The plane to ANC was only half full, I had the whole exit row to myself:) Picked up a car at the airport. It was easy, they open till 2am. Got some grocery at a 24hr Carr (seems a Safeway). Rained when I left. Drove to the Walmart at Eagle River (on my way north) to buy an isobutan canister, which I had verified the previous day. It was closed (5am-1am) already. So I napped at the parking lot. Surprisingly, there were about 7-8 cars parked there then. Around 7 PDT, I was finally on my way.
The dawn here is long: the sun rises slowly. The scenery is outstanding on Glenn Hwy along Matanuska River. I stopped multiple times to take photos. There are many pullovers by the road. Leaves were golden, river is braided, lots of snowy peaks. 
There're a few parking areas just to see Matanuska Glacier. As Matanuska River leaves the highway, the landscape becomes less dramatic for 1.5 hours until you see the Wrangle Mountains near Glennallen, the gateway town to Wrangall-St Elias National Park. Here I took Tok Cutoff towards Tok. 
The scenery is excellent along Copper River. There are so few cars on the road that I can just stop in the middle of the road, even in the middle of a bridge, and take a photo. For example, this photo was taken on Chistochina bridge. 
North of Mentasta Lake, where Eagle River flows by, the scenery is also very pretty.Tok, is the only real town once I left Anchorage area, cheapest gas ($3.2/G). I went to the library at the road junction. Two ladies were chatting, very nice. They told me that the city visitor center closed over 1 week ago, the state visitor center may be closed for lunch. They showed me the wifi password, so I could get online. I asked one lady about gas station & liquor store. She told me that we are not allowed to bring fresh fruit and veggies across the border, so I shouldn't buy groceries. But cheese is ok. Went to buy a 6 pack of beer. Then to the visitor center, yes, it was closed. Took a brochure in front of its door.
Chicken is a quaint stop, just an RV resort with a gift shop and gas station, seems nothing else. Giant metal roosters and an egg with a sign "I got laid in Chicken" in front of the RV office / gift shop. The road further is no longer paved. Winding, could only go 20mph sometimes. Still 60 miles to the border. Got me a bit worried. I ate 2 apples and 2 tomatoes. The road got better half way through, and the last 10 miles to the border were paved.
The border is open till 8pm. The officer asked how long I'd be in Canada, and if I brought alcohol or cigarette. Didn't ask about food. Soon after the border, pavement stopped again. The road is wider and can go 35-50mph. But the air was getting worse: smoke.
At the free ferry over Yukon River, one of the two operators asked if I were heading to Whitehorse, and warned me that the road might be closed due to fire. Not a long wait. Same ferry boat goes back and forth. I reached the hotel at Dawson City at 7pm. The town was very smokey. Apparently, Yukon has been burning since late June. I didn't do my research well.
My partner had cooked supper. After dinner and beer, we walked around the hazy town and along the waterfront (the only paved street). It certainly had seen better days. Right now, looks rather run down and docile, unlike the bustling height of Jack London's time. Buildings here sit on wooden lattice, due to the permafrost below. There's a memorial plaque for George Dawson, a geologist who surveyed this area in the late 1880s.
