TravelStream™ news feed for member sueonthego on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/sueonthego en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:47:05 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1247490085/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1247490085/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1247490085/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:47:05 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Good Hope Lake, British Columbia, Canada

This blog entry covers two travel days.

"Late" (7:00am) on the morning of the 12th, I left Palmer and headed southeast back toward the Yukon. I noticed many examples of rock graffiti along the road. It was a hazy/smoky morning and pictures of distant mountains were not promising. No large animals spotted today, but I did see 4 pairs of trumpeter swans (one with babies) in various little lakes along the way. The road surfaces today were some of the worst of the trip -- both in Alaska and the Yukon. Good weather. I drove southeast for 533 miles and arrived at Cottonwood Park, again at 6:10 pm. (See also the entry for June 30 - my first night at Cottonwood Park)

On Monday morning the 13th, I left Cottonwood at 6:10 am. It was relatively cold in the morning, and the sky was almost completely blue. No haze or smoke from forest fires in this part of the Yukon. Again today, no large animals were seen along the road. But I did see a porcupine, the first one of the whole trip! (As it turned out, it was the only porcupine.)

I stopped very briefly in Haines Junction to take a picture of a little church that was build from a quonset hut left over when the military built the Alaska Highway. Later in the day, I stopped for gas at Swift River Lodge and got into a brief conversation with one of the owners. This lodge/store/gas station will be closing in September, due to government regulations and requirements that most small business owners along the Yukon stretch of the Alcan cannot meet. Many businesses are already closed along the way. It will mean fewer and fewer services (especially gas!) for travelers. You don't want to run out of gas on this road!

At the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway was a campground where I had planned to stop. But it was still early, so I headed south thinking about going as far as Dease Lake. But I ended up stopping north of there, at Boya Lake Provincial Park in northern British Columbia. This was a nice stop, although the campground was more primitive (one water faucet, and just outhouses rather than flush toilets). I arrived early enough to get a pretty site right on the lake. The van and I logged 450 miles today. I liked both the scenery and the road conditions, even with some gravel stretches along the Cassiar Highway.

Boya Lake was beautiful for an evening hike. I took lots of pictures. I also saw some animal evidence along trail (beaver-chewed tree stump and two sizes of droppings), but no critters. If I had arrived earlier or had been able to spend more time, I could have rented a canoe and explored Boya Lake. This is a spot I would love to visit again in the future!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1248613789/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1248613789/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1248613789/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:15:07 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Decatur, Alabama, United States

Out of campground at 5:50 am. Gas close by was a nice price -- $2.27.9. One of the best prices of the whole trip!

Detoured through Land Between the Lakes (Kentucky and Tennessee). There is a nice Nature Center ($4 per adult), an elk and bison habitat to drive through ($5 per vehicle), and an 1880's homestead area ($4 per adult). This area might be a good place for a vacation closer to home. Canoes can be rented. There are several campgrounds plus the possibility of 'backcountry' camping. The only disappointment was that the pay attractions in LBL did not honor my federal multi-agency pass, although LBL is a federal recreation area.

Traffic ground to almost a standstill east of Nashville on I-24. An 18-wheeler had overtuned and was almost completely upside-down in the median. A number of big tow trucks were on the scene...probably figuring out how to work together to get the wrecked truck up and out of the way. I crawled along at about 3 miles per hour for 50 minutes. Not helpful.

Traveled about 505 miles today. I noticed that gas prices in the Decatur area are about the lowest of anywhere on the trip. Not a reason to stay in town, though!

* * * * * * * *
Friday, July 31... Well, I've looked at some of the bills that have come in already. I averaged slightly less than $100 per day for this trip. Gas was the single greatest expenditure. Lodging was the second most expensive category. My fine tent was my nightly abode 65% of the time, which allowed for some fancier stops in Alaska (cabins, hostels, and 2 motel nights). I ate in restaurants only during part of the trip in Alaska. I only hit the fast food restaurants, including drive-throughs for coffee, 5 times. I bought ice for the cooler almost daily, but the majority of items for meals and snacks I brought with me from home.

Things I'm REALLY glad I had along: power inverter (to charge cameras, etc. while driving), small drip coffee machine (I dislike the little bags of coffee that look like tea bags!), head net, Thermarest mat, mini laptop so I could keep up this blog, baby wipes (for spills and to do some good detail cleaning when stopped for construction or traffic), small battery-operated fan for hot nights in the tent (there weren't too many of those nights), a bottle of Germ-X I kept in the driver's door pocket, bottle of window cleaner and lots of paper towels, and a little notebook so I could make notes about the pictures I took (can't remember the names of all the lakes, etc. after time passes).

Things I didn't need (fortunately): hydraulic tire jack, mounted full-size spare tire, OTC meds for stomach and other ailments, first aid supplies other than 1 bandaid and a few Tylenol.

Looking back, I noted that I slept better in my tent - thanks to the comfy Thermarest and sleeping bag - than I did in the various other lodgings. Sleeping in the tent was only difficult if the campground was close enough to the highway that road noise kept me awake. That is the only reason that I chose a motel for the first night on the road and a KOA cabin for the last night on the road.

I saw license plates from every US state except Rhode Island and Hawaii. Saw plates from 7 Canadian provinces/territories.


* * * * * * * * * * *
August 1: I have done a first edit on only about 2/3 of my pictures. (I took about 2000 pics.) When I finish the editing, I will add more photos to most of the TravelPod entries. Please be patient.

August 8: I'm still editing pictures. Only about 400 left. Only???

* * * * * * * * * *

Thursday, August 20...I've finally finished a first edit of all the digital and film pictures. I have yet to print any.

Other thoughts...good planning ahead was important to me. I could travel with confidence, knowing where I would camp or stay most nights. Most of the information I found on the internet turned out to be pretty accurate. Advertisements for most campgrounds described features and amenities rather well.

It's sad to know that more and more businesses along the Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway may be closing. If I get a chance to go to Alaska again, I'll be sure to take along even more gasoline...JUST IN CASE!

I want to go back.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Friday, September 4...I've posted more pictures on my Webshots pages: http://community.webshots.com/user/sueonthego. I still have more to post. I'll continue to put up additional pictures on this blog, too. I may replace some with other pictures that I have edited.

A final thought: MUCH helpful information was gained by frequently consulting the TripAdvisor web site. (www.tripadvisor.com) The local experts for my Alaska destinations gave accurate, specific, and current information. Their info was much more up-to-date than any publication I bought or most websites I visited.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
October, 2009...my poor van was wrecked on October 3rd. Total loss! It made two successful trips to the Canadian Rockies (2005 and 2007) and one great trip to and from Alaska --- and then my poor van gets crunched about 1/2 mile from home. Sigh. Haven't replaced it yet. Will need something reliable for my next trip to....?

November, 2009...replaced my Mazda van with a Saturn Ion. Having a small car will not prevent me from taking great trips, but I'll have to rethink my packing strategies! I won't have room to pack food for several WEEKS at a time. I may have to buy another soft roof-top carrier for tent, sleeping bags, and similar gear. That would work!! The little car gets 33 miles per gallon the the highway. That is a good trade-off for size.

Added a few pictures of wildflowers from various stops on the trip.



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246712371/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246712371/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246712371/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:48:00 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Seward, Alaska, United States

July 4. The drive from Anchorage to Seward is only about 170 miles, but there is much to see along the way. Turnagain Arm is very scenic, but there was significant haze today, even in the early to mid morning. Stopped several times for pictures, but they were often rather light and will need some editing. Visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center which cares for and rehabilitates animals. It may not be "fair" to post picts of animals in enclosures, but we met Jack the yearing moose and Hugo the grizzly bear up close (among other animals). I appreciate individuals and organizations who actually care for wildlife. This organization is also working to reintroduce the wood buffalo to Alaska.

We also saw Portage Galcier and Exit Glacier today. These are some of the more accessible glacier areas in Alaska. Both have visitor centers and trails. Again, the opportunities for good clear pictures were fewer, due to the time of day and hazy conditions (especially at the Portage Glacier area).

In the town of Seward, we saw the Alaska Sea Life Center. This non-profit rganization rehabilitates rescued sea mammals and birds, and conducts a variety of research. One thing I learned is that the Exxon Valdex oil spill of about 20 years ago STILL has a major impact on some species. And the pilot (who was at fault) is a captain again...but not in Alaska. That does NOT seem fair!

We had a nice, but pricey, dinner at Ray's Waterfront Restaurant in Seward. Ray's is extremely popular and we had a long wait to be seated.

The Seward community is rather crazy on the 3rd and 4th of July. The town was crowded with folks here for a race up and down Mount Marathon. Glad I stayed out from downtown. We rented a cute little cabin at Camelot Cottages, a few minutes drive north of town in a residential area.

July 5..cruise in Kenai Fjords National Park aboard the Kenai Star, operated by Major Marine Tours. This was a magnificent 8-hour cruise which covered about 110 miles. We saw sea otters, harbor seals, Dalls porpoises, orcas ("killer" whales), humpback whales (mother and calf), Stellar sea lions, and many species of sea birds, including puffins. Some of my pictures are not so good, since it was impossible to predict where the whales or seals might surface again, after they were spotted. I overheard two members of the the crew saying that the "show" we saw from the humpback whales was very rare. Mother and calf breached several times, gave the boat many "flipper waves" and actually styed close to the boat when the more common behavior would have been to swim away.

This cruise went as far as Holgate Glacier. I could see the blue color of some of the ice and see how rugged it was with crevasses. At one point we heard a loud sound from the glacier, almost like a gunshot, but the glacier did not calve. Holgate extends about 4-1/2 miles from the Harding Icefield. We were about 1/4 mile from the glacier itself. It's enormous!!

Back to Camelot Cottages for a second night. Cottage #2 is extremely compact (tiny), but it was so nice to have a small kitchen so handy.

Hope to have good WiFi at the next stop!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245416001/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245416001/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245416001/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:53:52 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Decatur, Alabama, United States

Actually, I started this blog on June 7, in the process of getting ready. For months, I've researched things to do and places to stay. For this trip - like I did in 2005 - I have a notebook which shows the itinerary for each day, where I'll stay, and notes. I've taken the camping gear out of the closet where it's usually stored, washed some stuff, and taken a partial inventory. Several boxes now have food for the journey. Breakfast will often be oatmeal and fruit. I'll usually prepare soup or a one-pot meal for dinner. Soup, soup, and more soup...hope the border control agents won't think I'm trying to stock a store! The first aid kit has been restocked. I actually checked the expiration date of all the OTC meds!

June 7...I've been researching WiFi availability along the way. There may be some stretches along the Alaska Highway and the Cassiar Highway where I won't find WiFi.

June 19...Packing day! What a pile of stuff! The middle seats have been removed and will stay home in the garage. The rear seat is folded down. Things are stacked two and three deep in the back of the van, but all are below my line of sight for the rear view mirror.

I do have a plan for packing. The cooler is behind the center console, right where I can reach it without having to turn around. The tarp, tent, and tent stakes come out first, so they are on top and right beside the door behind me. The Thermarest (inflatable mat), sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, and pillow come out next so they are packed under the tent stuff. Clothing and personal items are packed by the other side door. The camp stove and fuel, cooking supplies, and food are packed two rows deep at the back door of the van. When I empty the first box of food, that box will then be used to collect souvenirs.

]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245502446/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245502446/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245502446/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:52:42 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Grain Valley, Missouri, United States

I drove an uneventful 630 miles. Uneventful is good!!! The route I chose this time took me through some small towns in Mississippi, Tennessee, and Missouri. Not sure if this was the quickest route, but something different from my previous trips. Stopped in Grain Valley, which is about 20 miles east of Kansas City. On two previous trips, I had stayed at a KOA in the area. But from the campground I could hear the highway noise all night, which made it hard to sleep. So, this time I splurged and stayed in a motel.

It was hotty and muggy right from my 6:15am start, so I had to run the A/C almost all of the time. That cut into the gas mileage a little bit, but I'm still getting better than the advertised gas mileage for highway driving.

This Travelodge is just right for a quick stop. I plan to get to bed early and be on the road by 6:45 am...right after I grab some of the free continental breakfast.

Take care, everybody.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245588883/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245588883/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245588883/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:51:42 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Badlands National Park, South Dakota, United States

A little bit of clouds and rain today, but overall good driving day. About 660 miles (almost all interstate). I set up my tent, and drove to the Cedar Pass Lodge to find WiFi. Right now, it's 6:15pm and the light is still too bright for good pictures. The land looks washed out in bright, direct light, but the colors will come alive at sunset or sunrise. I'm about to drive west and take pictures all along the Park road.

The campground is almost full tonight, which is somewhat rare according the Badlands National Park info on the web. My site is level and I think it will be fairly quiet here tonight. There are no highways for many miles.

Here are some evening pictures. I returned to the Lodge to post them. (It's the only spot with WiFi.) Good night!



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245675300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245675300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245675300/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:48:44 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Great Falls, Montana, United States

Last night was extremely windy. And I thought it would be quiet!! Even though my tent was set up well and all the pegs and ropes were tight, the tent flapped and flapped for about two hours. The people in the site next to me had several things blow off of the picnic table in the middle of the night. That was noisy!

The weather today was good, but the 660 miles seemed SOOOOOO long. At one place in Wyoming, I had to wait 30 minutes due to road construction. I traveled through portions of South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana.

I woke up very early (on purpose), packed up all the stuff, and was taking sunrise pictures in the Badlands by 5:30 am.

Today's animal count included: many prairie dogs (in Badlands), 2 rabbits, 2 llamas in a corral, and at least 25 pronghorn. No rattlesnakes.

Here are some sunrise pics and one of my campsite at the KOA in Great Falls.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245761750/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245761750/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245761750/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:47:07 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Saint Mary, Montana, United States

Everything went well today. I slept very well last night...the low temp overnight was in the 40's. I was snug and warm, though.

The van got an oil change in Great Falls - just as planned. I also needed a new rear wiper blade. (That's OK, the old blade had worked well for over 100,000 miles.)

No construction today! Smooth driving to the east side of Glacier National Park. I spent most of the afternoon hiking in the Many Glacier area. Went to Redrock Falls. It was a great short hike -- sunny, flowers blooming, warmed up by mid-afternoon. Took a bunch of pictures, naturally.

Then I drove to the St. Mary entrance and drove the 14 miles that the Going To The Sun Road is open from the east side. (Snow is still being cleared from some of the highest sections of the road.) At one of the turnouts, a couple came up to talk to me. They are from Anniston, and they took note of the Epscopal shield on the back of my van. They go to St. Michaels and they asked if I knew their priest. I do. Small worlld!!

Then I went to check in at the campground. I've camped at Johnson's of St. Marys two times before (2005 and 2007). I like the folks here and the view is nice from the higher places in the campground. The tent area is very big, and the many of the sites are somewhat separated from each other by trees and shrubs. There are very few campers in the tent area, and I almost feel I have the place to myself. Right now I'm doing laundry and working on this blog.

Enjoy the pictures!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245877920/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245877920/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1245877920/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:45:28 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Banff, Alberta, Canada

Temps overnight were in the low 40's. Great for sleeping!! I left Johnson's of St. Mary campground about 6:30am, then stopped to get gas for the van in the little town of St. Mary. The price of $2.99 per gallon is the lowest I'm likely to see for quite some time.

Going through Customs was a breeze, then on into Canada. I chose a route through the Kananaskis area, rather than going through Calgary. The morning was beautiful. I saw 3 mule deer and 16 bighorn sheep. The skies clouded up during the early afternoon.

Right now I'm in the public library in Banff. (None of the public campgrounds in the national parks have WiFi.) I camped at Two Jack Lakeside for the first night in Banff. I may not be able to post again for a day or two. Tomorrow I'll be in a more primitive campground along the Icefields Parkway. I hope to find a spot at Wilcox Creek Campground since I want to hike part of the Wilcox Pass Trail. All is well and I'm about the leave the library in search of sights and wildlife.

When I get to Jasper (Alberta), I'll try to post some good pics.

(Actually I didn't get to post and upload pictures for a few more days.)



]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246020993/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246020993/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/sueonthego/1/1246020993/tpod.html Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:43:51 -0500 Sue's Alaska Trip 2009

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Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

Hi everybody!

Right now, I am in an ice cream store in Jasper, Alberta, Canada. Here I can get on the net, (for $1 per ten minutes) but can't post any pictures from this computer. (It's older than mine!!!) While I'm on this computer, I'm doing laundry next door. The cost is ridiculous: $4 for wash, $4 for dry. Later, after the laundry is done, I'll try to find the library and see if they have WiFi.

Banff and Jasper National Parks are cool! And I mean that literally...yesterday morning I could see my breath. This morning I took a hike on the Wilcox Pass Trail to above treeline. The wind was blowing and the temp was the COLDEST yet. But it was beautiful as the sun rose over the mountains to my east. I hiked to an observation point where I could see the Athabasca Glacier across the highway to the west. The sun illuminated both the clouds and the snow. During just the time I was at the observation spot, the cloud cover over the glacier changed several times. Looks like the rest of the day may be cloudy.

My van is getting pretty good gas mileage, since the speed limit in these national parks is 90 km/hr, (translate that to 55 mph). That's the good part. The bad part is the price of gas: $1.10 per liter, which is way over $4 per gallon. Ouch!!!

Wapiti Campground was a little disappointing. Many trees had been cut (pine beetle infestation?) and just left piled up around the campground. I suppose this was to be free firewood, but it made the campground look messy. I had a site near the river, and at least the sound of the water was pleasant.

Tomorrow I will travel north on the Big Horn Highway (Hwy 40) through a mostly undeveloped area of Alberta and then into British Columbia for the start of the Alaska Highway. The campground where I'll stay tomorrow night should have WiFi.

It rained for a short while last night, but it put me to sleep! I'm having a great time. Wish you were here...but not all of you could fit in my van! But the roof rack is empty.......


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