caravan Trip To Alaska

[adelmoll]

Folks, we don't go anywhere without our seasick meds. Bill even takes them to ride in a car with someone else driving. We also have patches. wrist bands etc. I never get sick but yesterday the captain warned us it was really bad when you got out further, so I took the pills too and put on the wrist bands. I might have made it if I hadn't seen so many around me losing their lunch but that put me over the edge too. It was a clear, sunny, perfect day, and they say that makes the swells much worse than a cloudy one. Bill is still sick today. The last time he got this way it took him three days to recover.

Helen

[jrgwdenner]

Be absolutely sure that you visit the acquarium. It is very informative. When we were there they had a giant squid who was eating fish out of their lab. She would sneak out of her tank at night and go into the next tank for the fish. They couldn't figure out the mystery until they put up closed circuit TV.

[adelmoll]

Judy, we went to the Alaska SeaLife Center yesterday. You are right. It was very interesting. I had the cutest little puffin following me around until someone came and put him back where he belonged.

We finally caught up with Bob and Jan Gay too. That is the best part of this forum. You make so many new friends along the way. We had a nice chat and will be meeting them today at the Exit Glacier. They allow you to hike right on the glacier.
Helen

[jrgwdenner]

Great pictures of your trip on the catamarran. Love those whales.

When we were at the Exit Glacier, you could walk up TO the glacier but not on it. It was in August, maybe more unstable in the later part of the summer.

[bobgay]

Hi Judy,
We just got back from a nice trip to the Exit Glacier with Bill and Helen. We could get within about 50 feet of the glacier where a sign said it was unsafe to go further. We stopped, but others were walking right up and touching it. It really didn't look all that dangerous, but I guess they feel they have to be on record as telling people to stay back. Anyway, it's a very interesting place.
Bob

[jrgwdenner]

That was exactly our experience....people who can't read signs! And they're never the ones who get hurt!

It is a beautiful place, a nice hike, too.

There's a road just when you enter Seward that goes east around Ressurrection Bay and gives you a nice view of the city from afar. There's actually a dry camping spot with a camp host! Nice little drive.

Glen caught salmon along the rocks on the west side of R. Bay. It's pretty good fishing if you like climbing on the rocks. Just watch the tide. We started fishing on some rocks that were soon covered with water.

[Montana_1240]

If you want to walk on a glacier, the most convenient one, (at least a while ago, before whatever "Global Warming" might have done to it,) was Matanuska Glacier.

It's just off the Glenn Highway, north and east of Anchorage. (If you didn't go through Fairbanks, to get down to the Anchorage area, you passed it.)

Very interesting walks. It's funny to see the pebbles that get warmed by the sun and bury themselves feet deep in what become tubes of water.

If you’re equipped with Global Positioning, it’s at 61.46.35N and 147.46.00W.

Enjoy!
Steve

[adelmoll]

We are amazed at the effects of "global warming". We have watched movies on it and even driving into the park today, they have little signs all along the road with the year on it. ie:1999, 1992, 1989, etc. It turns out that that is where the glacier came down to in that year. Scary. Then when you find out that more than 75% of our water comes from glaciers, it really gets scary to see it disappear.

How can we help?? 1. Recycle 2. Hydro-Electric power 3. Any little step you can take.
Makes you feel kinda guilty to be driving big gas guzzler trucks, doesn't it?

Helen

[Montana_1240]

Helen,

Even before we left Fairbanks, late in 2004, the Tundra was melting.

I recall even when I got to Alaska, way back in 1980, the Black Rapids Glacier was retreating rapidly. (No pun intended.)

There’s not a lot more we can do to alleviate the problems. We’ve already limited emissions as much as reasonably possible. The “developing countries” are the ones responsible for growing CO2 emissions, now and into the future. All of which were pretty much excused by the Kyoto Accords, with the U.S. bearing the brunt of a form of punishment for their pollution. A lot of people who create such treaties hate this country, and most other successful countries. They tend to look at our consumption, alone. While neglecting our production.

There have always been warming periods. In fact, we’re still hearing about a possible coming ice age, even as we’re being slapped down for what is a warming trend that may just be one of the hundreds that have gone on in geologic time over the whole period since creation.

As you drive through those mountains, up there, make a note that most of the places the roads are built are from glacier erosion in the past, and those glaciers have been way far gone for centuries.

Me? I’m not gonna buy any waterfront property, or build in land that’s susceptible to flooding.

Dump the guilt. Try to get the Chinese and other third world "developing countries" to feel guilty over the number of private vehicles, with no emission controls, and multitudes of pollution-spewing factories that they'll be building and letting loose on Mother Nature in just a few years!

We’ve got brand new trucks that are going to be outmoded because of new standards that will be effective in a couple of years! We’ve got cars that have long been sacrificing useful power and better mileage for clean emissions. We’ve got umpteen mandated “environmentally-friendly” blends of fuel, to the point that it is said to cause shortages that drive up fuel prices even more than some Wall Street futures traders can!

Let the blame fall where it belongs. Enjoy life., We’re doing all we can.

Steve

[adelmoll]

Thanks Steve. I needed that.
Helen

[sgtpp214]

You are all making me greenwith envy. We are now in Medora, ND in 100 degree heat on our way back to WI. We spent 5 days in North Pole and then another 5 days in Skagway. I thought we had four weeks in AK, but after looking at the calendar in North Pole discovered instead of a total of 7 weeks we only had 5. Another Senior Moment. We had hoped to get down to the Anchorage Seward area, but I guess that will wait until the next trip. Oh yes this short trip just wet our whistles and the next trip will be slower and on the order of 3 months. Enjoy yourselves everyone and take in a deep breath and the view for us.

[Montana_1240]

To all you Last Frontier trekkers: Do NOT forget to pick up whichever "I Survived the Alcan Highway" bumper stickers by the time you get to Dawson Creek, B.C. that tickles your fancy. One for your Monty, and one for the TV, at least.

[adelmoll]

Sgtpp214, you are at one of our favorite places. We spent the 4th of July there a few years back and could not get hook ups. It was 100 that day too and we didn't have any air conditioning. We went to the parade during the day and almost passed out. Then drove Teddy Roosevelt NP very slowly for as long as we could in our air conditioned truck. Spent the evening at the Fork Foudue and the musical. When we got back to the campground, we sat outside and watched fireworks unitl midnight. It was one of the best 4th's we have ever had.

Gyro- Yup, we got it. I put all our decals inside the basement door. It's getting pretty full now. I'll have to start on the other side.

We left Seward this morning on our way to Valdez but fell in love with a campsite before we even got to Glennallen. We stoped at the Grand View Cafe and RV Park. The view is awesome. Maybe tomorrow we will make it to Valdez. Unless we come up with another place like this.
Helen

[Montana_1240]

I hope you ask about the drop from the rim outside of Valdez, into Valdez. It's a pretty steep grade! I believe it's Thompson Pass.

Make sure your brakes are cool and your trucks tuned.

I love the rock formations right before that drop off. I used to pull up under a roadside waterfall on the right side of the and cool off while washing road dirt off my car.

There's a good restaurant down near the docks. Italian food, as I recall. And maybe even some Greek food. I'll be darned if I can remember the name, though.

Enjoy a tour of the Alyeska Pump Station area. Alaska's cash machine.

Steve

[bobgay]

Helen, we envy you going to Valdez. That is our favorite spot so far on our trip. We are in Soldotna and leave for Homer tomorrow. Plan to take the ferry from there to Kodiak. We hear we may have trouble getting a campsite in Homer because of all the fishermen down there right now. There sure are a lot of them in Soldotna. By the way, we enjoyed very much being with you and Bill in Seward and hope to see you again down the road.
Bob and Jan

[Montana_1240]

Bob & Jan,

When can we expect to see you paint in the applicable provinces and that Last Frontier state on your signature’s "Been There" map?


Steve

[bobgay]

Steve, it's been a couple of months since I last did it, and I've forgotten how. I'll have to go back and brush up on the procedure, but we're having too much fun to take the time right now. One of these days.
Bob

[adelmoll]

Atta Guy Bob. Fun is the most important thing.

Hey---- Where is Virgil & Jo?????
Helen

[virgil47]

Well we are leaving Anchorage today and headed to Stoney Creek RV Pk in Seward for a week. You speedy gonzales' are blazing all the trails for us. We "do" for a day and lay out for a day so we're moving a lot slower. We're spending a lot of time discussing fulltiming and have decided to at least get more info together when we get back to Georgia about property values, etc. Actually, just enjoying life one day at a time.

[Montana_1240]

Bob,

Teasing.

You enjoy yourself to the max, up there. Even Alaskan residents have to do that, since summer is such a short season.

I've had so many programs on my PCs from time to time that I simply forgot how many of them function, too. Having just repaired the PC, reloading Windows, and may most important programs onto the new hard drive, I'm coming across all manner of those old programs as I clean the "stuff" off the old drive while I check for valuable files that I want to save.

You'll have plenty of time after the trip, when maybe you don't have Internet access, to play with it.

Steve