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 Alaska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alaska. Show all posts
Sunday, September 25, 2011
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.
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.
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
Road to Tok, Alaska, July 5, 2011
We are leaving Haines Hitch-Up Campground. The lady in the office came out to wave us goodbye. Very nice campground. We headed out early in the morning and got on the Haines Highway which took us to Haines Junction where we connected with the Al-Can Highway. The most beautiful drive is from Haines to Haines Highway. Drove right alongside the Chilkat River and the Chilkat Range of mountains. Very good roads. We stopped at some scenic viewpoints and took pics but there is no way to capture the beauty of this area. You will have to see it to believe it. We even saw a phone booth all decorated with flowers! Crazy.
We went through Canadian Customs about 40 miles out of Haines. They asked lots of questions and came in the rig to check out our wine. We went through just fine. That stop took several minutes but it was no problem. The road started climbing up through Chilkat Pass(3,510 feet elevation). We got above the trees. There were some lakes and creeks and some snow and high peaks. We even saw swans! It started raining along this stretch when we got higher elevation. It was still fantastic to see. After passing through that part of the Haines Highway we went from British Columbia to Yukon Territory. From this place until Haines Junction we saw bears! Five in all! They were not together just by themselves on the side of the road. We think 2 black bears and 3 grizzlies. The roadside was also full of flowers…purple, white, yellow and even some bluebonnets!
We made the turn on the AlCan with no problem. It was right before you enter Haines Junction. We didn’t have far yet to go to the campground and the roads were OK. We saw a couple of cyclists…not together but on their own. We had seen a young man on each of our ferry rides who was riding a bike. Wished I would have asked him where he was going but I didn’t. Can’t believe someone would travel all through Alaska on a bicycle!
We had some construction on the highway just before our campground. Went through with no problem. We are camping at Cottonwood RV Park on the shore of Kluane Lake near Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory, Canada. Very nice lady at our campground. We have a site facing the lake. I need another word for beautiful…but it is beautiful. We’ll be on our way again tomorrow and hope to make it safely through any rough roads. We’ve heard all kinds of different stories about road conditions but feel sure we will see some tomorrow.
We went through Canadian Customs about 40 miles out of Haines. They asked lots of questions and came in the rig to check out our wine. We went through just fine. That stop took several minutes but it was no problem. The road started climbing up through Chilkat Pass(3,510 feet elevation). We got above the trees. There were some lakes and creeks and some snow and high peaks. We even saw swans! It started raining along this stretch when we got higher elevation. It was still fantastic to see. After passing through that part of the Haines Highway we went from British Columbia to Yukon Territory. From this place until Haines Junction we saw bears! Five in all! They were not together just by themselves on the side of the road. We think 2 black bears and 3 grizzlies. The roadside was also full of flowers…purple, white, yellow and even some bluebonnets!
We made the turn on the AlCan with no problem. It was right before you enter Haines Junction. We didn’t have far yet to go to the campground and the roads were OK. We saw a couple of cyclists…not together but on their own. We had seen a young man on each of our ferry rides who was riding a bike. Wished I would have asked him where he was going but I didn’t. Can’t believe someone would travel all through Alaska on a bicycle!
We had some construction on the highway just before our campground. Went through with no problem. We are camping at Cottonwood RV Park on the shore of Kluane Lake near Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory, Canada. Very nice lady at our campground. We have a site facing the lake. I need another word for beautiful…but it is beautiful. We’ll be on our way again tomorrow and hope to make it safely through any rough roads. We’ve heard all kinds of different stories about road conditions but feel sure we will see some tomorrow.
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.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Hyder to Prince Rupert and the ferry, June 20-21, 2011
I can't believe the last time I wrote here was June 19th. We were in Hyder, AK, looking for bears. We did find them...a mama grizzly with one 2-year old baby. We were able to watch them feed on grass and look longingly into Fish Creek for salmon. We also saw a black bear in our campground raiding someone's trash. It was fun watching until someone came and shooshed him (or her) away.
We also took an exciting drive up to Salmon Glacier...the road was gravel and full of holes. Some of the places were very narrow and steep. Finally made it to the top and met The Bear Man. This man has been camping at the Glacier for the last 30 summers. He has written books and has a photo album with lots of pics of the glacier and wildlife he's seen. Very interesting to talk to. We were the only people up there so we had a nice conversation and I took his pic with Jim. Jim also bought one of his books on bears.
After Hyder we went back through Stewart and the same road we came on and across the wooden bridge spanning Nass River. Saw some bears and deer and a family of grouse...the mom must have had 15 tiny chicks with her. Traffic was stopped in both directions to let them get off the road.
We made it to Prince Rupert on June 21 and camped at the Prince Rupert RV campground near the ferry terminal. We will get on the ferry, our first, on June 23rd. We have to check in at 3:30 AM for our 6:30 AM departure for Ketchikan.
All the scenery to Prince Rupert was beautiful. Followed alongside the Skeena River, a very fast river cutting through the valley. It was all so beautiful to see.
We got to Prince Rupert and looked around the town. We went to the ferry terminal to make sure of what we needed to do the next EARLY morning.
Did manage to get some sleep that night. Jim slept on the couch to make sure he heard anyone else leaving. There was only one road out of the campground and we were sure many of the people there were going to catch the same ferry as us. We left around 2:30 am and got to the ferry just fine. The crews were already beginning to wake people sleeping in the approach. We were shown through to the terminal, checked in and got in line. Next thing we were boarding. We were loaded with no problems...and all that worry for nothing.
We also took an exciting drive up to Salmon Glacier...the road was gravel and full of holes. Some of the places were very narrow and steep. Finally made it to the top and met The Bear Man. This man has been camping at the Glacier for the last 30 summers. He has written books and has a photo album with lots of pics of the glacier and wildlife he's seen. Very interesting to talk to. We were the only people up there so we had a nice conversation and I took his pic with Jim. Jim also bought one of his books on bears.
After Hyder we went back through Stewart and the same road we came on and across the wooden bridge spanning Nass River. Saw some bears and deer and a family of grouse...the mom must have had 15 tiny chicks with her. Traffic was stopped in both directions to let them get off the road.
We made it to Prince Rupert on June 21 and camped at the Prince Rupert RV campground near the ferry terminal. We will get on the ferry, our first, on June 23rd. We have to check in at 3:30 AM for our 6:30 AM departure for Ketchikan.
All the scenery to Prince Rupert was beautiful. Followed alongside the Skeena River, a very fast river cutting through the valley. It was all so beautiful to see.
We got to Prince Rupert and looked around the town. We went to the ferry terminal to make sure of what we needed to do the next EARLY morning.
Did manage to get some sleep that night. Jim slept on the couch to make sure he heard anyone else leaving. There was only one road out of the campground and we were sure many of the people there were going to catch the same ferry as us. We left around 2:30 am and got to the ferry just fine. The crews were already beginning to wake people sleeping in the approach. We were shown through to the terminal, checked in and got in line. Next thing we were boarding. We were loaded with no problems...and all that worry for nothing.
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, May 24, 2011
Trip is finally started!
First leg of trip was to Tucson, AZ, for my nephew, Dustin's, wedding on May 20, 2011. Beautiful! Love his new wife, Layla. The wedding was at Tanque Verde Ranch. The rehearsal dinner was held in the Cottonwood Grove. Delicious food...steaks, grilled corn on the cob, baked potatoes, salad, fruit, cobbler and more! We even had a herd of javelina join in the fun. Fire pits were set amongst the tables. Very cool and the fires were nice and warm. All the younger people had smores. Was great to see old friends and family.
The wedding was on the outside patio and was at sunset (close to it at least). Reception was inside with lots of great food and dancing. I even got to dance with the groom. Hope his toes are better now. They presented my mom with a little birthday cake...candles and all. She was so happy. She turned 89 on the wedding day. We were able to visit with her sister and brother-in-law in their home in the foothills the next day. That was so much fun.
Jim and I also visited the Desert Museum on the Saturday after the wedding. Drove thru the hills to the museum and walked through the sunny gardens there. Cloudless skies and brilliant sun but it wasn't hot...beautiful weather the entire time in Tucson.
My brother and his family drove to Tucson in their new Class C motorhome. I think they are ready for more traveling. Can't wait to camp with them soon.
We left Tucson on Sunday and headed to Joshua Tree National Park in California. Our GPS guide lead us straight thru the town center of Tucson. Definitely need to go back and spend more time there.
The wedding was on the outside patio and was at sunset (close to it at least). Reception was inside with lots of great food and dancing. I even got to dance with the groom. Hope his toes are better now. They presented my mom with a little birthday cake...candles and all. She was so happy. She turned 89 on the wedding day. We were able to visit with her sister and brother-in-law in their home in the foothills the next day. That was so much fun.
Jim and I also visited the Desert Museum on the Saturday after the wedding. Drove thru the hills to the museum and walked through the sunny gardens there. Cloudless skies and brilliant sun but it wasn't hot...beautiful weather the entire time in Tucson.
My brother and his family drove to Tucson in their new Class C motorhome. I think they are ready for more traveling. Can't wait to camp with them soon.
We left Tucson on Sunday and headed to Joshua Tree National Park in California. Our GPS guide lead us straight thru the town center of Tucson. Definitely need to go back and spend more time there.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Alaska Is On!!!
At least that is the plan....Alaska! We are heading out in mid May to Tucson for my nephew's wedding then heading west then north. So far the motorhome seems to be good except for the gas gauge. Still can't tell about fuel level. Jim is very good about topping up the tank so we feel we can manage without it. I don't think it's actually hit me yet that I will be gone for several months. It helps knowing we have people living in the house to take care of home base. I try not to get too overly planned about this....I could drive myself crazy if I did. We'll just take it as it comes....what else can we really do. We have all the books and maps and phones! Jim just purchased his smart phone...yes, Jim. He discovered how easy it was for me to check email and have access to internet in places we had not been able to do before. That was the deciding factor for him. I will begin daily (ha!) posting when we begin our trip. Until then......
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Still Home
Alaska trip has been cancelled for this summer. Maybe next summer. Still plan a trip but we're waiting to get motorhome out of the shop.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Trip Countdown
It is June 1st, 2010, today. This is the month we planned to depart for our Alaskan Adventure. We are still planning to leave...just later this month. Jim has some commitments which need his attention before we can get back on the road. If everything goes well, we will be leaving closer to the end of June.
Jim is already diving headfirst into the books we've collected on Alaska. He's already bought a more recent edition of The Milepost. We also had a visit with friends who have RV traveled through Canada and into Alaska before. They showed us photos and maps and talked about the things they saw and places they went. All great information which has just excited us more about the trip.
As we get underway I will hopefully be posting daily blogs about our travels. I always promise to do that on all our trips...keep a diary...but haven't been completely successful yet. Alaska is such a big and long trip I want to make sure I document it all.
Maybe some of my friends will read this blog and "take the trip" with us.
Jim is already diving headfirst into the books we've collected on Alaska. He's already bought a more recent edition of The Milepost. We also had a visit with friends who have RV traveled through Canada and into Alaska before. They showed us photos and maps and talked about the things they saw and places they went. All great information which has just excited us more about the trip.
As we get underway I will hopefully be posting daily blogs about our travels. I always promise to do that on all our trips...keep a diary...but haven't been completely successful yet. Alaska is such a big and long trip I want to make sure I document it all.
Maybe some of my friends will read this blog and "take the trip" with us.
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