Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Toward Haines Through Clouds
After a quiet morning beside Kluane Lake, I headed south through Haines Junction and onto Haines Road. With clearer weather than the day before, the snow-covered mountains finally emerged from the clouds. Frequent stops for photography, vast open landscapes, and the strange experience of daylight lingering late into the evening made for a rewarding day in the Yukon.
Kluane Lake
After waking to snow and an empty Alaska Highway north of Haines Junction, I headed toward Kluane Lake, visited the surprisingly good Kluane Museum of History in Burwash Landing, discovered a touching memorial to Douglas Richard Twiss II, and spent the afternoon photographing mountains, ice, and changing weather along one of Yukon’s most dramatic landscapes.
North From Whitehorse, YT
A short drive from Whitehorse turned into a day of unexpected discoveries. I followed a side road to historic Mendenhall Landing, photographed one of the largest beaver lodges I've ever seen, explored the Kluane National Park Visitor Centre, and learned about the Southern Tutchone people. With rain, wind, and low clouds hiding the mountains, Yukon reminded me that conditions can change quickly.
Whitehorse May 27–28
A planned stop in Whitehorse turned into two days of unexpected discoveries. Between a glassblowing event, Yukon history at the MacBride Museum, a potentially dangerous wheel problem, and conversations with surveyors, nurses, travelers, and locals, the city revealed itself through the people who call it home. Sometimes the most memorable travel days aren't planned at all.
Whitehorse, YT
After five days of heating problems in the van, I drove north to Whitehorse, Yukon. What began as a routine travel day turned into the discovery of a developing wheel issue, a visit to the Robert W. Service memorial, an evening exploring the territorial capital, and a reminder that summer nights in the North seem to last forever.
Teslin, YT
A quiet drive from Watson Lake to Teslin turned into one of the most interesting days of the trip. From seeing my first wild caribou to learning about WWII aviation history, Indigenous culture, and life in remote Yukon communities, Teslin revealed far more depth and history than I expected.
Signpost Forest
I arrived in Watson Lake, Yukon without realizing how much history was packed into one small stop along the Alaska Highway. From the massive Sign Post Forest and the Northern Lights Centre to the wartime history of the Alaska Highway and a quiet walk through the local cemetery, the day turned into something far more interesting and reflective than I expected.
Muncho Lake & Liard River Hot Springs
I continued north along the Alaska Highway into one of the most beautiful and remote sections of northern British Columbia. At Muncho Lake I photographed shifting blue lake ice before continuing to Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park, where warm wetlands, dense vegetation, mineral-rich springs, and unusual tufa formations create an ecosystem unlike anywhere else along the highway.
Stone Mountain Provincial Park
The Alaska Highway north of Fort Nelson quickly transforms into something far more remote and rugged than most travelers expect. This section through Stone Mountain Provincial Park, Summit Lake, and Muncho Lake offered injured bears along the roadside, abandoned highway relics, emerald glacial lakes, lingering spring ice, mountain wildlife, and some of the most beautiful scenery of the trip so far.
Drive To Fort Nelson
A long driving day north on the Alaska Highway through remote northern British Columbia brought endless forests, wetlands, rough road repairs, wildlife sightings, and eventually Fort Nelson. Along the way I saw bears, a dead moose, and reflected on how different northern travel feels compared to the American West. The day ended down a quiet ATV trail under the lingering northern twilight.
Mile 0 Alaska Highway
After visiting Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, I continued north through Fort St. John and into Rose Prairie, British Columbia. The landscape shifted between rolling prairie farmland, boreal forest, and large oil and gas operations. Along the way I photographed the northern evening light, learned about conservation farming techniques, and explored the region where the massive Chinchaga Fire began in 1950.
Chetwynd, BC
A long drive through northern British Columbia turned into an unexpectedly interesting day of frozen lakes, roadside conversations, drifting logs, small-town cafés, and hours exploring the massive chainsaw carvings of Chetwynd. What started as a simple drive north toward Dawson Creek and Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway became one of those travel days where the unplanned stops became the story.
Prince George
I spent the day exploring Prince George, British Columbia, from the disappointing lighting and strange mix of exhibits at The Exploration Place Museum to hours wandering Cottonwood Island Nature Park along the Fraser River. The day became less about destinations and more about conversations, wildlife photography, wood carvings hidden in the trees, and the people I met along the trails.
Quesnel, BC
After a long drive north through British Columbia, I arrived in Quesnel expecting a quiet river town and instead found something far more complicated. River trails, old industrial bridges, homeless camps, a Sikh temple rebuilt by the community, silent downtown streets, and strange moments that made me stop and think about where small towns may be headed in a rapidly changing world.
Whistler to Cache Creek
What was supposed to be a simple driving day through British Columbia became a constantly changing mix of mountain weather, fog, rain, and brief moments of incredible light. Plans for Garibaldi Lake fell apart after discovering the hike was far more serious than expected, and the rest of the day became a slow drive north along the Cariboo Highway toward Cache Creek.
Vancouver, BC
A rainy drive into downtown Vancouver turned into one of the most visually interesting photography days of the trip. Reflections covered the city, seaplanes landed beside container ships, and Gastown shifted between tourism and human struggle block by block. Later, Whistler Village brought Olympic history, mountain energy, great conversations, amazing pizza, and a quiet mountain pull-off to end the night.
Hoh Rainforest
I spent the day exploring the Hoh Rain Forest in Olympic National Park, one of the wettest and most unique forests in the United States. Moss-covered trees, towering Sitka spruce, elk along the roadside, and conversations with fellow travelers and photographers turned a long day of driving into one of the most memorable experiences of my Washington journey.
Lake Crescent: Marymere Falls Trail
After a quiet night parked in Port Angeles, I spent the afternoon hiking the Marymere Falls Trail near Lake Crescent in Olympic National Park. Moss-covered trees, emerald green forests, Barnes Creek, and soft evening light made this one of the most peaceful hikes I’ve done in Washington. The day ended beside the water before finding another quiet street to sleep for the night.
Hurricane Ridge to Mount Angeles
A fog-filled drive up Hurricane Ridge turned into one of the most physically demanding hikes I’ve done in years. From steep snowfields and loose mountain trails to wildlife encounters, mountain photography, and an unexpected friendship with an Army trainer newly arrived from Alaska, this day in Olympic National Park became far more memorable than I expected when I left the van that morning.
Olympia, WA State Capitol
I toured the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Washington after unexpectedly joining a tour already in progress. Inside, I explored the marble rotunda, legislative chambers, and the enormous Tiffany chandelier hanging beneath the dome. Outside, the capitol steps were filled with a National Day of Prayer gathering that raised questions about religion, public spaces, and what religious freedom really means in practice.