Sammelsurium - Special RV edition

In the book "1000 Places to See Before You Die" there is a listing for Chena, Alaska which has hot springs. We decided to stay there and thought it would be a good opportunity to stay in a hotel. Well the buildings look like military barracks and a room costs $189 plus $50 for the dog! I thought this was outrageous so we decided to stay in the RV park. This was at the absolute other end of the spectrum at $10 but zero services. Fine. We decided to use the hot springs pool that same evening & it was "interesting" to say the least. The concrete paths to the pools are all cracked and simply covered over with rubber mats. The rocks which make up the walls of the pool are covered with super gross moss and the bottom is littered with old band-aids and assorted other crap. I almost died when I saw the sign that said you could take water home to enjoy it's health benefits but please use a plastic bottle to avoid injury. I'd say you have proved what you are made of simply by making it down the path. A little upkeep wouldn't hurt. It might be best to make this the last place you visit out of the book because you might not make it out alive.

The couple managing our RV park in Dawson City, Yukon must have been prison guards in a former life. Internet is available from 8:30am to 8:30pm - no deviation. The laundry room was very clean but God help you if you didn't use their method for putting the detegent in (you only find out what that method is after putting it in your own way) and the minute the dryer stops you had better be in there removing your clothes or they were doing it for you. They also had an ironing board so I decided to take advantage and get some ironing done. When I went to plug my iron in, I noticed a sign on the bulletin board which said "maximum outlet usage 15 minutes". As 15 minutes is not much time for ironing I thought I'd simply ignore this and plead ignorance if they caught me. No way Jose. When I bent down to plug the iron in under the table, the same sign was directly next to the outlet! Come on, people, get a life. I'll get back to this topic again later, but they also seem to be advocates of the "Petticoat Junction" school of RV park bathroom showers. The changing room was in front of the actual shower which had a curtain. However the changing room itself had two wooden doors with a hook. Needless to say the doors didn't close completely and only came to boob level if you were over 5'4". A big plus for this park, though, was that it was walking distance from the center of Dawson City. After losing my father and our mishaps on the Dempster Highway, a little fun was just what the doctor had ordered. We met the locals and spent an evening with Wally (operates machinery for one of the mines) and Duncan (the owner of the "Pit" which is a kind of rundown nightclub). You can truly say "What happens in Dawson City, stays in Dawson City" The town is well worth a visit, it was the most fun I've had in a long time.

The RV park in Prince Rupert, British Columbia is a story in and of itself. It is the closest park to the ferry landing and considering that you arrive after 10pm at night your best alternative for accommodation. The camp is run by an Asian man and here cultures really collide. A lot of Americans have difficulty when they get to Switzerland in dealing with public nudity, for example in public mixed saunas. Simply a cultural difference. Well you wouldn't except to come up against this in North America until you get to Prince Rupert. The RV manager is all business. This means that he is constantly cleaning the showers - even when they are occupied by women in various stages of undress. He is also the inventor in my opinion of the previously mentioned "Petticoat Junction" showers. They appear to be loosely based on the concept of bathing in the wooden water tower tub. He has streamlined the concept so that no curtain is provided, just the two wooden doors which do not close completely. The height of the doors seems to based on the height of the average Asian woman so let's just say a lot of flesh was being unwillingly exposed. Not a pretty picture but he was oblivious, just getting the job done.

If you remember I had to do the walk of shame for my ironing activities in an RV park. Well again, due to our Dempster Highway experience, we are back here again - details to remain secret so we don't get kicked out. :) It is a very clean place, not too far out of the town. However the woman running the place always is dressed like she is either just getting ready to go hunting or just getting back from hunting. Ladies I realize that fashion is an individual thing. However camouflage clothing is best left to the under 25 crowd unless you are in the military or really a hunter. Take my word for it.