When I last wrote a blog about our trip this summer we were leaving Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo, Texas, and heading to Oklahoma City, OK. The trip was easy as we traveled on interstate all the way. Our plan was to "camp" at a Wal-Mart near our friends' home. We found it with no problem and parked, checked in with the manager and drove to see our friends. Actually, Frank is a friend of Jim from childhood. Frank and his wife, Kay, are old motorcycle traveling buddies of Jim's. They done lots of traveling in years past. We spent the entire afternoon and evening with Frank and Kay. The three friends reminised about old times and I enjoyed hearing new stories about those fun times. It was good to see them again.
The worst part of our trip happened that night. The generator on the motorhome just stopped. We had to endure the night of heat with no air conditioner!!! We opened all the windows and tried to remember how we survived as children in Texas without air conditioners. When I hit the bed the sheets were hot...the bed actually felt like there was a heated mattress. I could have enjoyed that in Alaska but it was tough when the air inside and out was HOT! We managed and woke up early to get on the road before the sun came up.
We drove all the way through Dallas and to our lakehouse on Cedar Creek Lake. Everything was fine at the house and it took us a short time to turn on the air conditioner and cool the place off. It helps that it is shaded by a huge oak tree and that it is almost as small as the motorhome! Jim spent the next days there doing a little work outside...mostly in early morning. It was just too hot to be outside much. We drove to Palestine to visit with my mom. I had a chance to go through the photos I sent while traveling and share some of our experiences. It was good to be back with my mom and closer to home.
After a few days at the lake house it was time to head back to our home in Covington, LA. I couldn't wait to see Zach and to also see how well he kept the house while we were away for 103 days. I was ready to be back in my own house but not too excited to live in the heat and humidity. I had so enjoyed the coolness of the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and Canada.
The house was in great order. Zach took good care of everything. The weeds in the beds were chin high but the lawn looked nice and the house was not a disaster. I never thought it would be.
I still cannot believe we made this trip. I would do it again in a minute...not sure Jim would. He drove the motorhome 12,320 miles and put at least 4,000 miles on the tow car. Eventhough we took this trip day by day and mile by mile it still was a huge endeavor.
Now to start planning next summer's trip to cooler climate.
Showing posts with label rv trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rv trip. Show all posts
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Palo Duro State Park, Canyon, TX, August 17-19, 2011
We have reserved a campsite at Palo Duro State Park near Amarillo, Texas. We also have tickets to the show TEXAS which is performed in the open-air theater right in the park. We've wanted to see this for years but have never been in the area at the right time. We are just making it though...our tickets are for Aug. 18th and the last performance is Aug. 20th. I just hoped the weather (meaning the HEAT) would not be a factor. It was not.
The only problem getting to the park was that when we unhooked the tow car to make the steep drive down into the canyon we discovered the car was dead. Jim had to get out the jumper cables and get it going. Our campsite is the same one we had here in 2007. It is all the way in the back of the park...8 miles from the entrance. We were the only ones camping there until the morning we left. Anyway, we got camped just fine. Thankfully the site has water and electric (50 amp.). We started both air conditioners to cool down the interior. It did not take long until we were very comfortable.
In the morning we got up and out early...Jim wanted to get a new battery for the car. We found the Walmart and had the battery checked. We did not get a new battery since we were told the one we had was good. We've had no problem since. We made the mistake of leaving a charger plugged into the cigarette lighter while we towed and that is what ran the battery down.
After running a few errands in Canyon, Texas, we went back to the rig to have some lunch and get ready for our dinner and show in the evening.
Our tickets were for a Big Texas Steak Dinner at the theater before the show. We arrived at around 7 PM and went through the buffet to get our steak, salad and fixin's. We sat at the covered tables where there were misting machines all around the covers. Some of those were doing more than misting and I got spit on a couple of times walking to our table. It helped with the heat and I didn't complain. The dinner was good. After eating we went to the courtyard area of the theater. They had a country band playing. We strolled through the gift shop and Jim stopped to talk to Gerald McCathern, a western author who was there autographing books. The only thing I purchased was water and a fan!
We went back outside and sat to listen to the band. The same misters were hanging all around to cool off the area. They did a good job. It was very pleasant. We met one of the greeters...there were lots of older people working there to greet the guests. The man we spoke to had formerly lived in Alaska! Jim talked to him and shared some of our adventures.
The show began at 8:30 PM. The theater was just about full. It was hot but, thankfully, the sun had gone down behind the canyon rim. I won't tell you about the show except to say it was great! Outside with the canyon rim wall as a backdrop. Horses being ridden and pulling wagons and carriages moved in the background area. A deer even pranced across...don't think that was part of the show, it just happened. We had seen lots of deer in the area. There was a storm with lightening and even the shrubs caught fire at one time. It was all well done and we enjoyed it very much. It is put on by young college students and others and one runs during the summer months. It is worth the trip to Palo Duro Canyon.
We left there the next morning and headed to Oklahoma City. We are going there to see some old friends of Jim's. I'm sure there will be lots of reminising and laughing. We don't have a campground. Our plan is to stay at the Walmart near our friends home. We'll see how we manage the 100+ temps!
The only problem getting to the park was that when we unhooked the tow car to make the steep drive down into the canyon we discovered the car was dead. Jim had to get out the jumper cables and get it going. Our campsite is the same one we had here in 2007. It is all the way in the back of the park...8 miles from the entrance. We were the only ones camping there until the morning we left. Anyway, we got camped just fine. Thankfully the site has water and electric (50 amp.). We started both air conditioners to cool down the interior. It did not take long until we were very comfortable.
In the morning we got up and out early...Jim wanted to get a new battery for the car. We found the Walmart and had the battery checked. We did not get a new battery since we were told the one we had was good. We've had no problem since. We made the mistake of leaving a charger plugged into the cigarette lighter while we towed and that is what ran the battery down.
After running a few errands in Canyon, Texas, we went back to the rig to have some lunch and get ready for our dinner and show in the evening.
Our tickets were for a Big Texas Steak Dinner at the theater before the show. We arrived at around 7 PM and went through the buffet to get our steak, salad and fixin's. We sat at the covered tables where there were misting machines all around the covers. Some of those were doing more than misting and I got spit on a couple of times walking to our table. It helped with the heat and I didn't complain. The dinner was good. After eating we went to the courtyard area of the theater. They had a country band playing. We strolled through the gift shop and Jim stopped to talk to Gerald McCathern, a western author who was there autographing books. The only thing I purchased was water and a fan!
We went back outside and sat to listen to the band. The same misters were hanging all around to cool off the area. They did a good job. It was very pleasant. We met one of the greeters...there were lots of older people working there to greet the guests. The man we spoke to had formerly lived in Alaska! Jim talked to him and shared some of our adventures.
The show began at 8:30 PM. The theater was just about full. It was hot but, thankfully, the sun had gone down behind the canyon rim. I won't tell you about the show except to say it was great! Outside with the canyon rim wall as a backdrop. Horses being ridden and pulling wagons and carriages moved in the background area. A deer even pranced across...don't think that was part of the show, it just happened. We had seen lots of deer in the area. There was a storm with lightening and even the shrubs caught fire at one time. It was all well done and we enjoyed it very much. It is put on by young college students and others and one runs during the summer months. It is worth the trip to Palo Duro Canyon.
We left there the next morning and headed to Oklahoma City. We are going there to see some old friends of Jim's. I'm sure there will be lots of reminising and laughing. We don't have a campground. Our plan is to stay at the Walmart near our friends home. We'll see how we manage the 100+ temps!
Castle Rock, Colorado, August 15-16, 2011
We left Grand Teton National Park and Jackson, WY, early on August 14th, our oldest son’s, Zach, birthday. He is 27! I miss him so much and wish we could have been at home with him. We did talk on the phone and will have a birthday dinner when we get home. We are all going together to Houston for my nephew’s wedding. That will be fun.
We are stopping in Rawlins, WY, for the night since it’s a long way to Castle Rock, Colorado. We found an rv park, Western Hills, just off the interstate. It reminded me of the park we stopped at in Van Horn, Texas, at the beginning of this adventure. Big open gravel area with electrical posts sticking up all over. Very easy to get in and out of. There were clouds in the sky which made for the most beautiful sunset. I will miss Wyoming.
We got an early start next morning and headed towards Castle Rock just beyond Denver. We are planning to see some old Texaco friends who have retired there. We didn’t know exactly the plans to get together so we pulled into a Wal-Mart to camp and to shop, of course. The first thing Jim wanted to do was get the tow car washed. He says it looks like a mudball…it’s nothing compared to what it looked like in Alaska.
Got the car washed and had a look around the town…found a Dairy Queen and couldn’t resist the urge to have a blizzard. We will miss those too when we get back to Louisiana. Jim talked to one of our friends and we decided to meet for drinks. Met Phil at one restaurant which turned out to be closed on Mondays so he took us in his car to meet John and Flora at Rodney’s for some drinks. Phil had one drink but needed to go but John and Flora stayed and we ate some dinner. We were invited to a wine tasting on the patio so we had a nice evening. We went with John and Flora to their home and took a tour of the place. Beautiful! We sat on the upper patio and had a nightcap while we watched the sun set. I could get used to this!
Finally got back to the motorhome at the Walmart and had a good night with the windows open and a nice cool breeze. Had alot of traffic noise from the highway and some train noise from all that traffic nearby. No problem sleeping though. We got up the next morning and moved to a campground down the highway in Larkspur. We took care of some rv maintenance and laundry and just general things around the rig. We met Phil and Sandy and John and Flora at The Stone Church restaurant for happy hour then dinner. The food was delicious and we really enjoyed visiting with our friends. It's been too long a time since we've seen each other. Hope we can see them again soon.
After saying goodbye to our friends Jim and I went back to the motorhome and got ready to break camp in the morning. We are headed to Texas!!!
We are stopping in Rawlins, WY, for the night since it’s a long way to Castle Rock, Colorado. We found an rv park, Western Hills, just off the interstate. It reminded me of the park we stopped at in Van Horn, Texas, at the beginning of this adventure. Big open gravel area with electrical posts sticking up all over. Very easy to get in and out of. There were clouds in the sky which made for the most beautiful sunset. I will miss Wyoming.
We got an early start next morning and headed towards Castle Rock just beyond Denver. We are planning to see some old Texaco friends who have retired there. We didn’t know exactly the plans to get together so we pulled into a Wal-Mart to camp and to shop, of course. The first thing Jim wanted to do was get the tow car washed. He says it looks like a mudball…it’s nothing compared to what it looked like in Alaska.
Got the car washed and had a look around the town…found a Dairy Queen and couldn’t resist the urge to have a blizzard. We will miss those too when we get back to Louisiana. Jim talked to one of our friends and we decided to meet for drinks. Met Phil at one restaurant which turned out to be closed on Mondays so he took us in his car to meet John and Flora at Rodney’s for some drinks. Phil had one drink but needed to go but John and Flora stayed and we ate some dinner. We were invited to a wine tasting on the patio so we had a nice evening. We went with John and Flora to their home and took a tour of the place. Beautiful! We sat on the upper patio and had a nightcap while we watched the sun set. I could get used to this!
Finally got back to the motorhome at the Walmart and had a good night with the windows open and a nice cool breeze. Had alot of traffic noise from the highway and some train noise from all that traffic nearby. No problem sleeping though. We got up the next morning and moved to a campground down the highway in Larkspur. We took care of some rv maintenance and laundry and just general things around the rig. We met Phil and Sandy and John and Flora at The Stone Church restaurant for happy hour then dinner. The food was delicious and we really enjoyed visiting with our friends. It's been too long a time since we've seen each other. Hope we can see them again soon.
After saying goodbye to our friends Jim and I went back to the motorhome and got ready to break camp in the morning. We are headed to Texas!!!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Glacier National Park to Helena, Montana, August 7-8, 2011
A little worried about the road out of St. Mary’s but Jim had no problem. It was a little curvy and narrow and up and down but we got out of that and into some wide open spaces nearer to Helena. We are camping at the Lincoln RV Park north of Helena. As soon as we were camped a monster rig towing a HUGE matching trailer pulled into the park a couple of spaces from ours. It was the largest thing we’ve ever seen. Never did find out who they were…decided it was some kind of entertainer with equipment in the trailer. Actually we never found out who it was but they had a Lexus and a couple of motorcycles in the trailer!
Jim has an old college friend who lives in Montana so he looked up his address…he lives right in Helena! We decided to give him a call after we returned from our shopping trip to Walmart. This is the first supercenter we’ve shopped at since we left the continental US.
Jim called his friend, Farrell, and invited him to our campground for hamburgers. It was good to meet him. Jim and Farrell had not seen each other since 1959! They just took up like no time had passed. That’s what’s great about friends. We had fun visiting with Farrell and made plans to get together the next day. Jim is planning to finally have the windshield chips repaired in the morning then we’ll check with Farrell.
The windshield repairman came to the campground and worked for a couple of hours repairing the two chips in the motorhome and two others in the tow car. While he was working Jim checked with Farrell. We will meet him for lunch in town then Farrell has some plans for us to see Helena. At lunch we met Farrell’s wife, Nancy, their daughter, Melanie, and their granddaughter, Carly. We enjoyed talking about our lives and our families over good food. Once we were done, Farrell took us to the Helena Historical Society museum for a ride on the Train Tour of Helena. We had some time so we decided to have a look in the museum. They are offering free admission to veterans and their family members so we all got in free. We only had a little time before the “train” left so we spent it looking at a special exhibit of Charlie Russell paintings and sculptures. They were beautiful. The were of the old west….indians, cowboys, horses and buffalo. They also had letters he had written friends and on each letter he had painted a little piece of art. What a great thing to send to a friend.
We finally got on the “Train” and the conductor drove us around town and told us all about the buildings and the people who had built homes in the early days. I was amazed to see so much original construction which is still being used today. I really loved Helena.
Farrell also took us on a tour of the capitol building and the old Catholic cathedral. We finished the day by having dinner at The Broadway. It was a great day and we enjoyed the time spent with Farrell.
We went back to the motorhome and planned our departure in the morning. We are headed to Yellowstone National Park. Hope we can find a campground!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Valdez to Chicken, July 24, 2011
Woke up to rain in Valdez the morning of our departure. We were hoping to stop and get some photos of the area as we traveled back through Keystone Canyon and along the Thompson Pass past Worthington Glacier. We set off and stopped at the Forest Service shack to check on the arrival of the salmon…none yet. We hooked up the tow car and got on the road. We did stop at the Worthington Glacier visitor center and walked up to the observation area. It is actually most spectacular from up on the road looking down on the entire glacier. It was cold and spitting rain. Wanted to get back where it was dry. The area was still beautiful even though we had rain and clouds and fog. This road to Valdez on the Richardson Highway may be the most spectacular drive of our journey.
Our plan is to get to Chicken, AK, to drive the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, YT. This part of the trip will take us back on the Richardson Highway connecting with the Tok Cutoff to Tok, AK, heading down the Alaska Highway and cutting off on the Taylor Highway to Chicken. We’ll see what it’s like when we get along further up the road. Don’t know where we will stop to camp.
We actually drove all the way to Chicken and camped at the Gold Camp RV Park and
Outpost. There is really nothing in Chicken but this camp and another and three or four other business in the “town” of Chicken…a merchantile, a bar, a café and maybe another. Jim and I parked the rig in a no hookup pullthrough and walked to the “town”. We walked through the merchantile (souvenirs) and continued on next door to the bar. It had to be the smallest bar I’d seen with junk all over the walls and ceiling. The bartender looked like one of Jimmy’s friends and was from Philadelphia. One of his mother’s cousins owned the bar so he worked here last summer and this summer. We talked to a miner who had formerly worked as an oil hand in Louisiana….small world. It is so much fun meeting all these colorful people.
We ate in the motorhome and settled in for the night before we tackled the Top of the World Highway.
Our plan is to get to Chicken, AK, to drive the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, YT. This part of the trip will take us back on the Richardson Highway connecting with the Tok Cutoff to Tok, AK, heading down the Alaska Highway and cutting off on the Taylor Highway to Chicken. We’ll see what it’s like when we get along further up the road. Don’t know where we will stop to camp.
We actually drove all the way to Chicken and camped at the Gold Camp RV Park and
Outpost. There is really nothing in Chicken but this camp and another and three or four other business in the “town” of Chicken…a merchantile, a bar, a café and maybe another. Jim and I parked the rig in a no hookup pullthrough and walked to the “town”. We walked through the merchantile (souvenirs) and continued on next door to the bar. It had to be the smallest bar I’d seen with junk all over the walls and ceiling. The bartender looked like one of Jimmy’s friends and was from Philadelphia. One of his mother’s cousins owned the bar so he worked here last summer and this summer. We talked to a miner who had formerly worked as an oil hand in Louisiana….small world. It is so much fun meeting all these colorful people.We ate in the motorhome and settled in for the night before we tackled the Top of the World Highway.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Seward, Alaska, July 19-20, 2011
Woke up to another beautiful day in Homer. We took our time getting packed up and on the road. As I was getting prepared to “back” Jim out of our site I noticed that we were still plugged into the power. Man…one little thing can upset out procedure! Jim came out and unplugged us and packed away the power cords then we were ready to go. Had to go to the dump on the way out…no full hookups at the site. We also tried to top up the fresh water tank but had a little trouble so we didn’t bother. We will have full hookups in Seward. We took the motorhome to fill up with fuel..hooked up the tow car..then hit the road. WOW is it a beautiful day!!!
We had to double back up the Sterling Highway to get to the junction with Seward Highway. We went back through Soldotna. Saw no wildlife on the road the entire way. The only sad thing was that a US Senator from North Dakota was killed in a car accident at MM 104 a couple of days before. He had been in Alaska for a fishing trip to Homer. Don’t know if we passed him on our way there. So sad.
No problems traveling to Seward. The mountains were beautiful and the sky is so clear. Temperature is mild too…a little windy but that’s not a problem right now.
We found our campground, Stoney Creek RV Park, easily. We set up camp and headed to town. Stopped by the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and brochures. First stop was the Alaska SeaLife Center. It has large fish tanks full of all kinds of local fish…halibut and salmon, of course. They also have enormous tanks with seals, sea lions and birds. We’ve never seen a bird exhibit like this one. Puffins, red-legged kittiwakes and others I can’t remember. We were there when the trainer was doing tricks with the sea lion…funny! We looked all through the exhibits and left to explore the town. We drove through the small town and found all the city rv campgrounds. Right on Resurrection Bay…but no hookups. We parked the car and went into a restaurant on the docks for a beer. While we were sitting there a young man came and sat beside us. Jim asked him if he ran one of the fishing boats…he had been talking to the bartender so we thought he was. In fact, he does captain one of the private fishing charters. Jim asked him a few questions about fishing and also if he was from Alaska originally. Turns out he was from Mississippi and graduated from LSU!! Of course, we had to sit there awhile and talk to him. He was very nice and told us a little bit about his family back home and what he does and how he became a boat captain. It was a good evening.
When we left the restaurant we walked down to the docks where all the boats were coming in with fishermen. Fish…mainly halibut…was everywhere. There is a long processing table with lots of stations. I stopped to watch a young woman cleaning a halibut and cutting fillets. She was pretty handy with the big sharp knife.
We headed back to the motorhome and ate our leftovers…red beans and rice. It was very good!
The next morning we drove to the Exit Glacier. There is a trailhead right near the glacier and they have guides lead people on hikes to the edge of the glacier. We were there just in time to take the guided hike. I knew we were in trouble when people came up all covered in netting and the guide was spraying herself with bug spray. We went on and started the hike but whenever the guide stopped to tell us something I was covered in flies! They were all over me. Everyone knows I’m a bug magnet!! I tried to keep going but finally gave up. I got the car keys from Jim and went back to the car…Jim went on with the guide and the group. I got to the car and decided I wasn’t going to miss the hike so I took off my black jacket (bugs like dark clothes) and put on a baseball cap and sprayed myself silly with bug spray. Loaded up my backpack with water and the spray and also a knit cap just in case. Off I went…I just kept walking briskly..never stopping to let the bugs get me. That was the key…keep walking. I was hoping to catch up with Jim and the group but I never saw them. I got to the edge of the glacier and the group was nowhere to be found. I took some pics and decided to head back. I was afraid Jim would worry if he couldn’t find me anywhere when he got back. Anyway, I headed back down the trail. Not long down the trail I looked ahead and saw a group with the guide and there was Jim. They were just getting to the edge…they must have gone a different way. I never passed them on the trail I took. I sat down and waited for them to see me. Jim was so surprised I was there. “Where did I come from?” I can’t believe I beat him up after going back and spending time getting ready to begin my hike. I was really moving up that trail! I went back to the edge with Jim and someone took our photo. We went back down as fast as we could move but the bugs finally found us. It was a race to get back in the open air as quickly as possible. It was all good really and I’m happy I decided to brave it! Bugs and me don’t get along at all!!
After the hike we drove up Nash Road to see the view of Seward across the Resurrection Bay. It was very beautiful and Seward looked so small against the mountains. When we got back into town we found a place for lunch then headed to the Library and watched a film about the 1964 earthquake. Scary!! The film had conversations with survivors and also film footage and photos of the devastation. Part of Seward just dropped into the Bay. The tales about the tsunami afterwards were unbelievable. One man said after the quake there was no water in the bay and then they heard the wave…a 30-40 foot wall of water heading right to the town. Amazing!
We visited the Seward Museum after that. It was in a little building with lots of displays. All the displays had written explanations and stories about the people and the lives they led in Seward. It was a tough life. Really personal museum.
When we left the museum we drove out to Lowell Point. It was a dirt road along the edge of the bay with a wall of rock and trees on the other side. No place to be during another earthquake. The road led to Lowell Point where we found Miller’s Landing…a campground with fishing charters. Beautiful views … we could even see Seward at the head of the bay.
Time to find a place for a little drink before we head back to the motorhome. We tried a different place tonight. Not as much fun but just as quaint and beautiful located right on the docks. We’ve enjoyed Seward. The weather has been perfect.
We had to double back up the Sterling Highway to get to the junction with Seward Highway. We went back through Soldotna. Saw no wildlife on the road the entire way. The only sad thing was that a US Senator from North Dakota was killed in a car accident at MM 104 a couple of days before. He had been in Alaska for a fishing trip to Homer. Don’t know if we passed him on our way there. So sad.
No problems traveling to Seward. The mountains were beautiful and the sky is so clear. Temperature is mild too…a little windy but that’s not a problem right now.
We found our campground, Stoney Creek RV Park, easily. We set up camp and headed to town. Stopped by the Visitor’s Center to pick up maps and brochures. First stop was the Alaska SeaLife Center. It has large fish tanks full of all kinds of local fish…halibut and salmon, of course. They also have enormous tanks with seals, sea lions and birds. We’ve never seen a bird exhibit like this one. Puffins, red-legged kittiwakes and others I can’t remember. We were there when the trainer was doing tricks with the sea lion…funny! We looked all through the exhibits and left to explore the town. We drove through the small town and found all the city rv campgrounds. Right on Resurrection Bay…but no hookups. We parked the car and went into a restaurant on the docks for a beer. While we were sitting there a young man came and sat beside us. Jim asked him if he ran one of the fishing boats…he had been talking to the bartender so we thought he was. In fact, he does captain one of the private fishing charters. Jim asked him a few questions about fishing and also if he was from Alaska originally. Turns out he was from Mississippi and graduated from LSU!! Of course, we had to sit there awhile and talk to him. He was very nice and told us a little bit about his family back home and what he does and how he became a boat captain. It was a good evening.
When we left the restaurant we walked down to the docks where all the boats were coming in with fishermen. Fish…mainly halibut…was everywhere. There is a long processing table with lots of stations. I stopped to watch a young woman cleaning a halibut and cutting fillets. She was pretty handy with the big sharp knife.
We headed back to the motorhome and ate our leftovers…red beans and rice. It was very good!
The next morning we drove to the Exit Glacier. There is a trailhead right near the glacier and they have guides lead people on hikes to the edge of the glacier. We were there just in time to take the guided hike. I knew we were in trouble when people came up all covered in netting and the guide was spraying herself with bug spray. We went on and started the hike but whenever the guide stopped to tell us something I was covered in flies! They were all over me. Everyone knows I’m a bug magnet!! I tried to keep going but finally gave up. I got the car keys from Jim and went back to the car…Jim went on with the guide and the group. I got to the car and decided I wasn’t going to miss the hike so I took off my black jacket (bugs like dark clothes) and put on a baseball cap and sprayed myself silly with bug spray. Loaded up my backpack with water and the spray and also a knit cap just in case. Off I went…I just kept walking briskly..never stopping to let the bugs get me. That was the key…keep walking. I was hoping to catch up with Jim and the group but I never saw them. I got to the edge of the glacier and the group was nowhere to be found. I took some pics and decided to head back. I was afraid Jim would worry if he couldn’t find me anywhere when he got back. Anyway, I headed back down the trail. Not long down the trail I looked ahead and saw a group with the guide and there was Jim. They were just getting to the edge…they must have gone a different way. I never passed them on the trail I took. I sat down and waited for them to see me. Jim was so surprised I was there. “Where did I come from?” I can’t believe I beat him up after going back and spending time getting ready to begin my hike. I was really moving up that trail! I went back to the edge with Jim and someone took our photo. We went back down as fast as we could move but the bugs finally found us. It was a race to get back in the open air as quickly as possible. It was all good really and I’m happy I decided to brave it! Bugs and me don’t get along at all!!
After the hike we drove up Nash Road to see the view of Seward across the Resurrection Bay. It was very beautiful and Seward looked so small against the mountains. When we got back into town we found a place for lunch then headed to the Library and watched a film about the 1964 earthquake. Scary!! The film had conversations with survivors and also film footage and photos of the devastation. Part of Seward just dropped into the Bay. The tales about the tsunami afterwards were unbelievable. One man said after the quake there was no water in the bay and then they heard the wave…a 30-40 foot wall of water heading right to the town. Amazing!
We visited the Seward Museum after that. It was in a little building with lots of displays. All the displays had written explanations and stories about the people and the lives they led in Seward. It was a tough life. Really personal museum.
When we left the museum we drove out to Lowell Point. It was a dirt road along the edge of the bay with a wall of rock and trees on the other side. No place to be during another earthquake. The road led to Lowell Point where we found Miller’s Landing…a campground with fishing charters. Beautiful views … we could even see Seward at the head of the bay.
Time to find a place for a little drink before we head back to the motorhome. We tried a different place tonight. Not as much fun but just as quaint and beautiful located right on the docks. We’ve enjoyed Seward. The weather has been perfect.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Homer, Alaska, July 16-18, 2011
The drive again, along the Sterling Highway, was beautiful. We went through several Moose Danger Zones but only saw a mom and baby in Soldotna. Nothing along the way from there to Homer. One of the people we met in Kenai told us to stop at the viewpoint stop just at the top of the hill before we get to Homer. We did stop and saw the awesome vista down to Homer and the Spit. The backdrop was the mountain peaks across Kachemak Bay and the glaciers and ice flow from the Harding Ice Field. Our campground is at the tip of the Homer Spit…hence the name Homer Spit Campground. Our campsite looks out over the Kachemak Bay and the mountain peaks beyond. Unreal!
Homer is a big fishing village. Actually, they have bumper stickers which say it’s a drinking village with a little fishing problem. If you ever want to go fishing…this is the place. Lots of charters out of the harbor. Salmon and halibut are the fish of choice. They have a fishing derby every year. You must buy a derby ticket to have any catch entered into the derby. It lasts the entire season. Every restaurant has halibut as a special. We ate dinner one night at The Wasabi Restaurant. Halibut was the special so we had that. It was delicious and a huge chunk of halibut. Couldn’t not have been fresher than right off the boat!
We also visited the Alaska Island and Ocean Visitors Center, the Pratt Museum and had a dock tour through the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. On the CACS tour Jim found a true star and was able to pick it off the underside of the dock…it was eating a mussle. We had a guide and he explained everything we saw. So happy we went on that tour. We learned a lot about what lurks under the boat docks. We also took a bus tour for “wildlife” around the town. Mostly we saw sand cranes, eagles, swans, black legged kittiwakes and some others. We went to the Land’s End Restaurant for a beer one night. It is right on the end of the spit and has a great view. We got to watch the fishing boats coming and going. We even saw a guy fishing in a kayak. It was bad weather and rough seas but he was still out there fishing. Brave guy. I also saw a seal playing out in the water. We drove all around the roads in Homer. Found the Bear Creek Winery and had a tasting...good Alaskan fruit wine. We bought four bottles. It's so much fun meeting people everywhere we go. The same story..."I came and never left"...holds true most of the time. I was hoping to see whales but never did. The last night there I could see Sea otters fishing in Kachemak Bay from inside my motorhome. This could be addicting! Next stop is Seward, AK.
The Kenai Penisula, Alaska
Picked up the car from the shop in Anchorage and went back downtown to hopefully see Mt. McKinley. It’s a beautiful today after a day of rain yesterday. We didn’t see McKinley this morning but did see mountains across the Cook Inlet. The weather is perfect for travel to Homer. The drive was amazing. The Sterling Highway followed Turnagain Bay with mountains all around. We saw some surfers using parachutes to move them through the water. Also saw plane refuel a helicopter in midair. There is no way to capture the beauty of this drive.
We were planning to stop in Soldotna but there was traffic..traffic..traffic! We pulled into the Fred Meyer’s and it was full of motorhomes, fifth wheels and all kinds of Rv’s. I called and found a campground a little further down the highway at Kasilof…The Decanter Inn and RV Park. Not very busy there. We went to the restaurant/bar after setting up and had a beer. The owners are from Louisiana!! Go figure. We went back into Soldotna and had Mexican food…too much to eat but very good. We parked at the Visitor’s Center and walked on the boardwalk along the Kenai River. There were people there cleaning very large salmon they had caught. Not many others fishing. We found the local brewery…Kenai Brewery. Went in to have some “tastings”. Very nice beer and a very nice guy serving! Met a lady who came in for some tastings too. She is on her way to Kodiak...she’s with the Coast Guard. After that we went back to the rig. We are planning to leave the next morning to finish our trip to Homer and hope to visit Kenai before we pull out.
Got up the next morning and set out for Kenai.
Drove to the city and found a little park on a bluff overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River. There were at least one thousand, maybe two, standing along the mouth and even into the water. It was prime time for the running of the reds…Sockeye Salmon. The only people allowed to dip net salmon are Alaskans…we couldn’t do it. It was amazing to see. The nets were large…some five feet in diameter on long poles. The tide was going out and people just stood on the banks or in the water with these nets catching salmon. Each head of household is allowed 25 salmon and each other member is allowed 10 each. A family of five could go home with 65 salmon! After the big morning run we went down to the beach and met a guy netting. He was originally from Arizona but had moved to Alaska years ago. That’s the normal story…they visit and never go back! After doing some more exploring around the area we got back on the road headed toward Homer.
Anchorage, July 12-15, 2011
Woke up in Denali NP and it was raining. We did OK getting out of the park and getting on the road but we had rain and clouds all the way. We stopped at a large turnout on the way (would have seen Mt. McKinley if it was clear). We set up the camera on Jim’s workbench under the cover of an umbrella and took a photo of us both in front of the rig. A couple in a little Class B stopped and asked us what we were doing…you see, it was raining. When we told them we needed a Christmas card photo with Mt McKinley in the background the man commented that he knew we were either crazy or doing something fun. A little of both I thought!
We drove into Anchorage looking for a campground called Midtown RV Park. It was midtown alright…right in a busy part of town. We found the campground…what a dump. We drove around the block and tried to get out of there. I was looking in the campground book to find something else. We headed back north towards Golden Nugget RV Park. I called the office to see if they had space for us. It was funny because the guy in the office started the reservation process “what’s your name, etc.” I asked him if I could do that when I got there as it would only be a few minutes. He said come on! We paid a little more than we wanted to but we were needing a camp. We had an appointment at the Honda service for the tow car in the morning. Anyway, it was good…full hookups, WiFi. Jim took the car in the morning and came back to the rig to wait on good/bad news about the tow. We did laundry and caught up on some things. Went back and picked up the car to wait until they ordered parts. We went downtown and parked the car at the JC Penney’s downtown. Went to the Visitor Center and took a trolley tour around the town. Very good tour guide…she was raised in Anchorage and she knew all about the history. Took us to Earthquake Park and told us all about the quake which happened on Good Friday 1964. There was a tsunami and everything. Quite amazing! Our guide finished our tour by singing the Alaska State Song. It was worth the $15. After the tour we walked all the way to the Snow City Café. Tom, the courtesy car driver, recommended it. It was very popular…we had to wait about 40 minutes to be seated. It was worth the wait. We drove around the area. Went back and walked thru Earthquake Park. Drove past the airport where we saw moose and saw some more. Cannot believe there are moose right in the town! We also stopped to take pics of FedEx planes taking off right over our heads. Next day took the tow back into the shop and had the courtesy car take us downtown. We took a free shuttle to the zoo. Very natural surroundings in the zoo. Saw lots of native animals…brown bears, Dall sheep, wolves, eagles, etc. Returned to the city and visited the Anchorage Museum…saw lots of beautiful art work and historical displays. Stayed for a beer in the lounge waiting for Tom to pick us up. Car will stay in shop for the night. Hope to pick up car in the morning and get out of town to Homer.
We drove into Anchorage looking for a campground called Midtown RV Park. It was midtown alright…right in a busy part of town. We found the campground…what a dump. We drove around the block and tried to get out of there. I was looking in the campground book to find something else. We headed back north towards Golden Nugget RV Park. I called the office to see if they had space for us. It was funny because the guy in the office started the reservation process “what’s your name, etc.” I asked him if I could do that when I got there as it would only be a few minutes. He said come on! We paid a little more than we wanted to but we were needing a camp. We had an appointment at the Honda service for the tow car in the morning. Anyway, it was good…full hookups, WiFi. Jim took the car in the morning and came back to the rig to wait on good/bad news about the tow. We did laundry and caught up on some things. Went back and picked up the car to wait until they ordered parts. We went downtown and parked the car at the JC Penney’s downtown. Went to the Visitor Center and took a trolley tour around the town. Very good tour guide…she was raised in Anchorage and she knew all about the history. Took us to Earthquake Park and told us all about the quake which happened on Good Friday 1964. There was a tsunami and everything. Quite amazing! Our guide finished our tour by singing the Alaska State Song. It was worth the $15. After the tour we walked all the way to the Snow City Café. Tom, the courtesy car driver, recommended it. It was very popular…we had to wait about 40 minutes to be seated. It was worth the wait. We drove around the area. Went back and walked thru Earthquake Park. Drove past the airport where we saw moose and saw some more. Cannot believe there are moose right in the town! We also stopped to take pics of FedEx planes taking off right over our heads. Next day took the tow back into the shop and had the courtesy car take us downtown. We took a free shuttle to the zoo. Very natural surroundings in the zoo. Saw lots of native animals…brown bears, Dall sheep, wolves, eagles, etc. Returned to the city and visited the Anchorage Museum…saw lots of beautiful art work and historical displays. Stayed for a beer in the lounge waiting for Tom to pick us up. Car will stay in shop for the night. Hope to pick up car in the morning and get out of town to Homer.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Denali National Park, July 9-12, 2011
We drove the Parks Highway all the way to Denali National Park. We crossed over the Tanana and Nenana Rivers. The Nenana will travel alongside us all the way to the park. The weather and the road was very nice. Of course, we had a few frost heaves and bumps but nothing dramatic. I had to travel backwards through The Milepost as the mileage was measured from Anchorage. The entrance to the park was after crossing the Nenana River and at milepost A 237.4. Our campground is right near the entrance so we pulled right into the registration office. While registering for our site we were given a “B” site just like the young man had told me on the phone. I didn’t think that was right and even called back to confirm we would fit.
Well….when we checked in we were told we probably would not fit in a “B” site and there were no “A” sites left. We were able to unhook the tow and drive through the loops to see if one of the “B” sites would fit. We found a great pull-through, B103, in the Caribou Loop. Perfect! After getting set up, which was easy since there are no hookups, we drove to the Wilderness Visitor Center and checked in for our tour in the morning. We were given our tickets and told where to meet the bus. Since it was early in the afternoon we drove as far as we’re allowed in our car…the Savage River bridge and trailhead. On the way we stopped at a turnout just in time to see Mt. McKinley. Yes…we’re one of the lucky ones. The weather was clear and sunny and we had a nice showing in the distance. When we arrived at the Savage River bridge we were able to see one large male caribou on the riverbank just grazing on grass and shrubs. We considered a hike but thought it would be best left until later…it was too late to begin a hike.
We drove into “town” to check out where we would meet our tour tomorrow and found a cute restaurant, Pioneer Pizza, to eat. After stuffing ourselves with pizza and beer we eturned to our campsite and I took a little walk. There was a moose and her baby in our campground just walking through sites and munching on shrubs. I got some good close pics. I actually had to warn a couple that a moose was headed for their campground. They were turned away and had no idea what was coming towards them. That was very exciting.
For our first full day at the park we had scheduled a Tundra Wilderness Tour which travels by bus 53 miles into the park. Our appointed departure time from the Princess Denali Hotel was 7:40 AM. We arrived about 6:15 and waited in the hotel lobby. It was full of people taking one tour or another. Our tour bus pulled into the loading zone and then left…the bus had bad brakes and needed to be checked out before hitting the Park Road. We finally departed one and one-half hour late but were given a $50 voucher for the delay. It says we can redeem for cash…we’ll see.
The tour was great. Our driven was very professional and answered all our questions and seemed to know all about the park and the animals. We saw moose, caribou, grizzly bears and Dall sheep…and, of course, the most beautiful scenery. Mt. McKinley was not visible today but we had already seen it yesterday.
We only saw the bears because when the tour was at it’s end another bus driver told our driver that there were bears a little bit further down the road. He extended our tour just a little bit so we could see them. On our way back we saw caribou again. Our driver gave each of us a Tundra Wilderness companion booklet of photos and information. Our driver actually has about 5 pics in that booklet…one of the best photos, showing a pack of wolves fighting off bear from their moose kill. I consider us fortunate to have gotten him as our driver. After this tour we were exhausted…at least 8 hours on the bus bumping over the gravel roads and navigating around steep ledges a thousand or two feet up the side of a mountain. We got back home and collapsed.
The second full day we got up later in the morning and drove back out to Salmon River to do the loop hike. On the way we saw a mama moose and her baby walking not far from the road. We stopped a took more pics and just watched them move on by. We made it to the trailhead for the loop hike but could not find a place to park. We parked up the hill on a turnout and walked down to start the hike. We saw some grouse…it looked like a little family. One was on one side of the road and all the others on the opposite. “He” kept calling “lookout”! At least that’s what it sounded like to me. We finally made it to the beginning of the loop. The path follows the river to a footbridge and back down the other side. The WIND was BLOWING hard. It was not a hard walk and we made it around with no problems. We saw a family of ptarmigans. We were also able to see the old caribou again on the other side of the big bridge and he had two other caribou with him. On our drive back down the park road we stopped at the viewpoint and, yes, there was Mt. McKinley again. We are living right! We checked out the railroad depot and also the Savage Cabin on our drive back to the rig. We also made a trip to the bridge over the Nenana to take some photos of the water and the rafters. It was so windy we didn’t stay on the bridge long. It started raining after we got back home so we stayed in for the night and prepared for our next journey to Anchorage. It rained on and off all night. Denali was beautiful and it was fun staying in a campground right in the park. Next time we’ll need to stay at Teklanika Campground which is accessible only by permit and has a 3 day minimum stay. No hookups but it’s on the edge of the Teklanika River. That would be exciting!
Well….when we checked in we were told we probably would not fit in a “B” site and there were no “A” sites left. We were able to unhook the tow and drive through the loops to see if one of the “B” sites would fit. We found a great pull-through, B103, in the Caribou Loop. Perfect! After getting set up, which was easy since there are no hookups, we drove to the Wilderness Visitor Center and checked in for our tour in the morning. We were given our tickets and told where to meet the bus. Since it was early in the afternoon we drove as far as we’re allowed in our car…the Savage River bridge and trailhead. On the way we stopped at a turnout just in time to see Mt. McKinley. Yes…we’re one of the lucky ones. The weather was clear and sunny and we had a nice showing in the distance. When we arrived at the Savage River bridge we were able to see one large male caribou on the riverbank just grazing on grass and shrubs. We considered a hike but thought it would be best left until later…it was too late to begin a hike.
We drove into “town” to check out where we would meet our tour tomorrow and found a cute restaurant, Pioneer Pizza, to eat. After stuffing ourselves with pizza and beer we eturned to our campsite and I took a little walk. There was a moose and her baby in our campground just walking through sites and munching on shrubs. I got some good close pics. I actually had to warn a couple that a moose was headed for their campground. They were turned away and had no idea what was coming towards them. That was very exciting.
For our first full day at the park we had scheduled a Tundra Wilderness Tour which travels by bus 53 miles into the park. Our appointed departure time from the Princess Denali Hotel was 7:40 AM. We arrived about 6:15 and waited in the hotel lobby. It was full of people taking one tour or another. Our tour bus pulled into the loading zone and then left…the bus had bad brakes and needed to be checked out before hitting the Park Road. We finally departed one and one-half hour late but were given a $50 voucher for the delay. It says we can redeem for cash…we’ll see.
The tour was great. Our driven was very professional and answered all our questions and seemed to know all about the park and the animals. We saw moose, caribou, grizzly bears and Dall sheep…and, of course, the most beautiful scenery. Mt. McKinley was not visible today but we had already seen it yesterday.
We only saw the bears because when the tour was at it’s end another bus driver told our driver that there were bears a little bit further down the road. He extended our tour just a little bit so we could see them. On our way back we saw caribou again. Our driver gave each of us a Tundra Wilderness companion booklet of photos and information. Our driver actually has about 5 pics in that booklet…one of the best photos, showing a pack of wolves fighting off bear from their moose kill. I consider us fortunate to have gotten him as our driver. After this tour we were exhausted…at least 8 hours on the bus bumping over the gravel roads and navigating around steep ledges a thousand or two feet up the side of a mountain. We got back home and collapsed.
The second full day we got up later in the morning and drove back out to Salmon River to do the loop hike. On the way we saw a mama moose and her baby walking not far from the road. We stopped a took more pics and just watched them move on by. We made it to the trailhead for the loop hike but could not find a place to park. We parked up the hill on a turnout and walked down to start the hike. We saw some grouse…it looked like a little family. One was on one side of the road and all the others on the opposite. “He” kept calling “lookout”! At least that’s what it sounded like to me. We finally made it to the beginning of the loop. The path follows the river to a footbridge and back down the other side. The WIND was BLOWING hard. It was not a hard walk and we made it around with no problems. We saw a family of ptarmigans. We were also able to see the old caribou again on the other side of the big bridge and he had two other caribou with him. On our drive back down the park road we stopped at the viewpoint and, yes, there was Mt. McKinley again. We are living right! We checked out the railroad depot and also the Savage Cabin on our drive back to the rig. We also made a trip to the bridge over the Nenana to take some photos of the water and the rafters. It was so windy we didn’t stay on the bridge long. It started raining after we got back home so we stayed in for the night and prepared for our next journey to Anchorage. It rained on and off all night. Denali was beautiful and it was fun staying in a campground right in the park. Next time we’ll need to stay at Teklanika Campground which is accessible only by permit and has a 3 day minimum stay. No hookups but it’s on the edge of the Teklanika River. That would be exciting!
Fairbanks, July 7-9, 2011
Another fabulous night camping. Last night a huge motorhome towing a trailer holding a very nice Jeep and a full size boat on a top level maneuvered carefully through the trees into a pull-through just near us. He was very patient. The interesting thing was watching him, all alone, load the Jeep back onto the trailer in the morning. He’s obviously done that a few times before.
We left the campground and got back on the road and headed to Fairbanks. We plan to spend a full day there and have a look around. We saw some more fire remnants in the forest areas and more swans on the water. We went through some rain and saw a beautiful full rainbow spanning the road before us. That’s the second rainbow I’ve seen. The road is about the same…some gravel repaired bits and potholes.. a few dips and bumps. No real problems. There are many places to pull off the road along the way. One rest stop had a telephone booth! We crossed the Robertson River and there was still ice on the sandy areas where water was not running. No time for a pic of that. I even saw a MOOSE! At first sight I thought it was a cow (I am from Texas afterall). Then I saw the ears! Can’t believe I finally saw one. I wanted to call my friend, Kay, but had no phone service. I’ll need to do that later. We did stop at a large rest stop for Jim to stretch his legs and to eat some lunch. It was right beside the Tenana River which was moving very fast. We got out to take some pics and walk around. There was a work crew there having lunch so I talked to one of the girls. They were Americorps! They pointed out that we could see Mt. McKinley from where we were. There were too many clouds covering the top but we could see some of it and several mountains along side. Too bad it wasn’t perfectly clear. We will be going to Denali in a couple of days so we’ll hope to see it then. After getting back on the road it wasn’t long before we arrived in Fairbanks. I told Jim it looked like Texas. I couldn’t see any mountains for the trees and the road looked flat…it was definitely warmer and very sunny. I may not have know we were that north in Alaska if I had just been plopped down in that place. We stopped at Sam’s Club first to shop and then found our campground. We’re at the River’s Edge RV Park right on Chena River. Motorboats and kayaks and jet skis go down the river. I even saw some ducks with ducklings last night. The bad news is that we had some trouble with the tow car. It was making the most horrible noise when braking…I thought it was grinding, Jim thought it was whining. Anyway, we called and took it into the shop this morning. They brought us back to the motorhome and we were back in time to take a city tour. It was perfect to fill the time until the shop called to say our car was repaired. Turns out it was rocks in the brake system. After we picked it up we went into the city and toured the Ice Museum. Fairbanks hosts an International Ice Sculpture competition every year and the Ice Museum has a film about it and also has refrigerated display cases with ice sculptures. We could actually go into a display room where ice sculptures were standing…it was 20 degrees! Cold but not unbearable for the short time we were in there to take pictures. There was a Chinese young man who did a demonstration for us too. It was worth the time and $11 fee. We left downtown after that and went to Pioneer Park, formerly Alaskaland. It’s a free park with lots of old buildings from early Fairbanks days. There is a playground and a train. We didn’t stay there long enough but saw lots while were there. It looked like a storm was coming so we headed home. Not long after getting back to the rig it started raining…a nice rain with lightning and thunder. Jim cooked some stew in the crockpot so we will eat well tonight. Tomorrow we will go on to Denali National Park. We have two days there in Riley Campground and will take the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Until next blog…hope you are having a great summer.
We left the campground and got back on the road and headed to Fairbanks. We plan to spend a full day there and have a look around. We saw some more fire remnants in the forest areas and more swans on the water. We went through some rain and saw a beautiful full rainbow spanning the road before us. That’s the second rainbow I’ve seen. The road is about the same…some gravel repaired bits and potholes.. a few dips and bumps. No real problems. There are many places to pull off the road along the way. One rest stop had a telephone booth! We crossed the Robertson River and there was still ice on the sandy areas where water was not running. No time for a pic of that. I even saw a MOOSE! At first sight I thought it was a cow (I am from Texas afterall). Then I saw the ears! Can’t believe I finally saw one. I wanted to call my friend, Kay, but had no phone service. I’ll need to do that later. We did stop at a large rest stop for Jim to stretch his legs and to eat some lunch. It was right beside the Tenana River which was moving very fast. We got out to take some pics and walk around. There was a work crew there having lunch so I talked to one of the girls. They were Americorps! They pointed out that we could see Mt. McKinley from where we were. There were too many clouds covering the top but we could see some of it and several mountains along side. Too bad it wasn’t perfectly clear. We will be going to Denali in a couple of days so we’ll hope to see it then. After getting back on the road it wasn’t long before we arrived in Fairbanks. I told Jim it looked like Texas. I couldn’t see any mountains for the trees and the road looked flat…it was definitely warmer and very sunny. I may not have know we were that north in Alaska if I had just been plopped down in that place. We stopped at Sam’s Club first to shop and then found our campground. We’re at the River’s Edge RV Park right on Chena River. Motorboats and kayaks and jet skis go down the river. I even saw some ducks with ducklings last night. The bad news is that we had some trouble with the tow car. It was making the most horrible noise when braking…I thought it was grinding, Jim thought it was whining. Anyway, we called and took it into the shop this morning. They brought us back to the motorhome and we were back in time to take a city tour. It was perfect to fill the time until the shop called to say our car was repaired. Turns out it was rocks in the brake system. After we picked it up we went into the city and toured the Ice Museum. Fairbanks hosts an International Ice Sculpture competition every year and the Ice Museum has a film about it and also has refrigerated display cases with ice sculptures. We could actually go into a display room where ice sculptures were standing…it was 20 degrees! Cold but not unbearable for the short time we were in there to take pictures. There was a Chinese young man who did a demonstration for us too. It was worth the time and $11 fee. We left downtown after that and went to Pioneer Park, formerly Alaskaland. It’s a free park with lots of old buildings from early Fairbanks days. There is a playground and a train. We didn’t stay there long enough but saw lots while were there. It looked like a storm was coming so we headed home. Not long after getting back to the rig it started raining…a nice rain with lightning and thunder. Jim cooked some stew in the crockpot so we will eat well tonight. Tomorrow we will go on to Denali National Park. We have two days there in Riley Campground and will take the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Until next blog…hope you are having a great summer.
Road to Tok, Part 2, July 6, 2011
Destruction Bay, YT, to Tok, AK
The Cottonwood RV Park was a very nice place to stay. The lake was amazing and the color of the water was unbelievable…so green and deep blue. The lake is fed by a glacier and is so clear. Jim and I sat outside in the sun and watched a storm on the opposite of the lake. It just rolled along dropping lots of rain but not on us. The wind did begin to pick up as it moved and it was frigid. We kept looking around and waiting for the resident grizzly to show up. The owner of the park said one had been coming through the park in the last few days so we should keep our eyes open. He/she never showed up.
The night was great sleeping again…so cool. The morning was brilliant…opened the front window drapes to see the sun rising over the mountains…it was blinding. Almost hate to leave this place but we must travel on. We had heard some scary stories about the road from now until the Canadian/Alaskan border so we’re a little tentative. We did see more construction and came through a long patch of muddy gravel. Stones were flying everywhere. We could hear them hitting under the rig. We did hit a couple of very hard bumps. Thankfully no tires blew and no axles snapped. It got a lot better once we past through customs and back into the US. The scenery was a little different…we saw lots of areas which had been burned in previous years. New growth was apparent but in some places it looked like the trees had just burned. We did see lots of little waterways along the way and some had swans swimming. The Milepost said there would be and we did see swans. We came into Tok in the afternoon and headed straight to Young’s Chevron to fill up the motorhome. We could have stayed there for free overnight with a fill up but we thought we should find a proper campground. We found Tundra Lodge and RV Park on the Alaska Highway just past the fuel station. Very nice wooded campground with a rv and car wash. I’m sure they make a pretty penny since everyone making it that far has probably come through the muddy gravel too. We washed the tow but not the motorhome. Didn’t even have to unhook the tow…we just settled in for the night. I even did some laundry. So happy we have a small washing machine/dryer in the motorhome. We can only do small loads but it’s great! We’ll get up and head to Fairbanks in the morning.
The Cottonwood RV Park was a very nice place to stay. The lake was amazing and the color of the water was unbelievable…so green and deep blue. The lake is fed by a glacier and is so clear. Jim and I sat outside in the sun and watched a storm on the opposite of the lake. It just rolled along dropping lots of rain but not on us. The wind did begin to pick up as it moved and it was frigid. We kept looking around and waiting for the resident grizzly to show up. The owner of the park said one had been coming through the park in the last few days so we should keep our eyes open. He/she never showed up.
The night was great sleeping again…so cool. The morning was brilliant…opened the front window drapes to see the sun rising over the mountains…it was blinding. Almost hate to leave this place but we must travel on. We had heard some scary stories about the road from now until the Canadian/Alaskan border so we’re a little tentative. We did see more construction and came through a long patch of muddy gravel. Stones were flying everywhere. We could hear them hitting under the rig. We did hit a couple of very hard bumps. Thankfully no tires blew and no axles snapped. It got a lot better once we past through customs and back into the US. The scenery was a little different…we saw lots of areas which had been burned in previous years. New growth was apparent but in some places it looked like the trees had just burned. We did see lots of little waterways along the way and some had swans swimming. The Milepost said there would be and we did see swans. We came into Tok in the afternoon and headed straight to Young’s Chevron to fill up the motorhome. We could have stayed there for free overnight with a fill up but we thought we should find a proper campground. We found Tundra Lodge and RV Park on the Alaska Highway just past the fuel station. Very nice wooded campground with a rv and car wash. I’m sure they make a pretty penny since everyone making it that far has probably come through the muddy gravel too. We washed the tow but not the motorhome. Didn’t even have to unhook the tow…we just settled in for the night. I even did some laundry. So happy we have a small washing machine/dryer in the motorhome. We can only do small loads but it’s great! We’ll get up and head to Fairbanks in the morning.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Haines, Alaska, July 3-July 5, 2011
This trip we were on the M/V Malaspina. I saw a whale breeching!!! Too bad it wasn’t close enough for my camera. It was fantastic! We saw other whales but they were just swimming along taking breaths and blowing. They were all around us. I kept looking down into the water to see if one was there looking up at me.
We did go through some rain and ended up seeing a full double rainbow. Everyone was scrambling to get a pic….the whole thing would not fit into the viewfinder of the camera. Had to settle on bits. A man out on the deck took my pic and I took his with the rainbow in the background. It was so cool seeing the rainbow ends literally submerge themselves into the water. I will probably never see anything so amazing again.
We arrived in Haines about 9 PM and drove directly to the campground. Haines is beautiful driving into the town from the ferry. Small town at the foot of mountains. Magnificent! We ate red beans and rice at about 10 at night and did not go to sleep until midnight or after. It was still light!
Happy 4th of July! We woke up on the 4th and had a full day planned. We drove first to Chilkoot Lake. We spoke to State Trooper who was getting in a boat to check bear bait sites around the lake. Bear hunting is allowed by permit and hunter put out bait. They should have all been cleaned up by now and that’s why they were checking. We also met two ladies from Mississippi. They were traveling together through The Yukon and parts of Alaska. One lady had done it every summer for years and wanted to bring her friend. There is also a fish “dam” set up across the Chilkoot Lake and it is worked by a man who counts salmon going upstream. We stopped and talked to him for a while. He explained what he did and how the salmon run over the years. It’s fun to meet people like that. There were a couple of people actually wading into the water to fish. The area is famous for bear but we did not see any.
We headed back into town for the 4th celebration. We made it in time to watch the parade and then went to the park for the party. People were everywhere! They had games, food, book sale for the library and other things like a nail driving contest (they were using railroad spikes). We didn’t see the pie eating contest. We did buy lunch for $3.00 each…hot dog, chips and drink. It was all delicious. We sat at a picnic table with a couple originally from Colorado. They came to Haines on a tour about 8 years ago and ended up buying a house and moving there. They do have children in Anchorage but I’d understand why even if they didn’t have that reason. Haines is so small and quaint. Very laidback feel to it. After our conversation we went and bought some pie, sat down in the grass and enjoyed!
We left there and toured around the area and went back to the rig for a little rest. We ate some dinner and then headed to Ft. Seward for the music. We sat down on the grass and listened to the music and watched the people for a couple of hours. It was in the most beautiful setting….mountains all around. We finally got cold and tired and decided to go back home. It was a most perfect 4th of July in the most perfect setting. We leave tomorrow and head inland towards Fairbanks. We will stop in Destruction Bay for the night and go on again the next day. We have reservations at Cottonwood RV Park on Kluane Lake. Praying for good weather.
We did go through some rain and ended up seeing a full double rainbow. Everyone was scrambling to get a pic….the whole thing would not fit into the viewfinder of the camera. Had to settle on bits. A man out on the deck took my pic and I took his with the rainbow in the background. It was so cool seeing the rainbow ends literally submerge themselves into the water. I will probably never see anything so amazing again.
We arrived in Haines about 9 PM and drove directly to the campground. Haines is beautiful driving into the town from the ferry. Small town at the foot of mountains. Magnificent! We ate red beans and rice at about 10 at night and did not go to sleep until midnight or after. It was still light!
Happy 4th of July! We woke up on the 4th and had a full day planned. We drove first to Chilkoot Lake. We spoke to State Trooper who was getting in a boat to check bear bait sites around the lake. Bear hunting is allowed by permit and hunter put out bait. They should have all been cleaned up by now and that’s why they were checking. We also met two ladies from Mississippi. They were traveling together through The Yukon and parts of Alaska. One lady had done it every summer for years and wanted to bring her friend. There is also a fish “dam” set up across the Chilkoot Lake and it is worked by a man who counts salmon going upstream. We stopped and talked to him for a while. He explained what he did and how the salmon run over the years. It’s fun to meet people like that. There were a couple of people actually wading into the water to fish. The area is famous for bear but we did not see any.
We headed back into town for the 4th celebration. We made it in time to watch the parade and then went to the park for the party. People were everywhere! They had games, food, book sale for the library and other things like a nail driving contest (they were using railroad spikes). We didn’t see the pie eating contest. We did buy lunch for $3.00 each…hot dog, chips and drink. It was all delicious. We sat at a picnic table with a couple originally from Colorado. They came to Haines on a tour about 8 years ago and ended up buying a house and moving there. They do have children in Anchorage but I’d understand why even if they didn’t have that reason. Haines is so small and quaint. Very laidback feel to it. After our conversation we went and bought some pie, sat down in the grass and enjoyed!
We left there and toured around the area and went back to the rig for a little rest. We ate some dinner and then headed to Ft. Seward for the music. We sat down on the grass and listened to the music and watched the people for a couple of hours. It was in the most beautiful setting….mountains all around. We finally got cold and tired and decided to go back home. It was a most perfect 4th of July in the most perfect setting. We leave tomorrow and head inland towards Fairbanks. We will stop in Destruction Bay for the night and go on again the next day. We have reservations at Cottonwood RV Park on Kluane Lake. Praying for good weather.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
On to Sitka...24 hour ferry, June 26-30, 2011
Got to the ferry early, checked in and parked in our lanes. That gave us time to do some more walking and driving around the town. Made our last stop at Fat Stan’s and had our farewell dinner. We left Ketchikan on June 26th at 11:45 PM. We were again traveling on the M/V Taku. We were beginning our longest ferry ride..24 hours to Sitka. We would make three stops on the way..Wrangell, Petersburg and Kake. Some of the people we met on the first ferry were on this one too. We were all traveling together. Jim and I got on just fine with no worries and Jim managed to get us a cabin so we could get some sleep. We were prepared to sleep on the deck if necessary but the cabin was nice. Full private bath too. We only slept until Wrangell..6 hours. We got up to see the sights on the way to Petersburg. Very narrow passage with mountains all around. Saw some whales too! Tried to get some pics. We did find some time for breakfast...french toast with bacon. Very good and price was OK. Everything is more expensive. Made all the stops…Kake was the smallest. Lots of people got off the ferry and just started walking. I found that to be weird. Just before the ferry was to depart here come all those people walking back. I guess they just wanted to see a little of the area and stretch their legs. We finally made it to Sitka in the dark. Our campground is near the ferry terminal but we managed to pass up the entrance. Jim pulled over while I drove back to find the campground entrance. It all ended up fine. A couple of friends we met were camping there too. We all set up in the dark. Time for bed!!
Got up the next day and it is raining. We set off anyway headed to town for a walking tour on our own. Found a map and started with Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center and Sitka National Historical Park. Looked at all the exhibits inside but decided to wait on the outside as it was still raining. We drove nearby to the Sheldon Jackson Museum. If you ever go to Sitka you must see this. Small museum but brimming with exhibits. Cabinets and walls were full as well as drawers with more. We saw lots about the Tlinget people and how they lived in this area. Next we walked to the Russian Bishop's House...built in 1842 for Alaska's first Russian Orthodox Bishop. Downstairs had lots of explanation about Russian-Alaska history and upstairs was still set up with furniture etc. from the Bishop's time. Some of the furniture was made by the first Bishop. We were guided by a ranger through the upstairs.
We walked around a little bit then drove through downtown and parked down at Totem Square. We found a nice restaurant for lunch. I had delicious halibut tacos and Jim had a seafood salad. We decided to walk after lunch and first came upon the Pioneer's Home. Beautiful large building with statue and lush gardens. We went inside and found out it was the Pioneer's Home...a rest home for veterans. We thought we should go on and find somewhere else to see. We went to downtown Sitka and tried to see St. Michael's Cathedral but it was locked. We went through some shops then decided to go back to the camp and plan our next day. On the way we stopped at a grocery store in town. I checked out the avocados…almost $5 each!!!! No guacamole for us.
The next day we got started early it was a little cloudy but no significant rain and some blue skies. We wanted to drive up to a viewpoint high above Sitka. Harbor Mountain Road was nearby and paved for the first mile. Then it became gravel but still OK. After about 5 miles it became very narrow and twisty and steep in some places. We even came to a big (and I mean BIG) puddle in the middle of the road. Jim managed to drive around it so we continued on. We made it to the trailhead but the trail up was 6 miles and we didn’t want to walk that much. We drove back down a little ways to another trail and hiked over planking to the viewpoint. It would have been breathtaking if there were no clouds but we still managed to see forever when the clouds rolled by. It was well worth the drive and hike. Going back down was easier…we had already seen the road and knew what to expect. We met several cars coming up. So happy we got there early. When we got back on the main highway we headed all the way to the end of the main road to see the Fortress of the Bear. Nice drive all the way...beautiful scenery. We stopped at Whale Park to look for whales. We didn't see any but it was worth the stop. I imagine it is fantastic to look out and see whales feeding during the migration. I guess we'll need to come back then.
We continued our drive and finally made it to the end. We passed up the entrance...not very good road signage we seen so far. Anyway, we went in and bought a ticket. This place raises orphaned bears..mostly grizzlies. When they can they ship them to other wildlife habitats. Right now they have five grizzlies...three siblings in one area and two siblings in another. I took lots of pics and movies. There area also eagles flying all around. They like to get the scraps of fish away from the bears. It was a pretty amazing feeding frenzy. The man who talked to us told us lots about bears and how they take care of the cubs they get. Lots of work involved.
We left there and went back to town to walk through the Sitka National Historical Park, visited St.Michael's Cathedral, climbed Castle Hill and visited the Alaskan Raptor Center. We've enjoyed it all and met lots of very nice people. Even though the weather has been rainy in Sitka we've managed to see lots and learn about the history of Russian America and how Alaska was purchased by America. There is so much history that is never heard unless you travel to the area.
Got up the next day and it is raining. We set off anyway headed to town for a walking tour on our own. Found a map and started with Southeast Alaska Indian Cultural Center and Sitka National Historical Park. Looked at all the exhibits inside but decided to wait on the outside as it was still raining. We drove nearby to the Sheldon Jackson Museum. If you ever go to Sitka you must see this. Small museum but brimming with exhibits. Cabinets and walls were full as well as drawers with more. We saw lots about the Tlinget people and how they lived in this area. Next we walked to the Russian Bishop's House...built in 1842 for Alaska's first Russian Orthodox Bishop. Downstairs had lots of explanation about Russian-Alaska history and upstairs was still set up with furniture etc. from the Bishop's time. Some of the furniture was made by the first Bishop. We were guided by a ranger through the upstairs.
We walked around a little bit then drove through downtown and parked down at Totem Square. We found a nice restaurant for lunch. I had delicious halibut tacos and Jim had a seafood salad. We decided to walk after lunch and first came upon the Pioneer's Home. Beautiful large building with statue and lush gardens. We went inside and found out it was the Pioneer's Home...a rest home for veterans. We thought we should go on and find somewhere else to see. We went to downtown Sitka and tried to see St. Michael's Cathedral but it was locked. We went through some shops then decided to go back to the camp and plan our next day. On the way we stopped at a grocery store in town. I checked out the avocados…almost $5 each!!!! No guacamole for us.
The next day we got started early it was a little cloudy but no significant rain and some blue skies. We wanted to drive up to a viewpoint high above Sitka. Harbor Mountain Road was nearby and paved for the first mile. Then it became gravel but still OK. After about 5 miles it became very narrow and twisty and steep in some places. We even came to a big (and I mean BIG) puddle in the middle of the road. Jim managed to drive around it so we continued on. We made it to the trailhead but the trail up was 6 miles and we didn’t want to walk that much. We drove back down a little ways to another trail and hiked over planking to the viewpoint. It would have been breathtaking if there were no clouds but we still managed to see forever when the clouds rolled by. It was well worth the drive and hike. Going back down was easier…we had already seen the road and knew what to expect. We met several cars coming up. So happy we got there early. When we got back on the main highway we headed all the way to the end of the main road to see the Fortress of the Bear. Nice drive all the way...beautiful scenery. We stopped at Whale Park to look for whales. We didn't see any but it was worth the stop. I imagine it is fantastic to look out and see whales feeding during the migration. I guess we'll need to come back then.
We continued our drive and finally made it to the end. We passed up the entrance...not very good road signage we seen so far. Anyway, we went in and bought a ticket. This place raises orphaned bears..mostly grizzlies. When they can they ship them to other wildlife habitats. Right now they have five grizzlies...three siblings in one area and two siblings in another. I took lots of pics and movies. There area also eagles flying all around. They like to get the scraps of fish away from the bears. It was a pretty amazing feeding frenzy. The man who talked to us told us lots about bears and how they take care of the cubs they get. Lots of work involved.
We left there and went back to town to walk through the Sitka National Historical Park, visited St.Michael's Cathedral, climbed Castle Hill and visited the Alaskan Raptor Center. We've enjoyed it all and met lots of very nice people. Even though the weather has been rainy in Sitka we've managed to see lots and learn about the history of Russian America and how Alaska was purchased by America. There is so much history that is never heard unless you travel to the area.
Ketchikan, Alaska, June 23-26, 2011
We set out on the M/V Taku. The ferry trip to Ketchikan was 6 hours in the early morning. So exciting to see everything along the way. Met some people on the ferry and some are following our destinations…Mark and Mary (and their two big dogs) from Michigan and Bob and Pat from Mississippi. Got to Ketchikan and off the ferry and found our campground, Clover Pass RV Campground. It is a fishing marina and our site was back behind the little hotel. Not exactly the water view I thought. We only paid for one night in anticipation of finding something better. We did get out and looked at some other camps but decided we were hooked up and decided to stay. It helped that I could see bald eagles from our rig! Some of the ferry people were camping there too.
Ketchikan is a big cruise ship port. There were four ships in port when we got there. The town is very touristy...lots of shops selling trinkets right alongside shops selling diamonds and furs. We got a walking tour map and set off. Saw Creek Street...formerly the area for brothels now full of t-shirt shops and such. A creek with waterfall runs right through the middle. Very interesting. There are also boardwalks all through the town. Of course, it's built on the side of a mountain! Jim and I walked up lots of stairs and down many streets with homes. Saw lots of bald eagles flying all around. We even found a little back street near the docks and found eagles catching fish in the water. Nice pics and movies of that. We ate fish and chips on the dock one lunchtime and Mexican food for dinner at the Oceanview our last night. Found a little bar (coupon in visitor's book) named Fat Stan's the first day. We used the coupon for a free glass with a beer. The beer was $6! The glass is nice. We managed to visit Fat Stan's every day and collected 6 glasses! We figured we needed a set.
One day we drove out past the town all the way to the end of the road. Saw some waterfalls and open water with lots of fishing boats. Saw lots of people stopped on a bridge so we decided to join them...they were watching a tree full of eagles. If only my eyes were cameras I would have some amazing shots. Did take some pics but I'm not as fast as the eagles. Some were flying all around us and right overhead. I saw several fly down low right along the road and around a curve through the trees. Looked like a movie! We met a man who had come just for fishing. He stopped and talked to us for a while.
Ketchikan is a big cruise ship port. There were four ships in port when we got there. The town is very touristy...lots of shops selling trinkets right alongside shops selling diamonds and furs. We got a walking tour map and set off. Saw Creek Street...formerly the area for brothels now full of t-shirt shops and such. A creek with waterfall runs right through the middle. Very interesting. There are also boardwalks all through the town. Of course, it's built on the side of a mountain! Jim and I walked up lots of stairs and down many streets with homes. Saw lots of bald eagles flying all around. We even found a little back street near the docks and found eagles catching fish in the water. Nice pics and movies of that. We ate fish and chips on the dock one lunchtime and Mexican food for dinner at the Oceanview our last night. Found a little bar (coupon in visitor's book) named Fat Stan's the first day. We used the coupon for a free glass with a beer. The beer was $6! The glass is nice. We managed to visit Fat Stan's every day and collected 6 glasses! We figured we needed a set.
One day we drove out past the town all the way to the end of the road. Saw some waterfalls and open water with lots of fishing boats. Saw lots of people stopped on a bridge so we decided to join them...they were watching a tree full of eagles. If only my eyes were cameras I would have some amazing shots. Did take some pics but I'm not as fast as the eagles. Some were flying all around us and right overhead. I saw several fly down low right along the road and around a curve through the trees. Looked like a movie! We met a man who had come just for fishing. He stopped and talked to us for a while.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Hyder, AK, June 19-20, 2011
6-19-2011
Happy Father's Day to Jim. We awoke this morning in Smithers, BC, across the road from the glacier. Had a beautiful drive to Hyder, AK.
We stoppped first in Moricetown, just 15 miles to the north from our campground. We needed to fill up the motorhome with diesel fuel. Our fuel gauge still does not work so we want to keep up with mileage driven and top up when possible. We have alot of driving to do before we board the ferry in Prince Rupert on June 23.
We followed 16 north to connect with 37 north towards the Alaska Highway. We will be taking a detour to Stewart/Hyder to hopefully see the bears. The road was very quiet...nice driving. We did see another black bear on the side of the road but that is all. Before turning off on 37A we had to cross the Nass River Bridge, a one lane wooden bridge spanning the Nass River gorge 400 feet wide and 130 feet below the bridge. WOW was all Jim could say...I just told him to keep driving. There was a roadside stop before we crossed and there were a couple of other rv's stopped there. I wondered if they were waiting for us to cross and watch the bridge collapse! It didn't thankfully so we went on our way. We have to cross that bridge again and I hope to get a pic...it was raining when we crossed today!
The 37A road to Hyder is said to be the most scenic...it was! Mountains and glaciers and waterfalls everywhere. Since it was raining I couldn't really take any pics. Jim did stop right beside the Bear River so I could get out and take a pic of Bear Glacier right across the river! It was amazing! A blue glacier. The wind was strong and wet as I stood outside to get the pic. It was also colder than the morning in Smithers. The Glacier Highway is a beautiful drive.
We finally entered Stewart...small town of about 100 citizens and went straight through to the road to Hyder along the Portland Canal. There is Canadian customs when you return to Stewart from Hyder but no US Customs going in. The road instantly becomes dirt and you are met by a sign over the road welcoming you to Hyder, Alaska. We found our campground, Camp Run A Muck, at the end of the town and set up camp. Once done we hopped in the car and continued out of town to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Area to view the bears. Fish Creek is a large, clear creek where salmon swim up to spawn. We are too early and there are no salmon thus no bears. We will try back tomorrow to see if some come down for a drink.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Almost to Alaska
When I left my blog last we had just had a day in Seattle...so I'll begin there.
6-15-2011
We waited around most of the day for FedEx to deliver the part for the RV. Finally received that around 2 PM. Jim got right to replacing the slide roller. It took a little muscle but Jim was able to get the urethane cover over the metal slide and finally installed. Works just fine. We decided to go ahead and get on the road. Of course, by the time we did it was rush hour. We decided to take 405 north out of the area to bypass downtown Seattle. That worked well except for all the traffic...no way to avoid that. We actually made it to our campground near Vancouver (actually in Surrey) at around 7 PM. This campground had cable so we hooked it up, turned on the TV just in time to see the news about the RIOTS in Vancouver. Seems the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup and people in the streets decided to set cars on fire and break out windows in all the businesses around where they were. Very exciting.
6-16-2011
Listened to the news in the morning to see how Vancouver was doing after the riots. Lots of volunteers showed up to clean up the city. By the time we got there all we could see were boarded up windows. Still lots of news crews around but all the burned cars and broken glass was gone. Pretty impressive. We did manage to find a small carpark down a tiny alley and parked the car for the whole day. Walked to find the Trolley to tour the town. Didn't find the Trolley but did find the Big Red Bus Hop On/Hop Off. Paid for the day and started riding. They had a little taped commentary going about all the things we were passing and a little history about Vancouver. We did bypass some of the streets where the rioting happened the day before. Later in the day we would return to the normal route.
Got off the bus at Canada Place...convention center right on the bay. Walked a little bit there and took some pics. Cannot believe how cold it is still and very windy out over the water. Saw a huge yacht moving around in the water. Also saw sea planes landing and taking off...probably airtours. The surrounding mountains were beautiful. It was a beautiful day...lots of sunshine.
We managed to ride around the town a couple of times getting on and off as we wished. We got off in Gastown for lunch then got back on to ride back to Stanley Park and visit the acquarium. When we got back on to go back to the car we wanted to ride all the way back to stop #7 where our car was parked. We began this ride at stop #16. Well, fitting our luck, our driver finished his day at stop #21 and we had to get off and walk to our car. We needed a little exercise anyway so we set off walking back thru Gastown almost to Canada Place and then back about 12 blocks through the city. We passed lots of boarded windows from the riots...people were standing all around and writing on the boards. I took some pics of that too.
We enjoyed Vancouver and were happy we got to see it. So much to see and do...we just don't have time to do it all.
6-17-2011
Got up and got back on the road. We hope to make it further than we planned so we can make the next three days easier on Jim...even drives. We started out driving east on Highway 5 to Hope, then connected with 1 north to Cache Creek. We were planning on stopping there but knew we could go further. We connected with 97 at Cache Creek and headed to Williams Lake. We actually passed there and settled in a little lakeside campground at McLeese Lake. The drive was beautiful. We drove beside Fraser River almost the entire way. Very big river and some places the road was right down by the water. The river was very fast...lost of water moving through the canyons. Wish I could take pics of everything but it's difficult to do that in a moving rv. Between Cache Creek and Williams Lake there were little towns named for the miles...70 mile House, 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House...very unusual. We did get to see a bear on the side of the road near the beginning of that day. Only one we've seen so far. Oh, I almost forgot...it's still cold but we've found mosquitos! Could do without that.
6-18-2011
It was nice to be in a campground with WiFi. We tried to catch up with email and I loaded some pics on facebook. It started raining last night and was still raining lightly this morning. We were able to get started with no problems.
We are headed to Prince George to connect with 16 west. Will try to make as many miles as we can to make the last day of driving to Hyder, AK, short as possible. The weather cleared up quickly as we went down the road. Caught back up with Fraser River...still moving fast. Lots of up and down hills and curves. Just enjoyed all the scenery. Went through several small towns. So cute. Most have lots of flowers all along the road. Don't see that in Louisiana.
Went through alot of Moose Warning areas but never saw any. Hope to see at least one on this trip. We managed to make it all the way to Smithers, BC. We are camping at Glacier View RV Park right on highway 16. We turned in and I went in to check in. Came out and our site is right at the entry. Guided Jim into the site...kept the car hooked up. Finally grabbed the camera asking "Where is that glacier?" Walked to the front window of the rv and looked out....Snow covered mountains and glacier right outside the window. Actually it is right across the highway. Wish I had a better camera with long lens. I've looked at it all with binoculars. Saw a beautiful waterfall...too bad I can't take a pic. Hope the clouds will clear in the morning so I can get a better pic.
In the morning we will head to Hyder, AK. There is a bear viewing place there so hope we see some. May be too early for them to be hunting salmon in the river. We'll see.
6-15-2011
We waited around most of the day for FedEx to deliver the part for the RV. Finally received that around 2 PM. Jim got right to replacing the slide roller. It took a little muscle but Jim was able to get the urethane cover over the metal slide and finally installed. Works just fine. We decided to go ahead and get on the road. Of course, by the time we did it was rush hour. We decided to take 405 north out of the area to bypass downtown Seattle. That worked well except for all the traffic...no way to avoid that. We actually made it to our campground near Vancouver (actually in Surrey) at around 7 PM. This campground had cable so we hooked it up, turned on the TV just in time to see the news about the RIOTS in Vancouver. Seems the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup and people in the streets decided to set cars on fire and break out windows in all the businesses around where they were. Very exciting.
6-16-2011
Listened to the news in the morning to see how Vancouver was doing after the riots. Lots of volunteers showed up to clean up the city. By the time we got there all we could see were boarded up windows. Still lots of news crews around but all the burned cars and broken glass was gone. Pretty impressive. We did manage to find a small carpark down a tiny alley and parked the car for the whole day. Walked to find the Trolley to tour the town. Didn't find the Trolley but did find the Big Red Bus Hop On/Hop Off. Paid for the day and started riding. They had a little taped commentary going about all the things we were passing and a little history about Vancouver. We did bypass some of the streets where the rioting happened the day before. Later in the day we would return to the normal route.
Got off the bus at Canada Place...convention center right on the bay. Walked a little bit there and took some pics. Cannot believe how cold it is still and very windy out over the water. Saw a huge yacht moving around in the water. Also saw sea planes landing and taking off...probably airtours. The surrounding mountains were beautiful. It was a beautiful day...lots of sunshine.
We managed to ride around the town a couple of times getting on and off as we wished. We got off in Gastown for lunch then got back on to ride back to Stanley Park and visit the acquarium. When we got back on to go back to the car we wanted to ride all the way back to stop #7 where our car was parked. We began this ride at stop #16. Well, fitting our luck, our driver finished his day at stop #21 and we had to get off and walk to our car. We needed a little exercise anyway so we set off walking back thru Gastown almost to Canada Place and then back about 12 blocks through the city. We passed lots of boarded windows from the riots...people were standing all around and writing on the boards. I took some pics of that too.
We enjoyed Vancouver and were happy we got to see it. So much to see and do...we just don't have time to do it all.
6-17-2011
Got up and got back on the road. We hope to make it further than we planned so we can make the next three days easier on Jim...even drives. We started out driving east on Highway 5 to Hope, then connected with 1 north to Cache Creek. We were planning on stopping there but knew we could go further. We connected with 97 at Cache Creek and headed to Williams Lake. We actually passed there and settled in a little lakeside campground at McLeese Lake. The drive was beautiful. We drove beside Fraser River almost the entire way. Very big river and some places the road was right down by the water. The river was very fast...lost of water moving through the canyons. Wish I could take pics of everything but it's difficult to do that in a moving rv. Between Cache Creek and Williams Lake there were little towns named for the miles...70 mile House, 100 Mile House, 150 Mile House...very unusual. We did get to see a bear on the side of the road near the beginning of that day. Only one we've seen so far. Oh, I almost forgot...it's still cold but we've found mosquitos! Could do without that.
6-18-2011
It was nice to be in a campground with WiFi. We tried to catch up with email and I loaded some pics on facebook. It started raining last night and was still raining lightly this morning. We were able to get started with no problems.
We are headed to Prince George to connect with 16 west. Will try to make as many miles as we can to make the last day of driving to Hyder, AK, short as possible. The weather cleared up quickly as we went down the road. Caught back up with Fraser River...still moving fast. Lots of up and down hills and curves. Just enjoyed all the scenery. Went through several small towns. So cute. Most have lots of flowers all along the road. Don't see that in Louisiana.
Went through alot of Moose Warning areas but never saw any. Hope to see at least one on this trip. We managed to make it all the way to Smithers, BC. We are camping at Glacier View RV Park right on highway 16. We turned in and I went in to check in. Came out and our site is right at the entry. Guided Jim into the site...kept the car hooked up. Finally grabbed the camera asking "Where is that glacier?" Walked to the front window of the rv and looked out....Snow covered mountains and glacier right outside the window. Actually it is right across the highway. Wish I had a better camera with long lens. I've looked at it all with binoculars. Saw a beautiful waterfall...too bad I can't take a pic. Hope the clouds will clear in the morning so I can get a better pic.
In the morning we will head to Hyder, AK. There is a bear viewing place there so hope we see some. May be too early for them to be hunting salmon in the river. We'll see.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
We're finally headed to Seattle!
6-12-2011
Had another cold night camping in the park. Lots of people there..some in trailers, some in tents. Would not want to be in a tent in this cold windy weather!
Jim and I had some breakfast and coffee and headed out to the spit. We walked along the bluff path to the trailhead for the spit. There is work going on to improve the trailhead. Walked down a very steep path to the beach. Beautiful driftwood and rocks on the beach. Walked a good way down the beach and Jim spotted a bird on a pole...turned out to be a bald eagle! Managed to get close enough to take some pics with my little camera. Didn't make it all the way to the lighthouse...to far for us in the cold and wind. We turned back and headed to the motorhome to pack up and get back on the road to Seattle.
We took 101 all the way until we met up with I-5. Beautiful scenery and lots of water. Wish we could stop and really take it all in but that's hard to do in a large motorhome. Jim and I talked about needing to be in something smaller. Maybe next rv will be a little one.
Anyway, enjoyed the ride...nice roads and not much traffic. Then the inevitable happened...we hit civilization! Made it to the I-5 at Olympia, WA. Where are all these people going in such a hurry. Don't they know there is a beautiful world nearby! Anyway, it wasn't long before we got caught in traffic...slow, slow, slow. We tried to guess what the problem was...construction, big event, ?? Turned out to be an accident on the OTHER SIDE of the road...lots of rubberneckers! Boy do I already miss the quiet park areas.
Found our campground with no problem. We're staying at Seattle-Tacoma KOA in Kent, WA. This seemed like a convenient place. We plan to go to Mt. Rainier in the morning and then have dinner with Christina, Ellie and Rachel that night.
Set up camp and just relaxed and planned tomorrow. We decided to do a tour of Seattle on Tuesday afternoon. They will pick us up at the campground. It should last about 4 hours. Hope we have good weather.
6-13-2011
Woke up (actually also went to bed) with rain. Very cloudy but we're determined to see the mountain! Head out early for Mt. Rainier. Are we crazy? No other options...we've only got today. Nice drive to the gate at Mt. Rainier NP. Went through some very cute towns. One had something called Hobo Inn...all the rooms were in train caboose's. So cute...would love to stay there.
Anyway, the ranger at the gate wished us good luck seeing the mountain peak. She was very nice and apologized for the weather. We wanted to go all around the park but the road past Paradise was closed because of mudslide. At least we were not driving on the road when it happened.
We had a beautiful drive up to Paradise. Stopped along the way and took some pics of waterfalls. Still raining, windy and bitter cold. It's JUNE!
Arrived in Paradise and it's beautiful...covered with feet and feet of snow. Stopped into Paradise Lodge to get some hot coffee. Lots of people walking around in snow boots. I thought they were skiing but they are mountain climbers! We spoke to one who said he was climbing today...in the rain and wind! There were several groups climbing today. They are crazy. I actually talked to three of the guys outside...they were guides! I wished them luck.
After leaving the Lodge we stopped at the Visitor's Center and looked through the exhibits and watched a film about the mountain. Very good production.
Since the rest of the roads are closed we have to leave. The mountain is still fogged in so no peak siting today. Weather is supposed to clear later in the day but we're meeting people for dinner in Seattle.
Got back to the rig and took care of some business before heading back out to Seattle for dinner. We met Ellie, Christina and Rachel at the Steelhead Diner on Pine Street. As we drove looking for a place to park we headed down Pine and saw the huge Public Market sign just like in Sleepless in Seattle. I told Jim I recognized this area as the place Tom Hanks had his office in the movie. :)
We did find a good parking place along the market road just a short distance from the restaurant. I took some pics (of course) and we went straight there. Ellie was already there and Christina and Rachel came in right after us. It was great meeting Ellie. She is Jim's cousin. He hadn't seen her for several years. It was good to see Christina again and to meet her friend, Rachel. Christina has lived in Seattle for five years! Cannot believe that. She loves it and has a great job. We loved the food and had a super visit catching up on lost time. When we left the restaurant we gave Ellie a ride home then went to Christina's to pick up a package which we had mailed to her house. We had no problems finding our way back to the campground thanks to the TomTom.
6-14-2011
Had some work to do on the rig this morning but have a tour planned for this afternoon. Part ordered for rig was the wrong one...we've ordered another which should be delivered to campground tomorrow.
We were picked up at the campground about 2:30 pm for our Seattle tour. Jim and I are the only ones on the tour! Tour guide was full of information and offered to show us whatever we wanted. Since we did not know he took us all through the town. We got out to walk at Pioneer Park and he told us all about the buildings around. Lots of homeless people there. Beautiful flowers and art all around. He also took us to see a beautiful little patio garden, The Waterfall Garden,with huge stone waterfall...right by Pioneer Park.
Went to the Public Market and parked right by the front. Saw the men at the fish shop tossing huge fish. Tried to get a photo but it turned out blurry. So many people there trying to get pics too. We walked through the entire street level stopping to talk to vendors. Our guide knew everyone. We also drove to see the floating houses...saw the one used in Sleepless in Seattle. Very cool. Since we were near the Aurora Bridge we visited the The Fremont Troll under the bridge. There is a real volkswagen in the troll's hand.
He also took us to the locks to see boats going through and to also see the salmon ladders. Saw two salmon...too early yet. To get to the locks we had to go through a beautiful garden. Seven acres of beautiful grounds with all kinds of trees, plants and flowers.
We drove all around the town and also drove through Queen Anne area. Beautiful homes and gardens. Ended up at Kerry Park to see the most perfect view of Seattle. If it was clear we could have seen Mt. Rainier in the background. I guess we'll have to come back and see that some other time.
One the way home he took a route which went over the floating bridge over Lake Washington. Bridge is right on the water. Saw lots of sailboats and rowing teams. Very nice.
Finally got back to the campground at around 7:30 PM. Since we were the only people on the tour he gave us special treatment. Great experience. Again we've only seen a sample of what's here. Not exactly ready to leave but we must push on.
Had another cold night camping in the park. Lots of people there..some in trailers, some in tents. Would not want to be in a tent in this cold windy weather!
Jim and I had some breakfast and coffee and headed out to the spit. We walked along the bluff path to the trailhead for the spit. There is work going on to improve the trailhead. Walked down a very steep path to the beach. Beautiful driftwood and rocks on the beach. Walked a good way down the beach and Jim spotted a bird on a pole...turned out to be a bald eagle! Managed to get close enough to take some pics with my little camera. Didn't make it all the way to the lighthouse...to far for us in the cold and wind. We turned back and headed to the motorhome to pack up and get back on the road to Seattle.
We took 101 all the way until we met up with I-5. Beautiful scenery and lots of water. Wish we could stop and really take it all in but that's hard to do in a large motorhome. Jim and I talked about needing to be in something smaller. Maybe next rv will be a little one.
Anyway, enjoyed the ride...nice roads and not much traffic. Then the inevitable happened...we hit civilization! Made it to the I-5 at Olympia, WA. Where are all these people going in such a hurry. Don't they know there is a beautiful world nearby! Anyway, it wasn't long before we got caught in traffic...slow, slow, slow. We tried to guess what the problem was...construction, big event, ?? Turned out to be an accident on the OTHER SIDE of the road...lots of rubberneckers! Boy do I already miss the quiet park areas.
Found our campground with no problem. We're staying at Seattle-Tacoma KOA in Kent, WA. This seemed like a convenient place. We plan to go to Mt. Rainier in the morning and then have dinner with Christina, Ellie and Rachel that night.
Set up camp and just relaxed and planned tomorrow. We decided to do a tour of Seattle on Tuesday afternoon. They will pick us up at the campground. It should last about 4 hours. Hope we have good weather.
6-13-2011
Woke up (actually also went to bed) with rain. Very cloudy but we're determined to see the mountain! Head out early for Mt. Rainier. Are we crazy? No other options...we've only got today. Nice drive to the gate at Mt. Rainier NP. Went through some very cute towns. One had something called Hobo Inn...all the rooms were in train caboose's. So cute...would love to stay there.
Anyway, the ranger at the gate wished us good luck seeing the mountain peak. She was very nice and apologized for the weather. We wanted to go all around the park but the road past Paradise was closed because of mudslide. At least we were not driving on the road when it happened.
We had a beautiful drive up to Paradise. Stopped along the way and took some pics of waterfalls. Still raining, windy and bitter cold. It's JUNE!
Arrived in Paradise and it's beautiful...covered with feet and feet of snow. Stopped into Paradise Lodge to get some hot coffee. Lots of people walking around in snow boots. I thought they were skiing but they are mountain climbers! We spoke to one who said he was climbing today...in the rain and wind! There were several groups climbing today. They are crazy. I actually talked to three of the guys outside...they were guides! I wished them luck.
After leaving the Lodge we stopped at the Visitor's Center and looked through the exhibits and watched a film about the mountain. Very good production.
Since the rest of the roads are closed we have to leave. The mountain is still fogged in so no peak siting today. Weather is supposed to clear later in the day but we're meeting people for dinner in Seattle.
Got back to the rig and took care of some business before heading back out to Seattle for dinner. We met Ellie, Christina and Rachel at the Steelhead Diner on Pine Street. As we drove looking for a place to park we headed down Pine and saw the huge Public Market sign just like in Sleepless in Seattle. I told Jim I recognized this area as the place Tom Hanks had his office in the movie. :)
We did find a good parking place along the market road just a short distance from the restaurant. I took some pics (of course) and we went straight there. Ellie was already there and Christina and Rachel came in right after us. It was great meeting Ellie. She is Jim's cousin. He hadn't seen her for several years. It was good to see Christina again and to meet her friend, Rachel. Christina has lived in Seattle for five years! Cannot believe that. She loves it and has a great job. We loved the food and had a super visit catching up on lost time. When we left the restaurant we gave Ellie a ride home then went to Christina's to pick up a package which we had mailed to her house. We had no problems finding our way back to the campground thanks to the TomTom.
6-14-2011
Had some work to do on the rig this morning but have a tour planned for this afternoon. Part ordered for rig was the wrong one...we've ordered another which should be delivered to campground tomorrow.
We were picked up at the campground about 2:30 pm for our Seattle tour. Jim and I are the only ones on the tour! Tour guide was full of information and offered to show us whatever we wanted. Since we did not know he took us all through the town. We got out to walk at Pioneer Park and he told us all about the buildings around. Lots of homeless people there. Beautiful flowers and art all around. He also took us to see a beautiful little patio garden, The Waterfall Garden,with huge stone waterfall...right by Pioneer Park.
Went to the Public Market and parked right by the front. Saw the men at the fish shop tossing huge fish. Tried to get a photo but it turned out blurry. So many people there trying to get pics too. We walked through the entire street level stopping to talk to vendors. Our guide knew everyone. We also drove to see the floating houses...saw the one used in Sleepless in Seattle. Very cool. Since we were near the Aurora Bridge we visited the The Fremont Troll under the bridge. There is a real volkswagen in the troll's hand.
He also took us to the locks to see boats going through and to also see the salmon ladders. Saw two salmon...too early yet. To get to the locks we had to go through a beautiful garden. Seven acres of beautiful grounds with all kinds of trees, plants and flowers.
We drove all around the town and also drove through Queen Anne area. Beautiful homes and gardens. Ended up at Kerry Park to see the most perfect view of Seattle. If it was clear we could have seen Mt. Rainier in the background. I guess we'll have to come back and see that some other time.
One the way home he took a route which went over the floating bridge over Lake Washington. Bridge is right on the water. Saw lots of sailboats and rowing teams. Very nice.
Finally got back to the campground at around 7:30 PM. Since we were the only people on the tour he gave us special treatment. Great experience. Again we've only seen a sample of what's here. Not exactly ready to leave but we must push on.
Olympia National Park, Washington
6-10-2011
Loved Astoria, OR, but have a schedule to keep. Took the motorhome into Astoria to fuel. Found a Chevron just inside the town and got in and out just fine with the motorhome. Crossed the Columbia River bridge with no problem. There is a light signal right at the end. Right or left...decisions, decisions. We went left to continue up 101 to Olympia NP. Our previous schedule had us going east to Mt. Rainier NP and then back west to Olympia. Time to change so we thought it was better to continue north and then head to Seattle area to camp for a couple of days and see Mt. Rainier from there.
Beautiful scenery all the way up 101. A little bit on the coast at the beginning and then headed inland for the rest. We stopped at Lake Quinault which is actually in Olympic National Forest. Found a nice little campground right on the lake. Decided to do the drive around the lake. Some paved road but mostly gravel. Very spooky...the road is narrow and overhanging with moss covered tall trees. We saw a doe with THREE little baby deer crossing the road. They looked very small. We stopped and did a hike to see the Big Cedar...actually the World's Biggest Red Cedar. We had to go up a tiny trail over tree roots and up..up..up. Finally got to the tree. Saw lots of fallen trees on the way..one huge one. When it fell it actually seem to break apart in planks! Amazing! The Big Cedar is hollow at the base. We both got inside and took some pics. Going back down was fun but a little scary...the trail is so natural and so tiny it was hard to find. Jim said he thought I was dropping breadcrumbs on the way up. HA!
Got back to the motorhome and just had a nice evening.
6-11-2011
This morning we wanted to do the trail to the largest Sitka Spruce. The trail marker was on the road just outside our campground. We walked all the way up to the road and to the trailhead. The trail was beautiful in the morning...very natural with big trees, moss, ferns. Had a nice morning walk. We were able to see into our campground on the way through the trees. A small creek ran along side between the trail and our campground. We finally got to a little bridge and as we crossed we saw the huge tree. It was in a nice little open area right at the end of our campground! We could have just walked down at the end of where we were camping and got to the tree. Oh well, we enjoyed the walk.
Time to pack up and get back on the road.
Got back on 101 and headed north. We've found some campground up at the top of Olympia NP. Will call and see about getting in later.
The road (101) headed back to the coast. Couldn't see much through all the trees but looks like lots of places which would be interesting to visit but we have no time to stop now. We're headed to Ruby Beach and hope to be able to stop there for a little visit to the beach. Got there quickly and there was a nice parking lot big enough for us to park and get out. We hiked down to the beach to see the "flowerpots"...tide was going out. We saw an old man with two walking sticks walk over some logs to get to dry ground. That's determination! We only stayed long enough to get a good look and take some pics. Happy we were able to do that with the motorhome.
We've enjoyed the drive along 101...really beautiful and exciting. Some placed have warnings about landslides...usually they mean the rocks may fall onto the road but this also means the road may slide down the hill! Some places on the downhill side of the road are cracked and slipping and some look like they've already done that and have been repaired. Makes me feel a little scared riding in a 12 ton motorhome! We got through safely and made it to our stop...The Dungeness Recreation Area. It's located just at the base of the Dungeness Spit...a little strip of land extending into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We got to the front of the campground but I couldn't see down the road. I got out and found the ranger and asked for help. I told him I didn't know how to go and didn't think my husband would forgive me if I guided him straight off the spit! He laughed and came out to help us. There are two loops in the campground and he let us just go find a place. We did find site #55 in loop 2. We were hoping the sites would look out over the Strait but no such luck. After we got the motorhome set up we went looking for the water. We were able to walk down a path to the bluffs. There were places all along the bluffs which had washed away and there were warnings everywhere. Very windy and cold up there. Took some pics before going back to the rig and heading out to the park. Drove up to Hurricane Ridge...more snow. Saw some deer along the road...one was a doe with a very new baby. Too quick for me to take a pic. Finally got to the top and there is snow everywhere. Got some hot coffee inside the visitors center and took some pics of the Olympic Mountain Range through the clouds. Wished it was better weather to see the peaks more clearly defined. It was awesome enough. When we got to the car to leave we saw lots of people in front of our car looking at something down below. Of course, I had to see what all the fuss was about...there were four or five deer right there! Right below the wall just eating grass! So cool.
Drove back down and went to the port in Port Angeles. Parked near the ferry terminal and walked around the area. Walked out onto a pier and looked out over the Strait. Big ships and sailboats on the water. Found a restaurant to have a beer. We wanted to try some local brews. We both enjoyed what we ordered. Didn't eat there since we planned to grill some pork chops at the rig. We stopped at the Wal-Mart and bought some veggies and such to go with dinner. Delicious...Jim grilled the chops and I cooked some corn and sauteed some kale with garlic. Perfect meal to end a great day.
Loved Astoria, OR, but have a schedule to keep. Took the motorhome into Astoria to fuel. Found a Chevron just inside the town and got in and out just fine with the motorhome. Crossed the Columbia River bridge with no problem. There is a light signal right at the end. Right or left...decisions, decisions. We went left to continue up 101 to Olympia NP. Our previous schedule had us going east to Mt. Rainier NP and then back west to Olympia. Time to change so we thought it was better to continue north and then head to Seattle area to camp for a couple of days and see Mt. Rainier from there.
Beautiful scenery all the way up 101. A little bit on the coast at the beginning and then headed inland for the rest. We stopped at Lake Quinault which is actually in Olympic National Forest. Found a nice little campground right on the lake. Decided to do the drive around the lake. Some paved road but mostly gravel. Very spooky...the road is narrow and overhanging with moss covered tall trees. We saw a doe with THREE little baby deer crossing the road. They looked very small. We stopped and did a hike to see the Big Cedar...actually the World's Biggest Red Cedar. We had to go up a tiny trail over tree roots and up..up..up. Finally got to the tree. Saw lots of fallen trees on the way..one huge one. When it fell it actually seem to break apart in planks! Amazing! The Big Cedar is hollow at the base. We both got inside and took some pics. Going back down was fun but a little scary...the trail is so natural and so tiny it was hard to find. Jim said he thought I was dropping breadcrumbs on the way up. HA!
Got back to the motorhome and just had a nice evening.
6-11-2011
This morning we wanted to do the trail to the largest Sitka Spruce. The trail marker was on the road just outside our campground. We walked all the way up to the road and to the trailhead. The trail was beautiful in the morning...very natural with big trees, moss, ferns. Had a nice morning walk. We were able to see into our campground on the way through the trees. A small creek ran along side between the trail and our campground. We finally got to a little bridge and as we crossed we saw the huge tree. It was in a nice little open area right at the end of our campground! We could have just walked down at the end of where we were camping and got to the tree. Oh well, we enjoyed the walk.
Time to pack up and get back on the road.
Got back on 101 and headed north. We've found some campground up at the top of Olympia NP. Will call and see about getting in later.
The road (101) headed back to the coast. Couldn't see much through all the trees but looks like lots of places which would be interesting to visit but we have no time to stop now. We're headed to Ruby Beach and hope to be able to stop there for a little visit to the beach. Got there quickly and there was a nice parking lot big enough for us to park and get out. We hiked down to the beach to see the "flowerpots"...tide was going out. We saw an old man with two walking sticks walk over some logs to get to dry ground. That's determination! We only stayed long enough to get a good look and take some pics. Happy we were able to do that with the motorhome.
We've enjoyed the drive along 101...really beautiful and exciting. Some placed have warnings about landslides...usually they mean the rocks may fall onto the road but this also means the road may slide down the hill! Some places on the downhill side of the road are cracked and slipping and some look like they've already done that and have been repaired. Makes me feel a little scared riding in a 12 ton motorhome! We got through safely and made it to our stop...The Dungeness Recreation Area. It's located just at the base of the Dungeness Spit...a little strip of land extending into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We got to the front of the campground but I couldn't see down the road. I got out and found the ranger and asked for help. I told him I didn't know how to go and didn't think my husband would forgive me if I guided him straight off the spit! He laughed and came out to help us. There are two loops in the campground and he let us just go find a place. We did find site #55 in loop 2. We were hoping the sites would look out over the Strait but no such luck. After we got the motorhome set up we went looking for the water. We were able to walk down a path to the bluffs. There were places all along the bluffs which had washed away and there were warnings everywhere. Very windy and cold up there. Took some pics before going back to the rig and heading out to the park. Drove up to Hurricane Ridge...more snow. Saw some deer along the road...one was a doe with a very new baby. Too quick for me to take a pic. Finally got to the top and there is snow everywhere. Got some hot coffee inside the visitors center and took some pics of the Olympic Mountain Range through the clouds. Wished it was better weather to see the peaks more clearly defined. It was awesome enough. When we got to the car to leave we saw lots of people in front of our car looking at something down below. Of course, I had to see what all the fuss was about...there were four or five deer right there! Right below the wall just eating grass! So cool.
Drove back down and went to the port in Port Angeles. Parked near the ferry terminal and walked around the area. Walked out onto a pier and looked out over the Strait. Big ships and sailboats on the water. Found a restaurant to have a beer. We wanted to try some local brews. We both enjoyed what we ordered. Didn't eat there since we planned to grill some pork chops at the rig. We stopped at the Wal-Mart and bought some veggies and such to go with dinner. Delicious...Jim grilled the chops and I cooked some corn and sauteed some kale with garlic. Perfect meal to end a great day.
Oregon Coast on 101..Coos Bay to Ashford, OR
Finally got away from Medford on June 8th. Spent 7 full days there but loved it. We so enjoyed seeing Jim's friend Dick and his wife, Jesse. It was nice to stay somewhere longer than a day.
Traveled up I-5 from Medford to just below Green, OR. Found OR 42 and headed west to the ocean. Nice road and nice day to drive. Made good time and got to Coos Bay. Found Wal-Mart and decided to stay there for the night. This was the largest parking lot we've ever seen at a Wal-Mart. We did some shopping, of course, but just relaxed for the night. Still very cold. BRRRRR!
The next morning was beautiful and got back on 101 just after breakfast. We're planning to get to Astoria, OR, today. Astoria is right on the Columbia River.
The road from Coos Bay to Astoria is breathtaking! Too bad Jim was driving on the steep hills and tight curves...he couldn't enjoy like I could. We did pull over at a nice parking area for a little shop that offered tours. We didn't have time for a tour but we did manage to take some pics. A nice couple took our pic. There is always someone who will take our pic at the scenic views.
We made it to Astoria in such good time. Found a KOA in Hammond which could take us for one night. We set up camp and headed out. Went to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum which was right on the river. Saw the bridge we would travel over in the morning. WOW! The museum was nice and had a film about the river and all the ships who've traveled up and down the river. Lots of shipwrecks...there is something called the Columbia Bar which needs to be navigated with the help of river pilots. Actually there are river pilots and bar pilots and they get on the ships while everything is moving. Jump from small ship to large ship...SCARY!
We also toured the last lightship used out in the Pacific at the mouth of the Columbia. It's named the Columbia. It was anchored out in the ocean to warn ships about the "BAR". It's out of service now.
When we left the museum we wanted to take a little tour by the trolley...it runs along the river front and the drivers give a little history. The river front was completely lined by fish canneries...not many buildings left..just can see pilings. Some are now shops and restaurants. On the tour we also saw the school which appeared in the movie "Kindergarten Cop" and the house used in the movie "Goonies". After finishing the tour we drove around the town a bit and just had to drive up the steepest street...8th! It was scary enough going up..no way I wanted to ride down! We headed a little bit out of town looking for a diesel station and managed to get into a construction zone and was stuck trying to get back into downtown. When we got back we found a restaurant which was recommended by locals...The Ship Inn. Ate too much again. We had a nice view of the river though.
We're planning to leave in the morning but want to look around Fort Stevens State Park before we go. It is located right across the street from the expensive KOA! Wish we would have camped there.
Fort Stevens has a perfect camping area and is a beautiful park. It has access right to the beach and an area of historic significance. There is a shipwreck on the beach so we did go see that. We didn't have time to really tour the historic part...too bad. We'll need to do that next time.
Ready to go on to Washington and Olympic NP. Ready to cross that big bridge over the Columbia River.
Traveled up I-5 from Medford to just below Green, OR. Found OR 42 and headed west to the ocean. Nice road and nice day to drive. Made good time and got to Coos Bay. Found Wal-Mart and decided to stay there for the night. This was the largest parking lot we've ever seen at a Wal-Mart. We did some shopping, of course, but just relaxed for the night. Still very cold. BRRRRR!
The next morning was beautiful and got back on 101 just after breakfast. We're planning to get to Astoria, OR, today. Astoria is right on the Columbia River.
The road from Coos Bay to Astoria is breathtaking! Too bad Jim was driving on the steep hills and tight curves...he couldn't enjoy like I could. We did pull over at a nice parking area for a little shop that offered tours. We didn't have time for a tour but we did manage to take some pics. A nice couple took our pic. There is always someone who will take our pic at the scenic views.
We made it to Astoria in such good time. Found a KOA in Hammond which could take us for one night. We set up camp and headed out. Went to visit the Columbia River Maritime Museum which was right on the river. Saw the bridge we would travel over in the morning. WOW! The museum was nice and had a film about the river and all the ships who've traveled up and down the river. Lots of shipwrecks...there is something called the Columbia Bar which needs to be navigated with the help of river pilots. Actually there are river pilots and bar pilots and they get on the ships while everything is moving. Jump from small ship to large ship...SCARY!
We also toured the last lightship used out in the Pacific at the mouth of the Columbia. It's named the Columbia. It was anchored out in the ocean to warn ships about the "BAR". It's out of service now.
When we left the museum we wanted to take a little tour by the trolley...it runs along the river front and the drivers give a little history. The river front was completely lined by fish canneries...not many buildings left..just can see pilings. Some are now shops and restaurants. On the tour we also saw the school which appeared in the movie "Kindergarten Cop" and the house used in the movie "Goonies". After finishing the tour we drove around the town a bit and just had to drive up the steepest street...8th! It was scary enough going up..no way I wanted to ride down! We headed a little bit out of town looking for a diesel station and managed to get into a construction zone and was stuck trying to get back into downtown. When we got back we found a restaurant which was recommended by locals...The Ship Inn. Ate too much again. We had a nice view of the river though.
We're planning to leave in the morning but want to look around Fort Stevens State Park before we go. It is located right across the street from the expensive KOA! Wish we would have camped there.
Fort Stevens has a perfect camping area and is a beautiful park. It has access right to the beach and an area of historic significance. There is a shipwreck on the beach so we did go see that. We didn't have time to really tour the historic part...too bad. We'll need to do that next time.
Ready to go on to Washington and Olympic NP. Ready to cross that big bridge over the Columbia River.
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