Great Alaska Road Trip: Day 7!
Traveling from Ontario to Alaska in my minivan!
The previous day of our Great Alaska Road Trip ended on a bit of a low note – we were tired, inhaling too much wildfire smoke, and had been driving for far too long.
But we woke up with a fresh mindset, and today ended up being a truly magical day!
We woke up at the Fort St. John Ramada hotel. R went to the hotel gym in the morning while I packed up our stuff.
I gazed out the window – the air was still a little smoky, and the town still looking as sad and grey as it did the night before.
Today’s goal was to make the 7.5 hour drive all the way to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park, which is a remote area on the Alaska Highway.
As we got out of Fort St. John and headed northwest, the sky began to clear. I could finally see the mountains, and my heart was fluttering in my chest the entire drive.
We stopped at an incredible viewpoint for lunch, appreciating the fresh air a little more than usual after all the smoke the days before.
I couldn’t even believe where we were. It looked like a dream.
We continued along the highway until we finally got to Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park. The park was full, but there was overflow parking across the highway for us to stay the night.
We immediately changed into our bathing suits and headed over to the hot springs. And it was exactly what we needed!
In order to get there, we had to cross a stunning boardwalk that took us over the wetland and through the woods.
The smell of sulfur became more and more pungent as we walked down the boardwalk, letting us know we were getting close.
Finally, the large spring opened up in front of us, a few people already lounging around with steam rising around them.
Luckily, another visitor let us know which of the three entrances to the hot spring was the most mild, so we could build up our tolerance to the heat.
The water felt absolutely incredible, and soothed our muscles after a long day of driving.
The foliage surrounding the hot springs were the most beautiful deep green I had seen, and I could sit there soaking in the water and the views for hours.
We migrated over to the hotter area for a bit, testing out how far we could get. We didn’t make it nearly as far as some others who were clearly frequent visitors of the hot springs.
With muscles like jelly and happy hearts, we walked back to the van to make dinner and enjoy the rest of the night tucked in the trees.
It was so nice to have finally enjoyed a night out in nature.
I’m so excited to see what tomorrow will bring as we continue our journey up the Alaska Highway!
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