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Alaska trip 2024

juin - août 2024
Starting out for Alaska with the teardrop camper June 1, 2024. Will drive there and back En savoir plus

Liste des pays

  • Italie
  • Canada
  • États Unis
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Camping-car, Camping, Famille, Nature, Faune
  • 40,7kmiles parcourus
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  • 84empreintes
  • 92jours
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  • 366j’aime
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  • Alaska trip 2024
    1

    Near Denali-Day 2

    7 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    The park will remain closed until July 10 which was to be our last day here anyway. Phil and I went our for pizza last night at a place on the strip outside the park. It was almost a Montana bar with lots of stuffed animals, but it served Alaska beers and reindeer sausage on the pizzas and had Alaska place names for the pizzas.

    It is cold and Phil and I are wearing both wintercoats and rain coats today. We went out for breakfast and kind of moped around. Doing laundry, too. Good rainy day stuff.

    On a brighter note, I skipped ahead and booked us an AirBNB cabin for July 8 and 9 outside of Fairbanks. We move to a KOA for 3 nights after that. We've got an oil change for the car and will get wheel bearings repacked on the camper in Fairbanks in preparation for beginning our trip back toward the lower 48 later this month.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Fairbanks AirBNB

    8–10 juil. 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Phil and are in a really cute cottage/cabin in Fairbanks for 2 days. The couple build 5 of these on their property for extra income. Don't know how many kids they have, but I saw 2 (4 months and about 9 years). They have a little acreage with some goats and maybe other animals outside of Fairbanks. Nice construction and will sleep 4. It has a loft with a queen and a fold out couch. Tiny little bathroom. Nice little kitchen. Even has a portable AC unit, although it isn't hot here.

    After I posted yesterday, Phil and I drove about 15 miles to Healy, AK. We found a post office and posted some cards and then went to 49th State Brewing, where they have the "Magic Bus" replica from the movie "Into the Wild." It is kind of a sad movie about the true story of Chris McCandless, who died of starvation in Alaska in 1992. He went into the wilderness and found this bus abandoned by a mining company (or similar company) and got trapped there and could not get back across a river and eventually died. The movie was based on his journal.

    People used to sort of make pilgrimage to the real bus in the wilderness relatively close to here until it was finally moved by airlift to a museum in Fairbanks. Now you can just go to the brewery and take a photo and leave a donation to foundation in his name started by Chris's mother.

    We had a light lunch and talked to other travelers with a group of 67 RVs traveling together. It may be good if you need some help, but Phil and I are doing fine on our own without a caravan of others.

    This morning, we showered and went to breakfast in the rain and had what was probably the best breakfast of the trip so far at "The Black Bear." They had the best biscuits and gravy that I have had in years!

    We drove to Fairbanks (about 140 miles) with stops in Anderson (small community near a Clear Space Force Base), Nenana, and Ester. We had time to kill, so we also went to the Santa Claus House at North Pole, AK. We bought some made in Alaska ornaments for our tree (lots of not made in Alaska stuff was in the store, too.) We saw and visited with Santa who is considering getting a tiny camper like ours for him and Mrs Claus. We also visited the reindeer academy and learned about these creatures and fed some in a pen. Wild reindeer are called caribou.

    I'm not sure about tomorrow's plan yet. I want to look for some things "lost" in the camper and pickup. We may go to a museum as it is supposed to rain some more, too.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Fairbanks AirBNB day 2

    9 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    Quiet, rainy day. It was nice to be inside, and Phil even took an extra nap. I cooked pancakes and bacon for breakfast, and then we had chicken noodle soup for lunch.

    We went downtown to the multipurpose Morris Visitor's Center. We watched a movie about Gates of the Arctic and went through the various exhibits. It was rainy all day.

    We stopped for a few groceries and then came home for a hearty pasta meal for supper. We are discussing going to Coldfoot, AK, without the camper. It's about 250 miles over a very rough road so so it will be hard on the camper and pickup. We'll think on it some more. I know we really want to go so maybe we can see some caribou and muskox. It might be a chance for Phil to focus on fishing, too.

    Quiet day. Tomorrow, we head to the KOA campground.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Fairbanks chore day

    10–13 juil. 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    We got up to sunshine for the first time in a week and don't need our winter coats and hats. We set up our bug hooch in the driveway so it could finally dry.

    Today, we had chores and appointments. First, we went to the bank for some more US cash as we'll we starting our way back to the lower 49 soon.

    Second, we went in search of ice for the cooler. We went 3 different places before we finally found ice at Fred Meyer! One lady told us they were waiting on ice from Anchorage! Seems odd to run out of ice this far north.

    We had an early lunch at The Blueroof Bistro. It was a good thing we arrived early as the place was packed and people were waiting on our table to clear as we left!

    We went back to the AirBNB and retrieved the bug hooch and camper and moved to a very nice KOA on the Chena River. After setting up, we had an appointment with a "mobile" RV technician. Aparrently there are only 3 trained technicians in town. This guy works in Fairbanks in the summer and is a full-time RVer himself. He has a place for his camper about 30 minutes outside of town.

    We had him repack our wheel bearings as the manufacturer says it should be done about every 10, 000 miles. We called him a week ago and made the appointment and he says that many people arrive in Fairbanks without an appointment and are disappointed when he can't make time to fix their rig or that he can't get the parts. He also showed Phil how to check the brake controller every morning before we take off.

    Tonight, we are having steaks and corn on the cob. I am using my new portable gas grill for the first time. My old one was too hard to control the temperature on so we bought this one. There's no firepits at this KOA.

    This is a quieter KOA. The RV repairman said he was surprised that it was only half full.

    Tomorrow we have to take the car for an oil change. I'd like to go to a museum or maybe go see some of the Native Alaskan Olympics that are on the 10th to 13th.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Fairbanks chore day 2

    11 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Yes, you guessed it! It was pouring down rain when we woke up. I could hear it and feel it as it dripped in the rooftop vent. I closed it, and we went in our raincoats to take showers and then drove to breakfast at The Cookie Jar. As we were finishing our breakfast, in walked Marty, Misty, and Matt Raney, the stars of the TV show Homestead Rescue on Discovery Channel. They must live around here because everyone acted all casual. I think Marty also used to be a Denali mountain guide. I snapped a photo on the way out.

    There was no time to dawdle as we had an appt at Midas for an oil change and tire rotation. They got the car right in, and we sat and read in the waiting area. It was good to get another chore checked off the list.

    We spent 2 hours at the Museum of the North, which is on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. Great exhibits,

    and they are currently rehabbing the "Magic bus" that they airlifted from the wilderness so it can be displayed along with the telling of its sad story.

    We had Pad Thai at Mom's Cafe for lunch, which is really just a window inside a sports bar where a Mom is cooking up Thai food goodness for the world. We ate in, but numerous people ordered and picked up meals to go. It was a real Alaskan hangout as we were the only out of state plate in the parking lot.

    After lunch, we went to the public library and used their wifi with our VPN to buy our medical insurance for the trip home. Our health insurance does not cover us in Canada, so we bought coverage for our trip up and now again for our trip home.

    Late in the afternoon, we ran a load of laundry and talked to a camper from Florida. Last night, we found out our camping neighbor next door is from Mt Home, AR, which is about 30 minutes from where we will be living starting in the fall. Small world.

    It is supposed to he good weather tomorrow, so we may take in the Native Alaska Olympics.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Fairbanks a day with more fun!

    12 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We woke to the sun and as Phil and I walked to the bath house about 6:15, we heard a wolf howl. This KOA is in a heavily wooded area next to Ft Wainwright with a lot of maneuver area for the Arctic Angels, an Airborne Division here in Alaska. We've heard wolves before, so we are fairly certain it wasn't a dog or coyote.

    After we got cleaned up and had breakfast, we headed over to the World Eskimo Indian Games. Today, we watched the various contestants in categories of native dress. On was called cloth and the other fur. Each garment was described in detail. Who made it, what it was made of, when the person received it, and what occasions they wear the garment or jewelry for. There were many beautiful hand beaded and stitched furs, leathers, and cloth all with special meaningful decorations. Winners would be announced tonight at the evening festivities.

    We also watched an athletic event called The Stick Pull. A young man explained the rules to Phil and I. The stick is slippery and greased and resembles a fish. Contestants stand facing each other, each with a hand on the "fish" and try to take it from his or her opponent. There was a men's and a women 's division.

    We also watched them unload 4 ring seals, which were dead and frozen. Tonight, there will be a seal skinning demonstration. There were other events such as the high kick (both one and two legged), and later today, there was also a fish preparation demonstration.

    Phil and I left for lunch before all that, but we had a good conversation with a young woman pursuing her Masters in indigenous studies, and she will be attending university in Bozeman this fall. We discussed food sovereignty, and we told her about the work the Intertribal Buffalo Council was doing. She took our emails and said she hoped to learn more about it for her studies.

    After lunch, we went back to the library so I could work on our return itinerary. In the morning, we'll pack up and head northeast of town on the Steese Highway for 2 nights. We've heard too many warnings about taking the Dalton Highway, and the RV tech yesterday said the Steese Highway was beautiful. In better condition, and less crowded. We'll start our way back July 15 with some two day stops in Whitehorse, Skagway, and Dawson Creek.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Steese Highway- BLM campsite

    13 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 82 °F

    It was really a nice day. We had no agenda but ended up doing a lot. We drove up northeast of Fairbanks and checked out a couple of campgrounds before settling on Cripple Creek Campground. It is $6 per night, and the bathrooms are very clean. It is also currently inhabited by about 8 million mosquitos, but this time, we were ready for them.

    We got out of the car with bug jackets and head nets. We quickly put up the bug hooch, and we made sure we had our sprays, repellent, and bug lantern ready. We were so ready that we took a walk on a river trail that was a natural mosquito habitat, and we enjoyed it!

    After a lunch of sandwiches, we drove to 12 Mile Summit, which is above the tree line on the tundra. No caribou there today, but they will migrate through next month or so. We also scoped out fishing spots for Phil. A State Trooper stopped and checked his fishing license and clarified some rules that Phil had found confusing in the state regulation book.

    He lost a lure, but we went on to check out other sites, and we will come back tomorrow. I found some blueberries just ripening and will put them in pancakes tomorrow!

    We had steak and potatoes for supper. A man Phil met last night at the last campground was here. He seemed very sad. It is his 7th trip here and maybe his last. His friends and family are dying off, and he's trying to find someone to go to Patagonia with him next year to fish. I felt sorry for him and thought about volunteering, Phil, but we have our own plans.

    It's a nice fire, and it is starting to sprinkle. Hope it quits. In the meantime, we're spending our last nights here in Alaska and loving every minute.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024

    Steese Highway Day 2

    14 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ⛅ 55 °F

    Raining again! Despite the rain, we had pancakes with my wild blueberries, and they were really tasty! I also used the rest of the eggs to make a ham, cheese, and asparagus omelet with some leftovers from last night.

    We drove on the drizzle back to the fishing hole and waited for some other people to finish fishing. Then we waited some more for it to quit raining. Phil fished a little, but between the intermittent raining and voracious mosquitos, quit after about an hour with no bites.

    We invited a camping neighbor, Gary, over for brats at supper. He is 73 and from Massachusetts. He was at the campground in Fairbanks as well. We had an enjoyable evening. Gary is here to fish this trip.

    Tomorrow, we are heading for Delta Junctions and starting our way back south. We are in Alaska 2 more nights.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    1

    Delta Junction, AK,

    15 juillet 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F

    We stopped th Fairbanks on our way through town. We had a good diner breakfast and caught up on the news before going to Safeway for a few things and getting fuel. We also sprayed the gray sludge off the camper and pickup fenders at a car wash.

    It was a slow drive with several road projects requiring a pilot car during the 100 miles. Views of the Alaska Range were very beautiful, though.

    Delta Junction isn't a very big town. The military post Ft. Greeley is here, and it isn't very big either. Phil and I went down there hoping to get lunch, and the one place to eat was closed today. We ended up eating at a Subway in Delta Junction as the only other place open was a walk-up dairy king kind of place and a Thai food truck.

    At Subway, the employees were trying to catch a small bird that had entered by mistake. Just down the street, we also watched a road grader pull a big rig that had a building on the back. Apparently, they want to relocate this 2 story building, but they did not have enough oomph!

    We are at the Snowed Inn RV park tonight. They have electricity, showers for $8, and a decent laundromat, but we have no picnic table or fire pit, and it looks like a big parking lot. We will be in secluded back country places the next two nights so it was good to shower, charge up all our batteries, and do a load of a laundry after 2 nights of mosquitos at the BLM campsite.    En savoir plus

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    2
    1

    Deadman Lake Campground

    16–17 juil. 2024, États Unis ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    We had a lovely dinner of cheese and crackers (and salami, olives, pickles, pistachios, etc.) last night seated in our red lawn chairs next to the camper the shade. We met 4 couples traveling together who were Mennonite, and two of the couples were from Kansas. I went to a Mennonite College in Kansas for my nursing degree, and two of the couples had nieces who also attended there. We compared notes on where we had been and which way we were headed the next day.

    Phil and I had a nice smooth drive to Tok, AK. We stopped there to get gas, buy yogurt for breakfast, and eat lunch.

    Then we continued on for about 50 miles of very rough highway with pavement breaks, potholes, a d frost heaves. It took us longer to go the 50 miles than the previous 100!

    Along the way, there were beautiful views again. We saw no actual wildlife, but there were 3 horses loose on the road with no owners in sight.

    Tonight, we are at Deadman Lake on the Tetlin National Wildlife refuge. Camping is by donation only. Firewood is free. It is a lovely place with interpretive trails, a board walk, a lake dock, etc. We just had a rain shower, so now we're ready to fix a fire and make supper. Tomorrow, we cross the border into Canada and have about 150 miles of very rough highway before our next stop, so wish us luck!    En savoir plus

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