Thursday, July 28, 2011 Skagway, Alaska

It is a cool but sunny day.  Doesn't make too much of a difference as we are taking a cruise to Juneau today.  Our group took up most of the boat so it was fun moving around and chatting w/everyone.

No this was not our boat.  This is one of the cruise ships coming into Skagway for the day.  They average anywhere from 2 to 5 everyday starting in May through September.

Our our way, we saw beautiful waterfalls and a well maintained Lighthouse.  Lot of mountains and glaciers.  Oohps I see I used a couple of these pictures already.  It is now three days later because we didn't have wifi connection so I put these collages together a couple days ago.  For the next couple days, my text will be short and sweet.














On our trip, we saw Eagles, Bears, note the baby with her Mama in the bottom square, Seals and whales.  At one time, there were five whales together.  Of course, plenty of porpoises but they are so hard to get a picture of - move way too fast.













In Juneau, there was this neat plaque about the miner's.  The city is all about shopping, eating and more cruise ships so the town was very crowded.  We were only in town for a couple hours after we had lunch but then took a bus tour of a glacier.
Bruce and I ran up to see the glacier and the beautiful waterfall near it.  You can see the reflection of me and the waterfall in the pond.  Because of the glacier calfing, it raised the height of the river so in order for us to get there, we had to climb some rocks and walk through mud - yuk!!

We had a terrific bus driver/guide to told us about the area, the city and people that lived there.  He was a poet and told us stories as such. 

We hopped back on the boat where we saw more sea life.  It was a long day but enjoyed it all.
 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 Skagway, Alaska

It is a cool, misty day but what a fun filled day it was.  We took a small bus into the hills to a Musher's Ranch, for a lack of something else to call it.  They have over 100 dogs that are taught to be sled dogs.  Each one is run several times each day. They are not owned by one person but I guess because these dogs need a large area to practice and they do make a lot of noise, several trainers/owners took to the hills.  It was a decent drive up w/rivers, flowers, etc. but the best part was seeing so many dogs.
















The hills are so steep we had to unload off the bus and take this German made vehicle up into woods.  We were practically going straight up and in very low gear.  We really didn't think we would make it, but this truck chugged along and we made it.

















They had four strings of 16 dogs already lined up and ready to go so we broke up in groups of 6, hopped on this golf cart of sorts and off we went.  I couldn't believe how anxious they were as soon as we sat down.  This picture is only a few of the dogs on our team.  Aren't they cute?










After our ride, we were able to pet them, learn their names - yeah right, like I'm going to remember - then we went back down the hill where there were Puppies.  Oh so darn cute and such little lover's.  The wheel on the bottom is a training toy for them.  They will get inside the wheel, a trainer will start it going and these little guys can actually keep the wheel going by running. We had two of them inside at one time but the little white one that I'm holding would do more sliding than running - so very funny.  We had time to play, had a cup of hot chocolate and down the mountain we went.








My friend, Cindy, in the light pink jacket, wanted me to go ziplining w/her because her husband backed out because of his shoulder's.  Now mind you, I just came down the mountain and the ziplining is right next door to the musher's, so after a quick lunch, up the mountain I went again.  I wasn't going to go but I'm sure glad I did.  We had so many laughs.  There were 11 strands from tree to tree that we did.  Went over rivers and gulleys.  Our guides were just great and very funny, but cautious to say the least.  We felt really bad for Jenna, another friend, as she didn't want to do this but her husband talked her into it.  She was deathly afraid as we were pretty high up sometimes and it took her a while but she did it.  We were so proud of her. 



On the way down the mountain, we were told how the people that first moved to the community could chose the names of their streets.  The road is very rough and has a lot of curves so this is the name he came up with.










Along side a creek filled w/salmon, we saw a grizzly bear.  He was a little hesitant to come out but eventually he did.  Always a treat to see bears.

We were quite tired when we got back so several of us decided to go into town for dinner at the Red Onion Saloon.  Cindy invited our guides to dinner as well - what a hoot!!!  Afterwards, we went to the Bonanza Bar and Grill because they were having karoke.  They had some really good singers so we joined in singing and dancing.  Had a great time but had to get back home as we were taking an all day cruise to Juneau.    Another fun filled day!!!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 to Skagway, Alaska

Again, it was a rainy day but I gave Bruce a break and drove the entire 270 miles. At times, when we could see anything, the countryside was beautiful, but most of the time, we gave the camera a break. Unfortunately when we arrived in Whitehorse, our Tail Gunner caught up w/us and told Ron, the 3rd RVer in our group, that his vehicle was really swaying and perhaps they should unhook it and drive it to Skagway separately. In deciding what to do, we found an RV repair and by the luck of the Irish, they had a tow hitch that fit his unit. Easy enough, we thought unhook the old one, put on the new one and we are off and running - NOT!!! It took nearly an hour to get the hitch off as it was bent. To make a long story short, Bruce found a way by doing some drilling etc. installed the new one and we were off and running again.






This beautiful lake, wish you could see the color, is called Emerald Lake, and it is just that - as green as you could make it especially around the edges. My little camera doesn't do it justice but we'll remember it for a very long time. Maybe I can find a postcard.











From, there, we went through Carcross and found the smallest desert in the world. That is sand you are looking at - not snow. If we had time, we would have taken a walk but since we were running late, we took a couple pictures and were on our way again.












We have been crossing the borders several times but here we are again, back in the Good Ol' USA. As you can see, the fog started setting in. The area around this part of our trip looked like it would have been fabulous but since our vision was a bit to be desired, we missed a lot of it. As we got to the top of the White Pass Summit and started working our way down - ll% downgrade, we hit The Fog. OMG!!! I could hardly see 50' ahead of us. Thank goodness a "white" buss had his flasher's on or else I wouldn't have seen him until I practically hit him. Plus he was on a bridge. A little white knuckle for me but going 20 MPH made it more doable.






Then the traffic stopped, we knew we were near US Customs but had no idea how long we would be waiting. We found out that it was quite a while because all the busses going back to Skagway w/cruise ship passengers were ahead of us and all their passports have to be checked. Oh boy, happy hour was sounding better and better if we ever get down this mountain and, of course, we did.








After getting settled in at the RV park, we took a ride downtown for dinner and saw a couple cruise ships leaving the docks.

Monday, July 25, 2011 To Destruction Bay, Yukon

Again, it is raining out but it was kind of helpful to keep the dust down as the roads we were on were even worse than yesterday - washboards, dips of all sizes.  Once we went through a huge dip and our friends following us thought they lost us forever.  It was an uneventful day as far as sightseeing, etc; however, mechanically was another thing. 
Before we got too far, the third person traveling w/us called on the walkie talkies that he had a door open so we needed to stop.  It was the door on the back of the RV and how it got open, he had no idea.  While we stopped to check on him, we noticed that neither Bruce nor I put the Suspension on - Good Lord that could have caused a lot of problems had we hit a bad dip in the road.






Since we are going to Destruction Bay in the Yukon Territory we had to go through Custom's even though we are only going to be here for the day.  While stopped and waiting in line, our friend again, called up and said he had a flat tire.  Good Lord!!!  What next?  After we went through customs, we all pulled off and Bruce helped him change tires.  We stopped for lunch and again this same friend got himself pinned into a corner w/his RV and had to unhook the toad but when he went to back up his Hummer, his battery was dead.  Anyway, to make a long story short, we finally got on the road again.  We got in a little later than expected but at least we got there - Only... to find out that another friend had a hole in his radiator.  Needless to say, Bruce put on his overalls and got under his RV to help fix the problem.  Not a good day for Bruce but a good day because of Bruce.






These river beds are really kind of neat.  Because of the rain, they fill up but when there is no water, this area is all dry, cracked and very little water leaving a vast area naked - actually kind of sad.
















These flowers are everywhere alongside of the roads - makes driving a little more pleasant!
Once we finally got in and the guys got cleaned up, the owner of the campground made a very nice dinner for us and sang and played his guitar later.  He is a one man show, cooks, cleans, runs the campground and even entertains.   What a guy!!! 
Tomorrow morning we will be up early and heading back to Alaska.
Good Night and have a good day!!

Sunday, July 24, 2011 to Tok, Alaska

We are on the road again but what an eeiry road it is.  It is misting and as you can see below, the clouds are very low.  We could barely see the RV in front of us but I thought it made some great pictures.  We were just hoping that it would clear up after a short time and, of course, it did.  Took a little while but the sun did try coming out.



















We were puzzled when we saw these poles that look like lights but don't have any lights so I asked a gal that was working in a store and she told me they were used for the snow plowers to keep them on the road.  On the sides and on the top section there is reflective tape to help them see them at night as well.  They need something so they don't go down the mountain.  Very clever we thought!!















The sun came and went but again the clouds dipped down and left this beautiful picture.  This time, the clouds didn't come down to the ground so we were able to see where we were going.  yeah!!















There is always beautiful scenery to be found around every corner.  I liked this one w/the flowers, river, trees and mountain.  Trust me when I tell you that I'm only using such a small amount of pictures that I'm actually taking in this blog.

The pipeline is still running in this area and Pump Station #12 is here between Valdez and Tok.











It was a uneventful day, which is always good.  We stop for lunch, stretch, have a cup of coffee and move forward; however, today we hit a lot of bad roads - washboard type.  Our speed was reduced which made our trip even longer, but we got there in one piece. 
The road was very dusty so when we pulled into our campground, we washed down the RV and Jeep as quickly as we could.  The staff was putting on a dinner for us so we had to hurry.  Always a nice treat not to have to fix dinner after a long day on the road.  We played cards for a while and said Goodnight!!

Saturday, July 23, 2011 Valdez, Alaska

After the long and busy day yesterday, it was good to have a free day and do and see things we wanted to see.  It is a cool day but we did take a tour of the city, which wasn't that much as it is so small, but the gal gave us the history of how this town is the second one.  The first Valdez was destroyed because of an earthquake.  The ground is very soft and even from what we heard, the present location would suffer as greatly if they had another quake.  They had moved some of the better buildings to their new locations and the rest of them they had to burn so there is nothing but a couple slabs of cement to show that a building existed in the old town.  Part of our tour was a trip to the fish hatchery.  Don't have any pictures as there wasn't a lot to see.  They hatch 320,000 eggs a season.  As they grow, they keep putting them in bigger and bigger tanks as well as separating them more.  Then they are put out to grow and head out to the ocean where they live 5 - 7 years before they head back to where they were hatched, lay their eggs and die.  It is a very sad life that the Salmon's live. 



















We found this beautiful little waterfall just outside town.  Had to take a picture!!!










 After running around all day, our group put on an Italian potluck dinner and what a variety of food we had.  Bruce grilled Italian Sausage which was a huge hit.  Another fun get together.




Again, we went out looking for the bears near where the salmon are coming in to spawn.  The little guy came out again; however, due to the high tide, he didn't catch a fish and went back into the woods to wait and try it again. 












One of the fisherman threw him a fish when he came out so he wouldn't go running after all the people that were standing and watching him.  Like we've never seen a bear before - right!!!

We are off for Tok so need to get some rest as it will be a long drive - 254 miles.  Driving an RV, it takes longer and the roads aren't suppose to be that good.

Friday, July 22, 2011 Valdez, Alaska

Oh Dear, I did it again - took tons of pictures but I had very good reason.  We took a 9 hour Meares Glacier Cruise in Prince William Sound.  It was a gorgeous day.  We saw snow capped mountains, glaciers, various sized islands, Stellar Sea Lions, Humpback Whales, Sea Otters, Orcas, Dall's Porpoise, Harbor Seals and many different birds.  Our young Lady Captain did a great job heading the boat to wherever we saw the whales or orcas.  She was a terrific tour guide throughout the entire trip.  When there was a lull in activity, we were served a very nice lunch and later a snack.  We left the dock at 9:30 and didn't return until 7 p.m.  It was late but that was okay w/everyone as we got to spend more time watching the sea life as well as the Glacier cracking.  It didn't quite calf but we did get to see a lot of small clusters of ice fall into the water.  She also gave us the history of the l989 Oil Spill.  According to what we heard from many people, the beauty of the sound, its wilderness quality w/the glaciers, high mountains, lush forests, thousands of bays and many islands, is almost back to normal including the quality of the water.






The sea otters were so cute just lying on their backs and floating.  There were a lot of babies next to their mom's.










We saw several groups of Orca's.  The first group were just traveling through the area and didn't want any part of us; however, the second group were native to the area and played around by the boat.  There are always a couple Sea Lions on Buoy #9.  As we got closer to the two glaciers, we saw a lot of ice in the water.  Some of them are very large but only takes 24 hours to melt in the water.  Our Captain had to maneuver the boat over and around the glacier ice pcs.











You can see how clear and calm the water is w/the reflection of the mountain the water.  This Orca had a 6' tail.















We got as close to the Meares Glacier as l/4 mile.  That seems far away until you are just about ready to hit it.  It was 250' in thickness and as the ice was cracking, it sounded like gun shots and thunder.  We were hoping to see it calf but we only saw small clumps hit the water.














Sea Lions and Otters took advantage of the ice.

















After dinner, we took a ride out to a Salmon Hatchery.  When you have fish in the water, you also have Eagles and Bears.  We were so excited to see a 3 year old Brown Bear come out of the woods, cross the road and go into the water for a salmon.  He again, crossed the road so he could eat in peace.    Down the road, Papa Bear decided to make his exit out of the woods.  He; however, was happy eating berries and grass.  They were not interested in us,but then again, we were ready to bolt whenever either of them looked at us twice.







Bruce found paw prints in the dirt and they were definitely from the 600# Bear.
With the sun being out all hours of the night, we haven't
seen any sunsets.  This was the first we saw in a long
time. As you can see, we had another fantastic day.  Hope you did as well.
 

Thursday, July 21, 2011 Palmer to Valdez, Alaska

It is a beautiful day.  Little did I know, just how beautiful it was going to be.  It was an "OMG" day!!  We found God's Country Day!! Every turn, corner, uphill, or downhill was breathtaking.  I took so many pictures that I just about wore out the camera.  There will be no further text, except for what is on some of the pictures.  I believe that if you double click on them, they will get bigger, but I apologize now as there are quite a few collages. 









 


















































































Another Glacier.  They are everywhere.

If you ended up looking at all the pictures, Bless your Heart's!  I hope you agreed that what we saw was absolutely spectacular.