WillieBago4

Don and I had thought when we got home that we would purchase a new RV next year.  If we had only planned to RV to Manhattan and KC, perhaps we would keep Willie, but with 120,000 miles and 17 years on him, he is not able to go to Nova Scotia, Maine and even back to Alaska.  So we thought we would begin to look for purchase next year.

On September 22, we were going to go to KC after church, planning to take the Willie to church and leave from there.  Don picked up the Willie in the morning, but when we went out to leave, the Willie would not start.  Not again!  So we left the Willie and took the Jeep to KC.

Originally we had planned to look at RVs while we were in Kansas City, so Monday morning, we went to Transwest RV.  We told the salesman that we had no intention of purchasing that day, but he was glad to show us the RVs they had in stock.  They had several 2019 Newmars and Tiffins, but only one had a floorplan we liked.

When we left, we discussed whether we should just purchase the one we liked - it had already been significantly discounted, and we thought we could afford it.  We returned that afternoon to purchase the RV, and then we went to the cabin.

We returned to KC the next week to pick up the RV.  We had set up a 6-hour meeting to go over all of the elements of the RV, and Caleb really wanted to come with us.  We told him he would be bored - "I don't mind being bored."  We told him he couldn't go, and finally, through his tears, he cried, "But I insist."  Nevertheless, we went without him, and by 3:00, we were the proud owners of a 37-foot Newmar.

By the time I am writing this, Willie4 has been to two ball games and has been quite the hit.  The old Willie held much more paraphernalia and was so good for tailgating, we are having trouble adjusting to the reduced storage.  But we will get over it, and in the meantime, we will thoroughly enjoy our new RV.

Finding Peace and Joy

I did not know it until 2006.  And I did not put words to it until much later.  Many times I had read about people who have a special spot where they feel more at peace than anywhere else in their life. I have many places I love to be – San Diego, the mountains, Alaska.  But I had never really taken the time to think about finding the place where I experience peace and joy.  

For some it is their home, and although I love my home, that is not the spot.  When I retired in 2006 and spent 3 weeks at the cabin with Diana, I realized then how much I love being there.  And as the years have gone by, and we have spent more and more time in the mountains, I have gained a greater and greater appreciation for it. About the first of April, I get an itch that just can’t be scratched.  “Time to go to the cabin,” it says.  And the itch only goes away after our first trip.  

Even after the most fabulous 79-day trip to Alaska, where the scenery is far more fantastic than that in the Pecos, where the animals are more exciting to see, I could not wait to get to the Holy Ghost.  I find that in the familiarity of the trees and grass, the talkativeness of the stream, and the smell and calm of the cabin, my soul is fed and my heart is filled.  

Perhaps everyone has that place; I don’t know because I have never asked.  But I am filled with gratitude that my parents, in their young wisdom, knew that a cabin would be a good place to bring children.  The cabin has woven itself into my entire being, and even when I am away from it, it is in my soul.  And I hope it is in Kenneth’s and Diana’s . . . and working its way into Caleb’s and Tessa’s.

The Final Few Days

Once we got going, we really got going.  Willie seemed to be behaving - we think they got it this time - and we drove to Shelby, Montana. We stayed in a casino RV lot which was nondescript, but in the morning, which was September 11, we noticed the very large flag on the hill at half-mast.  It was certainly a stirring sight, and one I will remember!

The next day we made it to Casper, Wyoming.  Lots and lots of driving, but we began listening to a book named The Volunteer, which is about a Polish man who actually volunteered to go to Auschwitz to try to set up resistance within the camp and to send messages out.  It is a sobering and awful story - and absolutely incredibly interesting.  The weather actually matched the mood of the book - we must have driven through inches of rain!

Another nondescript RV park in Casper (though it did have a great dog park for the pups), and we left again early in the morning.  As we were driving out of the RV park, we saw this:

Imagine living in a town where antelope frequent the lawn of the local Baptist church.  There are about 15 antelope in this picture!

We stopped in Eaton to have lunch with Katie and then headed again toward home.  We were hoping to get to Russell, but we had to stop in Oakley.  It was dark when we arrived, dark when we left, but we arrived home about 12:30 on Friday, the 13th.  Nothing unlucky about that day!!

Woody was delighted to be home, but no one was as excited as the pups!

They haven't done this for 79 days!

We unloaded, and unloaded, and unloaded.  Other than way too many shirts that I took, we used almost everything!  Now it is time to put things away, clean the RV, and wash the outside.  Don took this picture as he was cleaning the back of the RV.

This is how dirty the RV is, even after all the rain through which we drove!

So . . . we are home after 79 days.  We had an awesome trip, albeit we had our own numerous frustrations!  Will we go back to Alaska one more time?  Maybe, but poor Willie will have to stay home.  We have realized that he is too old to make the trip, as parts for his chassis are getting harder and harder to find.  He has been a great RV, and we may have him longer, but before we take another long trip, we will have a new Willie!!

I would love to get to go back to Alaska and spend more time along the Cassiar highway, which is in Canada - it is so beautiful, and between the Golden Nugget and Meziadin Junction, the sights are spectacular.  I would also like to spend some time panning for gold - we took Dad's gold pan, but didn't have time to use it.  And I would love to spend more time in Valdez and go to Cordova, Kennecott, and other places.  So stay tuned - another trip to Alaska may be in our future!

There are Strange Things Done in the Midnight Sun . . .

“There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold,” wrote Robert Service during the Klondike Rush.  And although the gold rush is over, we have seen (or been around) more interesting, odd, and scary things than normal travelers would.

1.  It began with the Brake Buddy.  Designed to help with braking, it is installed in the Jeep before every jaunt.  But it wouldn’t work – just the way we started our trip in 2013!  It was a source of frustration for several days until Don decided NOT to follow the instructions and connect it in reverse order. Voila!  It worked, and has not missed a beat since.

2.  And then there is Katie.  The first day we were with her, we picked her up at her RV park outside Missoula.  But she had a problem.  Her hitch had slipped and her fifth-wheel had fallen into the tailgate of her truck – her fairly new truck.  Oops - maybe we could get a large vinyl bandaid to go over it!  At first we thought it was going to be a major problem, but with some help from some of the people in the park, she was able to get her hitch working, and we did not have another problem until she and we were both broken down in Anchorage . . . stay tuned.

3.  We drove up the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park.  There were warnings about rock slides and falling rocks, but we didn’t think much of it.  Until a few days after we were there, a seven-year-old boy was killed when a rock crashed through his family’s car and crushed him.  How does that happen?  I ache for that family.

4.  On our way to Hinton, Alberta, emergency vehicles suddenly overcome us.  They flew by us, and one was towing a jet ski – we feared someone had drowned in the river nearby.  When traffic was held up for about 45 minutes, we thought maybe it was a car accident and the jet-ski was just part of their emergency runs.  When we finally drove past, however, we saw that a small plane had taken off from the Jasper Airport and had crashed into the river.  We were hoping everyone was all right, but unfortunately, the passenger passed away before the emergency equipment arrived.

5.  As we were leaving Hinton for Whitehorse, the Willie suddenly went into “limp-home” mode. It had done this just two weeks before we left, as we were heading to KC one last time before our trip.  Luckily this time it happened near a GMC dealership, and we were able to park in the visitor center lot for four days (but you have read about this before).  It took us a few days to catch up, but we did.

6.  In Valdez, many people kayak in the lake at the bottom of the Valdez Glacier.  It is common for people to paddle around at their leisure.  Imagine the situation a guide found himself in when he and his party arrived at the lake, only to find the lake full of icebergs and three kayakers killed, one thrown on top of one of the icebergs.  Although no one knows for sure what happened, it was probably one of two things:  either the glacier calved and the impact of the iceberg on the water put up such a wave that it swamped to three German tourists, or they had gotten too close to the mouth of the glacier and it calved upon them.  We believe the first is the most likely, but no one will ever know for sure.

7.  Also in Valdez, we noticed that the Willie was growling - really growling - and we knew from past experience that a "doughnut" in the exhaust system was coming loose.  Luckily, Don had brought an extra and after a few trips to the hardware store, he had it fixed.  Took most of the morning, but he did it, and Willie was happy.

Then, as we were preparing to leave, Katie tried to pull in her big slide . . . but to no avail.  It wouldn’t move. That was not good, since Rhonda and Jerri were going to be arriving soon.  It took everything Chuck and Bart had to get it pushed back into place . . . and then Katie dared not open it again.  Of course, Rhonda and Jerri arrived at midnight, and Rhonda had to sleep on the couch which could not be opened up.  Katie had called one RV dealer who could fix it in a week . . . and then she found a dealer who had the part in stock and could fix it the next day.  So while Don, Rhonda, Jerri and I went to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and on to Quartz Creek, Katie got her slide fixed.  She arrived at Quartz Creek not long after we did, and the slide has worked flawlessly since.  But we should have known we were not done!

8.  As we were leaving Quartz Creek, the Willie acted up again.  This time we could not get the problem rectified so we called a tow truck.  And we had a $1300 tow (that our roadside assistance paid for) all the way back to Anchorage. We spent four nights in the Cabela’s parking lot, Willie spent a few more nights in the shop while we went to Homer, and then we came back and picked him up.  At the same time, the Jeep’s transmission went out. Since it would take the dealership 3 weeks to get to it, we went to Shifty’s Transmission, who had it ready in two days!  While we were in Anchorage, Katie’s hitch broke completely.  So we had an RV, a hitch, and a Jeep all in the shop at the same time.  Freightliner took care of her, however, since they had a hitch in stock, and within a day, she was up and going!

9.  As we left the Kenai for Anchorage and Denali, suddenly fires sprung up all around us.  The winds were like those in Kansas, and the spread of the fires went quickly.  Seward was surrounded by smoke and we drove to Anchorage in fire as thick as that when the Flint Hills are burning.  Then a fire north of Anchorage took hold and actually closed the road.  We were afraid we would not be able to get to Talkeetna, but because our vehicle problems had changed our itinerary by a day, we only had to wait about 45 minutes for the pilot car.  Fire was on both sides of the road, and the devastation was enormous.  At least 50 structures were destroyed, and they did not have the first completely out by the time we left Denali, though some much-needed rains were on the way.

Sheep Creek's remains - devastating

9.  As we began our trip home from Fairbanks, the road was very rough.  When we arrived at our campground, Don started to put out our big slide, and because of the rough road, something had jarred it so that it slipped a cog.  So we cannot open it . . . Bart’s slide also had difficulty, and he cannot open his.  Katie’s, too, but she managed to get hers going after a day or two.  Thank goodness we do not have to have the slide out . . . it is a bit cramped but we are managing.

10.  The weather has been highly unusual.  Anchorage has not received rain since late June (so it looked like a dry Kansas summer), and northern Alaska has received much more than normal. Denali had 4” just before we arrived, and as we were headed to Haines, we were told the road was closed due to mud slides (see my previous post on Haines.)  Anchorage has had record heat, and several days were warmer than expected . . . yet in Dease Lake, just before we arrived, they had 3 feet of snow!

11.  In Haines, a woman was parked in one of our reserved spots and had not yet checked out.  The manager of the park asked her to move her rig, which she gladly did . .  but she forgot to pull in her awning.  She slowly drove through the parking lot, and we all thought she was just moving.  But then she drove to the exit, only to hit the sign at the RV park and bend her awning.  Her rig was only a year old, and it was an expensive Mercedes one.  Thank goodness the remainder of her rig was unharmed . . . 

12. Then, as we were coming into our campground at Dease Lake, Willie had his same problem.  The next morning, after 6 “events,” we decided to unhook the Jeep and have me drive it.  That seemed to solve the problem, but it looks as if I may be driving the Jeep back the whole way.  We have 6 CDs in it – two Shania Twain, one Willie Nelson, one Gordon Lightfoot, one Garth Brooks, and one Brooks and Dunn.  I like them all, but 1800 miles of it?  Yikes!  One day I listened to CBC radio (as I moved through areas, I always found a station that carried it) and learned a lot, including the names of two books I plan to read.  Today I figured out how to listen to Heartland by Sarah Smarsh – remember this Jeep is a 2003, and at the time, iPhones did not even exist and a 6-CD changer was pretty deluxe. Anyway, we hope we can begin to tow, but we are pretty certain the issue has to do with rain water on the road . . . and we have had a little rain every day.

13.  When we were going through Hinton, Katie realized she needed a new fuel filter on her truck. Luckily, the same GMC dealer we went to was able to get her right in and out.  So, we arrived in Edmonton in great shape . . . or so we thought. Our RV park was lovely, there was a Starbucks just down the street, the dog park was amazing, we had a nice dinner.  What could go wrong? Well . . . now Katie’s hitch was acting up.  A nut and bolt were out of place, and Don and Bart could not get it back in, so she found an RV dealer who was able to fix it in less than an hour!

14.  OK, we arrived at the four lane – let’s go.  Or not.  We made it to Red Deer, and when we left, suddenly Willie decided to act up again.  There is no water on the road, so that can’t be it . . . but the day was warm so maybe that caused the problem.  We are stranded on the side of Highway 2, 43 miles from Calgary.  The Willie quit at about 3:30, we finally got a tow truck call by 5:00, and . . . it did not arrive because it got too dark.  Finally at 8:00 in the morning the truck arrived, after a long night of trucks whizzing by our bedroom. Why does this always happen on a Friday - all three breakdowns caused us to have to stay over a weekend in Hinton, Anchorage, and Calgary.  It has given us time to learn about some new towns, I guess.

15.  And perhaps the craziest of all, I have already written about meeting the Independent family at the top of the Edith Cavell glacier walk . . .  who would have thought!

We usually have chance encounters with people, or find people who know people, but we have never come across such a wide array of interesting (and tragic) events.  This is another reason people should travel . . . they meet great people, learn to overcome difficulties, and appreciate how other people live!

Calgary

I wish we had been in a part of town where we could have appreciated Calgary more.  Being in an industrial area makes it difficult to find the nicer parts of town.

We did venture in Inglewood, which is a mix of Wichita's Old Town and Delano.  We couldn't spend a lot of time there, since we had the dogs with us, but the shops are cute, the architecture vintage, and the restaurants trendy.  We spent every morning in the Starbucks there, as they have wifi, something missing from our gravel-beach luxury site.  Then we listened to the KSU game, we found a place to sort-of watch the Chiefs (we were told they could get it, and then they didn't, but the food was good), did our laundry, cleaned the RV . . . the usual stuff.  Somehow, we just don't seem to want to go to the touristy stuff here . . . probably because we are a little unsure about what is going to happen.

The flower boxes in Inglewood are spectacular.  The temperate weather here and north allows for beautiful flowers, and Calgarians make the most of it.  Walking around in the cool weather does put a skip in one's step.  If I lived in Calgary, I know I would spend some time in this area. (Picture to come - rain does not lend itself to pretty pictures of flowers)

When we were at the laundromat last night, a family with two little girls was also there.  The older girl, who is a bit older than Caleb, was quite animated in her "Only Child Expired in 2018" shirt.  She and I began to talk, and soon we were singing songs together, I did the "I'm Being Swallowed by a Boa Constrictor" song, and we ended by singing Baby Shark.  (This morning, I awakened singing that silly song!)  She was really cute . . .

A man and his little son were also there.  The man was pretty grumpy, (he had already yelled at the attendant who was taking his clothes out of a washer so someone else could use it), and he kept yelling at the little boy because the little boy was trying to get out of the stroller, and Dad was folding mountains of laundry.  I wish I had thought of it sooner, but I offered to take the little boy on a stroll around the laundromat - Wild Bob style, wheelies and all.  The little guy didn't know what to think, but at least he wasn't screaming, and Dad wasn't yelling.  Dad seemed extremely appreciative, and I even got a smile out of him.  Sometimes a little kindness is all it takes!

The Travails of the Willie

We pulled into Edmonton without a hitch.  I was able to listen to most of Heartland, which was a great book. In it, the author, Sarah Smarsh, mentions going to a private school to consider attending, and she told her mom she didn’t want to go because she didn’t think they could afford it. I had a flashback – I think I gave that tour.  Her story is heartbreaking, and it helped me understand the vicious circle of poverty.   By the time we arrived in Edmonton, I had nearly listened to the whole book . . . 

The Edmonton RV park was lovely, and I didn’t want to leave . . . but we started for Calgary.  When we arrived at Red Deer, we stopped for gas and lunch.  And dad gum it . . . once we started the RV again, the problem reappeared.  It seems that the heat of the engine is doing something to a connection – or something like that.  Within a few miles, we realized we could go no further and pulled off to the side of the road in a faux rest area.  

Woody is bemoaning our fate!

And we called a tow truck.  And we waited.  And we waited.  Katie and Bart went on, and we waited.  Finally about 9:00, we were told the tow truck would not be arriving until tomorrow morning.  Oh great!  So we spent the night on the side of Highway 2, listening to the trucks roar by.  One man said it was like being at the Indianapolis 500.

When the sun came up, the sunset reminded us that the sun will come out tomorrow!

The tow truck arrived, we were towed to Alberta Truck Repair, and they got us right in.  We went to a Starbucks, found a vegan restaurant called Dandelion – which was delicious, by the way – and returned to find the RV was in the bay.  By 4:50, they were done, they had found the problem, and we were off.  For 50 yards.  And it died again. I had time to get back to the office before they closed, they gave us an extension cord, and we are camped in their driveway – along with all of the trucks, recycling parts, and jackrabbits.

There is little grass for the dogs, and the grass that is there is so covered with rabbit rollies that we don’t want the dogs there.  They have not been too happy about it, but we have taken them to Tim Horton’s where the grass is very nice, and we have listened to the KSU game, visited an RV store, found the Kansas City game (sort of) at a downtown eatery, and generally hung around the RV.  Not exactly what we were thinking, but we have made the best of it!

If Only . . .

Because we were having trouble with the Willie, we decided to unhitch the Willie and change our route, including not going to Meziadin.  I love Meziadin because the bears are so close, but Bart insisted, and he was probably right.

Right after I began driving, I saw Bart and Katie on the side of the road, smiling. Apparently, a mama bear and her three cubs had come out of the woods and walked right by them.  They didn’t get many pictures, but they surely watched them cross the road.

I drove off to catch Don, and as I rounded a curve, I saw a big black “something” on the side of the road.  Since no one was behind me, and no one coming from the other way I slowed down to a complete stop. In the middle of the road. And I rolled down my window. And I said, “Well, hello there,” to the big bear sitting by the side of the road.  “How are you today?”  He continued eating and then looked up at me.  Still no one was coming, but I was worried about his getting hit, so I banged on the Jeep and honked the horn to scare him away . . . which I did.  All while my iPhone was on the seat next to me.  What a cool video I could have had!  I am still kicking myself three days later.  I think I was so concerned about him getting hit that I never thought to pick up the camera!! Imagine singing the "Bare Necessities" to a bear on the side of the road . . . 

After that, although we saw a few more bears, nothing could match that encounter!  We went into Smithers and stayed at a beautiful part called Glacier View, which had a view of a glacier across the valley.  We were next to a family that had been gone since January . . . they are headed home to Sacramento, but I don’t think I could be gone that long!

To the Cassiar and Beyond

The drive from Teslin to the Cassiar Highway was uneventful, though we did see a small male moose on the side of the road.  Lunch at the Golden Nugget was good – an old-time place with home-cooking by a semi-grumpy old man.  He was funny and friendly . . . but he had a little edge to him.  My club sandwich, however, was really good.

The Cassiar is a beautiful highway, and very clearly, fall has arrived in Canada.  We kept seeing trees that have been lain over by wind or rain or something.  We learned once we arrived at Dease Lake that about two weeks ago, three feet of snow fell in the area, and the snow weighted down the trees.  We have been seeing the trees for two days – it must have been some storm!

The jade factory has not changed, but it has gotten bigger.  The jade mine is quite interesting, and once they mine it, they send it to China to have it ground into objects – dice, bears holding a fish, and other such trinkets.  Then they are shipped back to the mine for them to sell.

Before arriving at the factory, however, Willie did his thing again.  This time, Don was able to reset it without coming to a complete stop, which was great – but on a fast four-lane, it would not be very cool!  Katie suggested that it might be caused by water, since we were driving after a rain, and that very well may be.  Which might be a problem on Tuesday, as rain is forecast for then.

We arrived at Dease Lake in time for me to pick some raspberries and gather three stalks of Canadian rhubarb.  

These leaves were even larger than the ones I cut in Haines Junction!

I plan to add some raspberries from home to them and make RhuRasp jelly when I get home.  I think it will be very good!  We were also hoping to see the aurora, as it was supposed to be very active.  Unfortunately, once again in Dease Lake, the weather was cloudy, just like 6 years ago.  GRRR.

Teslin/Cats Win

We left Skagway about 10:00, since we were up several times during the night.  I drove the Jeep to the Canadian Border because the climb out of Skagway is pretty brutal.  After we connected and went through customs, we were able to enjoy the gorgeous scenery and the changing leaves.  Last time we were here, the leaves were not changing, so this has been a beautiful drive!

We stopped in Carcross for lunch at the Sourdough Bakery and then drove into Teslin.  We were delighted that we could get the KSU game on Sirius radio.  As contrasted with the last time we were here, however, the game was fun to listen to!  Last time, our coach was an assistant for North Dakota State, the team to which we lost. This year, he led us to a resounding victory!  

We are supposed to have another very active aurora tonight, but unfortunately, it might be cloudy. We are hoping not!

Skagway

We were all awake at 4:00 a.m. to get ready for our ferry ride at 7:00 a.m.  I was the first car in line, and at about 6:00, they had me load onto the ferry.  I watched as all of the cars came down into the boat, not thinking about the fact that it was low tide.  Suddenly I looked up to see a fifth-wheel Montana slowly backing down the ramp into the small quarters.  That was Katie!  I watched as the people directing her had her move back and forth, they put blocks underneath her back wheels, and they slowly, slowly, ever so slowly, had her back right down in place.  My blood pressure was so high watching it, but she did it!  

Don and Bart were not far behind her,

Bart backing into his spot

Woody helping Don drive off the ferry

and within an hour we were on our way to Skagway.  The ferry was a new one and very nice, but we only had an hour before we were pulling into the Skagway harbor next to several cruise ships.

We were at our RV spot by 9:00, went into Skagway for a few hours, and then we boarded the Never Monday boat for a fishing/sightseeing trip.

The fishing wasn't great, and since it was catch/release that was ok.  But the sightseeing was awesome.  We mostly saw eagles, and our captain, Ken, had some tricks up his sleeve.  He has named the eagles Archie and Edith, Bonnie and Clyde, and Fred and Wilma, and he throws them a frozen herring that they fish out of the water.  We had a great time watching the show!!!

Haines and Chilkoot Creek

When we had arrived in Haines Junction, we were warned that the road to Haines had been closed because of mud slides that covered the road.  Luckily, it was opened in plenty of time for us, but the evidence of the mudslides was sobering.  At one point, the slide was over 8 feet deep, and one woman’s car was covered by it.  Luckily she escaped, though I don’t know how.

This is the mud that came down one slide

Through our cracked windshield, this is where the slide was.

We also saw more signs that fall is on its way – much earlier than the last time we were here.

A rather artsy picture of the colors

A fish wheel, used by subsistence farmers to catch their fish

When we got to our RV park, which has been doubled in size by extending the parking lot into the bay (quite an investment , by the way), one woman had to move her RV so we could have the spot.  As she was leaving, we noticed (a little too late, however) that her awning had not been brought in, and she was driving with it extended.  No one was able to get to her in time, and suddenly we heard a crash as her awning hit the RV sign.  The awning tore partially from the RV, and a man had to unscrew the remainder of it.  Her RV was less than a year old – yikes!

To get to Chilkoot Lake, one has to pass by a weir that has been built by the Alaska Department of Game and Fish.  They count the salmon as they pass through – but the bears have figured out that fishing at the weir makes for a pretty fast and easy meal.  Since we love the bears, we took the time to go see them, and we were nicely rewarded!

Lake Kathleen

I had remembered Lake Kathleen as being a rather idyllic place, and it still is.  We passed through Haines Junction where we went to the Village Bakery for lunch.  We had been there before, and we found out it was as good as ever.  The weather was perfect and we stayed there a little longer than anticipated . . . which was ok.

On the way, we passed more beautiful scenery.  Before we arrived at Haines Junction, I saw this beautiful lake and got lucky with my picture:

I wish I knew the name of this lake, but it is beautiful

We went to Lake Kathleen, which is a gorgeous lake on First Nation land.  We love this park, for many reasons.  We saw an aurora there in 2013 (and despite my best efforts, did not see one this time), we took a video of a squirrel chucking pinecones at us (none of that this time),  and it was a quiet place for a campfire, which was the case again.

When we arrived, Katie already had a campfire going, and we loved just sitting around it. After dinner, we went to a talk by a member of the Wolf clan of the tribe.  He was fascinating . . . and one thing that I thought was interesting was this:  “I was born in the 1960s as an Indian; in the 1970s I became aboriginal; in the 1980s I was indigenous; in the 1990s I was Native; and in the 2000s I became First Nation.  We will see what happens in 2020 . . . “  He said it somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but it is true.  He then went on to explain how Canada has begun the process of respecting and restoring the pride the First Nation people have in their heritage.  It was a heartening story.  

And because he mentioned Lake LaBarge, when we returned to our campfire, I read the poem The Cremation of Sam McGee and Blasphemous Bill McKie (which I had never read), both by Robert Service.  It was an enjoyable way to spend a few minutes around the campfire, getting ready to go outside to see the aurora – that never appeared!

Tourists Become Truckers

We had a long drive on Tuesday, August 27, from Fairbanks to Discovery Yukon RV park south of Beaver Creek, Yukon.  We stopped at the North Pole to allow Woody to see Santa Claus, and then we were driving . . . and driving . . . and driving.

One highlight was that we saw a lynx standing on the road.  At first I thought it was a coyote, because it had such long legs, but the tufts on its ears, its big feet, and the short tail gave it away. We came upon it pretty quickly and did not get a good picture – even Garmin didn’t get one – but we have it in our memory, which is second-best.

After an easy border crossing and a stop at Buckshot Betty’s to get a shirt for Katie and a performance shirt for Char, we got to the RV park in time to walk the dogs and look at the museum of military equipment and Alaska Highway roadmaking equipment. Some could interpret it as a pile of junk, but it really isn’t, and for those who appreciate such things, it is a fascinating look at history.  I did get up in the middle of the night, hoping to see an aurora, but no such luck.  Maybe tomorrow.

The Best(ie) of Fairbanks

We are so lucky that Betsy lives in Fairbanks.  She has such fun things to do!!!

First, she took us to Creamer's Field on a walk through the boreal forest.  Besides being beautiful, it was an interesting walk and an entertaining one, as we were privileged to see the Sandhill Cranes before they migrate south.  Some of those cranes will end up in New Mexico; most will end up in Nebraska.

Then we went to Betsy's house where we made 13 jars of jelly.

After the cooking, Betsy cooked some moose, some delicious salmon, a casserole of brown rice with cashews, and ice cream for dessert.  We had never had moose, but I am delighted we tried.  It was as good as beef, but more tender.  I would have it again in a heartbeat!

It is always fun to get back together with Betsy.  She is such a creative woman, with many projects going.  She is going to be teaching a weaving class in a few weeks and one of the baskets she is going to make is made with old calendars.  It was so pretty - I wish I were so creative!

The Drive to Fairbanks

We left Teklinika, saw Denali, and got on the road.  CJ really wanted to stop at the 49th State Brewery, but because we were late, we just stopped for pictures.  The story Into the Wild happened outside of Healy, which is just up the street from the brewery, so when they filmed the movie about it, the bus used in the movie was acquired by the brewery owners.

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Then we went to Nenana, and although I would have loved to have shown Bart the tripod, we were trying to make up time, so instead we stopped for lunch at a restaurant owned by Rhonda's cousin. We had heard the Monderosa had great burgers . . . and wow!  They were delicious.  We thoroughly enjoyed talking with Rhonda's cousin, and we hope if we get back here, that they are still in business. Well worth stopping for.

By the time we arrived in Fairbanks, Don and I had to hurry to get ready for dinner with Betsy, Matthew, Eli, and Shera at the Silver Gulch Brewery. We always enjoy the food there, and being with Betsy and her family is the best!

FINALLY!!!

On Sunday morning, Diana's birthday, we awakened to bright blue skies.  It was cold - 35 degrees - but the skies looked wonderful.  We were so hoping the mountain would be able to be seen.

We left a little before Bart and Katie, and we were delighted to see Denali many times in the 29 miles to the Visitor's Center.  We were so hoping Bart, Katie, Kara and CJ would see her, and thankfully they did.  I could not get enough of the mountain . . . it is so beautiful.

Even Woody got in on the action!

Kara and CJ

We have not spent much time with Kara and CJ until now, and they have been with us ten days.  I am really going to miss them!

CJ is hilarious. He can tell stories reminiscent of Chuck, except his references are younger so I sometimes don’t get them. We learned about Alaskan Bush People – a series on Hulu – and why he calls himself BJ Finney.  His call name became Burger Jim, though we changed it to Caribou Jim during part of the journey.  He can imitate many different voices, which kept us laughing, he loves his pets Lucy and Luna, and he adores his wife, Kara.  We have loved our time with him – it was too short.

And we learned that CJ has awesome taste in women.  Kara is an absolute peach!  She was helpful, funny, flexible, willing to try new things, very active, and a terrific influence on CJ.  They make a very fun couple, and I am so impressed with Kara’s maturity and intelligence.  I am hoping we can spend much more time with them, as they have certainly rubbed off on me!

Teklinika River and Beyond

Saturday dawned bright blue skies . . . we probably could have seen Denali if we had taken the bus, but of course, we did not.  Oh well . . . I think I am going to have to return at least one more time.

Instead we decided to sleep late, have blueberry muffins and eggs with reindeer sausage, and go on a walk from our campground to the Teklenika Bridge and then home on the road.  It would be a walk of about 5 miles, but it was pretty flat.  Walking in the braided river was a challenge since it is entirely rocks, but we managed pretty well.  We saw moose tracks and wolf tracks, but no bear tracks – and although I would have loved to have seen a bear, we really were better off not seeing one.

Once we arrived close to our campground, we saw a trail that led to a boggy part of the area. We decided to follow it, as we felt certain it would come out close to the campground.  It was a gorgeous walk – the muskeg was soft, the colors were gorgeous . . . CJ said he felt like he was in Narnia.  It was a beautiful way to end a great hike!