Dateline May 21, 2011 - Trip to Prince Rupert
We left Dawson Creek heading for Prince Rupert, where we would catch the ferry for the Alaska Marine Highway. The route took us back down Highway 97 to Prince George, then west on Highway 16 to the coast. We had driven Highway 97 north through snow, so it was a treat to come back through Pine Pass with clear skies and the views finally visible. The skiers we had talked to along the way said the resort at the summit has some of the best powder skiing on the continent.
We passed through Prince George with time to stock up at Costco, then continued west on Highway 16 toward Smithers. The rivers were running high, even flooding in places, and we were stopped twice by road crews working on stretches where the water had crossed the road. In Houston we pulled over for the obligatory picture of the world's largest fly rod, sixty feet long and eight hundred pounds. The town calls itself the Steelhead Fishing Capital, and it shows.
By the time we reached Smithers, the 8,000-foot Hudson Bay Mountain was hanging over us with the ski area perched on its slopes. The town had a real alpine feel. We drove through and pushed on a little further to Glacier RV Park, which overlooks a glacier on the mountain itself, and settled in for the night.
In the morning we set out for Prince Rupert through some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. As a child, John remembered his father going on a fishing trip up the Kispiox River for salmon and steelhead. The old town of Hazelton sits on that river, and we drove down to see it, crossing the bridge into the old town.
Traveling on we stopped in Terrace for a hamburger. The woman waiting on us asked where we were headed, and when we said Prince Rupert to catch the ferry to Alaska, she suggested an old hotel in Rupert called the Ocean View if we needed a room. Her son Lloyd worked the front desk. Good tip to file away.
The 90 miles from Terrace to Prince Rupert was sensational. Michelin rates this stretch as five stars, and it earns every one.
Prince Rupert turned out to be an interesting small city, built up over the years on lumber, fishing, and grain shipping. Environmental restrictions on the lumber and fishing industries have hit hard, and the population has shrunk considerably from its mid-century peak. Fish processing still goes on, and the town has an occasional smell about it from the work of extracting oil from fish heads, the oil that ends up in the supplement pills many of us take. A local we met called it "the smell of money," meaning jobs and income for the community. During World War II, more than 10,000 American troops were stationed in Prince Rupert as part of the Pacific war effort.
The first night we stayed at the local RV park near the ferry terminal, well maintained and pleasant. But after weeks in the Roadtrek since leaving Willie and Cathy's, a night in a hotel sounded like a real break. We took the woman in Terrace up on her tip, walked into the Ocean View, and introduced ourselves to Lloyd. He set us up in Room 1, the small suite his mother had recommended, for $85. After the Roadtrek, it felt like a mansion, with the window looking right out over the harbor.
We headed down to the restaurant, stopping at the bar to chat with the owner, Don, a commercial fisherman by trade. He recommended the veal and the halibut bites. We ordered one of each, along with a bowl of seafood chowder and a Manhattan clam chowder. The food was excellent. Lloyd, Tina, Amanda, Don, everyone at the Ocean View could not have been more welcoming. After dinner we spent a long evening talking with several of the regulars, who had great tips on what to do once we got to Alaska.
The adventure continued as we waved goodbye to Prince Rupert.
Ruth, one of our Roadtrek friends, sailed with us and quickly became our "eagle scout," watching from the deck and calling out every sighting as we headed up the Alaska Marine Highway toward Juneau.
