07-AUG-2009
Logan, Utah
After an eventful few days Bre drove C and me to Salt Lake City to fly home. He stayed in a beautiful area of Utah over the next couple of weeks as I flew in and out to New Orleans, Illinois and Memphis for work. I got to enjoy the weekends in this land of milk and honey.
Logan is at the end of an incredibly scenic canyon and surrounded by rich farmland. The local Farmers Market was a delight, with organically grown fruits and vegetables and meat and milk. We were able to buy milk for $1.59 a gallon and cherries and tomatoes for 39 cents a pound. Fresh baby salad greens were heaped into a plastic bag for $2. While we were here it was the peak of raspberry season and fresh raspberry shakes were available everywhere.
This is definitely a place to re-visit. The mountains surrounding Logan offer many opportunites for photography. The people are warm and friendly. A great place.
I'll post many photos from the area soon.
22-JUL-2009
Grand Tetons and Yellowstone
We left Denver and drove for a couple of days to reach Moran, Wyoming and a great campground to explore the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. The highlight of the trip for the favorite eight-year-old was the thousands of bison in Yellowstone.
18-JUL-2009
Denver, Colorado
Due to a number of obstacles we left on our summer trip much later than originally planned. My favorite eight-year-old and I flew into Denver and spent a few days enjoying the zoo and sightseeing in the area as poor Bre drove the the Big Red Blind and Go Home II from Louisiana.
02-MAR-2009
Mustang Island State Park
Our second major stop on our trip to the Texas coast was Mustang Island State Park. It was just 40 miles away from Goose Island but it has an entirely different mood. The park is directly on the Gulf of Mexico with a mile and a half long beach and huge crashing waves, quite unlike the gentle bay fronting Goose Island. Goose Island had great shower facilities, spacious, spotless and well designed. Mustang Island's shower facilities reminded me more of an old high school locker room. Fortunately we bring our own shower with us wherever we go and I didn't have to use the facilities of Mustang Island.
My favorite bit was the proximity to terrific birding sites. The Port Aransas Birding Center has a boardwalk into the marsh that attracts many photographers with long lenses early in the morning. The Day Use area of Mustang Island provided hours of opportunities with herons, egrets and spoonbills.
We spent five days there before heading on our journey toward home.
22-FEB-2009
Goose Island State Park, Texas
Our view for the last few days has been of glorious waterfront sunrises and sunsets and pelicans swooping overhead. The front of the camper faces a marsh filled with shorebirds and our backyard is on a wide bay. We're a short walk from a long fishing pier. As we walk through this campground we see license plates for Michigan, Quebec, Ontario, Minnesota, Oregon and Kansas. Texas has so many beautiful state parks that many retirees winter solely in state parks, skipping from one park to the next as their 15 day limit expires.
We're very near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and spent the day there yesterday. The size of the javelinas roaming in the refuge amazed me. At first I thought they were cows. There was quite a bit of wildlife, despite the drought which has dried out most freshwater sources.
22-AUG-2008
Norris Dam State Park, Knoxville, TN
We stopped for the night near Norris Dam State Park and got up early the next morning to look for the old grist mill there. We photographed the mill and then walked along the river below the dam for a bit. There were an amazing number of hummingbirds visiting the flowers along the path and the trees held lots of bluebirds and goldfinches.
This state park is a real jewel with hiking trails, joggging paths, horse trails and a marina. The river was lined with flyfishermen. The photos of the fishermen look a bit strange because of the strong reflections and the morning mist.
August 21, 2008
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
After a long series of delays we left for our fall trip. The first night's stop was at Lake Lurleen State Park above Tuscaloosa, Alabama. This is a beautiful park, wooded and on a lake. We were the only campers in the entire section. I wish we weren't in a hurry. The park is filled with enough birds, flowers, and butterflies to keep me busy for a while.
March 5, 2008
Venice, Florida
We originally booked a week in a campground in Venice, Florida, and enjoyed ourselves so much we stayed on for a few more days. It was a fascinating peek into a different lifestyle for us. I kept thinking the phrase "second childhood" but in a much more positive way than it's usually used. There were over 650 lots in this campground, almost all taken up by snowbirds. Everyone in the campground seemed to spend the day riding bikes, fishing at the river, swimming in the large pool, and playing games. I was reminded of my activities the summer I was ten.
Bre and I got up every morning but one before 5:30 a.m. and drove to a rookery or refuge to photograph.
The birds are white pelicans. I was going to post this under the title "First Date".
12/16/07
Winter in the Swamp
After almost six months and 24,000 miles we finally arrived back home. We were anxious to see the kids but not as excited about the heat and humidity. My grandson did a great job of handling the mail and cutting the grass and my neighbor Timmy even removed several of the Katrina-downed trees from the back of my property. It was such a delight to have the view to the back open again.
We're home for a while but already planning our next trips.
October 15, 2007
Cottonwood in the Setting Sun
Only a photographer can get impatient when someone makes them miss the fall of dust. The sun was shining through dust raised by a passing car, making wonderful beams of golden light. I quickly set up then another car came along. The occupants slowed down, wanting to see what I was shooting, and then went on very slowly, not even raising a new cloud of dust. This is the small remnants of those beautiful dusty sunbeams.
Our next stop on our journey was New Mexico. I'd arranged to do quite a bit of consulting work here and we stayed at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park for almost two months while I worked some days and played others. Breland loves New Mexico and photographing at the Bosque so it worked out well.
10/2/07
Oxbow View
Our next stop after Yellowstone was the Grand Tetons. We stayed at an RV park only a few miles from Oxbow Lake, a terrific place since we went there at dawn almost every morning of our stay. This park is breathtaking. I saw more wildlife here than I did in Yellowstone, including the moose that Breland wanted to capture, but the views were especially incredible. This photo is from the morning of our anniversary. I took four gigs of photos in less than an hour. The light and color were breathtaking.
We began to worry that we would get snowed in if we stayed much longer. There were many warnings about road closures. We reluctantly left this bit of Paradise.
HDR processing. This is a small, compressed version of a file processed for print.
25-SEP-2007
Here Comes the Sun
We spent a week in Yellowstone looking for wildlife. The trip to Yellowstone from Glacier National Park was eventful. We left in the beginning of a snowstorm. Breland told me to just stay warm and he'd take everything. One of my tasks is to make sure that the antenna is down. That didn't happen and as we were crossing a mountain pass in a snowstorm I kept hearing a strange noise. Fortunately Breland was able to purchase and install a new one in Great Falls and we traveled on to Yellowstone.
This time we stayed in West Yellowstone. Two PBasers, Jim Prudente and Tom Munson, were there also. Each day Bre and I traveled down the roads of Yellowstone looking for wildlife. The highlight of our time there was the great grey owl.
Here's a picture of photographers lined up taking photo of the sunrise at Yellowstone.
September 18, 2007
Early Light Above Wild Goose Island
I have a feeling this is the first of several photos of this island. It's one of those must-take pictures when you come to Glacier National Park. I'll be in a photo workshop here for the next few days and I imagine this will be one of the stopping points.
We shared the chilly east 17 miles of the Going to the Sun Road with a few hearty souls. Herds of elk moved through the meadows. The stags bugling was an eerie sound in the stillness. Deer leapt across the road, making me glad that Breland is such a cautious driver. Fall colors surrounded us. I hope those colors will peak in the next few days. The clouds covered the mountains, rising for just a few moments.
It's snowing very heavily on the mountains right now and the scene may look very different tomorrow.
05-SEP-2007
Boya Lake, British Columbia
This was our backyard last night. At the last minute we decided to leave the Alaskan Highway and travel south on the Cassiar instead. On the way we passed a small lake with a pair of loons. In the parking area there was a flock of crossbills! I was able to get some pretty good shots of the loons, but the light reflecting off the gravel overpowered the crossbills.
We spent the night at one of the provincial campgrounds. No electricity and only a pump for water but what a view! We pulled into a space next to this lake, put steaks, baked potatoes, and a packet of vegetables to cook on the grill and enjoyed the quiet. The mountaintop across from us would become covered with clouds and then the clouds would lift like a stage curtain to reveal a fresh dusting of snow.
30-AUG-2007
Haines, Alaska Again
Haines is such a beautiful place that we planned our trip so that we could stay there again for a few days. The surrounding mountains and glaciers, clean aqua water, abundant wildlife and friendly people make it a really special place. Late yesterday afternoon after traveling along the river to see the grizzlies and eagle fish for salmon we rounded a curve to see an especially vivid rainbow. I'll post closer photos of the rainbow in my Alaska gallery but I especially liked the way the distant mountains were lit by the sun and rainbow.
26-AUG-2007
Construction at Destruction Bay
We're retracing our steps for a bit as we head south from Alaska. In general the wilderness-area roads in Alaska and Canada have been good, mostly two lane highways like you will find in rural areas throughout the US. The exceptions were the areas subject to frost heaves, places where the permafrost has begun to melt and the areas where slides have taken out the road along the Alaskan Highway. The most memorable section for everyone I've spoken to has been the area from Haines Junction to Tok. The construction around Destruction Bay has been going on for several years. You can see how small the huge equipment looks as they work to take down a large section of a mountain so that the road can be widened.
23-AUG-2007
Alaskan State Fair
After several days in a gorgeous wilderness setting we moved on to Palmer, Alaska. Our days here have been spent on getting tires rotated, oil changed, clothes washed and shopping done before we begin our trek south. It hasn't been all work, of course. We spent quite a bit of time exploring the rivers and trails in the area. Today we went to the Alaskan State Fair. The fair was exactly what I'd hoped, a family event that celebrated the best of Alaska. Crops, quilts, beekeeping and farm animals were mixed with the more typical carnival rides and food. The giant Alaskan cabbages were a must see. Here's the blue ribbon winner but the judging of the giants will be Friday night and one may be even larger than the 58 pounds of this one.
We head toward the Yukon tomorrow. I'm looking forward to a bit of adventure.
14-AUG-2007
Portage Valley
After a very nice few days in Seward we moved on to the Williwaw campground in Portage Valley. This camground is considered by many to be the most beautiful campground in Alaska. Each camping spot is 100 feet away from its nearest neighbors and is heavily wooded. The Middle Glacier rises above the campground and the glacier and several waterfalls can be seen from our campsite. There is a salmon viewing area and several boardwalked trails connecting our campground with ponds, rivers, waterfalls and the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center dedicated to the memory of Senator Begich from Alaska and House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, whose plane was last heard from as it entered this valley. We drove through the 2 1/2 mile long tunnel to visit Whittier, visited the Crow Creek mine in Girdwood and just relaxed for several days. We'll move on tomorrow, heading for a new campsite and the Alaskan State Fair on Thursday.
09-AUG-2007
Seward Waterfront
The city of Seward has almost a mile of camping sites lining the waterfront on Resurrection Bay. When we reached the Seward highway we decided to turn right and head on to Seward for a few days. I love being on the water. This rainbow lit up the afternoon for us.
08-AUG-2007
Goodbye to Ninilchik
We had a list of things we planned to do in the Homer/Ninilchik/Soldotna area and we've finally accomplished them all. In the last two weeks we've: 1)photgraphed the village of Ninilchik 2)hiked trails along the many creeks and rivers 3)had dinner at Halibut Cove 4) visited Seldovia 5) dug for razor clams 6)went on a halibut fishing charter 4) explored Old Town Kenai 6) visited with friends 7) toured the Pratt museum 8) visited the Wynn Wildlife Sanctuary 9) fished the Kenai 10) photographed loons and 11)took photos of the volcano range at sunrise.
On Breland's birthday It was really cold (37 degrees) at dawn and there was a strong wind coming off Cook's Inlet. I shivered in the 5 a.m. cold and decided to let Breland capture the scene. You may notice he's a bit blurry. That's because I was shivering and didn't take out my tripod.
We had a terrific time in the area and we're ready to move on. We may be boondocking for the next few days so we won't have internet access. I saw "may" because we're not sure where we'll park next.
See you down the road.
26-JUL-2007
Ninilchik, Alaska
We've settled in for a while in Ninilchik, Alaska. The tide will be right for clamming this weekend and the reds are running so we hope to have a good time digging and fishing. We're camped in view of three peaked, snow-covered volcanoes across the inlet from us.
This photo is the first of many I plan to take of Ninilchik Village, a Russian settlement here. This isn't the best angle but we'd hiked over from the park and this was as close as I could get. Several Russian families remained here after Alaska was sold to the United States and the village, with it's beautiful little church, is charming.
24-JUL-2007
A Delay in Palmer
We left North Pole with plans to stop overnight in Palmer to stock up a bit before we headed down to the Kenai for fishing. Go Home got sick along the way and threw up several times. We were waiting for news about our newest grandchild and between the worry and the dog's misery it was a tense drive. Our son called about Celeste's birth, saying that everyone was doing well.
We decided to spend an extra night in Palmer to take Go Home to the vet. After several hours at the vet and Xrays it was determined that he'd eaten foxtail bulgur, a beautiful grass with really wicked stickers, and that some was embedded in his throat. He's doing much better now and tomorrow we head for Ninilchik. The red salmon are running and Breland plans to catch a few.
The photo is of one of the many pullovers along the highway south of Denali. We stopped here for a picnic on our way to Palmer.
July 21, 2007
Flowering Under the Midnight Sun
Today we decided to take a real break from the wilderness for a bit and spent the day sightseeing in Fairbanks. We were told about the magnificent University of Alaska museum throughout our trip. It was everything that we'd been told. Such an incredible treasure!
After the museum we visited the Botanical Garden. We'd seen photos of the enormous cabbages grown here for years. Nothing prepared us for the intense color of the flowers. The delphiniums were glorious.
Next we stopped at the Farmer's Market to see if we could find fresh produce. It was there in abundance. On to the the Creamery, a former dairy that is now maintained as a wildlife preserve. Finally, a trip to downtown North Pole to see the area that handles all of the letters from Santa. No wonder I'm too wound up to sleep. It's 11:46 p.m. and I can see the first colorful sunset I've seen since we arrived in Alaska.
17-JUL-2007
Five Days in Denali
We've just returned from five blissful days in Denali. The weather was sunny and The Mountain was out our first two days. There was more wildlife than I had expected and the vistas were heavenly.
We had no electricity or internet for those days, but we didn't miss either. Our rolling home easily carries a week's worth of fresh water and we even had the luxury of hot showers. Most nights the temperature dropped into the forties but the furnace kept us cosy. I almost felt guilty.
The campground we stayed in was 30 miles into Denali and we needed a special pass to drive in. We were on the Teklanika river and grizzlies, caribou, moose and wolves used the gravel riverbed as a path. Once we'd parked we could not drive our vehicle again for at least three days, to minimize disturbing the animals. A bus service passed right in front of the campground, driven by very knowledgeable guides. They treated the rides like a safari, stopping for animals and beautiful scenery. Hikers were able to get off the bus at any point and flag down a bus when they were ready to return.
I have gigs and gigs of photos to process. I've posted a few at the beginning of my North to Alaska gallery. I do have several photos of Denali when it was out and will post them later. I've posted this one of the Toklat River because I hoped the bus at the beginning of the bridge would give a sense of the scale of the mountains. We rode a bus like that several times. On yesterday's ride we saw eleven grizzlies, three moose, three wolves eating a downed caribou, a herd of over two dozen caribou, and countless other animals.
Tonight we're in North Pole with electricity and internet and temperatures in the seventies. It's quite a change.
15-JUL-2007
Hatcher Pass
We traveled over Hatcher Pass today, a very bumpy gravel road with good memories of from our trip to Alaska several years ago. Along the way we watched a pair of beavers working on their lodge, saw several people panning for gold, and laughed with a mom who said that the flake of gold her daughter found would pay for their whole trip. The old Independence mine at the top of the pass has been turned into a state park and was full of people. Very different from our visit years ago when we were the only people around.
The last few days have been very busy. After we left Grand View was stopped in Palmer, near Anchorage, to take care of a few things. The campground there was friendly and welcoming. Breland had the oil changed and we did grocery shopping and laundry. We hiked along a river bed and in the Eagle River Nature Preserve.
Our next stop was Willow. We stayed on a campground on Willow Creek and were able to see the large king salmon who cme to the creek to spawn. The salmon draw eagles and sea gulls. Talkeetna had their Moose Droppings Festival going on so we didn't linger there. Instead we talked with fishermen along the various streams.
After our drive today we've packed everything up again tonight and tomorrow will leave for Denali. I've booked the reservations at the campground 30 miles within the Park back in February. We won't have electricity or internet for five days. I so look forward to being back in that beautiful park.
11-JUL-2007
Matanuska Glacier with Rainstorm in the Distance
When we stopped to see the glacier from one of the viewpoints a rainstorm veiled the mountains in the distance. I tried to capture the many layers of river, trees, river bed, glacier and mountains.
We've spent the last two nights at the Glacier View RV park, a really delightful place. It has a cafe that serves expresso and wonderful homemade pie and meals, of course. There's wifi and cable TV and a view of the Matanuska glacier and of Sheep Mountain.
After breakfast we drove back west to drive down to an area that we whizzed by the afternoon before. I tried some multiple exposures to do an HDR photo
http://www.pbase.com/gpc/image/82105483 . While I liked the result I learned a lot and will try this again. After a bit more driving we returned to the RV park for lunch before heading off to visit the Musk Ox farm. I bought a quviat ski band made of the musk ox wool. It's supposed to be eight times warmer than sheep's wool and is amazingly soft.
We then hiked to visit the Matanuska glacier and each took many more photos. If you'd like to see some of them they're at the beginning of the North to Alaska gallery.
Tomorrow we'll head out toward Anchorage to stock up before our time in Denali.
07-JUL-2007
Salmon Fishing in Valdez
We went to Alison Point, near the end of the Alaskan pipeline, for Breland to fish for salmon. On the way we stopped to photograph a pair of grizzly yearlings. Breland caught his limit of pink salmon in a little more than an hour. Guess what we're having for dinner tonight, and tomorrow night and ...
06-JUL-2007
A Sea of Icebergs
We reserved a week at the Sea Otter campground in Valdez, directly on the Prince William Sound. The promised sea otters float past our camper several times each day. There's much to do and photograph around Valdez. Several large glaciers are in the area, one that you can drive to and walk on, others that you can go to by boat. We can see two from our "backyard". The pink salmon are running and it's very easy for a good fisherman to catch his limit in a very short time. Eagles, gulls and seals surround the area near the hatchery, gorging on salmon. A mother grizzly with her cubs lingers in the area and walk right behind the fisherman.
We took a glacier tour on the Lulu Belle. The captain was terrific, determined that we'd see puffins, whales, sea lions, and shorebirds. We lingered in an area with four whales for quite a while, watching as the whales surfaced over and over. One breached in a beautiful show and Breland got the best photos of that event.
When we approached the Columbia glacier the icebergs sparkled in the brilliant sunlight. Breland and I usually avoid "touristy" things, but the Lulu Belle tour was an incredible experience.
01-JUL-2007
Kluane Lake
We left Haines very reluctantly. Surely we won't find a more beautiful place than Haines anywhere in Alaska. We did have to move on and drove back into the Yukon and over the Haines Highway. We saw a grizzly and her cub on the way and two black bears. Our camping spot for the night was near Destruction Bay on the shores of Kluane Lake, an incredible lakefront site with no other campers in sight. The owners of the campground told us that they made regular grizzly patrols so we shouldn't worry. Right.
It was very beautiful and Breland relaxed for a bit. We have a long drive tomorrow over what is supposed to be the worst roads we'll encounter.
28-JUN-2007
Cannery at Letnikof Cove
We had the most incredible day yesterday. After adventuring in search of trumpeter swans we took a road up to a working gold mine and then another to a beautiful lake. In the afternoon a very generous couple took us out on their boat to raise Dungeness crab traps and gave us three of them for dinner. We cooked the crabs and ate them surrounded by the beautiful snow-capped mountains. After we rode to see if we could find the grizzlies that are supposed to arrive soon to share in the salmon run. No grizzlies, but orcas instead. We followed the orcas for a bit along the road bordering the Lynn canal.
This is so amazing. It seems like it can't be real. The wonderful people that we've met and their stories about how they ended up in Alaska are as much a joy as the scenery.
28-JUN-2007
Haines, Alaska
We've spent a totally incredible few (too few) days in Haines, Alaska. This has to be one of the most beautiful and friendliest places in the world. We went shooting with Ron Horn, a fellow pbaser, twice. He knows the area well and led us to an eagles' nest with a young eagle chick. The setting is just spectacular, with bears, a gold mine, lakes, the Linn Canal, glaciers and more within an easy drive.
27-JUN-2007
Haines Highway
We left rather late this morning for the long drive from Whitehorse to Haines. The drive wouldn't be so long if it weren't so beautiful! We stopped frequently for photos and just to admire the amazing views. A very large black bear added a bit of excitement by running out into the road right in front of our rig. We narrowly missed him. A mother grizzly and her cub raced across the road. I took photos of mom standing guard under the tree where her little one hid, but the pouring rain made for a very bad photo. Along the way we saw another grizzly and a black bear gobbling dandelions. Trumpeter swans floated in partially frozen lakes.
We arrived at Haines late this evening. Such a beautiful town! I can't wait to explore it.
26-JUN-2007
Whitehorse, Day 3
We drove from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Skagway, Alaska today. We traveled this route on a train several years ago. The road was even better than going by rail. There were numerous scenic overlooks, lakes and creeks. The only animals we saw along the route were groundsquirrels, chipmunks and one very hungry black bear
http://www.pbase.com/gpc/image/81243946 .
This small building was in Carcross, a tiny town along the way.
25-JUN-2007
White Horse Day 2 June 25, 2007
White Horse Day 2 June 25, 2007
We spent a second day in Whitehorse today. Tomorrow morning we’ll get the tire replaced early, we hope, and then head on our way. We’re not sure what happened to the tire so we’ll have a mechanic look at the wheel bearings and axle first.
It was a fun day today. We slept in, something we haven’t done for a while, and then visited with our neighbors. We talked to several couples about their plans for the trip to Alaska. Each has a different route and different levels of experience. For some it was their first trip, some had traveled the Alaskan Highway several times before, and one person made the trip 23 years ago, when little of the road was paved. Breland had a great time talking about generators, inverters, and truck pulling power. Several of the couples were full-timers, living in their RVs year-round. Most were professionals before they retired and worked nine-to-five jobs. They all agreed that they wanted to travel and had spent too much of their lives in hotels in the past.
We then went to visit the fish ladder at the dam. No salmon were there, of course. They’ll run through around mid-August. After that we took a dusty side road to a lake. As I was taking a photo of the lake I heard pounding feet and a cow bell coming up fast behind me. Breland shouted “Gayle” just as the largest dog I’ve ever seen ran by. From the sound of his feet I’d expected a maddened bull, at least. His owner shouted and the dog wheeled around and ran past me again. The dog’s owner and his friend stopped to talk. They had four beautiful sled dogs with them. They race dog sleds in the winter and keep themselves and their dogs fit by hiking in the summer. The cowbells were bear bells. The lead dog had incredible blue eyes. There was one dog the owner called Lynx which was an unusual lynx-like color. It was really fun to meet this lively, very fit group of men and dogs.
A mile are so down from the lake we stopped in a marshy area with over 20 bald eagles perched in the trees around it. The small creek that runs through that marsh must be filled with fish!
24-JUN-2007
Bre at Miles Canyon
June 24, 2007 Whitehorse
Breland and the Big Red Blind handled that steep climb up the dirt road with ease, not even needing four-wheel drive. We drove on through the Yukon Territory, stopping often at pullovers to look at the incredible scenery. This is such a vast land with towering mountains and wide green rivers. The rapids and waterfalls along the way roar in the stillness.
Our destination was Whitehorse, capitol of the Yukon Territory and its largest city, holding 31,000 of the total 36,000 population of the Yukon. Luckily there are four tire shops in this small town. One of our tires has no tread left at all. Breland checks the inflation daily and all of the others look fine. At least we have the problem in a populated area. Our cell phones haven’t worked for days and we would have a bit of trouble calling AAA.
Last night we walked around Whitehorse a bit and went to the Frantic Follies. The show was fun and the dancing girls terrific. The highlight of the night was the dramatization of “The Cremation of Sam Magee”.
23-JUN-2007
Teslin
June 23, 2007
This was a really fun stop. Our ride today was very short and we’re spending the night at Mukluk Annie’s Salmon Bake. It is quite an interesting place. If you eat at the café you can park free overnight, wash your RV for free, and even take a ride on the lake in a houseboat. The food is pretty inexpensive also.
The lake is surrounded by mountains and our site is beautiful. I am a bit concerned about tomorrow morning-we have to climb a dirt road along the side of the cliff with this RV. That should be exciting
There’s a gospel music tent set up near the restaurant and lots of little kids running around. This seems to be quite a family place. It’s been fun to see some of the others we’ve run into along the route here.
We visited the town of Teslin and the museum dedicated to George Johnson. He was a Tinglit who established the first store in the area, had a car brought in over the ice even though the town had no roads and taught himself to use cameras and develop photos. I recognized some of his incredible pictures from history books and encyclopedias. The museum is beautifully designed and a really fascinating place.
22-JUN-2007
The Yukon!
We’re in Watson Lake tonight, the site of the famous Signpost Forest. There are over 10000 signs placed there, starting with the one first placed there during the construction of the Alaskan Highway. Our drive today was a fairly short one, just over 200 miles. We drove along beautiful Muncho Lake and past Laird Hot Springs. There were many buffalo along the road, along with a few moose and caribou. The wild and beautiful rivers are milky greens and turquoise.
The Alaskan Highway has been a fairly smooth two lane road for almost 600 miles now. When we entered the Yukon it was a little rougher, but still very driveable with Go Home II following behind.
Our neighbors tonight are from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This is their first time to make this drive also. We’ve met couples who have been traveling to Alaska every summer for more than twenty years. Almost everyone we’ve met has been retired. It’s a shame, this would be a marvelous journey for the young but few have time until after retirement.
The conveyances are so varied! There’s everything from vans to popups to trailers, fifth wheelers, Class C’s and Class A’s. There are times I wish our camper were a bit shorter so that we could fit into certain spaces and other times that I’m really grateful for the space and storage. Our camera equipment alone takes a lot of room.
21-JUN-2007
Toad River, British Columbia
June 21, 2007
We’re spending the summer solstice at Toad River. We drove over the northern Rockies today. The scenery was wonderful. We saw a herd of caribou and many flocks of stone sheep, a variety of sheep that lives only in a small area of northern British Columbia. Our camper is parked next to the Toad River. Four moose are in the river right behind us. Earlier today one of our neighbors watched a grizzly stalk a moose calf. Fortunately mom came to the rescue.
This is a campground I would definitely want to spend a few days. We're surrounded on three sides by mountains with the river on the other. In this remote spot there's cable TV and even limited internet access. That and with moose and grizzlies in the back yard...
21-JUN-2007
Mile 1, Alaskan Highway
The road was described as having “gently rolling hills”. Someone forgot to tell us about the stretches with an 8% grade. Good thing Breland’s getting really good at handling that big rig on steep hills. Now, if only our cell phones worked and we had internet access regularly!
17-JUN-2007
Banff National Park
We woke up this morning in the campground at Jasper Provincial Park surrounded by elk. It’s still calving season and we were warned to be cautious in walking around the park as the elk cows were pretty aggressive right now. This campground is a great place to stay. We have a spot as large as most suburban lots with free firewood and 30 amp electricity for a very low price. We were right in the heart of Jasper National Park with incredible scenery all around.
No grizzlies today. We saw a pair of black bear, timber wolves and a marmot.
17-JUN-2007
Castle Mountain, Banff
We spent two nights in Banff. I could have spent a month near here. The scenery is beyond belief. Every turn in the road is another beautiful vista.
June 16, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The border crossing was a breeze. We were asked five questions 1) Where are you from? 2) Where are you going? 3) How long will you be in Canada? 4) Do you have any weapons? 5) Do you have any alcohol or tobacco products? We were on our way after only a moment or two. One of last night’s neighbors was not quite as lucky. At least they only had to go in and fill our paperwork and answer additional questions before they were allowed to move on.
We stopped at the Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump and toured the displays. I was fascinated with this site. I remembered an old cowboy movie and a painting that showed this type of hunting and both left me wanting to know more. The artwork alone made it worth stopping.
We then pushed on through Calgary (more construction traffic) and are spending the night in Canmore, right outside of Banff. The campground is just a campground and the spaces are narrow but the views are totally amazing. Soaring mountain peaks surround us and we’re next to a sparkling little river. Four of the campers that were with us in Shelby last night are here and we spent a bit of time together until a major storm chased everyone inside. I’m typing now on battery power because the town lost power after one of the lightning strikes. I hope we get power again soon so that I can post tonight.
Friday, June 15, 2007
No photos today. We drove our eleven and a half ton 500 miles across Montana, stopping only for an occasional rest stop. We usually do no more than 300 miles a day, because we really have no timeline or schedule but the road is wide and smooth and flat and the rolling hills and grasslands didn’t vary much so we pushed on to Shelby, Montana. We originally planned to stop a bit earlier but the roads in the area were undergoing construction, the first we’ve seen in almost 3000 miles of driving. We’re now only 34 miles from the Canadian border. just down the highway from where we plan to cross in the morning. The promised wifi doesn’t work and that is very frustrating.
This entire campground is filled with people on their way to Alaska. There’s lots of talk about the best routes to take and those who’ve made the trip in RVs before have many stories to tell.
June 10. 2007
Final Day in Medora
Our final day in Medora. This pause in our journey has been very worthwhile. The small town of Medora is a fascinating little place and has several small shops and many activities for the tourists passing through. We stayed at the local commercial campground which had all the necessities, friendly people, and even a small country band every night. The town has a public campground on the river that offers all hookups and even has wireless. This campground is right next to the Little Missouri River and has wide shady spaces. I think we’ll try that one if we come through again.
We made one final drive around the loop through the park. This time we hiked around the area where a large seam of coal burned for almost 25 years. They say that the glow from the fire lit up the night for miles and that locals would go there to roast marshmallows. Now the area is covered with trees and prairie grass and flowers and is a beautiful spot. I saw many lazuli buntings, a bird I’ve wanted to see for a long time.
A fisheye image from one of the overlooks.
June 12, 2007
North Dakota Badlands
We woke this morning in Fargo, North Dakota to hot, dry winds. A coyote ran across our campsite when I opened the door. We began our drive west very early with a plan to arrive at our destination early. Not far out of the city we saw an enormous moose in a small pond right off the freeway.
Much of the drive was through heavy thunderstorms, which slowed us down considerably. We arrived at Medora, ND two hours later than originally planned. After a quick meal we drove to the South Unit of the Teddy Roosevelt National Park. It is incredibly beautiful and filled with animals. Go Home growled at the prairie dogs, buffalo, wild horses, elk and deer along the way.
We plan to spend a couple of days here before heading on.
Miles of Corn
I'm trying to respond to everyone tonight and may not have time to process any photos. Instead I've posted a map of the states for the grandchildren so that they can see where we've traveled through on this trip.
Last night we camped at Stoney Creek RV Park in Osseo, Wisconsin. I missed the kids so much! This is definitely a campground to visit with a family. There's so much to do. There's a skateboard area, volleyball nets, miniature golf, a huge playground and a pool and water play area that was amazing. Despite all of this, we had a beautiful large quiet treed campsite, perfectly set up for a nice outdoor meal. I've marked this as a campground I'd like to visit again.
After driving through many, many miles of cornfields we're in North Dakota tonight. Tomorrow we'll spend a couple of days at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park before heading on to Montana and then Canada.
Naperville, Illinois
I woke up early this morning and staked out the mulberry tree next to the camper. In less that an hour it was visited by baltimore orioles, hooded orioles, a scarlet tanager and his mate, grey catbirds, cedar waxwings, and many other types of birds.
Later we visited downtown Naperville with my son and his family. I can certainly understand why the city has the ranking as the Number 2 of Money magazine's 100 Best Places to Live. The four miles of brick pathways that follow the river through the city are lined with shops and well-kept older homes. The downtown has a vacation air. I love the greenspaces in this county.
Phil took us to his favorite restaurant for brunch and then we walked though the streets and visited a restored area of the city. It was a wonderful way to spend the days with kids.
A Forest Preserve in a City
We're spending the weekend in a forest preserve in the greater metropolitan area of Chicago. My son lives in nearby Naperville and we had a wonderful time visiting with him and his family. There were several types of dragonflies that were new to me and we were parked right next to a mulberry tree that had a wide variety of visiting birds. We won't have electricity or an internet connection tonight so I may not be able to process or post for a day or two.
Lloyd and Sandy Spitalnik identified this as the male Common Whitetail dragonfly.
June 7, 2007
Camping in the Woods
This is worse than yesterday's photo! We got a really late start today because of some business back home. When we were finally able to leave we pushed through to Effingham, Illinois. The campground is on a lake and really beautiful. We were lucky enough to get a site right on the edge of the woods and the trees are filled with birds. Maybe tomorrow morning I'll get a few photos.
Roll on Mississippi-June 6, 2007
We left home this morning at nine to begin our trip. There was a lot of last minute packing and running back inside for items. Our drive today was pretty straightforward, all on I-55. We’ve parked for tonight at the Tom Sawyer campground in West Memphis, Arkansas. This is a terrific campground, one I’ll certainly visit if we come this way again. It’s set on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi with long pullthroughs, very important for Breland after a long day of driving. Each campsite has trees and picnic tables and benches line the river bank. It would be perfect if the wifi were a little faster!
Our camper is parked right on the river. The river traffic here is very different from that in front of my house. There are no big ocean going vessels, just barges and a few small boats. We watched a bald eagle eat a fish on a sandbar on the river, easy to see in our binoculars but too far for the camera. Tomorrow we plan to drive a few hundred more miles north.
The photos on this blog will definitely not be high quality, I fear. Sometimes it will have to be a grab shot in between setting up camp and cooking dinner.
The Smokies
When we left Louisiana the redbud trees had lost their blossoms and were already covered in leaves. All through Mississippi and Alabama the trees were in their full bright pink glory. I was starting to worry that we might be too late to catch the trees in bloom in the mountains. I shouldn't have worried. As we entered Tennessee the trees were only beginning to bud. I'm looking forward to the flowering trees, especially the dogwood.
We spent last night at Fort Desoto State Park in Alabama. The campground was beautiful and filled with birds but we were only there for a few hours of daylight. I wanted to stay longer to photograph the falls in the area but we had reservations further along. We pushed on today to the Smokies. I've never been here in Spring before.
11-MAR-2007
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
We left Sunday for a trip that will last a few weeks. Our first stop was Breaux Bridge, Louisiana so that we could photograph the birds at Lake Martin for a couple of days before we set off for a longer trip. We spent the night at Poche's Fish-n-Camp, a very interesting place to birders and fishermen. The RV park is set up along several very large catfish ponds. With your RV space rental you get the right to keep all of the fish you catch. We haven't fished yet but there's been many catfish and sac-a-lait brought in by other campers.
Right down the road from the RV park is a restaurant that has crawfish etoufee on the menu daily. Yum!
January 27, 2007
Dauphin Island, Alabama
We spent a week on Dauphin Island in Alabama at the campground there. This large campground had space for over 100 campers and was almost filled with snowbirds. The license plates were from Michigan, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Kentucky and New York, along with a sprinkling from Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Some of the couples told us that they'd been wintering there for up to 13 years. The recreation room provided a large kitchen, fireplace, books, and games. Mardi Gras parades passed in front of the campground last weekend and this weekend.
It was a beautiful place, with a half mile of sugar sand beach and adjoining the 164 acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary. We walked miles of trails each day, along the beach and through the wooded sanctuary, following paths through wetlands and around the lake. Trawlers and luggers brought in fresh fish, crab, shrimp and oysters to the dock near us.. The local seafood market sells the freshly opened oysters and peeled crabmeat and will steam your shrimp for you.
The only downfall was the lack of internet access. I have to do something about that soon! I have a lot of catching up to do.
January 20, 2007
Bellingrath Gardens
Our second trip in Go Home II is one to the Alabama coast. We wanted to stay at the Dauphin Island campground but there are two large Mardi Gras parades on the island this weekend so we are staying just a few miles from Bellingrath Gardens until Monday. Breland and I visited the gardens today, spending several hours walking through and admiring the many camellias and flowering trees. We'll move Monday to Dauphin Island on the Gulf of New Mexico.
Bayou La Batre is just a few miles from our campsite. The availablity of fresh seafood and the large number of birds here is a real draw. We're surrounded by snowbirders. I think we may be the only southerners.
07-NOV-2006
Hatch Chili
Breland did an incredible job of managing that big rig through many miles of traffic. We crossed into New Mexico and pushed on to the Leaburg State Park. Our site had an incredible view of the Organ Mountains. Go Home met a friendly poodle and didn't even notice the rabbits hiding in the shrubs.
We set off for our destination, the Birdwatchers' RV Park in San Antonio, New Mexico. I stopped in Hatch to pick up some red chili enchiladas for Breland. Here's a picture of chilis drying on the roof of one of the many places that sell fresh chili in Hatch.
05-NOV-2006
Sunset at Leaburg State Park, New Mexico
We spent our third night on the road at the Leaburg State Park right above Las Cruces, New Mexico. It's a beautiful place to stay, with a picnic pavilion and firepit at each site. The RV sites are on a hill overlooking the dam. I would have loved to linger for a couple of days but we had to press on to our final destination.
The sunset is reflected in our travel trailer on the left. A retro Avion trailer is straight ahead.
05-NOV-2006
Caverns of Sonora RV Park, Texas
Our children have been a bit concerned about us traveling by RV. They're worried that I'd hate the typical crowded RV park. Here's a photo to reassure them :-) By 6:00 p.m. there were three other RVs sharing this park with us. I saw 25 deer at one time, several prairie dogs, and another couple saw a javelina. No loud music, no screaming kids or ATVs, just peace and clean air.
04-NOV-2006
Louisiana for 12 Hours
I flew home from New Mexico on Thursday and, less than 12 hours later, started driving back to New Mexico with Breland and Go Home. It is our first long trip with the RV. The original plan was to leave early in the morning but I had to be home for just a little while.
The truck's transmission needed a 500 mile towing break-in period and we were only able to travel 50 MPH. By the time we got to Houston we parked the RV, got a hotel room, and set the alarm for an early start the next day.
The photo is of a tour boat on the Atchafalaya Spillway near Lafayette, Louisiana.
11-APR-2006
Cloudcroft, New Mexico
The town of Cloudcroft is a small town catering to skiers and summer vacationers. It is over 9000 feet in elevation. Within 10 miles of the town are numerous overlooks, trails and canyons. Herds of elk and deer wander the mountainsides. Wild turkeys are everywhere and I even saw two bobcats in my rambles.
Cloudcroft is only 25 miles from White Sands National Monument. You can see White Sands, over 4000 feet below, from several overlooks on the road to Sunspot
http://www.nso.edu/, the National Solar Observatory.
I've worked near here over several days in the last month and stayed at The Lodge at Cloudcroft for much of my time here. This historic lodge is supposed to be haunted by Rebecca, a beautiful red-headed ghost. Rebecca, a chambermaid, disappeared after her lumberjack lover found her in the arms of another. So far I've slept here undisturbed.
The lodge has an excellent restaurant and a view down over the Tulorosa Basin below and to the Organ Mountains 90 miles away. The best spot for breakfast and lunch in town is the Jamocha Bean, a coffee and sandwich shop with comfortable couches and a cheerful staff.