July 2025

We Made it to the Arctic! Tuktoyaktuk and Alaska

On July 5th, after 47 hours of driving, and two weeks since we left Washington state, we made it to the Arctic Ocean!  The Dempster Highway is one of only five roads in the world that you can drive to the Arctic.  We were amazed at how warm and bright it was - and that there were swarms of mosquitoes everywhere. The sun never really set, it just skimmed the surface of the water before coming right back up.  Josh and I found it was difficult to sleep.  Even though the blinds in our van help block the light, our circadian rhythms felt off.  It would be close to midnight and we'd feel wide awake. 

We thought the drive might be long and boring, but we were surprised at the changing scenery and kept our eyes peeled for wildlife.  On the drive up we saw a moose, and then we saw two foxes the night we arrived in Tuk.  On the way back down the highway we spotted a moose.  While in Tuk we stopped by the visitor center, then went to a local restaurant where we tried muktuk, which is beluga whale skin and blubber.  We found muktuk to be a bit rubbery but we weren't put off by the taste, smell, or texture. 

Although we only stayed one night in Tuk, it was great to accomplish our goal of making it to the Arctic.  On the return drive we stayed two nights in Dawson City, YT.  We had stayed one night there on the way up to Tuk, and on that first evening we enjoyed the 8:30pm performance at Diamond Tooth Gerties.  This is a not-for-profit casino where all the proceeds go back into the community - whether it's building maintenance, workers' wages, or local events.  During the additional time we stayed there we did laundry and tried cleaning the van as well as we could (it was amazing how much dust was inside the van).  Dawson City is a charming town that retains the atmosphere and aesthetic of its gold mining roots.  We enjoyed the Dawson City Museum and panning for gold.

The morning of Saturday, July 12th  we crossed into Alaska via the Top of the World Highway.  This was a beautiful drive and easy stop through customs.  The first town we visited was Chicken, AK.  The town is small but has huge character, and uses its name to its advantage.  We found a nice campground not far from town that was quiet and peaceful, and affordable at $12 a night!

We knew we wanted to spend the week at Wrangell St Elias National Park, so for two nights we stayed at Kendesnii Campground on the north side of the park.  Later in the week we drove down the McCarthy Highway to Base Camp Kennicott.  The road to get to McCarthy was bumpy, and that's putting it mildly!  There were some rough and long stretches of washboard road that were not fun to drive down.  However, we had a great time exploring the old mining town of McCarthy.  We took the local shuttle to Kennicott where we met with a guided group tour to go through the old mine.   This national park is definitely a fun one to visit, but I recommend people look into flying there instead of driving!

The next down we visited was Valdez.  It seemed to be storybook pretty as it was surrounded by mountains and waterfalls.  The marina and local shops were cute.  We had a great time just looking at the scenery around us.  One night we stayed outside the Solomon Gulch Hatchery and watched sea lions feasting on salmon.  

Around the time we departed McCarthy we got a brake indicator light on our dash.  Josh was able to use our diagnostic tool to troubleshoot the issue.  After a lot of discussion and back and forth, we decided to schedule an appointment at the Mercedes dealership in Anchorage.  We departed Valdez and made way to Anchorage.  In one day the shop replaced our rear brake pads and found our CV was leaking.  We made a follow up appointment to return to the dealership the first week of September.  

Once we left Anchorage we headed to Alyeska and visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center.  We also stopped at the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center where we learned of some nice hikes.  We stayed nearby at one of the lakes and the next morning explored Whittier.  To get to Whittier you have to drive through a 2.5 mile long tunnel through a mountain on a single road.  Vehicles are staged and have a fifteen minutes window to pass through the tunnel before the oncoming traffic has their turn.   The tunnel itself is pretty impressive. 

It didn't take us long to explore Whittier as it's a small town.  The main reason for being in Whittier (other than to see the tunnel) was because we had booked a ferry crossing to Cordova, AK.  The ferry to Cordova is around 6 hours and 45 minutes long.  The vessel is comfortable though as it has two different seating areas and a galley.  The food in the galley was surprisingly affordable and tasty.   The views along Prince William Sound were incredible and we had fun walking around the deck and taking it all in.