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Hey we made it! Well, sort of. Dawson Creek, the official start of the Alaska Highway.
Some people refer to this as the "Alcan" or the "Alcan Highway". When the US helped build, with military labor (11,000 troops and 16,000 civilians) and money, this road in response to our entry into World War II. We were afraid that Alaska was undefended with no way to move troops there quickly. So, $140 Million and 9 months later, we had a 1523 mile gravel highway from Dawson Creek to Fairbanks Alaska, with 133 bridges and 8,000 culverts. the highway is now completely paved (except, of course in construction zones).
Don't be frightened by other people's descriptions of the road: The road surface not smooth pavement like in the lower 48 (it is just a tad noisy to drive on) but it is generally major
bump free, and can be driven at the speed limit, even in a large motorhome.
Except!!!! About a 200 miles stretch from Destruction Bay to about 100 miles past the Alaska Border, which is suffering from frost heave damage, and is very much a bad road. You MUST keep the speed down to 40 to 45 MPH if you want to avoid jarring your bones and rattling your teeth (and ruining your vehicle). Really. The frost heaves can be spotted ahead of time -- usually, but frequently they cannot be detected, and will certainly bottom out your RV's suspension. Just plan on this section of the trip being about 50% longer than normal, maybe 5 hours of driving time (not including US Customs) and you'll be fine. Think about quitting for the day, and staying at White River RV park or at Beaver Creek. Beaver Creek is about halfway in this stretch, and a short driving day would be recommended.
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