The following are emails we sent out as a travel log for our recent trip to Alaska. Am not a big fan of Facebook (it makes me nervous) so we didn't post there altho with Sarah's help, Herman did make a few entries on his page. I was having a little trouble getting back into this blog so I didn't post here either. I sent emails out to half a dozen folks with hope they would forward to others who might be interested. I've discoved that this has missed some of you therefore for those of you that have asked "how was your trip?", if you really want to know.....
7/18/15 North to Alaska.....
Up with the sun, well the sun is indeed up, in an RV park on McLeese Lake between Cash Creek and Prince George, BC. Crossed border yesterday. So far only noticeable difference is the money ($1 coin=looney, $2 coin = tooney), and the accents, "eh"! Mosquitoes getting prolific now too. Weather holding at warm and sunny but clouds rolling in today. Travel and road routine falling into place. Herman mostly sitting high up on his kennel to navigate and Sarah knitting, of course. Tent up and nest made in the time it would usually take to register in a motel. Have cooked only 1 meal, dinner last night, of lemon chicken in a boil-n-bag over Side Dish pasta. Not bad really. Today we'll hit Dawson Creek, the real start of the Alaska Highway.
I think Herman is posting daily updates/postcards on his FB page. Refer folks to
7/18/15 to Steve & Laurie
Sat morning. Sarah driving. Making me nervous watching the speed limit to the km. Which means she is leaning forward staring at the smaller numbers on the speedometer and not watching the road! Driving north along the Frazer River. Prince George next big town. Plan to make Dawson Creek today. Maybe beyond, maybe not. Day 3 on the road and haven't even started the Alaska Hwy yet! Rolling hills, conifers, and hay fields. Road is good. Stayed in RV park on McLeese Lake last night. Only tent among mass of land yachts. Kids in wet bathing suits and dogs running and playing after being pulled behind ski boats. Ah, but a warm $1 shower and a flush toilet.
Having to balance our perceived need to make miles vs see the sights. Big festival going on in Qusnel. Would have been fun to stop and see but feel need to push on. Dog perched on kennel sleeping with head hanging over edge a la Snoopy. Grooving to tunes of Travel Mix. Thanks, Steve. Nice mix. Enjoy classic tunes preformed by not so classic artists. You can make me music mixes any time.
Internet connect sketchy. International phone service expensive for me. Free for Sarah apparently (newer phone). But S has already nearly maxed out on our plan so we bumped it up for the month. Can't wait to see the hidden costs technology is going to hit us for!
posted from Starbucks in Prince George
7/19/15 Mile 0.....
Today we start the Alaska Hwy. Mile 0 at Dawson Creek. Arrived yesterday evening and due to low hanging angry clouds, Sarah's sneezing and congestion due to high pollen count from the blinding yellow fields of Cannola, and a desire to check out the historic start of this quaint rustic town we took a room at the Peace (apparently named ofter the country not the philosophy) Motel next to the Ford dealership on the highway. Visions of Burns, OR. And not much quaintness other than the historic grain elevator and a placard describing this as the terminus of the Alcan, a feat of technological marvel in 1943 when the US Army decided it was important to have a land route for supplies to Alaska to assist our friends the Russians stem the flow of Nazi imperialism. For dinner and local color, Mr. Mikes, the local steakhouse everyone directed us to was closed due to "unexpected maintenance needs" (read: health inspection issues?) so we went to Browns Social House, apparently a franchise. Food good, ambiance upper end frat/sports bar, waitstaff in back and white. Then shopping at Safeway for a few essentials (coffee, dog food, kleenex) and back to the motel for TV fix. Sixty channels and nothing on! So much for quaintness!
Finding everyone quite friendly in our neighbor to the north. Prices a bit more. Hamburgers are $14 canadian, and beers are $6. Gas is $1.14/L. Coffee at Starbucks: $2.90. Exchange yesterday was $1.25 US for $1 can.
Sarah helping Herman post on his FB page. Friend him to stay informed. I may try to get our old blog (The Adventures of Dale and Sarah) up but have not had time, reliable internet, or inclination yet. Stay tuned.
7/20/15 to Steve & Laurie
Arrive Whitehorse today. Dark clouds and desire for a shower and "down time" got us a motel in town. Checked out Yukon Brewery on edge of town. No bar sales but got to taste their product. Got on list for table at Klondike Steaks and Salmon then went next door to Burnt Toast Cafe to drink till table ready. Decided to stay for dinner. Few tourist and less harried ambiance. Good enough food (shrimp, scallops, muscle, and game sausage jambalaya for me and wild beast stuffed potato skins for Sarah) and a couple of Yukon beers. On recommendation of waitress, we went to the Dirty Northern for after dinner libations. Tied Herman up at the front where he wooed the curb side tables while I enjoyed yet another Yukon brew. I didn't see the glass enclosed dried cat the menu described! A walk to the old train station along the Yukon River followed where Herman met, with significant trepidation, a quite large potbelly pig grazing un-ceremoniously accompanied by his tourist owners. Have to admit a bit of culture shock being in a real proper town. Trip till now has been miles (kilometers) of uninterrupted highway and stunted spruce (?) forest with occasion small town or scattered gas station/market/RV camp.
7/20/15 Yukon
Am being remiss already about keeping y'all posted. Have good excuse....very spotty internet and fatigue and/or beer when internet is available.
Arrived Whitehorse today. Crossed into Yukon this morning after a lovely night at Laird River Hot Springs Provincial Campground just south of the border. Somewhat sterile sites of raked gravel but a wonderful developed hot springs down a 1/4 mile boardwalk thru marsh. Saw moose up to his knees grazing on grass on my way to my soak early this morning. Whitehorse is a real city with real restaurants, shopping centers, banks and Walmart. Not like the one street towns or one building gas station/market/postoffice along the way. Quite the culture shock. The drive has been the stereotypical ribbon of highway bisecting a 40 ft swath of cleared forrest. Certainly not the muddy washboard road build by the US Army in 1942. Perpetual pavement repair can leave miles of gravel and hot tar as they habitually overlay due to frost heaves. Besides the moose, we have seen fox (in the town of Dawson Creek), coyote on highway shoulder, black bear crossing road in the distance, mouse in the dressing rooms of the hot springs, and herd of bison rambling along highway. And a 200 lb pet pig on a leash grazing on the grass of the Whitehorse train station. Herman wasn't sure what to think of that!
11:30 and still light out. Going to bed. Staying in motel tonight (it looks like rain) so will have real bed, no mosquitos, and a shower in the morning. There is even a Starbucks down the street.
7/22/15 re Northward bound to Steve & Laurie...
200 miles out of Whitehorse now. Road traversing the flats but St. Elias Range to the west with Mt. Logan (19,600ft) jutting up somewhere there. Older and lower Dawson range to the east. Small clear lakes scattered thruout the pine and cedar forest. Will turn south at Tok and probably be in Anchorage by tomorrow evening. Still getting enjoyment out of your travel mix.
above written yesterday
Hanging a left at Tok on way to Anchorage, the true splendor of the Wrangle Range appears and remains on the horizon. Mt. Drum, Mt. Sanford, Mt. Wrangell and Tanada Peak glisten white with snow. Closer to Anchorage the glaciers come into view: Tazlina, Nelchina, and Matanuska.
7/22/15 The Road....
The road is all consuming. We balance the urge to "get there" with the desire to "experience". We have a destination and a general time line but we realize this time is, altho flexible is finite if we are to accomplish our goals. A week (7 days if you are obsessive) is the time we allotted to get to Anchorage. Twenty-three hundred miles would make that 330 miles a day. Altho the Milepost guide suggests that 300 miles a day would allow one time to "see the sights" we are finding that may not be realistic. The road holds our focus. The condition of the car was addressed weeks prior to the trip with an appointment to the mechanic for checks and tweeks. The condition of the road is ongoing and focused. Horror stories debunked; the highway is basically paved and maintained yet with sections perpetually being resurfaced due to yearly frost heaves. Miles and hours from anywhere will appear a flagger instructing us to wait for a pilot car. Thirty minutes later we are guided past machinery laying thick black tar as other machines spread gravel. Our job is to drive over this fresh loose rock pressing it into the roadbed while kicking up dust and impacting windshields behind. Patches of these repairs appear unexpectantly necessitating sudden breaking and caution.
Services are few and far between. No real towns but communities are located about every 100 miles (hold over from days of road construction) consisting of a building with old gas pumps out front, self serve coffee, a rack of chips and maybe a cooler of ice cream. Beside the table of souvenir baseball caps and t-shirts may be a computer to check email. A campground may be nestled in the trees to the rear. Other than a few canned goods and cooking oil, don't expect much for groceries. We don't let our tank get below half!
We are obsessed with the map and what's "down the road". Signage is rare but then again there really isn't much chance to make the wrong turn. There aren't many turns! We are lost more trying to get out of a town than trying to get to a town!
The car is a mess. From the door handles down dust hides the true color. We have lost a hub cap and have sustained a small windshield chip. Inside, the floor is littered with the detritus of candy wrappers and yogurt lids. Books are under jackets that are covered with travel pamphlets. Shoes are tangled in discarded underwear. Coffee cups are stacked in cup holders. Charging cords snake thru the front seat looking for a device. The Milepost and maps migrate here and there wherever they were last tossed.
An engine light comes on and panic ensues. After a stop, inspection, and restart; it does not reappear. We drive on.
We are constantly on the alert for wildlife. Signs warn of bison, elk, horses, and native children. We slowed to merge with a small heard of buffalo. Altho 5 feet from our fender, not an indication of concern. Sarah startles a moose that slips and falls trying to make a hasty retreat on wet pavement. Suicidal chipmunks make fatally slow decisions. Ravens play chicken.
7/24/15 The Inlaws....
Enough said........
dale
7/28/15 Anchorage....
Sitting at dining room table drinking coffee and watching rain drip off the railing of the front deck. Low clouds drift across the face of Chugach range to east. Can't see the Air Force base nestled in the forest of the foothills but are often entertained by swooping jets on maneuvers. Have spent the time reminiscing about relatives I don't know, saved Wayne from climbing ladders by painting the deck posts, entertained myself by insisting on cooking for family, and making Herman happy by going on walks while keeping an eye out for moose. The house sits 2 flights above the garage on a curve with a direct view down the street lined with neat yards, an RV or boat in every 4th driveway and an American flag flying on every 3rd doorpost. With descriptions of winter, I suspect the presence of 8 ft of snow would make this a very different scene indeed. Challenge has been how to tactfully discuss obvious need for Sarah's parents to consider moving back to Oregon in anticipation of inevitable care issues. Might as well discuss this with the moose!
We leave tomorrow. Rather than a very long drive back "to the outside" or "lower 48" we are going to take the ferry and leave the driving to someone else. Got ticket from Haines (still 2 day drive) to Juneau (will visit old friend there) and then to Sitka (just to play tourist) then 3 days to Bellingham. Did this trip 35 years ago with backpack and sleeping on the deck. Plan to again sleep on the deck with all the other vagabonds unless it's too complicated hauling all the camping paraphernalia up from the car deck. Herman will be confined to the car but we'll be able to visit 3-4 x day.
dale
7/29/15 South....
EARTHQUAKE! Last evening, sitting in Outback Steak House (Sarah's folks want to buy us dinner. I go!) a low rumble is felt more than heard as the hanging lights all sway together. A little disconcerting, nauseating really, as the sensation persists for more time than I'm thinking it should. Not much reaction in the place as wait staff pauses briefly to explain to tourists they have experienced their first earthquake. A quick reference to the earthquake center reveals a 6.4 quake about 150 miles SW of Anchorage and 70 miles deep. The impact of this did not strike me until awakening in our bedroom at 6am realizing I'm sleeping in the basement of a 2 story house with the only exit thru an electric garage door!
On the road at 8. Breakfast at McDonalds. Why do I do this?! Enough carbs and fat there to bypass lunch. Drove south on Hwy 1 with much discussion re state of Sarah's parents' health status, multitude of options for future care needs (settling on fact that we are back to "crisis mode" for now), and where are we going to camp tonight. Crossed the Canadian border at 6pm near Bear Creek, YK in a driving rain. Since it had been raining most of day we decided to splurge on a motel. Checked in to the Bear Creek RV and Motel for $88can. Like many motels in communities along this road, the office is the counter at the gas station and only a percentage of the rooms are functional. Not a lot of income is used to spiff up things out here. Lots of establishments are also boarded up. I wonder about the economy. I suspect much of the clientele is self contained and staying in RV parks or campgrounds but it is nice to have the option of not getting rained on.
Dinner at Buckshot Betty's. A log cabin restaurant/bar/RV park/book store that appears to be the social hub for the community. The young woman waitressing, bartending and cashiering recommends a Yukon Red from Whitehorse. Talking "IBUs" and "maltiness" she seems to know her beers. Turns out she had recently been a judge at the homebrew fest in Fairbanks when 20 brewers from around the country and US competed. Pizza was good too.
Today's drive was along the glacial valley. Near Anchorage, the mountains are close, jagged, and tall. The river in the valley floor runs white with sediment and as evidenced by debris fields the ice is receding. Further south the valley widens and the hills are rounded giving evidence of eons past when ice hundreds of feet thick engulfed this entire country. Altho fertile the soil supports only stunted spruce and thick moss like ground cover surrounds thousands of small lakes and ponds, prefect habitat for moose. Still a lot of nothing between a lot of nothing!
dale
8/1/15 Back in the USA....
Sitting at a table in the lobby of the Hotel Halsingland on the grounds of Ft. Seward on the north end of Haines. A jig-saw of The House Beautiful, an art deco from the '20s, lies complete on our table. The elegant dining room serving Crab Encrusted Halibut is thru the bar. I'm enjoying a very dry martini made with local gin. No, I didn't have the crab. We went into town to the harbor front Lighthouse Restaurant and Bar. The seared halibut with teriyaki sauce was good. Sarah said her salmon taco was the best she has ever had. And no, we are not staying at the fancy hotel. We have a tent pitched at their little RV/campground across the street. Herman has already made friends with 4 little girls in neighboring camps. Their two huge husky/malamute/bear/whatevers however seem intimidated! By Herman??!!
Out the big lobby windows, past the bright white columns of the porch, the ordered whitewashed clapboard officer quarters surrounding the parade ground glow majestically in the alpenglow, only raveled by the majestic mountains and glaciers across the inlet. Whips of clouds ring the summits as in the 10pm dusk the sky reluctantly bids the reds and blues ado. It's reported that the forecast is for clear skies, an end of the past days' rain and a fun time for the SE Alaska State Fair. Wasn't expecting this local event! Maybe we'll go tomorrow.
By far, the most majestic scenery of this trip has been the drive south from Haines Junction. Mountain peaks and hanging glaciers fill the horizon. Riverbeds of gravel and glacial melt fill the foreground. Rain washes the grime off the car as we play leapfrog with a camper from Georgia. We stop to check on a couple of bicyclists lying on the shoulder of the road. They are fine but inquire as to how far the summit of this pass is.
My martini is gone. Sarah is walking Herman on the parade ground. I'm going to bed.....
Evening 2 in Haines. Back at the Halsingland. No gin tonight. Kicked my butt last night! Sipping local Haines Brewing Elored Rock Red while I poach their internet. Wispy clouds again slowly floating along the mountain tops. Woke up to light drizzle this morning. Made coffee then driest option was to go shopping in town. More coffee and a bearclaw, browse 2 of the 3 outdoor shops. One with more dead animals on the wall than should even be legal! Almost bought a halibut harpoon. Lunch at locals' recommended Fireweed Cafe where we struck up conversation with gal who is from Sitka, now lives in Juneau and graduated from LCC. Sounds like she graduated in partying. Hubby, also from Alaska, is a sheep hunting guide.
Afternoon entertainment consisted of attendance at the SE Alaska St Fair. It had all the exciting exhibits and entertainment that any self respecting fair would have. There was a marry-go round, a farris wheel and 2 bounce castles. The barn contained exactly 2 horses, 3 geese, 2 rabbits, 3 goats, and 8 chickens (one of which has the unfortunate genetic trait of having backward growing feathers). Booths abound from local environmental concerns, LGBTQ (free condoms), hospice selling pie, Army recruitment, NRA ($20 raffle to win "a wall of guns"), and an invite to discuss The Watchtower. Only game of chance available was a table of small gold fish bowls with colored water, no fish, that you can toss coins into. A small exhibition hall had the usual displays of photos, baking, and fiber arts. Only real unique items were a few native crafts and pickled kelp. Sarah sat in on extension service class on how to make sauerkraut. The best entertainment was sitting and watching the crowd and sampling product at Haines Brewing housed in one of the storefronts of Dalton City, site of filming for the movie White Fang and a permanent feature of the fairgrounds.
Tomorrow we catch the ferry to Juneau.
dale
8/2/15 Douglas....
Sitting at my friend, Deana's, dining table in Douglas, AK across the Gastineau Channel from Juneau. Two of the four huge cruise ships remain at the dock looking out of place with their gleaming white hulk against green tree covered Mt. Roberts rising 3500ft vertically behind. The tram is making what is likely it's final decent after a day of shuttling tourists to the top for breathtaking vista of the area. Gray overcast sky is turning red with the last rays of today's reluctant sunshine.
We arrived here yesterday on the ferry from Haines. The excitement of watching the coastline slip by quickly wained as we joined most of the other passengers inside and settled into warm comfy seats with only the occasional glance up for towering waterfalls and hanging distant glaciers. While the regulars slept, read, or listened to phones most of the tourists remained in awe of the majestic scenery. Earlier standing around next to our car waiting to board conversations are struck up with other travelers with the usual, "where ya going" and "where ya from" and maybe, "that road segment south of Beaver Creek still a mess?". The elderly couple from NY traveling with 2 elderly dogs and 2 cats tied to the seats are trying to fill all the states on the map posted on the side of their RV before they die. Another gentleman is returning after going to Whitehorse to buy a new truck. And the folks behind us are taking a side trip to Juneau on their way to Fairbanks. He is taking an emotional nostalgic journey because his father had helped build the road in 1943. Amazingly, later conversation reveals his dad was Pvt Carl Lindley, the solider who started the whole fad of leaving a hometown sign on a post in Watson Lake, YK. The several acre spot on the side of the highway displays over 78,000 signs, now with the addition of a sticker from this year's Oregon Country Fair.
Will catch a 5:15am ferry for Sitka in a few hours. Arriving after 9 last night our visit is short but has been most enjoyable visiting with my old friend, killing off half a bottle of Maker's Mark, reminiscing during a long hot sauna, assisting the loading of Deana's kayak onto her car as she prepares for an overnight float/camp to celebrate a friend's 50th, a quick visit to the Mendenhall glacier with discussion about how much it has receded over the past years, and an early lunch at Tracey's Crab Shack on the dock dwarfed by the nearby towering hull of the Princess Line. Only a brief visit downtown as Sarah jostles with the tourist hordes to visit the local yarn store.
Now the question is: do I go to sleep or just stay up until our 3:30am boarding time? I think there is a little Maker's left!
dale
8/5/15 Crap....
Sitting at a heavy picnic table littered with spruce leaves surrounded by thick forest. Thick green moss carpets anything that hasn't moved in the past millennium. Even tho it's supposed to be peak season, Starrigavan Campground outside of Sitka has plenty of wonderful spots. The 3 of us walked the ADA approved boardwalk thru the estuary to watch schools of salmon splash and thrust upstream for the final leg of their journey before spawning. A bald eagle sits on a branch inches above the water but does not seem hungry enough for what should be easy fishing. Brown bears (grizzlies) have been sighted in this area so all food and cooking supplies are locked in provided steel cabinets.
Today, however, did not start out so idyllic. Up at 3 to make the 5am ferry was a piece of cake. The fast hydroplaning boat slowing only in the final miles of narrow channel choked by gill netters. As regulated, Herman was stowed away in the car to while away the hours. Unfortunately, because of some choppy sea or questionable recent meal, we discovered a very unhappy puppy who had been unable to open the door and make it to the head in time! He was able to contain most of the diarrhea on my seat and floor. Our first stop was in the ferry terminal parking lot using up all available paper towels, all baby wipes, and two regular towels. Doggie poop bags make acceptable gloves if used carefully and alcohol hand sanitizer is effective on odor. Sort of! We drove into town with all windows down and a very sheepish dog. After a shopping spree along the cleaning supply isle at the local grocery store and a thorough detailing, the car is at least tolerable. Hate to think what will happen if we need to turn the heater on!
This may be my last communication till return home. It's 9am and Sarah's still asleep in her bag on the floor of the forward observation lounge of the M/V Columbia as we steadily sail thru the Wrangle Narrows. The now very familiar green spruces contour the landmass on either side of the boat as we cut thru the gray green water. Two days out and life on board has settled in to routine of reading, staring out the windows, and greeting fellow travelers during obsessive wanderings of the ship. Herman continues to be restricted to the car. We are allowed onto the car deck only when in port and during scheduled supervised visits with crew. Herman seems to be tolerating this routine better. Despite not "doing anything" during our first deck visit yesterday evening, he seems comfortable enough and did show his appreciation of a walk ashore in Petersburg at 1am with appropriate pee and poop. Altho enthusiastic about our stroll along the docks in Wrangle at 6am he was also quite willing to return to the car to snuggle up in his blankets continuing his snooze. Just as at home during our daily walks or visits to the dog parks, we get to know the dogs by name and personality. The owners, not so much. On the car deck we do the dog dance around cars and trucks parked within inches of each other trying to avoid the massive pit bull but saying hi to the elderly springer. Then we join the parade of leashed canines down the car ramp to walk along the shore or circle the parking lot until the baggage carts are loaded, our signal of impending departure.
Next stop, Ketchikan, at noon with a 5 hr layover. Then 36 hrs non-stop to Bellingham. The upper deck solarium, the ex-officio crash pad, is littered with the bodies of 35 teenagers and their handlers as they continue their cross country hiking and camping sojourn from Michigan. There are a few tents set up on the lower solarium, the "Putting Green". We however choose the drier enclosed forward observation lounge just forward of the recliner lounge showing movies thruout the day. Folks with funds occupy cabins serviced by stewards. We share our room with a couple bicycling from Levenworth, Wa; the "crazy lady" with disheveled hair who has made home on one of the couches surrounded by personal flotsam; family of four packed in the corner; or scattered transients/backpackers/natives occupying any available flat spot for the night. Daylight requires most folks to stow gear out of the way piled against bulkheads. Meals can be enjoyed in the fancy aft dining room (prices not nearly as exorbitant as expected) or in the cafeteria or as many of us have chosen to do feast on brought aboard vittles of cheese, crackers, nuts, chocolate, granola, and yet to be sampled microwave meals.
sent from the Asylum Bar on Water St. in Ketchikan. In the shadow of a cruise ship but very obviously a locals joint.
dale
Landing in Bellingham, after a short time in the ferry parking lot dealing with yet another bout of puppy diarrhea, poor Herman, we went to breakfast to plan our leg home. "Let's call Chris and see if we can visit (read: crash!) there". After 2 days enjoying their wonderful hospitality in the Methow we called fiends in White Salmon, Wa with simular agenda. Enroute we enjoyed lunch in Wendatche with friend from 25 years ago and joined traveling Eugene friends as out paths cross for beer and dinner in Hood River. Home a little early. The dog thrilled to finaly not have to live out of a car. And Sarah thrilled to be getting her hands dirty in her garden.
Posts
