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Alaska

July - August 2019
Off for and RV trip to Alaska for 6-7 weeks. Traveling with friend Alice who owns the RV. Read more
  • 49footprints
  • 2countries
  • 49days
  • 288photos
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  • 11.9kmiles
  • 2.3kmiles
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  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 49

    Alaska Day 49

    August 24, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Last day!! 323 miles to Bodega Bay. Campground had pancakes for sale for breakfast so did not even need to cook. A familiar drive down CA Route 101. A stop in Eureka for gas and coffee for Alice. At 35 miles from home in Healdsburg we stopped for gas and someone, again, told us a tire was low! 😫👎. Long story but we could not get it fixed as it was Saturday evening. Had to leave it there and Uber the final 35 miles. 😂. RV was towed on Sunday and fixed on Monday. Phew.

    A great trip with a very good friend. A new experience for me and can now cross Alaska off my bucket list. An amazing state with so much to offer for those who like a quiet environment and the outdoor life.
    Final mileage: 6,420!    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 48

    Alaska Day 48 Tualitin to Crescent City

    August 23, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    Out by 9:30 and on the road again. Destination today: Crescent City, CA. Decided to go down on 101 in California as it is very hot over on I-5 in California. So today down I-5 to Grants Pass and over to 101. Uneventful drive through Oregon. A stop in Grants Pass for wine and gas. (2 essentials).
    The campground we chose for our last night was a KOA just north of Crescent City. The first time we had done a KOA on this trip. A very nice spot in the Redwoods with all the required amenities. Kay managed to leave the sleeve that screws into the ground from the sewer system at the last campground (for the 2nd time this trip). 😫😱👎 so into Crescent City to the trusty Ace Hardware for a new one.
    I had been in Crescent City in May and knew where I wanted to eat for our last dinner. There is a new brewery in town near the water. A very modern design and architecture building and I had enjoyed it last time. Apparently the word is out on the restaurant as there was a waiting list however the bar was first come first served. So we did not wait long and the food was as good as I remembered. A very fun place with a good vibe for a casual meal. Back for some “TV”, we are now into The Family on Netflix - a bit scary. Last night in my little bed!
    No pics again today.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 47

    Alaska Day 47 Vancouver to Portland

    August 22, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    Ready for the final phase of our journey - about 950 miles - and 2 more nights in the RV before Bodega Bay. Plan to drive to somewhere south of Portland today. A short 45 minute drive and we were at the US border. a 30 minute wait, back in the US and on our way. The I-5 corridor through Seattle and Portland is just a zoo no matter what time of day you do it. Slow downs in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Portland with no apparent reason than too many cars. Have no idea how they are going to fix that problem with the increase in population in both of those cities. Arrived at our campground a bit south of Portland in Tualitin around 5PM. Lots of sunshine, a nice campground, 76 degrees and settled in early for the night. Pasta for dinner one more time. 😂. No pics today.Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 46

    Alaska Day 46 Vancouver, BC

    August 21, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 64 °F

    A rainy day in Vancouver. Had hoped to spend the day in Stanley Park and their Theater Under the Stars tonight but not in the cards ♦️ for this trip. 😖. Rain supposed to stop by this evening but a little risky for planning - and it’s not real warm either. So breakfast and out to a nearby mega shopping center a short Sky Train ride away. Whiled away a couple hours with some last minute shopping. They had an interesting exhibit in their main atrium. Large animals made from discarded flip flops! Made by artists from Kenya. Fun. Back to the hotel in the rain for a late afternoon of communications catch up and “free” time from tourism. Walks to a nearby brewery for dinner.
    Off on final leg tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 45

    Alaska Day 45 Vancouver, BC

    August 20, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    Ahhhh. A good nights sleep in a luxurious bed! 😂👍. Out to find a place for breakfast. Could not ding much and ended up in at a Cafe in a library across the plaza from our hotel. Quite the library, all spread out in a very modern architecture building. Next to tackle the Vancouver public transit system. Vancouver has an above ground subway - the Sky Train with 3 lines. A train station is right next to our hotel. After figuring out how to buy the right type of ticket we were off. Destination: the waterfront and Granville Island and downtown Vancouver. Sky train good all the way to the waterfront. It’s been a long time since I have been to Vancouver and I’d forgotten how beautiful their waterfront area is. We wandered around for awhile looking for a tourist information center. Finally found one and got directions on where to catch a bus to Granville Island, maps and other tourism data from a chatty agent.
    A bus ride through downtown Vancouver to Granville Island - a small Island right off of downtown Vancouver. Alice had been there years ago and wanted to go back and check it out. There is one major road across a bridge to the island. Quite the happening place. Shops, restaurants , a huge market and access to all the water transportation that you could imagine. We wandered around for several hours, some shopping but primarily people watching and trying to decide which of the establishments we wanted for lunch. Every ethnic variety food one could think of. Alice got Greek, I got Japanese. Spent an hour or so just watching all the watercraft scene on the very busy inlet from the Pacific.
    Took the local ferry down to the end of its run and walked a bit to get back on the Sky Train and to our hotel. Just in time for a manicure and pedicure close to the hotel - MUCH needed. Cocktail hour and a late dinner at the hotel, good kale Cesar salad.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 44

    Alaska Day 44 Prince George - Vancouver

    August 19, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    Up and out before 9AM. Passed our 4,000 mile mark yesterday. Destination Vancouver, about 450 miles. Early clouds/fog quickly turned to bright sunshine and a lovely drive through the British Columbia countryside. Lots of farmland, rivers and big forests. Pretty much drove straight through with one stop for gas and fast food. Amazing scenery through the VERY long Fraser canyon - 40-60 miles and 21 tunnels!
    Arrived at the Civic Hotel in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver. Very nice and a big room with 2 queen beds. Our food is 3 times the size of the ban! 😂 “Unpack” (our duffle bags) and down to the hotel bar and restaurant for dinner. Had poke! Have been craving sushi for weeks. Not a single picture today.    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    1
    Day 43

    Alaska Day 43 Prince George, BC

    August 18, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    A lazy day of catch up - showers, laundry and a nap in late afternoon. Rain on and off all day. Early afternoon we went into Prince George to check out the city, population ~74,000 and home of the University of Northern British Columbia. We had decided to visit the Art Museum- Two Rivers Gallery. Pictures showed a building with unique architecture in the city center. Their current exhibition was very interesting and a topic which I knew nothing about - the history of the Residential schools for the Indians (now knows as First Nations) in Canada. From the 1920’s until 1996 all Canadian Indians were taken out of their homes and often away from their families and sent to Residential schools throughout the country. Most were run by priests and conditions were not good. Minimal food, no speaking their own language and also abuse issues. The exhibit brought the art leaders in the Indian population with the curators of the museum to tell the story in order to acknowledge the issue so as to help all move on. The story was told in various media, art, sculptures, videos, and film. Very worthwhile.
    The museum was located in a plaza along with the civic center, conference and a lovely park with sculptures and lots of flowers 🌸
    Found a place for a very good lunch downtown and then drove around the city for awhile. Since is was a Sunday all was pretty quiet.
    Back to our RV Park to get ready for another long drive to Vancouver tomorrow. Also finally enough internet to download pictures!!    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 42

    Alaska Day 42 Meziadin to Prince George

    August 17, 2019 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    Woke up to rain this morning. So a quick up and out by 8 AM. Destination today, the big city of Prince George BC, about 400 miles. Rain all day. Only one interesting stop was for gas in a very small Indian (all tribes called First Nations here). They have the largest collection of totems in British Columbia. More than show in picture and quite impressive. Pretty much drove straight through with only stops for gas, food and wine - the essentials. We truly feel that we are back in civilization as of today. Better roads, more traffic, fast food and many places with a population more than 100! 😃. And, the most exciting, internet! Phoned ahead for our campground, lots of choices here. Spent a lot of the afternoon planning the last week of our trip. Decided to go to Vancouver for 3 days, after a day of rest in Prince George. Also decided to splurge on a hotel in Vancouver. Thanks to daughter-in-law, Nancy, we made reservations at a Marriott in Vancouver. Looking forward to it. Did all our hook ups in the rain tonight - not fun. Have been really tired of "junk" food so we got sole, rice and broccolini - tasted wonderful! Both tired and early bed.Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 41

    Alaska Day 41 Teslin to Meziadin Junct

    August 16, 2019 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    Out by 8:45, plan for about 500 miles today. We have decided to go south on the Cassiar Highway as opposed to the Alcan. Several folk have told us it is prettier AND it is 120 miles shorter. Both highways end up in Prince George, BC where we plan to be by Saturday night. May stay there 2 nights and give Alice a break from driving.
    A long drive without much change in scenery - trees, low mountains, lakes and rivers. 300 miles before lunch and gas stop 🛑. Highlight was seeing first, one bear who went across the road in front of us and a bit later, 3 cubs playing in the road until they heard us coming and then off into the brush. Never saw mama bear.
    The afternoon drive was more of the same but as it got later in the afternoon we started to see bears eating by the side of the road. Total, we saw 11 or 12 black bears, quite close - cubs and mamas and maybe one male alone. It was great! I finally really saw my real bears.
    Arrived at out destination a bit after 5P, only problem, campground was full!!! 😱. We had not have not had a problem this entire trip until tonight. There was a motel at the stop as well and for $235 we could have had a room! However all we want to do is sleep as we have the same distance to cover tomorrow and will be up early to start another long driving day. So we inquired about the next campground south, an hour away, and off we went. Arrived by 6:30 at a lovely campground by a lake. I think we got one of the last spots available. Phew!! 🎉😳. Really a pretty area, the Meziadin Lake Provincial Park. Most individual sites were quite separated, grounds are manicured, lots of big trees but no hookups. So dry camping tonight, much less work. 😂. Alice’s taco salad for dinner. 👍    Read more

  • TravelerAlaska
    Day 40

    Alaska Day 40 Haines, AK to Teslin, YT

    August 15, 2019 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Moving day today and starting to wend our way home. We chose to take the ferry, a very good move. By ferry we are only 15 miles, 45 minute ferry ride, from Skagway. If we drove we would have to back track about 250 miles. Cleaned up and moved out a bit early so as to have time for a couple stops before leaving town. A few groceries, some "goodies" from a good bakery we had found, a few pictures around town and off to the ferry. Sailing was at 1 PM but needed to be there by 11. We will not spend time in Skagway but start driving as soon as we arrive. Our plan is to drive about 150 miles this afternoon to Teslin, YT.
    Nice cruise up to Skagway, 4 huge cruise ships in port ! One of the cruise ships was a Disney. Did not see much of Skagway as we wanted to keep moving as ferry was a bit late leaving. Shortly after leaving Skagway we turned the 4000 mile mark on our adventure. 😳. Another 2500 and we will be home. More spectacular scenery after Skagway and back into Canada - British Columbia first then the Yukon again. This trip has also been. Real lesson in geography.
    Fall comes early to Alaska and this part of the world. The last several days it feels like we could see the 🍁 on the deciduous trees turn from green to yellow. Now whole hillsides may be yellow.
    Arrived in Teslin bit after 7PM - Yukon Motel and Lakeshore RV Campground. We would have driven more but accommodations are sketchy for the next 900 miles so need to stop where available. Quiet evening, campground on the shore of Lake Teslin, an enormous lake that must be about 60 miles in length. Planning an early start tomorrow.    Read more

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