tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76057831466204930992024-03-05T17:15:13.390-08:00Taking The High RoadNolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-58780862664389380872011-01-07T14:33:00.000-08:002011-01-07T14:37:46.070-08:00Family Christmas 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2XnQ-MiB0tlTV-cK20SqsIwVpFkNGzcFuE4Qm5Qq1sb452BHjcWqnj5ZbRZHGGABfbybLkdf8kvTvcJED-BpFJ8TGeG6pTkEm7hqDM-sroOjFGCitom9pXotjNagxbmtalHbWkK84XQ/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2XnQ-MiB0tlTV-cK20SqsIwVpFkNGzcFuE4Qm5Qq1sb452BHjcWqnj5ZbRZHGGABfbybLkdf8kvTvcJED-BpFJ8TGeG6pTkEm7hqDM-sroOjFGCitom9pXotjNagxbmtalHbWkK84XQ/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+019.JPG" width="240" /></a><em></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A Merry California Christmas to us!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-sGp23jcEdPn1a9Nhzpk4yhgWr8UzL4GmC86jk0l2yXKFthh93ursrP8OxG3IoUko1Fr18KnLHjTT7FBgZ04JiNB4ZP9dV-Mu-AQ2vCDsgBc-GDX1DAtAw8ichIARP4u1-YchWP4Woo/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-sGp23jcEdPn1a9Nhzpk4yhgWr8UzL4GmC86jk0l2yXKFthh93ursrP8OxG3IoUko1Fr18KnLHjTT7FBgZ04JiNB4ZP9dV-Mu-AQ2vCDsgBc-GDX1DAtAw8ichIARP4u1-YchWP4Woo/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Frances and the Tower of Lights from Germany.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZcCABDoNPf9kWNGWyRkknHAoClgZVlXbqJyk1_YQo5KkTCJ4qIDVPVTlGMnBAWZXM4iyBRJR4O_N-ktLZ8yNTEb1StaJy9MsVzbbEVuuBaCHSLlQIvGG693KCE0K3mFec-ZAO-lCgTQ/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZcCABDoNPf9kWNGWyRkknHAoClgZVlXbqJyk1_YQo5KkTCJ4qIDVPVTlGMnBAWZXM4iyBRJR4O_N-ktLZ8yNTEb1StaJy9MsVzbbEVuuBaCHSLlQIvGG693KCE0K3mFec-ZAO-lCgTQ/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+037.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Grampa David celebrated his 74th birthday on Christmas Eve.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>(Here with Nola (15) Frances (4) and Margo (12). )</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgtyDPL967UdxZV0qBQm3g6Ad9lF7bQGDzheJtmxqn4a_BV7u-4DfzAF1c3aV3a33PT9OMJ664bwwf5GROZWOgCL0Lp0AwK5w0qf1nrPllx28lXhl5EStWlCdvfyi4k15gZC1hRsYnLM/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgtyDPL967UdxZV0qBQm3g6Ad9lF7bQGDzheJtmxqn4a_BV7u-4DfzAF1c3aV3a33PT9OMJ664bwwf5GROZWOgCL0Lp0AwK5w0qf1nrPllx28lXhl5EStWlCdvfyi4k15gZC1hRsYnLM/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Cathy cooked up a storm and fed us well.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXl2TyY9_0DhD5Od3agWDwMNmIxxYnOFVBYmi3H3J6cAa0qJCoEIqQCRnhGBp82CXErAIUl-9oHx5zHwafN08I6dHI0tZ_j_e-xhuWTlWp_AOcG478wZX0yl15trKmMmWs12HMj-jX3U/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYXl2TyY9_0DhD5Od3agWDwMNmIxxYnOFVBYmi3H3J6cAa0qJCoEIqQCRnhGBp82CXErAIUl-9oHx5zHwafN08I6dHI0tZ_j_e-xhuWTlWp_AOcG478wZX0yl15trKmMmWs12HMj-jX3U/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Bronwyn took over the Christmas turkey ... </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnA73jcVPV67cngeM4W8D2SItyxMFQhDIEvi30gzu115gPCJtspFO4GDx7dEN3FaLZuoLVYe_pf1TdlCuUegS1sXpWiJKFa7R_ufdGj7zpSiEIB1Wna3iDkWvQrhdz5QkXfz4xxhuPs/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnA73jcVPV67cngeM4W8D2SItyxMFQhDIEvi30gzu115gPCJtspFO4GDx7dEN3FaLZuoLVYe_pf1TdlCuUegS1sXpWiJKFa7R_ufdGj7zpSiEIB1Wna3iDkWvQrhdz5QkXfz4xxhuPs/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>and Douglas made a special German stuffing.</em><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IOT2L4mB-bLGmgduSOsHf1k8FSSsj0eAeFhIwA13AGGdeRH5jl8lmrGOAC_guLtqngxNSbG3jd7ywNpnWcztLrUA1rVIUHfpIWYqsXCtdfhWJ4vtooEY3WYmOQJoDJ5-I6aWERnKWr8/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IOT2L4mB-bLGmgduSOsHf1k8FSSsj0eAeFhIwA13AGGdeRH5jl8lmrGOAC_guLtqngxNSbG3jd7ywNpnWcztLrUA1rVIUHfpIWYqsXCtdfhWJ4vtooEY3WYmOQJoDJ5-I6aWERnKWr8/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Toasting good times and good food!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>( Jennifer, Tom, Douglas and Cathy)</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx2CrLPmmP54OIUYmaSJiJFF8sWhHR1aYXBuYN_xsUjYKfSh8YPSpu0zMqXl6XCgb-vFRxPB-vNyjChvKg3vXtDHc0o_NDrh4UU8R7oweZQ1TCCBijROBRdgI2oJ5Djj3YvSlLoY0BWM/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyx2CrLPmmP54OIUYmaSJiJFF8sWhHR1aYXBuYN_xsUjYKfSh8YPSpu0zMqXl6XCgb-vFRxPB-vNyjChvKg3vXtDHc0o_NDrh4UU8R7oweZQ1TCCBijROBRdgI2oJ5Djj3YvSlLoY0BWM/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Frances created a special Christmas tree for our RV.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifH0EpJnKaIuBS1y2tMqh6GJr_nGEU5SMgok5ztt8_Tu3Y2RtVq_l9ld9RdWEVjRnfffvesLeNfVMZ-1FAqzELuVFonF8zUt77lZ0GHOdmWGOIQlIx0s1FvaVK0nhp0kF59IFT3OlNVSE/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifH0EpJnKaIuBS1y2tMqh6GJr_nGEU5SMgok5ztt8_Tu3Y2RtVq_l9ld9RdWEVjRnfffvesLeNfVMZ-1FAqzELuVFonF8zUt77lZ0GHOdmWGOIQlIx0s1FvaVK0nhp0kF59IFT3OlNVSE/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Nola, Margo and Frances helped Santa wrap the presents.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjL0qeEE3VHeiFPV3qDOXWxm4Gi-I4178ZM1nd5geMRAGLUY0igjH-8BzHGPCqzsooWWICyfUcVSV6QLZGihkz8-bPR6iHwcy1sGyGuWLGLUAATVdJbVh9rWnQQ_5Z-ZqVl-mrdpvt8c/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjL0qeEE3VHeiFPV3qDOXWxm4Gi-I4178ZM1nd5geMRAGLUY0igjH-8BzHGPCqzsooWWICyfUcVSV6QLZGihkz8-bPR6iHwcy1sGyGuWLGLUAATVdJbVh9rWnQQ_5Z-ZqVl-mrdpvt8c/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+055.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David and his girls arrived late Christmas Eve. </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Nola and Rachel were happy to see each other.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY_2zK7IWf9pIdbDKVjesynt7gtYvl4Dor-qdO9DgCeaIw-bU32KCQAtFZdnUoFBdb1V6Rrp_7JM_XbcuscirvY8dQTUxQ3JYIXnsycWgMOV2xJ6kapWPYWcRHLUpg1UUqP9FWXijnjA/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieY_2zK7IWf9pIdbDKVjesynt7gtYvl4Dor-qdO9DgCeaIw-bU32KCQAtFZdnUoFBdb1V6Rrp_7JM_XbcuscirvY8dQTUxQ3JYIXnsycWgMOV2xJ6kapWPYWcRHLUpg1UUqP9FWXijnjA/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+076.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Caellagh recruited Margo and Rachel to help cook our Christmas morning breakfast. </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t5OFKQqC7M1uRWHEAxHQQ_z1n-fXaEE8w-Ir_Y272PTtwkq7NrvaWHuBOvNJlxBZjg678kqILzQKpIbiMl8_eoKKhFtQtV-7NO6qds6KbhqfTmoCD5xvr1HNT8oDDKi5d-6d1HmmP3w/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t5OFKQqC7M1uRWHEAxHQQ_z1n-fXaEE8w-Ir_Y272PTtwkq7NrvaWHuBOvNJlxBZjg678kqILzQKpIbiMl8_eoKKhFtQtV-7NO6qds6KbhqfTmoCD5xvr1HNT8oDDKi5d-6d1HmmP3w/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+046.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Nola and Maureen hang out.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TJHXeRKl9MQfjWy4y5XCZ0Occ-5vUvq6NydAADYz8q-NjE628Avv0nRzPz3jCVWo9813CDnsn6Z262ToLjPrTeq-S3-KzFrCTFsd13mD4E_VTNbRe2SYZsfedfKUGGIAbgnSGeHKmxI/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0TJHXeRKl9MQfjWy4y5XCZ0Occ-5vUvq6NydAADYz8q-NjE628Avv0nRzPz3jCVWo9813CDnsn6Z262ToLjPrTeq-S3-KzFrCTFsd13mD4E_VTNbRe2SYZsfedfKUGGIAbgnSGeHKmxI/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+100.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Maureen and Frances shared their new toys...</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwkrba77Rrh7petcwnEen5awSAfMAmWwgPcqrhLIyBI4F06vRM9KzfDCR16ykn7W1r-efNp9v0nHFLEB_7Wbaqyl8rzbM4TPjfaQ54hqVqxciXVQunr2bq21wG7OILU0bSfmAVcM8RHM/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwkrba77Rrh7petcwnEen5awSAfMAmWwgPcqrhLIyBI4F06vRM9KzfDCR16ykn7W1r-efNp9v0nHFLEB_7Wbaqyl8rzbM4TPjfaQ54hqVqxciXVQunr2bq21wG7OILU0bSfmAVcM8RHM/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+131.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>and a hot bath at the end of the day.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RJRRDZKLtNrw_vrOSla_WeaAFadq6yF06eDU9Y8I3ZfFLXkIfjQ0YXpb-_O-dV93VJZjfdD508ehIf_1lYplTGzbQvbhPeHRg5dOFDJhPN5yrjXGImmcyQjer2wPZfXAdJHpHcy6yJA/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RJRRDZKLtNrw_vrOSla_WeaAFadq6yF06eDU9Y8I3ZfFLXkIfjQ0YXpb-_O-dV93VJZjfdD508ehIf_1lYplTGzbQvbhPeHRg5dOFDJhPN5yrjXGImmcyQjer2wPZfXAdJHpHcy6yJA/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+057.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Jennifer and Douglas.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6PaTEeed9qEmVPTVaMPdHZD-MPjvnKoXDenAcQGCaEjzki8w0wVE12ZkDBt-fLeAKRT4Cv6kjojldiL6B4VO0UlPs34hcA73rv7hv4jiNCFaiqK30RVc_RPcTtjQ-gIhEOdZbGCTlaE/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6PaTEeed9qEmVPTVaMPdHZD-MPjvnKoXDenAcQGCaEjzki8w0wVE12ZkDBt-fLeAKRT4Cv6kjojldiL6B4VO0UlPs34hcA73rv7hv4jiNCFaiqK30RVc_RPcTtjQ-gIhEOdZbGCTlaE/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+110.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Cathy and Tom.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd4OqeZ_afQ0M3loX7RoRNBtzMlT50T_iz9QGrBa2jO_PPfKIm2g02Uw3uqO_tFgUQjTzFFH_ZKt5nRZ_2z7vGIlctkcNqvZZODwCVWEW9_g1Ywmr830KeayY5HSVIpAzzGHnn6-fFUI/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd4OqeZ_afQ0M3loX7RoRNBtzMlT50T_iz9QGrBa2jO_PPfKIm2g02Uw3uqO_tFgUQjTzFFH_ZKt5nRZ_2z7vGIlctkcNqvZZODwCVWEW9_g1Ywmr830KeayY5HSVIpAzzGHnn6-fFUI/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+108.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Bronwyn and David.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWcpkGVqKd4uZTiC4Hgw8ARAsXoIkcDscFRIt6YK-1uhsyhZZd3xe5lRN5QiTSXiMM3He_ZcFg0mS62U2oNGC6nF8xdOo2dcTqoS01GPeeQfO7anL4n5skh8fExkI6UfZctvK__kh2Jk/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWcpkGVqKd4uZTiC4Hgw8ARAsXoIkcDscFRIt6YK-1uhsyhZZd3xe5lRN5QiTSXiMM3He_ZcFg0mS62U2oNGC6nF8xdOo2dcTqoS01GPeeQfO7anL4n5skh8fExkI6UfZctvK__kh2Jk/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+085.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Jennifer and her baby boy bump.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidonJbfu1qkawR5Vrp86mZuEjYYLnEuNFq6OFuj4DDpu1jjuV42blr11tvetl4GI8A53GYjdsiNEb27MUiXS7n2iuK1mHDI4Qdb7Fs1c4ii9r0ZXSF7xr9wGqe3uv94x8fLI8DjBdXF6I/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidonJbfu1qkawR5Vrp86mZuEjYYLnEuNFq6OFuj4DDpu1jjuV42blr11tvetl4GI8A53GYjdsiNEb27MUiXS7n2iuK1mHDI4Qdb7Fs1c4ii9r0ZXSF7xr9wGqe3uv94x8fLI8DjBdXF6I/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David, checking out Douglas' I-pad. </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>He has it on his Santa's list for next year.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW3vh2vUeUPGMZvYgmcGtWDBgAX_PEKT9FXMow11VzLUP97AedE_W__ozmtT0w56qNZ-LkQIX4t7yqtly4dPp6cdv-jLDKJ_sN62A7vkSOa7T8-O6wvmW5WSWEhhna574uMjEm6bE3F4/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmW3vh2vUeUPGMZvYgmcGtWDBgAX_PEKT9FXMow11VzLUP97AedE_W__ozmtT0w56qNZ-LkQIX4t7yqtly4dPp6cdv-jLDKJ_sN62A7vkSOa7T8-O6wvmW5WSWEhhna574uMjEm6bE3F4/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+067.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Frances, playing with the 20 cent parachute man she got in her stocking!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoa-yF19Ovs0grlM8CtFz3k9WoKS94sUHikNV2YssIJrcL712WxCoUz2SNBwaYKna3LierMj4sYtReUx7DtJA5QsIrDwPh_6JKm-yPKHxD6hz0gJ-KhRee3cP0RAX1R5SUr4sWmirohk/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoa-yF19Ovs0grlM8CtFz3k9WoKS94sUHikNV2YssIJrcL712WxCoUz2SNBwaYKna3LierMj4sYtReUx7DtJA5QsIrDwPh_6JKm-yPKHxD6hz0gJ-KhRee3cP0RAX1R5SUr4sWmirohk/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+047.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Margo in her cosy flannel 'jamis.... it did feel like an extended PJ party.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xdbHGX3gOTo25Dh7hiwWZV4Z2FpPll2ISl29xDc-htxUEBi_TWyYeO44lQfLetuIhnf8s4_UWN-eu0iXvps-BgqtRNqOJIxkTxyABap7iV37uDsgyn3wanBfqwfK8MfCViGVEig4UO4/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xdbHGX3gOTo25Dh7hiwWZV4Z2FpPll2ISl29xDc-htxUEBi_TWyYeO44lQfLetuIhnf8s4_UWN-eu0iXvps-BgqtRNqOJIxkTxyABap7iV37uDsgyn3wanBfqwfK8MfCViGVEig4UO4/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+087.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Rachel knits mittens, so Caellagh asked for one and got it....ONE !</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarTiCBtShwuLlOZ-437KQQnGRBUy8_f8BLy5LTvVGDMcWJ2Y5uRM8VafPeP1pt3LSHsODo9jMN657cizRW6ezABWw-LDcYbMIUfhLAUYt1QThVxUm1sihFncoEcvvwif4vILcVBt57P4/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarTiCBtShwuLlOZ-437KQQnGRBUy8_f8BLy5LTvVGDMcWJ2Y5uRM8VafPeP1pt3LSHsODo9jMN657cizRW6ezABWw-LDcYbMIUfhLAUYt1QThVxUm1sihFncoEcvvwif4vILcVBt57P4/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+072.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Maureen and her Daddy.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXeB9Tr2TSdu0un2mzvnuSbhiLxELNZ-MEEK280w3gekLbP_SDLlweuG1ifwA5lS7LIFY655qYpum7yeWRYoX8iqfqvvHzUUOVIM2qlh2Rpr6JjJrfrsPAOJXr4QCD2Qs8_6IoNemuyM/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFXeB9Tr2TSdu0un2mzvnuSbhiLxELNZ-MEEK280w3gekLbP_SDLlweuG1ifwA5lS7LIFY655qYpum7yeWRYoX8iqfqvvHzUUOVIM2qlh2Rpr6JjJrfrsPAOJXr4QCD2Qs8_6IoNemuyM/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Bronwyn and Frances do a double downward-facing-dog.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhxnHFFJ5JJUztf23M5RlHUghzjG8dPWkFR0Tdl0LuIpBXmWfxWq6fLGWSUMjrIAYC9sEZvcdl1Q2j5hP5AR9WWGhbaF2-fuNgEQ6f916fGZRDOM1Y3bOYGfifhmpmkhrmWm1MtQP4Qo/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhxnHFFJ5JJUztf23M5RlHUghzjG8dPWkFR0Tdl0LuIpBXmWfxWq6fLGWSUMjrIAYC9sEZvcdl1Q2j5hP5AR9WWGhbaF2-fuNgEQ6f916fGZRDOM1Y3bOYGfifhmpmkhrmWm1MtQP4Qo/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+106.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Tom and Peanut catch some zzzzzzz's.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzUQ-bdhDBgmYN8MM5l0p9qzeizDHr_bzphDb4zqu2-ulbKF9c_mlyNh39s-vbJfZXgKGBCh8opTjz-UQCK0_4c8j6UCunxzgUD5gW7JHh5YHdByFZUtPW50OWfi7JVSfJKz60iNTINE/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzUQ-bdhDBgmYN8MM5l0p9qzeizDHr_bzphDb4zqu2-ulbKF9c_mlyNh39s-vbJfZXgKGBCh8opTjz-UQCK0_4c8j6UCunxzgUD5gW7JHh5YHdByFZUtPW50OWfi7JVSfJKz60iNTINE/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>"The Cousins Production Company" gave us a show.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4WdVGH3LjG8Ey2y-ZufjmdPIJgNA28QtTYgaqR3AtEW7M4t1xk4w8U2GeG7IaFM1A3gJKtyKb51ish10yD7NvnaSgJcBvGMluS1TOhpS7lMeNwBZSANLTLRx4GyRwiY-PIfAJGhaY6E/s1600/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4WdVGH3LjG8Ey2y-ZufjmdPIJgNA28QtTYgaqR3AtEW7M4t1xk4w8U2GeG7IaFM1A3gJKtyKb51ish10yD7NvnaSgJcBvGMluS1TOhpS7lMeNwBZSANLTLRx4GyRwiY-PIfAJGhaY6E/s320/San+Diego+Christmas+2010+133.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Noni and her wonderful granddaughters at the end of a great celebration.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-51932436794918230062010-11-25T12:10:00.000-08:002010-11-25T12:10:31.242-08:00The Well Made Plans of Mice and Men ... Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeZXA36K_6kV-_5e5GEkMSNY87L2nXKrYEOpL12Ma38yTzAlmcHuik-U_wlL2UaVv4hl2wQdJ3618hcp6E9GbRJVmBOXdQB-cN_SuOe60b9Nq2AtplOkhpmRXRCmeiYZEFQwewGEtTr0/s1600/Alaska+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjeZXA36K_6kV-_5e5GEkMSNY87L2nXKrYEOpL12Ma38yTzAlmcHuik-U_wlL2UaVv4hl2wQdJ3618hcp6E9GbRJVmBOXdQB-cN_SuOe60b9Nq2AtplOkhpmRXRCmeiYZEFQwewGEtTr0/s320/Alaska+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>I found an "old" friend in Barkerville.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Billy Barker's discovery of gold on Williams Creek in 1862 triggered a stampede of thousands of miners to the area over the next eight years. Many travelled by way of the Cariboo Wagon Trail which was the route we drove up when we first started our Alaskan Adventure in May. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Barkersville was a typical gold rush boomtown. Now it is a unique heritage site, and well worth the visit. There are over 125 heritage buildings and museums, and lots to do, including live stage shows, mining demonstrations, gold-panning, stagecoach rides, and historic tours of Chinatown. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL52LkOk5L4bZTA85cQlN6eRkwW82IWzV0PXviYrJelbZ6AdHdjWPHJwFGMaqL5WOWMhyphenhyphenPGft88AQf_iWBH68x5abCIOVYNN5JRAPyWBesuAL0RQs8PE7BaFkaICtstVye_ZRfJoNAps/s1600/Alaska+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbL52LkOk5L4bZTA85cQlN6eRkwW82IWzV0PXviYrJelbZ6AdHdjWPHJwFGMaqL5WOWMhyphenhyphenPGft88AQf_iWBH68x5abCIOVYNN5JRAPyWBesuAL0RQs8PE7BaFkaICtstVye_ZRfJoNAps/s320/Alaska+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Main Street in Barkerville.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LzyImbyqcKhWppDgO51UZLjor_T3oFEKBK35TzCogTjGXX8OSoGshExRuTvC8oy2mz4imgqgi5ShZXi9ucbbuUE1INgrqMNmnBux3BUwlYntMl4LMMmxzp-xyCDxw0QQyFtpRNb-meE/s1600/Alaska+Adventure+2010+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7LzyImbyqcKhWppDgO51UZLjor_T3oFEKBK35TzCogTjGXX8OSoGshExRuTvC8oy2mz4imgqgi5ShZXi9ucbbuUE1INgrqMNmnBux3BUwlYntMl4LMMmxzp-xyCDxw0QQyFtpRNb-meE/s320/Alaska+Adventure+2010+025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David, visiting one of the many buildings in Chinatown.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Barkerville we drove over to Bowron Lake Provincial Park. After days of driving we were looking forward to spending three quiet days kayaking on the lake.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We found a campsite and then walked around to get familiar with the park. David was feeling strong and healthy so he celebrated by doing 50 jumping jacks!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57JZxXXb6sZSi5LNeQNMSxWgR0rMP6fMREFXkJZnzRs2FY7i0FcGS1QYt9zBDFxV9n_RRIypY-WRhnyOogd4bbm2DCdr3g-I7wkgGJkoo1qjGxCSdn9PjNUPjGT9MT-wddkXP_uWf5tg/s1600/Alaska+Adventure+2010+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57JZxXXb6sZSi5LNeQNMSxWgR0rMP6fMREFXkJZnzRs2FY7i0FcGS1QYt9zBDFxV9n_RRIypY-WRhnyOogd4bbm2DCdr3g-I7wkgGJkoo1qjGxCSdn9PjNUPjGT9MT-wddkXP_uWf5tg/s320/Alaska+Adventure+2010+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our campsite at the Bowdon Lake Provencial Park.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX2upsd1Umrqmp1TIXCqh9l1MmEZXwKTMPoJifI1Nimj_fof8HMFLDrMtF_XC1lSq5yJ6eaM2ca2THEnQCuyT9zfEeMEGphWqSSI0-_dAUgJ_HbP4u7XAR0vpMdvnFgP0c81CVoUz7HU/s1600/Alaska+Adventure+2010+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYX2upsd1Umrqmp1TIXCqh9l1MmEZXwKTMPoJifI1Nimj_fof8HMFLDrMtF_XC1lSq5yJ6eaM2ca2THEnQCuyT9zfEeMEGphWqSSI0-_dAUgJ_HbP4u7XAR0vpMdvnFgP0c81CVoUz7HU/s320/Alaska+Adventure+2010+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Bowdon Lake beckoned to us.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we walked up to the Ranger Station to register since we planned to be out on the water for three days. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, that was not to be... thwarted again. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">David had been taking a powerful anticoagulant (Plavix) since his "cardiac event" and apparently the jumping jacks had caused internal bleeding. With a history of bladder stones and kidney stones, we could not ignore the blood in his urine. So we packed up and drove to the closest hospital, which was in Quenel. David spent the night in the ER hoping that the bleeding would stop. Fourteen hours later we were on our way to see the closest urologist. We spent two more days at the Regional Hospial in Prince George. We were well taken care of by the Canadian health care system.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had been thinking about extending our trip to include Jasper National Park in Alberta, meet up with our friends at the Lazy Daze Rally in Idaho and end up at the 100th Anniversay of the Pendelton Round-up in Oregon. However, our focus had switched and we were eager to get home. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Upon discharge we high-tailed it to the border.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we first started out on our Alaskan Adventure we saw young shoots of fireweed along the roadsides and in camping areas. As the summer went by, the fireweed came to full bloom. Now the flowers were spent, and the tall stems were topped with fluff and seeds which were carried off by the autumn breezes. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It felt like it was our time say goodbye to the summer too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we returned to Eugene we checked in with David's doctors and then settled in at the RV parking lot at RiverBend Hospital. He enrolled in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program for six weeks and graduated with flying colors. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Behind the RV parking spaces there is a lovely path leading through a stand of old growth trees, to the edge of the McKenzie River. We walked it nearly every day and soaked in the energy of Nature. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This turned out to be a healing time for both of us. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A time for rest and reflection. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A time for renewal before our next RV adventure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-86906896741042626812010-11-22T15:26:00.000-08:002010-11-22T15:26:55.133-08:00The Well Made Plans of Mice and Men... Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg6MVaZCYCgHyNnUrKDXwofL8-buqyJBNEDNGkl7Mc4_9p00DZ1Vbe2tV6u1j6XSCApjOocthmZOaqxKLKFVRoEcjFEoc0vRG8zUxQN_MF8yLmyHHU3wNOf-emek_zNnqhaOVAimhe2g/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg6MVaZCYCgHyNnUrKDXwofL8-buqyJBNEDNGkl7Mc4_9p00DZ1Vbe2tV6u1j6XSCApjOocthmZOaqxKLKFVRoEcjFEoc0vRG8zUxQN_MF8yLmyHHU3wNOf-emek_zNnqhaOVAimhe2g/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+293.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Saying goodbye to the Alaskan flag.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We arrived in Tok in anticipation of picking up our mail. Our dear friend, Margo, has forwarded our mail to us all along our travels and we have never had any problems. It had been well over a month since our last mail pickup so we were eager to get our news. We were also anticipating a pile of bills and insurance reports from David's hospitalizations in Wasilla and Anchorage. Well, our mail was not there. We considered having it forwarded to a location in British Columbia but the postal clerk warned us that that could take <u>weeks</u>, and suggested we keep the packet within the boundaries of the United States of America. So we arranged to have it forwarded to Sumas, WA, and figured we'd pick it up when we crossed the border on our way home.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We were also anticipating a side trip up to the colorful towns of Chicken and Eagle and then driving <em>The Top of the World Highway </em>into Dawson City in the Yukon Territory. However, the endless rains had caused hugh landslides which washed away part of the road out of Chicken. Nobody could predict when the road would be repaired and rumors had it that it would remain closed for the rest of the season. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We put the disappointments behind us as we headed for British Columbia. We had wonderful memories of the Cassiar Highway and were ready to kayak again at Boya Lake. You can imagine our shock when we learned that the Cassiar Highway had been closed off because of forest fires! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Luckily the road opened again day we arrived at the junction with Highway 37. The smell of smoke was in the air as we drove down the Cassiar. We passed smoldering trees and some small areas that were still in flames. We were happy to land safely at our old site on Boya Lake, and that evening we were blessed by a beautiful rainbow. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxILE_q6bN3tjCqQomEhhBMYqeZX2lHFuvhnaUD7ZHutxxO8WRiAzzZwSE-oahnQvLQ4odoyNbpzV6cNvwVC2LdHTi_jamD0tL_HTVicuUei_9sYMflwubGlvz7z-Arny2I2wmKro6IA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihxILE_q6bN3tjCqQomEhhBMYqeZX2lHFuvhnaUD7ZHutxxO8WRiAzzZwSE-oahnQvLQ4odoyNbpzV6cNvwVC2LdHTi_jamD0tL_HTVicuUei_9sYMflwubGlvz7z-Arny2I2wmKro6IA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our lucky rainbow over Boya Lake.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Having had our earlier plans thwarted, we decided to drive to Stewart/Hyder. These two little communities are right on the border of British Columbia and Alaska, at the head of Portland Canal. The attractions here include the Bear Glacier that can be seen from the highway, and the famous Fish Creek bear viewing area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH39msqqMJnKjj99AlHiw8VIapyWESdU_hu8pUzW9OQiNHgzBzIDOiWv-XFeph0YI-OhAng-8ZsZmTsxLEkDcAknXFNK7yD9elg5sHBvdjpoIY8yYgCe1w9vWOJSKh8zdT473_7ogSOrs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH39msqqMJnKjj99AlHiw8VIapyWESdU_hu8pUzW9OQiNHgzBzIDOiWv-XFeph0YI-OhAng-8ZsZmTsxLEkDcAknXFNK7yD9elg5sHBvdjpoIY8yYgCe1w9vWOJSKh8zdT473_7ogSOrs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+309.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Main Street of Stewart, British Columbia.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stayed at Bear River RV Park, just outside of Stewart, and drove up to Fish Creek the next day. After all the stories of the fantastic bear viewing, we were a bit disappointed when we learned that only one or two bears were still being seen, and they were usually only seen in the early morning or at dusk! We hung around all day and then when it was too dark to take a photograph, a grizzly finally came down the middle of the creek swatting at the water and eating fish as he went. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The show did not last too long, but was thrilling because it was "real".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6FLC7-D1BaaNBD4frTXOfhcJXGao7Vj92B3NucvrBn7smHI-HJeiFjgrcdXG2lShxIOdLVpX9yQsmlAGtD44avTl5j1JrI9_nq-F5xeBLzAkq0xlsb1B8YOVx9W9vjUpRo-G5xdyMVQ/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz6FLC7-D1BaaNBD4frTXOfhcJXGao7Vj92B3NucvrBn7smHI-HJeiFjgrcdXG2lShxIOdLVpX9yQsmlAGtD44avTl5j1JrI9_nq-F5xeBLzAkq0xlsb1B8YOVx9W9vjUpRo-G5xdyMVQ/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David at the boardwalk viewing area at Fish Creek.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqOpbmJknxpHf38qcXIf8IdLxkIO2Q3ChxkNblHtdYblqtP8FkAUXnMa1y-059K-hkkdt4rPGCUtTBRm2F6fOSAZOYDw3qSWl5A-_D6ajjx3yxi7WIEUs4ZuNFCVaFGevJXW_GvqDmhw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfqOpbmJknxpHf38qcXIf8IdLxkIO2Q3ChxkNblHtdYblqtP8FkAUXnMa1y-059K-hkkdt4rPGCUtTBRm2F6fOSAZOYDw3qSWl5A-_D6ajjx3yxi7WIEUs4ZuNFCVaFGevJXW_GvqDmhw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+312.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>We were able to watch the salmon spawning in the shallow water.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Driving<em> </em>back along the spur road we got a wonderful view of Bear Glacier. After all the glaciers we had seen, I still got excited about being so close to one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkgLUpC13JqBjEKAWBCR0m_hON_oBxnzZ3yNxKGcORPztWZeFogsaXZOckYzPEX0XGYCzzpo4mDsV3el5SLWSeejlK7RCcbk1_ubHfriG4QDuiQEEUklS0hDDkozEdY0dqJFqEPuZqfU/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkgLUpC13JqBjEKAWBCR0m_hON_oBxnzZ3yNxKGcORPztWZeFogsaXZOckYzPEX0XGYCzzpo4mDsV3el5SLWSeejlK7RCcbk1_ubHfriG4QDuiQEEUklS0hDDkozEdY0dqJFqEPuZqfU/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+323.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Me and Bear Glacier (along Highway 37A)</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next stop... Bowdon Lakes. We planned to take some extra time to visit Barkersville, and then kayak a portion of the famous Bowdon Lake Canoe Trail. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Little did we know that these plans too, would be thwarted! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-32695584046252336552010-11-04T16:45:00.000-07:002010-11-04T16:45:32.477-07:00Fairbanks to Tok ... completing our circuit tour of Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABU2prDm_226qwCRNfN4KDWyId0YjAS7z3N4W8BjwBh9jG9ByMLrpPTMXZOmiqsLK7ElK7AvAM4si1sRzP3tttUJZxT5kQYmqVM0uLqayF4cCccta3sRGr_0GVClDciKTxXAv_t-7xUk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjABU2prDm_226qwCRNfN4KDWyId0YjAS7z3N4W8BjwBh9jG9ByMLrpPTMXZOmiqsLK7ElK7AvAM4si1sRzP3tttUJZxT5kQYmqVM0uLqayF4cCccta3sRGr_0GVClDciKTxXAv_t-7xUk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Tanana River Valley south of Fairbanks.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took the Alaska Highway, Route 2, out of Fairbanks. The first town we drove through was North Pole. This is a theme city: "Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round." The street light poles are painted to look like candy canes and many of the streets are appropriately named.... St. Nichols Drive, Santa Claus Lane, and Mistletoe Drive. Many children's letters addressed to Santa Claus, North Pole, end up here. There were Santas at every other shop, but we managed to get through town without getting caught in the glitter of the Christmasy tourist traps. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The highway follows the Tanana River most of the way. We stopped at one roadside display that said, "Gold deposits found in 1902 north of the present day Fairbanks proved to be the richest in Alaska..... A second strike in the following summer catapulted a temporary trading post (Fairbanks) into the largest city in the territory."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHgdIAqyeTKNW2jPVvFrYJLHn-Bj4kSkYtWSbJrpoZCmIOWQZaE-mI0n8Ter5M9HSEW_S575tK04T_-TmfsPlP_oBEcIk-9DBEywlWc3wbqGweX9fCoJJJVpCVN8utZrP6gmMSLz-5i0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSHgdIAqyeTKNW2jPVvFrYJLHn-Bj4kSkYtWSbJrpoZCmIOWQZaE-mI0n8Ter5M9HSEW_S575tK04T_-TmfsPlP_oBEcIk-9DBEywlWc3wbqGweX9fCoJJJVpCVN8utZrP6gmMSLz-5i0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A braided section of the Tanana River, with the Alaska Range in the background.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we followed the route in <em>The Milepost, </em>time and again there was a red caution notation... "Watch for moose". And sure enough, we spotted a moose beside the highway who fled into the woods just as we approached!<em> </em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm2amM6oPHaUYJvjuwxHsuuTivxofNP9Zqw5iNWfr_dupc0cHmtzb3WYohthn1AAT1o-MKDXxLJPpEF2rK-JrLaYKEyrWCTOTCfvcricP7ezaa8aFF5BEe0JCpsfO7DFMkzDNf8ttvH8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm2amM6oPHaUYJvjuwxHsuuTivxofNP9Zqw5iNWfr_dupc0cHmtzb3WYohthn1AAT1o-MKDXxLJPpEF2rK-JrLaYKEyrWCTOTCfvcricP7ezaa8aFF5BEe0JCpsfO7DFMkzDNf8ttvH8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+292.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>We finally saw a moose when we were not looking for one!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped at Dot Lake which was once an Athabascan hunting camp and a spot on the Indian freight trail to the Yukon River. The area was homesteaded in the 1940's and was a work camp called Sears City during construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942-1943. Dot Lake Lakeside Community Chapel was built in 1949 and is a wonderful example of an old-time Alaskan church. It is still being used by the local population of 33 people. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDUtx32AVYmC8KM66AoyeIWTgWrNYZ06-HVIwIefc9G3AQz9n8TzxP5P-VEvV3FoUBxRdDF8nQ31a8DPidLrSIW94v4os7tUBMmTEIE1fGFQ44z_7NUJBI4X73yAZnsGYlZNatYwvinM/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGDUtx32AVYmC8KM66AoyeIWTgWrNYZ06-HVIwIefc9G3AQz9n8TzxP5P-VEvV3FoUBxRdDF8nQ31a8DPidLrSIW94v4os7tUBMmTEIE1fGFQ44z_7NUJBI4X73yAZnsGYlZNatYwvinM/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Dot Lake Lakeside Community Chapel, built in 1949.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBeA1DxiY1MFMnZxF24_WLjhhgT3FxNyVFPpHB-wV4j4fd35EjIxoLnVJ8ANiVjDvhn3yLqmeynhLUmifXvKleCYVL4F1jtro0_yEWY24kuU9NPfL1cLvGde5liI_SmUQtcTtXkflehg/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBeA1DxiY1MFMnZxF24_WLjhhgT3FxNyVFPpHB-wV4j4fd35EjIxoLnVJ8ANiVjDvhn3yLqmeynhLUmifXvKleCYVL4F1jtro0_yEWY24kuU9NPfL1cLvGde5liI_SmUQtcTtXkflehg/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A view of Dot Lake from the chapel.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We made a point to stop at Dot Lake because David's favorite aunt is named Dot. We picked up a brochure in the chapel, and decided to send it to Dot with a note. We knew she would get a kick out of this, and it was fun to mail it from the local post office so it would be postmarked <em>Dot Lake</em>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(The post office is housed in the former Dot Lake Lodge, which is now a private home)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKsVm666Wj7dapEHQiXGTl2PWwES9fA61F5u6TJR3D65DNhKuu65NbB4fhu8dN2sxhFFfuTIOPda28AigVREWEmauJFlgadZyIGJY00EnNyepOh1w6140-6XHGTdVGHvoGSfL7ogXd8U/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyKsVm666Wj7dapEHQiXGTl2PWwES9fA61F5u6TJR3D65DNhKuu65NbB4fhu8dN2sxhFFfuTIOPda28AigVREWEmauJFlgadZyIGJY00EnNyepOh1w6140-6XHGTdVGHvoGSfL7ogXd8U/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+288.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David, mailing the note to his Aunt Dot, in Maine.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Of course this little side trip brought back sweet memories of our trips to Maine and our visits with Aunt Dot. Every time we go there she spoils us. She stocks up on all David's favorite foods, including Moxie sodas, haddock stew and LOBSTERS! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXBPcg8qLv82IXO0xiFYy80R1Q5rhRqXexDr1QPzgHxaiccFy2EfHgTjx7ZPiZdAeXNQT5yXCTrnQH3gaesqEDCIYRtgcHoM32eU0M8d5Xx5ovdx24BKnv0EhXcOPJbvB5m9Z6JEvmQY/s1600/IMG_1478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpXBPcg8qLv82IXO0xiFYy80R1Q5rhRqXexDr1QPzgHxaiccFy2EfHgTjx7ZPiZdAeXNQT5yXCTrnQH3gaesqEDCIYRtgcHoM32eU0M8d5Xx5ovdx24BKnv0EhXcOPJbvB5m9Z6JEvmQY/s320/IMG_1478.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>That's Aunt Dot in the middle... with me and Uncle John and all the "lobstahs".</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-66419813006051354552010-10-23T16:33:00.000-07:002010-10-23T16:33:13.990-07:00Fairbanks ... a pioneer city<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcxWFZYJNWq49n9jxfJgYKbmdk7RuQbmaaAPe_GS_d7Lriq-BGDnOSXulOGPlnikbJV2AZOQxOh1MIfmPkeYy-xyQ9YjMQzO81TSRzzir2YlhnB7Wbgw9hj3L7vQfPksZyTdHJyZl54k/s1600/IMG_5364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipcxWFZYJNWq49n9jxfJgYKbmdk7RuQbmaaAPe_GS_d7Lriq-BGDnOSXulOGPlnikbJV2AZOQxOh1MIfmPkeYy-xyQ9YjMQzO81TSRzzir2YlhnB7Wbgw9hj3L7vQfPksZyTdHJyZl54k/s320/IMG_5364.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Riverboat Discovery Cruise on the Chena River</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fairbanks was a very pleasant surprise. It is Alaska's second largest city, but has a population of only 33,000 people! The surrounding area has another 50,000+ people, however, which includes many Indigenous people and makes for a wonderful mix. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Other RV travellers had recommended that we take the Chena River trip on the stern wheeler, and it proved to be the perfect way to begin our visit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiIY_hjU52FBh7dTSs3HujUXPcE86ybIx6QP9o4nhn04l_52PaIeyoKdKFmVvuCX5J136oUaNabBODZQK_Pw-BHm-crQQh1hynj-RpQ1AALaLXpM5BNQrNlK-hCmpGy1SzjSX1zcushA/s1600/IMG_5362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXiIY_hjU52FBh7dTSs3HujUXPcE86ybIx6QP9o4nhn04l_52PaIeyoKdKFmVvuCX5J136oUaNabBODZQK_Pw-BHm-crQQh1hynj-RpQ1AALaLXpM5BNQrNlK-hCmpGy1SzjSX1zcushA/s320/IMG_5362.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Sled dogs at the kennel of Susan Butcher,<br />
four-time winner of the 1,100 mile Iditarod Race.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From the ship we were given a demonstration of a bush pilot taking off and landing on the river. Then we stopped opposite the Johnson River Kennels and "chatted" with the staff over a mic system. We got to meet the puppies and watch a demonstration run by the dogs.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After that, we stopped and toured a typical old Chena Indian village. Our tour guide was a young Athabaskan woman named Jobeth. She was brought up with what she calls "the old ways", but is now attending the University of Alaska in Fairbanks and majoring in ecology.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRX_4rP-aWklRvE6-ADvmJRQ2CC5f6AvBuMrCE6C-o1m6KYJf-OgKE31lNPjTU108JM20evTx8yROj4o-B64CosRVEXW8si9gCzfNgFaI7qid8ljGMvuV8XxksrfGblj-CrtPDS48U5I/s1600/IMG_5383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRX_4rP-aWklRvE6-ADvmJRQ2CC5f6AvBuMrCE6C-o1m6KYJf-OgKE31lNPjTU108JM20evTx8yROj4o-B64CosRVEXW8si9gCzfNgFaI7qid8ljGMvuV8XxksrfGblj-CrtPDS48U5I/s320/IMG_5383.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Me with Jobeth at the Indian Village.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We walked from one area of the village to another learning about the life of the Athabaskans of interior Alaska. It was interesting to learn that different furs are used for different purposes. Thick moose hides make good blankets, and since the guard hairs on the outer caribou hides are hollow, their hides insulate the best and are often used for parkas. If I remember correctly, the "sun ray" around Jobeth's face is made of ermine fur which will not freeze and keeps the face protected. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The parka that Jobeth modeled costs a cool $20,000 ! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We also found the fish camp interesting. There was a fish wheel there, and a drying rack and smoke house for salmon. It was explained that a dog eats one salmon a day during the winter, so it is no wonder that the local people take advantage of their fishing rights.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECQjUiYUUZ0Gb7iB7uFMpqme-3E1C3-FdWzXfaNm1PsU6YulY9CeUQDKrxVLy7bhKSsr0mEJ2CLsJ0HalcKwySmxJZ3R7o70qThwYjjbrFZvzNUdQzMMhnLJLKJLpr7L_Zupy02wBEtA/s1600/IMG_5403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECQjUiYUUZ0Gb7iB7uFMpqme-3E1C3-FdWzXfaNm1PsU6YulY9CeUQDKrxVLy7bhKSsr0mEJ2CLsJ0HalcKwySmxJZ3R7o70qThwYjjbrFZvzNUdQzMMhnLJLKJLpr7L_Zupy02wBEtA/s320/IMG_5403.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A fish wheel for catching salmon.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ui37XNalQEZ-F93wOZIU_I2hzn1ozvd7gLAGka8DrIeJqvHwCtl7hUDiFJF42XgRkGo650fvYxio7mlr1pblOazTNnPGXC56mIlvOwBaiFQOo41BzJlhMTN9TtSlngtu1ZyR-IA3qZs/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ui37XNalQEZ-F93wOZIU_I2hzn1ozvd7gLAGka8DrIeJqvHwCtl7hUDiFJF42XgRkGo650fvYxio7mlr1pblOazTNnPGXC56mIlvOwBaiFQOo41BzJlhMTN9TtSlngtu1ZyR-IA3qZs/s320/IMG_5393.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Salmon on drying racks.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF87aot-qb_uaHnr2CZGxmnd-vq7uzApoyRsA7pQUstRLwwUwvYu1tAH2lGnk_DJULy1e8fnO0xHvbYP8_WyDdTTBJ3vPYv-qhg7cb7Qc6oTpIn45TI926eMurtTsh1zMqR53xWFFI5vE/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF87aot-qb_uaHnr2CZGxmnd-vq7uzApoyRsA7pQUstRLwwUwvYu1tAH2lGnk_DJULy1e8fnO0xHvbYP8_WyDdTTBJ3vPYv-qhg7cb7Qc6oTpIn45TI926eMurtTsh1zMqR53xWFFI5vE/s320/IMG_5397.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Salmon in the smoke house.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">For us, the other highlight in Fairbanks is the <em>University of Alaska Museum of the North</em>. The beautiful building dominated the campus. It was designed by a woman who wanted to capture the grandeur of the glaciers. Inside the building the sweep of the walls, the design of the staircases and all the interesting angles and corners integrated the structure of the building with the displays.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s0wk48G0joVg59NO5-uMjMxvO2wIHjO9F8dC-bPG9h-ektYo1WCDsq3iopiPHnGfwHQ_yi-sRnLPNYY14nYJmiN81ScUgP5IuH8SntIwggkgOBXfzK67cQPU9p8Mr6ma-atosokvOh8/s1600/IMG_5414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s0wk48G0joVg59NO5-uMjMxvO2wIHjO9F8dC-bPG9h-ektYo1WCDsq3iopiPHnGfwHQ_yi-sRnLPNYY14nYJmiN81ScUgP5IuH8SntIwggkgOBXfzK67cQPU9p8Mr6ma-atosokvOh8/s320/IMG_5414.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>University of Alaska's Museum of the North.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I spent six delightful hours taking in the displays. I rented an audio guide so that I could hear wildlife calls, Alaska Native languages and details about the individual works that especially caught my eye. There was a wonderful variety... everything from classic Alaskan paintings, Eskimo clothing and ivory carvings, to a mummified prehistoric bison, and videos on the Bering Land Bridge, umiaks and whale hunting and the salmon life cycle. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Upstairs there is a small room called "The Place Where You Go To Listen". A single wide bench sits in the middle of the room and there are 16 speakers in the walls and in the ceiling. You are invited just to sit and listen. This is a unique sound-light environment created by composer John Luther Adams. "This ever-changing musical ecosystem gives voice to the rhythm of daylight and darkness, the phases of the moon, the seismic vibrations of the earth and the dance of the aurora borealis, in real time." He has somehow tapped into the sounds of the earth. What you hear is an ever-changing composition of the wind and the warmth of the sun and the groans of the earth. The colors on the walls change with the time of day. It was mostly yellow when I was first there, and then later in the afternoon a rich blue was creeping up from the floor. At times the sounds were light and musical and at times they were so deep they seemed to be coming from the belly of the earth. I enjoyed sitting there silently by myself. When I reluctantly left the room I wished that all the women in my Womens' Group could join me there, and be touched as I had been, by this connection to the sounds of the earth. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA6TdewcYBLNIcOT64y0qunM3o9BKLi3uG1Ct8tYgIhBbsT_gi9gfEst4a5eGixL00RwKhElMYoq5GolzoNxSW-xA9B-II-W_tb4Abg0Hq2jsAV6FpIaYaBeKp1ivTa14djLYt97m3Fo/s1600/IMG_5416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIA6TdewcYBLNIcOT64y0qunM3o9BKLi3uG1Ct8tYgIhBbsT_gi9gfEst4a5eGixL00RwKhElMYoq5GolzoNxSW-xA9B-II-W_tb4Abg0Hq2jsAV6FpIaYaBeKp1ivTa14djLYt97m3Fo/s320/IMG_5416.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>One of my favorite pieces ... caribou antlers and shadows.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The longer we stayed in Fairbanks, the more we liked it. Our campground , The Chena River State Park, was right at the edge of town and on the city bus line. One day we took the bus to the fairgrounds to attend the Tanana Valley State Fair. There were the usual rides and games, and the <u>unusual </u> ..... salmon crepes, fried halibut fish 'n chips, the <em>Tundra</em> cartoonist Chad Carpenter, and an agricultural display that would make your eyes pop. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiZsLUvjeVmaE_pH8_gjcD4AT7Swaam0gG-jzm097YdHj2uu8TqH88RCWsCECuWbKbXSYrojzoYAGLWaJzSQNdsq_QUNLh-kCDz6uWz7cVUMyQGG4heMt_jyq_Cjt9aCkL0Rg41yhRcE/s1600/IMG_5418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHiZsLUvjeVmaE_pH8_gjcD4AT7Swaam0gG-jzm097YdHj2uu8TqH88RCWsCECuWbKbXSYrojzoYAGLWaJzSQNdsq_QUNLh-kCDz6uWz7cVUMyQGG4heMt_jyq_Cjt9aCkL0Rg41yhRcE/s320/IMG_5418.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Tanana Valley State Fair.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek5Qa2zJDP22yQuYPQmCdG5Z2BaPQqHIhmK2L1B3vvgHTy5uj_2cODZJWPMcICrKBf5MS8_hRyFMZRDFilf79v0UxeVsbQQDswnR0eRWGnpl5Cfs4UD9XuEwsSmoimeWXUTZKXR2NUA0/s1600/IMG_5459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiek5Qa2zJDP22yQuYPQmCdG5Z2BaPQqHIhmK2L1B3vvgHTy5uj_2cODZJWPMcICrKBf5MS8_hRyFMZRDFilf79v0UxeVsbQQDswnR0eRWGnpl5Cfs4UD9XuEwsSmoimeWXUTZKXR2NUA0/s320/IMG_5459.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Carpenter.... an actual living cartoonist!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdktQk2IlSM7F50QdTA5tzXL7bIhJpXDaIjeSe2hLYESFLGU_CmswVAkCopkRrQxVJ1O3_NsGYWfxPwn_1v_WrdwWRteAyJELnP70SehZ0u4a0ytKvmohMnd5lsuXNHtcfebBJK-b-dDM/s1600/IMG_5456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdktQk2IlSM7F50QdTA5tzXL7bIhJpXDaIjeSe2hLYESFLGU_CmswVAkCopkRrQxVJ1O3_NsGYWfxPwn_1v_WrdwWRteAyJELnP70SehZ0u4a0ytKvmohMnd5lsuXNHtcfebBJK-b-dDM/s320/IMG_5456.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Blue Ribbon cabbage at the fair!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">For us the whole town of Fairbanks was like a fair. We had such fun seeing the sights and talking to the people. It is a city by size but it feels like the Alaskan bush country. We learned that about half the homes do not have running water or indoor plumbing. We learned that many people depend on sled dogs or snow machines to get around in the winter. We learned that many of the people depend on subsistence rights and live off the land for most of their food. And yet.... they have created a lifestyle they would never trade. One woman told me that the minus 40 degree temperatures don't bother her. She even likes going out to her outhouse at night in the middle of the winter because it is sited so she can sit and admire the Aurora Borealis! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Ahhh, simple pleasures that brighten life ..... like giant sunflowers! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc6EwLvnKYl7l61Y6k6UUWSBHcI2LrSG9H57sYrz8Dm9lV_9O4n0r0_n8udxDx-46W9Mu1Q50bviS6qUOULhDFqAGh4c4OwFPtzgICK4z7Dw66EpV6GZ0SPenbiHG4XEXpdVesKPrgqs/s1600/IMG_5448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuc6EwLvnKYl7l61Y6k6UUWSBHcI2LrSG9H57sYrz8Dm9lV_9O4n0r0_n8udxDx-46W9Mu1Q50bviS6qUOULhDFqAGh4c4OwFPtzgICK4z7Dw66EpV6GZ0SPenbiHG4XEXpdVesKPrgqs/s320/IMG_5448.JPG" /></a></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-9614436462970636292010-08-27T17:43:00.000-07:002010-09-18T17:30:58.922-07:00Denali ... "The High One"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GzdSMjkhdyJVlbT7ppceOwSHz9JgOPqkuTqiuwnsR1duvh8_lwooc_CxulUimjDPYoC2VbWMaw6qKAB7RDnwnWgbyKF2Mexsg67_KT6KfLuCvg8Jc0PJeWFV39NxXsLJhfFRmvNWlOM/s1600/DSC_0039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8GzdSMjkhdyJVlbT7ppceOwSHz9JgOPqkuTqiuwnsR1duvh8_lwooc_CxulUimjDPYoC2VbWMaw6qKAB7RDnwnWgbyKF2Mexsg67_KT6KfLuCvg8Jc0PJeWFV39NxXsLJhfFRmvNWlOM/s320/DSC_0039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Mt. McKinley, 20320 feet tall, is America's highest peak!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Between Talkeetna and the entrance to Denali National Park,<i> The</i> <i>Milepost </i>noted 8 different places along Park Highway where there is "a view of Mount McKinley (weather permitting)". The key works are "weather permitting". The day we drove that route it was overcast and we could only see the lower mountains. How frustrating! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In reading <em>The Milepost</em> I did learn that Denali means "the high one" in the Native language.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVG89vMNIdKqRbQUTiRsasc4Ohdx3LWtSgLk-jDm6qK2ILXpW8yy2HEZBfXd-Z8ybD84466fFb_rgkyv_Kmtd2MG8Ssx0GcJn3MClp05b_dBhsZXhtpl8hqkHDL72-IsH6-xrD_IQ2qKE/s1600/DSC_0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVG89vMNIdKqRbQUTiRsasc4Ohdx3LWtSgLk-jDm6qK2ILXpW8yy2HEZBfXd-Z8ybD84466fFb_rgkyv_Kmtd2MG8Ssx0GcJn3MClp05b_dBhsZXhtpl8hqkHDL72-IsH6-xrD_IQ2qKE/s320/DSC_0315.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Free courtesy buses take you 6 miles into the park.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">We stayed in Riley Camp Ground, near the park entrance for a few days in order to get the lay-of-the-land. While we were there we went to the Visitor Center to watch the video about the park, listen to a Ranger's lecture on wolves, and take advantage of their wonderful displays of wildlife. One day we took </span></i></span></div><div style="display: inline !important; text-align: left;"><div align="left" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">the courtesy shuttle bus out to Savage River to do some easy hiking along the river trail.</span></i></span></div></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zkjqxyi1rDrJLQ_mm9LvyOSSiudfPHrA2InUsqRtCTmkmaAqhEz7lPZXE2FcAP-cmaDJIckBxMSWejOzB6CPdkxBYBrjj5jPYQ5-Xw-nmnFU1SWABCMohxyCE5tsiTMvmd8G8S-wZ-c/s1600/DSC_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4zkjqxyi1rDrJLQ_mm9LvyOSSiudfPHrA2InUsqRtCTmkmaAqhEz7lPZXE2FcAP-cmaDJIckBxMSWejOzB6CPdkxBYBrjj5jPYQ5-Xw-nmnFU1SWABCMohxyCE5tsiTMvmd8G8S-wZ-c/s320/DSC_0183.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Savage River.</span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAK5zk0qJGMpPlMHZv0YcTUKfvy9WItkO_9zPHEKnMwzlWUvVtD6WKpEHFLBVGz34msCPrxgjd87QXwtafxlVDWPSU7EK-5jNa5_XpoDzIFutia-E9fZrg8VLZXLWGx1pc0bGOeeUN8I/s1600/DSC_0184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAK5zk0qJGMpPlMHZv0YcTUKfvy9WItkO_9zPHEKnMwzlWUvVtD6WKpEHFLBVGz34msCPrxgjd87QXwtafxlVDWPSU7EK-5jNa5_XpoDzIFutia-E9fZrg8VLZXLWGx1pc0bGOeeUN8I/s320/DSC_0184.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">The Arctic ground squirrel..... the guy at the bottom of the food chain!</span></em></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">Savage River is six miles inside the park and anyone going further must have a permit or be on a tour bus. The trail along the river was pretty flat, and we thought it was a good one for David's first hike since his operation. The only wildlife we saw were little Arctic ground squirrels. They reminded me of praire dogs. Later I learned that they are about 2,000 calories each.... a good lunch for everything bigger than they are.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">Rather than catch the bus back from there, we decided to walk along the road to the next shuttle stop. This enabled us to soak in the quiet and the majesty of the panoramic views. Along the way we scanned the landscape for animals and I was excited when I spotted a HUGH bull moose! Later David saw a pygmy owl. Both "finds" were exciting.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRbLLtMsF436PimStm7D6v37ixLwzOxRrCNyQAk7xL3FG3SI2jSLvYyzvjblD-BAe70sPvUqEMoKSOqT7URiiX0VUHfihM2DbapQtVKZmWVhpTjroo3WQrQrBR5Rk1YG4SP5we9V3AHI/s1600/IMG_1575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRbLLtMsF436PimStm7D6v37ixLwzOxRrCNyQAk7xL3FG3SI2jSLvYyzvjblD-BAe70sPvUqEMoKSOqT7URiiX0VUHfihM2DbapQtVKZmWVhpTjroo3WQrQrBR5Rk1YG4SP5we9V3AHI/s320/IMG_1575.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">A "moose pond" near Teklanika Campground...but no moose.</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">After four days we moved further inside the park to Teklanika Campground. One day we took the shuttle bus to Wonder Lake, which is almost the end of the park highway. It was an overcast day and we got to see many animals. We saw two grizzly moms with twins. They ignored us because they were busy eating soapberries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Most of the animals were far from the road and difficult to photograph, so I usually just used my binoculars. And now, since m</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">y computer is on the fritz, I am writing this Blog using pictures that were taken by David. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtEA4O31eKPeYs_7dv3hKvgoLtGmnyoVM3rAFcALA322DBslbroaOXiDFyYCXk3XIstNrrrxICTMAqX91RT2YikeLD-wff2lBWKMOJLtVwwMd8w7zLe-UOWOeV7Y5EnbiCKzti2bm9io/s1600/DSC_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtEA4O31eKPeYs_7dv3hKvgoLtGmnyoVM3rAFcALA322DBslbroaOXiDFyYCXk3XIstNrrrxICTMAqX91RT2YikeLD-wff2lBWKMOJLtVwwMd8w7zLe-UOWOeV7Y5EnbiCKzti2bm9io/s320/DSC_0237.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Dall sheep along the park highway</span></em>.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">The second day at Teklanika the sun was out and there was a steady breeze. We went out again with the shuttle bus and stopped at Eielson Visitor Center for some wonderful views of Mt. McKinley. On the way back to the campsite we got off the bus again in order to walk along the road in silence. It is impossible to grasp the grandeur of the park, but at least we get a <em>feel</em> of it when we are out there alone</span>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTxvn9zsX3u1v6VkzCcJ-gzXkIGEpJirDHUWNaNQyshqUbnlRQ9xp-iixLXhGbfr3L8nruumif4_uoGfAYx8E8a4dLF2TBn5Gfd6AnPd_yJuZEYOQbc30davHjRzJ8G3tuGPDT7lvg1o/s1600/IMG_1563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTTxvn9zsX3u1v6VkzCcJ-gzXkIGEpJirDHUWNaNQyshqUbnlRQ9xp-iixLXhGbfr3L8nruumif4_uoGfAYx8E8a4dLF2TBn5Gfd6AnPd_yJuZEYOQbc30davHjRzJ8G3tuGPDT7lvg1o/s320/IMG_1563.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> </span><em><span style="font-size: small;">Denali from the park road.</span></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">When we were camping at Riley Campground there was a red fox that wandered by every day, and when we were camping in Teklanika River Campground there was a lynx that made its rounds each night. Not the usual campsite visitors.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">In Teklanika we were reminded of the movie "Into the Wild' because it was the Teklanika River that prevented Chris McCandless from leaving his bus in the wilderness, and thus caused his death by starvation. After being here we want to see that movie again. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-style: normal;">This is wild and wooly country and it is good that Denali National Park and Preserve has been established to preserve the wildness and naturalness. It has been only slightly touched by our modern times. Denali was originally begun as a game sanctuary to protect wildlife and now its 324,420 acres hold a bit of nature in its pristine state, for us and for generations to come.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVmkwYk95ocLhpKqwotJluU4Dad1KpCQuC8gruzwX2NV8l90ExT_GDrQJtcnLorsJPHb74-UOIupyNROb655aNHNb0hwLubkSQgD5ZdWy7NZ-UpMXB26Rp0ltDGQc4xXQ70MvV25JbvE/s1600/DSC_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEVmkwYk95ocLhpKqwotJluU4Dad1KpCQuC8gruzwX2NV8l90ExT_GDrQJtcnLorsJPHb74-UOIupyNROb655aNHNb0hwLubkSQgD5ZdWy7NZ-UpMXB26Rp0ltDGQc4xXQ70MvV25JbvE/s320/DSC_0024.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Unidentified wild thing.</span></em></div><em><br />
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</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-10159935003306400682010-08-14T17:24:00.000-07:002010-08-14T17:34:30.259-07:00Talkeetna - Rest and Rebound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqswNskDqJxAPjwxyR9fGs0-wLXZw9j46o1hzADCgEzOdsCa1nupsUXxH6ZCF-MGHXOXJOM0O6JmqYJM16dxNmVw6Q6qehRVFW5YguyuTAFcX3LJDUkOXVnmUcjFkUcbLC9jR4ToamIPk/s1600/IMG_1405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqswNskDqJxAPjwxyR9fGs0-wLXZw9j46o1hzADCgEzOdsCa1nupsUXxH6ZCF-MGHXOXJOM0O6JmqYJM16dxNmVw6Q6qehRVFW5YguyuTAFcX3LJDUkOXVnmUcjFkUcbLC9jR4ToamIPk/s320/IMG_1405.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">David, 24 hours after our 3 am ER visit! </span></i><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Since this Blog is a diary of sorts, our experience in Wasilla must be included. I woke up at 3:00 am one Saturday morning to find David in the bathroom feeling sick to his stomach. When he told me that he was also having chest "pressure" and his arms felt "weak" we recognized the classic signs of a heart attack and... we were off! Our GPS located the nearest hospital which turned out to be the Wat-Su Valley Regional Medical Center, thankfully only 5 miles away.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The magic words in an emergency room are "chest pain". Within 15 minutes David had IV's in both arms, an EKG was taken, blood drawn, and 3 nitroglycerin tablets placed under his tongue. He was quickly stabilized and then flown by helicopter to Providence Hospital in Archorage. With the help of our GPS, I followed him in the RV. By 6:30 am I joined David in the cardiac ICU while he waited to see a cardiologist. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A cardiac catheterization indicated the need for 2 stents, and in less than 12 hours David was feeling A-OK with his new and improved body parts. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Oh, the wonders of modern medicine!!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Behind the hospital there is an RV parking lot equipped with electrical outlets. I stayed there during David's hospitalization and we stayed there the day he was discharged so we could decide our next move. We discussed how we had signed up for this crazy life-style, and since he felt fine, we decided to head to Denali National Park as planned.... but slowly.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivu7VKh4BclKarCbfA1eqM8QjOYEpZ5K2PsC0SP1DjsCxnE76kKzlMyyO8sZ1JWQm4r-7G2HxqhDwM1_mWF5w2ZC9V6lQ7YMimybh38MEHyK6vzIVKIGYMmjg5YMypo4F1DHfzHGymTc/s1600/IMG_1447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgivu7VKh4BclKarCbfA1eqM8QjOYEpZ5K2PsC0SP1DjsCxnE76kKzlMyyO8sZ1JWQm4r-7G2HxqhDwM1_mWF5w2ZC9V6lQ7YMimybh38MEHyK6vzIVKIGYMmjg5YMypo4F1DHfzHGymTc/s320/IMG_1447.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <i>Talkeetna .... Authentically Alaskan.</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Located at the confluence of the Talkeetna and Susitna Rivers, Talkeetna began as a trading post in 1896, and grew as a riverboat supply base following the Susitna River gold rush in 1910. The population boomed during the construction of the Alaska Rail Road, and then has declined to today's count of 849 .</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We heard about Talkeetna when we told people we were on our way to Denali National Park. We were told over and over again, that the best view of Mt McKinley was from the shore of the Talkeetna River.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MiZB9Z9h5V_iugLbFtmHaMIHK7osE1qU2hMKKRNI5Czx2WTsJF7uhwEw0xUO-MkiN_tkwWC-KUnmsDczHWlrWhw3qWlE_eML67B1xjJ_Wp-i517WdCr_Zl5jYNB8sn87BdYf9arMc-g/s1600/IMG_1448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MiZB9Z9h5V_iugLbFtmHaMIHK7osE1qU2hMKKRNI5Czx2WTsJF7uhwEw0xUO-MkiN_tkwWC-KUnmsDczHWlrWhw3qWlE_eML67B1xjJ_Wp-i517WdCr_Zl5jYNB8sn87BdYf9arMc-g/s320/IMG_1448.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <i>Mt. McKinley under the clouds beyond the Talkeetna River.</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Although we were there for three days and never saw the mountain, we still got the <i>feel</i> of it because Talkeetna is McKinley's mountain town. Climbers from all over the world use this little village as their jumping off point. We saw Tibetan prayer flags, Korean banners, historic buildings, old log cabins, companies offering rafting trips, fishing trips, flightseeing trips, and glacier landings, grizzled locals, artisans, and lots of tourists like us, just wandering up and down Main Street, taking in the spirit of the place.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of the most interesting buildings in town is the Talkeetna Roadhouse. In the <i>Bearfoot Travel Guide </i>I read; "In Alaska's mining and trapping days, every town, every river crossing, and every 10 miles on the trail featured a roadhouse, or a lodge, or a small cabin, or even a tent, where travelers could find food, shelter and companionship."</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Roadhouse was initially a supply station, but meals were served there by 1918 and it earned the official title of roadhouse when it got fixed up with a cafe, bedrooms and indoor plumbing in the 1940's. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkfFB4f_GziUQY5zo05aQTPesIMbUYhKjzAKyugivIlk1rVizUA5yoVzUH8lAA0zKsCYXZ7j18l5TS5tIF1XbPkAealsptiithyeDkKAaRYHKl57KVZfmmWawG3AAXeq41QptCmwVYHo/s1600/IMG_1441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkfFB4f_GziUQY5zo05aQTPesIMbUYhKjzAKyugivIlk1rVizUA5yoVzUH8lAA0zKsCYXZ7j18l5TS5tIF1XbPkAealsptiithyeDkKAaRYHKl57KVZfmmWawG3AAXeq41QptCmwVYHo/s320/IMG_1441.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> <i>The Roadhouse .... delicious homemade food in a low key setting.</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Another unique building is Nagley's General Store. Mr. Nagley followed the early gold miners and trappers and he opened this store in 1921 at Susitna Landing. When the people moved, he did too. He disassembled and moved his store twice, by river barge. Eventually he rolled his store down main street Talkeetna on logs, stopping at night to conduct store business! Mr. Nagley accepted gold and furs from the local trappers and miners, and the owner still does today. At Nagley's you can buy everything from canned goods and bulk items to bug spray and ice cream!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTm3SPY6LJVvZzxCsD92iThb5ervnpl1sVfRBGFbhXYmI_jFSGqvU_FkFVmsxpixRH-QRbwXZJTb_gUZxrLCtjwFDXguCeHYMUqVbZkiBvbDOkQ5qL5oqnMenamLrHyI4LiKXFHkvq9E/s1600/IMG_1436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTm3SPY6LJVvZzxCsD92iThb5ervnpl1sVfRBGFbhXYmI_jFSGqvU_FkFVmsxpixRH-QRbwXZJTb_gUZxrLCtjwFDXguCeHYMUqVbZkiBvbDOkQ5qL5oqnMenamLrHyI4LiKXFHkvq9E/s320/IMG_1436.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i> Historic Nagley's General Store.</i></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Between 1898 and the 1920's, there was a lot speculation about the need to build railways throughout Alaska in order to carry its resources to market. Most of them were never built, and some tracks that were laid down didn't last long. I heard that you can still see abandoned trains in the middle of the tundra near Nome! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Alaska now has only two railroads, <i>The White Pass & Yukon</i> and <i>The Alaska Railroad</i>. Talkeetna was isolated from the road system for many years, but when the Alaska Railroad was built it ran right through Talkeetna. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcmimISrQ5ZGTjkxaTGQxPTqcF0J_R54ZXg1S0XKWwr3V-l0WLne3d6lOhaf2W_-BgwzQwU9INpFynQnKIf-3aIfcJzlvrYiN59xmNyCqhTZrUcgJARQjfwB4VaApWFwJM319Uw-ShvU/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcmimISrQ5ZGTjkxaTGQxPTqcF0J_R54ZXg1S0XKWwr3V-l0WLne3d6lOhaf2W_-BgwzQwU9INpFynQnKIf-3aIfcJzlvrYiN59xmNyCqhTZrUcgJARQjfwB4VaApWFwJM319Uw-ShvU/s320/IMG_1503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKcmimISrQ5ZGTjkxaTGQxPTqcF0J_R54ZXg1S0XKWwr3V-l0WLne3d6lOhaf2W_-BgwzQwU9INpFynQnKIf-3aIfcJzlvrYiN59xmNyCqhTZrUcgJARQjfwB4VaApWFwJM319Uw-ShvU/s1600/IMG_1503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The Alaska Railroad, the lifeline of the interior.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Prior to 1917 the best method of reaching Talkeetna from the south was by steamer or stern-wheeler up the Susitna River, a journey of over 100 miles. Now the cruise line passengers come up from Seward by rail, and then continue up to Denali National Park.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Population centers have grown up along this railbelt and will probably continue to thrive as long as there are enough of us who are captivated by the history, beauty and adventure of Alaska. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I think this is the only state that is often written with an exclamation point after its name. Alaska!</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-82918917591983472102010-08-05T16:03:00.000-07:002010-08-05T16:03:16.701-07:00The Iditarod Trail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtl2UoLJrs2KBK6nU1HFoTxtzVOQUpovwJtUDPrbV8HZRFJnKB1M7padFnmc4YroHJkhZR4nAEfFkIG4d-ggyERDhn_UrCEaoE-kM7ANgsRuOVjLeaQ1UkXf2O3kgc_xPiqOzCd0DT24/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtl2UoLJrs2KBK6nU1HFoTxtzVOQUpovwJtUDPrbV8HZRFJnKB1M7padFnmc4YroHJkhZR4nAEfFkIG4d-ggyERDhn_UrCEaoE-kM7ANgsRuOVjLeaQ1UkXf2O3kgc_xPiqOzCd0DT24/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Iditarod Trail Race Headquarters in Wasilla, AK.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Parts of the Iditarod Trail go back thousands of years to trade routes used by Alaska Natives. At the turn of the 20th century transportion between boom towns like Nome, Fairbanks and Valdez relied on river and ocean steamers in the summer and sled dog teams in the winter. In 1908 the Alaska Road Commission surveyed a trail from Seward to Nome to replace the route from Valdez. Colonel Walter Goodwin and his team measured the distance from Seward to Nome by attaching a cyclometer to his dogsled! This trail was 400 miles shorter than the trail starting at Valdez.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPFRekzkNYvxpGR08QtLG3dlrcFSPyMFOLwuNUX9JFz5MkPNusQlDDojpR9pxOWn47UFqoDCkcCw6oue94qsnU-prX4UW3DmCSXKRM1Z4sBRtGEBJicnxiyuDja9CNhoOeDn8GLWYQFo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPFRekzkNYvxpGR08QtLG3dlrcFSPyMFOLwuNUX9JFz5MkPNusQlDDojpR9pxOWn47UFqoDCkcCw6oue94qsnU-prX4UW3DmCSXKRM1Z4sBRtGEBJicnxiyuDja9CNhoOeDn8GLWYQFo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Iditarod National Historic Trail from Seward to Nome.</em></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After the discovery of gold in the Iditarod country on Christmas Day in 1908, the trail was cleared and from then to the middle 1920's thousands of people and tons of mail, equipment, supplies and gold went over the trail between Seward and Nome.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The goldfields around Iditarod became the fourth most productive district in all of Alaska. By the winter of 1911, "gold-train" sleddog teams packed with a half ton of gold would make the 3-week run from Iditarod to Seward. It is reported that Wells Fargo dog teams carried over 1,000 pounds of gold to Seward in 37 days. Over 65 tons of gold, or $1.77 billion dollars at today's value, was taken out of the Iditarod district .... and most of it was taken out by dogsled! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMj36bRqNAxydqLhBBsk8aMbS0diAvt4pVLyoRUoJdyIpxV6-qSwbgwBVz3FvmEudWxgelJbC2m1hQwI2rYMT8jGZs-ev9gjydMqabT0OvCd4-sjNOXxP5hjRVX79ixHCSijMf3H3Y94/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMj36bRqNAxydqLhBBsk8aMbS0diAvt4pVLyoRUoJdyIpxV6-qSwbgwBVz3FvmEudWxgelJbC2m1hQwI2rYMT8jGZs-ev9gjydMqabT0OvCd4-sjNOXxP5hjRVX79ixHCSijMf3H3Y94/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Joe Redington, Sr., "Father of the Iditarod".</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Most of the Trail fell into disuse in the late 1920's as air traffic increased and gold mining decreased. Forest and tundra reclaimed the Iditarod Trail for almost a half a century. Then in 1973 some Alaskans, led by Joe Redington, Sr., reopened the routes and there was renewed interest in the old trail. In order to draw attention to the role dogs played in Alaska's history, Joe and his friends created an epic sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome following the route of the historic Iditarod Trail. This race ultimately revived dog mushing in Alaska, and it is now recognized as Alaska's official sport.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVYJ-ka3_2tJLOt4sxw-laOZ5NKYSflt9j0Vmzh7APQ5uppVrctqTiq9uzIC4xIbzTIqgGKt0T1-5037mOIjS7jI3ViRvrAh62WDvtMl8znFAkEaIvrM5c2Q_JEgtJiJkpE9a2eU_Dw4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVYJ-ka3_2tJLOt4sxw-laOZ5NKYSflt9j0Vmzh7APQ5uppVrctqTiq9uzIC4xIbzTIqgGKt0T1-5037mOIjS7jI3ViRvrAh62WDvtMl8znFAkEaIvrM5c2Q_JEgtJiJkpE9a2eU_Dw4/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+001.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A sled dog "van".</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HOnSG2Vk4nETntufo6cQ7FHaMRWGXEnyq1siSCfVG6ZRLwhxIVD8_L-jL_hbZ8rtxS-TJ6SruNo5lBd8kunw2s4mrGB59dRJzbj_SFK4jhYN4ME8nWqy0yRi6Dh6zO97zY5KNoz8c2Y/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HOnSG2Vk4nETntufo6cQ7FHaMRWGXEnyq1siSCfVG6ZRLwhxIVD8_L-jL_hbZ8rtxS-TJ6SruNo5lBd8kunw2s4mrGB59dRJzbj_SFK4jhYN4ME8nWqy0yRi6Dh6zO97zY5KNoz8c2Y/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>This guy is missing out on the fun.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Twenty-two mushers successfully completed the first race in 1973, with the winner traveling the 1,000-mile distance in just over 20 days. The video explained that the first races had only 3-4 tough competitors, but there are 20-30 these days, and over 70 teams competing. The first race took over 20 days, and last year Lance Macky won The Iditarod for the fourth year in a row with a time of less ten hours! That finishing time was reduced by the advent carbon framed sleds and the advanced breeding of race dogs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was interested in the fact that Libby Riddles was the first woman to win the race, in 1985, and for the next three years the title was taken by another woman, Susan Butcher Manley. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After David and I had toured the Race Headquarters and seen the memorabilia displays and photographs dating back to the first run, we couldn't resist giving it a try. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8HA3Mp-KrEGHdt60ailnRomdt-8Aa7rgstNugvzg4iYSrV6swOGDFQNDjgoBH8bNWMgglzA6aSLfHMdBcy1VxYycAw5PaMJxhubI04JrRUX5eNxXTH58zcZum1xBNkAJzFaL_YScp-Q/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8HA3Mp-KrEGHdt60ailnRomdt-8Aa7rgstNugvzg4iYSrV6swOGDFQNDjgoBH8bNWMgglzA6aSLfHMdBcy1VxYycAw5PaMJxhubI04JrRUX5eNxXTH58zcZum1xBNkAJzFaL_YScp-Q/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>This is part of the trail around the Headquarters.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were seated in a "wheeled sled" with a team of eight sled dogs and our "musher" behind us. They took us for a little ride through the surrounding woods for a fee of $10.00 each. We figured we were paying by the yard rather than by the mile, but where else could we get an experience like this?!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajr2fgDPzDeClbDxKtJkPEy7Er6e4nAQJjHCo5VCYYA5Uiu5Nfk6wuoop31VuXQHLeNqGZJRQQy5h6Q7njboq8uCNWSzP02hkeWJGYM7bfSi2KGtJRG5N1t4s5JnMdXHy53Pevhri1Gc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajr2fgDPzDeClbDxKtJkPEy7Er6e4nAQJjHCo5VCYYA5Uiu5Nfk6wuoop31VuXQHLeNqGZJRQQy5h6Q7njboq8uCNWSzP02hkeWJGYM7bfSi2KGtJRG5N1t4s5JnMdXHy53Pevhri1Gc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>"HAW GEE!"</em></div><br />
We were surprised that "our" dog team looked rather small and a little skinny. However, today's long-distance racing sled dogs are relatively small and sleek compared to the earlier breeds. Because the racing loads are minimal, the smaller dogs have gotten more popular. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F1OAr6cqJEZn_M96vCFWe-1proVdW4D6eX3UUE8zWLt78ZFu7XlCL6cw0xrDZUocLOlk-BrNFOS2sMlHuZuw3_DQXDp4tH4ZYcWkOBtA5piAfxpKNyh2L-4Lz9-S5ThAwWw8KjDq_Q/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk0F1OAr6cqJEZn_M96vCFWe-1proVdW4D6eX3UUE8zWLt78ZFu7XlCL6cw0xrDZUocLOlk-BrNFOS2sMlHuZuw3_DQXDp4tH4ZYcWkOBtA5piAfxpKNyh2L-4Lz9-S5ThAwWw8KjDq_Q/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>This fella is waiting for his turn to run.</em></div><br />
From Alaska Geographic's publication of <em>Iditarod, </em>I learned that "the demand for dogs and sleds skyrocketed with the gold rushes to Alaska.... During one of the big rushes it was said that no stray dogs could be found on the streets of Seattle, having all been rounded up and shipped to Alaska. Malemutes, huskies, and other breeds were mixed to haul freight and passengers."<br />
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While traveling in Alaska I have noticed signs for trailheads and seen trails along the side of the road that could be dog sled trails. There are networks of trails on the outskirts of many communities. In Soldotna I saw a sign for <strong>Peninsula Sled Dog and Racing</strong> and I hiked to the trail head just to check it out. I found a kiosk there, with a map showing the various trail options ranging from 3-14 miles, and I got to see how the trail looks as it leads into the woods. Many of these trails are multi-use trails and shared with bikers in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2e9DDPV6ygNESNpkol4N_8o0BVyht_urSsXAeUquxjNa63dA70isd0B65wdIf1A8KtqPgTd0UCpTTaIxAMWSHtds0CgWpg0dXjZcL5qdTTOT1JF5JDbyYvVn39TlX2q39F3uk75hTTk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ2e9DDPV6ygNESNpkol4N_8o0BVyht_urSsXAeUquxjNa63dA70isd0B65wdIf1A8KtqPgTd0UCpTTaIxAMWSHtds0CgWpg0dXjZcL5qdTTOT1JF5JDbyYvVn39TlX2q39F3uk75hTTk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Trail head sign.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yhk1BYJrMijspwCVWLh88OD2WYmuXsvcPcxSOg-niQubOeX3HWVmwyj5DSV-TZd4YND5Mi3OG2h-4rp4IvRj0raUaDDMc-PxIV0gB87g7Xfo7SAtsBINNF7bw-KcYldfJ3dLYW0srOI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yhk1BYJrMijspwCVWLh88OD2WYmuXsvcPcxSOg-niQubOeX3HWVmwyj5DSV-TZd4YND5Mi3OG2h-4rp4IvRj0raUaDDMc-PxIV0gB87g7Xfo7SAtsBINNF7bw-KcYldfJ3dLYW0srOI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+014.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Kiosk showing the trail options from here.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMyaHG7Y6b3v63VabN3rLm3PmAqMGkhFW8BXpwSnC9J_V-v47IS2mEd25LzSOtReiXvoPA7Y_Xv8XNoOf_NMyAmBwJmU7j2sQDC6hyphenhyphenzqcl2uS8JNey1qmfRwi_Oxxvy8mWtp0nGE12AY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMyaHG7Y6b3v63VabN3rLm3PmAqMGkhFW8BXpwSnC9J_V-v47IS2mEd25LzSOtReiXvoPA7Y_Xv8XNoOf_NMyAmBwJmU7j2sQDC6hyphenhyphenzqcl2uS8JNey1qmfRwi_Oxxvy8mWtp0nGE12AY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The trail leading out into the woods.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have heard stories of dog kennel owners feeding their dogs dried salmon. That was even mentioned in James A. Michener's <em>Alaska. </em>Recently I read a bit of trivia on a restaurant menu that claimed that beaver is a favorite food mushers feed sled dogs during long distance races because it contains 34.9 grams of protien in 100 grams of meat. Maybe dogsledding saves gas.... but it is not free.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsuh-OeqPAA51vLGNPGT6cePbbUKTBzCbjA9l__gdwofomHWQ8n8PuY66q-nQcbdpN66jpo0RGbRuC-P7FnCkSRNZs4DlK5AcwUrrS8uhvkmp5xcfgT0pkri3gs1AEHnAQ1lKuM7upNc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtsuh-OeqPAA51vLGNPGT6cePbbUKTBzCbjA9l__gdwofomHWQ8n8PuY66q-nQcbdpN66jpo0RGbRuC-P7FnCkSRNZs4DlK5AcwUrrS8uhvkmp5xcfgT0pkri3gs1AEHnAQ1lKuM7upNc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our fee for the ride paid for some of the dog food.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the Headquarters, David and I watched a very interesting and beautiful video of the 2009 Iditarod Race. It gave us a good idea of the challenges of the race. The trail goes through forests, over rivers, across mountain passes and along the windy coast of the Bering Sea. There are strict rules and check-in points that help keep it safe for the mushers and their dogs. The video stressed the bond that is created between the owner and the dogs, and how crucial that is during a long distance race. Also, it stressed the importance of the breeding of the dogs and how each kennel keeps accurate breeding records to improve their future racing dogs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKNtBC6ksAu7FLRGV9up00x_PgA2tSsWiaoVj6WwK4yzljrp_5kwCFWyBCTHZ2rLMBYGEwXaf8j0FCQS38yrz7_SSFL7lH8zIcmZKQSDdUhodL_3Kd2Yh1AK96HI_YLZ6rpywSRBlerw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihKNtBC6ksAu7FLRGV9up00x_PgA2tSsWiaoVj6WwK4yzljrp_5kwCFWyBCTHZ2rLMBYGEwXaf8j0FCQS38yrz7_SSFL7lH8zIcmZKQSDdUhodL_3Kd2Yh1AK96HI_YLZ6rpywSRBlerw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+174.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A Siberian Husky.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjk3FcWFOg6jieQhyphenhyphenetlC2TCE-9JRttAqcrmtU99YXA-aCncgIiwH9wqYAG5suII-YyG7xRswq39YP4YGWlbPsWWoyr99P8T6kdhmF83hyphenhyphenLSpyjmT4ZxQgXZxEugF2uS0_HPLzn6MXmk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjk3FcWFOg6jieQhyphenhyphenetlC2TCE-9JRttAqcrmtU99YXA-aCncgIiwH9wqYAG5suII-YyG7xRswq39YP4YGWlbPsWWoyr99P8T6kdhmF83hyphenhyphenLSpyjmT4ZxQgXZxEugF2uS0_HPLzn6MXmk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+021.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Racing dogs of the future.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em><br />
</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's to the future of dog sled racing! This is a unique sport that definitely caught my interest. I just bought a copy of "<i>Race Across Alaska ... First woman to win the Iditarod tells her story" </i>written by Libby Riddles and Tim Jones.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I agree with Joe Redington, Sr., The Iditarod helps to keep alive the history of Alaska and I am eager to relive Libby's experience on the trail in 1985! </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-54805401652932247092010-07-31T15:15:00.000-07:002010-07-31T15:15:48.294-07:00Kenai - A Village with a Past, a City with a Future<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN7Qe5n0mMT5xQR5edeYFUng8LxJ8TuIaUDa9raJMv7wmj-OnUGBfVrT2itYUFz7T1UNFtpBFWj4u3seK5VJGpGjmR_v4oFutCbEuvOUfaPfQeJKiptkyWcq-Cv3eTgzh2K6EimyHsI0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXN7Qe5n0mMT5xQR5edeYFUng8LxJ8TuIaUDa9raJMv7wmj-OnUGBfVrT2itYUFz7T1UNFtpBFWj4u3seK5VJGpGjmR_v4oFutCbEuvOUfaPfQeJKiptkyWcq-Cv3eTgzh2K6EimyHsI0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+042.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A Village with a Past, a City with a Future.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The city logo says it all..... the Russian influence, the fishing, the oil drilling out in the Cook Inlet, and the beautiful volcanos of Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamna, 51 miles away across the Inlet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Kenai convention and visitors bureau gave me a good summary of the history of the town: "The first people known to have settled in this area were the Riverine Kachemak, who occupied the Kenai and the Kasilof River areas from about 1000 B.C. to about 1000 A.D. Following the Riverine Kachemak, the Athabaskan speaking Dena'ina people came to the area, and remain here today as the modern Kenaitze.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"The Russian occupation of Kenai and Kasilof led to the Battle of Kenai in 1797. The Dena'ina defeated the Russians, and held the territory until the United States purchased Alaska in 1867. Only a few Russian fur traders remained in the area. In 1863, a small pox epidemic extinguished half the Dena'ina population. The people adopted a version of Russian Orthodoxy that included many traditional beliefs as a way to cope with the tragedy. In 1918, the influenza pandemic brought further losses to the Dena'ina, and many people from villages that were growing ever smaller moved to Kenai.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"In 1912 the first Libby cannery was built and commercial fisheries became the anchor industry of Kenai. In 1959 the Kenai gas field was discovered and Cook Inlet became the oil capital of Alaska. The discovery of oil and gas made the idea of statehood more attractive to the Federal Government and in 1959, Congress granted statehood to Alaska. " </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnx2CXHLScQ4oR0HoxqAhblQ-UbrGJIjUFvzeYUU_kzdSf-xTqTXnWmwYYQFcihqRj-vKks0lbUL6JrUik59UECxtcoCTM3pWjm6xO2Iiqrq9LRl_1RlZrW7VaEekUINJ1Z_-L16v64TE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnx2CXHLScQ4oR0HoxqAhblQ-UbrGJIjUFvzeYUU_kzdSf-xTqTXnWmwYYQFcihqRj-vKks0lbUL6JrUik59UECxtcoCTM3pWjm6xO2Iiqrq9LRl_1RlZrW7VaEekUINJ1Z_-L16v64TE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+013.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The mouth of the Kenai River as it flows into Cook Inlet.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Mid-July marks the beginning of dipnetting season in Alaska. Dipnetting is a popular way for Alaskans to fill their freezers with fresh salmon for the winter. Dipnetting is open to Alaska residents only, so for us it was a <strong>spectator</strong> sport! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar_9FJASJlNUuSuGLxxl2vG3ccWxUQ7ht8h6_TA0y0AiR3Wsvy5gxTiM2oHzIrF1TGR9I_h0xb7TiZCrNpF3Hf-jdGf5KGBS93CpXpA0ZTCYXIMxrKb12BBmgOunRWvvYu0ruDYlsfVA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjar_9FJASJlNUuSuGLxxl2vG3ccWxUQ7ht8h6_TA0y0AiR3Wsvy5gxTiM2oHzIrF1TGR9I_h0xb7TiZCrNpF3Hf-jdGf5KGBS93CpXpA0ZTCYXIMxrKb12BBmgOunRWvvYu0ruDYlsfVA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+030.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;"></span></em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRut92JI9VfbAVsf2Mq8k5EH8gJQPOLvwuRA1ENbQFjbTp5JBn0VRpHzNZFuZjFqm2zaUYB0LlbJAGq_3dcWMM-t2d2Sxdo4C3WmfjBfhGftiUmozSXJr9BdyE-gTfxh0WjDVx9oG7GKI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRut92JI9VfbAVsf2Mq8k5EH8gJQPOLvwuRA1ENbQFjbTp5JBn0VRpHzNZFuZjFqm2zaUYB0LlbJAGq_3dcWMM-t2d2Sxdo4C3WmfjBfhGftiUmozSXJr9BdyE-gTfxh0WjDVx9oG7GKI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+028.JPG" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmXqpO7_Q8YqNL_nBqARr0hW7LjEZ-Og6dJc_p8yAK22H2TdjsmKUE2zuY6urmbiUaLFeMO_cqOzYJxlhhC9INuGRiFpIFqJEDZUFytpdbq_jJRY2mk9Iugg1znqHW-61IjzGnIkL9B0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+039.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmXqpO7_Q8YqNL_nBqARr0hW7LjEZ-Og6dJc_p8yAK22H2TdjsmKUE2zuY6urmbiUaLFeMO_cqOzYJxlhhC9INuGRiFpIFqJEDZUFytpdbq_jJRY2mk9Iugg1znqHW-61IjzGnIkL9B0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+039.JPG" /></a></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center"><em><span style="font-size: small;">Scenes from the beach!</span></em></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Many of the fishermen camped along the beach. To dipnet here, anglers stand in the mouth of the river holding large nets with long handles. When a fish swims into the net, they lift and twist the net to catch the fish. The fishermen cleaned their fish in the river and the gulls were ready to feast on what was left behind. This fishing frenzy is a sight not to be missed!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1etaA7mhntflqJwyl_TzPlXwwJXLEGV2DbsQkTuBhahVVk97i14Gir2YD0ngl9vPMg1GPYmdnBhQ1v8FhvfpHD0TYWkZdQSwDjdWPeVjhIJ4bw_UeP5yiSKTu97LTsLv8d9BGAxAGDR8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1etaA7mhntflqJwyl_TzPlXwwJXLEGV2DbsQkTuBhahVVk97i14Gir2YD0ngl9vPMg1GPYmdnBhQ1v8FhvfpHD0TYWkZdQSwDjdWPeVjhIJ4bw_UeP5yiSKTu97LTsLv8d9BGAxAGDR8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+037.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A man with a fish in his net.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Alaska has "personal use" laws for its residents which regulate their taking of fish, shellfish or aquatic plants for consumption as food or use as bait by an individual or his immediate family. In the Kenai River, the yearly limit for dipnetting is 25 salmon for the head of the household and 10 more salmon for each additional household member. In Soldotna we met a young man who catches 75 salmon each year by dipnetting. His only complaint was the length of time it took him to clean them all! Of course these same people can also go salmon fishing and get their limit everyday until the fishing season ends.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">By law, a person may not possess salmon taken under a personal use fishing permit unless both tips of the tail fin have been immediately removed. That means <strong>before</strong> the fish are put into the ice coolers that stand at the ready. This law prevents the sale of these fish and protects the commerical fishermen's livelihood.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWGvd5UAtEKTOoGyQGt8_4qa-B2xDCMA6hhzQPczTwo_heo1PR27merIez24ddBt3sm8iZOQlcYNv_7XVtslHeDQi4vEr4WkYlrkSs-TPR61J9cAMi5izd8CZKJfB2RjTZCdduDCI8xk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRWGvd5UAtEKTOoGyQGt8_4qa-B2xDCMA6hhzQPczTwo_heo1PR27merIez24ddBt3sm8iZOQlcYNv_7XVtslHeDQi4vEr4WkYlrkSs-TPR61J9cAMi5izd8CZKJfB2RjTZCdduDCI8xk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+034.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Fishing frenzy.</em></div><br />
The fishermen cleaned the fish in the river and the gulls were ready to feast on what was left behind.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjG2NAg5fHJtZYwUxsAA1uN7gYb7EFRIp3kGA8kR2cpdfvu8Qj0HnFiuheqzleR118mh4VMsQVuRUm2DujOaltZ_aqQZhUvGPf-SDNz1-qJCYL_kZRniEdsBufuBDarwZ25MrvG20gC0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsjG2NAg5fHJtZYwUxsAA1uN7gYb7EFRIp3kGA8kR2cpdfvu8Qj0HnFiuheqzleR118mh4VMsQVuRUm2DujOaltZ_aqQZhUvGPf-SDNz1-qJCYL_kZRniEdsBufuBDarwZ25MrvG20gC0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+032.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Nature's beachcombers.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we were there the tide was going out so many fish parts which had been thrown into the river earlier were now strewn around on the beach as the tide receded. There were fish parts and skeletons all over and we had to watch where we walked.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3EJziZAof60zr2_5gS2pf1ArSohWI_j3jg87YheyU9_txmOk_-X17Y2gtu1xlBHV115OEAJtrcamx__hlXi9V8I0EXjJyyvWJChpcZsPBSmiKapZtS3JShZsTtfF27TV_eDE0E_khds/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3EJziZAof60zr2_5gS2pf1ArSohWI_j3jg87YheyU9_txmOk_-X17Y2gtu1xlBHV115OEAJtrcamx__hlXi9V8I0EXjJyyvWJChpcZsPBSmiKapZtS3JShZsTtfF27TV_eDE0E_khds/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Fireweed was in bloom on the bluff.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After our beach experience we walked around Old Town Kenai. The outstanding landmark there is the Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church which sits on top of the bluff. The plaque outside the church states that, "This church has been the principal and most enduring representation of Russian culture in southcentral Alaska from 1841 until the present. For the Kenaitz Indians it was the major institution for the assimilation of western culture when the Russian fur traders first came to the area. The church also served as the first school on the Kenai Peninsula educating the local Kenaitze children and young adults to read, write, grow vegetables and learn basic building methods. It served as a judicial center acting as arbiter between the officials of the Russian-American Fur Trading Company and the Natives. The church also provided the region's first access to public health with the introduction of smallpox vaccine after the first epidemic desimated the local population."</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNq3xe0hcvMMMs_yym2-Df50KWjUDlioQtLmvAv8b2oH1szfPsV3LBdW4nWqbQ0CjRpjaXBS9GS6C7MOAVda1Hbh44rfsbQTDnOPBsnVZ709k-yCh3bGZBoUXnj3xx5plSDBtkz8EfkQ/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBNq3xe0hcvMMMs_yym2-Df50KWjUDlioQtLmvAv8b2oH1szfPsV3LBdW4nWqbQ0CjRpjaXBS9GS6C7MOAVda1Hbh44rfsbQTDnOPBsnVZ709k-yCh3bGZBoUXnj3xx5plSDBtkz8EfkQ/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+018.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Holy Assumption Russian Orthodox Church</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There was a welcoming sign on the church steps so we went inside. There we met Father Targonsky. He is 80 years old and has served the parishes in this area for many many years. In talking to him I could not detect an accent, so I asked him where he was born. He told me he was born in Connecticut and had spent most of his summers as a boy in Springfield, Vermont. That is my hometown! How well I remember the Russian Orthodox Church on top of Park Street Hill. It was just down the street from where my Grandmother Woodbury lived. Next door to the church there used to be Hoskivich's Grocery Store. My oldest brother and I used to go there to buy popcicles to share. Father Targonsky told me he used to go there too. It was fun to think that maybe we had both been there at the same time, years ago, slurping popcicles on Hoskivich's front steps.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmBypvHlPvDZR_K2461SKnacFY77Mr4sKzmNBWhVAG2hy8mFiqxoplUiTi_xqAxTwOOrWgSEk19e4p_jPlrtDlPtc7V2wlCT1z-JLAvXifiWncsrejwayOWs0kl0NWWsa6j51xwbvUo4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmBypvHlPvDZR_K2461SKnacFY77Mr4sKzmNBWhVAG2hy8mFiqxoplUiTi_xqAxTwOOrWgSEk19e4p_jPlrtDlPtc7V2wlCT1z-JLAvXifiWncsrejwayOWs0kl0NWWsa6j51xwbvUo4/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Yours truely and Father Targonsky.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The day we walked around Kenai was 65 degrees and sunny. It was the most beautiful day we had seen in weeks, and we just soaked up the warmth and the charm of this little town.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhRSAPQQSMQybZYszh8rbRhltaGF3VbBw4zyqKZbk31xO9MmJLla6coJe2XTnD6vPA1zJrifocm68fGh8qV0UzBLmRlLg8c_3hsJcpdCORI4eMqkpQw-rzdgGskZH5z8TwFgsaD2WJn4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjhRSAPQQSMQybZYszh8rbRhltaGF3VbBw4zyqKZbk31xO9MmJLla6coJe2XTnD6vPA1zJrifocm68fGh8qV0UzBLmRlLg8c_3hsJcpdCORI4eMqkpQw-rzdgGskZH5z8TwFgsaD2WJn4/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The "onions" are the symbol of the Russian Orthodox Church.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The town of Kenai seems to have two mottos. One I saw on the welcome sign as we entered the town and have used in the title of this post, "Kenai - A Village with a Past, a City with a Future". The other is written on their visitor brochure, "Kenai - Where the River Ends and Adventure Begins". </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">One motto seemed to define our experience in the church and the other, our adventure on the beach!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-91860898839489515712010-07-29T12:50:00.000-07:002010-07-29T12:50:06.847-07:00Clam Gulch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlB1Jhsy0ptaJ_BSOH0gte4Sm0kPLbiyxGh9OVhh-DelTxHK0Zb0S51qZk2aExVOme0r3ElJlXLGwoMYImvRiVo53e6vP2cExlPnIMzCApwHNm2rCGPQHfpyVbM-LaEmNM_1btHDLySs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlB1Jhsy0ptaJ_BSOH0gte4Sm0kPLbiyxGh9OVhh-DelTxHK0Zb0S51qZk2aExVOme0r3ElJlXLGwoMYImvRiVo53e6vP2cExlPnIMzCApwHNm2rCGPQHfpyVbM-LaEmNM_1btHDLySs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+011.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Practicing digging for razor clams at Clam Gulch.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Clam digging for razor clams is a popular sport along the sandy beaches of the western Kenai Peninsula, from Anchor Point to Kasilof. <em>The Milepost </em>reports that "many thousands of clams are dug each year at Clam Gulch," so Peg and Craig, David and I, and Harold and Ruthanne (RVers parked next to us) decided to try our luck. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2jUzOyWntJqcatlYKIb6yEpFAAs8x4jN-mNVlIeLkcRkwcdtWKUX_Kwoap1ouPggEAL9RcIk58I-C7HU8N_5N-iD5sZgQuI4PVEGRs_7RFDKHM6mDYgN4SYL7P4Djd-2b5VcTXo1OtE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY2jUzOyWntJqcatlYKIb6yEpFAAs8x4jN-mNVlIeLkcRkwcdtWKUX_Kwoap1ouPggEAL9RcIk58I-C7HU8N_5N-iD5sZgQuI4PVEGRs_7RFDKHM6mDYgN4SYL7P4Djd-2b5VcTXo1OtE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Waiting for the low tide.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Clamming is best if you have a tide of -3 or -4. On the day we went there was a -4 tide, so that was very auspicious. However, we got to the beach a little early and had to wait for the tide to go out. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In this photo you can see Mt. Redoubt in the background, across Cook Inlet. "<em>Redoubt</em>" is the Russian name for an ungarrisoned fort. During the time the Russians controlled a good part of Alaska, they had five redoubts on the Kenai Peninsula. The Dena'ina word for Mt. Redoubt, <em>Bentuggezh K'enulgheli</em>, means "One with a notched forehead".</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">This volcano erupted in 2009 after 20 years of silence. The Alaska Volcano Observatory reported elevated levels of seismic activity in January, and in March Redoubt had its first eruption. It sent a plume of ash 50,000 feet into the air. There were several more eruptions in April and then they subsided in June. Mt. Redoubt has been quiet since then, but of course the monitoring is on-going. The alert level has dropped to yellow. However, having three active volcanos visible from the Kenai shoreline keeps you aware of the power of Mother Nature!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoHiNsOy2bAfLsNKCzkiaCQt0coyK9vAcjUlstS-fZGvlEBRNMICGiCa4_mNXCaWrfBRcR579yLdB2UMFPzPIhTd3EckejeGn4zHqLAr3Wy9fzXimlsorjvSIonty8fDvSn8LP0Wo250/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoHiNsOy2bAfLsNKCzkiaCQt0coyK9vAcjUlstS-fZGvlEBRNMICGiCa4_mNXCaWrfBRcR579yLdB2UMFPzPIhTd3EckejeGn4zHqLAr3Wy9fzXimlsorjvSIonty8fDvSn8LP0Wo250/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David with a clam shovel and Craig with a clam pipe.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">By law you must have a sport fishing license to dig, so the guys dug and we gals were their assistants. It is amazing how fast the clams could move, so we had to be quick to grab them.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The bag limit is 60 clams regardless of size and you must keep the first 60 you dig. At first David and I kept breaking the shells in our hurry to catch the clams. We joked that we were digging for minced clams!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSagCdQMn3oA8JD0iPARyoWJX1PsQGORGcrwK9mrszY-B7B-BIr5jAP0ZUgiwp6i8kAMc0ebIhNJ07jyWf0RdV9MU5eopAKyEKd6sMYj39YhvMF9gPSfSppuX7e9WjbTuqezdxyIQRzs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSagCdQMn3oA8JD0iPARyoWJX1PsQGORGcrwK9mrszY-B7B-BIr5jAP0ZUgiwp6i8kAMc0ebIhNJ07jyWf0RdV9MU5eopAKyEKd6sMYj39YhvMF9gPSfSppuX7e9WjbTuqezdxyIQRzs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Success!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDe8q-EkUIavxuhNJc7i4eBvynsJhkGyyX8X5OX1-xVBh1o4kZESSYES5Ab7rB1e-d1m6QAfki0nFeflw2VAJmjITrQstdsVHWMPaxXot8TbPiJdtpntGrxH67Tixc7jB_68klXKOzNE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDe8q-EkUIavxuhNJc7i4eBvynsJhkGyyX8X5OX1-xVBh1o4kZESSYES5Ab7rB1e-d1m6QAfki0nFeflw2VAJmjITrQstdsVHWMPaxXot8TbPiJdtpntGrxH67Tixc7jB_68klXKOzNE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>We dug up one butter clam, and about 30 razor clams.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Back at the RV we all had the "fun" of cleaning the clams. By the time we were finished I couldn't think of cooking them, so we had a salad that night and saved the chowder for the next day. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmY5-AYCfnjvlSg-L37jC_qylq-Z8-S4D6KEs0ZorpSOPvmQe_EfZUdCfN5hF1P72ijpAdGxGd5scE6dQCp9zMNNLUgGJ7CVwDThXHJ-X1ki9-oZvtJrEzykd5MoPlwLBa7bdb1v27GU/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmY5-AYCfnjvlSg-L37jC_qylq-Z8-S4D6KEs0ZorpSOPvmQe_EfZUdCfN5hF1P72ijpAdGxGd5scE6dQCp9zMNNLUgGJ7CVwDThXHJ-X1ki9-oZvtJrEzykd5MoPlwLBa7bdb1v27GU/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Cleaning clams.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Many people in Alaska are on subsistance living. They depend on hunting and fishing to survive. It sounds rather romantic to "live off the land".... but it is harder than you think because once you catch the food you have to work to preserve it. In the Tlingit Heritage Center in Teslin, I read that a single family would try to cache about 500 salmon, 5-6 moose and a quantity of small game for their use during the winter. That's work!</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-38299408268840607062010-07-28T13:57:00.000-07:002010-07-28T13:57:45.481-07:00Soldotna, on the Kenai River<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwST5K8hZaxZ3Tetv0b5Em16Oyt1RSdJOhfpipb-zotOAp_1kr8CaaH9VOyrOS4rZtY1gU3LRD68k-7TYbcMT__GYXFGGtHCM-WifbEbEIS9jUKIIbHiGZj-XzAXyxFU9w7QvELSSgck/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwST5K8hZaxZ3Tetv0b5Em16Oyt1RSdJOhfpipb-zotOAp_1kr8CaaH9VOyrOS4rZtY1gU3LRD68k-7TYbcMT__GYXFGGtHCM-WifbEbEIS9jUKIIbHiGZj-XzAXyxFU9w7QvELSSgck/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Me at the Visitor Center in Soldotna</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The world-famous Kenai River runs right through the town of Soldotna. Twenty percent of all sport fishing in Alaska occurs on the Kenai River, and we were here to be a part of that count. At the Visitor Center I posed with this carved caricature of Les Anderson, holder of the world record for the <strong>97 1/4 #</strong> King Salmon </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">he caught in Soldotna. His fish is on display inside the Center. He won $500 in a fishing derby and brought the world record home to the Kenai River. (Les died in 2003 and his record still stands!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJQhZNw7gPsest3Npv6zOXaqeciAJCADCZFIAS4vQnu99R1QNm6gbNj_5QoWGBBgeJ5qf0NhxzrqgltZZYwL_qeDcNnLmKiRgqrJmTJEzuN7KLPbybfMeUOf8nVyTOa9XVhSoZm9VyPA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJQhZNw7gPsest3Npv6zOXaqeciAJCADCZFIAS4vQnu99R1QNm6gbNj_5QoWGBBgeJ5qf0NhxzrqgltZZYwL_qeDcNnLmKiRgqrJmTJEzuN7KLPbybfMeUOf8nVyTOa9XVhSoZm9VyPA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The fishing boardwalk right behind the Visitor Center, in the middle of town.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We followed our friends Peg and Craig to a free camping site close to the Kenai River. Craig was "a friend of a friend".. of a man who allowed his "fishing friends" to park on his property. What a break for us. The site was close to the river and close enough to town so that we did not worry about the gas costs going into town for supplies or for internet connection. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The RVs were lined up like a parking lot. Some people had extra tents and smokers set up so that it had the <em>feel</em> of a hunting camp. From the lot we could see Mount Redoubt off in the distance. We stayed here for two weeks, free of charge.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwshjsWe90pnWJbC9-cnYtQcIWqaC38WrLHh7sc5r3-lKTv5ktI5smrHZoCg_Ae_zbqumL548bWNZTKC4Dq9kQc3-a9KEjHxF8sCSdj8s5bcgOBOCp48gesRz28xwIXLJ8-jZyHZSqpg/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqwshjsWe90pnWJbC9-cnYtQcIWqaC38WrLHh7sc5r3-lKTv5ktI5smrHZoCg_Ae_zbqumL548bWNZTKC4Dq9kQc3-a9KEjHxF8sCSdj8s5bcgOBOCp48gesRz28xwIXLJ8-jZyHZSqpg/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our campsite for our two weeks on the Kenai River.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DCxgqpL0n0c5vRj2BHFUcXEaAodZcYKVbVJ5rY2n9SIrForZ73IONYdQ9vXukI3FUFV1yAs1xhgXOM5xq9h5ahg5EvSJGwOeXggFkvl04sBsXxT_ZGVDxbjDzjY3bKNy-uOXYmgb7cc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DCxgqpL0n0c5vRj2BHFUcXEaAodZcYKVbVJ5rY2n9SIrForZ73IONYdQ9vXukI3FUFV1yAs1xhgXOM5xq9h5ahg5EvSJGwOeXggFkvl04sBsXxT_ZGVDxbjDzjY3bKNy-uOXYmgb7cc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The camping lot with Mount Redoubt in the background.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David and Craig and a gazillon other fishermen lined the shore of the Kenai River and floated their hooks in an arc in front of them..... over and over and over again ..... until some unsuspecting fish got hooked. The sockeye are not looking for food, they are intent on spawning. People call this "catching" rather than "fishing", since there is not alot of skill involved. If you snag them on their sides or fins you have to release them, but if you are lucky enough to "catch" them in or near the mouth, you can keep them. The limit is 3 fish a day, and the experienced fishermen had no trouble catching their limit day after day after day.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwIaH64bE9p2xrNbmWl0sxJcnhoydG5a4t0ma4ckY1WD2uXX050BcqRelDA-uVNzaqmplGLZ4MbQl9PrVMxew8pdOOd447xlLIN92q8Xpc6CIl1gasGXhAEelXXPXEwjNrMXyrxD42xc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwIaH64bE9p2xrNbmWl0sxJcnhoydG5a4t0ma4ckY1WD2uXX050BcqRelDA-uVNzaqmplGLZ4MbQl9PrVMxew8pdOOd447xlLIN92q8Xpc6CIl1gasGXhAEelXXPXEwjNrMXyrxD42xc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David, fishing the famous Kenai River.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceAYMP7ooBUbeRJHVdVrJhn6dP1ruaT71nnCwcFkMD5yCopRl90z1CRVlR7-O9PxV7t0qnlR-7kOgqAlp_KQGwQ3Qx5nN0c7D6FRjtgahq8JgWTPAOhbrCcbAN9g3Xy3wQ2cwOjBdWKE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjceAYMP7ooBUbeRJHVdVrJhn6dP1ruaT71nnCwcFkMD5yCopRl90z1CRVlR7-O9PxV7t0qnlR-7kOgqAlp_KQGwQ3Qx5nN0c7D6FRjtgahq8JgWTPAOhbrCcbAN9g3Xy3wQ2cwOjBdWKE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>However, he was not alone!</em> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">On the advise of a neighboring camper, David tried fishing from a location further along the river. There were fewer people there, so it was not so hectic. It did not take him long to land two good sized fish.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jt7aOGwSAJCpcymOxX6Jtgz7Q5blE0qRXEO3CeJUnoTQ-dA9DEOYrfWmF2ers4ch6KXjA1SF_W5UGN2rR47Hdh7ApsDl0NQQTxfLySrsls_oyCtF3DBtg2mQ9bQADuR0csFUo-U9rhI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jt7aOGwSAJCpcymOxX6Jtgz7Q5blE0qRXEO3CeJUnoTQ-dA9DEOYrfWmF2ers4ch6KXjA1SF_W5UGN2rR47Hdh7ApsDl0NQQTxfLySrsls_oyCtF3DBtg2mQ9bQADuR0csFUo-U9rhI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Two beauties!</em></div><br />
While we were there, a family of four came in and landed their limit within an hour. You can see David out in the water... as they cleaned their catch. It is difficult for me to reconcile this way of fishing. However, knowing that the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife control the waters helps. After all, the fish die in the end anyway.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx2DDZKD44PPEvq7RjkdXTQ-XeDgUyCRbuFRM9uiUS3uvRrd3E7K0D9IuuhlNxUc4FqxIWTsiGE2_Y0KwIduSdH6d9pQkDKWvKCjp5DbngOYqq6cacn1lO4tmv0d3hgbaW-1ZvXiKWlo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxx2DDZKD44PPEvq7RjkdXTQ-XeDgUyCRbuFRM9uiUS3uvRrd3E7K0D9IuuhlNxUc4FqxIWTsiGE2_Y0KwIduSdH6d9pQkDKWvKCjp5DbngOYqq6cacn1lO4tmv0d3hgbaW-1ZvXiKWlo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Four fishermen catching 3 fish each equals 12 fish a day!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our freezer was full of the halibut David caught in Homer, so we borrowed a smoker from a neighboring RVer, and smoked the last 4 sockeye that David caught. It was yummy!</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bGvxfls7D-RKOqwROWZ-naVOiEUOmKK-0rY3jSwfExZG_qnOIkunSUn0rB67Hw1GGX6KUP-sDsFuTKJ47b9IQw5nFUV1fsq73peRKN6PAKBVxt1FLHEG0QDxpbRzbSMlWTobm2DjUhM/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bGvxfls7D-RKOqwROWZ-naVOiEUOmKK-0rY3jSwfExZG_qnOIkunSUn0rB67Hw1GGX6KUP-sDsFuTKJ47b9IQw5nFUV1fsq73peRKN6PAKBVxt1FLHEG0QDxpbRzbSMlWTobm2DjUhM/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David, tending to the smoker.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzonqr3UcHK5x-rixk8JzznsHjksQl7LNOTh6yJwru_vOS8bzDNutbU40txQXmgm829CzI474mOVqoLXCN8EeldusHN8ZK0MatqcdCUZ3YoRgWcoXKyw-6uencg1h1M1ocsqgS8c_4n0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMzonqr3UcHK5x-rixk8JzznsHjksQl7LNOTh6yJwru_vOS8bzDNutbU40txQXmgm829CzI474mOVqoLXCN8EeldusHN8ZK0MatqcdCUZ3YoRgWcoXKyw-6uencg1h1M1ocsqgS8c_4n0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>It smelled soooooo good!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ppqJirqFW6CyFlD2zrk7A1a5sEMgTe6hIJhfUnSzcAE-XBQxSGEMNF4D5OE6Bbb_eA6s6aC6N0KAYCSNii9eszWjn-Xy2iYvXsZuWfRZK9gcImg0nNDCsC1FGIdeU3nGzNyOd-sT1tA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ppqJirqFW6CyFlD2zrk7A1a5sEMgTe6hIJhfUnSzcAE-XBQxSGEMNF4D5OE6Bbb_eA6s6aC6N0KAYCSNii9eszWjn-Xy2iYvXsZuWfRZK9gcImg0nNDCsC1FGIdeU3nGzNyOd-sT1tA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+009.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A gourmet meal!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While we were in Soldotna we were parked next to Peg and Craig. It was fun to share this wild and crazy fishing experience with them. Since we are full-timing in the RV, I do miss our family and friends, so meeting up with a couple we both jived with was wonderful fun. Peg and I had some good "girly talks" which every gal needs now and then, and the guys shared fishing stories for 2 weeks. Friendships enrich our lives, that is for sure! </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-86391796549011826702010-07-22T17:26:00.000-07:002010-07-22T17:26:28.006-07:00Homer - Halibut Fishing Capital of the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11Fn2d6bsJHBIjw7oIDrq-zB1_JACE9Fp2G_iY9FXK0ZVXqu7I3s2XIMEKmoW35RzVQXX4K11rnL_3AqL26PdgFMzEYK16n1ytfk99u9r-k6s74-UPN8jvF7tMwQjYD3M9CvJz8KDPbo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg11Fn2d6bsJHBIjw7oIDrq-zB1_JACE9Fp2G_iY9FXK0ZVXqu7I3s2XIMEKmoW35RzVQXX4K11rnL_3AqL26PdgFMzEYK16n1ytfk99u9r-k6s74-UPN8jvF7tMwQjYD3M9CvJz8KDPbo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Homer - Halibut Fishing Capital of the World</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOkZZq6uS9RDTDOaK9RyQMYgXEIU_fbGeCfK3utYRZzR2lp_eS73EHNJaUB98MAktQbzdLjn4MKhNL9RJ31uOJ5429Ttc_9J3ABQf6JNjU3ZOnBE9oHNBiKKq7rKCjv7oBqM2D3aDMmc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaOkZZq6uS9RDTDOaK9RyQMYgXEIU_fbGeCfK3utYRZzR2lp_eS73EHNJaUB98MAktQbzdLjn4MKhNL9RJ31uOJ5429Ttc_9J3ABQf6JNjU3ZOnBE9oHNBiKKq7rKCjv7oBqM2D3aDMmc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Me at the lovely overlook site.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From Seward we had to drive north to Sterling Highway, and that took us across the Kenai Peninsula and down the western coast to Homer. We arrived on a sunny day and stopped at the welcoming overlook for get our first glimpse at Homer and the Homer Spit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvMdP6o1s9pDmA5WDEGJdGodmnCn4A1o8g5Jwsphid8u1C_0Mb-MpZGsIYpW_pTSK0Lsp-ncp4BkbMLe1PCxjaysimcvI9bu-F1JbTmGkRE7-TmcmWxfaBEwRXBD5_0aEjCtjkKDCCwk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHvMdP6o1s9pDmA5WDEGJdGodmnCn4A1o8g5Jwsphid8u1C_0Mb-MpZGsIYpW_pTSK0Lsp-ncp4BkbMLe1PCxjaysimcvI9bu-F1JbTmGkRE7-TmcmWxfaBEwRXBD5_0aEjCtjkKDCCwk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Homer Spit, stretching out into the Kachemak Bay... What a view!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlVtGnQWx_f0PJpoL5PxpW_gROmlcgqxMr_c9fxIoXiN1ECklgZulHV4LeGShVlwLcUWqj14qivh9Lb6yTUKYBRQu0nHU1JC2qQ1ekjaYJOL0XURLYziOrk-S27t8k6LNl6iVtBlOFdo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlVtGnQWx_f0PJpoL5PxpW_gROmlcgqxMr_c9fxIoXiN1ECklgZulHV4LeGShVlwLcUWqj14qivh9Lb6yTUKYBRQu0nHU1JC2qQ1ekjaYJOL0XURLYziOrk-S27t8k6LNl6iVtBlOFdo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Another breathtaking way to take in the view! </em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We could see the four mile long Spit below us. The Spit is the remains of an ancient moraine left by a glacier retreating into the Kenai Mountains. Ah, more glacial trivia, I love it.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Two archeological finds have revealed that the Spit was used by humans long before written history. Pacific Eskimo are known to have lived here thousands of years ago. Other Indians moved into Cook Inlet about 1,000 years ago, followed by Russian explorers, trappers and traders who arrived in the late 1700's. The Russians added their culture to the mix, and many locations and landmarks now bare Russian names.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our destination was a city campground way out on the end of the Spit. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-aR53PFhyphenhyphenDaMfF1_K8swZlw2D4NlYYurtTmBcntjmZ0e0Z2v-Hkm08-1syjeRHOzRM9JwxetpCOAYNIBLlNmGnACG8QOH3W60xQ7e2lxs9zqbY9NBJ2kGYkEhBgpBQhyKR0JOyOtUco/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL-aR53PFhyphenhyphenDaMfF1_K8swZlw2D4NlYYurtTmBcntjmZ0e0Z2v-Hkm08-1syjeRHOzRM9JwxetpCOAYNIBLlNmGnACG8QOH3W60xQ7e2lxs9zqbY9NBJ2kGYkEhBgpBQhyKR0JOyOtUco/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+014.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The view from our campsite at nine o'clock <strong>in the morning</strong>.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWiJVd2zrhyphenhyphenrT2hunv1g9ZbkB_0BUQv_GquZn2TPVt-O_vz9BXa7ttcMHebIf4JVfM4q3iycirPamVMsTpLOSa5nDLTitneC35QJAttCToJD7puQPw4Xv10iOasRz4xtpTn8F0McwXz0/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOWiJVd2zrhyphenhyphenrT2hunv1g9ZbkB_0BUQv_GquZn2TPVt-O_vz9BXa7ttcMHebIf4JVfM4q3iycirPamVMsTpLOSa5nDLTitneC35QJAttCToJD7puQPw4Xv10iOasRz4xtpTn8F0McwXz0/s320/004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em> The view from our campsite at nine o'clock <strong>at night.</strong></em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Once again we were blessed with waterfront property and a view to die for. Across the bay are the mountains, forests and glaciers of Kachemak Bay State Park. The park has 400,000 acres of pristine wilderness and we wanted to take our kayaks over there. However, a water taxi would have charged us $70.00 each person .... each way .... so we had to let go of that idea.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">These mountains are part of the chain that encompass "The Ring of Fire", volcanos that sit on the tectonic plate rimming the Pacific Ocean. From the Kenai Peninsula you can see five active volcanos. Mounts Spurr, Redoubt, Iliamna, Augustine and Douglas make up the easternmost part of the Aleutian volcanic arc. Of these, Mount Augustine poses the greatest threat to Homer and the Kachemak Bay communities. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyprCcdHrDUpB2aeeAIegmrnsQsjqZxQi-kxho1S5TQj9mGqI8BOFm8hgrA6VmCQwunpe5FDT0xluvCzXjHPxIzIifxJmNs9sxJX0H2X5erMejzuNVqJYo0uHcg0V26Q8tUDpoF9TD98/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyprCcdHrDUpB2aeeAIegmrnsQsjqZxQi-kxho1S5TQj9mGqI8BOFm8hgrA6VmCQwunpe5FDT0xluvCzXjHPxIzIifxJmNs9sxJX0H2X5erMejzuNVqJYo0uHcg0V26Q8tUDpoF9TD98/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+019.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Salty Dawg Saloon.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOt5nWei2ZPPmKDKE4e0h63gGGc1kxagE51XX8n0CibX8VHaA6Vjh7-Zken_4uD0P-LFqzIgpIRURBtfKmiC4GLiz13cuYFIKnUwtaimH4pgh3SpdYaGA_hrtOibGINTaE42Vkie2NZZY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOt5nWei2ZPPmKDKE4e0h63gGGc1kxagE51XX8n0CibX8VHaA6Vjh7-Zken_4uD0P-LFqzIgpIRURBtfKmiC4GLiz13cuYFIKnUwtaimH4pgh3SpdYaGA_hrtOibGINTaE42Vkie2NZZY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+027.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>One of the many fresh seafood/charter shops.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Spit was bustling with activity. Boardwalks and shops of all kinds line the road. There are fine restaurants and seafood shacks, and many shops for the tourist. You can find everything from luxury hotels ($180/night), and fancy RV parks ($78/night), to the city campgrounds where we stayed.( $15/night). </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7mGriUryp-3kQbN9SsENZxMd-7npBlfqX7zr194U4jujhmm-wua9RmVPHeDNsTcUtHbSWRpLoPsfGaMU6xKazZbuva7FOqFQjIYviO7M4tOcSR-L-9UUWBHQKimIRaY5iOJYOffzt_k/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7mGriUryp-3kQbN9SsENZxMd-7npBlfqX7zr194U4jujhmm-wua9RmVPHeDNsTcUtHbSWRpLoPsfGaMU6xKazZbuva7FOqFQjIYviO7M4tOcSR-L-9UUWBHQKimIRaY5iOJYOffzt_k/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The tip of the Spit.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">At the very tip of the Spit people lined up night (with the help of the midnight sun) and day to catch bottom fish.<em> </em>The fish were "chummed in" by a nearby cannery, and you couldn't lose. We saw people walk away with huge buckets full of flounder! </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhwsR-GnU1PghTDUKPcWfvVmfdiGtJVMOoZRfGsHil2vQI4TCK_BffoAdzIQzCf45RjyCyisPNUb5D-jxwaL8Theg2jFH9WGczNQS_4eLca8mGc106H9l72_vCxPzVQ1ntZ-drzUFB9k/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhwsR-GnU1PghTDUKPcWfvVmfdiGtJVMOoZRfGsHil2vQI4TCK_BffoAdzIQzCf45RjyCyisPNUb5D-jxwaL8Theg2jFH9WGczNQS_4eLca8mGc106H9l72_vCxPzVQ1ntZ-drzUFB9k/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>One of the ever-busy fish cleaning stations in our camping area.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrd3E_37lQtXeqjxkNXLuzyiCjIFe9WKYaDOngKc_dAteqG7NPbTg7xPGfQBDh7kLffU7bDGbqNiXCcfO-b0wBxRxDwsDxtJnksFsoP2ZJceae8JIMejoR8MnAs66WCE9tDHhfZJPhQ8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrd3E_37lQtXeqjxkNXLuzyiCjIFe9WKYaDOngKc_dAteqG7NPbTg7xPGfQBDh7kLffU7bDGbqNiXCcfO-b0wBxRxDwsDxtJnksFsoP2ZJceae8JIMejoR8MnAs66WCE9tDHhfZJPhQ8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>People were not the only ones enjoying the easy catches.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While we were in Homer we met a wonderful couple from Capitola, CA., Peg and Craig. It was nice to find another couple who liked to play. David and Craig went out on a half-day halibut charter one morning and both caught their limit of 2 fish. We were there over the Fourth of July weekend and shared a wonderful traditional celebration. First we had a BBQ at the local Elks Lodge which offered spit roasted pig as well as the usual hot dogs and hamburgers. Then we watched the 4th of July parade. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h5UscbaIwjhQtP00fDkQt8u4UiKj00C3u7qL8KEsGWivSttTzc-w5ipBPnseupJlmhFExhju7-68qfzRA1NVv95swIw7zYyv7U9qjSr2iTrO6mJjg2pR-KK-hqxIwpklO_qVmR4atwE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8h5UscbaIwjhQtP00fDkQt8u4UiKj00C3u7qL8KEsGWivSttTzc-w5ipBPnseupJlmhFExhju7-68qfzRA1NVv95swIw7zYyv7U9qjSr2iTrO6mJjg2pR-KK-hqxIwpklO_qVmR4atwE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Nola, David, Peg and Craig</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaroMMdn-WnD1HQQ7Z4CNGE1smgCXI0FITA4rNqK42mX4d5Rxq19NUmYqYA9Aqp9675OojYIBXUI8CVRih817FH5pQI6K6pyfp-ENV-Oy-4aOi5Zsw1Up1XM0YJXLyxAg7XUkOZSwbcfc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaroMMdn-WnD1HQQ7Z4CNGE1smgCXI0FITA4rNqK42mX4d5Rxq19NUmYqYA9Aqp9675OojYIBXUI8CVRih817FH5pQI6K6pyfp-ENV-Oy-4aOi5Zsw1Up1XM0YJXLyxAg7XUkOZSwbcfc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Waiting for the parade along Pioneer Street.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJV1z9Mx5C5BjgL15hqDqsHdVqWvb8i0gm6OS2tiK_vui80DhFIrLxwiG2vyEcHGafB7yV-pe4MYvrtioahangJqHa-irH7TUwLXHhPNe7MuIH8hElAf4_ATrBu_KJDceBTPwxCUeNYY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJV1z9Mx5C5BjgL15hqDqsHdVqWvb8i0gm6OS2tiK_vui80DhFIrLxwiG2vyEcHGafB7yV-pe4MYvrtioahangJqHa-irH7TUwLXHhPNe7MuIH8hElAf4_ATrBu_KJDceBTPwxCUeNYY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Happy 4th of July!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">By this time we had been on our Alaskan Adventure for six weeks and seen some spectacular scenery, met some fabulous people, and had incredible experiences. This day I waved my little flag for "spacious skies"... for "purple mountain majesties" ... for "the crowning of brotherhood" and for the grace shed on America. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">How blessed we are to have the freedom to live our lives the way we choose and let others do the same.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-78275179824467644962010-07-22T14:50:00.000-07:002010-07-22T14:50:16.972-07:00The Gift of a Glacier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vm6-6xzbli3QhDH-NlxBYxYXm3JAsFNr5R98HO3NNEg7i8KrEewOxOfwfsmEOM7_9X-vRdoVBfrQ_98HerkWi_JlI1UxNRkhhLmyOelTjA7_0jdS05JTfVU8d0LX57ZGNn0fiQQGPWs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vm6-6xzbli3QhDH-NlxBYxYXm3JAsFNr5R98HO3NNEg7i8KrEewOxOfwfsmEOM7_9X-vRdoVBfrQ_98HerkWi_JlI1UxNRkhhLmyOelTjA7_0jdS05JTfVU8d0LX57ZGNn0fiQQGPWs/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+001.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>What a place to celebrate a birthday! David booked a glacier cruise and "gave" me a glacier for my birthday. Lucky me!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LPhaJKtDfAK3DXZZTvx_kXn8SwtQa29_xUlCgwJCgrdh7WxW1MUNhuiEi6fzcUtiRgQGTG6EeW7JYRPVDvx0azyELwBSY9Wzk3su1t_sQru7JIyVaF1YeKkZ0BLgGXrX4V1XHAC7cs8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LPhaJKtDfAK3DXZZTvx_kXn8SwtQa29_xUlCgwJCgrdh7WxW1MUNhuiEi6fzcUtiRgQGTG6EeW7JYRPVDvx0azyELwBSY9Wzk3su1t_sQru7JIyVaF1YeKkZ0BLgGXrX4V1XHAC7cs8/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+006.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>There were incredible views as soon as we started sailing out of Resurrection Bay into the Gulf of Alaska.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-Mc402RviHgsBBgMkUipQS-zsiOjVwbCKZSjqMAnP_rqSZ7fKyGIuLZbnDarGe8AZ4dCbljOvo31JXtXBEJFDh5G7Z3O2hG9_oawqZrwv4IZBAaoK5tcl0vsUiYcKUu19qDw5lzIGx4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-Mc402RviHgsBBgMkUipQS-zsiOjVwbCKZSjqMAnP_rqSZ7fKyGIuLZbnDarGe8AZ4dCbljOvo31JXtXBEJFDh5G7Z3O2hG9_oawqZrwv4IZBAaoK5tcl0vsUiYcKUu19qDw5lzIGx4/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+041.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>We were next to the Kenai Fjord National Park and on top of the mountains you could see the Harding Ice Field that feeds the glaciers throughout the park.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYH0H8rhV1BR68Gf9R03OvKTwyDJOG2s0RHNegF-SmyOlwY4Qmcxe3np7v9diyCPP3Z2g3cVQsIP0xtxHdftvt8LsqNWQpKsoExmJKE2OXIyIGilL_6CYMQCvyzS5Cx1SNOcfK8yzp1hw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYH0H8rhV1BR68Gf9R03OvKTwyDJOG2s0RHNegF-SmyOlwY4Qmcxe3np7v9diyCPP3Z2g3cVQsIP0xtxHdftvt8LsqNWQpKsoExmJKE2OXIyIGilL_6CYMQCvyzS5Cx1SNOcfK8yzp1hw/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+009.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>My first glimpse of the Aialik Glacier!</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEOxDzbMqYtDxdQSVkxEQ_9xl84o1UgGrEKPyrIdKNy48IEnVWR5er0YLjGlNPDHWiETIkQOrCz6ONMaIc__TjsZgygn4bsY7N0VypMPhIlkVigO_blkqoczbs5xSm71chzN5NS5rGcY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbEOxDzbMqYtDxdQSVkxEQ_9xl84o1UgGrEKPyrIdKNy48IEnVWR5er0YLjGlNPDHWiETIkQOrCz6ONMaIc__TjsZgygn4bsY7N0VypMPhIlkVigO_blkqoczbs5xSm71chzN5NS5rGcY/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+012.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>It was exciting to get closer and closer. From afar it looked like frozen silence.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiD19c-_KbcLlInY4xecuxVjrsGROPt6wP_3gVerI3lk8m96aWpo2AzCncJiVMFQVlLvk2Fv-FsqQWd54PLdBB3I1PZ18WEtdKRLXg-mnFWxP8tw4-XQaJ1-bQj3Qx3-p7LmS3BVLdFE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiD19c-_KbcLlInY4xecuxVjrsGROPt6wP_3gVerI3lk8m96aWpo2AzCncJiVMFQVlLvk2Fv-FsqQWd54PLdBB3I1PZ18WEtdKRLXg-mnFWxP8tw4-XQaJ1-bQj3Qx3-p7LmS3BVLdFE/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+013.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Happy Birthday to Me! 6/22/2010</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtbelcb78ei0FQF7_CYqrriP7dna_v20VRnfUoIZwO6fA1ojtA2kJxPcFPzgRWwrFp-VYN_wXUYSe9DpTVzDUS67X0XFwl7jcwAjaA_P8OuHxqXzpWkjF7nYrzOPW9xJdkXogxwd65ys/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBtbelcb78ei0FQF7_CYqrriP7dna_v20VRnfUoIZwO6fA1ojtA2kJxPcFPzgRWwrFp-VYN_wXUYSe9DpTVzDUS67X0XFwl7jcwAjaA_P8OuHxqXzpWkjF7nYrzOPW9xJdkXogxwd65ys/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+014.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Seeing our "Sister Ship" put it all in perspective.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIRavK2oSNkr5M_YhJpfQQnAu0nuoZDlqbt9sIAP5Te7BncQ_2EYOTKulTbonzP-08eDA58Va9yEmv9lV-LurlxtmenfuaPPfMzfpk_vjYOW4MUIvKvmDFhyphenhyphentqTNIf_DVXctDS3pj0Zc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIRavK2oSNkr5M_YhJpfQQnAu0nuoZDlqbt9sIAP5Te7BncQ_2EYOTKulTbonzP-08eDA58Va9yEmv9lV-LurlxtmenfuaPPfMzfpk_vjYOW4MUIvKvmDFhyphenhyphentqTNIf_DVXctDS3pj0Zc/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+017.JPG" /></a><em></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Aialik Glacier is called a tidewater glacier because it goes right into the ocean. Rather than receding by melting it flows forward and pieces fall into the water. The process is called "calving". I kept waiting for this piece to "calve". The ice is a work of art that looks frozen in time yet it moves three feet a day!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR9WCiAICdjiGWhnKQfFbqnPNQE1mzYEuXCfd-6NcH3We58V3tZirqlAia2sqKkrHX-r9oa_j0-lhoph6YtuXoHMxpjid_3rFqKIbPuJ7lxiMoT3MRLwp-0BnPQ9o66cfOxVhVxW4Cu8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR9WCiAICdjiGWhnKQfFbqnPNQE1mzYEuXCfd-6NcH3We58V3tZirqlAia2sqKkrHX-r9oa_j0-lhoph6YtuXoHMxpjid_3rFqKIbPuJ7lxiMoT3MRLwp-0BnPQ9o66cfOxVhVxW4Cu8/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+027.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>The captain took us close to the glacier so we could hear it moan and groan. Sometimes it sounded like thunder. As we watched many small sections of ice fell into the water, but you had to be quick to get a photo.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kzmBCC8blQemnbnRVOu45W-Vj2loGQyihAjOSznlQkT95rTJ3QWhFyCQJoJHZTPrarQAfvJC0gUU1xyqJztS5AI2hLRUl6IguScogwFvMrVv6ccs-YtJdQ1EGQLP13SkqeYeBG-JLyc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kzmBCC8blQemnbnRVOu45W-Vj2loGQyihAjOSznlQkT95rTJ3QWhFyCQJoJHZTPrarQAfvJC0gUU1xyqJztS5AI2hLRUl6IguScogwFvMrVv6ccs-YtJdQ1EGQLP13SkqeYeBG-JLyc/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+035.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>One last look as we pulled away. On the trip back to the harbor the crew offers the passengers hot chocolate and chocolate chip cookies. I was surprised when one of the crew members called my name and asked me to identify myself. Then he announced to everyone that this was my birthday. As he passed me the first cookie everyone sang Happy Birthday.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>What fun! What beauty! What memories!</em></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-58707084467314633002010-07-20T16:25:00.000-07:002010-07-20T16:25:44.327-07:00Seward - Mural Capital of AlaskaWhen Sarah Palin was governor of Alaska she designated Seward as the "Mural Capital of Alaska". These are created by the Seward Mural society and are designed by Alaska artists. The designs are projected onto the walls and the outlined shapes are assigned a number corresponding to a paint color. Then the Society members and volunteers fill in the colors much like the popular "paint by numbers" paintings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs_A8JMgu9enoyuPc-tzV6KOsnfwg8LMBcOB8_yFeHRtGIAxXuvis0ftfm9en0L37Cy5NVBZI9cae8rNAbVprH3hY4AktX27nbErzk6D4OBg5g9lXjZwfY_a7fFN4tt-6LNA9GAdQ40M/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPs_A8JMgu9enoyuPc-tzV6KOsnfwg8LMBcOB8_yFeHRtGIAxXuvis0ftfm9en0L37Cy5NVBZI9cae8rNAbVprH3hY4AktX27nbErzk6D4OBg5g9lXjZwfY_a7fFN4tt-6LNA9GAdQ40M/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+100.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Mural near the harbor</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward is Alaska's only public aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPyu6gRIrsPvT-TkElssjQt3nbgrZu0G2t-ZxDGNeLoxfK9f0o5aS7aReCezhskuOhxsIkBUYEmFabPwlDoo5BzuOm9Vd3Vx-Wz6hPmphC4tG5Vt4bezm74xkA9EGgZqbpwbePC3Yy1g/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIPyu6gRIrsPvT-TkElssjQt3nbgrZu0G2t-ZxDGNeLoxfK9f0o5aS7aReCezhskuOhxsIkBUYEmFabPwlDoo5BzuOm9Vd3Vx-Wz6hPmphC4tG5Vt4bezm74xkA9EGgZqbpwbePC3Yy1g/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+053.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Wildflower mural</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tAH7I8hMcUUBNizmzO3VL5SqMxug97TtPPgfJnHxNPfUYjnnRyQJ6DgKykJmD3p2uwMYy9g9em0Ga0AjFzbC7ViC7Zmo-cUQZvJvrWu0iiD3nNCe0xWap7eIf936E2R7uT2Ixb4NLZ4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tAH7I8hMcUUBNizmzO3VL5SqMxug97TtPPgfJnHxNPfUYjnnRyQJ6DgKykJmD3p2uwMYy9g9em0Ga0AjFzbC7ViC7Zmo-cUQZvJvrWu0iiD3nNCe0xWap7eIf936E2R7uT2Ixb4NLZ4/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+052.JPG" /></a></div><br />
This mural depicts the common wildflowers of Alaska. Here you can see the Dwarf Dogwood in the bottom left hand corner, the Lupine, the Columbine, Iris and the Forget-Me-Nots, which are the official State flower.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMRyCUKGRMUPfxz4rHFDSNZ-ol00iQQgq5UcMKfIRTgFNkT0H-CXtsiorHNdbFMyvxPdxirw6R9lcWKk6mtrhgqqkznCoNHqg5OJvA99ZvXBqxbKTA8WctkPak3zNT9gn9mM2mQYwPNk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMRyCUKGRMUPfxz4rHFDSNZ-ol00iQQgq5UcMKfIRTgFNkT0H-CXtsiorHNdbFMyvxPdxirw6R9lcWKk6mtrhgqqkznCoNHqg5OJvA99ZvXBqxbKTA8WctkPak3zNT9gn9mM2mQYwPNk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Iditarod Trail</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8OS1JWc2yXYJAKWAUZ1OuFmFmBIGd2z3H1J5iCIWXHhAI1xFp7YpitVPn-wsmA7Ziw6HhTi2ihodZWSpjz2qip_MIVIpXxuALHzI_mod8Ngeb4XC5OigGK19ZW5iX8Rbe7_f4wziQz0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8OS1JWc2yXYJAKWAUZ1OuFmFmBIGd2z3H1J5iCIWXHhAI1xFp7YpitVPn-wsmA7Ziw6HhTi2ihodZWSpjz2qip_MIVIpXxuALHzI_mod8Ngeb4XC5OigGK19ZW5iX8Rbe7_f4wziQz0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+007.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Siberian Huskies</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Iditarod National Historic Trail is one of 22 national trails managed by BLM (Bureau of Land Management). This trail is 938 miles from Seward to Nome. It was used as a major transportion route from 1910 until the late 1920's when airplane use became common.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Iditarod means "distant place". The first race on the trail was held in1973, and now dog sledding is Alaska's official sport. Many communities have sledding trails on the outskirts of town. During the summer months the dogs pull sleds with wheels to keep them in shape. By November there is enough snow to start the races and people compete to qualify to participate in the famous Iditarod. Mitch Seavey, of Seward won the race in 2004 and won $69,000. He and his dogs did it in 9 days, 12 hours, 20 minutes and 22 seconds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next two murals depict legends of the First People. Next to the murals there were explanations of the paintings and I have copied the words here. I hope you will enjoy these stories as much as I did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7m3txBUehRdlOBkmrmha51AkvEPa1Cv1Nr7bp-Jg_dqUf3ARY24OhE9oyswLtw1OO5yA1_9Zab8r4yOij0emWL0zxzfJTBtUwZPXvKDdLscoDKKDPVFPZQC3ANtzU298Vgw64HZmAn4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf7m3txBUehRdlOBkmrmha51AkvEPa1Cv1Nr7bp-Jg_dqUf3ARY24OhE9oyswLtw1OO5yA1_9Zab8r4yOij0emWL0zxzfJTBtUwZPXvKDdLscoDKKDPVFPZQC3ANtzU298Vgw64HZmAn4/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+048.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Raven the Creator</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>"In the beginning the world was all water. As Raven flew above he sees Salmon Woman swimming below in the water. Ever curious Raven swoops down to talk to her. He becomes enarmored and asks her to marry him. Salmon Woman agrees, but only if he creates land. With the help of other sea creatures, Raven obtains sand from the sea bottom, which he drops from above to create the land and islands. Salmon Woman can now come ashore and dry her hair in the wind."</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZEEFGsEdoZrhSFvPaws5CUxyrXJtM8bbIVp-nnNuzQCnQYKz_-jM_kPC2Zd8s8Mx_9oq_8utxA-wRisaGdJlrBQy3fPOdlgAM5jFQjcIWk759ZkjFsBDYkNZjd8IEGxOj_5njnzVkbg/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZEEFGsEdoZrhSFvPaws5CUxyrXJtM8bbIVp-nnNuzQCnQYKz_-jM_kPC2Zd8s8Mx_9oq_8utxA-wRisaGdJlrBQy3fPOdlgAM5jFQjcIWk759ZkjFsBDYkNZjd8IEGxOj_5njnzVkbg/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+051.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Raven Releases the Sun, Moon and Stars</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>"There are many versions of this story in Alaska. In this one, the world was dark because a Chief has the sun, moon and stars kept hidden away in a box. Raven discovers this and in disguise as the Chief's grandson, he tricks him into opening the box, thus releasing the sun to give light to the world and the moon and stars to light the night sky."</em></div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-69664462268534534972010-07-20T15:40:00.000-07:002010-07-20T15:40:23.224-07:00Seward - Gateway to Kenai Fjords National ParkThe trip south to Seward was magnificent. We drove along the Chugash Mountains and through the Chugash National Forest. There were snowy mountains on both sides of the road making it feel as if we were driving through a Christmas card! Vast ... massive ... regal ... there is no <em>one </em>word to describe the majesty of this area.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5oTMji8eHTP0HaAAmQyrFRU9BW6w7ARMhn3fPPMbZRq90ReSeEPPoxXV_H04MZ8F_oDUhGxX0bzBDDeLJkfOp950nlb9fx1-1Bx73t386dHqFDPTTQfM1foDffqe3i4kZGktlie0K1Y/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5oTMji8eHTP0HaAAmQyrFRU9BW6w7ARMhn3fPPMbZRq90ReSeEPPoxXV_H04MZ8F_oDUhGxX0bzBDDeLJkfOp950nlb9fx1-1Bx73t386dHqFDPTTQfM1foDffqe3i4kZGktlie0K1Y/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+090.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our site next to Resurrection Bay in Seward</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQAH6qAawRhI15AcvNdU0R36jf6kPeXtbmKIbqYnFsfoG6XnQMuRM2EkhqsdrMm_1KY0UEavtqpUuNR4fee11G_Ni36v0qeJ5ep9njfNMSJYV2gicG0cXH1IAV_-ioeszuvrJmchW7I8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQAH6qAawRhI15AcvNdU0R36jf6kPeXtbmKIbqYnFsfoG6XnQMuRM2EkhqsdrMm_1KY0UEavtqpUuNR4fee11G_Ni36v0qeJ5ep9njfNMSJYV2gicG0cXH1IAV_-ioeszuvrJmchW7I8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+091.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>City camping in Seward</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In Seward we went from being surrounded by mountains to being surrounded by water. This picturesque community is nestled right on the edge of Resurrection Bay. The city of Seward offers camping along most of its shoreline and for only $15.00 a night we had an incredible view across the Bay and access to the harbor and to the town via a paved walking path. (David later checked at a hotel and was quoted $289 a night for a room with a view!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjT5zEU1K9s9GsH-f1T_fxGXhNKfaP4LhnNs6YMTY-eGzvTv7MlRMfm66q56umzimbHJcSawLWXgrHCJXK7BVrMZYFqcujJYHkQVGN0Fo8yrUE4LJeBn2KkQMI_D8k8YwPvS6Kd454vI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjT5zEU1K9s9GsH-f1T_fxGXhNKfaP4LhnNs6YMTY-eGzvTv7MlRMfm66q56umzimbHJcSawLWXgrHCJXK7BVrMZYFqcujJYHkQVGN0Fo8yrUE4LJeBn2KkQMI_D8k8YwPvS6Kd454vI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+098.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Boardwalk at Seward's small boat harbor</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NjxYYCG0t6PqlhQFUgkFr8dFZW2TY7XunI_Vdfvh23EBTNkPsGHMtwcMXNc0-k66i5CDkFqImGoasXZ7GjxYnvI3ORX240BzCfwSsDySlrdmQ-xybp7AGt4SA7au3_Pl2Z9YyhuYp70/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NjxYYCG0t6PqlhQFUgkFr8dFZW2TY7XunI_Vdfvh23EBTNkPsGHMtwcMXNc0-k66i5CDkFqImGoasXZ7GjxYnvI3ORX240BzCfwSsDySlrdmQ-xybp7AGt4SA7au3_Pl2Z9YyhuYp70/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+095.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>"Caught in Seward"</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In one direction the walking path led us to the small boat harbor and the boardwalk. It was fun to see all the action. David and I watched a couple clean the halibut they had caught on a charter fishing trip. We chatted awhile and then the wife offered to take a picture of us. Just as she was taking the picture her husband jumped out in front of us. To make up for his joke he gave us two fillets of halibut for supper. That was a nice surprise.... and a delicious treat!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlBiZEKjIBtXYxGHFYY7eYu8xotFlviQsOAVUS6Oamh12mXpxeGo7zUn6_IQoP3_7f0JAnrxe1UYiqpWHEVVV0KK_u2SC2av6pwpblfgsA4l5upQT46M5zzM48B63AVHlw5DmKfn1SlQ/s1600/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVlBiZEKjIBtXYxGHFYY7eYu8xotFlviQsOAVUS6Oamh12mXpxeGo7zUn6_IQoP3_7f0JAnrxe1UYiqpWHEVVV0KK_u2SC2av6pwpblfgsA4l5upQT46M5zzM48B63AVHlw5DmKfn1SlQ/s320/Alaskan+Adventrue+2010+046.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>This halibut weighed in at 330 lbs!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlru2QpJ-UPZB5Kdb627ulN-lnLyA2VKXUEeJ1I74789Rk8fpF1uYOT_CXt4_5a88FTqqbK0vR40mb_K514YQWKoFZWxyaY_gGB9tMc6fD4ddQxysSHEuTRBiRt3JK2AOHLMqcARv577U/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlru2QpJ-UPZB5Kdb627ulN-lnLyA2VKXUEeJ1I74789Rk8fpF1uYOT_CXt4_5a88FTqqbK0vR40mb_K514YQWKoFZWxyaY_gGB9tMc6fD4ddQxysSHEuTRBiRt3JK2AOHLMqcARv577U/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+099.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A face only a mother could love</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I learned that halibut start out with their eyes on both sides of their heads, and then the left eye migrates to the right side. Since they are bottom fish the adapation makes it easier for them to see while they are lying on their bellies. I wonder if this is evolution happening right in front of <em>our </em>eyes!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgNbovZ4EYNkM1-fxQKu7dOoPNTB-8IiS-WLieQ8IHeEP-JSZK3fuXociftA4eRu68J6eXqgf57rgASQmxRW4Rm5eIJNt7_8vILGIKzuk9A1U2spsHTjwfVBCyS3qnVP08eWqKo2POYw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirgNbovZ4EYNkM1-fxQKu7dOoPNTB-8IiS-WLieQ8IHeEP-JSZK3fuXociftA4eRu68J6eXqgf57rgASQmxRW4Rm5eIJNt7_8vILGIKzuk9A1U2spsHTjwfVBCyS3qnVP08eWqKo2POYw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+101.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The bike path along Resurrection Bay</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YhFNtdjhVjjJbScny-jSzwWfRl05JqyRbhuPk2HAVWke0WAbQqrrDhnbIwt7MWhZdtaZktrW6afHN7TWIWHL05hQm_2o5EFRTuA-Ptx7fozzYUoSIh6f4VLZriURVyBO_9R1feyXJi4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YhFNtdjhVjjJbScny-jSzwWfRl05JqyRbhuPk2HAVWke0WAbQqrrDhnbIwt7MWhZdtaZktrW6afHN7TWIWHL05hQm_2o5EFRTuA-Ptx7fozzYUoSIh6f4VLZriURVyBO_9R1feyXJi4/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+001.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Obihiro Park</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Taking the path in the other direction leads you into town. On the way you pass through a small park dedicated to Obihiro, Japan, Seward's Sister City in Japan. Years ago David and I went to Kakagawa, Japan, which is Eugene, Oregon's Japanese Sister City. I sent our hostess a copy of this photograph and now she is following my Blog, and also David's blog at <a href="http://www.highwaytoadventure.blogspot.com/">http://www.highwaytoadventure.blogspot.com/</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It was wonderful to reconnect with Miyuki this way. We have many wonderful memories of staying in her family's home.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBK8-PxXuI8e1ZN0YUf-DDWdHVd-TjBpa1qqHVTOWVNvTeNzToVYHaH4puwKWKz6ZZ0B7zYpsygZc1j_PstQW_I7Izq94VNDYGw9pIvkOU8HMbeTZXgnUcnfuUt41JGQQxLdfdWRhIkA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoBK8-PxXuI8e1ZN0YUf-DDWdHVd-TjBpa1qqHVTOWVNvTeNzToVYHaH4puwKWKz6ZZ0B7zYpsygZc1j_PstQW_I7Izq94VNDYGw9pIvkOU8HMbeTZXgnUcnfuUt41JGQQxLdfdWRhIkA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+005.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Mega dandelions</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSie3HUlyC-54WIr4Gw_Rpb85a_UbZlOj6fd-yB7PN4FFDT3P6p054Usr2nAZA5GFcwemSo9u2v5PaD7ttMvLcJLgDOjJH7fS6OkZ3jZ0AHVIJflXHA-YBnkNV9mOrj9cPiJdq7nkLrss/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSie3HUlyC-54WIr4Gw_Rpb85a_UbZlOj6fd-yB7PN4FFDT3P6p054Usr2nAZA5GFcwemSo9u2v5PaD7ttMvLcJLgDOjJH7fS6OkZ3jZ0AHVIJflXHA-YBnkNV9mOrj9cPiJdq7nkLrss/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Cow Parsnip</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David and I walked into town a few times to use the internet connection at the Senior Center. In an empty lot next to the Senior Center there were dandelions growing two feet tall and a HUGH cow parsnip plant.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess they are the products of the midnight sun.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Being a florist's daughter has made me appreciate flowers. I enjoy taking pictures of them and identifying them as we travel. Although my mother has been dead for six years, when I see something especially lovely, or unusal like these overgrown plants, I still think of telling her about it knowing how much pleasure it would give her.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-53805435085820943462010-07-20T14:15:00.000-07:002010-07-20T14:15:07.124-07:00Whittier - Gateway to Prince William Sound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwId0OC7PI8BkDjKt4HH08WRJvpr-TlG-d9l1ag0c08Ts5Q_76ThrjkTUmVOdh6BK0Tr5McEtvnRlwok0rBDDi7wMi7jvAnlTJjYWEVt3u5OIN1IimFIkaWuPB2jK08vcIb07szMXX-g/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwId0OC7PI8BkDjKt4HH08WRJvpr-TlG-d9l1ag0c08Ts5Q_76ThrjkTUmVOdh6BK0Tr5McEtvnRlwok0rBDDi7wMi7jvAnlTJjYWEVt3u5OIN1IimFIkaWuPB2jK08vcIb07szMXX-g/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+038.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Tunnel through the Chugash Mountain to Whittier</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">According to the Lazy Daze itinerary we would catch up with the group in Whittier. They had planned to take a cruise in Prince William Sound and although it was a rainy day, I was more than ready to see more glaciers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Portage Road took us to the 8-lane staging area that controls vehicle traffic entering the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. The tunnel uses a computerized traffic-control system that regulates both rail and highway traffic. It took us 6.5 minutes to travel through the tunnel. It is the longest highway tunnel and longest combined highway/railway tunnel in North America. David was driving with white knuckles going in because he had to straddle the railway tracks and there was very little shoulder room on either side. Luckily, the return trip was easier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl-dZCt8OEczjWX8zbJNFKCGnaTdtD1oNJUbHkzhSNNuDjhMldR45qgaZLN_99pU84VckSTg3XOb-JwVVb_IwEa74YX4wim6AgfM5W4FaJcGDn9KrBzoCgs0D8lLyjbpNQyq35zTu_1M/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJl-dZCt8OEczjWX8zbJNFKCGnaTdtD1oNJUbHkzhSNNuDjhMldR45qgaZLN_99pU84VckSTg3XOb-JwVVb_IwEa74YX4wim6AgfM5W4FaJcGDn9KrBzoCgs0D8lLyjbpNQyq35zTu_1M/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+050.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whittier was created by the US Army during WWII as a port and petroleum delivery center for the bases farther north. The tunnel and railroad spur was completed in 1943 and Whittier became the primary debarkation point for cargo, troops, and dependents of the Alaska Command. It was strategically valuable because of its ice-free deep-water port. Since the military activities ceased the economy has depended largely on the port and the fishing industry, and increasingly on tourism. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">David and I checked out the one RV park and did not find any Lazy Daze rigs, so we decided we had missed our friends. Apparently the weather had been bad for a few days, so they may have left days ago. With the rain, cold wind and poor visibility this was definitely not the time to book a cruise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Whittier's main streets were narrow and lined with pickup trucks, so was difficult driving the RV. From the little we saw, the town did not look very inviting. There are a couple huge buildings that were constructed for military families years ago, and are now used as apartments. We decided to walk around a little and then return to the campground. We had difficulty finding a place to park and the one huge parking lot near the harbor was jammed with trucks and boat trailers. Whittier is a serious fishing community. Finally an attendant allowed us to double park without paying, since we were not going to be there for long.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMaNnw86NaQZGHi3L2v5wB6w8rWs0JUI1xTDAXa2DuvUNpci-gCBEjJz3KK-LgSPMZSVIU8PeN00_tnCG6PRvdnkRTnZvNooH0fYlxLOa7GoeiKcqvt7uBclw-QCXy5j6HapeZjL9eYI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSMaNnw86NaQZGHi3L2v5wB6w8rWs0JUI1xTDAXa2DuvUNpci-gCBEjJz3KK-LgSPMZSVIU8PeN00_tnCG6PRvdnkRTnZvNooH0fYlxLOa7GoeiKcqvt7uBclw-QCXy5j6HapeZjL9eYI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+040.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The first thing I had noticed as we exited the tunnel was a trash container cabled to the ground. Then I read in a brochure that "Portage Pass is a narrow land bridge between Prince William Sound and Turnagain Arm. As the air pressure between the two areas equalizes, extremely high winds can be created. These winds have snapped 50 foot flagpoles like twigs, peeled away asphalt, and lifted boxcars from the railroad tracks." That explained the cabled trash container, and it explained why there is a pedestrian tunnel from the residential area to the harbor and the wharf.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgLBWSZOIHbjMbN5KuW7tRTG27Ja6l6bU5k7PwBBJcCZ8-0SrFugmqC-Hq69e-ODGI7anaU8FEmreIM_XfIVOa5imJQ4zshP7HFBAhwM501j_RQSeXziJUi9zc9NZcZMWhmR9xkmYxpQ/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimgLBWSZOIHbjMbN5KuW7tRTG27Ja6l6bU5k7PwBBJcCZ8-0SrFugmqC-Hq69e-ODGI7anaU8FEmreIM_XfIVOa5imJQ4zshP7HFBAhwM501j_RQSeXziJUi9zc9NZcZMWhmR9xkmYxpQ/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+046.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Whittier Harbor with a cruise ship docked</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQK4_kDo_x3PiI3a6bMNpACe4oA1_mAC4bCCm4WfJR_pODpkDSrXzZSDbW3d9QJH-KVU1wKDPUuglJQbdEBtCiULJQlatWb8anHt82ZYPukvOHkvG6MODAHA1rjncOQIrRo_Ebh9Ais/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUQK4_kDo_x3PiI3a6bMNpACe4oA1_mAC4bCCm4WfJR_pODpkDSrXzZSDbW3d9QJH-KVU1wKDPUuglJQbdEBtCiULJQlatWb8anHt82ZYPukvOHkvG6MODAHA1rjncOQIrRo_Ebh9Ais/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+048.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David chatting with some fishermen</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeSToa95ygzwgFW5XSZfJ1RKio1xANJ8AqwQlrItHPffwMZQpWl2jYCGcrccz94A5s8f_P_hcobhR9IbcMQUCseFeLNNrIG2SJW4q4IbfB9u4e6ZGyvFW0iqjbqsJpKgLOQVWmEEhcAs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZeSToa95ygzwgFW5XSZfJ1RKio1xANJ8AqwQlrItHPffwMZQpWl2jYCGcrccz94A5s8f_P_hcobhR9IbcMQUCseFeLNNrIG2SJW4q4IbfB9u4e6ZGyvFW0iqjbqsJpKgLOQVWmEEhcAs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+049.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>This guy lived in Eugene for awhile... now he is a "forever Alaskan"</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David got into a conversation with a group of fishermen who had just finished cleaning their catch. We could see a pile of fresh halibut in zip-locked bags, ready to freeze. After seeing that we started talking about the possibility of going halibut fishing. That fish looked delicious!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3NpOoByvv9M45KXI4Sdzkq5cECr_1s2_bEuVdVVGA1oQ2BpHcfwduJYixDqFouPqqh8pEsZmr9oU5ZLLpNKby6XcuLXPR1d0W560Pyy05YaLuSkruDUJc3gSDPJnfWv0A25ngK-L_2c/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3NpOoByvv9M45KXI4Sdzkq5cECr_1s2_bEuVdVVGA1oQ2BpHcfwduJYixDqFouPqqh8pEsZmr9oU5ZLLpNKby6XcuLXPR1d0W560Pyy05YaLuSkruDUJc3gSDPJnfWv0A25ngK-L_2c/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu7O_XacTQsMiK7lncTfKKARGSZhjooSrY6oXs_n-d1rY_heEpq_fqGxRI0FBjeaET3ZwEx3qS2NLFWO4WYffVZ4z8dKIyhr_RX_Dr3cxBJx8ZuWXEwZtTiJ6EtNJEZELg9rB_Qc-1Wg/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGu7O_XacTQsMiK7lncTfKKARGSZhjooSrY6oXs_n-d1rY_heEpq_fqGxRI0FBjeaET3ZwEx3qS2NLFWO4WYffVZ4z8dKIyhr_RX_Dr3cxBJx8ZuWXEwZtTiJ6EtNJEZELg9rB_Qc-1Wg/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+044.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Tourist shops on "The Triangle"</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There is a section of shops near the harbor called "The Triangle". Here you will find all kinds of shops for the tourist. The people from the cruises spend alot of money here during the summer season, and then these shops close for the winter.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We were told that the islands and the fjords of Prince William Sound were breathtaking. All we could see was a fog bank. I am sure that on a sunny day our experience would have been very different. The day we were there the weather was nasty and nothing looked very inviting. However, we got a good taste of what it would be like to make a living as a fisherman!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We could not wait to return to our cozy site in the Williwaw Campground!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-11129687178421091382010-07-18T18:49:00.000-07:002010-07-18T18:49:28.810-07:00Portage Valley and the Trail of Blue Ice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBawG2S0sSP_86TMvEAzGCWb4LPCdKEiB7mit-Bncyf8r7G8vKi3BIqXNCitCQriyPsh-I8ZlbF3em1wHtbkFlYMaLJSoUh3wZk7DV473jAdmIUrz5i5tl1Pce82SoZLRHs6Zql9svdY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBawG2S0sSP_86TMvEAzGCWb4LPCdKEiB7mit-Bncyf8r7G8vKi3BIqXNCitCQriyPsh-I8ZlbF3em1wHtbkFlYMaLJSoUh3wZk7DV473jAdmIUrz5i5tl1Pce82SoZLRHs6Zql9svdY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+055.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Middle Glacier in Portage Valley</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What an incredible find! Without doing much research we ended up in a fantastic campsite in a fantastic location. Just behind the Williwaw USFS Campground we got this wonderful view of Middle Glacier. Because this is a United States Forestry Service Campground, our Golden Eagle Pass got us in for half price. This view.... for only $9.00 a night!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RuQAjhlBpJ6GHALO5pj8GF5l_5MnuKIVrSrE68oLIKbF0FO7YgnYT6XhT6axot6Xya43x00PLNhqnRlxtiSQXBpxZ-ruzbvh3RSRucTHtfVE7StiC4yzZw25smV5ghWtXxC1dXsjcRM/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RuQAjhlBpJ6GHALO5pj8GF5l_5MnuKIVrSrE68oLIKbF0FO7YgnYT6XhT6axot6Xya43x00PLNhqnRlxtiSQXBpxZ-ruzbvh3RSRucTHtfVE7StiC4yzZw25smV5ghWtXxC1dXsjcRM/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwE-I8VTQYK_LQD01DevhE4xX9Pd0PNxHnWw3FWfVTwCDImAkw7NSM3NuDpvMp1H4ASRrsFSlzcjIKGO1KgRhFT7IIhYa60vvtVzLQLQHhxE5y9O5pgcPD-En6Ii9aXx4XUjBYVWV_8k/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwwE-I8VTQYK_LQD01DevhE4xX9Pd0PNxHnWw3FWfVTwCDImAkw7NSM3NuDpvMp1H4ASRrsFSlzcjIKGO1KgRhFT7IIhYa60vvtVzLQLQHhxE5y9O5pgcPD-En6Ii9aXx4XUjBYVWV_8k/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+025.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Portage</em> <em>Creek</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a drizzly day, but we decided to hike the Trail of Blue Ice which was just behind the campground. It is a boardwalk/paved trail that goes along Portage Creek south of the campground and ends up at Portage Lake.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVGlRnDaCGST8w5BRHULKzNdT4af6MGehB_4E_YU57T2sSD6zJS12TjKjAofIOy_HBp0ybXyXwAYQp_7OF123ViOAa9Ks1nmTNpaNT_3zJniBxCGKKWP3_EvJ06hnERXxDDTqC7cB39c/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqVGlRnDaCGST8w5BRHULKzNdT4af6MGehB_4E_YU57T2sSD6zJS12TjKjAofIOy_HBp0ybXyXwAYQp_7OF123ViOAa9Ks1nmTNpaNT_3zJniBxCGKKWP3_EvJ06hnERXxDDTqC7cB39c/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Portage Lake with Portage Glacier in the background</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the years, Portage Glacier has advanced and retreated due to climatic changes. It is reported that it is now receding five hundred feet a year. Before its present retreat the indigenous peoples, early traders, and miners traveled across the Portage Glacier and the Burns Glacier (next to it) using them as a "portage" between Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Today the railroad and tunnel to Whittier provide this important transportation link.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK08PthEJhld3Sgjoyf6QHvKd8wDGUqgnW6GONz09BJ8cV5ceTXzIJ7b03WKrYNj8h5keUZY-YaPkJiPV79Y3NaUb9QrkZ000zdzMjI21T7c6uU-3BOt6W62Qq4eovXqaz6Vnu4XxGBEE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK08PthEJhld3Sgjoyf6QHvKd8wDGUqgnW6GONz09BJ8cV5ceTXzIJ7b03WKrYNj8h5keUZY-YaPkJiPV79Y3NaUb9QrkZ000zdzMjI21T7c6uU-3BOt6W62Qq4eovXqaz6Vnu4XxGBEE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+033.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Here I am taking picture of "calves". This is an exciting first for me! I later learned that the Portage Glacier extended to this point in 1939, the year I was born. The glacier has now receded so far that you can barely see it from the lake.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCfposHz5fIbTuxD-dOHDD8Q23aXMl6KURWK6NAJICi7eM-bXn8rZZCQ7qP4U91M-BxSwj2N6hm7G6-L6SkQub4WPl1gWOa1VytVNmJRSfdhWM1YodMRW6DcJQJnrQTVXQ13yXDrdS4s/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCfposHz5fIbTuxD-dOHDD8Q23aXMl6KURWK6NAJICi7eM-bXn8rZZCQ7qP4U91M-BxSwj2N6hm7G6-L6SkQub4WPl1gWOa1VytVNmJRSfdhWM1YodMRW6DcJQJnrQTVXQ13yXDrdS4s/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+028.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center at Portage Lake</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Visitor Center is very informative and arranged so visitors have a sense of walking up Portage Valley, through Portage Pass and down into Pince William Sound. My favorite section in the Center is the "Alaskans and Their Stories" room, where I listened to talks about real people who lived in this area.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Just beyond the Center is a small tunnel through a section of the Chugach Mountains.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKtiYCtZe_9_e0iYPoYSrtEmC357F4LNcMzTTeYn1Qd0l_KBjtdzeURjyuzydnXJkVKJyJv3yfZ4EcfJg52vKm8xhGBStZhQN2S6zc4VoE860L21FXo8rz-Sa7OvXKMvevDXKHMjeHjg/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+052.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMKtiYCtZe_9_e0iYPoYSrtEmC357F4LNcMzTTeYn1Qd0l_KBjtdzeURjyuzydnXJkVKJyJv3yfZ4EcfJg52vKm8xhGBStZhQN2S6zc4VoE860L21FXo8rz-Sa7OvXKMvevDXKHMjeHjg/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+052.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>David.... ready for the fish <strong>and </strong>the bear!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our second day we decided to walk the trail in the opposite direction and have David try his luck fishing along the way. The camp host warned us that there had been recent bear sightings so we both wore our "bear bells" so we would not startle any bear. We sounded a bit like Santa's reindeer as we walked along, but we rather have the bears run from us than the other way around!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GDLUyOtoH41KKXM1sdawonXXWBGct2xPyXVmQzj0ejG96fxlO44HFIF6vak3tMatI0NGI4akLtjZu13DR43oSRg9F-UqiJ6TD8MehQ6DOFoCVXq74jjYqlYA6rukyMJ6izD8gS9hvCQ/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2GDLUyOtoH41KKXM1sdawonXXWBGct2xPyXVmQzj0ejG96fxlO44HFIF6vak3tMatI0NGI4akLtjZu13DR43oSRg9F-UqiJ6TD8MehQ6DOFoCVXq74jjYqlYA6rukyMJ6izD8gS9hvCQ/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+067.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>I was sooooo happy to get such a great view of Explorer Glacier</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I have often wondered why glacial ice is blue. A brochure from the Visitor Center explained it well: "The ice is formed under the weight of countless snowfalls, which squeezes out most of the air, leaving dense, compact ice. Sunlight, or white light, is made up of all the colors of the spectum... with each color having a different amount of energy. In regular ice, like the ice in your freezer, the air bubbles scatter the light - creating the white appearance. When sunlight strikes glacier ice, the lower energy colors are absorbed by the ice and only the blue color, which has the most energy, is reflected back to the eye." </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbbY12b7TnLxG7z5-RfgSXN2W1mAy1xO44pnNSVhYJo7UFz7HRLJgZLMVeKFRFsrq4Nuz1osF6Q2H6f6FQIJG-GgdtUIzMYKcoL7h2zJIYPaGQGufDhaKCk0dkx61sBDTSHaiMc1PcuI/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMbbY12b7TnLxG7z5-RfgSXN2W1mAy1xO44pnNSVhYJo7UFz7HRLJgZLMVeKFRFsrq4Nuz1osF6Q2H6f6FQIJG-GgdtUIzMYKcoL7h2zJIYPaGQGufDhaKCk0dkx61sBDTSHaiMc1PcuI/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+065.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The blue ice of Explorer Glacier</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">I can't explain my excitement and my interest in glaciers<em>...</em> but I think it has to do with the <strong>big<em> </em></strong>picture ... of creation and recreation, and life and death, and change and beauty and the eternal <strong><em>Mystery</em></strong>.</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-82400066685340129082010-07-16T19:11:00.000-07:002010-07-16T19:11:08.198-07:00Glacier Crazy!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBFndzUidg3cRYQXTJt1RqMVFfEjS4pZUz6Z2xRLFAYpA59zID4defkiIm75W7jFjOf_YxQXN2BpSgCHF49ar9TsKrn0xpJLr7XMy01RI_prPT9e578d5QG0UgkqOVNuKTLJDsCy5wQ0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQBFndzUidg3cRYQXTJt1RqMVFfEjS4pZUz6Z2xRLFAYpA59zID4defkiIm75W7jFjOf_YxQXN2BpSgCHF49ar9TsKrn0xpJLr7XMy01RI_prPT9e578d5QG0UgkqOVNuKTLJDsCy5wQ0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+010.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That morning after our pancake breakfast we washed the gravel road dust off the RV, David bought an Alaskan fishing license for $145.00 and then we loaded up with $200.00 of food and supplies.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was after 2 pm by the time we headed south on the Glenn Highway/Tok Cutoff, toward Anchorage. As soon as we were out of town we saw mountains on all sides, many rivers and streams and areas of marsh with concentrations of black spruce. The spruce trees are recognizable by their stunted growth and often crooked shape. Many of them have stubby clusters of branches at the top. <em>The Milepost </em>reports that the black spruce are generally found in poorly drained areas, such as wetland and permafrost, where white spruce will not grow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3y5Hu8MnaTuoCdSYEiKAPuLGcJwawV-hXykniI_nkXG7oXTOfw_UYnQxSWJBa0LEyj495VsifFpPfNrWrubTrhs-OjDyKnwHa4yCfKHo729cmrDygmrnu0uQ7GIu8stRElZVoAarucs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3y5Hu8MnaTuoCdSYEiKAPuLGcJwawV-hXykniI_nkXG7oXTOfw_UYnQxSWJBa0LEyj495VsifFpPfNrWrubTrhs-OjDyKnwHa4yCfKHo729cmrDygmrnu0uQ7GIu8stRElZVoAarucs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+006.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Our free off-road site at Gulkana River</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We parked overnight in an off-road site for the first time since we arrived in Alaska. Everyone told us you can park anywhere there isn't a sign saying "no camping", but we were a little reluctant to try it. David noticed RVs parked along the shore of the Glukana River, so we joined them. This is a very popular fishing spot and RVs and boats and fishermen were already in place, ready for the first salmon run. Seems like the whole State is holding its breath and waiting for the salmon to run.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The next day took us through Glennallen, the gateway to the Wrangell Mountains. It was overcast, so unfortunately we could not see any of the prominent peaks which would be visible on a clear day. I was interested to learn that Glennallen is the starting point and the finish line for the<em> Copper Basin 300 Dog Sled</em> <em>Race</em>. Some call this race "the toughest 300 miles in Alaska". This race is a qualifier for the Iditarod so it attracts both top mushers and first time rookies. (<a href="http://www.cb300.com/">http://www.cb300.com/</a>) </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadwCFDSMKsSIDzjWWNWA4IzwlX0zgQHL7xWTXx23vD2gt-golxYT1Sj8gOLv3aS8DyUq91H6f55xEPDlR4S0Q39MgZgeaP8IktJ7b4dWX8dkv19PpnY5oQ00mLjB6BiJZOVMOdEgIi9Y/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadwCFDSMKsSIDzjWWNWA4IzwlX0zgQHL7xWTXx23vD2gt-golxYT1Sj8gOLv3aS8DyUq91H6f55xEPDlR4S0Q39MgZgeaP8IktJ7b4dWX8dkv19PpnY5oQ00mLjB6BiJZOVMOdEgIi9Y/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Nelchina Glacier taken from the highway.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The road out of Glennallen gave us expansive views. I got all excited when I saw my first glacier. First I caught a glimpse of Tazlina Glacier in the distance, and then a quick view of the Nelchina Glacieras we drove past. I knew there was more to come and I could not wait!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRncM0-ondw2OBd9lfoOsfO0qxQskLQNBi4DDt5xmvrZXgn44PkOQH3QFtFvyFQcM7BW0D_ZYKvu4qKUrHtpi9XpDq_md8fc-6Nc7bsfCB1gPkSILfvanNNIwWBDv8bhfEl54eGDk_Fk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJRncM0-ondw2OBd9lfoOsfO0qxQskLQNBi4DDt5xmvrZXgn44PkOQH3QFtFvyFQcM7BW0D_ZYKvu4qKUrHtpi9XpDq_md8fc-6Nc7bsfCB1gPkSILfvanNNIwWBDv8bhfEl54eGDk_Fk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As we approached the Matanuska Glacier David climbed on top of the RV to get a better look... and there it was!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdC2flz1XRXIwytmA4Xe_UyBg1bqSHip59gfQGHUieHDLOgLGZPhMxyObOYyG1bP-26cNFswrmNCDg2pCrEU9_JpdjlFwtfJ90_WA2VjxYN5Xu6RbjfO2uiu-kFbNdUlAMIOtoOeM3Os/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdC2flz1XRXIwytmA4Xe_UyBg1bqSHip59gfQGHUieHDLOgLGZPhMxyObOYyG1bP-26cNFswrmNCDg2pCrEU9_JpdjlFwtfJ90_WA2VjxYN5Xu6RbjfO2uiu-kFbNdUlAMIOtoOeM3Os/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+017.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Matanuska Glacier.</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is a lovely viewing area set up so that travellers can get good photographs of the Matanuska Glacier. There is also a mile-long "Edge Trail" that leads you closer to the glacier. There are information panals along the way, and one of the most interesting told the story of Matanuska's fame. Because of the glacial dust, called <em>loess, </em>the land in this area is very fertile. As part of President Roosevelt's New Deal, some of the American farm families hit by the depression were relocated here. The population of the area around Palmer and Wasilla was rapidly increasing, and they needed a source for local food. The results were astounding. Cabbages weighed in at 105 lbs and one radish could reach 9 lbs ! The growing season here averages 100-118 days a year with long hours of sunshine, so that helps too. As a result, Palmer is the only community in Alaka that developed from an agricultural economy. Fresh vegetables from the Matanuska-Susitna Valley are still abundant and very popular.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbAkzcOlT3mKZyiyx8mB1WhDLTmb2Ehprh3zRktUwRClANXuEcDrTpMXzdDw6r0X5hncRoP_4c4cZwas5A7woQ3SxLG3CTaCW_lRGzM2Z-UzQsBI1Cg2mtkWf6y0ktQhXQyombdMYboA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbAkzcOlT3mKZyiyx8mB1WhDLTmb2Ehprh3zRktUwRClANXuEcDrTpMXzdDw6r0X5hncRoP_4c4cZwas5A7woQ3SxLG3CTaCW_lRGzM2Z-UzQsBI1Cg2mtkWf6y0ktQhXQyombdMYboA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+020.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David and I had been talking about meeting up with the Lazy Daze group with whom we started this trip. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From their itinerary we knew we had a good chance of meeting up with them, so we decided to head to Whittier and hopefully join them on a cruise of PrinceWilliam Sound for some more glacier viewing. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">With Whittier in mind we drove through Palmer without a second look and skirted Anchorage. We drove south along the Turnagain Arm, off Cook Inlet, and felt new adventures coming our way. We stopped briefly in what the map called Portage....but what turned out to be only a train station. We learned that the whole town of Portage was destroyed in the earthquake of 1964 and the subsequent tsunamis. From there we drove down Portage Valley and found one of the best campgrounds we had seen in Alaska, The Williwaw USFS Campground.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5fwH4kbeaNOU7PJykbF1OC57kNVHJs2zSDbfmTJR_6GhWcIBregt3wXEAhDaLLlfX5O5oSpnTqqoYH-f7i0ONiIZfNeI-xci3zXMoxRKbsnnvbaP0xsE4xvMNENPoyESLqEbFvk2rtk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs5fwH4kbeaNOU7PJykbF1OC57kNVHJs2zSDbfmTJR_6GhWcIBregt3wXEAhDaLLlfX5O5oSpnTqqoYH-f7i0ONiIZfNeI-xci3zXMoxRKbsnnvbaP0xsE4xvMNENPoyESLqEbFvk2rtk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+002.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">When we are traveling from one destination to another with a goal in mind, our casual routine is interrupted and often our exercise suffers. So, I have learned to do a modified yoga routine between the coaches in the back of the RV. My music of choice now is Susan Boyles's <em>I Dreamed a Dream. </em>Many would question this choice because exercise music usually has a loud strong beat. However, I like Susan.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Her song <em>Who I Was Born To Be </em>is one of my favorites:</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> "And though I may not know the answers</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> I can finally say I'm free</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> If the questions led me here, then </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> I am who I was born to be."</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">A wonderful 94 year old friend of mine says it another way..... </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> "I am in the God place, </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> at the God time, </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> doing the God thing!"</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-30228354134757558422010-07-16T16:37:00.000-07:002010-07-16T16:37:43.427-07:00Route Two to Tok<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMsRYOqwm5OjQ1OWlhL_zsQPvpLGSWVJJNbHCodNRvBabyhBISROinQGKdy1SfVfgdZVoTIXTiBDvDvQdewGNvDw29mnYqmIXzwvUxxD4t6Idt8Uf5piZDl1pMcXr-wtZ4Gj0ISjcSHY/s1600/Alaskan+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMsRYOqwm5OjQ1OWlhL_zsQPvpLGSWVJJNbHCodNRvBabyhBISROinQGKdy1SfVfgdZVoTIXTiBDvDvQdewGNvDw29mnYqmIXzwvUxxD4t6Idt8Uf5piZDl1pMcXr-wtZ4Gj0ISjcSHY/s320/Alaskan+008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Klune Mountain Range</em></div><br />
After crossing the border into Alaska, one of the first entries in <em>the Milepost</em> is a warning written in red:<br />
<em><span style="color: red;">"Watch for gravel breaks, bumps, dips and chuckholes next 72 miles. Slow for loose gravel!"</span></em><br />
<span style="color: black;">Somehow we thought the highway would improve as soon as we got back into the US .... how silly of us.</span><br />
We did read that the Alaska Highway Permafrost Research Project, implemented in 2008, is monitoring the permafrost temperatures and testing various construction techniques in order ito improve the road conditions. That's a promise for tomorrow, but for today we got to rock and roll..... for 72 more miles!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6DgLo4mVGaMMj2tHUBNNdSWfkruc15w1CNpxKeBkTOo_aEIc5hDSrobYERI4q9LDedt6XULwIN9L5TKQcPjq2IhmIAGDHGM0tvJOtuD_b1W3jE-p1ho7OJE_RGTy-JX8PE14q2i45N0/s1600/IMG_4594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6DgLo4mVGaMMj2tHUBNNdSWfkruc15w1CNpxKeBkTOo_aEIc5hDSrobYERI4q9LDedt6XULwIN9L5TKQcPjq2IhmIAGDHGM0tvJOtuD_b1W3jE-p1ho7OJE_RGTy-JX8PE14q2i45N0/s320/IMG_4594.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Chisana River, AK</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In 1913 there was one more "flash in the pan" when gold was discovered in the Wrangell Mountains/Chisana River area. About 2000 stampeders came running only to be disappointed since just a few creeks had any gold. This was the last major<em> rush</em> of the gold rush era, and lasted just over a year.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5bciTGvD1U3NtTxivIKgs5pOkuiO-HjHmdleHpLRGg0cMrpQTCLjtaHvU5ANNQdpS-n-NqIb_TYH7We3n7TlQj2HMY0cNxAUvTQxzmqA7Yrdyb_-u9XxE74MoXpkKEr3Fy75YbZkc3s/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX5bciTGvD1U3NtTxivIKgs5pOkuiO-HjHmdleHpLRGg0cMrpQTCLjtaHvU5ANNQdpS-n-NqIb_TYH7We3n7TlQj2HMY0cNxAUvTQxzmqA7Yrdyb_-u9XxE74MoXpkKEr3Fy75YbZkc3s/s320/IMG_4596.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93gpv33bJnwNx4xNidedYz4OO88CgrwmDXz2cyBEETRazDXCp3RiZ_sRQtNhuYrUCCZAJR3IgjJaCpJ2veWc4t24VCSXpWjTJK_XR1ucYQryc_FHEPAIp6EiPq8cNh8GrrjQ3ln4ALA0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93gpv33bJnwNx4xNidedYz4OO88CgrwmDXz2cyBEETRazDXCp3RiZ_sRQtNhuYrUCCZAJR3IgjJaCpJ2veWc4t24VCSXpWjTJK_XR1ucYQryc_FHEPAIp6EiPq8cNh8GrrjQ3ln4ALA0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+004.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>"Braided" sections of the Chisana River</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many of the rivers here are glacial rivers that are grey or white in color because of the silt they carry. When the currants are slow they drop some of the glacial sediment, creating sandbars. The rivers sculpt the land as they meander. They carve out new channels and abandon the old ones, creating a braided look. This is always a work in progress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd9D28dCLQhh7W7xCMF2skwk3ua8KlUi9YdjRg49B9OA8HNTWaWm9kdfkP7ur65jGfFw643SJjmOb0c7txrO5Bx5-zAUD2Y3KVAp5LinZCob7SC0B9UNAhp-74GtW3q0ry5uevLnxb4Q/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNd9D28dCLQhh7W7xCMF2skwk3ua8KlUi9YdjRg49B9OA8HNTWaWm9kdfkP7ur65jGfFw643SJjmOb0c7txrO5Bx5-zAUD2Y3KVAp5LinZCob7SC0B9UNAhp-74GtW3q0ry5uevLnxb4Q/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">When the road climbed higher we had good views overlooking the Chisana River Valley. There were miles and miles of small lakes and muskeg (bogs). We passed the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge which stretches over 730,000 acres. It contains hundreds of small lakes and two glacial rivers, the Nabesna and the Chisana, which combine to form the Tanana River. I was interested in the fact that the Tanana River (pronounced TAN-ah-nah) flows 440 miles northwest to join with the Yukon River.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It was fun to think that we were travelling along the route flown by hundreds of thousands of birds. More than 115 bird species nest in this area, and some migrate from as far away as South America!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvs6s1e4ZFEFZ1KpXFM0-gHLzP57_qUYdEG2q8q4MogNX-Won-hQMBCAC6OIMHuI2sAkMof4Rac1d0g3KV56fnMPisklFLBGKu6_vqkyo3IaIQyvExvSJfGipNeSRN8Q80PFziBHvdaw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvs6s1e4ZFEFZ1KpXFM0-gHLzP57_qUYdEG2q8q4MogNX-Won-hQMBCAC6OIMHuI2sAkMof4Rac1d0g3KV56fnMPisklFLBGKu6_vqkyo3IaIQyvExvSJfGipNeSRN8Q80PFziBHvdaw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+174.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A Husky I met in Dyea..... he had hiked the Chilkoot Pass!</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We finally reached Tok, which like many other towns in Alaska had its beginnings as a construction camp on the Alcon Highway in 1942. It is the only town in Alaska that travelers must pass through twice, so it serves them coming and going. How it got its name, nobody really knows. One theory is that it was once called Toyko Construction Camp and the name was patriotically shortened to Tok. Another theory claims it was named after a husky pup. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Tok is known as the "Sled Dog Capital of Alaska" because so many of its residents are involved in some way with dogs and dog mushing. I learned that dog mushing is Alaska's official state sport. There is a well-known dog mushing trail in Tok which runs along the Alaska Highway for many miles so people can easily watch the races.The races start in November and extend until the end of March. I'd love to see one.... but who wants to be here in the winter? Tok set a record low of -71 degrees in January 1965, and that's enough to scare <em>me</em> off.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAOR9bN-2t2OqWBXi38zup7Pg82OCcwiU1xCX_gz4ZkPlly9cRgVXmOTtZ5MohmtR7j2_yV5gYSsITVAxrA7MFI3YMeyeZBz3R51w2x-EItf_an7Fqj5JPG9LMUfNl27XjfteGU7YyUY/s1600/Alaskan+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEAOR9bN-2t2OqWBXi38zup7Pg82OCcwiU1xCX_gz4ZkPlly9cRgVXmOTtZ5MohmtR7j2_yV5gYSsITVAxrA7MFI3YMeyeZBz3R51w2x-EItf_an7Fqj5JPG9LMUfNl27XjfteGU7YyUY/s320/Alaskan+036.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Mother Nature's Mixed Bouquet.... Snag Lake, YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There are many RV parks in town, and David and I checked out a few before selecting the Sourdough Campground because there we could get internet service. We both spent hours trying to get caught up on our Blogs. For a break we joined the other campers for a night of live entertainment. A local ensemble played old familiar country-western tunes and we were invited to sing along, which was fun. The group included an older woman clogging and playing the washboard, and a man stumming a wash bucket! The music was followed by a sourdough pancake toss. A free breakfast was awarded to anyone who could toss a pancake into the "buck-it". Both of us gave it a try... and both of us missed.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we decided to eat in the cafe' and try out their famous sourdough pancakes even though we did have pay for them. And pay we did. The cost was $12.00 each for a breakfast buffet of limp pancakes, canned fruit, reindeer sausage and biscuits and gravy. The saving grace was that the coffee was good. On our limited budget we did not like spending so much money for a mediocre meal. Next time we will check out the buffet <em>before</em> we pay.</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-4134219565351830082010-07-13T17:58:00.000-07:002010-07-13T17:58:56.053-07:00Haines Junction to the Alaskan Border.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2-a19kQqZqEDMcbdp61V1eMC9NczWMVoyfX1qXkM2kPI4b9nYolgTrRFd52GgkxxLmpC6kBzWPP-towaesOlltMzckwUak08AtFw3Ixc_mS1rqLS8cnfibW1omXn63-y6VsyhC873SE/s1600/IMG_4535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2-a19kQqZqEDMcbdp61V1eMC9NczWMVoyfX1qXkM2kPI4b9nYolgTrRFd52GgkxxLmpC6kBzWPP-towaesOlltMzckwUak08AtFw3Ixc_mS1rqLS8cnfibW1omXn63-y6VsyhC873SE/s320/IMG_4535.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgzkd6_OpURVRsrCdbQ7lRwRcN1nmZEHLzF0pI2HK1B2nKG70ZsREULZdN7tVUL6vM4F0zraSUzl1nxnp1J3o5D-mqOnL2bVqV-URP6_Lu7EBmJSCv6HChKJ6sRh9NMSU_kudmmtCAsU/s1600/IMG_4539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgzkd6_OpURVRsrCdbQ7lRwRcN1nmZEHLzF0pI2HK1B2nKG70ZsREULZdN7tVUL6vM4F0zraSUzl1nxnp1J3o5D-mqOnL2bVqV-URP6_Lu7EBmJSCv6HChKJ6sRh9NMSU_kudmmtCAsU/s320/IMG_4539.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We took the Alaska Highway out of Haines Junction, heading north. It was an overcast day, but we still got glimpses of the mountain peaks in the Kluane Range. Somewhere around Bear Creek Summit, 3,294 feet, we spotted two young black bears running out of the woods and we stopped and watched as they crossed the road behind us. They were very nonchalant as they strolled across the highway. They must know that the traffic will stop for them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SKC22LGcF6mQ66b7RCn4xrpj64Ix5ZDRsKlnIVgVs34h9RZWk_p9jDXid_wLjLAGOhQoDPyswGYEMRKlREAwNLXjY98dhCDGrNtVZMcZddiTqh7aO21gqhdcVBvzO1TQ114u2q9vlRE/s1600/IMG_4547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SKC22LGcF6mQ66b7RCn4xrpj64Ix5ZDRsKlnIVgVs34h9RZWk_p9jDXid_wLjLAGOhQoDPyswGYEMRKlREAwNLXjY98dhCDGrNtVZMcZddiTqh7aO21gqhdcVBvzO1TQ114u2q9vlRE/s320/IMG_4547.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Kluane Lake, YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The highway took us past many beautiful lakes and creeks and eventually we came to the viewpoint overlooking Kluane Lake's Horseshoe Bay, at the southern end of the lake. We drove along it's western shore for a long time. This is the largest lake in the Yukon Territory and covers approximately 154 square miles. For about half the distance along the lake we enjoyed new highway. Then, at Destruction Bay things changed and we started experiencing the infamous frost heaves of the Alaska Highway. You can read about it, and hear about it, but you have to drive it to believe it. It was tricky driving even at 20-30 mph!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGM8-eLLUz0O5odxyHqh9c2MQvErH368USmW3UGdqeXZRWgXLCNklatWe5uha3GWBGG7RkCLbyGicuX0eKD2b_AbVaP6bcP0pvp7kpcQxo_EiTFyHrPx6xL2RLUf77Yf2FZjNslalgfA/s1600/IMG_4555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKGM8-eLLUz0O5odxyHqh9c2MQvErH368USmW3UGdqeXZRWgXLCNklatWe5uha3GWBGG7RkCLbyGicuX0eKD2b_AbVaP6bcP0pvp7kpcQxo_EiTFyHrPx6xL2RLUf77Yf2FZjNslalgfA/s320/IMG_4555.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Lake Creek Yukon Government Campground</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After just so many miles, David had to get off the highway, so he turned into Lake Creek Campground. What a relief to stop and be still. That night the temperature dropped to the low 30's and we had to put on an extra blanket to keep warm. In the morning we were happy to have our dependable furnace. We turn it on and then crawl back under the covers until the RV warms up enough to get up and fix a cup of coffee. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFF-4rQoBkl7drSoMB3LBQlU_WYBoQSHY04JpEFVkLTSWkw7LHDO0woFCMTX0iWuIPI_EV7qE8i-5tfFv-rIUWeCVlcsdr-hEaj-xDyRRPhJKwa1nAat6VW4ErYOe4SGGYeuFg8DRKmc/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBFF-4rQoBkl7drSoMB3LBQlU_WYBoQSHY04JpEFVkLTSWkw7LHDO0woFCMTX0iWuIPI_EV7qE8i-5tfFv-rIUWeCVlcsdr-hEaj-xDyRRPhJKwa1nAat6VW4ErYOe4SGGYeuFg8DRKmc/s320/IMG_4560.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Pickhandle Lake, YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">That morning there was snow in the creek beds and a nip in the air, but the sun was up and we were ready to take on the highway again. About five minutes out of camp plans changed, and we stopped at Pickhandle Lake which is right beside the highway. <em>The Milepost </em>says that there is good fishing there, so David had to try his luck. The fish were jumping and he was tempted to put his Pack Canoe in the water. However, there were so many cars pulling in to look around and take photos that we decided to move on and hopefully find a more private lake. There were two trumpeter swans in the lake that would have been fun to paddle to... but.... next time maybe.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There were informative panals at Pickhandle Lake that explained that for thousands of years this lake was a trading place for several First Nations People. Trade networks linked people from the coast with people from the interior. Fish oil and European goods from the coast were traded for furs, birch bark and copper from the interior. It is hard to imagine how the first Nation People moved through this rugged land without a vehicle or even a road. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Elders say, "To survive we had to travel". So the Kluane and the White River people walked or snow-shoed, often using dogs to pack their goods before prospectors introduced horses in the 1890's. The Alaska Highway that we are travelling on was not cut through until the 1940's... so who am I to complain about the ruts and potholes?</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG1D9APnrB8l3amOMfZI3InKLsKsWhxEGN9MxE4ECyuVCSqmlXmCm-qkMHRjHMWGpKyxzUcS5a3mP7t1CH9fehZ7C3xupngx1xu0ufm7xC6cZYVmfRopepLFETEOVMjGtt_C9VIXxc0U/s1600/IMG_4587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyG1D9APnrB8l3amOMfZI3InKLsKsWhxEGN9MxE4ECyuVCSqmlXmCm-qkMHRjHMWGpKyxzUcS5a3mP7t1CH9fehZ7C3xupngx1xu0ufm7xC6cZYVmfRopepLFETEOVMjGtt_C9VIXxc0U/s320/IMG_4587.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The weather had changed, but the condition of the highway hadn't. The damaged roads were often marked by signs or orange flags, but not always. When the center line looked like ribbons fluttering in the wind and there were skid marks on the pavement, I knew to slow down! The driving was stressful, so we decided to made this another short day. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">This time we pulled in Snag Junction Yukon government campground. Snag is now an abandoned airfield and Indian village, whose claim to fame is the lowest recorded temperature in Canada, -81.4 on February 3, 1947! For us, Snag Junction was a much needed break from driving. We found a campsite right next to Snag Lake, and settled in.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mVrdsxsi5F4_P73m4L2vgJGQswr8wgEfotODaDN6_-AMvcahWg0q64EqLJwUVTEGMWc2gIKnMH8rmxU0QCOu4rHjBAibytscn2ovQZ3ctB2ENVOCq3rR1m8hk4KrddmU9xCI1uytHqk/s1600/IMG_4577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mVrdsxsi5F4_P73m4L2vgJGQswr8wgEfotODaDN6_-AMvcahWg0q64EqLJwUVTEGMWc2gIKnMH8rmxU0QCOu4rHjBAibytscn2ovQZ3ctB2ENVOCq3rR1m8hk4KrddmU9xCI1uytHqk/s320/IMG_4577.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There is nothing quite as relaxing as a quiet paddle on a small lake. David and I slowly paddled all along the shore line and were rewarded by two trumpter swans flying right over our heads. We let the evening enfold us and wash away the stress of the highway.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz5wCEwolyWXHjYMGF0ojaK58Fu6vcZsGOPngY_6aCRhQZB-urXkZY624A8UKfg9ntqI2kX_ZwHNFQr0VwRUcqF7uZAkd7ojXtvJzSDRQ3kXgx8A5BOfxSEqQcW5owz55OhTlfLnOMe8/s1600/IMG_4571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTz5wCEwolyWXHjYMGF0ojaK58Fu6vcZsGOPngY_6aCRhQZB-urXkZY624A8UKfg9ntqI2kX_ZwHNFQr0VwRUcqF7uZAkd7ojXtvJzSDRQ3kXgx8A5BOfxSEqQcW5owz55OhTlfLnOMe8/s320/IMG_4571.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Snag Lake, YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The next morning we were elated to see signs for the Alaska border crossing. When we got there we were the 7th vehicle in a slow moving line for customs, but that was OK. The guy in front of us, driving the old school bus, shared his humor with us.... and we couldn't help but smile.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eOzBWhs5P4s58FWBNLgCmyue-1clFOjNf0WDlNJowHIunfDXCGoOTxnVlXxxItcA9ymDHPYTmxzmS1veGNwz9-BHCz7q63d0eaNwGhxDAJWlt7vPnBo9egFLqXwAsoJP40g1lZ9BpDA/s1600/IMG_4591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eOzBWhs5P4s58FWBNLgCmyue-1clFOjNf0WDlNJowHIunfDXCGoOTxnVlXxxItcA9ymDHPYTmxzmS1veGNwz9-BHCz7q63d0eaNwGhxDAJWlt7vPnBo9egFLqXwAsoJP40g1lZ9BpDA/s320/IMG_4591.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Alaska again..... and this time we were ready for her, or we thought we were.</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-3122369914727899642010-07-13T15:49:00.000-07:002010-07-13T15:49:57.256-07:00The Haines Highway - A National Scenic Byway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWN-PlsBVAQQs4LIWNR376wAJf_76fGExtxHcLoT5uoJEbz9WyIC3GBLylpD1sDFYZ6BrZPqmoaRUp57iFtIdJ8VT_i3IN3-0WuwOibFaEfUxn5Kg7AJslG5gpbnFH-2o9aG52Bu8OEc/s1600/IMG_4852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWN-PlsBVAQQs4LIWNR376wAJf_76fGExtxHcLoT5uoJEbz9WyIC3GBLylpD1sDFYZ6BrZPqmoaRUp57iFtIdJ8VT_i3IN3-0WuwOibFaEfUxn5Kg7AJslG5gpbnFH-2o9aG52Bu8OEc/s320/IMG_4852.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Forget-Me-Nots ... Alaska's State Flower</em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Haines Highway connects Haines with Haines Junction and the Alaska Highway. It is a 146-mile highway that starts in Alaska, goes through British Columbia and ends up in the Yukon! The highway skirts mountain ranges all along the way, as you pass the Takhinsha Mountains (AK), the Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Provincial Park (BC) and the Kluane National Park Reserve (YT).<em> </em>There are breathtaking views of glaciated mountains as well as a variety of scenery from coastal forests to alpine tundra.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>The Milepost</em> explains that "part of what is now the Haines Highway was originally a "grease trail" used by coastal Chilkat Indians trading eulachon oil (from Hooligan fish) for furs from the interior. In the late 1880's the old trading route became a packhorse trail leading to the Klondike gold fields. The present road was built in 1943 as a military access highway during WWII."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrK7Y4u1al0rivAnZ9GV3CPjQTI9DW6tkedBIW1lJQ52sSuAU0WcKAwChZnOzl4PNKANx3ru-EVWxx6Y93L7scXuTtQWY6Fxph_EiOrr4cwIL6e3AJ6DbtvpbpnMSu8lSFAcqxqB4PII/s1600/IMG_4551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWrK7Y4u1al0rivAnZ9GV3CPjQTI9DW6tkedBIW1lJQ52sSuAU0WcKAwChZnOzl4PNKANx3ru-EVWxx6Y93L7scXuTtQWY6Fxph_EiOrr4cwIL6e3AJ6DbtvpbpnMSu8lSFAcqxqB4PII/s320/IMG_4551.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From Haines we drove north along the Chilkat and Klehini Rivers. As we drove we saw two fish wheels on the river. They looked like wire water wheels to me, as they scooped up the fish and dropped them into the boat as the wheels turned. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The highway started climbing as we entered British Columbia and skirted the Tatshenshinhi-Alsek Wilderness Provincial Park. Along that stretch we saw pairs of trumpeter swans in many of the small lakes, and even spotted one pair nesting on top of a beaver lodge, as they often do.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">And finally, we got a look at a grizzly bear. The bear was on David's side of the car, so he got better pictures, but just <em>seeing</em> the bear was a thrill.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48IZI-iFNJGOdZXh0ZkMq6aLy_ejE2wN_bM02f2pj9lQfNpkuo8dHGbnF-4NZ69f_7M18rTy5MqbSj9g4zLSthamC5GIJZvLVPYtyMfeuTkUIHZ4bc5mZ_thzHXfDE3CcG-TPioW1ca0/s1600/IMG_4481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48IZI-iFNJGOdZXh0ZkMq6aLy_ejE2wN_bM02f2pj9lQfNpkuo8dHGbnF-4NZ69f_7M18rTy5MqbSj9g4zLSthamC5GIJZvLVPYtyMfeuTkUIHZ4bc5mZ_thzHXfDE3CcG-TPioW1ca0/s320/IMG_4481.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Three Guardsmen Mountain - 6,3000 ft.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">As the road climbed higher we passed the Three Guardsmen Mountain. There was cloud cover, but the peaks were still impressive. Higher still, we went over the Chilkat Pass at 3,510 feet and then meandered through a wide alpine valley. There was ice on the small ponds, and the snow covered peaks looked like giant frozen waves.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlNPh6senzw58YvnA4XNKLrRwwx2CL9CkclNUBZFpnJGYl_-oc_eANphXJ7lSYlwlO16GPvEbJBPXSHsiUAB2-bV9xEwp8Z6hY4kmDvdbHNKXocmgTomzMmXmOLneIoerVyiON-x8MPk/s1600/IMG_4483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlNPh6senzw58YvnA4XNKLrRwwx2CL9CkclNUBZFpnJGYl_-oc_eANphXJ7lSYlwlO16GPvEbJBPXSHsiUAB2-bV9xEwp8Z6hY4kmDvdbHNKXocmgTomzMmXmOLneIoerVyiON-x8MPk/s320/IMG_4483.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In <em>The Milepost </em>I read that "The Chilkat Pass was one of the few mountain passes offering access into the Yukon from the coast. The Chilkat and the Chilkoot Passes were tenaciously guarded by Tlingit Indians. These southern Yukon Indians did not want their lucrative fur-trading business with the coastal Indians and the Russians jeopardized by white strangers. However, the gold rush of 1898 brought thousands of white people inland and finally opened the Chilkat Pass, forever altering the lifestyle of the Interior Natives."</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAQSavpYuzTQCCb3CuHNIElOyS3BFoVUI13EB4GkqnxeypMuKn0XvlK9G3xJwOV6ezP9btxJbCUNsw_pwmOAE5xOP9cTiT-T-P5TV_Bwr864CCSoqf1uwdhhQdYwQIcHIJ5mrJ6RV5HY/s1600/IMG_4490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZAQSavpYuzTQCCb3CuHNIElOyS3BFoVUI13EB4GkqnxeypMuKn0XvlK9G3xJwOV6ezP9btxJbCUNsw_pwmOAE5xOP9cTiT-T-P5TV_Bwr864CCSoqf1uwdhhQdYwQIcHIJ5mrJ6RV5HY/s320/IMG_4490.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9poGGx3HofoLBcnJ931QWjCD5KUBGHwm94K99sonI_L_ecziTo631FGUZDdtuO7j4aJLNtZWDYWwAGBuDg8wkLwn66CujYuo2AhTjT6IivQmSAZPy-Yw38AIJmaVMhezevesOHpHVwc/s1600/IMG_4491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9poGGx3HofoLBcnJ931QWjCD5KUBGHwm94K99sonI_L_ecziTo631FGUZDdtuO7j4aJLNtZWDYWwAGBuDg8wkLwn66CujYuo2AhTjT6IivQmSAZPy-Yw38AIJmaVMhezevesOHpHVwc/s320/IMG_4491.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We pulled over in a rest area for lunch. We were surrounded by tundra and had to wonder where all the caribou were! It looked like caribou and reindeer country to us. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From there the highway descended toward Haines Junction, following the course of the Tatshenshini River. We passed into the Yukon Territory before we stopped for the night at the Million Dollar Falls Yukon Government Campground. There were 34 sites there, but only one other was taken. Many people drove in to view the falls, but they did not stay. A boardwalk trail and viewing platforms allow you to look down on the Takhanne River. This is another good fishing river, but it was too high and fast to tempt David.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjDKlNNlzZAUwnJBRDRs-V-CdrehivIT7s17FDCFeTPNlEjFamisa3ca6n0iJYZ97L5MbEhep5sRLyOJVbyVndmEza_W0bQ44s9zpUlqNMrdKNG1Z-YC1X6x7vG6qehoWrpioyp7zacA/s1600/IMG_4508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjDKlNNlzZAUwnJBRDRs-V-CdrehivIT7s17FDCFeTPNlEjFamisa3ca6n0iJYZ97L5MbEhep5sRLyOJVbyVndmEza_W0bQ44s9zpUlqNMrdKNG1Z-YC1X6x7vG6qehoWrpioyp7zacA/s320/IMG_4508.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Pacc3i9ECwMHnY3ckAI9hufck3nZG8zT1bKfOEJYHkpdmjNEKZBTrHtHtlmjiT5IxwOIRvaF9sz1jcPxvrvnl8fVhRfyjbQ1H8Uvpip9kPtIHqJhRq-7k84-Sk5ZH3SLwqahbfw-6k/s1600/IMG_4511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Pacc3i9ECwMHnY3ckAI9hufck3nZG8zT1bKfOEJYHkpdmjNEKZBTrHtHtlmjiT5IxwOIRvaF9sz1jcPxvrvnl8fVhRfyjbQ1H8Uvpip9kPtIHqJhRq-7k84-Sk5ZH3SLwqahbfw-6k/s320/IMG_4511.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Million Dollar Falls, on the Takhanne River, YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Just two miles beyond our campground we stopped at a large rest area to get photos of our first look at the Kluane Range ( pronounced kloo-WA-nee). This range of mountains parallels the highway from here to Haines Junction, giving us a nearly unbroken chain of mountains. The mountains are up to 8,000 feet tall and interrupted only by a few large valleys cut by glacier-fed streams. The mountains' snowy tops were brilliant white against the blue sky.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WPQ7PnThYSw6-uQwvqVSo2DRk8vAkno7MsLsdxDqiXrZMNcg3gORvfcYyqg3e7YQs_VKM5KA3NMuPPf2_zajrAT2JUNMf1KiE5_qmyqjBkzSrKeJnfdmLEwWCj4EtwmnWzviBVoWUJI/s1600/IMG_4529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WPQ7PnThYSw6-uQwvqVSo2DRk8vAkno7MsLsdxDqiXrZMNcg3gORvfcYyqg3e7YQs_VKM5KA3NMuPPf2_zajrAT2JUNMf1KiE5_qmyqjBkzSrKeJnfdmLEwWCj4EtwmnWzviBVoWUJI/s320/IMG_4529.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>The Kluane Mountain Range in the YT</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">From there, the trip was one continual feast for the eyes. The clouds and the sun seemed to take turns enveloping the mountain tops and giving us one of Mother Nature's best light shows. It is no wonder that these 146 miles have been designated a National Scenic Byway. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking back, neither David nor I have much recollection of the village of Haines Junction. We remember it as the junction with the Alaska Highway and where we filled up the gas tank. This town was established in 1942 during the construction of the Alaska Highway, and now basically offers services to travellers. My impression was of a town sprawling out around the junction, and briefly obscuring the majestic views into Kluane National Park.... or perhaps briefly obscuring my<em> awareness</em> of the majestic views...</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">It is amazing how quickly our so-called civilization can blot out the beauty of the natural world.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-78096240972994639112010-07-10T15:44:00.000-07:002010-07-10T15:44:02.579-07:00Haines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sjji9X_87-YMk-Zs9CZRrIb2ylziZwfM4CRJgF8qh6apxC811MsnmAuPw_Zt8j0Bp6byfxBVSgvTMIcHBRtc3u_lS72dkPip3iEIfAmaCKvPgFjhyUTZF9oiVJoBw2hXybMmP83RNuk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sjji9X_87-YMk-Zs9CZRrIb2ylziZwfM4CRJgF8qh6apxC811MsnmAuPw_Zt8j0Bp6byfxBVSgvTMIcHBRtc3u_lS72dkPip3iEIfAmaCKvPgFjhyUTZF9oiVJoBw2hXybMmP83RNuk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+183.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We arrived in Skagway on the same day that three cruise ships docked, so we decided to skip this "tourist town" and catch the earliest Alaska Marine Highway ferry over to Haines. Haines is only 15 miles from Skagway by water, but it is 359 miles by road! Gas was costing about $3.50 per gallon, so we decided that the ferry fare of $151.00 for both of us and the RV was a good deal. </div> <br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6-tnKR1nxhkKp9dKsxosD0Y_2biqNMoNCMwaCi_ZJ1iB7RpGDmcPvTx2VZPtMPCNVRdHcYlQV8k9f7dvx3EAQBUtd7KGmEjfoKn_T_Hn-HAwL1undmAlvFwOYyHF6aUiES5SswpfC3k/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE6-tnKR1nxhkKp9dKsxosD0Y_2biqNMoNCMwaCi_ZJ1iB7RpGDmcPvTx2VZPtMPCNVRdHcYlQV8k9f7dvx3EAQBUtd7KGmEjfoKn_T_Hn-HAwL1undmAlvFwOYyHF6aUiES5SswpfC3k/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+184.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our Lazy Daze group had planned to stay at The Oceanview RV Park so we pulled in there, and when we found out they were full we bartered for spot where we could dry camp. We ended up perched on the back of the parking lot, on the very edge of Portage Cove. It felt a little precarious, but the view was to die for so we stayed.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllBQVQxgE7RKfEl_gUIhcYRnfzFwVWeh3QRjsOhmdljiWt6UQ4JcCaaCmS8GaaYgyChUFkUc-OBWymGs9A89Xhzvq6IMOSthH9Tn_i63bxuXXeZkRL1udTznUQgWPMby8S-x-DnehPzs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllBQVQxgE7RKfEl_gUIhcYRnfzFwVWeh3QRjsOhmdljiWt6UQ4JcCaaCmS8GaaYgyChUFkUc-OBWymGs9A89Xhzvq6IMOSthH9Tn_i63bxuXXeZkRL1udTznUQgWPMby8S-x-DnehPzs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+185.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The days we were in Haines were overcast and rainy but we stayed because we had good internet connections for the first time in nearly two weeks. We took the opportunity to hunker down in the RV and catch up on our e-mails and our Blogs. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOolzp585-NmfdNioewT8DqM_8T5b7po5wAabAKqXy2P8mitOxBz3xzmlVjx-pEQOXlbN7siMVsyfK8Z36vghZM3YCz5Lz1ruFih0RR-WF35hRwrNYGoYJakgeRZweW3kob0u3yqZ5Isc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOolzp585-NmfdNioewT8DqM_8T5b7po5wAabAKqXy2P8mitOxBz3xzmlVjx-pEQOXlbN7siMVsyfK8Z36vghZM3YCz5Lz1ruFih0RR-WF35hRwrNYGoYJakgeRZweW3kob0u3yqZ5Isc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+003.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Nmuni3g8X_Okeg_111-VdDXaEgmkR-XO2p_JqTT3YZkDDwUha0L6xVmwHIp8VtGMKadVhYuGjm4deaSxa59I-Mdy3Im4y18c756MbiqK3a-gUSVKNCP_YMz20bARIPzZpviwrio10Nk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Nmuni3g8X_Okeg_111-VdDXaEgmkR-XO2p_JqTT3YZkDDwUha0L6xVmwHIp8VtGMKadVhYuGjm4deaSxa59I-Mdy3Im4y18c756MbiqK3a-gUSVKNCP_YMz20bARIPzZpviwrio10Nk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We went for walks into town for exercise and to get the feel of this laid back community. The first day we were amazed to see people wearing tank tops in the 52 degree weather. I guess if it is June, you figure it must be summer. I was also impressed by the bright flowers planted throughout the town and the vibrant hanging baskets.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOyJ1xHPGTBifTRyxvZZ0VOT3VDtm-DlpZAvtdNj5Uh1Eza8Duh6jyb5SJLdKgD8k2l95VYj5RIjOX1ViURldGpdwu8rDC2GwnCwsJojDspRfhsTG3j_yEM7FiErYpG0nX-uUKLaknVo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWOyJ1xHPGTBifTRyxvZZ0VOT3VDtm-DlpZAvtdNj5Uh1Eza8Duh6jyb5SJLdKgD8k2l95VYj5RIjOX1ViURldGpdwu8rDC2GwnCwsJojDspRfhsTG3j_yEM7FiErYpG0nX-uUKLaknVo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+016.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">One day we stopped by the Chilkat Bakery for some hot coffee and a treat, and discovered that the business was owned by a Thai woman who came here from Portland, Oregon. Small world!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjls9PkzbNwkt6xBqVRwE2XlYbGA7QjselMYJf7w4aYhIGO9cEofUe8BPqaczXAXBIDcRnskgOz2oXrVAYeSZwnBebb6aT9c1oqjK9P7ePF7wc-CrPCL2mBDgTSpsrhCamw7GP-JjiPGMk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjls9PkzbNwkt6xBqVRwE2XlYbGA7QjselMYJf7w4aYhIGO9cEofUe8BPqaczXAXBIDcRnskgOz2oXrVAYeSZwnBebb6aT9c1oqjK9P7ePF7wc-CrPCL2mBDgTSpsrhCamw7GP-JjiPGMk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+012.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><em>The Milepost</em> explained that the original Indian name for Haines was <em>Die-Shu, </em>meaning "end of the trail". The name refers to where Chilkat and Chilkoot Indians met and traded with Russian and American ships here, at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. Fishing and gold mining were the initial industries of the early settlers, and now Haines is the gateway to the Alaska Highway for inside passage travellers, and caters to tourists passing through.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the big attractions is The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, just north of Homer. From mid-October through December, 3,500 bald eagles gather there for the late run of salmon. In 1982 a 48,000 acre preserve was established to protect this habitat. Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time of year to see that. However, we pulled out at one of the many wayside areas to look at the Chilkat River and check with our binoculars just in case there was an "early bird" around.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri9RNl_-JJAVha5SHoEzqdD8Zu4HXOlDSa2ay4Fc6hjNQhId5vty3OkjrROilhn1vUO861zamRb14ciP1hvrr8f-MZvb3Wu1XxLO4HnNTgPPckgk9qFVkMGodG6DWy22M3-B6HgKhV8Y/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri9RNl_-JJAVha5SHoEzqdD8Zu4HXOlDSa2ay4Fc6hjNQhId5vty3OkjrROilhn1vUO861zamRb14ciP1hvrr8f-MZvb3Wu1XxLO4HnNTgPPckgk9qFVkMGodG6DWy22M3-B6HgKhV8Y/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+018.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In some places, like Whitehorse and Dyea, I had wanted to get right in the middle of them and <em>feel</em> them. Looking back I realize that I just floated through Haines without really being touched by it. Maybe the weather had something to do with it, or maybe I was just ready for some down-time. </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-78596296428529166882010-07-10T14:38:00.000-07:002010-07-10T14:38:01.951-07:00Dyea, a Disappearing Town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojMMV85H43QxW53Ge-fPWi9l4KyO-zKkJWdyRPvFFBYmBYOl86-VeLbvs2K1-5nXY-nqXn3Mhnl8tFSdqCOulDG29m87ZYMQeK7-BoZUZTrev6QAy9_M05rDRzy5nCB80mOyveZAIXn8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiojMMV85H43QxW53Ge-fPWi9l4KyO-zKkJWdyRPvFFBYmBYOl86-VeLbvs2K1-5nXY-nqXn3Mhnl8tFSdqCOulDG29m87ZYMQeK7-BoZUZTrev6QAy9_M05rDRzy5nCB80mOyveZAIXn8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+166.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we stopped and camped in Dyea, (pronounced dye-EE) I finally started getting a grasp of the craziness of the gold rush era. Gold was first discovered in California in 1849. Then the shout went out from Alaska. That started the Klondike gold rush of 1897-1898 and captured the imagination of the world. People from all over travelled to Alaska and scrambled however they could to be one of the lucky ones to get there fast and stake their claim. The Park Rangers at Dyea told us that less than 1% of the miners struck it rich. The people who profitted were those who sold the supplies and services to the miners. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em></em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4ff6PBe3R63Ose8ZLPZoigipgOLTcJSrwgNnNF5CsjEy9jK00wo4cTGqAsh9YRGzw68vOiskaYaV87WF8s5nj09F2twN8MtWFjIDn4k9x6ClsSZdQ876d5NjbgsuSQlRa1X_3O0sASA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4ff6PBe3R63Ose8ZLPZoigipgOLTcJSrwgNnNF5CsjEy9jK00wo4cTGqAsh9YRGzw68vOiskaYaV87WF8s5nj09F2twN8MtWFjIDn4k9x6ClsSZdQ876d5NjbgsuSQlRa1X_3O0sASA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+043.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A mural in Whitehorse</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Chilkoot Trail was the shortest and the best known route to the Klondike. There is a photograph of an endless line of stampeders struggling over the Chilkoot Pass in the dead of winter in 1897-98. That image represents the powerful drive of the dream of finding gold and getting rich. Some prospectors travelled up the Fraser Valley, others took ships right into the Taiya Inlet at Skaway and from there they hiked the Chilkoot Pass over to Lake Bennett and routes north.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MBtEVDhSbSybF4Qt_S0iJh2-OytLehyphenhyphenP89yTNIY2WMdm53jlikgG5ZTHmAXG4anulO9mg1Qfp9mWr3eBFZ2CnDm_HO14TtBHjArT_c5Zj8n8ziL8O7PtSgNEwtUAT075xGBUcOWjge4/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MBtEVDhSbSybF4Qt_S0iJh2-OytLehyphenhyphenP89yTNIY2WMdm53jlikgG5ZTHmAXG4anulO9mg1Qfp9mWr3eBFZ2CnDm_HO14TtBHjArT_c5Zj8n8ziL8O7PtSgNEwtUAT075xGBUcOWjge4/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+026.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>A mural from the MacBride Museum in Whitehorse</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In 1897 Dyea, the small settlement of native packers and a trading post, suddenly became a city. It was the gateway to the Chilkoot Pass that gave prospectors a shortcut to the Klondike gold fields. Tents and shacks, outfitting stores, restaurants, hotels and saloons crowded the river plain. At one point over 150 businesses offered services to the stampeders. By the spring of 1898 Dyea's population had swelled to a transient population of as many as 10,000. Dyea made the national headlines!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJDGhXOFUKWwrTXXxzxhLVjxUJEXr38XSAh1HnhYMZKN_HDiQFFZKXtu-vhhQh7pkpZEOZloF4vBO-KN9vkfAE-0XE6J-9nN0QnZLeIBm5mjIDVwNdPPF-N9oKbrJqvrwmkQToxQMmFY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJDGhXOFUKWwrTXXxzxhLVjxUJEXr38XSAh1HnhYMZKN_HDiQFFZKXtu-vhhQh7pkpZEOZloF4vBO-KN9vkfAE-0XE6J-9nN0QnZLeIBm5mjIDVwNdPPF-N9oKbrJqvrwmkQToxQMmFY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+158.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Common Horsetails</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it is hard to even imagine there ever was a town here, along the tidal flats of Taiya Inlet. From the road driving into the campsite we could see a few rows of rotting wharf pilings. There is a small graveyard called "Slide Cemetery" which holds the bodies of 70 men killed in a snow avalanche on the Chilkoot Pass, and there are a few remains of buildings and depressions in the ground that indicate where the town once stood. One of the kiosks along the walking tour notes the "Dyea's growth and demise was abrupt as the gold rush itself. When the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway opened in 1898, that linked Skagway and Lake Bennett, Dyea began to fade. Most of the buildings were torn down and the lumber was hauled away."</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bqVZgHTm_YarteED6CTFA-QkvVvU1vBPa87smlgJUQJi9wm90qiKauOsIoirCavY8B37mD_PzecD9u8ZCfUjNH0shY2RDWcYcEKnSmzdyp002DM13x7iojFZNPfF0mHbspY9LWVWdL8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bqVZgHTm_YarteED6CTFA-QkvVvU1vBPa87smlgJUQJi9wm90qiKauOsIoirCavY8B37mD_PzecD9u8ZCfUjNH0shY2RDWcYcEKnSmzdyp002DM13x7iojFZNPfF0mHbspY9LWVWdL8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+109.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Today only the trail over Chilkoot Pass remains basically as it was. I was touched by the vibrant history of Dyea, and could almost feel the frantic energy of the gold rush days. David and I decided to hike the first part of the trail just to experience how it may have felt. Of course we were doing it on a sunny day in June and not in the middle of winter, but we still got to walk the trail and let our imaginations fly.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41ISCeE_y24GO5K2zzwNMufpgc2_HDEiyYQcltKGlr2j3WPA9bXMIMIr0eQFQoQpH9yfdUUMtYYJAJmizeB2VfwLDH4lmebRZ3pryrQjJAhH4ETaft3be5Cw0n9vT3GKFyN7gDdqjkkE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41ISCeE_y24GO5K2zzwNMufpgc2_HDEiyYQcltKGlr2j3WPA9bXMIMIr0eQFQoQpH9yfdUUMtYYJAJmizeB2VfwLDH4lmebRZ3pryrQjJAhH4ETaft3be5Cw0n9vT3GKFyN7gDdqjkkE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+111.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The trail is very steep at the beginning. This section is known as "Saintly Hill" because anyone who can climb it without swearing would be considered a saint.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OevMJEQ4wpWeuGu_4SmyKYFGp1jfFuvW7yZ1bgR0tsnUFh3TIGgJAqDXXIXXlhHZX_7zuZLOz5gWor_BfthtvHJzvRYewthCtoaa637SsVJ2OZsm4g65U0UHVBFdCrAWcFcTzdv5jUw/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9OevMJEQ4wpWeuGu_4SmyKYFGp1jfFuvW7yZ1bgR0tsnUFh3TIGgJAqDXXIXXlhHZX_7zuZLOz5gWor_BfthtvHJzvRYewthCtoaa637SsVJ2OZsm4g65U0UHVBFdCrAWcFcTzdv5jUw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+160.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">After the initial part, the trail got easier, and sometimes almost felt like a walk in the park.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA4egCtHCHmlRpqFCGpz5qkPsXrk8JYZpOlIPADM68a9Zk_4l-555_J1qOJnqNAH76qvfO5vI2GSGgjbxFn8bgg6Sg9VZoWi-r2PQ2gS8EuoamLBgX5-uVZbUkyKXXfEnywlF6lmin10/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJA4egCtHCHmlRpqFCGpz5qkPsXrk8JYZpOlIPADM68a9Zk_4l-555_J1qOJnqNAH76qvfO5vI2GSGgjbxFn8bgg6Sg9VZoWi-r2PQ2gS8EuoamLBgX5-uVZbUkyKXXfEnywlF6lmin10/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+145.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">There was one long section of boardwalk that crossed many beaver ponds.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4cCmAuH_kxqaKG0MEKDDAbYVW4UMb5VgGaNYkUpWio0kz2Gg_73ubc0jkEKKG1fRGXhoBOkE6z0l4oPiCWpF6qGz2uy7706ND115VxDRLM9KlwIHJhZY6QhiFOzrHnLX4hAtC0cG7XU/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju4cCmAuH_kxqaKG0MEKDDAbYVW4UMb5VgGaNYkUpWio0kz2Gg_73ubc0jkEKKG1fRGXhoBOkE6z0l4oPiCWpF6qGz2uy7706ND115VxDRLM9KlwIHJhZY6QhiFOzrHnLX4hAtC0cG7XU/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+147.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATfKu1CX-ycD_T_XBnB0DyNs3JNrJ64I22Gjbs0DA-8YL5AUp_nUpF0JM6r9xTZXt9btWeGF_x1DN_xVijZUGJ7xOmhKWiCA2dVqcs-vWuI9IK2zOuL8MaBiVhhIzbGqtSUwPzn048qE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiATfKu1CX-ycD_T_XBnB0DyNs3JNrJ64I22Gjbs0DA-8YL5AUp_nUpF0JM6r9xTZXt9btWeGF_x1DN_xVijZUGJ7xOmhKWiCA2dVqcs-vWuI9IK2zOuL8MaBiVhhIzbGqtSUwPzn048qE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+153.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After that we began seeing bits of trash along the trail that were left behind by the prospectors. I couldn't help but wonder how the men made the climb in the middle of the winter. By law the would-be-miners had to carry in one ton of supplies to prevent their starvation once they got to the Yukon. That meant that they had to hike the Chilkoot Pass up to twenty times before they could push on.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2asVZ3Eo2VO0P8fj0-d9kkKn54ZOAuB7fz2tC-6JQV8zR_cgX9CO6hmXh17Zt3SM3ZSM8szUMVNK9DLXdWv3_lD4lTfT_juPnGvYnVva9CZh8dmjrvia2i71zyb9JRqDrXjyUfm8Ih8/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ2asVZ3Eo2VO0P8fj0-d9kkKn54ZOAuB7fz2tC-6JQV8zR_cgX9CO6hmXh17Zt3SM3ZSM8szUMVNK9DLXdWv3_lD4lTfT_juPnGvYnVva9CZh8dmjrvia2i71zyb9JRqDrXjyUfm8Ih8/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+171.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David and I put in a long day of hiking and never even reached the first established camp at Finnigan's Landing. However, we had great fun. And, you can bet I was one happy camper to finally get back to the RV!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7yXKxbbCZ9PT24siZwO8VDHlFim48uQyGPURnx_LjCTP72dN2ukSveiYIs7v225W5iR8A_zDQPDaw4r83180MKiwSA0EV8LKv2CvSzrpvBWjv06BYGyhcSgGtB-_UZRCRZqOtzmAVng/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF7yXKxbbCZ9PT24siZwO8VDHlFim48uQyGPURnx_LjCTP72dN2ukSveiYIs7v225W5iR8A_zDQPDaw4r83180MKiwSA0EV8LKv2CvSzrpvBWjv06BYGyhcSgGtB-_UZRCRZqOtzmAVng/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+098.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><em>Dwarf Dogwood, Bunchberry</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">By 1903, less than five years later, the population of Dyea had fallen to only three people. Since the rush, nature has reclaimed the land and since 1978 the Chilkoot Trail and the Dyea Townsite have been designated a National Historic Landmark to ensure that this area is preserved for future generations.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">There is not much to "see" in Dyea, but what I "felt" is difficult to put into words. I hold the knowledge of the frantic energy and futile struggles of thousands of men on one hand, and how this discovery of gold was such an invasion of the traditional territory of an indigenous population on the other. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">And now, Mother Nature has reclaimed it all. </div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-64267508392213729422010-07-08T19:56:00.000-07:002010-07-08T19:56:27.230-07:00South on the Klondike Highway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdWNOSVqG0E6mbqtpXI8xG31yCxvI6yZoPML1XG9U31-JFyvQ1S6ErGy51mNwfS5eonfnFtD381Mz_Q2mpsJ2oXNtrSx34x_ulDYuA_-j57bBQx2GUGgvNpv9A_y6E6vrVjBme12sYPA/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdWNOSVqG0E6mbqtpXI8xG31yCxvI6yZoPML1XG9U31-JFyvQ1S6ErGy51mNwfS5eonfnFtD381Mz_Q2mpsJ2oXNtrSx34x_ulDYuA_-j57bBQx2GUGgvNpv9A_y6E6vrVjBme12sYPA/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+008.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">From Whitehorse we took the Klondike Highway south toward Skagway. We stopped at a rest area overlooking Emerald Lake. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL2ojmXY8B-GahN1oyG7vdHdE31_mH8hTxMlmfy0LizezhML0dMPdHhH0k1TPlgFaq5_XcqxBjue3JKjEQL-_WaIa-TSUj5ZVkRgjPILKFhZFxIg9fthpOR5II83kXDl9hdVWSV1-4Gk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjL2ojmXY8B-GahN1oyG7vdHdE31_mH8hTxMlmfy0LizezhML0dMPdHhH0k1TPlgFaq5_XcqxBjue3JKjEQL-_WaIa-TSUj5ZVkRgjPILKFhZFxIg9fthpOR5II83kXDl9hdVWSV1-4Gk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+058.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the mountains surrounding the lake are made up of limestone which was created by reef building corals growing in a warm sea 150-200 million years ago. The calcium carbonate in the limestone reacts with the carbon in the water, and over the years it has produced <em>marl</em> which is like white clay that settles on the bottom of the lake. When the sun reflects off the marl it makes the water look emerald in color. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Over the years as the water level gradually rose, the coral built upon itself, growing toward the light and thus creating high mountains of limestone. As I sood at the information kiosk and tried to fathom 200 million years, and accept that there was once coral growing in a warm sea right where I was standing, I was in awe.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rvWoOwa9D4kS4kJdlhdGORRlLRVjLW2uLgmx7yWG03SKO3lcM_SmSwX6eZOJ4pUXCAoJ0V-Pb8XGoD91Nr_6f19Tj7RAAA4o55RvtPirSNIsKH1GAkM_Laztm-XMNEvqEVoGWBerURY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rvWoOwa9D4kS4kJdlhdGORRlLRVjLW2uLgmx7yWG03SKO3lcM_SmSwX6eZOJ4pUXCAoJ0V-Pb8XGoD91Nr_6f19Tj7RAAA4o55RvtPirSNIsKH1GAkM_Laztm-XMNEvqEVoGWBerURY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+063.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The sounds of a bus lured me away from my deep thoughts. Not one but<strong> six </strong>tour buses arrived while we were standing there. These were excursion buses bringing people from cruise ships anchored in Skagway. Very few people took the time to read about what they were photographing. In five minutes they were loaded back on the buses and were gone. Thank heavens we have the luxury of time.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZNpZxFjy6R-onpVXEVQI8LaEDqd8XxFfbJD-syXo05hbUnUbeHpNRrOwt517iez6A0GaUdxz1fglF2fV6Q3mv4zlrbnY_1r7W0UEjOHpkO-uz55-c4kJeC62KK8TQvQZM66E9Rp46To/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaZNpZxFjy6R-onpVXEVQI8LaEDqd8XxFfbJD-syXo05hbUnUbeHpNRrOwt517iez6A0GaUdxz1fglF2fV6Q3mv4zlrbnY_1r7W0UEjOHpkO-uz55-c4kJeC62KK8TQvQZM66E9Rp46To/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+061.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">While I was taking it all in, I started talking to a woman standing next to a pickup truck. Come to find out, she and her husband were the camp hosts at Dyea Campground (pronounced dye-E), at the trailhead to the Chilkoot Pass. I had been thinking about camping at Dyea and wanting to see the famous Chilkoot Trail, but David was reluctant to go there because it meant driving seven miles on gravel road. Judy reassured us that we could take the RV there without any problem. So I told David that meeting Judy and her husband Jim was an good omen, and that should be our night's destination. As they say, "there are no accidents!"</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlFmDDPPKJQcZhNMSGF8zCbz2MNIdqgwmdMcVn9fZXoU8zvA1xkE3Bt5fvRCb9J5tGNb44jikfHs6rsx1NVmwCbfMYmZBC_WEDHZDYvDFVgjHhBmYUCMUshxz4Tgxh4B4nU2atZTKdzc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPlFmDDPPKJQcZhNMSGF8zCbz2MNIdqgwmdMcVn9fZXoU8zvA1xkE3Bt5fvRCb9J5tGNb44jikfHs6rsx1NVmwCbfMYmZBC_WEDHZDYvDFVgjHhBmYUCMUshxz4Tgxh4B4nU2atZTKdzc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+064.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next stop was Carcross, which is a First Nation village. It was originally called Carabou Crossing but the name was changed because so many other places in the northwest had that name and often addresses were confused and mail delayed. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Situated on the shore of Lake Bennett, at one time Carcross was a stopping place for miners on their way to the gold fields. From 1900-1982 it was a major stop for the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. In those early days passengers and freight were transferred from rail to sternwheelers like the <em>Klondike</em>. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxoRNZYbQO6sJvT34vcfMNxIww9SdCSXD21HuXN3he7OKP-aqpIcWfoTHWoRj4xy1_eaRAWgPpq7UjeO99STJAfdSHhuiKJ1MSNRIchLNcmhSjLkUdk6amEF8wMfs4mgjPEE2qa2t3Fs/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxoRNZYbQO6sJvT34vcfMNxIww9SdCSXD21HuXN3he7OKP-aqpIcWfoTHWoRj4xy1_eaRAWgPpq7UjeO99STJAfdSHhuiKJ1MSNRIchLNcmhSjLkUdk6amEF8wMfs4mgjPEE2qa2t3Fs/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+067.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">The Visitors' Center is housed in the old railway station. From there David and I took the Carcross walking tour through town. There are only 399 people living there now, but it is a fascinating place to visit. There are many small cabins along the lake front which used to be considered squatters huts. However, they are now recognized as historical homes.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0McgsKjauKYPz8tVLR71taKj4iqSDXSui1HiuuXgVYoB3UjCK86I7mUhvGL2dw0HbZGaOGEkf_fxCmsaka4IPxppbAgnbmL1TDaGyOuJSQD6XRmuL-aMKaMU71-6GQHikcZVt6zo1lG0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0McgsKjauKYPz8tVLR71taKj4iqSDXSui1HiuuXgVYoB3UjCK86I7mUhvGL2dw0HbZGaOGEkf_fxCmsaka4IPxppbAgnbmL1TDaGyOuJSQD6XRmuL-aMKaMU71-6GQHikcZVt6zo1lG0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+068.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggre0UJNdB6RD2vcHSHZvg7jUVOTJk5h1qxSLsBpn-dJ6zySHgYnDJl7MsPa2CPuIi_0uev1r8MS-RySYB9SpEHNnYkTOkKfr-GjwujTDUeXIj9CUmx-fx-ejd8DAhVcGoJpLjUdkkXhU/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggre0UJNdB6RD2vcHSHZvg7jUVOTJk5h1qxSLsBpn-dJ6zySHgYnDJl7MsPa2CPuIi_0uev1r8MS-RySYB9SpEHNnYkTOkKfr-GjwujTDUeXIj9CUmx-fx-ejd8DAhVcGoJpLjUdkkXhU/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+076.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We stopped and chatted with folks we met along the way, like Susan who had a card table set up to sell her handmade jewelry. She emigrated here from Mexico eight years ago with her infant son. She lives in a little cabin just outside of town and has no electricity and no running water. She told us stories about how she has to chop a hole in the ice and get water from the lake in the winter. Nevertheless she loves living here and raising her son here. Susan told us she feels very welcomed by the Native population.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVKaYJKPnAifG3r-DHfAapyFAPoQohp2PJtiYoe_rk40j3MC5fcbaB36dDLtwGEVoaJpcM07xBKr8z-NbfAPoQ-OKHCq1QleVl5UF-3hCjnAyvw-yepkca9Chy-3kkyXWUJU296PD46I/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVKaYJKPnAifG3r-DHfAapyFAPoQohp2PJtiYoe_rk40j3MC5fcbaB36dDLtwGEVoaJpcM07xBKr8z-NbfAPoQ-OKHCq1QleVl5UF-3hCjnAyvw-yepkca9Chy-3kkyXWUJU296PD46I/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+072.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We met Dee, the postmistress and her dog Louie. Dee used to have a garden here, but she said that things grow like mad in the midnight sun and it is difficult to keep up with the work. There was a five foot rhubarb plant next to the post office that confirmed her claim.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Dee told us that her husband hunts and fishes to provide food for them. He shoots one moose and one bison each year. She claims that the bison is heavier than the moose but has less meat because of the size of its bones and the thickness of its hair.<em> </em>I guess one learns these things if there is no supermarket in the neighborhood.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Further along the road we met Bill, who was soaking up the sun in his yard. He came here from the Netherlands over 45 years ago. He said he never looked back. His house was one that was taken from Conrad after the mines there "dried up". The house was transported over the frozen lake in mid-winter. He paid the original owner about $89,000 for the house and he thinks he could sell it today for at least $250,000. He let us walk around to the back of his house and see his view of Lake Bennett. That alone is worth the money!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4EzAs3HK_mG7Bg5ktInTQC7yLEzpIJ6BK3Yc2dnBN_rOym3xGQxtMcQ0vIsdPlwSh2GRwg430EzkZqajriNXSqxYSWWPSbX9j-rhph1LQ2qq-WwhmcXF8T-y43fMkjFbfiMLvuPus6g/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4EzAs3HK_mG7Bg5ktInTQC7yLEzpIJ6BK3Yc2dnBN_rOym3xGQxtMcQ0vIsdPlwSh2GRwg430EzkZqajriNXSqxYSWWPSbX9j-rhph1LQ2qq-WwhmcXF8T-y43fMkjFbfiMLvuPus6g/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+078.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Carcross was delightful, and we had a hard time leaving. However we knew we had to drive over the White Pass summit (3,292 feet) and get over the Alaska border before the end of the day. As we drove higher we came to an area that David identified as Canadian shield. It is made up of pre-Cambrian rock. It actually<em> felt </em>prehistoric to me. The rocks were sharp with many outcroppings. It was icy with large patches of snow and many small ponds for as far as we culd see. All the vegetation was stunted. In several areas people had placed cairns. Some were piled up to look like the Native's inukshuk, erected to help people find their way in the high tundra.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK-P0V7SHMQhdi2sG5iObSoUKBOyh8ul-x5PUDX3h_pd-4r8cISL16OCD2FzXHycg-sThyphenhyphenGcLxo2H3IbqxN_2Qq1BWGea0NtOjEXnckgf-VmrImz6lxDc9P0WY6pIgTZeHwquzgbNH0U/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNK-P0V7SHMQhdi2sG5iObSoUKBOyh8ul-x5PUDX3h_pd-4r8cISL16OCD2FzXHycg-sThyphenhyphenGcLxo2H3IbqxN_2Qq1BWGea0NtOjEXnckgf-VmrImz6lxDc9P0WY6pIgTZeHwquzgbNH0U/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+092.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3H7ZWxvyQB8rs_eUv69d7RDaXRRXO-PE8BrAvgPXlGHYZBXZiSpM8YsFooeFs_13wWDXvlnyPT4_0FZo2zdOql8LSi3dx-W1yWoFwnhBHmZVi0uiTkPoGwEXqleXZEZk2MBOJvfbfUE/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3H7ZWxvyQB8rs_eUv69d7RDaXRRXO-PE8BrAvgPXlGHYZBXZiSpM8YsFooeFs_13wWDXvlnyPT4_0FZo2zdOql8LSi3dx-W1yWoFwnhBHmZVi0uiTkPoGwEXqleXZEZk2MBOJvfbfUE/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+096.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally we reached the White Pass Summit and the Alaskan border. From that point it was all downhill. Down and down at an 11% grade! As we descended we could look across the valley and see the railway tracks and tressels of the White Pass and Yukon Route Railway. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Down we went, into the Skagway Valley and a new chapter in our adventure.</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7605783146620493099.post-72605104302544000472010-07-08T17:50:00.000-07:002010-07-08T17:50:07.181-07:00Building on the Past, Looking to the Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZVF3sjQnAwp2C2cxkkCwUV2shQ4wBWoGdQ5hwMv7d4vvzP96GAucoFHY5ujXQheOw7hW92kxzUGZvMHLCjHn15ESBFlO2oV_NXwoRRobWiZGm5jX-_EVbxhky-U8y4sDO2eLrrkDWIM/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ZVF3sjQnAwp2C2cxkkCwUV2shQ4wBWoGdQ5hwMv7d4vvzP96GAucoFHY5ujXQheOw7hW92kxzUGZvMHLCjHn15ESBFlO2oV_NXwoRRobWiZGm5jX-_EVbxhky-U8y4sDO2eLrrkDWIM/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+057.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">David and I decided to stay in Whitehorse one more day. We had not visited The McBride Museum of Yukon History and we really wanted to do that before we left. Since we had shopping to do we moved over to the Walmart parking lot. We restocked our supplies and made plans for the next day. That night we were surrounded by at least 30 other RV's. Everyone was loading up with supplies. It reminded me of the craze of the gold rush days as people pushed loaded grocery carts to their rigs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg311zlduKUfNnuhzp-LFJtcFy8nPGVb0SYQ0Rbe_vNEfVj5z4wN7RRKKV2HayWhiBnJpFRTFLYAZSzeIKqJV24pzvx8M3F20OH5lyJNPJUvBkXxrzIbXsjPpLsVn-iyfQ0aPebhcjrkZk/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg311zlduKUfNnuhzp-LFJtcFy8nPGVb0SYQ0Rbe_vNEfVj5z4wN7RRKKV2HayWhiBnJpFRTFLYAZSzeIKqJV24pzvx8M3F20OH5lyJNPJUvBkXxrzIbXsjPpLsVn-iyfQ0aPebhcjrkZk/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+047.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">That night we had a hard time falling asleep because of the incessant cries of sea gulls. They did not let up their racket until midnight, when it finally got dark. The next morning we decided to walk the river trail just opposite Walmart. Not far up the path we learned from an information marker that the islands there were probably the biggest colony of Mew Gulls in the Yukon Territory. Apparently the birds flock to this place to escape the treat of predators inland, and to take advantage of the plentiful food supply in the river. When we saw the birds flhying all over the island we realized why it was such a noisy night!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcsfbygNMaztUUwVL5YIYEbD0HQ4u5LpGpnAj7OlF13blDPEVsCD1ft4OXY6ofSNI8c5WR3EKXlZUWtIc0pkHa8I59F03BsczZITA14l05U16BXI2bSe12bXxxNUxjnbNaxI07iN8Mo0/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcsfbygNMaztUUwVL5YIYEbD0HQ4u5LpGpnAj7OlF13blDPEVsCD1ft4OXY6ofSNI8c5WR3EKXlZUWtIc0pkHa8I59F03BsczZITA14l05U16BXI2bSe12bXxxNUxjnbNaxI07iN8Mo0/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+009.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Taking the path in the other direction led us back to town. Whitehorse has many small parks and we found this sculpture in one of the parks next to the river. The plaque near it named it "Building on the Past, Looking to the Future". It was created by Ken Anderson in 2002. It reflects the currant efforts to bring <em>all</em> the people of the Yukon together as one people and recognize the history and the contributions of the First Nation People</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC22_ttQGiT5RPuOHj6nlBFIC0VzxsD6B9ZlKyZXHzFs56lZc43W_7oNEQ_DbKS_fW7lIGQ0dxC2BzVGWB4NXPwup49pgqJSHpYNVaKbevMDlPu7nsqEzrNQE4tRzW6yxDFdgXsVKSbc/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC22_ttQGiT5RPuOHj6nlBFIC0VzxsD6B9ZlKyZXHzFs56lZc43W_7oNEQ_DbKS_fW7lIGQ0dxC2BzVGWB4NXPwup49pgqJSHpYNVaKbevMDlPu7nsqEzrNQE4tRzW6yxDFdgXsVKSbc/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">David and I decided that Whitehorse is a young people's town. We have never seen so many canoes and kayaks and bikes as were here. The coffee shops were full of young people chatting, or busy on their computers or i-pods. There is a <em>Starbucks</em> in town, but it gets local competition from cafes like <em>Baked.</em></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_qaF7HGk6og8CBoxGhYzX3_CFw6vwsqMWJsn0tZWSoWehGJimxrFaIyiYMPAhyphenhyphen_KRO94QNi7_Vbu4956m-9j8a0pvbPJOVp9DT3nRUhig8zVSe1NbL0pkmx2gMr81YOFlzz6r-iUqyo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb_qaF7HGk6og8CBoxGhYzX3_CFw6vwsqMWJsn0tZWSoWehGJimxrFaIyiYMPAhyphenhyphen_KRO94QNi7_Vbu4956m-9j8a0pvbPJOVp9DT3nRUhig8zVSe1NbL0pkmx2gMr81YOFlzz6r-iUqyo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+037.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After our lunch we wandered through The Pioneer Cemetary taking note of the grave markers of people who hailed from such far off places as Dublin, Ireland and Edinburgh, Scotland. Emil Forrest seems to have been born here. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxubv6TfzKfaYSEpbWTeK-3YkKnoOuruT3FXglWDrrMsqxwvBWBLmrR614y9xS1zPO2jGHUo_Lxl59Z_Jf-IhdThY-4xB86UKI2YmPgPoxoQ5rTPnfwAnJCp6tngYIOpundiNDe8ceWY/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxubv6TfzKfaYSEpbWTeK-3YkKnoOuruT3FXglWDrrMsqxwvBWBLmrR614y9xS1zPO2jGHUo_Lxl59Z_Jf-IhdThY-4xB86UKI2YmPgPoxoQ5rTPnfwAnJCp6tngYIOpundiNDe8ceWY/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+015.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">We spent a couple hours at the MacBride Museum of Yukon History. It is a wonderful place to get a glimpse into every part of the Yukon's history. Of course, when I heard they had Sam McGee's cabin I was eager to see it.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1EFQYl0ESOkGJJVQCEAMJDW0SSaYdxYF2Lh9XtcuJ9autMoOZXFMrJhkQ6UIfHVpk1kKcdG1YHSnD1MLeS0FTrQjxyER2nW6fcTumTGY8KE6vYxFpj76uP7l6VL2M26MSUSz6WO2oShw/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+018.JPG" /></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam McGee was actually a resident of Whitehorse. Apparently Robert Service liked his name and so he used it in his famous poem <em>"The Cremation of Sam McGee".</em> I remember my father reading that poem to<em> </em>us children when we were young. My dad loved to read the works of Robert Service and Jack London and he dreamed about travelling to Alaska someday. Now I am living his dream.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE3w1ro48ryeuPe_z8SHb_7MLQ2GqfqMzgGmvdqHrYUCBb53Sf4aS_VvARpQ_cCiHN25mVja6eiStNGNumjclm38ey0XxZPeOqCu2ojEbCMKvrFvoseEQfgKVK8IBF7DcIOrWjq_2qvo/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghE3w1ro48ryeuPe_z8SHb_7MLQ2GqfqMzgGmvdqHrYUCBb53Sf4aS_VvARpQ_cCiHN25mVja6eiStNGNumjclm38ey0XxZPeOqCu2ojEbCMKvrFvoseEQfgKVK8IBF7DcIOrWjq_2qvo/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+023.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In my opionion, the other real treasure in the museum is "The Champion Hair Picker". That contraption was new to me. It was used to card horse hair. The horse hair arrived full of hay and dirt and was put through this machine to clean it. The horse hair was then used as stuffing in the upholstry for seats of wagons and coaches and even house furniture. I had heard of horse hair stuffing but I never thought of the process it took to prepare it.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqy8hDu_ZH5GmrrQqGTl-h8gQGbCslCZf_-xeVS38KCIrEnnJfxsHLaHJEU35GRThPwTFz116tIEAJHGiFWjj-SLLBzV9rVeB-zBdZE7wNMTtjviXKaWkwv3MqGtKubSf-ucnI9hO87E/s1600/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" rw="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqy8hDu_ZH5GmrrQqGTl-h8gQGbCslCZf_-xeVS38KCIrEnnJfxsHLaHJEU35GRThPwTFz116tIEAJHGiFWjj-SLLBzV9rVeB-zBdZE7wNMTtjviXKaWkwv3MqGtKubSf-ucnI9hO87E/s320/Alaskan+Adventure+2010+029.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">In a gift shop on Main Street I found some artificial Fireweed blossoms. Fireweed is the official flower of the Yukon and by July it will have replaced the ever present dandelions we see along the roadways now. I like this humble plant. Every part of it is edible. I like that. And I like its brilliant color which some people tell me is "my" color. I like that too.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Nolahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06643466548754770961noreply@blogger.com0