Fort Nelson

When we got back and set up at a campground we took a shower, to get some of the smoky smell from our bodies. We went to the Fort Nelson Heritage Museum. We found out the fort was named for Admiral Nelson and was established as a fur trading post in 1805. It is located at mile 300 on the Alaska Highway which was constructed by the US army during World War II as a vital link between Alaska and the south. There was a very interesting movie on the building of the Alcan Highway. The area had a lot of old machinery and work equipment, a working blacksmith shop, first post office in the area and a few homes. A highlight for us was the Vintage cars and the man that restored the cars, Marl Brown. He told us about the car that was in the parade in 1928, a Durant ( I never heard of) that still runs. He cranked it up for us. The car has a single cylinder, and its original wood frame, axles and wheels. There was also another car that in 2000 was driven to Whitehorse and back. It is a 100 year old McLaughlin Buick, now 102yrs. old. It gets 25 miles to a gallon.

By the way it is 44 degrees, damp, rainy and windy. It feels like snow is coming so we are heading south.