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The ride was great even though it was rainy. The mountains are different here. Not as big and covered in green. Also you can see the glaciers close enough to see the blue color and the crevasses. All the city camping spaces are right on the water with great views. It’s a little bit cooler here and I think we may need the heat tonight!

23 August 2010We awoke to a spectacular sunny but windy day in Seward. This is very uncommon; usually it is overcast or raining. The sun let the temperature get up to 70 degrees. We took a short walk over to a stream that emptied into Resurrection Bay. There were Silver Salmon spawning, and a few Pink Salmon stragglers mixed in with them. We went into town and went to the place for halibut that we were told about. They didn’t steer us wrong. We went back, hooked up the trailer then headed north to Hope, Alaska. On the way, we stopped off at Exit Glacier. We hiked up to the glacier and took some photos. It's one of the smaller glaciers I've seen. Hope is located on the way back up the road to Anchorage at the end of a turn-off. It is still on the Kenai peninsula, so it wasn’t that far a drive at all. It is an historic gold mining town, but now it looks like some nice cabins, restaurants, lodges and the campground we are at now, Porcupine Campground. We were told that Hope was over-run with Bald Eagles, and were hoping to see many of them. We saw one in Seward. Well, the camp host said there may be a few, but not many. However, the place WAS over-run with bears. So, we are practicing our bear etiquette.

My new favorite fish is halibut. It’s so good I get it every time I can; addiction is what some might call it. The people we met last night told us to go to the Showcase lounge for the best halibut in town that is fresh caught everyday. It was the best just like they said. Bob got a bowl of lightly fried chunks. He is also slipping into the addiction with me. We were stuffed for the rest of the day. Yum! 24 August 2010

We went to Chugach State Park, Eagle River. This was a nice state park right off the Glen Highway heading out of Anchorage. We didn’t drive much to get here, maybe 90 miles or so from Hope, but we needed to spend an extra day around Anchorage to be able to attend the Alaska State fair in Palmer which is only 20 miles from here. We got a very nice camp site, not too far from the Eagle River. There was moose sign and bear sign all over the place, but we didn’t see any. We went out a few times during the day and especially around dusk, but had no luck spotting any animals.

It turned into a very sunny day here today and warm. Bob and I took Gypsy for a walk around the camp ground and she gets excited when she smells a moose or another animal. There are over 1,900 moose in the Anchorage area, but we didn’t see a one. Maybe before we leave we’ll see some more. 25 August 2010Kim found a state park about 6 miles from Palmer which makes it very handy to unhook and drive around with the truck. We arrived a day before the fair and ran around doing errands like getting propane and a little shopping in Wasilla, the town was made famous by the vice presidential running mate of John McCain, Sarah Palin. This park is much closer to a populated area, and there is all sorts of local traffic.

Local traffic is right. This place is like grand central. People coming and going at all times of the day and one person came and went eight times. Jeez Louise! Wasilla is very nice. One of the bigger towns here that we’ve been through so far, it has the only super Wal-mart in the state and a Target! Weather was nice today. Hope it stays that way for the fair.

26 August 2010We all slept in today. Bob and I got ready for the fair. Two dollar Thursday, only two dollars to get in between 12-2pm and the entire town was trying to go at the same time! Only one road from our site and we sat in traffic for a little while. I wanted to see the giant vegetables. The only big pumpkin was about 950 pounds. They were saving the 1,200 for next week. The cabbage was 86 pounds, zucchini was 12 and I think they had a turnip that was in the 20 pound range. It was a lot like the Florida state fair but on a smaller level. Only thing is that this fair was double the price for everything. Good thing we got in for two dollars or we wouldn’t have been able to buy sandwiches for lunch! The weather stayed nice for us the entire day.

27 August 2010

We are leaving Palmer today on the Glenn Highway heading back to Tok. Today is the first day that we’ve started off in the rain. The colors are already changing on the trees. Fall happens fast around here, yesterday there was only a leaf here and there that had some color and now the entire tree has turned, mostly Burch and Aspen. We are going through the Matanuska valley and we can see the Matanuska glacier from the road. This is the longest one I’ve see so far and you can see that wonderful blue color. The rain has let up a little, but there is no sun for us today. We are staying at Dry Creek State Park on the Richardson Highway tonight. This park too showed lots of signs of moose activity. I think there was only one other camper in the park tonight. It’s getting colder and Gypsy had to put her sweater on to sit outside while we cooked.

28 August 2010

We continued on the Glenn Highway/Tok cutoff today. This is the same road we took when we first got here. It’s still a little rainy this morning and the clouds are covering the mountains. The sun did come out again and it warmed up a little. Once we arrived in Tok we stopped for gas. I looked at the trailer and noticed the front seam had separated and the insulation was showing. I said to Bob “um, look at this”; “not good”, he said. We proceeded to our campground but Bob got out and took a better look at our little problem. He said the frame is busted off. He turned around and started back to Tok and found a building that had RV-Auto repair sign and welding equipment outside. Bob was met by a man named Chris whose business it was. He took a look at the trailer and told Bob he could fix it and it would be $200.00 and I can fix it right now. Woo woo!!

When I saw what had happened to the frame, I knew it needed some welding. It was a matter of some poor welding at the factory and poor engineering. The stress from bouncing had caused a welded joint on the frame to crack and the same joint on the opposite side started bending. This failure caused the support for the outer wall to sag and opened a seam on the siding. The inside of this guys shop does not resemble the outside at all. He fabricates wood stoves and incinerators for the villages in the local area. The perfect place to be if you needed some welding done. He gave me an estimate that was acceptable, and went to work. He cut and fabricated a piece of quarter inch steel, five inches by six feet long, notched it to fit the frame perfectly. He got everything straightened and lined up, I tucked in the siding, and he welded it on. For having a problem, things couldn’t have gone any smoother. We had already done our traveling for the day, and he was located only a few miles from where we were going to camp. His name is Chris and he came to Alaska in 1975 and stayed.

29 August 2010We are sad to leave Alaska today. It’s raining again and cold. We hit the road for a very long trip to and in the Yukon. The roads are so bad from the frost that Bob can only go about 40-45mph. The bike rack almost fell off and at one time the bikes had bounced off the frame and were wedged between the rack and the back tire! Crossing the border took 3 minutes, no lines no waiting! We were driving a while and saw a few airstream trailers pulled over to the side of the road. Wouldn’t you know a huge moose was in a lake eating the grass at the bottom? Very cool! We stopped at a different campground today Lake Creek. We didn’t stay at this one on the way up. We are parked right next to the river. Along the river are prints from Caribou, Moose and yes, a small black bear. The sun had come out for a short time but at least it’s not raining!!

I think the roads stink, but this camp site is very nice. Of course, Yukon supplies all the campfire wood you want. I lit a fire straight away and we enjoyed it for the rest of the day. I enjoy watching Gypsy. Sometimes she just stands near a group of willows or near a creek or the river and holds here nose in the air and just sniffs and sniffs for minutes on end. She might take a few steps and do it again. She did this for a full half hour tonight. I wonder what she smells. I wonder what goes through that doggy brain. I know she enjoys it.

30 August 2010We woke up later than usual, we only had to travel about 80 miles to the next camp. Kim scheduled a short day since the roads were so bad with the frost heaves. Yesterday we had a real treat; in one stretch, right before the border, it seemed that the work crews got caught in the rain just as they laid down a new layer of fine soil. It turned to mud immediately and we slid around and fishtailed for a few miles before getting out of the mess. Thank goodness we didn’t have to go up any hills like that, we never would have made it. I had already been thinking of pulling over and parking till things dried out a bit. The rain remained intermittent until we reached out campsite, the same place we came to last time. We are on the lake, just one site down from where we were. The mountains surrounding the lake all have new fresh snow on them. The flies and mosquitoes are out in force, I think we caught them in mid- migration. I overheard a couple of them talking amongst themselves in the bushes. They were plotting on bushwhacking Kim, tripping her up as she walked down the path and then attacking her. I warned her, and she thanked me and took a different trail. We had a really special treat for dinner tonight. While in Fairbanks, George had told Kim the best place to purchase salmon and she had bought some King Salmon fillets before we left. I cooked them just like we did the Sockeyes, on the grill with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then served with a little melted butter and squeezed lemon juice. Tomorrow we should make it be back to Whitehorse. How time flies. It seems like we just left. From Whitehorse we will be able to take the Cassiar Highway. I found out yesterday from some Canadians heading to Valdez to fish for Halibut, that the highway had reopened, having been closed because of the fires. It hasn’t been bad doubling back on our route. Basically, only from Tok to Whitehorse will be the road that we’ve already travelled. Heck, it seems different because of the weather, lots of the trees are already turned color, and the frost heaves on this side of the road are different also.

I think I’m a little bit of a fire-bug. I like just fiddling with the camp fire. I like starting them with small tinder and chopping the wood into smaller and manageable pieces. There’s nothing more useful when making a fire than a sharp little hand ax. I like building it up once it starts going. I always try to see if I can make a roaring fire with only one match, or light. I like moving the logs around, adding more wood, and just poking around in there. Once the fire really gets going I’m almost mesmerized by the embers deep in the heart of the fire, the deep orange color and how it seems to pass in waves across the now charcoal. Did you ever just stare at something and space out and feel just so comfortable in that half-in half out world? Well that’s what it’s like. You can feel the radiant heat on your face and also feel the coldness of the air on your body that is not so directly facing the fire; the warmth is soothing and makes you a little drowsy. I like the smell and hearing the cracks and pops.

31 August 2010 We arrived in Whitehorse about 2 pm. There were frost heaves and things to be careful of while driving, but not as bad as yesterday or the day before that. There was a little rain off and on early, but it started clearing up around noon, and by the time we got to Whitehorse it was 56 degrees and it was partly sunny. It actually felt warm. We chose to go back to the Hi-Country RV Park since it was such a nice place last time. There are fewer people here than last time, but that’s to be expected. The internet is faster than the last time, but there is still plenty of that good hot water in their really clean showers. From the looks of the picture, Kim has been converted to an Alaskan from a city girl.

Yes, showers were the first thing on the agenda today. Also did a couple loads of laundry, made chicken parmigiana for dinner and changed sheets. Tomorrow we have a busy day. We have to stock up on groceries, gas and Canadian cash. Oh and don't forget that we need to go eat Halibut at the Klondike Salmon and Rib just like last time. We did see a coyote today on the side of the road today not far from Whitehorse.