July 29: We left Haines this morning on our last leg of our Motorcade’s official tour of Alaska. We had a lovely trip back to Whitehorse, YT, on some of the best road surfaces we’ve had during our tour. The weather varied from sunny to a Texas-style rainstorm, but it was mostly heavy drizzle. Since we parked and got hooked up in Whitehorse, the falling weather seems to have let up for the time being, and I can certainly stand that! 😉

Along the way, we stopped at a place called Million Dollar Falls, a campground and scenic stop about a mile off the main highway that a worker at the campground in Haines had highly recommended. The site sits on the steep banks of a rushing mountain stream. It had cyclone fencing and a stair system for accessing overlooks to the falls in reasonable safety, and the overlook points provide very impressive sights and sounds! While we were at the point closest to the falls, Dave also got a video (with sound) of the area. Farther along the highway at Haines Junction, where Alaska Hwy. 1 intersects Hwy. 9 and takes us on to Whitehorse, we stopped for a snack break at a little cafe and bakery a block off the highway. We bought their last two pieces of raspberry/rhubarb pie and washed it down with a couple of cups of coffee. Very yummy! I do believe that was the best pie I’ve had this entire trip!!

We made it into Whitehorse safely through the rain and are now parked and set for the evening.

July 30: Today was the last day of our official Motorcade tour of Alaska. There was one last wildlife tour scheduled, but we opted instead to use the day to get laundry done and prepare for the upcoming trek south and east. In the evening, our entire Motorcade group gathered for a farewell banquet. The food was good and the entertainment was delightful.  It was also a nice opportunity for good-byes before we went our separate ways. In addition to the food and fun, we had a great chance to recap some of our favorite or most memorable times during the tour. It was indeed an amazing experience we shared, and I’m sure we’ll be in contact with some of our new friends again later, “down the road.” The couple who served as our “wagon masters” for this trip are retiring from those duties, having led these journeys for a number of years. A younger couple are taking the reins and I’m sure will do an excellent job of guiding the next tour(s).