From Tok to the North Pole, AL

Tok River State Park
Site #16 - $15, n/s, Temp 17C

We unhooked and drove in to Tok after we were settled and set up. We are slowly learning that the descriptions given in the tourism books are greatly 'inflated'. What sounds like a 'you don't want to miss seeing it' often turns out to be pretty run down and sometimes even boarded up. And that was Tok!! Not much to see there!

It is now morning and we are leaving Tok. We are having to adjust to another time change. (We are 4 hrs. earlier than Ottawa now -- almost 1/2 day!), plus it is mileage versus kilometers and of course that 'funny money'.  We are not sure of the exchange rate yet as we haven't kept up!! We stopped at Chicken just over the border and they exchanged at par though.

We decided to wait til Fairbanks to 'stock up'. This portion of the Alaskan Hwy is looking good. We are driving 100 km. - oops 63 mph, I mean. The trees along the hwy and the snow capped mountains ahead are very pretty.  It's looking more like BC now.
(oops... I spoke a little soon on the highway condition. We came across numerous "Dips" which shakes things up in the 5th wheel pretty good!!) We saw quite a few moose along the road this stretch. I managed to get a pic of a mother and young one as they crossed the highway in front of us. 

Lunch was at the North Pole! How cool is that?! It was originally a homestead that was bought up by a Development Co. who called it "North Pole" hoping to attract a toy manufacturing company that would jump at the chance to produce toys here. That didn't happen, but it was incorporated in 1953 and developed in to a 'theme city".





There is a "Santa Claus House" on St. Nicholas Dr. and it's Christmas year round here.