We woke up this morning to more rain and lots of clouds. They stayed with us for part of the drive from Destruction Bay to Tok, our destination for the day.
Much of the road along our drive today was lined on both sides with Fireweed. Fireweed is a really pretty purple flower (weed). It is prevalent in these parts of Alaska and Canada. Fireweed is one of the first things to grow in areas that have been destroyed by fire, hence the name, Fireweed. It has been used to make a variety of culinary treats like Fireweed Jelly, and Fireweed Honey. We bought some Fireweed Jelly. It’s a really pretty pink color and has a slight floral taste. We quite enjoyed it.
As we neared Tok, the smoke (from fires started by lightning strikes) increased. The smoke didn’t bother us much. Being from Idaho, we’re “used” to forest fire smoke.
Upon arrival in Tok, we were graciously welcomed by Heather and Mark. Their property, “Sundog Haven”, is part of Harvest Host – Boondockers Welcome. This is where we’re staying for the night. The property is spacious and very peaceful. Heather and Mark were very kind. They went to extra effort to make sure Braxton had access to their Wi-Fi.
I mentioned it was a bit smoky in Tok. Let me give you an idea of how good the Firefighting teams are here. We used our Traeger to cook dinner. Within minutes of starting the Treager, the bush firetruck came down the road to check on the source of smoke. They saw we were just cooking, gave a wave and drove away.
Over dinner and a beer we discussed what to do about our fridge door. Unfortunately, the prior “fix” isn’t working anymore. During one of our stops today, there was evidence the door was flying open again while driving. Braxton figured out a way to fix it with a bungy cord. It kept the door closed, and food in the fridge the remainder of the drive. Thank you Braxton! While the roads haven’t been great, we don’t understand why this door situation just keeps getting worse. Maybe the answer will come to us in our dreams tonight.
