Sunday, June 12, 2011: Haines AK, USA
Ah, man, this is our last night in Haines. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we head out for the Yukon. We'll be in Destruction Bay, Yukon Territory for a couple of days.
After the night of lively libation and loud conversation at the Fogcutter, Barry slept waaaaaaaaay in, but Larry and Phyllis had to catch a boat at 8:00 AM sharp. My guess is that they weren't really sharp. As a matter of fact, having waited all day for a report of the trip, the best Phyllis could do is eat and go to bed!!!! Poor baby.
After Barry decided to get out of bed this afternoon, he decided to take a walk with Maggie. I worked on pictures and this RV. It looked and smelled like a pig pen. Just amazing how fast things can go downhill!!!!
Before I could finish Barry was back. Maggie was not a cooperative companion on the walk. duh. He wanted to try again, so I agreed to go with him. I had heard that this particular trail was easy and scenic, so I was all hyped. We stopped for a cup of coffee at the Fogcutter, but the bartender said the coffee was pretty old and pretty bad, so we said hello and goodbye to all the fellows still there from last night (!) and at the local expresso wagon ran into a waitress we had at the Fireweed Restaurant. Her day off today. Really good fresh coffee.
It was off to the Battery Trail. It really should have been subtitled the Hiker Battery Trail. The trail began very benignly, a nice gravel trail sloping slightly downward. Suddenly, the improved trail stopped, and we found ourselves in "Hansel and Gretel." It was a battle of the wills. Will the tree roots get us, or will we finish the trail without breaking something? It was challenging enough walking on a straight trail over all the roots, but this trail had hills and dales and streams to cross and lots of surprises. No animals, all we saw, thank goodness, was one squirrel and a mouse!
Things were going along somewhat smoothly for me, as clumsy as I am. Barry looked to be fleet of foot and skipped right over the entangled rills, roots and rocks. Some of the larger boulders appeared to be in the grasp of a tree's roots. They looked like long fingers wrapped around rather large boulders. Very interesting - but I would have been more interested if I wasn't struggling to stay afoot.
As we ventured further into the deep forest boreal, it became darker and more of a struggle. Little eyes were peering out from every tree base. Why hadn't we brought bread crumbs. The inevitable....while cautiously tip toeing down an embankment, my shoe slipped and I tumbled pell mell, or as it has been described in the past, ass over tin cup. Well, hell. As always, I landed on my right knee. No damage done and we were on our way again.
The payoff was reaching the waters' edge. Absolutely gorgeous. It makes no difference in which direction you turn, you will get a beautiful photo.
We stayed at the beach for a while. We had been told that there might be whales and sea lions as well as dolphins. SURE. There MIGHT be elephants, giraffes and cows! duh. We enjoyed the peace and tranquility. Barry constantly scanned the water looking in vain. It was time to hike back - SOMEBODY CALL A CAB! Thankfully, the trip back seemed a lot easier, and we made it in good time.
Barry was well over the need for exercise by now, and we made a bee-line back to the RV. Some nice pork roast and vegetables tasted just right. Shortly after we returned, the rest of the Lounge Lizard Caravan (all aboard!) arrived back from the day's events in Juneau.
It has been quite an adventure here in Haines. So glad we made it. Looking forward to the next stop, and then the next stop, etc, but it IS another once in a lifetime trip. Attached to this blog is a slideshow of today's hike. Enjoy.
You won't hear from us for the couple of days we are in Canada....but from Destruction Bay, Yukon, it's back to Alaska - Tok! See you there!
Barry was well over the need for exercise by now, and we made a bee-line back to the RV. Some nice pork roast and vegetables tasted just right. Shortly after we returned, the rest of the Lounge Lizard Caravan (all aboard!) arrived back from the day's events in Juneau.
It has been quite an adventure here in Haines. So glad we made it. Looking forward to the next stop, and then the next stop, etc, but it IS another once in a lifetime trip. Attached to this blog is a slideshow of today's hike. Enjoy.
You won't hear from us for the couple of days we are in Canada....but from Destruction Bay, Yukon, it's back to Alaska - Tok! See you there!
from the MABarry (just remember Andy and Barney, it's pronounced Mayberry) over and out!
June 11, 2011: Haines, AK, USA
We walked down a couple of blocks toward the Yukon River, past a couple of really rough looking bars, past a few "First Nation" people having a quarrel on a corner. We crossed the street to avoid the bars, and as we did two men came rolling out the bar door. Both drunk. This really is like in a movie! We found a museum and perused it. It was interesting - full of stuff about the gold rush days, and lots of exhibits and rooms. They're enlarging it and it would be interesting to see how much bigger it will be. The downstairs part was called Clutterama. It was just everything from every time period concerning Whitehorse. Beautiful gowns and shawls and purses, and hats and hat pins, fur capes ermine cuffs - and these were all from the Ladies in the Red Light District!
June 7: Watson Lake, Liard Springs and onward!
The idea for today is to make it from Watson Lake to Liard Hot Springs to Whitehorse (admittedly a long haul). We pulled out at 0800. I took a pain killer and I’m feeling a lot better and am able to ride in the truck. Everybody was chipper and ready to go. About 50 miles down the road it began to get a little rough. Rocks covered the road resulting in a slower pace. Barry drove at around 35-40 mph. Shortly, though we were back on hard top. I noticed that the big rigs passing us did give us a wide berth, just as had been reported that they will do. Cars and vans passing were not as courteous, and rocks did fly. Fortunately, nothing hit our windshield. Barry and I discussed the fact that we just might not make it all the way to Whitehorse. The fact that neither of us would object to pulling off for a night on the side of the road if we had companions.
When we came home the rest of the group was sitting under our fifth wheel apron having hors d'oeuvres and drinks!!!! It had started raining, and it just seemed like the thing to do. We joined them after I put my roast in the fridge.
Tomorrow we're going to do a Yukon River cruise with Larry and Phyllis and Roger and Anita. Should be great fun. I'm going to take some pain medicine with me - in case.
If money conversion isn't confusing enough, there's the metric conversion.
Whitehorse is named after rapids on the Yukon River that resembled flowing manes of white horses. Before the goldrush, this was a "First Nation's" campsite. Whitehorse is now the capital city of the Yukon Territory. The population is 25,000.The population of the entire Yukon Territory is only 35,000. The major of the Caucasians speak the Queen's English, French and German. Most of the population, though is "First Nation" - 14 different tribes of them just in the Yukon, the largest is the Tlingit.
Whitehorse is in winter most of the year - the only warm weather is late May to the first of September.
Dawson Creek Alaska Highway began. It has a lot of the “old timey” look.
OMG Every single thing you or Hollywood have ever imagined about Alaska is in this town! It has sooooo much personality and that is a result of the number of just plain strong personalities that live here.
Haines is a very tiny town.
It does have a post office, an IGA Grocery, and a town council. There is a very high percentage of Tlingit and Eskimos here. It has the world famous "Hammer Museum." Yes, that is correct, a museum just full of hammers. Barry's all time favorite. Picture him on a hammer bicycle. Just picture it:
We've eaten in a lot of the local restaurants. They're quite civilized, good menus, good food, but good gracious they're expensive.
BUT. If you want pub grub, that's cheap and greasy, there's only one place and that's the "Fogcutter!" The first time the four of us meandered in was after our Truck was worked on. The owner of the repair shop recommended it as "his" bar. We walked in and it looked pretty mild. Clean and spacious. Not too crowded. An assortment of scruffy customers, but that's the Haines
After a couple of days poking around in the Chilkat and Chilkoot Mountain areas, we've taken in the Davidson Glacier, the Rainbow Glacier, a salmon counting project and a salmon cannery. We had dinner at the Fireweed Inn, the Bamboo Bar and Restaurant and breakfast at Bear-Rittos Bakery. The glaciers were awesome, and this area is known for the high Bald Eagle count. They raise their brood here and then fly away leaving all the youngsters to get acquainted with their birthplace, and learn how to fish. There are something like 200 Bald Eagles here year round, and we've seen a few.
Phyllis, Larry and I went to the Bald Eagle Museum for a look-see. What a place. As we were meandering around a wildlife exhibit and about to leave, we were approached by one of the volunteers asking if we had any questions. Well I had one that just hadn't been answered no matter how many times I had asked: what's the difference between a brown bear and a grizzly bear. WELL! 2 HOURS LATER....this wonderful man stopped to draw a breath, and we thanked him immensely and eased out onto the street. We felt like our heads were going to explode at any second - info rape as Larry put it! He told us EVERYTHING about bears, about nature, about the natural laws of space and conditions. He told us EVERYTHING about salmon. I mean everything. Every single thing. All of it. When I was thanking him as we left, I asked where would I pick up my certificate - and how many credit hours would I get for the class.
It's amazing how much actually stuck, I think I still remember a great deal of what he said, although I didn't have the opportunity to take notes! I don't think I could pass the final exam, though! It was straight out of James Mitchener's brain.
We met a couple at the Chilkat Park who were "hosts" and lived in a very rustic cabin at the observatory. They were from Arizona and had a Irish Wolfhound/terrier mix named Jack. We got all the beautiful pictures of the Rainbow and Davidson Glaciers from their "back porch." They see whales, sea lions, many Bald Eagles from their vantage point. It was a real dream of an assignment for them. They had no training in what they were doing here, they both had just retired from 20 years as parole officers!!! They were "learning on the fly" so to speak!
While there we ran into a couple from Smithfield, VA. The man and Barry talked for quite a while and had a lot in common. Is it a small world, or what!!
The RV Park where we are is owned and run by a couple who are absolutely OCD neatness freaks. Really nice place. But would you believe after we pulled in to an almost empty campground, in pulled two Excels. What are the chances? We NEVER see Excels on the road. They both have "classic" models - the jazzed up version of Excel. Anyway, I thought it was funny enough.
That's about it for this blog. Should be interesting to see how the day went with Larry and Phyllis and Roger and Anita!
One last thing about the Fogcutter Bar. The four of us were sitting around looking at each other. Phyllis, Barry and I had taken a long nap and were still in a fog. Larry was peppy and alert as always (bet he wasn't so peppy and alert later). Anyway sun was still up (of course) it was about 9 PM, the night by Alaska standards was still young. We decided to take another stab at the Fogcutter! It was "dance night," and that promised some interesting relationships in our minds. It's almost impossible to put into words what that place was like! Jammed pack with young and old (of course, I was there wasn't I), and as the evening wore on it got even busier. One barmaid was covering the whole shebang - and doing it fairly well! My few pictures will give you a hint of what Phyllis' will have on her facebook....don't miss them.
 |
| Kung Phoo Phyllis defending her credentials! |
Did I mention how happy I was the designated driver? WHEW!
For more of my pix click on the following slide show.
From the MABarry, over and out!
June 9, 2011, On the Road from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory to Haines, Alaska, USA!
Got a billion pix to sort through tonight, so I'll blog quickly. The scenery was again very beautiful. The roads ranged from terrible to great!
At one stretch of road I noticed a car pull slightly to the right like it was going to stop on the side of the road. The driver then pulled the car into the oncoming lane and started backing toward us. Barry figured it out first. The driver saw something. What he saw was a brown bear. Couldn't tell if it was a brown black bear, a brown bear or a grizzly. Daisy's "hot" nose brought her out of a sleep and she went ballistic! The dogs just about turned themselves inside out barking. The bear just turned back into the bush.
We stopped at a viewing site in Kluane and I climbed up the path to the base of the glacier mountain!!! I'll have pix posted to prove it too. It was a trail that began as a gravel path, then boardwalk, back to a path, on to a path of the fallen big rocks of the mountain. As people climbed, they would leave cairns to show how far they were able to climb. I did manage to climb several steeps further then what appeared to be the last cairn. I left when I heard a huffing sound, but saw nothing. I was wearing my trusty bear bell, although.
As we resumed our journey we saw another brown bear. This one was walking along the ridge of a bank that ran the length of the road. It would walk along and pause and walk and pause til it looked like this would go on forever. Since we had enough photos we drove on. Further down the line we saw the Lounge Lizard Caravan compadres. Shortly after that Barry started sweating bullets. The charging system light was flashing. There was nothing we could do but keep going and pray that it didn't impair the truck engine computer. Of course we were in between cell towers and had no cell service. We had no web satellite operating, so no service there either.
We sailed over the border into customs in Alaska. The customs agent asked Barry to turn off the engine, but Barry pointed out the red light and told him he was afraid to turn off the truck. The agent kindly agreed keeping the engine running was the best bet. He asked the usual questions, were are you going in Alaska, for how long, how long were you in Canada, place of residence, do we have any firearms or knives with us, any alcohol, are the dogs properly vaccinated and did we buy anything in Canada other rations to sustain ourselves. (With prices like those? Who could he be kidding.)
I had an orange in full view and he said he would have to take it. I explained that I had purchased it in Illinois, and without blinking an eye he let it go.
Phyllis was not as lucky. The searched her refrigerator and confiscated the lemons and limes and one red bell pepper that she had just bought. As he carried them inside the customs building, she pleaded with him for the pepper. "I had to pay $3 for that pepper, may I please have it back?" When he returned from the office, he had her red pepper and gave it back to her!
We limped into Haines afraid of what the red light was going to cost. Barry unhitched the RV from the truck and headed in town to find a mechanic. An hour later when I called him they were awaiting an alternator that was being flown in from Juneau! The owner of the shop was having shoulder problems, so Barry helped him with the labor and changed his own oil.
After I got the RV set up and vacuumed, I asked Phyllis where Roger and Anita were. They hadn't come into the campground with us. She told me that they had elected to stay at a state RV campground and boondock. We made plans to go to dinner as soon as Barry returned.
Since I could at last once again use my Internet, I decided to catch up while I waited. I glanced through the window and there was Roger! They had come to visit Larry and Phyllis. Roger was very satisfied with the accommodations while Anita was less excited. Larry gave them the code to the bathhouse, so at least they can come down to our showers if they chose.
Barry got home shortly after that with lots of stories, and a receipt from a huge bill for the truck. Things here are just as expensive as they are in Canada. Haines is a small town, economically depressed, and isolated from other civilization. Everything has to be trucked in from long distances.
PaL, Barry and I went to the Bamboo Diner and Bar for supper. It was a very interesting looking place, in keeping with the buildings of the town. The inside was strictly out of the 50s. Actually, it probably has looked like that since the 50s. It was extremely clean, however, and we felt confident in eating there. It was a bit pricey. Larry had a halibut and chips basket with a few delicious looking and tasting balls of dipped in batter and fried fish, surrounded by french fries. The price for that one entree alone was 24.99! Phyllis had a veggie burger/fries, I had a halibut wrap/fries, and Barry had the special: fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. He said it was good and the price was right 7.95.
We enjoyed a local beer and then sauntered out to explore the sights of Haines, Alaska! We didn't have far to go before the sights became the unique people that reminded all of us of "North to Alaska," and "Fargo." Barry's mechanic had recommended that we drop into "his" bar, so we did. It was great! More ambiance then you could shake a stick at. It was a huge room with pool tables, three giant TVs a couple of boards for darts, and a HUGE bar populated by some pretty interesting men. Mind you, this was NOT the Club 24 of New York City. This was an Alaska man's bar, and it looked like all the men were there. Talk was loud and funny, a little course at times, and lots of camaraderie. Please watch for Phyllis' pictures that she took tonight. They WILL be rare!
Didn't take us long to get home, the whole town's only about 10 blocks long! To our horror, Sam and Daisy were outside in the dog pen. How did that happen? I had locked them in the RV when I left - I thought. The manager said they came up to the office and she brought them home and put them in the pen. What a scare and horrible thought. Even if the door wasn't locked, it certainly was closed. How those two opened it is beyond me. It was closed when we walked up, but not locked. A mystery. Maggie was just sitting there in the RV wondering what all the fuss was about!
That's it from Alaska, U. S. A.! Over and out from the MaBarry.
June 8, 2011
The last outing in Whitehorse...sigh
We began the day with a fox weaving its way around the RV and through the parking lot. I just looked out the door and there it was! Barry left to find it, but alas, without success.....duh.
Whitehorse has been fun. It's an interesting place full of nice people and lots of characters. (High ratio of characters to nice people, not that the characters can't be nice people too, but......).
Today - biiiiiiiigggg day! Biiiiiiggggg plans. We were all excited about having lunch at a restaurant that "Frommers" gave high marks. Every indication was that it was going to be a gem. We took a car and the truck. Roger drove and Barry drove. It didn't take us long to get there, and we had parking passes, given us by the Chamber of Commerce! VIP are we! (As are all the tourists that ask for them, that's all you have to do - just ask and you get a pass for as long as your stay!)
The men took off, as usual leaving us in the dust. We barely could keep them in our sites. As we turned onto the street where the restaurant should have been, we saw no restaurant with "Klondike Ribs and Salmon" sign, and we saw no men. SUR-fricken-PRISE! The three of us went through a door, following two women who looked as lost as we were. One quick glance around told us: we might have more fun here; this ain't the place. The five of us backed out and went a little further down the street finding what we thought was the correct place. We asked the waitress if she had already seated three men who would be awaiting us. She was totally unaware of them, but encouraged us to look around for them.
It was a many layered building, and we just didn't see them. Anita asked if there were any more rooms and the waitress then pointed to a doorway with an exit sign above it. The thought had gone through my mind just to get a table for three and let them worry about us for a change (yeah, sure, like they would).
Of course, there they were - Roger and Larry reading the menu, and Barry, as always, busy with the waitress. We ordered - Barry and I got Sockeye Sally (delish), Larry got an elk burger (delish), Phyllis got a vegetarian plate (delish), Anita got a fish and chips plate (delish), and Roger, after arguing with the waitress about the food preparation (the waitress was subtly trying to move Roger away from what he was requesting, but he didn't take the hint), ordered a burger. No cheese, mayo on the side, cooked just this way or that, I wasn't listening at that stage! First Roger didn't like the way his burger was cooked, then he didn't like the mayo they served him, and so I'd say he didn't like his meal. (there was no love lost between the waitress and him, either).
We were patting our breadbaskets and feeling fine as we left. There was a line of people waiting to get in, and Roger announces to everyone - "don't order the burger, just had the worse burger of my life, terrible just terrible." OMG we were not expecting this outburst! Everybody else was a bit put off by it too.
We had an hour to kill before the boat ride, so we just ambled around the town, doing nothing in particular except arguing with Roger about his behavior. At last we drove to the landing on the Yukon River for the RIDE! We had to buy the teeeeeeeeqits, and we boarded. Looked like a small fishing boat conversion. The six of us sat on deck, and lots of people had to sit below.
I was surprised at the Yukon River - not what I was expecting. Although large, it was very tame now due to a constraint built to hold back its power. The weather was brisk, warm enough, but layers of clothing and gloves were needed. The safety rules were explained, the trip described by the captain, and we were ready to sail away! The captain announced that there would be music furnished by a local man who had DVDs available on the boat for sale.
There was a pre-recorded tour guide explaining from time to time various historical points along the way. As we got underway, everything was just perfect. Ten minutes into the ride, I was about to tear my hair out. The music!!!!! It was sooo bad. It was the absolute same type ballad, same key, same monotonous voice and guitar, one song after another - seeming unending. Occasionally the pre-recorded tour guide would interrupt the music (thank the Lord above for those respits). Then......back to the droning music. I would have rather listened to the engine. I was afraid I was the only one that was distracted, so I didn't say anything.
At one point I glanced over at Phyllis and she had her gloves stuck in her ears!!!!! I almost fell overboard. Thank the good Lord....it wasn't me after all....it was horrible music. Phyllis said if they asked her would she recommend the trip to anyone else she would have to say "only if they're deaf."
At the halfway point, everyone who had enjoyed the deck had to change places with the folks down in steerage. Now that was really bad, but worse, the music seemed even louder in the enclosed lower deck. We were sitting at windows that were at water level, so the scenery wasn't so swell. Since I didn't want to take any photos through the glass window, and since I hadn't seen much left to shoot, I just put my camera away.
The one pounding train of thought was.....OMG, what is Roger going to say about this ship wreck!!!! Since we were all of the same accord, he didn't say much...sigh! Phyllis and I coined a new term, however. When one has been led astray and been given a bill of goods about a service purchased......you can say one has been Yukoned! You may pronounce it yu koned. Meaning, of course, you've been conned! We did have a lot of laughs out of the experience!
There was a flurry of activity when we got back to the RV. Laundry had to be done, and the dogs had been both vomiting and had diarrhea. Barry offered to run do the laundry! I suspect that the new dog treats I bought did not set well with the two little fur-girls. Sam has an iron stomach, as long as it doesn't have fat in it, I think he would eat the sink.
Carpet clean, dinner made, dogs outside, time for downloading the photos and having a toddy. Barry had returned from the laundry with a wonderful discovery.
I've already moaned about the expense of it here, but Barry happened upon a Canadian calling card that will allow you to call the US for $.04 a minute! He was so excited. I had no one to call and we would be in Alaska tomorrow, so I could wait. It's good to know that it exists. I have four calling cards - all US and no good in Canada. RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP off. Well, the Canadians have to pay for all that premium free healthcare somehow!
When we pulled into the Strawberry Flats Campground, it was so beautiful that Phyllis just had to release a primal shout that came loose. I understood the feeling then and I will probably do the same when we get to Haines tomorrow. Back in the good ole USA! Cell phone service, Web service, the REAL WalMart Stores, fuel that we don't have to wonder what price we're paying - NO METRICS YEAH! BACK IN THE OLE USA!
That's about it for today, let's see, I told you about the fox, about the Canadian fone card, about lunch, about the boat ride, about the sick dogs, I guess that about covers it for today.
Gosh, I'm finished and it's only 10:40, what will I do with the rest of the night. Sun doesn't go down for another four hours.....!
June 7, 2011
If you have trouble with the photos - they're all on Picasa Web. I haven't had the rest uploaded yet. You can see a lot of them from my or Barry's facebook page - the ones that Phyllis and Larry take and post. Different altogether then mine...different eyes.
I started getting sick and having horrendous abdominal cramps and pain right after we left Liard Hot Springs. I thought it was food poisoning, but didn't have any other symptoms. We were on the way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, so I asked Barry to pull over and let me get into the RV and go to bed. The more I lay there the worse it got, and I finally remembered the symptoms...diverticulitis. I took a strong pain pill, went to sleep and have been almost fine since. It just keeps threatening to come back. I really think it's all this trip and not enough rest between stops, and it's been really hard on my nerves....probably because I'm not eating and sleeping properly. We're here for a day or two more before we hit the road again. It gave me a chance to go to the market - first time since we left Illinois! I just don't see how these people survive and feed families up here. I got a 2 pound pork roast, a bunch of celery, a box of spaghetti, and popcorn. that's it. It came to $60. Canadian. Barry paid $6 and change a gallon for diesel yesterday. We have a 40 gallon tank. We did eat lunch out today. A Mediterranean Restaurant. Really good food. I have a lamb kabob sandwich served on pita with humus and yogurt sauce, and a cup of soup. The sandwich had roasted red peppers, onion, lettuce and lamb slices. I want to tell you it was the best thing I've had on the road yet! Barry had a beef kabob sandwich...same thing.
Here's the kicker. The fellow that waited on us was a duplicate of my grandson Matthew, David's son, who lives in New York! He talked like him, everything, he just wasn't as tall, he was about the same height that I am. Barry was amazed too....he said he didn't know that David had made it to the Yukon!!!! I had to have a picture with him so I could show the family!
The last outing in Whitehorse...sigh
We began the day with a fox weaving its way around the RV and through the parking lot. I just looked out the door and there it was! Barry left to find it, but alas, without success.....duh.
Whitehorse has been fun. It's an interesting place full of nice people and lots of characters. (High ratio of characters to nice people, not that the characters can't be nice people too, but......).
Today - biiiiiiiigggg day! Biiiiiiggggg plans. We were all excited about having lunch at a restaurant that "Frommers" gave high marks. Every indication was that it was going to be a gem. We took a car and the truck. Roger drove and Barry drove. It didn't take us long to get there, and we had parking passes, given us by the Chamber of Commerce! VIP are we! (As are all the tourists that ask for them, that's all you have to do - just ask and you get a pass for as long as your stay!)
The men took off, as usual leaving us in the dust. We barely could keep them in our sites. As we turned onto the street where the restaurant should have been, we saw no restaurant with "Klondike Ribs and Salmon" sign, and we saw no men. SUR-fricken-PRISE! The three of us went through a door, following two women who looked as lost as we were. One quick glance around told us: we might have more fun here; this ain't the place. The five of us backed out and went a little further down the street finding what we thought was the correct place. We asked the waitress if she had already seated three men who would be awaiting us. She was totally unaware of them, but encouraged us to look around for them.
It was a many layered building, and we just didn't see them. Anita asked if there were any more rooms and the waitress then pointed to a doorway with an exit sign above it. The thought had gone through my mind just to get a table for three and let them worry about us for a change (yeah, sure, like they would).
Of course, there they were - Roger and Larry reading the menu, and Barry, as always, busy with the waitress. We ordered - Barry and I got Sockeye Sally (delish), Larry got an elk burger (delish), Phyllis got a vegetarian plate (delish), Anita got a fish and chips plate (delish), and Roger, after arguing with the waitress about the food preparation (the waitress was subtly trying to move Roger away from what he was requesting, but he didn't take the hint), ordered a burger. No cheese, mayo on the side, cooked just this way or that, I wasn't listening at that stage! First Roger didn't like the way his burger was cooked, then he didn't like the mayo they served him, and so I'd say he didn't like his meal. (there was no love lost between the waitress and him, either).
We were patting our breadbaskets and feeling fine as we left. There was a line of people waiting to get in, and Roger announces to everyone - "don't order the burger, just had the worse burger of my life, terrible just terrible." OMG we were not expecting this outburst! Everybody else was a bit put off by it too.
We had an hour to kill before the boat ride, so we just ambled around the town, doing nothing in particular except arguing with Roger about his behavior. At last we drove to the landing on the Yukon River for the RIDE! We had to buy the teeeeeeeeqits, and we boarded. Looked like a small fishing boat conversion. The six of us sat on deck, and lots of people had to sit below.
I was surprised at the Yukon River - not what I was expecting. Although large, it was very tame now due to a constraint built to hold back its power. The weather was brisk, warm enough, but layers of clothing and gloves were needed. The safety rules were explained, the trip described by the captain, and we were ready to sail away! The captain announced that there would be music furnished by a local man who had DVDs available on the boat for sale.
There was a pre-recorded tour guide explaining from time to time various historical points along the way. As we got underway, everything was just perfect. Ten minutes into the ride, I was about to tear my hair out. The music!!!!! It was sooo bad. It was the absolute same type ballad, same key, same monotonous voice and guitar, one song after another - seeming unending. Occasionally the pre-recorded tour guide would interrupt the music (thank the Lord above for those respits). Then......back to the droning music. I would have rather listened to the engine. I was afraid I was the only one that was distracted, so I didn't say anything.
At one point I glanced over at Phyllis and she had her gloves stuck in her ears!!!!! I almost fell overboard. Thank the good Lord....it wasn't me after all....it was horrible music. Phyllis said if they asked her would she recommend the trip to anyone else she would have to say "only if they're deaf."
At the halfway point, everyone who had enjoyed the deck had to change places with the folks down in steerage. Now that was really bad, but worse, the music seemed even louder in the enclosed lower deck. We were sitting at windows that were at water level, so the scenery wasn't so swell. Since I didn't want to take any photos through the glass window, and since I hadn't seen much left to shoot, I just put my camera away.
The one pounding train of thought was.....OMG, what is Roger going to say about this ship wreck!!!! Since we were all of the same accord, he didn't say much...sigh! Phyllis and I coined a new term, however. When one has been led astray and been given a bill of goods about a service purchased......you can say one has been Yukoned! You may pronounce it yu koned. Meaning, of course, you've been conned! We did have a lot of laughs out of the experience!There was a flurry of activity when we got back to the RV. Laundry had to be done, and the dogs had been both vomiting and had diarrhea. Barry offered to run do the laundry! I suspect that the new dog treats I bought did not set well with the two little fur-girls. Sam has an iron stomach, as long as it doesn't have fat in it, I think he would eat the sink.
Carpet clean, dinner made, dogs outside, time for downloading the photos and having a toddy. Barry had returned from the laundry with a wonderful discovery.
I've already moaned about the expense of it here, but Barry happened upon a Canadian calling card that will allow you to call the US for $.04 a minute! He was so excited. I had no one to call and we would be in Alaska tomorrow, so I could wait. It's good to know that it exists. I have four calling cards - all US and no good in Canada. RRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIPPPPPPPP off. Well, the Canadians have to pay for all that premium free healthcare somehow!
When we pulled into the Strawberry Flats Campground, it was so beautiful that Phyllis just had to release a primal shout that came loose. I understood the feeling then and I will probably do the same when we get to Haines tomorrow. Back in the good ole USA! Cell phone service, Web service, the REAL WalMart Stores, fuel that we don't have to wonder what price we're paying - NO METRICS YEAH! BACK IN THE OLE USA!
That's about it for today, let's see, I told you about the fox, about the Canadian fone card, about lunch, about the boat ride, about the sick dogs, I guess that about covers it for today.
Gosh, I'm finished and it's only 10:40, what will I do with the rest of the night. Sun doesn't go down for another four hours.....!
June 7, 2011
I started getting sick and having horrendous abdominal cramps and pain right after we left Liard Hot Springs. I thought it was food poisoning, but didn't have any other symptoms. We were on the way to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, so I asked Barry to pull over and let me get into the RV and go to bed. The more I lay there the worse it got, and I finally remembered the symptoms...diverticulitis. I took a strong pain pill, went to sleep and have been almost fine since. It just keeps threatening to come back. I really think it's all this trip and not enough rest between stops, and it's been really hard on my nerves....probably because I'm not eating and sleeping properly. We're here for a day or two more before we hit the road again. It gave me a chance to go to the market - first time since we left Illinois! I just don't see how these people survive and feed families up here. I got a 2 pound pork roast, a bunch of celery, a box of spaghetti, and popcorn. that's it. It came to $60. Canadian. Barry paid $6 and change a gallon for diesel yesterday. We have a 40 gallon tank. We did eat lunch out today. A Mediterranean Restaurant. Really good food. I have a lamb kabob sandwich served on pita with humus and yogurt sauce, and a cup of soup. The sandwich had roasted red peppers, onion, lettuce and lamb slices. I want to tell you it was the best thing I've had on the road yet! Barry had a beef kabob sandwich...same thing.
Here's the kicker. The fellow that waited on us was a duplicate of my grandson Matthew, David's son, who lives in New York! He talked like him, everything, he just wasn't as tall, he was about the same height that I am. Barry was amazed too....he said he didn't know that David had made it to the Yukon!!!! I had to have a picture with him so I could show the family!
We walked down a couple of blocks toward the Yukon River, past a couple of really rough looking bars, past a few "First Nation" people having a quarrel on a corner. We crossed the street to avoid the bars, and as we did two men came rolling out the bar door. Both drunk. This really is like in a movie! We found a museum and perused it. It was interesting - full of stuff about the gold rush days, and lots of exhibits and rooms. They're enlarging it and it would be interesting to see how much bigger it will be. The downstairs part was called Clutterama. It was just everything from every time period concerning Whitehorse. Beautiful gowns and shawls and purses, and hats and hat pins, fur capes ermine cuffs - and these were all from the Ladies in the Red Light District!
June 7: Watson Lake, Liard Springs and onward!
 |
| From Strawberry Flats - Phyllis picking fire starter..... |
 |
| If the fire doesn't light, we'll make ear rings out of them! |
 |
| The Lounge Lizard and its Toad |
The idea for today is to make it from Watson Lake to Liard Hot Springs to Whitehorse (admittedly a long haul). We pulled out at 0800. I took a pain killer and I’m feeling a lot better and am able to ride in the truck. Everybody was chipper and ready to go. About 50 miles down the road it began to get a little rough. Rocks covered the road resulting in a slower pace. Barry drove at around 35-40 mph. Shortly, though we were back on hard top. I noticed that the big rigs passing us did give us a wide berth, just as had been reported that they will do. Cars and vans passing were not as courteous, and rocks did fly. Fortunately, nothing hit our windshield. Barry and I discussed the fact that we just might not make it all the way to Whitehorse. The fact that neither of us would object to pulling off for a night on the side of the road if we had companions.
When we came home the rest of the group was sitting under our fifth wheel apron having hors d'oeuvres and drinks!!!! It had started raining, and it just seemed like the thing to do. We joined them after I put my roast in the fridge.
Tomorrow we're going to do a Yukon River cruise with Larry and Phyllis and Roger and Anita. Should be great fun. I'm going to take some pain medicine with me - in case.
If money conversion isn't confusing enough, there's the metric conversion.
Whitehorse is named after rapids on the Yukon River that resembled flowing manes of white horses. Before the goldrush, this was a "First Nation's" campsite. Whitehorse is now the capital city of the Yukon Territory. The population is 25,000.The population of the entire Yukon Territory is only 35,000. The major of the Caucasians speak the Queen's English, French and German. Most of the population, though is "First Nation" - 14 different tribes of them just in the Yukon, the largest is the Tlingit.
Whitehorse is in winter most of the year - the only warm weather is late May to the first of September.
We stopped in a tiny town - Teslin where a large community of Tlinglet The museum was awesome. They had beautifully mounted animals of the Yukon which gave you the opportunity to see their actual size, shape and color. I’m still confused about telling the difference between Caribou and Elk. Moose, Caribou, Elk and deer are all in the same family. The only way to differentiate is by body and size of rack. I took lots of pictures with descriptions to help me sort it out later.
The route through here has been monotonous. It’s impossible for me to stay aroused having taken a pain killer, and Barry’s having great difficulty staying awake, but stopping at the village freshened both of us- thank God! The first construction stop. Between Teslin and Johnson’s Crossing. Roadwork, of course! And it took us right to Johnson’s Crossing and the bakery! We were supposed to meet PaL, RaA, but we were running way behind, so they weren’t there.
The buns there weren’t quite as large as the ones we had had before (can’t remember the name of the bakery). They also weren’t as good by a long way. No pecans, too soft, too sweet, if the same things happens that did on our trip to New England, it’s the great “best bun” search. In New England, it was the “best scone” search.
More of this later, nighty night time for me.
June 4, 2011: Strawberry Campground Muncho Lake
This was what heaven will look like if you love mountains and water....it is simply awesome. Just gonna post pix and captions.
Now these were the standard setter for buns...yum!
Bare with me, I became carried away with mountain peaks and ribboned roads....
The striking angles and contrasts between rocky areas and treed areas kept catching my eye.
Strawberry Campground, Muncho Lake
The Road angles and curves attracted me for the next bunch of pix.
 |
| A fuel pipeline crossing alongside the bridge. |
 |
| Saw this moose crossing and waited until it got to the top to shot another photo. |
 |
| Lots of black bears |
The ribbon just curls on and on....
Just when you think it will straighten out, it doesn't!
June 3, 2011 0730: Mile 0 Campground
BRRRRRRRRRRR It’s cold in Dawson Creek
Haven’t heard from the Lounge Lizard Caravan. They’re probably on the road my now. I’m really glad we didn’t unhook the truck last night. Also glad all we have to do is roll up the hose, unplug the land line, pull in the slides and jump in the truck. Of course, last night we pulled everything we had out – maps, charts, the Milepost a mess to pick up this AM.
My goodness - we finally got this far. For a while, I was sure it wasn't going to happen for me.
There's no way to describe the way of life. Most all employment is wrapped around heavy construction of oil harvesting. The living accommodations are suited to crews and their needs. Have seen this sign more then once! Next picture shows why.
Mud is everywhere. The cars and trucks are caked in layers of mud, The work clothes are stacked with mud then dust then mud then dust.....
As we were about to leave it started raining - again - and the rain turned to snow, the snow to sleet, etc., etc. Barry asked if this was common for the area - to snow in June and was told "well not a lot." Barry then asked from what direction the snow was blowing, and would we be driving in this long. The man said that he wasn't sure, but it seemed to be coming from the North, and if we were going that way we could count on two things: coming from the North the snow would be snowing really hard, or it might not be snowing at all. Armed with this vital briefing, we headed OUT.
So, it would seem the more we drove, the less snow we saw until it really was gone! Poof!
This little fellow was grazing on the side of the road. When we stopped to take his picture, he just looked at us curiously. I took several pix and he just wasn't a bit flustered by us. About that time, Daisy caught a whiff of him, and from out of a deep sleep she jumped up just roaring, which of course set the other two off, and when they saw what they were barking about, they went ballistic...the bear could not have cared less. He finally ambled into the forest!
We spotted this moose and pulled over. I waited for him/her to reach the top, lowered the window and waited for him/her look up from grazing. Barry thought he'd help the situation a long and honked on the horn. Gone, gone, gone, moose!
Snow on Rocky Top! Just one of millions of breathtaking sights along the way. So beautiful it was impossible to refrain from shooting every inch of the way. So I only shot every foot of the way!
A really interesting curve on the Alaska Hwy. Snow, mountains, and a curve. Hey! This IS supposed to be an adventure.
From time to time there would be turnouts that would have signs that said...CHAINS AHEAD. Then there would be a sign..CHAIN REMOVAL. Awsome. I only worried that we didn't have any chains!
We are talking ridiculous grades. The sign is just a hint of the passes and grades we have been coming across. Beautiful for the photographer, though.
Couldn't resist this picture of the truck and RV with ice and snow all over them. The snow is now replaced with mud, muck and bugs!
May 31, 2011: Edmonton
OK we are “on the rim and out the door,” and I’ve got to layer up! Next scheduled stop: Ft. Nelson , BC
May 29, 2011
As you pore over the maps and descriptions of the various areas you will be traveling through, all the localities and unusual landmarks catch your eye and you make a mental and sometimes written note of these points. Funny though, the closer you get to the town all that comes to mind is meal, shower, rest - and in that order! The first to go is the rest! If you are going to have only one night, you want to make the best of it.
After a night in the Walmart parking lot, a shower is paramount. You need a shower, your partner needs a shower, the dogs really need a shower....you first! The dogs have to wait until the 5 gallon water heater replenishes itself.
None of the meals that we have been getting in The prices in
Next day was set aside for morning sightseeing. Barry didn’t want to go, so the rest of us headed for Wanuskewin Heritage Park
This is a "buffalo herder" He would dress in bison skins and find the nearest herd. This was no easy task as sometimes the herd would be days away. He would penetrate the herd and disguise himself as a calf. The herd, always surrounding the calves had no way of knowing he wasn't one of their own. He would then gently lead the herd from within, moving in the direction of his tribe. The herd being protective would continue to circle the calves (and him) and he would continue this until he had brought them home to his tribe. At this point in history, the "First Nation" people had neither horses nor rifles. They would stand behind rocks they had prepared as a guide. As the herd approached, they would stand up and wave them to their destination. If it was a fenced in area, it would be lined with buffalo skins on the weak timbers and the buffalo would see and think it other bison, so they would again circle the herd and not try to break through the camouflaged fence. The tribe would then kill them with arrows, spears and rocks. The second way would be to guide them to a "buffalo jump" - a cliff where they would fall to their death. The survivors would be killed with arrows, spears or rocks.
The next exhibition that I like was of the women in all the nation’s tribes. Portraits were hung and the short explanation of their impact on the community was printed alongside. The women included nurses, teachers, craftswomen, politicians and advisers. In the center of the room were women in regalia, heads bowed in a peaceful repose. No explanation of the presentation was given.
A round space, surrounded by glass windows allowed a full visual of the property’s hills and plains. Within those space demonstrations of tipi hoisting, dancing, and other “hands on” and live media was presented. The benches around the space allowed each person to clearly see the event.
While we were there they built a tipi and we were given an interpretation of a male prairie chicken’s pompous moves. The dance was presented by a young Cree man who had learned the moves from his father who had subsequently learned the moves from HIS father. A tradition of passing traditions in action per se. Each piece of his regalia told a story in beads and feathers and fur.
While we were there they built a tipi and we were given an interpretation of a male prairie chicken’s pompous moves. The dance was presented by a young Cree man who had learned the moves from his father who had subsequently learned the moves from HIS father. A tradition of passing traditions in action per se. Each piece of his regalia told a story in beads and feathers and fur.
He carefully explained to the mostly primary school children, all about the dances and their importance in his culture. He was patient and informative.
There were trails galore, and an excavation team from theUniversity of Saskatchewan
I had lost the group while I was in the art rooms, so I ventured the hills and trails alone, caught in my own reverie. Phyllis caught up with me on the top of a buffalo "jump" - the rest of the group had gone to have lunch while I tread the trails and she walked with me back to the resort building.
Brochures indicated that they have a hotel system there as well, although I didn’t have access to it.
There were trails galore, and an excavation team from the
I had lost the group while I was in the art rooms, so I ventured the hills and trails alone, caught in my own reverie. Phyllis caught up with me on the top of a buffalo "jump" - the rest of the group had gone to have lunch while I tread the trails and she walked with me back to the resort building.
Phyllis far left behind trees, Anita and Roger on right.
Phyllis, Roger, Anita and Larry
Brochures indicated that they have a hotel system there as well, although I didn’t have access to it.
There were many, many charts, illustrations and diagrams that gave insight beyond our imagination and education! As follows:
I must tell you that after taking the picture of the stone, and the explanation thereof, Phyllis tapped the stone.......it was not the real thing........it was a plastic copy. ???????
-30-
May 28, 29, 30, 2011: Regina - to Saskatoon
The distance from Regina to Saskatoon was relatively short, considering. I had Barry's laptop all choked up with software to get us anywhere, I thought. Each day Larry provided Barry and Roger written directions to get where we're going, hopefully. As we pulled out of the parking lot I asked Barry if he had the directions - he replied in the affirmative. I had doggie duties to take care of, so I went to work on Sam's eyes, Daisy's leg, and Maggie's skin. Short duty and I was ready to open my 2011 Microsoft Streets and Trips, and Google's Earth. I had plugged in all the routes in VA so all I had to do was tweak them each leg of the trip. What was great was zeroing in on the upcoming campground with Google's Earth. I could tell Barry what it looked like, what the sites looked like, whether there was lots of water standing on the ground, etc., etc. With Streets and Trips, I opened the leg already loaded, tuned up the GPS and waited for the miracle to happen. It always did, however this time the Navigation Page was doing push ups trying to determine what route we were on and where we supposed to be. By the time I figured we were in a spot not planned, we had gone 30 miles askew. Not to worry, our little system pointed out our saving grace and we soon were on a side road that would take us to the correct routing! Thank you miracle maker. We were just ruminating over the fact that had Barry not made that little mistake while I was tending the fur children, we would have miss the town of Moose Jaw! Little did we know what was in store for us as we motored our way to Saskatoon. I'll let our pix do the talking, but as a preamble: the topography began to change to hills and deep valleys. The road narrowed a bit, but not too bad really. However, the road led us to a bit, no in this case, bit is an understatement, of road construction. First I noticed the sign they display for truckers that are going to encounter a steep declining hill. Next I noticed an orange sign with a stick man and shovel painted on it. We rounded the bend, looked down and saw a sight that - well all I can say is that it imposed a real "come to Jesus" moment in our souls. Take a look at these pictures....I'll return with the rest of the story!
Beautiful and Bucolic, eh?
What's this as we round the bend?
Let's see if we can decode the warnings....I think they're saying - WE'RE SCREWED!
This just can't be happening - OMG
Where's the crew that will help us out of the lake when the walls let go?
OK, you knew we were going to make it anyway back to hills and dales. Barry was in desperate need of "facilities" after that and we managed to find a "store" in short time. I couldn't swear what it really was, but I can tell you that all around the building was knee deep mud. Oozy kind, and parked along the road were vehicles that were encrusted in mud, sand, loose soil, loose rock and God knows what else. The drivers were a mirror of their vehicles. Barry managed a way in and back out with a cup of joe and we were off! It wasn't long before we were back on the correct route much to the appreciation of the lady in the GPS. "Streets and Trips" began to relax and the trailing line eventually was nice and smooooooth. We had no idea in the world where the rest of our caravan was, but we were alive, dry and had most of our faculties about us. Down the road a bit more and Barry pulled over for a rest stop. Another mud impacted parking lot, but who cared now, we were fitting right in with the locals, muddy rig, muddy boots, wet clothes and a don't give a shit attitude. As we walked the dogs around in the 6 inch square of grass, lo and behold, the rest of our caravan flashed by. Gosh, what a warm and fuzzy feeling that gave us. Now, mind you, all this time and we had no communication with the other two. Our phones were on roaming at a million dollars a second and we had no other way to chat. We settled back for what should have been a very easy trip, and the rest of it promised to be just that. I thought this would be a good time to see what our new digs were going to look like. At least we would get a nice hot shower after all that stress and strain! Then we could just settle back and catch the news, and relax. This time Google Earth said it was a "jewel of a campground!" I checked, rechecked re-rechecked and told Barry that this time I knew exactly where we were going, how to get there and every pebble in the tarmac, so he'd better follow my instructions. His answer was that he had read Larry's "daily" and all I had to do was refresh his memory when we got there. In the meantime, I'll awaken him when we get there!
May 28, 2011: Regina, SA.....WalMart!
OMG, what's this? Google Earth showed me a campground that looked like all the parking lots we had just passed. Holey moley, we can't pull in there! By the time we found the place, the Mehlers and the Pordes had already demured from parking there and away we all flew like Santa and his reindeer. I googled and gps-ed and found there were two WalMarts in Regina (pronounced REEE-GYNA). One was a supercenter, and though we probably were going to miss our shower, we at least would be entertained. We took the lead since I had downloaded directions to the SuperCenter and it wasn't long before we were approaching the city. I re-briefed Barry on the directions, verified that we would be at the SuperCenter, and felt really sure of my navigational skills. Alas and alack. Barry saw a WalMart sign and before I could open my lips he was changing lanes, engaging turn signals and whipping across traffic. THIS IS THE WRONG WALMART, BARRY! He didn't want to hear the word "wrong" and so it was set in concrete that we were going to this WalMart. Man, was it packed. The parking lot looked like a bee hive of cars. Fortunately, there were two other Coaches already parked there, and it made an easy target for location. We were there and we were staying there for the nite. Period. We did have a good meal at an Italian eatery in the complex. Barry fired up the old generator for his breathing machine, and we trudged across the parking lot to WalMart for needed supplies. Hark! Barry stopped us before the greeter could finish wel.....come. No groceries. Phyllis and I did a 180. There was a grocery within hiking distance, so we schlepped on over to it. Bedtime came early that night.
Pordes' Coach, Holman 5th Wheel, Mehler Coach Rear
And it did feel good to "call it a day," even though at 10 PM it was still lite out! For scintilating pix of life in the WalMart parking lot drop on over to Phyllis' Facebook page. Barry cued us in on an amazing bulk food store so everybody but him took a look - had to do something with the rest of the evening. That store really was amazing. Everything in bulk and I do mean everything. From cake mix to gummy bears, they had it all. Meantime, wake me when we reach our next destination - Saskatoon! I just hoped the destination was not going to be Saskartoon!
May 27, 2011: Dunseith, ND/International Peace Garden Park & Crossing into CANADA!!
There were really interesting roadside sights along the way. The first challenge was to try to wrap your mind around the size of the farms. We would drive for miles and miles and see an infrequent oasis of a homestead. We did come upon windmill farms here and there.
The closer we motored to the Border, the more excited I became. We saw lots of signs for the Peace Garden, but I was just sure we had missed the entrance as we drove right up to the crossing. But, there it was, the no man’s land of the International Peace Garden. Another bucolic vista.
Beautiful Aspen trees with birch-like bark grew huge. I had been acquainted with the Colorado Aspens that were much smaller and wispier. Phyllis met us at the entrance. It was rain soaked and muddy and she suggested that we not drive over to their local because they had had trouble with the muddy sites. She indicated we might want to park at the entrance where it was higher and drier. Barry being Barry drove on, and Phyllis and I walked behind him. She pointed out their sites and there were another two sites sorta linked together in one long stretch. There was a common gravel road and I was thinking he could just pull onto the gravel road and park. It wasn’t dry, but it was off the soggy grass and mud. In the meantime, Barry had made a circle and was coming in from the other end of the gravel road which had a sharp turn to negotiate. His mind was already made up, brain locked and engine in gear. I didn’t have time to run the length of the driveway to watch for hazards before he began the turn, and the next thing I heard was the loud noise of the right two RV tires grinding into a small deep ditch. This really was ugly. Our brand new tires. The heavier side of the RV that held the kitchen and dining room slide.
As you already know he pulled the RV out, tires spinning, hearts pounding, engine laboring and oaths muttered. It was the first really stupid move Barry had ever made while pulling the RV. I fought back an angry retort - Why bother - the dogs and I took a long walk. On the way back a huge wave of nausea hit me, and I had to stop a few times. Daisy couldn’t walk any further and I wasn’t really sure I was going to be able to make it back from the pain I was having. But, as you know, I did! You see posted pix of the meadow in front of our RV. It was almost solid bright yellow with dandelion blooms.
There weren’t any other occupants in sight, but we knew one Canadian was there - we had followed him from the entrance! It was lovely, Roger started a big fire in the pit and we all made a trip to the “complementary “ wood pile. We had a libation or two before it started raining. Everyone was expecting to have whatever alcohol left confiscated - so - DRINK IT UP!
Early to bed and early to rise….let’s get it on and over the border. As luck would have it, we left first, followed by the Mehlers and then the Pordes. I made sure we had every document they would ever as for - and as it turns out - MORE! They checked our documentation, approved and asked us to pull through, park the rig and take the dogs to the grassy spot and wait. I’m hear to tell you what Sam thought of this whole process. The minute his little paws hit the grass, he pooed the biggest poo of his life! Who knows???? Well for 45 minutes they tossed the RV. We could see the process through the windows, and they were THOROUGH. I certainly had no heartburn over that at all, glad to see border security in action. They wouldn’t even let Barry go back to the truck to get his coffee!
(Pix from Phyllis collection)
When at last they were satisfied, when at last they had asked us in at least four different ways if we had any weapons, when at last they asked us how long we were going to be in Canada at least three times, they were seemingly satisfied. We told them that there were two other rigs behind and with us, and we moved on out of the way, expecting another 90 minutes. Instead, they briefly questioned the Mehlers - were they actually with us, what was our relationship, how did they know us, did they know the next rig, how did they know them, checked their documentation, and 10 minutes later - they were passed as were Roger and Anita. Sigh….
(Pix from Phyllis' collection)
Hey!!! We’re on our way - we made it to Canada. Awaken me when we get to White City.
May 26, 2011: Fargo, ND
Fargo is an Academy Award winning 1996 film directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film is named after the city which is only seen briefly at the film's opening scene set in a bar and mentioned a total of twice in the film. None of Fargo was shot on location in or near Fargo (the establishing shot noted in the movie as Fargo was instead filmed in northeast Minneapolis). The majority of the movie was filmed in Minneapolis and the local areas around Grand Forks, North Dakota, which served as a substitute for Brainerd, Minnesota due to mild Minnesota weather during production. According to an interview, the Coens claim they actually titled the movie Fargo because it sounded more interesting than "Brainerd".
According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, the top ten European ancestries in Fargo, ND were the following:
The median income for a household in the city was $35,510, and the median income for a family was $50,486. Males had a median income of $31,968 versus $22,264 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,101. About 6.6% of families and 11.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Fargo was an interesting place, must be drastically different in the dead of Winter. It was Spring for them, I had layers of cotton t-shirts, Sweat Shirt, Hoodie, and wind breaker. They were wearing shorts and short sleeved shirts. It had been a very friendly and fun time.
After we settled in, I began to hear a pounding in my ear. OMG was this high blood pressure? Was I about to stroke out? After I calmed down a bit I realized that I was hearing a Native American style rhythm. I grabbed my camera and shot out the RV door to find the source. There, not 500 feet away was a pow wow going on! Imagine that. It seemed to be an end of the year type gathering. One tribal member was introduced and congratulated on getting her College Degree, some were introduced and thanked for their work, and others were just there to eat. Hey! Eating is good.
I still wonder at the width of the streets and sidewalks. There was so much distance across. We strolled downtown and were picked up (stalked) by young man who was eager to give us advice on the train exhibit and the old station. Real nice, suggested a place to eat, “the Spicey Pie.” We looked at the menus of a few restaurants before
settling on one, the Broadway Grill. Great food, fun waiter.. We told him that we were so disappointed to find that no one spoke with an accent like the one in the movie. He immediately gave us his best impression of a Fargo accent. I think he was from Kansas!
The heavy rain and flooding had done immense damage to much of the city and, indeed, most of the states that we were crossing. The campground was on the edge of the Red River. The Red River floods every year, but it didn't stop people from coming to the park. As I was walking the dogs, I happened upon a family walking to the swollen river's banks to set up shop and fish! I asked them what they fished for and the man said that they usually caught crappy and sometimes even a muskie.
Next morning it was off to another adventure, The Peace Garden!
May 25, 2011 Wisconsin & Mall of America
Time to bug out of Illinois and head for another state of mind! We actually had to drive across the entire state of Wisconsin to the edge of the state line. We past Cheese Stores and Cranberry Bogs. Did you have any idea that Wisconsin grew cranberries? I sure didn't.
We passed beautiful natural rock formations, and the Dells...The Dells, what are the Dells, well I still don't know because we didn't stop.
The weather was bad, mostly overcast. With three RVs in route, we didn't plan to stick together. Just planned to end up at the same place - and we did! Barry and I mosied down the road, and expected that Phyllis and Larry and Roger and Anita would be hours ahead of us. When we neared our destination, Barry called Larry to get last minute directions, and they were just a few minutes ahead of us! Sorta like the Hare and the Tortoise. We were able to secure two pull ins and one back in. Larry being the gentleman that he is, allowed Barry and Me to have one of the pull ins and Roger and Anita the other one. Pure heaven!!!
After a good night's sleep it was off to the world famous "Mall of America!" No doubt about it - that place is BIG. We left the campground at 10 and didn't get back until almost five o'clock!!!
The ridiculous thing is we didn't really see all of it. We passed by all the stores, stopped in a few - had lunch at Bubba Gump's and headed back. It is all so very much! I would have to say it has every store you would ever think of and more. It did not have a grocery store, though!!!! Shoes to drool over, dresses to laugh over, casuals to dream over and gelato to buy!
We bought pins to add to our collections and laughed about our "financial consciences" hovering over us. Larry said keep up with three women at the Mall of America was like herding cats! My biggest temptation was the ear rings. So many ear rings, so few ears. Barry likes to tell everyone that he hates shopping at malls, but I think this one really blew his mind. He actually spent some time in a couple of the stores!
Breakfast somewhere!
Another night, another fire!
May 23, 2011: Chicago, Illinois
Well! We made it thru the night. It hailed so hard that my impulse was to catch a bucket full of it for drinks later. Barry's going to search for a couple of tires, and I'm going in with PaL and Anita to Chicago, Chicago that toddlin' town!
We took the Metra from Zion into Chicago.
A Water Taxi from the Metra stop to Michigan Avenue.
We managed to take in all the sights and then some!!! A great lunch at "Frankie's" (I had a one-eyed pizza which was delish), and tried some of the local beer. A building with 900 boutiques - too many to even window shop! We attempted to hike to the Navy Pier, but gave it up - hey this isn't a marathon, you know. It's supposed to be fun. So we jumped on water taxi back to our Metra stop and breezed back to Zion. It was a very quiet day in the big city, but there were still plenty of sites...especially in the lady's rooms! Whew! We didn't see any hot dog venders, but we did see a couple of sidewalk entertainers - a mime and a sax player. Pretty mild!
The Water Tower: the only remaining edifice from the 1907 great fire you know the one blaming Mrs. O'Leary and her cow.
May 22, 2011
Is that my imagination, or did one of our tires just blow out? With the wind at our backs, we left Goodfield for the busy Windy City! Traffic wasn't too bad for the afternoon. We had our goal in our sites when a tire blew. Barry thought it was the van passing us but from the impact and the sound, I knew it was either the RV or the truck. Barry pulled over to inspect, and yes, it was one of the RV tires facing the oncoming traffic. We sat for a minute thinking over the situation and I asked Barry to call Roadside Assistance and NOT get out there and change it himself. It was hot and the traffic, although not slow, was steady and crowded. He finally agreed, called RA and was told it would be 90 minutes or more because there were so many requests due the bad weather - that was at 1300 hours. As I feared Barry waited only a short time before he went into action, and by 1345 Barry had the tire changed and we were on our way. I was glad we were on our way but I really felt uncomfortable having him in such close proximity to oncoming traffic while changing the tire.
We had left Goodfield in a blackout, no electricity and no idea when it would be back on or why it was out. By 1100 hours, the power had come and gone several times and really bad weather was moving in. While we were on the road, our friend Julie called and said that they were having a violent storm with hail. Not a good sign. It appeared the storm was chasing us up the state.
As we pulled into the State Park, the heavens opened and it really poured, but in keeping with our usual rain experience, it stopped long enough for us to get parked, meet our new caravan couple, and hug and kiss PaL. We sat around getting acquainted, having a cool drink and enjoying the end of one trip and the beginning of our second "Trip of a Lifetime - Alaska 2011."
It began to get cool the sun was slipping away and there were more yawns then stories, so we parted for the evening. Barry took the Holman Shipmates for a walk and just as he got back, the heavens opened again. There were several weather alerts for us, and Barry and I talked about our choices if the storms demanded that we evacuate the RV. After several systems blasted through, the dogs convinced us that we should just go to bed and let the rain drops lull us to sleep!!!!
End of the "Official Day 1" eventful enough, but not frightening nor scary. More about our new fellow Rvers later....I'm going to say adieu and ado it!
xoxoxoma
Well, she's on the rim!
And OUTDDOOR
-30-
Barry! Barry! Let's pull the RV onto the driveway before it rains...sigh... We park the MABarry (pronounced MayBarry, as in Mayberry with Andy Griffith) in our side yard. There is no platform for it, no gravel - just dirt and grass (weeds). When it rains, the RV is up to it's hubs in mud - no easy task to pull out! So I like to get it out and onto the driveway as soon as possible (of course, makes sense doesn't it? hmmmmmmmmmm). Barry is a "wait until the very last minute to do most everything" type of guy. Says he works better under pressure. I'm a "plan waaaaaaaaaayyyyyy ahead type of gal." I like to check things off the list and MOVE ON.
Looking up at dark skies four days before lift-off didn't make the rock in my stomach get any smaller. We had pavers left over from some project, so I decided to use them. "Waste of time, not going to rain 'til Monday," pontificated Barry. Well, it was my time I was wasting, so I moved almost all of them in front and behind the tires that were the highest and driest at the time. Now, mind you, we have had to get friends with anything they could find to get us out in the past - tractors, earth movers, huge dump trucks. I didn't let a small thing like Barry scoffing at my efforts stop me this time.
What's that? Could it be the rain dripping down on me? Barry said it wasn't due until the day after we would leave. Coincidentally, I had just placed the final paver when the heavens opened. Next day between showers we pulled the RV onto the driveway. Piece of cake - right over the pavers and onto the tarmac. Hee hee hee and yuckity yuck yuck. Two days til blast off, a few incidentals to deal with and we're outta here.
On one of my passes from house to RV, Barry seemed to be screaming oaths and other expletive type phrases from under the RV. Then, without further adieu, he jumped into his trusty Ford and roared off leaving, after the smoke cleared, every imaginable tool, tire jack, piece of board rotten and nasty looking, and lots and lots of dirty rags. hmmmmmmmm. I thought all he had to do was remove the bike rack. My mistake. A simple attempt to tighten a piece of molding led to the discovery that the supports in the rear of the RV had rotted. Two days to go and Barry has to replace weight bearing structural wooden beams. Bummmmmmmer. Better go brew lots of iced tea and make some chocolate chip cookies or something like that. Things are going to get very tense around here, I can feel it in my bones - or maybe that's my arthritis acting up from the damp weather. Gimme a pill and double my insurance.
Without boring you (any further) with the details, Barry did get the job done - remember he works best under pressure! All systems appear to be on go. The count-down starts, let the games begin! Meanwhile with all this flurry of activity around the RV, the dogs are frothing at the jowls to get going! They circled the truck like collies with sheep. Must not let it leave without them.
Does everyone else get that warm fuzzy glo when at last you " throw off the bowlines and sail away from the safe harbor and catch the trade winds in your sails ready to explore, dream, discover?" Nothing like it. Nothing that is until you go over your check list in your mind....Barry's meds, my meds, the dogs' meds, sufficient camera equipment (although how can you ever really have sufficient camera equipment when you're driving to Alaska?), Barry's clothes, my clothes, dogs' clothes, everything computer and all my earrings. Yep, we're set. Passports! I did pack Barry's and mine and the three dogs' passports, didn't I! Okay, here they are. Time to calm down and slip back into the "pink bubble" as Phyllis calls it. Sigh of relief. Awaken me when we're in Indiana!
<
No comments:
Post a Comment