After several days of making steady progress north, Day 12 reminded us that sometimes the road gets a vote too.
We woke up in Toad River ready to continue the journey toward Alaska. The coffee was hot, the vehicles were packed, and we were prepared for another day on the Alaska Highway.
Then we learned the highway was closed.
An overturned tanker farther up the road had shut down traffic in both directions, and there was no estimate for when it would reopen.
Fortunately, the road crews and emergency responders involved in the cleanup were staying at our campground. After talking with them, they offered some advice: extend our campsite reservation for another night.
They explained that we already had one of the last available spots and predicted every campsite in the area would be gone by afternoon. By evening, they expected stranded travelers would be looking for anywhere to park their vehicles.
We took their advice.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip.
By early afternoon, travelers were already stopping by asking if the campground had any remaining sites. By evening, people weren’t even asking for campsites anymore. They were simply hoping to find a place to park for the night.
Meanwhile, we had a campsite, a full-service restaurant, a gas station, and nowhere we needed to be.
Sometimes luck favors the prepared. Other times it just favors the people who listen to road crews.
With an unexpected day off, we settled into a slower pace. We spent time reading, catching up on the blog, cleaning up old posts, and simply relaxing. After nearly two weeks of schedules, miles, fuel stops, and logistics, the forced pause was actually kind of nice.
Not every memorable day of a road trip involves driving.
Sometimes it’s the days where nothing happens that become part of the story.
As the evening wound down, the plan seemed simple enough: go to bed early, wake up early, and get on the road as soon as the highway reopened.
While we were enjoying an unexpected day of rest in northern British Columbia, the kids were beginning an adventure of their own.
Mia and Ana started Trek, spending the day with their “Ma,” “Pa,” and eight “siblings” as they began experiencing a small taste of what the pioneers endured on their journey west.
Not to be left out, Zoe and Dax had important jobs too. They helped prepare the meals for the trekkers before heading out on the trail to serve lunch to the “pioneers.” Of course, they couldn’t resist joining in for a little while, taking turns pulling handcarts before returning to camp.
It was fun knowing that while our road trip had unexpectedly paused, theirs was just beginning.
As the evening wound down, the plan seemed simple enough: go to bed early, wake up early, and get on the road as soon as the highway reopened.
Read tomorrow’s post to see how successful we were with that plan.
The Davies Herd 
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