Watson Lake 6/6-6/7/-8

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In all our research for this trip, and in all our conversations with others who have travelled it before us, as well as in discussions with people we have met that either live in BC or work here, EVERYONE and EVERY guide book says ‘A trip to Liard springs is a must”. It actually became a joke between Dominic and I. It’s happened so many times in the 3 ½ years we’ve been on the road that we have been excited about seeing an attraction or visiting a ‘must see’ place and then end up being disappointed. Perhaps our expectations were too high, based on pre-conceived notions. We’re trying to just accept things as we see them and let strong recommendations become just gentle suggestions so we don’t get a false build up. Well, with Laird Hot Springs it was difficult to soften everyone’s vehement chant that we must go. To be honest, I wasn’t really thrilled to be in a communal pool with 30-50 strangers with what I assumed to be all degrees of cleanliness. My mind went to the fact that warm water breeds germs, and I wasn’t sure if these springs would be the only source of bathing for some ‘backwoods’ campers. So, I had kinda decided I would just go and see them. Dominic, feeling the same way, wasn’t even sure he wanted to stop. Diana and Ralph were wishy-washy (no pun intended) also.
But, how could we go home and tell the millions of people who told us it was a ‘must-do’ that we didn’t do? So, peer pressure prevailed and we stopped at the springs. We parked the rigs across the highway, walked approximately 10 minutes on a boardwalk over wetlands (ie..mosquito infested swamp) to the springs. We hadn’t worn our suits, since we were sure we wouldn’t go in…well, whoda thunk? The springs were in a beautiful, serene, lush setting. There were only about 6 or 7 people in them, and they were crystal clear and clean (the waters as well as the people!). So, off we went – back on the boardwalk, back through the swamps (they really were pretty, I am just using poetic justice to make my story more appealing!), got our suits and returned to the pools. What a wonderful surprise. The water was very hot at the surface, but actually quite comfortable just a few inches below. If you created a little swirl around you, and brought the deeper water up, you cooled off. When you stopped swirling your hands or legs, you brought back more warmth, etc. We chatted with some very interesting folks and enjoyed every minute. Lesson be learned….take each of life’s offerings as they come, with no expectations, either positive or negative. But, you can rest assured---if I meet someone who is planning a trip to Alaska, I will tell them Laird Hot Springs are a ‘must-do’!
After the springs, we were relaxed, clean and rested. We decided to have breakfast at the local lodge before heading back on the road.
Not sure how far we would drive or where we’d spend the night, we climbed in our coaches and proceeded to head north on the highway.
We pulled over and stopped at various rest stops to see the incredible scenery and most times met some folks that we have been seeing along the way who were doing the same thing. A few pictures of the sights, and few words shared with these new friendly strangers, and we were off again.
We drove from British Columbia into the Yukon Territory today. It truly brought tears to my eyes. I think I felt we were finally in the wilderness! I felt as if we had arrived. It was special entering British Columbia also, but entering the Yukon-ahh, that’s a real accomplishment. I didn’t realize we would leave the Yukon and re-enter British Columbia 6 more times before this part of the trip was over.
We ended up at Watson Lake, the next big(?) town on the highway. It’s challenging to pick a campground out purely by reading an ad or a description in a book, but it’s even more challenging pulling a 42’ motor home and towed truck around from campground to campground to look for the best one. So we threw a dart and landed at Downtown RV Park. We were still a little scarred and gun shy from our last electrical experience and still cognizant that we needed to evaluate the quality of the campgrounds we pick. So what did we find? Downtown RV Park, which sounded good in the book, was nothing more than a dry,dusty gravel parking lot with hookups…if this was going to be a deciding factor on the continuation or cancellation of our trip, it wasn’t looking too good that I’d get to Alaska! Well, the owner had a wonderful personality and as we teased and chatted with him, we told him of our bad electric at the last campground…even though that was 320 miles away, he knew which campground we were talking about. He assured us he had clean electric and that we didn’t have to worry. I felt a little better, but still not sure which way we would decide-to continue on or to backtrack to the USA.
Watson lake is famous for it’s Sign Post Forest, and it is exactly what is sounds like. There are more than 61,000 signs on wooden poles in a large square block in the center of town. The forest was started by an Army soldier who was working on the construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942. He was homesick and decided to hang a sign from his hometown of Danville, Illinois. Today, visitors are encouraged to leave their own signs. It’s an amazing site to see as you walk up to see the colorful signs and the names of towns and families in all shapes, sizes and styles.
We had a special plaque with our name and address on it that our friends Don and Carol Werner gave us as a new coach present. Don is a woodworker and made a wooden plaque in the shape and color of our motor home. We ceremoniously hung it in Watson Lake where it will hang proudly. We know of other friends who left their signs, and although we looked for them, we didn’t see any familiar names.
Next, we walked across the street and went to the Northern Lights Centre. Not sure what it was, but Diana had read about it in the travel books (and we had a $1 coupon), so we decided to go. There was an anteroom with information about NASA and the CANADARM that was built for the space station as well as information on the Northern Lights (Auroro Borrealis) phenomenon that occurs here in late summer through spring. We waited for a short time before the movie presentation started, and were let into a planetarium type theater with recumbent seats and a large domed screen overhead. Saw 2 movies-one about the vastness of the universe and the other an informative explanation and example of the Northern Lights. Although the show was interesting, the seats were extremely comfortable, we were semi-reclined, and it was about 8pm after a long day on the road…needless to say, most of us dozed for a few seconds during the melodic display of the magic lights that hover over the dark skies at Watson Lake.
So, we walked back home and got ready for another early morning departure on roads unknown….
PS…the electric was solid, as promised. The day was wonderful, I had the opportunity to do all my laundry, we watched some US television, and somehow the meltdown of the previous day faded into a memory. There seemed to be no question that we were definitely Alaska bound.