Morning already.   Still sleepy but Lake Louise is next on our list of things to see.   Lake Louise is a small resort town full of lodges, Chateaus and cottages.  Ski resort in the winter and full of summer activities for the short warmer season.

Drove up to Lake Moraine and walked around the lake shore path.  Would have taken the wild things path but law forbids less than four people walking on the high road paths due to, what else, really big wild things.

About two hours later we came back to our camp site now void of campers.  We are almost alone.  As the evening wore on, the whole park filled to capacity again.  We intended to go to the Bear Program early evening but smoky campfires nixed that plan.  We are Banff bound in the morning.  10:30 pm, hello train.  11:40 pm, hello train.  12:45 am, hello train.  3:10 am, hello train.  7:10 am, hello train…UGH, might as well get up and start our day.

Thoroughly delightful breakfast at the Chateau looking out on Big and Little Bee Hive Mountains and listening to the harp music floating down from the main lobby.  Fantastic Bison Eggs Benedict, exceptional service.  We mentioned to our waiter that we would love the buffet but there were so many things offered that we shouldn’t have, except the fruit, we would just order off the menu.  He brought us two bowls of fresh fruit, gratis, to start our meal.  Service, professionalism, graciousness, you can feel it throughout the hotel.  When we had our parking ticket validated at the front desk, we asked about room prices.  For a regular room, $529.00 per night.  Nah, just breakfast and a million dollar view of the mountains accompanied by poignant harp music works fine for us.

Back to LilyPad, picked up KatieBug, off to Banff to explore.  Took a slight detour to the tent camping area.  It is surrounded by live electrical wiring and cattle guards to keep the wild things out.  No way would I be comfortable sleeping in a nylon tent with Grizzly Bears roaming around, even with electrical fencing and a cattle guard to dissuade the beasts.   Some of the bike and walking paths that surround our campground are closed due to recent Grizzly Bear sightings.

Banff was on John’s Bucket List so we are spending the day poking around the town and doing whatever else comes our way.  In route was an overlook with views of Second Vermillion Lake, Rundle Mountain and mini beggars that popped up to look for handouts.

When we reached town, we spied an off leash dog park so we treated KatieBug to some socializing with two frisky pups and a good time was had by all.

Banff Springs Fairmont Hotel was on John’s go-see list so we walked through the hotel and sat enjoying the distant views of the mountains and brightly blooming posies growing along the rear patio that overlooked the Bow River and Fairholme Mountain Range.   The hotel is pet friendly so KatieBug got to investigate inside and out, along with us.  It is an impressive 125 years old, looking more like a castle inside than a hotel but all the comforts you would expect from five star accommodations.   Oversized everything with incredible views in every direction.

Next was a quick stop at Bow Falls, not as spectacular as Athabasca Falls but worth the short drive to view and enjoy the refreshing cool mist.

We were not expecting the wild animal guard entrance into the Cascades of Time Gardens, our next stop.  The heavy duty cattle guard bounced the car severely and we noticed that high wire fences surrounded the entire area.  It was a small garden that didn’t seem to warrant that much wild animal security but it had some lovely areas and the pavilion was hosting a wedding so a popular venue would need protection from wildlife.

At Johns request, we took the Banff Gondola to the top.  I’m not thrilled about heights and KatieBug had never been high up but we bravely climbed into a four person enclosed Gondola with two young men, one mercilessly teasing the other for his fear of heights.  A true gentleman, he immediately stopped teasing when he found out I was not comfortable being extended so far up in the air by a piece of metal resting on two skinny wires gliding us up the mountain.  The air was brisk and refreshing when we stepped off the gondola and the view would have been incredible had the mist not lowered itself on top of the view.  The town of Banff and the Hotel were acceptable views but not much else.  One wild thing, a deer spotted on the way down.

The wait in line to return was frightening for KatieBug but as soon as we got inside the Gondola and the machinery noise ceased, she stopped shaking and enjoyed her king-of-the-mountain seat on John’s lap.

Back in Banff, in search of Beaver Tails, a fried dough treat I had read about in TripAdvisor, we walked through town and stopped to read funny T-shirt sayings and peer into windows of other tourist enticing stores.  We found Beaver Tails and chose to substitute Tails for lunch, each choosing our own flavor.   John’s had cinnamon sugar with lemon, mine was Nutella and banana slices, both junk-a-holic delights. Homemade ice cream was also on the menu and they gave out samples that were so deliciously creamy and smooth I vowed to return for an ice cream cone lunch next time we visited.

Grocery stop at Safeway before our 40 minute trip home with a detour to Tunnel Mountain and the Banff Campground that boasts of being without the nightly sleep interruption of trains.   Nice paved level sites high up the mountain.

On the way down John spotted some wild things resting in the grass and I stopped while he took pictures.   Neither of us knows what they are but they were free roaming in a neighborhood by an apartment complex and didn’t flinch when people and cars drove close by.  If you know what they are, email us so we can give them proper names.

On the drive home we took a picture of Canada’s answer to keeping wild animals from crossing freeways, damaging themselves and autos.  They have fencing along both sides of the freeway but every few miles they have constructed Wildlife Overpasses for the wild things to get from one side to another without crossing ground level.  They are attractive and camera monitoring has proven that they work.  Way to go Canada!

Arrived back at LilyPad just in time to hear the first of our all night long train whistles.  Get the ear plugs, it’s time for bed.

Late rising this morning.  Caught up on loading pictures while John walked KatieBug.   More paths near-by have been closed due to Grizzly Bear sightings.  That old saying, “be careful what you wish for” is slightly unnerving as I have wanted to see Grizzlies in the park.  Just don’t want to be stuck inside our motorhome while the Grizzlies roam around freely outside.

Our plans are to take the road less traveled, Bow Valley Parkway, which is a low speed road designed to allow wildlife viewing.  Full and overflowing pull outs and parking areas, bike riders everywhere, no wildlife to be found anywhere on the Parkway.   Because of the nearness of the enormous mountains, there were areas to stop and take pictures with descriptions of each along the way.   Not having picnic areas or regular parking, those stops were free from the masses.

Stopped along Bow River to get a picture of the “Drunken Trees”, something a park ranger had told us about.  When the trees root dirt is carried away by the river waters, it causes the trees to tip over towards the river looking like a staggering drunk person.  We have seen them along streams and rivers all up and down Alaska and Canada.

After our Bow Valley Parkway drive, we drove through Banff and up to Surprise Corner for a view of the rear of Banff Springs Fairmont Hotel, where we had taken pictures from their patio.

Wanting to find somewhere to hike for a short distance, we drove to Lake Minnewanka which was overly crowded and paths are restricted to four people and no dogs.

Nearby Two Jacks Lake was also crowded and without any beginner hiking areas.  Decided to return to the LilyPad, stow a very tired KatieBug and have dinner at Lake Louise Chateau.  Relaxing meal overlooking the lake and snowcapped mountains.  No music this time, we were part of the early dining crowd that included lots chatty kids sitting with parents and we were impressed at how well-behaved all were acting.   Back to the campground to pull in our front slides, hook up Ribbit and get a few hours shut-eye for our next overnight, back in the lower 48, Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

An early “it’s always something” present.  This morning, when John opened the glass slide to unlock the door to take KatieBug out, it shattered.  Not a great way to start the day.

Left for Alberta, up over a few more mountains and into the prairie.  Most of the fields are not plowed or planted yet so you can see brightly colored yellow weed flowers alongside green grasses collaged across the land.  More road repair for about 20 miles, dust, dirt and gravel being thrown up in every direction but we side-stepped further chips and cracks to the RV windshield, however our car now has two small rock chips directly in the driver’s sight.   Good thing we bought windshield insurance.

We will overnight at Camp Tamarack RV Park in the Grande Prairie Region of Alberta, Canada.  Close to the highway again.   I drove into the park…no way was this a pull through!   Dropped the car after getting stuck between a metal poll and a huge tree stump, backed up, forward, backed up, forward and was able to squeeze in to settle for the night.   John washed Ribbit in their car and RV wash, then went grocery shopping while I wiped the dust that covered the inside of LilyPad’s every nook and cranny.  Again, an early bedtime.

Rise and shine for our journey to the Hinton/Jasper KOA in Alberta.  Some fancy maneuvering to get out of our site and a slight delay before leaving.  The tow bars jammed from road grime so it took a while to hook up Ribbit.  Smooth sailing for a while, then back to the oil fields and logging areas where the heavily laden trucks pock and squish the pavement.  Skirting Willmore Wilderness Park and passing through Little Smoky Simonette Wildlife Sanctuary with roads smooth as silk, easy to reach 95k (60 mph) so we sailed along.  Alberta has a group of wildlife sanctuaries that are called the Road Corridor Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Don’t know how many we drove past on our way but suddenly, off to my left, I spied a moose.  Sure that it would bolt, I slowed without using my engine brake and ta da!  It stood still!  I was stopped but in the other direction a big truck was coming.  It slowed, the moose turned, looked at the truck and bolted to the trees.   In the background were several babies not brave enough to venture outside the trees.  I got my picture and am once again a happy camper.

John had to stop to take a picture of the giant beaver alongside the road of the city of Beaverlodge as we made our way to our next overnight.  He also took a picture of what he thinks we should downsize to next.   Dream on hubby.

A few more mountain passes and some bridge work before we entered Hinton, crossed over a narrow wooden bridge and into our Hinton/Jasper KOA overnight.

Nicely cared for park with huge level pull through sites, great dog park, clean everything.  We talked to the owner about work camping here but we are American’s and not able to exchange work for a site in Canada.   KatieBug played on the dog gym equipment and walked with us around the park.  Another full day’s drive in the morning so we turned in for the night.

Early exit from this quiet and peaceful RV Park.  Loved our stay and plan to return one of these days.

Another full days drive, most through the Jasper National Park where we will hopefully spot some wild things.  It is said that the drive from Jasper to Lake Louise is the “world’s most beautiful mountain drive”.  Expansive, cloud piercing mountains are the scenes that surround you with glacier waterfalls pouring from, and down, the mountains the entire trip.   Bound for Lake Louise and four nights in the Lake Louise Campground.  Bit of a bumpy ride until we entered Jasper National Park.  They charge $20.00 per day for the National Parks Pass so we bought a pass for four days.   Shortly after entering the Park, we began seeing wild things.

Up ahead, while I was driving, we saw a large gathering of cars and campers pulled off the side of the road.  John got a picture from our window of one of the Elk surrounded by people standing just a few feet away from the Elk.

Pulling over further down the road, I got out to look around and spotted a Bighorn sheep up the mountain surveying the insanity of people jumping out of their cars to take pictures.

When I looked back towards the Elk, they all began moving from the densely peopled area, walking out onto the shallow water.

I was in the perfect spot to take pictures and the setting was awesome.

John likes the looks of the above pictures better.

We stopped to gaze at Bow Lake, said to be one of the most brightly colored lakes in the Rocky Mountains.

Further down John popped out to take a picture of Tangle Creek Falls and shortly past the falls, mountain goats were grazing on the side of the road.  They watched us but didn’t move even when people got out of their cars and approached them to take pictures.  I had an excellent vantage point for taking pictures from the driver’s window.

An interesting sight was the Weeping Wall, water escaping from solid rocks.

Across the road was the Stutfield Glacier.  We continued on Icefields Parkway to the top of the fields.  The ice field is huge and you only see small fingers of it from the Parkway.  If you look closely, you will see miniature buses and people looking the size of ants speckling the walking paths on one of the fingers.

Arrived at Lake Louise Campground and was greeted by a brave ground squirrel a foot from our motorhome.  The campground is known for large numbers of Grizzly Bear activity.  I noticed the giant sign that declared, “Trains pass close by the park day and night”.   I heard a long, loud, train whistle sound three times and the RV vibrated as the train passed.  They weren’t kidding!  Looks like sleep will have to be caught in cat naps for the next four nights.

Parked the motorhome and drove to Lake Louise to walk through the Chateau and stroll around the peaceful walking path that circled the lake.  Getting exercise and looking for wild things, I spotted a wolverine munching on something in the grass.   John took the picture but kept his distance, they are vicious little fur balls.

Peeked into some of the Chateau stores before driving back to our site.  10:30 pm, hello train.  Hot cocoa before bed and down loaded pictures till 12:10 pm.  12:28 pm, hello train.  Going to be a long night.  3:10 am, hello train.  3:30 am, hello train.  Where did I put those ear plugs?

Another 12 hour drive planned today.   Between the dreadful roads, scenery veiled by fog, rain and mud, it was not the memorable journey that we experienced when leaving Whitehorse for Alaska but we arrived safely without anything else falling down, or off, LilyPad.

Along our painstakingly slow passage we saw pieces of trailers, parts of RV’s, car wheels and rims all strewn along the road, even a fairly new purple bicycle that must have fallen off unseen and no one returned to collect.   John kept a close eye out for spare parts that we may need but no luck.  A trailer passing by could score a jack crank, new looking ice chest and some nice wood chalks.

Alaska is now in the proverbial rear view mirror and we are settled into the land of loonies, toonies, pretty paper money, no one-cent coins, fee lending shopping baskets, pay showers, penguin cheddar crackers, 90 km being the new 60 mph, our GPS instructing us in meters instead of yards/feet and “yes” is “You betcha”.

Re-visiting the fish ladder now that it has opened was first on our list.  Again, we are early for the salmon as they will  not appear until later in August but we were able to see how it worked with the Graylings that were using the ladder.  The ladder came into being when the Northern Canada Power Commission built the Whitehorse Rapids hydroelectric dam.

Recognizing that something had to be done to insure the continuation of the salmon run, a year later they built the Whitehorse Fishway.  It is an amazing network of water and wood that helps the salmon make their long journey back to the streams where they began.   The wood walkways guide you through the fishway and avail a bird’s eye view of the ladder.  Information about the salmon and the history of the Fishway is posted along the walkway and in the information center.

Tonight John got tickets for Frantic Follies, a turn-of-the-century vaudeville revue with amusing readings of Robert William Service, a poet and writer.  Robert was often called “the Bard of the Yukon” and was best known for his poems “The Shooting of Dan McGrew” and “The Cremation of Sam McGee”, from his first book, Songs of a Sourdough.  John has an original 1907 leather bound copy of the book handed down from his grandfather who often traveled in Canada so he was excited about seeing the show.  It was a fun comical evening and included entertainment that would have been seen by the pioneers of the Great Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1800’s.   As with most shows in hotels that cater to major cruise lines, audience participation was included and they carefully picked those that could laugh at themselves to play the dupes.  We didn’t think pictures would be welcome, so we left the camera and ended up taking some with John’s phone.  It doesn’t like action and the show was a whirl of movement.

Planning for another long day of driving in the rain but this time with only a few hours of gravel areas, repaired bumpy areas and winding mountain roads.   As usual “planned” does not necessarily result in action.   John tried to hook up Ribbit and the poor thing remained lifeless through all of his efforts to start the engine.  The jump from LilyPad backfired and he fried the master and all of the other fuses but luckily, only on the car.  We called our road service and they arrived to tow Ribbit to the Toyota dealership.  Now we wait.  Possible chance of leaving Saturday if the part gets shipped today.  As it is “always something”, this might as well be the something.

Morning arrived and my list of things to keep us busy while we wait for car repair went into full swing.  MacBride Museum of Yukon History is up first.  The non-profit museum houses several collections, the first being a captivating film about the Klondike Gold Rush and Dawson City in its hay day.

I was amazed at the tenacity and stamina of the 100,000 prospectors that set out on a journey, some as far as two thousand miles from home, to stake claims in north-western Canada, the Yukon.  The Klondike Gold Rush, 1896 through 1899, brought many but only 30 or 40 thousand managed to arrive in Dawson City.  Some became wealthy although the majority went in vain and a mere 4,000 struck gold.

The hardships that they endured were unthinkable and the Mounted Police of the Yukon required each prospector, most being white collar workers with no prospecting experience, to tote one years supply up the steep icy Chilkoot or White Pass trails before they were allowed to enter the territory and build their boats to sail down the Yukon River to the Klondike. The journey up the mountain had to be made over and over to accumulate the years supply, weighing nearly a ton, collected at the top.  Snow would cover everything and they would have to dig it out before continuing on their way.  Although gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1896, it took a year for news to reach Seattle and San Francisco and trigger the stampede of would-be prospectors.  It is hard to imagine the suffering that those first Sourdoughs underwent to reach the Yukon.  Sadly, most went through frozen hell only to find that several rich men with crews and supplies had already arrived 18 months prior and had staked most of the good claims.   The Rush ended in 1899 after gold was discovered in Nome Alaska and resulted in an exodus from the Klondike.

Outside on museum property was equipment from the 1800’s and the cabin of the legendary Sam McGee.  Viewing the cabin, after knowing the name and poem, was the highlight for John.  The cabin of Sam McGee (of The Cremation of Sam McGee poem fame) complete with period furnishings along with actual mining equipment used by miners in the Klondike.

Across the way was a black smiths shed equipped with tools from the late 1800’s.

Engine No. 51, built in 1881 in New York, was shipped north in 1898 to help build the White Pass and Yukon Railroad.

The exhibits were interesting, although they contained an enormous amount of reading.  They had a great wildlife exhibit with stuffed animals and birds local to the Yukon that filled a large room.

In the basement was an exhibit and paintings from Jim Robb’s Colorful Five Percent collection.  Local artist and historian, he has been photographing, collecting and painting the Yukon’s history for more than 50 years.  One of the pieces, an ornate wooden door from Dawson City, was painted with his interpretation of life in Dawson City. (another “no pictures please” room)

All in all, we enjoyed the 2 hours we spent poking through everything.  The tour guide was ahead of us so we listened but continued at a slower pace.

Lunch at a great little diner called Burnt Toast.  Eclectic Canadian foods including Poutine (French fries covered with cheese curd, pulled pork or other meat and gravy).  Guaranteed to add pounds, just from the aroma.

After lunch we picked up a few things at the local health food store and dropped them off, planning to visit another museum after walking KatieBug.  A quick call to the Toyota dealership let us know our trip would continue in the morning.  By the time I had put groceries away, the air outside was filled with thick smoke blown from the 122 active fires in Alaska so John hurried to pick up Ribbit, I pulled in slides, pulled up levels, John hooked up the car and we left for Rancheria Falls in the Yukon to overnight away from the smoke.

This was the part of our ride on the way up that I enjoyed the most.  Free roaming wild animal zoo.   We took a lunch break at Teslin Lake and learned that Canada stocks its glacier fed lakes because there isn’t enough food in the icy water to sustain fish.  It was a wonderfully peaceful break in the middle of our long drive.

To our disappointment, Canada’s roads were in “repair mode” so they were torn up and severely dusty for mile upon mile.  Intermittently, on the paved roads, we were able to spot a few of the wild things but, as usual, our big rig still scared off animals.  Moose totally freaked as soon as they heard us coming.  Bison, on the other hand, could care less!

Another “it’s always something” is our new sparkling star burst rock chip thrown up by a big rig on a dusty “repair mode” road.  Just after we finished “The Wave” and they passed us, a rock popped and we knew it chipped the window even before looking.   To clarify, “The Wave” is what motorhome owners do when they pass each other.  It involves exaggerated waves with the complete right arm, right arm because you can’t see the drivers left arm from the other motorhome.  Amazing how many participate…even some truckers do it without prompting!

Our first overnight was spent boondocking at Rancheria Recreation Area and falls.  We were parked with two other campers for the night.  In the morning, we walked the lovely cool path to the falls through the Boreal Forest.  Three rushing water falls, rocky terrain with a forest floor full of tiny pretty flowers and moss.  A few more brown egg shaped moose droppings along the path but no other signs.  Breakfast, then off for our next overnight in Fort Nelson.

On the way, paused to enjoy Muncho Lake, aka “Big Lake” one of the biggest natural lakes in the Canadian Rockies.

More “repair mode” dusty gravel and dirt roads on our journey to Fort Nelson.  Driving slow to spot the wild things which included a few black bear, a small herd of mountain sheep and several moose that took off like rockets as soon as we approached.  Our overnight is at Triple G in Fort Nelson, right at the edge of the highway and close to a small plane landing field.  Noisy semi sleep-deprived night.

Mountains surrounded us with splendid views in every direction.

Passing over steep grades up, then down, one mountain after another, through oil country with pick-em-ups and oil tanker truckers flying by all around until we drove into our gated, chain link fenced overnight, Ross H. Maclean Rotary RV Park in Charlie Lake, British Columbia, Canada.  The RV park boarders a nature preserve so they fence the humans in to keep the wild things from entering for food.  Again, next to the main highway with oil truckers dashing back and forth with their liquid haul so it’s going to be another intermittently disturbed shut-eye.

Up at the crack of dawn to pull up our jacks and begin our journey back to the lower 48.  Plans are to stay in Tok Alaska for two nights, then cross over into Canada for that horrid Yukon roads drive.   Big surprise came when we discovered that the road from Seward to Tok closely resembles the horrid conditions on the drive from Tok to Whitehorse Canada.  It appears that all roads in Alaska need repairs after the winter weather plays its havoc on them.  Every few miles we would see a sign that said, “Rough Roads next 9 miles” with dirt road areas, huge frost heaves, splits in the road, sink holes and the sides split off and sliding away.  Then we would see signs that said, “gravel on road” which meant that the road went from split, roller coaster pavement to gravel…no pavement at all.  One area of the road just outside of Seward was 18 miles of gravely washboard bumps the entire length.  My back did not appreciate the 12 hour bouncing ride.

Beautiful views of mountains, the Matanuska Glacier, blankets of lovely purple Fireweed flowers along the road side, all bouncing and porpoise-ing by our windows.

When we finally pulled up at Tok RV Village it was pouring rain, even though the weather report stated it would be nice for the next few days.   This is our second time at this RV Park and we are happy to be here and have 50 amp again so we slept soundly through the night.

The usual mishaps befell us along the way.  Wouldn’t be normal if we didn’t have something fall off, break or stop working.  When we stopped at Beluga Point, sadly missing high tide again, John opened the screen door and the handle fell off.  An easy fix with an Allen Wrench.  Another 100 miles and our passenger slide cover pulled loose from the wall and fell against the back of my seat.  At least I wasn’t driving this time.  We are really becoming experts at make-shift repairs.  One pvc pipe, white MacGyver tape and the insole padding from my shoes to secure the ends of the pvc pipe to the inside and outside RV wall.  Didn’t slip once the whole 300 miles to Tok.

I got to sleep in this morning and it was wonderfully quiet until about 8am when the dog musher demo showed up with his excited dogs barking frantically to be hooked up to the sled.  Once they were off and running, not a sound was heard.  We spent the day fixing things.   John came to the rescue again, fixing the passenger slide cover with a drill and a new screw insert.  I called our buddy Bob Tiffin again and he will be sending us two windshield wiper arms, gratis.  We will keep our fingers crossed that the other one holds up until the new ones arrive.  Making ready for our long haul into Whitehorse, Canada in the morning.

Today will be our second paid boat trip to attempt to see whales in the last year.  The Kenai Fjords National Park Tour is top rated and non-smoking.  I know whales are out there so I am overwhelmed with expectations, however the weather is iffy.  Rain, wind, fog, cold, but the sea is relatively calm so we take a deep breath of the cold sea air, hug our layered selves a bit tighter, climb aboard our large catamaran, up to the top level for the best view and sit, ready to go wherever the journey flows.   Our captain lays down guidelines, welcomes us aboard and fires up the engine, backing out of the slip and down the Kenai Fjords with the promise of a once in a lifetime experience.  Our boat is the Orca Voyager and makes smooth sailing of the fjord waters.  We are all calmly seated, full of wildlife wishes and bundled in warm layers against the rain and cold.  Little did we know that our Captain Extraordinaire was going to wow us all for a major portion of our six hour tour.

We passed another boat, a duplicate of ours, leaving the same time and glided by the rocky upstretched bluffs with glacial waterfalls tumbling down to the sea.  We turned down the first fjord, eyes searching in every direction.  Quietly we snuck up on a group of Harbor Seals lazing on the rocks, something they only do during the day as they fish at night.  We got close for pictures, then backed off and continued on.

We paused by steep ledges full of birds tucked into crevasses and I spotted the second item on my “must see” list, Puffins.  Both tufted and common were to be seen on our tour and we saw the first of thousands of Kittiwakes.  A Bald Eagle sat higher up.

Whales, five of them traveling on while a few stopped to flip and flop in front of the boat.

A mother and calf brought up the rear.

We rounded another corner and another Bald Eagle was perched on top of an outcropping of rocks.

Eagles sat in trees waiting for us to pass so they could continue fishing.  Resting on a rocky ledge above the birds was a mountain goat not moving anything but his head as he watched us leave.

As we exited the fjord for open seas, we saw a group of Humpback Whales come into view and move on by us.  Further behind the group we stopped to watch a mother and calf playing together, splashing and paying no attention to us at all.  Further down we spotted Stellar Sea Lions, relaxing on the rocks near the water.  Sea Stars dotted the waters edge.

When we came to the crease of the fjord it was foggy but you could still make out Exit Glacier laying between the mountain.

Passing low rocky plateaus we could hear the loud insistent barking before you actually saw the blubbery Stellar Sea Lions bouncing around in the water.  They too watched us pass while we all took their picture.

Curving around another fjord, the boat rocked and pitched most of the 15 minutes it took to reach the calm waters while we all sat inside to keep warm.  A flock of Cormorants were perched on the rocks as we entered another fjord.  Another eagle was watching from a tree limb further down the fjord.

Floating down calm waters again, we saw the mile long beautiful blue Aialik Glacier in the distance.   The closer we got the louder the cracking and crackling became.  The glacier calved over and over, dropping huge chunks of ice into the milky blue sea and kicking up waves two to three feet high.  Our boat rocked gently as the waves moved the ice hunks until they surrounded us.  We all stood on deck in awe of the magical process and sound of the glacier masses slipping into the sea.  We stayed long enough for the giant chunks of ice to block our exit so the captain slowly moved the pieces from our departure path with the bows of the catamaran.  Our gazes moved between watching the glacier continue to calf and the bows of the catamaran tapping the ice away from our path.

One more time around the fjord to open seas, more whales, part way down the fjord we see a bird rookery of mostly Kittiwakes and a view of the Fort McGilvray command center situated on the highest point of the bluff.  With the purchase of Alaska from Russia in 1867 at a cost of two cents per acre, the US realized Seward’s strategic location and in 1907, finally took action in the months before World War II constructing harbor defenses and briefly transformed Seward into one of the busiest ports on the West Coast.

The bird rookery is part of the mass of 56,000 adult breeding birds, representing 17 species that crowd ledges, burrows and treetops in the area in search of food and shelter to raise and feed their young.  The smell is not pleasant and their ruckus is surprisingly loud as our captain lets the boat drift near the rocks to point out the different species and give a brief description of each.   Puffins flying around some of the rocks further away and a few flying close enough to get a good photo of them in flight.  One even followed our boat as it left the area.

Our captain said there were whales spotted near where we first set out on our tour so we left the birds and started back.  Along the way, floating on its back by itself in the middle of nowhere, was a cute furry sea otter.  By this time, people were sure that some of these wild sea creatures were fake and tethered to something to keep them in the area.  We all saw so much more wildlife than ever before on any of our past trips.  We got so close that you could tell he was a real live otter and that he was not, in any way, tethered.  After getting our fill of pictures, we left to see more whales.

The two whales feeding in deep water by the fjord were not as cooperative as others we had viewed but I got a fantastic picture of the baleen as it opened its mouth and strained in krill.  It was a perfect ending to a perfect day.  By the end of the tour I was wet from the waist down, my waterproof coat has lost its ability to shed water and I was getting a little cold but still not ready for it all to be over.

Got a picture of our Captain Extraordinaire, thanked him and all the staff who worked so hard to make our tour an enjoyable trip despite the cold, wet, foggy weather.  Of the six hour tour, I was warm and dry for the first three hours and one of the few people that sloshed happily off the boat, the bottom half of me soaked, at the end of the tour.  We drove home with the heater on high.

Exit Glacier Salmon Bake restaurant for dinner tonight.  Smoky outside from all the campfires and I was still having problems with my lungs so I popped on my mask to keep the smoke out and we dinned indoors.  Interesting Alaskan décor and welcoming hot fish chowder as our first course, followed by fresh caught Alaskan salmon and halibut and a canning jar full of Alaskan Amber beer.  A short drive to LilyPad for an early bed time and nothing at all planned for the next day except drying off and relaxing.

Early rising for our trip into the local town of Wasilla to visit the Iditarod Headquarters and Museum.  The sled dogs were hooked up and ready to run by the time John and I arrived.

John wanted to ride with the musher, exclaimed it was exhilarating and I stayed behind swatting big mean mosquitoes and taking pictures.  After John’s ride, I held a 6 week old sled dog that was shivering fiercely so I tucked him inside my coat to keep him from turning into a pupcicle before passing him on to the next person.  Stinky little fuzz balls but very sweet.

The museum featured Joe Redington, the driving force behind the creation of the first Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1973.  The 1049 mile race from Anchorage to Nome is known throughout the world and the dogs are so well cared for it is hard to believe that some people think it is cruel to let them run.  After visiting here, there is no doubt that these dogs love the run and are treated like true athletes in every way.  From their body protection, to their foot protection, perfect fit padded harnesses, vet checks at each check point, the best quality of snacks, perfectly balanced meals and their general treatment is on a higher scale than that of their human musher.  These dogs are spoiled beyond belief and their owners are totally nuts about their dogs, catering to them round the clock.

Our first stop, after deciding to visit Anchorage again, was at the Botanical Gardens.  Sadly, the best and most colorful part of the entire garden was the entrance.  To their credit, they had some unique art work dotted along the pathway and the late thaw was most likely the reason for the late and hectic planting.  In my opinion, donation requests should have been waved until there was something to see.  The bugs were biting along the path but I forged on to catch a few  shots of the few flowers that were in bloom.  The Gardens would be worth a return visit later in the year.

Parked in town to take advantage of the 101 Dog Musher program that the Federal Building Information Center was hosting and to watch one of the films on Bears in the theater.  Entering the Federal building, again stripping off all metal, walking through the metal detector and re-dressing before heading to the program.  A very impressive female musher, Erin McLarnon, spoke about her dogs and her experiences as a female musher over the last 17 years.  She spoke about her dogs, their care, the race, the dogs training, her training, her wardrobe during the race, the dogs wardrobe and introduced us to her 15 year old retired sled dog, Lilly.  John asked about the vet inspections during the races, food given for snacks, ages of the dogs that run, then the kids took over with their list of questions. At the cost of food, vet care, mushing equipment for the dogs and mushers, it is a true labor of love as the cost is unapproachable for anyone who does not have a daytime job to fund the expense.  Sweet looking Lilly is a rock eater and they have spent over 10K to have rocks removed from her bowels three separate times.  Now that’s love with a capital “L”!

The movie, A Gathering of Bears, was about the McNeil River Sanctuary.  The trip, available only by lottery, allows just a few to enter each year.  You fly in and out, packing your own food, tent, supplies and a naturalist guides you to the river for the close up and personal viewing of the bears.  Some bears pass within yards of the human group who are settled for the day on the cleared pad for viewing and picture taking.  Amazing adventure for those who don’t mind roughing it in every sense of the word.

As we left Anchorage, we drove past the area where we saw the Bull Moose on our trolley tour.  Didn’t spot anything wild but did get a striking picture of the city of Anchorage from across the lake.

Mirror Lake is on our list this morning and high tide, being late in the day, will take us back to Anchorage to view the salmon make their way up the river ladder to spawn upstream.  We couldn’t pass up a quick stop at the Alaska Sausage and Seafood factory to stock up on those yummy Reindeer sausages.

Mirror Lake was not cooperating as the wind was kicking up ripples on the lake so we continued on to Anchorage.  The salmon ladder was not as intricate as the one Whitehorse.  It was just a four foot cement “step” and the salmon were so tired that none were jumping even a little.  We saw them swim around in the pool below in slow circles.

Quick stop at the friendly corner sausage stand, where we ate lunch the previous day, to chat with the owner while waiting for our lunch.  She followed her hubby here from Texas a few years back and says she loves Anchorage.

In town we stopped for coffee and then strolled through the gardens with their impressively huge flowers before making our way to the Anchorage Performing Arts Building to see a showing of time lapse photographs set to music by artist Dave Parkhurst, The Aurora Collection.

Absolutely amazing photography and you could see the flowing, snaking across the sky hues of blues, greens and reds that make up the Aurora Borealis (no pictures, please).  I spoke with Mr. Parkhurst before the show about my camera and the snooty little hissy fits mine seems to have on occasions.  He explained that it is very precise, so even a small dust spot on the lens will cause the camera to refuse to shoot until the picture is in focus.   He gave me a few pointers and told me to play with every setting until I know how each works.  Been doing a lot of that over the past few days.

Bedtime amidst the crackling and popping of illegally set off fire crackers all around the lake.  We got a few hours sleep before waking and pulling up camp for our rainy ride to Seward.  Less than an hour out, the windshield wiper snapped off and hung precariously over the side view mirror.  I pulled over quickly and John got out, removing it and replacing it with the passenger wiper.  I’ve grown accustomed to things falling down, hitting the window or breaking off when I’m in the driver’s seat. 

The drive to Seward winds through the mountains and Fjords alongside lakes and inlets and ends when it reaches Resurrection Bay before feeding into the ocean.   Pausing to look out over Beluga Point, we were disappointed to find that the tide was out so no Beluga’s were anywhere to be seen.  We will pass by this way again with amended timing.

The sights turned spectacular once the rain cleared.  Just past Moose Pass we paused to oooo and ahhh over Lower Trail Lake with its striking green patterned mountains and clear reflections in the water.

When we found our RV stop for the next three nights, Stoney Creek RV Park, we set up and decided to scout out the town of Seward.

TripAdvisor reviewers gave Alaska Sea Life Center high marks so we entered, played children’s boat and fishing games on a giant screen, petted sea urchins, sea stars and sea anemones, watched harbor seals sail through the water upside-down and Steller sea lions lazing in their outside enclosure.  In the bird sanctuary we saw Puffins fly through the water leaving trails of tiny air bubbles escaping from their feathers and watched them at feeding time as they dove into the water darting around snatching bits of food.  At one of the areas, we listened to facts about the damage that was done to wildlife by the Valdez oil spill and how statistics are showing some of the wildlife has not yet recovered after almost 20 years.  We watched opaque white moon jellyfish gracefully float through the water before poking around in the gift shop.  Before we left, we read about the marine research and rehabilitation that is being done at the facility.  It is one of Alaska’s premier marine visitor attractions, built with funds from the Valdez oil spill fines and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  Thanks again TripAdvisor!

A quick drive through town before returning to the RV park and, being the 4^th of July, listening to continual snaps, crackles and pops far into the night.

Happy Fourth of July dear friends and family…we sure are missing your company, eating bar-b-q with friends and family and those excellent front row seats to the spectacular fireworks show going on without us in the Woodlands.

Downed a hearty breakfast before traversing the breathtaking mountainous roads that leads to Anchorage, dropped KatieBug off for a much needed grooming and settled in for a day of discovery.  Always first on our list is the Visitors Center, Anchorage has two, to gather as much info as possible to plan our next few days.  The little cabin was closest and looked far more interesting.   The little cabin, built in 1954 using logs cut in Homer, was built wilderness fashion with a sod roof but includes a window not found in remote cabins and a stone, rather than metal, stove.  The cabin also faces North, opposite the direction of most cabins.  Very neat, very cozy.

The second is the Federal Building across the street.  You check your guns and knives, walk through a metal detector and are visually checked by Federal police before entering.  There is a theater with movies that rotate, Gold Fever, A Gathering of Bears, Heartbeats of Denali, Alaska’s Coolest Animals, throughout the day and life size stuffed wild animals that are local to the area.  With the exception of Dall Sheep, we have seen all of them in person, but our pictures were not taken in Alaska…in fact, most came from British Columbia, Canada.

We parked outside the Alaska Mint, a large store with offerings of gold and silver coins and jewelry intermixed with early 1900’s safes, vintage miner portable gold weight scales, cash registers, huge bank weight scales, estate jewelry and the ever present Alaska Eskimo tourist souvenirs.

John wanted to take the trolley tour, so we hopped aboard and our guide chatted throughout the hour about the interesting and entertaining facts of Anchorage.

Our tour led us through the airport and we were told that 1 in every 8 residents own small planes, the age to get a license to fly is 14 but the age to drive a car is still 16.  Surprisingly the statistics for plane crashes isn’t extremely high considering you can see many small planes in the air at any given time and some of them are probably young teen flyers.

Someone spied a moose on airport grounds so our guide pulled over and we took pictures of the grazing Bull Moose.    Later, driving through a neighborhood, we past a lot, or so it looked but was actually an underground home with only a few pipes sticking up and two rounded sky lights visible.  That was the particular moment that darn camera decided to freeze up and refused to click.  Luckily that was the only thing I missed that day.  It was an enjoyable tour but a bit on the pricy side.

Next we walked back to the Weekend Market and enjoyed rambling through all the tents and checking out their wares, shared a yummy salmon quesadilla and took home some freshly smoked King Salmon to enjoy later.  The music was spunky and fun and the parade of dogs that let us pet them was enjoyable

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And of course, there were the Pissin off Texas shirts and signs…goodness, it never ends!

We walked by the Railroad station and got a picture of one of the first locomotives, brought back to Anchorage a few years back and had last been used as a moose gooser to clear moose from the tracks so the larger locomotives wouldn’t smash them flat resulting in major damage to the train…or so the story goes.

We boarded the free trolley to the Ulu factory.  I love my Ulu knife.  I got it at a garage sale years ago and we use it for slicing pizza, quesadillas and other gooey things.  Works fantastic.  They had a clearance section so I got an Ulu cutting board before we headed back to pick up KatieBug at the groomers, had dinner at a local diner and drove back to Wasilla for the night.  It is still light out until almost midnight.

John worked for hours to find my “vanished into thin air” pictures and finally brought them back to life through the miracle of an ingenious computer program.

Our journey to the Palmer Elks Lodge led us meandering through the beautiful Copper Mountains, flowing along the silt covered glacier valley, crawling slowly past Matanuska Glacier, slipping past distressingly large rock slides and plopping us down next to the Fingers Lake in Wasilla.

At one of our stops, in the distance, I spied a mama moose with her baby on the far side of the river and walked slowly down the road until I was directly across from them, snapping picture after picture in the cold, not feeling anything but the rush of excitement at seeing nature at its finest.  When I waved good-by, mama looked straight at me and I swear I saw her smile.  I was more upset about the loss of these pictures than any others on our journey but thanks to hubby’s persistence, I can happily share them with y’all.

Throughout our travels I have learned that experiences cannot be fully imagined second hand.  No matter how well a person describes, or what a picture contains, being present far exceeds the notion of a picture that is worth 1,000 words.  The beauty of a sunset’s reach can be seen in a postage stamp size picture but its vastness in the present is beyond any representation.  Please know that I have wished many times that family and friends could be here to share in our adventure so if I’ve fallen short in my descriptions, it has not been for lack of trying.   Y’all are in our hearts and minds daily.

No way was I going to miss the Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station, a project of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  First on my list of “things to do” in Fairbanks, we finally took the tour this morning.  They cancelled the rest of the tours for the day due to the high heat and we leave in the morning so it worked out perfectly.

The non-profit Musk Ox Farm is a working farm, begun as a project in 1954 for the establishment of a cottage-based textile industry and dedicated to the domestication of the musk ox, an Ice Age mammal that once roamed the earth alongside saber tooth tigers and woolly mammoths. They are noted for their thick coat, musk like odor and valuable undercoat.

The tour lasted about an hour with a guide that was informative and happy to answer all our questions.   One of her remarks, about males smashing their heads together to win the position of dominance, got the ladies laughing when she said that the male’s skulls were filled with many large air pockets that kept them from injury.  She repeated “male musk ox, ladies…not guys in general”, but we ladies smiled knowingly.

Funding for the farm comes from several sources, including tours and even from the musk ox themselves, harvesting qiviut, an exquisite undercoat that is softer than cashmere wool and made into very desirable scarves, etc.  Raw material was passed around during the tour and it truly was soft as a baby’s behind!

Females were available to view as was one of the youngsters but the males, being 800 plus pounds, unpredictable and not domesticated, were kept in steel reinforced pens in the back areas and were laying close to the cool ground under the trees.

The other farm animals were domesticated Caribou aka Reindeer.  We found out that female reindeer keep their antlers while the males drop them after rutting season.  Females then use their antlers to protect food sources for their young and keep males at a distance.  The antlers were passed around and were surprisingly heavy.

Woke up to rain, then smelled smoke.  Outside was thick dense smoke in every direction.  Our plan was to head to Denali if ever we were faced with nearby forest fires.  Denali is the highest point and smoke rarely settles in the area.  We pulled up stakes and hit the road…until the flashing warning signs on the highway said the road was closed due to the forest fire.  We made a U turn and headed out of Fairbanks towards Tok and drove eight hours, constant travel through thick smoke that blanketed the valley.  The density of it was choking.  Even with three air filters running on high, my lungs burned.  Doc had given me lots of meds for my breathing machine and it stayed in use for most of the trip along with my “Michael Jackson” mask.

When we arrived at the turn off, Tok still had haze so we turned south and headed for Wasilla and the coast.  The roads, not really great to begin with, took a downward turn and we slowed for frost heaves, large splits in the pavement, gravel areas and finally dirt.  We were both tired so John found us a campground with 50 amp and water.  Got to say that my first impression wasn’t positive.  Going over the narrow one lane wooden bridge with a 17 ton RV gave a new meaning to the word petrified.

We found our “pull through” site but as John pulled through, one of the trees jumped out and bit the top of the RV.  Got a picture.  Looks familiar doesn’t it?  Sort of like the stop sign that jumped out and bit us? John never seems to remember who was driving when these things happen but now it is documented…think his memory is becoming selective.

So here we are for the night, swarms of mosquitoes outside, 90 degrees outside, smoke from camp fires outside but we turn on all three a/c’s, turn on all three air filters and relax inside watching TV and blocking out the world for the next 12 hours.  Sometimes it all works out.

Up early for breakfast, break camp and head to the Elks Lodge in Wasilla.  Non-smoking facility so we will be able to join in the fun.  They have dinners, poker nights, events and we can volunteer for whatever non-profit they support.  From here we can visit Anchorage, the largest city we will visit while in Alaska.

In a few days we will have a phone interview with the Bureau of Land Management in Oregon for Millpond Recreation Area as camp hosts.  Just because one work camp position didn’t work out doesn’t mean we give up.  The local health food store in Fairbanks told us that B-1 tablets keep mosquitoes from biting if you take it a.m. and p.m. while you are in mosquito country.   It does not work on Alaskan mosquitoes.  Oregon’s mountainous area may be a better place to give it a try.  If not, our trusty electrocution paddles will make them think twice about getting close.   Not normally evil people, we take great pleasure in hearing those nasty bugs fry.

Nice easy drive through the mountains to Palmer.  Beautiful scenery, mama moose and her baby up close and personal, gorgeous shot…all lost.  Buying a top of the line camera will not assure great pictures if you have a faulty disk.  Makes all those great shots poof into thin air.  Wish I had used my old cheap stand-by.  Another hard lesson to learn.

Arrived at Wasilla Elks Lodge in time for a big cold glass of Alaskan Amber.  Tastes like Southern Star Blond Bombshell and goes down real easy.  We have a lake view and for the next three days, the Elks are having an event that gives boat rides to the local handicapped persons who would be unable to enjoy the beautiful lake otherwise.   One thing about the Elks, once you enter the door, you are family.  We sat with one couple that full time and shared information about traveling on a shoe string.  Then after dinner we sat with a couple from Bakersfield, CA that came up here to try dog sledding, bought a house and now have several amateur teams.  They live here year round and invited us to visit their kennels.  If we decide to stay a few more days, we may take them up on the offer.

We have left Riverview RV Park behind and moved to the Fairbanks Elks Lodge for the next few days.  Cottonwood trees are blooming and their cottony covered seeds are flying through the air like snow.  The view out our window is the peacefully flowing Chena River.  Dozens of rafts, kayaks, canoes and speed boats travel down the river until the wee hours of the morning now that the sun is up most of 24/7.  The river is a much more enjoyable view out our front window than the row upon row of RV’s covered with the constantly blowing dust that we saw at the RV park.

Ventured out today and took a drive to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks.  Air conditioning and being indoors were my primary concerns with dust and pollen still blowing everywhere so the museum fit into the plan.  For a small fee, we spent the next two hours learning about automotive history in Alaska, watching short clips from the 20’s and 30’s, viewing beautifully restored auto’s and period clothing replete with striking jewelry and a full assortment of accessories.  The self-guided tour was interesting although lacking in any comic relief.  It was easy to move through the 3,000 square museum and chairs were placed every so often to sit and reflect while watching the silent movie clips.  20’s and 30’s music played in the background.  A glass enclosed office and workshop was located in the back of the museum.  You could see an auto being restored and many parts from other restored pieces were spread out on the counters.

The 1898 Hay Motor Vehicle is the earliest known American made four cylinder gas powered automobile in existence. This pre-1900 automobile never made it into production due to its flawed engine design.  Every piece of this proto-type was completely handcrafted except for the tires.

Alaska’s first automobile was built by 22 year old Robert “Bobby” Sheldon.  At 18, he had never seen a car but believed he could win the heart of a young lady by building one giving him the edge over her other suitor, a doctor’s son who drove a horse and fancy carriage.  He earned recognition in Ripley’s Believe-it-or-Not from the adventure.  Armed with only pictures from magazines, he built a wooden frame, attached buggy wheels, used bar room chairs for seats, salvaged an engine from a sunken boat, added gears and built a chain drive.  He built a tiller from sections of gas pipe, tin and oil cloth was used for a hood and trunk cover.

Although he took the girl for many rides, he did not marry her.  “No” he said, a number of years later, “but three other fellows have married her since then.”  He became Alaska’s foremost automotive transportation pioneer.  In 1934 he donated this car to the University of Alaska Museum.

The 1932 American “Baby” Austin was the car of choice for W.C. Fields, Buster Keaton, the “Our Gang” kids and was featured in one of Mickey Mouse’s earliest movies.

My favorite was the long low swanky looking front wheel drive Cord.   Frank Lloyd Wright and Mary Pickford owned one of these impressive looking auto’s but unluckily for the manufacturer, it came out only two years before the 1929 crash so not many were sold.

A very enjoyable afternoon and well worth the cost of the entrance fee.  The museum is located at the back of a huge conference complex, the Wedgwood Resort, and has a nature path, examples of early settlers bush cabins and a bush plane on the property as well.  We plan to return to see the balance tomorrow.

Next afternoon we headed back over to view the most popular bush pilot plane in Alaska.  This 1946 Model 7A Aeronca Champion was better known as “the Champ”.   Used by Alaskan miners and trappers in the 40’s and 50’s, it was designed to take over the post war trainer market from the Piper J-3 Cub.  It was the longest selling, most popular light plane design of all time because of its ability to easily take off and land in Alaska’s wilderness and could be fitted with wheels, floats or skis.  You can still find variations of this plane today.

The Alaskan Bush Cabin was next to the area where the plane was tethered.  It had a storage cabin and a sled dog house out back.  The three were constructed with the same tools and supplies that would have been used in the 1900’s.  None of these bush cabins were accessible from roads.  Supplies were brought in by sled.  They were built in less than a week and used for stop overs for traveling trappers and miners along their routes.  The roofs were made of canvas placed over the log roof and dirt piled on top for insulation from the winter snows.  Can’t imagine how they ever kept these little cabins warm in minus temps.