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The US and Canada
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The US and Canada

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    Fairbanks

    22 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It’s been 10,000kms since we had the Troopy serviced in San Antonio, so we’ve found a place to get it done in Fairbanks (not an easy task - we’ve had great difficulty finding mechanics willing to work on diesels and/or foreign vehicles). The weather continues to warm, and we pass through wildfires on the way north. Fortunately, our timing coincides with the Fairbanks midnight sun festival held on the summer solstice. It’s a nice community event and we enjoy a couple of beers, the basketball competition and the numerous stalls all under bright sunshine well past midnight.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    Hot Springs

    23 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After Fairbanks, we head up the Chena Valley to the hot springs it’s well known for. This is as far north as we will go in Alaska, well above the 65th parallel. The hot springs are a relaxing break from driving, and we find a nice camp spot on the Chena river for the night.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
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    A Worthy Back-track

    24 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Back-tracking is not something we do often, but we make an exception so we can travel along the old Denali highway. So, it’s back down to Denali National park, where we then head East across the old highway. It’s a good condition dirt road and the scenery is wonderful. There are not many other vehicles on the road and we find a remote camp-site for the night. We pass the Alaska pipeline on the way (not an insignificant engineering feat) in addition to countless mountain and glacier views.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    A Fun Stop-over

    25 juin 2025, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    There’s not too much more to see on our way to the Canadian border, but our planned overnight stop at the metropolis of Chicken turns out to be a great choice. Once a thriving gold town, there are now only a handful of residents who get cut off from the rest of the world during the winter months. There are still a few hardy soles trying to make it rich fossicking for gold, but it’s mostly a stopover point on the “rooftop of the world” highway. The pub, which can fit about a dozen people, offers good beers and a single option for dinner each night. It also has a “panty cannon” - and the remnants of the firings get stapled to the bar ceiling (along with hundreds of hats). We had a great time and camped behind the pub.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    Canada (again)!

    27 juin 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A couple of hours out of Chicken along the Rooftop of the World highway, we come to the northern-most border crossing between the US and Canada. The Canadian official is both professional and pleasant and happy to have a chat (I don’t think they see many people up here). Most importantly, she lets us in, and we’re back in the Yukon! It’s another hour’s drive from the border crossing to the Yukon River where we catch the ferry across to Dawson City. Once the centre of the Yukon and Klondike gold rushes, it’s now a regional centre and key stopover for tourists. The town is a combination of old and new and (deliberately) provides reminders of the challenge of building on permafrost. It also has Canada’s oldest gambling hall - Diamond Tooth Gertie’s - which is great fun and has a surprisingly good cabaret act.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    The Final Leg North

    28 juin 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We reached the bottom of South America on 16 Dec 22. We now have less than 1,000kms to travel up the Dempster Highway to get to the top of North America and the Arctic Ocean. The road conditions vary, but are mostly decent gravel surfaces, and the Troopy eats it up. The scenery is vast - mountains and Arctic plains as far as the eye can see. There is little traffic and we have two ferry crossings - which only opened a few weeks ago (for six months the rivers are crossed on their solid ice surfaces - they are only closed for a month in spring and autumn when the ice is thawing and freezing). We have one night camping on the way - it’s very quiet up here!En savoir plus

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    We Made It!!!!

    29 juin 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After some solid corrugations for the final 100kms, we finally roll into Tuktoyaktuk mid afternoon. Just shy of 70th parallel, this is a long, long way North. The local population is small and friendly (obviously, hardy), and we’re treated to a very rare calm, warm afternoon (it’s about 18 Celsius). We dip our toes in the Arctic and find a spot over looking the ocean to set up camp. And it ends up being beside Luke from Switzerland in his Troopy. We erect our mosi hut (they’re vicious) and enjoy the evening with a few wines. Note the last photo taken at 1230 AM - the sun doesn’t even get close to the horizon.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
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    Time to Turn Around

    1 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Now that that box is ticked, it’s time to turn around. We need to get to Nova Scotia on the Atlantic Coast. But first things first, we need to get 880 kms back down the Dempster Highway. We take it a little easier on the return trip to take in the scenery and have an additional night in Tombstone National Park.En savoir plus

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    Yukon Capital

    3 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We’ve now got to head a long way South and a long, long way East. Our first stop is the capital of the Yukon, Whitehorse. This is the biggest place we’ve visited for some time and we take the opportunity to resupply, wash, clean etc. It’s a pleasant, small city on the banks of the Yukon River (which from this point still has an impressive 3,000 kms to flow to the sea). Salmon, used to make their way upstream to this point, and the town installed a fish-ladder to permit their upstream passage past the dam. Unfortunately, it was a good idea that came too late, and very few salmon get to this point now. Another interesting aspect of the town are the foxes which roam the down-town streets in the evening and morning.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    So That’s Who Started it.

    4 juillet 2025, Canada

    In the South-East corner of the Yukon is the small town of Watson Lake on the Alaska Highway. In 1942, while working on the Alaska Highway, a homesick US Corps of Engineers soldier nailed a sign to a tree indicating how far it was to his home town. While the idea has been copied world-wide, nowhere reached the same level as Watson Lake, which now has its “famous” Sign-post Forrest, with an estimated 80,000 signs.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
    11

    Impressive BC

    5 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Our journey South-West takes us through the top corner of British Columbia before we hit the prairies. This part of the state is stunning - magnificient mountains and rivers, and more wildlife than we had seen so far. We encountered numerous bison herds crossing the highway, bears and deer. A night camped at the Liard Hot Springs topped off this leg of the journey.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
    1

    Ending at the Start

    6 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbour and the Aleutian Islands, the US government was concerned about the security of Alaska which, at that time, was only accessible by air and sea. In early 1942 they approved the construction of the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska. Work started in March 1942, and the 2,700 km road, over some seriously difficult terrain, was completed in October of the same year (note - it’s taking the NSW government 3 years to complete the 20km Coffs Harbour bypass). It cost $140 million and was carried out by 11,000 US Corps of Engineers soldiers and 16,000 civilians. To this day, a monumental engineering feat. Although we didn’t take the direct route, in our travels across Alaska, the Yukon and BC, we covered about 95% of the highway, finishing at the start point, Dawson Creek.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    Back to the Big Smoke

    8 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Another state capital! This time Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. We’re surprised by the lack of people - the streets in the middle of the city are almost empty - and we ask “where is everyone”? The response - they’re on summer holidays, they’re in Calgary (for the Stampede) and they’re inside escaping the heat (it’s 30 degrees C). We have a good wander around, taking in some big city shops, the views along the river, and a brew pub (or two).En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
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    The Vast Canadian Prairies

    10 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We’ve got over 1,300kms to travel between Edmonton and Winnipeg across the Canadian prairies. It’s mid summer, and the short growing season is going well. While there is plenty of wheat and corn, it’s the canola that really stands out. Not just because of its brilliant yellow colour, but also because of the immense amount of it. There is yellow as far as the eye can see for hundreds of kms (they are the largest producers in the world). Although it gets a bit boring, miles and miles of yellow crops is better than looking at Australia’s miles and miles of nothing. But it wasn’t all crops. We managed quick visits to Saskatoon and Regina and to Moose Jaw, with it’s big moose and shady history tied to prohibition and Al CaponeEn savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    Manitoba

    12 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It’s been a lot of the same as we cross the central provinces, and Manitoba is much the same - flat, with field after field of crops. But there are more potatoes at this point. For a change of scenery, we drop into Winnipeg for a day. It feels like a small city trying to re-invent itself - and getting there slowly. Older buildings are being renovated and there is a good feeling about the down-town social scene.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    The Crops Have Disappeared

    14 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    As we cross the border into Ontario, there is an amazing change in the scenery. The crops have disappeared - completely! Replaced by forrest surrounding lakes - tens, if not hundreds of thousands of them. It’s worth having a close-in google maps view of Western Ontario - there is more water than land. So much water that serious farming is probably impossible. Hence, no crops. And while a welcome change, after about 8 hours of looking at trees and lakes, this also starts to get a bit monotonous. Just prior to hitting the Western edge of the Great Lakes we get to the beautiful Kakabeka Falls and find a great little camping areaEn savoir plus

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    The Great, Great Lakes

    15 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    We emerge from the trees and small lakes to hit Lake Superior at Thunder Bay. The Great Lakes contain 20 percent of the world’s fresh water and we’ll be following them for the next couple of weeks. Lake Superior is the largest and is 183m above sea level. The lock system built by Canada and the US to enable major ship transit is truely impressive. The 1000s of kms of crops we’ve just passed, are loaded on to ships at Thunder Bay for the long transit to the Atlantic. Thunder Bay is very much a working port. It’s not overly attractive, but they are working to beautify the water front.En savoir plus

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    Small Town Claims to Fame

    16 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    As we travel across the North of Lake Superior we have a quick coffee break at White River, which proudly advertises its two claims to fame. The first, it has the second lowest recorded temperature in Canada, -72 F (-58 C). The second is the town’s link to A.A Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh. It’s a decent story. A young Canadian Veterinary Officer was traveling across the country with his Cavalry Regiment (en route to the UK and WW I) when they stopped at White River and he decided it would be a good idea to purchase a bear cub as the unit’s mascot. Upon arriving in the UK, common sense prevailed and he donated the bear (named Winnie, after his home town of Winnipeg) to the London Zoo. Milne’s son visited the zoo regularly, and named his teddy bear after Winnie. The rest is history.En savoir plus

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    More Great Engineering

    17 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We get to the end of Lake Superior and the port city of Sault Ste Marie. This is the location of the first (or last, depending on the direction you’re travelling) of the lock systems built to allow ship access between the lakes. In this case (between Lake Superior and Lake Huron), it’s a modest drop of only 7 metres. The old locks on the Canadian side have long been replaced by larger locks on the American side of the connecting riverEn savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur

    The Big, Big Smoke

    18 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We finally hit Canada’s biggest city, Toronto. Our last time here was about 22 years ago and it hadn’t registered as a “must return” location. But we’re impressed with the city, from the trendy Kensington Market area to downtown we really liked the “feel” of the city. However, its traffic sucks!En savoir plus

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    So many Locks

    19 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    While the major lock systems connecting the Great Lakes are impressive, there are dozens of smaller locks connecting the hundreds of lakes and rivers across Ontario. Your could travel for weeks across these waterways which are now used more for pleasure than their original requirement to facilitate trade. The locks come in a wide variety of forms. At Peterborough, they have the world’s highest (at 20m) hydraulic lock which uses a counter-balance system to raise and lower boats (along with a heap of water).En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
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    The Wine Region

    21 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Eastern Ontario has a wine region along the North-Eastern shores of Lake Ontario. So, we put the micro-breweries to one side and try come Canadian wine culture. We have a very pleasant couple of days. The weather is great and the wineries are lovely. The wines are…… varied. This is not the place for bold reds, and they’re better off not trying (but some insist). We have some whites that are odd, but others that are very good. We leave the area adding a few bottles to the Troopy cellar. Interesting fact - they have to trim and bury the vines in winter to protect against the extreme cold. We also call into the attractive river-side (this is where the St Lawrence starts) town of Kingston - home of the Canadian Military Academy.En savoir plus

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  • Blue Brute AdventuresThe US and CanadaVoyageur
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    The Nation’s Capital

    24 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We’ve been to Ottawa a few times before, but it’s been some time since our last visit. We really like this city. A great mix of old and new, with plenty of character and energy. We hit the key sites, visit parliament and get a great storm on our second night.En savoir plus

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    On the Road Again…….

    28 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    Our aim for Canada had been to travel from the very North West of the country (check!!!) to the very South East. Not just the mainland, but the Atlantic Provinces. The aim therefore was Newfoundland. Research had indicated that this would be a relatively easy process - just book the ferry from Nova Scotia to “the rock” a few weeks before your preferred sailing date. But……. what our early research didn’t consider was the biannual Canada Games, which in 2025 would be hosted by Newfoundland in early August. Every ferry crossing was booked out months in advance, so we put ourselves on the wait list. While we were in Ottawa we received advice that we had been successful for a crossing in 5 days. It’s a 2,000km trip, so we hit the road. Lots of highway and not much time to search for sites. But we did have a couple of nice campgrounds and the waterfalls at Grand Falls were great - with a salmon ladder that was in full operation.En savoir plus

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    Another Ferry

    30 juillet 2025, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    The drive across New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is uneventful, and we even manage to fit in a service for the Troopy. There are some lovely towns on the way and the scenery is great. Most importantly, we get to Sydney in time to catch our 6 hour ferry to Newfoundland. Another boat trip makes Lisa happy (who is secretly trying to sail around the world). We arrive at Port-aux-Basques in the early evening. It sits on a wind-blown rocky shoreline that we believe will be a common view over the next couple of weeks.En savoir plus

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