Alcan: Dawson Creek, British Columbia - June 2nd to 3rd, 2022
Our drive to Dawson Creek and our stay in Dawson Creek was filled with a variety of experiences. Nice scenery, wildlife sightings, good food, art, and a little history with sunshine and warm temperatures gave us a wonderful impression of Dawson Creek.
Thursday we were on the road again. This time from Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park to Dawson Creek. Our first stop was in Prince George. It is the second largest city in British Columbia. However, we had a long day of driving so we didn’t go into the city. We found a bakery with good ratings right off the highway, COBS Bread. We both had custard Danish pastries. Ann’s was blueberry and Keith’s was raspberry. The bakery did not have a place to sit inside, nor did it have any drinks. However, there was a Starbucks nearby, so we ordered chai lattes and sat at their outdoor tables to enjoy our treats. Starbucks makes their chai lattes a little too sweet for our tastes, but we still enjoyed them. After topping off our gas tank, we hit the road again.
During our drive, we spotted five black bears alongside the highway, at least we believe they were black bears. What a treat! The first two were a mama and her cub. We sped by them before we could stop to take a picture, so Keith turned around and drove back. When we reached them again, they bounded back into the woods. Ann managed to get one fuzzy picture of them. The third bear gave us a show. We stopped on the shoulder on the opposite side of the road and the bear laid down and started happily munching on dandelion blossoms. When we spotted the fourth bear, there was a large truck behind us, so we couldn’t stop. The fifth bear was just as we pulled out from the parking lot at Bijoux Falls. He also bounded into the woods fairly quickly.
Our second stop for the day (other than stopping for bears) was Bijoux Falls Provincial Park for a picnic lunch. The picnic area is right off the highway, but next to a spectacular water fall. The Mile Post also indicated it was a great place to see Stellar’s jays. That was definitely true. There were about half a dozen of them hovering over the picnic tables, waiting for someone to leave their food unattended so they could swoop in for a bite. The birds’ aggressive behavior was definitely not dampened by the family who was purposely feeding them.
The third and final stop was the town of Chetwynd. It is the home of the Chetwynd International Chainsaw Carving Championship Competition. The carvings from the previous competition are on display right along the highway. There are also others on display up and down the highway and around town. The detail and craftsmanship of these carvings is phenomenal! Although you can see most of them from the highway as you drive by, seeing the details of the carvings by standing next to them is definitely worth pulling off the road.
In the middle of our drive, the highway heads through some beautiful snow-capped mountains, in the area around Bijoux Falls. Then we returned to the wide open valleys and pasture land. As we approached Dawson Creek, farm fields lined the highway. Some were still dirt and some were just starting to sprout green plants. We’re not sure if the dirt fields were planted yet. This was the beginning of June. We were surprised to see farms this far north. It’s amazing that they have a long enough growing season to be successful. The Peace River Region grows wheat, oats, barley, and canola. According to the Dawson Creek website, they produce almost 90% of British Columbia’s grain and 95% of its canola.
After checking into the campground, we headed into Dawson Creek for dinner. We asked the RVing to Alaska Facebook group for restaurant recommendations. Browns Social House got the most recommendations, so we went there. It is a chain based in Vancouver. The restaurant has a sports bar type feel to it, but with a very extensive menu. Ann had the Szechuan beef noodle bowl while Keith opted for the steak. Both were very tasty. The Stanley Cup playoff game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Edmonton Oilers was on all the TV’s. We quietly kept to ourselves and did not let anyone know we were cheering for the Av’s!
Before heading back to the campground, we took our pictures in front of the Alaska Highway Mile 0 sign and picked up some groceries. We were camping in Mile 0 RV Park for the next two nights. Our campsite was about 30 yards from the highway. We could hear the highway traffic noise, even inside our Red Tail Lodge (our van). Luckily, there was not much traffic at night, so we were able to get a good night’s sleep.
Friday was another beautiful day with temperatures in the 70’s F (mid 20’s C), sunny with puffy white clouds. We hung out at the campground all day. In the morning, we did our laundry and took showers, the main reason why we were staying in a private campground. Right next to the campground is the Walter Wright Pioneer Village. In fact, the museum and the campground share the same office. So we spent the lovely afternoon strolling around the Pioneer Village. Entrance to the village is on a donation basis.
The village is very nicely done. Some of the buildings are original and have been moved to the site. Others are replicas of historical buildings while some were built in the style of the pioneer era. The inside of each building is fully furnished with all kinds of relics and artifacts. Most of the buildings are arranged to form a Main Street, lined with boardwalks and lamp posts. The buildings include a church, school, barn, blacksmith shop, general store, some homes, and a trapper’s cabin along with others. The one building contains a museum with the history of the Alaska Highway, also known as the Alcan. If you’re a museum buff, you could spend quite a few hours in the village.
At 10 pm, our usual time to make one last trip to the restroom (or washroom as they call it) and get ready for bed, it was still very bright outside, like daytime on a cloudy day. We are far enough north and close enough to the summer solstice (June 21st) that it is no longer getting dark enough at any time during the night to call it an astronomical night. It is only going to get lighter for longer as we go farther north and get closer to the summer solstice. Luckily we have light-blocking shades and curtains so it is dark inside our Red Tail Lodge. Otherwise, we might have a hard time getting to sleep with so much light.
Variety is the spice of life. Dawson Creek didn’t provide any one big spectacular thing, but gave us a mixture of some very enjoyable times. It left us hungry for more. We were ready to start the Alaska Highway, the Alcan, to see what it had in store for us.
Check out our related video: Alcan: Dawson Creek, British Columbia
(Ann)