Blogs from Alaskan Highway, Alaska, United States, North America - page 3

Day 2 - Travel to Coldfoot and Wiseman Today the big day to start the tour and go to Coldfoot. We were suppose to report for flight @1:00, so lot of time to get up lazily, pack and leave. Again the hotel shuttle dropped us to the tour terminal. The flight was delayed by an hour. There was nothing much to do but sit around and wait at the small office. So we took short walks, just hanging out, taking photos, getting to know rest of the group. There were 4 New Yorkers in our group, and another couple from somewhere, we did not hear much from them. Finally our tiny plane arrived at around 3:00 and we started. The flight was kind of scary in that tiny plane. And it was very very ... read more

After sitting around the Croan’s house for most of the day feeling useless as they cleaned and packed their things for the new renters, I finally left on the ferry at 4:30. Unbeknownst to me, the Matanuska ferry was last of the season. The Alaska Marine Highway system usually bumps up their schedule for the summer due to the increase of travelers—mainly motor homes and campers. In the winter there are not too many visitors to Alaska, so the ferry rates are also cheaper, but the ferries also go less often. From Juneau to Haines I paid around thirty-five dollars for a four hour trip. My backpack was half-full of books and weighed close to sixty pounds. I staggered to the ticket counter and onto the Matanuska ferry like a mule about to die. Next plan, ... read more

In Search of the Midnight Sun - Chapter 1 July 22, 2008 Departure day dawned bright and sunny. The truck camper’s packed (or overpacked) and our great neighbors are willingly looking after our house and yard again. Thanks! We arrived in Strathmore, AB in time to take Larry’s Aunt Jean out for supper. We camped at the Strathmore Rodeo Campground. It was nearly full of construction and oil workers. Diesel in Strathmore was $1.40.9. July 23, 2008 Our drive from Strathmore to Jasper was only about 300km but it took us all day. We didn’t stop in Banff or Lake Louise, having been there several times before. The Columbia Icefields Parkway drive north to Jasper is one of the top 10 drives in Canada. We have only driven the Parkway once before and that was 36 ... read more

We drove in a full 15 passenger van with 8 people and a lot of stuff! We drove from Skagway to Indian....which is south of Anchorage.....821 miles. It was beautiful and I was giddy...because I was going home....... read more

South to California We started off on September 8th departing Chugiak Alaska around 11am. A cool cloudy day that promised rain, but only dropped enough moisture to rearrange the dust on the windshield. Heading northeast along the Park highway to the new freeway exchange and turned towards Palmer, had we opted to turn the other way we would have headed to Wasilla and beyond to Denali. Arriving at Palmer we then got on the Glenn Highway and continued on towards Richardson. Along the way we passed the braided Matinuska River and up ahead the glacier its self. I had the opportunity to walk on that very glacier a few years back, a strange feeling to walk on something that has in a since been dying each day. With the global warming this and most of the ... read more