Blogs from Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, North America - page 11

We're Almost Off! Home Base, Alaska - So we leave in 12 days to Saigon and the rest of Southeast Asia and we've got everything we think we need at this point. The backpacks came in last week, as did my uber-dorky secure fanny pack (to carry both of our passports, cards, handguns, etc.) The fact that we're embarking on this rather extended vacation to the far east is becoming more real everyday. Char and I have both been taking turns worrying and stressing out about every possible element to the trip, thanks in no small part to her penchant for "listifying" every said element to the trip. That said, due to her obsessive diligence, I take great comfort in knowing that by packing our own corner grocery, we'd be spared the inconvenience of stocking up ... read more

We did not have high expectations before our visit. Heavy smoke from area wildfires caused poor visibility and our eyes, noses, and throats felt it. Later that day, the road was closed. We considered cutting our visit short and getting the heck out of there. However, we stuck it out for a few days and were glad we did. Rain came a day later and helped the firefighters. The air cleared somewhat and we were able to do a little sightseeing. Our first stop was the Museum of the North, which came highly recommended and did not disappoint. We spent an afternoon enjoying the exhibits and watching two well-done movies—one about extreme winter in the north and one about the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Unfortunately, the Lights are best in mid-winter, so we didn’t get ... read more

Somehow I forgot to publish this one, sorry folks... Yesterday I rode along with Duane in his big rig. He had a day trip down to Tok to deliver some fuel. Let me tell you, I had such a great time going! It actually worked out better to do a day trip instead of an overnight trip to Prudhoe Bay. The bed in the truck only sleeps one, so I would have brought my tent and slept outside. So this worked out even better. We had a lot of time to chat just man to man. Duane has lots of good stories, and is a fun guy to hang out with. ... read more

Real quick update... I sold the bike today for $1000. It was a little less than I had hoped for, but I'll take whatever I can get. Now I'm working on a plane ticket home. It looks like I may stay here for a week before I fly home. That will give me time to ride with Duane and get stuff ready to go home. I'm glad things are finally happening.... read more

Thanks for being patient. Enjoy!... read more