Home in Texas

We got back to Telephone, Tx today about 4:00. It was an amazing trip. I put 16,300 miles on my truck since leaving Waco, Tx. on April 16,2012. I would recommend that anyone taking this trip go up the Cassiar Highway in British Columbia. It is Highway 37 or 39. It runs the same direction that the Alcan Highway runs, just over to the west. I came back down the Alcan. It was so beautiful going so early with all the snow and frozen lakes. You have to drive slow especially with a camper, but I never blew a tire or chipped a window shield.
Alaska is a truly amazing and beautiful state, and yes it is huge. Even though I went almost everywhere that I could drive, there is so much more that can't be acessed by car, only plane or boat! If I had the money I would return and try to see more of the remote places and learn more about the different cultures of the people.
This blog has been fun. Donna

Trip home

We started home last Wed. About 30 miles from Madras the light came on my truck saying check trailer brake system. I called my cousin Carl and he sent me to his friends place in Bend. They had to order parts from Seattle, so we came back to Carl's house. Then on Sat. morning I woke up with terrible pain. Angela took me quickly to the hospital in Bend. I thought it was kidney stones and I was right. I was pretty sick yesterday, but feel alot better today. My son flew out to help drive us home. So tomorrow after the brakes are repaired we will be on our way home.

Angela's garden & yard

Seven fruit trees

This was just a sage brush filled space in April.

The grass is so soft here.

Pumpkins and squash

Second picking of raspberries.

Corn in the background, notice the grass between the rows.

Blackberries across drive from the house.

When I was here in April, Carl and Angela were getting ready to widen their driveway. The end was too narrow for their very large boat. I can't believe how much she has done since then. She had the men doze the sage brush, dig 7 big holes for her fruit trees, placed rocks along the border of drive, planted flowers among the border, and almost finished putting in a brick path through the new trees. It looks like a different place. Of course she has more plans for next year also.

Madras,Oregon

Well, I thought that we would be home today, but still at my cousin's house. Had a problem with the brakes on my 5th wheel and waiting for parts. I guess that we will get to leave on Mon. or Tue. We have plenty to do here. Blackberries, raspberries, tomatoes, and all her other garden are in now. We went to the river in the boat last week and swimming yesterday.

Whitehorse,Yukon

"Walmart" RV Park

We stopped for 2 days in Whitehorse. We visited the downtown area, the Transportation Museum, the Mammoth Museum, and saw the paddle boat on the Yukon River. Jordan wanted to see a movie for his birthday so we went to see Ice Age 3. We actually stayed in the Walmart parking lot. It looked like a RV park without any spaces. Everyone just parked where ever they wanted. We met a lady from Germany that had flown directly to Whitehorse, rented a truck camper, and driven to Alaska for a month. Several families from Alberta and one couple from Florida were also there. I had a bolt that had come loose on the fifth wheel attachment in the back of my truck and several men helped me fix it. I have tools, but was fine with having help.
We learned more about the Land Bridge at the Mammoth Museum.

Trip home

A Stone Sheep

Well, I hate to leave this beautiful state of Alaska, but need to head for home! British Columbia is a very large state. We were driving through it for 3-4 very long days. We did see several animals. Wild horses, buffalo, moose, stone sheep, and deer. There were tons of places to just pull off the road and stop beside lakes and streams. We would pull over and have a picnic or camp for the night. The bad thing is the cost of fuel. We paid $1.99 a liter that's right a liter. How many liters in a gallon??? I was glad to get back to the US for the fuel prices.
Jordan had his birthday in Cache Creek,BC. He picked a park with a "heated" pool. I don't think it was very heated though. He met 2 boys from Germany and 2 from Alberta. They played Marco Polo.

Alaska State Museum

A beaded hand bag.

Seal gut raincoat decorated with bird beaks!Simply amazing!!

Home made scrabble game.

I have visited so many wonderful museums in Alaska. I love learning about the people and their cultures. Alaska is such a large area. Two and almost a half times the size of Texas. There are many different groups of Native Alaskans, plus the Russians that lived here and all the info on the gold rush days. I wish I had more time than I've had here in this state.

Ferry Trip

Everyone says that you should travel on the Alaskan Marine Highway, so Jordan and I took the trip to Juneau. The only problem is that their schedule has to run with the tides, so you have to travel at odd hours. We left at night and got to Juneau at 11:30. I would have said it didn't matter because it never gets dark, but that had ended. It was very dark when we arrived and had to find our hotel. Thank goodness for Onstar!

Jordan watched a movie in the movie room and visited with people sitting around us. Some people just stretched out on the floor and went to sleep. It took 4 and a half hrs to get from Haines to Juneau. On the return trip we got to see some scenery, but it was drizzly as usual. Juneau is in the Tongass Rain forest.

Juneau

We had 2 days in Juneau. We visited the Mendenhall Glacier, the Alaska State Capitol, the State Museum, and a fish hatchery. We also ate sweets at 2 different bakeries. It was interesting to learn how they fertilize the salmon eggs, then when they are a certain age have them placed in a different pool for about 3 months to imprint with the water so that they will return to spawn here. Only about 10% of them make it back but that is still millions of salmon. Fish Farms were ban here in 1972. At those farms, the fish are never released to the wild.

Fought for Native Alaskan's rights, her father was Russian, mother Native Alaskan.

I also enjoyed the State Capitol. It is not beautiful on the outside, but has interesting rooms inside. I enjoyed seeing Sarah Palin's picture with the governors. Also Alaska women had rights 7 yrs. before most states.

Jordan at the Mendenhall Glacier

Having trouble loading pictures!

Haines museum and Eagle Center

Wing span of an eagle.

A falcon

Eagle is real, background is fake.

Tlinglit (pronounced Klinket)costume

The town of Haines is small, but has a good museum and an Eagle Preservation Center. When eagles are about 5 they get their white hair on their head and tails, they are not really bald.