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travelingtheusa · 10 months

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ALASKA

2023 Aug 7 (Mon) – We packed up and left Valdez at 7:30 a.m. We and 3 other rigs drove for over 6 hours over some pretty bad roads to arrive at the Sourdough Campground in Tok. This is the beginning of retrograde operations. It is bittersweet as everyone has been having such a good time and don’t want to see it end.

We checked in then parked everyone else when they arrived. At 4:30 p.m., everyone started filing into the café for a lasagna dinner. The caravan sponsored meal consisted of lasagna with meat sauce, breadsticks, salad with dressing, and 3 types of pie – apple, cherry, or rhubarb. There were smiles all around.

After dinner, we held a quick travel meeting in the outdoor pavilion. We had to be done by 7 p.m. because the campground holds a pancake toss at night. Participants try to toss pancakes into a bucket. Those who are successful win a free breakfast the next morning.

One of the members of our group had an incident today during the drive here. Their tow bar bent. They had to disconnect the car from the motor home then drive the long deserted road to Tok to find a mechanic to weld the bar back into place. He managed to get it done and joined the caravan later.

2023 Aug 6 (Sun) – Linda made lasagna tonight and we went over to share the meal. There was spirited discussion about the caravan, people in general, some people in particular, and Johnny thinking about putting together a caravan around Louisiana. It will be great.

2023 Aug 5 (Sat) – Annual Gold Rush Days have been going on since we arrived. We did not formally schedule any activities so people could participate in those activities. A group got themselves on a whale watching cruise. Several of us rode down to the Solomon Gulch Fish Hatchery. There were huge sea lions and bears and a trillion gulls feeding on the salmon that were all trying to swim upstream. The noise was deafening.

After a potluck meal, Johnny & Linda and us went into town to watch a local performance of a vaudeville skit. It was not very good but there was lots of enthusiasm in the play.

2023 Aug 4 (Fri) – The last remaining member of our caravan came in at 11:30 last night. We are together again. Several of the group have arranged to take another cruise today. The weather was foggy and boxed in.

We rode over to Worthington Glacier today. We were there 8 years ago when we came through on the SMART Alaska caravan in 2015. As expected, the glacier has shrunk tremendously. Where there was just one waterfall then, there are now 12 waterfalls. We had to hike much further in to get to the edge of the glacier.

2023 Aug 3 (Thu) – We packed up and left Glacier View bound for Valdez. We arrived a little after noon. The park warmly greeted us and they parked each of us as we arrived. We did the laundry as each leg arrived and was parked. Once everyone was in, we went in town, drove around, then stopped at the Fat Mermaid for dinner. I had crab cakes and Paul had chicken quesadillas. Both a bit on the spicey side but still tasty.

One of our group that stayed back in Anchorage arrived. They had a manifold gasket replaced. The other rig had brake issues and we hope they can get back to the group in the next day or two. Another member of the group had their clutch go out yesterday. They are towing their vehicle behind their mobile home till they can get it repaired (it was already being towed; just drove it when parked).

2023 Aug 2 (Wed) – We packed up and left Anchorage for Glacier View for one night. The road was really rough and lots of things bounced around. Almost all of our clothes came off the rod. Things shifted around in cabinets and we arrived feeling very juggled.

The caravan sponsored a pizza party in the Grandview Café & RV Park. They set up 37 seats (2 rigs had mechanical issues and stayed over for the night in Anchorage). Unfortunately, they put the pizzas on specific tables and people didn’t get to eat some of the kind they asked for when I ordered the pizzas. We decided the problem was that we gave them too many choices. Next time, it’s just cheese or pepperoni. And maybe one other.

2023 Aug 1 (Tue) – We packed up and left Homer today. It was back to Golden Nugget RV Park in Anchorage for one night. We rode down Turnagin Arm to see the tide bore. Joe & Diane picked up their son at the airport tonight.

2023 July 31 (Mon) – It was a free day today. There was an optional fishing charter for those who wanted to go. About six of our group went and brought back loads of fish. As a result, we had an impromptu potluck with halibut tacos. It was quite tasty.

2023 July 30 (Sun) – Ugh. I tossed and turned all night long. Just couldn’t sleep. Finally got up at 4 a.m. thinking I would just sleep up in the lounge chair. I checked the computer and there I was when Paul got up at 6:30 a.m. I never did go back to sleep.

At 7:30 a.m. we went into town for breakfast and to see where the group needed to go for cruise to Kenai Fjords today. Later, we brought the group down to the dock and we all boarded the boat for a whale watching tour. We saw orca whales, otters, eagles, and all kinds of sea fowl. It was a great trip.

2023 July 29 (Sat) – We packed up and left Homer for Seward. It was rainy and foggy most of the way. The last 20 miles or so before Seward, we hit road construction where they actually are blasting the road. They weren’t doing it today but they will be back at in 3 days when we leave. The road was pretty much torn up. What a rough ride.

We got to Seward Military Resort at 2 p.m. When we checked in, they gave us the list of sites everyone was going into. They asked that everyone come in to fill out a registration card. We had them park first then go in to complete the paperwork. Things went pretty smoothly.

I was still feeling like crap so I went to bed early.

2023 July 28 (Fri) – It was a free day today. A few guys went out fishing – Homer is the Halibut Fishing Capital of the World. They caught lots of fish and we all enjoyed the bounty. There was a travel meeting at 7p.m. I know some of us will hate to leave this beautiful place.

I spent most of the day snoozing on the lounger. My cough has turned phlegmy. It still hurts like hell to swallow or cough. I hope this thing breaks soon. There’s very little congestion yet you can here that my sinuses are full. Ugh.

2023 July 27 (Thu) – We took a wildlife tour today. We caught the Discovery at ramp 3, slip 1 (very confusing for us non-sailors). Some other people were also on the boat. The season is short and they must take as many people as they can.

It was 2-1/2 hours out to the island of Seldovia, 2-1/2 hours exploring the island, and an hour and a half back to the dock. We had lunch at Jack & Aiva’s. The place was small but we all managed to find places to sit and eat. Afterward, we all wandered around the island, checking out the historical buildings.

During our boat ride, we saw sea otters, orca whales, puffins, kittiwakes, and common murres. Everyone was quite excited about all our sightings.

I developed a dry, hacking cough today. It is very painful to cough as it hurts my throat terribly. I have been sucking on cough drops, spraying my throat with Chloraseptic, and downing Tylenol.

2023 July 26 (Wed) - We packed up and left Anchorage for Homer. The drive was breathtaking. The mountains, the lakes, the rivers, the wildlife. It all comes together to take your breath away. We are staying at Heritage RV Park. Our campsites are all lined up facing the beachfront. We look out across Kachemak Bay at the mountains rising on the other side. It’s been overcast and we watch the clouds cling to the tops and sides of the mountains. This is such a beautiful site.

We took the group to Land’s End Restaurant for dinner. It was a nice resort and we had everyone dress up a little (more than just jeans and t-shirts). The menu choices were prime rib, chicken, shrimp pasta, and pasta. Everything was excellent. The place had a little trouble with staffing and the bar tender walked off for about 20 minutes, supposedly because the credit card machine wasn’t working. The manager stepped in and served drinks until he returned.

I woke with a sore throat today. My tonsils are swollen. Blah.

2023 July 25 (Tue) – The group went to the Alaskan Native Heritage Center today. They had several dwellings like those the early natives lived in. In the main building, they were holding demonstrations on singing and dancing. It was most interesting.

2023 July 24 (Mon) – Busy day today. We got up early and went out to breakfast at IHOP. Then we went food shopping. After putting the groceries away, we walked the two dogs for members of the caravan who went on a river raft trip today. Then Johnny & Linda joined us and we drove to the Alyeska Resort and took the tram up to the top of Alyeska Mountain. We enjoyed the incredible views and had lunch at the Bore Tide Deli & Bar.

When we got back to the campground, Paul and I walked the dogs again.

2023 July 23 (Sun) – We took the group to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center today. It was a one-hour walking tour. The center takes in wildlife that is unable to live in the wild and gives them a permanent home. There were moose, caribou, reindeer (which are tame caribou), sheep, goats, elk, a very curious porcupine, muskox, wolves, eagle and owl. They also have wood bison at the center. They were essentially declared extinct in Alaska until a herd was discovered in Canada in the 1950s. Alaska asked for some and have been trying to breed and put them back into the wild. The going is slow but it is happening. They have about 100 wood bison out in the wild at this time.

2023 July 22 (Sat) – The group took the City Trolley Tour today. I made a deposit of one-half of the payment. The tour company had the names of everyone in the group. When they came to the station, they gave their name and got on the bus. The clerk checked off their names. When we get ready to leave, the company will bill me for everyone who took the tour. Easy peasy!

We took the standard tour (they offered a deluxe tour for $25 more). The trolley drove around the city with the very amusing driver/guide telling us about different places and events around the city.

2023 July 21 (Fri) – We packed up and left Denali, arriving at the Golden Nugget RV Park in Anchorage around 2 p.m. We parked the group as they came in and then enjoyed happy hour together.

2023 July 20 (Thu) – We went to the Husky Homestead for a visit of Jeff King’s home and dog collection. Jeff has won the Iditarod four times. He is an excellent storyteller. He regaled us with the trials and tribulations of dog mushing. There were equipment and clothing for us to examine. We also got to hold husky puppies. They want puppies to get used to being handled by people so all the tour groups get to handle the pups. It was quite an educational and fun day.

2023 July 19 (Wed) – It was a free day today. Several of us took an optional excursion on a jeep ride by Denali National Park. We did not go into the park but drove through wilderness area next to it. We saw a caribou and swans. Again. Not a good day for wildlife sightings.

2023 July 18 (Tue) – The group took a bus tour of Denali National Park today. We drove to the park, gathered at the bus depot and presented our military cards for a refund of the $15 entrance fee that had been tacked onto our tickets. The refund came to $540! At 3:00 p.m., our bus took of for the 42-mile drive through the park. We saw a ptarmigan and tundra swans. It was not a good day for wildlife sightings.

2023 July 17 (Mon) – It was a free day for everyone today. We spent the time getting caught up with pictures, memory book, video and household chores.

2023 July 16 (Sun) – We packed up and left Fairbanks at 7:30 a.m. It was a long drive to Denali. After getting everyone parked, we drove over to the Cabin Night Dinner Theater. We enjoyed a family style meal and entertainment by a very enthusiastic troupe of singers and dancers.

2023 July 15 (Sat) – We took a 3-hour tour on the Riverboat Discovery today. The tour included a stop at an Athabascan village where we were introduced to reindeer/caribou, a log cabin with cache, sled dogs, and a beautiful coat made of several different kinds of animal fur. The boat also stopped by the home of a sled dog musher where we saw the dogs take off with a wheeled sled. A float plane also flew by and demonstrated take off and landing.

2023 July 14 (Fri) – We took a tour of Gold Dredge #3. The tour started with a guide giving us a talk on the Alyeska Pipeline, which ran right across the front of the arrival area. The pipeline is on stanchions and everyone could walk under it. The docent stood on top of the pipeline telling us all about the building and maintenance of the line. After his talk, we boarded a replica train and rode out over the tundra where the former dredge now sits, unused. We learned about how the miners plied the waters for gold and where supplanted by the big dredges. Then we arrived at the center and everyone was given a poke (bag filled with sand and rocks). We dumped the poke in a pan, mixed it with water while sitting in front of a trough, and swirled everything around until gold flakes revealed themselves. The lesson on gold panning was entertaining. Between Paul and I, we got $12 worth of gold flecks. We gave it to Joe because he accidentally threw his gold away.

2023 July 13 (Thu) – We had a bus tour of Fairbanks today. We dragged ourselves out of bed to meet the bus at 7:50 a.m. Paul ran down to the café and got us bagels and coffee for breakfast before meeting the bus. The guide and drivers were both long-time residents of Alaska. They were filled with stories of adventure and wilderness tales. They took us to several places around town, stopping to allow the group to visit the site. They included the Morris Thompson Museum, University of Alaska Museum of the North, the pipeline, and the North Pole.

After we got back from our 5-1/2 hour bus ride, we went into town for lunch. We had pizza at a small place that was empty. The food was excellent. We then went shopping for milk at Fred Meyer and dropped off a letter at the post office. When we got home, I laid down and took a good, long nap.

At 6 p.m. we barbecued steaks with Johnny & Linda. We provided the steaks. They brought potatoes, salad, wine, and dessert.

A member of the caravan, Liza, left the caravan today. Apparently, she and her companion, Mary, had a falling out and she just left the group. Mary is an 80-something former Army nurse driving a camper van. We’ll have to look out for her. Another member of the caravan spent yesterday in the hospital. His stomach has been giving him problems and it was best he get looked at here in Fairbanks where medical help is plentiful. Better than having a serious issue in one of the smaller towns we will be in. Turned out he has an abscess in his colon. He is on antibiotics. A third member of the caravan got a call from home saying a Navy buddy passed away and there is a celebration of life on Sunday. He will fly home tomorrow to attend the service, returning Sunday afternoon. In the meantime, the caravan will leave this campground on Sunday. We need to coordinate with this campground to allow his wife to stay past check-out time and after we leave. He’ll get back and they’ll catch up with us later.

Lots of activity going on with our group.

2023 July 12 (Wed) – Sadly, the couple scheduled to fly up and back cancelled out of their trip because of cloud cover this morning. I got a note from Joe that everything went well at the hospital yesterday and he is on antibiotics. That’s good.

At 11:15 AM, fourteen of us gathered to drive to the airport for our trip up to the Arctic Circle. We arrived, parked across the street in a gravel parking lot, and reported for our tour. There was a small gift shop and everyone had to get their souvenirs. When we checked in, we paid for lunch in Coldfoot and ordered our meal at the Yukon River Camp. Then we were all assigned to one of three 8-passenger Piper planes. I got assigned to the co-pilot seat. We agreed that was appropriate. Paul got the very back seat in the plane. It was tight but we took off from Fairbanks and arrived in Coldfoot an hour and 10 minutes later.

We were given a bag with all the ingredients for our sandwich and we had to put it together. They said they did that because the bread would get soggy otherwise. After lunch, we climbed into 2 small vans at 3 p.m. and began the drive back south, stopping at different places to get out and look. We stopped at the visitor center (Arctic Interagency Visitor Center) and wandered around the displays for half an hour. We also stopped at the pipeline and explored the signboards on that. The road was rough and it was 3 hours of being bumped and bounced around as the van navigated chip seal, ruts, grooves, potholes, dirt roads, and frost heaves.

We arrived at the Arctic Circle sign at 6 p,m. and all took time to get our pictures taken. Then we transferred to a freightliner bus for the remainder of the trip. The driver stopped in several places for comfort stops at porta potties, a scenic pull out, and a walk through the arctic tundra. That is very difficult terrain to walk on. We arrived at the Yukon River Camp at 9:30 p.m. and had our dinner.

After dinner, we walked down to the Yukon River to look it over. There was a barge pulled next to the shore, anchored to a bull dozer. We could see the only bridge in Alaska that spans the Yukon River. There were beds overflowing with fireweed flowers. Climbing back into the bus, we continued on our way. The sky never got dark. The sunset was 12:11 a.m. and sunrise was 3:15 a.m. There was just 3 hours between sunset and sunrise. We wanted to see the northern lights but the sky was too light. Even though there is a big solar storm happening, the lower states will be able to see them but not us. We arrived at the airport, got certificates certifying our visit to the Arctic Circle, transferred to our cars, and walked in the door of our RV at 3:00 a.m. It was a loooooong day.

2023 July 11 (Tue) – We went to breakfast at Family Restaurant. It was a small diner style place advertising breakfast at $7.95. Turned out to be without meat. After breakfast, there was a stop at Fred Meyer Supermarket for groceries then back to the campground.

We spent the day working on paperwork and pictures. At 5 PM, we went to the office to bring whoever was there to the Pioneer Place & Alaska Salmon Bake. There were two cars, making us a carpool of three cars. It was just 5 minutes down the road. When we arrived, everyone else was there and exploring the site or just waiting for us. We went to the dining hall. First, I checked in and paid for 35 meals (one couple is sick), then we did a headcount to find another couple missing. Joe went to the hospital to check out stomach issues he’s been having the past few days. So I had to rewrite the check for 33 meals. Then the girl gave us an orientation about how the meal would progress and gave us all our salad and meal dish. We took places in the hall then got our salads at the salad bar outside. After that, we went back outside to get the hot sides and entre – choice of salmon, chicken tenders, or prime rib. The meat choices were huge! After dinner, it was another trek outside to get dessert – either cheesecake or mousse. All was good.

At 7 PM, we met with the folks going to the Arctic Circle tomorrow. Just 2 couples are driving in jeeps. The rest of us are flying up and riding back in a bus. One couple is flying up and back. It promises to be a fun day.

2023 July 10 (Mon) – We packed up and left Tok at 7:30 a.m. It was 206 miles to Fairbanks on fairly decent roads. There was some construction but not bad. We arrived to find River’s Edge Resort to be ready for us. All sites were full hook-up and pull-thru. A hotel, also owned by River’s Edge, was in walking distance and we had a fine dinner in their Miner’s Hall. Menu included choice of salmon, elk meatloaf, or vegetable lasagna. Everything was very good.

While we waited for the caravan to arrive, Paul drove into town and got the tire fixed.

2023 July 9 (Sun) – We drove the truck to the car wash in the campground. It is just a power washer with the water running all the time (what a waste). Paul supplied the bucket, soap, sponge and brush. We both washed the truck then drove next door to Fast Eddy’s for lunch. The food was OK.

We returned to the campground where I finally got caught up with labeling my pictures and updating my blog. The group went to play games at 5 p.m. and we held the travel meeting at 7 p.m. It’s off to Fairbanks tomorrow.

2023 July 8 (Sat) – This was a free day for the group. Several decided to drive to Dawson City (185 miles away) and spend the night there. Dawson City is an old western mining town that was lots of fun when we visited it 8 years ago. I am glad some folks were adventurous enough to go for it. A few others drove to Chicken (about 80 miles away) and touch the Top of the World Highway before turning back.

We used the time to catch up on sorting pictures, writing the memory book, and just chilling out. Everywhere you look, folks are cleaning their cars, trucks and rigs off. There’s been a steady line at the RV/car wash. We’ll have to get on line. We did our laundry today. Then went to the Three Bears liquor and grocery stores to replenish our supplies. Paul looked for a place to get the tire repaired but this is a small town and nothing looked professional enough to do the job. He’ll wait until we get to Fairbanks.

2023 July 7 (Fri) – It was a long drive today over terrible roads – 290 miles. We left at 7:30 a.m. There were ruts, gravel, dirt, frost heaves and potholes on much of the way. Road construction filled in the rest of the tribulations. They were paving the road at the border crossing into Alaska from Haines Junction, Yukon. It was a delay getting to the crossing, then the agent was annoyed because Paul scraped the headknocker driving into the lane (it was 12’10”; we are 12’10”). He backed us out of the lane and into the commercial truck lane. Then we sat there for over an hour waiting for the pilot car to bring cars from the opposing lane before leading us back down the road. By the time we got going, groups 2 and 3 had arrived at the border, too. Needless to say, when we arrived at our campground – Tok RV Village in Tok – we had a pile up. We stacked up RVs while Paul and I tried to figure out where to put everyone. It was strenuous but everyone got a pull-thru campsite with full hook-up without any injuries. One of the group took a turn too tightly at one of their stops and knocked down a bollard with the side of his fifth-wheel RV. Bent the frame of his bedroom slide and ripped the siding of his rig. We had a flat tire during our trip. Paul was able to get it changed quickly.

After we arrived and were trying to get everyone parked after the 8-hour drive, I ran over to the restaurant where we were scheduled to have dinner tonight. The reservation had been for 5:30 p.m. I sent a message to Fast Eddy’s Restaurant last night asking to push the time back to 6:30 p.m. because of the extended travel time we would need (folks who came from Alaska to Haines Junctions told us of the poor road conditions). I got a calendar note showing 6:30 p.m. which, I assumed, meant the request had been approved. Imagine my surprise when we arrived in Tok and got cell phone signal again to find a voice message saying the time could not be changed. I grabbed my paperwork and money and went over to the restaurant at 5:30 to plead our case. At first, the waitress was adamant that the time could not be changed then she said we could slide it a bit and finally, allowed us until 6:30 p.m. to get everyone in. I called back to the campground and told Paul to tell everyone to get over to the restaurant ASAP. Three couples did not come over. We got take-out boxes for them. Everyone else enjoyed a great salad bar and choice of sausage lasagna, spaghetti with meatballs, or chicken parmesan. And there was apple pie to boot!

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