tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23450977195045829742024-03-13T18:27:41.855-08:00See Where the Road LeadsSee Where the Road Leads is the chronicle Sarah and Tim’s full-time RV adventure. We are traveling with our cat in a Free Spirit, a Class B motorhome from Leisure Travel Vans. As we explore the United States and Canada, we will follow back roads and scenic byways to visit national parks, museums, charming small towns and other places that strike our fancy.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.comBlogger107125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-24294479335218068722023-11-17T13:31:00.002-09:002023-11-17T13:31:53.583-09:00Will I Ever Update this Blog?<p><span style="font-size: medium;">It's been eight years since I left this blog hanging. "Stay tuned," I said. I can't imagine anyone staying tuned for eight years!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm not making any promises, but I may actually spend part of this coming winter adding at least a few general updates. That might make a good project!</span></p>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-22942273829529658222015-09-08T08:16:00.000-08:002015-09-08T08:16:43.582-08:00Stay Tuned . . .<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After an
intense, but rewarding, two-week work session at Denali National Park, Tim and
I packed up and headed towards Fairbanks to restock for our trip south. Yes, we have begun our journey back to the
Lower 48 and will cross into Canada today on the Alaska Highway.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I still have
several posts to finish about our time in Denali, including my two trips into the
park. Reviewing all those photographs
and selecting a few favorites takes time!
I’m not sure when I’ll get those posted since we will have to rely on WiFi
in Canada. I won’t leave you in total
suspense, however, and will give you a spoiler alert. I did see the mountain on a gorgeous blue-sky
day!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’ll try
to post when I can during our two-week trip to Fort Union Trading Post National
Historic Site in North Dakota. We likely
won’t cross back into the United States until the day before we arrive in Fort
Union<o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">,
currently scheduled for September 21. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Stay
tuned.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-89945924002963335642015-08-28T19:59:00.000-08:002015-08-28T19:59:46.459-08:00Winter Weather Advisory! Seriously?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When
traveling to Alaska, one never knows what might be in store as far as the
weather is concerned. For the most part,
we have had three months of the most amazing weather anyone could hope
for. I guess it’s our turn for some
nasty stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever
since we arrived in Denali almost two weeks ago, it has rained virtually
nonstop. Yes, there were a few nice days
last week (when we were sick!), but all I can remember is rain, and more
rain. I hate to complain, but even the locals
are sick of this weather. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There has
been so much rain that the park road has been closed on and off due to mud
slides. Yesterday, the road was closed at
mile 53 because of snow! Yes, snow in
August! I’m just not believing it. The temperatures have really plummeted as
well, and it will likely dip below freezing during the next few nights. Highs are only in the low 40s where we are. Brrr!
Now, to top everything off, the park is under a winter weather advisory
until noon tomorrow! Seriously?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JuXs_dERs5ylj3owdS59B5VgajW0tNBivmlD43qua2gOrpciwmjyHynpuoNlJH5j0wN5_9li7FGidcKYZhyphenhyphenidQ0jFPbsR7y8kGk2Z7-w996-c3SlFMsr3EBdyuhqIgaoCcP3uzmlkkQ0/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+8282015+33423+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1JuXs_dERs5ylj3owdS59B5VgajW0tNBivmlD43qua2gOrpciwmjyHynpuoNlJH5j0wN5_9li7FGidcKYZhyphenhyphenidQ0jFPbsR7y8kGk2Z7-w996-c3SlFMsr3EBdyuhqIgaoCcP3uzmlkkQ0/s400/Fullscreen+capture+8282015+33423+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby, It's Cold Up Here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL_6B3fdH_AfjQMhTHrzuqgDmTey9scqrZEAgGPPbzDtL6dsYI9gBAQ_DcMivE8KaW12gDvZy8NA6CzHZ0zLg5j6QRY-Gy_dPBXQBSOed9eTvnW9BDffLPjmzS3F_9TDK-nAm94XbBDHu/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+8282015+32227+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEL_6B3fdH_AfjQMhTHrzuqgDmTey9scqrZEAgGPPbzDtL6dsYI9gBAQ_DcMivE8KaW12gDvZy8NA6CzHZ0zLg5j6QRY-Gy_dPBXQBSOed9eTvnW9BDffLPjmzS3F_9TDK-nAm94XbBDHu/s400/Fullscreen+capture+8282015+32227+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You've Got to Be Kidding!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
most full-time RVers would take this as a sign to get those wheels moving and
head to someplace warmer, Tim and I are committed to working at Denali National
Park through next Friday. Tim is
conducting </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">an </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">on-site archival survey and accessioning project, and the work is
going well.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This project is not as
glamorous as cataloging a historic photograph collection, but it’s an essential
part of museum management.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The contract
with Denali has been a bit different than previous ones with other parks. Typically, Tim and I work together, with each
of us undertaking different components of the same project. Here, Tim has been focused on his project,
while I have been doing whatever needs to be done to help the park’s museum
curator. I do get to work with Tim on
occasion, but mostly I’ve been doing other tasks. The staff has been great to work with, and I’ve
been learning lots of new things, which I always enjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYJEuhbrL32HPydPCpfPSZ7rRpMYIBtPSb-el0fJS2bvOVEJcUb0fcwvVPriaIe9_YVGj-IpmKgQcR80BnflKJMpAaAJcvRShUgKFJkisAj3Io05RJEoeA6F8CXh8QMafctlqN7X1GXzu/s1600/DSCN5333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTYJEuhbrL32HPydPCpfPSZ7rRpMYIBtPSb-el0fJS2bvOVEJcUb0fcwvVPriaIe9_YVGj-IpmKgQcR80BnflKJMpAaAJcvRShUgKFJkisAj3Io05RJEoeA6F8CXh8QMafctlqN7X1GXzu/s400/DSCN5333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard at Work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Both Tim
and I have had to spend a lot of time walking from building to building in the
park headquarters area, where the roadways are under construction. I have to confess that my most enduring
memory of working at Denali National Park will undoubtedly be this endless
construction, constant rain and slippery mud.
Employees at the park have had to deal with construction for the last
three years, and I really do feel for them.
They are ready for it to be over.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_To69U4jhUaxsJNfJjcYQkivmu9r4utKGjMFmvLYRODH3rklh8Zq6LYUxOC3j-N99hY5WgZB4lDZ_MoKGV8Und8hTE40cuwCVGq3SGp74GJCpgZtc6IF67zgA5h0OusAeRf9puNIOucUo/s1600/DSCN5334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_To69U4jhUaxsJNfJjcYQkivmu9r4utKGjMFmvLYRODH3rklh8Zq6LYUxOC3j-N99hY5WgZB4lDZ_MoKGV8Und8hTE40cuwCVGq3SGp74GJCpgZtc6IF67zgA5h0OusAeRf9puNIOucUo/s400/DSCN5334.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking Through the Rain and Mud</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGv_SrzujwBpWO_HOOvq3TEsXlvhAD4UslWNGX_MmoVe-ElT2zHWOA80rxwYtc9NbU56rGa-U7wZ5jDDN6uGH1Nr1jTH6jCNVXF8nkcoual9kbnK0kM6Wm1REN0C6HZAd6YP4vcEJ4RAU/s1600/DSCN5344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGv_SrzujwBpWO_HOOvq3TEsXlvhAD4UslWNGX_MmoVe-ElT2zHWOA80rxwYtc9NbU56rGa-U7wZ5jDDN6uGH1Nr1jTH6jCNVXF8nkcoual9kbnK0kM6Wm1REN0C6HZAd6YP4vcEJ4RAU/s400/DSCN5344.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dodging Construction Equipment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of
the perks of volunteering at least 32 hours per week at Denali National Park is
that our campground fees are covered by the park.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That is especially nice when the rates top
$40 per night for full hookups.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Volunteers are also encouraged to get out into the park, and we are
given a voucher for a trip on one of the park shuttle buses.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
friend Kathleen has gone out of her way to make our </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">lives</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> very easy while we are
here. Not only did she let us stay with
her last weekend, but she also picked up groceries for us while she was in
Fairbanks last Monday. The tiny markets
here only carry a few items, so that was a huge help. Kathleen also gives us a ride to and from
work every day, which is especially nice since we are traveling </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">without</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> a car
in Alaska. We can leave Kitty behind at
the campground and not have to try and find a place to park the RV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRf3PBXL6V9pxzDNkxtwKJll9CqN-z4XK-7AFlimWMEj_w5g6PMi-QBhJ614L2baYS5EOelR5QxoJHCGYosSxVEVgxbS11k1MAhhMRdGq9HikuwEcCeBCnQmM4g_f_iArxb_gfup7mBgr/s1600/DSCN5359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRf3PBXL6V9pxzDNkxtwKJll9CqN-z4XK-7AFlimWMEj_w5g6PMi-QBhJ614L2baYS5EOelR5QxoJHCGYosSxVEVgxbS11k1MAhhMRdGq9HikuwEcCeBCnQmM4g_f_iArxb_gfup7mBgr/s400/DSCN5359.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the Trees Change Colors Day by Day on Our Way Home From Work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
actually took the day off today (volunteers are only required to work 32 hours
per week), since our propane gauge registered empty. Although I had thought about using my bus voucher
to venture farther into the park today, my priority was driving to the nearby
town of Healy to fill up with propane so we would have heat tonight. I also wanted to see if I could find a somewhat
larger space heater than our tiny one.
Have I mentioned that it’s been really cold? </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
trip was a success.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before I
left, however, I decided to drive the RV to mile 15 in the park, which is as
far as private vehicles are permitted.
At least I would get to see a little bit of the park today. Much of the landscape was enshrouded in
clouds, and visibility was limited, but the drive was still beautiful. It even snowed for a while, but the sun tried
to peek through the clouds from time to time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsWYwFnMShNCIIyhht3IQxcNzboVzMgdc8RYeB-UEDuJfQWXEOCfQpZ_zba6KwstfPf49WbsaWuKAkflcYc49T8hlPQ_AXtT5Z2bWDzbhZYw3wThyphenhyphenDBRx4g47W3Al9qaYUBN3QfXpo22f/s1600/DSCN5381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsWYwFnMShNCIIyhht3IQxcNzboVzMgdc8RYeB-UEDuJfQWXEOCfQpZ_zba6KwstfPf49WbsaWuKAkflcYc49T8hlPQ_AXtT5Z2bWDzbhZYw3wThyphenhyphenDBRx4g47W3Al9qaYUBN3QfXpo22f/s400/DSCN5381.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving the Park Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYVbiFaEiX35v3hb54rnAO1SHyY2W4GuXN2IVqxXraekYczT1p8qv_qAmCQN7bv_fgCGKEpMbIsfNWGDnaMJ0oESjpKsD-W4Ptm9KGmvomV26dLLY6woVnCid8gj-RvnTGS9Mz4kMLrcj/s1600/DSCN5475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYVbiFaEiX35v3hb54rnAO1SHyY2W4GuXN2IVqxXraekYczT1p8qv_qAmCQN7bv_fgCGKEpMbIsfNWGDnaMJ0oESjpKsD-W4Ptm9KGmvomV26dLLY6woVnCid8gj-RvnTGS9Mz4kMLrcj/s400/DSCN5475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Hoping for the Sun to Peek Out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fresh
snow blanketed the nearby mountains, and fall colors reminded me that winter is
not far away in this part of the world.
The snow added a new element to the park experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiMLe1Jd2bUAd9hYLlSVx2GqrmOJ7FK61c8vSotktm6u06MRsdsXqHTEFCEMAf7lxCiUM31qDuGuDZ7A5_Z7R0kOK4HCBWweZSqipI06VkW9Xc7JHfsGER18TZvzOFlO56E-Eqmj0nIaD/s1600/DSCN5429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiMLe1Jd2bUAd9hYLlSVx2GqrmOJ7FK61c8vSotktm6u06MRsdsXqHTEFCEMAf7lxCiUM31qDuGuDZ7A5_Z7R0kOK4HCBWweZSqipI06VkW9Xc7JHfsGER18TZvzOFlO56E-Eqmj0nIaD/s400/DSCN5429.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loving the Fall Colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCabdUS7YIhZmAiQksGeF4hdbtR2JekvfGuWnCuiOw7u6yTQh7URhjgyV1C3zi702DhSm8QOhIDdj-xq9njyIrvqJc6IuNQJcQbByvML-kMiRR93h2Q0yJDwoWHH34MBRr73kmcB-kXtoN/s1600/DSCN5421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCabdUS7YIhZmAiQksGeF4hdbtR2JekvfGuWnCuiOw7u6yTQh7URhjgyV1C3zi702DhSm8QOhIDdj-xq9njyIrvqJc6IuNQJcQbByvML-kMiRR93h2Q0yJDwoWHH34MBRr73kmcB-kXtoN/s400/DSCN5421.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking Along the Savage River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsFKlc5ZOiavnSOm0UHrVSmLNU_xzHnIKgSfTwswIlw08wKQ0jaM0Tq8V7tiwCfcnjzX-qwy7cA3RpaO9o3pfChMV68d5CL7C63YkknieY98xMe8uTox2OdX8Tp2MPpSdmRi0SHU3gh6H/s1600/DSCN5395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsFKlc5ZOiavnSOm0UHrVSmLNU_xzHnIKgSfTwswIlw08wKQ0jaM0Tq8V7tiwCfcnjzX-qwy7cA3RpaO9o3pfChMV68d5CL7C63YkknieY98xMe8uTox2OdX8Tp2MPpSdmRi0SHU3gh6H/s400/DSCN5395.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Down at the River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnyHSMnU1g-muQVxgHubenOlKmRJ-WzZRlenzSkXzUmq1oBcG2rSCpPfI8r1exrj_0bJZo6QhIlJPS4CmYLahcsZuQ4dz4jj9Bnp2EyMs7TEbgTE24YgiwGebcuzq06SGyLMUWO40hG57/s1600/DSCN5417.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnyHSMnU1g-muQVxgHubenOlKmRJ-WzZRlenzSkXzUmq1oBcG2rSCpPfI8r1exrj_0bJZo6QhIlJPS4CmYLahcsZuQ4dz4jj9Bnp2EyMs7TEbgTE24YgiwGebcuzq06SGyLMUWO40hG57/s400/DSCN5417.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deciding that It's Just Too Cold for a Hike</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRw7A-G0ynC6Ew6VOEu4FCwhlDH80mi8QsgtWzkNG_TF-qlKPDNlXn4eauSNzw4Fbi64gqWr9y-IQG7EAafmOo3qFsiDc-Xa_LotlmuUDc15cC9aHEMJ5PRbeTzJM_rkblf1-M2h_t9TL/s1600/DSCN5463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRw7A-G0ynC6Ew6VOEu4FCwhlDH80mi8QsgtWzkNG_TF-qlKPDNlXn4eauSNzw4Fbi64gqWr9y-IQG7EAafmOo3qFsiDc-Xa_LotlmuUDc15cC9aHEMJ5PRbeTzJM_rkblf1-M2h_t9TL/s400/DSCN5463.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noticing the Little Things - Snow on Mushrooms</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtKc_osRHj9RIwdG-sGnIU16ergo-IGp_dJ7A9tdZ0H44QH5mIro92CHE_CTcxFNTFmrnZzJ-unjlX4jF1f3m311uAQALQ8uR8gPdmcoVgWxZUlSsAUBcE7pmJuqLZc3ex8ZH8BXTI_v0/s1600/DSCN5474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPtKc_osRHj9RIwdG-sGnIU16ergo-IGp_dJ7A9tdZ0H44QH5mIro92CHE_CTcxFNTFmrnZzJ-unjlX4jF1f3m311uAQALQ8uR8gPdmcoVgWxZUlSsAUBcE7pmJuqLZc3ex8ZH8BXTI_v0/s400/DSCN5474.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the Breathtaking Views</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFXRUHv3vYhpblBf45oU6wG6e3JokrmKhJX68nTXHHUBGm-TX3qcDcjhT7DLTI1Qj4l74Fb4iZIPFXFN2jVqLPuHndwQk_NR9R0exjm99oGWhVnS6V0w9WqXD6h8f_eqqVTsDndeanxvH/s1600/DSCN5385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifFXRUHv3vYhpblBf45oU6wG6e3JokrmKhJX68nTXHHUBGm-TX3qcDcjhT7DLTI1Qj4l74Fb4iZIPFXFN2jVqLPuHndwQk_NR9R0exjm99oGWhVnS6V0w9WqXD6h8f_eqqVTsDndeanxvH/s400/DSCN5385.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoping to See Wildlife</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHzQxL8085J1wbkemhjPhSvzg6wuRnAkjj5Ksz9FUJY9oQnpiQnr-wt6-PLWSV_zHE_M75CXJoiC4CbroHR5rX00Fyh9g1iFQRiTgyjn7wUC4r7vnNxGYeGte9UJIYNt4e06bzrtSKmsL/s1600/DSCN5522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHzQxL8085J1wbkemhjPhSvzg6wuRnAkjj5Ksz9FUJY9oQnpiQnr-wt6-PLWSV_zHE_M75CXJoiC4CbroHR5rX00Fyh9g1iFQRiTgyjn7wUC4r7vnNxGYeGte9UJIYNt4e06bzrtSKmsL/s400/DSCN5522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admiring the Snow-Covered Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Moose
rutting </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">season </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">has already begun, and photographers were lined up along the side of
the road to capture the action. I
stopped and watched for a short while, and I was even able to see a bull moose
in the distance – the first one for me this summer.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvQaFG3ND1hCBqkXLdDBXAr2hs2G-l_lXObILx-CSqTuGcZpTW2dEZmHHuBAGJDtMuuNXYHrGVIfME4VFYEHX6Ewnll2bEkhv5J1dzIyjrI1MexqJqZlXbmyfqB5hb6lNynMSjxA59Pyj/s1600/DSCN5479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvQaFG3ND1hCBqkXLdDBXAr2hs2G-l_lXObILx-CSqTuGcZpTW2dEZmHHuBAGJDtMuuNXYHrGVIfME4VFYEHX6Ewnll2bEkhv5J1dzIyjrI1MexqJqZlXbmyfqB5hb6lNynMSjxA59Pyj/s320/DSCN5479.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That Seems Quite Tasty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_u0R2-tsWhfD0wXNjAC5zq8R4ktSS_IjEtrxj80M2_HYgwU6eElut1D4nizAcCXI6kJSOipMc4gmBT4UnpqBOvgQ_wC9oSRxwxNTXQ4rh8QImxFiEKg1Ot-MVluf5L-eBdDfpYuRflhz2/s1600/DSCN5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_u0R2-tsWhfD0wXNjAC5zq8R4ktSS_IjEtrxj80M2_HYgwU6eElut1D4nizAcCXI6kJSOipMc4gmBT4UnpqBOvgQ_wC9oSRxwxNTXQ4rh8QImxFiEKg1Ot-MVluf5L-eBdDfpYuRflhz2/s320/DSCN5511.JPG" width="230" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Can See You</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-26879438479996542252015-08-23T20:10:00.000-08:002015-08-25T21:41:51.323-08:00Hoping to See Denali<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The drive
to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Denali National Park</span></a> was rainy, with low-lying clouds, so the views just
weren’t there. We glanced over at the numerous
Denali overlooks, but to no avail. The
Parks Highway Scenic </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Byway </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">just wasn’t too scenic that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
of the extended forecast for rain, we decided to stay at </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">an</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> RV park in
order to charge our batteries before checking into <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/campground-riley.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Riley Creek Campground</span></a> within
Denali National Park. <a href="http://denalirv.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Denali Rainbow Village RV Park</span></a> isn’t much more than a crowded, gravel parking lot with
interior dirt roads filled with potholes.
It’s certainly not our kind of park, but it’s the closest commercial
park to the entrance to Denali.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We barely
ventured out of the RV for two days since we were both battling colds. Tim likely picked up his on the flights from
Oklahoma, and he was kind enough to share with me. It’s rather surprising that this is the first
time either one of us has been sick since beginning our full-timing adventure
(we won’t count Tim’s surgery last summer as being sick). Colds are more annoying than debilitating,
but we still didn’t feel up to doing anything.
The rainy weather only added to our lack of desire to extend ourselves
or to expose others to our germs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When it
was time to move to Riley Creek Campground on Wednesday, I was feeling no
better. I stayed in the RV while Tim met
with Denali’s museum curator to finalize the details of his <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/08/our-plans-are-definitely-written-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">two-week contract</span></a>. Tim returned to the RV full of enthusiasm about
the project, which will begin on Monday, August 24. We then checked into Riley Creek Campground
and got set up. Riley Creek is the
largest campground in Denali National Park and is located near the park
entrance. Like all campgrounds in the
park, there are no hookups, but the campsites are nicely situated in a wooded
area with a lot of privacy between sites.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the
weather forecast for Thursday was fairly good, Tim and I talked about taking a
shuttle bus into the park, which is the only way to travel the park road since
private vehicles are mostly prohibited past mile 15. Shuttle buses are glorified school buses, filled
with fellow tourists seeking to take in views of magnificent wildlife,
breathtaking landscapes and, hopefully, Denali itself. In the end, however, I accepted the fact that
I was still sick. The idea of spending
eight hours on a bus was not at all appealing.
So, I sent Tim on without me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">At 1:00
pm on Thursday, Tim hopped aboard a green shuttle bus headed to the Eielson Visitor
Center, approximately 66 miles inside the park.
The bus was scheduled to return to the park entrance by 9:00 pm. Tim thought this would be an interesting
schedule, and he was hoping to get on a less-crowded bus and take advantage of
afternoon and evening light for photographs.
Well, the bus was crowded, but the visible light was great for
photography, as you can see in his images.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPPY0B1WX2MrqvNLp7oigU5Ttt9PCuZrFn6i0mCYYAIPldeCkraCLDtLU16EAVrcjf4zJkOrh1UZZqr240ada1r8cm9wntLqzEF2pJHO2t7_bWwwMXYTijqY-nglnfrNzGESf5xbQZLou/s1600/DSCN5089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPPY0B1WX2MrqvNLp7oigU5Ttt9PCuZrFn6i0mCYYAIPldeCkraCLDtLU16EAVrcjf4zJkOrh1UZZqr240ada1r8cm9wntLqzEF2pJHO2t7_bWwwMXYTijqY-nglnfrNzGESf5xbQZLou/s400/DSCN5089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shuttle Buses Transport Visitors through Denali National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AnDOi8Px0pGfPA3gjpnRwjry58mNyiPw9IDk7VWgkPwIVcpJKL9ucszkNM7_8Y1UxrepVD6Ioqqnhx68TeMIUCTN-lvK__7Z0LCZbEGPcrqJT_puM53DTPqHazmuyqtOfX9du6xamKhyphenhyphen/s1600/DSCN5053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AnDOi8Px0pGfPA3gjpnRwjry58mNyiPw9IDk7VWgkPwIVcpJKL9ucszkNM7_8Y1UxrepVD6Ioqqnhx68TeMIUCTN-lvK__7Z0LCZbEGPcrqJT_puM53DTPqHazmuyqtOfX9du6xamKhyphenhyphen/s400/DSCN5053.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Private Vehicles Are Prohibited Past Savage River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The road
through Denali National Park winds its way through a remarkable landscape, and
wildlife sightings are almost guaranteed.
It is said that visitors are much more likely to spot wildlife than
Denali itself. Denali is an Athabascan
name meaning “the high one.” The
mountain is often hidden behind clouds, but Tim was fortunate to see a partial
view. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Up high
on the alpine, the tundra is already turning to a carpet of gold, with highlights
of amber, red and yellow. The remaining
hues of green are holding on but becoming less and less each hour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKOC5AJxMVSS4KrRvyQoghrbHgjSbhr3TPFFOJTBdVCM_0j1PH7ma6qEcNX7m7htJIvlUEupEDQHewKV8qNIQOGQ8jfVilyEiXVTmqTltHd_iPu8f46HLF7J1-JMSt-EZwPyWW2PsETHt/s1600/DSCN5077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKOC5AJxMVSS4KrRvyQoghrbHgjSbhr3TPFFOJTBdVCM_0j1PH7ma6qEcNX7m7htJIvlUEupEDQHewKV8qNIQOGQ8jfVilyEiXVTmqTltHd_iPu8f46HLF7J1-JMSt-EZwPyWW2PsETHt/s400/DSCN5077.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Many Colors at Polychrome Pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p6u5x0YFqgnU_vampETlq3ccAwYPZij9kAVkQftdp6KsHBPgp5WJRbAKSLM2aCgWuzP1x8WfPWsrHNgLa2YWhZf2sbv53FlybMaFIZ_bRZZF_Bp-kAdr-MMWQWHRBKdCnpPOPtw9f1-L/s1600/DSCN5088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5p6u5x0YFqgnU_vampETlq3ccAwYPZij9kAVkQftdp6KsHBPgp5WJRbAKSLM2aCgWuzP1x8WfPWsrHNgLa2YWhZf2sbv53FlybMaFIZ_bRZZF_Bp-kAdr-MMWQWHRBKdCnpPOPtw9f1-L/s400/DSCN5088.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Park Road Winds Around the Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5CAwKA7ya1IpHy2p-XkcTy4Uzd-8r4ES01ZzyI6Eknh7M6_CfgTmNQ99uOLv1WIDfsRcsboaFHqCzy5fD206jZlGEH791aDBWeZkIfdfb1FJxzLbDGxVaBsOlh6BERSqMElZO8GXv7-r/s1600/DSCN5119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5CAwKA7ya1IpHy2p-XkcTy4Uzd-8r4ES01ZzyI6Eknh7M6_CfgTmNQ99uOLv1WIDfsRcsboaFHqCzy5fD206jZlGEH791aDBWeZkIfdfb1FJxzLbDGxVaBsOlh6BERSqMElZO8GXv7-r/s400/DSCN5119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mountain Made Itself Partly Visible</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Kz99XfmkQ3jZEvUhrlu7mHkX7dAlVmnr-dOiX95XtyVgKJNB1_8j69ZD09EY7aYr2WqZRWGIL4tfl4IZNL7jfJqATi7afMW8fk5zptSIdPNgFSwrypmT89Ln4uiEi2Jo2NlQSdIEwMq/s1600/DSCN5145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Kz99XfmkQ3jZEvUhrlu7mHkX7dAlVmnr-dOiX95XtyVgKJNB1_8j69ZD09EY7aYr2WqZRWGIL4tfl4IZNL7jfJqATi7afMW8fk5zptSIdPNgFSwrypmT89Ln4uiEi2Jo2NlQSdIEwMq/s400/DSCN5145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View from Eielson Visitor Center Is Lovely, Even if the Mountain Is Hiding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyrQ9cU5MPUPtilMNJyrmQBmYdSNA_D1cbE_UjZUBQsYOZAX9Gq3HxaYro9ym_9MsEULuOMdizgqeRBHZH_vHUmgTjyAXXHiSLD2Y1I05fhkoXOYPF1rz9sDQAwVv_JRqoRTZJY2m5u-2/s1600/DSCN5146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyrQ9cU5MPUPtilMNJyrmQBmYdSNA_D1cbE_UjZUBQsYOZAX9Gq3HxaYro9ym_9MsEULuOMdizgqeRBHZH_vHUmgTjyAXXHiSLD2Y1I05fhkoXOYPF1rz9sDQAwVv_JRqoRTZJY2m5u-2/s400/DSCN5146.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tundra Is Already Starting to Show Its Fall Colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcMZlJq_UwrC9YRxssjFHXA-ZLab1MRIWhC2kqgOD5B4ADCb0QSXB8bEiWBI4xplGo9WTlf8l68NcQM1SWYa_zySGQbbQqD2443H6yYsyTf2ULqCgXv88rafq9ZFCthOhqlXVVZMDyWDj/s1600/DSCN5166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcMZlJq_UwrC9YRxssjFHXA-ZLab1MRIWhC2kqgOD5B4ADCb0QSXB8bEiWBI4xplGo9WTlf8l68NcQM1SWYa_zySGQbbQqD2443H6yYsyTf2ULqCgXv88rafq9ZFCthOhqlXVVZMDyWDj/s400/DSCN5166.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colors of Denali National Park Are Amazing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUUmvp2_wpY10Hln0CkB1tF4IiosXfQt2vV2phDYYVJCFQuzt0tcaeAZ4yv0uuCmgrXcwjDto563Ag1HCfFVI1PVkuE8p2zlTJCMVZJYXAH8HZRyzXky_ZI8ET_v97uOWepcnaLrQLIsS/s1600/DSCN5173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUUmvp2_wpY10Hln0CkB1tF4IiosXfQt2vV2phDYYVJCFQuzt0tcaeAZ4yv0uuCmgrXcwjDto563Ag1HCfFVI1PVkuE8p2zlTJCMVZJYXAH8HZRyzXky_ZI8ET_v97uOWepcnaLrQLIsS/s400/DSCN5173.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braided Rivers Wind Their Way through the Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D43S4qIlTI75L-Za0_TnzT8Bpf9jHkB5_f2e_5-28PiHUfwrP5urbJ7VvEIgILq1H5qJxSyKrCrsHa4tJedDRXJbG9FAYvSt-rkMJ-hSfr6AKf43tdHQcgNKd83uwvENz4QJf3I7n8Nh/s1600/DSCN5177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8D43S4qIlTI75L-Za0_TnzT8Bpf9jHkB5_f2e_5-28PiHUfwrP5urbJ7VvEIgILq1H5qJxSyKrCrsHa4tJedDRXJbG9FAYvSt-rkMJ-hSfr6AKf43tdHQcgNKd83uwvENz4QJf3I7n8Nh/s400/DSCN5177.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Denali National Park Is Much More than the Mountain Itself</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKQxnGRVOD1wkMGSLhKKRmss-PKWvgWIbD5rxUZ42snn5qgZQ9M4qr782HMnQB_-fqHL4KwlN2uRUObeGVryqtAqHq8clpuPziEw_5w6DhKNJEYT3Zb0s12ZsK1GVgbpkAVnDy0bZ524B/s1600/DSCN5185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSKQxnGRVOD1wkMGSLhKKRmss-PKWvgWIbD5rxUZ42snn5qgZQ9M4qr782HMnQB_-fqHL4KwlN2uRUObeGVryqtAqHq8clpuPziEw_5w6DhKNJEYT3Zb0s12ZsK1GVgbpkAVnDy0bZ524B/s400/DSCN5185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colors Were More Vivid on the Return Trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Wildlife
views included moose and a dozen or so grizzly bears, all large males. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">They were all at a considerable distance from
the road, requiring binoculars to view.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A
much longer zoom lens than ours would have been required to capture images. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">One of my wildlife goals in Alaska has been to
see caribou, and Tim was able to see a couple of them for me.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtrdQEsjNGjo7q6l_ESJv6ePGWz6DxSO5fFAbv1YmePT1j4dTZ5UiN6sjncJm-Fq_3a0SPehyfbnYbTdos_5W_uUPPNG0RgUskQ_SChlVjPALhqCsJT4SxnQpAvLY8DtH-TOY_gDMd43G/s1600/DSCN5306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggtrdQEsjNGjo7q6l_ESJv6ePGWz6DxSO5fFAbv1YmePT1j4dTZ5UiN6sjncJm-Fq_3a0SPehyfbnYbTdos_5W_uUPPNG0RgUskQ_SChlVjPALhqCsJT4SxnQpAvLY8DtH-TOY_gDMd43G/s400/DSCN5306.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Caribou Were Grazing Not too Far from the Road</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately,
Tim’s most enduring memory of the bus ride was the screaming children and
parents who could not, or would not, control them. When wildlife is spotted from a bus,
passengers are required to be very quiet.
Although the bus driver repeated this message time and time again, it
seemed to do no good. It’s a shame that
parents inflict children like these on other passengers who have paid a lot of
money to experience a wilderness environment.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxEjRPkM4K-8nAo2QqMPNxbKSQ2z5dPDHwrpe7Lqf4IlcZsgx6fa11ndKQHeam2A62GSZsmzL_wYnkISfaZFBsPkktT2rx-XQs-3gB5PV3JZYHDats6VocCnibSU4jk7oq6lx30O-XRI5/s1600/DSCN5087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhxEjRPkM4K-8nAo2QqMPNxbKSQ2z5dPDHwrpe7Lqf4IlcZsgx6fa11ndKQHeam2A62GSZsmzL_wYnkISfaZFBsPkktT2rx-XQs-3gB5PV3JZYHDats6VocCnibSU4jk7oq6lx30O-XRI5/s400/DSCN5087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Still Think Tim Had a Good Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cY6f_AUVeT1va1MRXJl5Y8KSsOgAIdltLRqWsmIIbufSev-LTXR2T7GWjG9t5650TL10giWXfFTMeeQiMJLiL9Ykzl1CxsYBjArW1sNWQocAzquzpA5faZOu6GzrjmGBtPxEe2wcgmL5/s1600/DSCN5155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9cY6f_AUVeT1va1MRXJl5Y8KSsOgAIdltLRqWsmIIbufSev-LTXR2T7GWjG9t5650TL10giWXfFTMeeQiMJLiL9Ykzl1CxsYBjArW1sNWQocAzquzpA5faZOu6GzrjmGBtPxEe2wcgmL5/s400/DSCN5155.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and the Locked Antlers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was
feeling a little bit better by Friday when we checked out of Riley Creek
Campground, so we toured the exhibits at the visitor center and watched the
film. We then made our way ten miles
north to the small town of Healy to spend the weekend with our friend
Kathleen. Kathleen was Tim’s colleague
at Rocky Mountain National Park, but transferred to Denali National Park four
years ago, so we had a lot of catching up to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
have really enjoyed driveway camping at friends’ houses. We get to spend quality time with them, but
still sleep in our own bed. The rainy
and cold weather provided us with a good excuse to just hang out with Kathleen
at her home. She prepared a wonderful
dinner for us on Saturday and invited one of the women we will be working with
at Denali.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We
returned to Denali Rainbow Village RV Park on Sunday night, and this is where
we will remain for the duration of our time at Denali. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Although it would have been great to stay in
the park, we do need hookups.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
weather has turned cold, and rain remains in the forecast for at least the next
week.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kathleen remarked that she cannot
remember such a long stretch of rainy weather this time of year.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m still hoping I will be able to get out
into the park and enjoy wonderful vistas, wildlife sightings and views of the
mountain.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-25420262123248497542015-08-16T21:56:00.000-08:002015-08-16T21:59:08.817-08:00Time for Talkeetna<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
left Wasilla on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
The forecast for the next week or more is for more rain and cloudy
conditions, not what we want to hear as we make our way towards Denali National
Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our plan
for today was to go as far as Talkeetna, a quirky little town that reminded us
of McCarthy. Talkeetna is a popular
destination for vastly different groups of people. Every spring, the town is the starting point
for mountaineers who are planning to climb Mt. McKinley, which is known as
Denali in Alaska. The National Park Service
has a ranger station in Talkeetna, and all climbers must start their journeys
there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5-E8pWJZghtcfIrtwGsWMvI6I3ZcAN4vZausP299dxMjOiXUbAQkNowK2BMV9He0cGsn2oSvf39fTh69zdHcdC34gQJ6UKUUTNudSlz-9pVqvMQYZq514OEtV-znPTV4zegrqILED58d/s1600/DSCN5014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf5-E8pWJZghtcfIrtwGsWMvI6I3ZcAN4vZausP299dxMjOiXUbAQkNowK2BMV9He0cGsn2oSvf39fTh69zdHcdC34gQJ6UKUUTNudSlz-9pVqvMQYZq514OEtV-znPTV4zegrqILED58d/s400/DSCN5014.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Talkeetna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
stopped by the visitor center and watched the excellent film that follows the
climbers as they make their preparations for, and then climb, “The High One.” It’s daunting just to contemplate what is
involved and how determined someone must be to attempt a climb. Just over 1,000 climbers registered to climb
the mountain this summer, and 57 percent made it to the summit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Flight
services based in Talkeetna ferry climbers to the base camp at 7,200 feet. We had hoped to take a similar flight and
land on the glacier there, but the weather was just not cooperating. Although we had built several extra days into
our schedule to allow for inclement weather, the forecast for the next week
doesn’t look any better. Sadly, this is
one adventure that Tim and I will have to forego this summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I can’t
be too disappointed, however, because we have been so unbelievably fortunate in
virtually every other day trip we have taken since arriving in Alaska. For the most part, the weather has been very
good, and when it hasn’t been, we still had amazing experiences. Although a flight to Denali was something
that Tim and I were really looking forward to, we just can’t control the
weather.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LZh1ckMH9ygiZpZnNeJREjQvgmXXRYSPoeNLNIwRArmuHNK0OquGvrIlUveJ7WD4-3pVjssZCcyxHL3jZugjfykfwB2bahzqUjKMPvi7ilUHaS24PLvNi9MtyZyJH4cPKgtNSHyQsKcY/s1600/DSCN5016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9LZh1ckMH9ygiZpZnNeJREjQvgmXXRYSPoeNLNIwRArmuHNK0OquGvrIlUveJ7WD4-3pVjssZCcyxHL3jZugjfykfwB2bahzqUjKMPvi7ilUHaS24PLvNi9MtyZyJH4cPKgtNSHyQsKcY/s400/DSCN5016.JPG" width="197" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim Finally Caught Some Fish!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yCDYZbhL778zDTVm3yuOskQ1ZDA6B8jbeLtiQ0tG50iUtFI2rbGqa7gt4ghSkmKL-W-l1yYPRSWd2OJAvhAl6vGYYFBt3hRqpVc3mspLb3ZCcspNj_DV3cCjuPxNFVf-Vl-TcvHcAbKn/s1600/DSCN5018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5yCDYZbhL778zDTVm3yuOskQ1ZDA6B8jbeLtiQ0tG50iUtFI2rbGqa7gt4ghSkmKL-W-l1yYPRSWd2OJAvhAl6vGYYFBt3hRqpVc3mspLb3ZCcspNj_DV3cCjuPxNFVf-Vl-TcvHcAbKn/s400/DSCN5018.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's Mush!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
fun walking around Talkeetna and </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">taking</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> the obligatory cheesy, tourist
photographs. I mentioned earlier that
vastly different groups end up in Talkeetna.
One group is busloads of cruise ship passengers on the land portion of
their tours. I’ve read that the numbers
of people can overwhelm this small town, but the throng of tourists was
manageable by the time we arrived in the afternoon. After the Alaska Railroad pulled in and picked
up the tour groups around 5:00 pm, the town was even more pleasant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfk4aDMfCx4SxtMr1aXxjlvo1sUayx72BOfFfdUPZjkSRZr6T7NaapUEOaQX3fWk0VqnJge_GYbx-RbcqQb1kNrnPALCw-P1kgTWla3vjOjAH5Cm0-AJ0MVEaZKH_SGr4JmXFb8AsUMWw/s1600/DSCN5025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfk4aDMfCx4SxtMr1aXxjlvo1sUayx72BOfFfdUPZjkSRZr6T7NaapUEOaQX3fWk0VqnJge_GYbx-RbcqQb1kNrnPALCw-P1kgTWla3vjOjAH5Cm0-AJ0MVEaZKH_SGr4JmXFb8AsUMWw/s400/DSCN5025.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Historic Log Cabins on Main Street</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyyWiDnzw2Utk9LUtzRlSyATM8Er1auCUfS9MzulpsIP6_V45cCXtoxltTqiPaKaGI-dUuSXu05njziYHSjRqLLAZYUaCLls0dWUafyFhSKUYijhVV_-dgEocY2jwkkMi-GF2WIiyv9Yh/s1600/DSCN5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGyyWiDnzw2Utk9LUtzRlSyATM8Er1auCUfS9MzulpsIP6_V45cCXtoxltTqiPaKaGI-dUuSXu05njziYHSjRqLLAZYUaCLls0dWUafyFhSKUYijhVV_-dgEocY2jwkkMi-GF2WIiyv9Yh/s400/DSCN5020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eclectic Means of Transportation</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had an
excellent dinner at The Roadhouse.
Originally built in 1914 and established as an official roadhouse in
1944, it’s one of the most popular cafes and bakeries in town. We also wandered into the Nagley’s Store in
hopes of seeing the town’s mayor, a cat named Stubbs. Stubbs has been the honorary mayor of
Talkeetna since 1997, and he usually hangs out around the store. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found,
and I was sad to leave Talkeetna without meeting him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCLqRKtV-rcw4x2RpKVxranWglbIHnWerq4n6_B3aaMaOffIn7cSkQGJsV1gM9m3pZUoa3__Bl1JzzrZxuajfFwCgOT9Jtww3Ytx4FrM6k9aOXrTfDKFnZbQEk-6QCsxbuGmOlVqw30c-/s1600/DSCN5022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCLqRKtV-rcw4x2RpKVxranWglbIHnWerq4n6_B3aaMaOffIn7cSkQGJsV1gM9m3pZUoa3__Bl1JzzrZxuajfFwCgOT9Jtww3Ytx4FrM6k9aOXrTfDKFnZbQEk-6QCsxbuGmOlVqw30c-/s400/DSCN5022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Food at the Roadhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxkm8rxZ8_SM9CSyDuwhVcbYKdgVOOIunm7v7TntvOjf9tDUUWXOWgCniiEPGgUdN3jTTcs8bGZS61IMJzG-OD-L1y7HxIB-W1RfXqiX38gL-dKgLSvOt8iNJGeevVPL1Eur3HzQyIhfh/s1600/DSCN5006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxkm8rxZ8_SM9CSyDuwhVcbYKdgVOOIunm7v7TntvOjf9tDUUWXOWgCniiEPGgUdN3jTTcs8bGZS61IMJzG-OD-L1y7HxIB-W1RfXqiX38gL-dKgLSvOt8iNJGeevVPL1Eur3HzQyIhfh/s400/DSCN5006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where's Stubbs?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
had originally thought we would spend three </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">nights</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> on the road before arriving
in Denali on Wednesday. We thought this
would give us time to wait out the rainy weather and hope that the mountain would
make its appearance. The long term
forecast for continued rain, however, makes that prospect unlikely, thus prompting
us to rethink our options. We have now decided
to scratch our original plan. We’re
spending tonight in a pullout just outside Talkeetna and will head directly to Denali
tomorrow.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtLhCDhOe7DTWV8A7-2hSRHL1ib72ECSzPajK2PUj8oa_HuP2aTjTrKMm892yrNaKK5u9EIZ8gDWgGtFkryaBpoWEzTHbGg3NwQNKOQPOPlTQ5L_ZNLDkBAOXDJ4JDt3VnuoEXz5TVlMS/s1600/DSCN5013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtLhCDhOe7DTWV8A7-2hSRHL1ib72ECSzPajK2PUj8oa_HuP2aTjTrKMm892yrNaKK5u9EIZ8gDWgGtFkryaBpoWEzTHbGg3NwQNKOQPOPlTQ5L_ZNLDkBAOXDJ4JDt3VnuoEXz5TVlMS/s400/DSCN5013.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun in Talkeetna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-81183989583706031562015-08-15T21:35:00.000-08:002015-08-15T21:35:29.613-08:00Our Plans Are Definitely Written in Jello<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
lovely week on Portage Glacier Road, I returned to Anchorage so I could pick up
Tim at the airport on Tuesday night. He
had been in Oklahoma at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/chic/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Chickasaw National Recreation Area</span></a> to prepare the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">park’s </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">annual museum reports.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This was a return
visit for Tim, who flew to Chickasaw </span><a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2014/09/getting-back-to-normal.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">last summer</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> to prepare the same reports.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You might recall that Tim and I visited
Chickasaw </span><a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/02/its-all-about-water.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">last December</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, and you can read about the park in this post.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chickasaw
had recently experienced heavy rains in a short period of time, causing
extensive flooding throughout the park.
The silver lining to all this water was the replenishment of the water
table. When we visited Chickasaw, many
of the springs and fountains were dry.
This time Tim was especially happy to see the Bromide Fountain flowing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMVlMst1TEAQVVUKreNBR5EC9H8n9xOclBJINVTImnOe4KnmWO2sR6ywTZzAGAvYOCYMnzim6hhBOxVhKsSo8VqyFaEnKZ-eIH9fReKvziaIJNNfrRBuc7SIOTUIj9dIwJSZNC2tItK6o/s1600/2015-08-15+17.08.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjMVlMst1TEAQVVUKreNBR5EC9H8n9xOclBJINVTImnOe4KnmWO2sR6ywTZzAGAvYOCYMnzim6hhBOxVhKsSo8VqyFaEnKZ-eIH9fReKvziaIJNNfrRBuc7SIOTUIj9dIwJSZNC2tItK6o/s400/2015-08-15+17.08.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bromide Fountain, August 2015</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSn0zHhU4iL61tGPLIj_kC4A_-YtRvbDWXNC9-5oDwpsa0L_XplSugRGSpxaF66VqmYfzfx7vO7drIq-uGH50Wl_22QPJOCBQId0hJD6yFZwkKq7TK61MzFT4sRdkQ00prinWI0yEno9vt/s1600/DSCN1380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSn0zHhU4iL61tGPLIj_kC4A_-YtRvbDWXNC9-5oDwpsa0L_XplSugRGSpxaF66VqmYfzfx7vO7drIq-uGH50Wl_22QPJOCBQId0hJD6yFZwkKq7TK61MzFT4sRdkQ00prinWI0yEno9vt/s400/DSCN1380.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bromide Fountain, December 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This was
a whirlwind trip for Tim, and a hot one.
The temperatures inched into the triple digits while he was in Oklahoma,
with a heat index of 116. He almost had
a heat stroke and was happy to return to Alaska where temperatures have been in
the mid-70s.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
decided that after Tim returned to Alaska, it would be time for us to start
heading toward Denali National Park and Fairbanks. We expect Fairbanks to be our northernmost
destination before we begin our trek south toward the Lower 48.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In order
to give Tim a break after his project, as well as catch up on laundry and other
chores before leaving “civilization” behind, we decided to stop for two nights
at a commercial campground. We had not
stayed at a campground for nine days, a record for us. The solar panels are really doing their job
and have opened up so many new opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We picked
<a href="https://www.alaskarvpark.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Big Bear RV Park and Campground</span></a> in Wasilla, where we had stayed a month ago. Big Bear is a nice, simple campground that we
enjoyed the first time around, and this time was even better. We arrived to discover that the campground
was hosting a salmon bake that evening – the first one of the summer. That was a stroke of pure luck for us, being
at the right place at the right time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
offerings were plentiful and delicious.
Grilled Copper River salmon, fried salmon fingers and salmon spread were
joined by moose ribs and a moose casserole.
Fellow campers provided a selection of side dishes, but the hosts took
care of almost everything. What a treat! The salmon was delicious, and so was the
moose, but my heart melted when I tasted the dessert – a rhubarb, blueberry,
cranberry and raspberry crisp with vanilla ice cream. All of the berries had been handpicked. Yum! Everything
else was also homemade by many of the relatives of the campground owners. What lovely people they are. The good food was matched only by the good
conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVosvGHlgkL1e7bKG4SLaq35RfKKqNUqgsMi1RxszC9f5fiVU69J1D9uSJVYwJ9Xsn6XBy9SjhGhQqv_UhUzDY6m2BZ_oVL6O-s4g54FXskX5ZSZ7BrbniUw7wm6xTd4XXv-hEuBINeXH/s1600/DSCN4995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidVosvGHlgkL1e7bKG4SLaq35RfKKqNUqgsMi1RxszC9f5fiVU69J1D9uSJVYwJ9Xsn6XBy9SjhGhQqv_UhUzDY6m2BZ_oVL6O-s4g54FXskX5ZSZ7BrbniUw7wm6xTd4XXv-hEuBINeXH/s400/DSCN4995.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frying Up a Batch of Salmon Fingers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9dm3_2QlHMEo0HQwHgsu5sOMZ0ItQSmkUTRI0fkFGK-FZYFWUSBoBmPRVGV4KfVLRsZk7oLDXQUQ2E8UPgehGr6-YiIdNBsC27331g8ltfrIM7Qgpo4b3ljtW2tABq9l0Q1xX-Z8kEIi/s1600/DSCN4993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9dm3_2QlHMEo0HQwHgsu5sOMZ0ItQSmkUTRI0fkFGK-FZYFWUSBoBmPRVGV4KfVLRsZk7oLDXQUQ2E8UPgehGr6-YiIdNBsC27331g8ltfrIM7Qgpo4b3ljtW2tABq9l0Q1xX-Z8kEIi/s400/DSCN4993.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilling Several Copper River Salmon Filets</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnd9oxRTXsCnKNEBNoABKECDPPFfqT__7Kqp6IJBev4wfCvHyHfA7vxP3GFVRxbQi3BukfsCvP7m_olUXFXkRxfo_EC8cTLxFeu3HGD38EbRJKveu_0hNOc7ugMc6XgbpRTqZh9JAFEei/s1600/DSCN4997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnd9oxRTXsCnKNEBNoABKECDPPFfqT__7Kqp6IJBev4wfCvHyHfA7vxP3GFVRxbQi3BukfsCvP7m_olUXFXkRxfo_EC8cTLxFeu3HGD38EbRJKveu_0hNOc7ugMc6XgbpRTqZh9JAFEei/s400/DSCN4997.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying an Overflowing Plate</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Tim
was taking it easy on Thursday, he received a telephone call offering him
another museum services contract. It
seems that the folks at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/fous/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site</span></a> in North
Dakota liked his work for them <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2014/10/working-at-fort-union.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">last year</span></a> and want him back. That was an unexpected call. We decided to extend our stay at the
campground so we could look at our schedule, and some maps, to see if we could
work North Dakota into our plans. Tim
and I both enjoyed working at Fort Union, so we hoped a return visit would be
possible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
we had originally planned to return to the Lower 48 via the Cassiar Highway,
and then head towards Oregon, we decided that a trip down the Alaska Highway
and on through Alberta and Saskatchewan Provinces would do just fine. We wouldn’t really have time to do much sightseeing
along the way, but we had always planned to return to Canada for a much longer
visit sometime in the next few years. So,
we decided we could leave Fairbanks around September 1 and take three weeks
before arriving at Fort Union by September 21.
It would then require a quick dash to Colorado for our doctor and dentist
appointments the week of October 11.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With our
new plans on the calendar, we were ready to leave for Denali. But, not so fast. Yesterday, Tim received another telephone
call offering him the possibility of one more contract. What?
What’s going on here? This one was
really enticing – <a href="http://www.nps.gov/dena/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Denali National Park</span></a>!
But, how on earth could we possibly fit in another two-week contract
before leaving Alaska and still make it to Fort Union in time? Extending our campground stay for another
night </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">gave </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">us time to look at the schedule one more time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It looks
like we just might be able to make it happen.
Although the contract is not a sure thing – Tim has to meet with the museum
curator at Denali this coming week – we think we’ve figured out a tentative
plan. It would mean that Tim would have
to work during much of our planned visit to Denali (I’m not sure how many days
he’d want to spend on a bus anyway!), and we would have only two weeks instead
of three to drive to Fort Union (not our preferred speed at all!), but this contract
is something that Tim would love to do.
I’m always up for an adventure anyway, so let’s make our last month up
north one to remember.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdInblSk7bchUSMNFeCgzRuMLdkwpsWaP6sbq01jFwPkzn65_7KOkeiDZfA0v0YgiZAdf5J9T_kTlr2UP420gAeDA1NeSbIxCNQOW8KwwCgVxEqhS359xrzWZb3azYzZyStBsTHAAjJ9s/s1600/Fullscreen+capture+8152015+91629+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdInblSk7bchUSMNFeCgzRuMLdkwpsWaP6sbq01jFwPkzn65_7KOkeiDZfA0v0YgiZAdf5J9T_kTlr2UP420gAeDA1NeSbIxCNQOW8KwwCgVxEqhS359xrzWZb3azYzZyStBsTHAAjJ9s/s400/Fullscreen+capture+8152015+91629+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wow! That's a Long Drive!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
think Tim ever anticipated that he would be offered so many contracts, especially
since he hasn’t really been seeking them out.
Most have come his way via word of mouth. However, he is thoroughly enjoying the work,
and so am I, since I get to work with him on most projects. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As the
old RV saying goes, “RV plans are written in Jello, always some wiggle room.” </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m
thrilled that this lifestyle has given us such flexibility to take advantage of
opportunities that come our way.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-27197450445769129082015-08-12T07:30:00.000-08:002015-08-12T07:30:01.554-08:00Return to a Favorite Boondock Site<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
return flights from Portland to Anchorage were uneventful, and Tim met me at
the airport. We returned to Cabela’s for
the evening since he was flying out the next day. It seems as if we just passed in the night. Soon it was time for him to board his plane
for Oklahoma City.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had
originally thought I would spend my week as a solo RVer touring a few places in
the Kenai Peninsula. But, I changed my
mind. I didn’t want to play
tourist. I wanted to find a beautiful
campsite, preferably on the water, and relax and regroup. Catching up on the blog, reading a good book
and taking naps were high on my agenda.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
drove down the Turnagain Arm, which is always a stunning drive, and turned left
onto Portage Glacier Road.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was hoping
that the</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/inching-our-way-down-kenai-peninsula.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">boondock site</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">that Tim and
I had discovered several weeks earlier might be available.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I pulled in and was delighted to find a
perfect spot for the RV, right on the water and tucked away at the end of the
pullout.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I couldn’t have been more
pleased.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0rtpO5RtiA87zANau-jCYa6zpLF1l2ZX3JkNltzLpYOuArsxjDQPKpZDra_WVirFXdHfh172oPm6oq5KmXXov-nUL9r5wy8pOhc9t3YrS6FyBo1ys7kZcxqZ0FQjhVmjcWxomtotQFNM/s1600/DSCN4745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0rtpO5RtiA87zANau-jCYa6zpLF1l2ZX3JkNltzLpYOuArsxjDQPKpZDra_WVirFXdHfh172oPm6oq5KmXXov-nUL9r5wy8pOhc9t3YrS6FyBo1ys7kZcxqZ0FQjhVmjcWxomtotQFNM/s400/DSCN4745.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You Can't Get Much Better than This</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, that’s
not all. There was another RV parked at
the opposite end of the pullout, and it belonged to the <a href="http://www.gonewiththewynns.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Gone with the Wynns</span></a>, a
couple whose blog I’ve followed for years. What are the odds that we would end up in the
same boondock site at the same time? Jason
and Nikki didn’t return until late, but I was able to meet them, and their
cats, the next morning before they headed out to Anchorage. What an interesting couple! It seems as if bloggers are forever running
into one another this summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMGrXP8vU33_69MjzOpV-TeQwUjzEMN7LkeKCyvyaxMlO575OVyib-xwgh-awYSrY5tbVpAN2RvhyJ_HYvosJvo1FpHF7F04I_pdv6OiPOljYcD5jOWu3bPyyVoCEidqFm50zRVzJj8zJ/s1600/DSCN4719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguMGrXP8vU33_69MjzOpV-TeQwUjzEMN7LkeKCyvyaxMlO575OVyib-xwgh-awYSrY5tbVpAN2RvhyJ_HYvosJvo1FpHF7F04I_pdv6OiPOljYcD5jOWu3bPyyVoCEidqFm50zRVzJj8zJ/s400/DSCN4719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gone With the Wynns Shared this Special Spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soon
after I arrived, another very nice couple set up camp nearby, and I enjoyed
talking with them throughout the week. Stacy
and Reese and their daughter Josie (I hope I got the names right) were from
Anchorage and were extremely generous and kind – from offering to pick up
anything I needed in town, to giving me a piece of fresh salmon, to sharing with
me a fabulous dinner of grilled salmon and vegetables with a curry sauce. Not that I would have gone hungry, mind
you. Tim made sure of that. While I was in Portland, he made chili and a
chicken stir fry for me. He takes such
good care of me, and I miss him when he’s not around.</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhF7pesJrL5n4omHcnPibBv8ap0dEllBmTnJfZgHb02_PO_NUWxqqnmH3qVV5qkGRu4dKzNyAT33wFmvgdCP_DDWXmaMAaREpVfYsxIoKNsIGNAPxun-w2gC20K5X32uvzvUGtiR32PdH/s1600/DSCN4728.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhF7pesJrL5n4omHcnPibBv8ap0dEllBmTnJfZgHb02_PO_NUWxqqnmH3qVV5qkGRu4dKzNyAT33wFmvgdCP_DDWXmaMAaREpVfYsxIoKNsIGNAPxun-w2gC20K5X32uvzvUGtiR32PdH/s400/DSCN4728.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Loved the Reflections on the Water </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMQvjgO5rhzzOcC2HqbPWLieFS4w-7H8U0Zmi2gX6aPi1brEmP_1cz3RNsbxcTpYmgi2rYWUxcz1IUGTiACZ0oNv3vcL2NrQBWRq9zhmrIhgKZKkmqs7vc25KusDtAsR-ljqMOI7X1Uvq/s1600/DSCN4733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOMQvjgO5rhzzOcC2HqbPWLieFS4w-7H8U0Zmi2gX6aPi1brEmP_1cz3RNsbxcTpYmgi2rYWUxcz1IUGTiACZ0oNv3vcL2NrQBWRq9zhmrIhgKZKkmqs7vc25KusDtAsR-ljqMOI7X1Uvq/s400/DSCN4733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty Also Loved It Here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVic10Uf_5qFmyeLIJuSNj8imFDzrOTxRwF7BfFuPxvlMevoTbBfvL4lEdeFN5U6mw2vVSSjBPkLeDq90PylNR673adJcHkCeS-Pk7Yrx_3_L6l0mUzl-Av-_bWZQpoFDkJGYuURvUmybU/s1600/DSCN4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVic10Uf_5qFmyeLIJuSNj8imFDzrOTxRwF7BfFuPxvlMevoTbBfvL4lEdeFN5U6mw2vVSSjBPkLeDq90PylNR673adJcHkCeS-Pk7Yrx_3_L6l0mUzl-Av-_bWZQpoFDkJGYuURvUmybU/s400/DSCN4743.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Couldn't Get Enough of This View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikua6yxPWSY-9Lw6xwUDZKLGhPtFpYpXafljn3blHPQ_m4RW-0UwKIf8UxXKmZtaLVgPbmE32yAAAzO_0M-RIuD5pAJZHTs1F5ExuwQuHzxoq3PB-4Gbqv0ozw0vYCSfHXsFKdjWesP7ht/s1600/DSCN4736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikua6yxPWSY-9Lw6xwUDZKLGhPtFpYpXafljn3blHPQ_m4RW-0UwKIf8UxXKmZtaLVgPbmE32yAAAzO_0M-RIuD5pAJZHTs1F5ExuwQuHzxoq3PB-4Gbqv0ozw0vYCSfHXsFKdjWesP7ht/s400/DSCN4736.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">My Idea of a Perfect Setting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This past
week in my little piece of paradise was just what I had envisioned. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had time to sleep late, write a few blog
posts, catch up on reading and relish several days of sunny weather. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kitty enjoyed spending lots of time outside,
when she wasn’t looking after me.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
last day or so of rain didn’t even dampen my spirits, but provided a good
excuse for afternoon naps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I loved
being able to stay in one spot for a week, and I especially enjoyed watching
how the view from my window changed with the light and the weather. I’ve included a few photographs to show the
many moods that I witnessed. It was a
good week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqSMQYhpD0-x72fVXBH0gI3d9QpsUVjc5udt82oM7YQSOXQSrrvU7FlU7slnXiYQDLftKy_Wjrlw8eKQth5cs6J4WAldv3jXvt54TsVK2OTXvYcoAjhAlKlJt_xafu8RmD1-7wGXLVq4V/s1600/DSCN4761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqSMQYhpD0-x72fVXBH0gI3d9QpsUVjc5udt82oM7YQSOXQSrrvU7FlU7slnXiYQDLftKy_Wjrlw8eKQth5cs6J4WAldv3jXvt54TsVK2OTXvYcoAjhAlKlJt_xafu8RmD1-7wGXLVq4V/s400/DSCN4761.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glowing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFDiSqCKaUqXkm9Mg_oOLb7m6hP7cFf9ErT6N5SRmUpM0cwcURLrHurZJUnz8Nt-1L47ahSvuZZnkbJLFGop_-bKpRTPL-PAcxiO8bpXEmo0Sz4O3EO1Ca-VhSABUZsjU1Z34NjWmDrKn/s1600/DSCN4771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFDiSqCKaUqXkm9Mg_oOLb7m6hP7cFf9ErT6N5SRmUpM0cwcURLrHurZJUnz8Nt-1L47ahSvuZZnkbJLFGop_-bKpRTPL-PAcxiO8bpXEmo0Sz4O3EO1Ca-VhSABUZsjU1Z34NjWmDrKn/s400/DSCN4771.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rq2iottdJsNAcmSuKI76TQIx3RLFxnH4RXpT4K38tLXq4Ibcy6W6EPrd69wJYDTiTGVaLbJ8EfEpB_abK9sL71iTE6zO-MqlsSfj4QDCHsa2dhIICVhJJzKkwp9-6AsCmXlrnWHA2FCb/s1600/DSCN4774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Rq2iottdJsNAcmSuKI76TQIx3RLFxnH4RXpT4K38tLXq4Ibcy6W6EPrd69wJYDTiTGVaLbJ8EfEpB_abK9sL71iTE6zO-MqlsSfj4QDCHsa2dhIICVhJJzKkwp9-6AsCmXlrnWHA2FCb/s400/DSCN4774.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVeLffTcATArFuE4bY9m4m0wfcMgrCaldx5ukLEDq5ZnFJ_waSNsTPK-sN6ZOxBaVWoTiqqLnVTXGaFWrK-vYl7bYXKbBJg4lHMjJiG-K11BkQ_4Fs2z4sKTglkUTebxDvBrF9NsLv3bs/s1600/DSCN4787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVeLffTcATArFuE4bY9m4m0wfcMgrCaldx5ukLEDq5ZnFJ_waSNsTPK-sN6ZOxBaVWoTiqqLnVTXGaFWrK-vYl7bYXKbBJg4lHMjJiG-K11BkQ_4Fs2z4sKTglkUTebxDvBrF9NsLv3bs/s400/DSCN4787.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-m2bpFhKIQC-gp_gu09FcnKlvMkjIi15puwYcaFzwZVs9t_G9leL6iD1s02JvzjwaEOA2908vbHhg6e_rjcy0X2oKKYgJcTaFEls4sFV6_jFwG8RJfQZ-XuP7tG9CAmH7dg2RVvtHz69/s1600/DSCN4790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-m2bpFhKIQC-gp_gu09FcnKlvMkjIi15puwYcaFzwZVs9t_G9leL6iD1s02JvzjwaEOA2908vbHhg6e_rjcy0X2oKKYgJcTaFEls4sFV6_jFwG8RJfQZ-XuP7tG9CAmH7dg2RVvtHz69/s400/DSCN4790.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny, Once Again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-91780912476774811572015-08-11T07:30:00.000-08:002015-08-11T07:30:01.586-08:00Wedding Bells in Portland<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
flights from Anchorage to Portland were completely full, but on time, and I was
treated to wonderful views of Mount Rainier, Mount Adams and Mount Hood on the
connecting flight from Seattle. We flew
so close to Mount St. Helens that I was able to see </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">inside
the top of the dome</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. What a treat. That was a first for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Portland
was under </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">an
extreme heat</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> warning as the daytime temperatures were reaching into the triple digits. That’s almost unheard of for the
Pacific Northwest, but it’s happened a few times already this year. I have to admit that I was dreading the heat,
but I was able to manage surprisingly well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is
quite easy to get around Portland without a car, and I took the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">MAX</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">light rail from
the airport into downtown where I transferred to a streetcar. Kevin had given me explicit instructions on
where to go, and I arrived at the </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">venue</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> for the welcome/rehearsal dinner without
a hitch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not only
did I meet Darwin for the first time, but I also met Kevin’s mother and sister,
in addition to many of Kevin’s Portland friends. Such lovely people. And, I am happy to report that Darwin is a
sweetheart! What a fun time everyone
had. It’s not surprising that Kevin
kept us busy all weekend, making sure that everyone was entertained. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kevin’s
friend Zoe had invited me to stay with her and Mark at their hotel suite, and
it was so nice to get to know them a little better.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
wedding ceremony on Sunday afternoon took place at the historic First
Congregational United Church of Christ, a beautiful stone church. The wedding was beautiful, and I will admit
to shedding a few tears. It’s nice to
see Kevin so happy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzIGFlgrJAmwQFTKhMwrkMVoRBvnV_fuBB1L0f0ZZFxKROx1F4lkdO2btdwIOLnGaAfjsAP56JxcBOG8Uq8RLo0AwI1TQYzcXcKZzY0DXxQF9j3BH519HiOngSWcIMDlVyiXkISPA4PJc/s1600/Invitation.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzIGFlgrJAmwQFTKhMwrkMVoRBvnV_fuBB1L0f0ZZFxKROx1F4lkdO2btdwIOLnGaAfjsAP56JxcBOG8Uq8RLo0AwI1TQYzcXcKZzY0DXxQF9j3BH519HiOngSWcIMDlVyiXkISPA4PJc/s320/Invitation.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6erJsz3gu034mv1GGgPozGFk7LXOY4os3x0zOy0X47mG49SuWlsLFloFr3AKLquXjuXGmkP_6iZvwh755gQRtiC25f3M7jF-2jqcyEkXomjnA8bFlN0YEGw5HYJcc6JMvbO1HLRAUtr-O/s1600/DSCN4296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6erJsz3gu034mv1GGgPozGFk7LXOY4os3x0zOy0X47mG49SuWlsLFloFr3AKLquXjuXGmkP_6iZvwh755gQRtiC25f3M7jF-2jqcyEkXomjnA8bFlN0YEGw5HYJcc6JMvbO1HLRAUtr-O/s320/DSCN4296.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Stonework and Stained Glass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5REQOs7XWtawwKMEpivQsrmlV4i5GS_QjD90lrlqXrcWcxE7EphRusJYo4Ng3PmKz9MkfAGNWsDUDy54g_2aVfOPW6FIOo7EA3-wjumOkAWS5ozo0XUZ5ACMOilq-p5JmnWH-cdBeoqJ6/s1600/DSCN4309.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5REQOs7XWtawwKMEpivQsrmlV4i5GS_QjD90lrlqXrcWcxE7EphRusJYo4Ng3PmKz9MkfAGNWsDUDy54g_2aVfOPW6FIOo7EA3-wjumOkAWS5ozo0XUZ5ACMOilq-p5JmnWH-cdBeoqJ6/s320/DSCN4309.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the Wedding March</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeekb1Tfsw6uVRV2eWLTl-7Q0hra_Pd3idTGxQWcCe0fiDho1kZjrdfm7b3N-qjC8b1sqYDdOI4sBnPZuY2VHg1eh1dFlipUOf3DhNrkNC2BFHAnXsq7eXZsVHIlstNDD6m9OY6JofHuv/s1600/DSCN4425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeekb1Tfsw6uVRV2eWLTl-7Q0hra_Pd3idTGxQWcCe0fiDho1kZjrdfm7b3N-qjC8b1sqYDdOI4sBnPZuY2VHg1eh1dFlipUOf3DhNrkNC2BFHAnXsq7eXZsVHIlstNDD6m9OY6JofHuv/s400/DSCN4425.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darwin and Kevin Exchanging Vows</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2EJ9M8lzNVLQ0n7Y_3Bc8sPKG0i4gydvjsYpzwT17HG0TonXCYrw_vPDBQTMC857SD-lFR7d1LIAwlA8dK4DiW1O7-VKRLz0sqVp2TnadVfcvYALVzpJHu12Xq8K9SCqJGSiWHCZhJO3/s1600/DSCN4340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2EJ9M8lzNVLQ0n7Y_3Bc8sPKG0i4gydvjsYpzwT17HG0TonXCYrw_vPDBQTMC857SD-lFR7d1LIAwlA8dK4DiW1O7-VKRLz0sqVp2TnadVfcvYALVzpJHu12Xq8K9SCqJGSiWHCZhJO3/s400/DSCN4340.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin's Mom, Kevin, Darwin and Kevin's Sister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
soon time to make our way to the Cerulean Wine Bar for the reception. Kevin could not have selected a more
appropriate location, since he knows more about wine than anyone I know. Whenever we get together, <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/05/five-states-in-five-days.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">excursions to the Willamette Valley</span></a> for wine tastings are always on the agenda. The food was delicious, the wine was heavenly
and the conversations were stimulating.
Everyone had such a good time, and the festivities ended all too soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxViBJJ39XfjU21Y39HZzrv1imKKl2Bu1lRivu6Edri-p7g0d9Xy5AOCOJvuBoPE6zuXjNAnXbGvUvGe7lABwGB44kwY3HfJC-LQzuJn0YF21CxVDYniuW9H-TUXHrXQhSOzMf_Aomvg6/s1600/DSCN4616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpxViBJJ39XfjU21Y39HZzrv1imKKl2Bu1lRivu6Edri-p7g0d9Xy5AOCOJvuBoPE6zuXjNAnXbGvUvGe7lABwGB44kwY3HfJC-LQzuJn0YF21CxVDYniuW9H-TUXHrXQhSOzMf_Aomvg6/s400/DSCN4616.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the Cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2VfI5czfp0cDJiiFZzyj7CLR5SodLfolJaQhUBfeohkcatDxJ7_swqftfXaMRWbV2h2Jo6Hj6roi4g86Hasg98gdqhUnm0xOjL7ZayymNBtQ0x197bDC3294Ze62Ia1VNYyEWkwVkuZR/s1600/DSCN4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2VfI5czfp0cDJiiFZzyj7CLR5SodLfolJaQhUBfeohkcatDxJ7_swqftfXaMRWbV2h2Jo6Hj6roi4g86Hasg98gdqhUnm0xOjL7ZayymNBtQ0x197bDC3294Ze62Ia1VNYyEWkwVkuZR/s400/DSCN4659.JPG" width="308" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happily Ever After</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I am so
grateful that I was able to share the day with such wonderful people. Kevin will always be a special person in my
life, and I am happy to welcome Darwin to the fold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCw7MtMNrMj2ie1sFXiENehyM1bS-BIhrb1GXQNGEmv6RZe_Ac-iw_5pH3zX0EFogromKh3iceCm-EHi2PxKjp2isTy5HpJvU4tYxOxwX9W5J_zpzPpAJYiALA9I0pNWlBeVWUfig6G_E/s1600/DSCN4677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPCw7MtMNrMj2ie1sFXiENehyM1bS-BIhrb1GXQNGEmv6RZe_Ac-iw_5pH3zX0EFogromKh3iceCm-EHi2PxKjp2isTy5HpJvU4tYxOxwX9W5J_zpzPpAJYiALA9I0pNWlBeVWUfig6G_E/s400/DSCN4677.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good Friends</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-3037511790879247862015-08-10T07:30:00.000-08:002015-08-13T14:33:14.463-08:00A Little Bit of Shaking Going On<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
an amazing four days in Homer</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">, Tim and I packed up and headed north on
July 28. Because we needed to be in
Anchorage in time to complete a few errands before my flight to Portland on
July 31, we had to forego some of the stops we had hoped to make. Oh well, that leaves more for us to see next
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We did
make time for a visit to the town of Kenai, where I wanted to explore the town’s
Russian history. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There
were several buildings to see. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Built in 1895, the Holy
Assumption Orthodox Church is the oldest standing Russian Orthodox church in
Alaska. Nearby is the rectory, the
oldest building in the Kenai region, and the 1906 Chapel of St. Nicholas. Kenai was the fifth Russian outpost to be
established in Alaska, so it was not much of a surprise to learn that the town’s
oldest buildings reflect this heritage.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyhk5GqxX2SwRX8Il9jcfTWYHZhoibiM6Vu-8aCEY97iDORVZfkD-z5Ic5Iw2figzl2dWEcsJ4AO2BKZEhZivNRK5HLMc4PKAbZSbHViyz6-cQ3KfqXYcpkH7K0zDeBKgx4RRxvAgzOpk/s1600/DSCN4129+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyhk5GqxX2SwRX8Il9jcfTWYHZhoibiM6Vu-8aCEY97iDORVZfkD-z5Ic5Iw2figzl2dWEcsJ4AO2BKZEhZivNRK5HLMc4PKAbZSbHViyz6-cQ3KfqXYcpkH7K0zDeBKgx4RRxvAgzOpk/s400/DSCN4129+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holy Assumption Orthodox Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tKaAfB2CLo-v9sDmGk9nt_nQIoHEshP9ZBo3OKEHEC3Tooz7cefrWWCZ2MTXfdRuyM6IfzSZvRC-zw4PvD4uEmpHYaR7JUbAWp1EWqrjNcKAvDEcCPV9KQLQSvSD21GLnVQqTVQvXBWE/s1600/DSCN4177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tKaAfB2CLo-v9sDmGk9nt_nQIoHEshP9ZBo3OKEHEC3Tooz7cefrWWCZ2MTXfdRuyM6IfzSZvRC-zw4PvD4uEmpHYaR7JUbAWp1EWqrjNcKAvDEcCPV9KQLQSvSD21GLnVQqTVQvXBWE/s320/DSCN4177.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church Steeple</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkR6rrWO5BRu2620K-WTiR3ntRRpJ-bGw5ZNIn89LXOAzbzIlwct4X6y6rxhOsHNJe8Vy1vNyDWsdzAfXHTinku-xUiHAk0tgn1HdU67dYOqCbovh32mGubYcWWOpXSngM7tjPMK-D_waC/s1600/DSCN4162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkR6rrWO5BRu2620K-WTiR3ntRRpJ-bGw5ZNIn89LXOAzbzIlwct4X6y6rxhOsHNJe8Vy1vNyDWsdzAfXHTinku-xUiHAk0tgn1HdU67dYOqCbovh32mGubYcWWOpXSngM7tjPMK-D_waC/s320/DSCN4162.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church Interior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6Vxw85yttdx_BpCeq4X9t2toSdAG5YqweXHzENgNc1zhmLOKUu1GmmMIW5j_knP438KyTZTPwNdjUkgssvrbnZwushKM1cuuPAgzZoyDT2-6iCnM1a-scCpYuV8a2YgKhjL7LqBXFRZq/s1600/DSCN4184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU6Vxw85yttdx_BpCeq4X9t2toSdAG5YqweXHzENgNc1zhmLOKUu1GmmMIW5j_knP438KyTZTPwNdjUkgssvrbnZwushKM1cuuPAgzZoyDT2-6iCnM1a-scCpYuV8a2YgKhjL7LqBXFRZq/s400/DSCN4184.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rectory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBqAfFzCrYfJztJXIVHjW_B39Kr-N0yH9gGQTlSvU2gsEkbfIiap6J3fahGnOlHCyv1UApxsYQypTIn9v2TrPMcbm38mItyzEiNo9E3fYby5kCQTnlj0LAfVuyhaH_xPo-H1XiEJ_sHAf/s1600/DSCN4145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBqAfFzCrYfJztJXIVHjW_B39Kr-N0yH9gGQTlSvU2gsEkbfIiap6J3fahGnOlHCyv1UApxsYQypTIn9v2TrPMcbm38mItyzEiNo9E3fYby5kCQTnlj0LAfVuyhaH_xPo-H1XiEJ_sHAf/s400/DSCN4145.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel of St. Nicholas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When we
arrived at the church, we were surprised at the buzz of activity. People were scraping, painting and repairing
the exterior of this simple, but lovely, village church. We talked to a man and his wife who explained
that they were a part of a group of Southern Baptists from West Virginia and
had traveled to Alaska to help with the restoration of this historic
church. For them a church was a
church. It didn’t seem to matter what
the denomination was. That was nice to
see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMP1UJTjNqfoCUIBtBAzuqgsZaQD1gWtNHp15BmTtJkw_pF9j5BkEHdOaep6mmKkQNK4Zmq09xQ8iX6-FIMcpuLjbKF-jxjwyfZydkFF9rsBe_1qEWPEtEP_UcELQPhDY306g1xBNqNL6e/s1600/DSCN4139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMP1UJTjNqfoCUIBtBAzuqgsZaQD1gWtNHp15BmTtJkw_pF9j5BkEHdOaep6mmKkQNK4Zmq09xQ8iX6-FIMcpuLjbKF-jxjwyfZydkFF9rsBe_1qEWPEtEP_UcELQPhDY306g1xBNqNL6e/s400/DSCN4139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The People and Scaffolding Aren't Great for Photos,<br />
But I Was Happy to See the Restoration in Progress</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
weren’t sure how far we would drive </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">after
leaving Kenai</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">, but the rain made the decision
for us.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We don’t like to drive in the
rain, so we started looking for a campground </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">north
of </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Soldotna.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Because the Kenai River parallels the highway, there are quite a few public campgrounds from which to
choose.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We decided to check out the <a href="http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/izaakwalsrs.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Izaak Walton Campground</span></a> in Sterling, and that turned out to be a perfect place for us
to stop.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This is a nice state campground
located within the Kenai River Special Management Area, but it can accommodate
small rigs only.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Located where the Moose
River flows into the Kenai River, the campground attracts a lot of fishermen, although
it was fairly wide open when we arrived.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Tim
and I </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">were eating dinner, we felt something give the RV a good shake. </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">With
visions of the bears at Katmai fresh in my mind, I immediately assumed that a
bear was checking us out.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> A bit alarmed, we peered out the windows but could
see nothing. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We
couldn’t figure out what had happened, but we didn’t give it too much thought.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezG2n3P3xW9ILSOQtmLR0F425DbsDDdEeYrZpEUXhcC_9_VPQhf83BUh0fhyphenhyphene0qlOq3qQpoWq965uDAgNOPmexDrL06OBhLsk0TJ8PkuYWna27eyIl2vyG6bNVImTdjDSGTK1Hi2BCpwS/s1600/DSCN4203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjezG2n3P3xW9ILSOQtmLR0F425DbsDDdEeYrZpEUXhcC_9_VPQhf83BUh0fhyphenhyphene0qlOq3qQpoWq965uDAgNOPmexDrL06OBhLsk0TJ8PkuYWna27eyIl2vyG6bNVImTdjDSGTK1Hi2BCpwS/s400/DSCN4203.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Little Bit of Shaking at Our Riverfront Campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It wasn’t
until the following day that we learned that we had experienced our first
earthquake! And not just a tiny
earthquake, but a 6.3 magnitude one!
Wow! The earthquake hit just
south of Mount Iliamna, one of the volcanoes we had seen <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/from-one-end-of-kenai-peninsula-to-other.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">on our way to Homer</span></a>. The quake had struck at a depth
of 73 miles, thus reducing the amount of shaking. I guess that’s why we experienced only a
brief jolt. It was reported that the
earthquake was felt across </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">South
Central </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Alaska and as far north as
Fairbanks. Apparently, it was unlike any
to hit the Cook Inlet region in decades.
When I was hoping for new experiences in Alaska, an earthquake wasn’t on
the list! Luckily, there was no damage,
just lots of stories to tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We left in
the morning to make our way back to Anchorage.
Since we really didn’t need to arrive until the next day, we thought we
would stop at a pullout along the Turnagain Arm and hang out for the day and evening. We had thought it would be cool to watch the
huge tides come in and out. For some
reason, however, we just kept driving and found ourselves in Anchorage before
we knew it. With no plans, we headed to
<a href="http://www.cabelas.com/stores/store_info.jsp?pageName=052" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Cabela’s</span></a>, which permits RVs to park overnight for up to 48 hours. Very nice.
The double rainbow that we saw shortly after we set up was a nice bonus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGPDaNo5pGFVrkMd3vXRh1n66oW72TYcx0mvjz8ZC7drGgNzkDiATILjbtqDsqy-6zSntZqod1zR04q5XvE4Vdjibx1zMjORMWOKsOp8FyMTULCVvvop50l8i_He2bhJipTcinRa-s3e9/s1600/DSCN4234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFGPDaNo5pGFVrkMd3vXRh1n66oW72TYcx0mvjz8ZC7drGgNzkDiATILjbtqDsqy-6zSntZqod1zR04q5XvE4Vdjibx1zMjORMWOKsOp8FyMTULCVvvop50l8i_He2bhJipTcinRa-s3e9/s400/DSCN4234.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a Great Foreground, but the Rainbows Were a Treat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ANhTarvpAEIwY7LEFm2s08Vh2bdKF52KmI0MPQecv1FMTfUomm3-095XfeSaGFJhfO0QBol967ue8E55CPwT8CM326o6gpk9DakFXKq-5LF4-mP9FJCr5diZU565u4UOtdGFkbSyk_Bk/s1600/DSCN4251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ANhTarvpAEIwY7LEFm2s08Vh2bdKF52KmI0MPQecv1FMTfUomm3-095XfeSaGFJhfO0QBol967ue8E55CPwT8CM326o6gpk9DakFXKq-5LF4-mP9FJCr5diZU565u4UOtdGFkbSyk_Bk/s400/DSCN4251.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If You Don't Need Hookups, Cabela's May be the Nicest Place to Camp in Anchorage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
early the next morning when I learned that my friend </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Jane</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">had passed away. I was a mess, but I had to pull myself
together to get ready to fly to Portland the following day. Blogs like this one sometimes lead people to
believe that full-time RVers lead a carefree and charmed life. Sometimes that is true. However, we are not immune from life’s
tragedies and have to deal with them just like everyone else.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
needed to move to a commercial campground so I could do laundry and pack the
few things that I would need for the weekend.
<a href="http://goldennuggetcamperpark.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Golden Nugget RV Park</span></a> seems to be the only park recommended by RVers who
live in Alaska, so that’s where we headed.
It was ok, not great, but it had lots of washers and dryers and decent
showers. We completed our chores, and I
was able to take the time to sit back and remember </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">Jane</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">and the wonderful
times we had shared.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-2678684003668026422015-08-09T09:00:00.000-08:002015-08-09T09:00:01.841-08:00Flying Over Katmai National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There is
much more to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/katm/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Katmai National Park</span></a> than the brown bears at Brooks Camp, although
that’s what the park is most known for today.
The park also includes 15 volcanoes, making it one of the most active
volcanic centers in the world. We were
able to get a peek at some of the park’s scenic beauty on our flight from
Brooks Camp back to Homer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
about 8:00 pm when we left Brooks Camp.
Our plane looked so lonely sitting by itself along Naknek Lake. It was raining, and Trent had not decided
which route he would take on the return flight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt-eeVrJeBN8biRfREiXfivM9n74ee0yUsySNimZPTMCEtiZAPzz5F3cMVGurPlvJMLOkRkdmCfi4nBf0JNSi_nuBcCIWMCWxxkHoZ8x-RaMVTdPi21mjhCH8BjVz8RRyuXTV9L-zo3OM/s1600/DSCN3582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipt-eeVrJeBN8biRfREiXfivM9n74ee0yUsySNimZPTMCEtiZAPzz5F3cMVGurPlvJMLOkRkdmCfi4nBf0JNSi_nuBcCIWMCWxxkHoZ8x-RaMVTdPi21mjhCH8BjVz8RRyuXTV9L-zo3OM/s400/DSCN3582.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Was a Long, but Happy Day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa9wzDYNG8B31dK8cGd5ATEAqE8B1s80dq0oEEzdIf_Fe42CmwSX-YGqQj4PzP5wy_rYO1pM2KGEuwKD95i1qgxCumazWukiqWmdigsircV3HizyLp7RtISSeIGaXTrhjH1VRAfxzGZpH/s1600/DSCN3577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZa9wzDYNG8B31dK8cGd5ATEAqE8B1s80dq0oEEzdIf_Fe42CmwSX-YGqQj4PzP5wy_rYO1pM2KGEuwKD95i1qgxCumazWukiqWmdigsircV3HizyLp7RtISSeIGaXTrhjH1VRAfxzGZpH/s400/DSCN3577.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Plane Out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trent soon
decided that he should fly below the clouds, thus giving us our first close-up view
of Katmai from the air. We flew above
the Bay of Islands and next to rugged, snow-covered mountainsides. Braided rivers fanned out below us amid the
lush green </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">canyons</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. All we could see was
a remote and awesome wilderness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPxR7Rc5DWxsRyabLG-bzrXK6O2tCp7HWsjrO_SMcZZnqQZOcdAh9WNRQ9GtSiCTeyqe-9d024FEFXYm4CTnhD59dXBE5hc8i86k2W6ewz0AdcAi70wumrVlIspAXfRCY-DYE8ciT5jYo/s1600/DSCN3586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPxR7Rc5DWxsRyabLG-bzrXK6O2tCp7HWsjrO_SMcZZnqQZOcdAh9WNRQ9GtSiCTeyqe-9d024FEFXYm4CTnhD59dXBE5hc8i86k2W6ewz0AdcAi70wumrVlIspAXfRCY-DYE8ciT5jYo/s400/DSCN3586.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Departing Brooks Camp Over Naknek Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPewfOOrM4jgEzE7dQBfd2_Y2TMZ7zRFB4XCXd_fkirq9SJ4t9loEWF7euLHVNhXCyqcK4HyvFd9fi1jaUboGYWGkOJ6FoO6BKlrvSYDrHT1qWyAFsvhZclxZOpSXCQc-USI5lfneTqCb3/s1600/DSCN3606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPewfOOrM4jgEzE7dQBfd2_Y2TMZ7zRFB4XCXd_fkirq9SJ4t9loEWF7euLHVNhXCyqcK4HyvFd9fi1jaUboGYWGkOJ6FoO6BKlrvSYDrHT1qWyAFsvhZclxZOpSXCQc-USI5lfneTqCb3/s400/DSCN3606.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bay of Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WE_aAsgXhka3hKS2CrE4T6-sMBIwa9O7w5I2lmwzBs_zNd5APuk5AMMDNqGdSLI8dtPcnPoO9cnzbTRVc9s-Q-cjFwXhTtscpW-1-0NSeZ6CYX-L3b_MpDc_dJfpVOVrKbvHetSS3fac/s1600/DSCN3614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WE_aAsgXhka3hKS2CrE4T6-sMBIwa9O7w5I2lmwzBs_zNd5APuk5AMMDNqGdSLI8dtPcnPoO9cnzbTRVc9s-Q-cjFwXhTtscpW-1-0NSeZ6CYX-L3b_MpDc_dJfpVOVrKbvHetSS3fac/s400/DSCN3614.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiHBmhOdM5bjnz97XkUzupeCk6eb2Qs3mNh_WpX8o4mi2grKmh5QVmGSLCUWFaF3Gxhm_3Hux7s3UCCy23z4ZA2EnCwn99J5Yik170qYjdVuZ2CvBNRMiCJ4dxJ8u22788hII9ONd6f4P/s1600/DSCN3732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqiHBmhOdM5bjnz97XkUzupeCk6eb2Qs3mNh_WpX8o4mi2grKmh5QVmGSLCUWFaF3Gxhm_3Hux7s3UCCy23z4ZA2EnCwn99J5Yik170qYjdVuZ2CvBNRMiCJ4dxJ8u22788hII9ONd6f4P/s400/DSCN3732.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steep Mountain Walls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6T1oRuRUiC_7j_aXOc-YX4EIsg-IjJJCxyTqHbVGHEyVZE277IAJNYEg8uWavlhQ9x25KvX12Bh70d9rqYtUIuwYkqeeH4WjARDxppvRr34rHjqFVzs-of45eBXWTRwKgBqDJD77MpCE/s1600/DSCN3745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs6T1oRuRUiC_7j_aXOc-YX4EIsg-IjJJCxyTqHbVGHEyVZE277IAJNYEg8uWavlhQ9x25KvX12Bh70d9rqYtUIuwYkqeeH4WjARDxppvRr34rHjqFVzs-of45eBXWTRwKgBqDJD77MpCE/s400/DSCN3745.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lush Green Canyons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fa-lNlJ9MWX70cbhekEkpe3PBhb1iKmNrYxzaOjmMCXVeJMxdQlFD3P04j6wnIWjEYfLltdzNTZZ2pMsg1ornDcFR-WJ85AUYc0UnVDMhfM7UIpeQl3OWEVP1jaIXusRcoToR_Y_B4TL/s1600/DSCN3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-fa-lNlJ9MWX70cbhekEkpe3PBhb1iKmNrYxzaOjmMCXVeJMxdQlFD3P04j6wnIWjEYfLltdzNTZZ2pMsg1ornDcFR-WJ85AUYc0UnVDMhfM7UIpeQl3OWEVP1jaIXusRcoToR_Y_B4TL/s400/DSCN3751.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patches of Snow on the Tundra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBEWWpuKeoG7H0MXXFHOjtSEgkCJHWzDSPgztgePr2-te11d8MuCgW32Opza91XN4Bj55jZ3zu2I6zCeThCp4Hmym7500FQBkRbY6LKj58399BfqZIUsuG0n2RogQFqOJZIb6wSln2DcG/s1600/DSCN3776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCBEWWpuKeoG7H0MXXFHOjtSEgkCJHWzDSPgztgePr2-te11d8MuCgW32Opza91XN4Bj55jZ3zu2I6zCeThCp4Hmym7500FQBkRbY6LKj58399BfqZIUsuG0n2RogQFqOJZIb6wSln2DcG/s400/DSCN3776.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Braided Rivers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBFeWPLc27OyuenpTupbWWycJQpczpKFEmz_Z8MrvAR0x5dmaP4utUF90_nPfFSc4xOiETsBY_sOf5BVrksMfJzgIGRbgQTf6vAP0LILMWlk-1HH2Ps3lillAU2P5xWDB0mAVecUhQxFZ/s1600/DSCN3795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBFeWPLc27OyuenpTupbWWycJQpczpKFEmz_Z8MrvAR0x5dmaP4utUF90_nPfFSc4xOiETsBY_sOf5BVrksMfJzgIGRbgQTf6vAP0LILMWlk-1HH2Ps3lillAU2P5xWDB0mAVecUhQxFZ/s400/DSCN3795.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jagged Peaks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFWEovWG6kz9Jcv2f_EZJ2OQRX5AMpRerM45c2mQNtpOF0CUKrvBDX-5lA3yROrt1nnXLub_nwwQgWRz7MWZ-JPeG1IA804c-IDPHCLUP5Gi7A_pA9zx6-CC60i02tG0Nb-Y1kgX1MvzI/s1600/DSCN3827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFWEovWG6kz9Jcv2f_EZJ2OQRX5AMpRerM45c2mQNtpOF0CUKrvBDX-5lA3yROrt1nnXLub_nwwQgWRz7MWZ-JPeG1IA804c-IDPHCLUP5Gi7A_pA9zx6-CC60i02tG0Nb-Y1kgX1MvzI/s400/DSCN3827.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains Still Covered with Snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The views
were stunning. Although it rained from
time to time, the sun eventually came out, and rays of sunlight illuminated the
landscape. I was tempted to just sit
back and enjoy the scenery, but I couldn’t seem to give the camera a rest. I wanted to capture the moment, the light,
the views. I’m not sure I succeeded, but
it’s sure nice to have a few images to help me remember an incredible day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEgQ9il66hL8C8HXbJ_slWcSnHXRNFYEA3PKjPRJYtd4bnlTS-cbbXg_f4rtbd1ecQijOGJvSiLgJRf67XdEeNh2N1r77iSKw4JIrhOgi9gHCrzs3OM_lPaU4qbfj2_jpNe4FsSTIC-1l/s1600/DSCN3936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEgQ9il66hL8C8HXbJ_slWcSnHXRNFYEA3PKjPRJYtd4bnlTS-cbbXg_f4rtbd1ecQijOGJvSiLgJRf67XdEeNh2N1r77iSKw4JIrhOgi9gHCrzs3OM_lPaU4qbfj2_jpNe4FsSTIC-1l/s400/DSCN3936.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sun Shining Through</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI89Z3thYaZ0lE2-qjRLFjM1I-oHuVmzaSBLjkQH7cnejmPe-SXJkPQmC7N_mpw94_VieVF3BgfBSirtydaUDQvkaDlhLoj7wX4LweWE7Fiz9cRoby4oyQ7x5wj0tOPayVXHkZLPnvzaAs/s1600/DSCN3964.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI89Z3thYaZ0lE2-qjRLFjM1I-oHuVmzaSBLjkQH7cnejmPe-SXJkPQmC7N_mpw94_VieVF3BgfBSirtydaUDQvkaDlhLoj7wX4LweWE7Fiz9cRoby4oyQ7x5wj0tOPayVXHkZLPnvzaAs/s400/DSCN3964.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rays of Light</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINW7jqobqb_6YPbvwwRWczJ88k4pSwfEEzo9HODnobAEf5_1foVSSWLtXXln7Pcm9rLhv8BuXIWJVaUu7JrbCki-IdCFCJbKMaD2XOW6kitPZDvIjqim6TENOeHO3Wsk3Pgx5S4U28jM_/s1600/DSCN3972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINW7jqobqb_6YPbvwwRWczJ88k4pSwfEEzo9HODnobAEf5_1foVSSWLtXXln7Pcm9rLhv8BuXIWJVaUu7JrbCki-IdCFCJbKMaD2XOW6kitPZDvIjqim6TENOeHO3Wsk3Pgx5S4U28jM_/s400/DSCN3972.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rugged Beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX-foAZvZCiDxe-9bdxK9hzXfD3pYtGhV5ushHNDvMPz7scweBWkUlWY7GWoAU6GEEUvmwRqiiq_OammnEoZ0C-iwgzOYR0OHz8aczOO6uxlfeVXHqEbz0PFRmqu4N1nlmqktknDzgm5x/s1600/DSCN3998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhX-foAZvZCiDxe-9bdxK9hzXfD3pYtGhV5ushHNDvMPz7scweBWkUlWY7GWoAU6GEEUvmwRqiiq_OammnEoZ0C-iwgzOYR0OHz8aczOO6uxlfeVXHqEbz0PFRmqu4N1nlmqktknDzgm5x/s400/DSCN3998.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Colors</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvH4_lLCPy2qHGJEQDr1DDeS2uVISGbfM5FE09ybUhgv-qeDZiVGBELHZYnO7xL9r25WiE7UoHIyvIKHkxX3AxD1UO_9dCf18-7YpNeELuU330yspTrts5jI6hyphenhyphend6X5k9k0BEu7O512hJ/s1600/DSCN4014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvH4_lLCPy2qHGJEQDr1DDeS2uVISGbfM5FE09ybUhgv-qeDZiVGBELHZYnO7xL9r25WiE7UoHIyvIKHkxX3AxD1UO_9dCf18-7YpNeELuU330yspTrts5jI6hyphenhyphend6X5k9k0BEu7O512hJ/s400/DSCN4014.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Approaching Cook Inlet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
left Katmai National Park and crossed over Cook Inlet, we saw Augustine Volcano,
a relatively young volcano that juts up from water to form Augustine Island. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Just one more reminder of the Ring of Fire
that is such a presence along the coast of Alaska and the rest of the Pacific
Rim.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAqlSFc10HnyO0IU1teFE7K3DXytYgXG6d5fg96kiDFvC_R014eth9d8JARtITZWW9cP_cu55nJWROqwwC2y3o3a0EZvnZqoGqHN7F9cYm8UncKXjLV0zrtmKxzl_1poZ5Jh0VPUnMK-M/s1600/DSCN4073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqAqlSFc10HnyO0IU1teFE7K3DXytYgXG6d5fg96kiDFvC_R014eth9d8JARtITZWW9cP_cu55nJWROqwwC2y3o3a0EZvnZqoGqHN7F9cYm8UncKXjLV0zrtmKxzl_1poZ5Jh0VPUnMK-M/s400/DSCN4073.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Augustine Volcano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUovq3ya9OWp6-N4Agx5-wDuCtHDTs4BKg6diuwYZJ5ernNwZnrlT99Np7LIC-b_eBQaLWugW0cVxKhafQB-o6p3NA1vampRm3y7wmMiESCtWYcrxN8DCpw3PE9IFKgPfEBpnU1Xd2J_SF/s1600/DSCN4093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUovq3ya9OWp6-N4Agx5-wDuCtHDTs4BKg6diuwYZJ5ernNwZnrlT99Np7LIC-b_eBQaLWugW0cVxKhafQB-o6p3NA1vampRm3y7wmMiESCtWYcrxN8DCpw3PE9IFKgPfEBpnU1Xd2J_SF/s400/DSCN4093.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who Knows When This One Will Erupt Again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-55957341001834951312015-08-08T23:45:00.000-08:002015-08-08T23:45:06.942-08:00Viewing Bears in Action at Brooks Falls<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bear
viewing is a big business in Homer. A
dozen or more companies offer trips to various locations to seek out these magnificent
creatures. This was definitely something
I wanted to </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">look
into</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">. We could have taken a
shorter flight to nearby beaches to see bears, but I had it in my head that I
wanted to go all the way to Brooks Camp in <a href="http://www.nps.gov/katm/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Katmai National Park</span></a> to see the bears
in action. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I wanted
to see for myself that iconic view of a grizzly bear perched atop Brooks Falls,
catching a salmon in his mouth. Watching
salmon leap over the falls in their heroic attempt to reach their spanning
grounds would be an added bonus. Yes, it
was a longer flight to Brooks Camp, and much more expensive, but I didn’t
care. That’s what I wanted to do, and
Tim was happy to indulge me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
flight to Brooks Camp was scheduled for Saturday, but the fickle weather forced
a cancellation. I really didn’t want to
miss this trip, so we decided to stay a few extra days in Homer and reschedule
the flight for Monday. As it turned out
the company had to rebook us on an afternoon flight with another outfit, which
turned out to be <a href="http://adventureairways.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Adventure Airways</span></a>. Once
again, Trent was to be our pilot. We
were thrilled because we had had such a great time with him on <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/08/a-magical-flight-through-lake-clark.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">the flight the previous day to Lake Clark National Park</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a
much clearer day when we took off from Homer at 2:00 pm for our eight-hour
adventure. Dramatic clouds created an
interesting backdrop as we flew over Cook Inlet. As we were flying high over a cloud bank, I
looked out the window and noticed the reflection of the plane below. The reflection was encircled by a
rainbow. That was such a cool sight! Trent says that happens sometimes, and I was
so happy to have seen it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqNoDIaUYf0CRruP_1e3Aym0jCRoCauZ5W6PlGZp49OeLUExm9k8BV7yBX5Pc9HwhaSqYom0YCw2lKbp49EXrGOjh2hLk54rCAH19A4gm6pfVCObLA15yuRqJGdkCzO45ydIumuxaANh/s1600/DSCN2912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKqNoDIaUYf0CRruP_1e3Aym0jCRoCauZ5W6PlGZp49OeLUExm9k8BV7yBX5Pc9HwhaSqYom0YCw2lKbp49EXrGOjh2hLk54rCAH19A4gm6pfVCObLA15yuRqJGdkCzO45ydIumuxaANh/s400/DSCN2912.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Reflection of Our Plane Encircled by a Rainbow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
I had expected beautiful views on the flight to Brooks Camp, my focus had been
on the bears. I hadn’t thought too much
about what we might see on the way. That
was just as well since we flew high over the mountains and the clouds obscured most
of our view. We encountered a heavy rainstorm,
and for a brief while we were flying through clouds with no visibility whatsoever.
I wasn’t exactly afraid, but it was
certainly an eerie feeling. It was still
raining when we arrived at Brooks Camp, but we had expected that – it seems to
be raining there more often than not. In
Alaska, one should never leave home without raingear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUKhNmLnG5otOwh-Sz9Waq2JRbMpSOcoSRstq3P24QmVCIJI0xBAuWgjWCAOc3c2H2G0hk0ViiRaIFbYLR2Up3xcjuHj8o10ca7lkjW_EBu7uWcioBj5pFZAJJRT0pi9ykfsr6T9qAik_/s1600/DSCN2941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUKhNmLnG5otOwh-Sz9Waq2JRbMpSOcoSRstq3P24QmVCIJI0xBAuWgjWCAOc3c2H2G0hk0ViiRaIFbYLR2Up3xcjuHj8o10ca7lkjW_EBu7uWcioBj5pFZAJJRT0pi9ykfsr6T9qAik_/s400/DSCN2941.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Would the Clouds Obstruct our Views?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once we </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">landed </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">at Brooks Camp, I found out how lucky we were to have arrived on an
afternoon flight. We discovered that most
of the other day trippers were just getting ready to fly out. What luck!
What could have been us and dozens or even hundreds of other visitors
turned out to be just us and a handful of people, most of whom were staying at Brooks
Lodge. I could not believe our good fortune.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Just
a brief planning tip before I proceed to describe our day.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> For anyone contemplating a day trip to Brooks
Camp, I would highly recommend an afternoon flight so you can see the bears
without jostling for space on the viewing platforms. We were told that people typically have to
wait an hour or more just to reach the platform since only a limited number of
people are permitted at one time. Then,
you can only stay for less than an hour to make room for others. By arriving later in the day, we did not have
to wait to reach the platform, which we shared with only a handful of people, plus
we could stay as long as we wanted. It
was heavenly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Now, back
to the story. We arrived at Brooks Camp
and were ushered to the visitor center for a “bear etiquette” talk, which outlined
park regulations, safety rules, etc. We
had to leave all food behind in the food locker, since no food is permitted
outside a fenced-in area near the visitor center. After that, we were free to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
three elevated viewing platforms along the Brooks River where people can view
bears. The platforms were designed not
only for visitor safety, but also to protect the bears. Tim and I followed the 1.2 mile path to the
main viewing platform at the falls and were immediately awestruck at the sight
of 15 brown bears. The scene before us
was just like the one I’d seen in photos and wildlife documentaries, only a
hundred times better. We were right
there, so close. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIVlJYUmmocik7aFY0uQGH7KT7wvCZADMHSxRlDzvoafK8teeO5OGzcF0X1EDJsqcuO7hIYEJqQn8PdOQdWqJT3ke5XYLPFtJDwkHXV1LSjgLhKUiDIll2w3vKpZgA0vTOr9ZoTe7iVmR/s1600/DSCN3235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIVlJYUmmocik7aFY0uQGH7KT7wvCZADMHSxRlDzvoafK8teeO5OGzcF0X1EDJsqcuO7hIYEJqQn8PdOQdWqJT3ke5XYLPFtJDwkHXV1LSjgLhKUiDIll2w3vKpZgA0vTOr9ZoTe7iVmR/s400/DSCN3235.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Is the Scene that Greeted Us at Brooks Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIR9TqDAABR-04VI6rMbzS1LWz5vRNZfAU_u8CIpJqhbx_cBqG7Ydqmua9VLaBdzxrLY0ttROJBfW6-N3XbBYzvLyXpe-vqWk6kLBQfSZt5iHBRKffJL8hOjE5CmuFMchnvl74X4N5t9_/s1600/DSCN3379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVIR9TqDAABR-04VI6rMbzS1LWz5vRNZfAU_u8CIpJqhbx_cBqG7Ydqmua9VLaBdzxrLY0ttROJBfW6-N3XbBYzvLyXpe-vqWk6kLBQfSZt5iHBRKffJL8hOjE5CmuFMchnvl74X4N5t9_/s400/DSCN3379.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Was a Thrill to See the Bears Up Close</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I cannot
describe how exciting it was to view the bears in action. We were not watching bears in a zoo or a
rehabilitation center. They were in
their natural habitat doing what bears do.
And we had the privilege of being there with them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With so
many bears to look at, it was hard to know where to focus my attention. I decided to concentrate on the large males standing
at the top of the falls. These were the
bears who tried to catch the salmon in their mouths as the fish hurled themselves
over the falls. I quickly learned that
some bears were better fishermen than others.
They all seemed to get their fill, however. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm8gVSpUF_Ozuo0uiHsTmd1TnXk2mp7BvdxxwbKPbk-W-FapObvGqeh9lvNH9AZXYors6lYluDAe_5giRmIR2JXfe0xOH3gZeiZzKykFBOHHS_2uZarIVXjbBZlXBB30MjoqEBr5TD3rf/s1600/DSCN3117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm8gVSpUF_Ozuo0uiHsTmd1TnXk2mp7BvdxxwbKPbk-W-FapObvGqeh9lvNH9AZXYors6lYluDAe_5giRmIR2JXfe0xOH3gZeiZzKykFBOHHS_2uZarIVXjbBZlXBB30MjoqEBr5TD3rf/s400/DSCN3117.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm Going to Catch You</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHowyWckqy0I8lbtqsbnwM-HMnkuvs8W9NCehgdv-QxjmeqZRPA7P98_-7DXNsC5qv54Hu6Yvadk7GSR-hncn8HIuAdVA7gj9ETj2_j_2g801tgxybHSBt4Yme57AQFse8f96uS148CwOe/s1600/DSCN3119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHowyWckqy0I8lbtqsbnwM-HMnkuvs8W9NCehgdv-QxjmeqZRPA7P98_-7DXNsC5qv54Hu6Yvadk7GSR-hncn8HIuAdVA7gj9ETj2_j_2g801tgxybHSBt4Yme57AQFse8f96uS148CwOe/s400/DSCN3119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh No, Which One Should I Go For? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjo7R-qt3a1TBbZqgxrgKzU32dWY_IueLT0IRXkiYZ46nbUuid7SU2w5T61vR1FJsBjdwMjh37fytRyKmmNe295ScqYCJANwz9unAjhlShP6MOjvtTU_6wc16Qztpd-a0Mws_hjox-fwP/s1600/DSCN3169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKjo7R-qt3a1TBbZqgxrgKzU32dWY_IueLT0IRXkiYZ46nbUuid7SU2w5T61vR1FJsBjdwMjh37fytRyKmmNe295ScqYCJANwz9unAjhlShP6MOjvtTU_6wc16Qztpd-a0Mws_hjox-fwP/s400/DSCN3169.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Won't Miss This Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVqxmlOT4l_STj8kId2fffRZ5xJmOZKgM14UxNb-PXmWco0WKtKHiiurB5yBd5h5uh3Gd2FTlrcsAvA6PJ5XAWX90Vw0tbWgeZ7dr7glD6pMtiJGryLCH2R-DMCkeSgWXrs8akFgdOCfc/s1600/DSCN3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVqxmlOT4l_STj8kId2fffRZ5xJmOZKgM14UxNb-PXmWco0WKtKHiiurB5yBd5h5uh3Gd2FTlrcsAvA6PJ5XAWX90Vw0tbWgeZ7dr7glD6pMtiJGryLCH2R-DMCkeSgWXrs8akFgdOCfc/s400/DSCN3177.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotcha!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8yzBlKtoK76CDez-9KYk2o1Y-1Ux-i1eYWO6xXmRn_1rwe7Lh7lCquqzhteSRQakQK00eB723jVtelSHR0jkhpZdm3Dg0GshwU4t3Rf4W-_kQvNoyUCk-8X3wtEneGJTp_04Tn5n5GvT/s1600/DSCN3468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_8yzBlKtoK76CDez-9KYk2o1Y-1Ux-i1eYWO6xXmRn_1rwe7Lh7lCquqzhteSRQakQK00eB723jVtelSHR0jkhpZdm3Dg0GshwU4t3Rf4W-_kQvNoyUCk-8X3wtEneGJTp_04Tn5n5GvT/s400/DSCN3468.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This One's Mine!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the larger males claimed their spots at
the top of the falls, others stood at the base and would dive into the water to
catch their fish. Each bear had his own
technique.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIDmRZN7ZPfwWCMx4BqyXqr8lntqZEXcrX3kmnOOmavoYqXfv4RsD6aa06BmwmWU9aTWMc84WcZbDVznyDoHQPOe3BEWs1oAh9uURGQWX_CyMbXp6JUgvN-O2IY0S8TVOzqUVIjx6dStq/s1600/DSCN3503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiIDmRZN7ZPfwWCMx4BqyXqr8lntqZEXcrX3kmnOOmavoYqXfv4RsD6aa06BmwmWU9aTWMc84WcZbDVznyDoHQPOe3BEWs1oAh9uURGQWX_CyMbXp6JUgvN-O2IY0S8TVOzqUVIjx6dStq/s400/DSCN3503.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diving Is a Popular Technique</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGqMPs0QhFskV9_RO_wN4xymtKaOCeMhrGZh34JTBqeUIys7vU_jOw8OL-S1tFymqztfI1QqAFpDGcJe1i_-RT8ARvbXkl3ofiIhhKtojCOAD3G2jBVYpF6920qtcek_s87Jzg_i9FU2/s1600/DSCN3329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilhGqMPs0QhFskV9_RO_wN4xymtKaOCeMhrGZh34JTBqeUIys7vU_jOw8OL-S1tFymqztfI1QqAFpDGcJe1i_-RT8ARvbXkl3ofiIhhKtojCOAD3G2jBVYpF6920qtcek_s87Jzg_i9FU2/s320/DSCN3329.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Tasty</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2V6LnAk2EYOkqT6XGKen3zneN9lIzcG00VIDbHWfE9HmDQgMvO5QhFDfaKgl7hOG_7coVFlP7TrzbxNh9VHhUA87An5Go_kiH5ANnAsF5w8aWqXXIrMP15JayDdTS39fkHmQmIhy6clu/s1600/DSCN3497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2V6LnAk2EYOkqT6XGKen3zneN9lIzcG00VIDbHWfE9HmDQgMvO5QhFDfaKgl7hOG_7coVFlP7TrzbxNh9VHhUA87An5Go_kiH5ANnAsF5w8aWqXXIrMP15JayDdTS39fkHmQmIhy6clu/s400/DSCN3497.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How About Saving a Morsel for Me?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2l6IRq5gnggSty2Tck0f_ljGlFVR5gDn1V5ogQart0ygFz5PW9jzWqMrJtZFuuBE5Elm_4A6f8JKeDJMo3xUseNiCQL4gXcCE0u2qursscYIx7uf6RvxCLn-mTlq6_Ch3xlLPEQQgRss/s1600/DSCN3114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2l6IRq5gnggSty2Tck0f_ljGlFVR5gDn1V5ogQart0ygFz5PW9jzWqMrJtZFuuBE5Elm_4A6f8JKeDJMo3xUseNiCQL4gXcCE0u2qursscYIx7uf6RvxCLn-mTlq6_Ch3xlLPEQQgRss/s400/DSCN3114.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How Do You Like My Technique?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mostly it
was the males who dominated the area around the falls. We watched as a sow and her three cubs tried
to get close, but were usually pushed back.
We especially enjoyed watching the mother teach her cubs how to fish. Several times she would catch a salmon and
make the cubs fight for it. It was also
fun to watch the young bears play-fighting with one another.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyTe2ywkVe5mTILj9mh1hZFHfGi11_TFFNBv7sqgBhPfQ5uTQ-NMzYMXaXfXWof4H_emGrvXSolXOPQ3u2AG9QyB-7VexoeA3wLnYvY7EmdblJrvxYTIEWchufU3fxKfkaR8Hs4OQiXMX/s1600/DSCN3371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyTe2ywkVe5mTILj9mh1hZFHfGi11_TFFNBv7sqgBhPfQ5uTQ-NMzYMXaXfXWof4H_emGrvXSolXOPQ3u2AG9QyB-7VexoeA3wLnYvY7EmdblJrvxYTIEWchufU3fxKfkaR8Hs4OQiXMX/s400/DSCN3371.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Follow Me, Children</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sxnLb9jpk_NT3VRHDqIybsgY06rjVQxoikp7J1rJOtGA1GLSyaa4Maj6CFUvx5D7x0Ebb-m83BrAvYZuLhVlOn9QxfL7Rd-X-9JWQZYCA1NMuzCBeOATx5tBqlljT7uEkoZc-EUBolsN/s1600/DSCN3303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1sxnLb9jpk_NT3VRHDqIybsgY06rjVQxoikp7J1rJOtGA1GLSyaa4Maj6CFUvx5D7x0Ebb-m83BrAvYZuLhVlOn9QxfL7Rd-X-9JWQZYCA1NMuzCBeOATx5tBqlljT7uEkoZc-EUBolsN/s400/DSCN3303.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Wonder If the Big Boys Will Let Us Get a Little Closer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgs_B4mJdvlX_lsuyVg860MOG6uT27kWSR0rwxZrf3TpBYEbpzmBmpIJbZIntgKS0TmvtehJ3k5661KEnru6YltXp-w40NyIuwmAlR_ozoLvbsIeEgRUMQIrSKQC_BZ7PRJ6lLO0i3x46/s1600/DSCN3308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgs_B4mJdvlX_lsuyVg860MOG6uT27kWSR0rwxZrf3TpBYEbpzmBmpIJbZIntgKS0TmvtehJ3k5661KEnru6YltXp-w40NyIuwmAlR_ozoLvbsIeEgRUMQIrSKQC_BZ7PRJ6lLO0i3x46/s320/DSCN3308.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now Children, This Is How to Fight for a Fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_nQykC0uh-Rb1Hzj6RBbxjkj4SkMQsSnKdvgiehfEvJniTeDvd9e6x9sHjKrQN8JiP7yXkL5wjy3wx8LUQ5fjpiYPaUDY2RaGGBGXH6g5tHc0VwJ2wgEE0o2LnmGWrq0BhN9QZIJVbRJ/s1600/DSCN3311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_nQykC0uh-Rb1Hzj6RBbxjkj4SkMQsSnKdvgiehfEvJniTeDvd9e6x9sHjKrQN8JiP7yXkL5wjy3wx8LUQ5fjpiYPaUDY2RaGGBGXH6g5tHc0VwJ2wgEE0o2LnmGWrq0BhN9QZIJVbRJ/s400/DSCN3311.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> But Mom, Why Does Junior Always Get the Fish?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjXsgLTDVfshiGhVqwMF7RR4glwz-9B6jYV23Zr-t3mZFh5utT0XuD25yiWiu10gzTNBonsSP113xAwCD5QccLBbJaREjcDtt5d03FWGo3-2YB8zyMc-pbOtAviDt4KOIKm6p5s1-erl8/s1600/DSCN3422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLjXsgLTDVfshiGhVqwMF7RR4glwz-9B6jYV23Zr-t3mZFh5utT0XuD25yiWiu10gzTNBonsSP113xAwCD5QccLBbJaREjcDtt5d03FWGo3-2YB8zyMc-pbOtAviDt4KOIKm6p5s1-erl8/s400/DSCN3422.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just Stick By Me and I'll Teach You Everything I Know</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQFHfRpM-8AeNCy_dd5Um-LNHKNHzIFx-9ibo47MurBfEs1vgNFpqSJQ9CspSuB7efxthBD0n9uZA1Ba1-OzMG1QfQXuk4Txoc2nJS9eGkLqF7OXdax0sXLb9qLKa_fMwjt3phbCijGnW/s1600/DSCN3479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQFHfRpM-8AeNCy_dd5Um-LNHKNHzIFx-9ibo47MurBfEs1vgNFpqSJQ9CspSuB7efxthBD0n9uZA1Ba1-OzMG1QfQXuk4Txoc2nJS9eGkLqF7OXdax0sXLb9qLKa_fMwjt3phbCijGnW/s400/DSCN3479.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's Play</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For the most
part the bears got along with each other and respected each other’s
territories. There were occasional
scuffles, but that was not common.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpUt_GvWnK44NyOXBAkxctxHFjEEK6XyExrs2JBApQSn6lguPQW4bp-nEl_7v6gbzkq77Bw4OaUmlTKMntauNsXyzL4OLE544Qup3zHltGUlNde2i6HqpvK60x7lh30FVDXsaUC2qCfd8/s1600/DSCN3239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglpUt_GvWnK44NyOXBAkxctxHFjEEK6XyExrs2JBApQSn6lguPQW4bp-nEl_7v6gbzkq77Bw4OaUmlTKMntauNsXyzL4OLE544Qup3zHltGUlNde2i6HqpvK60x7lh30FVDXsaUC2qCfd8/s400/DSCN3239.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Is My Spot, Find Your Own</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieshhqJ1Jvvnwmy9jqQKCuIrMnR6A1JksEgqfnL7CJWHe28yCMttFnvPdZw7_HE0C7fdQ8BEAxijdB7JYYJ6Cm9PJUF8M30YnXaHlZUgiy3IT_fi7G7n0dg1DKvDnUuf4OpfuP1vLMrd2j/s1600/DSCN3536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieshhqJ1Jvvnwmy9jqQKCuIrMnR6A1JksEgqfnL7CJWHe28yCMttFnvPdZw7_HE0C7fdQ8BEAxijdB7JYYJ6Cm9PJUF8M30YnXaHlZUgiy3IT_fi7G7n0dg1DKvDnUuf4OpfuP1vLMrd2j/s400/DSCN3536.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peaceful Coexistence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XK_Hg_UFn9B7uA95exkTNWUCdh4UT-_SVyXUrX69ESCr_sw7w9YSkQZ3cjKPndZb2pcne6iwLEKuoxEILsJT1AAyuo6QpS2oG28jvwx8ytaljiaoQ3v6sAPqz8oc9d3HslgWhjlp1s-D/s1600/DSCN3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XK_Hg_UFn9B7uA95exkTNWUCdh4UT-_SVyXUrX69ESCr_sw7w9YSkQZ3cjKPndZb2pcne6iwLEKuoxEILsJT1AAyuo6QpS2oG28jvwx8ytaljiaoQ3v6sAPqz8oc9d3HslgWhjlp1s-D/s400/DSCN3554.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe There's Room for All of Us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One thing
we learned was that Alaska’s brown bears and grizzly bears are now considered
to be one species. Brown bears are
larger than grizzlies because of their rich diet of salmon. In the short time we were there, several
bears had caught and eaten at least ten salmon. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">No
wonder they get so large.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
stood by the platform railing and stared at the bears for several hours. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was mesmerized.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even when it started to rain, I didn’t move.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thanks to a good rain jacket and rain pants, I
barely noticed the weather, which is highly unusual for me.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I tried my best to capture the action with my
little camera, and I was impressed with how well it did.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Patience was the key, however, to capturing the
moment when a bear actually caught a fish.</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUPS5SZto-sF-6DXFrpRYV0Wqmr-5DqabNr-yRTCHdP2Cq-uMMV0WSPRADLla5ZCAzGFWMtZ934yR4IhCMVZh-798f6xyxSeCPo_3E9LQlKIMIIry29Lrz5Qr-EQzwx8JBDhtsLUrBJF8/s1600/DSCN3363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUPS5SZto-sF-6DXFrpRYV0Wqmr-5DqabNr-yRTCHdP2Cq-uMMV0WSPRADLla5ZCAzGFWMtZ934yR4IhCMVZh-798f6xyxSeCPo_3E9LQlKIMIIry29Lrz5Qr-EQzwx8JBDhtsLUrBJF8/s320/DSCN3363.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Think I've Got Him</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; text-align: center;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvXAzg06FloCB_FL0UyVDcRjmz49EMoKu4OjiDWCeDVWqUtXmQF21xXqwQqTlBlD835gGQ4hbUkQm88tFpBdzf4gu6r4JEo-0U_gNiBxf8FDZTJBlX60zzMrmyY4PghAbWQTUasxHDmSN/s1600/DSCN3427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAvXAzg06FloCB_FL0UyVDcRjmz49EMoKu4OjiDWCeDVWqUtXmQF21xXqwQqTlBlD835gGQ4hbUkQm88tFpBdzf4gu6r4JEo-0U_gNiBxf8FDZTJBlX60zzMrmyY4PghAbWQTUasxHDmSN/s400/DSCN3427.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Wonder if I Can I Catch Both of Them?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I know I
could have stood on the platform much longer, but after a few hours it seemed
to be time to go. I was satisfied with
my short time there. Yes, it might have
been nice to spend the night and go back several times, but for that you must
make reservations more than a year in advance.
Tim and I experienced more in just a few hours than some people
experience in several days. Our timing
could not have been better. We arrived
during the peak salmon run, which attracts the largest number of bears to the
falls, and we arrived late in the day, which attracts the smallest number of
people to the platforms. I couldn’t have
asked for anything more. I had witnessed
what I had come to see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7omOi4hHrsRDD2LJ5TOkyNQIAj0N79UgpAFVGQlqWRYs5kwB-7IIlv9SNI_z4ksc8eYiFNuZN_5cz5I7ogkFKhyphenhyphencODCwY2h6tuuXyTFUv9Y1f0e6VvL-Lrcq2DFaw2MHQj3bYHPH1AbWb/s1600/DSCN3538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7omOi4hHrsRDD2LJ5TOkyNQIAj0N79UgpAFVGQlqWRYs5kwB-7IIlv9SNI_z4ksc8eYiFNuZN_5cz5I7ogkFKhyphenhyphencODCwY2h6tuuXyTFUv9Y1f0e6VvL-Lrcq2DFaw2MHQj3bYHPH1AbWb/s640/DSCN3538.JPG" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and I Were Grinning from Ear to Ear</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Without a
doubt this was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. It was a totally different adventure than the
trip to Lake Clark National Park, and even more magical. Here, we were closer to the largest land predators
on the continent than I had ever imagined, witnessing nature in all its
glory. This was also one of the most
expensive day trips I’ve ever taken, but it was well worth it. Once again, I can’t believe how lucky we are
to be able to take advantage of such opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even if
you can’t watch the bears at Katmai in person, it is still possible for anyone
to see them in action. The National Park
Service had five live-streaming <a href="http://www.nps.gov/katm/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">bearcams </span></a>that bring the bears directly to your
computer screen. During the peak months of
the salmon run, as many as 18,000 viewers from all over the world tune in and
get to known the personalities of the individual bears. It’s definitely worth watching.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I realize
that I have included way more photographs that usual, since I just couldn’t
seem to choose which ones to include.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Therefore,
I’ll save the photographs from our return flight to Homer for the next post.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-46905529143601553582015-08-07T21:35:00.001-08:002015-08-07T21:35:39.837-08:00A Magical Flight through Lake Clark National Park<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
thoughts come to mind when you hear that conditions during our flight to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lacl/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;"> Lake Clark National Park</span></a> included constant rain, fog and low-lying clouds, thus
preventing us from reaching our intended destination? A huge disappointment? A waste of money? Perhaps.
Magical might be the last word you would think of, but that’s exactly how
I would describe our experience. But
first, let me back up and provide a little context.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of my
long-standing goals has been to visit every national park in the country, and
as many of the other units of the National Park Service as well. Alaska is home to eight national parks, as
well as eight other units. However, the
majority are extremely difficult to visit. Many are not on any road system and are
located in some of the most remote areas of the state. Even chartering a small plane can pose
problems since weather is a huge factor in reaching the parks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYo2acHeNArWP7mXct32QXsaqFKKbUlYdvyzP8yy_9015ssddR3qjDs14G6vd2jeaNueEIb_GIhK7Z4q8X0KdvCRQdPZuVbJNwBSQgeAt9xGi92OayYlYB8UgM0a5y8SR3mbW_qerzi0Q/s1600/Three+National+Parks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYo2acHeNArWP7mXct32QXsaqFKKbUlYdvyzP8yy_9015ssddR3qjDs14G6vd2jeaNueEIb_GIhK7Z4q8X0KdvCRQdPZuVbJNwBSQgeAt9xGi92OayYlYB8UgM0a5y8SR3mbW_qerzi0Q/s640/Three+National+Parks.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've Already Visited (top to bottom) Glacier National Park,<br />Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Kenai Fjords National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79V5bYDT9ic4TAA1UnRMwfGeSIwmlyyNm0F-Nnf5KfQj-chyphenhyphenGzTQwZbA6nXwUZFdmqNHLbxnVM29y3_aEv0RGp8BUI6dW1gRsPSb7AM33bZSmZIUVxhQkeZLGk6BHfTZMO7KCryuK3_24/s1600/Two+NH+Parks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg79V5bYDT9ic4TAA1UnRMwfGeSIwmlyyNm0F-Nnf5KfQj-chyphenhyphenGzTQwZbA6nXwUZFdmqNHLbxnVM29y3_aEv0RGp8BUI6dW1gRsPSb7AM33bZSmZIUVxhQkeZLGk6BHfTZMO7KCryuK3_24/s400/Two+NH+Parks.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've Also Visited (top to bottom)<br />Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park<br />and Sitka National Historical Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lake
Clark is one of these remote parks, but it’s just over an hour by air from
Homer, making a day trip doable. It’s relatively
easy to find a small plane that will take you there, that is, if you are
willing to fork over the big bucks. It’s
certainly not cheap to fly to Lake Clark.
But, it’s a place I’ve wanted to visit since learning more about it last
summer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lake
Clark was designated as a national park in 1980 to preserve the great geologic
diversity created by the forces of fire and ice. Most of the park is a vast wilderness area,
and the rugged Chigmit Mountains dominate the landscape. Here is where the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges
meet. Volcanos and glaciers are still at
work today, and the landscape is constantly evolving. Lake Clark, for which the park is named, is
more than 40 miles long and contains one of the largest sockeye salmon fishing
grounds in the world. The lake is a
centerpiece of the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEgyjKWKR1kjp-j4d2W7QVha81CU7mghUr39v1ZGzUwPI5-Jp3SZR4t6yNPuvOE0Gfx_7qoM7Vmeh2nKT6ktVW8cA10ehUMqi1RxRSe_640chyphenhyphenptXqY8tesFWtszlfqD0deZ_jagLC1if/s1600/DSCN2410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEgyjKWKR1kjp-j4d2W7QVha81CU7mghUr39v1ZGzUwPI5-Jp3SZR4t6yNPuvOE0Gfx_7qoM7Vmeh2nKT6ktVW8cA10ehUMqi1RxRSe_640chyphenhyphenptXqY8tesFWtszlfqD0deZ_jagLC1if/s400/DSCN2410.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Trip to Lake Clark Is Doable</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lake
Clark National Park also has a cultural component. The Dena’ina people have lived here for at
least 900 years. In addition, individuals
seeking an independent and wilderness lifestyle built homes here in the recent
past. Richard Proenneke was one of these
men. Dick, as he was known, came to Twin
Lakes in 1967 and began constructing a cabin by hand. This would be his home for the next 30
years. The Proenneke cabin is the best
example of the many log cabins built in the Alaska wilderness over the last
century. His cabin is now a national
historic site and is a symbol of the national wilderness movement. Proenneke would go on to become an
influential voice in the push to preserve Alaska’s wilderness areas, and his name
is well known in environmental circles. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You
can take a virtual tour of the cabin <a href="http://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/proenneke-cabin-virtual-tour.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">here</span></a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="a log cabin with sod roof" height="284" src="http://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/images/cabin-tour-2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dick Proenneke Cabin (<i>NPS Photo/Kevyn Jalone</i><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I first
learned about Dick Proenneke from my friend who just passed away. Her aunt had spent many summers at Dick’s
cabin (he stayed at his friend Spike’s cabin a short distance away), and had
shared stories with my friend about this wild and beautiful place. Then, early this year I happened to see a
film that documented how Dick built his cabin, as well as how he survived the
Alaskan winters. I was hooked, and I
knew that if I ever made it to Alaska I wanted to visit the cabin and Twin
Lakes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Sunday
July 26, Tim and I boarded <a href="http://www.adventureairways.com/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Adventure Airways</span></a>’ four-seat floatplane for a day
trip to Lake Clark National Park. It was
a relatively clear day in Homer with just a few clouds, and our pilot Trent had
heard that conditions were pretty good where we were headed. As we flew across Cook Inlet, we were greeted
by clouds obscuring most of Mount Iliamna and Mount Redoubt, the two volcanoes
that frame the eastern side of the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXvlBwMcq92SM_q-RX7-dZGWTDti4672QCYrjxQFYZ9vyaueaIXKXoXEn9tjA7jh1hBuIjIfT5fxXgzvC8-izZ5Y5tVENEod6flw9bB3dzGIvmNcjeLoXHyvMjgOvxo7eadeTQzY9k5-m/s1600/DSCN1963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXvlBwMcq92SM_q-RX7-dZGWTDti4672QCYrjxQFYZ9vyaueaIXKXoXEn9tjA7jh1hBuIjIfT5fxXgzvC8-izZ5Y5tVENEod6flw9bB3dzGIvmNcjeLoXHyvMjgOvxo7eadeTQzY9k5-m/s400/DSCN1963.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trent Is Preparing for Us to Board His Floatplane in Homer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc58ACyr7AuSy9Bkzg5jpxcG4UEohnNOJXxcvb5O-birDGqltbJcWK6039P44EZtbjMTVpnbp8o6oPudmHpYuH1dX3FaSbkl_D1BnIvMT1JxWj-MJTRzo9jOEFczLU74A4Wl0q_jlOnCm5/s1600/DSCN2020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc58ACyr7AuSy9Bkzg5jpxcG4UEohnNOJXxcvb5O-birDGqltbJcWK6039P44EZtbjMTVpnbp8o6oPudmHpYuH1dX3FaSbkl_D1BnIvMT1JxWj-MJTRzo9jOEFczLU74A4Wl0q_jlOnCm5/s400/DSCN2020.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy Clouds Greeted Us After Crossing Cook Inlet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPlP4_0HuUzf3NLD0zCJA_Sa0srr1AG3jAI0oek0LM_mzs8wICWBcRC5h0AZLIzdipaYpGB0gMktsdUVfyD729JUlenLgMjRWjzJCPsRaMDliY523Pe6XZUoODNE1BVwEIrv_wl3i_Y-x/s1600/DSCN1987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPlP4_0HuUzf3NLD0zCJA_Sa0srr1AG3jAI0oek0LM_mzs8wICWBcRC5h0AZLIzdipaYpGB0gMktsdUVfyD729JUlenLgMjRWjzJCPsRaMDliY523Pe6XZUoODNE1BVwEIrv_wl3i_Y-x/s400/DSCN1987.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Pilot Needs All Types of Navigational Aids in Weather Like This</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On clear
days pilots fly high over the majestic peaks of the Alaska Range on the way to
Twin Lakes. This day, however, was
turning out to anything but clear. It
started to rain, and low clouds obscured much of the view. Have you ever tried to take photographs
through a windshield dotted with raindrops?
I quickly found out that there are no windshield wipers on a bush plane. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
was starting to get discouraged and feared that the flightseeing portion of the
trip would be washed out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Trent quickly
determined that he would have to fly low through Lake Clark Pass, the alternate
route into the park. Before we knew it,
we were treated to amazing views of steep mountainsides, expansive glaciers and
ribbon-like waterfalls as we flew through the pass and over Tlikakila
River. We could see why the Tlikakila
has been designated as a National Wild and Scenic River. The scenery was mesmerizing. The rain, clouds and fog seemed to add to the
atmosphere, not detract from it.
Although there were features that remained hidden behind the clouds, it
didn’t seem to matter. Tim and I were
both enthralled with the view. Had the
weather not been iffy, we would have flown high and missed our up close and
personal experience with the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RNp2-jHSW-O7Bgf3W06D9TOK1SRA1G1hK3jBVxgknDwHJscZmJHiiMdNSC2di30kwydSHjdT9sbDWOsoeLBedG_Ncp-paCslO1WzdkMgElIztGqg_ip_KIE7HlGEABngo63QhM8KYeoh/s1600/DSCN2055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8RNp2-jHSW-O7Bgf3W06D9TOK1SRA1G1hK3jBVxgknDwHJscZmJHiiMdNSC2di30kwydSHjdT9sbDWOsoeLBedG_Ncp-paCslO1WzdkMgElIztGqg_ip_KIE7HlGEABngo63QhM8KYeoh/s400/DSCN2055.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Saw Glaciers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJalP8Xq4RJLvVtJ4H1VzOkUMwfWbH-oz2WASBJL4du8qM5Q9wAgCgIJXiQWLsopE8VY0Yla87l_QpUlHbZFKC5dqWRLdLL4-bEcJA1YES89vzCBITmD_472_yyuw0bGXwIvGZtD_kx_Tf/s1600/DSCN2123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJalP8Xq4RJLvVtJ4H1VzOkUMwfWbH-oz2WASBJL4du8qM5Q9wAgCgIJXiQWLsopE8VY0Yla87l_QpUlHbZFKC5dqWRLdLL4-bEcJA1YES89vzCBITmD_472_yyuw0bGXwIvGZtD_kx_Tf/s400/DSCN2123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And More Glaciers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf1h_3J9GRkflhhIQy-ZgorUp3tpdXrs-pkAFFW3NKPoPhZFrHOgtKS2swVotepy5HxJFo_iO2aQIZJ9jW0bKDKCzUci7-5wHkERoOvK3s8QeEhO2xy6KzNzoyfCrGPfTQGYczgF55PpI/s1600/DSCN2193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtf1h_3J9GRkflhhIQy-ZgorUp3tpdXrs-pkAFFW3NKPoPhZFrHOgtKS2swVotepy5HxJFo_iO2aQIZJ9jW0bKDKCzUci7-5wHkERoOvK3s8QeEhO2xy6KzNzoyfCrGPfTQGYczgF55PpI/s400/DSCN2193.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As We Flew Over the Tlikakila River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately,
such conditions do not lend themselves to </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">good </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">photographs.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The weather conditions, plus the smudged
windows, were less than ideal, and I was hesitant to post the few photographs
that were somewhat decent.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But I decided
to go ahead and include them.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">They’re
not great, but they will help me remember a special day.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’m just not sure you will get a good picture
of what we saw.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHymRrAuZcopYxXJnjxeOksCoftX6uUHusHiaaSwoGwkUEb8BEgfpgbcPpIA4P9R_nkFrYN7A7Kdxb3fmffFYsKfPR5CSdixmDLqlTxGVzEEefhs1mtH9K7GDaWsQyWOBOBhMhKAAXGz-/s1600/DSCN2105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHymRrAuZcopYxXJnjxeOksCoftX6uUHusHiaaSwoGwkUEb8BEgfpgbcPpIA4P9R_nkFrYN7A7Kdxb3fmffFYsKfPR5CSdixmDLqlTxGVzEEefhs1mtH9K7GDaWsQyWOBOBhMhKAAXGz-/s400/DSCN2105.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Looked through the Raindrops at the Tlikakila River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
approached the pass that would lead to Twin Lakes, all we could see was a wall
of clouds. Trent nosed his way in a bit,
looking for an opening, but one was not to be found. We were not surprised when he informed us
that we would not be going to the Proenneke cabin today. Yes, this was a disappointment, but we
regrouped and decided that we would fly to the National Park visitor center in
Port Alsworth instead. We were happy
just to be in the park, plus we would get to fly over Lake Clark itself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgYR09ZXpT9sWGY-3ycctlxFujF_yPZ4I_Maou72SiEXY940GO7DsxHniUVDpslTM41hw9bQHl_Hs6-TPtPfDdoU_8ue8u2yIiJ7I6jwf-QoBFewYj8pxgF3pCrayd8RgZVWH4mTfV3zX/s1600/DSCN2293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVgYR09ZXpT9sWGY-3ycctlxFujF_yPZ4I_Maou72SiEXY940GO7DsxHniUVDpslTM41hw9bQHl_Hs6-TPtPfDdoU_8ue8u2yIiJ7I6jwf-QoBFewYj8pxgF3pCrayd8RgZVWH4mTfV3zX/s400/DSCN2293.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our First View of Lake Clark Was through the Mist</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3nTNCi3Ij7RqYAR_gjyI5Q2kz3gtjMRQBerDsZW8covT6JrBgCLApeGsrKi1BnXw-1-E3bpqNAtww063AHUVhU_GrAt0JeVHDE0AcUeKV23hzjsJFVjpRWi4ftfvid6njLJXXWgOzAQ0/s1600/DSCN2345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3nTNCi3Ij7RqYAR_gjyI5Q2kz3gtjMRQBerDsZW8covT6JrBgCLApeGsrKi1BnXw-1-E3bpqNAtww063AHUVhU_GrAt0JeVHDE0AcUeKV23hzjsJFVjpRWi4ftfvid6njLJXXWgOzAQ0/s400/DSCN2345.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But Lake Clark Was Beautiful to Look at in any Weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
visitor center is small, but we enjoyed chatting with Ranger Lucas and watching
the film. We didn’t stay long and soon re-boarded
our plane for the return flight. Trent
had hoped to take a different route back to Homer, but the weather dictated
that we return through Lake Clark Pass.
Tim and I didn’t mind. The views always
seem different when going in the opposite direction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfj2hjf5U_49ysDRoAZrMj2IG7WSiqienhk4dOCXmPOvUSq-opTbDgOhxJ0CGg_UbR4fuB9SJqdTka0V-r6_-UkuKCQqgnpSPsn88Lx0Ophajt6HKsH19_WLMzAHN2ppgXk2asvJWDEax/s1600/DSCN2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfj2hjf5U_49ysDRoAZrMj2IG7WSiqienhk4dOCXmPOvUSq-opTbDgOhxJ0CGg_UbR4fuB9SJqdTka0V-r6_-UkuKCQqgnpSPsn88Lx0Ophajt6HKsH19_WLMzAHN2ppgXk2asvJWDEax/s400/DSCN2409.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Really Made it to Lake Clark National Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RhjG-SaAZXrcqD6-giGbC0lzRkINTrInEve_qQCzfMqx5zzIY9e5_i0QB3Zb4f7mtzwlx1uo-7VT3A1Tt0fVbv_pq74339nNAuAywHaXVpevUtpZO3dEZgeY6W2a_QN3KnFChFFhVHeM/s1600/DSCN2395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RhjG-SaAZXrcqD6-giGbC0lzRkINTrInEve_qQCzfMqx5zzIY9e5_i0QB3Zb4f7mtzwlx1uo-7VT3A1Tt0fVbv_pq74339nNAuAywHaXVpevUtpZO3dEZgeY6W2a_QN3KnFChFFhVHeM/s400/DSCN2395.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Were Greeted by the Welcoming Committee at Port Alsworth</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNyUOl1VWiYO___kERMQMU4OhxOJdnLDKb5_g016-FRl0Z-acQF73x86zqlPH4kV6worH1ZCc0kzagwHYclj8LujPZnbhNiQouBep5Qeo1Ab0Ben0t74Ov8jhrdndsVHV9LYYEEKYiuDK/s1600/DSCN2412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNyUOl1VWiYO___kERMQMU4OhxOJdnLDKb5_g016-FRl0Z-acQF73x86zqlPH4kV6worH1ZCc0kzagwHYclj8LujPZnbhNiQouBep5Qeo1Ab0Ben0t74Ov8jhrdndsVHV9LYYEEKYiuDK/s400/DSCN2412.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We then Made Our Way to the Visitor Center</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SaRa9pkWFOd3ZTQ5aDFXcYJh7mBSV9bntAiSS08xemw1cra66IPdtzb0c0tSK4aRhTMzpMIfwxY-fvbYUai6iPlimUNJYL16fck-AXn6Gqf6eKgG8ALK1sZsSS2iAPWpq0Y_FPucXy6Z/s1600/DSCN2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-SaRa9pkWFOd3ZTQ5aDFXcYJh7mBSV9bntAiSS08xemw1cra66IPdtzb0c0tSK4aRhTMzpMIfwxY-fvbYUai6iPlimUNJYL16fck-AXn6Gqf6eKgG8ALK1sZsSS2iAPWpq0Y_FPucXy6Z/s400/DSCN2426.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But Soon We Were Ready for the Return Flight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
sky appeared</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> to be a tiny bit clearer on the return flight, and I gave Tim the co-pilot’s
seat so I could take photographs from both sides of the plane. We seemed to be just as enamored of our
close-up view of the mountainsides on the return as we were coming in. Glaciers and more glaciers seemed to pop up
every few minutes. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjptTDMkqFumNsLSt4Ch5fT2CaMzxfWcWjQMETBFzeQYZmV2dc-PInfFVxanOEjPmRkSbt7gosZXmy4n1EJXhZd27AdE7gUwF3Xr0kh6RB02AHKiSbjonCsclWO_KPgtwQMHZe_CYWMxi/s1600/DSCN2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEjptTDMkqFumNsLSt4Ch5fT2CaMzxfWcWjQMETBFzeQYZmV2dc-PInfFVxanOEjPmRkSbt7gosZXmy4n1EJXhZd27AdE7gUwF3Xr0kh6RB02AHKiSbjonCsclWO_KPgtwQMHZe_CYWMxi/s400/DSCN2469.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Saw Interesting Patterns in the River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5LlAEUKcOm2PcF9zvXu7-hhc3sm3A0Bg8-82UhlIaW4b4CEVHoHC4mDuY8GUs-noXe3eMNP-WDX22S5JbQlmNuDJB0I4pMHGdvdzRIb461IyyFJHvC2YQTBNLlnL-AoUTh8QND2aNNRB/s1600/DSCN2490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5LlAEUKcOm2PcF9zvXu7-hhc3sm3A0Bg8-82UhlIaW4b4CEVHoHC4mDuY8GUs-noXe3eMNP-WDX22S5JbQlmNuDJB0I4pMHGdvdzRIb461IyyFJHvC2YQTBNLlnL-AoUTh8QND2aNNRB/s320/DSCN2490.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Ribbons of Water Cascading Down the Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiX6PLMdEEtHPcrtEHmXSgIIY44Kg7GhtAyc2Z0AB7cs5IKFVHsGhDiks694PexwXCPrmQG6USaNVOcji2NhrP1Fs2QIg_PVJTeD3x5weBqaytuz3T5x8nQsND3hC9k7_E9HD6EsFny4H/s1600/DSCN2498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiX6PLMdEEtHPcrtEHmXSgIIY44Kg7GhtAyc2Z0AB7cs5IKFVHsGhDiks694PexwXCPrmQG6USaNVOcji2NhrP1Fs2QIg_PVJTeD3x5weBqaytuz3T5x8nQsND3hC9k7_E9HD6EsFny4H/s400/DSCN2498.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Followed the Tlikakali River Once Again</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FJPWj_ru3Lv8viscMoLqC1BCWTuZxMofByANhEFa7hT_SKVNh8cHbGlbfOGajXGGqgfobIrvyzfuFUTDi0MHPtwVb5772F7HUiFCHihljW0olhWR1R1OuWZ2TOUJMPoavXsF2JLK3KrG/s1600/DSCN2571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_FJPWj_ru3Lv8viscMoLqC1BCWTuZxMofByANhEFa7hT_SKVNh8cHbGlbfOGajXGGqgfobIrvyzfuFUTDi0MHPtwVb5772F7HUiFCHihljW0olhWR1R1OuWZ2TOUJMPoavXsF2JLK3KrG/s400/DSCN2571.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Saw Streams of Water Flowing from Glaciers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmlomz-X925b2ezSpaJ_6f-bJ3IQfiSI3xV29DxlFtxoT2KQk9ILI_uKLgsNlRKL4RsbwnDFiRhTZHhhfd31Ia3IsajbwlBmRMhNcwxKrrqF-XnXwGHV5FVR30qW_a0fvYm01dgkO5IFU/s1600/DSCN2590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmlomz-X925b2ezSpaJ_6f-bJ3IQfiSI3xV29DxlFtxoT2KQk9ILI_uKLgsNlRKL4RsbwnDFiRhTZHhhfd31Ia3IsajbwlBmRMhNcwxKrrqF-XnXwGHV5FVR30qW_a0fvYm01dgkO5IFU/s400/DSCN2590.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There Were Lots of Glaciers to Admire</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCmduNtALYLlicVNz-5ZQCpUtntlHFExD-eeXlOdmugaA2oEkhK9mTeZD5mcqwoeg08QbYkXoIl0l3yY6ckhlCe1dLEu6ttSCl1F9tVhQR5ejhjLsai-3gCpiOt446QDYV_gWVsPjYBnU/s1600/DSCN2617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFCmduNtALYLlicVNz-5ZQCpUtntlHFExD-eeXlOdmugaA2oEkhK9mTeZD5mcqwoeg08QbYkXoIl0l3yY6ckhlCe1dLEu6ttSCl1F9tVhQR5ejhjLsai-3gCpiOt446QDYV_gWVsPjYBnU/s400/DSCN2617.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Could Follow the Path of Many of Them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6ouCRbCVyuQFOKIUVwfXVRSvpU7j7UvWESdTz7DTMkJexrFsaIleOJhJjgxebtQvrsJTOWFT2mk8cjXPhn-Inwu1mCiQsxsee7jj2vpnJFMzMUC0GVjS8z2R53IB1EVIoPGo9GhixVGT/s1600/DSCN2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6ouCRbCVyuQFOKIUVwfXVRSvpU7j7UvWESdTz7DTMkJexrFsaIleOJhJjgxebtQvrsJTOWFT2mk8cjXPhn-Inwu1mCiQsxsee7jj2vpnJFMzMUC0GVjS8z2R53IB1EVIoPGo9GhixVGT/s400/DSCN2612.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Flew Very Close to Some of Them</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxWovHES9CyVb-3jgeKSBu1cGm_KX8atObWAtXG6h14DsLADppSBUcg8iFE1VxNQ_aeRSRIzwstR5kW3wkqjdrrOFatmZjieqM2cRBQ51cuaW6U4BoL7OIE593qH1M-m5wfZAy5C_Yiqi/s1600/DSCN2664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxWovHES9CyVb-3jgeKSBu1cGm_KX8atObWAtXG6h14DsLADppSBUcg8iFE1VxNQ_aeRSRIzwstR5kW3wkqjdrrOFatmZjieqM2cRBQ51cuaW6U4BoL7OIE593qH1M-m5wfZAy5C_Yiqi/s400/DSCN2664.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And to Others</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7QBY_axErR_sxF-RE72RNxn0BzMmvJeMHRkOVdgGoV6gjXuuNxjbEnj8QqMz8IUgQV6-9ul6_NLg6mVVAEM_4ljaBU5BdFOsA9LWYnjI3L0JOhqWb8Jip_vm7zHwp1qtJZ9OQ0oReJKN/s1600/DSCN2681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7QBY_axErR_sxF-RE72RNxn0BzMmvJeMHRkOVdgGoV6gjXuuNxjbEnj8QqMz8IUgQV6-9ul6_NLg6mVVAEM_4ljaBU5BdFOsA9LWYnjI3L0JOhqWb8Jip_vm7zHwp1qtJZ9OQ0oReJKN/s400/DSCN2681.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Marveled at Such a Wild and Wonderful Wilderness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7-WM26jhI-hLtv47fCXie5zN2nBacgMeEuO7rYJFdCBSwRUaY-C_vRtHe02QcixDvpNBwaKMSgwVEr07ntJzAufBApWZyvhiFb3Ul1QFkb_gZQBj9vgVJ0L9yHjaNUZiRmTB6VR9unbF/s1600/DSCN2596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7-WM26jhI-hLtv47fCXie5zN2nBacgMeEuO7rYJFdCBSwRUaY-C_vRtHe02QcixDvpNBwaKMSgwVEr07ntJzAufBApWZyvhiFb3Ul1QFkb_gZQBj9vgVJ0L9yHjaNUZiRmTB6VR9unbF/s400/DSCN2596.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the Deep Green of the Mountainsides</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-MM-pfV9t_-OtERVfS7FToXIDe08-73e9RsG3tv72Si8crd40F1oPOXk6KRMf9C_HvnsrxcBWNuiIGlC7Fjp0kqjZVU7idnA_ekfFK7Pls-WXFYDIX3HKT7uQNt6akL93BeCpRX2a7x/s1600/DSCN2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA0-MM-pfV9t_-OtERVfS7FToXIDe08-73e9RsG3tv72Si8crd40F1oPOXk6KRMf9C_HvnsrxcBWNuiIGlC7Fjp0kqjZVU7idnA_ekfFK7Pls-WXFYDIX3HKT7uQNt6akL93BeCpRX2a7x/s400/DSCN2641.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Followed a Twisting Path</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhkbmF_z0IjeoAzzuoov9XCNwnAJsS_qurfp6-rAHe7lVHHy_6L0LZ1dULYGnHy_c4SrC4WPTYdPNqLk0o2nPcdoTE63zkYclXAJ2E-W_thsqbsu40kZBAEh5uGPs3NUzzBiyllndk9CZ/s1600/DSCN2733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinhkbmF_z0IjeoAzzuoov9XCNwnAJsS_qurfp6-rAHe7lVHHy_6L0LZ1dULYGnHy_c4SrC4WPTYdPNqLk0o2nPcdoTE63zkYclXAJ2E-W_thsqbsu40kZBAEh5uGPs3NUzzBiyllndk9CZ/s400/DSCN2733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Emerged from Lake Clark Pass to a Braided River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We
returned safely to Homer and couldn’t stop talking about our amazing experience.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Words like beautiful, awesome, breathtaking, jaw
dropping and incredible don’t seem sufficient to describe our day.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The country we flew over was so wild and
rugged.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was a true wilderness, and we
feel very fortunate to have seen it.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">While I’m sad that we could not see Twin Lakes and the cabin, I am
grateful for what we did get to see.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe I can start saving for another flight to Lake Clark in case we
return to Alaska.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-10504319798314019492015-08-06T20:24:00.001-08:002015-08-06T20:24:50.369-08:00Happy in Homer<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
left the campground in Ninilchik on July 24, a beautiful, sunny day, to make
the short drive to Homer. We weren’t
exactly sure what to expect. Would the
town be overrun with people, including fishermen? Would we be able to find a place to camp on a
busy weekend? Our first view from the
top of Baycrest Hill on the approach into town filled us with anticipation. Homer is blessed with a spectacular location
at the tip of Katchemak Bay. Score number
one for a breathtaking setting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytOPGPEr31LGDfo0nwGFBkTm3pnrxEGGwHpqPjLbZnnbcYblR4RkuOkKewtzxslbtfzTq_9vK5vapT-KtmijPgXJ9Bsd07BnTv_9GEvcsRVCIzZfEwQXTdbScgf1KKbAh8zI2xhb0UP0t/s1600/DSCN1866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytOPGPEr31LGDfo0nwGFBkTm3pnrxEGGwHpqPjLbZnnbcYblR4RkuOkKewtzxslbtfzTq_9vK5vapT-KtmijPgXJ9Bsd07BnTv_9GEvcsRVCIzZfEwQXTdbScgf1KKbAh8zI2xhb0UP0t/s400/DSCN1866.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View from Baycrest Hill<br />(I'm Not Sure Why We Didn't Stop at the Overlook for Real Photos!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our first
order of business was finding a place to camp.
<a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/soggy-seward.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Like Seward</span></a>, Homer has established a series of campgrounds along the waterfront
on the Homer Spit, a narrow strip of land that juts out into the bay. It was Friday, but still early in the day
when we arrived, so we were cautiously optimistic that we might find a site on
the water. Mariner Park is the first
campground that you see when crossing onto the Spit, and it’s also the
smallest. We pulled in and snared the
last remaining beachfront site. Score number
two for a campsite with a fabulous view of Katchemak Bay and the Kenai
Mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7tYul0ehht3GmBs4oIeaFE4afoo8MtFbGcmOGwHnYtZj34q5HXVhUlLRahnZX1qnm3Y0wcCrt8K659N2845GCiyzVqnaL04Wni2En0LJn1qSsSHa1UKjOZzixmEmQWtFVs3MxPtNAT0c/s1600/DSCN1931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7tYul0ehht3GmBs4oIeaFE4afoo8MtFbGcmOGwHnYtZj34q5HXVhUlLRahnZX1qnm3Y0wcCrt8K659N2845GCiyzVqnaL04Wni2En0LJn1qSsSHa1UKjOZzixmEmQWtFVs3MxPtNAT0c/s400/DSCN1931.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Sites Were Close Together, But the View Was Worth It</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmFzBQnhDaWaOCe4wadD6UfbNWRk1x5Ectl09y1ZYtQwM4An9GTUavIDxo5kEhcIiZNjEF8CzD1K3EynAz0U_8RDltEuK-lNFHUWjZ8zVhxQcKNNIZW9Ur7tybd4NME-IjY-LxEL6MMWU/s1600/DSCN1962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzmFzBQnhDaWaOCe4wadD6UfbNWRk1x5Ectl09y1ZYtQwM4An9GTUavIDxo5kEhcIiZNjEF8CzD1K3EynAz0U_8RDltEuK-lNFHUWjZ8zVhxQcKNNIZW9Ur7tybd4NME-IjY-LxEL6MMWU/s400/DSCN1962.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Could Get Used to This View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pRzJaRXXOy7I5tTS6ZXFqkERuiyV4zz6nGiFfoCllx7Tj2Qm1829WN_CtpUirpONWzGIq4C9cGybNZWY2bP3VoaC4zI3OS2ogqXTsoZk9w7CEO82Qa1dOawWiddCi3uyGaXJHmwVTFnN/s1600/DSCN1875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7pRzJaRXXOy7I5tTS6ZXFqkERuiyV4zz6nGiFfoCllx7Tj2Qm1829WN_CtpUirpONWzGIq4C9cGybNZWY2bP3VoaC4zI3OS2ogqXTsoZk9w7CEO82Qa1dOawWiddCi3uyGaXJHmwVTFnN/s400/DSCN1875.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty Also Enjoyed the Beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgKxWo-B8Do8iJ-5vNSCq0lBuF8WMWNB5lmln8dTf6JLSSLG6h_Oi-FgsT0rNPgvwRvjmYEShG-9-huMK1oRCXIdmPGE6nghLIBKZWMIGJgSd6trNs4UIIL1nRsGOWnBBHqHg9Q_TZPo6/s1600/DSCN1955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgKxWo-B8Do8iJ-5vNSCq0lBuF8WMWNB5lmln8dTf6JLSSLG6h_Oi-FgsT0rNPgvwRvjmYEShG-9-huMK1oRCXIdmPGE6nghLIBKZWMIGJgSd6trNs4UIIL1nRsGOWnBBHqHg9Q_TZPo6/s400/DSCN1955.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Beach Was Just Outside Our Door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQM3-BKmQo6M27qa7PA4M4G3X9UMb-Sl_dcRv3OB8G9mokEAHLnGDCg9WdoE8NM6liERqIaNtktnJtAPoJ_FZtL_cUuJFTQepcGpfE1o1pDmkHGT81Oh-wKACrSfEsvvTHDGb49H0oKut/s1600/DSCN1925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQM3-BKmQo6M27qa7PA4M4G3X9UMb-Sl_dcRv3OB8G9mokEAHLnGDCg9WdoE8NM6liERqIaNtktnJtAPoJ_FZtL_cUuJFTQepcGpfE1o1pDmkHGT81Oh-wKACrSfEsvvTHDGb49H0oKut/s400/DSCN1925.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Can Get Pretty Windy in Homer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
settling in,</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> we drove back into town to find a place for lunch. The Cosmic Kitchen had been highly
recommended by several folks, and we would agree with these endorsements. We would later discover other interesting
restaurants, like Maura’s Café and Two Sisters Bakery, which offer imaginative and
delicious entrees prepared with local ingredients. Who knew that Homer was a foodie
destination? Score three for a creative
restaurant options.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Add to
this mix an art scene and the historic Old Town </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">area </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">and you have a city that Tim
and I truly enjoyed.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">For some reason,
however, I didn’t take many photographs while we were in Homer.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Perhaps I knew that I would wear out the camera
on the day trips that we were fortunate enough to book at the last minute.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDTn4diB7w2ixU07S86Ji502podR9UkxnIEtg7oVhxoWxzK9LXZ8p9TFddC6ilLEBbtw6bP0jTWRasLrDlb6h-br9kc8rpX02wEX41YsGbD7P7NWTxKVoCGF-GzX4pkQL8aRuUadPKa_q/s1600/DSCN2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcDTn4diB7w2ixU07S86Ji502podR9UkxnIEtg7oVhxoWxzK9LXZ8p9TFddC6ilLEBbtw6bP0jTWRasLrDlb6h-br9kc8rpX02wEX41YsGbD7P7NWTxKVoCGF-GzX4pkQL8aRuUadPKa_q/s400/DSCN2822.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quirky Art Installation in Old Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Homer is
a gateway to many nearby destinations that can be reached only by plane or
boat. Two of those were high on my list
of priorities – Lake Clark National Park and Katmai National Park. We didn’t start researching options, however,
until the day before arriving in Homer. Talk
about lack of planning! Since Homer’s
location is the closest to both parks, there are lots of companies that offer
flights. Advertisements for “bear tours”
abound, with guarantees that you will see bears. Since it was a weekend, we were just lucky, I
guess, to find availability on flights to both parks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Weather
is always a factor when flying by small plane to remote areas, and both of our
original flights were cancelled. Fortunately,
we were able to extend our stay in Homer, and the operators were able to rebook
us on later flights with another outfit.
It seems that all of the companies try to work together to ensure that
visitors get to experience what is often a trip of a lifetime. I’ll tell you all about our adventures at
Lake Clark and Katmai in the next two posts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
meantime, Tim seized the opportunity to book a fishing </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">trip </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">on the day our
first flight was cancelled. It was too
late to find a halibut charter, but he was able to spend the afternoon on
Katchemak Bay fishing for white fish with <a href="http://www.rainbowtours.net/half-day-halibut-fishing.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Rainbow Tours</span></a>. Although many of his shipmates caught Pacific
cod or walleye, Tim came up empty-handed <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/from-one-end-of-kenai-peninsula-to-other.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">once again</span></a>. He assured me, however, that he had a great
time, fish or no fish. That’s what
counts!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPjo0cuk8oQRYh1v1XR4ZDOwi1rHqixtOgNVYEItfxM6VGU6CliBpR7uFYrr_KeddH-qHz2xjZBdmrERSKbyElKcRpNaNxHSXBlPoh3pY9wYt5ZCi7ly4Q70DT6Z7I-_DXbx6XPy9EVQk/s1600/DSCN2909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPjo0cuk8oQRYh1v1XR4ZDOwi1rHqixtOgNVYEItfxM6VGU6CliBpR7uFYrr_KeddH-qHz2xjZBdmrERSKbyElKcRpNaNxHSXBlPoh3pY9wYt5ZCi7ly4Q70DT6Z7I-_DXbx6XPy9EVQk/s400/DSCN2909.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Afternoon of Fishing on the <i>Sizzler</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DafRuabAXfbKaghkMCkxbgJnqfbKJ4Ip5CYH6iQ3nCnoqrX-49g9tq0wezep7lwSAazFYTByvGWUJWoX0cJF6vAYvJLvEglb55wyw37fUY-epudkzolOhUT9J6rO05-UC5Ec8tuqVr0s/s1600/DSCN2911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DafRuabAXfbKaghkMCkxbgJnqfbKJ4Ip5CYH6iQ3nCnoqrX-49g9tq0wezep7lwSAazFYTByvGWUJWoX0cJF6vAYvJLvEglb55wyw37fUY-epudkzolOhUT9J6rO05-UC5Ec8tuqVr0s/s400/DSCN2911.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading into Katchemak Bay to Look for Fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By
extending our stay, we also had more time to do some exploring in Homer. I was able to </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">visit </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">my first farmers market
in Alaska. Although I arrived too late
to score any fresh produce, I was happy with my purchase of smoked salmon. Tim and I also drove the length of the Homer
Spit </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">but </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">found it a bit too crowded for our liking. Although the views along the way were
beautiful, I’m so happy we chose Mariner Park as our campground instead of one
farther down on the Spit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_wpTtnPiuuSdXHZPRU2VvG9yXftAszWUYuUrA0BzcAzMmEtUWP6ODBylqfG543n_-hQ4qghJa4wEoYyfvBuhhxf-oYHbhLpenywQeNHG9Gll3iOxoMRcsUXe2tQi5u6g9wNLG8Blullm/s1600/DSCN1897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_wpTtnPiuuSdXHZPRU2VvG9yXftAszWUYuUrA0BzcAzMmEtUWP6ODBylqfG543n_-hQ4qghJa4wEoYyfvBuhhxf-oYHbhLpenywQeNHG9Gll3iOxoMRcsUXe2tQi5u6g9wNLG8Blullm/s400/DSCN1897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Drive Along the Homer Spit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IihJhmFdDkVDlSOJwrCA3F92vXsE7URNTNRLVVrgKTTFlS5YJIJqvYJRFyGdV4ZNwFPEzjwfQAKkGMjkXmA68KL0QnTPqrAbr82AXwtcSCLtJ2Q7xbT_moSJXo7y2LvtjVHfgsJd43wY/s1600/DSCN1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IihJhmFdDkVDlSOJwrCA3F92vXsE7URNTNRLVVrgKTTFlS5YJIJqvYJRFyGdV4ZNwFPEzjwfQAKkGMjkXmA68KL0QnTPqrAbr82AXwtcSCLtJ2Q7xbT_moSJXo7y2LvtjVHfgsJd43wY/s400/DSCN1910.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boat Graveyard Along the Homer Spit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGqEfcs7dOpUFwFUW-rV1hy2KH5XGvhv1Y70tOAt7htSHSBRJso3i-a1m-XKCkRZsRDQRoaXpciUZU-oZiOBOWHvxtBwlzPELKqaU1I0qqnjSKskbUuDLQ3TMSfi85yUYkKiZUTMw3YTw/s1600/DSCN2928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGqEfcs7dOpUFwFUW-rV1hy2KH5XGvhv1Y70tOAt7htSHSBRJso3i-a1m-XKCkRZsRDQRoaXpciUZU-oZiOBOWHvxtBwlzPELKqaU1I0qqnjSKskbUuDLQ3TMSfi85yUYkKiZUTMw3YTw/s400/DSCN2928.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Boats Go to Die</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfkrUbj6yYEaR0AkF9GnaAn7WpNj_gFSuYoAeBx8RZUcIXxgPw84KGd5VzzNqG3aUgUv-pMTPBoZXPkcBlU33dPjF-Q7BIcQVjzmfX-SC4eiFq4tdR59RPY5p6UEk_vwaC2rLyPkrOlMH/s1600/DSCN1904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfkrUbj6yYEaR0AkF9GnaAn7WpNj_gFSuYoAeBx8RZUcIXxgPw84KGd5VzzNqG3aUgUv-pMTPBoZXPkcBlU33dPjF-Q7BIcQVjzmfX-SC4eiFq4tdR59RPY5p6UEk_vwaC2rLyPkrOlMH/s400/DSCN1904.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Activity on the Homer Spit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our next
door neighbors at Mariner Park were Brenda and Hector from <a href="http://www.islandgirlwalkabout.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Island Girl Walkabout</span></a>. I had started reading their
blog when I discovered that they were also traveling to Alaska this summer, so
I immediately recognized their RV. Tim
and I enjoyed chatting with them and comparing notes.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Homer is
definitely a town I would return to, and I can certainly understand why it is
such a popular destination for visitors and Alaskans alike.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-85086837146993126652015-07-30T20:59:00.000-08:002015-07-30T20:59:19.228-08:00We Interrupt this Blog. . .<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I have
lots of adventures to share about our time in Homer. Not only did we love the town, but we had two
of the most amazing day trips ever. Just
a sneak peek – we flew to Lake Clark National Park and later to Katmai National
Park to watch the bears at Brooks Falls – trips of a lifetime!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However,
it may be a week or more before I can put these posts together. At the moment I’m trying to deal with the
death of one of my dearest friends. Yes,
the friend that I wrote about earlier passed away this morning, just a few days
shy of her sixtieth birthday. She was
only ill for a few weeks, and the news this morning was devastating. It is still a shock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the
meantime, I am scheduled to fly to Portland, Oregon, tomorrow to attend the
wedding of another very close friend. Such
a joyous occasion coupled with such a tragic one. My emotions are sure to be on a roller
coaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I promise
that I will update the blog when I return to Alaska, and that the photographs
will be worth waiting for. Tim will be
leaving for Oklahoma as soon as I return (he has an eight-day contract at
Chickasaw National Recreation Area), so I will have time for reflection then. Writing blog posts will be good therapy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Thank you
for your patience.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-82049874939962573212015-07-28T22:29:00.001-08:002015-07-28T22:29:12.455-08:00From One End of the Kenai Peninsula to the Other<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
left Seward on Sunday, July 19. Homer
was our eventual destination, but we were in no hurry to get there. The drive from Seward was even more beautiful
than the one on the way down because the sky was a deep blue. What a difference a day makes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKRobtIgqgiRUb1wInOL1G2KfGRc-hl2srFGc9D7S9FTj5fP5WDUxGZYiINBlAlrbtj_wJQ7eo8tTDsxbpSGEkGQY7D3d3Kp8jLlB62kDq_EVuOlVmhR52Tz2U2Tyzu12BAIouJVdZtTM/s1600/DSCN1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMKRobtIgqgiRUb1wInOL1G2KfGRc-hl2srFGc9D7S9FTj5fP5WDUxGZYiINBlAlrbtj_wJQ7eo8tTDsxbpSGEkGQY7D3d3Kp8jLlB62kDq_EVuOlVmhR52Tz2U2Tyzu12BAIouJVdZtTM/s400/DSCN1587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty Mountains and Meadows on the Seward Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY3xfbNQsxXgUrtZvBa58bbDwlEUVgS0cAUOy_SwGEu5nKcnESqgneDN1FNwUSQ6t5xz9G420g7QwNxvO_69KS1Usp2JbcZjXgGxA-P5aF3apzGxuFs6TCVxr9NaOXMEaHiDq7n0HidnX/s1600/DSCN1597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlY3xfbNQsxXgUrtZvBa58bbDwlEUVgS0cAUOy_SwGEu5nKcnESqgneDN1FNwUSQ6t5xz9G420g7QwNxvO_69KS1Usp2JbcZjXgGxA-P5aF3apzGxuFs6TCVxr9NaOXMEaHiDq7n0HidnX/s400/DSCN1597.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Views in All Directions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We got a
little taste of the infamous weekend traffic jams on the Kenai Peninsula as we
approached the turnoff for the Sterling Highway, which leads to Homer. A state trooper was at the intersection
directing traffic, and vehicles leaving the Kenai were backed up for almost a
mile. I was glad we weren’t heading
towards Anchorage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhitt9BdR9t9jsGtsjHAjkcK73Y366K-akbHyaHODA2OK_sY91Kru617AcUdfqCouNsMTdEFmShbNQKCwisHd63tohFX637h8iA7ZJWwCp-S3OKJiHFq_sUP-p-N3fBU71SJvOI5I8WfY/s1600/DSCN1604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidhitt9BdR9t9jsGtsjHAjkcK73Y366K-akbHyaHODA2OK_sY91Kru617AcUdfqCouNsMTdEFmShbNQKCwisHd63tohFX637h8iA7ZJWwCp-S3OKJiHFq_sUP-p-N3fBU71SJvOI5I8WfY/s400/DSCN1604.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm Glad We Weren't Going that Way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After our
two nights on the Seward waterfront with a hundred of our closest (not!) RV
friends, we were looking forward to a quiet place to stay. We were also craving a bit of nature and room
to breathe. I seemed to recall several
recommendations for the <a href="http://www.recreation.gov/camping/quartz-creek-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73838" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Quartz Creek Campground</span></a>, which is run by the U.S.
Forest Service, so we drove in to see if there was any availability. We had only driven 50 miles, but we decided
that was far enough for the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
all sites on Kenai Lake were taken, we found a site in the woods that was
available for one night. We took it and
settled in. What a beautiful place to
just sit back and relax. We enjoyed Quartz
Creek so much that we decided to stay for two additional nights. We had to move, but we found an equally nice
site that had just opened up that morning.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYTa1swSJVLr2b9mMzfqRyR1lJXaV19u6DS5hzf6YPfBKlHRM-EpSzI9RqpR-q4NT1-tmUPbYFxrRZpVjsosi2Cy5FUKQX5ZRgvszBVTRu-HGlvBG5HR9RnaqGbJbXdDjGDBcPyzcaqif/s1600/DSCN1647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYTa1swSJVLr2b9mMzfqRyR1lJXaV19u6DS5hzf6YPfBKlHRM-EpSzI9RqpR-q4NT1-tmUPbYFxrRZpVjsosi2Cy5FUKQX5ZRgvszBVTRu-HGlvBG5HR9RnaqGbJbXdDjGDBcPyzcaqif/s400/DSCN1647.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Privacy Here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5kHC5AnDYZkmy1KaGU7gwHHqphkhyphenhyphenZ1aSY1sWzju5br03kveRkYWP2bP99FAhQXcjV3BbecgNKeGshC2tR-6pZsAJ96c68rbeq4DAveXQYz66X_LN4KmNizzSTh8ez_Ht84S2AVPwaDJ/s1600/DSCN1621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5kHC5AnDYZkmy1KaGU7gwHHqphkhyphenhyphenZ1aSY1sWzju5br03kveRkYWP2bP99FAhQXcjV3BbecgNKeGshC2tR-6pZsAJ96c68rbeq4DAveXQYz66X_LN4KmNizzSTh8ez_Ht84S2AVPwaDJ/s400/DSCN1621.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Campsite Wasn't on Kenai Lake, But We Could Walk There</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We did
have another reason for extending our stay.
Tim had been thinking about booking a fishing charter, and he was able
to secure a reservation for Wednesday afternoon. The company was just down the road in Cooper
Landing, so we were close by. We saw no
compelling reason not to hang out at Quartz Creek until then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By the
time Wednesday rolled around, however, we knew it was time to move to a
commercial campground at least for one night.
These campgrounds are our “go-to” for doing laundry, dumping and filling
tanks and taking long, hot showers.
Kenai Princess RV Park, which is also in Cooper Landing, had been
recommended to us, so that’s where we went.
Princess Cruises operates several lodges throughout the state to house
passengers on the land portion of their itineraries. The lodge in Cooper Landing, however, is the
only one with an RV park, and it’s one of the nicer private campgrounds we’ve visited
in Alaska.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With much
anticipation, Tim headed out for his fishing charter on the Upper Kenai
River. <a href="http://www.alaskariverscompany.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Alaska Rivers Company</span></a> handled all
of the details, and Tim joined three brothers for four hours of drift fishing. He tells me that he </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">hooked</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> a large salmon,
but that it broke his line. I guess I
have to believe him, even though he has no photos to prove it. Sadly, he came home empty-handed. Oh well, he said he had a ton of fun, and
that’s all that matters.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZZrd1d4Nk8kI7357UHoIeO5xLw57u6nYp2OGTAS2yxr2iDbQBxfI8jVisvPRw49tc6yVbToFDUq9LgsF4jbPx4a-dzrfnPq7cjsMUoChVW34B2gk2kPlR-ovkhOqmTVqvF8m1eoSfQPd/s1600/DSCN2866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZZrd1d4Nk8kI7357UHoIeO5xLw57u6nYp2OGTAS2yxr2iDbQBxfI8jVisvPRw49tc6yVbToFDUq9LgsF4jbPx4a-dzrfnPq7cjsMUoChVW34B2gk2kPlR-ovkhOqmTVqvF8m1eoSfQPd/s400/DSCN2866.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having Fun on the River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv9v3WMF3biX6OZ9fwvNVoIi5wSCDJ2eTAqpD_BUhO7JGT7BYhUXyK8z3rHD9_ShPk3dEmaPAFygIx2NGiE1GxaTkgCPx3PSr4IsnWiR3fPr23oE8rep4FCDtUMlv66mRYqJAf_YXaFfT/s1600/DSCN2874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmv9v3WMF3biX6OZ9fwvNVoIi5wSCDJ2eTAqpD_BUhO7JGT7BYhUXyK8z3rHD9_ShPk3dEmaPAFygIx2NGiE1GxaTkgCPx3PSr4IsnWiR3fPr23oE8rep4FCDtUMlv66mRYqJAf_YXaFfT/s400/DSCN2874.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drift Fishing on the Upper Kenai River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgihQG2IDwyLMEyrchuMDANVxpKxVX03WiX4YJKnKnOR_Nl67J7LtSLG6R2npG9vXlldcMhaew7XBKOdCF9obbapm6cN5LR5UNGOmY2nRDrNcNo0gpjSPkg4s8sZ0H-hFruKmYM7xNBsMs/s1600/DSCN1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgihQG2IDwyLMEyrchuMDANVxpKxVX03WiX4YJKnKnOR_Nl67J7LtSLG6R2npG9vXlldcMhaew7XBKOdCF9obbapm6cN5LR5UNGOmY2nRDrNcNo0gpjSPkg4s8sZ0H-hFruKmYM7xNBsMs/s400/DSCN1673.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Upper Kenai River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The three
brothers didn’t do much better.
Apparently, the salmon have been late to arrive in the Kenai River this
year so no one was catching many fish.
One man did manage to catch a salmon and a Dolly Varden, but the
pickings were slim.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0yf9t84bjRPyHEaU_xBZ2AY4D5ZICLk78H0fef1YYtJ-r8xR58phs-uuMsPOuqaz8-QYtAk2C2Rc8NBOdEllpURPzalUS63nBtTlAAj0QCiZ4juR8dYgsn9-VziDL2ZmxoHFwj-p7_AI/s1600/DSCN2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN0yf9t84bjRPyHEaU_xBZ2AY4D5ZICLk78H0fef1YYtJ-r8xR58phs-uuMsPOuqaz8-QYtAk2C2Rc8NBOdEllpURPzalUS63nBtTlAAj0QCiZ4juR8dYgsn9-VziDL2ZmxoHFwj-p7_AI/s400/DSCN2883.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now That's a Pretty Salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvEF5hKLwVVZq2GFVYnm6QPqAAsgh1LJqfSfJRbX8_2JsKv_Bbx97xco37sddNNBMTZ8XSN_FPTFvdwmKoIxqn5pX4-F0KseNTWbON911jrt1hliVGMiyJuCMoyifgv-Xl6eRUBU2CGgf/s1600/DSCN2905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvEF5hKLwVVZq2GFVYnm6QPqAAsgh1LJqfSfJRbX8_2JsKv_Bbx97xco37sddNNBMTZ8XSN_FPTFvdwmKoIxqn5pX4-F0KseNTWbON911jrt1hliVGMiyJuCMoyifgv-Xl6eRUBU2CGgf/s400/DSCN2905.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cast of Characters on the Fishing Charter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We decided
to hit the road the next morning and see how far we might get on the way to
Homer. After a stop in Soldotna for
groceries, we kept on going. We were
surprised with the amount of traffic heading north from Homer. We had thought that everyone would be going
to Homer for the weekend, but we found out that the salmon were running on the
lower Kenai River near the town of Kenai.
That seemed to be the place to be if you wanted to fish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Not long
after leaving Soldotna the Sterling Highway veers to the south, hugging the
coast along Cook Inlet. We’ve driven
scores of scenic highways since arriving in Alaska, but we were not prepared
for the drop-dead views that awaited us on this coastal highway. The west side of Cook Inlet has an
unbelievable string of volcanoes that are clearly visible, at least on a day
with few clouds. We had a perfect day to
make the drive, and were amply rewarded with views of Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmP1bjGSn5rKpNPmm1IOvK2XsyLY7XGT8ZMkI5fPu3Cm6_5hjV67HfXnpbEkoMKdfLFWOjwJT51eVs41bevVgjAg5EA_spxiCVbSKBgrfziUwH5MG5jskcNsty6FPsekBT-IjrHL3OKgYo/s1600/DSCN1694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmP1bjGSn5rKpNPmm1IOvK2XsyLY7XGT8ZMkI5fPu3Cm6_5hjV67HfXnpbEkoMKdfLFWOjwJT51eVs41bevVgjAg5EA_spxiCVbSKBgrfziUwH5MG5jskcNsty6FPsekBT-IjrHL3OKgYo/s400/DSCN1694.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Redoubt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqznr4avU5PZI08TEjKGpYS5SQxCv9_XyNtdryyynTniz3ShixoVAocBE1DFLEHI2QQ9VfpVi0dEC3KvCTsLjgD1bvm4A0ORuDAJ14gSxRVPX9F26QueKJtwWAbDAEExo_144zk3ic_e4u/s1600/DSCN1686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqznr4avU5PZI08TEjKGpYS5SQxCv9_XyNtdryyynTniz3ShixoVAocBE1DFLEHI2QQ9VfpVi0dEC3KvCTsLjgD1bvm4A0ORuDAJ14gSxRVPX9F26QueKJtwWAbDAEExo_144zk3ic_e4u/s400/DSCN1686.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another View of Mount Redoubt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdLejB9KJdj3M_yVOoQy9Fle0FfPCWZuqqr1tq8HvzyWoZbuSIIkD8nrJy1HRLdAhb04t8kvyF1A9O5-tCocaEvpH8wfMlIY6Sat74brSUICHPEZrUwV4znTWLkwNsGSEqKyEryuciIcj/s1600/DSCN1724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdLejB9KJdj3M_yVOoQy9Fle0FfPCWZuqqr1tq8HvzyWoZbuSIIkD8nrJy1HRLdAhb04t8kvyF1A9O5-tCocaEvpH8wfMlIY6Sat74brSUICHPEZrUwV4znTWLkwNsGSEqKyEryuciIcj/s400/DSCN1724.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Closer View of Mount Redoubt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40Fubqi-or1qVduzH8izg7wWZN2qWoc-t-f-7vXw_0t-QdlQQu3XUnA7cIFnmKE2NFWtQx_-GvDhxGzlyMf6biYYBmO3-NrG74EG0D_d7EIWOH5dLa-vRxRcw0YQXIS9w2fugRVwp8qwG/s1600/DSCN1851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj40Fubqi-or1qVduzH8izg7wWZN2qWoc-t-f-7vXw_0t-QdlQQu3XUnA7cIFnmKE2NFWtQx_-GvDhxGzlyMf6biYYBmO3-NrG74EG0D_d7EIWOH5dLa-vRxRcw0YQXIS9w2fugRVwp8qwG/s400/DSCN1851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mount Iliamna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just as I
am most enamored of tidewater glaciers, I am equally enamored of volcanic
mountains. Some of my all-time favorites
are Mounts Shasta, Hood, Adams and Rainier in the Pacific Northwest. The Alaska volcanoes reminded me so much of
those, and I kept asking Tim to stop the car so I could photograph them from
different viewpoints. We later found out
that these are very active volcanoes.
Redoubt last erupted in 2008.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had
read about a small Russian Orthodox church on the way to Homer, so we stopped
to have a look at the Transfiguration of Our Lord Church
in Ninilchik. This church sits high on a
bluff overlooking Cook Inlet with Mount Redoubt in the background. It is one of the most photographed sites on
the Kenai Peninsula, and for good reason.
There was just something about that church that drew me in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbQL-cZVFgyLLUdJspks9499pezOXHlTtCvRLwMJmBNSj-nTwzC7dTs6hCIyLdlfPamGEXvVoZ5f1il6yfir2HbiHvUEUSgreASzhckdgHYbgxLHJd4MiEVShPvv0q1hYSJ3q-Xe3QaSl/s1600/DSCN1719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwbQL-cZVFgyLLUdJspks9499pezOXHlTtCvRLwMJmBNSj-nTwzC7dTs6hCIyLdlfPamGEXvVoZ5f1il6yfir2HbiHvUEUSgreASzhckdgHYbgxLHJd4MiEVShPvv0q1hYSJ3q-Xe3QaSl/s400/DSCN1719.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Transfiguration of Our Lord Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yDpEs7Vzjrj_jgQvs8MMoFkiMFOKcXCKk1XHmRMeimRliyGT2THpUoN74juyOrin_122UCDweq4QR5tDoZsGUdFq7vJhT07pC5z432tBV0P7qWNCgg0h-fWn83sX-P3RykEdEER7oGzw/s1600/DSCN1768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yDpEs7Vzjrj_jgQvs8MMoFkiMFOKcXCKk1XHmRMeimRliyGT2THpUoN74juyOrin_122UCDweq4QR5tDoZsGUdFq7vJhT07pC5z432tBV0P7qWNCgg0h-fWn83sX-P3RykEdEER7oGzw/s400/DSCN1768.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Up from the Cemetery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCmiyKVdl_bf0EgjNxInyvbtlVpt5GjqjFUkruq6feCmYwKDKQKFqszSlf0K4Qjx3FjDI1rJ0alfTUobuMef-CDJs4-_YD7lYY0X-YM7yGYUKsXyYDFhSLBhjus-4sQO7Rpf6hv7SWtdD/s1600/DSCN1733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCmiyKVdl_bf0EgjNxInyvbtlVpt5GjqjFUkruq6feCmYwKDKQKFqszSlf0K4Qjx3FjDI1rJ0alfTUobuMef-CDJs4-_YD7lYY0X-YM7yGYUKsXyYDFhSLBhjus-4sQO7Rpf6hv7SWtdD/s400/DSCN1733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Interior of the Church</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
had learned a little about Russian Orthodoxy while we were in Sitka, so we were
somewhat familiar with the architecture and iconography. The church is an active parish, although it
has no priest, and elderly volunteers are on site to welcome visitors and
answer questions. Tim and I both lit
candles for my friend who was just recently diagnosed with acute leukemia </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">is now
in intensive care.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I am not a religious
person, but our visit was a very poignant one indeed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
we were not far from Homer, Tim and I decided to stop for the night. Homer could wait for one more day. We pulled into <a href="http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/aspunits/kenai/ninilvwcamp.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Ninilchik View Campground</span></a>, a
small state campground that sits on the bluff overlooking Cook Inlet and the
village of Ninilchik. The setting was lovely,
and it was a perfect place to catch my breath.
I walked down to the overlook and gazed out at Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzk7v6u6feuJz2SSbOegJv6YH8w5S7Mrjq9Q0SXfeL2koCq8R8vJhNz7m-p8b4-E3-ItDaymt5Oa-SVf1bdBMzdQLjwCaZ0ZAgiC7mPQ2o28No9Y5fmM-eN5fiUnldix_XYZclVOLSRJlc/s1600/DSCN1793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzk7v6u6feuJz2SSbOegJv6YH8w5S7Mrjq9Q0SXfeL2koCq8R8vJhNz7m-p8b4-E3-ItDaymt5Oa-SVf1bdBMzdQLjwCaZ0ZAgiC7mPQ2o28No9Y5fmM-eN5fiUnldix_XYZclVOLSRJlc/s400/DSCN1793.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Could See the Church from the Campground</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QqV632jsTNfg_IWrObRQpUc2AoDji2IM9bPkoFSx5ZoXQhmJvj-eukKBEViwJzEECDGGz7yaXJanLOfyuVohe9GR6uNxi3BZgn2KDUopTxrrXy_H7NnTEIwKRs99o9HlA692UvUY9I4b/s1600/DSCN1722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QqV632jsTNfg_IWrObRQpUc2AoDji2IM9bPkoFSx5ZoXQhmJvj-eukKBEViwJzEECDGGz7yaXJanLOfyuVohe9GR6uNxi3BZgn2KDUopTxrrXy_H7NnTEIwKRs99o9HlA692UvUY9I4b/s400/DSCN1722.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Mount Iliamna</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I don’t
usually go walking after 10:00 pm, but the promise of a sunset drew me back to
the viewpoint, where I arrived just in time to watch the sun sink behind Mount
Redoubt.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That was certainly a lovely way
to end the day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78t385TiD-pOHvSMxWa6WUxmQ8x4dTIGSkHWmWFGP5eP0cEXqbhSga9c64yiSOqLD2Wrc9esvijsikebpl5OVSffy3gowkk3bD33bJ7L-Xj1UADZjKk-o21rPwP317VT0n9cL2PQ6jLxY/s1600/DSCN1824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78t385TiD-pOHvSMxWa6WUxmQ8x4dTIGSkHWmWFGP5eP0cEXqbhSga9c64yiSOqLD2Wrc9esvijsikebpl5OVSffy3gowkk3bD33bJ7L-Xj1UADZjKk-o21rPwP317VT0n9cL2PQ6jLxY/s400/DSCN1824.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset Over Mount Redoubt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-6082706399005730762015-07-26T07:37:00.000-08:002015-07-26T07:37:39.124-08:00A Cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Travelers
who wish to take a boat tour in a new area are often confronted with a plethora
of opportunities. Typically, there are several
competing companies, and each company may have several offerings. That was the scenario that Tim and I faced
when we were trying to book a cruise from Seward to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Kenai Fjords National Park</span></a>. How to choose, how to choose?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kenai
Fjords Tours came highly recommended by several people, and options ranged from
a dinner cruise to a nine-hour tour. We
read far fewer comments about <a href="http://www.majormarine.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Major Marine Tours</span></a>, but we decided to look at the
offerings for both. Ultimately, we ended
up choosing one of the tours with Major Marine.
There were several factors that led us to that decision.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">First, we
wanted a tour that was long enough to get all of the way into Kenai Fjords
National Park. We also preferred a
smaller boat. But for us, the deciding
factor was that National Park rangers accompany most of the Major Marine
cruises. Many cruises with Kenai Fjords
Tours include a stop at an island with a presentation by a National Park
ranger, but we weren’t too interested in spending time on an island. We also eliminated the longest tour </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">offered by Major Marine</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">on the smallest
boat because no ranger would be on board. So, after careful consideration, we selected the
seven and one-half hour tour on a relatively small boat. Decision made!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Did we
make the right decision? We will never
know. We do know that we thoroughly
enjoyed our tour and that the presentation by Ranger Chad added so much to our
experience. With that said, I’m guessing
that almost any cruise would have been an amazing experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
selected Saturday for our cruise because the weather forecast was a bit more
promising than the steady rain that Seward had been experiencing. It was still cloudy when we headed out of the
harbor into Resurrection Bay on the <i>Orca Song</i>. Within ten minutes, we had our first wildlife
sighting of the day – sea otters swimming not too far from shore. Those little critters are always such a treat
to watch.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span id="goog_34073450"></span><span id="goog_34073451"></span><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuzoZYrpGVQkWwwv8Nfgl4nlbkOzfP3OQ4ApENrbnvRDB-xzkB4ts7zxT5mc4z_sg_k8Xt6LDnBplwjkcvCcMyscw9NuXbIMilR1pcaM3ASt7-D1gE2WkqxbbLJSrNZwwpO_yOzgumDAV/s1600/DSCN1583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuzoZYrpGVQkWwwv8Nfgl4nlbkOzfP3OQ4ApENrbnvRDB-xzkB4ts7zxT5mc4z_sg_k8Xt6LDnBplwjkcvCcMyscw9NuXbIMilR1pcaM3ASt7-D1gE2WkqxbbLJSrNZwwpO_yOzgumDAV/s400/DSCN1583.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Orca Song - </i>It Was Sunny When We Returned to the Dock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zb8xGXPXO85Ao0txNxy1iuK8h2SjkjlJZRiqIbXJBfa2Ypyq5zwKlDoAg6cWaD-J7ZeLu4mgLVfvOazmYvE1ABpsuc836RuIBa7FiKzOtHT5BlA-cXr-_myywLjbk6OAQhBJVIYQ4Lf0/s1600/DSCN0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zb8xGXPXO85Ao0txNxy1iuK8h2SjkjlJZRiqIbXJBfa2Ypyq5zwKlDoAg6cWaD-J7ZeLu4mgLVfvOazmYvE1ABpsuc836RuIBa7FiKzOtHT5BlA-cXr-_myywLjbk6OAQhBJVIYQ4Lf0/s400/DSCN0970.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving the Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IuqgKmpgvflZZz4023MBaS2DVlzqFQn9EDtJ5jZV8PfeOGHG4dqHVc-R89TSIfcAUtZYFruBUrw_q3HXLYHkZqRR87smaKPNvKgYDldf7QVZaXa7tQfQTXz6BFheXHILHW2kw_ihV0Dr/s1600/DSCN0988-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9IuqgKmpgvflZZz4023MBaS2DVlzqFQn9EDtJ5jZV8PfeOGHG4dqHVc-R89TSIfcAUtZYFruBUrw_q3HXLYHkZqRR87smaKPNvKgYDldf7QVZaXa7tQfQTXz6BFheXHILHW2kw_ihV0Dr/s400/DSCN0988-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds Over Resurrection Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AIsdPLrejbkDpzpYeBmQRnFjolOv9l7C8TYKMIv9HX3t7q4Ra5ePPX8l15BIaccO403bPyDxcsii1TpJNKj6YzURIZj4nZJM_abP5qJ8QWj-eXJD7BOtZncqcziZgNhqDqJCZbJU979Y/s1600/DSCN0976-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_AIsdPLrejbkDpzpYeBmQRnFjolOv9l7C8TYKMIv9HX3t7q4Ra5ePPX8l15BIaccO403bPyDxcsii1TpJNKj6YzURIZj4nZJM_abP5qJ8QWj-eXJD7BOtZncqcziZgNhqDqJCZbJU979Y/s400/DSCN0976-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See Otters Always Elicit a Smile</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once we
rounded Aialik Cape and cruised into Aialik Bay, we were finally in Kenai
Fjords National Park. Kenai Fjords
National Park is a land of ice. The
Harding Icefield covers over half of the park, and nearly 40 glaciers flow from
this massive ice sheet expanse. Fjords
created by the receding ice provide access to many of the tidewater
glaciers. Aialik Bay is one of these
fjords.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Soon
after crossing into the bay, we had our second significant wildlife sighting,
and one that I was most looking forward to – orca, or killer, whales. We joined several other boats, and it appeared
as if each one tried to reposition itself for the best views. Although I was thrilled to see orcas for the
first time since arriving in Alaska, the experience was a bit
disconcerting. The boats seemed to form
a circle around the whales, as if we were rounding them up. I have to trust that our behavior was not
harmful to the whales, but I’m not so sure.
I was almost relieved when we finally moved on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK8R8lP4fTm-Q_1P5iTebyhcZ6yEp61zB5MRxrNr2EppE1lUGz7nwp60jtSQW4Xj6be3wVXBOxMzdqg61VLOkpLYB7hM7lVdCsAZWIIGrkcWA7itG8X5a9yb0Rf1tTzuNYWu3CPRTmpy4/s1600/DSCN1034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPK8R8lP4fTm-Q_1P5iTebyhcZ6yEp61zB5MRxrNr2EppE1lUGz7nwp60jtSQW4Xj6be3wVXBOxMzdqg61VLOkpLYB7hM7lVdCsAZWIIGrkcWA7itG8X5a9yb0Rf1tTzuNYWu3CPRTmpy4/s400/DSCN1034.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What Magnificent Creatures</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcwTWm3HJWFP1kLuC-ke2asy8hH31Wz4u8QKzWcnyuYwRqCusYSm5DCb8fwh-5O75QKftIi4WZogdvC2kQLd6IO5jzm0uSKCQuI78qrMR4Q3I8ad_5-OrO7K7DXIzeYEpmmk47hKWRK5/s1600/DSCN1044-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxqcwTWm3HJWFP1kLuC-ke2asy8hH31Wz4u8QKzWcnyuYwRqCusYSm5DCb8fwh-5O75QKftIi4WZogdvC2kQLd6IO5jzm0uSKCQuI78qrMR4Q3I8ad_5-OrO7K7DXIzeYEpmmk47hKWRK5/s400/DSCN1044-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orcas Stayed Around for Quite a While</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmp6GaBnEX0-ejNxj-3lcQYcyDZ9Yhm2MdfwHmI5qctdLVyM8NuF36RSWO39iJodzu8Ba8my_yb1m9QFZQv3w1RNrGrHrDW-i8cs7vy24ftjTDRkuPM1JvbMewZFi1jl8Fy-jGB8MVIc5/s1600/DSCN1069-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghmp6GaBnEX0-ejNxj-3lcQYcyDZ9Yhm2MdfwHmI5qctdLVyM8NuF36RSWO39iJodzu8Ba8my_yb1m9QFZQv3w1RNrGrHrDW-i8cs7vy24ftjTDRkuPM1JvbMewZFi1jl8Fy-jGB8MVIc5/s400/DSCN1069-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone Had a Great View</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
now time to visit a few glaciers. As we
made our way into Holgate Arm, we caught our first glimpse of a blue sky, which
provided a perfect backdrop for the two arms of Holgate Glacier. This tidewater glacier may be one of the smaller
ones that we’ve seen, but it was still a beautiful sight. The jagged peaks stood out so clearly against
the sky, and the color was stunning as always.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYN7U2jDTc661KBRIqWfd4SToH6ndkbx6GUaG9K4XcnI0hOARw38SuuZ_EnCKBCKNZOwRwECbFEQ_QYjGO1qk8OD62PJtuWERCT9k7LWME0CrlhynGTzS4c0NGzHHegdr4fWlIpOcLBle9/s1600/DSCN1075-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYN7U2jDTc661KBRIqWfd4SToH6ndkbx6GUaG9K4XcnI0hOARw38SuuZ_EnCKBCKNZOwRwECbFEQ_QYjGO1qk8OD62PJtuWERCT9k7LWME0CrlhynGTzS4c0NGzHHegdr4fWlIpOcLBle9/s400/DSCN1075-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Think That's Blue Sky Ahead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRSZySYX7wVMn2y5pMygIqNwgLhrJ7zPnQWY0sVUKmjd1r2486d63TFYUBqGvBkzhBxRU-K8ZgyHvO8RD2heiNBQsi7HWn7J4ymq-VyQE1XUC9bSxMTiZ6_jxiEclIajR7o5h_qfOJeHy/s1600/DSCN1119-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRSZySYX7wVMn2y5pMygIqNwgLhrJ7zPnQWY0sVUKmjd1r2486d63TFYUBqGvBkzhBxRU-K8ZgyHvO8RD2heiNBQsi7HWn7J4ymq-VyQE1XUC9bSxMTiZ6_jxiEclIajR7o5h_qfOJeHy/s400/DSCN1119-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The West Arm of Holgate Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVGP84AmVnn3y7X3BFJy0q7kCXYWMz5qIKnVj4-y4NRrPw9NzH1SFeGczM29e5AzSasG8r1OP674iS0k_EKB1_sAoekMH5kRrbRvm_Bqyn8Nee5SB1FWczY7thIh_N11e0HuG4SrH8EeB/s1600/DSCN1142-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicVGP84AmVnn3y7X3BFJy0q7kCXYWMz5qIKnVj4-y4NRrPw9NzH1SFeGczM29e5AzSasG8r1OP674iS0k_EKB1_sAoekMH5kRrbRvm_Bqyn8Nee5SB1FWczY7thIh_N11e0HuG4SrH8EeB/s400/DSCN1142-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holgate Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">An added treat while stopped at Holgate Glacier was watching a lone kayaker making his way among the sea of ice. He looked so small out there, almost minuscule against the face of the glacier. That was a brave soul.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt3TJXXIS3XEfcyTmRPZUIEuQvBrhv31RFkznz3VI0hhJqPxOk8oCgTEqlEDSADBNlFxOHiGtPhyphenhyphens5N_xeeBDxmBzrjO6grX1C4yX4MutI0tFrJN-li69u6jYNPwcaZy0-QLVztr-0FnM/s1600/DSCN1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijt3TJXXIS3XEfcyTmRPZUIEuQvBrhv31RFkznz3VI0hhJqPxOk8oCgTEqlEDSADBNlFxOHiGtPhyphenhyphens5N_xeeBDxmBzrjO6grX1C4yX4MutI0tFrJN-li69u6jYNPwcaZy0-QLVztr-0FnM/s320/DSCN1137.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jagged Peaks Pierce the Sky</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_VujJcZ_YBWboiZt2HZojTp1OveJ9W4eXG9EAy7dzj3z8gG2uEipWf4q_M0-ZFMONkyZDEWkAHcgLJU6fgjWvvsOBaILSGsuN3dvagZ-LMCeXuhoklgSDpok5Fh9S5ZbxSKckMyqjRkY/s1600/DSCN1127-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6_VujJcZ_YBWboiZt2HZojTp1OveJ9W4eXG9EAy7dzj3z8gG2uEipWf4q_M0-ZFMONkyZDEWkAHcgLJU6fgjWvvsOBaILSGsuN3dvagZ-LMCeXuhoklgSDpok5Fh9S5ZbxSKckMyqjRkY/s320/DSCN1127-001.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaker vs. Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
waiting with little success for Holgate Glacier to provide us some calving
action, we moved on and back into Aialik Bay.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our longer tour gave us the opportunity to also visit Aialik Glacier,
and it was a sight to behold.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
its size cannot compare to the giant <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/cruising-in-prince-william-sound.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Columbia Glacier that we visited</span></a> while we
were in Valdez, I was still impressed. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I
must admit that we’ve been spoiled.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">However, size isn’t everything!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">In
some ways Aialik Glacier was more impressive because it stood out so against
the deep blue sky.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I was happy to stand
out on deck and just stare.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMVc-Jf-M5d9dtTnZ64cSMP5bhgfRZFoLAPyBIwwOy122aEe3sn2t27rNogWDIRHuMrJHCk3VFeqh3A-FC8fnQK6Q4HEPeG7EXuRHJs753RdUB-BOVjlifu5WUf67oZ2b7Lufmv4HJ6bs/s1600/DSCN1314-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMVc-Jf-M5d9dtTnZ64cSMP5bhgfRZFoLAPyBIwwOy122aEe3sn2t27rNogWDIRHuMrJHCk3VFeqh3A-FC8fnQK6Q4HEPeG7EXuRHJs753RdUB-BOVjlifu5WUf67oZ2b7Lufmv4HJ6bs/s400/DSCN1314-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aialik Glacier Is a Magnificent Thing to See</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFV_B-BQGuACSQe3-nsL-gD18L-z3-qqanBaD7Lg2VVCfoyva2G3sUAbeqK3ALoSZBQz_vynPJBsmvTWbhc5eXT9GcJ_vEAfZ_y_Alx6Cp3JCebDJnRYo8yfko_2xl6za3bZVFM-KE7P7/s1600/DSCN1241-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFV_B-BQGuACSQe3-nsL-gD18L-z3-qqanBaD7Lg2VVCfoyva2G3sUAbeqK3ALoSZBQz_vynPJBsmvTWbhc5eXT9GcJ_vEAfZ_y_Alx6Cp3JCebDJnRYo8yfko_2xl6za3bZVFM-KE7P7/s400/DSCN1241-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One Side of Aialik Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0EGsWcBYRIZT06cn-PpREKEPIBRLBR78dun12cla6kfmafIiwXpJCq5xv0xe8ice6KXmET5gEsSTa-xfgNauzKYry1d_PvHt8v-9JCn-0nbjRlB9IjL5t_kvhLj_GqbSGqMYYrfHI-a0/s1600/DSCN1278-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0EGsWcBYRIZT06cn-PpREKEPIBRLBR78dun12cla6kfmafIiwXpJCq5xv0xe8ice6KXmET5gEsSTa-xfgNauzKYry1d_PvHt8v-9JCn-0nbjRlB9IjL5t_kvhLj_GqbSGqMYYrfHI-a0/s400/DSCN1278-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Was Hard to Stop Taking Photos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once
again, we saw very little calving, but I was happy with all that we did
see. A sailboat and several small
tour boats joined us in front of the glacier, but I didn’t mind because they
provided a sense of scale that was otherwise difficult to judge. These glaciers are much taller than they
first appear to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91y9nr__gV-zKcTO68daKm4ZPAmwTcoxbOxJkMj7nL2BEJ4V9AMz1UQk4zVtwBWDy091jzm3KDsmFREo_sG4L5Q6z3wCNX7MbJe5-1kYoW1SMp-Icizp9007rsMTIm3nYXQfKIpG2MX9P/s1600/DSCN1226-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91y9nr__gV-zKcTO68daKm4ZPAmwTcoxbOxJkMj7nL2BEJ4V9AMz1UQk4zVtwBWDy091jzm3KDsmFREo_sG4L5Q6z3wCNX7MbJe5-1kYoW1SMp-Icizp9007rsMTIm3nYXQfKIpG2MX9P/s640/DSCN1226-001.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Sailboat Provides a Little Perspective on Size</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We were
also in a perfect spot to watch harbor seals as they lounged on the chunks of
ice floating in the bay. This was our
best opportunity so far to study these lovable mammals, and they didn’t seem to
mind our presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYFHYXhqO45UpQbi_3VPUgOJsTCj2ex3-8hYVHLOzHUWM3kmJ2eQPDjLrNCp9SbxCOGGKc4O_XVoSI-nj2T0RnwedEcnj9N7DlQwHSQf5SkfVVg_DgmnzyEQFi3bxcn3jT47PHtjEWXko/s1600/DSCN1303-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPYFHYXhqO45UpQbi_3VPUgOJsTCj2ex3-8hYVHLOzHUWM3kmJ2eQPDjLrNCp9SbxCOGGKc4O_XVoSI-nj2T0RnwedEcnj9N7DlQwHSQf5SkfVVg_DgmnzyEQFi3bxcn3jT47PHtjEWXko/s400/DSCN1303-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is He Smiling?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRbl2kRyQaHwzZLwzRK9HnQmu9LKmQPXtRlmCuZbBnKt_6qJF7p6VeQ2nwdsgwq0LaT558xRxKcWS6ruToeeuji9GNExNjX_X6fWInCpLctNBh9IU3BT-virgh5cQg0J9UzIBPxLB_j-y/s1600/DSCN1320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRbl2kRyQaHwzZLwzRK9HnQmu9LKmQPXtRlmCuZbBnKt_6qJF7p6VeQ2nwdsgwq0LaT558xRxKcWS6ruToeeuji9GNExNjX_X6fWInCpLctNBh9IU3BT-virgh5cQg0J9UzIBPxLB_j-y/s400/DSCN1320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is It Time for a Swim?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcETS-14wxjIPY5-UNiplWVjwgJkvTHgvDO_g4AhsQccqcHtRyhh3vOA4JP8dfK37r0c-vkaQ7tnzONzon_ZG3lRD378nmTmgMAAkc6IAIhyphenhyphenWzKcqj1fB8hqpJeE_QAQcaftaRB4gQXw1/s1600/DSCN1333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcETS-14wxjIPY5-UNiplWVjwgJkvTHgvDO_g4AhsQccqcHtRyhh3vOA4JP8dfK37r0c-vkaQ7tnzONzon_ZG3lRD378nmTmgMAAkc6IAIhyphenhyphenWzKcqj1fB8hqpJeE_QAQcaftaRB4gQXw1/s400/DSCN1333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Hope This Ice Doesn't Melt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm4gX_h5hScG8dtHtN4K00k7NnjlBSyQnhu6R8QfTs8xUSZu2jkEtXaP1v6pCv9sMqIwdN5SXJziEDpnbKflceZG24ZTHjkoQU5WBJMNpM8FOsfFj5lCP9W8KeI0JrHIp3-1GlxpAHtdw/s1600/DSCN1187-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbm4gX_h5hScG8dtHtN4K00k7NnjlBSyQnhu6R8QfTs8xUSZu2jkEtXaP1v6pCv9sMqIwdN5SXJziEDpnbKflceZG24ZTHjkoQU5WBJMNpM8FOsfFj5lCP9W8KeI0JrHIp3-1GlxpAHtdw/s400/DSCN1187-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sailing Away from Aialik Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On our
way back to Seward we stopped to visit nesting areas for several of the
seabirds that can be found in these waters.
We also were treated to another visit by a pod of orcas, and these
whales stayed with us for quite some time.
At one point, a few humpback whales joined in, which Ranger Chad thought
was somewhat unusual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZsuNuUvwauA2ilGEd_tyGXP8QK_iw6X2OLxnDBqVi-RsfsssIS8LYGWeSOALDSWLwVD9MMoZ6jpmGdc2MMByw0l98Uslrd59wSSSI3JEKWon1BY8v6M-XmJIkpNzb66V04iPjPr-hpqf/s1600/DSCN1567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZsuNuUvwauA2ilGEd_tyGXP8QK_iw6X2OLxnDBqVi-RsfsssIS8LYGWeSOALDSWLwVD9MMoZ6jpmGdc2MMByw0l98Uslrd59wSSSI3JEKWon1BY8v6M-XmJIkpNzb66V04iPjPr-hpqf/s400/DSCN1567.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Perfect Spot for Nesting Seabirds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9RTo4L6nzrm3sdCI3CS-Q6Pcmt1haOUb9OE0BbKAAV1tjGIJylkDAVldLpJ5eUnUzyAjomYVd9T4-1QqZUoLx_ZLRdF55Ko8IL0xewDatD4JqIFdcounn6fJk19KBwSzhZmyqe6IPd_W/s1600/DSCN1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9RTo4L6nzrm3sdCI3CS-Q6Pcmt1haOUb9OE0BbKAAV1tjGIJylkDAVldLpJ5eUnUzyAjomYVd9T4-1QqZUoLx_ZLRdF55Ko8IL0xewDatD4JqIFdcounn6fJk19KBwSzhZmyqe6IPd_W/s400/DSCN1373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's Always a Thrill to Spot Whales</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORQPD60Cbxfh89w4t-e_GT1UYU8UdRBwJWKtVGTk_pdpotPtHhWoL0zKuFvVyhyYcZNet3v-XzColQnZYRhwBcOqS8xfbpeH_pgpx-YnczoDYeiDKYrJBfGQn5Q8SZpGNJSGmmessM2_z/s1600/DSCN1374-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORQPD60Cbxfh89w4t-e_GT1UYU8UdRBwJWKtVGTk_pdpotPtHhWoL0zKuFvVyhyYcZNet3v-XzColQnZYRhwBcOqS8xfbpeH_pgpx-YnczoDYeiDKYrJBfGQn5Q8SZpGNJSGmmessM2_z/s400/DSCN1374-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's Stick Together</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0U2P1ebY9TEJqikuKzTrQMevgj5u0drhv3iAzy7z_UUfShUPkZDMh9YhW-PJAFmh4C90bbRPh_WSTdYepBu84tZwqbLbRiH8CkQkFQWeUhZpF3dhEsKg1BzoohiT-pNaQBRrbZDoik_B/s1600/DSCN1403-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0U2P1ebY9TEJqikuKzTrQMevgj5u0drhv3iAzy7z_UUfShUPkZDMh9YhW-PJAFmh4C90bbRPh_WSTdYepBu84tZwqbLbRiH8CkQkFQWeUhZpF3dhEsKg1BzoohiT-pNaQBRrbZDoik_B/s400/DSCN1403-001.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Synchronized Swimmers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
really enjoyed our cruise with Major Marine Tours. Ranger Chad shared so much with us, and it
was clear that he really loves what he is doing. He is a retired schoolteacher who moved to
Seward about 30 years. He fell in love
with the </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">region </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">and now enjoys sharing this special place with others. His enthusiasm was contagious.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since
arriving in Alaska, Tim and I have taken three cruises in different parts of the
state to view glaciers and wildlife. I
cannot imagine visiting Alaska without getting out on the water. Although these cruises shared certain
similarities, I will remember each one for different reasons. For example, I will especially remember the <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/06/glorious-glacier-bay.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">cruise in Glacier Bay National Park</span></a> for the wilderness experience that it offered, as
well as the unusually perfect weather that we experienced. Those are two things that we have encountered
nowhere else. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The enormity of the glacier
itself was the highlight of the <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/cruising-in-prince-william-sound.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Columbia Glacier cruise</span></a> in Prince William Sound. I’ve never </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">been </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">so close to a glacier that
large. Our first orca sightings and
Ranger Chad’s insights are what I will take with me from our day in Kenai
Fjords National Park. He is a great
ambassador for the National Park Service.
And, of course, it goes without saying that I will remember each glacier
and all of the wildlife that we were able to see.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-73274430732193719632015-07-21T19:36:00.000-08:002015-07-21T19:36:54.126-08:00Soggy Seward<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/inching-our-way-down-kenai-peninsula.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">deciding to boondock on Exit Glacier Road</span></a>, we made a trip into Seward to have a
quick look around. We wanted to get a
sense of the town and see if by chance any waterfront spaces might be available
so late in the day. Seward has set aside
a large portion of its waterfront park for nearly 300 campsites, most of which
are very close together. Of course, the few
sites directly on the water are the most popular, and all were full. In fact, we saw very few empty spaces,
period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rqku1es0LIEtKCELUKaihPeus8Eo_xXDZmrQRTjOSbbEGiyqgusnhT8SpbONL8ruguGb80Vr1mslwNP7QFcjqbdBf3uo4nAgg0oa4jRAQTYdyT9YLGEo1YkL4PLUFEjj3uxcj6eq4lZd/s1600/DSCN0875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Rqku1es0LIEtKCELUKaihPeus8Eo_xXDZmrQRTjOSbbEGiyqgusnhT8SpbONL8ruguGb80Vr1mslwNP7QFcjqbdBf3uo4nAgg0oa4jRAQTYdyT9YLGEo1YkL4PLUFEjj3uxcj6eq4lZd/s400/DSCN0875.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to Find a Campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Maybe
because it was raining, or maybe because we were so overwhelmed by the number
of RVs on the streets and in the waterfront campgrounds, but we did not have a
great first impression of Seward. We couldn’t
even find a place to park to have dinner in town. Options were limited to 30-minute, on-street
parking spots or all-day lots for $10 since our small RV exceeded the 19-foot
maximum for the three-hour lot. We couldn’t
wait to get out of town and back to our quite boondock spot. On the way we found a place to eat where we
had a delicious dinner. The Salmon Bake
Restaurant on Exit Glacier Road prepared the best salmon we’ve had since
leaving Sitka.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We mostly
stayed put in our boondock spot on Thursday.
It rained all day long, and not just the gentle rain that we’ve become
accustomed to, but downpours. Not a fun
day to be sightseeing, so we only ventured out in the afternoon to visit the
Alaska SeaLife Center. This is a small,
but very well done aquarium and ocean wildlife rescue center that focuses on Alaska’s
marine ecosystems. It was great to have
such a close-up view of the harbor seals and the Stellar sea lions, but our
favorite stop was the aviary. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHOWRA0x4iY0wZyh3yPi-41eWccspLaGjgR6HgLMcJwD1FK46Ru8X7VM4p8pxR4EzVt9u__mpv4FzKSHCLolCCD-nr8vHoFWANjch_C3r1ml-bRwuz-0I72AC2zjUevooIpxPiV5SfuGO/s1600/DSCN0784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHOWRA0x4iY0wZyh3yPi-41eWccspLaGjgR6HgLMcJwD1FK46Ru8X7VM4p8pxR4EzVt9u__mpv4FzKSHCLolCCD-nr8vHoFWANjch_C3r1ml-bRwuz-0I72AC2zjUevooIpxPiV5SfuGO/s400/DSCN0784.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who's Steering that Boat?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKsl-ctOvwpG6HoS8lqGDWvDrnnKhKobCHr08UXfe2rtz4yrg0iE-UBnieR7et9d3PZQmGMCU65HiC6s3EBfwPGOX74duBUeOC_yvTUfcy1Hc3XpxdU6O-lYHDcZWlrnEaGnh38piHIJO/s1600/DSCN0798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKsl-ctOvwpG6HoS8lqGDWvDrnnKhKobCHr08UXfe2rtz4yrg0iE-UBnieR7et9d3PZQmGMCU65HiC6s3EBfwPGOX74duBUeOC_yvTUfcy1Hc3XpxdU6O-lYHDcZWlrnEaGnh38piHIJO/s320/DSCN0798.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You Can Watch Me Above the Water</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bOmvwMZyw3v6hUlitZHQMSojHCxuJ-tUH-sCHRtfhT8Dk2R68YXLnb32RSNlhzLSGs7u2mdvQbjPiQSunebZ3TvZjDt8bNWjto_bEaJJJth93RK_qIFIZ3vGlxQWs-aeC7-iJ1vxEwaV/s1600/DSCN0860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bOmvwMZyw3v6hUlitZHQMSojHCxuJ-tUH-sCHRtfhT8Dk2R68YXLnb32RSNlhzLSGs7u2mdvQbjPiQSunebZ3TvZjDt8bNWjto_bEaJJJth93RK_qIFIZ3vGlxQWs-aeC7-iJ1vxEwaV/s320/DSCN0860.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or Below</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2xepsBFpwiFX5MxsmJpgfe-GPZsqqDeI_E_Ek5XVahyoegTk510P33bGEMDevbPWfNHocFWZiwfba735GP6G6frXnA9aawvpw3emTbjFQ7lZeMcLGoVhKVWaUM5_XR3GmTxNuDvpHDQQ/s1600/DSCN0863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2xepsBFpwiFX5MxsmJpgfe-GPZsqqDeI_E_Ek5XVahyoegTk510P33bGEMDevbPWfNHocFWZiwfba735GP6G6frXnA9aawvpw3emTbjFQ7lZeMcLGoVhKVWaUM5_XR3GmTxNuDvpHDQQ/s400/DSCN0863.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Is a Better Show than TV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The “bird
room” was filled with an assortment of sea birds, and of course puffins were the
main attraction. Watching their antics really
put a smile on my face. Tim and I just stood
there and let them entertain us for a very long time. I quickly gave up trying to take photographs
of them and decided to simply enjoy the show.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some of
the other birds were just as delightful to watch, even when one unidentified bird
tried to dive-bomb us! However, it wasn’t
until we went down to the first level and looked into the underwater tank that
I got my biggest chuckle of the day. If
you think puffins are fun to watch on the water and in the air, just try observing
them from under the water. Their little
web feet seem to move just as fast as their little wings when they try to
fly. The SeaLife Center is certainly
worth a visit, even if it’s not a rainy day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHSKMlePoT8fCqZE-GvAzh29DfDEDXAZpuoN2BqhwjdCdltOI42rVSkepQS9ZVXZMDPCeFCSds-m_OMeXLnCAxHfvmbuXrTdFsA9EYYYaXQComYD2H9QgH6WXFKQAoQgcH1iOBAqH0lO4/s1600/DSCN0803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHSKMlePoT8fCqZE-GvAzh29DfDEDXAZpuoN2BqhwjdCdltOI42rVSkepQS9ZVXZMDPCeFCSds-m_OMeXLnCAxHfvmbuXrTdFsA9EYYYaXQComYD2H9QgH6WXFKQAoQgcH1iOBAqH0lO4/s400/DSCN0803.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For an Extra Fee, You Can Feed the Birds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H3Mj2sl49HAQyZPRmsz8vz5iRctXWKCkzKgE9l9C8l3Slhph1wTIiDppGTdrIKR0e3XrC-OJrH1kev-q-NHozAmZ2N7CjSAqgFSPoHHa5wVVxJPReQ_wSN-EYSRvJucHGYz2lFtrBPtg/s1600/DSCN0832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7H3Mj2sl49HAQyZPRmsz8vz5iRctXWKCkzKgE9l9C8l3Slhph1wTIiDppGTdrIKR0e3XrC-OJrH1kev-q-NHozAmZ2N7CjSAqgFSPoHHa5wVVxJPReQ_wSN-EYSRvJucHGYz2lFtrBPtg/s400/DSCN0832.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stars of the Show</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlVtK-LBEgVgCHi6eAH59fI8esGdpdr1-oZmdNn2ACYfYn8YDRQc6OkQk3myes-PBz5KI4ityu4npY_W7T6AYKePPaNho8CkQHJe5r7dTUuVdFqDuVmB0UuUFjH6kT10gwVPj64bzC7ak/s1600/DSCN0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlVtK-LBEgVgCHi6eAH59fI8esGdpdr1-oZmdNn2ACYfYn8YDRQc6OkQk3myes-PBz5KI4ityu4npY_W7T6AYKePPaNho8CkQHJe5r7dTUuVdFqDuVmB0UuUFjH6kT10gwVPj64bzC7ak/s400/DSCN0822.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Quite Place Away from the Crowds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By early
the next morning we had to move from our boondock site. The lack of sun had not been kind to our
solar panels, and we had no choice but to find hookups. So, into town we drove as it continued to
rain. There is only one section of the Seward
waterfront park with hookups, so that’s where we headed. Even though it was way before noon, the lot
was crowded. We had not expected to find
a waterfront spot, so we were not terribly disappointed. We were grateful for the one open site on the
upper terrace, where we pulled in and hooked up. We had a slim view of the water between the
RVs in front of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgTWNIVLBMGGqDmjJef5btozytvYPzy9k7QQV_ZHNqeljC56a1jcYDPStwskLEg0dw1eDhysFcfczaFBLPcwCHIfScE7YFhtUnGUh8b7xh8JU281kIFtl898Au20Zs6muoChlEg1ksg6z/s1600/DSCN0889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgTWNIVLBMGGqDmjJef5btozytvYPzy9k7QQV_ZHNqeljC56a1jcYDPStwskLEg0dw1eDhysFcfczaFBLPcwCHIfScE7YFhtUnGUh8b7xh8JU281kIFtl898Au20Zs6muoChlEg1ksg6z/s400/DSCN0889.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We Settled for an Inland Campsite</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I had
fully expected to fall in love with Seward.
Everyone else seems to. Maybe
because we didn’t have a great first impression, or perhaps because the rain
never seemed to let up, but the town never grew on me. To me, there seems to be a real disconnect
between the historic downtown and the harbor.
Normally, I’m drawn to the historic part of town, but in Seward we seemed
to spend our time at the harbor. It was
even difficult to see the boats since a row of buildings stands between the
street and the harbor. I now especially
appreciate the town plan in Valdez, since no buildings interfere with the harbor
view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite
my criticism, Tim and I did enjoy our time in Seward. We had a great dinner at Ray’s Waterfront
Restaurant one night, and we were blessed with very nice neighbors on either
side of us in the campground. The rain
mostly cleared out by Friday evening, and the light on the mountains across
Resurrection Bay was beautiful. If you
can’t camp on the waterfront, you can walk along there on the very nice bike
path.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXwZc72lFbV9MngQFV8X55oo_hUl3vNP3z4IbJuiBAFuxFDMIMkv6oXUHSe7tSjDYXcSZreJkIJtOlcwqdTQGPkmLvFw7wZXYOrWKx4BoExv-jlq08m8tQeAjzPuBlzwOZtq1t3vI6tre/s1600/DSCN0882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXwZc72lFbV9MngQFV8X55oo_hUl3vNP3z4IbJuiBAFuxFDMIMkv6oXUHSe7tSjDYXcSZreJkIJtOlcwqdTQGPkmLvFw7wZXYOrWKx4BoExv-jlq08m8tQeAjzPuBlzwOZtq1t3vI6tre/s400/DSCN0882.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Bike Path Extends Along the Waterfront</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaAORlJ-4kP6ZdBN_I0NZYOu42tzgnBvMiP17YisCyBfqVeQF0YVOI0KedgvOBIAZlF6-adS8x6KGZ0nuymdgT0qLjZUQDOsUOdp9MOflGPW_xjH8_-nAn4bhZZPNoCyAlyWf4QtBmifj/s1600/DSCN0960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaAORlJ-4kP6ZdBN_I0NZYOu42tzgnBvMiP17YisCyBfqVeQF0YVOI0KedgvOBIAZlF6-adS8x6KGZ0nuymdgT0qLjZUQDOsUOdp9MOflGPW_xjH8_-nAn4bhZZPNoCyAlyWf4QtBmifj/s400/DSCN0960.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading Back to the Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVltVZ7ENAIxSWtMRxeS6bybFP-Yhp82Ke1HbXZIClZjVQ3uT8fbmxTVbRoR5U9hdL9DIy0wizlD9MY-zCwqVpoGK4fizZhgB964Ad8Z0nolB5sX_h9jotyQGyxoSY1tkfJtedPVhsvBT/s1600/DSCN0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrVltVZ7ENAIxSWtMRxeS6bybFP-Yhp82Ke1HbXZIClZjVQ3uT8fbmxTVbRoR5U9hdL9DIy0wizlD9MY-zCwqVpoGK4fizZhgB964Ad8Z0nolB5sX_h9jotyQGyxoSY1tkfJtedPVhsvBT/s400/DSCN0947.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Across Resurrection Bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3sSZHaJX2m9GygpfqrSFyOmZ8oIRHzY1NmkfISHVbraa2NHv4bflWq9qVL_o640Cz80tSZHoZr7nSg6tEJKfQIh4glFjtIvn25z4iL_K4PDcI2vwSX5JCf2LuUyNZGpmgzAbe0MCsmw2/s1600/DSCN0919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp3sSZHaJX2m9GygpfqrSFyOmZ8oIRHzY1NmkfISHVbraa2NHv4bflWq9qVL_o640Cz80tSZHoZr7nSg6tEJKfQIh4glFjtIvn25z4iL_K4PDcI2vwSX5JCf2LuUyNZGpmgzAbe0MCsmw2/s400/DSCN0919.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Nice Time for an Evening Sail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We also
booked a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park while we were in Seward, and
that trip was wonderful. I’ll tell you
about that next time.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-79015496861004477162015-07-19T19:23:00.000-08:002015-07-19T19:23:22.947-08:00Inching Our Way Down the Kenai Peninsula<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We took
our time leaving Wasilla on Tuesday morning, but we eventually made our way
through Anchorage and on towards the Kenai Peninsula. The Seward Highway, which connects Anchorage
and Seward, runs along the Turnagain Arm on one side and the Chugach Mountains
on the other. This highway has been
designated as both a National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road, and many
people consider it to be the most scenic drive in the entire United
States. They might be right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Turnagain
Arm is a fjord that extends to the Gulf of Alaska and is characterized by the
second highest tides in North America. Although
the tide was out during our drive, it was still interesting to see the vast mud
flats. Dramatic clouds and clear blue
skies provided a spectacular backdrop to the mountain peaks. The scenery was sublime, but the heavy traffic
did keep Tim’s eyes on the road, not on the magnificent views. It was tempting to stop at every turnout, but
we restricted ourselves to just a few.
Maybe on the way back, we’ll take more time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQkpzueo_i-zvTr0irm9HtbXK3Or_ut-ftjdclV7cN-hJTSx7_fWNhM6b7B7xqAm5Vt6OukfGQ8UqySnevHbFapAZg5DPDiqd8Rhe2v7VP7lKT6dVPt1HMBLkoX3AUXC4CnLm_foKOGAb/s1600/DSCN0542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYQkpzueo_i-zvTr0irm9HtbXK3Or_ut-ftjdclV7cN-hJTSx7_fWNhM6b7B7xqAm5Vt6OukfGQ8UqySnevHbFapAZg5DPDiqd8Rhe2v7VP7lKT6dVPt1HMBLkoX3AUXC4CnLm_foKOGAb/s400/DSCN0542.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous Scenery Along Turnagain Arm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s3f4Zvcmy9Mf_nrwSiVMCSjG7g2NwmEoEowOq-W5_nhU_bLEKyyTjd-bdfngcowtN_XxT0raI_nSCkHEe2Qvdpd5eEuyvtRWFbYaUtWgKs34UNrRRQC8tK48chVAa6glry2f_c_121q-/s1600/DSCN0546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9s3f4Zvcmy9Mf_nrwSiVMCSjG7g2NwmEoEowOq-W5_nhU_bLEKyyTjd-bdfngcowtN_XxT0raI_nSCkHEe2Qvdpd5eEuyvtRWFbYaUtWgKs34UNrRRQC8tK48chVAa6glry2f_c_121q-/s400/DSCN0546.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The High Tide Will Cover these Mud Flats</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTULU3IAtkBMgNw8zjkwKQ1w3t0JaRpyx2ybK0knalH5GgzSXj83ByzovpuxJhWhnjYRShYnoKj-aU1Sh06361xwTE_kZVPuUBtvfnb4BJBO7HKQf8QurYThdB890IlJsfCeUaaAAKrvG-/s1600/DSCN0559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTULU3IAtkBMgNw8zjkwKQ1w3t0JaRpyx2ybK0knalH5GgzSXj83ByzovpuxJhWhnjYRShYnoKj-aU1Sh06361xwTE_kZVPuUBtvfnb4BJBO7HKQf8QurYThdB890IlJsfCeUaaAAKrvG-/s400/DSCN0559.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving Along the Shores of Turnagain Arm </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXfeow2ekRvGieOH5Nn6ha5JwrPgDk5pkyHWacZP3PqwjqzqDHR8sp1A_YjKNZ-VpIzBDgdBIXKZ2L6uwBXAya0_gdZrauws9sDF8gE50s5z5VhaC7NpEOgqL6-CfkIf7usAiHXA0xHlj/s1600/DSCN0587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXfeow2ekRvGieOH5Nn6ha5JwrPgDk5pkyHWacZP3PqwjqzqDHR8sp1A_YjKNZ-VpIzBDgdBIXKZ2L6uwBXAya0_gdZrauws9sDF8gE50s5z5VhaC7NpEOgqL6-CfkIf7usAiHXA0xHlj/s400/DSCN0587.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's Tempting to Stop at Every Turnout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
thought we would make it to Seward, but our slow start and multiple stops had
us rethinking this plan by mid-afternoon.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had heard great reports about a U.S. Forest Service campground near
Portage Glacier, so we decided to see if a site might be available for the
evening.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">As we turned onto Portage Glacier
Road that leads towards Whittier, we also kept our eyes open for possible boondock
locations in case there was no availability at the campground.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We drove
into Williwaw Campground and were surprised to see quite a few open sites. It is a beautiful campground, and it would be
a great place to spend a day or two or more.
However, I kept thinking about a spot that we had passed that was
directly on Portage Creek. So, Tim and I
looked at each other and decided to turn around and see if that boondock site
would work for us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With a
good deal of anticipation, we pulled into the turnout, which was virtually
hidden from the road by vegetation, and found a wide open space along the
creek. One RV was set up at the east
end, but there was lots of room, so we claimed the other end. We found a place where we could level the RV and
settled in for the evening. We had a
beautiful view of the creek and surrounding mountains. It was a peaceful and lovely place to spend
the afternoon and evening.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgTMzNCpgCu7GvH0qRnOHVf7EjlX1Gl-rSv9FouBtkSyI3WHNalrO9BVLHz_xtsxLDmwFYw_xvIb1r71-o3zeGYqC1Vg5MrwmPjhknacBaa3fGAaOGHVM_Qbu0VCr_N4P8gY1XiOp4ul7/s1600/DSCN0621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgTMzNCpgCu7GvH0qRnOHVf7EjlX1Gl-rSv9FouBtkSyI3WHNalrO9BVLHz_xtsxLDmwFYw_xvIb1r71-o3zeGYqC1Vg5MrwmPjhknacBaa3fGAaOGHVM_Qbu0VCr_N4P8gY1XiOp4ul7/s400/DSCN0621.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Perfect Stop Along Portage Creek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While we
were on the road, I had received a telephone call from one of my best friends
who told me that she had just been diagnosed with acute leukemia. The news left me dumbfounded. These things are not supposed to happen to the
people we love. It doesn’t make matters
any easier to know that I am so far away.
I don’t ever remember feeling so helpless. Spending the afternoon and evening at a
peaceful and lovely boondock site was just what I needed to try and process
this awful news. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I think I
have fallen in love with this whole boondocking thing, at least the Alaska
version. When I first started reading
about traveling to Alaska by RV, boondocking was a favorite topic among RVers. The idea of camping in a beautiful setting,
not in the midst of dozens of other RVs, appealed to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">For me,
boondocking in Alaska is not just about camping for free. That’s certainly nice, but not the major
draw. It’s finding scenic spots and
enjoying the natural beauty of the state.
There’s also a bit of adventure involved, and that also can be
exciting. It’s also fun to try and find those
special sites. I know we won’t boondock
every night. Many public campgrounds
offer similar experiences, and we will look for those as well. We will also stay in commercial campgrounds from
time to time to take advantage of the amenities that they offer. I think it’s fun to mix things up a bit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
quiet night and leisurely morning, we decided to explore a little bit of the
Portage Valley before heading to Seward.
Our first stop was the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center, which sits on Portage
Lake in front of the rapidly-receding Portage Glacier. The exhibits and award-winning film offers a
glimpse into the natural history of Chugach National Forest and make the center
a worthwhile stop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd0Oj0ZiHkWy52q8fRxZD1I4Z_NY7Z_ysgql0fhe-Jnpnq68jnAJd3263f5btCNkeTKIe9QtSywBb_ZIiO7K8RXUEOeG7Wtawcyrl_3rcs-3HJqAOEePGUAZvV1gkGu7m0jDVLCeQO6e0/s1600/DSCN0636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLd0Oj0ZiHkWy52q8fRxZD1I4Z_NY7Z_ysgql0fhe-Jnpnq68jnAJd3263f5btCNkeTKIe9QtSywBb_ZIiO7K8RXUEOeG7Wtawcyrl_3rcs-3HJqAOEePGUAZvV1gkGu7m0jDVLCeQO6e0/s400/DSCN0636.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portage Glacier Spills into Portage Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
picnic lunch it was time to rejoin the Seward Highway, where we began our
ascent toward Turnagain Pass. From here
to Seward the highway passes through dense spruce and hemlock forests, peaceful
mountain meadows and soggy muskegs. The
views of the mountains, canyons, lakes and rivers kept getting better and
better, and all I can say to describe the drive is “Wow!” We didn’t even mind the construction delays
as the slower speeds enabled us to spend more time gazing at the splendid
views.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAoAYzgurNUVzaGLQhjJYIQMntAHs1vCn3UGR-Knx9I2ZGdz60NTPslxhoMks_fkQqY3q33CF4ERVF8JI67MKSKiUFNCVsxOpRETIWZkBjfdLrNUZ1plpS3wzQQ-_r9_EJgxWMT1YFmeo/s1600/DSCN0657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuAoAYzgurNUVzaGLQhjJYIQMntAHs1vCn3UGR-Knx9I2ZGdz60NTPslxhoMks_fkQqY3q33CF4ERVF8JI67MKSKiUFNCVsxOpRETIWZkBjfdLrNUZ1plpS3wzQQ-_r9_EJgxWMT1YFmeo/s400/DSCN0657.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing into the Mountains on the Seward Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqOnSQEdpnxSRN4oGQ8fiEwJF2e3acGdJ5FMivNXtJhAeVxn6NDOVMub7CsGIZ6Af_oU7Sa6gSicvNFnDC4McLQ3LzTIPvKeh_waTxWOnkrB-h7Y0jx_0i51nQYrYZ7UwuEjU-AmLVOom/s1600/DSCN0676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqOnSQEdpnxSRN4oGQ8fiEwJF2e3acGdJ5FMivNXtJhAeVxn6NDOVMub7CsGIZ6Af_oU7Sa6gSicvNFnDC4McLQ3LzTIPvKeh_waTxWOnkrB-h7Y0jx_0i51nQYrYZ7UwuEjU-AmLVOom/s400/DSCN0676.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds Add to the Drama</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was
mid-afternoon when we finally reached Seward.
I’m still not sure why it takes us so long to drive just over 100
miles. Every drive in Alaska seems to
take twice as long as we’re used to. We
put off driving into town and detoured towards Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords
National Park since that afternoon was forecast to be the last rain-free day
for a while.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.nps.gov/kefj/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Kenai Fjords National Park</span></a> is primarily comprised of ice and water, and Exit Glacier
is the only section of the park accessible by road. This seemed to be a good place to hike very
close to a glacier. After checking out
the exhibits at the ranger station, we were dismayed to see that rain was
imminent. We don’t like to hike in the
rain, so we decided to go only as far as the glacier view. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After we
reached the viewpoint, the rain stopped, so we decided to continue and walked
out across the rocky, outwash plain in an attempt to get to the toe of the
glacier. The water stopped us before we
could see the toe, but we still had a great view. Since we had gone that far, it seemed the
thing to do to climb to the edge of the glacier. The rocks were a bit slippery on the trail,
but getting so close to the glacier was definitely worth it. We were able to spend quite a bit of time
just admiring the view before others joined us.
We may not have planned to hike as far as we did, but I’m so glad we did. Next time, however, when Tim says we’re only hiking
a nature trail, I’m going to put on my hiking boots and carry water. We never know where we might end up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhlv5WpMtTay3UffoAsiI1-0-9vQXdF3feIZ-rnbq4P01P78-zU3ev6Bh9iaKXgExYZYej26Dl_Y3Yl5Ju8AF9GMuUPmWBFRYJOgENOEQAyCmAJbFZkTC-eNEXepwRSjmOgsmF8tlx-Fv/s1600/DSCN0732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhlv5WpMtTay3UffoAsiI1-0-9vQXdF3feIZ-rnbq4P01P78-zU3ev6Bh9iaKXgExYZYej26Dl_Y3Yl5Ju8AF9GMuUPmWBFRYJOgENOEQAyCmAJbFZkTC-eNEXepwRSjmOgsmF8tlx-Fv/s400/DSCN0732.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit Creek Spills from Exit Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SRaU-CIpl07ZyVNTbbl7gLipgB8MReIWl_2QYgJBQpK5XdWxelxQBE0ILgTKZ2-DMb3FDeXFreFrL754qzOnXyKAzxHdCkJXwgvXyNw4GPlMouzahI_hnQVkxCnIrp1nlOLU9dzU5C6a/s1600/DSCN0746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0SRaU-CIpl07ZyVNTbbl7gLipgB8MReIWl_2QYgJBQpK5XdWxelxQBE0ILgTKZ2-DMb3FDeXFreFrL754qzOnXyKAzxHdCkJXwgvXyNw4GPlMouzahI_hnQVkxCnIrp1nlOLU9dzU5C6a/s400/DSCN0746.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's As Close As We Could Get to Exit Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii98G4PqKO8djM-LpC4NMxCE43IdnIdHa74nL3Pgd9DcO3Sv2TOKBNl1bKSjKoPpTHiSbwpuCer4pFqKAKZdFKK35VV4o9zDdKNFuhoZvEC965c7-3ZhckrZsPWaRgCC5keBAn8RJ8WV4S/s1600/DSCN0750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii98G4PqKO8djM-LpC4NMxCE43IdnIdHa74nL3Pgd9DcO3Sv2TOKBNl1bKSjKoPpTHiSbwpuCer4pFqKAKZdFKK35VV4o9zDdKNFuhoZvEC965c7-3ZhckrZsPWaRgCC5keBAn8RJ8WV4S/s400/DSCN0750.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah's Turn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Sna-4tf4KujmuVUn551BJM7Y-b_skkqMDlC3s3Aa9VO2d10fumD4BsXKxE0LmBjieebXpLbiZPLWtOWl6yUenDC090MJ_t0qk6m35CkAK0-bcqKUJdf9fcVlIrH3gTAQ_APZ0ckMOaor/s1600/DSCN0752.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Sna-4tf4KujmuVUn551BJM7Y-b_skkqMDlC3s3Aa9VO2d10fumD4BsXKxE0LmBjieebXpLbiZPLWtOWl6yUenDC090MJ_t0qk6m35CkAK0-bcqKUJdf9fcVlIrH3gTAQ_APZ0ckMOaor/s400/DSCN0752.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now, Tim's Turn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cQ4ZYhbmyXBoiUNLQGF759OagyDC25MsomcyAI8iVL8btn-GkJ3JmEICbo9cQvujODI0j5_hlRBdou6NPqADqOxmv1qN_fqs_nTAmWy4I98vva8HejPhpzXOPldMa-H_fExSN38Fth_J/s1600/DSCN0757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cQ4ZYhbmyXBoiUNLQGF759OagyDC25MsomcyAI8iVL8btn-GkJ3JmEICbo9cQvujODI0j5_hlRBdou6NPqADqOxmv1qN_fqs_nTAmWy4I98vva8HejPhpzXOPldMa-H_fExSN38Fth_J/s400/DSCN0757.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking Across the Outwash Plain from Exit Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">On the
way to Exit Glacier, we had passed several huge turnouts along the river and
decided to boondock there for the night.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We knew it was going to rain, so an asphalt surface seemed to be a much
better option than dirt (think mud).</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
view out the windows was beautiful, and we enjoyed a pleasant evening.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The rain even lulled us to sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWCq10Q2fCWG1DVpqFjZ0ujeESjv6kdNesix9BtJaxuz3vMbeCFulXyHYD3ZlvlAoj2-YLCYhHUjYUQx8D7QQ40TuBard4i9JmmGm7-_bOUrR6YTqmtw9Byhzv951-Nvw9I94h-T7l5kv/s1600/DSCN0773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWCq10Q2fCWG1DVpqFjZ0ujeESjv6kdNesix9BtJaxuz3vMbeCFulXyHYD3ZlvlAoj2-YLCYhHUjYUQx8D7QQ40TuBard4i9JmmGm7-_bOUrR6YTqmtw9Byhzv951-Nvw9I94h-T7l5kv/s400/DSCN0773.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View from Our Boondock Spot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-44368069061979445332015-07-13T22:51:00.000-08:002015-07-13T22:51:02.202-08:00The Scenic Route to Anchorage<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When our
time in Valdez was over, we made our way north on the Richardson Highway. There is only road in and out of Valdez, but
it’s a beautiful one. We drove through
Keystone Canyon, up over Thompson Pass where it started to rain and past
Worthington Glacier. The weather was
mostly good, but I’m grateful that we had an even prettier day on <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/07/a-visit-to-valdez.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">our way to Valdez</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmpQn_rwTPggLdVncW8HdbFWhADXQ7TEY50MGgUkhR-f8SAgRT0QlcRdsuW9yLiCiAlk4EcAiVAhQP8BHW8yxsWHOe-7Gh_gQ83mJOCxNf7dogVVA6FQxNBhAqXMJp5-XKSOrMWcQYdPF/s1600/DSCN0301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcmpQn_rwTPggLdVncW8HdbFWhADXQ7TEY50MGgUkhR-f8SAgRT0QlcRdsuW9yLiCiAlk4EcAiVAhQP8BHW8yxsWHOe-7Gh_gQ83mJOCxNf7dogVVA6FQxNBhAqXMJp5-XKSOrMWcQYdPF/s400/DSCN0301.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds on the Richardson Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After 120
miles, we turned west on the Glenn Highway on our way towards Anchorage. Not long after stopping for a tasty
refreshment in Glennallen, we passed an accident that had involved an Alaskan
State Trooper and another car. For some
reason that was an unsettling sight to me. I’m used to accidents in the Lower 48, but
this is the first one we’ve seen in Alaska.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was
a lot of traffic on the Glenn Highway, much of it in a hurry, with many cars
passing one another on the two-land road.
It was Friday afternoon, and we were beginning to encounter folks from
Anchorage who were heading towards fishing spots on the Copper River. On top of everything, it was also raining a
bit. All of this added up to less-than-desirable
conditions for driving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim did
not seem to be bothered by the traffic, but I suggested that we might consider stopping
for the evening sooner rather than later.
We had previously decided to find a boondock site for the night since we
were not planning to drive all the way to Anchorage. Since this would just be an overnight stop, we
didn’t feel like looking for a special boondock site. Instead, we pulled over at one of the many roadside
turnouts and called it a night. It was
nice to be off the highway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Roadside
turnouts are a popular place for RVers to spend the night. If you drive later in the evening, it is
common to see RVs lined up in pullouts along the highways. Unless there is a sign prohibiting overnight
parking, it is perfectly legal to camp this way. Although we don’t intend to make a habit of
this type of boondocking, it is certainly a convenient option. Yes, there was road noise, but the traffic
died down later in the evening and we slept soundly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Serendipity
must have played a part in our decision to overnight where we did. In the morning we were able to witness a part
of the <a href="http://www.fireweed400.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Fireweed, The Race Across Alaska</span></a>.
This is the longest and largest bicycle race in Alaska, and it travels
across the Glenn and Richardson Highways.
There are also shorter versions of this 400-mile race, and we enjoyed passing
many of these bikers and cheering them on. Tim was able to talk with several of the
racers as they took a break near our RV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPCHICeIQXBP7urmKOGTcJSmRlsAlCTfsJBEb4_OPAd4GYOV4Hsygvn_icfxo_F7T1jhwFuAuhr_4j_ic-KAurm21ZF68_RfM-oo1YlvaOVT2Nu-ltf-1sdYgsX0qiN0dRJJrEdEQ2Uny/s1600/DSCN0319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCPCHICeIQXBP7urmKOGTcJSmRlsAlCTfsJBEb4_OPAd4GYOV4Hsygvn_icfxo_F7T1jhwFuAuhr_4j_ic-KAurm21ZF68_RfM-oo1YlvaOVT2Nu-ltf-1sdYgsX0qiN0dRJJrEdEQ2Uny/s400/DSCN0319.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding through Early Morning Showers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVZ42QDdtORJcXyvHs1B46fF7wgS-xWb6mQcs9aHDLSqqB_b58QA82QHSdWUlultr0CUr5DBpAWgXancmPXU_QPPQOb42vGPlfqH7si9ow4orzKPbhBGuGkE5xKPNEe5g0uC9Be1OO0e1/s1600/DSCN0328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQVZ42QDdtORJcXyvHs1B46fF7wgS-xWb6mQcs9aHDLSqqB_b58QA82QHSdWUlultr0CUr5DBpAWgXancmPXU_QPPQOb42vGPlfqH7si9ow4orzKPbhBGuGkE5xKPNEe5g0uC9Be1OO0e1/s400/DSCN0328.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time for a Break</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFJJ77tVSNUjqUuhNzgV8MH-PGbD2qVteIkHMzw4zFB9Dj7JKBkZQhMp3Fff5HDZDufMp8ricz1OW0htB94lJhX_wtYj5ny4uFF2VlFDi9_PDM0iutCAjE8rRdvfYILcqlWhg7ddH2bZw/s1600/DSCN0366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFJJ77tVSNUjqUuhNzgV8MH-PGbD2qVteIkHMzw4zFB9Dj7JKBkZQhMp3Fff5HDZDufMp8ricz1OW0htB94lJhX_wtYj5ny4uFF2VlFDi9_PDM0iutCAjE8rRdvfYILcqlWhg7ddH2bZw/s400/DSCN0366.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bicyclists Added an Interesting Element to the Scenic Views</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Glenn
Highway is another gorgeous drive, and it has been designated as a National
Scenic Byway. We are finding that each scenic
drive in Alaska is more stunning than the next.
Soon after we hit the road, the early morning rain had stopped, and we
were able to get a clear view of the mountains and glaciers. The Glenn Highway parallels the Chugach
Mountains along a path that was carved by glaciers. We caught glimpses of the Tazlina, Nelchina
and Matanuska glaciers and then followed the Matanuska River as it made its way
towards the sea. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhal78MqjgZW98dU09MU1RkTrdPYqjLsmBxIqeKEDzVw4SfM8lVUO5D76DC3LPGfD1fB67srMlm2lEr1qUf0auMbP0U24S3oiBkfnDaT15ss26QuJpJBF16VJLegxjn5yAdoZbvW7cWfuYX/s1600/DSCN0340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhal78MqjgZW98dU09MU1RkTrdPYqjLsmBxIqeKEDzVw4SfM8lVUO5D76DC3LPGfD1fB67srMlm2lEr1qUf0auMbP0U24S3oiBkfnDaT15ss26QuJpJBF16VJLegxjn5yAdoZbvW7cWfuYX/s400/DSCN0340.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Nelchina Glacier at the Summit of the Glenn Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
of its proximity to Anchorage, the Glenn Highway is a well-traveled route, and
we encountered more traffic than we had seen since arriving in Alaska. The traffic, however, did not take away from
the spectacular scenery. At one of the
turnouts where we stopped to admire the view, a woman from Homer was also in
awe of what she was seeing. She mentioned
to me that she had driven the road on many occasions but found this day to be
one of the best. We also felt very
fortunate to travel the highway on such a beautiful day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_1ZuLUQqijnmbeo5787fiMWw07PzdQJa8Zo0iACSzAhCpFcF483ivrsvGQDQdGJRtHwfQoFyo5GaRgkNDDN_zKBxCnFwrwIXqP6zrjpoj3TJojPsZvOjPMBHOcBO6a-QiElWcQ1mS9c5/s1600/DSCN0373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ_1ZuLUQqijnmbeo5787fiMWw07PzdQJa8Zo0iACSzAhCpFcF483ivrsvGQDQdGJRtHwfQoFyo5GaRgkNDDN_zKBxCnFwrwIXqP6zrjpoj3TJojPsZvOjPMBHOcBO6a-QiElWcQ1mS9c5/s400/DSCN0373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Lakes along the Chugach Mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHUCnNbfe9S7bnVAMODJXMfMlqKC9PELmAqUp4nptL7LcMGbD2GY_SJgOMDkgbsz15OaiKX9zmpU6MKa5a2n1iAWFA9degEFk3EUV1Q5xWYEWWawS5fEuLVMttdPZsXeaas_nWnnx16kh/s1600/DSCN0330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHUCnNbfe9S7bnVAMODJXMfMlqKC9PELmAqUp4nptL7LcMGbD2GY_SJgOMDkgbsz15OaiKX9zmpU6MKa5a2n1iAWFA9degEFk3EUV1Q5xWYEWWawS5fEuLVMttdPZsXeaas_nWnnx16kh/s400/DSCN0330.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hills of Fireweed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC9kDN87vQXly6Acdv0iQn2nSdpFm_jl7Yn2Zvv1_FqNcyVcBBpMpe1yFQqt4suh5RpxdiNZk7JbNJul4vSSkzNNvh-fFFTvcXcVvcnkU60VS6cP0ct8fla7RwDDBsMQUOHOGYyw5aV1E/s1600/DSCN0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbC9kDN87vQXly6Acdv0iQn2nSdpFm_jl7Yn2Zvv1_FqNcyVcBBpMpe1yFQqt4suh5RpxdiNZk7JbNJul4vSSkzNNvh-fFFTvcXcVvcnkU60VS6cP0ct8fla7RwDDBsMQUOHOGYyw5aV1E/s400/DSCN0384.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Takes a Long Time to Get to Anchorage When You Stop at Every Viewpoint</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEuw_hvhDXog1L6qImGGoDbVHhWYyFG9DeBWyIzoZvjvXJsc0N2X2E3vCBb4JwwbiAQNL8jS9yHO-ADibT6P7kuUQSNVig5pMqtZRuVw7CfprytJ430QTbDEM4lt4QLqwL3E0ojD0BoQH/s1600/DSCN0433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIEuw_hvhDXog1L6qImGGoDbVHhWYyFG9DeBWyIzoZvjvXJsc0N2X2E3vCBb4JwwbiAQNL8jS9yHO-ADibT6P7kuUQSNVig5pMqtZRuVw7CfprytJ430QTbDEM4lt4QLqwL3E0ojD0BoQH/s400/DSCN0433.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dramatic Mountain Views</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKJ7Xx6GAM8jYW7CR2rWEmpKqQxxnKaM5iGt-FA1HjHG8EWxzuCZ3Fn3B9nAITBS4rIbRMPw0hltSCciTV-Jn3fTNta_Bmn4gY4m_qvCYorGow2DdARyH-visQRYuIe0rwcxn_Tfyy77h/s1600/DSCN0459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKJ7Xx6GAM8jYW7CR2rWEmpKqQxxnKaM5iGt-FA1HjHG8EWxzuCZ3Fn3B9nAITBS4rIbRMPw0hltSCciTV-Jn3fTNta_Bmn4gY4m_qvCYorGow2DdARyH-visQRYuIe0rwcxn_Tfyy77h/s400/DSCN0459.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following the Matanuska River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our destination
for the weekend was Wasilla, just north of Anchorage, to restock the RV, get a
haircut and take care of errands. We
found a Walgreens to fill prescriptions, as well as the first Target since
leaving the Lower 48. I must say it was very
odd to be back in a suburban area with lots of chain stores. It took a bit of getting used to. Oh, right, there are these things called
traffic lights. The stores certainly
came in handy, however, and we took advantage of their proximity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our plan
was to stay at a nearby private campground for the weekend, but it was full on
Saturday night. Therefore, we decided to
look for a public campground or boondock spot and wait until Sunday to check
into the campground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We drove
through the nearby Lake Lucille Park, but it was not maintained, and I felt a
bit uneasy there. We then found a
perfect spot just a few miles down the road right on Knik Lake. Thanks to the book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Guide-Alaskan-Camping-Alaska/dp/0982310153/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436854593&sr=8-1&keywords=alaskan+camping+church" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Traveler’s Guide to Alaskan Camping</span></a></i> by Mike and Terri Church, we
discovered that the Knik Bar allows overnight camping. When we traveled in the Lower 48, we
typically used various iPad apps to locate campgrounds. Before we left for Alaska, we had taken the
advice that RVers should purchase the Church book since it is so
comprehensive. We would have to agree,
plus it is handy when our apps are not working.
The book also includes many sites, like the Knik Bar, that are included
in no other guide, so we’ve been very happy to have this resource.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There was
no charge for camping at the Knik Bar – it was just suggested that we purchase
food or drinks. We ordered a pizza,
which was surprisingly good. We had a
nice time chatting with the owner’s family members who were having a
cookout. When we retired to the RV, we
congratulated ourselves for scoring another lakefront site.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31c98GZGo9J6NmrJCwvWuzwuNFdR8EllosEvQTL9VIILPAPp5u5HwHpSyOtWjLcbOx-kPDalgTsZB3l8tXe5UuaT2gUGJOntwvg7xQupINPg_bDTKroZ5xfkyu-LB64g1ClZMUBVx5j0e/s1600/DSCN0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31c98GZGo9J6NmrJCwvWuzwuNFdR8EllosEvQTL9VIILPAPp5u5HwHpSyOtWjLcbOx-kPDalgTsZB3l8tXe5UuaT2gUGJOntwvg7xQupINPg_bDTKroZ5xfkyu-LB64g1ClZMUBVx5j0e/s400/DSCN0478.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice Site along the Knik Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Knik Lake
was beautiful, and I opened our sliding door to photograph the lake on several occasions
throughout the evening. What I didn’t realize
was that Kitty used one of those opportunities to sneak outside. When I finally discovered that she was not in
the RV, more than an hour had elapsed.
Panic struck, and I was frantic.
Kitty only goes outside on a leash, and I had no idea where she might
have wandered off to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujbOcY1W5QrefQFsrtZvM2GXD0guV8ZgeiWAOq70lcV6IGUf24e_RLvCK9yJf4wLFoOURlTT9BybtmNq5_Eny5OdlAmPsLssmSEW-vGvXHz5KgwxuGx2essR-LfuYVkJRaZ5TnOEvW8PA/s1600/DSCN0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjujbOcY1W5QrefQFsrtZvM2GXD0guV8ZgeiWAOq70lcV6IGUf24e_RLvCK9yJf4wLFoOURlTT9BybtmNq5_Eny5OdlAmPsLssmSEW-vGvXHz5KgwxuGx2essR-LfuYVkJRaZ5TnOEvW8PA/s400/DSCN0473.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Never Imagined that this Innocent Kitty Would Become an Escaped Felon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln7F6kjclWT51YOga-rxx1glbCg0lRpakOKTx5AqXQbX9WTreoHVZaITEJaDGvizL-tCFVIoyE1OHrOdIOZKjI3eaU52vVrxma1m7hMSpKzK21_PIxR20lvTZHvg0XzlYCh2uI1JpmuD9/s1600/DSCN0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln7F6kjclWT51YOga-rxx1glbCg0lRpakOKTx5AqXQbX9WTreoHVZaITEJaDGvizL-tCFVIoyE1OHrOdIOZKjI3eaU52vVrxma1m7hMSpKzK21_PIxR20lvTZHvg0XzlYCh2uI1JpmuD9/s400/DSCN0502.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe Kitty Just Wanted to Go Outside to Admire this View of Knik Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By this
time it was 11:00 pm, but luckily it was still light outside. I ran over to the grassy area where we had
walked her earlier, but I couldn’t find her. Tim went in the opposite direction and happened
to spot her in the distance. He called
to her, and she slowly came to us. What
a relief! I had been so scared that I had
lost the cat! I guess I won’t be taking
photographs through the open door anytime soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The next
day we checked into the <a href="https://www.alaskarvpark.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Big Bear RV Park and Campground</span></a> on the recommendation
of fellow Alaska travelers. It was a
good choice. The rates were much more
reasonable than many we had looked at, and the facilities were very nice. This was a perfect place to catch up on
laundry, defrost the refrigerator and take care of other chores that go
hand-in-hand with living – in an RV or not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tomorrow,
we head down to the Kenai Peninsula.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We
are really looking forward to exploring this part of the state.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-85263608097775852412015-07-12T10:07:00.000-08:002015-07-12T10:27:15.729-08:00Cruising in Prince William Sound<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Getting
out on the water is a great way to spend a day in Alaska, so Tim and I made a
reservation for a glacier and wildlife tour in Prince William Sound. Several companies in Valdez offer similar tours
to different glaciers, but we selected the Columbia Glacier tour with <a href="http://www.stephenscruises.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Stan Stephens Cruises</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was an
easy choice for us since we had a two-for-one coupon for this particular cruise. <span style="color: #990000;">I’ve written before</span> about the <a href="http://www.toursaver.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Alaska TourSaver</span></a> book and the money it has saved us.
This time it was $125. I have no
doubt that all of the companies and tours are great. Perhaps the longer ones are even better. Our cruise ended up being the best choice for
us, however, and not only because of the savings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Thursday
morning started out foggy and cloudy, but with a promise of clearing by early
afternoon. We boarded the catamaran <i>Valdez Spirit</i> for our 11:00 am sailing
and were pleased when we saw that the boat was not full. There were lots of places to sit, as well as lots
of room along the railings. There was no
need to peer over someone’s head to try and take that perfect photograph.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-NFnOm5ftCXfuscxH6MlsrXKPaARkpOIWyKQwfa4nJkL0UpdqSwzmO92ofe9Sw29fy8DgdnRZivYAZFsh7xtRVS-DKkUrQ9RI23sjwHwPxQeHsxn00omXSzZ2EAV-kYTqw2P1w7tee_T/s1600/DSCN9721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG-NFnOm5ftCXfuscxH6MlsrXKPaARkpOIWyKQwfa4nJkL0UpdqSwzmO92ofe9Sw29fy8DgdnRZivYAZFsh7xtRVS-DKkUrQ9RI23sjwHwPxQeHsxn00omXSzZ2EAV-kYTqw2P1w7tee_T/s400/DSCN9721.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fog over the Mountains As We Sailed Out of the Valdez Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCZpkJIBvoeg-N0YZ_SdpxD3_fNU0j_0wmDI9OQsyeRV5iazhIqWJmwwfnOI-TMkBv_yfIPz9PXo4qLCVatO8X8xV03agCBPg1aZKnkT8YlsHZ3pUh_YGVKnzb6anPtJmBkOuE63wBEu6/s1600/DSCN0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXCZpkJIBvoeg-N0YZ_SdpxD3_fNU0j_0wmDI9OQsyeRV5iazhIqWJmwwfnOI-TMkBv_yfIPz9PXo4qLCVatO8X8xV03agCBPg1aZKnkT8YlsHZ3pUh_YGVKnzb6anPtJmBkOuE63wBEu6/s400/DSCN0252.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Valdez Spirit</i> - It Was Nice and Sunny When We Returned to the Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It takes
a while to get from Valdez to the Columbia Glacier, so the captain found other
things to hold our interest. We cruised
near several waterfalls as we made our way toward Valdez Narrows and more open
water. We found Prince William Sound crowded
with almost 200 commercial fishing boats, and we learned a little more about the
way in which these boats catch salmon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-8fKj92gnI6Cb8YvDMzqpyFZCr7tX_OjdhyPbusNBX0erNFXd-uXUXOE4TcAtIr-c-neXMc9aCtoIXzcKJJ7hlykypLyYA1_awhwY_kLK4-1hq_2rfByNqzTzRFKHTa8e5McUHqM6Rd-/s1600/DSCN9790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-8fKj92gnI6Cb8YvDMzqpyFZCr7tX_OjdhyPbusNBX0erNFXd-uXUXOE4TcAtIr-c-neXMc9aCtoIXzcKJJ7hlykypLyYA1_awhwY_kLK4-1hq_2rfByNqzTzRFKHTa8e5McUHqM6Rd-/s400/DSCN9790.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out for a Day of Fishing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_V4rF6yIWLVAH1GkV6V_frekirmOkHKCwhYxXURkjrY7BVI1CDzPjIUVlhhCVqu5yp0tJbHbyLvf4ecKMbsK0Kfg7sCA7bxQkdc0TIrE22QlIetiyRkIZEb4kJe3k4GrdsrAE9INuHwZ/s1600/DSCN9783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_V4rF6yIWLVAH1GkV6V_frekirmOkHKCwhYxXURkjrY7BVI1CDzPjIUVlhhCVqu5yp0tJbHbyLvf4ecKMbsK0Kfg7sCA7bxQkdc0TIrE22QlIetiyRkIZEb4kJe3k4GrdsrAE9INuHwZ/s400/DSCN9783.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hoping for a Good Catch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
process used in Prince William Sound is called purse seining. This involves two boats that surround the salmon
with a net supported by floats. Once the
fish have been encircled, the net is drawn or “pursed” so it is closed from the
bottom. A power block on the fishing
boat is then used to haul in the net. Not
until the net is pulled out of the water do the fishermen know how many, if
any, fish have been caught. We sat and
watched two different boats haul in their nets, and both seemed to be full of
salmon. A good catch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SR-WjIVV9kv5aJCxwA-w0FrOsUClL_05KdZxVtgEgvv-ShAVpRTFWtx54_AUADOrZ988wASeuMtWq8gVhPp1CzEOdZc8xyDECy_H94IxKU_Tz3EYPidACEBd4HVaXqxzTY2nV7Bj_VFF/s1600/DSCN9840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SR-WjIVV9kv5aJCxwA-w0FrOsUClL_05KdZxVtgEgvv-ShAVpRTFWtx54_AUADOrZ988wASeuMtWq8gVhPp1CzEOdZc8xyDECy_H94IxKU_Tz3EYPidACEBd4HVaXqxzTY2nV7Bj_VFF/s400/DSCN9840.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two Boats Are Necessary for Purse Seining</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLswqcmw4Ygc3wjw59rI-rs-zaEE4FakzIzNzv4A-JLVLgv5hqqigqILlQ5b0f5tqijN5h4Hqb1oopyDOzlCVXd_2Hm9VIzj4ZxJBLrs0Xx7fy9bYe-o52rRHHAA3n6zYB0HhQ_eWsbVv/s1600/DSCN9863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLswqcmw4Ygc3wjw59rI-rs-zaEE4FakzIzNzv4A-JLVLgv5hqqigqILlQ5b0f5tqijN5h4Hqb1oopyDOzlCVXd_2Hm9VIzj4ZxJBLrs0Xx7fy9bYe-o52rRHHAA3n6zYB0HhQ_eWsbVv/s400/DSCN9863.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning to Haul in the Net</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKb0YrpI8DajteVwqsm1Yclj1cSukmHTTL9szbKlY9vpQ8nPJWvu0QKC5Bhdz-a0i0LQgzs92I3lvu_NfWu8g1g6gWF8f1T1AWWkG3-XeqyNwMDpQRZJXQfdtpfIkakwC_EXRQquH0PMR/s1600/DSCN9875.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiKb0YrpI8DajteVwqsm1Yclj1cSukmHTTL9szbKlY9vpQ8nPJWvu0QKC5Bhdz-a0i0LQgzs92I3lvu_NfWu8g1g6gWF8f1T1AWWkG3-XeqyNwMDpQRZJXQfdtpfIkakwC_EXRQquH0PMR/s400/DSCN9875.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, That Was a Good One</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fzMW3iuV79L3cdBafwLV9TFWOr-cruzUD8Tq05AfkjqzvXhrqmnlUPOentgDCDDoS1yXt-TjL24fEiJs0vOqZ2DmyrjTreYEwQt3NiMX1H2JhV35pXr-m9qTxZKeAmut7KWpAbflchM7/s1600/DSCN9814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fzMW3iuV79L3cdBafwLV9TFWOr-cruzUD8Tq05AfkjqzvXhrqmnlUPOentgDCDDoS1yXt-TjL24fEiJs0vOqZ2DmyrjTreYEwQt3NiMX1H2JhV35pXr-m9qTxZKeAmut7KWpAbflchM7/s400/DSCN9814.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Successful Haul on Another Boat</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We also
learned the role of tender boats that enable fishing boats to stay out on the
water even after their boats are full of fish.
Tenders buy the fish, load the fish onto the tender boat and transport the
fish to the nearest fish processing plant.
The fishing boat can then continue to catch more fish. It’s a very efficient system. I thought the whole process was fascinating,
and I’m glad that commercial fishing was covered on the tour. It’s such an important aspect of life in
Alaska.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn86aDmmV9R1p_0vuWvwbKGJ2ozzZEaGTce3_Hkxxx5YYN3spDfL9z1TfkVmD7cr3sk-xmhYFhphhB30P1b7rtvRehokU6pggQbyH9kcFx6vtQl9GZZpvlQ7ChbnGIor2-zmbJBppfCJ4q/s1600/DSCN9832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn86aDmmV9R1p_0vuWvwbKGJ2ozzZEaGTce3_Hkxxx5YYN3spDfL9z1TfkVmD7cr3sk-xmhYFhphhB30P1b7rtvRehokU6pggQbyH9kcFx6vtQl9GZZpvlQ7ChbnGIor2-zmbJBppfCJ4q/s400/DSCN9832.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tender Boats Allow the Fishing Boats to Stay Out Longer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before
too long, we reached Columbia Sound where we began to see ice in the water
ahead. The skies were starting to clear
up, just in time for our arrival at Columbia Glacier. Columbia Glacier is the second largest
tidewater glacier in North America and the largest in Prince William
Sound. As we made our way into the bay
past several icy blue ice bergs, we saw what looked like a large glacier in the
distance. The captain informed us,
however, that the best was yet to come.
This was only the west branch of the larger glacier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGtXkwNH9g7mTSuBvAUs_iDtepdPp3qAkPGAzgzMEo8cIC2ZyaWnKb2eGxxA0OZ8k7QiGNUOXXy2nWNxXb-_duGqs-o0V6RrFmbeoTjZvF3b7PPmMTErDgIHhmg9s9ADeym3IehyphenhyphenjWBHc/s1600/DSCN9937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfGtXkwNH9g7mTSuBvAUs_iDtepdPp3qAkPGAzgzMEo8cIC2ZyaWnKb2eGxxA0OZ8k7QiGNUOXXy2nWNxXb-_duGqs-o0V6RrFmbeoTjZvF3b7PPmMTErDgIHhmg9s9ADeym3IehyphenhyphenjWBHc/s400/DSCN9937.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice Bergs Came in All Shapes and Sizes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As we
rounded a corner, the most massive glacier I’ve ever seen came into view. Columbia Glacier is a sight to behold. This glacier is huge. I literally had to turn my head around to
grasp the breadth of the glacier – it was that long. And blue.
Another gorgeous tidewater glacier.
I don’t think I will ever tire of gazing at them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IF6l1EQPEuv1CTkXbSbVBHVcW_c7KHVvKThMaz1CtR794nMDrdK7zLqcFzWvK1yiILXT3T9tffJ6rT_0Ig_dGfSxUV-UNOgQf9qbeTpPRHwpmMwmz7wqx30WP3Zj3uMFsVFRE-QO0PEK/s1600/DSCN0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IF6l1EQPEuv1CTkXbSbVBHVcW_c7KHVvKThMaz1CtR794nMDrdK7zLqcFzWvK1yiILXT3T9tffJ6rT_0Ig_dGfSxUV-UNOgQf9qbeTpPRHwpmMwmz7wqx30WP3Zj3uMFsVFRE-QO0PEK/s400/DSCN0046.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Face of Columbia Glacier Is Longer than You Can See in this Photo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7VpmMkIssrVQjncryPtBRk0LHRbHmCHt56iq7JKpr0kxerLHWUr4qHO7HiRsJcvnbqnFIlxtcg1mzZHtaUhriercCnJKBk2U-UyCKQlwo5NG5rbW2_-vkXVkIUszDctAxbhh75oscrEZ/s1600/DSCN0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7VpmMkIssrVQjncryPtBRk0LHRbHmCHt56iq7JKpr0kxerLHWUr4qHO7HiRsJcvnbqnFIlxtcg1mzZHtaUhriercCnJKBk2U-UyCKQlwo5NG5rbW2_-vkXVkIUszDctAxbhh75oscrEZ/s400/DSCN0106.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a Glorious Sight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Columbia
Glacier is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world and one of the few
tidewater glaciers that did not begin its retreat until recently. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Since 1980, however, the glacier has been in a
“catastrophic” retreat and has moved back 13 miles.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It is now comprised of three separate
glaciers, and soon the two smaller </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">branches will get their own names.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
captain was able to maneuver the boat to within one-quarter mile of the face of
the glacier, closer than I can ever remember getting to any tidewater
glacier. We sat there for quite some
time and just stared. Alas, there wasn’t
much calving, but it was still an awesome experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RUA6-bvM2IbAFnIrcQdfjehYTJjJLFlvx3iDz-xFOiYbgHrxGwvhoLKndu9mUCg6ZqhjvhJhXiVSsp0fJ7DYsU6TUMeL_Ar31wfYZF368eVbVbHllYEPe7yIG5_oRHs7g6L1nY4tzy6q/s1600/DSCN0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RUA6-bvM2IbAFnIrcQdfjehYTJjJLFlvx3iDz-xFOiYbgHrxGwvhoLKndu9mUCg6ZqhjvhJhXiVSsp0fJ7DYsU6TUMeL_Ar31wfYZF368eVbVbHllYEPe7yIG5_oRHs7g6L1nY4tzy6q/s400/DSCN0089.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So Close, We Could Almost Touch It</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitJ9bslYAWAsp9mF84htozlaqdyMZoyRmjbD8FIyPDttg4UMo5988cufh_YMYjwiQQN0n9Lwd3cMiEvPsKg6XdxfDJHD1JMVD5b6TFtZSiatfcfjYg06HpSJTpMqw86OPb45qhyM_OoAC/s1600/DSCN0087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitJ9bslYAWAsp9mF84htozlaqdyMZoyRmjbD8FIyPDttg4UMo5988cufh_YMYjwiQQN0n9Lwd3cMiEvPsKg6XdxfDJHD1JMVD5b6TFtZSiatfcfjYg06HpSJTpMqw86OPb45qhyM_OoAC/s400/DSCN0087.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wall of Ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9ossyKY_H3VEXT0UV5zjPOkNMfGj-s1Kn_a8suuU8aXQrF6WpdvjhpTmdX6V9hwZj-RrgNMZvup_3AMytWhv2hzxcxYJTTrIU5rZkG9wqKarsEJ5ygV1vOvVOeHZ_qEeERUM6DiTey8/s1600/DSCN0126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvK9ossyKY_H3VEXT0UV5zjPOkNMfGj-s1Kn_a8suuU8aXQrF6WpdvjhpTmdX6V9hwZj-RrgNMZvup_3AMytWhv2hzxcxYJTTrIU5rZkG9wqKarsEJ5ygV1vOvVOeHZ_qEeERUM6DiTey8/s400/DSCN0126.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Reflections</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNoTGzp33LwHrHSE_KJutUW_f-qNBv8oONx1hxCFaz7QT7FPklO71VqZxhuv6-5JTQDQE1e9o6deZ6NyPmQ5eP2MGmf-B7O3VLxtTfhxwUWlpSJ4OEog4823OqXXMHxoJ0ZAlCA9Pyt4Z/s1600/DSCN0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUNoTGzp33LwHrHSE_KJutUW_f-qNBv8oONx1hxCFaz7QT7FPklO71VqZxhuv6-5JTQDQE1e9o6deZ6NyPmQ5eP2MGmf-B7O3VLxtTfhxwUWlpSJ4OEog4823OqXXMHxoJ0ZAlCA9Pyt4Z/s400/DSCN0121.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dress Warmly for a Stop at a Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoJA-g3tp109-0Z_AlP-LEUItid-UFmUoARioWJrdd15PuQE4S9CGeJexgOdSLwoZUKCHMNhLX-QhEqleo4VmJ5nzjjJbgUtHkwKBBO3JqCskpowILCPn5l_L35fhJ9llPpz3xfj9C-R7/s1600/DSCN0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoJA-g3tp109-0Z_AlP-LEUItid-UFmUoARioWJrdd15PuQE4S9CGeJexgOdSLwoZUKCHMNhLX-QhEqleo4VmJ5nzjjJbgUtHkwKBBO3JqCskpowILCPn5l_L35fhJ9llPpz3xfj9C-R7/s400/DSCN0123.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The West Branch Is on the Left</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEteoXtFaDJkbdv8PLi-_3VICMqN6fj4VyHilBy3bFI_uACotfHHzq-KGrxSoJaxap3dRc754LBFrBOfALQQrXNYWSI8A97l_PIcdViCMEUh1TLdoABFcxCK-5AvhMONiJo3hbKEZLVVHC/s1600/DSCN0180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEteoXtFaDJkbdv8PLi-_3VICMqN6fj4VyHilBy3bFI_uACotfHHzq-KGrxSoJaxap3dRc754LBFrBOfALQQrXNYWSI8A97l_PIcdViCMEUh1TLdoABFcxCK-5AvhMONiJo3hbKEZLVVHC/s400/DSCN0180.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to Leave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over the
course of the day we also saw a lot of marine wildlife, and the captain did his
best to seek out the mammals of Prince William Sound. We saw a few humpback whales, but no orcas,
and not a single one decided to breach in front of us. A mother whale and her calf were really cute,
however, and they stayed with us for a few minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Of
course, my favorite critter was the sea otter, and we saw more on this cruise
than in the past. We were close enough
to see quite a few of them resting on some ice bergs and then dive into the
water. They just floated and stared back
at us. Too cute! A group of stellar sea lions and several Dall’s
porpoises rounded out our sightings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcTrpsa01dONEfrYkmgTnA_flr1wSTwUObndQnso16b22Q7FCH60Rt3S5tox43LdPn1fR5JrAN6S3rYSBqqcvNXL33DE3B9-vx2-waLBNUrEbU15ni4Qx7dvkh8iwan6d0pJp0EEZiTlV/s1600/DSCN9954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcTrpsa01dONEfrYkmgTnA_flr1wSTwUObndQnso16b22Q7FCH60Rt3S5tox43LdPn1fR5JrAN6S3rYSBqqcvNXL33DE3B9-vx2-waLBNUrEbU15ni4Qx7dvkh8iwan6d0pJp0EEZiTlV/s400/DSCN9954.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sea Otters On the Ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfV2zqoRJ_buOjovAihhrzgxaSXnzhJVbnkzhQs1ZXphwmEnoapcod23tXSbmnvo9djwV4Mktceo6SR3Te8194CjTJlvQ2OSfQ4Cd23-fKqlUE99wQ-BhnnL5J8kyy9teauwiUgMMidwj/s1600/DSCN0199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfV2zqoRJ_buOjovAihhrzgxaSXnzhJVbnkzhQs1ZXphwmEnoapcod23tXSbmnvo9djwV4Mktceo6SR3Te8194CjTJlvQ2OSfQ4Cd23-fKqlUE99wQ-BhnnL5J8kyy9teauwiUgMMidwj/s400/DSCN0199.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What Are You Looking At?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKRbUqg_tisfgd8uPOZqiJI4OBSOKM6WWu7zhyh_TbmtQaMVma6j5FukHQ7Iz5HC5ZNXgzgr_GzMd0OfldDmvMLZICwMkjmuhPvpHiG1HE6WqiSmg5RpUjN8502s7AIkadW4Ly5prpGjj/s1600/DSCN9988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKRbUqg_tisfgd8uPOZqiJI4OBSOKM6WWu7zhyh_TbmtQaMVma6j5FukHQ7Iz5HC5ZNXgzgr_GzMd0OfldDmvMLZICwMkjmuhPvpHiG1HE6WqiSmg5RpUjN8502s7AIkadW4Ly5prpGjj/s400/DSCN9988.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Know that I'm Cute</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
this was not our first glacier cruise, it was still just as exciting, and it
offered a few different twists than the <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/06/glorious-glacier-bay.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">one we took in Glacier Bay</span></a>. Although there was no National Park Service
ranger on board here, we were impressed with the captain’s commentary. He was extremely knowledgeable and provided
very good explanations of what we were seeing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">After
docking in Valdez, Tim and I returned to our “home” on Robe Lake.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Although our “prime” site was taken, that was
ok.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We pulled in nearby and spent one
last night at the lake before heading north the next morning.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-84536947368399439132015-07-10T08:57:00.000-08:002015-07-10T08:57:47.718-08:00A Visit to Valdez<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
peaceful night at the Chitina airstrip, we awoke to the sound of a plane
landing. Tim went outside and greeted
Bill, our pilot from the previous day.
All was quite again as the plane took off to McCarthy with a full load
of passengers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When Tim
and I had arrived at the airstrip, we noticed several fish wheels in the Copper
River, so we walked down to take a look.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I had never seen one up close, except for the traditional one at the
visitor center at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Every summer Alaska residents may obtain
permits to operate fish wheels, and the Copper River is a prime location to see
them in action.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Fish wheels and dip netting
are subsistence programs to help people feed their families.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">No salmon were snared in the wheel while we
were there, but the process was interesting to watch.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCzN1PCfpJe4hQfj9NPF5fNkrWu0gEn9h9qc6s3w_eWSesN92ZznovRR4Zd2JDLi8wIoWswgo9-bt009RNZfxDhpqts14MtlsO01G6dh0YQ-YIy7VhLiUiW9BGNHHx8w8OxB1QmqQChyc/s1600/2015-07-03+-+Tok+to+Chitina%252C+AK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCzN1PCfpJe4hQfj9NPF5fNkrWu0gEn9h9qc6s3w_eWSesN92ZznovRR4Zd2JDLi8wIoWswgo9-bt009RNZfxDhpqts14MtlsO01G6dh0YQ-YIy7VhLiUiW9BGNHHx8w8OxB1QmqQChyc/s400/2015-07-03+-+Tok+to+Chitina%252C+AK.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional and Contemporary Fish Wheels</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Next up
was a drive to the small town of Chitina, where we stopped at the National Park
ranger station. Here we had the most
interesting chat with Ranger Earl. Earl
has lived in the area for over 30 years and has some amazing stories that he
can tell. He witnessed the creation of
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in 1980 and the intense opposition on the part
of local residents who felt their lifestyle was being taken away from them. Things have cooled since then, and Alaskans
still retain ownership of their private property in the park. Unlike older national parks in the Lower 48,
these properties will always remain in private hands unless the owners choose
to sell to the National Park Service.
Earl is a great resource for the National Park Service, and it was a privilege
to spend time with him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our other
stop was the Hotel Chitina, where we had the second best meal since leaving
Haines. I had been a bit hesitant to
order the salmon cakes, but I’m glad I did.
They were delicious. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbfExFSlV2T5QMPC05EEYgmbTkhq002swW26hBNRxE4jhyphenhyphen5O03i8qY0E6ffnBTIUG2tMVpBltOD2Jw5BhnbrLA7PNz0-p0pPw3yiMEwSC7u0OeDwK2jUPkpoR8veYcvdbpwA1fyUg9PuG/s1600/DSCN9376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYbfExFSlV2T5QMPC05EEYgmbTkhq002swW26hBNRxE4jhyphenhyphen5O03i8qY0E6ffnBTIUG2tMVpBltOD2Jw5BhnbrLA7PNz0-p0pPw3yiMEwSC7u0OeDwK2jUPkpoR8veYcvdbpwA1fyUg9PuG/s400/DSCN9376.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown Chitina</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Although
we had no plans to drive the McCarthy Road from Chitina to McCarthy, we did
want to cross the bridge over the Copper River to see if any fishermen were
still there. The riverbank was still
quite active, and we saw more fish wheels, as well as people using dip
nets. I’m really glad we waited until
Sunday to go down there, however. The
rest of the weekend was said to be nuts!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGsTZeDsucEF8uTn0rfxH01tTMukGMclbcGozi-LZwsfpsMjcGWr_SVFFTDQU13vmvHRiXfeTWxwVbHAoHYaQCBK_im-tNx3d5n3RUDnsi-vxk1DfZM5tpN2vHGzyakTZ4p3-UDvM3vnc/s1600/DSCN9404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiGsTZeDsucEF8uTn0rfxH01tTMukGMclbcGozi-LZwsfpsMjcGWr_SVFFTDQU13vmvHRiXfeTWxwVbHAoHYaQCBK_im-tNx3d5n3RUDnsi-vxk1DfZM5tpN2vHGzyakTZ4p3-UDvM3vnc/s400/DSCN9404.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Fish Wheels on the Copper River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I really
loved our time in Chitina, McCarthy and Kennecott, and I feel that we were able
to experience a bit more of the “real” Alaska.
We encountered almost no tourists from outside the state, and this was certainly
different than our time in Southeast Alaska. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
originally decided to spend one more night in the area, possibly at Kenny Lake,
before making our way to Valdez. As we
were driving back on the Edgerton Road, I mentioned to Tim that we might want
to think about driving to Valdez that day.
I’m always open to changing my mind, but Tim thinks I’m nuts. Why the sudden change? The weather was beautiful, we would have a
guaranteed view of the gorgeous scenery along the way and it was still early in
the afternoon. After a bit of
hesitation, he agreed and we were off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
a lot of scenic highways in Alaska, but the Richardson Highway has to be one of
the prettiest.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The road took us through
the Chugach Mountains, next to deep blue lakes and up close to the Worthington
Glacier before cresting at Thompson Pass.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We caught glimpses of the trans-Alaska pipeline and made our way through
Keystone Canyon where we saw cascading waterfalls before arriving in
Valdez.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We could not have asked for more
perfect weather for making this drive.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yjEEVcz0MGyV2Th0xrtK0LC0CeOn5Q5f-7OaRt4klKz8-rnDfpbq8NtruvtDrLZXs79u_sGTPGRDEhUXaNDidbqWl3sDQ2B_S1C-dbF7ao2RVLNWwwQnysF9xfeQ8TzI7yy0uyZ94lmt/s1600/DSCN9430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yjEEVcz0MGyV2Th0xrtK0LC0CeOn5Q5f-7OaRt4klKz8-rnDfpbq8NtruvtDrLZXs79u_sGTPGRDEhUXaNDidbqWl3sDQ2B_S1C-dbF7ao2RVLNWwwQnysF9xfeQ8TzI7yy0uyZ94lmt/s400/DSCN9430.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traveling the Richardson Highway to Valdez</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgC3j53royJtUaxKV1FbGTiqOPvAf8WAOifJQKPSxYK21bFyPVSPRmsB2KujJviX9udP1vZSRGkIahg-j_RxkmKNH7VKsbZzbAB9LJIa4pC85xZ4fLxeFYoGjYCd3ADFOXzmqGVeX50Da/s1600/DSCN9449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgC3j53royJtUaxKV1FbGTiqOPvAf8WAOifJQKPSxYK21bFyPVSPRmsB2KujJviX9udP1vZSRGkIahg-j_RxkmKNH7VKsbZzbAB9LJIa4pC85xZ4fLxeFYoGjYCd3ADFOXzmqGVeX50Da/s400/DSCN9449.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Following the Tonsina River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AdkJrD9PBVBYxGH2zt9hJARieu51FCvU0i8mGE98vKv8JNN_4aJpUerPo7IyZLsl5C_QC2S0inHSpOCNXDJP1zjYWOloe5_M83mrgqvuHzXDUzEZ3y9MuxohXe8aeVyOzEN3J2HkeTlD/s1600/DSCN9475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AdkJrD9PBVBYxGH2zt9hJARieu51FCvU0i8mGE98vKv8JNN_4aJpUerPo7IyZLsl5C_QC2S0inHSpOCNXDJP1zjYWOloe5_M83mrgqvuHzXDUzEZ3y9MuxohXe8aeVyOzEN3J2HkeTlD/s400/DSCN9475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spotting Worthington Glacier above the Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSMpthgC5Fzoa9sm-vzpk1tHpODdowxWthdwfhBMAuh-KniGHVm7uGERwOxyPVi45_qjRRdPqwgH0gbAqlsiGsTkGKZAaQBDQNwI6AwLdWiH7eNhHU977ESDosGj9F-p7XH8WhV-L4GNW/s1600/DSCN9483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSMpthgC5Fzoa9sm-vzpk1tHpODdowxWthdwfhBMAuh-KniGHVm7uGERwOxyPVi45_qjRRdPqwgH0gbAqlsiGsTkGKZAaQBDQNwI6AwLdWiH7eNhHU977ESDosGj9F-p7XH8WhV-L4GNW/s400/DSCN9483.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lining Up to Enjoy the View of Worthington Glacier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDO8DTB86ZJv1eg9AJnlg27wG6HXgFGBAffW_i9I0vSN9E6HKcYEhjMJ1qtKFuzRH2IRVKnuEUcEpZmR0FOnzpKDLSkc19CJtESKS0QyZZCSNguS0RUAb6NNvX8uQpKVAIZy8CtZh_f9L/s1600/DSCN9524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDO8DTB86ZJv1eg9AJnlg27wG6HXgFGBAffW_i9I0vSN9E6HKcYEhjMJ1qtKFuzRH2IRVKnuEUcEpZmR0FOnzpKDLSkc19CJtESKS0QyZZCSNguS0RUAb6NNvX8uQpKVAIZy8CtZh_f9L/s400/DSCN9524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending from Thompson Pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnUQs9z5dY6olDMYvEcilMcC4Ly9GfPpcjUkj54Owpg-cva_VUHT48CJVf1ziTRew6d99v5zWIvZY2r4zy6P2AdEDt1cbQTxpt-dxZPk9AjqDLXHcDUgQ9PAdIp4sw5dSktxHzKEwIWPn/s1600/DSCN9529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnUQs9z5dY6olDMYvEcilMcC4Ly9GfPpcjUkj54Owpg-cva_VUHT48CJVf1ziTRew6d99v5zWIvZY2r4zy6P2AdEDt1cbQTxpt-dxZPk9AjqDLXHcDUgQ9PAdIp4sw5dSktxHzKEwIWPn/s400/DSCN9529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing by Blueberry Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAp3MdhOpC_I91s2aDYStY9OcRcT1xLut2LFCuXoOMXloieCdPHFeCqVN4wnpAi1XdRJMkJrbRSDFrfPh1jgVE1WirKVl3bn9NfRcWeSL1RDg2EIw9OfGBJER_RLwFd7OBMhqMwpE6Jbx/s1600/DSCN9534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuAp3MdhOpC_I91s2aDYStY9OcRcT1xLut2LFCuXoOMXloieCdPHFeCqVN4wnpAi1XdRJMkJrbRSDFrfPh1jgVE1WirKVl3bn9NfRcWeSL1RDg2EIw9OfGBJER_RLwFd7OBMhqMwpE6Jbx/s320/DSCN9534.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing through Keystone Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23tA6La-aP7wxQodvtTokNW8wERv6OaQtFh1o-cZzHOf-7GDe_4wsb8NCzWC5D4ak1s1CG31PEeLMehRPxYMJQ-nwxzsgDroyUhxb3nGM-zbJGKurTwB1RXUT3Sa54InUASf4kBEK2IMx/s320/DSCN9537.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="214" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admiring Bridal Veil Falls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23tA6La-aP7wxQodvtTokNW8wERv6OaQtFh1o-cZzHOf-7GDe_4wsb8NCzWC5D4ak1s1CG31PEeLMehRPxYMJQ-nwxzsgDroyUhxb3nGM-zbJGKurTwB1RXUT3Sa54InUASf4kBEK2IMx/s1600/DSCN9537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi23tA6La-aP7wxQodvtTokNW8wERv6OaQtFh1o-cZzHOf-7GDe_4wsb8NCzWC5D4ak1s1CG31PEeLMehRPxYMJQ-nwxzsgDroyUhxb3nGM-zbJGKurTwB1RXUT3Sa54InUASf4kBEK2IMx/s1600/DSCN9537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Valdez is
an interesting town that has been struck by tragedy on at least two
occasions. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The 1964 earthquake decimated
the town and forced it to be relocated four miles away, while the <i>Exxon Valdez</i>
oil spill created an environmental disaster in the adjacent waters of Prince
William Sound.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Valdez is a pleasant town
in a beautiful setting, and it’s especially nice when the sun is out.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">That doesn’t happen too often, so we were
grateful for a sunny day to explore the town.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We walked
along the harbor, watched a boat as it was being lifted out of the water and had
a delicious salmon roll at The Roadside Potatohead.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We drove out to Allison Point where we observed
fishermen reeling in large salmon and spent an hour or so at the very
informative Valdez Museum.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxZDunXyBMWfBe6qxipkazzrFFQgh2vYWU_xbYZy8qgqYEWxQC3vjqg7y6meXf38DVO2s_dYYs9DHG1nGanRRd66aH_YrjKdFxOH03k-PNPZFBeUhfJoafHErZmXClstgEKQPQcmlZvfN/s1600/DSCN9584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFxZDunXyBMWfBe6qxipkazzrFFQgh2vYWU_xbYZy8qgqYEWxQC3vjqg7y6meXf38DVO2s_dYYs9DHG1nGanRRd66aH_YrjKdFxOH03k-PNPZFBeUhfJoafHErZmXClstgEKQPQcmlZvfN/s400/DSCN9584.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a Walk along the Beautiful Small Boat Harbor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3k9s6ygs975ChiH3AdOr-nXYd5-mKfTeQ9Ltxw_90oZv-OyUyd5RdqgAx96RydtM3YQ4utT6TEhuh41_9gBzJSyT6B9E0ENNaOCFr2AE2YI76WLUmSdIj5j4CjpnKdbevq1p4SDUjxvsQ/s1600/DSCN9605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3k9s6ygs975ChiH3AdOr-nXYd5-mKfTeQ9Ltxw_90oZv-OyUyd5RdqgAx96RydtM3YQ4utT6TEhuh41_9gBzJSyT6B9E0ENNaOCFr2AE2YI76WLUmSdIj5j4CjpnKdbevq1p4SDUjxvsQ/s400/DSCN9605.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a Lift</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzfBewbnRdXMir0bEXYFCzINqg_nIV6hyF-MSriTCx-i8jSHkyUE8Fi1fCcJ8AzS-fxnGmvUTcJDCHg4ilgvWtTm-8TD4xMn7z5u0ym9aAPibkn8NBA_U3fmSWXpCHsEbfgFpTfZII7d6/s1600/DSCN9562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVzfBewbnRdXMir0bEXYFCzINqg_nIV6hyF-MSriTCx-i8jSHkyUE8Fi1fCcJ8AzS-fxnGmvUTcJDCHg4ilgvWtTm-8TD4xMn7z5u0ym9aAPibkn8NBA_U3fmSWXpCHsEbfgFpTfZII7d6/s400/DSCN9562.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fishing Near Allison Point</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As much
as we enjoyed spending time in town, what we really craved was some downtime. We had been moving every night since leaving
Haines, and we were growing weary. After
one night at the very-crowded Eagle’s Rest RV Park, we decided to check out a
possible boondock location. Several
years ago I had read about a scenic spot at Robe Lake just outside of town, and
that’s where we went. It was everything
we were looking for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjquJKY_EADpT9C6mhStAPh3aJIVwjLVlN7rrqb67_4Ws1U5QMJ-oA_LVKnTovH-5aX_f284qb8FWq4nAqTQZvJ0zIqIJo0HrjRRnqcRldwoIcIAnkxs5Y5Xu9c9C1FB78V5NuV5GG-pN/s1600/DSCN9548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjquJKY_EADpT9C6mhStAPh3aJIVwjLVlN7rrqb67_4Ws1U5QMJ-oA_LVKnTovH-5aX_f284qb8FWq4nAqTQZvJ0zIqIJo0HrjRRnqcRldwoIcIAnkxs5Y5Xu9c9C1FB78V5NuV5GG-pN/s400/DSCN9548.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From This . . .</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mo4X0lCMO1RfmNQj_QJQCzssq8P-L2vWQiGfPInsy3q6Q_GmmmAB50czwuaM9Y1apadOmrKeRZ9RHypMl7C8WEYyW6zIE23r1whFeCOC7Ah7v_QtEHbVtyVomiB0RVg-6Xi2tZ_svF4V/s1600/DSCN9648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Mo4X0lCMO1RfmNQj_QJQCzssq8P-L2vWQiGfPInsy3q6Q_GmmmAB50czwuaM9Y1apadOmrKeRZ9RHypMl7C8WEYyW6zIE23r1whFeCOC7Ah7v_QtEHbVtyVomiB0RVg-6Xi2tZ_svF4V/s400/DSCN9648.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To This! (And, It's Free!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">To say
that our spot on Robe Lake was just about perfect is an understatement.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The lake is beautiful, it is surrounded by
mountains, and it has a solid Verizon 3G signal.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We pulled in so I would have a panoramic view
of the lake from my front seat, and we decided to stay for at least three
nights.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Rain was in the forecast, but we
didn’t care.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our site
was not exactly quiet during the day and early evening, but that actually
turned out to be ok.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Two seaplanes were
tied up on the lake, and I loved watching them take off and land.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kayakers and a few boaters came by to enjoy
time on the lake, and it was also fun to watch them.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A truck camper pulled in each night, and we shared
tips with the couple from Belgium.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF12OF-2UnlyZ0tefqb6kH3UxB0UwD-6EpmctTjBrAKCHREvTALBpYQPDP5fYzVn_gdRcimJMphN220VShaLG6CdhLbz-j3h4VqSZc2L6Qb1Q5yRA1CKJBdcAzD90T5bAHv-qHwIR5A5Y/s1600/DSCN9631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglF12OF-2UnlyZ0tefqb6kH3UxB0UwD-6EpmctTjBrAKCHREvTALBpYQPDP5fYzVn_gdRcimJMphN220VShaLG6CdhLbz-j3h4VqSZc2L6Qb1Q5yRA1CKJBdcAzD90T5bAHv-qHwIR5A5Y/s400/DSCN9631.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Different Moods at Robe Lake - Sunny</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16Cj5pUvwgHUp8X_J3MMB7F2uUjP_VkePpPCpYmT9s0cevixErALnedWs5p1sZa3eNyffty3uCts0BbaFKb2PaD7lTJSxQjSgEWW61KuTcoEIaA75S8Qs-DVIx-jUJGxlGNFB9mISx8uh/s1600/DSCN9665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16Cj5pUvwgHUp8X_J3MMB7F2uUjP_VkePpPCpYmT9s0cevixErALnedWs5p1sZa3eNyffty3uCts0BbaFKb2PaD7lTJSxQjSgEWW61KuTcoEIaA75S8Qs-DVIx-jUJGxlGNFB9mISx8uh/s400/DSCN9665.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foggy and Rainy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0BiKtLGm2SEl-A_rke5S7QteV6xqXXkZxx3Jw1lLHhgFki2AxO_b9YSaqQp1Z7J7SE3a-Bc82VQYtJJevFVZ_eGFJDU8rzmWPzc_qA3h6gOsWTPqofqNSS6BHcbalg2XbZxw4joXs-IK/s1600/DSCN9712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0BiKtLGm2SEl-A_rke5S7QteV6xqXXkZxx3Jw1lLHhgFki2AxO_b9YSaqQp1Z7J7SE3a-Bc82VQYtJJevFVZ_eGFJDU8rzmWPzc_qA3h6gOsWTPqofqNSS6BHcbalg2XbZxw4joXs-IK/s400/DSCN9712.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Bit Cloudy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO2bo8FPF55N8cGPa868a_8QvK2SV2SBv2lv5HF-o-eQytbKdx3cJLIL3kbTfDUOkiVVumevLzMNIkWZduqKV9xH1RiCJBRcgBraNLfAL-u-74Kr6_47eQsmoZyTCbOAGUxTx0CNqvq1v/s1600/DSCN9695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKO2bo8FPF55N8cGPa868a_8QvK2SV2SBv2lv5HF-o-eQytbKdx3cJLIL3kbTfDUOkiVVumevLzMNIkWZduqKV9xH1RiCJBRcgBraNLfAL-u-74Kr6_47eQsmoZyTCbOAGUxTx0CNqvq1v/s400/DSCN9695.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our View Included the Other End of the Lake, Which Was Just as Gorgeous</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I made a
point of talking with many of the people who stopped by, all of whom were Alaskans. One gentleman has lived in Valdez for 30+
years and operates the </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">orange </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">aquatic weed cutting machine that is parked in the
lake.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Two pilots were here to spot fish
for a group of commercial fishermen, while several others were in town to work
for the oil company.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Families from
Fairbanks were here for a vacation.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> All
had a story to tell, and we learned quite a bit about the various lifestyles of
this amazing state.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We didn’t
leave Robe Lake for two days.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Our
respite here was just what the doctor ordered.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">We’re ready now to do a bit more sightseeing, and next up is a glacier
and wildlife cruise in Prince William Sound.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It should be fun.</span></div>
</div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-11718707016888605112015-07-08T19:50:00.000-08:002015-07-08T19:50:57.468-08:00A Memorable 4th of July in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When we
awoke on July 4, I was excited to see a bit of blue sky beginning to peek out
from behind the clouds.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Even better, the
previous day’s haze was gone.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">This was a
promising start to a day of flightseeing.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I arrived at the Chitina Airport (it was really no more than a
dirt airstrip) and boarded our six-seater plane for the thirty-minute trip to
McCarthy.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I sat in the co-pilot’s seat
and had a bird’s-eye view as we flew over the Copper River and began our climb
toward the mountains that dominate</span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <a href="http://www.nps.gov/wrst/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Wrangell-St. Elias National Park</span></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even in
the air, it was difficult to grasp the enormity and scale of this small section
of the national park. The Wrangell
Mountains were not just snow-capped, they were totally enveloped with
snow. And the glaciers. We seemed to pass one after another, one more
splendid than the next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnTOmpFtEr03Tpxkb3BJTPH4n-NbKWIe7F8Rnylzc4oLmFsHY7jxNCx8MjP5o6GEzav4Aqtkm8jnmNa-OgbpmC2LOPt9qGU_NxoPoOTFktDBYc5iI2jXbbLjjSnG3Wj8FxDJTFNpyTbXL/s1600/DSCN8704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnTOmpFtEr03Tpxkb3BJTPH4n-NbKWIe7F8Rnylzc4oLmFsHY7jxNCx8MjP5o6GEzav4Aqtkm8jnmNa-OgbpmC2LOPt9qGU_NxoPoOTFktDBYc5iI2jXbbLjjSnG3Wj8FxDJTFNpyTbXL/s400/DSCN8704.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What a View!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bill, our
pilot, gave us a running commentary on what we were seeing, but I’m not even
going to try and remember the names of the individual mountain peaks or
glaciers that we saw. Bill was
especially excited as we approached Fourth of July Pass. How appropriate to be flying through there on
Independence Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The already-amazing
scenery got even more awesome as we emerged from the pass and caught our first
glimpse of the Kennicott Glacier. This
glacier is 27 miles long, and we could see part of its circuitous route as it
made its way down the slopes of Mt. Blackburn.
We flew past nearby Root and Gates glaciers that merge with the Kennicott
Glacier to form a massive sea of ice that terminates near the town of
McCarthy. Wow! The views were simply breathtaking. So much ice!
So much majesty! So much beauty!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0szlxIIerRpbGUHtPJveXHVzB9ngEjisvdjgBWAExSXjpgHjwE6muvY6HqE3s2NcEjcec53VeUqaf8EnYkyrJlREszwE9li4A2UGcLtDPqtV_zzeqUSBG0NGWJyOP-Mm4jMbMNTjSsZzz/s1600/DSCN8741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0szlxIIerRpbGUHtPJveXHVzB9ngEjisvdjgBWAExSXjpgHjwE6muvY6HqE3s2NcEjcec53VeUqaf8EnYkyrJlREszwE9li4A2UGcLtDPqtV_zzeqUSBG0NGWJyOP-Mm4jMbMNTjSsZzz/s400/DSCN8741.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kennicott and Gates Glaciers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr1K9CswBRFAcLT1rbGniOEo79OCKqsood4wGhgjvvXHfw8hp5b1xsWvBufYO39dUsLZEkm2j73DpJ47PN6yBA6SDFfwXSXPYXFq7-MC1hp7Mt30VW-COjLRNl6ClptlbBHFwOH6bGL1X/s1600/DSCN8750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGr1K9CswBRFAcLT1rbGniOEo79OCKqsood4wGhgjvvXHfw8hp5b1xsWvBufYO39dUsLZEkm2j73DpJ47PN6yBA6SDFfwXSXPYXFq7-MC1hp7Mt30VW-COjLRNl6ClptlbBHFwOH6bGL1X/s400/DSCN8750.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glacial Moraine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWEIVja8AJ4Ji00kjaPD-oLc_8c27jqFeh39Gj5aftXpplrTRZL7GNj5rc4Tg3z9v9nm1pEDmJ15hYOKlu4qvvXirBdASLpVBO4GYP1gGwW2gylFyWhtkvk5EPHg8ghv9KTUIDxWzynd-/s1600/DSCN8767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivWEIVja8AJ4Ji00kjaPD-oLc_8c27jqFeh39Gj5aftXpplrTRZL7GNj5rc4Tg3z9v9nm1pEDmJ15hYOKlu4qvvXirBdASLpVBO4GYP1gGwW2gylFyWhtkvk5EPHg8ghv9KTUIDxWzynd-/s400/DSCN8767.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A River of Ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLjv7ewYOELo5-bQ7OO9caDPAOqLXeYs1t4iSU5VILVQMR_L0cJ4ftKIV8d1D7-6gwJhyphenhyphen72gtxasIKao4FyAmVgJsoZsUxvU1DLHSC16JIAQaC5M1JTk_GbyJcqRuZ5duKw2_CHisE4L0/s1600/DSCN8838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwLjv7ewYOELo5-bQ7OO9caDPAOqLXeYs1t4iSU5VILVQMR_L0cJ4ftKIV8d1D7-6gwJhyphenhyphen72gtxasIKao4FyAmVgJsoZsUxvU1DLHSC16JIAQaC5M1JTk_GbyJcqRuZ5duKw2_CHisE4L0/s400/DSCN8838.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflections Next to the Glacial Moraine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We landed
at McCarthy and soon learned that the Fourth of July is the biggest day of the year
in this tiny town. We had somehow
stumbled upon a down-home celebration.
People from all over Alaska were arriving for the festivities, which
included a parade, games and general merriment.
We could feel the excitement in the air, and everyone seemed to be delighted
to be there. Many people had flown in on
their own small planes, and it was quite a surprise to see a row of planes and
tents at the airstrip. We are finding
out that things are different in Alaska – in the Lower 48, people go car
camping; here, they seem to go plane camping.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
had some time to wander around McCarthy, and we really felt that we were in a
frontier community. We were disappointed
to learn that we would miss the parade since we would need to catch an earlier
shuttle to Kennecott. This was not to be
any ordinary small town parade. We were
proudly told that this one was a bit more unusual, maybe even a bit R-rated. We later found out that the “costume” worn by
our afternoon tour guide included a bare butt!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGo8ZEG-bZDgsb0G_Slt1GwWUtOb4YXgshxJFojLHmVfbXOfkJuzxY8Uzod8nwXgpxvuFhyphenhyphenoWCpGsCS5I-0w4Vs3I48XmMUvNa-SImdYoBMSrob4g-eCa4sC0wA4APq6woCflmWGCDAoJ/s1600/DSCN8849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGo8ZEG-bZDgsb0G_Slt1GwWUtOb4YXgshxJFojLHmVfbXOfkJuzxY8Uzod8nwXgpxvuFhyphenhyphenoWCpGsCS5I-0w4Vs3I48XmMUvNa-SImdYoBMSrob4g-eCa4sC0wA4APq6woCflmWGCDAoJ/s400/DSCN8849.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">McCarthy, Alaska - An "End of the Road" Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEekIqgOz9bAF2zqOiuOr2XXjLGaxiBG9G-pyfeoevtWRoz5gCenOjXgpauOJvpJsQ4JY6MQ4oOI_OakCRQfRiV2JAVwi3mmemA_oKks70KarCrVfV42eqwGz9IAOSIkq6YtM60T-ewGC/s1600/DSCN8892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhEekIqgOz9bAF2zqOiuOr2XXjLGaxiBG9G-pyfeoevtWRoz5gCenOjXgpauOJvpJsQ4JY6MQ4oOI_OakCRQfRiV2JAVwi3mmemA_oKks70KarCrVfV42eqwGz9IAOSIkq6YtM60T-ewGC/s400/DSCN8892.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Alaska Frontier Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNF0ftXh9qD-QC1N3JVXAYx1O7Y3jXOKfWRxkT_vqUwOB1dkyskN32GCOkZd0NDLMGpkJLl1JP-J3P4NiWThjFeSst8osjAPJD0_cDs1rt1uvkQfyxTcgf9UWAkWqwxLT4-2FN0vfyedk/s1600/DSCN8897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNF0ftXh9qD-QC1N3JVXAYx1O7Y3jXOKfWRxkT_vqUwOB1dkyskN32GCOkZd0NDLMGpkJLl1JP-J3P4NiWThjFeSst8osjAPJD0_cDs1rt1uvkQfyxTcgf9UWAkWqwxLT4-2FN0vfyedk/s400/DSCN8897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the Fourth of July</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
shuttle took us five miles to the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark,
the major attraction for history buffs in Wrangell-St. Elias National
Park. Before I tell you about this site,
let me address the question of spelling.
Which is correct – Kennicott or Kennecott? That was a question I had asked. The natural features in the area, including the
glacier, valley and river, are spelled Kennicott after Alaska explorer Robert
Kennicott. The mining company, mines and
mill town are spelled Kennecott, which is actually a misspelling of the local
name.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3TQCo1sm_B6DSqk8IZmrKDU2A9FpsXAbd5aP_97MXmntBmmVQHXQPDtjRmKvFzsVfV8iMj6XG6mnljhTV91ZBoj3iZRBZqolKIWdtrKRvupkQqRcXvKBNyE_etElvhP2XUOMesXQ4k0W/s1600/DSCN8900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3TQCo1sm_B6DSqk8IZmrKDU2A9FpsXAbd5aP_97MXmntBmmVQHXQPDtjRmKvFzsVfV8iMj6XG6mnljhTV91ZBoj3iZRBZqolKIWdtrKRvupkQqRcXvKBNyE_etElvhP2XUOMesXQ4k0W/s400/DSCN8900.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Kennecott Mines National Historic District</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kennecott
was established in 1900 following the discovery of one of the world’s richest
concentrations of high grade copper ore in the mountains above Kennicott Glacier.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kennecott is considered to be the best
remaining example of early twentieth century copper mining in the United States
and is an amazing relic of America’s industrial past.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">During its heyday, Kennecott was a
self-contained company town, and it contained 100 buildings, including
bunkhouses, a hospital and recreation hall for the miners who lived and worked in
this remote and wild place.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkg-MaPd11yjXT1SqJPZt4s7T2sM1bQhVElMoDj7ItpjSo71oHr2xDTLCFJBTmrzDcB9Fy9sDr05d5zSMZB3Fa0C0J50Lr-yvP3M5s46kNzijK_Q_RAjSNhfUAPUyjqmEN5xeZq6_6z9S/s1600/DSCN9139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkg-MaPd11yjXT1SqJPZt4s7T2sM1bQhVElMoDj7ItpjSo71oHr2xDTLCFJBTmrzDcB9Fy9sDr05d5zSMZB3Fa0C0J50Lr-yvP3M5s46kNzijK_Q_RAjSNhfUAPUyjqmEN5xeZq6_6z9S/s400/DSCN9139.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kennecott from the Air</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAjmnS5HN-TR4oHrabEBEp8qOGWj10DZQGt4MCCZDp_ZH9cNcjBAhiSyVUuUbQ1hwGdeGQ_zG0Z3s5DlY4BLJIU194IAkzg1P8eAQLxOzP6LTqCRjaE1RP0eQrkC7OSK4JabeTVHZ08NZ/s1600/DSCN8947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZAjmnS5HN-TR4oHrabEBEp8qOGWj10DZQGt4MCCZDp_ZH9cNcjBAhiSyVUuUbQ1hwGdeGQ_zG0Z3s5DlY4BLJIU194IAkzg1P8eAQLxOzP6LTqCRjaE1RP0eQrkC7OSK4JabeTVHZ08NZ/s400/DSCN8947.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to Spend the Afternoon at Kennecott</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g3DqHs832TK4HMZyCDjOy9tMS0mbBNiJ91eZuc2St_mZsTw1b6gd7IC01WV5rFPTpYukAyKFTf80Pgym8vcBOC2UdITqkXWIgh0kGhm4Hg-F5XpRwEGVGP1xECnmVI5l_qstIOOyYKcA/s1600/DSCN8943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_g3DqHs832TK4HMZyCDjOy9tMS0mbBNiJ91eZuc2St_mZsTw1b6gd7IC01WV5rFPTpYukAyKFTf80Pgym8vcBOC2UdITqkXWIgh0kGhm4Hg-F5XpRwEGVGP1xECnmVI5l_qstIOOyYKcA/s400/DSCN8943.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Bunkhouse and Refrigeration Plant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When the
company closed the mines in 1938, virtually everything was left behind, from
the machinery in the mill to the dishes on the tables. Kennecott became an instant ghost town, and it
still appears to be virtually frozen in time.
Today, the buildings are in varying states of preservation, from
completely restored to ruins. The
National Park Service has acquired many of the structures and is in the process
of stabilizing and rehabilitating them.
What a mammoth undertaking that is proving to be. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before our
afternoon tour, Tim and I took the time to check out the visitor center, watch
the film and wander around to get a sense of the town. We walked near the edge of the Kennicott Glacier,
which is in the town’s front yard, although what you see today is the glacial
moraine, not ice. Although the town is
within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, many of the buildings are still
privately owned, and one of those is Kennicott Glacier Lodge. That’s where we had lunch, and it turned out
to be the best meal we’ve had since leaving Haines. We never could have guessed that we would
find such high quality food in the most remote place we’ve visited.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSB06te4WUERO-JIeBmoJpF0iK_73zK42uFCJgRH02uUF3WyE1KCs9y2OFAuf0kor92_2wmmIFjD0MoGAlIVLAaOpyfvPGGcGugjCXehCKB-4k1cgu2QiGbfjzljO7XppZUJoFz_kB2ah/s1600/DSCN8937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSB06te4WUERO-JIeBmoJpF0iK_73zK42uFCJgRH02uUF3WyE1KCs9y2OFAuf0kor92_2wmmIFjD0MoGAlIVLAaOpyfvPGGcGugjCXehCKB-4k1cgu2QiGbfjzljO7XppZUJoFz_kB2ah/s400/DSCN8937.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Glacial Moraine Is Directly in Front of the Town</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiW8oxcf-oxcqKuERGi4DpziXjoBATwbsPyf0thKw_sZnRHnpz6mDY1Q2CK9_pBKHV0ocA86FQA-MxuVgRmQ1xwo-tnefATAe0Ccm5fVjTyfuX051IVtmv3S9KQLkce6veqpftznGQ8X7/s1600/DSCN8922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiW8oxcf-oxcqKuERGi4DpziXjoBATwbsPyf0thKw_sZnRHnpz6mDY1Q2CK9_pBKHV0ocA86FQA-MxuVgRmQ1xwo-tnefATAe0Ccm5fVjTyfuX051IVtmv3S9KQLkce6veqpftznGQ8X7/s400/DSCN8922.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Kennicott Glacier Lodge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The most
iconic and impressive structure in town is the 14-story Kennecott Concentration
Mill, and the only way to go inside is with a guide. I was surprised to learn that the National
Park Service does not give tours.
Instead, St. Elias Alpine Guides has the concession, so we joined four
other people for an afternoon tour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6986rTyWaOI6X1KK_aaDkxMoBgp8XlPUVAtHkpE48W7eFfSnuGIARz-AFZ13gFTA0OVWpynSFNQLf1zncBr40DmaUMUg2Vtrxp7pHfRy0YWl_47NpX1PNUqeu9dKzll94BgNJZX0FyMK/s1600/DSCN8941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6986rTyWaOI6X1KK_aaDkxMoBgp8XlPUVAtHkpE48W7eFfSnuGIARz-AFZ13gFTA0OVWpynSFNQLf1zncBr40DmaUMUg2Vtrxp7pHfRy0YWl_47NpX1PNUqeu9dKzll94BgNJZX0FyMK/s400/DSCN8941.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 14-Story Concentration Mill Is the Most Iconic Building at Kennecott</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooFUbj6nfKolKw-gjrUmmhliS3cbNDNKrk2MiMi8zUR7OOdRKvQ99CtiMQ8w3cvd8bEO9s5uf9DOihYFv4L7MFElWTDyXzkt4eDW3xYs6dDRoGXIHkE8uIUlf-jSichIiXOnBbAayuIiD/s1600/DSCN9035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiooFUbj6nfKolKw-gjrUmmhliS3cbNDNKrk2MiMi8zUR7OOdRKvQ99CtiMQ8w3cvd8bEO9s5uf9DOihYFv4L7MFElWTDyXzkt4eDW3xYs6dDRoGXIHkE8uIUlf-jSichIiXOnBbAayuIiD/s400/DSCN9035.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Power Plant Supported both the Mill Town and the Mines</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I won’t
even pretend to try and explain the process for concentrating, crushing and
sorting the copper ore, although I found the description interesting. Darren, our guide, did a great job in helping
us make sense of what we were seeing. What
fascinated me the most was the building itself. This is one of the tallest timber frame
buildings in the country, and its construction on a series of terraces that
stair-step up the 36 degree slope of a mountain is still mind boggling. We were required to wear hardhats for the
tour, and I am still surprised that the National Park Service allows people
inside the mill building. Maybe that’s
why the tours are given by a concessionaire.
I never felt unsafe inside, but I did note that the stairs were very
steep, some of the wood railings were rickety and debris was everywhere. I’ve never toured any structure like this
one, and I’m so glad we were able to see it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4hem5mxquJddISEPKIjyBRXyifb8GOyK5l8-mCbPN0RPfhrf0Nuw_zclVVOImGIyob683wC-iv67lg328Vl-QOzOATIXzstX0U-mkuI_6WHHXWHIncFACsu5SbWb5cyUoK-VQ5lGI17v/s1600/DSCN9006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4hem5mxquJddISEPKIjyBRXyifb8GOyK5l8-mCbPN0RPfhrf0Nuw_zclVVOImGIyob683wC-iv67lg328Vl-QOzOATIXzstX0U-mkuI_6WHHXWHIncFACsu5SbWb5cyUoK-VQ5lGI17v/s400/DSCN9006.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Is Where We Entered the Concentration Mill Building</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKASylX5y6K7gyqec8uOTUq-pOgP-XXYCPac_0buOfSzGmtDG-uFYEX9n7Wb3SmcEBc84uwScMuiFMs3Oj_6NP-tw4PJNYqXHzr19RgBRmksREW7ZhBt6aNGWK3O2zYi0FCuKXuci8UfS/s1600/DSCN9022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKASylX5y6K7gyqec8uOTUq-pOgP-XXYCPac_0buOfSzGmtDG-uFYEX9n7Wb3SmcEBc84uwScMuiFMs3Oj_6NP-tw4PJNYqXHzr19RgBRmksREW7ZhBt6aNGWK3O2zYi0FCuKXuci8UfS/s400/DSCN9022.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hardhats Required</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVJaZ4yNPCzRkOGDyLX94YlZ0B7B0prvMXuUXLHJP1lEjm7W2Rzj0X9EYUIIJ-bciC_1NJv7Unx8PLiPWOGr7GF_PVl6DQs8E657rtXKMyGP3DM8J0Gx1xtmQ2sYwBRgxkgTZKwt3zeN9/s1600/DSCN9061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimVJaZ4yNPCzRkOGDyLX94YlZ0B7B0prvMXuUXLHJP1lEjm7W2Rzj0X9EYUIIJ-bciC_1NJv7Unx8PLiPWOGr7GF_PVl6DQs8E657rtXKMyGP3DM8J0Gx1xtmQ2sYwBRgxkgTZKwt3zeN9/s320/DSCN9061.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darren Was a Great Guide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8OWBvpXqLPylZnmigwFe_swNebKq24MHrwI5XW8E315voQ8T-LjRcxL8F7Yvm7KAb77N8sHvQpKMflfI3sqI39CUO9VcsaQLT595gF6rghDWCUn-rxLsmq1ngSLJLTN9vV5ZKjxb47_L/s1600/DSCN9042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP8OWBvpXqLPylZnmigwFe_swNebKq24MHrwI5XW8E315voQ8T-LjRcxL8F7Yvm7KAb77N8sHvQpKMflfI3sqI39CUO9VcsaQLT595gF6rghDWCUn-rxLsmq1ngSLJLTN9vV5ZKjxb47_L/s320/DSCN9042.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darren Explained the Process To Us</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_ql3jFWa999QomoRdKXvi76-qDhY8HcgRh5-RTbgYBiqWJgnNhbFZ78Mx6D1Et5NwijC4KKOJUqPIQTAmj0TUjmHg37m35M4c7tMZPIGzfZrABRiBgT53ZWZ-I6KydTnggYkurOJ-QIu/s1600/DSCN9053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_ql3jFWa999QomoRdKXvi76-qDhY8HcgRh5-RTbgYBiqWJgnNhbFZ78Mx6D1Et5NwijC4KKOJUqPIQTAmj0TUjmHg37m35M4c7tMZPIGzfZrABRiBgT53ZWZ-I6KydTnggYkurOJ-QIu/s320/DSCN9053.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scale of the Machinery Was Huge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wghlUFRkZVbRAC_EBKXTWq2gA-wD_byuH4w8-AzZVnuosucDNcusSrOW3iqmZTuDtfYRFhYhmbTOHiM8x3tI-Q1CG_aSn9GjgVg3olnyxXEfgjvWFZs4p8bfY87kT2d3CsJ_363jStVS/s1600/DSCN9073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5wghlUFRkZVbRAC_EBKXTWq2gA-wD_byuH4w8-AzZVnuosucDNcusSrOW3iqmZTuDtfYRFhYhmbTOHiM8x3tI-Q1CG_aSn9GjgVg3olnyxXEfgjvWFZs4p8bfY87kT2d3CsJ_363jStVS/s320/DSCN9073.JPG" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything Was Left Behind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlM06H0f1y1xqGxSleSPWi3XpnW75zirTa_NY_spHRB8Za9Rotpfc3oQCFm42TfJa-0uVcVsGHO8cYnD-NBjBFC0MCqj1dIMFRmHmg3h-nYFm5MUCHRtk8ejfG1N2BpyU5n10iD5D1t_N/s1600/DSCN9063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlM06H0f1y1xqGxSleSPWi3XpnW75zirTa_NY_spHRB8Za9Rotpfc3oQCFm42TfJa-0uVcVsGHO8cYnD-NBjBFC0MCqj1dIMFRmHmg3h-nYFm5MUCHRtk8ejfG1N2BpyU5n10iD5D1t_N/s400/DSCN9063.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kennecott Copper Corp. - Kennecott, Alaska</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6onpH36nEkOnqTUUTghyphenhyphenyp6fzjCWjg8BSZ6lEgG0QEm0aSNNSLqStw1cSmivs5dg4sJUxSh9x9MFihz3uR2ELYI2HXG4cBWtmQ550JAXIQRtJZKaRC-Xp7hgdMQrHHZR7F-I6u5hmokX/s1600/DSCN9101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6onpH36nEkOnqTUUTghyphenhyphenyp6fzjCWjg8BSZ6lEgG0QEm0aSNNSLqStw1cSmivs5dg4sJUxSh9x9MFihz3uR2ELYI2HXG4cBWtmQ550JAXIQRtJZKaRC-Xp7hgdMQrHHZR7F-I6u5hmokX/s400/DSCN9101.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Great Tour of the Mill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Our time
in Kennecott was way too short. Had it
not been for the cat, we would have spent the night in McCarthy or
Kennecott. It would have been great to
hike on the Root glacier, but we couldn’t do that and our tour. It was a tough choice, but I’m still glad we
chose the mill tour. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
returned to McCarthy for our return flight to Chitina. This time we were in a four-seater, and I let
Tim have the co-pilot’s seat. Nice, aren’t
I? The sky was a bit hazy, but the scenery
was still magnificent. I had the back
seat to myself and could easily catch the views on both sides of the
plane. Tim and I were really impressed
with Wrangell Mountain Air and our pilots.
Bill and Martin were personable, knowledgeable and professional, just
what you want in a bush pilot. They also
seemed to love what they were doing, and I’d fly with them again any day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbify7shkLjf0dilSwaGAbGm4tZel3m8IRPmb1Q5w-VfpD4Kb36iVzsP-bxu7InqpwwMI_g49fSRvziCbXgkPihECyA8KxwXj0t-mG2KBhbNEcsk2s-djjhImn8UBmpxMxvmt2V6De7FBI/s1600/DSCN9198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbify7shkLjf0dilSwaGAbGm4tZel3m8IRPmb1Q5w-VfpD4Kb36iVzsP-bxu7InqpwwMI_g49fSRvziCbXgkPihECyA8KxwXj0t-mG2KBhbNEcsk2s-djjhImn8UBmpxMxvmt2V6De7FBI/s400/DSCN9198.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Returning Through Fourth of July Pass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMKwvsaDkEVKxhcXdNq930l9zGxFlISJkaH56gyaT21tqmZ2TfaLClPDGeuA2S9WMrW7rFlzsSeA4OAdD4FofVAEG4V9_VMjSxIHzeJ1UFeDYu3hiA_DC3NbFHtK-NXMVk_B7FslMPVf5/s1600/DSCN9272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMKwvsaDkEVKxhcXdNq930l9zGxFlISJkaH56gyaT21tqmZ2TfaLClPDGeuA2S9WMrW7rFlzsSeA4OAdD4FofVAEG4V9_VMjSxIHzeJ1UFeDYu3hiA_DC3NbFHtK-NXMVk_B7FslMPVf5/s400/DSCN9272.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Drum Was Visible</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDOlSN588fNHkWHMM1EPS2wQfGxCwx9yrXZdmYEl4XYNdI4zJgHYgnHcVASNgo98F3DTGc2GgoMbjStt3O6IeE9WgvuqcRDKILRtYh4I6-aDb-L9KtxoUsvzy7Bx31igSB6Feld82fFUr/s1600/2015-07-04+-+Wrangell-St.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDOlSN588fNHkWHMM1EPS2wQfGxCwx9yrXZdmYEl4XYNdI4zJgHYgnHcVASNgo98F3DTGc2GgoMbjStt3O6IeE9WgvuqcRDKILRtYh4I6-aDb-L9KtxoUsvzy7Bx31igSB6Feld82fFUr/s400/2015-07-04+-+Wrangell-St.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planes of Wrangell Mountain Air - On the Way Out, and On the Way Back</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4sz0_CjUmGC_BMFCUpXpqbzVJsXu0LhkbOMbYCiSQfMObywXFaUO_TenlqiwA1HFITyHosyY5cmPtfsEwqvcehyyhItEIsi0BhnlWux0gYfU9XyUCCjkEoRMjzC6NKeSafK9gdf9cBkz/s1600/DSCN9350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb4sz0_CjUmGC_BMFCUpXpqbzVJsXu0LhkbOMbYCiSQfMObywXFaUO_TenlqiwA1HFITyHosyY5cmPtfsEwqvcehyyhItEIsi0BhnlWux0gYfU9XyUCCjkEoRMjzC6NKeSafK9gdf9cBkz/s400/DSCN9350.JPG" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty Didn't Get to Fly with Us,<br />But Martin Let Her Try Out the Plane</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
we were tired from a long day, we decided to leave the RV parked at the
airstrip in Chitina and just spend the night there. It may have been a parking lot, but the views
were great. Without a doubt, this was the
most memorable Fourth of July I’ve ever had.</span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-72796728024334549952015-07-05T23:05:00.000-08:002015-07-05T23:05:52.824-08:00On the Way to Wrangell-St. Elias National Park<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tok is
often referred to as “Mainstreet Alaska,” partly because everyone driving to or
from the state must pass through this town.
Tok is where you are faced with a major decision. Do you travel toward Fairbanks and then counter-clockwise
around the state, or do you head toward Valdez and/or Anchorage and then
clockwise?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If it’s
sunny in Valdez, the advice is to go there, since that town is best appreciated
when the sun is out. Other determining
factors include weather in general and the location of any forest fires. Of course, if you’ve already made
reservations somewhere, your decision is an easy one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you
are still unsure, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center in Tok has a
wealth of trip-planning information for the entire state and is worth a stop. We were able to pick up a handy map for $1.00
with all of the public campgrounds depicted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
had considered both options before we left Haines and had decided to go
clockwise and make Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and then Valdez our first
destinations. We even went so far as to
make reservations for a day trip into the national park on July 4. We were actually surprised that we had no
trouble getting tickets for a holiday weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We left
Tok on July 3, the start of the three-day weekend, and drove southwest on the
Tok Cutoff toward Glennallen. For the
second half of the drive, the road skirts the edge of Wrangell-St. Elias National
Park, and I’m told that the mountains there are spectacular. Unfortunately, those mountains were hiding
behind clouds and the haze from forest fires.
That was a disappointment, but the drive was still beautiful, especially
when the mighty Copper River came into view.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRa9xN0hIq2ncwVkPPgqYH4rd15yY9IE-Lh783X75jVfEXzPOD-iitl6VuM_ELx9pdkFaPOdkogQf7dHffr9wa9yfTQA-ekglPK5spdBK6qJiTADoUcuG08hTSv75FV-BL5PFwJXjU6Udn/s1600/DSCN8567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRa9xN0hIq2ncwVkPPgqYH4rd15yY9IE-Lh783X75jVfEXzPOD-iitl6VuM_ELx9pdkFaPOdkogQf7dHffr9wa9yfTQA-ekglPK5spdBK6qJiTADoUcuG08hTSv75FV-BL5PFwJXjU6Udn/s400/DSCN8567.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountains Obscured by Clouds and Haze</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc3dafF5J6jB7PI9wA2fWHGDMN6H0prRNbMv2sX1a9c6eqXOHHXM1a82FTfRAJTBHs0q4FgSae2NF_WmIO638Bxyg9h9msS9erRYkA3D9KLdyrq2R-ZUShowmXwWTUdB2A5ARC_ExDKrP/s1600/DSCN8579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTc3dafF5J6jB7PI9wA2fWHGDMN6H0prRNbMv2sX1a9c6eqXOHHXM1a82FTfRAJTBHs0q4FgSae2NF_WmIO638Bxyg9h9msS9erRYkA3D9KLdyrq2R-ZUShowmXwWTUdB2A5ARC_ExDKrP/s400/DSCN8579.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mighty Copper River Is a Braided River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We
spotted four moose beside the road, including a baby who hadn’t yet learned
that the road itself is no place to hang out.
Hopefully, he learned his lesson as a large truck drove past and scared him. No one got hurt, and we watched him and his
mama scurry back into the woods where they would be much safer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybk3X7cdjnTyC3EYNogjTxhHZPfbMVY-XWjcNmecqNIgBqlAoZMGo_ESL_KGmAz7fRT3-7mr_ddMNbRTs2NZIclAJDXEMREqh5nFyCv-TEOxmX8xfYdU59ZYxvTrsh7-JwCAJgF2jgpc1/s1600/DSCN8537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybk3X7cdjnTyC3EYNogjTxhHZPfbMVY-XWjcNmecqNIgBqlAoZMGo_ESL_KGmAz7fRT3-7mr_ddMNbRTs2NZIclAJDXEMREqh5nFyCv-TEOxmX8xfYdU59ZYxvTrsh7-JwCAJgF2jgpc1/s400/DSCN8537.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting a Little Too Close to the Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4Ns8-YEnoTu8JBlT5BwyiHRxOgSRZ4Edw_3Er1mfXUFYZmZ6OScmZDO7_qsCyA_LZpqD9gr8l877Uc-UzIes8pJ7grIg9h9113G6tGXMhWXWPUQLeoKrSu1E2EZEEgnJ-G3HoLmH1zdl/s1600/DSCN8539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4Ns8-YEnoTu8JBlT5BwyiHRxOgSRZ4Edw_3Er1mfXUFYZmZ6OScmZDO7_qsCyA_LZpqD9gr8l877Uc-UzIes8pJ7grIg9h9113G6tGXMhWXWPUQLeoKrSu1E2EZEEgnJ-G3HoLmH1zdl/s400/DSCN8539.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get Out of the Road!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We picked
up the Richardson Highway and stopped at the main visitor center for
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">Wrangell-St. Elias National Park</span></a> just six miles south of Glennallen. We watched the film, toured the exhibits and
learned a lot about this little-known park.
Wrangell-St. Elias is the nation’s largest national park. It’s so large, in fact, that six Yellowstones
could fit within its boundaries. Four
mountain ranges meet in the park, and nine of the sixteen highest peaks in the
United States are located here. It seems
as if the park is all about numbers and scale, and isolation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe5uQ6L5MfXZoaFaTcv6t2zY_NHmERLbg5HNwfrTJfsrFkxXnxQhfIhX1MaMr4WYeSCSZU_MIG8f2s7kVQiwI-gygcLR0bjvS1y90yQr_hyjjFFim_69rimH7LTqpp1eH90ct5SC8R2Lt/s1600/DSCN8584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe5uQ6L5MfXZoaFaTcv6t2zY_NHmERLbg5HNwfrTJfsrFkxXnxQhfIhX1MaMr4WYeSCSZU_MIG8f2s7kVQiwI-gygcLR0bjvS1y90yQr_hyjjFFim_69rimH7LTqpp1eH90ct5SC8R2Lt/s400/DSCN8584.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Visitor Center for Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Is Not Even In the Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The park
is also very new. Wrangell-St. Elias did
not become a national park until 1980.
Most of the park is wilderness, and only two small roads penetrate a
portion of the interior. If you don’t
want to drive the unpaved roads, there is another option – flying. Flightseeing is one way to view the mountains
and glaciers and attempt to grasp the enormity of this untamed land.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are
also scheduled flights that take off from the small airstrip at Chitina and
land in McCarthy, where you can walk around the town for a bit and then travel five
miles to the Kennecott mill town, the best remaining example of early twentieth
century copper mining in the United States.
That’s the tour that Tim and I had booked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To get to
Chitina we traveled the Edgerton Highway and began to get a glimpse or two of
the Wrangell Mountains that typically make this drive so scenic. We had decided to forego staying at a campground
and began our search for a suitable boondock site. Although we knew that there were great sites
on the Copper River just past Chitina, we were arriving on the Friday of a
holiday weekend. Plus, the salmon were running,
and we knew that every available spot would be filled with fishermen and their
families out to enjoy a great Independence Day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpdsCyz4iNlV3jyNkNWuA69fDVR30E_QBC3TfPkspG0Xf9mc8spWyJ1QsB2sFCRIHpey0fXzWU5kh0voPldCNo6gFxLAloeEOll7M5KQU7l7MSDDiPDfmGKZ3j-oM1wU1_2WGp792A15X/s1600/DSCN8618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpdsCyz4iNlV3jyNkNWuA69fDVR30E_QBC3TfPkspG0Xf9mc8spWyJ1QsB2sFCRIHpey0fXzWU5kh0voPldCNo6gFxLAloeEOll7M5KQU7l7MSDDiPDfmGKZ3j-oM1wU1_2WGp792A15X/s400/DSCN8618.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If You Look Closely, You Can See the Massive, Snow-Covered Wrangell Mountains Above the Trees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Just past
the airstrip, we passed a series of lakes alongside the highway. There were pull-offs that we knew would work,
but we decided to explore a little more.
Just past One Mile Lake, we spotted a large tent along the shore. We pulled into the little road to see if
there might be more than one site.
Although that was the only site along the lake, there was another spot
nearby that was perfect for us. It was
just our size, and had clearly been used as a campsite in the past since there
was a fire ring. We backed in, leveled
up and settled in. We congratulated
ourselves on finding such a great spot for our first boondock of the Alaska
trip. To make things even better, we were
amazed to discover that we had Verizon 4G service – in a boondock site! That’s the first 4G we’ve had in six
weeks! We were happy campers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqH9FnEQjkGrZktu0tc1DKVwykGO_tEaFEVANwcC6D9ZTzvaSpDp09Nc-2g5TpfDNn0L7YBEWKaf0RR9awZDU851T1Y5T2EuA6dP-wwVm3C_Vao8Gsxmq5SFls4x5gizPOFbZOVLpFBUu/s1600/DSCN8623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqH9FnEQjkGrZktu0tc1DKVwykGO_tEaFEVANwcC6D9ZTzvaSpDp09Nc-2g5TpfDNn0L7YBEWKaf0RR9awZDU851T1Y5T2EuA6dP-wwVm3C_Vao8Gsxmq5SFls4x5gizPOFbZOVLpFBUu/s400/DSCN8623.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Boondock Site</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QEHDU9Al7MRKydd5PviOHgym4xuCzhD3CKlwlNZR5JS4RaWTWfn8r-ZC3vbb9PG3BtqRA-ppZmCqyS_EJOPF8Z09ynqlP3zHGEQO0xkqS7kD6_ZNOgPqBzyaSTQa0Apx_Dj9CRtLA1eW/s1600/DSCN8633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4QEHDU9Al7MRKydd5PviOHgym4xuCzhD3CKlwlNZR5JS4RaWTWfn8r-ZC3vbb9PG3BtqRA-ppZmCqyS_EJOPF8Z09ynqlP3zHGEQO0xkqS7kD6_ZNOgPqBzyaSTQa0Apx_Dj9CRtLA1eW/s400/DSCN8633.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Site Wasn't On One Mile Lake, But It Was Close</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Stay
tuned for our memorable Independence Day in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-13816894486138438612015-07-02T23:08:00.000-08:002015-07-02T23:08:09.632-08:00Highway from Hell?<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Anyone
who contemplates driving an RV to Alaska has heard horror stories about the
road conditions on the Alaska Highway. Anything
from broken windshields to virtual destruction of a rig are common tales. As we were about to venture onto the highway
for the first time, I wasn’t sure what to believe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
not-so-quick stop at the Village Bakery in Haines Junction to partake of some
free WiFi, we turned north onto the Alaska Highway. The highway skirts the eastern side of the Kluane
Ranges, and the view to our left of the snow-capped mountains was magical. We followed these and other mountain ranges
for most of the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgnZtg4ggMKjlQ07cIspLWACz5vYDoRumOMedbI-kJYrx9cfDr-FYp2t6gYqkSORsi8X-efryFTeWyJLnyFzyi6WbRGO1GVs3KcJiDEqkmf9mfZi7yPoot7GEfssS1vHE3vccX_fNnW2T/s1600/DSCN8400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTgnZtg4ggMKjlQ07cIspLWACz5vYDoRumOMedbI-kJYrx9cfDr-FYp2t6gYqkSORsi8X-efryFTeWyJLnyFzyi6WbRGO1GVs3KcJiDEqkmf9mfZi7yPoot7GEfssS1vHE3vccX_fNnW2T/s400/DSCN8400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful Mountain Scenery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHBRyYV0o4NH3C267XbageWlBkX7_jqlVtq-QiHMis4eGCvaPJDAu67AtFTrROi6Iqqmpc6NIt1fLv4ecv6rOrpOxlcEbYISbiHq-iZ-WkkYx_3gXTxpDpbBCe293CMbz6MhC90bDLBbW/s1600/DSCN8430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMHBRyYV0o4NH3C267XbageWlBkX7_jqlVtq-QiHMis4eGCvaPJDAu67AtFTrROi6Iqqmpc6NIt1fLv4ecv6rOrpOxlcEbYISbiHq-iZ-WkkYx_3gXTxpDpbBCe293CMbz6MhC90bDLBbW/s400/DSCN8430.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow-capped Peaks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kluane
Lake soon came into view in front of us. This lake is the largest in the Yukon and is
said to be the prettiest. As we followed
its shore, I had to agree with that assessment (even though I’ve only seen a few
lakes in the Yukon). For a brief moment I
regretted that we had not made it as far as the lake yesterday. That’s where we had planned to camp last
night. I could see spending a lovely and
relaxing week camped along the shore.
Some other time perhaps.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBpMKxOdOFBOxSe2ThH7mYsWGaqzhixR-Jr-IAGzPI5y085a4kfeA-AOHXZ9vNvqCtJj8gPjb2M0ZwAQvM1is5y62ZXD_eKiD1WU50h_y9Alxtp80q9VnTiUC-iy7j8NgYA6FjnJCaYJU/s1600/DSCN8356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIBpMKxOdOFBOxSe2ThH7mYsWGaqzhixR-Jr-IAGzPI5y085a4kfeA-AOHXZ9vNvqCtJj8gPjb2M0ZwAQvM1is5y62ZXD_eKiD1WU50h_y9Alxtp80q9VnTiUC-iy7j8NgYA6FjnJCaYJU/s400/DSCN8356.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our First Glimpse of Kluane Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEWykDrp27QrqJECledL2NPPG4edR547DgAgCIpiqypc9TxXAZJouwfxKlMhNqH-l1OS9sCRWtdl9Hm3x5X1Qmkzq1t83IbWerUw_UBrb2baDeimL0-hDlKUCZrgfOm9AuyCIKUbJaRzI/s1600/DSCN8373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbEWykDrp27QrqJECledL2NPPG4edR547DgAgCIpiqypc9TxXAZJouwfxKlMhNqH-l1OS9sCRWtdl9Hm3x5X1Qmkzq1t83IbWerUw_UBrb2baDeimL0-hDlKUCZrgfOm9AuyCIKUbJaRzI/s400/DSCN8373.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It Is a Very Pretty Lake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
warnings about the road conditions began as soon as we passed the lake. We watched for the telltale signs for frost
heaves, as well as the small flags that indicate road damage. We took it slow through those sections and
didn’t think it was a big deal. As soon
as we crossed Donjek River, however, things started to become more “interesting.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN89V-qBnBTu8rcRXtr5IEfUd5z8umDc0SM3IsKLzUF8e_2wSmxC1jAh6m6z-HrvP5MxW6kZ1dZjsnDM_TeYmkZ1aCYpOirIQ1s4juW65gK1GyUokDocBtmbqAMdt-zRQmcxtvsI_ftDgg/s1600/Alaska+Highway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN89V-qBnBTu8rcRXtr5IEfUd5z8umDc0SM3IsKLzUF8e_2wSmxC1jAh6m6z-HrvP5MxW6kZ1dZjsnDM_TeYmkZ1aCYpOirIQ1s4juW65gK1GyUokDocBtmbqAMdt-zRQmcxtvsI_ftDgg/s400/Alaska+Highway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do Not Ignore these Warning Signs!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Road
damage became more frequent, and pot holes added to the excitement. Construction signs soon appeared, and we were
on a gravel roadbed. A safe speed seemed
to be about 20 mph, but large trucks and even other RVs decided that we were slowpokes
and passed us at high speeds, throwing gravel back at us. The icing on the cake was the near-constant washboard
sections of the gravel roadbed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid81275GqIR2KPh5eKnng4-Adj6NhcBxvBRV_y-cSi1kMNWbb_QIDmwSSNmUuU6uslNzg_siUY48KtTscSHCIznyyMQQWJ_aBvNV3z_wOp342Rf6j6m5LalBdRvOscd1UPr1ZCik1rz179/s1600/DSCN8436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid81275GqIR2KPh5eKnng4-Adj6NhcBxvBRV_y-cSi1kMNWbb_QIDmwSSNmUuU6uslNzg_siUY48KtTscSHCIznyyMQQWJ_aBvNV3z_wOp342Rf6j6m5LalBdRvOscd1UPr1ZCik1rz179/s400/DSCN8436.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I Couldn't Believe How this Stretch of Gravel Could Shake the RV So Much</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I thought
the RV was going to shake apart, even though we were just creeping along. Although I had carefully secured everything
inside the RV, an upper cabinet door flew open and Kitty’s food dish, which had
been braced, slid across the floor. We
finally were able to pull over near the side of the road so I could at least close
the cabinet door. What had saved
everything from flying out was the tension rod that I always place across the inside
of the cabinet. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I was
never so happy to reach solid pavement.
The remaining frost heaves and pavement breaks were like a walk in the park
after that horrid stretch of gravel. We
began to look for a rest area so we could stop and assess the damage, and we
finally reached Pickhandle Lake, which turned out to be a particularly scenic place
to take a break. We were really
fortunate to spot no apparent damage to the inside or outside of the RV. I didn’t even mind the dirt and mud.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk1ecOIMWlAH6o__KJLq4bmISJ1lo9i35c4hNnkQtLHMypxKqbO7TBNXrVEwZKF1CfxA6HCxZ7OEDDfKAFd1K3pk-h1QbV0g8Hy1UjT8kr39EexH4QiHKGhADGhutOUFNdI1lRx957rxl/s1600/DSCN8445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtk1ecOIMWlAH6o__KJLq4bmISJ1lo9i35c4hNnkQtLHMypxKqbO7TBNXrVEwZKF1CfxA6HCxZ7OEDDfKAFd1K3pk-h1QbV0g8Hy1UjT8kr39EexH4QiHKGhADGhutOUFNdI1lRx957rxl/s400/DSCN8445.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pickhandle Lake Was a Great Place to Take a Break</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EKGtETPl_zyZjdeKd1qhkM-O6JqrcqfhIn0EJe5eUUYCWJfMB1UzePPoaNjoupvebAkZZCO0X7QY29FFjASruOL4zjm8R3pxf_zxIjZ9YPVzhxaygqABMiiWS-RzEKebPH_6ZY3Nx2mu/s1600/DSCN8455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EKGtETPl_zyZjdeKd1qhkM-O6JqrcqfhIn0EJe5eUUYCWJfMB1UzePPoaNjoupvebAkZZCO0X7QY29FFjASruOL4zjm8R3pxf_zxIjZ9YPVzhxaygqABMiiWS-RzEKebPH_6ZY3Nx2mu/s400/DSCN8455.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Duck and Her Playful Ducklings Provided a Nice Diversion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As soon
as we got back on the road, we reached another construction zone. Oh no!
This one involved a pilot car, but the gravel surface had been graded so
it was relatively smooth. Before too
long we reached the Canada-U.S. International Border where we stopped for a
photo op. Customs was a breeze, and the
agent even thanked us for making her laugh for the first time that day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZ0CVuOdpMUy3vWSWhfoHOVPZ6GlVRGZJXTj7GFNi27P7DiqrfS3_CqN7-sd_n4TlK_flpCAtKY-6_mk3k5NhKvQmRvGCurbxCOn-UTQeQsWkILlKOcj08_jcLGIUQNVhPAv9igTh_7z/s1600/DSCN8472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikHZ0CVuOdpMUy3vWSWhfoHOVPZ6GlVRGZJXTj7GFNi27P7DiqrfS3_CqN7-sd_n4TlK_flpCAtKY-6_mk3k5NhKvQmRvGCurbxCOn-UTQeQsWkILlKOcj08_jcLGIUQNVhPAv9igTh_7z/s400/DSCN8472.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This Section Really Wasn't Bad at All</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLBySMBpyF7EpwhUZduoYfkN0kBnRipvjxmtpfRjyVvnol0TU4jVgluXN72h-eeq0VV7EZo8_omxsWgHWPh2RbDAmVphogYWHKKKJB6hvtvWJ-DVgJXxsRNEBod0bm74ZTnyc_44DScFr/s1600/DSCN8480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLBySMBpyF7EpwhUZduoYfkN0kBnRipvjxmtpfRjyVvnol0TU4jVgluXN72h-eeq0VV7EZo8_omxsWgHWPh2RbDAmVphogYWHKKKJB6hvtvWJ-DVgJXxsRNEBod0bm74ZTnyc_44DScFr/s400/DSCN8480.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome (Back) to Alaska</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I
suggested that we stop at the first campground we could find, and that is
exactly what we did. I wanted to give
Tim a break after his exhausting day at the wheel, and I had hoped we could
find a campground with TV and WiFi at the site.
That was a pipe dream, but Border City Lodge and RV Park seemed good
enough so we pulled in and finally got off the road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
doing a bit of reading, I have learned that the section of highway on which we
just drove is the worst part of the Alaska Highway. It is today, and it always has been. Engineers have yet to find a way to deal with
the permafrost and glacial soil that makes roadbuilding so challenging. We passed a portion of the Alaska Highway
Permafrost Research Project, which is testing specialized construction
techniques. I hope they are successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This post
is not meant to scare RVers from driving the Alaska Highway. Most of the road is in relatively good
condition if you drive at an appropriate speed.
The section that we just drove will likely be paved by the end of the
summer. Just take the necessary
precautions, secure everything in your RV, including your pets, and take your
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After our
eventful day yesterday, we slept in and awoke to rain. As we were debating what to do today, we
spotted a fox outside our rear windows. We
decided on the spur of the moment to drive only as far as Tok, just under 100
miles away. Unfortunately, the weather obscured
much of our view as we passed through the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge, but
we did see a few trumpeter swans along the way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
highlight of the drive was spotting a mama moose and her youngster in the
grassy area beside the road. There was
no traffic, so we were able to stop and watch them for several minutes. They didn’t seem to mind our presence.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsx88FM3rgjNuCvCAVOR1po1rxSCcdZcyVKjrmcltcwAySvRhvAtkKo1zzkxObnku6CYBdgMw5-YJwyxByrH8kg59gy_qfXYCQOQSYuHY2sAGKImcHAZZ2ru8xGl9lKXDFXQK_Co94B2n/s1600/DSCN8501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOsx88FM3rgjNuCvCAVOR1po1rxSCcdZcyVKjrmcltcwAySvRhvAtkKo1zzkxObnku6CYBdgMw5-YJwyxByrH8kg59gy_qfXYCQOQSYuHY2sAGKImcHAZZ2ru8xGl9lKXDFXQK_Co94B2n/s400/DSCN8501.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama and Baby Moose Didn't Seem to Mind Our Presence</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUYo08dLp2G0fpYLh9t-ZZ53bVb2K3_K8JgZZBCOOXNnKIWQhzm4X53ll_dC6MjrayLOsd8AGuf-F79gAV-WNrwrMqecm1_pkwCTgQ60Br3ZPyGITR58iN0KEg1qyERYK9vszUUXJ6eoB/s1600/DSCN8495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMUYo08dLp2G0fpYLh9t-ZZ53bVb2K3_K8JgZZBCOOXNnKIWQhzm4X53ll_dC6MjrayLOsd8AGuf-F79gAV-WNrwrMqecm1_pkwCTgQ60Br3ZPyGITR58iN0KEg1qyERYK9vszUUXJ6eoB/s400/DSCN8495.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's for Lunch?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
arrived in Tok, took care of a few chores and made our way to the Sourdough
Campground just outside of town. The
campground had come highly recommended, and we were delighted with what we
found. The layout and setting reminded
me more of a public campground than a typical private one. The campsites are huge, very private and set
among lots of tall trees. There is an
onsite restaurant, and the new owner’s specialty is reindeer chili in a
sourdough bowl. It was delicious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMx8X897XCRWn8IT6e2PTemwM6QDu3KE7SqLCag12OFw6ekEHPmcz8gcTtmDb7KMLvBN6m8nBjXdaeK3D2p08dYuKVhqg85WI8UUlPREXncd1AAYJ79v_MX5Vypt7hqo0y2Ka-B8pIzP8/s1600/DSCN8526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMx8X897XCRWn8IT6e2PTemwM6QDu3KE7SqLCag12OFw6ekEHPmcz8gcTtmDb7KMLvBN6m8nBjXdaeK3D2p08dYuKVhqg85WI8UUlPREXncd1AAYJ79v_MX5Vypt7hqo0y2Ka-B8pIzP8/s400/DSCN8526.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reindeer Chili Was Delicious</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Tim and I
even participated in the campground’s sourdough pancake toss after dinner,
which was highly unusual for us.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The
owner invites everyone for a silly, but amusing, game, and most people end up participating.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">The goal is to toss a limp pancake into a “buckit,”
and the audience is required to clap and cheer.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Although Tim and I failed in our toss, we made a valiant effort.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I think we were a bit surprised that we
actually enjoyed ourselves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24UgFUGi0D8h3ldx72fC7ORETseLYlPizJKMD19f3ThUtl01PezzzTUYs3NlGDNIQxAGtjX_XrBH2t7psgVWyItuNqdo07UL45HUcypbkuV9hFGK4CB4miN0gkuBenQeYT6pt_MeHaqvD/s1600/Sourdough+Campground%252C+Tok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24UgFUGi0D8h3ldx72fC7ORETseLYlPizJKMD19f3ThUtl01PezzzTUYs3NlGDNIQxAGtjX_XrBH2t7psgVWyItuNqdo07UL45HUcypbkuV9hFGK4CB4miN0gkuBenQeYT6pt_MeHaqvD/s400/Sourdough+Campground%252C+Tok.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah and Tim Being Silly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2345097719504582974.post-64678924867859140742015-07-01T09:54:00.000-08:002015-07-01T09:54:01.084-08:00Good-bye Southeast Alaska, Hello Yukon<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After six
wonderful weeks, it was finally time to end the first phase of our summer
adventure and leave Southeast Alaska. Our
time here seemed to fly by, and we thoroughly enjoyed our extended stay. I’m so glad we originally set aside a month
to visit the many towns along the Inside Passage. This area is very special and getting around
by ferry has been a unique experience. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On
Tuesday morning we put the RV in gear and headed north on the Haines
Highway. Destination – the Yukon and the
interior of Alaska. Thus began the start
of the second phase of our adventure.
This area is much more of an unknown to us as we’ve done only a bit of
research on what there is to see. We
have no plans and only a general idea of the direction in which we are headed. Southeast Alaska was much more scripted. Now we’ll be flying by the seat of our
pants. I can’t wait!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After a
quick stop at the grocery store, we were on the road by 10:30 am, which is pretty
good for us. We aren’t exactly morning
people, although we’ve had our fair share of early mornings so far. The skies were overcast, but no rain was
forecast, and I was looking forward to getting back on the road.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Haines Highway has been designated as a National Scenic Byway, and the road
lived up to its reputation. We followed
the Chilkat and Klehini Rivers before reaching the Canadian border after just
40 miles. Entering into Canada could not
have been easier. Just the few standard
questions and a quick scan of our passports, and we were on our way. Tim was happy he didn’t have to <a href="http://www.seewheretheroadleads.com/2015/05/crossing-border-to-hope.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #990000;">stop at Immigration</span></a> this time. After passing
through the northern tip of British Columbia, we soon crossed into the
Yukon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH14F8dCzCcSOGp5VJknAVlgaDUGSGG0l4R6LBffrmGZVZzyUO81hnymKA8rYFknUdkV-EAbOuzpmrLmHhFYyeyWlxBPjpdAdpBqmR-CHoAQdzVuERVdyPYoNvR9-U9duMIROnO-kDOht/s1600/DSCN8204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNH14F8dCzCcSOGp5VJknAVlgaDUGSGG0l4R6LBffrmGZVZzyUO81hnymKA8rYFknUdkV-EAbOuzpmrLmHhFYyeyWlxBPjpdAdpBqmR-CHoAQdzVuERVdyPYoNvR9-U9duMIROnO-kDOht/s400/DSCN8204.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Scenic Viewpoint along the Klehini River</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtOm4xJHC1H6J_XFgwLOP8SJLtDBes4qVO-q7NFl8yX8wyNiHtrtTd2sPAzhR10KoIb9aLsz-sR6OV2OAkGNNPA3-ACPzd7VGEKDwMnF0dO0B0fhWFHp4CGh3R-Ue73O9bAKl0QffxJ_X/s1600/DSCN8214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBtOm4xJHC1H6J_XFgwLOP8SJLtDBes4qVO-q7NFl8yX8wyNiHtrtTd2sPAzhR10KoIb9aLsz-sR6OV2OAkGNNPA3-ACPzd7VGEKDwMnF0dO0B0fhWFHp4CGh3R-Ue73O9bAKl0QffxJ_X/s320/DSCN8214.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No One at the Border</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcn2m3ICPsd0-WBKdQrw5ndGqgVDpp-P7pny6eaKYvquegEjCyRZ2B_g64PvRBZWXkqfd6aokvxbTE32YuB_YusK8-yjsIo_hkC-ou9i8kpi82swwo8cx1-EnYY9P_1A6c4C2Iy5J2I2O/s1600/DSCN8212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcn2m3ICPsd0-WBKdQrw5ndGqgVDpp-P7pny6eaKYvquegEjCyRZ2B_g64PvRBZWXkqfd6aokvxbTE32YuB_YusK8-yjsIo_hkC-ou9i8kpi82swwo8cx1-EnYY9P_1A6c4C2Iy5J2I2O/s320/DSCN8212.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to British Columbia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1orUf8e-zxOAOuJxECdOWk5D1qmW-UM06Gzs5Mn5dI6o6Ub1sEYFd1luGb4riiUHSBVjIovMdCFiH3cFJ7wBYWoNcPt2-lq0S_nIF4P3YG6EH43IHibORNGP9D9rk0Dl9pJw4nRkaVS7B/s1600/DSCN8268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1orUf8e-zxOAOuJxECdOWk5D1qmW-UM06Gzs5Mn5dI6o6Ub1sEYFd1luGb4riiUHSBVjIovMdCFiH3cFJ7wBYWoNcPt2-lq0S_nIF4P3YG6EH43IHibORNGP9D9rk0Dl9pJw4nRkaVS7B/s400/DSCN8268.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And Then, Welcome to the Yukon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite
the overcast skies, the drive was just as beautiful as I had hoped. We climbed from the coastal forests to the
alpine tundra and were treated to stunning glacier and mountain views in all
directions. As we climbed to the Chilkat
Pass summit, the clouds were especially dramatic.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyF_23oIqZUUD8-yA5Rfof7TtWDKFAAasg_XliJItX9URkzPtJRR4OszQFLorkpqlztupcS0IFIpefDKnxAWqEnu-7z7R_r7RcFpV1NbELR1o0YAFxZBU1Q8ynOb-5pbSIFmfQyoSomWI/s1600/DSCN8225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWyF_23oIqZUUD8-yA5Rfof7TtWDKFAAasg_XliJItX9URkzPtJRR4OszQFLorkpqlztupcS0IFIpefDKnxAWqEnu-7z7R_r7RcFpV1NbELR1o0YAFxZBU1Q8ynOb-5pbSIFmfQyoSomWI/s400/DSCN8225.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing toward the Alpine Tundra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLQS_KH4IB4cu_i35WjZ7nmR-wfq10c-xY8rvgKG3AJyIa87ZR6m7zIzZF8EpC_naR3wok-EMlj0Mz4KizVpsLmbDG4V23U2CcfO0j6dUAp1k6a-Os47scP4balB-o1btuI7o2mWjniLu/s1600/DSCN8247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJLQS_KH4IB4cu_i35WjZ7nmR-wfq10c-xY8rvgKG3AJyIa87ZR6m7zIzZF8EpC_naR3wok-EMlj0Mz4KizVpsLmbDG4V23U2CcfO0j6dUAp1k6a-Os47scP4balB-o1btuI7o2mWjniLu/s400/DSCN8247.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds at Chilkat Pass, the Haines Highway Summit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWeklq_jU7_S3KVIydfvwaHz_xFq6Eez3rkzBmuwA2jqx7CmnZmVsbZmnwaDB13DJcQSaswdc9jJQscSdTaFG9bjCfPZIHBWOXwL7Y9WnlrLp7b2YFCyDjUrMt1NVyjsSXaPuRzXSwJFN/s1600/DSCN8252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNWeklq_jU7_S3KVIydfvwaHz_xFq6Eez3rkzBmuwA2jqx7CmnZmVsbZmnwaDB13DJcQSaswdc9jJQscSdTaFG9bjCfPZIHBWOXwL7Y9WnlrLp7b2YFCyDjUrMt1NVyjsSXaPuRzXSwJFN/s400/DSCN8252.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wide Alpine Valley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We really
felt as if we were in the middle of a vast wilderness. For the most part we were alone on the
highway. We passed only a handful of
cars and RVs heading south, but no one was going in our direction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lfEAHbQtAx01iZIJ35EBzoFCANm5EgDhddUkrHZwkzevQ0xIikHFMehVZfBGNJCmE93SjjPrhg8VvNfH6r6by5akjes1DXqpWjhzHKn7DtGwzP022_Rhrop6tqkbwlhfA-oZdy2cE85v/s1600/DSCN8244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9lfEAHbQtAx01iZIJ35EBzoFCANm5EgDhddUkrHZwkzevQ0xIikHFMehVZfBGNJCmE93SjjPrhg8VvNfH6r6by5akjes1DXqpWjhzHKn7DtGwzP022_Rhrop6tqkbwlhfA-oZdy2cE85v/s400/DSCN8244.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of a Handful of Other Vehicles on the Highway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The road
was in great condition, except for a several-mile stretch that was under
construction. While we waited for the
pilot car to guide us through the construction zone, we had a nice chat with
the flagger. I’m sure this road will
spoil us for what we know to be ahead.
We’ve heard the warnings for the section of the Alaska Highway on which
we will soon be driving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NywNbT39WnYaBmy-fPVj6y3d-wGQtSMhPNwYiv1XUW2L8xA1q4uSdyXHwOEU7fVaj6p0EA0EsKRjJSF6uoySFOAB7nmnHVM2CKGlBBOfhYKePv5ldz5Nnzgn5oJoyde7zp2ARr_lspqO/s1600/DSCN8265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NywNbT39WnYaBmy-fPVj6y3d-wGQtSMhPNwYiv1XUW2L8xA1q4uSdyXHwOEU7fVaj6p0EA0EsKRjJSF6uoySFOAB7nmnHVM2CKGlBBOfhYKePv5ldz5Nnzgn5oJoyde7zp2ARr_lspqO/s400/DSCN8265.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction Zone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
addition to the dramatic scenery, the highlight of the day was seeing a large
bear crossing the highway just in front of us.
Tim and I both spotted him at the same time, we and were able to stop
and watch him for a short while before he disappeared into the woods. That was very cool! It’s also how I like to see bears – from the
safe confines of the RV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5MF8K99BiDHjGe-AdrifhghxP6AWP6mlR7HrzyqxifZFEWjco12lWtDC8jAs4OHovqilngCc7ljrozUoCrXsM3PgliwMApF03tdmFYJlWhr9YNmRYdb6_A8EpRomyNzo6KCN7WRZaNHT/s1600/DSCN8287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5MF8K99BiDHjGe-AdrifhghxP6AWP6mlR7HrzyqxifZFEWjco12lWtDC8jAs4OHovqilngCc7ljrozUoCrXsM3PgliwMApF03tdmFYJlWhr9YNmRYdb6_A8EpRomyNzo6KCN7WRZaNHT/s400/DSCN8287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stop, I Want to Take Your Photograph</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr5_iP5eR4TEt0juGty625lYr1vnZ6B9rgHe2V3JvohkOaz44smUbd8SGp_0hP93iib27yF8nUZhoyT5Of_RbODlTM-wDM8Cor7dIBFNHOi5nbCpwTmC-bIXq6yiqB2XRBvW5oD9d9mhQ/s1600/DSCN8293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvr5_iP5eR4TEt0juGty625lYr1vnZ6B9rgHe2V3JvohkOaz44smUbd8SGp_0hP93iib27yF8nUZhoyT5Of_RbODlTM-wDM8Cor7dIBFNHOi5nbCpwTmC-bIXq6yiqB2XRBvW5oD9d9mhQ/s400/DSCN8293.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't Hide from Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We had
thought we would drive about 240 miles today, but we forgot about losing an
hour as we crossed into Canada, plus we hadn’t driven in quite a long time. So, after only 135 miles we pulled into
Kluane National Park and decided to stop for the day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kluane
contains the largest non-polar icefields in the world, as well as Canada’s
highest mountain, Mount Logan. Kluane
National Park and Reserve, Wrangell-St. Elias and Glacier Bay National Parks in
Alaska and Tatshenshini-Alsek Park in British Columbia form the largest
internationally protected area in the world.
This enormous area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as
a globally significant mountain wilderness.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kathleen
Lake is one of the very few developed areas within Kluane National Park, and
that was our destination. Because it was
very windy and cold at the lake, we didn’t tarry. Instead we headed directly to Kathleen Lake
Campground and settled in for the evening.
Only a few campsites have a slight view of the lake through the trees, but
it’s a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 18.3999996185303px;">beautiful</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> campground, and it’s nice to be back in a more natural setting,
with lots of privacy, once again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3eZkhOavRIfm18m-c3cpHvPmGbNqwghPQWWJtCUJhFJKXJAVVJzvbsPHao1mJHUHcIRDuWZJeJN8_khc6f7bbeMUZRcsu7IPuRmqKncFVzs7WritBP5lChMYTrb04hgDc1aePxC4LvdS/s1600/DSCN8333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3eZkhOavRIfm18m-c3cpHvPmGbNqwghPQWWJtCUJhFJKXJAVVJzvbsPHao1mJHUHcIRDuWZJeJN8_khc6f7bbeMUZRcsu7IPuRmqKncFVzs7WritBP5lChMYTrb04hgDc1aePxC4LvdS/s400/DSCN8333.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Prettier View of Kathleen Lake in Kluane National Park the Next Morning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXQTE9rGEh13s7eH5NAjSK5RZhV8YaLRLjlgSi3JhmccbbvJCsnGsVR0KQKGgtMETd8gK2WAyPk-sCkk304DyXMuoEJOBP4MhADmw7R62Jd1W3N5ufAqkqpKCWJMKpR3qRzMziTDMxTaV/s1600/Wildflowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXQTE9rGEh13s7eH5NAjSK5RZhV8YaLRLjlgSi3JhmccbbvJCsnGsVR0KQKGgtMETd8gK2WAyPk-sCkk304DyXMuoEJOBP4MhADmw7R62Jd1W3N5ufAqkqpKCWJMKpR3qRzMziTDMxTaV/s400/Wildflowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mountain Wildflowers along the Way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17665701986189929016noreply@blogger.com4