I’m in room 217, and room 215 needs to get up a full hour before me.
How do I know this you ask. Paper thin walls and a loud beeping noise emitting from the alarm clock, clearly not doing its job next door.
A half hour later or so, I decide it’s difficult to concentrate on the weather gals breasts
I mean forecast,
And I would start my day a bit earlier. I shut MY alarm OFF and get dressed. Out the door for breakfast, I pause outside of 215 and with one VERY swift kick, I lay my Steel Toe size 11 upside the big wooden door, immediately followed with a high pitched, but not absurdly so, “Housekeeping”
I hear a faint grunt, followed by a louder eh? And the alarm shut off.
THAT is followed by a hairy biker scampering down the hall like an 11 year old. Much like Kevin McAllister running amok in The Plaza Hotel in New York City.
Very difficult to scamper in Steel Toe size 11, but scamper I did, AND, quick enough to make it to the elevator undetected before 215 opened up his door.
After breakfast, I pack up Kai, bundle up (still cold), and knock out the last 25 miles of the Yellowhead. We part ways after the first sign directing me to the Alaska Highway, so it was a bittersweet divorce.
Rte 43 North is a lot of fun, and empty, but not at all like The Yellowhead (Rte 16). 16 just FELT West. Epic straight-aways, long endless horizons, miles of land to scope out on your left and right, whereas 43 FEELS North. Big sweeping curves, actual HILLS and lush green a few feet from the breakdown lane.
I see my first MOOSE sign. It is a BIG sign, with a giant moose figure to the left of it, and to the right reads:
Moose Row
Watch for Wildlife, Save your Own Life.
Let’s just say, a giant Moose head sign, that reads Moose ROW, kinda sticks with ya.
Near Whitecourt Alberta (smells like shop class), I stop for lunch at an Arby’s.
I know what you all are thinking, what being all the way in Alberta CA and landing at an Arby’s. And my response is, bugger off, I don’t care. I actually just wanna keep riding, AND I acquired free food coupons to use there so it was a no brainer.
I walk in and notice the Arby’s Roast Beef slinger was, hmm, about 4 feet tall. I present my FREE FOOD coupon, and she immediately shakes her head, bewildered, calls over another equally responsible, equally tall beef slinger, and they both sit there looking at the coupon, then at me, then the coupon, then each other, THEN, they hail a THIRD, higher authoritative BUT equally diminutive slinger with a name tag. Even she has no idea what this is, and all 3 tell me no good.
Now, by this time, 3 MORE slingers, ALL THE SAME HEIGHT, come over to see the fuss, as if this was Middle Earth and I just displayed The One Ring, The One Ring, to rule over all Rings Of Power.
I eat my food, jump back on Kai, and we were soon taking Rt3 43 into Grand Prairie.
I decided to take a little different route today instead of the one Google threw my way. I leapt onto Rte 2 North and connected with Rte 59 West above Grand Prairie. Wise choice, as this broke up going through another town AND landing on a pretty lonely little road that snuck me in just below Dawson Creek, my destination this afternoon. Soon found out how perfect it was for some Judas Priest “The Hellion/Electric Eye when Uncle Igor cued them up for me.
Btw, I now dubbed my MP-3 Player Uncle Igor. And, like Forrest Gump, that’s all I gotta say about that.
Rte 59 strongly reminded me of the farm roads near my home in Central Pa, and was a real mind fucker as I had to tell myself, as much as this feels like home, I was not only 2500 miles away, but, in a whole nother COUNTRY.
Arrive in Dawson Creek, and with yet another time jump, WAY ahead of schedule.
I had arranged to stay with a host I met through a website I signed up with called www.couchsurfing.com. Great site, go explore it! Cool concept.
As I was early, I decided it was a fine time to change over some more money, take the obligatory Mile 0 Alaska Highway Milepost Sign photo in the center of town, and find some food and adult beverages.
Took the picture of the sign, thinking this was absolutely the coolest thing I have ever done!
Well, maybe the second coolest, as once I found a way to wormhole time travel back to the Wild Wild West, although something went wrong, and I ended up in Long Beach circa 1977. But I was still wearing my boots and aviator sunglasses, thus creating the legend now known as Officer Francis (Frank) “Ponch” Poncherello.
You’re welcome ladies.
But here I am now, Dawson Creek, circa 2009, working on my 3rd Jack n Coke
I’m sorry, Jack n Pop,
At the infamous Alaska Hotel Café and Pub, having an absolute blast talking to the Newfoundland bartender named Tina, and two other bikers, Frank and Lee, telling tales of Montana riding and the like. My host (Dan) hollers at me via cell and I am saying my goodbyes, smiling at their well wishes and off down the street I go to meet Dan at the café.
After some great conversation and some sort of Blueberry/Strawberry/Custard thingy, I am following Dan’s little Ford Escape back to my bed of the evening.
Dan (and his dog) hang with me, cooking some dinner as we await the arrival of Jen (wife) and get to know each other. We all hastily choke down some delicious leftovers and I am whisked away to the Ecana Events Centre to watch the Canadians Women’s National Hockey Team play a scrimmage against themselves. Very exciting. Nothing better than watching live Hockey IN Canada, even if it is a little scrimmage.
In just a short 2 periods, I developed a slight crush on Goalie Charline Labonte.
And who wouldn’t anyway, a bad ass Olympic Gold winning Goalie dressed in full gear stopping pucks AND walking around with a smile like that?
A kitten to give flowers to a puppy and it wouldn’t be half that cute.
Leaving the game, we head back to the homestead where I got some of the best rest of my trip this far.
Kicking hotel doors, seeing the first Alaska reference, perfect riding weather, sneaking off the map for some impromptu back road riding, drinking Jack and Pop’s at the Alaska Hotel, an actual sit down home cooked meal, watching hockey in Canada AND my hosts dog absolutely loving me.
Who knew this trip would be so amazing.
Wait till tomorrow ;)
Peace Grease and Beats!
