot our first bear on our left. Lora tries to get a picture. She is always taking pictures along the route.

We begin to enter the Northern Rocky’s. We are also beginning to get periods of rain. It is nice because the camper and truck need a good wash. We finally catch up to some of the Fantasy RV Tour caravan clients. The road seems to go on forever, an even cut through scenic vast forests. The road is in very good shape. Canada road signs warn you of bumps, construction, ice, etc. which is very nice to prepare you. The bumps signs are not big bumps either.

We climb and drop through mountains. The steep grades are not too bad. Most of the time 6%, but we did have one at 9%. We are getting heavier rain. At one point we drive through what appears to be snow on the side of the road and spots on the road. Very strange for it is only in this section.

We stop for fuel in Pink Mountain keeping to the half tank rule. The trucker at the gas station helps me with the pump, it is not a standard gas pump. He mentions the snow was actually hail.

We get back on the road and continue to head North West. We pass through an area with lakes and rivers. We see a few more Fantasy RV Tour clients.

We reach Fort Nelson. Fort Nelson is on the southwest edge of the Greater Sierra oil & gas field. Contrary to popular belief that the construction of the Alaska Highway commenced in Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson was the original mile 0 on the Alaska Highway because of the existence of a previously constructed road from Fort St John to Fort Nelson.

We drive into Triple G Hideaway Campground. The reviews are good, but many say the price is high. We make a reservation for 2 nights (6/30 – 7/2). The Fantasy RV Tour Caravan is also staying in the same park. We are given a back in site. The nats are outrageous. Thousands flying all around us. We quickly set up to get out of the nap infested outdoors. The rain begins to fall steady for a short bit after we setup. When the sun peaks back out. The rain must have washed the nats away because they are all gone. Lora and I take a walk around the park with Bella Bee.

Triple G Hideaway RV Park and Campground has an onsite restaurant and lounge. The bathroom and showers are brand new inside. The outside is very deceiving. The showers cost one loonie for 5 minutes. The park is large. The sites are full service with cable TV. The cost is $98 Canadian for 2 nights. The campground is a good stopping point traveling on the Alaskan Highway from Dawson Creek.

Lora makes more spaghetti and meatballs for diner. I end my evening early.

Happy Canada Day. The TV is swarmed with Happy Canada Day celebrations and officials wishing everyone Happy Canada Day in shot blurbs. Prime Minister Trudo is touring the country visiting businesses that are impacted by Donald Trumps tariffs kicking in today.

The day is expected to be scattered showers. I got up around 3:00 am. Lora and Bella Bee slept past 8:00 am. Bella Bee was the last to get up. The past few days have been cold and she wakes up shivering in the camper. We placed her pink coat on and it acts like a Thunder Coat. She stay relaxed and sleeps so much better at night with the coat on.

Our plan to day is to check out some wildlife. I stop at the Visitors Center for any suggestions. The hostess recommends a drive on BC-97 North (Alaskan Highway). I do not want to drive on the same road we will drive the next day, so we decide to head onto BC-77 North. We drive for about 30 miles and see nothing. Disappointed we turn around and top off the fuel tank. We decide to have dinner at Triple G Hideaway RV Park and Campground Restaurant. This evening they are planning a Buffet. We need to wait 3 hours, so I decide to nap, and Lora talks on the phone. We walk up to the restaurant at 4:30 pm. There is another group from Fantasy RV Tours. This caravan is 28 campers. Between both tours in two days Fantasy RV Tours must be grossing in $250,000.00 US. I checked their website and looked at their itinerary. We will kind of do the same route but in the opposite direction.

We order a drink before the buffet opens up at 5:00 pm. The Buffet is very good. They have 3 salads, potatoes, corn on the cob, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, lasagna, beef stroganoff, bbq chicken, and meatloaf. All the food is very good. I top off the meal with a chocolate fudge sundae.

The remainder of the evening is scattered rain. I crash at 7:00 pm, Lora wanders in at 9:00 pm.

The morning is a tad chilly, I get up at 5:00 am. Lora is still in bed at 6:53 am while I update the blog. We are heading to Liard Hot Springs. The drive should be a little more than 3 hours if we drive through. I expect to see wildlife and we spoke yesterday of driving through some provincial parks on the way to find wildlife. Our plan is to be on the road before the Caravan takes off so we can find a spot at the Hot Springs.

Hopefully we will see wildlife, let’s see…

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