We left Chicken early and headed to Tok which was only 80 miles away and back on the Alaska Highway. We had decided to stay there for one night so we could catch up on laundry and perhaps get a few groceries. We have spent 5 days in Chicken and even though we enjoyed ourselves, we are all very tired. Funny thing is we are not sure why because we all slept well. Perhaps it has something to do with the long hours of sunlight when this far north.

Fireweed near Chicken

We enjoyed the drive over to Tok very much. The road was spotty in places but much better than coming into Chicken. There was still gravel and some frost heaves in places but the nicest part was we actually drove on pavement again! The valleys between Chicken and Tok were ablaze with fireweed which you can see pictured here. Many past forest fires were also evident in the area with old fir trees still standing but looking more like tall, free standing candle wicks than trees. Amazingly, vegetation, including the fireweed, was already growing on the valley floor and the bright reddish pink flowers added a wonderful shot of colour to an otherwise stark vista. Smoke from other forest fires was still hanging in the air which unfortunately did not give us great views of the bigger hills and mountains in the area.

We are staying at Tok RV Village for one night. We took the full 50 amp package because it has been quite hot these past few days with temperatures in the mid 80sF and going higher tomorrow. May as well be able to run our air conditioners while doing laundry. We took advantage of the RV wash as soon as we arrived. It cost $18 but was worth every penny as it removed all the grime we picked up since leaving Dawson City. We are not back to show room condition yet, but pretty close. The afternoon was spent exploring some of the shops and the visitor centre in Tok. Supper was courtesy of Jim and I last night. We took the girls to Fast Eddy’s which is just down the road and we all enjoyed a marvelous burger and fries supper. Try the Alaska burger if you go there. You won’t have room for dessert.

Today, we are heading on to Fairbanks. We are planning on staying at Walmart tonight, so we can stock up on groceries and then Pioneer Park for up to 3 days at only $12 a night. Much cheaper than Tok RV Village and our time in Chicken proves that we can handle a few days of dry camping without any problems. Being back in the USA, we are also seeing diesel fuel as being more expensive than gasoline. Diesel in Tok is around $3.63/gallon and gasoline is about $3.37/gallon.