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Published: September 12th 2012
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My Uniform
We had so much rain that this became my uniform! SUMMER 2011 & 2012
A number of friends have asked why I haven't posted any blogs lately. I have basically been going over the same area of the country that I had already submitted a blog about. Other than our trip to Alaska – which was a big disappointment, my blogs would be repeats. However, I have recently re-visited San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula.
Here is a short synopsis of our trip to Alaska. Five of our RVing group met in Medicine Hat in early June. I went into travel guide mode and showed them around Medicine Hat and Jayne and Kevin hosted a hamburger BBQ for them, which was very nice and enjoyed by us all. The Medicine Hat Stampede even put on some chuck wagon races that weekend. Chuck wagon races are almost unique to Canada so it was special for the group to see.
The weather was nice in Medicine Hat, but from this point on unless I say the sun was shining you can assume that it was either raining, was going to rain, or had been raining. (I have not seen that much rain in the last 40 years!)
We left
Watson Lake Sign Forest
We stopped in Watson Lake, Yukon. There is a signpost forest there where folks from all over the world take sign posts from their homes. Here is a "Solos" sign, which we posted. Medicine Hat on June 9
th, 2011. Our first stop was at the Stony Nakoda Casino just outside Banff National Park where we waited for another friend who was coming from another direction but was delayed. Our wait gave us the opportunity to visit the town of Banff and Lake Louise. We left the casino in beautiful sunshine and I thought “this is going to be great” and it was a wonderful drive up the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. That’s where it started to rain! Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway is actually in Dawson Creek, British Columbia. We stopped there for several days. The campground was nice and it had a BAR so we could enjoy our Happy Hour warm and dry.
Dawson City, Yukon Territory is very interesting. There was a huge influx of guys (and gals) wanting to make their fortune in the 1880’s, however once the gold rush was over most of the fortune hunters moved on and Dawson simply marked time. The streets are still dirt and the buildings have been either preserved or renovated to the original state which makes it a real tourist attraction these days.
We arrived in Alaska
City of Flowers
Anchorage is known for the beautiful flowerbeds that adorn the city. Of course the 24 hours of daylight helps all the plants and trees thrive - for a couple of months anyway. via the Top of the World Highway on July 1
st I flew out of Alaska on July 4
th to stay with Bev and Casey in Austin to await the birth of their baby. I had a very enjoyable stay and am happy to say that Beverley and Casey coped very well with their new addition; a little boy they called Cooper Phillip, he weighed in at 6lbs. 13 oz. and was and still is a very good, easy baby.
I flew back to Alaska on July 26
th, my friends and I stayed on a few days in Anchorage and then went to Denali National Park. Onwards to the Kenai Peninsula for a little more than a week where we stayed on the beach on the Homer Spit, went on cruise from Valdez to see the Columbia Glacier (it was sooooo cold on the boat that some of my pictures came out in monochrome!)
We spent a week in Haines, Alaska where we saw grizzly bears catching salmon. Throughout the trip Betty and I determined to adventure out even if we were to get soaked, and we took another boat trip to Skagway in a complete downpour! The first
More Flowers
The flowerbeds really are spectacular. ferry we had booked left Haines and our first port of call was Juneau, Alaska’s state capital. A friend’s daughter works for the State and showed us around. Juneau is typical of a little European city. The downtown streets are narrow, full of shops and totally accessible on foot. It has of course spread out now but is still very friendly and clean. We stayed in an RV park at the foot of the Mendenhall Glacier.
Next port of call was the island of Sitka which has a very Russian influence; the Russian Orthodox Cathedral was absolutely beautiful, very ornate and decorated with lots of gold. I didn’t know that orthodox churches don’t have pews, the congregation stands throughout the services.
Ketchikan was next; it is a big port of call for most of the huge cruise ships, I think there were six parked there during our stay. Hugh spruce trees that are grown in Ketchikan were (still are) used for totem poles. The museum has a lovely walking path with about 30 different totem poles. All the different carvings have some meaning to the tribe to whom the carver belongs.
Boarding and disembarking the ferries was
Turn Again Arm
On our way from Denali to the Kenai Peninsula we stopped at the Turn Again Arm which is south of Anchorage for lunch and were actually able to shed our rain suits! Betty, Gary and I travelled together while the other guys went fishing for halibut and salmon. We enjoyed some of their efforts!! an adventure in itself. The longest trip was 22 hours, Betty and I spent the night in sleeping bags on lounge chairs under the solarium on the top deck – great experience! We all had animals so it was a concern having to leave them in our rigs, but we were able to go to walk them every six hours. I think the four dogs and cat that accompanied us were glad when these ferry trips were over.
We got back to Prince Rupert, British Columbia on September 4
th, and I can honestly say that, for me, the highlights of our trip were Columbia Icefields Parkway in Alberta, and the Thompson and Frasier Canyons in Southern British Columbia. Those that know me are aware that I do so hate rain and I may have had a different viewpoint if the weather had been anything like decent.
I met up with a friend in Reno, Nevada and then it was onto Pahrump and Death Valley. The entire winter was spent in Southern Arizona. In spring, 2012 I set out north again, Torrie was graduating from Medicine Hat High on June 28
th and I was determined to make that. I
Tlinget Dancer
We attended several Native American events. In this one the performers were all youngsters. It was quite amazing to watch them participate with so much pride. parked my rig at a friend’s summer place in Northern Idaho and just took my car up to MH. Had two very enjoyable weeks with the family then returned to Idaho and onto Oregon.
I had made reservations in a park ten miles south of San Francisco so that I could do all the touristy things I had missed on my last trip there. I rode the cable car and street car twice, bought sour dough bread at Boudin’s famous bakery and explored Fisherman’s Warf.
I met up with some of my Solo friends in Monterey and spent three very enjoyable days with them. I was enjoying myself so much that I stayed on in Monterey for a couple of extra days.
I fly from Las Vegas to Austin on September 22
nd to welcome Bev and Casey’s new baby. I am looking forward to playing Nanny to Cooper for three weeks. He is such a happy little guy.
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