Dick’s Travel Blog

 Leaving Alaska was a bit emotional for me even though I was headed to Jasper and Banff,   I felt as if I was headed home.  Home is a lot less defined these days but for certain,  it’s somewhere within a 10 mile radius of St Petersburg where the people I call friends and acquaintances are. Although going home means seeing friends again and slowing down a bit,  it also means a temporary end to this wonderful journey. I guess having Marilyn(my sister) with me for the last 3 weeks reminds me of friends and family even though I feel just fine travelling alone.  As you’ve read, on our way out we went to Valdez and now must backtrack out about 120 miles then travel the same roads for about 1000 miles, that  I took to get to Alaska. You might think that going over the same road for a 1000 miles or so, would be boring. To the contrary, the views, panorama, and diversity make it look like a different place coming from a different direction. Having no Cell phone coverage, no Satellite radio and no AM or FM gives your Cd’s a real workout The gas in the Yukon approached $7/gal but started coming down as we went south. The roads are generally OK but one must remember that the State only has a couple of months each year to repair the damage from a whole winter. No small task. So occasionally you run into a 5-10km stretch being leveled and soothed withe gravel.

We stopped at a couple of RV Parks and then about 200 miles North of Jasper Park in Alberta we began an incredible spell of seeing animals so close we could reach out and touch them. Bears, Mountain Sheep, Elk, Deer, Buffalo, Brown Bear, and Moose. It was one sighting after another. Ironically we hadn’t seen an animal in the wild till we began to leave Alaska.  Several years ago when Brian was still single I played golf with him and a friend of his and buddies from Jasper. Course at the time I couldn’t spell Jasper but a fellow named Paul said ..”if you ever get up my way…”.  I guess we make that statement without thinking because several times in my life I have found myself wishing I hadn’t said that and hoping the person wouldn’t take me up on it.  However, having told Brian I was heading up that way I wouldn’t want to explain why I didn’t visit.  All of this was garbage of course, and while Paul was not there his son was quite cordial and spent time chatting with us. He also allowed me to park the Coach in the lot and jump on the wireless System which needed a security code.  Marilyn and I were in the mood for a nice meal so we dined at his restaurant. Excellent food and service; higher priced than I would have liked.  Next evening when we arrived in Jasper.  We had reservations at a RV Park who had a dial up Internet system routed to a wireless rig. The speed was so slow I didn’t know at times  if my PC was working or not. I needed Broadband Internet that night and the people at the park said there wasn’t any till Calgary, 1000km south.Marilyn called the Motel 8 down the street and asked if we could use their lobby and Internet. We’d be willing to pay something reasonable.The gal told her to pull the Coach in the parking lot about 1/2 way in and we could stay overnight and use the Internet. It was great…and free.Tomorrow morning we head into Jasper Park itself, then on to Lake Louise and Banff. Enjoy the http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_08_04_AnimalsToJasper.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_08_06_JustBeforeJasperPark.exe

No visit to Alaska is complete without a trip to the Port of Valdez. Home of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and near devastation of the ecosystem of the area.

Today you could not tell there ever was a spill and arriving in town is like a breath of fresh air. Valdez is often referred to as the Switzerland of Alaska with the mountains and busy fishing port. Almost hidden in the hills is the termination of the Alaskan Pipeline. The area is beautiful around the terminus with well organized rows of storage tanks neatly lining the hills.

The journey from Homer o Valdez is a long one with Valdez being the last major city on the way out of Alaska. The weather continued to suck until such time as we reached Valdez when the sun came out in all it’s glory. The scenery was much the same with an occasional breath taking view.

Before entering town you are greeted by several waterfalls. One named Horse Hair the other named   Twin Tails (I think). Then upon entering town the port comes alive with the sounds, smells, and colors of a busy fishing and tourist port. Some highlights for us were the local RV campground and the Glacier tour on the LuLu Belle. The Captain was a master  in his story telling and descriptions of the journey. His non stop non canned descriptions of the area. Words can’t describe the beauty but the photos can

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_07_27_DriveToValdez.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_07_29_ValdezGlacierTour.exe

The journey from Seward to Homer was a long drive through beautiful settings of forest and stream. Many of the Salmon fishing camps are located in the Kenai Peninsula and you pass camp after camp en-route south to Homer, Homer is the Halibut fishing capital of the world and the Halibut is one of the most prized eating fish in the world. Its a deep water, dense white meat, at times almost a flavor of King crab comes through.

The village itself was alive with fishing activities one of which is unique. Its called the pit and it is basically a pit in the shore where when the tide come in the salmon get cught in the pit and are literally hooked and pulled out of the pit. I didn’t get to witness it but it sounded like a lot of fun.

I have a friend in Sarasota whose son now owns and operates a rest/hotel complex there and we went there for dinner. The highlight of the trip was definitely the Halibut fishing charter where we were joined by 3 guys from I believe Washington State.

Marilyn had a ball a brought in 2 big fish. When she cooked them it was heaven!

We shipped some to Bob, David and Dan.

We are both looking forward to Valdez where everyone has said is the best part of the Alaska adventure. Lots of fuel at $6/gal

Enjoy the Homer Fishing Show__      http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Homer%20and%20Halbut.exe

A tee shirt describes Seward as a small drinking village with a fishing problem.  Seems to fit! On Monday the 21st we left Wasilla (the town where we caught the Salmon) for Seward. We had to stop in Anchorage and pick up the replacement Inverter/Charger the manufacturer shipped to me. Then ship the bad one back to them. Once done we headed south to Seward. Seward is about 125 miles from Anchorage. We chose to go there specifically for the Kenai Peninsula Fjords National Park. Its a vaster area surrounded by beautiful Fjords and an abundance of Aquatic Wildlife. The weather sucked as we left to go, the weather sucked when we got there. The weather sucked on the tour cruise. The weather sucked when we returned that evening and sucks as I write this Blog posting. The highlight of the tour was the whale sightings which where exciting. After years of seeing this stuff on the Discovery Channel, it was great to see it live. I wish I had a camera designed more to the task. The focus was off on most, the shutter not quite fast enough for catching the whale in flight, and a telescopic range better than I have.  In any event I think the pics will convey the beauty and excitement of at least the Whale stuff.  As with the other animals, the thrill of seeing them live in their environment is hard to explain. The Sea Lions were impressive for the same reason, as well as the variety of birds. We saw 2 beautiful Bald Eagles also. As I look out the window of the Coach in what is a beautiful campground, I muse how everything appears to be in black and white since the sun hasn’t been out and the view consists mainly of rich dark green vegetation and white ice and snow. Well tomorrow we head to Homer, AK., the southern end of the Kenai Penisula and western most part of the state. Homer is a renown fishing village, billed as the Halibut capital of the world. I’ve booked a Halibut boat for Friday and am really looking forward to it. Hope the weather cooperates.  I need to stop at the Harley Davidson dealer en route to Homer to get a new front tire (damaged during the great dropping in Twisp). I also need to get the front wheel guide on the lift aligned. Once done we continue on the Homer, hoping to arrive sometime tomorrow evening. http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Seward.exe

The tour of Denali National Park and Game Preserve The day began with meeting the tour bus at 6:15 AM, definitely not the best way to start my day unless I’m headed for a golf golf course. The bus was fully packed but reasonably comfortable. Marilyn provoked laughter from all when she said loudly to the man she sat next to “Where’d they pick you up!” She meant what “pickup” location but it didn’t get heard that way! The driver wore only a tee shirt at 40 degrees and there were complaints about the heat but for my money the biggest problem was listening to him go through his narration at  7 AM. The first 15 miles of the tour Marilyn and I had covered the day before and the first animal sighted (a moose) was quite a bit farther a way than the one we saw on our own tour. The majority of the time on the tour in the morning was spent looking for animals. When the rare one was spotted it was so far away it took binoculars to see it and then only if you were lucky. Once I declined to get up from my seat when the driver stopped to view some ducks in a pond. I figured I didn’t travel 7000 miles to see a duck in a pond when I could look out my bedroom at a whole flock in St Pete. Anyway this tour was like Yellowstone…you have to do it just because its there. The beauty of the Yellowstone tour was that you could do it from your own vehicle. The park is 600sq miles of beautiful and pristine territory designed specifically to remain pristine. No outside animals are ever introduced to either control or augment a species. Nature is left to her own. No vets to save the sick ones, although a close watch is made to understand the evolution of the species. An example is the animal we call the Grizzly bear is called the Brown bear here and in Denali that Brown bear is more a dirty white color as you saw in my last posting and our Grizzly is Brown. Their Brown bear is small like a black bear where ours is almost twice the size.  Genetically they are the same. The difference lies in the diet. The Denali Brown bear diets mostly on berries whereas ours diets on fish like salmon which accounts for both the difference in size as well as color.  Essentially, close to water with salmon equals large and brown inland near berries equals small and lighter in colour. At about noon the tour stops at the Denali Lodge which sits at the base of McKinley. The lunch was buffet but acceptable, We were given a choice of panning for gold(Ha), a hike through the woods (Ha) or watching a movie on climbing Denali that I had already seen on Nova. It was cold in the theater room! We were also approached by the people who ran the air tours about about a ride in a plane but they couldn’t promise a view of McKinley because of the cloud cover. The cost was $165/person. I asked for a guarantee that if we couldn’t see Mt McKinley then we get our money back. He declined but I thanked him for being honest.  About an hour and a half later when we were boarding the bus, the air tour folks said that there was a break in the clouds and that they would fly us around the Mountain and then fly us to the Denali airport which is 5 miles from the RV Park. The best news was that it would only be $100/person and, even better,  we would be home by 3. Couldn’t refuse a deal like that! Marilyn jumped at the opportunity when the Captains asked who wanted to fly as Co-Pilot. Whoa be it to anyone else who may have wanted to.  We loved the flight. It was magical to climb to 12000ft (The regulation limit for our plane) then realize you are over 2 miles above the ground and looking up at the top of a mountain almost 2 miles higher up than you are. The mountain was majestic as if looking at us mere mortals. It is said that a man who lived in Fairbanks, from where he could see the mountain, decided he wanted to climb it. He trekked from Fairbanks to Denali (@300 miles then quit at 8000ft and went back home. We he got home he wrote about the gold he found while there and that folks, began the Alaskan Gold Rush.  We then descended to 3000ft and headed to the Denali airport which is close to the RV Park. During the flight back we looked for animals to no avail but the view was spectacular.http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Denali.exe

 We left the Denali campground on Sunday morning about 5:30AM. Our date with the Fishing Guide was for 11:00 and we had to cover 200 miles or so.We did so with no problem, arriving at the Susitna River State Boat Launching area which also allows overnight camping. We met the Captain who was accompanied by his wife and mother-in-law which made for a total of 5 counting the Captain. The boat was a 24 ft or so flat bottom Sea Scout with a 90 horse jet drive Yamaha. Perfect for the task of navigating the winding and shallow in spots river. The river was no more than 30 yards or so wide, maybe 5 ft deep at any point and probably was running at 8 or 10 mph.  We tied up around a bend and cast our spinning rig (a twin blade spinner with a small red weight) to the other side and then slowly turned and wound it in. The salmon would hit the spinner once as if to wound it, then come in for the kill and Bamm! it was on. The fight was brief but brisk since the size 8-10 lbs was relatively small. Getting it on board was a challenge and is aided by whacking the salmon with a club to kill or disable it making it easier to bring aboard. We each caught 2 fish with the captain handing over 2 of his for me to bring in. The limit is 2 per fisherman and is strictly enforced.  I was impressed and grateful that the regulations were respected and enforced. The Salmon we caught were from pristine water. No stocking of this river meant we caught the same fish (genetically speaking) as the natives did 100 years ago. The sun came out for the first time in weeks and it was a glorious afternoon. A dream of mine for years to fish for Salmon in Alaska. When we return to dock, the Captain filleted the fish and we got some very nice photos of his technique as well as the beautiful bright orange meat of the Silver. We grilled a piece for dinner and it was fabulous. The distinct taste of Salmon in a mild delicate background. Wonderful. The next day we stopped at a fish processing facility and had fillets flash frozen (-30 degrees) and some shipped to my Son David, and the rest shipped to my brother Bob. We called and left instructions for them to have a meal and leave the rest for us but once they get a taste I’m sure all bets are off. The rest of the day was spent getting to Anchorage, packing up the replacement Inverter and then leaving for Seward. Enjoy the fishing trip….we did! http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Wassilla.exe

Since crossing the boarder into Alaska, the drive to Anchorage seemed like an eternity. I wanted to say I’m here but I don’t think anyone noticed. An interesting observation I have had since leaving Florida.  It seems that the congeniality of people is inversely proportional to how far North they are. The farther North the less hospitable. Although one might argue that “southern” hospitality is not truly genuine and therefore doesn’t count as congeniality, I still feel that the colder the temperature… the colder the people (at least at first meeting).

Anchorage is a sprawling city much like any other small harbor town, with lots of light industry and fishing related service functions.  It has a 4 story modern mall downtown where I purchased a data card for the local Wireless company (ACS). Speed is fast (EVDO Rev A) but coverage is limited. The coverage is better than Verizon Data which has none. Only Verizon Cell coverage.

On the way into Anchorage I got a glimpse of my first Glacier which wasn’t very impressive. Since then I’ve seen some biggies and was impressed. Big Time!

The campground I stayed at was very busy and cramped but the people were very nice and I was able to get the Inverter replaced and put in by a mechanic. All is well now.

My sister Marilyn arrived on the 14th and she is really enjoying herself and I’m glad she’s here. She leaning a lot about the Coach and has been a big help. Other than our childhood, I think this is the most contiguous time I ever spent with her. It’s good.

I picked her up at the Anchorage airport and 2 days later we were on the road headed for Denali National Park. I have links below to several slide shows which cover the time from leaving Anchorage to arriving at Denali and the first day where we went into the park (by ourselves) as far as you are allowed. The route was basically the same as the one we would take on tour which is covered in the next posting.

On the way to Denali we stopped to look over the area where we were going to go Salmon fishing after the Denali trip. My excitement level rose big time. It has always been a dream of mine to Salmon fish with a guide on a river in Alaska. I can’t wait.

We camped by a River about 10 miles from Denali with a fantastic view of the River and Mountain, until some jerk in a motor home, with at least 100 yards open to him, decided to park right up close to us blocking the view from the front. Marilyn was pissed and I was too but not enough to hassle the guy and get myself upset.

On the way to that river we were surprised by a grizzly bear crossing the highway. The bear is almost an light almond color, something I’ll discuss later. The camera I have takes excellent photos, however if I had known better (or even asked someone) I would have got one with  more zoom capability, and a faster shutter reflect to pressing the button. Both features are vital to catch a good photo of live animals. This became especially true when we were viewing Humpback whales breaching. You had to be extra fast or clairvoyant as to where they would jump from next.

You are only allowed to drive into Denali park approx 15 miles which we did the night before our tour was scheduled. Remember “night” is a relative term here. It doesn’t get completely dark here till 1 or 2 in the morning.  We managed to see a Moose up real close and a bear from a distance.   Have fun with the following links:

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_7_11_OnToAnchorage.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_07_17-OnTheWayToDenali.exe

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/2008_07_18_OurOwnDenaliTrip.exe

Tuesday July 1 and I’m headed out of Prince Rupert on what is the Canadian Independence Day. Everything is closed up tight, in fact they extended their weekend by closing yesterday too! I left headed to Route 37 which goes east then North to join with the Trans Alaska Highway at a place called Whitehorse. That point is about 1000km or 630 miles over roads I get differing opinions on as to their condition. Some say no problem, then someone told me their friends on motorcycles had to turn around and head back. Then roads were too bad and many places were gravel. Now being the motorcycle freak I am, I  know that gravel is your worst enemy and too be avoided at all costs. So I figured it wouldn’t be too bad for a Motor coach, and it wasn’t. I needed to regroup from my problems in Price Rupert so I stayed at an RV Park in a town called Terrace which was just as pleasant as could be. The weather could have been better but everyone was helpful and Jim the owner of the Park was just a great host. I had my laundry washed and folded in Terrace which is a treat and managed to organize a replacement Inverter to be delivered to Alaska to the Park I will stay at. I also arranged for Harley to ship a Windshield to Harley in Anchorage. Now all I had to do was get there.  I must admit to some apprehension if not fear. Driving those roads alone with sometimes hours before seeing another car was spooky. Also it didn’t get dark till about 2 in the morning then it was light again at 5. For the first time since I had it,  I actually locked the Coach while I was in it. I also pulled out the Glock pistol I have so it would be handy. I lied at the boarder when the guard asked me if I was carrying any weapons. I didn’t want the hassles of declaring it or whatever they make you do. I had to lie again at the US Boarder in Alaska saying I didn’t have any weapons. The guard there actually came aboard and open closets etc. I had hid the Glock back under the bed.  I left Terrace on the 4th of July and felt like a million bucks. I targeted a place called Iskut, about halfway to the Trans Alaska Highway (Canada #1) as my first stop.  I just went to Google to make sure of the distance and felt a bit of nostalgia as I read off the names of the remote towns I went through. I wonder how I’ll feel when I read this blog 10 years from now?  Then scenery was just spectacular. Much of the road was through mountainous area but many times alongside rivers and lakes. The views were so breathtaking, especially when the weather cleared that I found myself wanting to stop every five minutes to take a photo. I would still be driving if I had. It truly seemed like every turn around a bend was like flipping over to a new postcard. Most towns, while they didn’t look alike, had the same facilities available. Gas at $1.45 a litre ot about $6.00 a gallon. I gave up trying to save a little on things here and there. When you fill up in the morning for $300 and then again that afternoon for another $250 you not longer sweat the small stuff.  I had my first breakfast out. Eggs, bacon, potatoes, Coffee. When I finished I didn’t even ask how much. I left a $20 bill and smiled.  An observation I had near Iskut when I was passing a huge and beautiful lake named Totatom. I realized that the lakes I had admired in the US such as Powell and Mead were man made by flooding thousands of acres of land. The lakes I’d been seeing here are natural and as far as I can see untouched by man.(yet)Along the way it was very quiet. I couldn’t get Satellite radio and I thought it was just bad reception in the mountains. Later I learned that XM and Sirius only operate in the lower 48.

I remember the show well as young as I was. Who’d a thunk I’d be driving thru some 50 some odd years later. Driving through the Yukon (State Motto “Larger than Life”) was much the same as British Columbia except it  seemed to be more dense with trees as if one could walk across the tops.  After driving through a brief stretch of the Yukon you cross back into Northern British Columbia then back into the Yukon for the rest of the the way to Alaska.  About 550 miles from the AK boarder I met a couple of young bikers. One on a big Yamaha the other on a Harley Road King. They were covered in mud and had ridden the entire way from Anchorage that morning. They planned to keep riding for a good while. My hats off to them. They warned me of the bad road spots. They are clearly marked and are basically humps which were pushed up during the winter. They said just slow down and it will be OK. I did and it was.At 9:10 Sat Night July 5th Alaskan Time Zone (4 Hrs behind EDT). I passed through US Customs at the Alaskan boarder. YEA!!!  I did it!For your viewing pleasure:     

http://proirb.com/For_Dick/BritishColumbia.exe

It’s Sunday June 29th am I’m headed to the Ferry at Port Hardy to take me to Prince Rupert, BC.   Port Hardy is a lazy small town with a few restaurants and support services for logging, mining, fishing, and a little tourism associated with the Ferry. My bet is however, that in  10 years the Island will be totally populated and plagued with summer resorts etc.  Anyway, on my way into Port Hardy, which was a beautiful drive through Vancouver Island,  I stayed at a Walmart in a town called Courtney as in Love.  Cute, really out of the wayplace,  with beautiful seascapes.  As I neared Port Hardy proper I got my first siting of wild Black bears. Across the road at the top of the hill were two cubs or young ones. From my Discovery channel days I knew were the Cubs were the Mom was sure to follow. Sure enough I looked and spotted her near a fallen log. Silly as it seems, it was a real thrill seeing these animals in their own habitat not controlled or fenced in by man.The slide show depicts one of the most picturesque journeys I have ever taken. The “inside passage” up to Alaska contains incredible nature scenes and where a small town has built up it is just spectacular to imagine a quiet life.  A life void of the stress that’s killing us all in the form of anxieties, obesity. unnamed illnesses and more. I’ll let the photos to speak for themselves.  Arriving at Prince Rupert brings bad news.   I was unable to find a replacement for my inverter which is critical to travel. One shop did help me and installed a replacement fuse for me and would only take $20 for an hour or more of work. He said a six pack and sandwich is all he needed. I liked him! Price Rupert is also home to the worst RV Park I have ever been at with the nastiest of owner/operators. I was concerned that it was just my attitude when he told me there was no WI-FI at the sites just at the office. I suggested that he might have indicated that when I booked. The next morning when I went to the office to use WI-FI he said “nobody wowed in Office”. (note the spelling is correct.)  I asked where then can I use the WI-FI and he said No WI-FI. I will vote for internment camps if the subject ever comes up again.Once Again Enjoy!!!             http://proirb.com/For_Dick/HardyRupert.exe

Its Tuesday Morning June 24th and I’m in Vancouver just over the border. The Journey from Twisp Wash to here was really nothing special however in good conscience I was simply looking to get to Vancouver as soon as possible. I had intended to stop in Seattle but my plans were changed for the better.I’m really looking forward to Vancouver Island and Victoria. Specifically to see the Butchart Gardens I’ve heard everyone rave about. I’m a little anxious about the Ferry having never done this with the Coach however I remember that this is the same way I felt about going through the locks at Port St. Lucie in my boat when I escaped(so I thought)  to Florida. The pier is imposing with all the equipment, cars, big rigs, Motor Homes etc. So I just get in line, pay the fee (I think it was $50) and go up on deck for coffee. I listened to a nice couple tell me of their travels for about 45 minutes and in general the ride was pleasant, the day overcast, but the view of the mountains foretold of things to come farther north in British Columbia and Alaska. Victoria (City) on the Island has to be the cleanest city in the world. At least the one with the most flowers. Awesome! Also the Harley place was most helpful trying to locate a new windshield for me to send ahead to Alaska. We didn’t but they tried.  Enjoy the photos! http://proirb.com/For_Dick/Vancouver.exe