Jim and Lyndi ZR-1 Road Trip 2019 - Back to Alaska

[WARP TEN]

Originally Posted by Mr Blue

I think it is an Alvis TB. Pretty rare, made 1950 only.

Absolutely right! An Alvis TB14. Very rare and I have never seen one in person. Great work -- I can now sleep peacefully at night knowing the answer. I even found another picture of that very car at a car show. --Bob

[QB93Z]

Day 27: Drive from Fort St John to Hinton, AB

On Thursday, we left Fort St John, BC and drove the remainder of the Alaska Highway which ends (begins) at Dawson Creek, BC. The town of Dawson Creek was the start point of the US Army's construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942.

I washed the ZR-1 as a celebration of the end on the Alaska Highway:




Before reaching Mile Zero, we drove off the current alignment of the Highway, and drove on the original section to see the Kiskatinaw Curved Bridge. The bridge was the longest curved wooden trestle bridge built in North America in 1942. The gorge it spans was the first major river the engineers conquered in building the Highway. The first sight we encountered was a Mule Deer on the edge of the road:










Leaving Dawson Creek, we drove south through Alberta. We stopped in Beaver Lodge, AB to get a picture:




As we continued south, we climbed back into the Rocky Mountains to Hinton, AB.



Just to maintain the balance of the Universe. It rained for an hour on my just-washed ZR-1 driving along with the log trucks. The Z is a mess again.

Jim

[QB93Z]

For dinner on Thursday, 4th of July in Hinton, AB, we went to the Canadian Steakout Steakhouse. We enjoyed talking to several local residents and they joined us in saying Happy Birthday America.




Jim

[SpeedSmith]

What an awesome trip! Thx for documenting it!

[QB93Z]

Day 28: Drive from Hinton, AB to Calgary, AB

We drove east from Hinton, then south, to Calgary, Alberta. We got to Alberta in time to rest up for the Evening Activities at the World Famous Calgary Stampede, The Stampede is the largest rodeo in the world. We watched the Chuck Wagon Races and the Evening Show. We got back to the hotel at midnight.

More tomorrow...

Jim

[efnfast]

Jim, are the boards on the curved bridge actually curved, or is that just an optical dillusion?

[QB93Z]

Originally Posted by efnfast

Jim, are the boards on the curved bridge actually curved, or is that just an optical dillusion?

Hi Steve, The deck boards of the bridge are actually curved. I don't know if they were sawn to fit or bent mechanically.

Jim

[QB93Z]

To get to Calgary from Hinton, AB to Calgary, we drove east on AB-14 through the mountains to the plains to Edmonton, then AB-2 south. You know I like trains so here is a picture of a Canadian Northern coal train of empty cars headed for a large coal mine east of Hinton.




The skyline of Calgary:




We rested a little before heading to The Calgary Stampede to see the Evening Program of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth:




GMC (General Motors trunks brand) is a very large sponsor of the Calgary Stampede. They had quite a few trucks on display and had several tents that offered a chance to win a GMC Truck. Our favorite was the GMC truck carnival game. You know the game, squirt guns aimed at targets and the plastic horse moves along a track. Now, translate that game to four GMC pickups on car lifts with a large target and "contestants" with garden hoses. The first truck to the top of the lift "won" a chance to win a truck:






There was even a Dark Red C-7 Corvette being raffled. It sure was clean, I am not used to that:




On the Midway, we found every food and snack you get at fairs and rodeos. A new treat was an "Octo Leg". We passed on it:





to be continued........

[QB93Z]

The first event on The Calgary Stampede Evening Program is the Chuck Wagon Races. This event has a long and rich history for the days of cattle drives when the cowboys slept on the range and a cook wagon followed the teams. The current form of the races use retired thoroughbred race horses and standardized wagons to simulate the chuck wagon. Each team is a driver with a four-horse team and two Out Riders that begin the race dismounted and have to finish within a few seconds of the wagon.




The first part of the 4-team race is "loading" the cook stove then a sharp turn around a barrel:







Then the teams go full out on an 3/8 mile oval track:




First to the finish line wins the heat:




to be continued.......

[QB93Z]

The races were very exciting. We enjoy the event. The sharp turn around the barrel required a skilled driver and well trained horses that were working together. Knocking over a barrel is a 5 second penalty.




Many of the heats had very close finishes. Speed on the 4th turn and on the straight was important to success:








Another close finish:




to be continued.......