Dawson Creek
British Columbia 
Airstreaming  2006

Arrive:   July 1
Depart:  July 3
Road Conditions:  Very Good
Weather:  Clear & Sunny
Miles:  330

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Another beginning, mile 0 of the Alaska Highway. Dawson creek, which I pictured as a quaint little town much like that depicted on television, is not a big town and not really quaint. The main street area has been rebuilt with some of the old time flavor, like the Alaska Hotel, but the rest is sprawled out between the Mile 0 Campground and Walmart. A dry spell, you probably could use the word draught, has plagued this area for some time. Trees were drying out and losing their leaves. The whole area was dry and dusty.

We arrived on Canada Day which is like July 4th in the USA. Fireworks and a BBQ were scheduled but the hot and dry conditions caused the cancellation of all but the BBQ, which we did not attend. Mile 0 Campground is a municipal operation, reasonable priced, and from what we could see the best choice. The museum offers a video presentation about the construction of the Alaska highway which most of us found interesting. Without the military threat of the second world war, would this well traveled link to the top of the world exist today?

The 8th annual Alaska Highway "Thunder Run" was scheduled for Sunday. Normal traffic on main street was blocked so the bikers could assemble and this gave us the opportunity to wander about, take pictures, and meet the mayor. Mayor Calvin Kruk (pronounced Crook) was young, handsome, and quite affable. His campaign, as he told us, was made interesting by many of his supporters claiming, in a supposedly lighthearted way, that more than one "crook" was running. I think it worth mentioning, upon meeting Calvin we did not believe he was the mayor, he looked so young and honest, so we checked with Frank "The Leather Man" and he and some others confirmed Calvin's identity.

You may have noticed Joe and Sarah are missing from the Mile 0 picture. Joe came down with a virile infection and spent a day and a half in bed. He did visit the hospital and see a doctor, got a prescription, and shelled out six hundred dollars. They got a small look at Canadian socialized medicine and were not impressed.

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