A Look Back And Forward

It’s customary to look back on the previous year, reflecting on all that occurred, while at the same time looking forward to the new year with hope and refreshed aspirations. And, this is the case with me as well. I’m sitting here, looking out the window on a seasonally crisp morning as my husband burns a bit of brush, thinking about the trip we undertook during the summer. It was phenomenal and it’s hard to believe we’ve been back longer than we were away already. I promised some of you readers some additional details on the trip so here they are. We traveled 16,458 miles, covered 21 states and 4 provinces. We were gone 93 days and in that time we got to experience things I had only ever read or dreamed about. I won’t say it was my “Bucket List” but I did get a chance to cross several thing off that list while admittedly adding several more to it. But did you know:

We used 1,460 gallons of gas. This figure may be a bit higher due to some places just giving us receipts without liter amounts printed on them. I also admit I could be off due to my conversion from liters to gallons.

The entire trip cost the equivalent of $1.00/mile. This is a strange statistic because it includes all our expenses, haircuts, beer, post cards, magnets, hotel rooms, wine, ferry fees and even movies.

We spent 63 nights on campgrounds or paid rooms which averaged $26.00 per night. And, we spent 29 nights at either WalMarts, friends or rest areas which saved us more than $750.00. That’s a cool statistic.

Our expenses for food totaled $2,083.81 which includes both groceries and eating out or if you prefer, it averaged $22.41 a day for two people. I think that’s pretty good, too!

I’m not sure what other information might amuse people so if you have any questions about routes, statistics, border crossings, admissions to parks or attractions, just let me know. I’m happy to help in any way I can. And while I took more than 8,000 photos, I can honestly say about 7,500 where of the “vacation” variety. Of the remaining 500, there are but a handful I would consider “saleable” . Oh, but those handful can still take my breath away. And even the snapshots take me back to that place and time. This was a trip of a lifetime. We may never travel this way again. Carl has stated he will never drive to Alaska again although he is the first to admit everyone should do it once. And with all of his grumbling, he’s already talking and planning for the next great adventure. I just have 29 more states to hit!

Day 74- Oh! Is For Ohio

Last night was awful. Before I shut off the lights, there was only one tractor trailer in the rest area with us. But, by the time I climbed into bed, there were about 50, including one who pulled up right beside our open windows. And even though it was still uncomfortably warm, the exhaust was blowing right into our camper so I had to close the windows. The trucker let his truck idle all night long and before morning, another truck had pulled up on our other side just not quite as close. All that noise kept both Carl and me from getting the rest we needed to push on in good spirits today. For the first time, I was concerned we might not make the 400 + miles Carl had set as our goal during this push from Moab, UT to Gettysburg, PA. But push we did and continued on through the last of Illinois and into Indiana. I have to confess I don’t know much about Indiana. In fact, other than hosting a couple of very important races every year and my favorite NASCAR driver, Tony Stewart, claims Rushville as his home town, the only other trivia I can recall is Larry Byrd lives in French Lick, Indiana. So, today, I was enlightened with the knowledge that Indiana also claims Abraham Lincoln as one of it’s own. Apparently, Abe lived here as a child. But, as far as the scenery is concerned, if it weren’t for the big sign welcoming me to Indiana, I couldn’t tell it apart from the section of Illinois we drove through. Rte I-70, surprisingly, cuts through some really nice agricultural countryside in several states. So, if you take photos of fields of corn in Illinois, well, Indiana corn and Ohio corn for that matter, looks about the same. What I’m trying to say is I had a photo drought today. I did discover part of I-70 has been dedicated at the USS Indianapolis Memorial highway. For those of you who do not know the story of the Indianapolis, it was the aircraft carrier that was responsible for delivering the atom bombs to Tinian which helped to end World War II. It was such a secret mission no one missed them until they were 4 days over due. The ship had been torpedoed and sunk, putting almost a thousand men into shark infested water. Only a few hundred were pulled out almost a week later. The story was first brought to light in the original movie, Jaws, but since then it’s been the subject of several documentaries. We’ve been traveling some pretty rough roads all day, some just as bad as the Alaska Highway while others were giving Wisconsin’s pot holes and washboard concrete a run for it’s money. And to top it off, yesterday’s encounter with Jon El’s BBQ had an unfortunate side effect on me today so I asked Carl to pull over so I could use our traveling rest room. When I got into the camper, I was met with a minor disaster. One of those nasty dipsy doodles had tossed everything in the bathroom about, stuff in the sink and all of the recyclable bottles and cans had been thrown onto the floor plus a brand new gallon plastic jug of water had ruptured and emptied onto the floor. The water had run the entire length of the camper soaking the carpeting and rugs by the sink and door. We had a small dry braided garlic hanging over the bathroom door, a gift from Dad and Adena, was also on the floor. Sadly, it wasn’t dry any more and now the camper reeks of garlic. Let’s just say I won’t be getting any visits from my Twilight favorites any time soon. Carl’s goal of reaching the other side of Columbus came one step closer when we drove under this huge arch welcoming us to Ohio and another sign a bit later stating we had just entered Clark County, the birthplace of 4-H. Now, in Ohio, they must take their pipe smoking rather seriously because at one of the convenience stores where we got gas today, they sold 5 blends in 4 different size plastic bags with a press and seal closure. The flavor that got my attention was a generic version of Paladin Black Cherry in a 16 ounce bag. Our final destination was a rest stop about 50 miles east of Columbus but after our troubles last night, we were a bit leery of a second night with little sleep, we opted for a Wal-Mart near the highway. It’s been a while since we’ve stayed in one.

Day 71- From The Desert To The Mountains

Two states, Utah and Colorado share a border and a river but similarities, at least for the beginning of the day , ended there. Once we left Moab and got onto Rte I-70 East, the land flattened out into those rolling dry plains like so much of the Southwest is made up of. I made a comment to Carl how there was a good looking hunk of a young man behind every tree. Of course, there wasn’t anything larger than a 3 ft tall bush in site. What I was seeing, however, were these metal step ladders placed over the 4 strand barbed wire fences every mile or so. At first, I thought this was strange but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I mean 4 strands of barbed wire is nasty business so if you need to get over to the other side, well there are limited options. Farmers and ranchers tend to frown on cut fences and people in need are not happy about getting clothing and skin shredded to bits. Shortly after crossing into Colorado, we began to notice several of those rocker arm pumps bringing oil to the surface. Wherever these are, there are also a collection of tanks and sometimes a little tool shed. One of these had a red light glowing by the door and we couldn’t help but laugh. Customers would be few and far between in that district. Those gently rolling plains became high sandstone mesas with huge skree piles on all sides. Off in the distance we could see what I considered to be serious mountains. And sure enough, we began to climb gradually at first. We pulled off in Rifle, CO for some gas. I mention this because the guy I used to work with, Ernie, lived in Colorado for a while and Rifle, specifically. The mountains loomed closer and ski are signs with names like Copper, Steamboat Springs and Breckenridge popped up. Now, we’ve become somewhat of a whiz in finding Wal-Marts. Call it a second sense if you will. But, here in the Vail area, we didn’t have a clue. When all of a sudden, on the highways signs that point out services such as gas, food and lodging, there was the familiar bright blue Wal-Mart name and logo so we turned and sure enough there it was only ¼ mile off the highway. We pulled in to get the few provisions we needed to take us to Gettysburg, PA. We had no intentions of staying the night but wouldn’t have been able to anyway. We had just encountered our 2nd “No Camping or Overnight Parking Allowed” store. After a 45 minute break, we hit the road once more and began seeing signs about a 3 day Bike Race in the area which list traffic restrictions, road and exit closures and parking bans through Vail Pass. I’ve since found out it’s the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. As we drove, we caught glimpses of support vehicles laden with spare bikes, riders peddling like crazy, motorcycle escorts, a helicopter for aerial coverage, the banners over the course announcing the near finish of the race and finally the finish line. There were thousands of spectators strung out over miles. We figured the winner of the stage had already come in because hundreds of amateur cyclists were leaving the area including one tall lanky fellow who I could have sworn was Lance Armstrong ( not racing, watching ). Did I mention during this whole exciting bit, we were still climbing only now it was much steeper. Most of the tractor-trailers were down to 50 mph and so were we. Finally, we leveled off just before entering the Johnson Tunnel, finished in 1979, at 11,158 ft above sea level. As we came down the other side of the Rockies, I looked down to see chairlifts below us. You know you’re up high when you look down on ski lifts. And as much as I enjoyed the desert with all of the impressive multihued rocks and weird weather and water worn shapes, I just love seeing full sized forests all over the place. After a time, we reached Denver and wouldn’t you know, it was just 5:00 PM, rush hour. The west bound lane seemed backed up in real good order so I was feeling pretty good about our east bound lane which was still moving steadily. Carl mentioned it might change when we hit the middle of the city with people leaving and sure enough, not 2 miles later, traffic slowed to a crawl. There was an accident up ahead. We hit the choke point in time to see a car being loaded onto a tow truck. The front end was smashed pretty good. That was in the high speed lane while in the breakdown lane was a utility trailer just sitting. It looked undamaged except attached to the ball hitch area was an entire Reese Hitch system, the receiver portion having been ripped off whatever vehicle it had been attached to. After we passed this exit, traffic resumed it’s normal pace and we were out of the city about 15 minutes later. Clear of the city, the landscape was now more agricultural and grazing lands. The were small farms or ranches on the horizon, but there were also quite a few abandoned homes and falling down barns near the highway. Anytime you have grazing lands, there is the probability of grazing animals so I wasn’t surprised to see large herds of beef cattle and saddle horses. I mentioned to Carl how strange it was to have such a drastic swing in just 40 miles. It was nearing the end of the day and we started looking for a rest area. We found one which was closed to overnight parking and another in the west bound lane so after driving an additional 45 miles, we pulled into a Flying J Truck Center along with about 50 big rigs. Our little camper is backed in next to a “no parking” zone where trash barrels are. That way, we take up only one spot and can still open the slider without getting into any of the truckers’ ways. Space is so tight, Carl doesn’t dare to leave our steps open all the way. It ought to be an interesting night. Yesterday was the end of the 10th week and we have traveled a total of 12,236 miles so far.

Day 67- Arches National Park , August 21, 2011

There is no way to describe the incredible works of nature before my eyes. It’s hard to believe this area was all under water a couple hundred million years ago. Eventually, with upheaval, rain, wind and time, these breathtaking formations were created. It’s a very slow process, even by geological time. My photos are poor substitutes for the grandeur in front of my lens. We slept too late to get out and tear into the park so we ended up doing exactly what I had said I wouldn’t do, hike in the park between the hours of 10 and 2 when the sun is the strongest. By the time we took care of a little bookkeeping error on the part of a Yellowstone Ranger, it was almost 11. We drove in, stopped at a few places on the way, the Three Gossips, Sheep Mountain, Balanced Rock, The Windows and then we arrived at Delicate Arch. We hiked into the viewpoint at high noon and by the time we got ¾ of the way up, I was toast so Carl took the camera and went the additional distance. When he returned, he said it was only another 200 yards or so. I was really angry with myself for not pushing further especially when I saw the photos he took. It’s his picture attached to this blog entry. It’s a good thing we have three more days, in the park. I want to be at some of the more famous arches at the right time of day. This is going to mean hiking in before daylight or hiking out after the sun has set. We went back into the park sometime after 6:00 PM. My time is vague because we had a sudden thunderstorm which delayed my decision on where to go, when to go and even if to go. We got some nice late afternoon sun on the Courthouse Towers but by the time we made it to Balanced rock, the sun was obscured behind a wide band of very dark clouds. We waited about ½ hour and then it happened. The sun broke trough for one glorious finale, splashing that gorgeous afternoon light just where I needed it. The down side to this was I used up all our time before sunset and I was out of position. Carl always has some good ideas so up onto a high layer of racks we went to find something interesting in the foreground of whatever sunset we were blessed with. Sadly, the day was spent and so was I. we ate our supper sandwiches right where we parked as the last rays of light faded. The alarm was set for 5:00AM with a decision made to go to Double Arch for sunrise.

Day 66- Salt Lake or Bust

The road through Idaho was more or less uneventful so we started guessing what sorts of crops we passed. I thought I spotted Beets and Alfalfa but was delighted when my eyes picked out the now infamous Idaho Potato plants with their tell tale mounding of soil around them to stimulate more tubers. We did have two final impressions of Idaho. One was of a burned out car on the westbound brake down lane. That in itself should be noteworthy for I can’t see the highway department leaving an immobile hulk there for very long. It was the man sitting on the edge of the grill that caught both Carl’s and my attention. We were past it so quickly I couldn’t get a shot and since my mind was already on “did this just happen” or “where’s the rest of his belongings” and I think I even thought “where did the engine go” ? If not for the camper, I just know Carl and I would have turned around at the next exit to backtrack for the photo. Oh, well, you can’t have everything. I’ve gotten used to having the traveling bathroom with us. Sadly, the last impression of Idaho was two bad experiences with rest area toilets. The one in Twin Falls was so bad you felt you needed to wash your hand before you used it. Carl said, “It’s like they schedule a cleaning once a year and tomorrow’s it” . And the one after that was also bad. The ladies side reeked of chlorine to the point of burning my eyes and Carl said the urinal had no water running to it. Just before the Utah border we came upon an unnerving sight. In the meridian, facing the wrong way and almost into the east bound lane was a truck and travel trailer. It appeared to us, they were traveling west bound, perhaps passing another vehicle and caught the soft shoulder. What we couldn’t see was if a blowout was involved. We do know both people in the truck were out and walking around, shook up, I’m sure. And a few minutes later, we saw police responding to the scene. We hadn’t been in Utah very long before we saw our first pronghorns. Remember, they are not antelope as most people say. We learned that in Yellowstone. These were noteworthy because the small herd was grazing just a couple hundred feet from an irrigation line. I sure hope the farmer is a tolerant man. A visit to the Visitor Center got us information about Moab and a couple of other things to do besides visiting Arches National Park. He suggested a side trip to Antelope Island which is in the Great Salt Lake. I thought that would be a nice diversion and I could get photos of the lake while we were there but Carl didn’t see the value in the stop. Unbeknown to me, he had a plan to drive through Salt Lake City before rush hour so my impressions of this huge and sprawling city are just that. It’s huge and sprawling. There are gated communities where the church is built first and then the houses are built around it, much like in early settler times ( minus the gates, of course ) because the church was the center of all activities. I spotted a huge domed building which I made the assumption was the capitol building and I caught a glimpse of the Great Mormon Tabernacle high up a contour overlooking the city. Carl asked if that’s where “The Choir” sang and I had to admit I could only guess the answer was yes. One of more annoying novelties of our trip has been billboard watching. Since New Hampshire outlawed them on our few hundred miles of high speed roads, I don’t miss them. In our travels, they have been prevalent in many states. Carl spotted this one and we both laughed. The words “Eat More Chicken” were scrawled across the board. The last “n” had a paintbrush sticking out from it with a 3 dimensional Holstein cow trying to balance on the shoulders of another cow who was on a ladder. The whole affect was quite amusing to think cows would be suggesting another alternative. What most people probably missed from this cut little tableau was Holsteins are milking cows and not beef animals. I’m sure they used the characteristic black and white spots which most people use to illustrate the “cow idea”. I mentioned Salt Lake City is huge and sprawling. What I didn’t tell you was the temperature was low 90’s and I had been pushing the fluids. We were more than an hour into the cross town travel when I had to go. I waited, hoping to get out of the city so Carl could pull over easily but the city just kept on going and so did we. Eventually, it got too much for me and I had to ask him to get off the highway so I could go. The very next exit was a Wal-Mart so we took that opportunity to get the rest of our groceries for our desert stay and I went to the bathroom not once but twice. And then, the most amazing thing happened. Off in the distance, the sky looked ominous, clouds were building against the mountains and I could see wisps of rain falling. We’re in the desert and it’s raining. But, it was the lightening that grabbed my attention. I set out to capture it on film, no easy task in a moving vehicle I might add. After about 50 shots, I managed one photo and I’m very proud of it. As we moved closer to Moab, the landscape became way more impressive with tall pinnacles and huge cliffs of multicolored sedimentary rock, some heaved up at an angle from all the tectonic movement. The finish to the day was a gorgeous rainbow falling against an equally hued rock butte and a sunset like nothing I’ve seen during the 10 weeks we’ve been on the road. I grabbed a shot in the rear view mirror but Carl was the one who made the decision to stop on the side of the road and told me to get out and take the photo. It was well worth the few minutes we were delayed. I love that man!!!! We saw lots of flashing lights ahead of us and had to slow down for single lane traffic. A police officer was doing his best to be seen in the pitch black and controlling the traffic flow past an unrecognizable large object, perhaps a motor home or a tractor trailer, that was burnt on the side of the road. The emergency response people were still on scene pouring water on the skeletal remains of the vehicle. It certainly put a damper on the last 15 miles we had to travel to the Arch View RV Park. We almost missed it but Carl remembered the lady on the phone mentioning a Shell gas station.

Day 64- On The Road Again

Hind sight being what it is, I probably didn’t post very interesting blog entries for the past couple of days and I only have one excuse. It’s because we had so much catching up to do and we were on the go most of those two days. I have given the highlights, though and I may add things as I remember them or as they become relevant. Like now, for instance. Dad asked about our route out of Bellingham and down towards Arches National Park which is our next destination. When he discovered we would travel through the busy highways of Seattle, he suggested a more scenic and less congested alternative which we accepted. Any time I can get away from the interstates and on to more rural roads for photo ops, well I’m going to take it. And then it was time to say goodbye. This was hard. It had been such a great visit and I’m already looking forward to the next time. Our departure was made a bit easier by the gray skies overhead. We swung in for gas and I did my usual window washing while Carl pumped the gas. I must be so out of practice between all the rain we had and the past couple of days where I didn’t need to wash them because the truck sat at Al’s RV Service. We took the extra time to have the wheel bearings repacked and the brakes checked over before we turn for home. Truth be told, we turned for home when we left North Pole, AK. We hit the sunshine somewhere around exit 198 on I-5. We pulled into a rest area where Carl got some coffee and I took a moment to sort out some of the stuff we hauled out of the camper while sleeping at Dad and Adena’s. Then we were off on our new route but not before we passed this gorgeous place called The Plant Farm At Smokey Point. They had lush colorful hanging baskets all along the highway drawing your eye to their front entrance. Wish I’d had time to stop but where would I stash plants while we traveled? Anyway, from Everett the new road took us up over Stevens Pass, 4061 feet and along windy twisting narrow roads thick with forests of spruce, fir, pine and cedar as well as several deciduous trees. I was fighting a bit of frustration again. We are hauling the trailer and it’s not that easy for Carl to pull over to allow me to take photos wherever I want. For instance there was some old machinery that had some beautiful flowers planted in among it, a huge cedar stump from an old growth cut with two new trees growing out of it. The old stump must have been 4 feet thick while the “new trees” were at least 12 inches through. I’ve seen smaller trees grow from stumps before but never anything like this and I would have loved to document it. There was also a fence with carousel horses atop each of the upright posts and there was a stream where people had built rock cairns in amongst the flow. All of these things would have made for interesting pictures and there wasn’t room for Carl to pull over. I know he feels bad, too. Our beautiful scenic drive continued along until about mile 84 when we were forced to detour adding another level of strange experiences to today’s travel. Eventually, we got back on the correct road but by now, Carl has started to look at our fuel gauge. We made the turn off of Rte 2 onto Rte 97 towards Wenatchee and noticed a bluish haze hanging low in the mountains. There was a faint whiff of smoke in the air so perhaps there was a minor forest fire somewhere nearby. It’s been very dry in this part of WA. After climbing gradually up Blewett Pass at 4102 feet, we descended into the valley below rather quickly. We had a good view of Mt Adams although Mt Rainier stayed hidden even though the sign pointed where it should be. Once back on the highway, we noticed a remarkable difference in the landscape around us. Instead of the lush rich rainforest drenched with moss and the wind whispering through the tops, this world was harsh, brittle and dry. The wind was hot and the only sign of green was where there were sprinklers at work. And we saw a lot of sprinklers, drenching grapes, corn, apples, cherries, apricots and so many other crops. From the scenic overlook, it looked like a checkerboard with green and brown replacing the red and black. It was a long day filled with interesting sights but finally Richland pulled into view and we found a comfortable parking spot at the Wal-Mart. We each had a bottle of water and then went in to pay our “camping fee” in the form of $85.00 worth of groceries for the next few days. We’ll have to stop one more time for some essentials before we hit Moab. We’ll make Boise Idaho tomorrow and Salt Lake City the next day. I can’t believe this trip is winding down so fast. But, in the mean time, it’s the end of the 10th week and we’ve traveled 11, 029 miles.

Day 60- To Somewhere , August 14, 2011

Our night at the Wal-Mart campground in Prince George was peaceful right up to the time when the murder of crows decided our camper looked like a good place to hang out. At first, it seemed as if a couple of children had been turned loose to run about and knock on the doors of the dozen or so campers resting up for their days’ travel, us included. I was getting ready to climb out of the sack to find those irresponsible parents. It was the squawking and gurgling that made me think otherwise. I’m not sure what time it was but I do know I’m glad I’m not I that parking area tonight. It was also right about that time, I realized I had an awful headache so I got up, tool some Tylenol and went back to bed. I heard Carl get, make his coffee and have some cereal and all I did was keep my eyes closed hoping it would go away. Carl planned to put another 350 miles behind us. Yesterday, he drove 444 miles on just a few hours’ sleep. We hit the road and immediately turned the wrong way. My sense of direction and navigational skill were way off. It was going to be a very long day. The countryside we drove through was pretty much the same as yesterday including the sulfurous odor of pulp mills. Carl pulled over for lunch and I crawled onto the couch and slept for 2 ½ hours. Then it was back on the road. We made it a few miles past a nice little town called Cache Creek and pulled into a long deep rest area where a couple already had their tent set up for the evening. The view outside our camper is more reminiscent of South Dakota with it’s rolling hill and scrubby trees. We even thought there might be a sunset so after the supper was finished and I’d done up “the crockery” as our friends across the pond might say, it was outside for about 20 minutes watching the sky turn a pale orange and then nothing but gray. It was a great idea for a sunset photo since this is our last night in British Columbia. I only have two notes of interest from today’s travel. The first is about a well maintained little gift shop we stopped at with signs boasting of their RV friendly circular drive. Off a ways from the parking area was the prettiest outhouse I’ve seen in a long time. There were flowers hanging from both sides of the door and planted around it as well. And the second item is we are more than 500 miles from the ocean but we have traveled over numerous creeks and streams with signage designating the water below us as salmon habitat and to use it wisely. Neither Carl nor I figure they mean to keep you from fishing those waters, just to remind you to use them responsibly. I know some salmon travel great distances up stream before they reach their spawning grounds. I just wasn’t prepared for all of this distance. Tomorrow is another boarder crossing back into the United States. I wonder if the other Carl Hill Jr is still at large.

Day 59- Between Two Princes

Before we went to bed last night, I made sure to set the alarm on the cell phone for 3:45AM and turn it on. It went off, we got dressed and waited in our stateroom for the announcement telling us we were just 30 minutes from Prince Rupert. But the announcement didn’t come and no one knocked on our door to make sure we were awake as we’d been told they would do. Something had gone wrong with the system but was it theirs or mine. After about 45 minutes, I realized what happened. My phone contacted a local Canadian tower and discovered it was on Pacific Time, 1 hour later than the Alaskan Time the ship runs on. So the alarm went of at 3:45 AM Pacific Time. Technology isn’t perfect and neither am I. What I should have done was to just wait for the announcement or the knock on the door which came about an hour after we were ready. The call came to go to the car deck and it took a few minutes for everyone to get their stuff hauled down over the stairs. The guy in front of us must have been in a hurry. He started his vehicle up and started rolling off the ship before he was told to and people started yelling in all directions. He almost took a mirror off of another vehicle on his passenger side. Then it was our turn. The same very capable young man took control and Carl eased our truck slowly forward and up the ramp, adjusting inch by inch as the deck hand directed. We had a chance to thank him and shake his hand as we were given the all clear sign to continue up the ramp on our own. A dock worker directed us into the Canadian Customs line and it was just a few minutes before Carl and the Customs Officer were doing the 20 question dance, “Have we any weapons?, How much alcohol did we have with us?, Any fruit, vegetables, $10,000 in currency or instruments?” ( Yeah, right!!! ). He took our passports, consulted with the computer screen and then asked us to pull off to the right and park. Someone would be with us in a moment. Another customs Officer came to the window, asked a few more questions, “where was home?, how long had we been in Alaska? Did we have proof of our social security numbers with us?” Well, it was then he told Carl to shut off the truck and to come with him. I started to get out of the truck but the Officer said I didn’t need to come inside. So, I sat in the truck and waited and waited. It seemed much longer than it really was but finally Carl returned to tell me a Carl E Hill Jr. was wanted in Indiana. It didn’t take long to realize my Carl wasn’t the one, the other guy was younger, so we were free to go. What a start to the morning, eh? The excitement just kept on coming when we drove through town with names like Trout Creek, ( Montana ) , Houston (Texas ), Hudson Bay and Burns Lake. If we had a GPS, I’d say it might be broken because we never left British Columbia. The region we drove through today is rich in timber production while huge fields of hay, in various stages of growth or being baled, are on either side of us. Somewhere among the piles of useless trivia I’ve accumulated is the knowledge that Lawrence, Kansas is the geographical center of the contiguous United States and I can now file, in that same trivia drawer, Vanderhoof is the geographical center of British Columbia. Just thought you should know this. Carl pushes the driving today, in spite of only getting a few hours of sleep, getting us all the way from Prince Rupert to Prince George, 448 miles. He was pretty pleased with himself right up to the point where we pulled into the Wal-Mart in Prince George and see the sign, “No overnight camping”. Just three words but they sure had an impact on me. We wander into the store and head straight for the customer service desk where we are informed not to pay any attention to the sign, it’s fine to park in their lot. Oh and I can tell we’re in timber company in spite of driving by huge lumber yards filled with huge piles of logs and massive stockpiles of wrapped kiln dried lumber ready to be shipped. The moment I stepped from the truck, there was that unmistakable rotten egg smell we used to get in Whitefield when the paper mills in Berlin were operational. The photo was from last night's sunset. We didn't get any photos today, moving too fast!

Home Is Where You Keep Your Stuff.

We’ve seen it all on this trip, from the one room rustic cabin to the multilevel mausoleum, from the double wide mobile home to a beat up truck topper on concrete blocks in a Wal-Mart parking lot. We seen single containers with smoke stacks and we’ve seen stacks of containers with a roof over them. We’ve even seen mobile office units set up as motels. We’ve seen abandoned homes, homes for sale, homes with rivers running through them and even homes under construction. It doesn’t matter what you call home, it just matters that you have one. With the weather conditions as extreme as they are in the state of Alaska, there is still a large homeless population. When the weather turns bitter, the police and some church groups drive the back streets, looking under bridge overpasses and in parks for people who are at risk so they can get them in where it’s warm and maybe even get them a hot meal but they can’t make them stay. So what do you do? You thank God for what you have and make the best of the situation because no matter where you call home, there is always someone out there in worse shape than you. Oh, and there’s one more thing. I always wondered about the amount of “collectibles” there always seems to be around the average home in AK. Now, I’ve seen it first hand and the photos and television shows don’t exaggerate. There is stuff everywhere, left to deteriorate among the elements. And it’s not like there aren’t places to take the stuff but I heard one guy tell another at a gas station today, “ If I throw it away, that’s when I’ll need a part off it”. And so you have the universal reason why humans as a race have become packrats. It’s because they might need it some day.

Day 55- To Haines, AK

When you’re on the road like we’ve been, there really are no boring days. There is always new scenery, weather or conversation to be had. Even after being married for 40 years, Carl and I still have conversations and consider each other our best friends. Both of us we perplexed this morning with the bright light that was in or should have been in the eastern sky. The map says we are traveling due south and yet, there it is, straight in front of us, shining in our eyes. Notice, there are no complaints here. The route for today takes us on the previously traveled and extremely rough and bumpy section of the Alaska Highway from Beaver Creek to Haines Junction. There are several small communities along the way and one of them has employed a plywood cutout of a police cruiser and officer which, from a great distance, is almost believable. I guarantee as you get closer, you wouldn’t be fooled. I suppose it gets a few tourists to slow down when the flashing “your speed is….” sign doesn’t work. The Ice Field Mountains are on our right and the sign at the scenic / photographic / view / rest area signage tells us this range holds 7 of Canada’s highest peaks. There is evidence, even from where we are, of glaciers on most of the peaks. It doesn’t appear that I am tired of them yet. They are larger than life forces of nature with immense power on the terrain they travel. I encountered a couple of unusual signs today. The first read “ Be Aware: Snow Removal Equipment May Be Oncoming In Your Travel Lane” . That was a shocker!!! The other was one of those international picture signs, a rectangle with a diagonal divider. The upper triangle in white showing a bed and the lower is blue and shows a soft boiled egg. It took me a moment and then the light came on “Bed and Breakfast”…… hmmmm. There is a Bald Eagle Preserve that borders the Chilkoot and Chilkat Rivers. More than 3,000 eagles call this area home during the months of October through January. I’m going looking tomorrow. The promo on this preserve states there are more than 40,000 Bald eagles in the state of Alaska. I think Alaska ought to share them with the rest of the country.

Day 51- First Day in Valdez, August 5, 2011

Neither of us slept well last night. Me, it was the medicine. I get weird dreams but also don’t feel like I’m actually asleep. Carl reported the same symptoms but I know he didn’t take my headache pills. We are both baffled by our inability to get consistent sleep. I mean it’s the same mattress, pillows and bedding. It’s just the place we park that’s different each night. Anyway, it was a late start to the morning and didn’t leave Tonsina River Lodge much before 10. Valdez was only 79 miles so we weren’t too concerned. In fact, we’re a whole day early so we hope the people at Eagle’s Rest Campground and RV Park will have room for us. The weather for the beginning of our drive today was wet but as we got closer to the Chugach National Forest, we could see some really impressive mountains in spite of the low ceiling. Up ahead of us was a break in the mountains. Later we learned it was Thompson Pass at 2,680 ft. We knew we had a long way down because Valdez is at sea level. We passed by Worthington Glacier, easily visible from the road, but still a couple miles from it’s terminus. There was a tiny community of businesses nearby specializing in ice climbing and treks to the glacier. We traveled several more miles, all downhill and arrived at Keystone Canyon. For just a brief second, I was whisked back to the Hawaiian Islands again. So many waterfalls everywhere you look. One of the most impressive drops is called Bridal Veil Falls followed closely by Horsetail Falls. Both have large volumes of water, both have a drop of more than 200 feet but Bridal Veil has several channels than fan down over the rock while Horsetail comes down more than half way before it divides into thin strands the rest of the way to the bottom. Some of the water cascading down is seasonal while others are year round glacial melt water and it’s difficult to tell which is which, especially with the large amount of rain this area gets. Once we’re checked in at the RV Park, the lady at the desk tells us about a Hatchery with a fish ladder over on the Dayville Road. She puts the icing on the cake by mentioning the area is frequently visited by bears. Sure enough, we head over about 6:00 and are amazed by the immense numbers of salmon waiting at the mouth to the weir. We’re told by a fellow who lives here the fish are being made to wait until the eggs are ripe. Normally this process would happen over the weeks it takes the salmon to travel from the ocean into the fresh water streams to the place where they were born, to the place where they will spawn the next generation. By the Hatchery creating a generational crop, they are assured of the fish returning to “their place of birth” to be harvested for canning. It’s an amazing process, a new form of aquaculture that is catching on in many places and it just makes sense to let nature feed and house your livestock for four or five years before they come home. They do have their natural perils such as eagles, gulls and bears. In fact, while we were sitting there, a small black bear came down from the mountains, walked under the bridge and proceeded to the water’s edge to grab a few fat salmon. Then, as easy as you please, he headed up to the bridge, crossed the river by using the pedestrian walkway and climbed two fences to get into the fish ladder for easier picking. Then it was up over one more fence and out onto a large rock in the bay surrounded by thousands of fish waiting for their turn at the ladder entrance. He fought off a flock of about 50 gulls and grabbed another couple of fish before heading off to another part of the shoreline. Apparently, he decided there were just too many humans around watching what he ate. It was getting late and I was hungry so we turned for home only to come up on a bear jam. On the right side of the road was about a dozen people all with cameras so I grabbed mine and asked what was up. I was informed there was a black bear sow with three cubs feeding at the base of a really pretty waterfall. There were hundreds of gulls and crows, all standing around making a racket and sure enough, out of the thick brush on one side of the creek, came Mama Bear. She would go to the creek, grab a salmon and take it back to the bushes. The scene was repeated several times and then she disappeared. I though the show was over but all of a sudden the sow burst from the bushes, sending a screaming cloud of gulls skyward. Behind her, we could see one of the cubs. I never did see all three. It was definitely a nice day. We’ve decided to go on a 9 hour Prince William Sound wildlife and Glacier tour tomorrow. I hope the weather will be good.

Day 50- Heading to Valdez

We’ve already traveled some of the mileage we covered today. In fact, over two hundred miles were repeated today. It wasn’t until we turned right onto the Richardson Highway outside of Anchorage that we found ourselves traveling “virgin territory. Before we left the Kenai, we had one more thing to do, visit Portage Glacier. We drove up to Portage Lake formed by melt water from three different glaciers as well as snow melt from the surrounding mountains. The water was a chalky gray, much like most of the rivers and creeks we‘ve encountered. Carl was surprised by how much the glaciers had receded since his visit in 1984. During his visit, he was able to stand on shore and watch Portage Glacier calving into Portage Lake, but now it has receded back around an outcropping of a smaller mountain and we were unable to see Portage from the Visitor Center. We did get an up close and personal view of Byrne Glacier and watched a very informative movie on the formation, life and even the death of a glacier. Then, the screen lifted, curtains parted and there on the other side of the glass was a marvelous view of Portage Lake and Byrne Glacier. Boat trips to the foot of Portage Glacier were available but Carl wanted to get going. He had miles to go before he slept. We did take an additional 15 minutes to listen to the ranger talk about the town of Portage and the devastation of the 1964 earthquake. I’m finding the devastation was not restricted to Anchorage although it’s there the news footage came from. Turnigan Arm dropped more than 20 feet and never rebounded. The Tsunami wiped out several towns on the coast and causing one to relocate 5 miles inland. As a result of this earth movement, the Arm or bay now has a bore tide of more than 4 feet. That’s a minimum of a four foot wave rolling in all at once instead of a slow and gradual rise of seawater twice each day. When the moon is full, the bore tide is even more. We drove though the Mat-Su valley, short for Matanuska Susitna. During the past 3 weeks, we’ve been driving by road signs shot full of holes. With more Alaskan residents carrying guns than not, it seems most have decided to use the highway department signage to get a bit of target practice in, including the one that reads “No discharge of firearms within 25 yards of the highway.” I knew Carl wanted to cover a lot of miles today but I wanted to stop at this one Scenic Overlook to get a really good look. The Matanuska River winds it’s way, in typical braided glacial fashion, filling in more than a dozen eroded pathways in the river bed. My attention was drawn upwards to catch a pair of dueling eagles mid-flight. As they got closer, I discovered they were juveniles practicing maneuvers that will aid in their hunting abilities. Matanuska Glacier was visible from the road so there was no need to park the truck and walk in. I was reminded of the Egyptians reverence for the pyramid when we drove by King Mountain. Once we reached Glenallen, it was time to find a gas station. We had fueled up in Anchorage for $3.84 a gallon. Here in Glenallen, it was $4.41 per gallen. So much difference in 186 miles. By this time, my head was pounding and I needed to take some medicine and go to bed. Carl insisted on driving a bit further. He’s done such a good job of keeping us on schedule, I hated to be a wet blanket. Eventually, shortly after a nice sighting of Mt Drum at 12, 010 feet, we found the Tonsina River Lodge. They advertised $10.00 campsite with free wi-fi. Carl pulled in, registered us and drove to a spot on the grounds with a fire ring only. We’d paid for a dry site, which basically means no amenities like water, electric or sewerage. The Lodge was run by a Russian family who offered a Russian/ American menu in their dining room. I opted for the Pilaff ( their way of spelling ), rice cooked in broth with meat and vegetables added, which sounded great but was told the last serving had just been given to the table before us. My second choice was a buffalo burger. It came with a heap of French fries, mushrooms and Swiss cheese. I know I would have enjoyed it much better without the headache. By 9:00PM, I was in bed with my eyes closed. Even free internet couldn’t keep me from getting my head on the pillow.

Day 45- Not Much To Tell (small SPOILER ALERT )

Every trip everywhere has one of these days. You wake up tired, not much is planned and so you lie around with not much ambition. It happens every time and to day was it. We watched a couple of movies on television that we’d already seen. I did a web search for a movie theater in town and found one of Adams Street. They were playing “Cowboys And Aliens” so we hit the 6:30 show. Carl opted for hot dogs at the movie followed by popcorn. The movie had plenty of action, the acting seemed natural and at no time did I get the feeling “this has been done before” even though the basic plot of bad guys taking hostages and the good guys getting them back has been done to death. When James Bond and Indiana Jones team up, things have got to work out, don’t they? We’ve been in Alaska for about two weeks and it’s just now hitting me how we don’t have to roll up the sidewalks at 9:00PM because it’s about to get dark. Still, I have this mindset that we can’t go for a hike after the movie for that reason. It’s actually kind of cool but just as I know it won’t get dark any time soon, I also know these people pay for this extra in spades come October through May. And I can’t even begin to thin how being dark from 3:00 in the afternoon until 11:30 the next day will do to a person. No wonder Alaska has one of the highest incidences of alcoholism and suicide rates in the country. Would I recommend the movie? I think the movie was fast paced with few down moments and it was good lighthearted entertainment. It did have a fair amount of bang, bang, shoot ’em up gore but it wasn’t over the top. But whatever you do, please don’t call me Gene Siskall or Roger Ebert.

Day 43- Late Start To A Gorgeous Day

Can’t believe we slept so late. Carl got up at 8:15 and I didn’t climb out of bed until almost 9:00. The sun was streaming through our night shades like they weren’t even there. Now, it’s so late, I’m not sure what we’re doing today but it will be a shame to waste it. A visit to the Chamber office in town gave us a couple of ideas. Just beyond town, on a dirt road, is Lowell Falls, a melt water creek and waterfall from the Lowell Glacier. It was such a beautiful day, my plan was to get photos of the falls. And when I got there, I was disappointed to see the heavy electric lines running across the face. Carl suggested we go under the bridge and get a different perspective so that’s just where we headed. It was the right idea but the spray coming off the water’s surface overwhelmed the lens very quickly. We continued our drive along the western shore of Resurrection Bay out to Lowell Point, home of a vast RV / tent / backpackers campground. It’s also the trailhead for a couple of walking trails the people at the chamber suggested. Sadly, it’s also a fee usage area connected with the Lowell Point State Park. It isn’t much of a fee, $5.00 per day or $40.00 for a yearly pass. I think it’s just the idea of it. We may go back there another day. Today, there were no parking spots. There was one other walking trail that was suggested, the Two Lakes trail, a 2 mile loop around two different lakes. I remember seeing the sign and so we headed out of town to where I thought it was. We drove 40 miles round trip and didn’t find it. We did have lunch in a pull out along the Kenai Lake which was a brilliant turquoise in the sunshine. Then, upon returning to the camper, I discover the trail is in the opposite direction. I hate it when I’m wrong. Carl has a fishing trip lined up, connected with the resort we’re staying at. I might have gone but there was only one space left on the boat and, well, I’m not much into fishing and I don’t figure these guys will be looking for much wildlife. I may do that Two Lakes trail or I may go to the Library where they have a movie on the 1964 Good Friday earthquake which measured 9.2 and just about wiped Seward and Homer off the map.

Day 34- On To Denali

It never fails. I can go to the Laundromat, check out the washer and dryer availability, go back to the camper, grab the basket and supplies and get back quickly only to find the place is now standing room only and there’s a wait for machines. That was almost the case this morning. I was the first person in today, grabbed the two washers I needed, got things going and went to take my shower. I was gone about 20 minutes and when I returned, much cleaner than before, the place was mobbed and there were people waiting for washers. While I was waiting for the laundry to finish, Carl used the time to install our new brake away line which theoretically trips the trailer brakes into the on position when or if the trailer should ever decide it’s had enough of our company and go it’s own direction. This would be bad all the way around so just like insurance, we buy one hoping we never have to use it. He also installed the new bumper plugs which keep our sewer hose in place as we travel down the road. I was gone so long, he thought, he closed up the camper, cranked up jack stands, brought in the slide out and stashed stuff for travel. When I came back all we had to do was back under, install the load distribution bars and return the shower key to reclaim our $5.00 deposit. As luck would have it, there was a boy sitting at a table full of baked goods, fresh baked bread, cookies and frosted cinnamon buns. And you know, two cinnamon buns were just exactly $5.00. Now how convenient is that? For the boy, I mean. we had a short drive today, only 130 miles but I managed to kill a couple extra hours with photo stops and of course we had to have lunch. Those buns weren’t getting any younger, you know. We arrived at Denali National Park And Wildlife Preserve about 2:00PM, checked in at the registration desk and proceeded the 13 ½ miles from the front “gate” to Savage River Campground. The gate is in quotations because there is no gate. Unlike other parks where they take your money or check out your pass credentials, this park pre-charges you $20.00 per car when you make your campground reservations. We also found out they charge you $20.00 per car when you book a tour. Neat, huh? Anyway, since we had purchased an all park annual pass when we ere at Yellowstone, the very nice young man who checked us in refunded $40.00 to us. That was a nice surprise. The campground is very quiet, only room for 34 units, a mixture of tents, trailers and driving units. There is only another 1 ½ miles of park roads which can be driven by private vehicle at this time of year. The sky had become overcast, almost mean looking and I expected a shower at any moment. Carl was already bored so we grabbed the camera and took a short walk down by the Savage River to scout out possible McKinley sightings or any animals who may be using the winding river bottom as a travel corridor. We didn’t see a single foot of the 20,320 foot mountain. The clouds were just too low. In fact we’ve found out that 70% of the visitors to the park never see the mountain. I don’t like those statistics. While at the river’s edge, we saw plenty of scat (poop) from moose, rabbit and bear. We saw and heard many song birds and even discovered a snowshoe hare hiding in the thick alders growing near the river. After supper, we walked a short distance to the amphitheater to listen to one of the Rangers talk about Grizzly Bears and how they “make a living” in the park year round. The program lasted about an hour, we sang a song, heard an Athabascan legend about unfaithful husbands and wives who find out about them and were instructed visually about the bear cub mortality rate. Then it was back to the camper for the night. Who am I kidding? It doesn’t get dark here this time of year.

Day 32- Today Was The Day

Both Carl and I are having trouble falling asleep because it never gets dark. I’ve been covering the windows with heavy towels and putting a velour throw over the window in the door. It has helped some but there’s an opaque air vent right over our bed. Have to figure out some way to cover that over. Anyway, it was a pleasure to see the sky with large patches of blue mixed in with those clouds. We have the last of the Dempster multigrain bagels and a quick cup of coffee, I throw a lunch together and we hit the road. Several miles before we hit the Dalton, our forward progress is halted. We’re flying down a hill and around a corner to confront a cow moose standing on the yellow line. Carl notices she has more than four legs and by now I’ve got the camera focused on her and notice her calf standing very close. We’re held up about 10 minutes but we don’t mind. The Dalton Highway is 73 miles north of Fairbanks. We are prepared for the worst conditions imaginable and the Dalton doesn’t disappoint, for the first 20 or so miles. It’s a roughest, dustiest and most potholed stretch of road I’ve been on in quite some time. Then, out of no where and in the middle of no where for no particular reason, there is asphalt. It isn’t much smoother though because there are this massive dips, sometimes pitching you to the left, sometimes to the right and sometimes in both directions almost at the same time. Sometimes there is even a warning, other times, not so much. We planned to drive to the Arctic Circle which is 116 miles from the beginning of the road. Some people may already know the road was built to aid in the construction of the Alaska pipeline which brings crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks. The Dalton Highway or Haul Road as most people around here call it is about 440 miles while the pipeline runs for 1399 miles. This is due to construction issues, weaving around natural obstacles, lifted high over caribou migratory routes and a good part of the time, the pipeline even goes underground. The oil travels at 3.7 miles per hour and takes approximately 11 days to make it’s trip. The oil goes in hot and comes out warm, never freezing due to the friction on the pipe. At 56 miles in, we cross the Yukon River and notice the Yukon River Camp on the left who boast they are the last gas for more than 200 miles plus they offer a motel and restaurant. We pass on all services because we are not towing our camper. I am in awe of the fireweed as we travel along. It seems to blanket very large areas in even off in the distance, we see a pink purple hue to the landscape. Carl starts chugging right along, feeling the rhythm of the road which quickly changes back and forth between gravel, mud and asphalt when out of the corner of my eye, I spy a grizzly munching on some sweet looking sedge grass. As soon as I get the camera focused on the bear, it stands up and looks in my direction. So cool!! Anyone who watched Ice Road Truckers last season may remember when Alex parked his truck at Finger Mountain and took a short hike up to the 40 foot tall finger shaped rock jutting out of the tundra. Well, we didn’t hike out to it but we did stop and walk a short self guided path with signs along the way describing different types of flora and fauna that inhabits this arctic habitat. Eventually, we arrive at the signpost announcing we have arrived at the Arctic Circle. It’s probably the furthest north I will ever get although I would love to visit Churchill, Manitoba for the Polar Bears. Obligatory photo in front of the sign is taken and we decide to have lunch in the truck instead of the picnic area because the mosquitoes are very hungry in spite of the steady stream of visitors arriving in the area. Our trip back takes less time since I’m not yelling “stop” much of the time. That is, until we round a corner and there is a very large cow moose munching on the side of the road. She was very cooperative while I took a few photos and then we were gone again. We’re gone 10 hours, traveled approximately 400 miles and we are spent. Strangely, the road was the absolute worse for that first 20 miles and did get better as we traveled due to some fresh grading. I would have loved to go all the way to Coldfoot and had lunch where the drivers all stop but I knew it would be too much. For those of you who come this way, you will be pounded, your vehicle will end up filthy and when you need to buy gas ( and you will ) it will be more than a dollar more than in the city. Okay, that’s the down side. On the plus side, you have the opportunity to see some amazing countryside, view up close and personal, one of the engineering marvels of the 20th century and boast the claim that you drove the Dalton…

Day 31- To The Arctic Circle

Well, not exactly. It’s been raining most of the night, the sky is very gray and the Dalton is no place to drive in lousy weather if you don’t have a job to do. So, we’re scrambling to find something to do until the weather lifts. We decide to get caught up on a few maintenance issues that have developed over the past 4 weeks. I did a web search and found Arctic RV Parts and Service. They were able to help us with spare keys, water filters, bumper plugs and new sink strainers. We ended up at Lowe’s for the aerators for the sink and bathroom faucets. Then it was on to lunch at Pizza Hut. I’d been really wanting pizza for some time. Carl took a nap, I transferred all my blog entries into face book because for some reason, they are not importing as they should. I framed and hung photos of our grandchildren on the same wall as the clock and the monitoring station. The sun finally burned it’s way through the thick high gray ceiling but by then, Carl wasn’t in the mood to head off. I’ve just check MSN for tomorrow’s weather and it looks dry with some sun. Since my XM radio isn’t able to access the satellite from this latitude, I burned all my laptop music onto a couple of Cds. That should help eliminate those long quiet spells we seem to have. After 41 years of marriage, there is only so much to talk about. While we were out, I spotted a Carlile Transportation truck delivering to the store next door. They are the main firm behind “Ice Road Truckers” on the Discovery Channel. We also observed something really interesting. Some parking lots have electric outlets on them. You see, 8 out of 10 vehicles up here are equipped with engine block heaters. The average winter temperature is way below -30. I remember when that was the big think in the North Country at home but I’d never seen store provide for their customers and employees like this. The way I figure it, either you have the block heater, a heated garage or you are calling a tow truck for a battery boost often.

Day 29- Back on US soil, Alaska

First off to all my friends of French decent, you know who you are, I want to wish them a Happy Bastille Day, July 14th is the day the peasants stormed the infamous prison, freed the political prisoners wrongfully incarcerated and began the overthrow of the aristocracy. Within months the cells were once more full but this time it was the people of means, of royal blood even who found themselves in jeopardy, Most, in time, lost their head to Madame la Guillotine. Our day was almost as brutal. We left Squanga airstrip and continued on our way to Whitehorse, Haines Jct, and Beaver Creek , all gas stops. The gray skies of early morning turned into lowering rain filled clouds and by afternoon, we were in a constant and miserably cold rain. The roads we traveled today must win some kind of prize. Carl fought almost two hundred km of heaved, sunken, graveled, rutted and just plain miserable roads. As we drove, my eyes were constantly looking for something to lift our photographic spirits and we did find a very cooperative Bald Eagle just coming in for a landing in the top of a fir tree. It was just windy and wet enough where he or she kept fluffing the feathers and using the wings to steady it’s position in the tree. I just love eagles. In fact, truth be told, I am in awe of the beautiful diversity that the Lord has bestowed on our world. I find just as much joy in watching a squirrel scamper about looking for places to stash some booty for another time as I do the majestic Bison on the prowl for his ladies’ attention and both can be quite comical in their own right. I observed two different types of bears yesterday and could have stayed for hours watching their personalities develop. They are amazing creatures, one and all. Later in the day, while the roads were still pure crap, the clouds did lift some and we were treated to some of the Kluane ( clu Wa ne ) Range. If they are half as spectacular as I think they are, a clear day will know the wind right out of me. We skirted the Kluane Lake, a huge body of water and I was fascinated by this one island poking up through the low lying mist. It reminded me of Brigadoon appearing from the mists of time every 100 years. Okay, call me a romantic. We pass through the US Border with no trouble and headed for Tok, Alaska but didn’t quite make it that far. You see, we left an hour earlier than usual, gained another hour when we entered Alaska and fought those awful roads. Carl pulled into this lovely rest area overlooking the Tetlin Nature Preserve. Oh, and the second bright spot in our day was our first Alaska Moose browsing in a bog. She’s quite a ways from the road, I pulled her in the best I could with my lens at 300mm, the highest it would go and I will keep my fingers crossed. I’m really hoping for some wonderful wildlife experiences these next few weeks. And before I forget, on our way to the beautiful rest area we spotted two pairs of swans, one with 5 signets and a very brief glimpse of a Lynx. The photographer missed the lynx because her camera was in the case on the seat next to her (I confess!)

Day 27- To Liard River, BC

I thought we were going to have company last night. Two tractor trailers pulled in beside us. One stayed for about 10 minutes and the other left after about ½ hour. I figure the first needed to “check his tires” or catch up with his log book. The other probably stopped for a bite to eat. We had a quick breakfast and headed down the road and into Pink Mountain for gas. We’ve noticed the price has jumped about 40 cents as we’ve traveled away from Dawson Creek. They figure they’ve got you and they’re right. If you don’t buy it from them, you won’t make it to Delta Junction, the official end of the Alaska Highway. We spotted another moose first thing this morning, another cow. This morning, we’ve seen lots of evidence of mud slides and road work being done because of flash flooding. We did establish we have moved into Pacific Time Zone, now three hours earlier than home. And Carl said it was still light well after 11:00PM last night. I’m having trouble getting used to that. This was a busy wildlife day in other ways. Early in the day we saw signs warning us to be careful of moose, Stone sheep, elk, deer, wild horses and buffalo. By the end of the day we had seen one male Stone Sheep, one white tailed doe, a fox, the moose earlier that day and then the surprise. We saw a young female porcupine caribou all by herself. A little further down the road, we saw another female caribou and then a third. Another quarter of a mile later, we say a male caribou. This was a great surprise as we hadn’t been warned to watch for them but not nearly as big a surprise as the black bear sow with a single very small cub in tow. Carl certainly got the camper and truck stopped quickly for this photo op. Unfortunately, the gravel skidding of the trailer brakes alerted Mom and before I could get focused on her, she crossed the road with the cub and went down into a swale. I thought that was the end of it but Carl took the camera, crossed the street and started shooting away. Then he remembered he could use the lens to get closer. His was the only decent shot of the bear today. Later in the afternoon, we came upon a large mixed herd of Bison grazing on the side of the road. I got out, used the camper as a shield and took several photos, some with calves. I was so close, I could hear them ripping the grass off as they moved along. It made quite a sound. Then without warning, one of the bulls decided to cross the road, about 50 feet from me. I froze. He was followed by a few of the cows and calves and gradually, the rest of the herd found it’s way across the pavement. One car coming up behind us, stopped in the middle of the road and took pictures while another vehicle headed southbound did pretty much the same thing. That was when I decided it was time for us to leave. I created the buffalo jam and then left. When the sun finally came out today, we were treated to some beautiful scenery of emerald green rivers like the MacDonald and the Trout as well as some breathtaking panoramas of the Canadian Rockies. Of course, the dark clouds didn’t leave altogether and we drove into showers off and on all day. Carl has made a reservation at the Liard River Lodge campground for this evening. They have a television in their lounge and we will watch the All Star game and have a bite to eat. Sadly, I’ll have to say goodbye to my XM radio. We lost the satellite signal at about the same time we found the campground. We’re too far over the horizon and can’t lock on. The campground is just another RV Park but we have electricity and water for the night. We’ll fill up with water and gas in the morning, empty the other tanks and head of for Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory. We had supper at the Lodge, watched seven innings of the All Star game, seeing the American League losing, and retired to the camper which I have come to think of as home.

Day 25- To Whitecourt and beyond

Breakfast at Denny’s was too good. I wanted to stay. The wait staff was pleasant, the tea was hot and the Hawaiian Puppies, their take on white chocolate and pineapple pancakes which tasted more like doughnut holes, were wonderful. All things must end and so did our time there. We hit the road under the threat of rain at about 8:00AM which has been the target time, but not a hard and fast rule. The winds of yesterday hadn’t eased and we felt the camper, which is more like a huge sail pushing us all over the road but the condition of the road was pretty good. The gray skies kept my camera in it’s case for the most part except for these massive fields of brilliant yellow flowered crops. I thought this was soy beans but I’ve since found out it’s canola, Canada’s largest seed oil crop. They are particularly lovely when the sun is shining on them and I had this picture in my head of a gorgeous canola field, in full bloom, under breathtaking skies with an old red barn either amongst the canola or along the edge. I’ve been looking for this image for about a week. Today, I think we drove out of canola country and the skies, dark, low and ominous, today were less than ideal for such a shot. But there it was, an old red barn on the edge of and surrounded by a less than brilliant field of canola. I’ll post the photo and you can be the judge. Carl fought the rain and gusty wind for most of the day but when we got to Edmonton, we had another issue pop up. It’s called massive construction. We did manage to find a gas station just off the highway and then got back onto our intended road of travel. About 5 miles from the gas station another camper pulls up beside us and beeps to get our attention. They motion to the back of the camper and mouth the word “hoses”. We pull over at a red light and Carl jumps out to find the sewer hoses dangle out each side of the bumper where they are stored. Once cap had fallen completely off, lost for good, and the other had popped open. A minute or two later a lady in a car pulls up beside us to tell us that our gas cap is dangling and the door is wide open. With all this happening we still made good time and sailed right through Whitecourt. Actually, we missed the Dahl Street turn off for the Wal-Mart. It’s 4:00PM and we have stopped for the night at a road side rest area where there is a large parking area with no signage that says we can’t spend the night. We’ll see and I’ll let you know tomorrow.