Clarion Suites Anchorage

... The main reason was that very few people lived in the area and they fled when they felt the earthquakes that preceded the eruption. Should a similar eruption occur on a volcano like Mount Vesuvius in Europe, with the city of Naples lying close to the volcano, the situation would be quite different!

More photos of Katmai and Alaska can be seen on my website at:

http://volcans.blogs-de-voyage. fr

Took the train from Talkeetna to Anchorage yesterday...another nice ride. We saw a moose as we crossed through the grounds of Elmendorf Air Force Base. It was dark and rainy so no pictures of him.

I am now sitting at the Anchorage airport waiting for my flight home. It will be a little more pleasant as for an extra 10k frequent flier miles I was able to get first class seats for the return trip. That will be nice on a red eye ...

We woke up early as we had to be at the ferry terminal by 07:00. Packing up camp was fast and we were there in plenty of time so we detoured for coffee. Yum!

The ferry trip took about 6 hours. We had breakfast onboard and then proceded out on deck where we stayed for a good part of the trip. The panorama was again spectacular and our cameras were constantly clicking. One of the highlights was seeing a seal fighting off seagulls to keep ...

... our carpool together again for our next excursion to Whittier where we planned to tour the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and take a Portage Glacier Cruise. We had not long been on the Seward Highway, heading south, when we approached an emergency vehicle with a large flashing sign warning of the highway being closed due to a serious accident. There is no other road that leads to Whittier, so police were detouring all traffic to a parking area on the ...

The last night at Alaska. No specific schedule, just shopping, and easy short drive to the berry farm to see the chocolate fountain. Our flight was like 1:28 a.m., so we got to the airport around 10 p.m. Finally, the night fell. I was so glad to see the night. My eyes felt comfortable. No wonder we all felt sore for the eyes, the sun's been shining all day long!

... of warm stuff and are thinking, "Why? Isn't India a really hot place?" Well, never fear. It actually is, but we are going to the Leh/Ladakh area, and thought we needed to stay warm. It's in the Himalayas, and as far as we know, they don't have central heating.

Reuniting with the main highway, we headed south, merging with the great Alaskan oil pipeline, to the town of Valdez. As we crossed the pass over the Chugash Mountains, we stopped to see the Worthington Glacier and several waterfalls pour out of the jagged mountain peaks. In the winter, these mountains catch the wet, sticky snow coming off the Gulf of Alaska and enable extreme skiing on 50 degree ...

... clothes. There were so many clothes I took that I never wore; AZRA is right! You usually wear the same clothes over and over. One thing I won't take next time: a white shirt!!! We had rain and wind, and there were several days we were cold, especially going through some good-size rapids. Be sure you take the recommended items on the AZRA clothing list! I used the heck out of the only pair ...

... activities you can do that'll suit your taste and your budget - a cruise to the Columbia Glacier, a fishing trip or rafting trips through Keystone Canyon. Valdez has a bunch of Bed and Breakfast's and hotels (such as ...

... was commanded by the road. The hood of the poncho was flapping like a flag in a violent storm. The water slashing my face and hands was freezing. It had been a seventy degree day in the city, about sixty in the mountains, but the rain and wind had robbed the air of any former warmth. This was winter. A few moments after setting off down the mountain I was saturated. My denim jeans (a stupid choice of apparel for a long day of biking) hung heavy over the pedals and ...