My Travels and Adventures

Pictures

2009-08-02T10:20:00.001-07:00

Well, my journey has come to a close. It is back to the reality of work tomorrow. My trip was intimidating, and at times frightening -- but also the most thrilling, wonderful, and rewarding as anything I have ever done.

Like I mentioned in an earlier blog, I am planning my next trip back to Alaska next year. So much yet to see and do. I intend to keep this blog going...adding info and pictures of weekend trips between now and when I get vacation time again beginning in January.

Thanks for following along...your comments were (and are) always welcome.

From Durango - Round trip to Silverton and back.

I was in the last car of this train

North Rim of Grand Canyon...road to Pt. Imperial and Cape Royal

From the lodge

From a hike I took

Friday, July 17th

2009-07-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've decided to continue with traveling and will head to Durango next Friday, spend the weekend there and then head to Jacob Lake, North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a few days before descending into 110+ weather, and of course work!!

Actually, my time away from work has not flown by or dragged. It's been quite even and very, very enjoyable. The trip to Alaska will remain with me forever and to say it was exciting is just not giving it the proper verbage. I'm already saving for a return trip.

I'll add photos from my next trip next week.

Sunday, July 12th

2009-07-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

Enjoying my time home in Colorado Springs. Rain and thunderstorms everyday...quite nice. Took my truck in and there was some damage done to the differential and I had a transfer case seal go bad. Unexpected expense, but also necessary. I spent 2 days cleaning the inside and outside of the trailer. Oh my...talk about glacier dirt.....geez, that stuff sticks like cement. I'm sure I'll be finding more for weeks to come.

I've started an album of my trip...sounds lame, but this was really something and I sure don't want to forget any of it. I'm also planning my next visit already! It is a state I want to spend more time in, for sure....

Friday, July 3rd

2009-07-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Been back home in Colorado Springs since late yesterday afternoon. Weather is great...thunderstorm both yesterday and today. From what I hear, the reservoirs are full. Nice for a change. Been busy cleaning everything - taking my time, in between the rain storms.

Here are a few more photos - the pipeline is quite amazing.

This one shows the pipeline going over a river.

These two are from a visitor center area in Anchorage. Has some history and lets you get up close and personal with the pipeline. Quite fascinating

Enjoy the 4th..safe travels to all who are out and about!

Wednesday, July 1

2009-07-01T18:37:00.001-07:00

In Douglas, Wyoming and will make it to Parker, CO tomorrow where my sister lives. From there I'll head south to my house and rewind, reflect - and CLEAN. Boy, is my trailer dirty and so is the truck. You know how I'll be spending 4th of July weekend. To all my Intel co-workers, have a great long weekend. Be safe.

Tuesday, June 30th

2009-06-30T18:17:00.001-07:00

In Billings Montana and just had a thunderstorm...very cool.

Been staying in KOA campgrounds (since crossing into the lower 48) which are very nice. Upscale in comparison to some of the places I've stayed in over the last 6/7 weeks.

More pictures from Jasper:

Wall of waterfalls.

Glaciers

Looks like this is all I can download....

Monday, June 29th

2009-06-29T19:30:00.001-07:00

So,there's this bridge over one of the 100's of rivers I've crossed...and right in the middle of it is this bison....just taking his time and walking down the center stripe...yes, for real. The picture was taken after he got off the bridge and moved away from the line of cars, and RVs....

I know I posted an earlier photo of Muncho Lake on my way up to Alaska...but this one is much better. I camped on the lake this time and the lighting could not have been better.

In Jasper - Athabasca Falls and River

Mt Robson is the tallest of the Canadian Rockies

This one is at one of the many stops...Ann is looking thru her binoculars

Neverending beauty along the Icefields Parkway.

Made it to Great Falls, Montana. Calgary is very large sprawling city. Super clean and very green. Warmest weather I've had in months. 85 degrees when we got to the KOA in Great Falls. Heading to Billings Montana tomorrow.

Sunday, June 28th

2009-06-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

Wow and wow (again)...Jasper is incredible. We hiked around the Athbasca Falls - thru the rain, yes, rain again. It was clearly snowing on top of most of the mountains. Just a beautiful site. Went thru the town of Lake Louise but did not see the lake - very disappointed but a large sign advised against RVs and trailers so, I did not push it. Now in Calgary - the outskirts. Real highways with crazy drivers - might just be me not used to so many on the roads. I do have lots of photos and will go thru a 100+ tonight and post tomorrow if possible. Should be in Great Falls, Montana by tomorrow afternoon. All is good...

Saturday, June 27th

2009-06-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Long time without wifi. Have not had any wifi for several days. Had a rough trip from Whitehorse, Yukon. The road construction that I went thru a few weeks ago is much larger and the roads much rougher. Plus lots of rain. A lodge and campground that I stayed at on the way up was out of gas and no vacancies. So, we headed down to another lodge per Milepost and it was open - 2 spots left and gas at 1.58 a liter...but no choice, I was down to 65 miles left on the tank I had. From there to Fort St. John on Thursday, no wifi, and Friday at Prince George where I had the truck fixed. Wifi but could not get it to work. $248 for the light assy and they put it in for me no charge.
In Jasper, Alberta National Park today/tonight. Unbelievable. Canadian Rockies are incredible. Completely different than Denali and much more dynamic than Rocky Mountain Natl Park. Tomorrow, Sunday we drive down Highway 93, Icefields Parkway thru Jasper and Banff Natl Parks into Calgary. Hope to stop often, hike and see all the sites and there are many.

I should be in Montana on Monday, and back to Colorado by Wednesday.

Sorry, no new pictures...won't download. All ok...later

Tuesday, June 23

2009-06-23T20:36:00.001-07:00

Been out of wifi range. Place I stayed in Beaver Creek, Yukon (same one as trip west 2 weeks ago), did not have the wifi working.

Well, my first problem finally occured. Between Burwash Landing and Haines Junction (thru Destruction Bay - beautiful area along Kluane Lake), the Alaska Hiway is the worst. I thought it was bad going West 2 weeks ago, but going East is much worse. The gravel I can deal with - the miles of washboard is horrible. Even going at 10 miles an hour, somehow the passenger side taillight assembly came loose from the truck; dangled for miles and was melted by the exhaust. Completely ruined. I am back in Whitehorse, Yukon tonight and they have a Chevy dealer which I went right to, but they do not stock them. If they ordered it would come from Vancouver and maybe get here Thursday...not. So, I called a Chevy dealership in Prince George - the next major town I'll come to on Friday - and they have ordered it and I will go right there on Friday.

Weather has been crazy...may get down to 32 degrees tonight. Rain off and on all day. Tomorrow I will make the turn south on the Cassair Hiway at Upper Laird, British Columbia. That 500 mile highway will save me 200 miles in back-tracking. Wifi here is not strong enough to download photos...may have to wait until I'm in Prince George Friday. I don't plan on having hookups tomorrow night - plan on staying at a Provencial Park along the Cassair Hiway. Hang tight... I'll be back. All is good!

Well, I Lied....

2009-06-21T23:28:00.000-07:00

Soltice, today/tonight is 21 hours and 50 minutes of daylight, I gave you incorrect info earlier. It is now 10:28 pm and the sun is still bright and shining. Rain stopped and our Riverboat ride, sternwheeler, was great. Learned a lot about the native people, Athabaskans - still many in the Fairbanks area with most still in villages in Fort Yukon about 130 miles north of Fairbanks (toward the Arctic Circle). Very interesting. We also met Susan Butcher's husband who still raises sled dogs with his 2 daughters. She passed in 2006 of leukemia. They gave a great demonstration using the actual dogs up close and personal. The dogs are quite amazing.

More pictures from Denali National Park:

Now, this one is definitely dorky..however, w/o the nets we would have been eaten alive by huge mosquitos.

Heading South and East tomorrow - will update with more photos when I can.

Sunday, June 21st...Soltice

2009-06-21T13:40:00.001-07:00

Fairbanks: Population is pretty small 31,000 in the City (compared to Anchorage at 283,000), and 96,000 in the borough. Boroughs are counties. Eielson Air Force Base is here. Elmendorf was in Anchorage. Fairbanks is flat in comparison to Anchorage, and of course Denali. But still very green. Two major rivers converge here, the Tanana and the Chena. I am camped along the Chena River. Large RV Park, first one with trees in a while. Full hook ups including TV which is a treat. Going to take a 3 1/2 hour stern wheel boat tour up the rivers this afternoon. It's been raining since late yesterday afternoon. Not a downpour, but a steady rain.

All kinds of Soltice celebrations - midnight run, festivals, etc. Longest day of the year with over 20 hours of daylight in Fairbanks. Still strange, but actually getting used to daylight at 11:30 pm.

Some photos from Denali:

I'll post more later today...have to get to the Sternwheeler Boat trip down the Tanana and Chena Rivers.

Miss Me? Saturday, June 20th

2009-06-20T20:24:00.000-07:00

Hi...no wifi in Denali. Arrived there on Wednesday afternoon. Pretty nice drive up from Anchorage on the George Parks Highway. There are so few highways in Alaska, that everyone of them is named for the "first" somebody.

Denali was absolutely fantastic, amazing and downright fabulous. (see, I'm running out of adjectives). I have tons of photos but need to get them from the camera to you.

Denali National Park and Preserve: much different from any other Natl Park I've been in. First, there is no "gate" as such, to pay your entry fee. You must go to the Wilderness Access Center and pick a plan. You can only drive in the first 15 miles of the park - total mileage on the road is 93. Everything else is by bus. You have a choice of about 4 different bus tours. Road is dirt and gravel and very, very narrow in many places. We decided on the full tour...13 hours all the way to the end. The end is an old mining town from the early 1900's called Kantishna. Wonderful history to this place. Denali NP is now over 6 million acres. The Alaska Range, 600 miles long, goes right thru it. This includes Mt. McKinley - which we could not see. In the summer the warm air from the Pacific hits the ice fields (the upper 10,000 feet are ice) and clouds are formed preventing anyone from seeing it. December is the best month. The town of Denali is about a 1/2 mile long. Not on roads, just dirt and gravel off the George Parks Highway with buildings that are only open from mid May to mid September. The road that goes thru Denali Natl Park takes 10 weeks to get ready for the tourist season. We saw, moose, grizzlies, beavers, golden eagles, dahl sheep and wolves. The park is a preserve. No human intervention at all with the land or wildlife...what a concept, huh? It is studied by the best and many discoveries have come from there. They literally let nature do it's thing - and only those who will sit on a bus can be a part of this fantastic environment.

Our driver and guide is a resident of Kodiak and was a commercial fisher person for 25 years and also participated in a couple of the Ididarod sled races. She now works the summers in Denali and raises and trains sled dogs. She's 50 - what a life!

I am in Fairbanks now. Left Denali this morning. Easy drive, 110 miles. Will stay here until Monday morning and then start the trek east and south. I'll tell you more about Denali when I add pictures later tonight/tomorrow. Wifi here seems to be working well.

More Photos From the Kenai Fjords Boat Trip

2009-06-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

These are the endangered Stellar Sea Lions

Yes, I look dorky, but heck - it was very cold....

We are back in Anchorage after a great one day trip from Seward to Homer...what a place. Homer sits on the Cook Inlet with huge mountains off to the west. One of which is Mt Redoubt--the one that erupted in March of this year. Cold and windy and a much different town than Seward. Fishing is huge, but halibut is their fish right now. There is a piece of land that literally deadends in the water called the Spit. Some very funky, yet neat places there...Salty Dog is one of them. Homer is about twice the population of Seward - 3000 vs 6000. Both are on the Kenai Peninsula.

This may help:

We are leaving for Denali tomorrow and will stay until Sat. Then Fairbanks for 2 days and then the journey back....stay tuned...

A Few Photos from the Boat Trip

2009-06-16T09:51:00.001-07:00

The boat tour was needlesstosay fabulous. We were out for 6 1/2 hours and saw glaciers, puffins, Orcas, porpoise and many other birds in their natural habitat. Absolutely amazing.

Ok, here ya go...a few of the 100 pictures I took

Holgate Glacier....about 1/4 mile wide and in some places 5000 feet deep. We were lucky enough to see huge chunks falling off

Monday, June 15th Exit Glacier

2009-06-16T00:29:00.001-07:00

No words at all for today....here are a few pictures from Exit Glacier. Short drive from Anchorage and then a mile hike....

Lots more pictures, over 100 from the Kenai Fjords Boat Tour - absolutely breath-taking. I'll need time to get all these downloaded...

Monday, June 15th

2009-06-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

Beautiful drive from Anchorage to Seward. Once settled in our motel, we met Nate (nephew). They had just come in from Resurrection Bay with 20,000 lbs of salmon. We went aboard and watched the process of removing the fish from the boat. It is then taken immediately to the processing plant less than a football field away. Salmon is processed, packaged and frozen within a couple of hours of being caught. Quite amazing...

Today, Monday - we have visited the Exit Glacier and will be leaving at 3:00 for a 6 hour dinner cruise - from Seward thru Resurrection Bay to Aialik Peninsula and Harris Peninsula. We will be seeing the Holgate and Aialik Glacier. I'll have a bunch more pictures to post later tonight or tomorrow.

From the Lucky Star - 20,000 pound catch

My sister and her son

A few pictures of our trip with the crew. They did not find any salmon - or in their lingo...did not run a set.

Saturday, June 13th

2009-06-13T20:09:00.001-07:00

Got sister, Ann, all situated in the 19 foot trailer. Went over the do's and don'ts and spent the day playing tourist in Anchorage. They have a Market Festival every Sat and Sun until mid Sept. Most of the vendors are selling Alaska made products. Was wonderful. Visited a few more places and ended up at Moose's Tooth (the brewery). Had a great time. People here are pretty friendly. Seem to enjoy talking to us "sourdoughs" (folks from the lower 48).

Heading to Seward tomorrow for 3 days. Leaving the RV in Anchorage and staying in a motel. Will be a treat for me. Salmon fishing is down, so not sure if my nephew, Nate, will still be in Seward or have moved over to Homer.

Ann and I will be taking a boat tour of the Kenai Peninsula. I'm sure it will be cold and wet, but gotta do it.....should be some great photos. Motel has wifi so you will be hearing from me......later.

Friday, June 12th...Pictures

2009-06-12T18:37:00.000-07:00

Taking forever to download...these will have to do for now. More tomorrow...have to get to
airport.

Friday, June 12th

2009-06-12T12:42:00.001-07:00

Oh, the train trip....there are no words to describe the beautiful scenery. Freezing cold in Seward - right on Resurrection Bay. The mountains were cloud covered but still gorgeous. The train was wonderful. I upgraded to Gold class and sat in dome car...with an observation deck. Fabulous and well worth the extra money. I took over 200 pictures. Saw 3 glaciers, moose, a black bear on the tracks; a female bald eagle sitting in her nest, 3 other bald eagles flying around. The bald eagle population is doing well - slowing coming back.

I will do my best to get some posted as soon as I can. Weather is getting iffyyy....even in Anchorage it's turned cooler. From what the folks on the train said (employees), the last 2 spring/summers have been terrible. This one started slow but much warmer than previous. Now it's turned cooler. We'll see what happens.

My nephew was in the harbor in Seward so I got to see him and met the captain of this salmon fishing boat. Only 4 guys on the boat including the captain. Lots of rules and laws to catching fish here. Highly regulated. My sister and I will head back down to Seward on Sunday. Nate should be back in the harbor late Sunday or Monday. We want to take one of the glacier tours to Kenai.

Ok, I'm going to work on my photos and try and post them later today.

Wednesday, June 10

2009-06-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

Spent most of the day playing tourist...which was most welcome...tourism is down about 20% so lower 48 $$$$ are most welcome. Found another brewery...Moose's Tooth...had a great time...really nice folks...I'm beginning to see that the average age here is about late 30's to late 40's. Not many ole folks like me seem to be full time residents. Also most are transplants..came here like me on vacation and every left....(hint....Carl!)....nah, I'll be back.

Clean and open city. Everyone is wondering why the weather has been so good. No rain for a couple weeks which is really unusual, and very warm...temps are in the 70's and 80's which is really strange.

Daylight is now 19 hours and 11 minutes - still weird, but I'm doing ok with it. I wonder how I would do with only 5 hours of daylight in the winter...I bet that's very difficult.

A photo of my first glacier...

Tomorrow I'm off on the train from Anchorage to Seward - yes, I'll be driving it on Sunday, but the train is supposed to be great, so why not. One day trip with a 5 hour layover in Seward. I can scope out places for us to stay at. There are cabins on the water which would be really cool. Long day...leave at 6:45 and don't return until 9:15 pm...but it will still be light....upgraded myself to a club car...all the amenities..I will take plenty of photos....

I've decided to leave the RV here and just drive to Seward...had the truck checked out today and the air filter, as I suspected, was a mess, so that was changed and some other minor stuff done. But, otherwise, the truck is really doing well.

Well, doesn't look like I cannot download anything tonight. Will try again late tomorrow or Friday morning. All is good!

Tuedsay, June 9

2009-06-09T16:23:00.001-07:00

I have arrived in Anchorage. First stop was a truck/rv wash - I have to be 20 pounds lighter. RV Park - only 1 of 4 in all of Anchorage - is ok, nothing special but it will do. Going to take one of the train trips, just don't know which one yet. Doing laundry now...once that is done and I'm cleaned up, I'll head into city center (Anchorage's downtown). RR station is there so I'll stop in and get more info. I have photos, but this wifi is pretty poor. I'll try again later.

One a different subject...Intel Colorado Springs is finally, yes, finally closed. My son and the few others that remained were let go officially today. Some of the facilities folks are being contracted or hired (not sure which) by the Real Estate Investment company that bought the campus. Someone needs to maintain minimum services on site.

Will post again later...

2009-06-08T17:33:00.000-07:00

More pics from my first day in Alaska!

Monday, June 8th

2009-06-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Wow and wow and holy wow! Magnificent - I'm running out of adjectives to describe Alaska....First, how about this photo!!!!

I'm in a wonderful, small RV park between no where and no where (actually, on the Alaska Hiway between Glennallen and Anchorage). Nothing else around but this place, surrounded by mountains. I have cable TV (not had that in a while) and wifi. Plus they have a cafe here so I'm going to treat myself to dinner out. I was able to download the one picture, but now I cannot seem to add more. I will try again later. I'll be in Anchorage tomorrow and will stay until Sunday. Ann (sister) arrives late Friday night. This will give me time to get everything cleaned and I mean cleaned. Thank heavens I did a truck/rv wash in Whitehorse. I'm also going to have the truck checked out again. Will be nice to stay put for a few days.

On Sunday, we head south to Seward to see my nephew. Seward is on Resurrection Bay which feeds from the Gulf of Alaska. This replaces Fairbanks, not a big deal. I love the ocean, so this should be great. I'm thinking of storing the RV in Anchorage, hopefully at the RV park I'm staying at. It's a long trip home, and I'd like not to beat it up anymore than necessary. I'll find out more about doing this tomorrow.

I will try posting more photos later...

Sunday, June 7

2009-06-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

Rough ride from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek...I'm about 40 miles from the USA border, but no RV parks there. The road was as awful as I read. However, the scenery was fantastic..the best yet. Not many places to pull over for pictures, so I just stopped in the road. I'm hard-wired here in the little store.

So much history thru this area - from the building of the highway to gold mining - fascinating..... As I drive this road, it is not hard to imagine those folks back in 1942 constructing the original road. How they did it is, however, beyond imagination. Year-round construction in 40 below zero temps...wow! And ever since then, the road is constantly under going improvements. Just before entering Beaver Creek, they has these pipes ( I have a picture but it's still in the camera), they are being used to try and find the best way to deal with the perma-frost melting. When it does, it becomes liquid and the road collapses. Now I know not everyone believes in Global Warming, but that seems to be the issue here. Major studies going on. I'm hope to find out more in Anchorage - I'm curious...

Some pictures...seems I can download a few...

Momma grizzly and cubs...that's her backend...

My last Arrogant Bastard beer!

From my boat ride on the Yukon River

All is Good!

Saturday, June 6

2009-06-06T17:59:00.000-07:00

Whitehorse, Yukon Territory...I did learn the difference between a Canadian Province and a Territory- (Alberta, British Columbia, etc. are Provinces). A province is not supported by the government to the degree a territory is. The Yukon and Northwest Territories are larger hunks of land with fewer people and therefore need addl assistance to maintain infrastructures. Whitehorse is the capital of the Yukon. Decent size town with a Walmart. I had dinner last night at the Yukon Mining Co restaurant....fresh trout...delicious. I also found the Yukon Brewing company. They only sell beer in growlers, so of course I had to get one. Their summer beer is Birch and they actually tap birch trees and add some of the sap to the beer. Very good....their motto is "beer worth freezing for"...gotta admit, that's pretty good. The RV park I'm at is nothing special...all rigs are just lined up, but I have wifi, satellite TV, and full hook ups for 26$...no complaints. I visited museums and main street today and also took the 2 hour boat ride on the Yukon River. This is a huge river and played an essential role during the building of the Alaska Highway. There is still ice and snow in the river...folks here are wearing shorts, tank tops, etc. cuz it's finally in the 70's. The population is extremly varied. Many, many native indians/eskimos - they are called First Nation people and there are many tribes. I cannot spell nor pronounce any of them. I'm surprised at how many senior citizens are here - no, not RVers, residents.

Tomorrow I'm heading thru the last stretch of the Alaska Highway and hope to cross into Alaska late Monday or Tuesday. This part of the highway has the most severe frost heaves so it will be slow going.

Friday, June 5th

2009-06-05T12:25:00.000-07:00

From Wed - Fort Nelson to Laird River.
Caribou

Muncho Lake...turquoise...beautiful!

Moose

First black bear, not a great shot - better one on Thursday

I'll post more this evening. I'm in Whitehorse, Yukon. Got here early and I've been washing the trailer and truck and clothes. I've also been crawling under the trailer to look for any issues, but all seems ok. Then I washed ME....on my way to see the sites in Whitehorse....later

Thursday, 6-4

2009-06-04T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm in Teslin, Yukon, camped on Nistulin Bay. The truck and trailer are filthy. Two several mile long construction areas today (one yesterday)....they water it down which makes mud and gets everywhere. Mud flaps on the truck help, but still it's a mess. Whitehorse, capital of the Yukon Territory is only 111 miles away so I'll be there early tomorrow I hope. This is a real city - population of 24,000. Staying at the Pioneer RV Park which has a RV wash, and will I use it. There is also the Yukon Brewery...no need to say more, huh! I'm staying in Whitehorse until Sunday - need to refresh and regroup before heading out for the last stretch to the border of the US of A again. Once I leave Whitehorse, the Alaska Highway is the worst for frost heaves. It will be a slow go, I'm sure. I'll get updated info in Whitehorse. I'd like to be in Tok Alaska by Monday night and in Anchorage by Thursday. Once in Tok, Alaska, I head south on the Glenn Highway. Anchorage is 328 miles south of Tok. Follows Wrangell-St. Elias National Park which is the largest park in the USA.

I have Wifi here in Teslin which is surprising - not strong enough to download anything...I tried.

Animal sightings....very, very cool!!!
I saw a black bear yesterday, and one today. Caribou, Moose and Stone Sheep yesterday also. And today...a momma grizzly and 2 cubs. Yes, I got pictures. I took them quick of the grizzly - she was busy eating and I kept the truck between her and I. I'll post to my blog this weekend. Also saw Bison, but could not get a picture. That wildfire near Laird River where I camped last night has grown. I left early this morning and they had pilot cars taking folks on the Alaska Highway, both directions. Here in Teslin, I heard they closed the highway for several miles late this morning. As I drove thru it this morning, you could see trees burning. The forest is right along the highway. In some areas, it has been cut down/back for maybe 20 to 40 feet from the highway. Sure glad I got an early start or I'd be stuck a couple hundred miles south.

Just tried to download a photo, but it won't go thru. There will be a bunch for you to view once I can get decent wifi.

All is good.

Wednesday, 6-3

2009-06-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Wow…what a day!

Saw my first black bear and got a picture. Then an Caribou, Moose and Stone Sheep. The sheep are all along the highway. You can stop and watch them, but if you step out of your vehicle, they take off.

I’m in Laird River – not a town, just a lodge with a campground, restaurant, small (very) store, gas and diesel. And they can charge anything they want….how about 1.58 a liter for gas. Really, highway robbery, but no other choice. There is a wild fire about 15 km north of here. They have been fighting it since Monday. The fire fighters are here at the lodge so if an evacuation is necessary, I’ll be one of the first to know. I did not unhook, so I can be outta here pretty quick.

The scenery today was magnificent. The Canadian Rockies are indescribable. I thought the Rocky Mts in Colorado were extraordinary – well, these are better. I’m hoping the photos will give you some idea.

I have not had cell service since Dawson Creek – not real comfortable traveling w/o it, but despite some rough road, slow speeds and construction, it was a good day. The construction was about a ¼ long…thru mud and gravel – thank heavens for 4x4….last thing I wanted to do was get bogged down in mud. Made for a very dirty trailer and truck. I hosed off both earlier today when I get here.

Should make it to Teslin, Yukon tomorrow. A bit more civilization.
Many, many of the one stop places have closed up. Sad, really – but like I’ve been saying, there are not a lot of folks on the road. I know I spend over an hour at a time w/o seeing one other vehicle. Allowed me to stop in the middle of the highway and take photos….one small advantage to no traffic. Will post again and add pictures when I can

Tuesday, June 2nd

2009-06-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Nice day and good drive. No issues at all. Road is all paved but there are areas of patches that are pretty rough. I'm in Fort Nelson, BC. Tomorrow with be a short drive day so I can stay at Muncho Lake...this lake is turquoise due to copper runoff. Supposed to be quite amazing. There is a provencial campground on the lake and I'd like to get as close to the lake as I can, for the day/night. Dry camping, no wifi, or any hookups so that means no postings from me until Thursday.

I am amazed at how "empty" the Alaska Highway is.....not many travelers at all. There are long periods of time when I feel I am the only one traveling on it. And yet, a bunch of RVs have pulled into this place in the last couple of hours. I recognize a few from Dawson Creek. This campground has a saloon and restaurant about 30 feet from my campsite...and of course I had to check it out. I'm an anomoly...traveling solo and being female and old at that. Nice conversation starter with the locals.

Funny story....I was passed by 3 cars with Arizona license plates. Speed limit is 100 km/h - or 60 mph (I'm getting the hang of the meter system)...anyway, I traveled at about 55 cuz I'm not sure of the road conditions and at 55 saves it me a 1 or 2 miles per gallon. They must have been going close to 70. About 50 miles later, I spotted red flashing lights...yup, you guessed it...all 3 were pulled over. No clue what kind of fine they got.

The natural gas line followed most of the 238 miles of the Alaska Highway that I was on today. Many, many dirt turnoffs with signs indicating compressor stations and many different Gas Companies. The smell of natural gas was evident in several areas. AND - I did see a male moose grazing, and a female and baby x'd the Alaska Highway in front of me but there was no time to get a photo. They don't really run, just kinda lumber along - and she made sure she got back in the trees with that baby.

A little history of Fort Nelson. This was the original beginning of the Alaska Highway back in 1942. The US Army had already built a road from Fort St. John (SW of Fort Nelson) to Fort Nelson. Zero was the military post that served as the launch point for road construction north to Whitehorse (Yukon).

Much warmer here and no reason why...elevation is actually a bit higher than Dawson Creek.

I should have much better views of the Canadian Rockies tomorrow, but you'll have to wait until I get wifi again to see the photos.

A few pictures from today:

Monday, June 1

2009-06-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, let's get right to it. I traveled the Alaska Highway for about 16 miles and turned off onto the original Alaska Highway...yeah, it gets confusing. But compare it to the original route 66 in the states. However, much of the original or Pioneer Road, as it was called, is still driveable at least to Fort Nelson. It was upgraded as soon as 1943. Anyway, there remains, and in very good shape, the only remaining wood bridge still in use. Kiskatinaw Bridge. Very impressive.

On a lighter note, I started seeing this sign around Chetwynd (south of Dawson Creek). At first glance, I thought it indicated a mountain range....yeah, yeah...laugh - I sure did. Mountain range yes, but on the road, not scenery. A very important sign along with the red triangles. Just a little humor (very little, I know)

I must say, these Canadians are sure layed back folks...much different than Americans. Non agressive drivers, everyone appears to say within or under the posted speed limits. Also, no sales tax on anything. I don't know what the % of property or income tax is. I know it's a lot to support their social system. Unemployment in British Columbia is over 13% - mainly due to the forest industry slowing down. Partly due to the lack of new construction but also due to the beetle infestation. It's bad in the US, but here is it much, much worse. Entire mountain sides have been destroyed. Radio is horrible....only a couple stations. One is government owned which is ok, but kinda boring since all it is talk-radio. Music is classic rock...and anything current is, obviously, by Canadian artists. Ice Hockey is huge here, no surprise, huh!!

A bit of good news. My sister will be joining me on June 12th. Her orthopedic doc will read the MRI on 6-9. He's sure she will need arthroscopic surgery, but will give her a cortisone cocktail, a brace, and schedule the procedure for July. A month ago the flights into Fairbanks were much less than those into Anchorage. Now, it's the opposite (Mike...you might want to check flights for your trip). A minor change to my tentative itinerary. I'll head to Anchorage instead of Fairbanks; meet my sister and we will go from there. She will stay and travel back to Colorado with me (via Alberta Canada). Her son is salmon fishing out of Homer for the summer. His first trip out on his assigned boat brought in 27,000 pounds of sock-eye salmon. We will try and coordinate seeing him depending on his schedule. Plus we want to take the train trip between Anchorage and Fairbanks, and the tour to the Arctic Circle. For the immediate future, I'm all set to head out tomorrow morning. The plan is to get to Fort Nelson. Tons, and tons of history. I did buy a book, pictorial history of the building of the highway - I'll use it as a guide for the historic stuff. (Kathy...I've started your magnet collection....) Ok, I've rambled on long enough. Thanks to all of you for your encouraging comments - all the comments are most appreciated.

A day in Dawson Creek

2009-05-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

It finally warmed up to about 60 degrees and right now the wind is quiet. It is 7:30pm but the position of the sun indicates, to me, that it should be around 4:00 pm. Currently there is approx. 16 hours of daylight. This will increase as I move north to around 20 hours.

I did meet 2 couples from California heading up the highway. They are not traveling together. Met one couple at the Visitor Center and the other at the RV Park. They are heading out tomorrow while I'm staying until Tuesday. There is a Chevy dealer here so I'm hoping to get my best friend on wheels checked out. Will get the tires rotated and balanced also. I'm sure I'll meet up with these folks later in the week, and that will be nice.

Per the folks at the Visitor Center, the highway is in pretty good shape. Worst part is at Destruction Bay - about 10 miles of very rough road. Destruction Bay is in northern Yukon between Haines Junction and Beaver Creek. Very important to adhere to all the flags and speed limit signs - which I have been doing.

No cable TV service here at this RV park. I did rent a couple of movies so I think I'll head over to the TV room and watch them....Later.

More photos....

Famous Signs:

Sunday, 5-31-09

2009-05-31T09:44:00.001-07:00

Cloudy and cold...45 degrees...but the 60 mph winds are down to 20 mph. It was still daylight at 10:00 pm last night and light again at 3:32 this morning.

Here are photos from Sumas, WA to Quesnel, BC., 10 Mile Lake Provencial Park

I'll post again later today.

Saturday...5-30-09

2009-05-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, sorry you had to put up with my melt-down...today was a good day. Made it to Dawson Creek. Nice town except for the 40 mph wind with gusts of 60mph (I was told this is not the norm)...ugh....but I got settled in and found a local pub...nice people. I'm here until Tuesday. I want to get the truck checked out on Monday - I did find a Chevy dealership..no issues, but with towing and so many 6 and 7% grades, I want to get the transmission checked and the tires rotated and balanced. I did finally see the red triangle flags that are posted for the "frost heaves"...whoa...are they accurate. And yes, at this point I'm over my lonliness meltdown and intend to continue. There are a couple day trips to take from here, one of which I will take tomorrow, Sunday. I need to do wash and all that housekeeping stuff before heading on the infamous Alaska Highway. I have convinced myself to slow down...I'm way ahead of my original schedule and need to take more time seeing sites than driving. It is 1500 miles to Fairbanks and I intend to take 7 or more days to get there.

While I have wifi here, photos are not downloading so I will get to Starbucks (yes, I saw one) tomorrow and get lots of photos added to my Sunday post.

Friday-- 5-29-09

2009-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Friday – 5-29-09

Nice drive, no issues at all from Sumas,WA to Quesnel, BC (the S is silent). I’m staying at the 10 Mile Lake Provencial Park…very nice. No hook ups but spacious sites in beautiful wooded area. Lots of bear warnings….The sites near the lake were full and those that weren’t were horribly uneven. There is a “touring” campground up the road from the lake and that’s where I am. Did not want to unhook cuz I’m just here for the night.

Everything is going quite well …except, I really don’t like this traveling alone. Not working for me. I have a long way to go and then a very long way back. Spent the last hour looking over maps and I’m thinking that maybe this was a bit aggressive on my part. Having someone to travel with, makes a world of difference. All the oohs and ahs, just don’t mean very much when it’s only you seeing the sites.

My sister was thinking of joining me in Fairbanks, but she fell while dancing, and hurt her knee pretty bad. (and yes, I wish I had a video of this) She will probably need arthroscopic surgery. She’s bummed and so am I. That was a very positive incentive to keep going. When my house-mate backed-out, and my sister stepped up, I just felt better about the entire trip. Life happens, huh?
Call me chicken or whatever else you want. I will get to Dawson Creek tomorrow and stay until Monday. I will think hard and long about continuing. My alternate plan would be to head south from Dawson Creek into Alberta, Canada; to Great Falls, MT and then maybe Yellowstone, and Rocky Mt Natl Park and home to Colorado Springs. It feels like I’m a failure – and that’s kinda silly…it’s my sabbatical/vacation and I can change my mind. However, deep down I do feel like I let myself down. I’ll make my final decision over the weekend and will post my travel plans. Thanks for listening...

Thursday...

2009-05-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Thursday....good day. After the banking stuff, I drove around Abbotsford and Mission, BC. Although I’m not a flower person, I did find a park that had the most beautiful rhododendrons. I’ve been seeing these since Eugene, OR. Low and behold, I stumbled on a park that has acres of these.
Then I spent the rest of the day tighten all the loose screws and bolts on the trailer; checking the tires and getting groceries.

I got a bunch of neighbors a few hours ago. A small caravan (3) of Motorhomes heading to Anchorage, but taking the eastern route. They were here in 2005 and took my route, the western one to Dawson Creek and on to Fairbanks. This is the most popular one and being solo, the safest one for me. Nice folks and very encouraging.

Treated my self to dinner at Bob’s Burgers and Brew….the most popular place in this little town….great draft beer…Alaskan Amber and Alaskan White. No surprise….huh!!

Oh, my story about xing the border back to the US of A….dumb me, found a produce market in Abbotsford. And silly me, I purchased a couple apples, a tomato and a bulb of garlic. Now I’m at the border xing….and of course, I have to pull over for an agriculture check. The garlic was the culprit and confiscated. But now that they have you, they proceed to go thru my entire truck, including my new truck box. Oh well, my stupidity – and no issues at all – other than I lost my garlic.

Will post photos when I can.

Thursday - Day of Banking

2009-05-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Geez - you'd think with all the folks that travel, banks would come up with a pre-paid debit card....no such thing in Canada. So, I'm now carrying a wod of canadian cash.....this will have to do.

Anyway, Abbotsford is a large, small town. Many of the same stores and restaurants, but equally as many I've never heard of. Sure are alot of bars/clubs for a small town.

I won't have internet for the next day or two. I want to stay in provencial parks that are supposed to be beautiful, but no hookups. I may find wifi in small towns, but I just don't know.

Later...

Wed. 5-27-09

2009-05-27T18:25:00.001-07:00

Thank heavens for GPS systems...otherwise I'd still be lost in Seattle. What a mess. I took the advice of many folks and got off of I-5 and did the east route on 405. My mistake was getting off the 405 for gas. You'd think it would be easy on - but NO.....Henry, (male voice of my GPS - and yes, I find myself talking to him)....GPS came thru and got me turn-around the right way. I'm in a very small town - Sumas, Washington - literally on the Canadian border. I'll spend tmo night here also and use the time for banking and groceries and just checking stuff out. Some of these US highways are in horrible shape. I knew I'd have ruff roads in Canada, but was not expecting such poor conditions in the lower 48. Tourist season - by that I mean - folks heading to Alaska - has not fully started yet. I did read about the first wave of RVers that left from an annual rally in Albuquerque a few weeks ago. I'm sure they have seen snow or got snowed on. I think I'm in the next batch of folks - typically the season starts after Memorial Day Holiday. I'd like to meet up with some folks and tag along - for no other reason than for safety.

No pictures tonight. I'll take some tmo when I am in Abbotsord, Canada. Oh, I'm sitting in my truck outside the Sumas Youth Center, which is closed- free WiFi here, but not at the campground. Whatever works, huh! I do have cable TV - get caught up on the news.

Talk to you all on Thursday.

Tuesday - Continued

2009-05-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

You have to realize, this blog is more for me - a way to keep a running diary of my trip - so my posts might get tedius...just ignore.

After playing with maps and several books, I've decided to spend tomorrow night in Sumas, Washington. This small town is literally on the Canadian border. This way I can travel over to Abbotsford w/o the trailer and get the banking done. I need to exchange money and see about getting a debit card in canadian money. BofA charges a 3% transaction fee each time I use my current BofA debit card. NOT!!! There must be another option. Scotia Bank is part of the BofA network of banks, so that's where I'll head. I will also get a phone card, yes, those old cards. But, cell service in areas I'm headed to does not exist. Best to have some way to let my son and sister know I'm still doing ok.

Once all that banking/money stuff is done, I can hook up on Thursday and get on Canadian Highway 1 and really, really get this adventure going.

For you patience, another photo....you can tell I really enjoy photographing landscapes. My new camera is great - and I am still learning all the neat stuff it can do.

And lastly, my home for the night,

Tuesday, 5-26-09

2009-05-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Better WiFi tonight - a couple more photos from Yosemite

After leaving Stockton/Lodi area, I spent most of the morning bucking headwinds...not fun. When I reached S. Oregon, the winds died down and the uphills started. OR is really a beautiful state. I made it to Eugene as I had planned. Not a bad solo first day.

Ok, This Is It...

2009-05-25T22:28:00.000-07:00

Time to put up or shut up....I intend to hit the road by 5:30am tmo, and get this show on the road. I'm including photos from Yosemite... a day trip taken today. I have not been to Yosemite for 35 years at least. It is gorgeous. Very green, lush and beautiful. Well worth the day trip.

So, the WiFi I have is not allowing any more photos...this one will have to do.

Not sure when I'll have Internet access again, so stay tuned, you will hear from me.

To all my co-workers, I'm thinking about you all...I know, not supposed to, but these are really tuff times. I hope you all had time to relax over the long weekend.

Cindy

Saturday, 5-23

2009-05-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

More pictures of El Capitan State Beach...

Visited a 1897 Railroad Museum in Jamestown near Yosemite. This is a very nice area of California. Beautiful vineyards and lots of them.

Also gave the truck some fresh blood - oil change. I did not have enough mileage to warrant one when I left Chandler.

Wifi here is excellent so you'll hear from me again before I head out solo on Tuesday.

Cindy

Friday, May 21st

2009-05-22T17:54:00.000-07:00

Made it to Lodi/Stockton area. Much warmer than the coast. All is ok, a few minor clitches, but all fixable. I did buy an air compressor while in Goleta. Good to have as I head north. I'm behind on pictures so here goes....

Me, in Chula Vista...see, I told you I would try and get better with the tripod!!!

These are from Goleta, El Capitan State Beach - I'm trying out collages....

Well, that's it for now. I am getting nervous again.....but I think I just need to get heading north. I expect to do so on Tuesday. I'm still traveling with my house-mate. We should part ways on the 26th.

Cindy

Travel Day - Wed. 5-20

2009-05-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

Traveling north to the beach. Humidity here is extremly high, but my skin is likin' it. Will not have hookups let alone internet connection so it may be a couple days before you hear from me....

Monday...And I'm Not at Work

2009-05-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

It does feel strange, but I'm liking it...beautiful day at the marina...Let's get right to it since I'm way behind on pictures. Went to the USS Midway yesterday at San Diego Harbor. The renowned carrier has been turned into a floating museum and it's wonderful. Let's start with photos of the RV park and Marina and then the USS Midway..
Heading out to Old Towne tonight with the group for mexican food...and of course margaritas....

To better view the photos, just click on it...should work - let me know if it does not.
Thank heavens for libraries...lightening fast internet connections....will post again before I head north to El Capitan State Park - just north of Goleta...dry camping on the beach...

Cindy

Yes, that's me next to my rig...getting used to using the tripod..I'll improve, I hope. Steve Z...very nice Marina here...

Ahhh - Good Nights Rest

2009-05-17T08:51:00.001-07:00

Amazing what 60 degree temps will do to calm the body and soul and allow sleep to just happen....oh, I guess I should add, not much stress right now...I do keep thinking I'm just on a 5 day vacation and not 11 weeks...I'm sure that will go away soon.

We have a tour of the USS Midway scheduled for today. US government turned to carrier into a museum. Looking forward to that. I think a bicycle ride is in order later today. I did not bring mine - did not want the hassle of dealing with it, but they do rent them here. I will try downloading photos later.

Cindy

Chula Vista - Made It

2009-05-16T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yuma was uneventful except for the 106 degree temps....long night. I don't have generators and trust me, bedding does not dissipate heat - ugh....but all is good now. I really enjoy traveling in an RV caravan. Everyone looks out for each other via radios. Someone runs into trouble, we all stop and do what we can to help. That did not happen this trip and it was a smooth trip from Yuma to Chula Vista. Oh, no one in Arizona should EVER complain about AZ drivers. These folks here in CA are totally nuts....blinkers mean nothing at all.

70 degrees with an off shore breeze....wonderful.

Photos may have to wait...wifi is being finicky....not downloading my award winning pictures...will try and get a better connection....stay tuned

Cindy

On My Way

2009-05-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

It's time... I'm hoping I return in the exact same condition you see here...Mr. Fisher, notice my equalizer/stabilizer hitch. Part of the many improvements I made. Will post again from Chula Vista....

The Night Before...

2009-05-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Thurs. 5-14 - all the last minute chores getting done. These photos are from the website of the Chula Vista RV Park. A pretty classy place, and yes they let me in there. Spending the night, Fri. at the casino in Yuma, with the RV group I travel with several times a year. Nice folks - all retired.

Our reservations begin Sat. I also found a brewery in Chula Vista - a must visit!

Almost....

2009-05-13T07:53:00.000-07:00

Last major purchase done...Olympus E-410 Digital SLR camera and at a great price. Model being replaced so it was on special. I need to learn all about the great things it can do, but I will have time in San Diego to do just that.
Now it just a matter of finishing up work stuff and loading up the last minute clothes and food into the RV. Still working on my itinerary and I'm sure that will be an on-going task. I'm following a blog of a couple that are headed to Chicken Alaska to work at a campground for the summer. They ran into a snowstorm yesterday in Fort Nelson, British Columbia....GREAT!...but, not unexpected. I'm prepared as I can be - If I have to stay a couple days, wherever that is, to ride out the weather, so be it. One reason the itinerary will continue to be tweeked.

5 Days To GO

2009-05-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

5-9/10: Got most of my to-dos done. Always last minute things to do, but I feel I'm in pretty good shape. I can only prepare for so much. Road conditions and weather are the biggies that I certainly have no control over. Have not purchased that new camera yet - working on that this week. Truck and Trailer are all waxed - I'll check tires and pack food and remainder of clothes on Thursday. I think I'm finally starting to get excited.

Preparations Continue

2009-04-20T14:04:00.000-07:00

15" wheels and 8 ply trailer tires now on the Pioneer
New tires on the truck - Big O, 10 ply
New equalizer/stabilizer hitch on truck.
Reorganized and rearranged the trailer. Removed stuff not used to lessen some weight
Truck box for bed of truck purchased and will be installed this week
Yet to buy: new digital SLR camera
Initial itinerary is done
I continue to read everything I can re: British Columbia, Yukon and of course Alaska

4 Weekends to Go

2009-04-11T07:36:00.000-07:00

Raining today, Sat. Can't say AZ doesn't need it. Been working on my itinerary and going thru all the books I have. Very enjoyable, really. I am almost done rearranging and reorganizing my trailer. I have been able to lighten the load and get things rearranged. Needed to be done - my trip to Alaska makes it a necessity.