Many folks choosing to drive the 1,400-mile Alaska Highway, which officially ends in Delta Junction, stop in Dawson Creek for a photo of the route's first milepost, sometimes blocking traffic in their quest for the best vantage point.

“That Mile 0 sign is practically in the middle of the intersection. I see so many people parked there, taking pictures, walking out into the road to take pictures. It's dangerous,” said Trina Sluggett, manager of Tubby's RV Park. “Starting at the end of May or the beginning of June, it's busy out there, dangerous.”

A Dawson Creek resident for several years, Sluggett now looks out for such tourists with extra attention, after taking over on July 1 oversight and on-site management for the campground that has hosted such Alaska Highway travelers since the early 1970s.

Tubby's is located off of Highway 97 South, less than a block from that route's intersection with the Alaska Highway, on the western edge of town. Blessed with the relatively flat land and native grasses that the nearby farms enjoy, Tubby's presented in mid-July a rather “lived-in” appearance, instead of the “perfectly-manicured” setting that some campgrounds create.

Some camper sites boasted tall grass waiting for weed cutting or parking spots that could use some extra gravel, or some blading and leveling. A couple of sites needed maintenance work on the utility hookups.

Yet there were lots of RVs parked there in mid-July, including two dozen or more full-time resident campers - obvious by their extra vehicles, patio furniture and barbeque grills, some with children's toys and bicycles parked around the camper.

After two weeks on the job, Sluggett was somewhat anxiously preparing for the arrival of two separate caravans of recreational vehicles with reservations at Tubby's.

“This one caravan has had a reservation since 2006, so we have to honor it,” Sluggett said. “I'll do whatever I can to make them happy.”

Initially, she was expecting 35 units with that group of campers, but the number decreased to an estimated 31, she said.

“They lost a few who decided to go home,” she said.

Fuel prices could be a factor in that decision, she said. In Dawson Creek in mid-July, gasoline was selling for about $5.33 per gallon, with diesel at $5.79 per gallon.

“People have been making comments about it. I think it's affecting a lot of people,” Sluggett said. “The regular guys are upset about it. Myself, I don't drive as much as I used to.”

Fuel prices are a factor this year for the recreational vehicle crowd, confirmed Leamon Slaven, a Florida resident who was at Tubby's in mid-July, in advance of the start of a 50-day RV caravan planned to tour through Canada and Alaska, ending in Prince George.

Slaven, who drives a 38-foot Holiday Rambler diesel pusher, serves this year as the “tailman” or the service technician, for the group.

“I came up to get everything ready ahead of time,” he said. “This year, we have 27 rigs going. Usually on a trip like this, we take 40 rigs.”

He just shook his head when asked about fuel prices.

“It was over $300 to fill up, and I still had a quarter tank left,” Slaven said. “But I only fill up every 700 miles or so.”

His RV, which has a 90-gallon tank, averages between eight and nine miles per gallon of diesel. “If I'm on flat ground, I'll get 10,” he said.