Glenallen to Tok to Kluane, Day #2 and Day #3

Camping in Glenallen was sort of uneventful.  It was gray and it rained.  The campground was typical and we were still just trying to get our groove on.  We did see a mammoth Black Bear on the way there, though, and that is always fun.

Day #2 found us on our way to Tok.  The drive was stunning, and we saw loads of Trumpeter Swans, including a pair with cygnets.  We took care of some essentials and vehicle maintenance in Tok, since this would be our last reliable services for awhile.

Our stay in Tok was fabulous.  We were all beginning to come down from all the emotions and stress.  The sun was shining and we were camped in a wooded area with a soft bed of spruce needles.  It was like being in a giant sandbox for the boys, so out came the bucket of trucks and army men!

We also had a special blessing in Tok--my buddy Rose and her brood stopped in for a visit!  It was so great to catch up a bit on the McQuillin news while the children ran and played with familiar friends.  Such an evening really makes this mama's heart happy.

Tuesday was a long, amazing day.  We drove our last leg of Alaska highway to the Border.  We crossed with no problems, and just like that, our boys became International travelers.  :)  The ride from Tok, AK to our destination of Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory was "rough seas" to say the least.  The road conditions were terrible, wrought with frost heaves, broken pavement, gravel roads, and construction.  We bumped along and laughed most of the way, as we experienced the strange sensation of being a ship tossed at sea, despite driving laboriously slowly. At points I believed we were going to go airborne.

"STOP Cap'n Tony!" (rear cabinet flung open again)  "We've lost the kidney beans and the Bush's are hanging half out!"  (child sees bear along highway"  "STOP Cap'n Daddy!  ANOTHER Grizzly!"

This sort of swaying and bumping and stopping thing went on for hours.  One highlight of the day was seeing a mama Black Bear with three teeny weenie cubs.  They were so adorable!  Mama was teaching them to rummage under rocks for vittles.  However, they were not as agile as mama, and kept slipping and sliding along the slope!  On this day we also saw two separate grizzly bears, both peacefully munching wildflowers beside the road.  We stopped to watch both of them for a long time, which was such a treat.  On the way up the Al-Can in 1998, Tony and I only saw one grizzly, and it turned tail and ran off moments after we stopped to see it. 

Our long and funny voyage was rewarded with an overnight on beautiful Kluane Lake.  We camped lakeside and could hear the waves lapping in at the shore all night long.  The boys were in their glory, throwing rocks and playing boats in the water.

Even our old man Chuggie got to dip his furry toes into the water.