After an unexpected day of rest, we were anxious to get moving again.
Our alarms went off at 4:00 a.m. We checked the road report…still closed.
Back to sleep.
At 7:00 a.m. we checked again…still closed.
Rather than stare at our phones hoping for an update, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. At 7:45 the news we’d been waiting for finally came. The Alaska Highway was open.
Within minutes we were packed up and rolling north again.
One of our first stops was the historic Air Force Lodge at Watson Lake. Built during the construction of the Alaska Highway, it served military personnel traveling through the north and is a neat reminder of the history that stretches along this route.
Just down the road we stopped at the famous Sign Post Forest. What began in 1942 with a homesick soldier hanging a sign pointing toward his hometown has grown into a collection of well over 100,000 signs from around the world. It’s one of those roadside attractions that somehow manages to exceed expectations.
The rest of the day was mostly about making miles as we worked our way south to Hinton for the night.
One question we’ve been asked over and over is, “What do you do for that many hours in the car?”
The answer is…we’re very different.
Zed genuinely loves to drive. He can spend hours watching the road, listening to the hum of the tires, and simply enjoying the journey. On this trip he finished Centennial by James Michener and immediately started Poland. When he’s not listening to an audiobook, country music usually has the driver’s seat.
Sam, on the other hand, has learned something surprising about herself.
She still doesn’t love driving, but this trip proved she can drive long distances by herself. Silence isn’t really an option, though. Between audiobooks, podcasts, playlists, and conversations with ChatGPT through CarPlay, the miles passed much faster than expected.
On this trip she listened to James Michener’s Alaska, Jim Scuttio’s The Return of the Great Powers, and started Walt Disney by Neil Gabler. With help from the kids before they left for the ranch, she also built a playlist full of songs that are impossible not to sing along to. Somewhere between the music and the mountains, solo driving became something she actually started to enjoy.
ChatGPT became an unexpected travel companion too, helping brainstorm creative ideas for an LLC she’s hoping to start, answering questions about places we passed, and satisfying the endless curiosity that comes from driving through new country.
Sometimes the best part of a road trip isn’t the destination or even the scenery.
Sometimes it’s discovering new things about yourself somewhere between mile markers.
Herd Stats
Miles Driven: ~550
Countries Visited: 2
Historic Stops: 2
Check Engine Lights: 0
Running Stats
Hotel/Campgrounds Count: 20
Herd Morale: Rolling again
Sanity Level: Fueled by audiobooks, playlists, and open roads
The Davies Herd 
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