Bob and I ate in the coach this morning and all we had to do was pull in one side and unhook the electric. Some of our crew went across the ferry last night and played midnight golf so they left from that side. The rest of us started pulling out about 7am and went to the ferry. At the ferry they usually could put on two coaches or 5th wheels and then finished with cars except when they put on a tour bus and a back hoe. Everyone got across fine but as you got closer to the other shore and you saw the river flowing one way and and the shore and you were moving up river still--it was a strange sensation.
We drove the Top of the World Highway today which once you got up onto the ridge you just kept following the ridge. Most of it was either gravel or dirt on both sides of the border. We crossed out of the Yukon and back into the U.S. to Alaska. It was so foggy you could hardly see the border booth--no problem. Shortly after crossing the border Bob saw this animal to my right on top of a small hill and moving away from us. I think it was a badger. That was the only animal we saw.
The water up here is a goldish brown. Have to find out why. But regardless I went down to the creek and at least stuck my hand into it. I think it was Walker Fork Creek because we crossed the bridge shortly after. There must have been a fire at some time because thruout the whole drive you could see the burn. I found out that the water is that color because of all the tannin that leaches out of the ground and from the mineral content.
We also saw 4 old cars going up the road away from us. We got in fairly early about 12:30 because it was only 108 miles although the road was wash board and had some pot holes so we were only going between 15 and 25 mph the entire trip. At least we didn't have any problems because the dirt road was more narrow and the shoulders were soft so you were cautioned not to get onto them.
Two things I forgot. In the afternoon before supper while the boys took the tour on the dredge a bunch of us panned for gold at a table. Most of us found a few "tiny" flecks and put them in a vial and my back has been paying the price for two days. The other is about the cities in the paragraph below.
Last night the four of us walked over the road to the big town of Chicken. There were four buildings strung together: a gift shop/liquor store(you have to have a separate entrance), a bar and a small cafe. It was quite a place. The tour masters had dinner for us again: chicken patty, 3 bean salad, potato salad, buns, lettuce and tomato and we brought our own drinks. It was very good. After dinner Bob and I went back to chicken because my T-shirt was too large. We came back to the park and everyone was gathered at the Cafe/gift shop out on the patio for our crazy hat contest and the owner told us a little about the town of Chicken and mining, etc. There are 4 people that live here year round. Chicken has no police or fire department although they have one of the oldest post offices in the state. They have no state income or property tax or state tax on purchases. No one much bothers them up here.
The owner served us a berry dessert with ice cream and quizzed us with 3 questions: what are the 3 largest cities by area in Alaska(they are also the largest in the U.S.) with Jacksonville, Fl being the 5th. The largest city in area is Yakutat City with 7,650 sq. miles for 808 people. Isn't that a hoot. The next is size is Sitka followed by Juneau followed by Anchorage. The second question was how long is the Yukon River(1980 miles) there were a lot of people who thought it was 2000+ miles so we had to break the tie and I won. I won an old 1st addition of the book Tisha(written by the named person) who lived and worked up here and raised a number of First Nation children. I was thrilled. You know how I love books especially old books.
At 8:30 pm we took a tour of another old dredge named Pedro. The owner and another man had saved this from being dismantled and destroyed. They move it about a mile and put it in his park and he gives tours and it has all the tool and equipment left inside. Dee and I went because the boys went earlier and it was interesting to learn more after taking the tour on Dredge #4 but I was certainly ready for bed when we finished. The boys went looking for moose and went up to see the airstrip.
Tomorrow is a short trip of 80 miles to Tok and we don't have much time on Wifi so we'll see what I can do. See you.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Dawson City--June 29
It wasn't raining this morning. Bob went out and filled our water tank and emptied our dirty tanks while I was getting yesterdays blog done and dressing and eating a quick bite. At 9am we had our briefing for tomorrow's drive to Chicken, Alaska over the Top of the World Highway. You remember it wasn't raining before very long as we were sitting outside taking notes it started to sprinkle but not hard. After our briefing the owner of the park gave us more info about Dawson City--some we had heard and some we had not.
Bob and I took off to do some sightseeing in town. We drove down to the river where there is a dike all along the river beside the town and out in the middle of the river is a small cabin floating at anchor. The Yukon and the Klondike join and the water is muddy down one half and clean down the other and they also flow at different speeds-quite interesting. We followed the river and saw a small riverboat that takes tours and also saw where the ferry works just below. We then went driving around and I did some walking taking pictures of old buildings in town and went into some stores. At 1:30 we all took a guided walking tour and that was very informative. For instance, during the gold rush when people died the cabinet maker decided he could make more money making caskets so he became the mortician. When the ground froze you couldn't bury them so they got stacked up in the back room until he finally got the bright idea to dig the graves in the spring and summer and have them ready. Due to the circumstances up here the people learn to make due and to figure out another solution to their need.
About 1900 people live in Dawson year round now. They build their buildings above the ground due to the perma frost and then insulate them well because they don't want the heat to heat the perma frost or it will get soft and the building will tilt and even at that they have to jack up parts of their buildings from time to time. We went to the Jack London Museum and saw half of his cabin. It was discovered some years back by some Americans. They know it was his because of where it was located and he had cut his name into a log piece near the roof and had the date and signed it miner/author and this was just before he started to write a lot.
After the tour we spent more time in town going into shops,etc. until it was 5pm so we could go back to eat supper at The Drunken Goat again--it was so good the first time we did a repeat. Then we drove to find the Robert Service Cabin for later. Robert Service was English who lived in Scotland and eventually got to Canada and lived in a cabin in Dawson where he lived when he first had his poems published. He is famous for the poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and many others. We went for a presentation of his works and a history given by a young man in period dress. All the people who work for the Canada Parks Service in town dress in period clothing. It was an hour and it was very good. The cabin he lived in while here in Dawson for 4 years is well preserved.
For all the rain and mucky dirt roads that we had yesterday--today got hot and the roads are getting dusty. Only the front road which is the highway is paved and all the others are dirt. Downtown you walk on boardwalks just as they did then. This has been an interesting stay.
Bob and I took off to do some sightseeing in town. We drove down to the river where there is a dike all along the river beside the town and out in the middle of the river is a small cabin floating at anchor. The Yukon and the Klondike join and the water is muddy down one half and clean down the other and they also flow at different speeds-quite interesting. We followed the river and saw a small riverboat that takes tours and also saw where the ferry works just below. We then went driving around and I did some walking taking pictures of old buildings in town and went into some stores. At 1:30 we all took a guided walking tour and that was very informative. For instance, during the gold rush when people died the cabinet maker decided he could make more money making caskets so he became the mortician. When the ground froze you couldn't bury them so they got stacked up in the back room until he finally got the bright idea to dig the graves in the spring and summer and have them ready. Due to the circumstances up here the people learn to make due and to figure out another solution to their need.
About 1900 people live in Dawson year round now. They build their buildings above the ground due to the perma frost and then insulate them well because they don't want the heat to heat the perma frost or it will get soft and the building will tilt and even at that they have to jack up parts of their buildings from time to time. We went to the Jack London Museum and saw half of his cabin. It was discovered some years back by some Americans. They know it was his because of where it was located and he had cut his name into a log piece near the roof and had the date and signed it miner/author and this was just before he started to write a lot.
After the tour we spent more time in town going into shops,etc. until it was 5pm so we could go back to eat supper at The Drunken Goat again--it was so good the first time we did a repeat. Then we drove to find the Robert Service Cabin for later. Robert Service was English who lived in Scotland and eventually got to Canada and lived in a cabin in Dawson where he lived when he first had his poems published. He is famous for the poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee" and many others. We went for a presentation of his works and a history given by a young man in period dress. All the people who work for the Canada Parks Service in town dress in period clothing. It was an hour and it was very good. The cabin he lived in while here in Dawson for 4 years is well preserved.
For all the rain and mucky dirt roads that we had yesterday--today got hot and the roads are getting dusty. Only the front road which is the highway is paved and all the others are dirt. Downtown you walk on boardwalks just as they did then. This has been an interesting stay.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Dawson City--June 28
We woke up to rain on the roof and it looks like it will be here for a while so our briefing will be on the CB. I had to come to the office area to be able to get on the net, but come to find out our leader had inadvertently given us the wrong code for the RV park's internet. Bob should be manning the CB while I am still in the office.
Since it was raining and there was no building to get together one of the ladies in our group volunteered her coach as a gathering point for our location to make our flag pins. It was 12 ladies and Bob. It was not hard and our tailgunner's wife Madi taught us how to do them. It is a little tedious and the beads are small but it was fun. I even made two of them.
Afterwards we went back to the coach and got ready to go and see things. First off we went down to the Palace Theater to buy tickets for wherever we wanted to go. There is a set of three so we bought that which got us the tour of the Palace Grand Theatre and two other places. The Palace Grand has been reconstructed by the government and is really nice. It was opened in 1899 by Arizona Charlie Meadows. In the entrance was a long bar on one side and the rest of the front open and separated by a long curtain across was the entrance into the theatre and the seating. The area was U shaped where the next two balcony floors were located with box seats. Charlies's living quarters were on the second story as well as apartments for the top name performers. The first floor balcony seats were for those who had made some money from the gold rush but the top story was for those who had really made it and wanted to be seen and to look down on the masses. Then she showed us back stage and told us more stories about the people who performed and worked in the theatre. It was very interesting to hear about the life of times of people back then. We then went out to the audience seats and watched an old video of Sargent Preston of the Yukon. That was fun for all who remembered that show.
We went to lunch and walked around some of the downtown in the rain. Lunch was ok but not memorable. Afterwards we rode with Marvin and Dee out to see Dredge #4 on Bonanza Creek. This is the largest wooden hull dredge in North America. This huge piece of equipment digs up the rocks and dirt with huge buckets attached to this long arm which makes a complete revolution 8 times every minute and dumps out this stuff into an opening which then takes it into a long round tube with holes into which water is forced and the mud dissolves and then the rocks and gold goes into another hopper which shakes and eventually catches the gold or most of it. Then out the other end is a long sleeve type mechanism. The excess rock is carried up this sleeve which moves side to side as it empties out this excess behind the dredge and what it creates is miles of tailings which from above look like snakes while down below it just looks like hills of different sized gravel. This was used until the late 1950's or early 60's when it was left where it was and after a dam burst up stream and moved it and buried it about 12' into the water it froze in the ice. The Canadian government came in and in about 2-3 years dug, cut and blasted the ice away and dug it out of the muck and set it upright again and then cut the ice out piece by piece inside and now it is a museum of sorts. This thing is huge and everything on it is massive. All the pieces and huge wheels were shipped here from all over the world and brought here on steamers, trains and any mode necessary and assembled. It just seems like such a feat. This was well worth seeing and the park lady who led us thru had worked in the mine fields and lived in tents thru the winter up here when she was younger.
We then went checking out gas stations for the price of diesel and where it would be handy to go buy it after which we went back to the Visitor's Center to view a couple of films about gold mining and the dredge.
Marvin and Dee went one direction for lunch and we went another. We had found a Greek restaurant called The Drunken Goat and it was the best gyro I have had in a long time followed by the best baklava. We may go back there again today it was so good. This was followed by another vaudeville show at Diamond Tooth Gerties'. It was more song and dance and less of the slapstick humor but it was really good. We went into the balcony and had great seats without the fear of getting pulled on stage by the girls. Lots of fun.
We had just gotten back to the coach when a knock on the door said a bunch were going up to the Dome of the Midnight Sun so we were going with Dee and Marvin but one other couple needed a ride so we took Barry and Monique with us and we all trouped up the mountain. It was a beautiful view. No animals. We came home and went to bed.
Since it was raining and there was no building to get together one of the ladies in our group volunteered her coach as a gathering point for our location to make our flag pins. It was 12 ladies and Bob. It was not hard and our tailgunner's wife Madi taught us how to do them. It is a little tedious and the beads are small but it was fun. I even made two of them.
Afterwards we went back to the coach and got ready to go and see things. First off we went down to the Palace Theater to buy tickets for wherever we wanted to go. There is a set of three so we bought that which got us the tour of the Palace Grand Theatre and two other places. The Palace Grand has been reconstructed by the government and is really nice. It was opened in 1899 by Arizona Charlie Meadows. In the entrance was a long bar on one side and the rest of the front open and separated by a long curtain across was the entrance into the theatre and the seating. The area was U shaped where the next two balcony floors were located with box seats. Charlies's living quarters were on the second story as well as apartments for the top name performers. The first floor balcony seats were for those who had made some money from the gold rush but the top story was for those who had really made it and wanted to be seen and to look down on the masses. Then she showed us back stage and told us more stories about the people who performed and worked in the theatre. It was very interesting to hear about the life of times of people back then. We then went out to the audience seats and watched an old video of Sargent Preston of the Yukon. That was fun for all who remembered that show.
We went to lunch and walked around some of the downtown in the rain. Lunch was ok but not memorable. Afterwards we rode with Marvin and Dee out to see Dredge #4 on Bonanza Creek. This is the largest wooden hull dredge in North America. This huge piece of equipment digs up the rocks and dirt with huge buckets attached to this long arm which makes a complete revolution 8 times every minute and dumps out this stuff into an opening which then takes it into a long round tube with holes into which water is forced and the mud dissolves and then the rocks and gold goes into another hopper which shakes and eventually catches the gold or most of it. Then out the other end is a long sleeve type mechanism. The excess rock is carried up this sleeve which moves side to side as it empties out this excess behind the dredge and what it creates is miles of tailings which from above look like snakes while down below it just looks like hills of different sized gravel. This was used until the late 1950's or early 60's when it was left where it was and after a dam burst up stream and moved it and buried it about 12' into the water it froze in the ice. The Canadian government came in and in about 2-3 years dug, cut and blasted the ice away and dug it out of the muck and set it upright again and then cut the ice out piece by piece inside and now it is a museum of sorts. This thing is huge and everything on it is massive. All the pieces and huge wheels were shipped here from all over the world and brought here on steamers, trains and any mode necessary and assembled. It just seems like such a feat. This was well worth seeing and the park lady who led us thru had worked in the mine fields and lived in tents thru the winter up here when she was younger.
We then went checking out gas stations for the price of diesel and where it would be handy to go buy it after which we went back to the Visitor's Center to view a couple of films about gold mining and the dredge.
Marvin and Dee went one direction for lunch and we went another. We had found a Greek restaurant called The Drunken Goat and it was the best gyro I have had in a long time followed by the best baklava. We may go back there again today it was so good. This was followed by another vaudeville show at Diamond Tooth Gerties'. It was more song and dance and less of the slapstick humor but it was really good. We went into the balcony and had great seats without the fear of getting pulled on stage by the girls. Lots of fun.
We had just gotten back to the coach when a knock on the door said a bunch were going up to the Dome of the Midnight Sun so we were going with Dee and Marvin but one other couple needed a ride so we took Barry and Monique with us and we all trouped up the mountain. It was a beautiful view. No animals. We came home and went to bed.
To Dawson City--June 27
We went onto Hwy. 2 out of Whitehorse all the way to Dawson City. Today was our longest drive day of the trip so we left at 6am and drove about 68 miles to the Braedburn Lodge for breakfast. It is on the Yukon Quest Dogsled Trail. They also make cinnamon buns literally the size of a dinner plate(feeds four). We had a very good breakfast:eggs, potatoes, a large slab of ham and Texas toast; however, the old cogger who cooked and ran the place looked like my cousin Kenny and was even more unfriendly than Kenny. Bet he was a biker in an earlier life and just didn't talk. Left there at 8:30am.
We stopped at an old log building called the Montague Roadhouse. It is a typical early-day roadhouse which offered lodging and meals on the stagecoach route between Whitehorse and Dawson City. There was a small log building to the back and the large in front. It had no roof or floor but you got the idea. A short nap was taken by all except maybe Dee.
Not very many towns or things to see. We went thru or by Carmack and on to Pelly River. This is a Selkirk Indian community almost entirely and the economy is built on fishing, trapping, hunting and guiding. The Indian up here are referred to as First Nation.
We went on to Stewart Crossing and just parked in our coaches and fixed lunch and took a long nap. This was a trading post to support the gold mining and then became a roadhouse with the coming of the stage line. Getting up early catches up with you so sometimes I think what is the point? We then went on to Tentina Trench which extends hundreds of miles across Yukon and Alaska. It is the largest fault in North America and 1 of 2 major bird migration corridors in the Yukon, the other is the Shakwak Trench. We crossed the Klondike River somewhere along the way.
We did not see a single animal along the way--frustrating!!!. We did get to Goldrush RV Park and it was raining but we got parked and set up for the night. I hurriedly got my dirty clothes together and went up to their laundry and its a good thing I did because after I was there a few minutes it got really busy. That job is done for awhile. See you tomorrow.
We stopped at an old log building called the Montague Roadhouse. It is a typical early-day roadhouse which offered lodging and meals on the stagecoach route between Whitehorse and Dawson City. There was a small log building to the back and the large in front. It had no roof or floor but you got the idea. A short nap was taken by all except maybe Dee.
Not very many towns or things to see. We went thru or by Carmack and on to Pelly River. This is a Selkirk Indian community almost entirely and the economy is built on fishing, trapping, hunting and guiding. The Indian up here are referred to as First Nation.
We went on to Stewart Crossing and just parked in our coaches and fixed lunch and took a long nap. This was a trading post to support the gold mining and then became a roadhouse with the coming of the stage line. Getting up early catches up with you so sometimes I think what is the point? We then went on to Tentina Trench which extends hundreds of miles across Yukon and Alaska. It is the largest fault in North America and 1 of 2 major bird migration corridors in the Yukon, the other is the Shakwak Trench. We crossed the Klondike River somewhere along the way.
We did not see a single animal along the way--frustrating!!!. We did get to Goldrush RV Park and it was raining but we got parked and set up for the night. I hurriedly got my dirty clothes together and went up to their laundry and its a good thing I did because after I was there a few minutes it got really busy. That job is done for awhile. See you tomorrow.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Whitehorse again--June 26
Today I got up by 6 so I could get on the computer and write yesterdays blog and begin todays. At night everyone else is on and it is so slow I prefer not to do it then. There was a luner eclipse very early thing morning but I didn't know about it soon enough and I missed it. It was supposed to be huge.
At nine this morning we are to have our briefing for our trip tomorrow and then at 11 we get a tour of the S.S. Klondike which is a grand old sternwheeler that sits beside the Yukon River on dry land and they do tours. Before the tour we saw a 20 minute movie about what, where, when and how the boats were used. The steam powered river transport was central in the development and connection of the Yukon to the outside world for almost a century after the first vessel reached Fort Selkirk in 1866. Overland winter travel supplemented the summer river transport, but in the late 1920's aircraft came into use and after WWII road transport finally ended the importance of inland water transport.
This specific boat was built in Whitehorse in 1929 and was 50% bigger than other boats so she could carry more cargo without pushing a barge in front of her. Unfortunatlely in 1936 she ran aground and sunk. The company immediately built the Klondike II. From 1937-1952 it was primarily a cargo vessel with a few passengers and then in order to save this flag ship of the British Navigation Co. it was refurbished to a cruise ship; however since that didn't make as much money they ended that in 1955 and brought the ship to Whitehorse to dry dock.
They could only make use of the river 5 months out of the year. This boat ran from Whitehorse north to Dawson City (1.5 days) and back which took (4-5 days). It took one or two cords of wood per hour to run the boiler and they took on wood from specific stops along the way every 12 hours. A fireman stood at the front of the furnace and threw in a 4' log every 30 seconds for 4 hours and then someone else would come on duty. Then the they would have to bring a load of maybe 500-800lbs of wood down from the bank to the boat on a gang plank. This wheeled dolly type thing had no brakes and one man did it by himself while others were stacking it down below and others unstacking it above. They hauled all kinds of food stuffs as well as silver lead ore and lots of beer kegs for upstream and the ore coming down stream. Very interesting tour.
Then we went to lunch at The Chocolate Claim and it was real good. Bob had a bowl of white bean and potato soup and we shared a chicken with asiago cheese and flavored mayo on a good bread and I had a bowl of Italian bolognese soup and it was also good. Then Bob bought a sliver of dessert which was good. Right next to us was 3 women and one had a small child a little less than a year old and I just wanted to ask if I could hold it but I knew I couldn't.
We went from there to the visitor center which was very nice--got there just in time for a good movie and then went out to view what they had in the lobby. One of our group had seen an eagles nest right by a rest area on the road into town so we stopped and sure enough one adult was sitting above he nest with 2 young ones in the nest. The young must be getting ready to fly soon because we saw wings practicing by flapping.
Before we left town though we went back to the lunch spot for a dessert for Dee and to a 50's diner in town for some ice cream for Marvin and then home. Marvin is taking a nap,Dee is probably reading, Bob is writing notes from our briefing into our log and here I am informing you of our activities.
Tonight about 8pm we are to meet down town to see the Frantic Follies, a vaudeville stage show. It features cancan dancers, rousing music and hilarious skits from Robert W. Service ballads for about an hour and a half. It should be good. That's all I am writing for now. If after we see it I have anything to add I will edit this blog. Tomorrow we are up bright and early to head to Dawson City, the longest mileage of the trip at 337 miles thus the naps for the guys especially since we will have a later night tonight for Marvin (he goes to bed early and rises early). After driving for awhile early you need to get out and do something or take a nap. So long for now.
At nine this morning we are to have our briefing for our trip tomorrow and then at 11 we get a tour of the S.S. Klondike which is a grand old sternwheeler that sits beside the Yukon River on dry land and they do tours. Before the tour we saw a 20 minute movie about what, where, when and how the boats were used. The steam powered river transport was central in the development and connection of the Yukon to the outside world for almost a century after the first vessel reached Fort Selkirk in 1866. Overland winter travel supplemented the summer river transport, but in the late 1920's aircraft came into use and after WWII road transport finally ended the importance of inland water transport.
This specific boat was built in Whitehorse in 1929 and was 50% bigger than other boats so she could carry more cargo without pushing a barge in front of her. Unfortunatlely in 1936 she ran aground and sunk. The company immediately built the Klondike II. From 1937-1952 it was primarily a cargo vessel with a few passengers and then in order to save this flag ship of the British Navigation Co. it was refurbished to a cruise ship; however since that didn't make as much money they ended that in 1955 and brought the ship to Whitehorse to dry dock.
They could only make use of the river 5 months out of the year. This boat ran from Whitehorse north to Dawson City (1.5 days) and back which took (4-5 days). It took one or two cords of wood per hour to run the boiler and they took on wood from specific stops along the way every 12 hours. A fireman stood at the front of the furnace and threw in a 4' log every 30 seconds for 4 hours and then someone else would come on duty. Then the they would have to bring a load of maybe 500-800lbs of wood down from the bank to the boat on a gang plank. This wheeled dolly type thing had no brakes and one man did it by himself while others were stacking it down below and others unstacking it above. They hauled all kinds of food stuffs as well as silver lead ore and lots of beer kegs for upstream and the ore coming down stream. Very interesting tour.
Then we went to lunch at The Chocolate Claim and it was real good. Bob had a bowl of white bean and potato soup and we shared a chicken with asiago cheese and flavored mayo on a good bread and I had a bowl of Italian bolognese soup and it was also good. Then Bob bought a sliver of dessert which was good. Right next to us was 3 women and one had a small child a little less than a year old and I just wanted to ask if I could hold it but I knew I couldn't.
We went from there to the visitor center which was very nice--got there just in time for a good movie and then went out to view what they had in the lobby. One of our group had seen an eagles nest right by a rest area on the road into town so we stopped and sure enough one adult was sitting above he nest with 2 young ones in the nest. The young must be getting ready to fly soon because we saw wings practicing by flapping.
Before we left town though we went back to the lunch spot for a dessert for Dee and to a 50's diner in town for some ice cream for Marvin and then home. Marvin is taking a nap,Dee is probably reading, Bob is writing notes from our briefing into our log and here I am informing you of our activities.
Tonight about 8pm we are to meet down town to see the Frantic Follies, a vaudeville stage show. It features cancan dancers, rousing music and hilarious skits from Robert W. Service ballads for about an hour and a half. It should be good. That's all I am writing for now. If after we see it I have anything to add I will edit this blog. Tomorrow we are up bright and early to head to Dawson City, the longest mileage of the trip at 337 miles thus the naps for the guys especially since we will have a later night tonight for Marvin (he goes to bed early and rises early). After driving for awhile early you need to get out and do something or take a nap. So long for now.
In town Whitehorse--June 25
We were late getting up but Marvin and Dee waited on us and we went to breakfast at a place called Ricky's. The food was good but they didn't have enough help and it was slow. The 3 of us went in and had most of our meal before Bob joined us. He had to make some calls back to the states.
We went to visit two museums: one was the Yukon Beringia Interpretive
Centre which presents the Ice Age giants that ruled the sub-continent of Beringia. This is the area that joined Russia and the North American continent. I never knew it had a name before now. They had a film telling how it came about--which has to do with all the ice forming lowered the ocean levels and allowed the ground to show and connect the continents. This part of the Yukon was not under the glaciers but when these animals died they froze and were under the perma-frost. The bones and skeletons are being discovered by place miners and some of the First Nation people who still live off the land. These people report or bring their finds to the palentologists and then they also link their old stories with what they find and are discovering the stories are built around some fact. Very interesting.
The other museum was the Yukon Transportation Museum. This brings together over 100 years of transportation history. You see how the first miners travelled up here by steamboat or overland by sleds on runners or wheeled sleds pulled by horses, dogs or themselves. These people were very ingenious and very determined to get where they were going. It was certainly a hard life. It shows pictures of the old airplanes and the men that flew them and also has one old plane hanging from the ceiling--the Queen of the Yukon which is the same as the one Lindberg flew on his unforgetable flight. The hard labor of those who built the first railroad is unbelievable. When the steamboats could go no further because of rapids they either put the cargo and people on raft type boats and shot the rapids or built a small tramway and from the river they went over the land beyond the rapids and loaded them onto another boat. Our life has become too easy and we have lost our ingenuity and imagination. When they had a problem they had to find a way to solve it by themselves and not depend on someone else. These are the people who built North America. In front of the Museum is the world's largest weatervane--a DC-3 mounted up on a rotating pedestal and points its nose into the wind. It does actually work. It was originally a C-47 built in 1942 and flown in Asia during the war and then converted to a DC-3 for civilian life and flown until 1970 when it was stripped of its innards and later recovered for its present purposes.
We came back to the coach and on the way back we saw a red fox just trotting along the side of the road. I guess Marvin saw one in our campground earlier in the morning. We took a quick nap before we took off again for a boat ride on Schwatka Lake and the Yukon River.The boat could only hold about 25 people between the top and lower deck. We managed to get upper deck seats on the way out. I got my first sighting of a loon on the lake before we took off and after. That was on my list of birds to see. We were also blessed to have an eagle perched up on the top of a tree right beside the lake. We received a a great view of him--quite majestic. He just sat there. We also saw planes take off and land on the lake--there are several moored there.
There is also a swinging bridge across the narrowest part of the river which we had walked across earlier in the day but when we went under it our tailgunner Spence and his wife Madi were up taking pictures. There is a hiking trail that takes you around the lake and down the river and we saw a number of people with their dogs. They take their dogs everywhere with them up here. Halfway thru the 2 hr. ride we switched with passengers downstairs so they could come up but those who were below could go to the bow of the boat and stand and watch if they wanted so that is where I spent the rest of the ride. It was so beautiful and on the way back there was no wind because it was coming from the rear of the boat.
Another lady joined our group. She travels by herself but she had been with another caravan and had health problems so she stayed up here and worked on them till joining us for the rest of our trip.
We went to a Mexican place for dinner. It was good but different and more expensive than ours back home and no chips and dips before the meal. A pop was $3.50. Everything is higher up here. After dinner we went to one of their big stores called Canadian Tire but it is like a larger WalMart with no food. Hopefully I found the binocular harness I have been looking for all along the way. I will try it and see. On the way home Marvin took a backroads way to look for animals but saw none. Home and to bed. I went to bed at 10 or 11 and it was still quite light. I've never stayed up yet to see how dark or when it gets dark.
We went to visit two museums: one was the Yukon Beringia Interpretive
Centre which presents the Ice Age giants that ruled the sub-continent of Beringia. This is the area that joined Russia and the North American continent. I never knew it had a name before now. They had a film telling how it came about--which has to do with all the ice forming lowered the ocean levels and allowed the ground to show and connect the continents. This part of the Yukon was not under the glaciers but when these animals died they froze and were under the perma-frost. The bones and skeletons are being discovered by place miners and some of the First Nation people who still live off the land. These people report or bring their finds to the palentologists and then they also link their old stories with what they find and are discovering the stories are built around some fact. Very interesting.
The other museum was the Yukon Transportation Museum. This brings together over 100 years of transportation history. You see how the first miners travelled up here by steamboat or overland by sleds on runners or wheeled sleds pulled by horses, dogs or themselves. These people were very ingenious and very determined to get where they were going. It was certainly a hard life. It shows pictures of the old airplanes and the men that flew them and also has one old plane hanging from the ceiling--the Queen of the Yukon which is the same as the one Lindberg flew on his unforgetable flight. The hard labor of those who built the first railroad is unbelievable. When the steamboats could go no further because of rapids they either put the cargo and people on raft type boats and shot the rapids or built a small tramway and from the river they went over the land beyond the rapids and loaded them onto another boat. Our life has become too easy and we have lost our ingenuity and imagination. When they had a problem they had to find a way to solve it by themselves and not depend on someone else. These are the people who built North America. In front of the Museum is the world's largest weatervane--a DC-3 mounted up on a rotating pedestal and points its nose into the wind. It does actually work. It was originally a C-47 built in 1942 and flown in Asia during the war and then converted to a DC-3 for civilian life and flown until 1970 when it was stripped of its innards and later recovered for its present purposes.
We came back to the coach and on the way back we saw a red fox just trotting along the side of the road. I guess Marvin saw one in our campground earlier in the morning. We took a quick nap before we took off again for a boat ride on Schwatka Lake and the Yukon River.The boat could only hold about 25 people between the top and lower deck. We managed to get upper deck seats on the way out. I got my first sighting of a loon on the lake before we took off and after. That was on my list of birds to see. We were also blessed to have an eagle perched up on the top of a tree right beside the lake. We received a a great view of him--quite majestic. He just sat there. We also saw planes take off and land on the lake--there are several moored there.
There is also a swinging bridge across the narrowest part of the river which we had walked across earlier in the day but when we went under it our tailgunner Spence and his wife Madi were up taking pictures. There is a hiking trail that takes you around the lake and down the river and we saw a number of people with their dogs. They take their dogs everywhere with them up here. Halfway thru the 2 hr. ride we switched with passengers downstairs so they could come up but those who were below could go to the bow of the boat and stand and watch if they wanted so that is where I spent the rest of the ride. It was so beautiful and on the way back there was no wind because it was coming from the rear of the boat.
Another lady joined our group. She travels by herself but she had been with another caravan and had health problems so she stayed up here and worked on them till joining us for the rest of our trip.
We went to a Mexican place for dinner. It was good but different and more expensive than ours back home and no chips and dips before the meal. A pop was $3.50. Everything is higher up here. After dinner we went to one of their big stores called Canadian Tire but it is like a larger WalMart with no food. Hopefully I found the binocular harness I have been looking for all along the way. I will try it and see. On the way home Marvin took a backroads way to look for animals but saw none. Home and to bed. I went to bed at 10 or 11 and it was still quite light. I've never stayed up yet to see how dark or when it gets dark.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Watson Lake to Whitehorse--June 24
We left out at 6am again and were going to stop for breakfast down the road unfortunately no place opens that early so we just parked and ate in the coach. Our next stop was at Rancheria Falls Recreation Site. While the boys slept Dee and I took the short walk to the falls. We saw lovely flowers and mosquitoes along the way. I took a small flower guide and butterfly guide also so I could try and identify some of them and of course took some pictures. There were two falls, not high down a mountain but they were beautiful. I think they went on either side of an island. When we got back to our coaches I realized I had lost the flower guide out of my pocket so back I went--very quickly--and I found it. So I had two good walks this morning.
We crossed the Continental Divide again and I think crossed the B.C./Y.T. border for the last time. We crossed over the Nisutlin Bay Bridge that leads into the town of Teslin. This is the longest water span on the Alaska Hwy at 1,917'. The Nisutlin River forms a bay here as it flows into the Teslin Lake. The lake straddles the BC/YT border. It is 86 miles long, averages 2 miles across and has an average depth of 194'. The name is taken from the Indian name Teslintoo meaning long narrow water.
After we crossed we stopped at the Yukon Motel and Lakeshore RV Park to eat lunch. I had a really nice and large caesar salad with warm chicken and boy was it good. After lunch we went next door to their Yukon Wildlife Gallery and gift shop and we were glad we did. Didn't buy anything but their stuffed animal and their presentation inside glass diaramas was excellent(fish, bl.bear,grizzly,polar, moose, wolves, beaver,lynx and birds plus more).
The only other thing we went to in town was the George Johnston Museum who was a Tlingit Indian. He was a very innovative person known for his trapping and his photography. He bought the very first car, a 1928 Chevrolet and brought it there on a riverboat because there were no roads. He and friends built a 3 mile road to Teslin and charged a $1 for his taxi ride to Teslin and then in the winter he would paint it white and use it for trapping, etc. on the lake. Then he had an 86 mile road and then in the spring he would repaint it the original color. It has been restored and is in the museum. There were lots of items related to the Tlingit culture and existence and a movie of his daughter and others remembering him and talking about their culture. It was very good. There was another museum but we were feeling the need to continue our trek to Whitehorse.
The only other stop was at the Yukon River Bridge at Marsh Lake Dam and that was just for a picture--no time for reading signs. We will be staying in Pioneer Village RV Park until the morning of the 27th. Have a good evening.
We crossed the Continental Divide again and I think crossed the B.C./Y.T. border for the last time. We crossed over the Nisutlin Bay Bridge that leads into the town of Teslin. This is the longest water span on the Alaska Hwy at 1,917'. The Nisutlin River forms a bay here as it flows into the Teslin Lake. The lake straddles the BC/YT border. It is 86 miles long, averages 2 miles across and has an average depth of 194'. The name is taken from the Indian name Teslintoo meaning long narrow water.
After we crossed we stopped at the Yukon Motel and Lakeshore RV Park to eat lunch. I had a really nice and large caesar salad with warm chicken and boy was it good. After lunch we went next door to their Yukon Wildlife Gallery and gift shop and we were glad we did. Didn't buy anything but their stuffed animal and their presentation inside glass diaramas was excellent(fish, bl.bear,grizzly,polar, moose, wolves, beaver,lynx and birds plus more).
The only other thing we went to in town was the George Johnston Museum who was a Tlingit Indian. He was a very innovative person known for his trapping and his photography. He bought the very first car, a 1928 Chevrolet and brought it there on a riverboat because there were no roads. He and friends built a 3 mile road to Teslin and charged a $1 for his taxi ride to Teslin and then in the winter he would paint it white and use it for trapping, etc. on the lake. Then he had an 86 mile road and then in the spring he would repaint it the original color. It has been restored and is in the museum. There were lots of items related to the Tlingit culture and existence and a movie of his daughter and others remembering him and talking about their culture. It was very good. There was another museum but we were feeling the need to continue our trek to Whitehorse.
The only other stop was at the Yukon River Bridge at Marsh Lake Dam and that was just for a picture--no time for reading signs. We will be staying in Pioneer Village RV Park until the morning of the 27th. Have a good evening.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Liard Hot Springs to Watson Lake--June 23
I am about caught up--last day. Today will be a shorter day only 126.8 miles. We slept in this morning and didn't leave till about 8 am. We were all hooked up so we just pulled in the one slide and off we went. There were no hook-ups to bother with either.
There will not be much to stop and see along the way but we did see two more black bear at separate times. We did stop at Coal River Lodge and Marvin and Dee ate some breakfast--we had eaten in the coach. Barry and Monique arrived just after us and came in and ate also. Just after Marvin turned into their driveway we had to wait on a large truck and a rock flew up and hit the windshield of our coach and cracked it good. Now we get to try the Florida insurance. If you are insured in Florida then they will replace your windshield at no cost no matter where it happens. We are planning on waiting until after this trip unless it creats a bigger problem. Just as we were all leaving in drives two more of our caravaners.
We have crossed from the states to British Columbia into Alberta and back into B.C. and now into the Yukon Territory which we will go in and out of about 6 times before getting into Alaska. This area takes its name from the First Nations word "Youcon" meaning "big river".
We are staying in Campground Services Ltd. It was a mess coming into the park because it seems we all arrived at once so it took them awhile to park us all. This is the first time that has happened. After parking we went into town to find a place to wash our cars. You couldn't see thru the windows or tell what color they were. They will probably be almost as bad tomorrow but we know we tried. We went to a planetarium called the Northern Lights Centre. It is the only one in North America featuring the myth and science of the northern lights. Since we can't see them this time of year this is the next best thing. It was really good. Then we went to the Signpost Forest (which is almost a block of square posts in the ground and all up and down them are nailed or screwed signs that people have either made or stolen(city signs) to let the world know they were here and where they are from in the world. There are metal city and street signs, wooden signs made by people (some very elaborate), bedpans, a spatula, someone drew around their fingers and hand and wrote info on them, license plates. We saw 2 IU license plates. Several of us put up signs. Ours said Go IU followed by Teemy, Kay, Roger and Sheryl Davis 1950's followed by Robert & Sheryl Price 2010 followed by Jackson County, Indiana. When you stand on the main road and go thru the archway and down the steps you go to the right down 3 rows and then go right down the 3rd row to the 18th post and we are on the bottom. So if anyone else reads this and comes up here they can find us. Our trailmasters posted our group sign and then we all left.
We went to eat, I hadn't eaten since b'fast and it was long gone. Then we went back to the coach and everyone else went to the briefing but I stayed home to clear up my computer and get ready to blog. However, when the 3 of them came back Marvin asked if we would like to go look for moose so I redressed and went and of course, we didn't see anything.
I don't know what else I may have written because when I finished this at 11pm I had been disconnected from the internet and could not be sure it was saved and I couldn't publish it. I am thankful that it was still there so with that I end todays journey.
There will not be much to stop and see along the way but we did see two more black bear at separate times. We did stop at Coal River Lodge and Marvin and Dee ate some breakfast--we had eaten in the coach. Barry and Monique arrived just after us and came in and ate also. Just after Marvin turned into their driveway we had to wait on a large truck and a rock flew up and hit the windshield of our coach and cracked it good. Now we get to try the Florida insurance. If you are insured in Florida then they will replace your windshield at no cost no matter where it happens. We are planning on waiting until after this trip unless it creats a bigger problem. Just as we were all leaving in drives two more of our caravaners.
We have crossed from the states to British Columbia into Alberta and back into B.C. and now into the Yukon Territory which we will go in and out of about 6 times before getting into Alaska. This area takes its name from the First Nations word "Youcon" meaning "big river".
We are staying in Campground Services Ltd. It was a mess coming into the park because it seems we all arrived at once so it took them awhile to park us all. This is the first time that has happened. After parking we went into town to find a place to wash our cars. You couldn't see thru the windows or tell what color they were. They will probably be almost as bad tomorrow but we know we tried. We went to a planetarium called the Northern Lights Centre. It is the only one in North America featuring the myth and science of the northern lights. Since we can't see them this time of year this is the next best thing. It was really good. Then we went to the Signpost Forest (which is almost a block of square posts in the ground and all up and down them are nailed or screwed signs that people have either made or stolen(city signs) to let the world know they were here and where they are from in the world. There are metal city and street signs, wooden signs made by people (some very elaborate), bedpans, a spatula, someone drew around their fingers and hand and wrote info on them, license plates. We saw 2 IU license plates. Several of us put up signs. Ours said Go IU followed by Teemy, Kay, Roger and Sheryl Davis 1950's followed by Robert & Sheryl Price 2010 followed by Jackson County, Indiana. When you stand on the main road and go thru the archway and down the steps you go to the right down 3 rows and then go right down the 3rd row to the 18th post and we are on the bottom. So if anyone else reads this and comes up here they can find us. Our trailmasters posted our group sign and then we all left.
We went to eat, I hadn't eaten since b'fast and it was long gone. Then we went back to the coach and everyone else went to the briefing but I stayed home to clear up my computer and get ready to blog. However, when the 3 of them came back Marvin asked if we would like to go look for moose so I redressed and went and of course, we didn't see anything.
I don't know what else I may have written because when I finished this at 11pm I had been disconnected from the internet and could not be sure it was saved and I couldn't publish it. I am thankful that it was still there so with that I end todays journey.
Ft. Nelson to Liard Hot Springs--June 22
We pulled out at 6 and went to breakfast at the Ft. Nelson Hotel Cafe--good food.A little out of town we saw a sign for a Buffalo Ranch. Further down the road Dee called out "buffalo" and boy was there. There were about 25 on each side of the road just grazing. On some sides of the road there are these concrete baracades like in the states and sitting right on top of one was a marmot--he never moved as we passed and sometimes later 2 more black bears. We stopped at the Testa River Services and Campground because we were told they have fantastic cinnamon buns. Marvin and Dee decided to buy one but we did not. They were big.
At Summit Lake we saw a young moose with no antlers yet. Summit Pass elevation is 4,250' and we also saw Stone Sheep--they have a dark coloration. We then went down into the rocky valley of MacDonald Creek
and off and on all day we were in rain. The clouds were caught between the mountains all along the way--beautiful sight.
We stopped at Toad River Lodge for a nap and lunch in the coach. This little place had a running total of 7,774 hats fastened to the ceiling. It has been in business since 1950. We went thru an area that is known for its "folded mountains" which refers to how they were compressed and pushed up. Then we came to Muncho Lake which has the same color of water as at Lake Louise--a beautiful deep green and blue waters caused by the iron oxide leaching into the water. We saw another black bear and 2 more buffalo beside the road.
We camped at the Liard (lee-ard) Hot Springs Provincial Park for the night and the mosquitoes were thick--it was highly wooded. We got quickly settled in and then drove up to Hot Springs for a soak. The four of us went up in our car. There were two different springs. The one at the top was the hottest at about 140 degrees so we went to the lower one which also had a change building but if you went toward the end nearer the top one it was still really hot. I tried going in there, but couldn't so I went to the other end. My back was hurting that day and after being in there for awhile it really helped. Hot tubs must be a great things. Too bad we couldn't have afforded one when we had the dry cleaners and Bob was at Aisin.
We got home, changed, ate supper and watched Backdraft--thanks to our son we have a number of his DVD's on loan. We are truly enjoying them. Onward again tomorrow.
At Summit Lake we saw a young moose with no antlers yet. Summit Pass elevation is 4,250' and we also saw Stone Sheep--they have a dark coloration. We then went down into the rocky valley of MacDonald Creek
and off and on all day we were in rain. The clouds were caught between the mountains all along the way--beautiful sight.
We stopped at Toad River Lodge for a nap and lunch in the coach. This little place had a running total of 7,774 hats fastened to the ceiling. It has been in business since 1950. We went thru an area that is known for its "folded mountains" which refers to how they were compressed and pushed up. Then we came to Muncho Lake which has the same color of water as at Lake Louise--a beautiful deep green and blue waters caused by the iron oxide leaching into the water. We saw another black bear and 2 more buffalo beside the road.
We camped at the Liard (lee-ard) Hot Springs Provincial Park for the night and the mosquitoes were thick--it was highly wooded. We got quickly settled in and then drove up to Hot Springs for a soak. The four of us went up in our car. There were two different springs. The one at the top was the hottest at about 140 degrees so we went to the lower one which also had a change building but if you went toward the end nearer the top one it was still really hot. I tried going in there, but couldn't so I went to the other end. My back was hurting that day and after being in there for awhile it really helped. Hot tubs must be a great things. Too bad we couldn't have afforded one when we had the dry cleaners and Bob was at Aisin.
We got home, changed, ate supper and watched Backdraft--thanks to our son we have a number of his DVD's on loan. We are truly enjoying them. Onward again tomorrow.
Travel to Ft. Nelson--June 21
Behind due to no internet access--I hate it when that happens. I just spent good blogging time to eliminate some 500 emails and send a bunch to spam so my computer doesn't crash. I did not send friends' emails to spam though. It is so much harder to recreate what we did several days ago even though I make notes, but here goes.
This is not just the longest day of the year--summer solstice--but our longest mileage so far--282.9 miles. We left by 6:30 so that means we were up by 5:15--ugh! It was actually later because we had to gas up and that always takes awhile with these gas hogs and then stop for coffee down the road. We saw 2 deer in the morning and then an mile 127 we hit our first real good frost heaves which are just bumps (up raised ) in the road of various sizes. We will continue to have them all along now.
We stopped at Pink Mtn. Lodge (these lodges are more like small quaint cafes) for a nap and ice cream for "the boys".The pink mountain gets its name from the local fall foliage when red-barked willows give the mountain a pink colour in the morning sun and another source attributes it to the concentrations of feldspar. As we travelled on we saw a couple of beaver dams and lodges. Dee and Marvin saw a moose and baby but we never saw it. Eventually we stopped for lunch in the coach and a longer nap. This getting up early gets you. We were passed by a bunch of our fellow caravaners.
Later on we passed a helicopter just sitting off the side of the road. No one around. We also saw another black bear by the road. When we arrived at Ft. Nelson we gassed up again because it just gets higher in price the farther north we go. We stayed in the Triple "G" Hideaway RV Park or the Westwind Campground which ever it is called which also had a restaurant/bar. After getting set up the 4 of us and others went next door to the Nelson Heritage Museum. This 78 yr. old gentleman must have been accumulating all his life. He had all sorts of stuff in this place. We also saw another movie about the building of the Al-Can Hwy. The whole place was interesting. Marvin saw him ride this bike that he had put together in which both wheels went different directions at the same time. His wife is a year younger and she is still a practicing massage therapist. We ate dinner at the RV restaurant not the best,had our briefing for the next day and went back to the coach. Bob washed the bugs off the windshield and I woodburned our sign for the Sign Forest at Watson Lake. No wifi so went to bed to get up at 5:30 again and start over.
This is not just the longest day of the year--summer solstice--but our longest mileage so far--282.9 miles. We left by 6:30 so that means we were up by 5:15--ugh! It was actually later because we had to gas up and that always takes awhile with these gas hogs and then stop for coffee down the road. We saw 2 deer in the morning and then an mile 127 we hit our first real good frost heaves which are just bumps (up raised ) in the road of various sizes. We will continue to have them all along now.
We stopped at Pink Mtn. Lodge (these lodges are more like small quaint cafes) for a nap and ice cream for "the boys".The pink mountain gets its name from the local fall foliage when red-barked willows give the mountain a pink colour in the morning sun and another source attributes it to the concentrations of feldspar. As we travelled on we saw a couple of beaver dams and lodges. Dee and Marvin saw a moose and baby but we never saw it. Eventually we stopped for lunch in the coach and a longer nap. This getting up early gets you. We were passed by a bunch of our fellow caravaners.
Later on we passed a helicopter just sitting off the side of the road. No one around. We also saw another black bear by the road. When we arrived at Ft. Nelson we gassed up again because it just gets higher in price the farther north we go. We stayed in the Triple "G" Hideaway RV Park or the Westwind Campground which ever it is called which also had a restaurant/bar. After getting set up the 4 of us and others went next door to the Nelson Heritage Museum. This 78 yr. old gentleman must have been accumulating all his life. He had all sorts of stuff in this place. We also saw another movie about the building of the Al-Can Hwy. The whole place was interesting. Marvin saw him ride this bike that he had put together in which both wheels went different directions at the same time. His wife is a year younger and she is still a practicing massage therapist. We ate dinner at the RV restaurant not the best,had our briefing for the next day and went back to the coach. Bob washed the bugs off the windshield and I woodburned our sign for the Sign Forest at Watson Lake. No wifi so went to bed to get up at 5:30 again and start over.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Dawson Creek,B.C.--June 20--Father's Day
Today is a non-travel day. Yeah!!! We all leave the campground at 9am to go to town to take our pictures at the Mile 0 post in the ground. This is where the Alaska Highway began or back then it was called the Al-Can Highway. We have begun to see and experience some frost heaves. One guy, Barry and Monique, have a 5th wheel and so it bounces more. He hit one of these and they broke a bottle of wine and balsamic vinegar which they then had to clean up once they got to camp.
After the pictures, the four of us are going to church followed by lunch somewhere and then a short drive out to a stretch of the original and still intact Al-Can Hwy. which still has an original wooden bridge. The group picture was under an arch not at the post in the road so we went down there afterwards and had ours taken there. It was really nice to go to church--we hadn't been in a couple of weeks. We went to George Dawson Inn for lunch and Barry and Monique joined us. The food was nothing to write home about but the fellowship was fun. Barry told us about a movie about the road being built that they showed at the Chamber of Commerce and we finally found it and it was very informative. How these Army Corp of Engineers did this job in 9 months is beyond me.It cost $138 million in war time dollars--today it would be $1389 billion. It was 1523 miles long at the time but they have changed the road some and it is now only 1422 miles long and it was completed Oct. 29, 1942. These guys were just young recruits and there were regiments of blacks also and very few had any experience building roads or working in severe cold or running the big dozers and cranes, etc. or repairing them. It was called on the job training. This was a PBS special so I suggest you watch it or read up on it on the internet some time. Very interesting. We did drive on the old Al-Can Highway which was the same one my family drove on when my Dad pulled our trailer up here to work in the 50's. It was really neat to think about. We went across the same wooden bridge that is still there today and is being used. We also saw a grey fox right at the side of the road.
We got back to the RV park just in time to change our clothes and take a deep breath before our school bus arrived and we boarded to go to the Sewell Valley Game Farm. It took us about an hour to get there and after eating their scrumptous spread they had prepared outside near a pond with mosquitoes we went to see the animals. We ate wild boar and buffalo roast,a sweet and sour meat dish made from fallow deer and
lasagna made from venison and lots of salads and lots of desserts. It was wonderful.He has 1200 acres and approx. 1400 animals and approx. 140 of them are buffalo. After taking a walking tour to see the wild boar and some of their babies, a Texas long horn,2 full grown minature donkeys, 2 musk ox, 2 different breeds of elk, Rocky Mt. sheep and mountain goats, fallow deer with lots of young, and 3 horses he put us on a wagon with hay bales to go see the buffalo out in the back 40. It was great fun even with the mosquitoes which we went prepared to deal with. On the way home we did get to see some wild deer but that was all.
We have the sides all brought in and our car is hooked up and we are ready to hit the sack because tomorrow is a long drive and it is starting for us very early again--about 6am. So good night for now.
After the pictures, the four of us are going to church followed by lunch somewhere and then a short drive out to a stretch of the original and still intact Al-Can Hwy. which still has an original wooden bridge. The group picture was under an arch not at the post in the road so we went down there afterwards and had ours taken there. It was really nice to go to church--we hadn't been in a couple of weeks. We went to George Dawson Inn for lunch and Barry and Monique joined us. The food was nothing to write home about but the fellowship was fun. Barry told us about a movie about the road being built that they showed at the Chamber of Commerce and we finally found it and it was very informative. How these Army Corp of Engineers did this job in 9 months is beyond me.It cost $138 million in war time dollars--today it would be $1389 billion. It was 1523 miles long at the time but they have changed the road some and it is now only 1422 miles long and it was completed Oct. 29, 1942. These guys were just young recruits and there were regiments of blacks also and very few had any experience building roads or working in severe cold or running the big dozers and cranes, etc. or repairing them. It was called on the job training. This was a PBS special so I suggest you watch it or read up on it on the internet some time. Very interesting. We did drive on the old Al-Can Highway which was the same one my family drove on when my Dad pulled our trailer up here to work in the 50's. It was really neat to think about. We went across the same wooden bridge that is still there today and is being used. We also saw a grey fox right at the side of the road.
We got back to the RV park just in time to change our clothes and take a deep breath before our school bus arrived and we boarded to go to the Sewell Valley Game Farm. It took us about an hour to get there and after eating their scrumptous spread they had prepared outside near a pond with mosquitoes we went to see the animals. We ate wild boar and buffalo roast,a sweet and sour meat dish made from fallow deer and
lasagna made from venison and lots of salads and lots of desserts. It was wonderful.He has 1200 acres and approx. 1400 animals and approx. 140 of them are buffalo. After taking a walking tour to see the wild boar and some of their babies, a Texas long horn,2 full grown minature donkeys, 2 musk ox, 2 different breeds of elk, Rocky Mt. sheep and mountain goats, fallow deer with lots of young, and 3 horses he put us on a wagon with hay bales to go see the buffalo out in the back 40. It was great fun even with the mosquitoes which we went prepared to deal with. On the way home we did get to see some wild deer but that was all.
We have the sides all brought in and our car is hooked up and we are ready to hit the sack because tomorrow is a long drive and it is starting for us very early again--about 6am. So good night for now.
Prince George to Dawson Creek--June 19
I always get up before Bob so I began my day at about 5:15 and he about 15 min. later. We were all ready to move out by 6:00am because we had not put out the sides or unhooked the cars so off we went to Denny's for breakfast. After a very substantial breakfast we were ready to go.
We always reset our trip odometer to zero each morning as we leave because our trip log tells us where some important things are and where to turn, but then we also have the Milepost thick book which goes into even more detail. I keep track of both these while Dee keeps track of the log and a regular map. Marvin usually leads and she is a good navigator. We keep in touch with each other using walkie talkies and then we use the CB for communicating with other caravaners if we are close enough. We stopped after about 75 miles at a large rest area for a quick (15 min) refresher snooze.
Just shortly after Dee spotted her first moose--we saw its tail end go into the woods--but they saw it all. We have been straining our eyes trying to see the elusive creature. They are usually out late in the evening and then rest during the day so their schedule is opposite of ours. We were both stuck behind a slow toy hauler and couldn't pass or we might have seen more of the moose. We do not drive fast but he was going really slow for us. We finally got around him. Then shortly after than she spotted an eagle flying near McLeod Lake and I saw another large bird in a distant tree which could have been another, but you don't get enough time to look thru binoculars.
We read about these falls and they were right near the road so we stopped and we are glad we did. They were in the Bijoux Provincial Park and they were beautiful. We kid each other by saying "what's another falls--if you've seen one you've seen them all) of course we are only kidding because each one has it's own personality.
We went up a steep grade for 3.5 miles to Pine Pass at an elevation of 3,032' which is the highest point on the John Hart-Peace River Hwy and the lowest pass breaching the Rocky Mts. in Canada. After that we hit a long construction area where they are building additional lanes, but at least it was Saturday and they were not working. It was dusty.
Our big stop of the day was at a small town of a little over 3,000 named Chetwynd. Nice town. It's claim to fame is that it is the"Chainsaw Sculpture Capital of the World". They started this just a few years ago, but they bring in very large logs of red cedar and personally invite under a dozen very well known and accomplished artists to come there and compete. The city pays for their transportation, food and lodging while they are there and then all the large pieces are left in the city and are placed around town. They are absolutely phenomenal. A young woman at the visitor's center took us to see this year's pieces and tell us all about them and then we walked up town to see more and find a place for lunch. Afterwards of course the boys had to take a nap and then onward we go. We didn't see this but interesting note: This town lies at the nortern end of the North East Coal resource, one of the largest know coal deposits on earth. The Quinette Mine near here was the world's largest computerized open pit coal mine until it shut down in 2000.
We arrived at our campground just outside Dawson Creek and after quickly setting up a lady from the Chamber here gave us a briefing and slide show about the area. Very informative, interesting and she was entertaining, but I was so tired that by the time the briefing for our next days' trip was over at about 6pm I just wanted to go to bed. I straightened up the coach while Bob cleaned the windshield( we hit every bug in B.C. yesterday) and ate supper and then I was awake. He visited with neighbors while I just hunkered down inside.
We always reset our trip odometer to zero each morning as we leave because our trip log tells us where some important things are and where to turn, but then we also have the Milepost thick book which goes into even more detail. I keep track of both these while Dee keeps track of the log and a regular map. Marvin usually leads and she is a good navigator. We keep in touch with each other using walkie talkies and then we use the CB for communicating with other caravaners if we are close enough. We stopped after about 75 miles at a large rest area for a quick (15 min) refresher snooze.
Just shortly after Dee spotted her first moose--we saw its tail end go into the woods--but they saw it all. We have been straining our eyes trying to see the elusive creature. They are usually out late in the evening and then rest during the day so their schedule is opposite of ours. We were both stuck behind a slow toy hauler and couldn't pass or we might have seen more of the moose. We do not drive fast but he was going really slow for us. We finally got around him. Then shortly after than she spotted an eagle flying near McLeod Lake and I saw another large bird in a distant tree which could have been another, but you don't get enough time to look thru binoculars.
We read about these falls and they were right near the road so we stopped and we are glad we did. They were in the Bijoux Provincial Park and they were beautiful. We kid each other by saying "what's another falls--if you've seen one you've seen them all) of course we are only kidding because each one has it's own personality.
We went up a steep grade for 3.5 miles to Pine Pass at an elevation of 3,032' which is the highest point on the John Hart-Peace River Hwy and the lowest pass breaching the Rocky Mts. in Canada. After that we hit a long construction area where they are building additional lanes, but at least it was Saturday and they were not working. It was dusty.
Our big stop of the day was at a small town of a little over 3,000 named Chetwynd. Nice town. It's claim to fame is that it is the"Chainsaw Sculpture Capital of the World". They started this just a few years ago, but they bring in very large logs of red cedar and personally invite under a dozen very well known and accomplished artists to come there and compete. The city pays for their transportation, food and lodging while they are there and then all the large pieces are left in the city and are placed around town. They are absolutely phenomenal. A young woman at the visitor's center took us to see this year's pieces and tell us all about them and then we walked up town to see more and find a place for lunch. Afterwards of course the boys had to take a nap and then onward we go. We didn't see this but interesting note: This town lies at the nortern end of the North East Coal resource, one of the largest know coal deposits on earth. The Quinette Mine near here was the world's largest computerized open pit coal mine until it shut down in 2000.
We arrived at our campground just outside Dawson Creek and after quickly setting up a lady from the Chamber here gave us a briefing and slide show about the area. Very informative, interesting and she was entertaining, but I was so tired that by the time the briefing for our next days' trip was over at about 6pm I just wanted to go to bed. I straightened up the coach while Bob cleaned the windshield( we hit every bug in B.C. yesterday) and ate supper and then I was awake. He visited with neighbors while I just hunkered down inside.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Free Day at Prince George--June 18
Sheryl & Bob Price Friday, June 18,2010
Adventure Caravan #10
Today started early for me 6am because the only way to get on wifi is to beat everyone else up. I am writing a personal blog and I was behind until now and until the next lack of service due to these beautiful mountains and valleys. What a trade off!?
Kudoos to the staff for a wonderful breakfast of bacon and pancakes, coffee, juice and hot chocolate. Afterwards we visited until it was time for a group photo op thanks to Barry. Maybe he can photo shop it and make us all look younger and slimmer. This was followed by our esteemed leader giving us our log briefing for tomorrow which will be our longest day to date----248.8 miles to Dawson Creek. The newcomers who just joined us here then got to sit and get their briefing and orientation from the staff while we all took off in different directions.
Bob and I and Marvin and Dee went in search of Costco where Bob procured 2 more large container of cashews for him and to send small baggies occasionally to our 4 yr.old grandson in Florida. Trajan is good about sharing them with his folks. Then off to Walmart in search of the mosquito hanging thing for your belt and whatever else we needed. No luck at Costco for it and it was not to be found at Wally World either; therefore, I called my daughter in Florida and put her on a quest for this elusive item to be sent in our next mail box with refills.
This exciting day just doesn't end. We finally found a laundramat where our husbands deposited us and promptly left to take all our goodies back to the coach and go by the Dairy Queen and Home Depot or some such. They finally came back to claim us and take us home.
Bob is dumping and trying to take on water after which we will pull in the sides and drive to the local casino to park for the night. Fellow caravaners please don't take offense, but we will be leaving very early and we don't want to wake everyone up. We leave early usually because we like to stop and sightsee or "the boys" need to take a nap along the way--that's also why we are usually the last ones to come into camp.
I wrote this for our caravan blog also and it was not easy because just as I had finished it I got knocked off line and couldn't save it and I had to go in search of someone who could help me figure out what to do. I won't go into all the details but by the time it was finished and we were moved to the casino parking lot, I was a stressed mess. I just went to bed.
Adventure Caravan #10
Today started early for me 6am because the only way to get on wifi is to beat everyone else up. I am writing a personal blog and I was behind until now and until the next lack of service due to these beautiful mountains and valleys. What a trade off!?
Kudoos to the staff for a wonderful breakfast of bacon and pancakes, coffee, juice and hot chocolate. Afterwards we visited until it was time for a group photo op thanks to Barry. Maybe he can photo shop it and make us all look younger and slimmer. This was followed by our esteemed leader giving us our log briefing for tomorrow which will be our longest day to date----248.8 miles to Dawson Creek. The newcomers who just joined us here then got to sit and get their briefing and orientation from the staff while we all took off in different directions.
Bob and I and Marvin and Dee went in search of Costco where Bob procured 2 more large container of cashews for him and to send small baggies occasionally to our 4 yr.old grandson in Florida. Trajan is good about sharing them with his folks. Then off to Walmart in search of the mosquito hanging thing for your belt and whatever else we needed. No luck at Costco for it and it was not to be found at Wally World either; therefore, I called my daughter in Florida and put her on a quest for this elusive item to be sent in our next mail box with refills.
This exciting day just doesn't end. We finally found a laundramat where our husbands deposited us and promptly left to take all our goodies back to the coach and go by the Dairy Queen and Home Depot or some such. They finally came back to claim us and take us home.
Bob is dumping and trying to take on water after which we will pull in the sides and drive to the local casino to park for the night. Fellow caravaners please don't take offense, but we will be leaving very early and we don't want to wake everyone up. We leave early usually because we like to stop and sightsee or "the boys" need to take a nap along the way--that's also why we are usually the last ones to come into camp.
I wrote this for our caravan blog also and it was not easy because just as I had finished it I got knocked off line and couldn't save it and I had to go in search of someone who could help me figure out what to do. I won't go into all the details but by the time it was finished and we were moved to the casino parking lot, I was a stressed mess. I just went to bed.
Valemount to Prince George--June 17
We got a late start today. We went to Valemount and had breakfast and they seemed a little slow although they weren't that busy. .We travel on to the little town of McBride and stopped at their old train depot which has become a part coffee and lunch stop, a Chamber of Commerce and a gift shop chocked full of items made by artisans in the area-paintings, wood carvings, photographs, knitted and woven clothings items, jewelry and others things--beautifully done. The "boys" napped while we browsed. Barry and Monique, another of our group, showed up before we left. Barry informed us of a bakery in town so of course we got the boys up and off we went. We all got something and Marvin had to get another cup of coffee and a donut for the walk back to the coach.
Before we got there we saw 2 eagles and one of at least two times deer ran out in front of Dee and Marvin. We also saw another black bear as he was scurrying into the woods.
Then down the road a ways we stopped for lunch at a beautiful log building---there was nothing much anywhere along that day except McBride which was just a snack so in we went. It was equally wonderful inside but everything was very expensive but they tell me the found was really, really good and of course Bob had ice cream. I decided to eat in the coach, but now wish I hadn't, oh well.
We stopped at The Ancient Forest which is the home to the world's only known rainforest found so far from the ocean. As a result, a combination of coastal and interior species can be found here. The largest trees here are the Red Cedars and the largest of them is thought to be at least 2000 years old and is 16' in diameter and there are many between 10' and 13'. We walked the circle to the big tree but did not make the circle to the waterfall. I should have taken my hiking sticks and my mosquito spray but it was worth the hike.
We gased up in Prince George and then went into Southpark RV Park. Had a half pitch in and a half left overs from the other night. Tomorrow is a free day time to catch up.
Before we got there we saw 2 eagles and one of at least two times deer ran out in front of Dee and Marvin. We also saw another black bear as he was scurrying into the woods.
Then down the road a ways we stopped for lunch at a beautiful log building---there was nothing much anywhere along that day except McBride which was just a snack so in we went. It was equally wonderful inside but everything was very expensive but they tell me the found was really, really good and of course Bob had ice cream. I decided to eat in the coach, but now wish I hadn't, oh well.
We stopped at The Ancient Forest which is the home to the world's only known rainforest found so far from the ocean. As a result, a combination of coastal and interior species can be found here. The largest trees here are the Red Cedars and the largest of them is thought to be at least 2000 years old and is 16' in diameter and there are many between 10' and 13'. We walked the circle to the big tree but did not make the circle to the waterfall. I should have taken my hiking sticks and my mosquito spray but it was worth the hike.
We gased up in Prince George and then went into Southpark RV Park. Had a half pitch in and a half left overs from the other night. Tomorrow is a free day time to catch up.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Icefields to Valemount--June 16
It snowed last night while we were parked at the Icefields, but just flurries. When we left this morning it was 36 degrees and sunny. As we travelled we looked down into the valley and it was just covered by clouds or fog--beautiful. Had to turn out and take pictures of a beautiful falls called Tangle Falls. Right out of the gun Dee and Marvin saw mountain goats and later more of the group said they had seen them. By the time we got there they were gone. I did see a small elk later down in the valley. We stopped later at Athabasca Falls and Bob and I walked all the way down to its outlet. Later we stopped in Jasper and looked around and ate lunch. We bought Samara a cute T-shirt and then "the boys" napped before we left to head out. We did stop at the Mount Robson Visitors Center. Mt. Robson is 12,972' and is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies--the very tippy top was covered with cloud so we went on to our campground "Irvins Park and Campground" in Valemount. The caravan leaders fixed supper for us last night--pulled pork barbeque, salad, green beans, macaroni salad and a piece of lemon cake with whipped cream. Very good. The name Valemount means "Valley of the Mountains" and it is appropriate. Tomorrow we go on to Prince George.
The Columbia Icefields--June 15
We took our the tour of the Icefields the same day we arrived and then parked overnight on their parking lot. It is a phenomenal sight. The Icefields are composed of eight glaciers and encompass an area of about 202 miles. The ice mass is one of the largest south of the Arctic Circle and is one of the most accessible in North America. We viewed the Athabasca Glacier and the Snow Dome just right next to it, but separated by some mountain. We went over in a bus and then they transported onto the glacier by one of the big IceExplorer Snocoachs. We went down to the glacier on the second steepest road decline(18 percent grade) in North America. Top speed for this vehicle is 12 mph and at the bottom of the hill you go thru a large pool of water to clean off the tires before you go onto the glacier. An alpine icefield is formed when snow that falls on high mountain peaks and plateaus accumulates year after year with little summer melt. When the snows gets to a depth of about 100' the bottom layers become pressurized ino ice. More snow falls on top the the depth of ice increases, eventually overflowing into the surrounding valley and starts flowing downhill--a glacier is born. What we see is only a portion and it is always moving even as you stand on it, you just can't feel it. Ice layers at the bottown are like plastic and flow over bedrock without breaking or cracking but up town the layers are brittle and cracking opens into crevasses. The Columbia Icefield is the largest body of ice in the Rocky Mountains and the highest point is Mt. Columbia at 12,284'. The depth of the ice is approx. 1200' and the average snowfall per year is 23'. Over to the side is the Snow Dome from which flows the rivers which are the fresh water source for Millions of North Americans who live in the Praries, British Columbia, and Washington for irrigation. The icefield has a triple divide which is the meeting point of three continent wide watersheds. On the western side (B.C.), the meltwaters flow into the Columbia R. and on to the Pacific. On the eastern side (Alberta) the meltwaters flow into the Atlantic and and also into the Athabasca-McKenzie systems , which empties into the Artic Ocean.
It is retreating but at this rate it will take another 100+ years to disappear. A lot can happen at that pace. We tried some of the water coming out of the glacier and it is very good. It is coming from out under the many, many top layers. We are taking some home with us even. This was a wonderful tour.
It is retreating but at this rate it will take another 100+ years to disappear. A lot can happen at that pace. We tried some of the water coming out of the glacier and it is very good. It is coming from out under the many, many top layers. We are taking some home with us even. This was a wonderful tour.
From Canmore(Banff & Louise) to Columbia Icefields- June 15
It began with very heavy overcast. The day started good for Marvin and Dee because they saw elk at the river. They said it still had velvet on its antlers. We are always skanning the roadsides and back into the woods and up and down banks and near rivers and bogs trying to see anything we can. I saw a deer laying down in the woods munching on his breakfast and later we saw someone pulled over so we did the same and I saw the back end of a black bear before he went into the woods. We also saw more deer along the road.
There have always been a lot of bike riders out on the road either training or travelling but today we saw probably a dozen wearing short ski like things on their feet but with a small wheel on front and back using ski pole type poles to propel them. Late we saw their van whick said National Biathalon Ski Team on its side--that was different. They seem to be very athletic and health conscious and on the younger side up here.
We saw two more elk along the road and one had an ear tag. Later we passed Lake Herbert which is a "sink" which means its has no outlet and then Hector Lake. At that last turn out we stopped because Marvin's tow car was loosing air in one of the tires so we stopped and changed it. He aired it up before putting it away in the car and later at the campground he changed it back because it was holding air. The cap he has on the tire stem to keep track of pressure had worked loose and was letting air out of the tire. Several of our other coaches stopped to check on us. Right after that it started to either snow, sleet or rain or all 3. Another black bear beside the road (ho hum, just another bear)--not really, we are always excited each time we see anything. We stopped and looked at the Crowfoot Glacier and passed Bow Lake also with a glacier above it and a chalet(Num-ti-jah Lodge) built back in the 1920's by a pioneer guide. As we travel thru the mountains we are in and out of the rain. We got a real treat just down the road when we saw 2 black bears grazing in the grass for bugs right by the side of the road. They are used to cars so they don't even slow down. You never know when you are going to go around a curve and see a beautiful waterfall. We saw Weeping Wall Falls right beside the road and also Bridal Veil Falls. They are always spectacular.
The road we were on going to the Icefields is Hwy. 93 or the Icefields Parkway. It is often called the most scenic highway in the world. Named for the tremendous glaciers which flank its westward side for 143 miles. It weaves up and around the mountains between Banff and Jasper National Parks--it parallels the Great Divide.
Addendum to Banff circle mountain tour--during WWI they had Internment Camps for migrants from the Ukrainian countries, WWII for Japanese Canadians and in 1970 in Quebec for someone. There were 26 camps throughout the provinces and they used them for building roads, mining and building the golf course behind the Banff Springs Hotel.
There have always been a lot of bike riders out on the road either training or travelling but today we saw probably a dozen wearing short ski like things on their feet but with a small wheel on front and back using ski pole type poles to propel them. Late we saw their van whick said National Biathalon Ski Team on its side--that was different. They seem to be very athletic and health conscious and on the younger side up here.
We saw two more elk along the road and one had an ear tag. Later we passed Lake Herbert which is a "sink" which means its has no outlet and then Hector Lake. At that last turn out we stopped because Marvin's tow car was loosing air in one of the tires so we stopped and changed it. He aired it up before putting it away in the car and later at the campground he changed it back because it was holding air. The cap he has on the tire stem to keep track of pressure had worked loose and was letting air out of the tire. Several of our other coaches stopped to check on us. Right after that it started to either snow, sleet or rain or all 3. Another black bear beside the road (ho hum, just another bear)--not really, we are always excited each time we see anything. We stopped and looked at the Crowfoot Glacier and passed Bow Lake also with a glacier above it and a chalet(Num-ti-jah Lodge) built back in the 1920's by a pioneer guide. As we travel thru the mountains we are in and out of the rain. We got a real treat just down the road when we saw 2 black bears grazing in the grass for bugs right by the side of the road. They are used to cars so they don't even slow down. You never know when you are going to go around a curve and see a beautiful waterfall. We saw Weeping Wall Falls right beside the road and also Bridal Veil Falls. They are always spectacular.
The road we were on going to the Icefields is Hwy. 93 or the Icefields Parkway. It is often called the most scenic highway in the world. Named for the tremendous glaciers which flank its westward side for 143 miles. It weaves up and around the mountains between Banff and Jasper National Parks--it parallels the Great Divide.
Addendum to Banff circle mountain tour--during WWI they had Internment Camps for migrants from the Ukrainian countries, WWII for Japanese Canadians and in 1970 in Quebec for someone. There were 26 camps throughout the provinces and they used them for building roads, mining and building the golf course behind the Banff Springs Hotel.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Con't Lake Louise
Lake Louise is absolutely beautiful and the colors are so vivid and as true as you see in pictures. There is a trail about half way around the lake and Bob and I walked most of it. You can also take a canoe out on the lake. It is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, daughter of Queen Victoria as us the province of Alberta. The Chateau Lake Louise sits on the opposite end of the lake from Mt. Victoria and Victoria Glacier. Melting gl acier silt creates the striking turquoise color of the lake. Marvin and Dee and some of the others has coffee and dessert in the beautiful hotel. When we first went in someone was playing the harp in the dining room. Certainly a beautiful place to see. Home we go.
Con't Banff and Lake Louise--June 14
I apologize, I think I did some repeat, but that's what happens when you can't do this every night and you try to use your notes. Plus I found out that we did not see a grizzly but we saw a cinnamon brown bear but it sure was pretty.
The first thing we did was go up the Banff Gondola. It goes up Sulphur Mountain in 8 min. it is the first and only bi-cable gondola in Canada and was built it 1958. The cars are fully glass enclosed and seat four to six and you climb 2,292 ft to an elevation of 7,486 ft. After you get to that point their is a skywalk that is slightly more than 6 tenths of a mile that leads up to the Cosmic Ray Station Historic Site and the Sanson's Peak Meterorological Station. That was a good hike up and down stairs. Fantastic sight once you arrived. Then we went on to the campground--Spring Creek RV Park.
We left in our tour bus on the 15th in the rain for our tour of Banff and Lake Louise. He circled Banff and the Bow Valley that it sits in and went around Tunnel Mtn. which gets its name because it was originally surveyed as the site for a railway tunnel which was decided against. He drove to a site on the mountain where we could see the Hoodoos--they were pillars of glacial till that were cemented together with dissolving limestone over 20,000 years ago and obviously the limestone has dissolved and just left the pillars standing. We went past the Banff Springs Hotel (Marvin and Dee went back and ate dinner there that evening) which dates back to building of the Trans-continental Railway in the late 1800's. They were having an International Film Festival (very well known, I hear). You can't build more than 3 stories tall in town; therefore, the Rimrock Hotel built two more going down. Also you can only live in Banff if you own a business or are employed by one. The federal government owns all the land because it is Banff National Park so you can only lease the land that your house is on for 30 years then it has to be renewed. He also drove us around some of the nice residential streets--one named Buffalo and one house had a full sized buffalo statue in their drive and another had a head at their front. We went thru the gate of the Federal Administration Building into the Cascade of Time Gardens. There are large trees and walkways interspersed among the flower beds. They plant 50,000 plants every year and they were in the process that day. He then drove us around to the Bow Falls--beautiful. These falls were also in a couple of movies but the only one I can remember for sure was "The River of No Return" with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The last A.M. stop was at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. It was the site of the first hot springs that were discovered by two miners and they thought they could make some money off of it but when the government found out about it they took it over. This was the beginning of their National Parks System. He took us downtown and turned us loose for lunch and shopping.
After lunch we went to Lake Louise. It was a good drive so some caught a nap but we did get to see 2 young ram big horn sheep right along side the road and a young elk behind a fence. About midway between Banff and Lake Louise is Castle Mountain which used to be named Mt. Eisenhower but has reverted to its original name now.
The first thing we did was go up the Banff Gondola. It goes up Sulphur Mountain in 8 min. it is the first and only bi-cable gondola in Canada and was built it 1958. The cars are fully glass enclosed and seat four to six and you climb 2,292 ft to an elevation of 7,486 ft. After you get to that point their is a skywalk that is slightly more than 6 tenths of a mile that leads up to the Cosmic Ray Station Historic Site and the Sanson's Peak Meterorological Station. That was a good hike up and down stairs. Fantastic sight once you arrived. Then we went on to the campground--Spring Creek RV Park.
We left in our tour bus on the 15th in the rain for our tour of Banff and Lake Louise. He circled Banff and the Bow Valley that it sits in and went around Tunnel Mtn. which gets its name because it was originally surveyed as the site for a railway tunnel which was decided against. He drove to a site on the mountain where we could see the Hoodoos--they were pillars of glacial till that were cemented together with dissolving limestone over 20,000 years ago and obviously the limestone has dissolved and just left the pillars standing. We went past the Banff Springs Hotel (Marvin and Dee went back and ate dinner there that evening) which dates back to building of the Trans-continental Railway in the late 1800's. They were having an International Film Festival (very well known, I hear). You can't build more than 3 stories tall in town; therefore, the Rimrock Hotel built two more going down. Also you can only live in Banff if you own a business or are employed by one. The federal government owns all the land because it is Banff National Park so you can only lease the land that your house is on for 30 years then it has to be renewed. He also drove us around some of the nice residential streets--one named Buffalo and one house had a full sized buffalo statue in their drive and another had a head at their front. We went thru the gate of the Federal Administration Building into the Cascade of Time Gardens. There are large trees and walkways interspersed among the flower beds. They plant 50,000 plants every year and they were in the process that day. He then drove us around to the Bow Falls--beautiful. These falls were also in a couple of movies but the only one I can remember for sure was "The River of No Return" with Robert Mitchum and Marilyn Monroe. The last A.M. stop was at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site. It was the site of the first hot springs that were discovered by two miners and they thought they could make some money off of it but when the government found out about it they took it over. This was the beginning of their National Parks System. He took us downtown and turned us loose for lunch and shopping.
After lunch we went to Lake Louise. It was a good drive so some caught a nap but we did get to see 2 young ram big horn sheep right along side the road and a young elk behind a fence. About midway between Banff and Lake Louise is Castle Mountain which used to be named Mt. Eisenhower but has reverted to its original name now.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Banff and Lake Louise-June 14, 2010
Today we are leaving for a bus tour around Banff and Lake Louise. We have had two days of great weather so today it is already raining but at least a lot of the day will be in a bus. Hopefully it will stop when we get out for lunch and shopping. I'll write more when we get back.
Canyon H.S.to Canmore, Alberta-June 13
We are definitely in the Canadian Rockies and the pine beetle is busy up here as well but just not as bad or so it seems. Last night at Canyon Hot Springs out my front window I could look out and see these beautiful mountains with some snow cover still and a freight train line ran right out there as well. With the grade these trains have to make they had 2 engines on the front, 2 engines separated in the middle and then 2 on the end. They go by on a real regular basis but once I was asleep I never hear them. Many RV parks are built near train tracks, as is Spring Creek where we will stay tonight.
The drive to Banff and a little further to Canmore brought us back into Mountain time and into Alberta. We had been in British Columbia. The mountains surrounding our drive along their sides and in their valleys was spectacular. There were spots where their road even though we were on four lane were not all that great. Everybody and their brother rides bikes up here. They have been all along the roads and some times you have a hard time getting over away from them because of traffic coming up from behind or in front on 2 ways. They also like their motorcycles.
We entered back into Glacier National Park on the Canadian side for awhile. You can drive thru their National and Provinicial Parks but if you stop to hike or sightsee then you have to buy a day pass. We did stop at the Great Cedars Boardwalk but by the time we came out to the kiosk she had left and we didn't have to pay. Yeah!!! It was a wonderful walk. These cedars seem to reach the sky--they are so straight and tall. We stopped at Rogers Pass Summit in Glacier at the Visitors Center at 4400' and read some of their interpretative material. Years ago they discovered a huge Trilobite bed of fossils up in the mountains as well as another type but I can't remember the name.
The mountains here have a lot more loose material in them; they are just not solid rock and this shows up in their rivers. We crossed over Blaeberry River and it was the first dirty brown river I have seen and as we kept going the river beds were filling up with silt and forming sand bars all out in them. Later the rivers did get lighter colored but they were greenish milky colored. This is called "glacier flour" and it is due to the silt that washes down the mountains as the snow melt comes down.
We passed Golden, Alberta and on toward Town of Field (that is its name) and went up a steep curvy uphill grade for about a mile and a half--this was thru Kicking Horse Canyon and along Kicking Horse River which had that greenish look. The grade thru here gets so steep that back in the late 1800's and early 1900's they built a spiral railway. It goes into the mountain and creates a circle and then comes out the other end farther up or down---what a novel idea. If the train is long enough you can see both the front and back in both a tunnel entrance and an exit. We stopped and saw this but our train was about 4 or 5 cars short of seeing both.
Going down this four lane road both sides have high fences to protect the wildlife from getting out in the road. We saw a lot of cars stopped on the other side and as we passed we looked and their was a cinnamon brown bear grazing on the other side of the fence. What a treat! We left at 7am this morning because Marvin wanted to stop and go up in the Gondola in Banff which goes up to Sulphur Mountain. It was certainly well worth it. The day was perfect for this: sunny and not very windy and so clear. The gondola is glassed in and four people sit in it. The climb takes you from 2292' to 7486' and is spectacular. Some of the mountains came up like a table top sitting at a 45 degree angle and then we walked on up to a higher elevation to the very top--what a view!!!
We got gas and then came on into Spring Creek RV. Marvin and Dee went back into town to eat supper at the old Hotel in town but we stayed home and caught up with some of my blog.
The drive to Banff and a little further to Canmore brought us back into Mountain time and into Alberta. We had been in British Columbia. The mountains surrounding our drive along their sides and in their valleys was spectacular. There were spots where their road even though we were on four lane were not all that great. Everybody and their brother rides bikes up here. They have been all along the roads and some times you have a hard time getting over away from them because of traffic coming up from behind or in front on 2 ways. They also like their motorcycles.
We entered back into Glacier National Park on the Canadian side for awhile. You can drive thru their National and Provinicial Parks but if you stop to hike or sightsee then you have to buy a day pass. We did stop at the Great Cedars Boardwalk but by the time we came out to the kiosk she had left and we didn't have to pay. Yeah!!! It was a wonderful walk. These cedars seem to reach the sky--they are so straight and tall. We stopped at Rogers Pass Summit in Glacier at the Visitors Center at 4400' and read some of their interpretative material. Years ago they discovered a huge Trilobite bed of fossils up in the mountains as well as another type but I can't remember the name.
The mountains here have a lot more loose material in them; they are just not solid rock and this shows up in their rivers. We crossed over Blaeberry River and it was the first dirty brown river I have seen and as we kept going the river beds were filling up with silt and forming sand bars all out in them. Later the rivers did get lighter colored but they were greenish milky colored. This is called "glacier flour" and it is due to the silt that washes down the mountains as the snow melt comes down.
We passed Golden, Alberta and on toward Town of Field (that is its name) and went up a steep curvy uphill grade for about a mile and a half--this was thru Kicking Horse Canyon and along Kicking Horse River which had that greenish look. The grade thru here gets so steep that back in the late 1800's and early 1900's they built a spiral railway. It goes into the mountain and creates a circle and then comes out the other end farther up or down---what a novel idea. If the train is long enough you can see both the front and back in both a tunnel entrance and an exit. We stopped and saw this but our train was about 4 or 5 cars short of seeing both.
Going down this four lane road both sides have high fences to protect the wildlife from getting out in the road. We saw a lot of cars stopped on the other side and as we passed we looked and their was a cinnamon brown bear grazing on the other side of the fence. What a treat! We left at 7am this morning because Marvin wanted to stop and go up in the Gondola in Banff which goes up to Sulphur Mountain. It was certainly well worth it. The day was perfect for this: sunny and not very windy and so clear. The gondola is glassed in and four people sit in it. The climb takes you from 2292' to 7486' and is spectacular. Some of the mountains came up like a table top sitting at a 45 degree angle and then we walked on up to a higher elevation to the very top--what a view!!!
We got gas and then came on into Spring Creek RV. Marvin and Dee went back into town to eat supper at the old Hotel in town but we stayed home and caught up with some of my blog.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
To Canyon Hot Springs Resort--June 12,2010
There were a number of lakes between Oliver and Canyon Hot Springs. People were out fishing, boating, waterskiing, etc. At a town called Kelowna we went across a floating bridge or at least it used to be originally. I am still trying to find out the truth about this. We stopped in this beautiful valley where there was a Log Barn Fruit Stand and it had a goat walk high over their personal entrance road. You bought feed and put it in or on something and then the goats knew how to bring it up to them and they would walk across this to get to it. They came up on a ramp on one side and of course there was railing to keep them safe. It was so cute. Mennonites cooked the food and pies and candy.
At some point I saw a bald eagle up in a tree at a distance and we saw a small black bear by the side of the road eating. After we got settled at Canyon Hot Springs RV Park I took a walk and then got out my spotting scope looking across at the mountains looking for mountain sheep or goats and before long I had most of the people from our 13 coaches come by and we were looking at snow melt streams and waterfalls coming down the side of the mountain. On my walk I saw a little prarie dog or pika, not sure which, but it was cute. We had a freight train come by at regular intervals hauling everything. It was such a grade that they had 2 engines in front and eventually 2 more separated by a number of cars and then 1 or 2 at the end. The trains out here are really long.
We stopped at a Giant Cedars Boardwalk which went up into the woods and around. They were huge and very old. Nice walk.
At some point I saw a bald eagle up in a tree at a distance and we saw a small black bear by the side of the road eating. After we got settled at Canyon Hot Springs RV Park I took a walk and then got out my spotting scope looking across at the mountains looking for mountain sheep or goats and before long I had most of the people from our 13 coaches come by and we were looking at snow melt streams and waterfalls coming down the side of the mountain. On my walk I saw a little prarie dog or pika, not sure which, but it was cute. We had a freight train come by at regular intervals hauling everything. It was such a grade that they had 2 engines in front and eventually 2 more separated by a number of cars and then 1 or 2 at the end. The trains out here are really long.
We stopped at a Giant Cedars Boardwalk which went up into the woods and around. They were huge and very old. Nice walk.
Oliver,B.C.--June 11, 2010
Trying to get on line is real frustrating. I thought with my new broadband I would be fine, but at least in Canada I need to extend my service. Under my program at home my time on line is unlimited, but if I went for this other extended service when I went back off of it I would have to go to a limited plan so we are not doing that; therefore, I have to us the camps wifi if they have it and if you are parked in the right place so that explains my absence.
While in Oliver which is in the Okanagan Valley where all the wineries and fruit is grown we went on a tour that took us to 2 wineries where we also could enjoy tasting and of course buying if you were so inclined. The first one was owned by 2 brothers and one of them explained a lot about how wine growing has changed there as well as in North America due to people's taste, pests and trade laws and then he took us into the area of the stainless steal vats and explained that whole process. Very informational. The second winery uses mostly fruit and combines some with grapes. The lady had us all sit down in a large semi-circle on chairs and we tasted approximately 6 or 7 wines. She also told us how she came to that in this area. She and her husband lived in Vancouver and he found this property and this was his dream, I think. She is Romanian and came from a family who was very familiar with wine making. Within, I think, the first 3 years her husband and another wine maker were checking his vats and was overcome by carbon monoxide and fell into the vats and died. Right about the same time one of her two sons was in an accident and is now a quadropolegic (sp) and lives in Vancouver. Her other son left Vancouver and came to help her with the winery as well as 2 sisters and her Mother. They all live in this big house they are slowly finishing. The house is surrounded by rose bushes that all have a fragrance. They grow huge flowers up here. Her story and what she has done since is quite touching. We then went to an outdoor market. That evening we went to a Greek/Italian Restaurant for dinner, all of us and the food was delicious.
We stayed at the Desert Gem RV Resort right in Oliver. Very nice place.
While in Oliver which is in the Okanagan Valley where all the wineries and fruit is grown we went on a tour that took us to 2 wineries where we also could enjoy tasting and of course buying if you were so inclined. The first one was owned by 2 brothers and one of them explained a lot about how wine growing has changed there as well as in North America due to people's taste, pests and trade laws and then he took us into the area of the stainless steal vats and explained that whole process. Very informational. The second winery uses mostly fruit and combines some with grapes. The lady had us all sit down in a large semi-circle on chairs and we tasted approximately 6 or 7 wines. She also told us how she came to that in this area. She and her husband lived in Vancouver and he found this property and this was his dream, I think. She is Romanian and came from a family who was very familiar with wine making. Within, I think, the first 3 years her husband and another wine maker were checking his vats and was overcome by carbon monoxide and fell into the vats and died. Right about the same time one of her two sons was in an accident and is now a quadropolegic (sp) and lives in Vancouver. Her other son left Vancouver and came to help her with the winery as well as 2 sisters and her Mother. They all live in this big house they are slowly finishing. The house is surrounded by rose bushes that all have a fragrance. They grow huge flowers up here. Her story and what she has done since is quite touching. We then went to an outdoor market. That evening we went to a Greek/Italian Restaurant for dinner, all of us and the food was delicious.
We stayed at the Desert Gem RV Resort right in Oliver. Very nice place.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Road to Oliver, BC--June 10,2010
We began with sun but just a little cool. We stopped at Dry Falls--this WAS the largest waterfall on earth. It equaled 5 Niagara's in width, was 2 and a half times its height and 100 times more powerful. The water dropped 400' over a double crescent 3 miles wide. This was centuries ago during the Ice Age. The story about how this whole area was formed is very interesting. I have touched on this in my blog before. The rock is basalt. You see house sized boulders right in the middle of fields. The dry channels are all called coulees. Thus the name Grand Coulee Dam because this was the biggest coulee. We crossed the Columbia River again and saw another dam named Chief Joseph Dam.
The next interesting tidbit. Very soon after crossing the Columbia there is an unincorporated town called Monse and up on top of a mountain is a cluster of dishes and one large one in a field. These are part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Long Baseline Array. It is 1 of 10 sites spread across the US to allow astronomers to make detailed studies of celestial objects. Used simultaneously, the 10 sites function as a single antenna 5,000 miles wide. They can measure image detail of better than a 1,000th of a second of arc, which is equalivalent to being able to see a football on the surface of the moon. Now how cool is that?
We had no problem crossing the border. I threw out my apples and celery and my mace (which was 4 yrs old anyway) this morning before we left. Those of you who know me well will not be surprised at the age of my mace.
We went past the town of Malott which is the home of Johnny Appleseed and Omak which every year has a Stampede Suicide horse race down this 45 to 50 degree hill and across the Okanagan River, which is at the very base of the hill. Suicide is right. Oroville was the last stop stateside. The price of diesel was $3.42. They knew they had a corner on the market. In Canada it is $4.13 a gallon.
By the time we had crossed the Columbia River we started seeing orchards even way up on the hill sides and as we went on they were literally everywhere. People didn't so much have yards as they had orchards in their front yards. The Okanagan Valley is the principal fruit growing area in western Canada. They grow apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, apples and grapes. Agriculture and tourism is their industry (vineyards, wineries and fruit).Beautiful area.
After our get together this evening Marvin, Dee and us went sightseeing by just driving thru town and scoping out a breakfast place. One other couple is going with us tomorrow and then around 11am we will all get on a bus and go to a couple of wineries and a farmer's market although there isn't much ripe just yet up here. See you down the road.
The next interesting tidbit. Very soon after crossing the Columbia there is an unincorporated town called Monse and up on top of a mountain is a cluster of dishes and one large one in a field. These are part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory Very Long Baseline Array. It is 1 of 10 sites spread across the US to allow astronomers to make detailed studies of celestial objects. Used simultaneously, the 10 sites function as a single antenna 5,000 miles wide. They can measure image detail of better than a 1,000th of a second of arc, which is equalivalent to being able to see a football on the surface of the moon. Now how cool is that?
We had no problem crossing the border. I threw out my apples and celery and my mace (which was 4 yrs old anyway) this morning before we left. Those of you who know me well will not be surprised at the age of my mace.
We went past the town of Malott which is the home of Johnny Appleseed and Omak which every year has a Stampede Suicide horse race down this 45 to 50 degree hill and across the Okanagan River, which is at the very base of the hill. Suicide is right. Oroville was the last stop stateside. The price of diesel was $3.42. They knew they had a corner on the market. In Canada it is $4.13 a gallon.
By the time we had crossed the Columbia River we started seeing orchards even way up on the hill sides and as we went on they were literally everywhere. People didn't so much have yards as they had orchards in their front yards. The Okanagan Valley is the principal fruit growing area in western Canada. They grow apricots, cherries, peaches, pears, plums, apples and grapes. Agriculture and tourism is their industry (vineyards, wineries and fruit).Beautiful area.
After our get together this evening Marvin, Dee and us went sightseeing by just driving thru town and scoping out a breakfast place. One other couple is going with us tomorrow and then around 11am we will all get on a bus and go to a couple of wineries and a farmer's market although there isn't much ripe just yet up here. See you down the road.
Depart for Alaska-June 10,2010
Yesterday was an eventful day--not pleasant, but eventful. Marvin's coach and ours and some others had a power outage sometime in the night. Ours was on when we got up but noticed that the clocks-digital-had been off. Marvin's did not come back on as it should. After fiddling with it for a good while we went on into town for breakfast; however, we drove our car but he drove his coach to try and charge his batteries. Good breakfast--I love omelets. Then we went to the Wal-Mart parking lot and Marvin started making calls while we went shopping. They told us to go on back to the park because they might need to drive somewhere for repairs. After doing what people told them to do, etc. they finally got everything going. They drove in right before our briefing.
During the meeting we heard thunder and down came------hail and then later rain. Everyone blamed it on Bob and I and another couple who had washed our cars and coaches---rightly so, I think.
Today is also Marvin and Dee's Anniversary. Happy Anniversary to them. Ready or not we are getting ready to head out a little after 9am. Talk to you more down the road.
During the meeting we heard thunder and down came------hail and then later rain. Everyone blamed it on Bob and I and another couple who had washed our cars and coaches---rightly so, I think.
Today is also Marvin and Dee's Anniversary. Happy Anniversary to them. Ready or not we are getting ready to head out a little after 9am. Talk to you more down the road.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Soap Lake RV Resort--June 5-8,2010
It was a nice trip but a fairly short one from Moses Lake to Soap Lake. Both are also towns but Moses Lake is much larger. Soap Lake is at the south end of the Grand Coulee and the lake is know historically for its mystical healing properties. It is very high in mineral content. This whole area was formed thru volcanic action, glacial action and then gigantic flooding due to the melting glaciers. We noticed the big hills looking terraced but not by man. These were created from the floods and glacier action and also there was an area we passed with just huge boulders out in the field and these were swept down by the Ice Age Floods.
Monday morning Bob and I had to go for my final eye doctor appointment and he gave me a good bill of health. I also had to get my hair trimmed, find a post office, eat lunch and run some other errands. By the time we came back we had to get ready to go to the Grand Coulee Dam which is an hour away. Marvin, Dee, Bob and I went in our car and we went earlier than the rest of our caravan people because we wanted to take a tour inside the dam. We arrived in time and there were only four other people besides the four of us. They had us go thru metal detectors and there was a guard wherever we went with the guide. They took us on a tour of the generator room and then up on top of the dam. They took us over to the dam in a large van and just as we got to where we could see the spillway they opened the control gates and water started coming out. It was so beautiful. It was not clear but white like frothy milk coming over the dam and they opened them all. Even our guide was surprised. He said they had done that only 5 times since 1980.
Just a few facts: It is the largest hydropower producer in the U.S. It is the 4th largest producer in the world. It is one of the largest concrete structures in the world--it contains nearly 12 million cubic yards. With that much you could build a highway from Seattle to Miami. It was built to control flooding on the Columbia River but also to provide water for irrigation and power generation. It is significantly larger than Hoover Dam. After the tour we found a place to eat called Pepper Jack's which was good. Then we went back to the Visitor's Center and watched 3 different movies they had about the area and looked over all their exhibits. At 10pm they did a laser light show and audio on the running water of the dam. It was really quite spectacular. We were all tired by the time we got home.
Today was a busy day. We washed and car and the entire coach. The tour leaders checked over both the coach and the car to make sure we were in top notch shape for the trip. Each coach and car has a large yellow sticker on it with a different number for each coach. We have also been having a small get together every afternoon just to get acquainted with the ones here. They say that we are going to meet up with some others yet also. I also did the laundry today. I think we are both very tired. Marvin and Dee went into town today for lunch and to run errands. Tomorrow us 4 will go have breakfast and then separate to do some other chores. We have a orientation meeting tomorrow afternoon that will last for a good while. Bob still has a couple of things he must do to the coach and then on Thurs. we head out.
I will try and keep up the best I can but we never know how good our internet connections will be in each spot. Best wishes to all who are keeping up with us as we travel.
Monday morning Bob and I had to go for my final eye doctor appointment and he gave me a good bill of health. I also had to get my hair trimmed, find a post office, eat lunch and run some other errands. By the time we came back we had to get ready to go to the Grand Coulee Dam which is an hour away. Marvin, Dee, Bob and I went in our car and we went earlier than the rest of our caravan people because we wanted to take a tour inside the dam. We arrived in time and there were only four other people besides the four of us. They had us go thru metal detectors and there was a guard wherever we went with the guide. They took us on a tour of the generator room and then up on top of the dam. They took us over to the dam in a large van and just as we got to where we could see the spillway they opened the control gates and water started coming out. It was so beautiful. It was not clear but white like frothy milk coming over the dam and they opened them all. Even our guide was surprised. He said they had done that only 5 times since 1980.
Just a few facts: It is the largest hydropower producer in the U.S. It is the 4th largest producer in the world. It is one of the largest concrete structures in the world--it contains nearly 12 million cubic yards. With that much you could build a highway from Seattle to Miami. It was built to control flooding on the Columbia River but also to provide water for irrigation and power generation. It is significantly larger than Hoover Dam. After the tour we found a place to eat called Pepper Jack's which was good. Then we went back to the Visitor's Center and watched 3 different movies they had about the area and looked over all their exhibits. At 10pm they did a laser light show and audio on the running water of the dam. It was really quite spectacular. We were all tired by the time we got home.
Today was a busy day. We washed and car and the entire coach. The tour leaders checked over both the coach and the car to make sure we were in top notch shape for the trip. Each coach and car has a large yellow sticker on it with a different number for each coach. We have also been having a small get together every afternoon just to get acquainted with the ones here. They say that we are going to meet up with some others yet also. I also did the laundry today. I think we are both very tired. Marvin and Dee went into town today for lunch and to run errands. Tomorrow us 4 will go have breakfast and then separate to do some other chores. We have a orientation meeting tomorrow afternoon that will last for a good while. Bob still has a couple of things he must do to the coach and then on Thurs. we head out.
I will try and keep up the best I can but we never know how good our internet connections will be in each spot. Best wishes to all who are keeping up with us as we travel.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Orofino, ID to Moses Lake, WA--6-4-10
If you have already read my last post you might want to go back and read it again because I added a whole day's worth of activities---sorry for the inconvenience.
We left Orofino, ID this morning "in the rain" as usual. It actually did stop after just a little while. We were still driving by the river, which makes Dee a little nervous. When we got to Lewiston, ID it was just real quick that we went across the Snake River into Clarkston, WA. We began climbing and topped out at Alpowa Summit at about 2735' but after the rain we found real strong winds. When Lewis and Clark got to this summit they found very rich black soil and made comment on it. There was lots of farming from here on. They even went high up on the hills with their crops. As usual it was beautiful. We took this one road that "the boys " loved because it was hilly and curvy and rather more narrow that we have been driving but it was not a favorite of Dee's. I don't have much problem with any of our travels, but we crossed over a very narrow bridge and that I didn't like. Luckily no one else came from the other way. It was over Lake Herbert.
We never know where we may find a good place to eat. All the towns we have been thru are usually small because we are on state roads not interstates. We stopped in Washtucna,WA for lunch. A wide road thru this burg with plenty of room to park. It was, I think, the only eating establishment in town--combination bar and cafe--and the food and service were excellent. Dee said it was the best burger she has had on the entire trip, my big salad was terrific and Bob had lots of fried shrimp and french fries and was as happy as a pig in slop. Marvin just quietly ate his cheeseburger without much talk. His only disappointment was that there was no dessert so that came later in the day--pie and coffee. We have camped out in a Wal-Mart lot tonight and we go on to our rendevous destination in Soap Lake, WA tomorrow.
We left Orofino, ID this morning "in the rain" as usual. It actually did stop after just a little while. We were still driving by the river, which makes Dee a little nervous. When we got to Lewiston, ID it was just real quick that we went across the Snake River into Clarkston, WA. We began climbing and topped out at Alpowa Summit at about 2735' but after the rain we found real strong winds. When Lewis and Clark got to this summit they found very rich black soil and made comment on it. There was lots of farming from here on. They even went high up on the hills with their crops. As usual it was beautiful. We took this one road that "the boys " loved because it was hilly and curvy and rather more narrow that we have been driving but it was not a favorite of Dee's. I don't have much problem with any of our travels, but we crossed over a very narrow bridge and that I didn't like. Luckily no one else came from the other way. It was over Lake Herbert.
We never know where we may find a good place to eat. All the towns we have been thru are usually small because we are on state roads not interstates. We stopped in Washtucna,WA for lunch. A wide road thru this burg with plenty of room to park. It was, I think, the only eating establishment in town--combination bar and cafe--and the food and service were excellent. Dee said it was the best burger she has had on the entire trip, my big salad was terrific and Bob had lots of fried shrimp and french fries and was as happy as a pig in slop. Marvin just quietly ate his cheeseburger without much talk. His only disappointment was that there was no dessert so that came later in the day--pie and coffee. We have camped out in a Wal-Mart lot tonight and we go on to our rendevous destination in Soap Lake, WA tomorrow.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Hwy. 12- from Missoula to Orofino, ID 6-2 & 3,2010
We are crossing or following some of the Lewis and Clark Trail. This road Hwy. 12 takes us up over Lolo Pass and they did come this way. The pass is 5235' with snow between the trees and a steady drizzle which turned into a rain which it did the rest of the way to Orofino, ID and during the evening for awhile. During this time as we were driving in this valley beside the Selway R. and then the Clearwater River Marvin's windshield wipers were not cooperating. Thank heaven for the stuff he had put on his windshield that helps because you can see without using your wipers in a motorhome.
We've been slowly climbing thru the valley. There has been fog over the river, clouds low in the mountains and not much traffic. Earlier we saw turkeys and some poor sway back donkeys. We are in the Bitterroot Mt. Range now. The mountains are covered in tall evergreens and deciduous trees and rocks and warnings of rock slides. We parked for lunch on a pull-out right beside the river and it was spectacular. Nothing like staying dry inside while eating lunch and listening to the water go over the huge rocks.
So far we have seen 1 group with 2 float boats going down the river and later another boat with 2 men in it trying to get to shore. It has been raining continually---wouldn't want to have been in the boats today. It is 57 degrees. Seen people out hiking and camping. One tent had a stovepipe coming out of it. At several of the trailheads there were walking bridges over the river and we also saw several areas that had cable cars across the river in order to get to their homes or wherever.
We finally had some pretty weather. We stayed Wed and Thurs night, June 2nd and 3rd at the Clearwater Crossing RV Park in Orofino, ID right beside the Clearwater River and watched the river rise some due to all the rain. On the 3rd it was lovely so after going to the hardware store twice, the bank and to breakfast we finally started touring. We headed to the Fish Hatchery first and checked it out. No fish coming up the ladder yet but in one trailer they were inserting a micro chip with a needle and then checking to make sure they could read it and then put it down a tube with water that went to a truck that would carry the fish to their release point. They were working with fingerlings of salmon and steelhead trout. They were put in a container with water that anestisized(sp) them so they could be handled without hurting the fish. There were a team of 3 or 4 people and they moved quickly. After the fish have been out in the ocean for 3 or 4 years they come back to the hatchery to spawn and come up the ladders. In the wild they die after spawning and the same thing happens here only they are killed after being stripped of their eggs and milked of their sperm. Then the eggs are incubated very similar to the wild way and when they hatch they are put in concrete tanks and fed and raised and on goes the process. I may not have everything exact but you can google it.
Then we went on to Dworshak Dam & Reservoir. This is the largest one that the Corp of Engineers ever built. There are 3 types of dams and this is the largest one of its kind. We watched a movie about it and its being built and then took a tour down thru the tourable inside of it and then out onto the top to view the reservoir. In the reservoir and up the river in different places they have port-a-potties floating on the water for use as well as areas squared off for people to swim in. Never heard of such things and then they have a barg like thing that goes and pumps them out. We also saw an osprey's nest and the osprey. We went back inside the Visitor Center and watched another movie about the last log run that was near the last of the 60's. They cut the trees and stacked them beside the river and then when the spring came and the snow and rains made the river flow big they would knock down the stack and let them float down the river to the mill. As is everthing else it wasn't that easy because the logs would get caught along the side or in a log jam and the men would have to get in the cold water and get them unstuck. They had this thing that was like 3 large tents erected on rubber pontoon boats. The center tent was the cook tent and the two outer ones were for sleeping. The men got 3 hot meals every day. It was a very good movie.
Then we went on to see the Dent Bridge. A beautiful drive up one side of a mountain and down the other. It was a lovely 8 million dollar bridge that ended near a dirt road and campgrounds. But it was the only way to get to Elk River ( a town).
We stayed in a park right on the river in Orofino, ID. I do believe the river has risen due to all the rain. I think we are going to drive on today toward our ultimate destination which is Soap Lake, Washington.
We've been slowly climbing thru the valley. There has been fog over the river, clouds low in the mountains and not much traffic. Earlier we saw turkeys and some poor sway back donkeys. We are in the Bitterroot Mt. Range now. The mountains are covered in tall evergreens and deciduous trees and rocks and warnings of rock slides. We parked for lunch on a pull-out right beside the river and it was spectacular. Nothing like staying dry inside while eating lunch and listening to the water go over the huge rocks.
So far we have seen 1 group with 2 float boats going down the river and later another boat with 2 men in it trying to get to shore. It has been raining continually---wouldn't want to have been in the boats today. It is 57 degrees. Seen people out hiking and camping. One tent had a stovepipe coming out of it. At several of the trailheads there were walking bridges over the river and we also saw several areas that had cable cars across the river in order to get to their homes or wherever.
We finally had some pretty weather. We stayed Wed and Thurs night, June 2nd and 3rd at the Clearwater Crossing RV Park in Orofino, ID right beside the Clearwater River and watched the river rise some due to all the rain. On the 3rd it was lovely so after going to the hardware store twice, the bank and to breakfast we finally started touring. We headed to the Fish Hatchery first and checked it out. No fish coming up the ladder yet but in one trailer they were inserting a micro chip with a needle and then checking to make sure they could read it and then put it down a tube with water that went to a truck that would carry the fish to their release point. They were working with fingerlings of salmon and steelhead trout. They were put in a container with water that anestisized(sp) them so they could be handled without hurting the fish. There were a team of 3 or 4 people and they moved quickly. After the fish have been out in the ocean for 3 or 4 years they come back to the hatchery to spawn and come up the ladders. In the wild they die after spawning and the same thing happens here only they are killed after being stripped of their eggs and milked of their sperm. Then the eggs are incubated very similar to the wild way and when they hatch they are put in concrete tanks and fed and raised and on goes the process. I may not have everything exact but you can google it.
Then we went on to Dworshak Dam & Reservoir. This is the largest one that the Corp of Engineers ever built. There are 3 types of dams and this is the largest one of its kind. We watched a movie about it and its being built and then took a tour down thru the tourable inside of it and then out onto the top to view the reservoir. In the reservoir and up the river in different places they have port-a-potties floating on the water for use as well as areas squared off for people to swim in. Never heard of such things and then they have a barg like thing that goes and pumps them out. We also saw an osprey's nest and the osprey. We went back inside the Visitor Center and watched another movie about the last log run that was near the last of the 60's. They cut the trees and stacked them beside the river and then when the spring came and the snow and rains made the river flow big they would knock down the stack and let them float down the river to the mill. As is everthing else it wasn't that easy because the logs would get caught along the side or in a log jam and the men would have to get in the cold water and get them unstuck. They had this thing that was like 3 large tents erected on rubber pontoon boats. The center tent was the cook tent and the two outer ones were for sleeping. The men got 3 hot meals every day. It was a very good movie.
Then we went on to see the Dent Bridge. A beautiful drive up one side of a mountain and down the other. It was a lovely 8 million dollar bridge that ended near a dirt road and campgrounds. But it was the only way to get to Elk River ( a town).
We stayed in a park right on the river in Orofino, ID. I do believe the river has risen due to all the rain. I think we are going to drive on today toward our ultimate destination which is Soap Lake, Washington.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Montana Hwy 1-Road to Phillipsburg-Tues.6-1-10
Montana Hwy. 1 is the Pintler Scenic Byway. We came out of Butte with a fairly good report from the eye doctor but he said I should have it looked at in a week just to be sure. After the doc we had to go in search of more pasties to take with us. We ate b-fast with the M & D at the Great Harvest Bread Co. Cafe. We met them back at the coaches after the doc and thank heaven Dee had a slight bit of room in her freezer for the pasties and the povitica. Then the boys went in search of something at an RV parts place and also came back with scones and bread and coffee from the Great Harvest. We finally got on the road. It rained on us up the road. Probably should have stopped in Anaconda. It looked like a neat little town, but we left too late out of Butte--next time. We did see the huge smelter stacks we were told about in Butte. You can see them from a long way off even with low clouds. They are 585' high, the largest free standing masonary stacks in the world. The drive thru the valley and then up the mountain and down the other side was breath taking. The stream flowing down the mountain made us stop and take a better look.
We parked at a little campground going into the big town of Phillipsburg. The town is lovely. They have old buildings that have been restored and painted and have neat shops. We ate at the Doe Brothers Restaurant and Soda Shop--I had buffalo meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes over bread with brown gravy and a salad--half went home for a later meal. Then we went to the huge candy store. It has 982 different candies give or take if they run out of something or get something new . Right now, they have more flavors of jelly belly jelly beans that the factory in CA because they have bought up all their discontinued flavors. All kinds of fudge, etc. You would go into diabetic shock just going thru the door. Talk about a kid in a candy store. They were making fudge while we were there. We also went into a gem store-beautiful things. We wandered into a number of small stores. It was a fun day. We went driving around the town--lots of dirt streets and some mud. The people in town were very friendly and they said that when we were sightseeing that it is called P-burging. People who live there are called P-burgers. By the time we got here our cars were splattered and after driving our around town and thru the mud Bob had to at least hose it off. It is entirely useless trying to keep either the cars or the coaches clean because we get into rain usually every day and the cars just get splattered by the coaches. Oh well!
We finish the scenic byway today and head on north and west. We continue to experience very early spring because we keep going north ahead of the season. I haven't been in anything but long pants and long sleeved shirts or sweatshirts and coats, but I'll take that over the heat.
We parked at a little campground going into the big town of Phillipsburg. The town is lovely. They have old buildings that have been restored and painted and have neat shops. We ate at the Doe Brothers Restaurant and Soda Shop--I had buffalo meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes over bread with brown gravy and a salad--half went home for a later meal. Then we went to the huge candy store. It has 982 different candies give or take if they run out of something or get something new . Right now, they have more flavors of jelly belly jelly beans that the factory in CA because they have bought up all their discontinued flavors. All kinds of fudge, etc. You would go into diabetic shock just going thru the door. Talk about a kid in a candy store. They were making fudge while we were there. We also went into a gem store-beautiful things. We wandered into a number of small stores. It was a fun day. We went driving around the town--lots of dirt streets and some mud. The people in town were very friendly and they said that when we were sightseeing that it is called P-burging. People who live there are called P-burgers. By the time we got here our cars were splattered and after driving our around town and thru the mud Bob had to at least hose it off. It is entirely useless trying to keep either the cars or the coaches clean because we get into rain usually every day and the cars just get splattered by the coaches. Oh well!
We finish the scenic byway today and head on north and west. We continue to experience very early spring because we keep going north ahead of the season. I haven't been in anything but long pants and long sleeved shirts or sweatshirts and coats, but I'll take that over the heat.
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