Not camping

7/31/2013
We started out in Homer this morning and drove and drove to Hope, stayed a bit, and drove to Anchorage where we have actually found a nice motel for about $140/night.  The motel cost has really been high, a Motel 6 runs about $150/night, so to stay under $200/night you really have to stop and search in the internet.   We have had to do this lately because Lynn seems to be all done with camping.  There was a great little National Park at Hope with fabulous campsites and she would have none of it...right on the shore of the Cook Inlet with mountain views and even level ground; only two sites down from the outhouse and about a block from the pump...pretty rare to find all this at a camp ground and space available.  I tried to explain all this but it made no difference, she had her heart set on a motel, so here we are at the Anchorage airport livin' la vida loca.  Last night we ate at a fantastic place and tonight its pizza in the motel room...life does have its swings.

I remembered Hope the minute I saw it.  I think that nothing has changed in the 10 years or so since we were there the first time.  Randy remembered that we had stayed in some little cabins right by Hope; when I saw them I remembered that we had stayed two nights there just to relax.  The cabins were nothing much.  Those same cabins today are going for $250.00/night!  Unreal.  I can't tell you how happy I am to be NOT camping.

Homer

7/31/2013
Lynn: Yesterday was kind of a foodie day.  This trip has been a mixed bag as far as food goes; everything from fresh fish and fried potatoes cooked out of doors to cheese sandwiches for dinner, but no really good meals.  Yesterday we wanted to go into town and just get a good burger for lunch, so we asked our landlady's son for a suggestion.  He said the Fresh Catch, out on the spit.  So we went there and had a most delicious regular burger and halibut burger and some kind of fries that were out of this world.

Then for dinner we went to a restaurant that we had found on Trip Advisor called The Homestead.  It is a log building about 8 miles east of Homer, with a view of the glaciers.  Very unprepossessing; you wouldn't think it was anything special, yet the dinner we had was one of the most memorable ever.  I had a dish of grilled wild shrimp and Kodiak scallops pan basted in a smoked orange reduction over herbed cranberry orzo, with broccoli. Randy had their Halibut special which was pan seared and served over basmati rice with a pesto sauce, and we tried some German wine we had never tired that was just perfect.  I found out later that this restaurant was mentioned in National Geographic Traveler Magazine as  "Worth Walking To If Necessary."

Homer is a cute little town.  It's the kind of place my brother, Don, would refer to as "artsy-fartsy".  Here are some pics:

Exhaustion

7/29/2013
Lynn:  Today was an exercise in endurance.  After 22 days on the road, 10 of those spent in campgrounds, we have just about hit our limit.  In order to get on the ferry from Valdez to Whittier this morning (you have to be there in line by 6:00 a.m.) we had to get up at 4:45 and take down the camp, pack everything back up and get ourselves cleaned up and ready to go.  We actually did it.  We took this same ferry trip many years ago when we came to Alaska and it was a lovely trip, with the captain doing tour-guide-type commentary along the way, pointing out wildlife and such.  This year, though, the weather was foggy almost all the way to Whittier and there was no commentary at all.  We tried to sleep on board, but to no avail.

Port of Valdez

They do grow lush, beautiful flowers in Alaska

In case you ever wanted to know, this is what Valdez looks like at 6:00 a.m.

This is the view when you come out of the tunnel at Whittier

Anyway, once we got to Whittier we then had to drive to Homer, where we have rented a cabin for two nights.  It was really hard to find, but it was worth it, and we are going to see if we can rent it for a third night.  When we got here, we immediately took naps; we were too tired to do anything else.

Part of the cabin.  If the pillows don't match the coverlet it's because we brought our own.  This place looks like it was built yesterday.

You can't see it here, but we have a mountain view

Primitive Camping, I think they call it.

7/27/2013

Lynn: Last night we had nowhere to stay but a tiny state campground called Liberty Falls Recreation Area.  It was in a pretty spot, adjacent to a waterfall, but cold and damp.  The ground was wet even though the day was sunny, and it was very difficult to camp there. 

 This is a state campground.  Its only amenity is an outhouse.  I must say, and I know I don't know anything about Alaska political history, but it seems to me that Alaska made a lot of money from the oil here.  I would think that the state government would have been awash in tax dollars.  However, they have done nothing to make this a place that is comfortable for tourists.  Michigan has clean, modern rest areas about every 40 miles.  Alaska has outhouses that they euphemistically call rest areas, even at their state areas such as the one at Thompson Pass where they have an interpretive center regarding the glaciers.

 Randy: I hate to say this because Alaska is so beautiful but I really am getting tired of the rip-off that Alaska is.  I understand price goes up when the tourist is in town, and I understand that I am one of those tourist animals to prey on.  It is not just a bit high priced or a lot high price, it is outrageously expensive!  Bottle of Pepsi is $2.50; ice pretty much is about $4.00 for a small bag; gas in Valdez is $4.50 (probably the best buy we have seen).  We were going to go to Seward to take a boat through the fjords but rooms are just ridiculous…Holiday Inn Express is $270.00/night and the Best Western is $325.00 and they are all in that range…so I think the fjords are not going to be for us.  The room prices everywhere are very high and it does not reflect a nice place to stay..these motels, for the most part are just adequate lodging, often some old somewhat renovated building.  Well, enough of that stuff…

We are in Valdez and the Pink Salmon are in!  My God are they in!  We went to a weir today on Prince William Sound; you know, the place where Exxon dumps its oil. At the mouth of the river there are millions of salmon trying to get into a closed river.  Fishing for them…they don’t feed at this point so force feeding.  The lady at the RV park we are staying in said you just kind of pull a spoon with a big treble hook through the salmon and you get one…she told me red spoons work the best…when I think about this it seems that spoon color probably is not as critical as the rod twitch you develop.  It seems like we use to do this in the dark and referred to it as snagging.

There are lots of people

Red Eagle Lodge

7/26/2013

Lynn: Today was one of those times that totally amaze me when they happen.  We were very lucky last night to be able to rent a cabin in Chistina (on the Tok cutoff).  There is nothing; I mean NOTHING along that road.  Then there is this little jewel of a place called Red Eagle Lodge.  A retired school principal and his wife own it.  They have a house of their own, where they serve a marvelous breakfast, and a few campsites and cabins.  The cabins are actually old cabins that were once lived in, but they have refurbished them, and they are very cute and comfortable.

We had a great evening there, then in the morning we went to their dining room for breakfast.  There was another couple there, from Denver area, and we all were chatting and having breakfast.  At one point I asked Richard (the owner) about his teaching in remote areas.  I then happened to mention that we have a good friend (Dan Feldhauser) who took a job teaching in the Aleutian islands with his then wife, Sarah, and what stories they had to tell about it. Richard asked what their names were, and it turns out that he was teaching there (King’s Cove) at the same time.  What are the chances of that?  We pulled up Danny’s website, so he could see what fabulous artwork Dan is doing now, and caught him up with what Dan has been doing. 

Randy:  I sure was happy the hook didn't go into the barb so it came out pretty easy.  I had a couple fishing poles in the back of the van, hanging from the ceiling and one had a #4 Mepps on the line. Lynn went back there and somehow got into the Mepps…if it doesn't go past the barb, no foul, right?  We have been staying at all these $20,00 resorts built in the 50’s but we have been paying $100 to $150 a night for them…must be that captive audience thing…not to mention that we are bone tired when we find them.  We were cruising along and I thought I saw a dog up ahead…it turned out to be 4 about a year old Grizzlies; just past the cub stage, on the side of the road… that was in very north BC. 

You know, that old van, Edna, is running like a top and sometime today we crossed over 5,000 miles.  We went to the Copper River today and observed the fish wheels and dip netting for “Reds” (CoHo Salmon).  Little town called Chitina.  There are a couple small lakes on the way into town and I am very much hoping to catch a couple Rainbows for supper; I’ll let you know how that went.  So, OK, I caught 4 Rainbow Trout, and we ate them, and then had a sandwich so we would feel like we had a meal…not a bunch of meat on the Trout I caught.

New shoe for Edna

7/23/2013

Lynn:

Yesterday we drove into Whitehorse so we could get a new tire for Edna and so we could stay at the Ramada to be able to do the laundry.  We did both things, then went out to eat at a restaurant called Earl’s.  A great choice.  Very lively, seemed like a local place.  Very good and we had fun.  Unfortunately, the bed in the Ramada was a full, not a queen, and it was lousy.  Neither of us got any sleep.  We are both exhausted today.  We drove to Skagway, where we got a ferry to Haines.  Upon arriving in Haines we caught up with Jim Wilson.  Jim had plans for the evening, but we decided to meet up around 8.  We were not able to in the end, tho because we went to eat at a place called the Fireweed and while it was fun and good, we were there for 2.5 hours, waiting to have a piece of pizza.  Then we had to get back to the Salmon Run campground and finish setting up for the night and so we told Jim we would catch up with him in Grayling.

Snow remover car from old Skagway train

Skagway is obviously very touristy, but in a nice way

View from the office porch of Salmon Run Campground

Jim has an artistic flair.  He has created these sculptural forms from found rocks, and placed them along the front of his year.

Haines is quite beautiful

Finally a fish!

Lynn:  We haven't seen much wildlife, considering where we are, but today I saw my favorite; a moose.  He was just standing in the road looking at us and I wish we had been quicker with the camera, because as soon as he heard noisy old Edna, he took off for the woods.  He was so funny-looking, with long, skinny, knock-kneed legs; he looked like a cartoon. 

Randy has been pretty disappointed with the fishing opportunities, but today he finally got the chance at the Cottonwood River.  As you can see by this picture, this is a man who will do anything to fish.  I stayed inside the van and did my part by putting up with the thousand mosquitoes who were in there with me.  As you can see, he was ultimately successful.

Some pictures from today:

We saw a huge area on both sides of the highway today that had obviously been a forest fire.  Blanketing the ground where all these matchsticks stood was that ubiquitous wild flower you see everywhere in Alaska; now I know how fireweed got its name.  

Over the limit

OK today was the day Lynn said a month is too long...we have been at this trip for about 2 weeks now and have two weeks to go and she is kind of indicating that she thinks this might be enough..time to be done with the trip.  I have really tried hard to make this a happy time for Lynn but am somehow missing the boat.  I know, tomorrow morning when we crawl out of the van, if it isn't raining, I will cook pancakes on the old Coleman and she will love it and be right back into this sojourn to Alaska...hell, we still have a thousand miles to go.

Today was good and bad..started out good with a trip from Canada to the US and back to Canada.  We spent the night in Stewart B.C. and had a great meal of French Fries and Halibut, had breakfast at the toaster museum and then drove to Hyder, Alaska (a ghost town with residents) and then back to Stewart.

Hyder, AK

We saw a couple bears on the road today and then pulled off at a rest area with a gravel drive and there was a piece of a metal rod about 1 inch in diameter sticking out of the gravel and I didn't see it.  Went right through the tire which immediately went flat.  Oh Boy,we are having fun now!  Finally got the jack out from under all our stuff, and after about a half hour, figured out how to get the tire under the van to come down.  Then I had a hell of a time getting the jack under the frame, had to beat it under with the ax, glad I brought the ax.  So got ole Edna jacked up and changed the tire; now we have to buy a tire when we get the opportunity so we have a spare.

We are camped out at the town of Iskut...not a lot of night life in Iskut...not really much of anything here at all.  Lynn will be in a better place in the morning.

Lynn: The day started out pretty well; we were in Hyder at the National Park Fish Creek thing and when the ranger asked if we had a National Park pass, Randy brought out the one we got in Glacier  which gives him, as a senior, unlimited park passes.  A woman park ranger came by and said, "you can't be qualified for that, you don't look old enough!" When he said his age, she said, "Well, good for you; and I see you have a trophy wife."  Made my day.  But then, well, this tire thing today totally scared me.  I was all, "why don't we just call a wrecker?" isn't that what insurance is for?  Apparently, the nearest help to be found was 350 miles away.  That just gave me the chills.  I do NOT like being in the wilderness. I do not mind admitting that I am afraid of just about everything.  It was a real trial trying to get the tire changed, but Randy did it, thank heavens.  So it will be Whitehorse, in the Yukon, two days from now, before we can get a new tire.  Just hope the spare holds.  We drove as far as we could, which was to Iskut; which is nowhere.  We are at a campground that is like camping in a parking lot.  A parking lot with one bathroom that is like 3 football fields away.  It will be a long night, I fear.  Anyway, after the rain tomorrow morning, it should be clear and in the 80's where we are headed tomorrow. Can't post any photos tonight, because the internet won't allow it, but I'll add some tomorrow.

At the Mountain Shadow Campground in Iskut

Rawhide

To the song Rawhide:

Driving, Driving, Driving
Over streams and canyons
Keep Ole Edna going....
Alaska!

Rain, Wind and Weather
Hell bent for leather
With my gal by my side.

All the things I'm missing
Good fishing, love and kisses
Are waiting at the end of my ride..

Move it on, Head it up
Head it up, Move it on
Move it on, Head it up...
Alaska

Yes each day we drive and drive...this sure is a long way...so far we have logged 3,500 miles and it looks like we have another 1,500 to go...maybe more!

It really is amazing there is something stunning around every bend.  Today we decided to divert from our direct route and take a side trip to Stewart, BC/Hyder, Alaska.  What a fantastic drive here past glaciers, mountains, waterfalls, lakes and rivers.

We thought we were going to have to camp tonight, at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park.  It doesn't even have bathrooms (shudder).  However, we happened to pick up an accommodations brochure at an info center and it showed some lodging in Stewart.  So we booked a room and took the chance.  As it turns out, Stewart is a really funky little town, totally surrounded by mountains and on a channel that leads out to sea.  It's been around a long time; there was mining here.  Anyway, it reminds us a bit of Santa Maria in Costa Rica, only cleaner.  The rooms are part of Ripley Creek Inn, which has created a series of rooms in some very old buildings.  I was a bit hesitant when we saw the building, but the room is actually alright.

Look at this photo and see if something looks out of place; keeping in mind that this is a town of about 500 people and it was 52 degrees outside.

July 18--Horses at the Door

Last night we finally, we got to Prince George, which surprised us as the population is 65,000.  We stopped at a McDonald’s just to use their WiFi.  It was pretty poor, but we got on Trip Advisor and found the #1 ranked place to stay is this very unusual property that is called the Norton North Ranch.  It is a working ranch, and they have 3 little guest cottages that are just too cool.  We have decided to stay here for two nights, even though we have to change cottages tomorrow.  

There are two sweet, gentle horses right outside the cabin, and they come up to the back door and knock so you will give them carrots and apples.  

July 17--Waterfall Day

So—we drove all day today, put in about 500 miles.  I got real lucky this morning; Randy had it in mind to go on a gondola ride in Jasper to the top of a mountain.  So we drove to the gondola place, and there were about 45 busloads of Japanese tourists ahead of us.  The wait was longer than Randy wanted to deal with and I didn't have to go up to the top of the mountain in a tin box. 

Off we went in the direction of Prince George B.C. which is about in the middle of the province.  Again, another stunning ride with mountains on both sides, and beautiful rivers with white water rapids.  We really got our exercise today as we stopped at several different waterfalls, all of which had trails that go down and down and down, and then you have to climb back up and up and up.  Thank God for walking sticks.  Don’t worry—I carry aspirin for when Randy gets a heart attack.