Day 26 Dawson Creek, B.C.

What a day... That pretty much sums up our adventure for this leg of the trip. I really don't know where to begin. I guess from this morning like usual. We woke early and had a coffee, fueled up, then chatted with a gentleman who was heading to Alaska. We shared our experiences with him and warned him of the upcoming road conditions. He looked a little nervous but we reassured him he would be fine. We rode off heading toward the Northern Rockies and Stone Mountain. The weather was cool and of course, rain was ahead. Once again the scenery looked different but just a magnificent as before. Riding through the mountains you feel the majesty of our Lord. The tops reach through the heavens and you feel so tiny in comparison. Stone mountain was where we saw the sheep that wanted to take us on the last time we passed through, and they didn't disappoint us this time either. There were plenty of sheep on the mountain edges and in the road. We did get an opportunity to get a good picture of another ram. This time he remained on the cliff side and posed for us. We wound through the mountain pass and took in the beauty of the rolling streams, rock formations, small marshes and lakes. All a splendor to see. The rain came and went but it was cold and that didn't change all day. We arrived in Fort Nelson to fuel up, get some cash, and eat. That's when the problems began. After fueling I went to the A.T.M. and tried to get cash. The machine refused the transaction. I headed across the street to the bank and tried. I got the same results. We are using a debit card and we have the cash so I went to the teller and she contacted Visa. I got on the phone and reviewed our purchases. When she told me I had two gas purchases for $150 each I was shocked. I explained to her that the gas only amounted to $36 and I had enough money to cover it. The lady told me that when you use your card in the U.S. the gas company requests $50 for a transaction and when they get paid from the bank they give back the balance. Well, apparently on the Alaska Highway they request $150. That is why the transactions were denied. She told me that it could take 5 to 7 days for it to process. A big lump formed in my stomach. We had no cash and funds wouldn't be available for day's. We still had our credit card and decided to use that instead. I couldn't get cash from it because I never requested a PIN for that purpose. We stopped at a Subway that took credit cards and ate lunch. We headed out and the weather got worse. The rain came more frequently and it got colder. The stress of the money, weather, and cold started to build. The ride was really turning out to be miserable. Once again, it seemed like we would never make Fort St. John. Along the way we saw a black bear and her two cubs, and half a dozen wild horses. It's amazing seeing the animals so close to the road. It just wouldn't be a ride without being hailed on, and true to form, it did. This time we both had our masks on but my glasses fogged so bad I needed to pull over to wipe them clean. We arrived in Fort St. John and I had enough stress for one day. We pulled in to a Motel 8 and the clerk informed me that every room in the town was booked. I really didn't want to hear that but what were we to do? The clerk was good enough to find us a room in Dawson Creek. It was going to be another hour ride, but we had no choice. Cold, wet, and covered in mud we arrived at the hotel. We checked in and “vented “ on each other for awhile. We realized we were being foolish and calmed down. I went to the 7-11 to get something quick to eat for us. This time around our credit card wouldn't work. Now I had two very large lumps in my stomach. No cash, no debit card available, and now, no credit card. You want to talk about a sick feeling try being stranded in a foreign country with no money. I returned to the room and called Visa. The company had placed a block because of suspicious activity. I had told them a week ago where we were and where we would be. They apologized and reactivated the card. I returned to the 7-11 and picked up dinner. We ate Hungry Man Turkey Dinners and had a nice quiet time together. It was eleven before this took place but were fed, clean, warm, and we have a nice bed to sleep in. We don't know what tomorrow will bring, we are heading south to Red Deer, Alberta. Please, please keep us in your prayers. Thanks for all of them so far but we still have a long way to go. God Bless and good night.