Being back in the beautiful state of Montana always makes us happy. Montana is one of our favorite states in the U.S. It has a rugged natural beauty and is full of wonderful mountains, fishing lakes and rivers. We stopped at Kootenai Falls area and toured the park there. We were anxious to get back to the eastern half of the U. S. We have cell phones, computers, and all the normal communication systems once again. We arrived in Traverse City, Mi. two days ago and are enjoying being back in normal civilization again. We have been washing washing washing Alaska [View Full Entry]

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Arriving in southern Canada was a glorious experience as we travelled through Penticton and south to the wine country of Canada. Osoyoos (pronounced o-soy-oose) is a beautiful area situated in a fertile valley known as the prime wine country of Canada. This was one of the most beautiful areas of Canada that we visited. The Okanagan valley with miles and miles of hillside vineyards overlooking gorgous lake Okanagan, and lake Osoyoos is an incredible sight. We visited several wineries, our favorite was the Burrowing Owl. We went there to celebrate Alan's birthday. We had a delicious lu [View Full Entry]

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Well, the time has come to leave Alaska and head back to the lower 48 states. It has been one of the most memorable vacations we have taken. There is a saying by the residents here that when the fireweed "tops out" it is time to head south as it is a sign that the long cold winter is coming. Leaving the Anchorage area one must drive a full days drive to Tok, Alaska, overnight, clear Canadian customs when entering the Yukon, then drive a full days drive to Watson Lake, overnight, then drive a full days drive to Skagway, Alaska, [View Full Entry]

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The Stewart - Hyder area is a very poor area of Alaska. We went there just to walk the famous "Fish Walk" and watch the bears feeding on the Salmon that have come up the river to spawn. We were there for several hours and did not see a single bear. The town of Stewart is in Canada and Hyder is in Alaska so one must go out of Canada into Alaska , then back into Hyder and clear U.S. Customs. Then upon leaving one must clear Canadian Customs again. There were some interesting businesses there and we did take [View Full Entry]

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The name Skagway ( originally spelled Skaguay) is said to mean “ stiffly wind rippled water” in Tlingit ( pronounced Kling - it ). It is the oldest incorporated city in Alaska. It was incorporated in 1900. Skagway is also a year-round port and 1 of the 2 gateway cities to the Alaska Highway in Southeast Alaska. The other gateway city is Haines. The first residents settled here in 1887. Skagway actually owes its birth to the Klondike Gold Rush. Skagway boomed as thousands of gold seekers arrived to follow the White Pass and Chilkoot trails to the Yukon goldfields. Stairs [View Full Entry]

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Denali National Park & Preserve is located in Interior Alaska and contains Mt. McKinley (Denali), the tallest mountain in North America. The park and preserve together cover 9,492 miles. The word "Denali" means "the great one" in the native Athabaskan language and refers to the mountain itself. The mountain was named after president William McKinley of Ohio in 1897 by local prospector William Dickey, although McKinley had no connection with the region. The park was established as Mt. McKinley National Park on Feb.26, 1917. However, only a portion of Mt. McKinley was within the ori [View Full Entry]

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Talkeetna, Alaska is a unique blend of old-time Alaska small town and modern tourist destination. It is an aviation and supply base for Mt. McKinley (Denali) climbing expeditions. Talkeetna has restaurants, lodging, shops, and excellent museums. You can go flightseeing (which is what we chose to do), take a river raft cruise or a jet boat tour up the river. The National Park Service maintains a ranger station here which is open all year. Their dedication to training and rescue operations on the mountain are to be commended to say the least. These are all volunteers who save many liv [View Full Entry]

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The commercial fishermen were ordered to remove their commercial nets from the river so that more fish could get back to their spawning grounds to keep the counts up for the coming years. Alaskans here count on catching a lot of fish to subsidize them during the winter months. They can it, smoke it, and freeze it in many forms to use for food during the long hard winters. Today was a great day fishing with our friends from home who have a cabin here in Soldotna. Ben and Tam Day have welcomed us into their home here and made us [View Full Entry]

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Last night we went to see Alaska's State Balladeer, Hobo Jim! He puts on a good show at the Kenai Landing Restaurant called "Sockeye's". The Govenor appointed him the official Alaska State Balladeer for the songs he has written and music he has made famous over the years. He sings only songs about Alaska. Located at the mouth of the Kenai River on the 65 acre site of a 1912 cannery, Kenai Landing is a new waterfront resort community with hotels, restaurants and shops. They have done a nice job on this area. This area is steeped in 90 years of [View Full Entry]

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The Seward Highway is spectacular with views of the mountains, the Kenai Fjords, glaciers and wildlife. Most of the trip takes you through the Chugach National Forest where waterfalls, rivers, and lakes surrounded by beautiful mountains is the perfect place for viewing moose, bears, eagles and other wildlife. You can take a river float trip on the Resurrection River, or a ranger narrated cruise in the Kenai Fjords National Park. Seward is a coastal town and was founded in 1903 and named after William Seward, who bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867. During the Alaska gold rush, Sew [View Full Entry]

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