Tok

Left Valdez in the clouds with rain.  Was so hoping to see the Keystone Canyon in the sunshine again, but lo it was still beautiful in the haze of the clouds.  Went to see the end of the Alaska Pipeline that terminates in Valdez and also a fish wier where the salmon are  migrating from the ocean. The Solomon Gulch Fish hatchery is the returning home of 320,000 pink salmon and 200,000 silver (coho) salmon.  The hatchery takes the eggs of these salmon and hatches them to release next Spring to guarantee that there is enough Pink and Silver Salmon for the commercial fisherman, the sport fisherman and also the residents of Alaska.  They do the same proceedure in Seward at the Big Bear Lake Fish Wier (hatchery).  The Tok cut off road to Tok had nothing on it not even a gas station.  Makes for a long day of driving.  We are staying at the Tok RV Village.  Ate at Fast Eddie's - Yum Yum.   Any restaruant named after a special Son in Law had to have good food.  Came back to the RV park and washed the Rv since we drove over 24 miles of muddy gravel road construction.  Then the RV park had a free night of music.  It was really great, the lead singer sang with Doc Watson and then there were two young musicians.  It was a welcomed surprise evening.  Of course, it was all topped off with ice cream cones.  Thought we would be heading to Haines, but have decided to go to Chicken since we heard the road is in pretty good shape.  We will determine whether we go over Top of The World highway into Dawson Creek after we hear how that road is when we get to Chicken.  We have heard horror stories about damages incurred while driving that road, but the views are supposed to be worth it.  I think we will have one more day in Alaska, but once we hit Canada we will have to rely on their wifi for postings on the blog.  My cell phone is Canada equipped so if you need to call you can.  I heard on the news a piece of tidbit for all you educators out there:  The Anchorage school system is beginning to register children for the new school year.  Would you believe that in that school system there are a total of 90 different languages spoken?  English, Spanish, Inuvit, and Samoan are the top languages.  Here is the picture of the snow along the road that has not melted on top of Thompson's pass (2360').   Chatterbox, check your private email.  Love ya' ll