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Karen Hechinger
Karen Hechinger

Karen Hechinger

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  • Karen HechingerAfrica 2023Viajante
    At the waterfront
    Am I confused? Is SF closer to here than Chicago?Town square at the waterfrontRobben Island houses the prison where Nelson Mandela was held captive for so many years

    4. SA: Cape Town - Overview

    10 de maio de 2023, África do Sul ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Cape Town is located at the southwestern tip of South Africa where the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans converge. It's known as the "Mother City", because it was the first European settlement in SA, but perhaps better known for its "apartheid era" lasting from 1948-1994, during which the white minority enforced segregation and inequality amongst racial groups that oppressed the indigenous people. This ended with the election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994.

    The city boasts a clean, bustling, cosmopolitan environment and is unexpectedly inexpensive. We strolled down to the waterfront after our hike to relax with a beer. ($9 for 2 pints, including tip)    Leia mais

  • Karen HechingerAfrica 2023Viajante
    View of Table Mountain from the waterfront
    Up we go...Platteklip TrailYou got this Craig!1We made it!Wandering around the topWindeeeeeee!1View of Cape TownDescending in the cable carOur reward

    3. SA: Cape Town - Table Mountain

    10 de maio de 2023, África do Sul ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    The next day, to stretch our legs after our long flights, we elected to do one of the Table Moutain hikes. We chose the Platteklip Gorge Trail, which ascends 2100 ft over 1.6 miles, and is much like climbing large, rocky, uneven stairs for 2 hours. Great fun and just what our bodies needed.

    Table Mountain is a 2 mile wide plateau offering beautiful views of the city and the South Atlantic. It can be accessed by cable car, which we opted into for a quick descent.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAfrica 2023Viajante
    On our way
    Ugh, not even halfway there...Landing momentarily: Table Mountain and Devil's PeakWe're in!

    2. We Made It!

    9 de maio de 2023, África do Sul ⋅ 🌙 45 °F

    We're here!

    Having left the house in Reno at 3:45A on Monday, we arrived in Cape Town at 3:30P on Tuesday, chalking up around 25 hours of travel time. While not my first international flight, it was my first long-haul flight of 14 hours from Dulles to Cape Town, and I have to confess I was dreading it.

    I had booked window seats for us, one in front of the other, and upon learning that Craig's row had an open middle seat while mine did not, I shamelessly guilted him into switching seats with me. Begging aside, I remain eternally grateful for his acquiescence.

    Despite getting very little sleep on the plane, the flight was otherwise pleasant. The food was surprisingly good (for airplane food), the flight attendants attentive and accommodating, and the conversation engaging. My South African born seat mate, who was travelling home for a family visit, was currently making a living as a stewardess on a 14-person cruise yacht operating out of Ft. Lauderdale. You always meet interesting people on the plane, right?    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAfrica 2023Viajante

    1. Africa 2023 - Itinerary and Prep

    3 de maio de 2023, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 30 °F

    It's happening.

    The trip Craig and I have been talking about, investigating and planning since we got back from South America (early 2020) has become real. Delayed for a few years largely due to pandemic related restrictions, our overlanding trip to Africa, using 3 different tour companies, will last 2 1/2 months and take us through 12 countries from Capetown, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt.

    Our first tour with overlanding travel company Acacia, leaves Capetown on March 18, and takes us through 10 countries in 8 weeks as shown on the attached itinerary map. This includes:

    South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania (including the island of Zanzibar), Kenya, Uganda & Rwanda.

    This tour's travel vehicle is an overlanding truck that can accommodate up to 24 people. Most travellers will be about 1/2 our age (or less), which is great because the roads are described as unpredictable, and we are all expected to "help" if the vehicle gets stuck. I'm not sure exactly what that means, (can 24 people push what I imagine to be a 10,000 pound truck out of a ditch?) but I'm at the gym 4-5 times a week trying to bulk up, just in case.

    The tours are booked, the flights scheduled, travel insurance (including repatriation of our remains, as needed) purchased, and our trip is registered with the State Dept. We've obtained our vaccines, malarial medication, and visas.

    By the way, our luggage is restricted to a 90 litre duffel bag (needs to fit in a locker on the truck), plus a "day-travel bag". Packing is going to be interesting. Hauling a 50 pound backpack from the truck to our accommodations each day will be equally interesting. Craig better start adding more weight to his weighted squats at the gym.

    Our final 2 weeks has us on a flight to Addis Ababa for a tour of Ethiopia, followed by a flight to Cairo for a tour of Egypt including a cruise down the Nile.

    5 days to go...    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    The road to Dawson City
    End of the road!Boarding the ferry5 minute trip across the YukonAnd off we goBuilding built on melting permafrost. Bad idea.Strolling along the Yukon River

    22. Dawson City, Yukon

    28 de agosto de 2022, Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    We overnighted in Tok AK, then took a slightly different route home than the one we took getting here, opting to check out Dawson City Yukon. Along the way we encountered some caribou who had wandered onto the highway. They thankfully escaped back into the woods before

    Here's something we learned on our trip. Northern British Columbia and Yukon have no people in them. Dawson City, population 1400, is the 2nd largest town in Yukon. As we approached the town we were confused by our Google maps telling us we were 2 km and 20 minutes away. Until the road led us to the shoreline of the Yukon River, and we saw the town across the water. Fortunately the government provides a free ferry shuttle service back & forth, and we waited only about 10 minutes for our ride.

    Like most towns in Yukon, northern BC, and eastern Alaska, Dawson City's only claim to fame lies with its ties to the Klondike gold rush in the late 1800s. A few pix attached...    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante

    21. The Horse is Headed to the Barn

    27 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    We leave Coldfoot behind and look forward (not) to our 3550 mile journey home. Say hello to long days in the car. Our plan:

    Day 1: Coldfoot to Tok - 10 hours
    Day 2: Tok to Dawson City - 4.5 hours (short day - woot woot!)
    Day 3: DC to Watson Lake - 11.5 hours (no woot woot today, more like boo-hoo)
    Day 4: WL to Ft. Nelson - 6 hours
    Day 5: FN to Grand Prairie - 6.5 hours
    Day 6: GP to Radium Hot Springs - 8.5 hours
    Day 7: An overdue day off from the car
    Day 8: RHS to Spokane - 5 hours plus border crossing time
    Day 9: Visiting with Craig's cousin Mike in Spokane
    Day 10: Spokane to ? probably Boise - 7 hours
    Day 11: Boise to Reno - 6.5 hours

    If sitting is the new smoking, we've got one foot in the grave. Speaking of, this trip has yielded about 3 days of exercise (over 5 weeks). Can't wait to get back to the gym, but there WILL be tears during the first workout.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Trans Alaska Pipeline SystemThe TAPS, running along the Dalton HighwayI was kind of surprised we could get so close to the pipelineAutumn in AugustCrossing the Arctic Circle

    19. Coldfoot & the Dalton Highway I

    26 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    We left Fairbanks for Coldfoot, which is halfway between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay (which is on the Arctic Ocean). Prudhoe Bay made its way into the headlines when oil was discovered in 1968. It is now a thriving commercial oil drilling site, transporting 1.8 million barrels of oil a day through the 800 mile Trans Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) down to Valdez in south Alaska. We thought it was pretty cool. Deadhorse, the town on Prudhoe Bay that supports the oil workers, has average high/low temperatures in January of -7 degrees F, to -16 degrees F. Needless to say, there's pretty much no one but the oil workers up there.

    The road from Fairbanks (actually just north of Fairbanks) to Prudhoe Bay is the reputed Dalton Highway, which travels alongside of the TAPS. Travel guides tell you that "Driving the Dalton Highway is a once in a lifetime adventure, but motorists should be prepared to be self-sufficient." Meaning, no gas stations, food or water, places to stay (other than Coldfoot) and certainly no cell service. You're in the middle of nowhere. The road is 25% paved, the rest dirt & gravel. Depending on recent weather and road maintenance, the paved road has frequent road heaves and potholes, while the dirt roads are washboardy, alternately dusty or muddy, and rife with the propensity to launch pebbles from oncoming vehicles into you car or windshield. Fun!

    Our destination, Coldfoot Camp, is one of the few inhabited places in Coldfoot. I mentioned previously that Craig's friend from Skagway called it "the armpit of Alaska". Haha. He wasn't kidding. There is a main building where guests are checked in and buffet style food is served, as well as a helicopter landing pad. Across the muddy, pot-holed dirt lot is the lodging, which is a rusting, trailer/motel-like structure they laughably called "The Inn". Our room consisted of 2 single beds pushed up against the walls with about 18 inches of space in between. Our airline sized bathroom contained a shower whose dozen or so cracks were repaired with a fiber-based tape. Don't get me wrong - I'm not averse to cramped quarters or cheap furnishings; Craig and I have endured this with a smile many times before. What seriously irked me was the $250 it cost to crash there for one night. Sheesh! Most expensive and cheesiest accommodations of the trip.

    All that aside, the drive up the Dalton proved unexpectedly enjoyable. Its colder up there, and Fall colors were already out. Check out the pix    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    University of Alaska at Fairbanks - Museum of the North
    Nature Preserve that was close to our Airbnb. We stretched our legs hereHundreds of birds in the thicketMore birds. I'm not really a bird appreciator, so it doesn't do much for me

    18. Fairbanks

    25 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 68 °F

    Fairbanks is the second largest city (by population) in Alaska. Since our phone provider Google-Fi, which was so useful & reliable in South America, decided to have almost no coverage in Alaska, we used our time here to get on-line and plan the remainder of our trip. We also checked out the UAF (University at Alaska, Fairbanks) Museum, and toodled around a local Bird Preserve.

    Like Anchorage, I thought there would be more to say about Fairbanks. Tomorrow, its off to Coldfoot (or, the armpit of Alaska according to one resident).    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    What we would have seen if Denali was not buried in the clouds during our visit
    Our driver Elton Parks rocks!First bear sightingCaribouMore caribou

    16. Denali National Park & Preserve

    22 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Denali National Park & Preserve is a 6 million acre park centered around Denali, the tallest peak in North America (formerly called Mount McKinley). They offered the option of a guided tour through the park or just a transit bus. We opted for the latter, and lucked out by getting Elton Parks (yes, that's his real name) assigned as our driver. Under no obligation to talk to us at all, he was friendly, funny chatty, knowledgeable and made our 5 hour drive quite enjoyable.

    Our goal was to absorb the beautiful scenery, spot & observe wildlife, and see Denali peak. Once again, the weather was uncooperative, and Denali remained huddled in the clouds. While our quest for a moose sighting remains unfulfilled, we did see caribou & bears.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Seward Harbor - weather is looking very sketchy
    Our tour boat, the Aialik VoyagerJellyfishThe captain got us super close to some of the islandsWe were supposed to go to the glaciers, but weather kept us in Resurrection Bay. Bummer.The town likes wall artBye bye Seward

    15. Kenai Peninsula - Seward

    20 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    Seward sits on the opposite side of the Kenai peninsula and like Homer, owes its claim to fame to its fishing industry. We grabbed a boat tour here, hoping to get an up close view of the glaciers and perhaps some whales. Unfortunately the weather was not our friend on this day, and the boat had to turn back without reaching our final destination. So, no glaciers or whales. Oh well. Boat tours are fun anyway.Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Approaching the Spit, which is the isthmus you see hereNot sure what the front of that boat is all about...?That walkway is pretty steep; the girls are working hardSea planes are a common site, here and throughout the state as wellHome sweet home!

    14. Kenai Peninsula - Homer

    18 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ 🌧 52 °F

    Homer is located at the southwest part of the Kenai peninsula, where the mouths of the Cook Inlet and Kachemak Bay converge. It is known as the Halibut Fishing capital of the world, as well as "the end of the road". We enjoyed the eccentricities of the town as well as watching the ships come and go.Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Fishing is popular at Ship Creek which flows inland off of Cook Inlet

    13. Anchorage

    17 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    Anchorage is the most populous city in Alaska; 40% of the state's people live here. Kincaid Park, located on the west end of the city, is reputed for its bear and moose habitants. We drove through the park - we've had hopes of seeing wild moose sometime during this trip, but alas, no luck.

    I feel like I should have more to say about Anchorage, but it ended up just being a stopping point on our way south.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Remote living...Footbridge takes us to the van that will drive us 30 minutes to KennicottThe mine is abandoned and crumblingThe "town" of McCarthy has 107 residentsplus touristsSomeone there obviously likes old carsThis is the airport. Love the sign.

    12. Kennicott - McCarthy

    16 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    The Kennicott-McCarthy area is situated at the center of the Wrangell-St.Elias National Park, which, I just learned, is the biggest national park in the US. At 33,682 sq. km, it includes an active volcano, hundreds of glaciers and a host of wildlife including dall sheep, black & brown bears, trumpeter swans, along with fish such as sockeye, chinook & coho salmon.

    The drive down there was pretty (no surprise). We checked out the abandoned Kennicott Mine, which is now a National Historic Landmark. This copper mine, which operated between 1901-1938, was famed as the first to use an ammonia-leaching technique to extract copper from the ore.

    McCarthy is a small town, well, not really a town, but rather a "census-designated place" with 107 residents as of 2020. It survives on summer tourism and is located on the outskirts of Kennicott.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante

    11. Glennallen & Valdez

    15 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Glennallen was a central location from which we could head south to check out Valdez and Kennicott before heading west to Anchorage. Our phones could not find a signal, so a kind woman at the Visitor Center made a few calls and found a local campground that had a small (very small) cabin available, which we grabbed. It was cozy, though we definitely raised our eyebrows when the desk clerk gave us tokens for the shared shower. One token = 7 minutes. Haha.

    Upon securing our cabin, we headed south to check out the fishing village of Valdez, located on Prince William Sound. Valdez Harbor is the southern terminus of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, which transports oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay in the north. The name Valdez didn't mean anything to me until you put the word Exxon before it. Yup. That was the ship that infamously struck a reef in 1989, spilling almost 11 million gallons of oil in the sound. Dang.

    The town was pretty quiet. Lots of ships in the marina, but not much happening otherwise. Maybe its slow on Mondays.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    The ship looks like its going to come straight down Broadway
    Mountainous villageThe Historic Skagway Inn, owned by Craig's friends Rosemary & KarlThey keep a healthy vegetable garden in the back to support the BistroWe stayed in the "Cleo" roomAdorableYes, the phone does workRosemary's jewelry storeSkagway & WWII

    9. Skagway - the "Movie Set" town

    12 de agosto de 2022, Estados Unidos ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    Skagway is the northernmost port of the Alaska Cruise ship lines' standard "inner passage" route. The town hosts 2-4 cruise ships per day, with over a million tourists descending on the town each season.

    Craig calls Skagway the movie set town, because during the off-season there is no one around; the stores shut down and everyone leaves. Each Spring the shops and restaurants re-open; the cobwebs are dusted off; employees are hired & trained; product and food are flown in and image of a thriving, bustling town is recreated again.

    Skagway's historical significance lies in it's role as a launching point for prospective gold miners heading up the infamous 33 mile Chilkoot Trail in search of Yukon Gold in the 1897 Klondike Gold Rush. Within 3 months of the start of the gold rush, Skagway was transformed from a small quiet town to one filled with "raucous hotels, saloons, gambling houses & dance halls". Once gold was discovered in Nome & Fairbanks Alaska a few years later, the gold-seekers followed, and Skagway's inflated population of 20,000 dwindled to 700.

    Craig has friends in Skagway who own the Historic Skagway Inn, as well as a popular jewelry store Lynch & Kennedy. We stayed at their Inn and enjoyed their delightful company.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    1,496 miles
    Scenic drive coming out of Vancouver...Whistler / Blackcomb Trail MapWhistler resort - ski trails behindAnother Whistler resortWhistler mountain ski runsThe drive becomes dreary...To quote Craig directly: "BORING".We had periodic delays due to construction. We waited at least 15 minutes at one location.Welcome to Whitehorse, capital of Yukon.There was a lot of street art depicting local historyStrolling along the Yukon River...The McBride Museum welcomes you in several First Nations (indigenous people) languages.McBride Museum

    7. Vancouver BC to Whitehorse, Yukon

    11 de agosto de 2022, Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 54 °F

    The drive from Vancouver, British Columbia to Whitehorse, Yukon (just 2 hours outside of Alaska) covered 1,496 miles and took 4 days.

    We encountered huge expanses of unpopulated wilderness that was dotted with occasional and infrequent small towns that often had one run-down, dilapidated, (yet fully booked, no-vacancy) motel, or no accommodations at all. The lack of lodging options forced us to modify our original plan to include a few days of 10-11 hours in the car.

    We stopped on the way out of Vancouver at Whistler/Blackcomb Mountain to check it out. We've skied several mountains in Canada but not this one, so we wanted to take a peek.

    The first day of this part of our journey was beautiful. The remainder of the long drive thereafter was honestly a bit tedious. Not just because of the distance, we've done that before, but mostly due to the topography. While our route was filled with lakes and rivers, our view of anything other than the road before us was usually obstructed by thick dense forest, the edge of which came right up to the highway. Kudos to Craig for "captaining" our voyage and remaining steady and focused behind the wheel.

    We stretched our legs a bit in Whitehorse which is the capital of Yukon, taking in a stroll along the Yukon River and a visit to McBride Museum before heading to Skagway Alaska on Friday.    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Ferries scurrying aboutFalse Creek Granville Ferry stopsThe pier is a popular hangout spotNot a bad view for those buildings, eh?The garage parking area is dressed up with some cool wall art......and more1This guy is a pirate buzzing around the waterway. Can you read his flag? "Surrender the Booty!"

    6. Granville Island Vancouver

    7 de agosto de 2022, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    We spent Sunday checking out Granville Island & Stanley Park in Vancouver.

    Stanley Park is a 1,000 acre park in the midst of urban Vancouver. OK, it was nice (and big!), but this New Yorker will take Central Park over Stanley Park any day.

    Granville Island is a popular tourist destination which boasts a large public market featuring upscale clothing shop, eateries, artwork, trinkets, and a smattering of performing artists throughout the island. Lovely apartments, condos & homes overlook the marina, the boats of which share the waters with kayakers & paddleboarders. On the north end of the island, small ferries come and go, shuttling people to various spots along the False Creek waterway. It was a vibrant, lively scene!    Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    Monkey puzzle tree - check out the small sharp "leaves" coming out of the trunk.

    5. Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island

    6 de agosto de 2022, Canadá ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    Once on the island, we took a one hour public bus ride through the south part of the island to Butchart Gardens. The Gardens were created by Jennie Butchart 118 years ago and are considered internationally renowned. The 55-acre display was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2004, for its one hundredth birthday. Fun way to spend a warm sunny afternoon.Leia mais

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  • Karen HechingerAlaska Summer 2022Viajante
    The ferry travelled across the Strait of Georgia from Tsawassen to Schwatrz BayA few seals entertained us at the harbor while waiting for our shipOMG my hair!Ship docking; cars ready for unloadingHey Janice - I think the anchor is just a tad bigger than yours, eh?

    4. Vancouver Island / Victoria

    6 de agosto de 2022, Canadá ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    On Saturday we spent the first of 2 days in Vancouver on Vancouver Island. The 1.5 hour ferry ride between Tsawassen on the mainland and Schwartz Bay on the island was quite pleasant. The ferry was huge, accommodating both cars and foot passengers, and offered spacious comfortable seating, a restaurant, TVs, a kids' play area, easy deck access, and charming seaside town views.Leia mais

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