Back in the lower 48

August 19, 2016

Over coffee this morning we began to try to find a campground near Mt. Vernon, WA so that Steve can keep his appointment there on Monday for the air suspension problem on the RV.  We were shocked to find that no campgrounds within 30 miles of Mt. Vernon had a vacancy for 2 RV's for the week-end!  We called at least 20 campgrounds with no luck.  Finally, we found a KOA that could take one of us for the week-end and the other for one night only.  We decided that we would stay for the appointment, and David and Jackie would move on. We will try to catch up with them once the repair is done.

The high desert terrain of SW British Columbia.

Different, but still beautiful.  

We left Cache Creek and drove through the beautiful Fraser Canyon in British Columbia. Again we are impressed by how different the mountains and landscape are from the northern areas of this territory.   Both RV's made it through Customs and back into the lower 48 with no problem

Going through customs.  

Of course there is more traffic and congestion here, but we have phone service, wifi, and all the shopping and eating places we have missed along the way.  The KOA is adequate but expensive, but we had no other choices of a place to stop.

After setting up we had a nice outdoor happy hour in the warm, beautiful weather.  We enjoyed dinner out at Outback and were pleased at the prices which are less than what we are used to paying  for a meal in Canada and Alaska.  After dinner we went to Walmart and shopped till we dropped.

August 20,2016

After coffee this morning we said good-bye to David and Jackie for the first time since May.  It seems so strange not to have them next door, but I hope we will join up with them soon.  Steve and  I spent most of the day running errands and shopping.  We had a subdued happy hour with our neighbors (from Cleremont, FL) and continued to miss our traveling companions who are now in Vancouver, WA.

With our RV sadly in need of repairs (air suspension, air conditioning, slide, etc., I am going to suspend this blog for a while.  Sitting around in repair shop waiting rooms with 2 nervous dogs and an impatient husband really doesn't make for very interesting writing.  If things pick up, as I hope they will, I will resume blogging.  To those who have traveled along with us, a big thank you.

Two Looong Days

August 17, 2016
Unaccustomed as we are to traveling 300 + miles a day, this was a difficult one.  Even though the weather was beautiful (sunny and warmer than we have been in ages) and the road was better (Corssiar Highway to the Yellowhead Highway in British Columbia), 376 miles is too long for me.  By the time we reached Dave's RV Park in Vanderhoof, I was so ready to stop riding for a while. We had a nice happy hour and a great pork loin dinner then did laundry and off to bed.  On the positive side, we saw a moose and a fox beside the road on the way.  We also stopped in Houston B.C. to see the World's Largest Fly Fishing Rod.  This is a 60 ft. long anodized aluminum  rod designed by local fly fishermen.  The "fly" is a 21 inch "Skykomish Sunrise".

Jackie and her 4- legged traveling companions.  

Houston, BC - The World's Largest Fly
Fishing Rod.

August 18, 2016

Ugh!  Another loong day!  333 miles.  I do hope that is the last long one for a while!  We traveled from Vanderhoof, BC to Cache Creek BC today, and are staying at a very nice campground called The Brookside.  There is indeed a brook and also a swimming pool, the first we have seen since we entered Canada back in June.  I have not been in a pool yet this year and was determined to go in this one, but a breeze came up and I knew I'd freeze when I got out, so no swimming for me. 

 It was another day of beautiful weather and for seeing the very different landscapes of this part of British Columbia. The mountains are lower with no snow, there are lots of hay bales in the fields  with grazing cattle and horses, more modern towns,   and an almost desert - like landscape.  We stopped at a rest area for lunch and saw a stone cairn built in 1821 and commemorating Fort Alexandria.  This was the last Northwest fur-trading post established west of the Rockies.  

Cairn commemorating Fort Alexandris

Landscape of SW British Columbia

A quiet day, the Salmon Glacier, and The Bus

August 15, 2016

Today was a catch up kind of day.  We have been on the move and not able to get much done such as laundry and RV cleaning, so we mostly did those things today.  It felt good to get them done.  Steve and I did take a short ride into Stewart and just looked around in the shops and stores and then went to the Visitor's Center.  We had a great steak dinner grilled by David, and an early night.

Need a shopping cart?  

August 16, 2016

Today was a warm, sunny day--something we haven't experienced in quite a while, so we wanted to do something special.  When we were here in 2012, we wanted to go up to the Salmon Glacier, but the road was so awful that we turned back before we reached the top.  Our friends, Jim and Lana, made it to the top and they said it was a really great view, so this time we decided to make it to the top as well.  David drove his truck, and we got within 5 miles of the top before he got an overtemp light on his  transmission, so once again we turned back.  It seems that we are not destined to go to the top, but what we saw was awesome.  The glacial river, the beautiful waterfalls, the mountain vistas,  the views we had of the glacier, and sighting a black bear down the side of the mountain made the trip worthwhile.We were also pleased that the road is much, much better than it was in 2012.  Next time will be the charm, and we will make it to the top!

As close as we got to the glacier.  

The grey water is from the glacier-I don't know where the blue
water came from   

The Salmon Glacier

Back in Hyder, we went to The Bus for lunch.  This totally unique place, which has been here for eighteen years, serves wonderful food.  The kitchen is located in the bus, and Diana Simpson does all the cooking herself.  Her husband and son are fishermen, and the fish she serves is all caught by them and it was GOOD.  We all had halibut fish and chips, probably the best we have had on this trip.  Seating is either outside the bus or in a "dining room" which is very rustic.  If you order the homemade tea, you are welcome to pick any of the herbs  planted around the bus to add to it.  If you come to Stewart/Hyder, I highly recommend that you have a meal in this great place.

Stewart B.C. / Hyder AK

Today we took the spur road off of the Cassair Highway, and after a beautiful drive through the Bear River Canyon we arrived at the Bear River RV Park in Stewart . We stopped to admire the Bear Glacier (which is HUGE) along the way.  After all these one night stops, we are all happy to be here for 3 days.  Best of all, we get phone service (one or two bars) from time to time here!

Bear Glacier

Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska are located at the head of the Portland Canal, a narrow saltwater fjord that forms a natural boundary between Alaska and Canada.




After dinner tonight we crossed the border into Alaska to go to the  Fish  Creek Wildlife Observation Area.  Visitors can view black bears, grizzlies, wolves and other wildlife fishing for salmon  in Fish Creek and Marx Creek.  A raised, gated boardwalk that overlooks the creek gives visitors a safe haven for watching and photographing the animals.  Unfortunately, tonight no animals came to feed while we were there, but we enjoyed    watching the salmon as they spawned.

Salmon in Fish Creek

I think I have found Middle Earth!

Back to the 60's!

These are very small towns (Stewart population 600, Hyder population 100), and  there are some quirky things about them. I was amused by the fact that both of these towns are on Pacific Daylight Time except for the post office in Hyder.  It is on Alaska Daylight time because it is a federal building.

Jade City and Mountain Shadow

After using the dump station then going through the complicated process of getting diesel at Nugget City, we headed south down the Cassiar Highway which is in poor condition and crosses the B.C./Yukon border 6 times.

We stopped at Jade City, which is not a city but a highway community made up of one jade business: Cassiar Mountain Jade Store.  The store has an extensive selection of gifts and jade products.  Out front there are jade-cutting demonstrations.

 We talked to a very knowledgeable young man, the grandson of the jade miner who started the business, and learned a great deal about jade.  The Cassiar Mountains produce more than 90% of the world's jade (about 1 million pounds each year) from several mines in this area, and most of it is exported to China.  This is because the Chinese revere jade even above gold, and most of the master carvers of jade are Chinese.  Jade City designs over 100 new items each year which are then sent to China to be carved.  The young man said that when you see "Made in China" on a jade item, it is a good thing.  This business is in its third season of a reality show called JADE FEVER on Discovery Canada.  It was an enjoyable, informative, and expensive  stop for us.



We proceeded on our bumpy way down the Cassiar Highway to our stop for the night: the Mountain Shadow RV Park near Iskut, B.C.  This is a lovely park nestled in a valley next to a pretty lake and surrounded by mountains.  This is where we learned the reason we haven't had any phone service:  there is no phone service anywhere on the Cassiar!  Again we had 30 AMP and electricity only but having TV and a beautiful view made it seem much better than last night.

Mountain Shadow RV Park

The view out our front window  

View of the lake.  

There is a nice path down to the lake so the 4 of us went for a walk down there with our two dogs.  However, the nice, easy path went to a restricted area, and the more difficult path led to the lake.  I had worn the wrong shoes (not expecting a more difficult hike), I did not bring my hiking stick, and dear little Precious nearly pulled me off my feet a couple of times. We met several other hikers and their dogs on the way there and back, and we watched two fishermen catch some rainbow trout.  It was good to stretch our legs a bit and give the dogs some exercise as well.

This is the nice, easy path to the lake.  

I made it to the lake--now can I make it back!

David grilled sausages and burgers, and after our feast we had a quiet evening.

Whitehorse to Watson Lake

After a long haul from White Horse, we settled in at the Baby Nugget RV at Nugget City.  The RV site  itself was O.K., but there was only water and 30 AMP, no sewer, no TV and no phone service. We thought  $49.95 was a bit pricey for those amenities, but it was only for 1 night so we stayed.

David and Jackie decided to eat in, but Steve and I chose to go to the Wolf it Down restaurant next to the RV Park.  What a disappointment.  We both ordered fish and chips, but canceled the order when we found that the fish was fried salmon.  There being no other dinner that appealed to us, we just ordered onion rings and French fries to go.  My onion rings were O.K. but Steve's fries were not done.  When we finally located the trash area which was far from any of the RV's and had 6 different recycle bins (flat cardboard, bottles, cans, plastic,  paper, etc.),  3 small trash cans, and a doggy poo can.  Need I say that we were not pleased and do not recommend this RV park!  The only thing it had going for it was the cute names such as the Wolf it Down Restaurant and the clubhouse (extra charge to use it) called The Best Little Ore House.

Haines Junction to Whitehorse YT

It wasn't a long drive today from Haines Junction to Whitehorse--only about 120 miles.  We stopped to view an iconic statue before we left Haines Junction this morning.  Locals call it "the cupcake"  because the base of it is shaped like the paper that a cupcake comes in.  The top is shaped like a mountain with a mountain climber looking through binoculars on top and the various animals-bear, wold, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and mountain goats-all over the mountain.  It is very interesting and unique.

The Cupcake

  

It was another rough and dusty road, and our cars and RV's were covered in dust.  The guys took the car and truck to a car wash immediately when we got here, but there was no place to take the RV's , so they remain dust-covered.  We decided to stay somewhere other than the Pioneer RV Park where we usually go, and we found the Hi Country Park just a few miles down the road.  It is much nicer than the Pioneer--it even has trees!  We did some grocery shopping at the Super Store, then enjoyed happy hour outdoors for a change.  Off to Watson Lake tomorrow.

August 9-10

August 9, 2016

Tonight we are back at Tok Village RV Park where we stayed way back in June, but then we were just starting our Alaska adventure, and now we are getting ready to leave this wonderful state.  The ride here was not a pleasant one.  We awoke to more rain in Valdez, but the ride to the Tok Cutoff was still beautiful.  Once on the cutoff, however, we experienced the worst roads since we left Chicken, so long ago.  It was all dips and bumps and our nerves were shot by the time we finally reached Tok.  At least the rain had stopped, but it was still chilly outside.  No one felt like cooking, so we went to Fast Eddy's again for dinner after we had happy hour.  Then we all felt a little better.  Tomorrow, back into Canada.

Jackie's Nacho Supreme at Fast Eddy's!  

August 10, 2016

Another long haul over bad road.  We have been dreading the Destruction Bay section ever since we got here, but except for the 3 or 4 sections that were under construction we all agreed that it wasn't as bad as the Tok Cutoff--except for the awful dust.  At least  the weather was gorgeous.   Anyway, we made it to Haines Junction in the Yukon  and are staying at the Kluane RV Park, which isn't much. It hasn't had any water  for over a year, so the cost is only $20  (Canadian).  However, the view of the mountains is very nice.

The view behind our campground in
Haines Junction, YT

We had no trouble crossing the border from Alaska into Canada.  I guess we just don't look like subversive people.

One half in Alaska, one half in the Yukon.  

Steve and I were disappointed that we could not find our favorite spot on Kluane Lake.  I suppose the memory just isn't as good as it used to be.  Kluane Lake and the surrounding mountains are just as beautiful as we remembered them though.

On the way here we passed through some quaint little towns like Burwash Landing, Destruction Bay, and Koidern. We stopped briefly in Beaver Creek to admire Our Lady of Grace mission which was built in 1961 from a salvaged Quonset hut left over from highway construction days.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, Beaver Creek, YT

SALMON!

Jackie and I  both had a burning desire to catch a salmon, and today was to be the day  We put on our boots and rain gear, got our fishing licenses, got our treble hooks, checked all the rules for fishing for salmon, and headed for Dayville Road with our cheering squad, David and Steve.   Imagine our surprise and disappointment when we arrived at our chosen fishing spot to find that the tide was out...way out.  There was no way any fishing could go on in that muck!  OK.  Back to the rigs we went to wait for the tide to come in.

About 4 P.M., we headed back to the fishing spot to find the salmon running thick right up to the rocks.  After a quick lesson on casting from the guys, we climbed down the rocks and began our salmon quest.  We both found that we could snag the fish but we could not get them onto the rocks before they shook themselves free.  It was a lot of fun, but also very frustrating.

Salmon just waiting to be caught!

Finally I got one onto the rocks and the darn thing wiggled away and took my treble hook with it.  Jackie also lost her treble hook, so the guys began improvising with other hooks from David's tackle box.  I decided it wasn't worth the climb back down the rocks, so I just walked down a way to where some folks from Tennessee were fishing.

To my mortification, two little girls about 8 and 12 years old were pulling in salmon like crazy.  After talking with their dad, and getting some tips on what to do, I decided to give it another try.  The grandfather loaned me his treble, and within 5 minutes I had landed a fish!  He was big, but not a good specimen, so I threw him back.  Within another 5 minutes, I had my prize!!  It was so much fun! I was so excited and proud of myself!  You would have thought I had won the lottery!

The one I threw back.  

My prize!

Meanwhile, Jackie had joined me and was also having luck catching but the fish all slithered away.
Finally she landed a good one, grabbed it, and clutched  it to her chest before  it could get away.   After holding it up for pictures, she started up the rocks holding the fish like a baby in her arms, but oops, her boot was caught in the rocks.  Rather than risk losing her fish, she took off the boots and climbed over the rocks in her socks!  It was hysterical!  (David retrieved the boots).

Yay Jackie!

I think my boot is stuck!

I'm not letting go of this fish!

Boots or no boots, here I come.  

A proud lady and her fish! 

We had the time of our lives catching those fish, and we are very proud of ourselves. We also thank our husbands for cheering us on and giving help when needed.   We went to the docks and paid a guy $1.00 each to fillet the fish.  Mine will go to my daughter, Vanessa,  (ironically, I don't like salmon) and Jackie's daughter will cook hers for her.  We both just wish we had started fishing sooner!  Next time we will check the tide table first!

The Columbia Glacier

Rain, rain, go away!   What a messy day to have reservations for a 7 hour boat ride to the Columbia Glacier!   However, our vessel, the Valdez Spirit, and our seat companions made the trip more enjoyable.    Gail (from New Zealand), and her companion, David (from England) are world travelers and very interesting folks to share stories with for 7 hours.  

Although the trip was long, rainy, and cold (outside)  we did see lots of interesting sights.  There were eagles in the trees and cute sea otters in the water.  We saw sea lions resting on buoys and some of the bluest glacier ice I have ever seen.  

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We had lots of hot coffee and tea to drink, and a lunch of soup, bagels, and cookies was served.  The pilot house was large and warm and the captain let the passengers come in and chat and ask questions. 

 But the big event of this trip was seeing the glacier itself.  Heaven knows we have seen a lot of glaciers on this trip and learned a lot about them.  However, I have never seen so much ice floating from a glacier, and I have never seen one shaped like this one.  It was truly awesome!  Columbia is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the 1980's.  We were able to get within 1/4 mile of the face of the glacier, and the iceburgs kept banging against the side of the boat.  It was very exciting.   

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On the way back, we went through some rough weather, but dodged behind some islands which made the passage easier.  The tide had come in and the sea lions had moved to another buoy.  

After enjoying a lovely dinner at Roma Restaurant on the dock, we settled into our warm rigs and enjoyed the view from our front windows.  

Restaurant view.  

View from our rig.