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Alaska trip 2024
  • PW and JKW's trips
  • Phil Woodford
  • 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 Read more
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  • Alaska trip 2024
    Campsite at Colter Bay. Large site with a picnic table, etc.
    Yum, I had shrimp tacos and Phil had porkPretty flowers in a window box in JacksonAntler arch, there are 4 around the square in JacksonSelfie at the Antler archStage coach rides here around the Jackson squareTetons skyline from almost anywhere in the park. Smoke better in the afternoon.

    Moving Day Teton Natl Park

    Aug 10–13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    We had a leisurely breakfast with blueberry pancakes and crispy bacon along with hot coffee. Checkout was at 10 am and I am still having trouble with one of my batteries. There was no chance to charge this morning. When you need a sunny site, you get a shady one. Go figure? I reset the unit and hoped to charge that one later. It seems not to want for charge above 52%, and I had no internet for trouble-shooting.

    The drive to Grand Teton was short. We were here at least an hour before checkin. The checkin guy did not want to let us in, but Phil gave him a charming-old-man story about our trip to Alaska and being on the road now more than 70 days so he let us go in and drop off the camper.

    It was really smokey and also threatening rain. Phil and I drove into Jackson and found a taqueria for lunch in the posh Jackson city center. After we walked up hand took pictures by the Antler arch on the square. Same as when I was 6 years old, but much more snooty and high-end.

    We made a grocery store run after, and Albertsons was slammed. Found everything but the individually wrapped wet ones that I like for my pocket after a pit toilet stop. We'll just use hand gel for now, I guess.

    Back at Colter Bay, we checked out the laundry and shower facility for later. This whole complex has hundreds of campsites. The infrastructure was from the Mission 66 era (1966 that is), so about the time my family came here in the late 60's and they are considering what to do next to update the aging infrastructure. We do have flush toilets here across from our site.

    I charged the big battery in the sun with the solar panel and it went up to 54%, so that's a good sign. Unfortunately, it is a little rainy this afternoon, so the sun was limited. Phil wants pork chops on the grill for supper. Easy clean up and not many dishes.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    We spent much of the day chilling out on the bug hooch.

    Tetons Day 2

    August 11, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 72 °F

    Quiet day. We each had an extra cup of coffee and then went to the shower house. After a shower, we went to the Colter Bay Visitor's Center. Phil got some info about fishing here.

    We had a pizza and a salad at the cafe and then spent the afternoon using the solar panel to charge the battery, which was acting up. I got it above 80% with the solar panel, and that will work for now.

    We have 2 more nights here. Then, we'll drive south to the Fossil Butte National Monument for a visit at the Visitor's Center. I made us a reservation at "Little America" between Evanston and Rock Springs on I-80 for Tuesday night, and we can definitely get everything all charged up there. Our journey is coming to an end soon. We'll be back in the Laramie area by Thursday evening.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Snowshoe hare in our campsite last night!
    Polecat Creek near Flagg RanchHere's what happens when you don't put out a campfireSnake RiverTeton view when you enter the park from the north.Teton view from Willow FlatsDiverse high mountain vegetation. Sage, bitter brush, aspen, pines, spruceView from Jenny Lake through rainEratics near Grand Teton itself. Valley and lakes are Glacier formed1Just rolled over 10,000 miles this trip1Bison on the plains in front of the mountains.

    Tetons Day 3

    August 12, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 70 °F

    We had a more active day today. It was rainy on and off, so we ate breakfast at the restaurant and then showered. Phil wanted to "see the sights" today, so we first drove back north to Flagg Ranch. We stopped and examined Polecat Creek as a possible fishing spot. Phil chatted with a ranger just back from putting out someone's campfire. The main problems here are 1. Coolers and food attractions left out where bears can access them, and 2. Unattended campfires, people not extinguishing their campfires, and unauthorized fires in the back country. Another problem is people accessing two hot springs near Flagg Ranch that are protected.

    We drove back south and checked out the Snake River, but by then, it was too windy to cast a fly line properly. We stopped in at our campsite and switched out the batteries. (One is still acting up, but limping along.)

    We drove south to all the scenic spots and the trailhead to hike/climb the Grand Teton. A sad notice at the trailhead asking that if anyone finds certain items (pictures of them posted at the trailhead) that they could be a hiker gone missing in 2021 and please turn them into the Ranger Station.

    We stopped and watched the bison for a while again on the way back. Our wildlife count has been a deer in our campground, a snowshoe hare in our campsite, a mysterious gopher who is pulling plants by the roots underground into his hole, and a coyote.

    On return to our campsite, we have rolled over 10,000 miles this trip. So far, an average of over 22 miles per gallon for the whole trip even towing the camper.

    Tomorrow, we'll head toward Fossil Butte and then begin the trip to Laramie the next day.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Bossy helping Phil with his lunch.
    Various turtles huge and tiny found here.Lots of different fishesA crocodileMammalsA panorama of the landscape after the rainSelfie at the sign. You can't imagine how good the sage smelled after the rainHailSnowplow in AugustFlooding from the hail and rain

    Little America, WY

    August 13, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 72 °F

    We are at an I-80 landmark called Little America. It is kind of in the middle of nowhere but has an old school hotel, truck stop, restaurant, and now a brand new RV park.

    We were ready to get here after driving much of the day in rain and sometimes hail. We made a quick stop in Jackson to restock on yogurt and a few other things. Then, we stopped for lunch at a pull off by the Snake River. We pulled into a campground to use the bathroom and spent 20 minutes talking to the camp host.

    We drove south through Star Valley, then over the Salt River Pass and into what used to be a shallow inland sea area. Great Salt Lake is all that remains of the inland sea. It would have been a beautiful drive to Fossil Butte Visitor's Center, but it was raining and then hailing so hard we could barely see. I grabbed my raincoat and ran in through the rain because I desperately needed to use the restroom.

    The Visitor's Center was small but very interesting. One of the technicians was working on a fossil slab and explained how it was done. The sea had a bottom layer of salt, which kept scavengers from eating dead fish, plants, reptiles, and mammals.

    After leaving, we drove through an area where the hail.was so deep that they were using a snowplow to remove it. Also, there is a lot of localized flooding.

    Tomorrow, we hope to be back in the Laramie area, and I will end the blog. It will be another couple of weeks before we are settled in Gainesville, MO, but mostly that will be filled with doctors and dentist visits, visits with family, and the transition to small town life.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    On our way out of the Little America RV park this morning. Note the fog!
    Lots of mesas and buttes in today's driveSign at the rest area. You were warned!This is a random giant zucchini left by a tree where we ate lunch.Hmmn...might do it! It is here near Laramie.Our second favorite site in the Snowy Range and home for at least 8 days!

    Willow Campground Site 15 near Laramie

    August 14, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    It was foggy this morning but became clear after breakfast. Such a beautiful drive with buttes, sage, and antelope. We stopped for a picnic at Ft Steele rest area and then turned off I-80 and drove through Saratoga , up one side of Medicine Bow Mt and then over the top and down the other side.

    We stopped at Nash Campground near the top of the summit as it was recently redone. It's very nice, but no shade.

    We checked out our favorite campgrounds, Pine and Willow, at Libby Creek. The one good site at Pine was full. Our favorite site at Willow was reserved, but the second favorite next to it is open indefinitely. We'll be here at least 8 nights, depending on how our dental appts go next week. We hope to drive back to Missouri slowly. Phil wants to stop at the Meindl Boot store in Sydney, NE. He also wants to stop in Topeka to visit his parents' graves. We hope to stop in Kansas City to visit Phil's brother and family, my Mom and Stepdad, and maybe my brother and his wife if everyone is around. We will also stop in Nixa, MO, to see my dad and stepmom. We hope to also swing through Branson and go to Silver Dollar City since we have season passes and have not been yet this year.

    Thanks to all of you who came along for the 75-day ride with us to Alaska and back. It was a great trip and makes us want to do more of these kinds of road trips in the future.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Here's our backpacks with everything we need for 3 months.
    The New York skyline from our gate at Newark before it started snowing!Our venue at the food courtJust across the way is KFCOur two salads and bread

    Rome finally!

    February 3, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    It was an eventful last 2 days. We had a nice overnight in Chicago and then after breakfast went on to the airport. The plane to Newark was on time, and the flight was pretty comfortable. Phil is using his airline miles for better seats with more legroom, while my short legs are fine back in the cheap seats, so we are not seated together on this trip for the most part.

    At Newark, I remarked that the terminal was nicer than I remembered from when I spent a year in New Yoek on a predoctoral fellowship. We had a late lunch and then went to our gate for Rome. The boarding time came and went, and the ground crew finally announced that the backup power source was defective and would need to be replaced.

    They said it could take until 2 am. to repair it, and they had put in a request for a different aircraft. At about 6:30, they announced we would need to hike a mile or so to another gate, but that we had a new aircraft. The plane boarded at about 7:30. I was quite angry because they made me check my backpack at the gate even though there was still plenty of room on the plane for it and the other bags near the end of the boarding line. It was snowing hard so we had to wait for the plane to be deiced.

    Normally, there are 4 deicing bays, but last night only one, so we waited for 2 more hours in line to be deiced and finally took off about 10 pm. They fed us supper around midnight.

    Finally, we arrived in Rome about noon. Not a big line at passport control. Our bags were on the carousel, and we were able to walk right out to our hotel shuttle. We checked in and slept a couple of hours before showering and hand washing some underwear.

    We scoped out the train stop by our hotel and will use the train tomorrow instead of the shuttle to get back to the airport. It is cheaper and will help us get the hang of things.

    We walked around a large shopping mall and ate at an Italian place in the food court. There was also KFC and Burger King. The waitress identified us immediately as English speaking tourists. She ran out with an English menu of food allergens. We just had big salads, and they also served us bread.

    We walked around the mall and then went back to the hotel to sleep off a bit more jet lag. After breakfast tomorrow, we'll begin our train journey to Pompeii.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Here is the ticket sales at the train station at the Rome Airport
    Train station at downtown RomeHere's our apartment door. We also have a terraceWe have a lemon tree in our courtyard.This is al that is left of out tapas plate. We ate on our terrace and enjoyed the sunshine.For supper, fresh broccoli and some linguine in an arrabbiat (red pepper and romato) sausage sauce

    Made it to Pompeii

    Feb 4–7, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Another travel day for us. We had a very good night at the B&B Fiera 2 near the Rome Airport. It was a pretty good breakfast buffet with yogurt, eggs, meats, cheeses, fruit, cereal, and lots of different breads and pastries. We both slept very well. The mattress and pillows were very comfortable.

    We went over to the train station right next to the hotel and took the train back to the airport to begin our travel to Pompeii. The system is not complicated, and it saved us a little money over taking the hotel shuttle.

    We had to make two connections today to change trains. From the airport into the big Roma Termini (main Rome station), we had 22 minutes to find our train for Naples. Then, at Naples, we had 13 minutes to make the train to Pompeii. We had a few tense moments trying to figure out where the track was for the last connection but made it with time to spare.

    Our AIRBNB is in a quiet neighborhood. The owner's grandmother let us in. We have a small kitchen and a studio with easy chairs, a dining table, and a queen bed. The bathroom is spacious, and it is only a 10 minute walk from the Pompei Archeological Park.

    After we arrived and settled in, we made a trip to the grocery store. The grandmother here sells vegetables and fruits from her garden so we bought some broccoli directly from her. We came back from the store, and we had a tapas plate before I prepared dinner since we did not have lunch.

    It was some cheese, nuts, salami, and olives. Then, a few potato chips. For supper, I prepared some linguini with meat sauce and the broccoli.

    Tomorrow, we will start at the Archeological Park. We are planning at least 2 days there before moving on to our next location, Cinque Terra.    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Let the games begin!
    AmphitheatreMt VesuviasRuins behindVenus in the shell houseAmphora for oil or wineWine or water jarsAn interior garden with fountainEquivalent of a fast food restaurant. Many homes did not have a kitchen because fire was dangerous!The original beware of dog sign in mosaic tilesMy pizzaPhil's pizzaTwo fresh picked grapefruits

    Pompei Archeological Park Day 1

    February 5, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    We were both really tired. Phil slept 10+ hours! After some coffee, yogurt, a roll, and a hard-boiled egg for breakfast, we set out for the Archeological Park. It is huge! We walked about 5 hours in the park and only saw about a quarter or less! As a result, we will go back tomorrow.

    The excavations have been ongoing for years and continue today. We saw the large amphitheater where the games were held, theatres, beautiful houses with spacious gardens, a laundry, several merchant homes, a large ornate public bath, some fast food places of the time, etc. We finally gave up for the afternoon as it began to get warm.

    We had an authentic pizza from a place translated to "The House of Flames." I had a cheese pizza, and Phil had something with bacon and sausage. We each brought a half home for tomorrow's breakfast.

    I also bought two grapefruit and two lemons from the owner's grandmother and will incorporate those into our meals.

    Tomorrow, we will go back and see more of the park    Read more

  • Alaska trip 2024
    Mt Vesuvias again
    This is the Temple. Court judges sat at this end when handing down decisions.The sea from one of the homes. No electrical towers then.These are casts from people who died in the eruption in a market area by the Forum.Phil standing by some chariot ruts on a main street.Burger KingAnother beware of dog house, but this one has wings.Large bakery ovenSmaller fire ovenThis is a mill to grind flour. It would have had a handle in the stone to rotate the top stone.My supper collection from the grandma of the landlord.

    Pompeii Day 2

    February 6, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 57 °F

    We've had another great day. Last night, I made baked lemon chicken thighs with my fresh lemon. I also dressed a salad with lemon dressing I made from fresh lemon. It's so great to be in a place where we can buy produce on the spot.

    Today, we went back and explored more of the Archeological Park. I had wanted to go into the museum or Antiquarium, but it was closed for more archeological digs. We found the forum and city administrative offices and temples to Venus, Jupiter, Apollo, as well as temples to local rulers. The homes are really interesting, and plaster was made from limestone rocks crushed and then turned into a type of wall material (like plaster). These were then painted with various scenes (kind of like today's wallpaper). Some of the most expensive pigments came from China! Imagine that in 70 BC or so, that paint came from China?

    We went through a few ornate homes and lots of mosaic tiled floors in some homes. Lots of community fountains and some people have fountains in their homes.

    We went to a bakery and saw 4 grain mills, too. Also saw lots more of the food venues. We started naming them after fast food restaurants there were so many (Kwik Wok, Burger King, etc.)

    It was a fascinating day. We stopped at the store to get pork chops for supper. Back at our apartment, I bought 2 more lemons, two fresh oranges, and a fennel bulb, which the grandmother pulled and cut fresh for me from the garden. She also gave me a jar of homemade fig jelly, so Phil ran to the store to buy bread for breakfast. We'll have a citrus fennel salad for supper with a couple of lemon rosemary pork chops.

    Tomorrow, we take the train north to Cinque Terra. Our apt there overlooks the sea in a tiny town called Manarola.    Read more

    Trip end
    August 31, 2024
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