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Alaska trip 2024
  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford

Alaska trip 2024

Starting out for Alaska with the teardrop camper June 1, 2024. Will drive there and back Les mer
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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Our water taxi
    Here's the Brooks Lodge beach1Buffet lunch of cod pot pie, salmon cakes, butternut squash, cheesy potatoes, soup, salad1Bears on the beachMerganzer with about 20 ducklingsBears playingBrooks Falls (no bears)Today's selfieBrooks LakeFly fishermenSalmon in the waterPumice stones on the beach. This is a volcanic area.Bears playing1Salmon swimming

    Brooks Lodge, Katmai National Park, AK

    23. juni 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 86 °F

    Edit:ignore the map. My phone thought we were in Florida apparently.

    We had a few false starts this morning. The 7 am. boat was delayed due to fog. Then the 9 am. boat was delayed, but finally, about 10:30, the fog lifted. We went across Naknek Lake in about 45 minutes. We had a bear briefing, and then Phil and I went to have lunch at Brooks Lodge.

    Just after we finished, a mother bear and cubs walked by on the beach. The cubs were play-fighting until Mom finally had enough and took them back into the woods.

    Phil and I walked to Brooks Falls and Brooks Lake, but we saw no other bears today. We did see a lot of fish. Mostly salmon starting to come upstream, but also some trout and other smaller fish.

    After the fog, it turned into a beautiful sunny day. We found out they accept volunteers here, so we may consider that in the future.

    You will notice we broke out the bug coats in addition to our permethrin-treated clothes. They have mosquitos here and also a biting fly called white socks. The bug coats are good but hot. I wore mine the whole time, and Phil put his on after a short hike.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Kenai Fjord Visitor's Center
    Lunch of reindeer meatloaf with mac'n cheeseSelfie at the sea life centerFeeding the puffins and other birdsSome kind of "rhinoceros" puffinA regular puffinKing crabSeller sea lion swimming. He weighs 2,600 pounds per one of the staffWaterfall on Lowell Point RdOtters from afarResurrection BaySea otters. One has a baby.Supper! Fresh salmon with mango pineapple salsa, and Asian salad

    Seward Day 1

    24.–27. jun. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    We arrived later last night. We had a sandwich supper in Anchorage before heading south to Ptarmigan Creek Campground 25 miles north of Seward. We stayed up WAY past our bed time until 10 or 10:30 pm. Despite the decided lean in the terrain of the camper, we both slept well and agreed it felt good to be back "in our own bed" after two nights in a hotel/cabin.

    This morning after coffee and a poptart, we drove into Seward. We stopped first at the Kenai Fjords National Park visitor center. Nice exhibits and we watched a movie about the park. Tomorrow, we'll go back to Exit Glacier, which is on the park, and take a hike to see the gIlacier. You can no longer walk up to the Glacier as it has receded, but we can take pictures from the viewing platform.

    We had lunch "downtown". We both had reindeer meatloaf with mac'n cheese as it was cold out, and that sounded warming. Neither of us could finish our plates, though!

    Afterward, we went through the Alaska Sea Life Center, which is a combined research facility and marine aquarium aimed mostly at children, but still interesting for us. They study birds, fish, and marine mammals in Resurrection Bay, where Seward sits.

    We drove out to Lowell Point and bought ice at Miller's Landing, where we watched 6 or 7 sea otters playing near the shore.

    On our way back to camp, we stopped at the post office to mail post cards. Now we are enjoying camp. It is sunny and relatively bug free in our "bug hooch." For supper, we are having fresh Copper River Salmon filets on the grill with rice and mango pineapple salsa.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bug free hooch!
    Camper slightly unlevel...Kitty at Eddy'sView from the airplane

    Ptarmigan Creek Campground

    24. juni 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    Breakfast in King Salmon was at Eddy's. A place that looks like a typical remote Alaskan bar to me, complete with 2 cats. Food was plentiful and tasty, I couldn't eat it all. Then, I checked out of our abode for the last 2 nights. We carried ourselves and 1 bag to the airport. It is small! Checked our bag and went to the Katmi National Park Visitors Center. Had a great talk with the ranger. We obtained the contact information for contact regarding volunteering here. Off to Anchorage, First Class seating again, and then the drive to our RV campground to get the camper. 105 miles to the new campsite. We have a back-in campsite. I haven't mastered that yet so I let Janet have a go after not getting in myself. After a couple of tries, she parked the camper kind of catty whompus but in the site. All in all, it's a good day, and I'll slide downhill into Janet while sleeping. We didn't get the camper level. That's okay!

    Tomorrow, Seward!
    Phil    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Today's selfie
    Exit Glacier nowExit Glacier picture from 2006Supper on the grill!Here it is on the plate

    Seward Day 2

    26. juni 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Today didn't begin as planned, but ended up being OK. We headed from our campsite into Seward at about 9:30, congratulating ourselves on being a little early.

    There is a big road construction project between our campground and Seward, so we waited in the line for the pilot car for quite a while. Just after the main construction, I called Phil's attention to the warning light for a low tire. The front passenger tire went quickly from 32 to about 17, so we pulled over at a paved turnout.

    My first instinct was to use the gizmo we bought to air it up, but as we noted more air leaving the tire than going in, we quickly moved to Plan B. We have a perfectly good brand new tire mounted on a spare, but at the front of the pickup bed. As we were trying to loosen the lug nuts, a rental camper pulled over and out popped 4 people from Barcelona, Spain! One woman approached and said in Spanish, "I am not a mechanic, but he is, pointing to the Spanish man." The lug nuts were on too tight and could only be loosened by Phil physically jumping on the tire wrench. Between them, Phil and the man made short work of the tire change. Lying on the ground at an early hour wasn't the plan, but everything worked. I told the 3 women that we were volunteers on the Camino, and they became very excited. As we parted ways, I thanked them immensely, and she said, "this is the Camino, too," and my eyes filled with tears. Phil and the man exchanged a manly handshake and a "Muchas Gracias" "De nada," and we were on our way again into town.

    The tire store was slammed with tire repairs from the road construction and their regular appointments and could not guarantee it would be ready even by tomorrow. If it isn't, we'll pick it up, and I'll have it repaired in Ninilchek while Phil is off fishing the next 2 days.

    We had lunch (nothing too amazing, salads and burgers) and then went to Kenai Fjords NP and hiked a bit. Just 20 years ago, you could hike to the toe of Exit Glacier, but now it has receded too far. We took photos from afar and discussed the impact of climate change on the wondrous places...

    Back at camp, we are rearranging the back of the pickup. I fixed a yummy steak and rosemary potatoes with grilled asparagus for supper. Tomorrow, we will head for Ninilchek, where we have a cabin for 3 nights. I will wash clothes, do some camper cleaning, and get the tire fixed as needed, while Phil fishes first for Halibut and then for salmon.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Yay for Alyseka Tire! They fixed the flat for $31 in less than an hour!
    Washing car and camper cost about $7.Views of the mountains across Cook's Inlet. So pretty!3Another pretty view across Cook's Inlet.Our home for the next 3 nights. Cabin #1View from our picture window. Darned trees and electrical poles!

    Ninilchek day 1

    27.–30. jun. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    It was kind of a long day. We got a late start as we went into Seward to check on the tire status. We saw a moose at the place where we had the flat yesterday.

    In Seward, we ate at the Resurrection Roadhouse, which is on the Resurrection River, that flows out of Exit Glacier. Then we got fuel and ice for the cooler before stopping at Tirebrand. Our tire was still in the stack to be repaired, so we just took it with us flat and went back and got the camper. We crossed our fingers that there would be no further flats at least until it was fixed!

    The drive to Ninilchek was lovely. We followed the course of the Kenai River, and there were fishermen and bald eagles lining the banks at places.

    In Soldatna, we found a tire store and stopped on the off chance that we could leave the tire for pickup later this week. They assured us they would have time to do it today, so we left it and went to the car wash with the camper and pickup.

    About $7 later, the tire store called and said the tire was repaired! YAY! So we headed on south to our fishing charter with a good tire and a clean camper and truck!

    A few more breathtaking views of the mountains across Cook's Inlet, and we arrived at Afishunt Anglers and RV place. We have a cozy 1 BR cabin for 3 nights. It has Manley decor and twin beds, but who cares!?!

    Phil will have his Halibut charter tomorrow. The captain assured him he would catch fish. He said he could bring snacks, but he'd be too busy to eat! We'll have the fish packaged and frozen and shipped overnight to my Dad in Nixa, MO. We'll pick it up later this summer on our way back to Gainesville.

    Our cabin has killer views only impeded by electrical lines...    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Phil's craft for today. Captain Troy and mate, Chase, do good work.
    Ducky and Bossy glad to be out of their bag and enjoy a cup of coffee in the warm cabinMy fantastic views for the morning.Phil on return near the boat.Here's the 16 fish. Plus there were 2 cod caught that are not shown.1Guess which ones are Phil's? The owner says just point to the biggest ones!Today's fishing groupCaptain Troy and Chase are processing the fish while Phil looks on.

    Ninilchek day 2

    28. juni 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 50 °F

    We moved into the cabin and had another pasta meal last night. Chicken with pasta, asparagus, and a couple of squirts of tomato paste, garlic paste, and Italian herbs in white wine. Very tasty!

    After great hot showers and a good sleep, Phil was off at 6:30 am. on his first day of fishing. My laundry detail was complicated by 1. Change machine not working. 2. Washing machine not working. 3. The office is not open to get assistance. At 9 a.m., when the office opened, I got a refund on my broken machine and change for the rest of the loads, but by then, a lady who had been traveling 2 weeks longer than me was using all washers. Finally, at 10 a.m., she relinquished one machine to me, so I began the slow, painful process of washing our clothes and bedding one load at a time...

    By the time my chores were finished, I had an excited text from Phil that they were on their way back. There were 8 fishing in his group plus the Captain and 1 deckhand. Two men caught very large fish weighing between 50 and 60 pounds. They were nearly 5 feet in length. The rest of the fish were smaller. The limit was one fish under 28 inches and one over. Phil had one of each.

    We watched them process the fish after photos were taken. Ours will be packaged in 1 pound packs and frozen and held in case Phil gets Salmon tomorrow. We'll ship that overnight to my Dad to hold until our return. He and Chris will be welcome to some fish for the bother.

    This afternoon, we are waiting to hear about tomorrow 's departure time. Phil is entitled to catch 6 Sockeye if he is able. Others in his party today caught a limit of salmon yesterday. He may go as early as 4 am.

    He got a little sick on the boat, so he's snacking now on grapes, and we'll have an early supper.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Two pretty red filets which will be about 4 or 6 pounds of salmon
    3Phil with his salmon. It is a Sockeye.

    Ninilchek Day 3

    29. juni 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    For me, it was a day to check up on upcoming reservations, pay some bills, and read a good book about people who lived off the grid in Alaska.

    For Phil, it was a fishing day! He left the house at 7 am. to drive to meet his guide on the Kasilof River about 30 minutes away. He took his own chest waders as the resort had only hip waders, and the hostess told him he'd likely be warmer in his own gear. He wore extra heavy wool socks and some merino wool sweat pants/leggings under his regular pants. The temperature never got above 55 F today, and the water was quite cold. He did a fishing technique called flossing. Salmon don't eat after they begin their journey upstream to spawn, so you cast a line that will catch them in the mouth and hook them on their mouth like dental floss. He caught one by hooking in the abdomen and had to release it as that is illegal. He was only able to bring one fish to the bank legally, although he hooked several others that he could not land before they shook the hook. He said when you did hook one, it jumped out of the water.

    He fished about 8 hours with guide Ed and his wife Teri. Not everyone was catching fish where they were today. The guide and his wife did not catch any fish.

    We'll have the one fish packaged and frozen to ship with the Halibut by FedEx to Missouri, and it should reach my dad's house on Tuesday. Tomorrow, we'll know the total shipping weight.

    Just an aside, the hostess in the office, Michelle, said that she and her husband Captain Troy come up from Florida and do this for 5 months every summer. Michelle reminds me of my sister-in-law, Kaki Kahl. Similar looks, voice, and mannerisms and the same energy and attention to detail. We would recommend this service to others, too.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Rainy on and off today
    View from Homer HillWay down there on the end of that peninsula is our campground.1Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor's Center selfie12 baby mooseMama moose2Phil, Bossy and Ducky take in the viewOur campsite for 3 daysMovie of the baby mooses

    Homer Day 1

    30. jun.–3. jul. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We packed up and settled up on our fish processing and shipping. Let me just say it was a great experience, but an expensive 18 pounds of fish! It will be shipped to my father overnight by FEDEX and arrive on Tuesday. Only a couple of pounds of salmon and the rest was Halibut.

    It was raining on and off all morning. As we approached the Homer Hill overlook, it cleared. I can honestly say it is one of the most beautiful views of the trip, and we've seen many.

    Our campsite is on the very end of Homer Spit, and because our camper is so tiny, we are on the row facing the beach. This time, the bigger campers are behind us one or two rows.

    The Spit is a complete tourist trap with bars, restaurants, and gift stores, but where we are is beyond that right at the end. So lovely.

    We went to Safeway for supplies again. There were no other big chain stores here, and it was quite crowded.

    We also stopped at the Marine National Wildlife Visitor's Center. While there, we saw a moose with very young twin calves. It would be another great place to volunteer someday.

    If it is raining tomorrow we'll go to the museum and maybe walk around the strip in our raincoats. If not, we'll hike a bit. Either way, we are on the beach and looking at mountains. The only drawback is if there is a tsunami, we might be goners...    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bald eagle nest near our campsite on a tower. There is one chick that I could see with binoculars
    Breakfast burritoCoast Guard facility near our breakfast diner for Cousin Jerry LunaKites on the beachGardens at the Pratt MuseumMore pretty flowers a the museum gardensPratt Museum1Soup at Three Olives for lunchBoats in the harborCoast Guard cutter again for Jerry1Phil outside the Salty Dawg

    Homer day 2

    1. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 55 °F

    It was rainy and cold much of the day. We got up and went to the Duncan House Diner for breakfast. We arrived before 8 am. and by 9 a.m., people were waiting in line to get a table. Good hearty breakfast.

    Then we came back to the campground to shower. I watched Marine Life while Phil was puttering around in the bathroom. I saw several otters and seals as well as a dolphin and some kind of smaller whale. It was too far away to identify. Mostly, there is a lot of boat traffic from small boats taking people fishing.

    It began to rain so we went to the local museum. Very nice combination of art, history, and wildlife exhibits. They also have a beautiful garden.

    We had a late lunch at Three Olives. We both had a cup of tomato basil soup (yum), and we split a Nonna's Salad, which had apples, candidied pecans, and goat cheese on a bed of spinach and mixed lettuces. We also ordered a plate with three different spreads and ended up bringing most of that home for a light supper tonight.

    We walked a short trail on the Beluga Slough next to the wildlife Visitor's Center. Saw some sand hill cranes with chick's and a variety of ducks and birds.

    On the way back to the campground, after stopping at the pharmacy for prescription refills and the post office to mail cards, we saw the moose we saw yesterday happily browsing near the road. Hope she and her babies stay safe.

    Late this afternoon, Phil and I walked to the Salty Dawg Saloon. It is a bar and kind of a tacky one, so we skipped having a drink as it was crowded. It is one of the oldest buildings on Homer Spit and was at one time a post office. It has apparently cleaned up a little. A neighbor in a nearby camper said she came here as a child, and there were pictures of naked women on the walls. None of that today.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Morning coffee view
    Where we took our hikeColumbine at the park hqNurse tree. An old tree provides a protected area for a new tree to grow.Shelf mushroom. They add a ring each year and only grow on dead spruce trees. They are edible.Coastal paintbrushViewpoint during our hikeThis is an edible berry producing plantPhil at the fish and chips picnic table1Lighthouse fish and chips. Drive in or walk up only. The owners live in the house.Local ACE hardware has everything including a pharmacy and these cute Alaska kid boots.1I am charging all our batteries through our solar panel.

    Homer Day 3

    2. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    It was cold and windy this morning. Feels odd to wear winter coats, hats, and gloves while drinking our coffee.

    We watched the sea, and the day began to warm. There were a few otters and saw some fish jumping, but no whales this morning.

    After some yogurt, poptarts, and a bowl of hot cereal for Phil, we took our showers. They do have good showers here for $2 each. We bought ice for the cooler and headed out for the day.

    Our hike today was at the Carl Wynn Nature Center. We intended to do the 1.4 mile hike, but turned the wrong way and ended up going a 1/4 mile in the wrong direction first, so with the backtrack, it was a 2 mile hike. At the nature center HQ, we looked at pictures of the plants and flowers we had seen. There are lots of wild flowers right now. There was a young moose in the parking lot, but it ambled off before I could take his picture. Phil bought a new ball cap there.

    After the hike, we ate outside at a drive-through fish and chips place. It was sunny but windy.

    Now, I am charging up all our batteries while Phil is off doing laundry. Our next week or so we'll have limited services at the campsites we've selected. We head toward Whittier tomorrow for 2 nights, and we'll be in a USFS campground. After that, we head towards Denali, although yesterday there was a fire there that closed the park entrance and other services. We will keep an eye on that in case we need to alter our plans.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Cute salt and pepper shakers ar Duncan House Diner.
    My garden breakfast scramble with eggs, tomatoes, pesto, and cheese.VolcanoAnother volcano!Today's selfieCharging the batteriesOur campsite1Nearby glacierSome pretty flowers on the nature loop1Portage creek near our campsiteAnother pretty flower

    Whittier- Wallawaw Campground

    3.–5. jul. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    We got up and went to a hearty
    breakfast at Duncan House. On the way back, we stopped at Safeway. Then, back to the campground to shower and pack up. The sea was like glass this morning, and it was the first day it felt even remotely warm. Last night, I had my winter jacket, gloves, a buff, and my wool stocking cap on. Today my long sleeved T-shirt felt too warm at 60 degrees.

    We both enjoyed Homer, but we agreed that the busy touristy Spit was not as nice as the town except for the views.

    Out 190 mile trip today was again filled with great views of the volcanos across Cook's Inlet and then later the Kenai River and finally the mountains.

    We are at a large but very private National Forest campground. Lots of trees and the sites are nice.
    We are near a nature trail, and we can see a glacier on the nearby mountain.

    Tomorrow, we will go through the "tunnel" to the town of Whittier. It is a deepwater port and was constructed as a secret military base. More on it tomorrow. We are taking a brief marine wildlife viewing cruise. I don't want to be seasick, so I picked a shorter one with a no seasickness guarantee. I am also taking some Dramamine, and I think Phil will, too, after his bout of illness while fishing for Halibut earlier in the trip.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Morning Glacier view
    Byron glacierVisitors center exibitOld military building that is now a condoAbout condoLocal schoolOld pickup in paradeReindeer (caribou) in a cageOld military buildingPoster about buildingSignal buildingOld signal building now a hotelMore infoAnother buildingMotor poolWalking tour signCoast Guard auxiliary carParadeParade

    Whittier day 2-part 1

    4. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Our first stop this morning was at the Partage Glacier Visitors Center outside on our side of the tunnel to Whittier. Very nice place. Normally, it was a $5 entrance fee, but the computers were down, so admission was free. The ranger said we should hurry to Whittier since today was the July 4 parade. Her fears were unfounded as we zipped right through the tunnel.

    6.5 minutes later, we were in Whittier. We drove through the one lane tunnel on top of the rail tracks. Once in Whittier, we found a budget parking place and spent the morning walking around. This post was initially established in 1941 as a deepwater port, and the train tunnel was completed in 1943. It was used to get supplies to military posts.

    There are several military buildings remaining. One is now a condo for residents, and about half of the people live there. It was bought by the city in 1972.

    One building is no longer used due to asbestos, but it initially housed 1000 people. Other buildings also remained.

    We also saw the July 4 parade. Most vehicles, but most of the residents were in the parade. Phil and I watched from the original Signsl Corps building (now a hotel and restaurant. )    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Whale tale through my window
    Used to be a tidewater glacierSea otterTide water glacierHere's the other one!It was calving as we arrivedSome seals reasting on the rocksStellar sea lions on a bouyThey all set up as we started away.Kittiwake rookerySea otterHere's the tunnel entrance

    Whittier day- 2 Part 2

    4. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    We boarded our Capt Phillips Marine tour at 12:45 pm. We were at table 5 near the front of the craft with two ladies from Texas. One comes to Alaska often. For the other, it was her first time. We also sat near a man from Los Angeles.

    We saw numerous glaciers on the cruise and stopped for any wildlife. It was a 3 hr 45-minute cruise. Both Phil and I took a dramamine (actually meclizine) an hour ahead of time. I also wore those little seasickness bands. Frankly, the medication gave me a "stupid" feeling after a while. I could think of things to say, but I could not say them. The good part is that I did not get sick and was eventually able to walk around and take photos instead of huddling motionless in my seat.

    We saw our first Glacier, and in a short time, we also had several whale spouts! There was a humpback cow and calf feeding, and we watched them for quite a while. Then we saw some sea otters. Finally, we saw another whale as we were making our way to one of two tidewater glaciers. These glaciers still come right to the sea. Many others in this area no longer touch the sea.

    We went to each tidewater glacier. One was actively calving or shedding ice into the sea. Some of the youngsters on board, with the help of the crew, gathered some of the ice for passengers to put in their drinks!

    We saw some harbor seals at one of the glaciers. At another place, there were Stellar Sea Lions resting on a bouy. We also visited a Kittiwake rookery where black footed gulls were nesting. More otters there there.

    Overall, I know it was a chance that we saw the whales. The Capt. said that not many had returned due to the low numbers of herring since the Exon-Valdez oil spill more than 30 years ago.

    I would recommend this cruise as it was short. I didn't get sick. I saw lots of cool stuff. They even served a light lunch of chowder or vegetarian chili.

    It is cold tonight. Phil and I had bowls of chicken and noodle soup (thanks to Packet Gourmet). We are going to pack up tonight and head out tomorrow to find breakfast on our way back through Anchorage and to Talkeetna 190 miles away.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Here is the world famous Laundromall. The dispensary was closed today but laundry and showers open.
    Our first Alaskan firewood. It's beginning to bloom!Tonight's campsite at Montana Creek.

    Montana Creek Campground, Talkeetna, AK

    5. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    Really, this is just a travel and restock day as we head toward Denali. We had everything packed since rain was threatening, and we drove up the road 10 miles or so ro Girdqood for breakfast. Excellent coffee and good eats at the Hightower Pub. Girdwood was celebrating its "Forest Festival" and had many hippies young and old there to celebrate.

    We found the Laundromall, which is an all-purpose laundromat with pay showers and a Cannabis store in the front. Showers were $8 and lasted 8 minutes. Money we'll spent we decided! We did not use the laundry or Cannabis services but pressed on to Amchorage.

    We stopped for a few hours at the PX (more bug repelling stuff) and the commissisary. Phil called Fairbanks to get an appt to have the wheel bearings on the camper repacked there. We struck out so far on scheduling an oil change though. The Chevy dealer was booked out until July 23. We'll try Midas when we get cell service again.

    Overall, it was a pretty regular travel day. It is supposed to rain overnight and most of the day tomorrow, so we'll head out early in search of breakfast in Talkeetna a few miles up the road.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Inside of the Flying Squirrel Bakery. Cheerful and smells good!
    Some of my fresh smoked Salmon. Not like you get in the package at the store!Phil's breakfast burritoMy sandwich sure is good!The bakery is tucked away in the woods and even the rain couldn't mute the color of the flowersPoor guy weed-eating in the rain at the state park.We can't go in, but here is the sign.Our alternate campsite.

    Denali-sort of Day 1

    6. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    It's been a disappointing day. We woke up to steady rain, and after a 150-mile drive, we arrived to find Denali NP closed. I thought I had been keeping up but had mistaken their "full operations" to mean the park was open. Apparently, none of the park is open at all. So we have 4 nights and a bus trip out of our itinerary.

    On the brighter side, we had breakfast at The Flying Squirrel bakery in Talkeetna, AK. I had a delicious freshly smoked salmon breakfast sandwich with cream cheese, red onions, and tomato on fresh baked whole grain bread. Phil had the breakfast burrito. I bought a T-shirt and cookies and extra coffee to go.

    We stopped a few times in the rain to stretch our legs and go to the bathroom. I watched a state park employee try to start his weed eater as he was apparently planning to work in the pouring rain. (These Alaskans are pretty tough!)

    At Cantwell, a mother moose and her twin calves darted across the road, but Phil was able to slow for their crossing.

    I commented to Phil on the surprisingly low number of campers we were seeing. Apparently, I was the only one who didn't get the memo... So now we are camped 6 miles from the park entrance at Grizzly Paw Cabins and RV park while we regroup. It's noisy, but we have a big space with room for our bug hooch so we can also escape the rain, which is forecast for the next 2 days. We have electricity, flush toilets, and showers. It's pricey, but better than we would have had in the park.

    I am grateful for a place to go at this point. Others have told us they were really disappointed at Denali, and we may never know now if we love it or not. (Edit: The park is closed for wildfires. 25% contained right now.)    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    At the pizza place they had the camera on the screen of the bears a Brooks Falls catching salmon!
    Wolverine ready to jump down and get my pizza!This is The Prospector which means supreme pizza in Alaskan, I think.Helicopter sling loading water to the fire.1Outside a gift shopAnother waiting location outside the same shopBrrr! Wool stocking cap and puffy coat !Snowshoe hare as we went to breakfastBeautiful dahlias in the land of the midnight sun!Another pretty dahlia.The original "van" transportation. It sat out 70 years before restoration. Seats 22.You can see where the fire started here near the rail line.My home away from home!

    Near Denali-Day 2

    7. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    The replica of the Magic Bus from the movie Into the Wild.
    Just love the flowers here!Dahlias and other flowersThis tug used to work on the Yukon and Nenena riversMonument to native alaskans who fought and also watched the coast in WWIIWe are at Santa Claus's house at North Pole, AK.Phil in front of a vintage sled. The real Santa was around a corner chatting with guestsToday's selfiePhil feeding a reindeer. Maybe Prancer? He kept coming back for 2nds and 3rds.Our AirBNB. Phil did a great job backing the camper today!

    Fairbanks AirBNB

    8.–10. jul. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Multipurpose exhibits downtown
    Garden at the rustic cabin downtownSelfie at the furthest north Antler arch made of antlers from 100+ moose

    Fairbanks AirBNB day 2

    9. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Tonight's campsite.
    Supper will be tenderloin filets, corn on the cob, and salad.Ducky and Bossy are glad it is a nice sunny day!

    Fairbanks chore day

    10.–13. jul. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Yes, that is Marty Raney in the cowboy hat from Homestead Rescue
    Thank you, Midas, for getting us in on a rainy day!Here are some relatives of Ducky. The only hydrosaur fossils found in AlaskaInfo about the Magic Bus. The National Guard sling loaded it to Fairbanks for rehabCoastal grizzlies can be very tall.Yum, Mom's Pad Thai! Loved by many Akaskans it seems.Phil hard at work at the library!

    Fairbanks chore day 2

    11. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Wow, the parking lots here have plugin stations for your car in the winter so it will start easier
    Some beautiful beadwork here and items passed down for the "potlatch" which is a coming of age partyFurs categoryAnother furs ensembleThe little boy is dressed all in special garments made by family.A handmade blue velour coat with fox ruff and cuffsA young girl in a traditional garment made of cloth with an ornate headdressThese are 4 ring seals and tonight they will be part of the teaching about food sourcingThe brochureI am back at the library working on our trip home!

    Fairbanks a day with more fun!

    12. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Views of the White Mountains
    1,000,000 million acre BLM area where we are todayOur $6 campsiteSelfie of two mosquito protected hikersHigh bush cranberries are not ripe yetTundra above the tree line at 12 Mile SummitAnother tundra viewBLM sign at the summitBald eagle watching over Phil's fishing pondWild blueberries just beginning to get ripe!

    Steese Highway- BLM campsite

    13. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    My wild blueberry pancake!
    Two big omelet halvesPhil getting ready to fishThe water is very pretty and fish were jumpingA little squirrel was watching the actionSome cool reindeer miss/lichen growing on the roof of a signHuge beaver dam near our campsite. This I'd only about one third of it.

    Steese Highway Day 2

    14. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    1My breakfast
    Phil's breakfastThat sticky gray dirtView of the Alaska Range from the Tanana River bankToday's selfieOur little camper in the big lot

    Delta Junction, AK,

    15. juli 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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  • Alaska trip 2024
    2Horses by the roadside and on the road
    Phil enjoying his morning coffee1We really love the fireweed which is the Alaska state flowerBeautiful scenery we are driving right into!A view across meadows, Tanana river, and the distant Alaska MountainsThe white lichen is called reindeer moss. The caribou dig through the snow to eat it in winterOn tonights menu...Warm campfire on a chilly eveningSaw a small flock of ruffed grouse in our campsite.

    Deadman Lake Campground

    16.–17. jul. 2024, Forente stater ⋅ ☁️ 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!    Les mer

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