Field Report: Truck Stop Parking
Just wanted to share an experience.
The gent in front of me at the cash register, in the truck stop in Shelby MT, simply asked where he could park his RV. The kind and helpful lady told him of a motel come RV park, not half a mile down the road. Then she turned me.
Quote:
She: Hello! How are you?
Me: Fine thanks, I feel so full after all that lovely food in your restaurant. (I have already brought you business.)
She: Yes, it is good, isn't it.... how can I halp you?
Me: Elaine, I read in the trucker's directory that you allow RVs and campers (I now refer to my vehicle as a camper) to park overnight at the truck stop.
She: That is correct.
Me: Where shall I park?
She: Over there (indicating) behind the pumps, or if you cross the road you will see the blue (illuminated) sign Truck Parking. Just pull in there.
Me: Thanks! Now tell me, is there any likelyhood of the price of fuel going up overnight... I am just too tired to pump now, I'd like to leave it till the morning. (I will be giving you more business.)
She: No! not that I have heard, you'll be fine.
I had a great free night, simply by using a different approach and having invested in the Trucker's Directory. I thought of the gentleman at the RV park. Maybe he had heard that you could park at the truck stop, and now might be quite disillusioned.
p.s. Met a lady yesterday who had heard of - but never visited - RTA.
Almost all are gone now....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Lifemagician
Initially my plan had been to photograph and document as many of the original and historic mileposts as possible.
There are new ones along most stretches of the Canadian provinces, but I believe that 100% of the original mileposts were pretty much removed in 1975. In 1992, the Canadian government installed new signs at more-or-less the original mile post locations. I'm not sure of the status of any remaining mile post signs in Alaska....
Mark
The building of the Alcan Highway
Hello Lifey,
Like our friend dinesh75 said above, I am quite envious of your journey on the Alaska Highway, not to mention the Dalton (Haul Road). Only I really, really want to drive the Haul Road myself. But I digress.
There are surely survivors among the tens of thousands of men who built what was then called the Alcan. Like other WWII veterans, they're on average in their middle 80s today. The most often quoted figure here in the States is that we're losing our WWII vets, who numbered +5 million in uniform in 1945, at the rate of around 1,000 each day. Sobering.
Anyway, the Internet is chockablock full of sites with Alcan construction history, and the History Channel and the Military Channel have each featured Alcan construction episodes in documentary form. One of the more interesting facts concerning its construction, at least to me, is that our still-segregated US Army deployed whole units of African-American engineering specialists on the job. Large-scale deployment of African-Americans as purely combat troops simply didn't take place in the early 1940s, so most were engaged in support roles. Using only recollection of my reading/viewing, I'd say the African-Americans represented a majority of the manpower.
Again using only recollection, I'll say casualties were most certainly incurred. There's just not much chance that that many men, performing risky work with equipment now considered quite primitive, could toil for so many months without fatalities and serious injury.
The veterans groups composed of those who built the Alcan have websites and innumerable pictures and much in the way of text on their accomplishments are available for your viewing pleasure.
Enjoy the ride!
Foy
