February 09, 2005

One hundred and three miles to the Canadian border…down a typical Alaskan road. Sorry about the lack of good photos from today.
Photo by Nancy Olson
| Logbook for Feb. 9th, Day 467. | ||
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Start: Fairbanks, Alaska Time: 12:00 p.m. N: 64* 49.987 W: 147* 42.935 |
Finish: Whitehorse, Canada Time: N/A N: 60* 43.123 W: 135* 03.423 | Mileage: 613 |
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Notes: Today started off uneventfully. We were easy-going today, resigned to at least a 12-hour drive along the 600 miles of two-lane highway to Whitehorse, located in Yukon Territory, Alaska. About 17 miles southeast of Fairbanks is a little Christmas-themed city called, appropriately, North Pole. Of course, we had to stop, so we grabbed a quick bite at the local Wendy’s. While there, we met a “truck driver/engineer” who, we all agree, is DEFINITELY actually Santa Claus. We figure he shaves his beard in the off season…
The Canadian border is about 200 miles out of Fairbanks, and we had an easy time getting through. They require proof of citizenship, which we provided, and they confiscated our tiny little mace canisters. Oh well! Smooth sailing. During latter part of our drive, we passed a 1995 Land Rover Discovery, and then we met the drivers at a gas stop. We talked with them about their plans and our expedition (they’re Alaskans moving to Virginia), and then we bid each other farewell and safe travels. A bit down the road, the lead vehicle saw the Discovery off the road in a ditch. Everyone was uninjured, and the driver said the wind had picked up, causing whiteout conditions, and he simply drove off the road. We were attempting to winch them out when a big semi stopped by and offered to help. We hooked a chain up to his tail bumper, and he pulled the Disco out to cheers from its three weary passengers. That was the excitement of the day…too bad we didn’t get any photos. But we did get video. Anyway, we’re in Whitehorse now, and tomorrow is an easy driving day. Internet is sketchy, and we look forward to arriving in a city with a good connection so we can chat online with friends. All the best until then! | ||
Help support our cause: The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. The Drive Around the World team aims to raise money for Parkinson’s Disease research by driving four Certified, Pre-Owned Land Rover Discoverys around the globe following lines of longitude. Readers are encouraged to pledge small amounts of money per expedition-kilometer via a pledge form that can be found on our Parkinson’s page by clicking HERE. One hundred percent of donations received go directly to Parkinson's research, and all who donate $10 or more will be entered into a raffle to win an expedition-equipped Land Rover Discovery.

