Earthquake

Tomorrow we begin a three day drive to Valdez, AK (approx. 700 miles). We will travel thru a small section of British Columbia followed by Haines Junction, Yukon Territory; Tok, Alaska; and Glenallen, AK enroute. There is plenty of time for stops along the way so when we get to another hotspot, we will push out more pix to the blog.

We talked to Ashley yesterday and she told us that Javi read about an earthquake near us. In fact, last night's TV news carried the story of a 7.x quake in the ocean near Petersburg, AK where we stopped on the Ferry last Thursday. The news said that there was no damage and no tsunami after the quake. Neither MA nor I felt anything...didn't even know about it until Ash told us. So...No, Uncle John, the earth did not move for MA & I. I knew you would ask.

Also failed to note it during our trip along the Oregon coast...along the entire route, there were excavation route postings in the event of a tsunami. Always good to know where I can go to escape a tsunami!!!

Haines Camp

This is a view of our campsite at the Haines Hitch-up RV Park in Haines, AK.

Haines, AK

Monday, June 28
This afternoon, MA and I took an air charter flight out of Haines over Glacier Bay National Park. It was about a 1.5 hour flight in a high-wing Cessna which allowed for better viewing. It was breathtaking! We saw about a dozen major glaciers and some mountain goats but no bears. The sky was a little hazy due to some forest fires to the north but it was an awesome trip!

Got connected here in the RV park so it is nice to be able to relax in the comfort of our own home and compose the blog updates.

Marjorie Glacier

Glacier

The patterns in the glacier are called medial moraine and is gravel left by glaciers that join other glaciers.

Sunday, June 27

Out one month today!

We are waiting for the 10:30am ferry to Haines and there is a sign on the wall that says" Seaport Cyber Hotspot". So, I am trying to get connected here in the ferry building...once again, no luck thus far.

Later Sunday: Made the crossing...FINALLY! We were the very last vehicle loaded onto the ferry to Haines. Two RV's were left behind due to overbooking. We were two hours late leaving Juneau and, therefore, late into Haines. But that is no problem...got the campsite set-up, ate dinner, visited with neighbors, and drove all around Haines and it is just now sunset. The RV park has a wireless hotspot so, I will try Monday evening to get connected.

Mendenhall Glacier

Juneau, AK

Saturday, June 26
Got to see the Mendenhall Glacier today, up close. What a spectacle! 1.5 miles across and 150 foot face, it is receding at a rate of about 200 feet/year. We walked thru Juneau again and bought live Dungeness crabs for dinner. MA was almost too distraught to cook them. She had developed a personal relationship with her dinner. We drove up into the residential area above Juneau. The streets are VERY narrow, some are one-way and VERY steep. Most homes are situated right on the street, absolutely no front yard, zero lot line.

I tried to get connected in downtown Juneau today...no luck..."sorry, our computer has been down for three days". So we tried the public library which had closed 20 minutes before. Here we are, driving the jeep onto every level of the parking garage adjoining the library, MA holding the laptop open, looking for a green signal. Got the green several times but not able to lock on.

Friday, June 25

Set the alarm for 6:00a to be sure to get down to walk Gypsy during our stop in Sitka. Didn't have to worry about the alarm, the ship provided one. We traveled thru fog for the hour prior to arrival and the fog "whistle" sounded every minute. And we are two decks directly below the bridge. After walking Gypsy, we boarded a bus for a 2 hour tour of the town of Sitka which was the first capital of Alaska. We saw where the signing took place to complete the sale of "Seward's Folly" from Russia to USA in 1867. We hiked thru a rain forest in Sitka National Park and saw seven eagles perched on a tall Sitka spruce tree.

We are now about four hours out from Juneau. Gypsy indicates that she has had enough of travel by boat. At least she has it better than the other dozen or so dogs on board. She has plenty of room to stretch out. So far we have seen lotsa bald eagles, no bears and only brief glimpses of two whales.

Petersburg Potty Break

Taking Gypsy for a potty break in Petersburg, AK during 36 hour ferry trip to Juneau.

Ferry - Leg #2

Thursday, June 24th
Got up early to, once again, wait in the ferry line. We got boarded about 8:30am for the 36 hour trip to Juneau. We will make stops in Wrangell, Petersburg and Sitka en route. This is when we get to walk Gypsy...maybe the ONLY times. We got a nice cabin with two sets of bunk beds and a sitting area along with a shower.

Wrangell, AK
It took two attempts to dock the vessel at Wrangell due to the very strong current. Once we were docked, we were allowed only enough time to get Gypsy out of the RV on the car deck and go ashore so Gypsy could do her business.

Petersburg, AK
We had a little more time in Petersburg to walk Gypsy, stroll a few minutes and then get back on the boat. Not much here...it is called "Alaska's Little Norway" because the snowy mountains and (small) fjords reminded the founding fathers of their Norwegian heritage.

The last 21 miles approaching Petersburg is thru the "Wrangell Narrows". The tide in the Narrows can vary by as much as 23 feet in a day so the cruise ships cannot travel the Narrows. The Alaska Ferry is the largest vessel able to navigate these waters. There was a lot of maneuvering going on getting thru.

I did see a humpback tail for about one second as it dove deep. We were in the forward observation lounge and jumped and hollered "whale". EVERYBODY jumped up to see the now departed mammal. Not much more I can say about that except to say "I DID see a whale"!!!

We are now in our cabin, sipping a Jack Daniels (Bob) and a scotch (MA). Our next stop is Sitka (3 hours) at 6:45 tomorrow morning.

MA says:

The ride on the ferry is an easy way to take in the beautiful scenery, but it's a little slow for me. The many types of people on board are interesting from your average asses to the very nice ones just trying to take it all in. Seems to me that if you don't fish you're a little out of the water, if you know what I mean. The American Eagles are prolific up here, so much so you don't get as excited as at first. Bob and I saw two mating which was different. I'll be glad to get to Juneau so there will be a little more for me to do, but this is beautiful. It will slow your blood pressure right down. Until tomorrow bye for now. Malice

Ketchikan, AK

Wednesday, June 23
Took the opportunity to explore the town and some of the area attractions. First of all, there were three large cruise ships in port and a fourth moored in the harbor. Because of that, it was extremely crowded in the area near the docks. The cruise ship companies own most, if not all, of the stores right on the waterfront and nudge their passengers to shop these stores, much to the chagrin of the local merchants. The Creek Street area, several blocks away, was once the red light district (legal until 1954) and has been very nicely renovated with locally-owned boutiques, shops & eateries. We ate lunch at the New York Hotel & Cafe which was fine, although very busy. We watched two of the ships depart. The "all aboard" for the Vision of the Seas was 2:30pm. Just as the lines were withdrawn and the ship began to creep away from the dock at 3:00pm, a couple in their 50's came huffing & puffing up to the dock master. "Are we too late?" Well, of course, they were too late and they had to pay to be shuttled out to the spot where the harbor pilot transfers off the ship. MA and I had a very sinking feeling watching the couple as their ship pulled away without them. What a REALLY bad feeling that must be!

We drove out to the end of several roads and ate dinner at Jeremiah's Restaurant, right across from the ferry docks. Finally, we stopped at Totem Bight State Historic Area and learned all about the building of totems (according to the Tlingit people, "totem pole" is redundant) and their clan houses.

When we got back our (VERY nearby) neighbor brought us some salmon she caught this morning. Unfortunately, we had to freeze it but, it should make a great dinner soon!.

Sunset at Clover Pass

Sunset at Clover Pass Resort in Ketchikan. Taken from our campsite.

Addie on Ferry

Addie on the ferry to Ketchikan

Ferry to Ketchikan

Tuesday, June 22
Broke camp around 8am and drove one mile to the ferry landing for the Alaska Marine Highway System 6 hour trip to Ketchikan. Alaska. We had to get there three hours ahead of sailing time due to customs, measuring the RV, check-in, staging, etc. The loading went smoothly and the trip was beautiful and uneventful. We had a pretty good breakfast on board and I got the last portion of one of my favorites, Beef Stroganoff, for lunch. We disembarked around 5pm (Alaska time - 3 hours earlier than CDT). We are now in the Clover Pass Resort & RV park on the northwest shore of the island. The RV slots are EXTREMELY narrow but, MA got me slotted in within a few minutes and we got hooked up shortly thereafter. We overlook the bay and boats cruise by a couple hundred feet away. MA tried her Silent Sam vodka this evening and it should remain silent. We went over to the resort restaurant for dinner, then watched salmon, halibut and ling Cod being unloaded and dressed out and then watched two bald eagles mate. Our waitress told us that a humpback whale visited this bay yesterday so we are hopeful of spotting a humpback or orca whale while here.

Prince Rupert, BC

We walked around Prince Rupert today and also spend a little time in the Cow Bay area of PR. It is supposed to be a miniature version of SoHo in NYC. Well, I have been to SoHo, NYC and this is no SoHo. It is a collection of fish canneries and trinket shops with one fish market. We went into the fish market and decided to buy a couple of crabs (Dungeness) for dinner. The clerk said they closed at 7pm so we decided to come back around 6pm to get the crabs. MA went to get them later in the evening and found the place closed - 5:30pm on Mondays. So, we cooked the old dependable, bacon wrapped, chopped sirloin. A pretty decent alternative. We stopped in at a Canadian liquor store and MA bought some "Silent Sam" Canadian vodka. She liked the name...you know...Silent Bob, Silent Sam. We'll see if it is any good...it WAS cheap!

Day After Father's Day

Subservient MA here with just a few observations: First it's a long way up here and we're not here yet! Next the mountains are beautiful, but they all start to blend after awhile. I've noticed that Bob and I are like Garfield and Odie(the Dog), Odie says look, look at beautiful mountains - take that picture! I look up from what I'm reading and say go ahead (he's driving and he does). Now the beauty is not lost on me in the least, but I get a glaze over my sensor after a long while riding, which depending on how long, gets harder to crack.
To all of you who know me, I have been getting up by 8 or 8:30 on sleep-in days, so there! Gypsy and I are still doing fine and I haven't gone nuts yet. There's so much to see. God is good!
P.S. I miss my friends and my family alot. Tell Camryn Gemma's headed to Calgary!

Father's Day

Got a late start today...only got 300+ miles to go to Prince Rupert. The route is thru some majestic scenery, traveling along the Skeene River for the last 100 miles. We wound around several mountain ranges and the route was fairly level considering the surrounding topography. We stopped for pix several times.

We arrived in PR around 6pm and immediately setup our 2 night campsite. Arrival in PR marks the beginning of 9 day stretch of minimal driving. We will be catching the ferry here in PR to Ketchikan, AK Tuesday morning. Thereafter we ferry to Juneau, followed by the ferry to Haines, AK. So except for a handful of miles driving from the ferries to the campsites, we are taking a driving hiatus. Thus far, we have driven 4,257 miles.

To my kids...thanks for the Father's day calls!!! We were TOTALL unable to use the cell phone here in western BC.

Gypsy Chillin'

Gypsy is chillin' in the heat of western British Columbia (94 degrees, surprisingly) on the road to Prince Rupert, BC

Moricetown Canyon

Moricetown Canyon on the road to Prince Rupert, BC

Near Smithers, BC

Near Smithers, BC on the road to Prince Rupert, BC

Fort George Park in Prince George, BC

Prince George, BC
Saturday, June 19th
I dropped MA off at "The Bay" (The Hudson Bay Company) dept. store where she visited the hair salon. Meanwhile I finally found the Starbucks. They did not even know what "wireless Internet access" meant, much less have it installed in their location. So, after a quick trip the Home Depot, I drove down to Fort George Park and walked barefoot thru the park watching kids play in the water fountains and hundreds of families enjoying a beautiful sunny day on the banks of the Fraser River. I had previously researched where other wireless hotspots might be and had noted that the Coastal Hotel had one. So, to the Coastal I went...set up in their lobby and connected right away (previous update).

I picked MA up and gassed up at 96.5/liter ($2.73 USD per gallon). We are now headed west on Hwy 16 toward Prince Rupert, BC, our jumping off point for the Alaska Marine Highway. We stopped for dinner at Tony's Kitchen in Fraser Lake, BC and we both enjoyed really excellent Chinese food. Turns out that "Tony" is a fairly recent emigre from China and adopted the western nickname. Drove on to Burns Lake, BC where we spent the night in the free municipal campsite right beside the lake. Very tight quarters where maneuvering a motorhome can test one's marriage.

Camryn is 5 months old!

Saturday, June 19th
Camryn is 5 months old today! You all should do yourselves a big favor...go to Javi's web site
http://webpages.charter.net/jbuzzalino/
and take a look at our beautiful granddaughter!

Another early start...glottal get to Prince George, BC before 2pm...MA made an appointment to get her hair repaired and I will look for the only Starbucks before Anchorage.

We gassed up before we left Cache Creek...the good news: price was "only" 89.9 cents...the bad news is that is the price per liter... lessee now... 1 liter = .264 gallons...holy s---!! that's $3.41/gallon!!! Wait a minute...good news...that's "only" $2.54USD/gallon. That makes me feel better but I don't know why. And the locals say it will be 93 cents further north...GREAT!!

We passed thru Williams Lake a little while back. What a beautiful scene. The city sits above and partially around a very large lake and seems quite modern. A bit unusual based on what we've seen thus far of BC. (92.5 on the regular gas)

Ma is driving and I am punching the keys (bouncing really) so please forgive the finger flubs.

The Air Tram down to Hell's Gate

Mary Alice as Edith Ann

Hell's Gate from thye AirTram

Into British Columbia

Friday, June 18th
We got up VERY early start today...getting up at 5:15 to pack take down the campsite at Fort Worden State Park and say goodbye to the Olsons. We had a great three day visit with Gene and Jo Ann. Gene and I worked together at Braniff Airlines in Dallas in the late 1970's and, once again, at Amtrak in Philadelphia in the mid 1980's.
We boarded the Washington State Ferry for the 30 minute crossing to Whidbey Island where I uploaded the previous blog update at Starbucks in Oak Harbor. We crossed over into British Columbia, stopped at a visitors center and bank in Abbottsford to exchange US for CDN $'s. Then we drove up the Fraser River Valley to Cache Creek, BC. The valley is simply majestic! The Canadian Pacific has a mainline on the west side and the Canadian National Railway has a mainline on the east side. For a railroad buff, it was great to play tag, over and under, with several very long freight trains. We stopped at Hells Gate to take an aerial tram across the river and down 500 feet to the "gate" where the river narrows to 100'. It was breathtaking!

We are in for the night in Cache Creek, BC.

Mendocino, CA

Saturday,
We had breakfast at a bakery in Mendocino and then drove to Fort Bragg, about 10 miles north...more populated. Had lunch at Eggheads in Fort Bragg and then got Gypsy and strolled thru the Botanical Gardens. What a beautiful place!!! We walked thru various the gardens (perennials heather, rhododendron, fern forest and then out to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. What a glorious location!

Port Townsend, WA

Well, I have gotten way behind in publishing to the Web Log...I have not been able to get connected for the better part of a week now. The whole 3 days in Port Townsend was futile for getting a wireless connection. We are now connected at a Starbuck's in Oak Harbor, Washington. We took the ferry over from PT to Whidbey Island and will be crossing over into canada later this morning.

The Oregon Coast was spectacular as well as the two state park campgrounds (Bullard's Beach in SW Oregon and Fort Stephens in NW OR). We spent three days in quaint Port Townsend with Gene and Jo Ann Olson, dear friends from our Braniff and Amtrak days. We drove out to Crescent Lake on the Olympic peninsula and it was very inspiring. Gene and Jo Ann treated us to a lovely dinner at an old castle-esque hotel high above PT.

Off we go...will try to doi a better job on the web log from our next Starbucks!!!

Goodbye Vallejo

Friday, June 11th
Today we said goodbye to Vallejo and hello to Mendocino County, CA. It was a spectacular drive along CA Hwy 1. We had previously driven the better known section of CA 1 from Morro Bay thru Big Sur to San Francisco (1989 trip w/ Ashley & Berri) and it was outstanding. MA & I believe that the section from Bodega Bay to Mendocino was equally outstanding! We stopped at a roadside inn at Jenner for a great lunch. Mendocino is a seaside village of several hundred people that has served as the filming location for MANY movies and TV shows. Outside scenes from Murder, She Wrote were shot in Mendocino (California, not Maine as the show would have you believe). The Russians are Coming, East of Eden, Summer of '42 and dozens more we shot on location in this tiny village. This pic is taken from the beach across the road from our campground.

Jelly Belly Art

Here is a tribute to the Reagans that we photographed at the Jelly Belly plant in Fairfield, CA. This is made from their jelly beans.

Jelly Bellies and Budweiser

Thursday, June 10th - two weeks out from Monroe
Today we plan to drive to Fairfield, CA to the Jelly Belly factory. I never would have thought about that but earlier this week, we heard a radio talk show where they were interviewing the CEO of Jelly Belly and he was saying how his company really took off during Ronald Reagan's presidential administration. So, as a tribute to the Gipper and to satisfy the void in my stomach, a-touring we will go. May also get to the Budweiser plant (since we will be in the area, don't ya know?).

Also while we are in Fairfield, gotta stop for lunch at the In and Out hamburger place. I got hooked on these when I worked in Las Vegas.

I haven't downloaded pix from the camera in a few days...pix will follow when I get to next Starbuck's

June 9th - Vallejo & Napa Valley

After breakfast we took the top off the Jeep and ventured up into the Napa Valley. I had been there back in the late 60's and remembered several places. One BIG difference now...they charge for tasting and the tours. I guess that is progress!?!

We tasted at Domaine Chandon (champagnes), tasted and toured at Robert Mondavi, ate lunch at Flatiron in Calistoga and, finally, toured and tasted at Sterling Vineyards. Once again, we were both exhausted and getting home to Addie (motorhome) was relished.

June 8th - Vallejo & San Francisco

Had a short drive over to Vallejo from SAC and once we got Addie setup, we boarded a ferry for the 1 hour trip to San Francisco. MA knew of a place on Pier 39 that sold a special kind of facial make-up called Bare Essentials so we had to make a stop there. Confidentially, I thought she looked beautiful going IN the store, as well as OUT of the store. We walked over to Ghiradelli Square to the Chocolate Factory. Then (I was so proud of her) we walked to the TOP of Lombard Street, the "crooked street in the world". Even with her rotten right knee, she made it up and down the hills. We walked back to Fisherman's Wharf where we ate crab and shrimp for dinner. We were both very ready for the 9pm ferry back to Vallejo!!!

Sacramento, CA

Sunday, Sacramento, CA
Said goodbye to Don & Chris Sunday morning and drove the 100 miles over to Sacramento. We are staying at the Cal Expo RV Park, part of the fairgrounds. Sunday afternoon, we drove around to get the lay of the land. Today (Monday) we ate breakfast at Mel's Drive In, right out of American Graffiti. We walked all over
Old Sacramento which is very historic. The western terminus of the Pony Express. We also visitied the California Railroad Museum which is excellent!
BTW...did you know that you can click on any photo to expand it???

Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe, California
Don and Chris arrived Friday around 2pm and in about ten minutes of visiting, felt like we had not missed a beat. It has been four years since we visited with these wonderful people and we picked up right where we left off. They brought good news (that we already knew because our daughter, Berri, is best friends with their daughter, Carrie). BOTH their son's wife (Jenny & Eric) AND their daughter Carrie are expecting their first child in December!!! There will be the first and second grand children for Don & Chris. They are ecstatic and so are we for them!

We had a great (top down) Jeep trip around Lake Tahoe, making stops at Emerald Bay (to gawk) and Kings Beach (to eat).

to: Lake Tahoe (6/3/2004)

This is incredible! We left Las Vegas at 9am and it was already 96 degrees on its way to 106. Tonight, we may have to use the furnace...it is expected to get down into the 30's here in South Lake Tahoe, CA. We arrived late this afternoon after driving thru desert for 400 miles.
We saw several billboards advertising bordellos...it was not inuendo...it said bordello. We got a pic of the "Shady Lady" but, since we were moving, not sure of the quality. We'll see. Saw unleaded regular gas for $2.639 in Indian Springs, NV but, fortunately, we had plenty and fueled later in Beatty, NV at a mere $2.299. I had budgeted $2.50/gallon for the average fuel cost and so far, after 2,100 miles, have averaged $2.027 so we are nicely under budget at this point.
I know that California, Oregon, British Columbia and Alberta will be high. Alaska and Washington less so. Ate dinner at Marie Callenders...haven't eaten at Marie's since we lived in Austin. Bus, alas, no room for the famous pies.
Don and Chris Stevens (dear friends from our days in Connecticut) are now living in Auburn, CA. Don & Chris will join us tomorrow for two nights here in the piney woods on the southern shore of Lake Tahoe.

Wednesday, June 2nd

WOW!!! I just THOUGHT it was hot in Sun City. Here on June 2nd, it is 108 degrees here in Las Vegas! We are camped at Circus-Circus, right on the Strip. We plan to eat at P.F. Chang's for dinner and Krispy Kreme for breakfast...two delights that we don't get in Monroe. One thing is certain, we are staying inside!

Tuesday, June 1st

Got to play golf with Uncle Floyd today at the Palmbrook CC in Sun City...103 degree heat (but, as locals explain, it is a DRY heat). Played sporatic but really enjoyed Uncle Floyd's company. We all went to dinner at Dillon's BBQ, which was excellent. This Arizona heat is incredible!

This is how Mary Alice eats her breakfast...with a pair of Beagle eyes watching every bite!

Monday, May 31st
This is Malice instead of Bob, here I sit day 5 of our 100 day trip and so far no one or nothing has gotten on my nerves, and that's a good thing. We've spent two nights in Wal Mart resorts, one mediocre place in the desert and then finished up with a very ethnic place in Mesa, Az.
Now we are at Bob's Uncle Floyd's in Sun City, AZ which is hot already and not yet June. I still don't see me ever relocating to Arizona, not in this life at least. We really enjoyed La Mesilla, New Mexico and had a lovely dinner at La Posta which was a stop on the Butterfield Stage. We went to spend the day in Silver City, NM. and, what a surprise, there was a Blues festival going on and I was in my element. Tie Dye stuff, weirdo music lovers, food and drinks. Lots of motorcycles and free spirits, so Malice fit right in. Reminded me of a mini Woodstock. I could have stayed the night, but we went home and that probably was wise.
Now we're in air conditioning and about to have a nice dinner with family. Bob will probably be on the net next so bye for now.

La Posta Restaurant in Mesilla, NM

Guadalupe National Park (Texas) El Capitan Peak

Mary Alice & Bob at Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

May 28, 2004
Gassed up in Big Spring and drove to the Carlsbad Caverns, just into New Mexico. Took the Big Room tour and rented the audio devices that really help in understanding the cave. The cave was beautiful, of course.

Drove to Las Cruces, NM where we went found the village of Mesilla nearby. This was a stop on the Butterfield Stage Line in the 1800's and today is a mercado with many shopps and restaurants. We ate at LaPosta and had some of the best Mexican food we have ever enjoyed. We dry-camped (again) at the brand new Wal-Mart in Las Cruces. The security guard was very concerned about parking us in the safest, yet most remote area possible. In this location, we are able to extend our sliders which makes middle-of-the-night potty trips MUCH easier!

May 27, 2004
Left Monroe just after 9:00 am and traveled 600 miles to Big Spring, Texas where we shopped for a few groceries and stayed overnight in the Wal-Mart SuperCenter parking lot.

Stopped for dinner at Dairy Queen in Eastland, TX and met four very inquisitive fellows asking if we brought them the much needed rain. It was sprinkling when we arrived and pouring when we left. We started to spend the night there but the clouds started breaking up and we moved on down the road to Big Spring.