July 22nd
The drive to the Redwoods National Park from Seattle was uneventful. There were a couple places such as Grant's Pass and the Oregon Caves that we wished we had time to visit.
July 23rd
We all slept in today and then took a scenic drive through the Redwoods National Park. It was incredible to see the trees that were hundreds (in some cases, 2 thousand) years old. We felt dwarfed by the size of the redwoods. I love the smell of the forest and enjoyed the tranquility of the area. We did some hiking and photo taking in the forest. I know for a fact that we will be back here soon!!! At low tide (7:20PM) we were able to hike on the beach to a lighthouse that is only accessible when the tide is at it's lowest point. The beach is beautiful with all of the tide pools and large black rocks out in the water.
July 24th
Our last full day of the trip. :( Whaaa! Whaaaa!
Today is the day that I have been dreading! We spent it exploring more of the Redwood Forest and the surrounding beaches and rivers. We drove through the Klamath Tour-Thru Tree this afternoon. It is an alive, 700 year old redwood tree that has been carved out at the base. Tonight we had our last bon fire and snacked on some smores. We grilled out burgers and talked about our favorite parts of the trip. It was a great one that I feel lucky to have had as an experience in my life. It definitely is not a trip for everyone, but I sure loved every minute of it! All good things must come to an end....
Favorite Moments
1. Sea kayaking at the Columbia Glacier through enormous ice burgs
2. Canoeing to Portage Glacier through ice burgs
3. Watching a grizzly bear fish for salmon & play in a waterfall for about an hour
4. Standing on the ice burg at Portage Lake
5. Touring the ice museum/hotel
6. Listening to the ice cracking at Holgate Glacier (on the cruise) & then falling into the ocean
7. Hiking at Redwood National Park
8. Flightseeing over Prince William Sound
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
The drive home has started...
July 18th
On this day we drove from North Pole, AK to Whitehorse, Canada. It was a long, uneventful day. The drive is always gorgeous, so it is not as painful as it could be.
July 19th
This day we drove from Whitehorse to 90 miles from Smithers, Canada. It was a drive that had us wishing that we could stop and throw our canoe into one of the beautiful lakes or rivers that we were driving past. It was hard to restrain ourselves!!!
July 20th
This was our last of the long drives... but it was also our longest drive day of the trip. We took different roads home than we took driving to Alaska. It has been great to see other towns and sights along the way. We crossed the Canada/USA border at 1:15 AM and then found a place to stay in Bellingham, Washington. We were relieved to have the bulk of the driving finished!!!!
July 21st
We had a quick 1.5 hr drive to Seattle this (late) morning and then spent the day in downtown Seattle. Steven and I were here 2.5 yrs ago with my parents after we took the Alaskan cruise. We love Seattle and had fun seeing Pike Place and the other sights downtown. Tomorrow we are headed to Crescent City, CA for a couple days. We will be visiting and hiking at Redwood National Park. I have yet to visit that park, so I am really excited! It will be 505 miles to get there.
On this day we drove from North Pole, AK to Whitehorse, Canada. It was a long, uneventful day. The drive is always gorgeous, so it is not as painful as it could be.
July 19th
This day we drove from Whitehorse to 90 miles from Smithers, Canada. It was a drive that had us wishing that we could stop and throw our canoe into one of the beautiful lakes or rivers that we were driving past. It was hard to restrain ourselves!!!
July 20th
This was our last of the long drives... but it was also our longest drive day of the trip. We took different roads home than we took driving to Alaska. It has been great to see other towns and sights along the way. We crossed the Canada/USA border at 1:15 AM and then found a place to stay in Bellingham, Washington. We were relieved to have the bulk of the driving finished!!!!
July 21st
We had a quick 1.5 hr drive to Seattle this (late) morning and then spent the day in downtown Seattle. Steven and I were here 2.5 yrs ago with my parents after we took the Alaskan cruise. We love Seattle and had fun seeing Pike Place and the other sights downtown. Tomorrow we are headed to Crescent City, CA for a couple days. We will be visiting and hiking at Redwood National Park. I have yet to visit that park, so I am really excited! It will be 505 miles to get there.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
North Pole, AK
July 16th
Yesterday we drove from Denali to North Pole, Alaska. The smoke from the fires was still faintly present during the drive. The highlight of the day was taking photos of Ava on Santa's lap. Santa and everything Christmas is all the rage here. We spent a lot of the day at Pioneer Park letting the kids run wild and then ate at a salmon bake for dinner.
July 17th
Today we went to the Chena Hot Springs and Ice Museum. The ice museum is also an ice hotel where people can stay in a 20 degree F room on a slab of ice. Even the toilet is a porta-potty style ice sculpture. There is a caribou pelt on the bed and tiny cut outs out pelt on each bar stool at the bar. We sipped a apple martini from an ice carved glass. They even have a wedding chapel there and other various ice carvings. The place was crazy! They decorated with different colored lights shining on the sculptures. We loved it there!
The hot springs were wonderful (as they always are)!!! There was a regular pool near the hot springs for kids to play in and Ava ended up staying in the water for 2 hours! She was as happy as ever!
Yesterday we drove from Denali to North Pole, Alaska. The smoke from the fires was still faintly present during the drive. The highlight of the day was taking photos of Ava on Santa's lap. Santa and everything Christmas is all the rage here. We spent a lot of the day at Pioneer Park letting the kids run wild and then ate at a salmon bake for dinner.
July 17th
Today we went to the Chena Hot Springs and Ice Museum. The ice museum is also an ice hotel where people can stay in a 20 degree F room on a slab of ice. Even the toilet is a porta-potty style ice sculpture. There is a caribou pelt on the bed and tiny cut outs out pelt on each bar stool at the bar. We sipped a apple martini from an ice carved glass. They even have a wedding chapel there and other various ice carvings. The place was crazy! They decorated with different colored lights shining on the sculptures. We loved it there!
The hot springs were wonderful (as they always are)!!! There was a regular pool near the hot springs for kids to play in and Ava ended up staying in the water for 2 hours! She was as happy as ever!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Day 29
Today we said our farewells to Reagan, Josh, and Athan at the railroad depot in Denali National Park. We stayed there for a little while after dropping them off to see the visitor center and a few other sites in the park. It rained off and on today, so that gave me a chance to catch up on laundry and clean up a little. We had dinner with the Bakers and then went out for ice cream... again. That has been a tradition for the past couple nights. Yum!
Tomorrow we drive to The North Pole, Alaska. I hear that Santa will be there. :) We have been telling the 2 middle Baker boys that if they behave they will get to see Santa. They are over the top excited.
As of today, we have logged SIX THOUSAND miles. We are not even half way done with the drive and our estimate of how many miles that we would have at the end of the trip was 7,000 total. What happened? We just laugh when we talk about that now. I guess we have a second oil change to do somewhere on the way back to Cali.
Tomorrow we drive to The North Pole, Alaska. I hear that Santa will be there. :) We have been telling the 2 middle Baker boys that if they behave they will get to see Santa. They are over the top excited.
As of today, we have logged SIX THOUSAND miles. We are not even half way done with the drive and our estimate of how many miles that we would have at the end of the trip was 7,000 total. What happened? We just laugh when we talk about that now. I guess we have a second oil change to do somewhere on the way back to Cali.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I am happily caught up with the blog!
July 11th
This day was halibut fishing day number 2 for Steven. This morning while Reagan, Athan, Josh, Ava and I were getting ready my family (the 4 guys) took a rafting trip down the Kenai River. After they finished we all met at the campground for a hike to the Russian River Waterfall. It was a 4.6 mile round trip hike. We thought that it was going to be much shorter, but we were never so thankful that we did the hike. Once we reached the waterfall that had salmon swimming upstream we waited for about 5 minutes to see if a bear would make an appearance. A huge grizzly bear came out of the woods and put on a one hour show for us. We were standing on 2 wood deck platforms above the waterfall and had a perfect view of the bear. It swam in the water and then did a lot of fishing with 2 successful attempts. We enjoyed watching the bear eat his lunch and then swim some more. The show ended with him walking up the waterfall with ease and then disappearing into the forest. On our way off the trail to our cars I spotted a bald eagle in it's nest. We were able to get awesome photos of that, too. Just when I think that things can't get any better on this trip, the next incredible moment happens.
July 12th
This morning Susana, Josh, Reagan, Athan, Ava and I all went flightseeing over Prince William Sound. It was breathtaking to see the glaciers from above. At a couple points during the flight we had complete white surroundings for as far as you could see. The ice looks so different from above. I loved to see all of the ice with just a few mountain tops peaking through. It was a one hour flight on a float plane that landed and took off on a river in Moose Pass, Alaska. While we did that Steven and the guys went river fishing. We all met up afterward and had some halibut before the guys took off for the airport. We enjoyed the time that we spent with them and I think that they had a great time, too. After they left we all drove to Kenai Lake to go on a little canoe trip. It was great weather and a nice, relaxing time together.
July 13th
This was our drive to Denali National Park and Preserve day. We drove to Portage Lake first to see if Reagan could have the canoe to a glacier in iceburg filled water experience, but the winds were bad and the waves were high. Major bummer! The drive to Denali NP was uneventful and we were able to see the summit of Mount McKinley in a haze/fog. The view was not of a clear mountain, but most of the people who come to Denali NP don't even get that view. I guess we will take what we can get. Our campground was only 1 mile to the park entrance which was very convenient.
TODAY!!!! Yes, I am finally caught up!!!!!
July 14th
Today we got to Denali National Park and Preserve at 8:25 AM and had a shuttle scheduled to take us to the Eielson Visitor Center with a few stops in between. It was cool that the bus would stop at any time someone on the bus spotted an animal. We saw 3 grizzly bears (a sow and 2 cubs) munching on berries near the road. The highlight was "the chance of a lifetime experience," as the bus driver and every single park ranger said about the sighting that our bus was lucky enough to have!!!!!! Our bus pulled over because we were watching a caribou walking on the road that we were driving down. We stopped for photos when one of the 60 to 100 wolves at the park popped out of the woods and had a stand off with the caribou right in front of the bus. Everyone was amped up thinking that we were going to see a pack of wolves take the caribou down. The caribou was obviously scared and I have 2 photos of it peeing in the street. It escaped the would be attack, but we were happy to be able to see one of the wolves. We also saw a bald eagle, a couple moose and a few more caribou along the way. It was a cool trip minus the smoke in the air from some forest fires to the west and north.
This day was halibut fishing day number 2 for Steven. This morning while Reagan, Athan, Josh, Ava and I were getting ready my family (the 4 guys) took a rafting trip down the Kenai River. After they finished we all met at the campground for a hike to the Russian River Waterfall. It was a 4.6 mile round trip hike. We thought that it was going to be much shorter, but we were never so thankful that we did the hike. Once we reached the waterfall that had salmon swimming upstream we waited for about 5 minutes to see if a bear would make an appearance. A huge grizzly bear came out of the woods and put on a one hour show for us. We were standing on 2 wood deck platforms above the waterfall and had a perfect view of the bear. It swam in the water and then did a lot of fishing with 2 successful attempts. We enjoyed watching the bear eat his lunch and then swim some more. The show ended with him walking up the waterfall with ease and then disappearing into the forest. On our way off the trail to our cars I spotted a bald eagle in it's nest. We were able to get awesome photos of that, too. Just when I think that things can't get any better on this trip, the next incredible moment happens.
July 12th
This morning Susana, Josh, Reagan, Athan, Ava and I all went flightseeing over Prince William Sound. It was breathtaking to see the glaciers from above. At a couple points during the flight we had complete white surroundings for as far as you could see. The ice looks so different from above. I loved to see all of the ice with just a few mountain tops peaking through. It was a one hour flight on a float plane that landed and took off on a river in Moose Pass, Alaska. While we did that Steven and the guys went river fishing. We all met up afterward and had some halibut before the guys took off for the airport. We enjoyed the time that we spent with them and I think that they had a great time, too. After they left we all drove to Kenai Lake to go on a little canoe trip. It was great weather and a nice, relaxing time together.
July 13th
This was our drive to Denali National Park and Preserve day. We drove to Portage Lake first to see if Reagan could have the canoe to a glacier in iceburg filled water experience, but the winds were bad and the waves were high. Major bummer! The drive to Denali NP was uneventful and we were able to see the summit of Mount McKinley in a haze/fog. The view was not of a clear mountain, but most of the people who come to Denali NP don't even get that view. I guess we will take what we can get. Our campground was only 1 mile to the park entrance which was very convenient.
TODAY!!!! Yes, I am finally caught up!!!!!
July 14th
Today we got to Denali National Park and Preserve at 8:25 AM and had a shuttle scheduled to take us to the Eielson Visitor Center with a few stops in between. It was cool that the bus would stop at any time someone on the bus spotted an animal. We saw 3 grizzly bears (a sow and 2 cubs) munching on berries near the road. The highlight was "the chance of a lifetime experience," as the bus driver and every single park ranger said about the sighting that our bus was lucky enough to have!!!!!! Our bus pulled over because we were watching a caribou walking on the road that we were driving down. We stopped for photos when one of the 60 to 100 wolves at the park popped out of the woods and had a stand off with the caribou right in front of the bus. Everyone was amped up thinking that we were going to see a pack of wolves take the caribou down. The caribou was obviously scared and I have 2 photos of it peeing in the street. It escaped the would be attack, but we were happy to be able to see one of the wolves. We also saw a bald eagle, a couple moose and a few more caribou along the way. It was a cool trip minus the smoke in the air from some forest fires to the west and north.
more catching up
July 8th
This was the big arrival day for our friends and family. Steven left Portage to pick up Athan, Reagan and Josh Davis in the late morning and then all of us drove to Cooper Landing which was about 1 1/2 hrs away. This was our home for the next 5 nights.
At about 5 Pm my dad, brother, cousin and uncle arrived and drove down to Cooper Landing to their bed and breakfast. After checking in they met up with us at the campsite. It was a relaxing day and it was great that all of their flights were problem free. We all enjoyed a grill out together that evening.
July 9th
On this day we all (8 adults + Athan and Ava) drove to Seward, Alaska for an 8 hour cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. Before going to the cruise we stopped to see Exit Glacier, but we did not have time to hike up to the ice. The cruise was a great time on calm waters. The food was delicious and the views were wonderful. We saw all kinds of animals including a humpback whale who even gave us a view of it's tail. The puffins, in particular, were neat to see in both the water and flying overhead. The highlight of the trip was getting to see Holgate Glacier calving into the sea. We were fortunate to be there to see large iceburgs fall into the ocean. The thunder of the ice cracking is impressive each and every time you hear it.
After the cruise Reagan, Josh, Athan, Ava and myself went back to Exit Glacier to hike to the ice. It was about a 2.7 mile trek that we took the kids on, and they both did really well. The glacier was great to see and the photos of the 2 kids in front of the ice are super funny. The best part of the trek was when out of nowhere a black bear crossed our path about 30 feet in front of us. It took a few steps towards us and then walked back into the woods. We snapped a few photos and shared a few laughs. It was an unexpected surprise.
July 10th
This day was the big halibut fishing day for dad, Brian, Randy, Matt and Steven (and his dad, Steve). They drove to Ninilchek to spend the day fishing. They caught the maximum limit of fish possible and were able to have 150 lbs (also the max allowed) shipped home. There were 7 foot swells, so needless to say there were some green faces out there and one who threw up a couple times. Yuck!
Josh, Reagan, Athan, Ava and I drove to Homer which is where the road and land ends on the western part of the Kenai Peninsula. The drive included some cool moose sightings... 8 to be exact. Two of those moose were twin babies with their mother. The craziest thing happened this day, though, because we randomly stopped down a gravel road to look at a river to see the king salmon swimming up stream when all of a sudden I hear "Jod" being yelled at me numerous times. I look out into the street to see all of the guys riding in the back of a boat being towed by a truck. The guys had just finished fishing and were stopping about 2 blocks from the random place we had parked. It was cool to see their halibut and get some pictures of them in front of the fish. The largest was 92 lbs. Not to shabby for a bunch of first timers! :)
This was the big arrival day for our friends and family. Steven left Portage to pick up Athan, Reagan and Josh Davis in the late morning and then all of us drove to Cooper Landing which was about 1 1/2 hrs away. This was our home for the next 5 nights.
At about 5 Pm my dad, brother, cousin and uncle arrived and drove down to Cooper Landing to their bed and breakfast. After checking in they met up with us at the campsite. It was a relaxing day and it was great that all of their flights were problem free. We all enjoyed a grill out together that evening.
July 9th
On this day we all (8 adults + Athan and Ava) drove to Seward, Alaska for an 8 hour cruise of Kenai Fjords National Park. Before going to the cruise we stopped to see Exit Glacier, but we did not have time to hike up to the ice. The cruise was a great time on calm waters. The food was delicious and the views were wonderful. We saw all kinds of animals including a humpback whale who even gave us a view of it's tail. The puffins, in particular, were neat to see in both the water and flying overhead. The highlight of the trip was getting to see Holgate Glacier calving into the sea. We were fortunate to be there to see large iceburgs fall into the ocean. The thunder of the ice cracking is impressive each and every time you hear it.
After the cruise Reagan, Josh, Athan, Ava and myself went back to Exit Glacier to hike to the ice. It was about a 2.7 mile trek that we took the kids on, and they both did really well. The glacier was great to see and the photos of the 2 kids in front of the ice are super funny. The best part of the trek was when out of nowhere a black bear crossed our path about 30 feet in front of us. It took a few steps towards us and then walked back into the woods. We snapped a few photos and shared a few laughs. It was an unexpected surprise.
July 10th
This day was the big halibut fishing day for dad, Brian, Randy, Matt and Steven (and his dad, Steve). They drove to Ninilchek to spend the day fishing. They caught the maximum limit of fish possible and were able to have 150 lbs (also the max allowed) shipped home. There were 7 foot swells, so needless to say there were some green faces out there and one who threw up a couple times. Yuck!
Josh, Reagan, Athan, Ava and I drove to Homer which is where the road and land ends on the western part of the Kenai Peninsula. The drive included some cool moose sightings... 8 to be exact. Two of those moose were twin babies with their mother. The craziest thing happened this day, though, because we randomly stopped down a gravel road to look at a river to see the king salmon swimming up stream when all of a sudden I hear "Jod" being yelled at me numerous times. I look out into the street to see all of the guys riding in the back of a boat being towed by a truck. The guys had just finished fishing and were stopping about 2 blocks from the random place we had parked. It was cool to see their halibut and get some pictures of them in front of the fish. The largest was 92 lbs. Not to shabby for a bunch of first timers! :)
Monday, July 13, 2009
I have some serious catching up to do...
July 5th
This day we drove from Valdez to Anchorage. The mountains near Valdez have so many waterfalls that it reminded us a lot of Kauai, Hawaii. We enjoyed a hike to a glacier on the way. The oldest child of the Baker's ended up getting stuck in quicksand up to the waist because he was playing in the mud. Steven and Tim ended up pulling him out. It was way funny after it was over!! We were going to spend the next 3 days in Anchorage, but after driving around that one day we all had had enough!!!! What a crappy city. Every sign is shot to pieces... even in the city parks. We hated it there! Luckily there was a place that I had looked up that was 45 minutes south of there that looked interesting.
July 6th
After restocking our groceries at Costco we headed to Earthquake Park in Anchorage before driving to Portage. The park shows a landslide that took place with the 9.2 quake that shook there in 1964. Seven houses slid into a opening in the earth's crust that was created at that location.
We found a great campsite in Portage and did some sightseeing, as well as driving to Whittier (a town at Prince William Sound). The tunnel to Whittier is the 2nd longest tunnel in the world, just shy of 3 miles. The tunnel is a one-way road that is also a train track. They man the openings to the tunnel so that no accidents occur. We had to buy tickets and then wait about 20 minutes to get through.
There is a lake in Portage that has a glacier touching the water with several large iceburgs floating in the water. We did a little canoe ride at the shoreline to a large, flat iceburg and took turns getting off the canoe and standing on the iceburg. The photos are spectacular!! It probably is not the safest thing a person could do, but it was a thrill! The water was cold, but none of the 3 of us who did it fell in the water. Thankfully!
July 7th
Today was one of my favorite days of the trip. Steven and I got up early and Mikey came to watch Ava for us. We canoed to the glacier at the lake. It was 6 miles round trip and the water was like glass. The photos turned out great! It took us 2 hours from leaving the campsite to returning to the campsite and Ava was still sleeping when we got back. We weaved through the iceburgs and were able to see the large glacier. It was awesome. We heard the thunder of the ice cracking. I loved it. Right near the boat launch was a really nice museum and we went there with Ava after she woke up.
This day we drove from Valdez to Anchorage. The mountains near Valdez have so many waterfalls that it reminded us a lot of Kauai, Hawaii. We enjoyed a hike to a glacier on the way. The oldest child of the Baker's ended up getting stuck in quicksand up to the waist because he was playing in the mud. Steven and Tim ended up pulling him out. It was way funny after it was over!! We were going to spend the next 3 days in Anchorage, but after driving around that one day we all had had enough!!!! What a crappy city. Every sign is shot to pieces... even in the city parks. We hated it there! Luckily there was a place that I had looked up that was 45 minutes south of there that looked interesting.
July 6th
After restocking our groceries at Costco we headed to Earthquake Park in Anchorage before driving to Portage. The park shows a landslide that took place with the 9.2 quake that shook there in 1964. Seven houses slid into a opening in the earth's crust that was created at that location.
We found a great campsite in Portage and did some sightseeing, as well as driving to Whittier (a town at Prince William Sound). The tunnel to Whittier is the 2nd longest tunnel in the world, just shy of 3 miles. The tunnel is a one-way road that is also a train track. They man the openings to the tunnel so that no accidents occur. We had to buy tickets and then wait about 20 minutes to get through.
There is a lake in Portage that has a glacier touching the water with several large iceburgs floating in the water. We did a little canoe ride at the shoreline to a large, flat iceburg and took turns getting off the canoe and standing on the iceburg. The photos are spectacular!! It probably is not the safest thing a person could do, but it was a thrill! The water was cold, but none of the 3 of us who did it fell in the water. Thankfully!
July 7th
Today was one of my favorite days of the trip. Steven and I got up early and Mikey came to watch Ava for us. We canoed to the glacier at the lake. It was 6 miles round trip and the water was like glass. The photos turned out great! It took us 2 hours from leaving the campsite to returning to the campsite and Ava was still sleeping when we got back. We weaved through the iceburgs and were able to see the large glacier. It was awesome. We heard the thunder of the ice cracking. I loved it. Right near the boat launch was a really nice museum and we went there with Ava after she woke up.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Kayaking
Happy 1st Birthday, Val!!!
This morning at 8 AM Steven and I went on a 10 hour kayaking trip in the Prince William Sound. The Bakers babysat Ava for us and for that I am so very thankful!!!!!!! We took a one hour water taxi to the icebergs surrounding the Columbia glacier. That glacier is the 2nd largest tidewater glacier in Alaska. It has a 3 mile wide face and a 1500 foot height. It is receding at a catastrophic rate of 50 feet per day. If you do the math on how much ice that is, it is enough to bring tears to your eyes. Only my photos can show what that looks like. I could explain all day without getting the point across. Our guide told us that we have a slim chance of seeing Humpback whales and that if we saw an Orca (killer) whale would could consider ourselves really lucky. We were able to see an Orca whale on the water taxi and it was an amazing site! The kayaking through icebergs the size of buildings or trucks was an experience of a lifetime. I loved and cherished every minute that we were there!!!! I can honestly say that today was one of the best days of my entire life! The beauty of the glaciers and the size of the icebergs is some thing that I will never forget paddling through. It is depressing to think that in years to come, the glacier will be recessed into the mountain like many of the other surrounding glaciers. The photos are quite impressive and I can not wait to share them!
This evening we attended the Valdez community bon fire and smores party. It was great to see how the locals celebrate the 4th of July. At 11 PM the fireworks display started underneath the "midnight sun," as they call it here in Alaska. Since it never gets dark here this time of year the fireworks were in sunset lighting. The photos are great because there are mountains with glaciers in the background which are easily visible. We had to laugh when we were watching the fireworks in daylight. It was a wonderful way to end the day!
This morning at 8 AM Steven and I went on a 10 hour kayaking trip in the Prince William Sound. The Bakers babysat Ava for us and for that I am so very thankful!!!!!!! We took a one hour water taxi to the icebergs surrounding the Columbia glacier. That glacier is the 2nd largest tidewater glacier in Alaska. It has a 3 mile wide face and a 1500 foot height. It is receding at a catastrophic rate of 50 feet per day. If you do the math on how much ice that is, it is enough to bring tears to your eyes. Only my photos can show what that looks like. I could explain all day without getting the point across. Our guide told us that we have a slim chance of seeing Humpback whales and that if we saw an Orca (killer) whale would could consider ourselves really lucky. We were able to see an Orca whale on the water taxi and it was an amazing site! The kayaking through icebergs the size of buildings or trucks was an experience of a lifetime. I loved and cherished every minute that we were there!!!! I can honestly say that today was one of the best days of my entire life! The beauty of the glaciers and the size of the icebergs is some thing that I will never forget paddling through. It is depressing to think that in years to come, the glacier will be recessed into the mountain like many of the other surrounding glaciers. The photos are quite impressive and I can not wait to share them!
This evening we attended the Valdez community bon fire and smores party. It was great to see how the locals celebrate the 4th of July. At 11 PM the fireworks display started underneath the "midnight sun," as they call it here in Alaska. Since it never gets dark here this time of year the fireworks were in sunset lighting. The photos are great because there are mountains with glaciers in the background which are easily visible. We had to laugh when we were watching the fireworks in daylight. It was a wonderful way to end the day!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Valdez
The drive to Valdez yesterday was the most beautiful stretch of road thus far. Steven and I were talking last night and we were saying that when we pictured what we thought the best drive in Alaska could look like this is what we pictured. Gorgeous!!! Enormous glaciers in the mountains, a low cloud level, 2 steaming snow capped volcanoes... We loved it! We spent 6 hours in the car and it was like being at an incredible IMAX movie that you never want to end. We stopped for a bit to hike up to another glacier and had photos taken standing on top of the glacier. Sadie was with us as well.
Today we spent the day exploring the town of Valdez, the museums and the harbor. We will be here tomorrow for the 4th of July celebration. It will be an interesting experience seeing the fireworks in daylight!!!!!
Today we spent the day exploring the town of Valdez, the museums and the harbor. We will be here tomorrow for the 4th of July celebration. It will be an interesting experience seeing the fireworks in daylight!!!!!
Thursday, July 2, 2009
en route to Valdez
The drive leaving Skagway was incredible... again! :) That night we stayed in Haines Junction after stopping at a brewery in Whitehorse, Canada for some beverages to drink the next couple nights.
Yesterday we left Haines Junction and drove to the border. This portion of the road is the worst part of the Alaska Highway. It had some pot holes and a ton of frost heaves (the road looks warped from the permafrost layer beneath it). It is nice to have that section over with!! We took a wonderful canoe ride in a lake along the way. There were lilly pads and yellow flowers throughout the lake. Beautiful! We saw a few swans as well. We stopped at a campground in Tok, Alaska last night and enjoyed their all you can eat sourdough pancake breakfast buffet (reindeer suasage, fruit, juice, etc). It was nice to eat out for once!
Today we are driving to Valdez and we will spend 2 nights there. Valdez has a ton of glaciers and fishing, so I am looking forward to spending some time there.
Yesterday we left Haines Junction and drove to the border. This portion of the road is the worst part of the Alaska Highway. It had some pot holes and a ton of frost heaves (the road looks warped from the permafrost layer beneath it). It is nice to have that section over with!! We took a wonderful canoe ride in a lake along the way. There were lilly pads and yellow flowers throughout the lake. Beautiful! We saw a few swans as well. We stopped at a campground in Tok, Alaska last night and enjoyed their all you can eat sourdough pancake breakfast buffet (reindeer suasage, fruit, juice, etc). It was nice to eat out for once!
Today we are driving to Valdez and we will spend 2 nights there. Valdez has a ton of glaciers and fishing, so I am looking forward to spending some time there.
Monday, June 29, 2009
photos and Skagway info
I have just uploaded some photos from the beginning of the trip onto Facebook.
Today was spent in Skagway. We panned for gold because the kids wanted to check it out. We have about 14 small (very small) nuggets of gold. The rest of the day we walked around downtown Skagway. We did a little shopping and then Steven and Tim checked out a local brewery. It was an amazing drive to Skagway!! There is only one road into town, so we are looking forward to the drive to Whitehorse tomorrow because we will get to check out the scenery again. On the road to Skagway we saw one black bear and one moose.
Due to where the country borders are located we will have to cross into Canada again tomorrow.
Today was spent in Skagway. We panned for gold because the kids wanted to check it out. We have about 14 small (very small) nuggets of gold. The rest of the day we walked around downtown Skagway. We did a little shopping and then Steven and Tim checked out a local brewery. It was an amazing drive to Skagway!! There is only one road into town, so we are looking forward to the drive to Whitehorse tomorrow because we will get to check out the scenery again. On the road to Skagway we saw one black bear and one moose.
Due to where the country borders are located we will have to cross into Canada again tomorrow.
Wild life
Upon leaving Prince George on the 26th, Steven had a difficult time getting the oil filter off the truck, so we got out a little late. He first had to make a trip to an auto parts store. The miles are adding up fast!!
This day we drove from Prince George to Fort Saint John, Canada. There is a town along the way called Chetwynd. They host a chainsaw tree carving competition every June. The previous winners are on display through out the area with the majority of them at the visitor center. It is crazy how artistic some people can be! The people competing get 35 hrs over 4 days to finish their project. Amazing!
Dawson Creek was another stop on the road. In that town is the official start of the Alaska Highway (The Alcan). There is a monument indicating mile marker 0. Not much further is the town of Fort Saint John and that is where we stayed for the night.
The next day (6/27) we drove from Fort Saint John to Liard River. The drive had numerous wildlife sightings including a moose, big horn sheep, wild buffalo, and plenty of black bears. Our final stop was at Liard River because everyone that we have met along the way who are on their way back down to the states keep telling us about the hot springs there. We pulled in for the night and headed to the glorious hot springs!!!! It was beautiful and left totally natural. The path to the hot springs was on a wood planked boardwalk because the ground underneath was a little swampy. We heard some branches cracking and looked over to see a moose grazing. Awesome!
We have run into many other RVs who are doing the exact same trip as us. The people who are on their way back down to the US are a great wealth of information regarding what not to miss along the way. As Steven has said, "We are the youngest people doing this by about 30 years." I always have to laugh because it is so true! Everyone that we speak with or camp next to is at least 60 yrs old.
Yesterday we drove from Liard Springs to Teslin, Canada. The drive was beautiful and we saw over 20 bears during the 5 hr drive. We also saw 4 wild horses & countless wild buffalo. Our campsite has 2 foxes (one red, one white) that keep their eyes out for food left over.
Since Lake Louise we had been having to adjust to really long amounts of day light. In Lake Louise we had about 6 hrs of night, now it is down to about 2.5 hrs. It is 1 AM and if you asked us, we would guess that it is 7 PM. Ava wakes up at 4:45 to 5 PM daily because she thinks it is morning. Thankfully she falls right back to sleep!!!!
Today we are driving to Skagway, ALASKA! It is our first Alaska stop. Steven and I were there 2 1/2 yrs ago on an Alaskan cruise. Last time we took the train ride, so this time we will try something different. So far we have logged a total of 3,400 miles.
This day we drove from Prince George to Fort Saint John, Canada. There is a town along the way called Chetwynd. They host a chainsaw tree carving competition every June. The previous winners are on display through out the area with the majority of them at the visitor center. It is crazy how artistic some people can be! The people competing get 35 hrs over 4 days to finish their project. Amazing!
Dawson Creek was another stop on the road. In that town is the official start of the Alaska Highway (The Alcan). There is a monument indicating mile marker 0. Not much further is the town of Fort Saint John and that is where we stayed for the night.
The next day (6/27) we drove from Fort Saint John to Liard River. The drive had numerous wildlife sightings including a moose, big horn sheep, wild buffalo, and plenty of black bears. Our final stop was at Liard River because everyone that we have met along the way who are on their way back down to the states keep telling us about the hot springs there. We pulled in for the night and headed to the glorious hot springs!!!! It was beautiful and left totally natural. The path to the hot springs was on a wood planked boardwalk because the ground underneath was a little swampy. We heard some branches cracking and looked over to see a moose grazing. Awesome!
We have run into many other RVs who are doing the exact same trip as us. The people who are on their way back down to the US are a great wealth of information regarding what not to miss along the way. As Steven has said, "We are the youngest people doing this by about 30 years." I always have to laugh because it is so true! Everyone that we speak with or camp next to is at least 60 yrs old.
Yesterday we drove from Liard Springs to Teslin, Canada. The drive was beautiful and we saw over 20 bears during the 5 hr drive. We also saw 4 wild horses & countless wild buffalo. Our campsite has 2 foxes (one red, one white) that keep their eyes out for food left over.
Since Lake Louise we had been having to adjust to really long amounts of day light. In Lake Louise we had about 6 hrs of night, now it is down to about 2.5 hrs. It is 1 AM and if you asked us, we would guess that it is 7 PM. Ava wakes up at 4:45 to 5 PM daily because she thinks it is morning. Thankfully she falls right back to sleep!!!!
Today we are driving to Skagway, ALASKA! It is our first Alaska stop. Steven and I were there 2 1/2 yrs ago on an Alaskan cruise. Last time we took the train ride, so this time we will try something different. So far we have logged a total of 3,400 miles.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Update
On Monday (6/22) we drove from Vancouver to Lake Louise, Canada. The drive was long, but there were beautiful sights to see. While driving we saw a black bear run across the road, a few big horn sheep standing at the road side and an elk near the road. Ava has been amazing during the drives, but not sleeping the best at night. Sadie has been a joy to travel with... at least she sleeps well at night!! :)
On Tuesday (6/23) we drove to Banff for the day to check out the city. It is a cool ski town that kind-of reminds you of a Colorado ski town. They have a cave there that we also checked out. There was a 2 mile round trip hike next to the river that was nice and peaceful. That evening we drove to see Lake Louise because we knew that we were going to take the canoe there the next day for a ride around the lake. What a beautiful lake!!!! A huge hotel sits at one side of the greenish colored glacier water with mountains surrounding the shore. A rather large glacier sits at the opposite side of the lake. It was a very impressive lake to see!!! Our campground had perfect bike trails near the stream that ran through it, so we went for a nice bike ride before going to bed for the night.
On Wednesday (6/24) we got up early and went for an hour canoe ride on the lake. I absolutely loved it! While on the water we heard/saw 2 avalanches that sounded like really loud thunder. You could see large puffs of snow left behind. The photos are wonderful! After the ride we packed up and drove to Jasper, Canada. The drive is through the Jasper National Park which is one of the most beautiful drives in Canada. The road runs parallel to the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies are much more rugged than the Rockies in the USA. There were several glaciers and many snow capped peaks. We saw 2 black bears in the open flat lands as well as a big horn sheep grazing at the road side. We stopped to see a few impressive waterfalls and walked on a glacier at the Icefields National Park. Even Sadie did the trek to the glacier and got a few photos taken on top of the glacier. There were signs all over indicating where the glacier was years ago. Sad, sad, sad!!!
This morning we left Jasper and drove to Prince George, Canada. Along the way we saw the tallest peak in all of Canada. Other than that it was a pretty drive. I hope to get some photos on here soon!!!
On Tuesday (6/23) we drove to Banff for the day to check out the city. It is a cool ski town that kind-of reminds you of a Colorado ski town. They have a cave there that we also checked out. There was a 2 mile round trip hike next to the river that was nice and peaceful. That evening we drove to see Lake Louise because we knew that we were going to take the canoe there the next day for a ride around the lake. What a beautiful lake!!!! A huge hotel sits at one side of the greenish colored glacier water with mountains surrounding the shore. A rather large glacier sits at the opposite side of the lake. It was a very impressive lake to see!!! Our campground had perfect bike trails near the stream that ran through it, so we went for a nice bike ride before going to bed for the night.
On Wednesday (6/24) we got up early and went for an hour canoe ride on the lake. I absolutely loved it! While on the water we heard/saw 2 avalanches that sounded like really loud thunder. You could see large puffs of snow left behind. The photos are wonderful! After the ride we packed up and drove to Jasper, Canada. The drive is through the Jasper National Park which is one of the most beautiful drives in Canada. The road runs parallel to the Canadian Rockies. The Canadian Rockies are much more rugged than the Rockies in the USA. There were several glaciers and many snow capped peaks. We saw 2 black bears in the open flat lands as well as a big horn sheep grazing at the road side. We stopped to see a few impressive waterfalls and walked on a glacier at the Icefields National Park. Even Sadie did the trek to the glacier and got a few photos taken on top of the glacier. There were signs all over indicating where the glacier was years ago. Sad, sad, sad!!!
This morning we left Jasper and drove to Prince George, Canada. Along the way we saw the tallest peak in all of Canada. Other than that it was a pretty drive. I hope to get some photos on here soon!!!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Last full day in Vancouver
We spent today riding our bikes around Stanley Park. We rode about 14 miles and did one full lap around the enormous park. The entire ride has a beautiful view of either the ocean, city or marina. The trail is paved and well maintained. We have been very impressed by the ability to be in nature while in a big city. Ava enjoyed the ride/view in her bike trailer that Steven was pulling while constantly saying what she could see. We heard the words boat, car, water, dog, etc over and over again. It was pretty cute!
Tomorrow morning we will be leaving Vancouver and we have not decided yet where we will be spending tomorrow night.
Tomorrow morning we will be leaving Vancouver and we have not decided yet where we will be spending tomorrow night.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
1st full day in Vancouver, Canada
Today was a very relaxing day sight seeing in Vancouver. First, we drove to the Capilano Suspension Bridge which is a place to hike in the rain forest. It was so peaceful and surprisingly lush and not crowded for being in a big city. The main attraction there is a 450 foot suspension bridge that is 230 feet off the ground. There was also a "treetop adventure" which included platforms and bridges high above the ground going from tree to tree. It was a refreshing break from driving so much the past couple days. We enjoyed the sights and smells of the rain forest as well as the other hikes offered at the park. Ava rode around in a backpack the entire time and was not phased by the heights or the swaying of the bridge. Actually, she was smiling and saying "weeeee" while we crossed the bridge.
The 2 other attractions we visited today were the IMAX theater (saw a movie on Alaska, of course) and the Vancouver Lookout (a 360 degree lookout over the entire city).
We are hoping that the weather continues to cooperate with us tomorrow because there is a lot to see and do here.
The 2 other attractions we visited today were the IMAX theater (saw a movie on Alaska, of course) and the Vancouver Lookout (a 360 degree lookout over the entire city).
We are hoping that the weather continues to cooperate with us tomorrow because there is a lot to see and do here.
Friday, June 19, 2009
We have gone INTERNATIONAL
Today there was some rain in Portland, so we decided to start the drive to Canada early and hit Portland on the way back down. We drove through some pretty violent rain storms near Seattle and I hear that the Midwest had some major storms today as well.
The border crossing was quick and easy which we were very happy about! We expected to be searched but that did not happen! Whew! Major time saver!!!
We will be staying in Vancouver for the next 3 nights. There are a few sites that we want to see for sure and then the rest is to be determined. There seem to be about 50 mosquitoes per person here!!! Yuck!
The border crossing was quick and easy which we were very happy about! We expected to be searched but that did not happen! Whew! Major time saver!!!
We will be staying in Vancouver for the next 3 nights. There are a few sites that we want to see for sure and then the rest is to be determined. There seem to be about 50 mosquitoes per person here!!! Yuck!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Spending the night in Vancouver, Washington
We ended up getting on the road on Wednesday at 3:15 PM which was the same time that Ava decided to take her nap. Yeah!! We drove to Redlands, CA and spent the night there.
Today we woke up and hit the road at about 9:30 AM with Portland, Oregon as our destination for this evening. During the first hour of our drive Mount Shasta was in sight with a low elevation of snow. That was a beautiful sight to see! Steven was there 5 years ago on a climbing trip with the guys. Along the way to Portland we stopped at the Rogue River for a beautiful canoe ride. The weather was perfect! We are staying this evening at a nice campground across the river from Portland. Tomorrow morning/afternoon we will see some attractions in Portland and then we will be heading over the Canadian border to Vancouver.
Today we woke up and hit the road at about 9:30 AM with Portland, Oregon as our destination for this evening. During the first hour of our drive Mount Shasta was in sight with a low elevation of snow. That was a beautiful sight to see! Steven was there 5 years ago on a climbing trip with the guys. Along the way to Portland we stopped at the Rogue River for a beautiful canoe ride. The weather was perfect! We are staying this evening at a nice campground across the river from Portland. Tomorrow morning/afternoon we will see some attractions in Portland and then we will be heading over the Canadian border to Vancouver.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
We leave in less than 1 hour
The final minutes at home have finally arrived. I am very thankful that we planned way in advance and started packing/organizing weeks ago. The family that we are traveling with are not having the same last minutes of relaxation that we are experiencing. We are doing the entire trip with Steve's best friend Tim Baker, his wife and 4 BOYS!!! Aged 12 years to 6 months!!!! Like I said... it will be an adventure!
We have NO plans for where we will be staying or where we will be visiting until July 8th. We have ideas but nothing is written in stone. On July 8th we have a number of people coming to visit, so we know that we will be in Anchorage on that day. Until then anything is fair game. Everything is packed and we will be on the road in just a few minutes.
We have NO plans for where we will be staying or where we will be visiting until July 8th. We have ideas but nothing is written in stone. On July 8th we have a number of people coming to visit, so we know that we will be in Anchorage on that day. Until then anything is fair game. Everything is packed and we will be on the road in just a few minutes.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The last night in our own bed!
The trip to Costco is done and the bill for the grocery store and Costco was $600!!!! You can rest assured that nobody will be starving on this trip! We ordered Dominoes Pizza tonight and have enjoyed some relaxing in our house. We have some last minute things to get done tomorrow and then it is on the road!
Monday, June 15, 2009
2 days until the big departure
Hello! We have a trip to Costco still to make and then all of the packing should be done. :) The to-do/don't forget list keeps getting longer and longer as the minutes before leaving keep ticking away. Our original plans were to leave on Thursday, but it looks like we will be heading out on Wednesday afternoon instead. Ava and I have a birthday party to attend before taking off. Priorities! Ava has to say good-bye to her little buddies and I have to say good-bye to their moms. I hope to keep all of you filled in as much as possible. I am not sure how often we will have internet connections though! Time will tell, I guess. Let the adventure begin...
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