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July 2008
Never underestimate the importance of…
I have a story to share. We’ve been on the island for about three weeks now, but it hasn’t been without excitement!
We decided to take a drive toward Anton Larson Bay in the car. The car is a 2002 Chevy Impala, so it sits a little bit low, but not like a low-rider or anything like that! The road started out paved but quickly went to gravel with numerous pot holes. It wasn’t bad and we were able to dodge the holes with pretty good ease. So up and down the mountain we went and the road was quite windy, but the scenery was very beautiful! We made it to a boat ramp where many trucks were parked with boat trailers and not a soul was in sight. As we continued down the road, a sign said, “road narrows,” and we thought nothing of it. We figured it it got bad, we’d turn around and get the Jeep. After we made it to the end of the road, we turned around and we somewhere between the boat ramp and the end when we hit a decent sized pot hole. It sounded bad, but nothing was clunking or creaking or smoking so we drove on. Only 100 yards down the road, the low oil light came on the car and Mr. Mick saw the line of oil in the rear view mirror. Oh no…oil is leaking so it must be from the large pot hole. We turned off the car and investigated the problem. There was a hole in the oil pan, big enough to fit a person’s finger. We had no way to plug the hole at the time and no oil to put in the car anyways, so we started to walk. Thankfully, a family of kayakers graciously drove us back to the RV.
Mr. Mick got some sort of JB Weld like stuff to try and patch the hole, but that was unsuccessful. So the next morning, we drove the Jeep out in hopes of just towing the car home. However, I wasn’t looking forward to towing the car on a very pot holy road that twisted and turned up and down the mountain. Thankfully, our great minds thought alike. One should never underestimate the importance of a tampon. We both thought that we could use a tampon to plug the hole temporarily and be able to drive the car home! And that’s just what happened. So men, before you start to harass the ladies in your life, you might want to rethink that and stock up on some super absorbent tampons for your car care kit. They are a lifesaver!
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WE MADE IT!!!!
Yes, I know it’s been awhile since I’ve blogged…and I am truly sorry!!!! While we were in Homer, Alaska, the Internet connection was horrible and I could barely check regular e-mail. Which by the way, Homer is a quaint fishing town. There’s not much else to do there but fish and it’s absolutely beautiful as well!
But we did arrive on Kodiak Island Monday, July 14th. The ferry was pretty good. I could feel the waves around 3 a.m. and was thankful I took some Dramamine to ease my stomach. Thankfully, the weather and seas were pretty good. We were welcomed on the island by some friends whose daughter held up a cute sign for us! It was great!!!! And it was actually sunny when we got off the ferry…how thankful were we?!
But for the past few days, we’ve been house hunting, checking in with medical, finding the Wal-Mart and other places Kodiak has to offer. It looks like we will enjoy it here even though we are stuck on an island. There’s plenty of places to fish, hike, kayak and explore. I am looking forward to getting out there and taking my boys for a hike and catching tons of fish!!! Fish on!
So hopefully, you’ll keep reading as I experience Kodiak, Alaska and I thank you so very much for coming along with me and my family as we journeyed across America. I hope you enjoyed reading and I enjoyed writing as well. Thank you for your support!!!
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Take the Last Train to Whittier…
It was a seven hour train ride yesterday…yes, I said seven hours. What else are you going to do when it’s rainy and cloudy in Anchorage? And the boys have been asking for a train ride ever since they saw one in Texas, so they got one!!
We took the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Whittier, that was the plan anyways. But after talking to the bar car lady, or bistro lady, or waitress lady, she said that there’s nothing to do in Whittier except catch a glacier cruise tour, so she suggested we stay on the train. After brief discussions about whether or not to get off the train in Whittier, we decided to stay on. So from Whittier, we went to Portage (again) and then to Spencer, Grandview and to Trail Glacier. We saw a few glaciers along the way, a black bear in a tree and many waterfalls and beautiful mountains. Even though the sun was blocked by the clouds and rain drizzled on us all day, it made for a very scenic day. The boys enjoyed standing in the vestibule, an area where they stand between the cars and have fresh air and rain in the face! Even though it was a seven hour train ride, it was a nice way to see the mountains and some glaciers.
Today, July 9th, we puttered around town shopping at various locations. Apparently our trip to Anchorage wouldn’t be complete without some cooked reindeer from a street vendor on 4th Street. So after shopping at chain stores like Best Buy, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Sam’s and lunch at the non-chain Sourdough Mining Company and viewing the chocolate fountain (3,600 pounds of chocolate) at Alaskan Wildberry Company we split a mild reindeer on a bun with sauteed onions. It was pretty tasty and if I was ever in the downton are again, I think we’d get one again!
So another is done in Anchorage. Tomorrow we’ll pack up and head to Homer to see what kind of trouble we can get into. Again, thank you for reading! I really appreciate the nice comments and thoughtful words!!
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Got a case of the Monday’s?
I think I had a case of the Monday’s today. However, it was cloudy and rained off and on today in Anchorage, so maybe it was just the weather. Even though it’s light late into the night, we got to bed at a decent hour, but I just didn’t feel rested today. I must get used to the weather!!
We drove into Anchorage today and puttered around a bit. Let’s see if I can remember what we did! HA! We did purchase some train tickets for tomorrow at the base, so I’ll let you know how that turns out. Anyways, by the time we made it into town, we were quite hungry, so we headed for Glacier Brewery. And yes, they have some tasty brew as well. After lunch, we walked around downtown so the boys could run and walk off some energy. After a couple of blocks, we drove to the Ulu Factory and viewed the river in hopes of seeing some salmon. Not the case today, but the Ulu Factory was nice. Not only did they sell the handmade ulu knives, but some homemade products as well. I picked up “Denali Dreams, Cabin Fever Reliever” soap. It says on the back, “Feeling cooped up? Bored and restless” Imprisoned in your own home?” Well, considering I’ve been living in the RV since early May…of course I feel cooped up and slightly imprisoned in my own home. So the soap will be a nice relaxing way for me to de-stress when we get a house on Kodiak. I’m looking forward to it!!
So for now, we’ll chug-u-lug on a train tomorrow to see what kind of trouble we can get into and hope to see some spectacular views and wildlife.
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Made it to Anchorage!
Yesterday was Sunday, July 6th but we arrived in Anchorage on Saturday afternoon and found the campsite at Fort Richardson pretty easy. We thought the Alaska highway might be a little bit smoother, but that was not the case. We bumped, dipped and whoop-dee-dooed our way into Anchorage and finally came to a stop all in one piece. Thankfully the longest portion of our trip is over and we can rest for a few days before we head to Homer to catch the ferry. So we drove around downtown Anchorage once we made camp and found the Snow Goose Restaurant and Sleeping Lady Brewery, which had some good brew. Thanfkully the day ended on a good note, even though it still is daylight in the middle of the night, so does the day really end???
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America and Alaska
We crossed the border on July 4th. Convenient isn’t it? However, before we crossed over, we, rather Mick, had to repair a slow leak in a Jeep tire. Thankfully, we noticed it early on so it wasn’t a complete blowout! But yes, Independence Day was celebrated amongst our own…Americans! We stopped at Tok, Alaska for the night. The Sourdough Campground was quaint and friendly. A good ole’ fashioned salmon bake and live music helped to celebrate the day. Even though there were no fireworks…however I don’t know how Alaska could have any, it doesn’t get dark…it was a very good day.
Once we left Whitehorse, YT, the road become horrendously worse. Not only were there dips and bumps, but whoop-dee-do’s were transversed by the RV. The road was so rough and windy through the mountains, I was actually getting car or RV sick!! So even though we didn’t drive for a long time, it seemed long due to the road conditions. Alas, we did see another black bear alongside the road. And he was ride by the road too, happily eating grass and dandelions with flies and mosquitos buzzing near him. He wasn’t scared of the passing traffic at all. So we have seen a black bear every day we’ve been in Canada.
Thankfully, we ended the day in Alaska. The end of the trip is nearing and I’m glad it’s around the corner.
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Canada Oh Canada…July 1 thru July 3
We crossed the border easily. No questions, no hassels. Canada is not bad. It’s just expensive. On average, we’re paying $6 per gallon of gas, but since the Canadiens use metric, we must convert everything from liters to gallons and so on.
We trucked north to Calgary…got a little bit lost in downtown, but made it through. So if you want to know anything about downtown Calgary we can probably answer it for you. We made it to Banff National Park in Alberta the first night. We’ve been hearing that Lake Louise is the most beautiful place ever, however, I think Glacier National Park is better! We took a canoe ride for an hour on the lake, but it’s very touristy. It reminded me of Aspen or Veil, Colorado.
After Lake Louise, we drove to Hinton, Alberta and stopped for the night. We caught up on laundry and supplies and hoped for a nice drive on July 1, which was Canada Day!
Leaving Hinton at 6:15am, we drove through Grand Cache, Grand Prairie and Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Fort St. John, BC and stopped at Pink Mountain, BC for the night. At Dawson Creek we stopped for a little while at the tourist center. It was the beginning of the Alaskan-Canada highway. Since it was Canada Day, free hotdogs and cake were served. A cute little 4-year old girl named Candance quickly became friends with Joey. I asked him if he has a new Canadian girlfriend, he said, “Yes.” Very cute, very cute indeed.
The next day, July 2, we drove as far as the Hyland River. No official campsite, but there was a gravel road leading to the river. The boys had fun throwing multiple rocks into the river. On that portion of the drive, we saw stone sheep, a mommy moose and two babies along with a couple of black bears.
Today, July 3, we made it to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. We’ve been on the road for a little while just driving and driving for days, we decided to stop and visit the town. We arrived at 1100am PST and parked at a very nice campsite. FREE WI-FI!!! We had some great fish and chips and found the Yukon Brewing Company (good beer) and caught up on laundry again.
Canada is wearing me out. I cannot wait to get to Anchorage so we can just make camp for a few days before our ferry date arrives. I’m not sure how far we’ll be driving tomorrow, but I know we’ll be back into the Grand Ole’ USA!
The weirdest thing to get used to is the amount of daylight. I think the sun sets at 11:30pm tonight, so when does it get dark??? I guess it’s something I must get used to during the summer months.
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Here I Am! Glacier National Park…and beyond
Alas—I have internet connection in the Yukon Territory! So much has happened since I last posted a message! It feels like ages since I’ve been online. Thankfully for some free wi-fi at our campsite, I’m able to get online! There’s no way that I’m logging into the Internet while I’m in Canada using my air card. It’s roughly two cents per kilobyte…and that can add up quick!
So where to begin??? Holy cow, I just checked on the last time I blogged and it was in Yellowstone! Yikes…I’m behind!
Here’s a quick synopsis about Glacier National Park. It’s Gorgeous!!! It’s the most beautiful national park I’ve ever seen! It seems more wild than Yellowstone. Even though we didn’t see a bear or wolf, we did see a moose. He was just lazily eating grass and drinking water at a roadside watering hole. We drove a portion of the “Going to the Sun” road. Part of it was closed due to a recent snowfall and avalanche. We drove past an area called the Weeping Wall…where a miniture waterfall cascades on the road. We drove under it, washing the Jeep, and I quickly grabbed a cupful of the glacier water. Yes, I got soaked, but it was worth it. The water was crisp and refreshing! The boys received their third Jr. Ranger badge. Later in the day, we took a Red Bus tour. The top came off of the bus so you could see the mountains easily. Not only was the tour beautiful but the tour guide was very informative. It was the best tour I’ve taken thus far. The following day, we decided to hike what we thought was going to be maybe at the most two miles. However, that was not the case. It took us two miles UPHILL and over rocky terrain one way to a small portion of Lake McDonald then of course the two miles back. Even though the hike was a little big longer than we expected, the view was spectacular! So please tour Glacier National Park if you haven’t, it is well worth it!
We left Glacier National Park later that afternoon and went to Canada!
