Looking forward to finally crossing into Alaska, we headed out on the Top of the World Highway toward the border.  With sweeping vistas and amazing views, the highway lived up to its name and was truly stunning.  Stopping briefly at the Top of the World filling station for some gas, the owner/attendant relayed the story of his previous night’s experience which involved his van breaking down and having to sleep in it with his dog and four kids.  Since we had been hearing some new noises from the van, I popped the hood and had the man take a look.  He determined our belts were loose and we needed some sealant in the radiator.  Thankful for the advice, we headed out on the road toward Chicken, AK. 

Jess had heard a good recommendation for a restaurant and saloon in Chicken, so we headed there for some food and free wi-fi.  Chicken is an old prospecting town that now has three main tourist attractions, “Beautiful Downtown Chicken”, “Town of Chicken/The Goldpanner”, and “Chicken Gold Camp”, all of which are restaurants/shops/outhouses with varying attractions. We ate some lunch (and pie!) in “Beautiful Downtown Chicken” and settled in to their wi-fi room to update the blog and check in on the world.  The folks in Chicken were very friendly and accommodating.  After chatting with the locals, we parked the van behind the parking lot and got a quick sleep for the night.