During the last week, we have stayed mostly at Canadian National parks which don't have email access, so I apologize that my last post was a week ago. Since then, we crossed British Columbia through Prince George then started heading south through Jasper National Park. We travelled with other tour members, but at that point, we all started heading separate ways. Immediately leaving Jasper National Park, you are in Banff National Park, go through Lake Louise, Banff and Canmore before exiting the mountains to Calgary, where we are now.
We have taken some amazing photos, but pictures just don't do this place justice. I'll attach a few to give you a flavor, but do put this on your bucket list and you won't regret it.
Tommorrow we head for Waterton Lakes which is the Canadian part of Glacier National Park. We could only stay at the town site for one night (I didn't know Labor Day was coming up so soon!) so we are staying at Hill Spring for the next two nights at a Canadian Barn Dance place. Should be fun! We will only be about 30 minutes from Waterton Lakes, so plan to spend the daytime exploring the sites there. We will reenter the US next Monday and will celebrate by getting a full tank of cheap gas! Yea, I said CHEAP compared to what we have been paying in Canada, but we promised not to talk about that.
We do plan to amend our trip a bit after getting in the US as we are anxious to go home. Stay tuned and we will keep you all updated!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
The end of the Tracks to Adventure trip
Last night, we said "good bye" to our friends with whom we have been travelling for the last 40 days. It was bittersweet, as we are tired and our motorhomes and trailers have taken a beating, but we hate to lose daily contact with our new family. Those who have been on previous Tracks tours and our wagonmasters have said that this group was unique; no complainers (despite the bad weather and numerous breakdowns), great drivers (and parkers, even in tight conditions), fabulous cooks or chefs (as we ate VERY well) and in general, a great group of people with whom we will maintain contact for a very long time.
At our final dinner last night, everyone got a chance to say a few words about the trip and our thoughts were consistent and most appreciative. Dean may have said it best quoting a well-know sailing saying "Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal". I think most of us would say that this was an adventure!
As we depart, most of us are heading south in some direction and many of us will stay together for a few days, depending on the urgency to head home. Dean and I will start the third part of our trip which will include another week or so in Canada, then going through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, back to Wyoming, Colorado and then directly east to Missouri. We invite you to stay with us and hope you will enjoy the travels as much as we are!
At our final dinner last night, everyone got a chance to say a few words about the trip and our thoughts were consistent and most appreciative. Dean may have said it best quoting a well-know sailing saying "Attitude is the difference between an adventure and an ordeal". I think most of us would say that this was an adventure!
As we depart, most of us are heading south in some direction and many of us will stay together for a few days, depending on the urgency to head home. Dean and I will start the third part of our trip which will include another week or so in Canada, then going through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, back to Wyoming, Colorado and then directly east to Missouri. We invite you to stay with us and hope you will enjoy the travels as much as we are!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
What a difference a day (or week) makes!
Well, after that sunny update we gave you from Valdez, the trip changed course drastically. The following day we drove to Tok and almost toward the end of the trip, an oncoming semitruck threw a good-sized rock at our windshield. It looks like a huge chip, but it blew shards of glass into the motorhome, covering Dean's clothes and the hallway all the way back through the living room, galley and to the bedroom in the far back. Amazingly, he was unhurt which was a miracle. The hit was just above his forehead and he wasn't wearing sunglasses or anything that would shield him. Needless to say, we spent the next hour carefully vacuuming up the glass. For a few days afterward, I would crawl around with packing tape picking up some tiny pieces that had escaped the clean up process. Molly was sitting behind me on the couch, so she didn't get hit either. We called in a guy to see if he could fix it but he simply sealed it with silicon and taped over the spider lines with clear packing tape. The windshield will have to be replaced, but we will wait until we get home.
The following day the road deteriorated even more. We only had about 100 miles to drive to Beaver Creek, Yukon but most of it was full of unmarked frostheaves, gravel patches and construction where we had to be escorted. Three rigs broke down that day. Two were fifth-wheel rigs; one had two broken springs and the other, the frame started coming apart. The third: you guessed it - US. Seems like the engine was stressing out from all the work and the problem we had in Rugby, ND started all over again. We thought we'd let the engine cool overnight, then take out directly to Whitehorse the next morning, but the plan failed. It did start ok, but about 3 miles down the road we knew we were in trouble. We quickly detached the toad (that's the towed car) and turned the rig around in the middle of the highway and headed back to the only mechanic shop in Beaver Creek. Long story sorta short, we were stuck there for two days while the wrecker made it's way to us. The closest place for both wreckers and mechanics who would work on it was Whitehorse - 301 miles from nowhere. Sooo, that poor motorhome got picked up at 6:00 pm on Wednesday night and towed (very slowly), arriving at about 3:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. After following the wrecker to Destruction Bay (I can't imagine why they call it that), we went ahead of them to the RV Park where our tour group was staying. When we arrived at 12:30 am, none of them were awake, and we couldn't find any hotels still open, so we slept in the car. YEP, we did that!
The prognosis wasn't good, the parts were ordered and we were headed into a 3-day weekend in Canada so we decided to drive our car to the next stop on our tour which was Skagway, Alaska, only about 2 hours away. Another couple insisted that we stay with them and fixed us a wonderful dinner that night after we arrived. Sleeping horizontally was a special treat that night, as we were exhausted. Even Molly didn't mind (too much) staying with her 115-lb new-found friend, the bull mastiff, Brenda.
On Friday, we took the White Pass and Yukon Railway trip and the clouds parted, the sun came out and the day was beautiful. I'll attach a couple of photos as proof. We said goodbye to all of our tour friends right after the trip (as we were certain that our repairs would not be made until after the 3-day holiday) and drove back to Whitehorse. The tour ends on Tuesday so we felt we had made the best of a bad situation and were resolved to leave a little early. When we got back to the motorhome, we had a typed note from the guy who owns NEW NORTH TRUCK & EQUIPMENT. He said we were fixed and ready to head south! They jerry-rigged and by-passed the air compressor with a shorter fan belt (I'm sure Dean will be glad to give you the real technical solution) but you get the idea! We spent the night in his shop yard (with electricity), settled up with him this morning and started to take out for Watson Lake to rejoin our group. Dean had to work on the automatic jacks and found out that all the transmission fluid had leaked out during the tow experience, but fixed all that so we were finally underway by noon.
I'm sure this is all more than you ever wanted to know, but it would be hard to boil it down to a paragraph or two. Wait . . . I did that, didn't I? Stay tuned as we wrap up the tour-part of the trip which is this Tuesday. As we start the next leg of our trip (a long way home), some of us have decided to stick together for a few days, so that will be fun. We will update as often as we can!
The following day the road deteriorated even more. We only had about 100 miles to drive to Beaver Creek, Yukon but most of it was full of unmarked frostheaves, gravel patches and construction where we had to be escorted. Three rigs broke down that day. Two were fifth-wheel rigs; one had two broken springs and the other, the frame started coming apart. The third: you guessed it - US. Seems like the engine was stressing out from all the work and the problem we had in Rugby, ND started all over again. We thought we'd let the engine cool overnight, then take out directly to Whitehorse the next morning, but the plan failed. It did start ok, but about 3 miles down the road we knew we were in trouble. We quickly detached the toad (that's the towed car) and turned the rig around in the middle of the highway and headed back to the only mechanic shop in Beaver Creek. Long story sorta short, we were stuck there for two days while the wrecker made it's way to us. The closest place for both wreckers and mechanics who would work on it was Whitehorse - 301 miles from nowhere. Sooo, that poor motorhome got picked up at 6:00 pm on Wednesday night and towed (very slowly), arriving at about 3:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. After following the wrecker to Destruction Bay (I can't imagine why they call it that), we went ahead of them to the RV Park where our tour group was staying. When we arrived at 12:30 am, none of them were awake, and we couldn't find any hotels still open, so we slept in the car. YEP, we did that!
The prognosis wasn't good, the parts were ordered and we were headed into a 3-day weekend in Canada so we decided to drive our car to the next stop on our tour which was Skagway, Alaska, only about 2 hours away. Another couple insisted that we stay with them and fixed us a wonderful dinner that night after we arrived. Sleeping horizontally was a special treat that night, as we were exhausted. Even Molly didn't mind (too much) staying with her 115-lb new-found friend, the bull mastiff, Brenda.
On Friday, we took the White Pass and Yukon Railway trip and the clouds parted, the sun came out and the day was beautiful. I'll attach a couple of photos as proof. We said goodbye to all of our tour friends right after the trip (as we were certain that our repairs would not be made until after the 3-day holiday) and drove back to Whitehorse. The tour ends on Tuesday so we felt we had made the best of a bad situation and were resolved to leave a little early. When we got back to the motorhome, we had a typed note from the guy who owns NEW NORTH TRUCK & EQUIPMENT. He said we were fixed and ready to head south! They jerry-rigged and by-passed the air compressor with a shorter fan belt (I'm sure Dean will be glad to give you the real technical solution) but you get the idea! We spent the night in his shop yard (with electricity), settled up with him this morning and started to take out for Watson Lake to rejoin our group. Dean had to work on the automatic jacks and found out that all the transmission fluid had leaked out during the tow experience, but fixed all that so we were finally underway by noon.
I'm sure this is all more than you ever wanted to know, but it would be hard to boil it down to a paragraph or two. Wait . . . I did that, didn't I? Stay tuned as we wrap up the tour-part of the trip which is this Tuesday. As we start the next leg of our trip (a long way home), some of us have decided to stick together for a few days, so that will be fun. We will update as often as we can!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A little sun in Valdez, Alaska
We had a beautiful day today as we ventured out into Prince William Sound here in Valdez! It was cold (hence, you see our usual yellow foul-weather coats) but the sun was shining and we could see all kinds of fascinating sights. This is where the Alaskan Pipeline ends (so why is gas $5.93 a gallon?!?!?) so you could see the refinery and pumping stations on one side of the sound. There was a huge Womens' Salmon Fishing Derby here this weekend so they guys are enjoying the view. We went out on a Glacier and Wildlife cruise and saw more of the usual, but I will try to attach a couple of different creatures to this update. For Molly-watchers, you need to know that these artic waters don't phase her. She just loves to venture out into these bays and roll in the seedweed on the shore. Yay.
We are parked on the edge of the causeway to the harbor so I had to include a picture of our front-row seat. Tomorrow, we are off to Tok, AK and will be traveling back on a bumpy road we traveled down to get here. We figure the 260 mile trip will take us about 7-8 hours due to frost-heaves that have created a real roller coaster ride. Today, Dean had to replace some screws that are holding the dash together, as the rough roads are shaking it pretty hard. I guess duct tape may be the next solution!
We are parked on the edge of the causeway to the harbor so I had to include a picture of our front-row seat. Tomorrow, we are off to Tok, AK and will be traveling back on a bumpy road we traveled down to get here. We figure the 260 mile trip will take us about 7-8 hours due to frost-heaves that have created a real roller coaster ride. Today, Dean had to replace some screws that are holding the dash together, as the rough roads are shaking it pretty hard. I guess duct tape may be the next solution!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
It's Raining Again! Now in Palmer, Alaska
It seems like weeks ago since we were in Homer where the sun was shining. After that, we travelled to Seward and camped in the city campground which is right on the edge of Resurrection Bay. As soon as we got there, a bus picked us up and took us to Exit Glacier, where you can hike up about 3/4 of a mile to get to the base. That evening, it started closing in and raining and didn't let up until we left to go back up the Turnagain Arm towards Anchorage.
While in Seward, we took the Kenai Fjiords National Park tour which lasted about 8 hours and included a salmon dinner. You have to take that trip if you are ever in this area, as the boat captains do everything in their power to find wildlife for you to view. We saw all kinds of birds, including puffins and bald eagles, sea otters, sea lions, dolphins and humpback whales. We also went right up to a glacier but didn't get a chance to watch it calving like on previous trips. Still, it is an awesome sight! The third day we were in Seward we went to the Alaska Sea Life Center which showed many of the wildlife we had seen the day before, but up front and personal. You could also "pet" some animals like anemones and starfish. They have done a wonderful job of education and rehabilitation of many of the animals. Wouldn't you know that as we went to dinner that night and returned to the campground that the clouds parted, the sun came out and it was a beautiful evening! We left that next morning.
That next day, we had about a 3-hour trip to Palmer, but encountered a terrible wreck on the two-lane Seward Highway, just south of Anchorage. By the time the police decided that it would take hours for the wreck to get cleared off the highway, everyone was turning around and taking a detour through a residential section of town. It was quite a job to get the rigs turned around on that narrow highway (with steep shoulders); most of us had to unhook our "toads (our towed cars) and travel separately until we got through the messy traffic. It was comforting to know we were in good company however. The Holland America and Princess buses were having to turn around too! That 3-hour trip turned into about a 7-hour trip but it was sunny and pleasant when we arrived in Palmer.
Today we went on a tour of Palmer, to a reindeer farm and a muskox farm as it began to start raining again. Of course, we have a coverdish dinner this evening and as usual, we will enjoy ourselves no matter what the weather provides! Tomorrow, we are off to Valdez!
While in Seward, we took the Kenai Fjiords National Park tour which lasted about 8 hours and included a salmon dinner. You have to take that trip if you are ever in this area, as the boat captains do everything in their power to find wildlife for you to view. We saw all kinds of birds, including puffins and bald eagles, sea otters, sea lions, dolphins and humpback whales. We also went right up to a glacier but didn't get a chance to watch it calving like on previous trips. Still, it is an awesome sight! The third day we were in Seward we went to the Alaska Sea Life Center which showed many of the wildlife we had seen the day before, but up front and personal. You could also "pet" some animals like anemones and starfish. They have done a wonderful job of education and rehabilitation of many of the animals. Wouldn't you know that as we went to dinner that night and returned to the campground that the clouds parted, the sun came out and it was a beautiful evening! We left that next morning.
That next day, we had about a 3-hour trip to Palmer, but encountered a terrible wreck on the two-lane Seward Highway, just south of Anchorage. By the time the police decided that it would take hours for the wreck to get cleared off the highway, everyone was turning around and taking a detour through a residential section of town. It was quite a job to get the rigs turned around on that narrow highway (with steep shoulders); most of us had to unhook our "toads (our towed cars) and travel separately until we got through the messy traffic. It was comforting to know we were in good company however. The Holland America and Princess buses were having to turn around too! That 3-hour trip turned into about a 7-hour trip but it was sunny and pleasant when we arrived in Palmer.
Today we went on a tour of Palmer, to a reindeer farm and a muskox farm as it began to start raining again. Of course, we have a coverdish dinner this evening and as usual, we will enjoy ourselves no matter what the weather provides! Tomorrow, we are off to Valdez!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Sunshine in Homer, Alaska!
Since we last posted, we spent 3 days in Anchorage and are on our second day in Homer. Once we got to Anchorage, the clouds parted, the sun came out and the temperature got up to the mid-60's. We are half way through the trip we chartered (20th day) and have only had sunshine for the a total of 3 days. We are so fortunate to see the Cook Inlet and Homer with the gorgeous mountains (still with snow as it has been too cold for it to melt). The first picture I'm attaching is of Molly standing on an edge of a cliff over the beach where are RV is parked. She is having a ball running off the leash, trying to catch the birds and jumping in mud puddles acting like a dog!
Today, Dean and 9 others from our caravan went halibut fishing. Being the cost analyst he is, he kept calculating how much this fish would cost him, knowing that he could buy frozen halibut at home for about $19 a pound. Finally, he decided to enjoy himself and managed to catch two halibut that weighed a little less than 30 pounds each. That is medium-sized for halibut, but he had even bought a "derby ticket" which is like a lottery ticket if you snag a big one that has been tagged. A tagged halibut could net you as much as $30,000. I'm attaching a picture of the catch of the charter he took. His two fish are the second and third ones from the right. Not bad, huh?
A third picture is of a glacier that is in clear view from both our RV Park here on the hill and from all points in Homer and Homer Spit. The scenery here is just breath-taking and makes up for all the rain and clouds in central Alaska. We know we have at least one more day of sunshine before we head to Seward, so we intend to enjoy every minute of it!
Today, Dean and 9 others from our caravan went halibut fishing. Being the cost analyst he is, he kept calculating how much this fish would cost him, knowing that he could buy frozen halibut at home for about $19 a pound. Finally, he decided to enjoy himself and managed to catch two halibut that weighed a little less than 30 pounds each. That is medium-sized for halibut, but he had even bought a "derby ticket" which is like a lottery ticket if you snag a big one that has been tagged. A tagged halibut could net you as much as $30,000. I'm attaching a picture of the catch of the charter he took. His two fish are the second and third ones from the right. Not bad, huh?
A third picture is of a glacier that is in clear view from both our RV Park here on the hill and from all points in Homer and Homer Spit. The scenery here is just breath-taking and makes up for all the rain and clouds in central Alaska. We know we have at least one more day of sunshine before we head to Seward, so we intend to enjoy every minute of it!
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