There’s no place like home

TUESDAY, September 3, day 44

Our host at this Small Towne RV Park is quite the character.  The owner is a skinny middle age dude with a long scraggly beard.  The park is surrounded by collapsing buildings and there are only 8 or so sites on weedy gravel.  No bathrooms or showers.  Yet, I think he thought he was operating a five star operation.   He seemed truly offended when we declined the outside rug he offered - told us it came with the site, so we used it.  Each site had its own scented bag lined trash can.  When we exited the trailer in the morning we were greeted with a copy of the local newspaper on our doorstep.  Really, I can’t make this stuff up.

It was difficult and a shame to pass historic site and national park sign after sign, but we made each other put our blinders on.  We are on a mission.  I was amazed at the great number of oil rigs we saw as we sped through North Dakota.

WEDNESDAY, September 4, day 45

Today we traveled through South Dakota and Minnesota and finally called it a night at the Flying Goose RV Park in Palmer MN.  What a beautiful park on a private lake.  It would not have taken much to convince me to stay put and rest there for a few nights!

THURSDAY, September 5, day 46

On the road, listening to John Grisham’s book, The Racketeer (really, really good) - heading to Wisconsin to visit our friends Dennis and Kris.  It was so good to see them and catch up on each other’s lives over the best apple pie ever (every bit as good as the one she made the last time we visited!). Kris made killer brats, potato salad and beans for supper.  The perfect dinner for travel weary guests.  I pooped out halfway through the Packers game and we headed to bed.  The end game is in sight.

FRIDAY, September 6, day 47

One last visit over coffee and cinnamon rolls (I made Kris promised not to make breakfast) and we were on the road again.  Home.  We were so happy to make it to Hannibal, MO.  Only a few hours left.   The place looked really good to us.  Greg mowed the grass just the day before and it looked like a park along the road and pond.  We can’t thank him enough for taking care of things while we were gone.

A little bit about Sadie Jo.  She does not mess in the house ever.  Well, almost ever.  Unless she wants to get a point across.  You know, just let us know she is not pleased with us.  When we first embarked on this adventure she pooped on the trailer floor the first few nights.  Then when she felt she had gotten her point across, she never had another “accident”.  She was so excited to get home!  She happily ran around and around.  Then the moment we turned our backs, she pooped in the middle of the kitchen floor, then sat prettily next to it until we noticed.   Nice welcome home present Sadie.

Thanks for joining us on this adventure.  It is one we will never forget.  Dang it feels good to be home!  How many miles did we drive you ask?  Only 12,295...

THURSDAY, August 29, day 47

Today is a beautiful sunny day.  Temperatures are the usual 40 something.  The geese are heading South and so are we.

FRIDAY, August 30, day 40

We stayed at the Purdue Lake Provincial Park last night.  Primitive and sooooo cold.  We were on the road early this morning.  My copy of the Milepost that tells you mile by mile through Alaska is three years old (yes, that is how long I’ve been planning this trip).  We trusted it about where gas would be available… the gas station was out of business.  This has happened quite a few times, where business had closed since the book was published, but it never much mattered.  Except this time.  By the time we arrived at the next service station, our Toyota informed us that we had a 10 mile range left.   Way too close for comfort.

We may not have electricity, but we won’t go hungry....

Lesson learned:  Never pass up a gas station!

We skipped Prince George.  It is a large city needing more time to explore than we were willing to give.

Finally  the Iceland Parkway towards Jasper, Lake Louise, and  Banff.  As we entered Jasper, there was a herd of elk eating grass along the side of the road.

Here I will say, I was totally unprepared for this portion of the trip.  I had no idea that these places were very popular tourist towns with many shops, and tons of tours available to see the sights.  There was absolutely no place to park a trailer and no place to stay.  We saw some beautiful scenery along the way but quickly realized Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff were destinations that had to be carefully planned, not someplace you could just drive in to  and enjoy.  I think Lake Louise was the most surprising.  I truly thought there would be a busy pullout where people would be checking out another gorgeous lake.  Wrong.  Lake Louise is a mountain town and ski resort.  Tourists reminded us a little bit of Branson, with the overflow parking for Lake Louise looking a bit like a SDC lot.  We high tailed it out of there.  We drove through Banff, mostly because we needed gas again.  It is a very old, very well preserved town, but not for driving around with a travel trailer in tow.

Banff

View of evening walk in our primitive campground in Banff

Finding a place to stay was the biggest challenge.  We set our sight on a provincial park about in the middle between Banff and Lake Louise, hoping most people would be trying to stay closer to one town or the other.  We drove through the campground the first time and saw that all sites were reserved.  Just on the off chance we had missed a tag, we drove through again.  Just as we were about to give up, Jim noticed a green tag clipped on top of the red reserved tag.  It was available for one night only.  Thank you God (yes, I was once again praying).  I cannot tell you how many times I have said a prayer and it has been answered!  So we stayed at Rampart Provincial Park and watched car after car drive through hoping to snag that one last site that we had already taken.

SATURDAY, August 31st, day 41

We left our site in the rain once again.  We have not been unhooking the trailer during these one night stops, so getting going consists of securing the inside of the trailer.   Even though it has been raining, the beauty peeks out around every corner.  The mountains dodging in and out of the fog are especially fascinating, but impossible to capture on film.

Today we took off on the Trans Canadian Highway.  There were quite a number of animal crossing  tunnels over the road.  That was neat to see.  Tonight we stayed in a very full Bridgeview RV Park in Lethbridge.

SUNDAY, September 1, day 42

We are still on the Trans Canadian Hwy and After many weeks of Mountain View’s, our systems are being shocked by the wide open farm country we have just entered.  Oops.  We forgot to get gas. Again.  Thankfully we only had to backtrack 5 or so miles.  We were finally waved through our final border crossing at Coutts/Sweetgrass with the usual questions of how long have you been in Canada (which time and we can’t remember at this point), what have you bought (nothing, we can’t afford it) and do you have an Cannabas products on you (never got into that).

MONDAY, September 2, day 43

We spent last night in Lewistown, MT at Mountain Acres RV Park.  I must say clean bathrooms and a hot shower sure felt wonderful – especially since the showers were free, unlike in CA where they charge you to shower after you’ve already paid premium prices to camp there.  It felt strange to exit the camper this morning and not have to look around for bears, plus the temperatures are already in the 80’s.  What a change a few days can make.

Since we took a trip west through Montana, Utah and many western states just a few years ago, we are intent on making time with the goal of home.

Hello Montana!

The spaces are wide open with mountains in the distance and the grasses golden.  Very pretty.  It seems the little towns we are going through have a Casino in every storefront – in restaurants, bars, and miscellaneous stores.  I cannot imagine how much money people throw away every day hoping to get rich.

We are now sitting in a tiny RV park, appropriately name Small Towne RV Park, in Terry Mt,  where the guy insisted on helping us plug in our electric.  The plan is to make it to Wisconsin by Thursday, a quick visit with our dear friends Dennis & Kris, and then home by Sunday evening or Monday.  The end is near and we are very ready.  If you’ve read this much, more power to you!

Sadie Jo is still hanging in there with us.  She has found her favorite perches both in the trailer and the car.  What a trooper!

FRIDAY, August 23, Day 41

We are now on our way to Skagway.  We have already traveled portions of many of the roads we are now on again.   On the way to Whitehorse, again on the Alaska Highway, we were treated with the sight of wild horses along the roadside.  The mountains appeared black this morning and the waters below reflected that black color.  Amazing.  The pullout to a viewing of Moon Lake was incredibly busy and impossible to pull into.  That’s ok, we were certainly able to see it from the Highway.
We took the South Klondike Highway down, down, down, to Skagway, going through customs once again since Skagway is back in AK.

Skagway is a charming port town popular with cruise ships.  Once again we were lucky enough to get a very nice site - this time at the Pullen RV Park, just a short walk to town and to the port.  It has been too cold to lower our trailer deck and sit outside, but jackets were perfect for strolls around town.

Downtown Skagway looking towards the harbor

SATURDAY, August 24, Day 42

Today was rainy and lazy.  We were going to take a ferry to Haines or Juneau but it was cost prohibitive.  Everybody is grumbling about the Government cut backs on their ferry system.  The earliest we could get a ferry to Juneau was Tuesday at 11:something pm with a return time just as crazy.  We checked into fast ferry’s to Haines and that seemed possible but since we had not scheduled with a tour, there was no easy way to get around Haines once we got there.  This became a time to cut our losses and save a little money.  We really enjoyed and needed the down time.

We found a great old porcelain coffee pot at this antique shop as a souvenir

This shop had the most gorgeous Alaskan themed material.  I may have drooled a bit.

SUNDAY, August 25, Day 43

We woke to fog this morning, which we have come to expect.  Today are taking the White Pass Railroad through the mountain pass.  So glad we scheduled a 1:00 tour.  The morning mist was perfect for browsing through shops and checking out the many cruise ships.  By mid morning the mist had lifted and the sun was peaking out.  What a perfect afternoon for sight seeing!  Our tour guide told me she had some mighty unhappy guests at 8:00 this morning.  Visibility was zero.

After enjoying beautiful scenery and hearing many stories and tales of the mountain pass, it was time to do a little more walking and call it a day.

White Pass bridge

Our White pass Railroad Train

An interesting fact that I’ve discovered while reading the many brochures that are provided along the way is that President Donald Trump’s  grandfather was very much a part of the AK gold rush during the late 1800’s and very early 1900’s.  But he wasn’t panning for gold, he was providing top notch restaurants, liquor, and every comfort a man might wish for.  As the speculation for gold would move, so would his “hotels” and restaurants.  What is it that they say about the apple not following far from the tree……

MONDAY, August 26th, Day 44

Travel day with a lot of backtracking over roads we had already traveled.  Back through customs and back into CA

TUESDAY, August 27th, Day 45

The plan was to take Junction 37, the Cassiar Highway.  The turn-off to Cassiar was like any county roads you might find in Missouri.  We came very close to missing it and once we took it were questioning if we had made a mistake.  As we drove we saw mile after mile, thousands of acres of devastation from forest fires, apparently from a long time ago.

Finally the scenery opened up to a tree lined highway that reminded us a bit of the Natches Tres minus the cudzu.  There was very little traffic, so we were able to drive slow and appreciated the beauty – just because we could.  The vastness of the wilderness was almost overwhelming.

The tourist trap on the Cassiar Hwy is the Jade Store, advertised to have the largest selection of Canadian jade and affordable prices.  The claim about the huge selection was absolutely true.  Jade was everywhere, huge blocks along the side of the road, waiting to be worked up and smaller pieces everywhere.  But the prices were definitely not cheap.  As we entered the store we passed a sign that a film company was filming a TV series on the Jade shop and if we entered, we were agreeing to be filmed.  No cameras were rolling and we are still trying to figure out how they could get enough content for a TV series at the Jade Shop.

Raw had was everywhere

It softly rained off and on all day, making for a fairly easy drive.  Our plan was to stay at a Lodge at the Junction of Cassiar Hwy and 37A, the Glacier Highway.  The park was full so we took our chances with the RV park at the end of Glacier Highway.  What a treat!  The name of the highway held true to the views.  Glaciers were visible all along the highway.  The road wound down through Bear Creek Canyon to Steward, CA.  A very tiny town with a few shops and a very welcome site of an RV Park.  Steward is on the Pacific Ocean.  The US owns a very small strip of land on the other side of Steward, the town of Hyder.

WEDNESDAY, August 28th, day 46

Glorious sunshine!  We drove into Hyder, AK before getting back on the road.  What a sad little town.  Buildings are mostly boarded up, and those occupied probably should not have been.  At the end of town the US Park Service (I think) had built a viewing platform for tourists to see bear getting salmon.  We had thought of trying to see that, but the water was out and the ranger was nice enough to tell us that only one bear had been seen in several days.  The crazy thing is to get back to Steward….. you guessed it.  We had to go back through customs.

We are pretty seriously headed for home at this point.  Glacier Highway, back up to Cassiar Hwy and then back on the Yellowhead Highway heading for Prince George, Icefield Parkway, Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff then home.

Well, I am having a lot of trouble loading photos, so they will be few and far between.  It seems I can load them ok from my iPad but not from the computer, where the good ones are.  Life goes on as we make our way back home.

DAY 36, SUNDAY, August 18th

Mountain Ash Tree

It got cold last night - the temperature in the trailer this morning was 49 degrees.  We weren't very far from our destination, Seward and according to my travel bible, The Milepost, there was a no reservations campground on the waterfront, so we felt our chances were pretty good for getting one of those.  Resurrection Waterfront Campground.  It was like playing a game of musical chairs to camp there.  As one RV pulled out, another was waiting to pull in.  We were one of the lucky ones to get a spot right on the Port of Seward.

Waterfront view from our campsite

Woke up to this view

We immediately noticed the smell of smoke and a haze in their air from a fire that was a mile and 1/2 away (at least that is what we were told).  After we got settled in, we set out to explore Seward.  One of the first signs we happened onto was one for Chugah National Forest and the Chugah National Park.  We thought, what the heck, let's check it out.  Keep in mind, we were not equipped for a hike.  No backpack and water and most importantly, no hiking boots.  The park ranger told us if we walked .5 mile in there was a telescope to view Exit Glacier.  Easy peasy.  But that wasn't enogh.  We had to get closer.  So we kept walking.  By the time the path became incredibly steep with large rocks to climb on and over, we were too far in to give up.  Once we got to the viewing spot, I would have given anything to trade my tennis shoes in for a pair of hiking boots and a bottle of water.  Incredibly, some were wearing flip flops.  It was definitely worth the hike!


DAY 37, Monday, August 19th

It is nice to wake up to the sounds and smell of water.  Both the smell of smoke and the haze had lifted.  We are really enjoying our camp spot on the waterfront.  We had an easy morning in downtown Seward.  The Sea Bean Coffee Shop was the WiFi hangout, with everyone sitting and staring at their phones.  We browsed through the shops and bought a colorful print as a souvenir of our trip.


In the afternoon we hopped on a boat with Major Marine Tours to do some wildlife viewing with the National Park Service.  The scenery was great and we saw a number of glaciers.  The highlight of the trip was two or three hump back whales who put on a show for us.  One would go under and another would blow and raise it's back out of the water and do a tail flip.  At one point two raised out of the water at the exact same time as if they were doing synchronized swimming.  There were sea otters, seals, a mountain goat, an Eagle and Puffins.  I've seen Puffins in Zoos before, but let me tell you, they are cool to see in the wild.  They glide along the water and fly onto rocks so easily.  They reminded me  of a big bumble bee - with their large body and tiny wings, one has to wonder how they can fly.

Back to the camper for a relaxing evening.

DAYS 37, 38, 39 - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, August 20, 21, and 22

Our next stop, and biggest disappointment of the trip so far, was Homer.  Sterling Hwy to Homer was closed due to the forest fires.  We were really looking forward to the Kenai Peninsula.  We heard the salmon were running and bear watching was at its prime.  But it wasn't meant to be.

It is time to start backtracking to complete the loop.  The days are overcast or hazy because of the fires, we are never quite sure which.  Often the mountains in the distance were obscured.  Glenn Hwy took us to Road House Lodge in Palmer, the oldest lodge on Glenn Hwy.  A young couple had taken it over seven years ago and were in the process of fixing it up.  Karen, the lady of the lodge, offered up road kill, aka muskrat chili.  When I requested a glass of wine she asked if I would like to see the wine list, then promptly set four travel size bottles of Sutter Home wine on the counter top for me to choose from.  Now that is service.  Her husband, Andy, showed us the "Comfort Stations" and admonished us not to leave water on the floors if we showered.  I really hope they make a go of it.

At Glennallen we got on the Richardson Hwy, which reminded us of a roller coaster with all of the unexpected dips in the road.  Our expectation of the scenery on Richardson Hwy wasn't much.  It was just a means of getting to where we needed to go.  Boy were we wrong.  The first many miles were a trial, but towards the end we noticed the Alaskan Pipeline had been running along it the entire way, over creek beds, up mountains.  Fascinating.  Then we came to Rainbow Ridge and Rainbow Mtn, Isabelle Pass and the Gulcana Glacier.


Lesson learned:  Expect the unexpected

Thursday we continued backtracking through Alaska and the Yukon and BC, crossing into Canada at Beaver Creek.  Every time we thought the roads couldn't get any worse, we were proven wrong.  These rough Yukon roads were about as unpredictable as they came.  Mostly the dips were so extreme,  I was afraid something was going to come lose on the trailer.  An interesting site along the way.... a stove with the oven door open sitting on the side of the road with an "OPEN RANGE" sign propped on it.

We stopped to get gas at Kluane Lake, a gorgeous body of water that goes on for many miles.  The gas station attendant said the purity of the water is what makes it look the way it does.  We spent the night at the Otter Falls RV Park in Burwash Landing.  Not much of a park, but folks were nice and there was electricity.

Fall comes early in Alaska.  Since we have been here we have noticed a sharp decline in temperatures with the days barely rising to the 50's and nightimes dipping to the low 40's or less.  The leaves on the bushes and trees are changing colors and dropping their leaves.

Fall in Alaska

We've decided Alaskans have a strange sense of humor when naming their places of businesses.  Here are some examples:

Mug Shot Saloon
Skinny Dicks Halfway Inn
Nauti Otter Inn
Pit Bar
Tournagen Arm Pit BBQ
Moose Run Golf Course
Noisy Goose Cafe
Purple Moose Espresso
The Sudzy Salmon Car Wash
Morning Wood Hotel
I'll just leave it there.

DAY 27, Friday, August 9th

Today we made our way to Carcross.  The scenic drive gave way to lakes and fairly easy driving.  On the way we saw a baby Grizzlie.  We sure thought we'd see a lot more wildlife than we have, but then we aren't even quite halfway there.

The bridge leading into Teslin was about as unique as they come.

Teslin Bridge

Carcross was the next stop on our itinerary.  It has tiny shops along a board walk.  Judging by the number of tour buses, it is apparently a popular shore excursion stop for cruise ships.
Carcross boasts of the "World's Smallest Desert".  As I walked into the desert, I saw no difference in temperature, but apparently it grows flowers that are only able to survive a few places in the world.

There were interesting carved totem poles leading into the Welcome Center.

So much beautiful scenery, but one of the best was Emerald Lake.  They got the name right on this one.  It truly is the color of Emeralds.

Emerald Lake

We called it a day at High Country RV Park in Whitehorse.  Packed in like sardines, sewage odor was awful, highway and airport noise.  So, do you think I would recommend this park to anyone?  You guessed right.

DAY 28, Saturday, August 10th

Today we left the Alaska Highway and headed West on Hwy 2 towards Dawson City.

We've been noticing an increase in tour buses and caravans of RV's traveling together. 
Today we spent hours on long stretch of roads with views of rivers, hills and trees. 
Around Pelly Junction we began to refer to this trek as the Klondike version of Kansas.  Things were so repetitious.  Bad roads with bushes and brush along the side.  And then out of nowhere a river would break through or a colorful hill or mountain could be seen in the distance. 

The road from Pelly Junction to Dawson City was the worst on the trip so far.  It was very wavy and bumpy,  had soft shoulders, and had a number of gravel sections. 

Observations: 

There is very little litter along the road ways.
It seems those traveling these roads have a deep respect for the raw beauty of nature and don't want to defile it.  Or maybe it is just the fact that there are no fast food restaurants or convenience stores with disposable cups, bags, boxes, etc. waiting to be tossed out of car windows.
People speed.  A lot.
Pay telephones are not a thing of the past in Canada.  I guess because cell service is so sparce, they are still important.  I have been surprised to see them in many of the campgrounds we have stayed in.
If you turn your bedding inside out, you have clean sheets.

SUNDAY, August 11, Day 29

We were very lucky to attend Mass at St. Mary's in Dawson City.  Built in 1896, the structure is very historic.  The parish office was on the main floor and the church was up three short flights of stairs.  Having worked in the funeral business for 12 years, all Jim could think was how in the world did they get caskets up those stairs. 

The priest greeted us at the door, assigning liturgical roles to people as they entered.  I got to read the second reading and Jim helped take up offertory.  There were only a handful of regular parishioners, six at the most.  At the end of Mass the priest said that today there were visitors from Germany, the Philippines, Czech, Italy, the US, and of course Canada.

Dawson City is everything I expected Dawson Creek to be.  I guess I just had to be patient.  The buildings are very historic, and the streets made of packed dirt, just as they would have been in the Gold Rush days.  The casino seemed to be doing a booming business, but we moved on and skipped that.  We were looking towards the next leg of the trip.

DAWSON CITY PHOTOS

Our plan was to take Top of the World Hwy 9 to Alaska.  After fellow campers pulled into campground with "I survived the Top of the World Hwy" written in the mud on the back of their cars and RVs, we were seriously reconsidering our plans.  So we hopped in the 4Runner and did a trial run.  Through the rain, mist, sunshine, drop dead gorgeous scenery, rainbows, more rain, paved and then gravel/dirt roads, deep ravines, steep cliffs and inclines we went.

View from Top of the World Hwy

One of several rainbows

Yes, people bike the Hwy.  We actually saw this couple crawl out of their tent when we headed back over the Hwy the next morning.

On the way back to camp we decided with my fear of heights and drop-offs, that we would seek out an alternate route.  That thought was short lived when we realized the many miles it would add to our trip.  So, over the top we will go again tomorrow.

The US/Canadian Border is at the end of Top of the World Highway, with Taylor Hwy beginning on the US Side.  The little town of Chicken was our next "destination"

Chicken was originally known by the name of the State Bird, the Ptarmigan.  Folk lore has it that everybody spelled it different and rarely correct.  So the town fathers decided that they would save embarrassment by naming the town Chicken.  Oh the irony of it.  We pulled in front of three buildings - The Chicken Creek Saloon, Cafe, the Liquor Store and General Store.  And that in a nutshell is Chicken.  One very talented and versatile person runs all three businesses.  They even have a chicken poop, which I (unfortunately) had to use. 

In case anyone is interested, this is what a Ptarmigan looks like.  It is amazing how it blends in with its background.  I am told it turns white in the winter.  This photo was actually taken in Denali.

From customs to Chicken view

We have officially been on the road for four weeks. 

MONDAY, August 12, Day 30

Here we go!  Heading over The Top of the World Hwy again with some trepidation, this time with the trailer in tow.  Destination Toc, where we will take off towards Fairbanks.  Rather than rain and mud, we encountered overcast skies and dry roads.  What a difference.  There was very little traffic and for many of the miles we could see no vehicles either in the front or back of us, so we could easily drive at a pace we were comfortable with.  When we drove the Hwy yesterday, Jim spotted a rock and was bound and determined to find it back today.  He had an idea of what mile marker it was close to, so we started watching for "his rock".  I couldn't believe it when he spotted it.

Our kids will remember that all of their lives road trips always included bringing a souvenir rock home.  Some things never change.

We spent the night at Toc RV Park - very nice and clean.  Oh how I have come to appreciate clean RV Parks...

TUESDAY, August 13, Day 31

Today turned into a maintenance day.  Laundry was getting questionable, but I was leaning towards waiting a few days to do it.  Then Sadie Jo got sick on our sheets.  Decision made.  Laundry, then a pretty boring drive to Fairbanks.  We drove mile of mostly straight, sometimes curvy road, seeing no cars.  The traffic really didn't pick up until we were right outside Fairbanks.  There we found a Toyota dealer to pick up some oil for the 4-Runner, just in case we need it. 
Our home for the night was the River's Edge RV Park.  We arrived in pouring rain and were given a many pot holes site, so it was dodge the puddles.  But we got set up and hunkered down for the night.

WEDNESDAY, August 14, Day 32

Sunshine!  It is an easy drive from Fairbanks to Denali.  We took our time and went straight to the park when we got there.  After booking a tour bus for tomorrow we were fortunate to get a spot at the Denali RV Park and Motel.  It is within walking distance of all of the shops and restaurants.  Time for a lot of peeking at the prices and saying "you've got to be kidding me!"   There was a nice vest made out of materials unknown marked 65% off.  It only cost $800 marked down.  I did buy a nice pair of earrings made by a local artisan from the Blizzard Stone of the Talkeeten Mts.

Food has mostly been whatever we fix in the trailer, so we decided to check out the restaurants and settled on one called Moose-AKA's.  The food was Eastern European and their signature dish was Mousaka, a dish of potatoes, several meats, and cheese.  Knowing it would be way more than either of us could eat, Jim order the Mousaka and I a cup of soup and extra plate.  They explained in great detail about the dish, but truthfully it didn't taste much different than the dish I make where I fry hamburger and onion and add diced potatoes and seasonings.  The big difference was theirs wasn't presented as hash and they added cheese and sour cream.

After checking on Sadie, who still isn't feeling very well, we drove back into Denali National Park, hoping to see some wildlife.  Vehicles are only allowed to drive 13 miles into the park.  Nothing.  Until we were almost to the ranger station and there was a big ol' Grizzlie bear putting on a show for everyone.  People are crazy when it comes to wild animals in parks.  It is like they think they are in a zoo.  This is a wild bear people!  The ranger was telling people to get in their cars and they just kept taking pictures.  The bear was impressive.  I'm not sure what pictures we got (we stayed in our car).  On our way out of the park we were treated to the sight of a Bull Moose, and then a Mama feeding her babies, and another female  Moose.  Definitely a worthwhile venture into the park. 

THURSDAY, August 15th, Day 33

Denali Day!  Oh beautiful mountain, where are you?

Sadie Jo is feeling much better!

We woke to drizzling rain.  First stop was Three Bears Coffee Shop, where we enjoyed a really good cup of coffee and a really dry piece of blueberry crumble.

Yesterday we bought tickets for a bus trip into Denali.  We chose the 66 miles to the Eielson point.  The expected time for this tour, including wildlife watching, breaks, etc. round trip was 8 hours.  By the time we were loading up at 10:00 it was full out raining.  Things were not looking good for seeing the mother mountain.  But being an optimistic, I kept thinking the fog will burn off and the rain will lift.  Our guide, Phillip, was the next thing to an encyclopedia.  When he couldn't tell us about the foot hills we were going through or the mountains ahead because we couldn't see them, he told us about the streams, rivers, how the mountains were formed, the trees and sometimes lack of trees, the wildlife and their habits... you name it, he talked about it.  Did you know  that Denali National Park is 9,000 sq. miles and 6 million acres?  The most surprising to me was that they experience 3,000 earth quakes a year in Denali.  Phillip said he often feels the quaking at night in his cabin. This was a non narrated tour, but Phillip was a certified interpretive tour guide, so he used his knowledge to keep us going.  Thanks Phillip!

Early on the trip we spotted a Bull Moose, Carabou, some with impressive horns, moose cows feeding their young, and a  Ptarmigian, the Alaska State Bird.  As we headed higher into the mountains we encountered extremely rough roads, heavier rain and more fog.  Every rest stop included a rain jacket and dodging mud puddles.  Usually the road crews grade the roads twice a week, but because of the extremely rainy summer, they were spending more time fixing culverts, digging out mud slides and doing other maintenance.

So, was I disappointed in Denali?  Not in the least.  The foothills peeking in out of the rain and fog were amazing, the colors of the trees were already turning gold for an early fall, the drop offs, cliffs, and wildlife were beautiful.  The entire trip was breathtaking.  We didn't see the snow caps of Denali and get that iconic picture everyone wants, but Denali was beautiful and we loved every minute of it (except the sore butts, smokers who stunk because they put their cigarettes out just as they got on the bus, and my wet toes because I wore the wrong shoes).

FRIDAY, August 16, Day 34

Rain. Again.

Fortunately, the rain lifted fairly early in the day.  Destination was Talkeetna.  The first order of business was finding a place to park our rig.  At the edge of town was a sweet little RV Park named after the town.  It was first come, first serve.  We are slow learners, but have figured out that, as difficult as it is to do, it sure does pay to get to our destination early in the day.  We had our pick of sites.  No electric or water, but we are getting used to that. 

Talkeetna.  What a charming little town.  It is said to be the inspiration for the 1990's TV Show, Northern Exposure.  I could almost see that Moose that is featured in the show's opening scene walking down the street.  Talkeetna is full of unique shops, interesting people, and lots of tourists.  By the time we had set up camp and headed there, the cruise ship tours were just leaving, so the crowds were down a bit.

Alaskan Fathers seem to have a bit of a wry sense of humor.  Did I mention that North Pole AK named their Catholic Church St. Nicholas (I truly don't remember whether I did or not...)  Any guesses of what Talkeetna named their Catholic Church?  How about St. Bernard?  Nothing against St. Bernard (I need to check him out and see what he is all about), but all I could envision was a big old slobbery dog with a keg around his neck.

Our campsite was in a wooded area prime for bears and other wildlife.  For one of the few times this trip Sadie Jo was upset most of the night.  Apparently she heard things she was not too thrilled with and felt the need to protect us.  Go Sadie Jo!

SATURDAY, August 17th, Day 35

This morning we headed back into Talkeetna for a bagel and coffee before we got on the road.  To give you an idea of the wide array of individualism, our baristas were a combination of purple hair, peasant skirt, bibbed overalls, tattoos, and piercings everywhere.    Everyone in Talkeetna has been nice and friendly.  We really enjoyed Talkeetna.

Driving out of Talkeetna we noticed a bunch of cars pulled over along the side of the road.  That is when Jim looking in his rear view mirror and realized Denali was out!  Quickly pulling over with the rest of the gawkers, we marveled at her majestic beauty.

Our destination today is Seward, or somewhere in between.  First we spent time in Anchorage restocking the trailer.  We have chosen to not spend time in the larger cities like Vancouver, Fairbanks, and Anchorage.  It might be a decision we will later regret, but time is going so fast and this trip has been about the views and the unique.  Seward Hwy is a very pleasant, beautiful, drive.  Since it was getting late, we started looking for a place to camp.  I spotted the little town of Hope 15 miles off Seward Hwy with a National Forest Service campground.  It looked promising.  What I didn't realize was this is a very popular spot for young people fishing and floating and all other things young people like to do.  The campground was at the end of the road (mile marker 16) and brimming full.  It appeared people were camping along the streets.  Our view from the Hwy was of a booming old downtown area.  I would have love it 25 years ago.  We finally pulled into a pullout on Seward Hwy and got a good night's sleep.  Did you know people camp just about anywhere there is a pullout (and there are many) in Alaska?

Lesson learned:  Don't give up hope.