Aug 26th to 28th - Bayview ID, Ephrata WA

Aug 26^th – Sun – to Bayview ID

Last night I called B&G from their backyard to invite them to come for breakfast when they returned from church.  This gave me time to make biscuits & gravy which we all enjoyed.  We viewed some pictures on the computer and then we were ready to finish packing up to head out.

We went to Bayview to see Julie & Larry who are friends from Mesa.  Their friends Terry & Tina also stay there on the weekends during the summer as they are both still working.  We started happy hour way too early – just after noon?! – so Terry M. was really having fun.  Three young people who partied with Julie & group last night joined us on & off for the afternoon.

We dry camped at the park where they stay as the one site with utilities was too small for us.  I went for a walk to see Bayview but it didn’t take too long – it is a very small community with lots of boats & houseboats.

Julie’s daughter Natalie (we met her in Mesa) and her son Thomas came from Spokane to visit in the afternoon.  We all contributed food for a BBQ’d dinner and had a great fire as it cooled down quickly once the sun went down.

 

Aug 27^th – Mon – Bayview

Terry & Tina left early this morning to go to work in Spokane which is their normal Monday routine.  We had coffee and fresh peaches left by Terry & Tina and went to chat with Larry & Julie.  About 10:30 Julie suggested that we all go to breakfast at a restaurant across the road.  She had to get dressed and I changed into shorts as it was way too warm for the long pants I put on earlier.  We sat outside to enjoy a nice breakfast.

Then we all decided to go to the CDA casino at Worley, Idaho.  Terry drove Larry & Julie’s car so we wouldn’t have to unhook the truck.  I did well and had a lot of fun.  Everyone else was ready to leave and I was winning so I delayed them just a bit.  My winnings almost covered Terry’s losses.  We went to CDA Lake to see Julie’s niece Kristie who was at her lake cabin.  She is a lovely person and we enjoyed our visit with her.

Back at Bayview we got together for a drink and a snack.  Then it was off to another restaurant – or maybe I should say “the” other restaurant – across the road for dinner.  Of course Larry & Julie know everyone who works & stays there.  A nice meal again with great company.

 Aug 28^th – Tue – to Ephrata

We pulled out around 9 after having coffee with our neighbors – Larry & Julie of course.  We stopped to pick up our mail in Spokane and went to Northern Quest Casino.  We figured if we did OK we would spend the night in the parking lot.  We did sort of OK and played until 4:30.  It was Seniors day at the casino so we got 30% off a nice buffet for lunch.

We headed out Hwy 2 towards Davenport and decided to take Hwy 28 to Harrington/Odessa/etc as we didn’t have that road colored on our map.  I had checked with Wanda and it wasn’t much further to go that way rather than past Grand Coulee Dam as usual.  The road was mostly smooth with no traffic and miles of grain fields so driving was easy until the wind started just before Soap Lake.  We were buffeted around a bit and dust & water from irrigation sprinkler were blowing across the road.

We were driving through Ephrata and remarking about how much larger it was than we remembered when I spotted an RV park with large trees and lovely lawns.  Terry made a quick turn and we got a spot.  The first site had an overhanging tree so we drove back to the office and got an open site.  We enjoyed a relaxing evening with a drink, dinner & TV – and watching neighbors secure their tents.

Aug 22nd to 25th - Spokane

Aug 22^nd – Wed – Spokane
Terry took the truck in for an 8:30 appointment to get new tires on the rear wheels and found a good place right across the street from Discount Tire to get an oil change and fuel filter.  The wheel well has to be removed to change the fuel filter so not every oil change place can do it.
Sherry & Janelle left not long after Terry & I had breakfast (Janelle & Bill golfed this morning) and Georgia picked up their granddaughter Samantha who spends about 3 days each week with her grandparents while her parents are at work.  Bill helped us list our inflatable kayaks for sale on Craig’s List.
Then we all went to do a bit of shopping which started out with me getting an overdue haircut while the others shopped.  We got a few things at WalMart and went across the street for do-it-yourself frozen yogurt sundaes.
Since the yogurt was our lunch, I had Terry get out a table & chairs in the shade (hot again today) and we had some appies in the late afternoon.  I made dinner today – baby back ribs of course – which was a bit later because of the appies.
We got out the Sequence game and the ladies got off to a roaring start but the guys caught up.  We decided to play a rubber game rather than leaving it as a tie and the guys won.

Aug 23^rd – Thurs

Terry went golfing with Bill so I got going fairly early as well.  One load of laundry was ready to hang on the line when they returned and I did another one right behind the first.  It was quite cool earlier so Terry wore long pants and tennis shoes for golf and his shoes & the bottom 8 inches of his pants were soaking wet from the grass.
After making a quick breakfast, I continued my energetic streak and borrowed Georgia’s carpet cleaner to clean our grubby carpets.  I don’t know why I am always amazed at the mud that you pour out of the reservoir!  I took the time to do another pass with just water and got out a lot more dirt.  I couldn’t figure out how to clean one part of the machine so the guys got into the act when Bill said that Georgia couldn’t figure out how to clean it either.  We weren’t doing too well when Georgia joined us and remembered that there was supposed to be a plastic “wand” to clean the corners.  Sure enough, we found it tucked behind another attachment and finished the job.
Terry helped Bill with a couple of fixes on his 5^th wheel and went with him to run a couple of errands.  The weather was very warm and perfect for drying clothes on the line and drying the carpet.
After another shared dinner, we played Sequence again with exactly the same results – the guys won the last game after we were tied.  And it was my idea to play another hand to break the tie!
 
Aug 24^th – Fri
We and Bill & Georgia met Vern (plays golf with Bill) & his wife for breakfast in Liberty Lake.  The restaurant was not very busy when we finished eating so we were able to sit and chat over another cup of coffee.  We stopped at a garage sale on the way home but we all resisted bring home any treasures.
We got a phone call in the morning about our kayaks that are for sale and the lady said they would come see them in the afternoon.  I spent time on the computer trying to get mailings from casinos cancelled so we don’t have to forward outdated promotions.  Terry went shopping with Bill and got a decent air compressor as we overheated our last one and it is difficult to find a service station with an air hose that can be accessed with the 5^th wheel.  Then he didn’t have all the bits he needed so Georgia & I joined the guys for another trip to Harbor Freight, then to Fred Meyers for groceries and just happened to stop for Blizzards at Dairy Queen on the way home.
The couple came to look at the kayaks and we discovered that we had forgotten what pump & nozzle was needed to inflate them.  They were very nice & we finally found the right attachment tucked safely away in the repair kit.  We inflated both kayaks, zipped & snapped on all seats & covers, put together paddles, and then reversed it all when they said they would by them.  Terry went with the guy to get cash from a credit union as we were reluctant to accept a check since we won’t be here much longer.  Then we got to relax and enjoy dinner with B&G.
After dinner, we had to put everything back in the storage compartments.  Bill built a shelf to go over the new compressor so something can be placed above it.  We pulled out almost everything, threw away unused items (or donated to B&G’s store of useless stuff) and it was nearly dark before it was all replaced.
We played Yahtzee tonight for a change and so we didn’t have to think too much.

Aug 25^th – Sat
We got up fairly early, made a lunch and joined Bill & Georgia for an outing to watch sprint boat races at St. John.  Their son Dennis has a boat and has won the last 3 races so is on top of the standings for his boat category – Super Modified.  It took about an hour to get there.  The track is in a farmer’s field and lots of people dry camp there for the weekend which has the advantage of keeping drunk drivers from the beer garden off the road after the Saturday races.
We got our tickets, had our coolers checked for alcohol, set up a sun shelter on one of the viewing terraces and settled into lawn chairs.  Friends Woody & Debbie joined us shortly.  For anyone who has not seen this sport, here is a quick explanation.  Small boats with huge motors race on narrow “canals” in about 3 feet of water.  There are islands among the canals and a new path is chosen for each race.  The driver & navigator have to memorize this path and are disqualified if they don’t follow the route.  This is all done at high speeds – just over a minute to run the course – and many boats run up on the shallow banks as they navigate the course.  There are safety workers who wade in to get boats back in the water & keep things moving.  There are 3 classes of boats, 4 qualifying heats and 1 or 2 semifinals before the final race between 2 boats in each class.  Dennis came in second today by 9/10^th of a second.
The weather was lovely – sunny with a cooling breeze.  We stopped at a restaurant for dinner on the way home.  We got back just after 7 and Terry went in to have a drink with Bill while I caught up email & the blog.

Aug 18th to 21st - Vernon, Summerland, Spokane

Aug 18^th – Sat – Vernon

We went to Terry & Judy’s for breakfast and checked out their new (to them) house.  It is a very nice place in a “over 45”, gated community.  We had a great time catching up and then Terry H. took us for a tour of Vernon and surrounding area.  It is a lot larger than it appears from a drive through on the highway and has nice parks, old town area, shopping districts and murals on buildings.  We stopped at a market on the way back and had ice cream.  We looked at lovely local produce but were just too full to buy any!

Judy invited us for dinner so we left for a while to get out of their hair and let them get organized.  We visited the casino to return a bit of their money and relaxed a bit in front of the TV before heading back to their house.

They invited 2 other couples for dinner – Ray & Louise who we met briefly in Yuma a few years ago and Rick & Sherry who we had not met previously.  It was a good group of people and the conversation never lagged.  We had a lovely dinner and by the time we finished eating, chitchatting and carrying dishes to the kitchen, it had cooled off enough to sit outside for dessert.

Aug 19^th- Sun – to Summerland

It was a short drive to Aunt Jessie’s today so we took our time getting up & ready to go.  There was quite a bit of traffic but we moved easily through Kelowna and parked in Jessie’s driveway about 10.  The weather has been very hot in the Okanogan area and continued today.

We sat and chatted for a while and then decided to go to the WalMart in Westbank (West Kelowna!?) to return an ironing board cover that was the wrong size.  Of course we also planned to have lunch and did so at the McDonalds in WalMart – faaancy!  We returned to Summerland with a new ironing board cover and a few groceries.  Aunt Jessie is not confident driving too far so she was happy to be a passenger and get to look around at everything.  Before we returned to the house, we drove to part of the property owned by my cousin Kelly & his wife Sam.  It is a plateau high on the hillside above some of their orchards and overlooking Okanogan Lake.  It was a wonderful spot for the wedding of their daughter Shannon a couple of weeks ago.

Terry had a little nap in a chair while Aunt Jessie and I chatted.  Kelly, Sam, their daughter Taylor and Taylor’s son Casey came for dinner.  We enjoy visiting with them and it finally cooled off enough to sit outside for a bit.  The wind came up just as they were leaving and helped cool things off a little.

Aug 20^th – Mon – to Spokane

Aunt Jessie is an early riser so she was ready to make French toast for breakfast when we got into the house.  We left about 8 and it was already 75 degrees.  Terry picked the slowest of 3 lines at the border and it took us ½ hour to get through.  This included a mandatory “agriculture?” check where we couldn’t figure out what it accomplished.  When that agent asked me how long we would be in Spokane it took me a minute to say we lived there as it was such a strange question.  Afterwards I figured she was a little confused by my Canadian passport.

We made a slight detour to Okanagan WA to check out a casino that we have not visited before and gave back some more of our winnings!

We pulled into our private RV park in Bill & Georgia’s back yard just after 2:30.  Terry immediately left with Bill and son Dennis to trim some trees which left Georgia & I to relax and yak.  Georgia did have a chicken on the BBQ when they returned.  We leveled, set up and Terry took a quick shower before we joined B&G for dinner – which we didn’t finish until 8.

Aug 21^st – Tues – Spokane

Terry got up early to go golfing with Bill even though there was some thunder & lightning before they left.  I stayed in bed and tried to figure out when it was pouring rain if they would still be on the golf course!  I was checking email when they got back and continued since I knew Georgia had to go get a blood test this morning.  Terry had his phone charging beside me and once they figured out that my phone was in the truck they finally called on Terry’s phone to say breakfast was nearly ready.

After breakfast Terry & I ran errands – mail box, Costco, Camping World, Discount Tire (installation tomorrow) & WalMart for an oil change which they couldn’t do as we also need a fuel filter.  We checked R&R RV for a door latch but it was ridiculously expensive so Terry figured he would try to get one to work that we tried a few weeks ago when the latch broke.  Terry & Bill finally got the latch to catch and then broke it when they tried to open it!  The old latch is reinstalled.  It holds the door shut and is a pain to open but will do for now.

B&G’s daughter Sherry and her daughter Janelle arrived to spend the night on their way to North Dakota where Janelle will be attending college in Bismarck.  It is quite a long drive so Janelle will not be coming back until the Christmas break – a sad farewell for everyone!  Georgia made dinner again for all of us – I am getting quite spoiled.  We left early so I could catch up the blog and they could visit.

Aug 15th to 17th - 100 Mile to Vernon

Aug 15th – Wed
More laundry today. We thought we had all the split wood in but we went to look at another spot and found a smaller wagon load which we brought in & stacked. We went to town for some groceries and Terry looked unsuccessfully for some car wax that Francis uses on his motor home.
When we returned, I painted and Terry washed the truck. Then we cleaned out our clothes closet and the storage under the bed – it is amazing how much stuff we carry around and don’t wear.

Aug 16th – Thurs
After breakfast, Terry & I went back to town for a couple of grocery items that we forgot yesterday. We also went to the hardware store for a gallon of stain for the fences and Terry found his car wax there.
After lunch and putting a turkey in the oven for dinner, I returned to painting fences. Terry waxed the truck and then sat with Dad and watched me work! I finished the sections in front of the barn that I wanted to complete – just before my back and arms gave out.
We didn’t really know when to expect Marg & Toni to return but were a little worried when they didn’t show up by dinner time. We ate and put the leftovers in containers but left them out on the counter rather than putting them in the fridge. They finally showed up about 8:30 and heated up plates of turkey dinner. They didn’t catch many fish but had a great time.

Aug 17th – Fri –to Vernon
I did the chores one last time this morning and then went back in the rig to change out of my “farm”clothes. We hooked up & packed up before we went in for breakfast. While we were making & eating breakfast, I tried to remember all the little items that I wanted to tell Marg. After tearful goodbye hugs, we pulled out just after 9. I have never seen Terry drive the dirt road to the main road so slowly – he didn’t want dust all over his shiny truck!
We had a couple of short delays for road construction and got to Silver Star RV Park in Vernon just before 1. There was a line of rigs checking in and then we had to wait while someone backed a trailer in and blocked the road. I was happy that Terry suggested making a reservation as the park is full.
After setting up, I made sandwiches from some of the leftover turkey that I brought from Marg’s. Then we were off to the casino – of course! It was very warm so we turned on the AC before leaving. Our friends Terry& Judy who live here are busy tonight so we will see them tomorrow.
At the casino, Terry was not winning at all but I was doing OK. He finally played $5 free play and $8 from points on his player’s card, hit 2 bonuses on the same machine and cashed out $270. I didn’t tell him about some money I stashed in my pocket so we ended up $250 ahead for a change. Back at the rig, we enjoyed a drink and an odd dinner of Chinese pork & baked sweet potatoes.

Aug 12th to 14th - 100 Mile House

Aug 12th – Sun –100 Mile House
This morning we took down decorations from the party and did a better job of packaging leftover food. Marg moved her motor home to the front of the house to prepare for a trip tomorrow and got some laundry under way. Dad worked in the shop on a box for the front of an ATV which Marg will take with her tomorrow. We enjoyed lunch outside on the picnic table.
Marg left to run some errands and we continued being lazy! I helped Dad finish his construction project and put on the first coat of paint. I had the chores done and dinner started when Marg got back with the potatoes that we needed for dinner. We made quick work of the penicillin shot for the lamb and then finished making dinner. Marg picked the last of the strawberries from her garden to put on ice cream for dessert.

Aug 13th – Mon
After chores & breakfast, I put a second coat of paint on the ATV box. Then Terry & I went to play golf at Marmot Ridge. After 18 holes – not great golf for either of us! – we had lunch in town and came back. Marg & Toni had left not long before for their 3 day trip to Crooked Lake.
We were kind of lazy and unmotivated so we watched TV and worked/played on the computer. I finally poured a container of stain and painted a section of corral fence. This left me enough time to do chores and change before going to Francis & Nichole’s for dinner.
As usual, we had a lovely dinner. I spent time on Nichole’s computer as it is doing strange things and she is afraid it will quit. Her CD drive is not working and I forgot to take a USB thumb drive to back up some data so I will go back tomorrow to do it.
We had nice weather today with odd high clouds in the evening and a few drops of rain.

Aug 14th – Tues
After breakfast, computer stuff and phone calls we finally hooked up the wagon to the ATV to bring in firewood. We stacked 2 loads before we broke for lunch. One more load after lunch cleaned up the piles. I had left a note for Dad so he was sharpening Marg’s knives when we got back in.
I returned to the stain on the fence and ended up with one side of one board not painted on the section I hoped to finish. I was too lazy to go back to finish the one board! Terry & I went to Francis & Nichole’s so I could back up her data on a thumb drive.
HH, dinner, reading & TV filled the rest of the evening. A cool breeze came up about 7 but the day was lovely and nearly too warm to pick up wood.

Aug 8th to 11th - 100 Mile House

Aug 8th – Wed –100 Mile House
Marg left very early to join a couple of friends for a 2 day stay at a resort at Crooked Lake. They took ATVs to explore the area. She took the time to check on the injured lamb and left a note that she looks good which I confirmed when I did the chores.
I caught up my blog, found some paint for Dad and swept the shop while I was out there. All this time Terry was mowing with the riding lawn mower. After lunch I was painting a window frame when I heard thunder in the distance. I had one little spot to paint so I finished in rain & hail. Terry was mowing the garden area and finally ran for shelter in the greenhouse. He finished his mowing when the heavy rainstorm passed over in a short time while I used up the paint in my pail by painting a gate.
Next I climbed up and walked on some boards that Terry put on top of the outside runs on the chicken house so I could paint the final high portion of a wall. Terry continued spiffing up the place by using the weed eater to trim and get in places too small for either mower. Dad was painting little tables in the shop.
Francis & Nichole came over just after 4 to give the injured lamb a penicillin shot as giving shots is something that I don’t want to learn.
After dinner I baked a large batch of cookies.

Aug 9th – Thurs
The weather was perfect today– sunny but not as hot as it has been.
After breakfast, Terry & I made a trip to town for some groceries. Then Terry mowed the final corral with the riding mower and I climbed up on the boards again to paint the last window frame on the chicken house. Now we could put the boards away and straighten up the lumber that was displaced to get the boards and to paint behind the stack. I had Terry lift me in the bucket on the tractor to give a fascia board a second coat of paint and I am calling the chicken house DONE!
After lunch I washed windows. I couldn’t reach one window with the long extension pole so Terry had to get the tractor and give me a lift again – should have thought about it when the tractor was out earlier. Terry put the awning out on the 5thwheel and we washed the underside which still had Alaska dirt on it. Then we went inside and did some sorting, cleaning and tossing out until I remembered that I had some frozen dough buns rising and had to bake them. They certainly were light & fluffy!
Francis & Nicole came over again for the penicillin injection but this time I had invited them to stay for dinner. We cooked some of the salmon that Terry caught in Valdez and introduced them to 321 cake for dessert which we jazzed up a bit by adding a few of the wild raspberries that we picked.

Aug 10th – Fri
I worked on the blog and did housecleaning this morning. Terry was kind of at loose ends as there was no more mowing to do so he puttered around and sat in the sun with Dad a lot.
In the afternoon we gathered up garbage and made a run to the dump. Marg and her friends returned late in the afternoon. When we went to feed the injured lamb, we untied the t-shirt coverings and found the wounds healing quite well. Marg put on more ointment and tied everything back up.
There was leftover pulled pork for dinner so we just had to add a salad for almost no work at all.

Aug 11th – Sat
Marg and I went to town this morning for groceries and a couple of other errands. When we returned, Terry told us that Dad’s ATV had died. Marg worked on it a bit and then Terry towed it to a parking spot. By the time we put everything away it was time for lunch which we enjoyed outside on the picnic table. We are hosting a birthday party for our friend Cecile today so we hung balloons & a banner, put on tablecloths and put together a veggie plate.
At 2 the first people arrived and added more decorations. The attendees were a mix of mutual friends and Cecile’s relatives from out of town. Relatives: husband Al, daughter Jean, sister Marie & her grandson Joe, son Mike with wife Sue and their daughters Katherine & Jen with boyfriend Dallas & roommate Yota who is an exchange student from Japan, daughter TD and husband Brian. Friends: Francis & Nichole, Steve, Gord& Jerri, Frances & daughter Donna, Toni & Micheal, Jane & daughter Alisha, Sharon, Herb & Pat and of course the 4 of us.
The weather was perfectly sunny with a light breeze to blow & pop the balloons. A few of hours of snacking, drinking & talking were followed by hamburgers on the BBQ with all the trimmings & salads brought by everyone. When the sun went down and it started to cool off, a fire was lit for warmth & atmosphere. Everyone was gone by 9:30 so we cleaned up a bit and crashed.

Aug 5th to 7th - 100 Mile House

Aug 5th – Sun –100 Mile
I forgot to include our total mileage for the Alaska trip – 6477 miles. It is amazing that it is very close to the mileage for our 2008 Alaska trip.
Right after breakfast I went back to the painting on the chicken house as one section was still shaded. When Marg finished fixing a blade on the chop saw, she got the tractor and lifted me in the bucket to paint the high section of the wall. Then we repaired a section of the chicken house wall that had been backed into a while ago. Of course this was a project that grew past our original “estimate” and included moving a large, loaded shelf unit that was screwed to the wall for stability. Terry picked up the weed eater (that Marg was trying to start when she needed at the shop) and cleaned up a couple of areas. Marg had to leave just before noon for a birthday party.
After lunch, Terry took the weed eater into a corral as quite a bit of rain – and lots of “fertilizer” -has resulted in overgrown weeds. I had finished putting a second coat of stain on the section of the chicken house that I did this morning and was painting one of the fascia boards when he finished. I had to take the bucket of water that I used to clean windows and wipe him down as he had weed bits and other icky stuff from head-to-toe. Marg arrived back in time to help me finish the fascia board.

Aug 6th – Mon
Terry took out a couple of low stumps and sledge hammered some rocks that Marg hits with her riding lawn mower. She is keeping quite a large area mowed now and it looks really good so we want to make the job as easy as possible. I got to pick up the bits that Terry created!
I got a lift from Marg & the tractor again to paint a fascia board on a tall end of the chicken house. The ground slopes in this area so using a ladder is a pain. I painted a door molding while Marg put away the stuff that we had to move from the shelf yesterday. I finished in time to help her clean up the rest of the mess. Terry carted away junk and reminded us that it was “just a chicken house”.
In the afternoon, we all ended up in the shop. Dad was having trouble finding wood for the tables that he is making so Marg & I helped him before we worked on a sliding shelf for her computer desk. Terry made a shelf for the cupboard in our bedroom that has the Direct TV receiver and the dish controller. These units sit on the bottom of a large shelf which makes it awkward to use the rest of the shelf. I painted the shelf so we can install it tomorrow.
I was making dinner when Marg took an ATV for a checkout ride around the property. I heard her come back but she didn’t come into the house for a while. I went out to check and found her trying to isolate a lamb that her dog Sage had injured in an uncontrollable frenzy that we thought Sage was not doing any more. I went to help Marg and we got the lamb into a small pen. We came in for dinner and found the meat burning but still edible.
After dinner, Marg & I gathered up supplies and doctored the lamb. Sage pulled off wool on both flanks so we took an old long sleeved t-shirt to hold dressings on. Marg clipped wool from around the wounds, put ointment on them and covered them with large dressing pads. Then we opened the shirt down the front and pulled the sleeves over the back legs to hold the dressings in place. The shirt was a little large so we ended up with strips of the shirt running all over the lamb to hold everything in place. We put hay, water & grain in the pen and crossed our fingers.

Aug 7th – Tues
We had a downpour last night but just scattered clouds this morning. I had just mentioned to Marg how much the grass had dried out with a few days of hot weather.
Before we went into the house this morning, we installed the shelf that Terry made yesterday and replaced all the clothes. After breakfast, we looked after some business on the computer and I helped Marg’s friend Jane copy a document. Marg took Dad to the hearing aid specialist and Terry & I drove to town as well for a couple of errands. We met Marg & Dad, filled up some gas containers and then went to lunch at the Firehouse Café. Terry & Dad came back while Marg & I shopped at several stores and tried to get liability insurance for her new ATV.
Terry got ambitious when he got back and took the tractor & brush cutter to cut down overgrown thistles and weeds in a couple of corrals. This also involved moving sheep temporarily into a smaller corral. He also cut up a dead tree that had fallen from the neighbor’s field onto Marg’s fence. When Marg & I got back, we had to hang around the house waiting for the insurance lady to call – not! – so we did laundry and other chores.
Marg & I changed the dressings & “clothes” on the injured lamb that is eating, drinking water and looking really well. We used our experience from yesterday to design a more effective wound covering from another old, long sleeved t-shirt. By the time we finished cleaning up, the lamb was eating hay. I have to mention that lambs at this time are almost as large as their mothers.
After dinner, Marg picked strawberries and went to visit her friend Nicole. We watched TV, read and finished up the laundry.

Aug 2nd to 4th - Prince George to 100 Mile House

Aug 2nd – Thurs – to Prince George
We had a short drive today so we left at 8 in sunshine. We stopped at Burns Lake for fuel and Terry bought a couple of doughnuts to tide us over until we stopped at the casino in Prince George. We all went into the casino for a good lunch and it took Terry & I the rest of the afternoon to lose our allowances. Actually, Terry did better than I did so I had to help him lose some of his money! Dave & Margo gambled a bit, watched some Olympic events and then walked to a nearby shopping center. We got together for happy hour which lasted way too long! I had some leftovers that I could heat up for a quick late dinner and we crashed. The casino is at the intersection of Hwy 16 and Hwy 97 so there was enough traffic all night that even Terry didn’t sleep too well.

Aug 3rd – Fri – to 100 Mile House
Another change in plans. We were going to leave our rigs in Quesnel and drive the truck to Barkerville but we decided to skip Barkerville and go directly to my sister’s place in 100 Mile House. We didn’t sleep too well last night and once you start heading “home” the inclination is to get going. We stopped in Quesnel for breakfast in McDonalds, were slowed just a bit by construction and pulled into Marg’s about 11:30. We had a wiener roast at the back yard fire pit for lunch. It was absolutely perfect sitting in the shade and relaxing. We all decided to go for a drive but we had to go to town first to get diesel as our truck is the only vehicle that seats 6. Marg, Margo & I got a few groceries and hit the liquor store while Terry got fuel and filled a propane tank. We drove to Canim Lake and walked to Mahood and Canim Falls. Marg & I picked huckleberries as we walked – small but tasty. Dad can’t do the walk but sat on a stump near the truck, enjoyed the silence and worked on a crossword puzzle. When we got back, I picked some rhubarb and Margo helped me get a cake in the oven. Marg & Terry were going to take Dave & Margo for an ATV tour around the farm but Terry & Dave took off on their own so the rest of us sat on the porch and chatted. We enjoyed a late dinner with some of the halibut that we caught in Alaska and finished with the rhubarb cake.

Aug 4th – Sat – 100 Mile
Marg picked strawberries from her garden yesterday evening so we had them on waffles for breakfast – yum! Terry & Marg picked up friend Rick’s pop-up trailer that had been repaired while I did some painting on the chicken house – door & second coat on both ends. Terry pulled a lot of stuff out of our storage compartment to get information on our inflatable kayaks that we want to sell. After lunch we and Marg went on the ATVs to pick raspberries. We rode through privately owned and crown (government) land for quite a ways to the first patch of berries where we picked less than half a carton each ( we were using large cottage cheese cartons). We carried on to another, larger patch, poured most of the berries into one carton and then picked 3 cartons. The berries were quite small so we had a lot of little berries. By the time we bumped our way back it was 4 o’clock. Dad had spent the time working on some small tables in the shop. I was too lazy to put a 3rd coat of paint on the door so just washed the inside of the door so I can paint tomorrow. We all enjoyed raspberries on ice cream for dessert.

July 29th to Aug 1st - Iskut,Stewart,Telkwa

July 29th – Sun – to Iskut
We got to sleep in a bit this morning and left at 8 under high clouds. We are amazed at how nice the Cassiar Hwy is this year – the Milepost says “paved” which translates to great seal coating. We stopped at Jade City where Margo bought a ring and I got a pair of earrings.
We don’t eat breakfast when we leave early but take coffee and something for me to munch on like Cheerios. Terry got so hungry this morning that he ate a muffin with raisins & nuts which he doesn’t like too much. We stopped at Dease Lake for what turned out to be a very expensive late breakfast at Mama Z’s since Rumours Café was not open.
We stayed at Mountain Shadows RV park which is in a very nice setting off the highway. We had wifi there so I spent some time catching up on the blog and email. Then we all went for a walk to a nearby lake – first to the dock and then to a trail which leads to a part of the lake where you can fish from the shore. We actually got our satellite dish to latch on to the signal so happy hour, dinner and TV filled the rest of the evening.

July 30th – Mon – to Stewart
We had a short drive today (197 miles) so again left at 8. It rained a lot last night but was overcast this morning and then intermittent showers. We saw 3 bears on the road and a fox with breakfast in its mouth. The road continued good until we hit a section that was being resurfaced and was total mud. It was still smooth but we got absolutely covered in mud. The clouds were high enough that we had good views of most of the mountains. I continue to be amazed and delighted with the amount and diversity of wildflowers on the roadsides.
We stopped for fuel at Bell 2, stopped for pictures of glaciers once we turned onto 37A and checked into the Bear River RV park. When we stopped once for pictures & a pit stop, I noticed that the catch for one side of the mirrored sliding doors on the closet had come off so Terry wedged in the laundry basket and another tote so the door would not slide back & forth. When we got here, the clothes rod had a broken fitting on one end and one of the two support brackets was broken. So the first order of business once we set up was to repair the clothes rod and door catch.
After a late lunch, we all went to check out Stewart & Hyder. We stopped at the visitor information center and then went to the museum where a lonely employee kept Margo trapped while the rest of us wandered through the museum. We watched a film which turned out to be a rather long hour of slightly repetitive history of Stewart. We dragged Margo away from the employee - who followed her out the door after the film - and went to Hyder. As we were walking to the viewing platform someone told us that a mother bear & cub had just been there. Just our luck that all we saw were lots of spawning salmon and one immature eagle.
Back at the park we joined Dave & Margo for happy hour, then went our own way for dinner and cable TV.

July 31st – Tues – Stewart
We have to be crazy! We left at 5:45 this morning (after listening to rain all night) to try to see bears. There was one bear eating a salmon when we got there and it hung around for quite a while. It is amazing how the salmon scurry away when a bear comes to the edge of the stream or an eagle flies over. After about an hour, we drove about 18 miles – in Dave & Margo’s “putt putt” – further out the road from Hyder to the Salmon Glacier. We were actually being very optimistic as clouds were hanging low and we were hoping they would lift. We now have “imagine if you will” pictures of clouds over the glacier but mountains behind showing above the clouds.
The car was making strange wheel noises when we got back through Canada customs so we stopped at a car wash as the guys thought it very possible that dirt was causing the problem. The noise did quit but the car was still a mess so Dave used dry wash to finish cleaning it up.
After lunch we all went back to check out stores in Stewart. We were surprised by the unusual items in one grocery store and the amount & selection in the other grocery store. Pretty expensive – Margo read signs wrong and ended up paying over $6 for a gallon of milk. We stopped for ice cream, drove through all the parts of town that we could find and headed back.
When we were in a gift store, the clerk told us about taking some visitors to the dump to see bears so of course that is what we had to do after dinner. We saw 4 black bears scrounging in the dump – not the best way to view wildlife. Apparently mothers & young cubs and yearlings go there as they are likely to be beaten up or killed by grizzlies at the stream with salmon.
We were supposed to have wifi but couldn’t get it at our site and I wasn’t interested in splashing through puddles to sit outside on a deck to get online.

Aug 1st – Wed – to Telkwa
We made a change in our schedule due to the rain which is getting us all down. We were going to go to Prince Rupert but rain is forecast there for at least another 2 days so we decided to hit the Yellowhead Highway and head east. We had sunny breaks before we left the Cassiar but weren’t totally out of the rain yet.
We stopped for diesel at Kitwanga and then at the visitor center at Hazelton. After taking pictures outside and going through a little museum, we drove to the Hagwilget suspension bridge over the Bulkley River canyon. We walked across and took pictures and carried on.
We are staying at Fort Telkwa RV park where we stayed 5 years ago. It has a free high pressure wash station for vehicles and RVs which we took advantage of before parking and setting up. Margo and I did laundry which took a little while since there were only 2 washers and 3 dryers and someone else snuck in and did one load after Margo did her two and before I could get there.
Then it was time to drive back a few miles to Smithers. Main Street is done in an alpine theme and is fun to walk through. We found a liquor store and then found a place for dinner which turned out to be very nice. It was billed as a bar & bistro and had chicken wings as today’s special. We added nachos and a mixed appy platter to make it dinner.
When we got back, we all walked down to the river for a little exercise and to settle dinner. Then we played a game of Uno – I slipped past Terry to win again!

July 24th to 28th - Skagway, Atlin, YT

July 24th – Tues – Skagway
Once again Margo & I took advantage of a very close laundry room in the RV park to do a couple of loads. Terry washed the 5th wheel & Dave cleaned his MH windows & helped Terry a bit. After lunch and some computer time, we all walked to another RV park to get tickets for another outing to Liarsville Salmon Bake. We were picked up in a bus by Sourdough Sam. He took us on a little tour of downtown and added some interesting history to what we have already heard about the town. Then it was a 3 mile drive up the Klondike Hwy to an old tent “city” – Liarsville. It got the name from newspaper reporters who chose to stay there during the gold rush and file stories based on hearsay rather than make the tough trip to the goldfields themselves. We wandered around, had a beer, watched some entertainment, panned for a couple flakes of gold and had a good buffet with grilled salmon before taking the bus back.
Sam dropped us off at our RV park and we drove to town to take pictures of the 4 cruise ships that are docked here. We stopped for a drink at the Elks club and then played a couple of games of Uno when we returned. I posted the blog and read emails before heading to bed.

July 25th – Wed – Skagway
Since we have been keeping pretty busy here, Dave & Margo wanted to stay for a quieter day and we thought it was a good idea. We went to the old cemetery (where “bad guy” Soapy Smith and “good guy” Frank Reid are buried) and from there took a short walk to a lovely waterfall – Lower Reid Falls. Then we drove to Dyea which was the start of the Chilcoot Trail and which is now nothing but signs, a park service house and a few tourist adventures – zip lines, rafting and horseback riding. The weather was gorgeous so we went back to the RV park to cook Farmers’ sausages on the BBQ for lunch. Next we all walked to town and checked out the stores that we had missed previously. Margo & I went through a great little museum that is part of a gift shop and talked a bit with the interesting owner. The favored ice cream store had a huge line – still 4 cruise ships in town but not all the same ones as yesterday – so we stopped at a different place for our ice cream fix. Back at the RV park it was still plenty warm to sit outside for happy hour.

July 26th – Thurs – to Atlin B.C.
Another lovely day for the 154 mile drive to Atlin. We stopped at Carcross for fuel but the station was closed for some reason. We both had plenty of fuel to get to Jake’s Corner where we filled up, then it was south to Atlin. The road was way better than it was for our trip 5 years ago. We had to wait for a pilot car through 4 ½ miles of ambitious road improvement which included a water truck to keep the dust down and the mud flying.
As Terry was backing into our site at the Norseman RV park, the young man working here and I noticed that a back tire on the 5th wheel looked a little squashy. When I neared the rig I could hear air escaping from the tire and located a hole but no nail or screw in it. So Terry got to remove the tire and take it to be repaired to the tune of $29! The repair cost is determined by the size of the tire. The guy wanted Terry to leave the tire and come back later to pick it up but since we couldn’t set up until the tire was back on and the jack removed, Terry & Dave hung around until the guy fixed the tire.
While they were gone, Margo made sandwiches for lunch which we enjoyed outside. Then we went exploring in the truck. We tried unsuccessfully to find the public gold panning area and found Warm Bay, Warm Springs and The Grotto – none of which were too interesting.
Margo made taquitos and I made crispy green beans for snacks with our much deserved and appreciated happy hour drinks. We bought a couple of small wheelbarrow loads of fire wood and enjoyed a fire even though it was still warm. After a light late dinner, the guys sat outside with the young man who works here – 15 year old grandson of the owner – and a neighbor while Margo & I relaxed & chatted inside.

July 27th – Fri – Atlin
Dave & Margo showed up with goodies from the bakery for breakfast. They got a little ”lost” and walked around quite a bit so they used up calories that would be replenished by breakfast.
We got a map from the museum/visitor info center and found the public gold panning claim which we were very close to yesterday. We tried hard but didn’t find any gold and when it changed from drizzle to rain we headed back. On the way back we toured the entire town which didn’t take too long.
The rain didn’t last very long so we were able to be outside when we weren’t relaxing inside! A couple of nests of mud swallow babies entertained us. We enjoyed burning the rest of our wood before & after dinner and a nearby couple from California came over to visit with us.

July 28th – Sat – to junction of 37 & 1
We got another early start in sunny weather. We were delayed slightly again waiting for the pilot car in the road construction area but otherwise the drive was uneventful. We stopped at Johnson’s Crossing for a cinnamon roll – of course – and Terry got some diesel there as well.
We are staying at Junction 37 rather than the Baby Nugget as my phone worked enough to check prices. It is a no-frills RV park with huge pull-throughs and full hook-ups.
Terry & I finally cleaned the inside of the truck so at least we got something constructive done. Margo & I went for a walk all around the park area, checked out an old motel that had scary-small rooms and then we all sat outside for happy hour. We chatted with a neighbor from WA who is going to visit his son in Soldatna.
We shared a good dinner of halibut, salad & rice and then played a long game of Uno which Terry led for most of the game but which I finally won.
We have not had email for quite a few days – we were too cheap to pay $5 per day in Atlin! We will have email tomorrow so the blog will be posted.

July 21st to 23rd - Skagway

July 21st – Sat – to Skagway
We had a short drive today so at 9 we moved the rigs to the Superstore parking lot and shopped for groceries. Dave checked the bike shop for a new rim for Margo’s bike – way too expensive – and we were on our way.
The road was so much nicer than yesterday and the sun was shining again. We stopped for pictures at Emerald Lake which is very impressive with bright blue lines and at the Carcross Desert. We spent quite a bit of time at a “wildlife museum and attractions center” which has sled dogs, goats, pigs and a few little shops. The gift shop had some really nice items which were a welcome change from the usual tourist stuff. Margo declared this a perfect day – muffins/doughnuts for breakfast and ice cream for lunch!
We had a couple of strange questions at the US Customs because of my “green” card. What was our relationship and, since I had been in the US since 1977, why not naturalization? We had no questions about food but Dave & Margo were asked about fresh meat and their hamburger was OK. When we got to the RV park, we had to phone the manager to come check us in. We set up, made a sandwich and Terry washed the filthy truck while I did some much needed cleaning in the 5th wheel. Dave washed his little car AND his motorhome.
We went into town to get some information and possibly make reservations for a couple of tours. We were late and stores were already closing so we watched a film in the park visitor center, visited some stores and came back to make baby backs for dinner for us and D&M.
The wind came up in the afternoon but it wasn’t too cold. Terry did his usual great job of cooking the ribs on the BBQ. Dinner was followed by a game of Wizard which I won.

July 22nd – Sun – Skagway
We bought tickets this morning for the train ride and a trip to Juneau and then wandered around some shops. Dave found a wheel for Margo’s bike and Terry got a nozzle so he can wash the 5th wheel. We came back to the RV park to have some lunch and then drove back to town to catch the White Pass and Yukon Route train which goes over the pass that gold prospectors had to climb over. There were 3 cars of “independent” travelers and about 12 cars of cruise ship passengers. It was our 8th day of sunshine (Terry was keeping track) and the scenery was gorgeous. Since we drove the opposite side of the valley yesterday, it probably wasn’t as exciting for us as for people who came in by water. It took just over 3 hours for the 40 mile round trip and we all considered it expensive for what was involved.
We were a little early for dinner so we went through more shops and Margo got some gifts for grandkids. Dave wanted to check out the Red Onion Saloon (bar, restaurant and brothel museum) so we had nachos & pizza washed down with a couple of pitchers of beer. None of us wanted to take the 15 minute “upstairs” tour for $5.
We were back fairly early so Terry decided to start washing the 5th wheel. He barely got going when the faucet blew off the top of the water standpipe. I had him hold a bucket over the “fountain” and phoned the offsite owner. By the time he got there, we had a lake under the back of our site and into Dave & Margo’s site. The owner turned off the water, reglued the fitting and left the water off while it dried. This ended Terry’s 5th wheel washing so we watched a movie (no TV at all here) and had dessert.

July 23rd – Mon – Skagway
We got up early to catch the Fjord Express catamaran which left at 8 to go to Juneau. We stopped at Haines in 45 minutes to pick up more passengers. On the way, the captain kept an eye out for whales and sea lions, both of which we saw. We also saw Dalls porpoises and eagles. The captain was also very good about telling us history of the areas we went through. There were slight swells but when the boat was up to speed it glided through the waves.
We docked about 39 miles north of Juneau and went the rest of the way in a bus, again with the driver keeping us entertained and informed. We had a little tour around old Juneau in the bus and then had 3 hours for lunch and sightseeing, both of which were great.
When we boarded the bus again, we were taken to Mendenhall Glacier and had an hour for sightseeing, going through the visitor center and taking pictures. Our bus was a little late to pick us up because there were 4 cruise ships in town and there were many buses discharging and picking up passengers in the 5 allotted bus parking spots. We had to wait for a pilot car through construction both ways but it didn’t delay us too much.
The weather was cloudy but there was no rain and it wasn’t cold. Apparently this is typical summer weather for Juneau. The Lynn Canal was perfectly smooth when we started back and didn’t get very choppy so we could enjoy our smoked salmon chowder without spilling on ourselves. We arrived back at 8:30.

July 18th to 20th - Copper Canyon, Beaver Creek, Whitehorse

July 18th – Wed – to Copper Canyon
We had a wonderful lazy day today. Our 8 o’clock departure was delayed a bit when Dave discovered that one of the motor home tires that he checked last night was pretty squishy when he put his jacks up this morning. So he hooked up his little air pump which takes a while to inflate a MH tire. Then we were on our way under high clouds.
We soon drove out of the clouds into blue skies again for the rest of our long 108 mile drive through amazing scenery as usual. We got dry camping sites right on the Klutinia River, made lunch and got down to the serious business of watching people fish. The water is very fast and fishing is done mostly from the banks or wading into the river a few feet. We met a guy from Germany who was there with his family so Terry & Dave gave him tips on fishing when he got to Valdez. They gave him a couple of lures so he reciprocated by giving them individual bottles of a special liqueur.
We went for a drive to see the rest of the area and ended up at a Princess Cruise Line lodge. It was not super impressive initially but we walked around the building to an awesome view & patios and then inside to a very nice facility. We went to the bar where the bartender recommended the national drink of Brazil which turned out to be a great lime & rum concoction. We sipped our drinks in the sunshine on the patio with the marvelous view.
Back at the RV park & fishing lodge, we perfected our people watching techniques aided in a bit by a couple of drinks for happy hour. After dinner when it cooled off (9:00) we went inside and Dave & Margo taught us to play Uno. Let me see – their game and Dave won the first game and Margo won the second!!

July 19th – Thurs – to Beaver Creek
We left at 7:30 for a longer drive today. We stopped for fuel at Glenallen and then turned on the Tok Cutoff road to Tok. The road was quite bumpy and we had to slow down a lot. We were stopped at one construction site for about 20 minutes while load after load of gravel was dumped, leveled and watered before the stretch was open to one way traffic. We thought we were going to have to go all way to Tok to find somewhere for breakfast/lunch but we saw a little café and pulled in. We were just ordering when a guy came in and asked if we were driving the motor home out front (we were the only people in the café) and we all thought it was blocking a driveway or propane tank. Turns out Dave’s bicycle rack had broken and he was dragging the bikes. We all went out to see, get the bikes off, throw away the mangled front tire from Margo’s bike and find a spot to put the bikes. One went in our back seat and the one without the front tire fit in their tow car. We went back in for a good breakfast and continued on our way.
In Tok we went to a service station for fuel and we thought they might have a welder to fix the bike rack. They directed Dave down the road a short ways and he was able to unhook his car, pull his hitch and get it welded. Once again, back on the road and on our way.
The road from Tok to the Yukon border is pretty bumpy & wavy – and then it gets worse! Actually, it is all about the same. According to the Milepost, “there are improved stretches mixed with good highways going bad”. We are staying at the Westwind RV park which has only a few other campers. We really enjoyed our happy hour drinks today! I thawed spaghetti sauce for an easy shared dinner, and then Margo & I did a couple loads of laundry since it is right here in the park. The sun just set at 10:45.

July 20th – Fri – to Whitehorse
Another longer driving day so we left at 7:00! I put my foot down at a suggestion that we leave at 6! The road continued to be a challenge but it was very nice for the first couple of hours to have very little traffic so we could use whichever side of the road that looked the best. We stopped at the Kluane Museum of Natural History at Burwash Landing, then just down the road at Destruction Bay for lunch and at Haines Junction for fuel.
When we got to Whitehorse, we stopped at Kal Tire to get a new tire mounted on the spare since we used the good one when we left Wasilla. We joined D&M at WalMart and then Dave figured he better go to the tire shop as his front tire was low again and he thought he better get a new stem. By the time he & Terry got back it was time for a much deserved rest & happy hour.
Margo made 2 styles of halibut for dinner and I made salad & potatoes. We do eat well! After dinner we went to WalMart but it is not a supercenter so has very little fresh produce which is what we needed. We bought a few items, dropped them off and walked to the Superstore which ended up being closed. We didn’t bother changing our clocks to PDT as we are going back to Alaska tomorrow so it was an hour earlier to us. A bit of TV and lights out!

July 15th to 17th - Valdez

July 15th – Sun – Valdez
I didn’t sleep very well last night so by the time I got up & going, Dave & Margo had already left to attend a church service on a boat which actually left the dock and slowly cruised around the harbor.
It poured rain last night and continued most of the day today. After a late breakfast, I put a couple of small pork roasts in the crock pot – one would have been enough but I wanted leftovers and I needed to make space in the freezer. None of us did very much today – just visited and complained about the weather! We went to Dave & Margo’s about 5 with our drinks which was the first time that I stepped outside.
Margo made the rest of dinner so all I had to do was slice the meat and open some applesauce. After cleaning up the dishes, we came home as I was feeling puny from my cold and Terry ran out of steam.

July 16th – Mon – Valdez
SUNSHINE!! We all went for a walk around town as it was beautiful today. We strolled along the docks, stopped in a couple of stores and climbed a lot of stairs to a viewpoint on a hill in the middle of town. Dave talked to a guy this morning so he & Terry decided to go fishing early tomorrow morning. Then we discovered that fishing licenses were for 24 hours rather than a calendar day so they bought licenses that started at 4 this afternoon so they can fish this evening and tomorrow morning.
We came back to BBQ hot dogs for lunch and the guys dug out all the fishing gear they needed. At 4 we drove to the fishing area about 5 miles from town. There is a fish hatchery and the salmon return to spawn here. The streams are full of silt from glaciers and the fish cannot survive in them so the hatchery funnels the spawning fish into fish ladders into their facility and starts the hatching & fry rearing process again. Margo & I drove separately in case we were bored and wanted to come back but it was not boring at all. Dave & Terry started catching fish right away but Dave’s line was too light and he kept breaking off the fish and losing lures. Margo & I walked and watched lots of eagles, seals and otters. A mother bear and 4 cubs has shown up here regularly for a few days so after Terry caught his limit of 6 salmon and Dave ran out of hooks – including some of Terry’s – we hung around a bit to see if the bears would show up but no luck.
Dave & Terry filleted the fish and then cleaned up their gear before putting a salmon on the BBQ. Margo had made a potato salad and I added a green salad for an easy dinner. Dave & Margo came in for a bit after dinner until Terry stared snoozing in his chair and Dave said he wanted to go home so he could go to bed like Terry. We were amazed to see it was 10 o’clock!

July 17th – Tues – Valdez
Another clear sunny day – love it! The temperature probably reached 66 so it was very nice.
Dave & Terry went fishing again this morning while Margo & I went to a bakery for goodies. I told Terry he could not keep any more fish as there is no more room in the freezer. When we got to where they fishing, they were having a great time pulling in fish and letting them go. We set up a couple of chairs and watched them, the wildlife and the scenery again.
When we got back, the guys put away fishing gear while Margo & I made sandwiches for lunch. Then we took a drive to Keystone Canyon to take pictures of Horsetail and Bridal Veil Falls. We drove through town and stopped at a bar named the Fat Mermaid for a beer as Dave likes to stop at bars with weird names.
Back at the park we relaxed and did our own thing for a couple of hours until D&M brought over drinks & snacks. We finished just in time to drive back to the fish hatchery hoping to see the bear & cubs. Sure enough, there were a lot of people on a bank looking across a creek where the mama bear had brought her cubs for dinner. She waded into the water and grabbed a salmon which she took back to the cubs on the rocky bank. They all gathered for a mouthful of fish and then they all ambled off and out of our sight. Of course a couple of the cubs were being typical kids and played as they were following mom.
By the time we ate dinner it was already after 8 so not much left of the evening.

July 11th to 14th - Seward, Wasilla, Valdez

July 11th – Wed – Seward
I got up early this morning to make coffee & sandwiches for Terry to take on his fishing trip today. It was rainy & windy when they left so they weren’t sure if they would be going out. Sure enough, about an hour or so later they came back and said there were 15 foot swells and 25 mph winds out in the gulf where they would have been fishing. They had coffee & doughnuts while Marv decided if they would go or not.
I was still in bed reading when Terry returned so he turned on the furnace & hot water and crawled back in bed to wait while the rig warmed up. We were lazy and sat around drinking coffee, watching the rain and waiting for the computer to connect to the internet. Actually, I did get decent reception for a while, paid a couple of bills and cleaned up emails.
We had just eaten a sandwich for lunch when Margo came over and said that she had called and found out that our wildlife tour was still going to happen. Shortly after 1, Dave drove us to the boat docks (raining too hard to walk!), we got our boarding pass and waited a while in a shop. We asked if they were giving refunds and they said the whales didn’t mind the rain and that there were about 40 people on the tour boat. It was pretty hard to take pictures through the rain on the windows and most other wildlife did mind the rain! The waves didn’t roll the boat too much until we headed out the end of Resurrection Bay in search of sea lions. Then the captain said the swells were about 10 feet and she was waiting for the right combination of waves to turn the boat around comfortably and head back. We ended up seeing Dall’s porpoises play in front of the boat (you had to brave the wind & rain like Margo did to be out on the bow to really see them), humpback whales, sea otters, puffins and bald eagles. The captain told us a lot about the history of the area.
While we were gone, Terry filled a propane tank and he & Dave b.s.’d the afternoon away. We phoned when we got back so they could come pick us up as it was still raining. The reason we didn’t just drive a vehicle is that there is very little parking in that area and paid parking is $10 for any part of a day.
We had a drink while we discussed our day and went our own way for dinner.

July 12th – Thurs – Seward
We wanted to walk to Exit Glacier today but thought we would wait a bit and see if the weather cleared. Not our best idea but I don’t think it was sprinkling much more when we finally went.
Before we went I convinced Terry to get a waterproof jacket. He stood outside talking to neighbors last night after they borrowed his ladder and he was soaked.
We walked all the way to the foot of the glacier but couldn’t get onto it as it was too crumbly. The clouds lifted enough for good pictures. On the way back through town, we stopped for ice cream.
After a bit we all went for a walk to the “snagging” bridge. People had caught fish but no one was getting anything when we were there and there was a cold wind so we came back. Dave & Margo brought their drinks over and I got spaghetti sauce simmering. They had some steaks that needed to be cooked so we did our own thing for dinner.
Terry has a cold starting to I dosed him with cold capsules and we went to bed early.

July 13th – Fri – to Wasilla
We returned to the Big Bear RV park in Wasilla as we didn’t want to drive 430 miles to Valdez in one day. We stopped for breakfast at IHOP in Anchorage and waited a long time for our food to arrive. Terry’s friend Marv told them how bad the customer service is in Alaska and we are starting to agree with him.
Margo & I took advantage of the nice laundry room to do a couple of loads each. I love Color Catchers so I can mix all the colors together when I just have a few clothes to wash. We all went to WalMart to get a few groceries and I got plastic bins to put in the freezer to contain some of the smaller items that want to fall out each time you open the door.

Terry got a couple of bundles of firewood as it was nice enough to sit out and enjoy a fire. The wood turned out to be wet but Dave chopped it all into small pieces and we shared the fire with some neighbors. Unfortunately, I caught a cold as well and was not feeling like putting steak on the BBQ at 9 when everyone left. So I made a fajita from leftovers for Terry, I had toast & peanut butter and went to bed after taking a couple of cold capsules.

July 14th – Sat – to Valdez
Our early start at 7 got a little bit delayed when I checked a tire on the 5th wheel that was wearing unevenly and found a small split. Terry took the time to change it to the spare rather than ending up changing it on the side of the road. Dave was leading today as he needed to stop for gas and we didn’t want to pick the place. We also topped up when he stopped and then he continued leading which was good as he doesn’t drive as fast as Terry and a lot of the road was bumpy. We stopped for breakfast – had another wait longer than we expected! – and then came up behind a bicycle ride. Turns out some of the entrants were going to Valdez to ride 400 miles so we passed bicycles for miles. Luckily there is not a lot of traffic on the road because some of the bicyclists would ride 2 & 3 abreast in narrow spots.
We made a couple of phone calls when we stopped for pictures and found a campground (Bayside) that had 2 sites for 3 nights. The campground on the water where we stayed 5 years ago is no longer in operation so we have a mountain view instead of a water view.
After we got set up and Terry tuned in his 42 cable TV channels(!), we went for a drive with Dave & Margo to find where people were catching silver salmon. We went as directed by the campground owner and found a lot of people fishing from big rocks on the shore. We saw a couple of nice stringers of salmon carried up the bank so I think Terry & Dave will give it a try tomorrow,.
We went to have a drink with D&M and then Terry pulled out the BBQ to cook the steaks. It didn’t rain too much today but a breeze is making it very cool and it was drizzling a bit for Terry to BBQ. Dinner, cold medication, TV and to bed early.

July 8th to 10th - Homer to Seward

July 8th – Sun - Homer
I got some laundry going early this morning and was joined shortly by Margo doing the same thing. We were the only ones in the laundry room so got as many machines as we needed and got done quickly. Then we all went exploring & sightseeing.
We stopped at the Alaska Islands and Ocean visitor center which includes films & displays about the huge nature preserve that includes all the Aleutian Islands. It is very informative and well done. We went on a walk through a protected area where a pair of sandhill cranes are raising their 2 young called “colts”.
We drove into the old part of town and “wisely” decided to have lunch at a local place rather than Subway. We were told that it would take a while to get our food as they were very busy but it was ridiculous. We should have known when our server came back at least 20 minutes after we ordered to say they were out of 2 things that we had ordered. We were ready to leave when our server finally appeared with food. There was a young family behind us who were there 15 minutes before us and they didn’t have their food yet so they got up and left.
After eating, we continued on to a road that has amazing views of the Spit and Kachemak Bay and took pictures. We made a loop back to town and stopped at a couple of interesting stores that Margo heard about. We stopped at some stores on the spit that we hadn’t visited yet and drove to the end of the spit before going back to our rigs. We put on boots & jackets and walked along the beach for a while before the guys started a fire. It was cool so Margo & I spent time on our computers, read and did some dinner prep rather than sitting by the fire.
We got together for another halibut dinner but kept it light as lunch was quite late. We showed Dave & Margo most of the jokes & clips stored on our computer. At one point, the sun was shining over the top of the RV beside us and it was almost 10.

July 9th – Mon – to Seward
We left at 8 after dumping our tanks at the campground. We stopped at Fred Meyer in Soldatna for fuel and groceries and enjoyed sunny patches as we retraced our route to the Seward Highway and then turned south.
We filled up our fresh water before looking for a site in the city campground on the beach. We didn’t realize that we were in the water & electric area when we first started looking for spots. We couldn’t find 2 places on the beach so we moved to a non-serviced area where we are a couple of spaces away from Dave & Margo.
We had set up and had a sandwich for lunch when Marv drove up. He is a friend who Terry fished with when we were in Spokane. He now is a fishing guide, he took us fishing when we were here in 2007 and Terry & Dave are going fishing with him on Wednesday. We & Dave chatted with him and his friend Bob for quite a while.
It was cloudy & breezy but we put on warmer jackets and walked towards the boat docks. As we crossed a bridge over a little creek running into Resurrection Bay, we saw some men fishing for salmon. Fishing might be the wrong term as they were snagging them which is legal here. They use a treble hook with a weight on it, throw the line out a short ways and jerk it back trying to snag fish that are heading up the creek to spawn. This is the beginning of the silver salmon run and we saw them catch a couple of fish and saw quite a few fish getting past them into the creek.
We continued on to the boat docks and looked unsuccessfully for Marv’s boat. We saw nice displays of halibut & salmon that were caught on fishing charters today and the halibut weren’t much larger than the ones that we caught.
As we started to walk back it began to rain so we ducked into a bar for a beer while the rain moved through. We went to Dave & Margo’s for another drink and some snacks. It was lovely to watch the activity on the water through their front window.

July 10th – Tues – Seward
We walked to the boat dock area so Dave could get some carburetor cleaner for his generator and Margo & I could make reservations for a wildlife & glacier tour tomorrow. At the hardware store I finally found a waterproof jacket that fit, I liked and was affordable. We also went to Napa for DEF as our indicator is saying we should be looking for it. Strangely enough, this is the least we have ever paid for DEF.
Next we headed into town to the Alaska Sealife Center. It is a wonderful aquarium that also offers lots of informative panels and films. When we left there, we walked along the main street and found a nice place for lunch where we all got too full from large hamburgers. We continued on up & down the street stopping to browse at many stores. We drove south of town to check out a waterfall noted on a map and Lowell Point. It was a very bumpy gravel road and neither destination was anything wonderful.
When we got back, we walked to the little bridge and watched people “snagging” again. One young man wearing shorts waded in up to his knees in the COLD water which made us all feel cold. He finally snagged a big King salmon. Other fishermen were cleaning silvers but no one else had a King.
I got on the internet looking for a recipe for the halibut cheeks that we were sharing for an appetizer. Margo was making a salad that was supposed to happen last night so I made some quick bread with Bisquick and our appetizer ended up being dinner. The halibut cheeks were very good even though I had to substitute bread crumbs for the Panko crumbs that turned out to be rancid.

July 5th to 7th - Soldatna to Homer

July 5th – Thurs – Soldatna
We started with a trip to WalMart so I could get a haircut (marginal!) and Margo & I could look for rubber boots. Margo got boots but they didn’t have them in my size. We picked up a few groceries and went back to Fred Meyer where I found some boots and Dave got waders in anticipation of doing some salmon fishing somewhere.
We drove back the way we came yesterday as Terry & Margo had looked at a road on the map that Terry thought would be interesting. Boring is more the word!! It was a 17 mile, gravel, loop road that went by Skilak Lake which is fed and drained by the Kenai River. There are lots of trailheads for hikes which we were not into. On the way back – finally! – we stopped for lunch at a place advertising ice cream. We waited quite a while for our late lunch and then were all too full for ice cream.
We got diesel at $4.29 before returning to the campground. Terry bought firewood yesterday but it was too rainy & cool for a fire then so we had one this evening. Margo brought out a popper for making popcorn over a fire and that is what we had for dinner.

July 6th – Fri – to Homer
We were going to dump our waste tanks at the campground on the way out until we discovered it cost $15 even if you camped there. So we went to the free dump at Fred Meyer and lucked out with no one dumping. Margo & I went for doughnuts while the guys were dealing with dump detail.
The weather continued cloudy and cool for our short (75 mile) drive to Homer where we are camping in the Homer Spit Campground. We stopped at a few lookouts but the clouds obscured the tops of the volcanoes across the We are in the second, elevated row so we can look at Kachemak Bay over the tops of small rigs between us and the beach.
After lunch we went exploring. We did some comparative pricing for halibut fishing and decided on a trip for tomorrow afternoon. We are doing a half day trip as Margo tends to get seasick but is willing to try a shorter trip that won’t get as far into the open water. We stopped at several shops along the spit and made the mandatory visit to the Salty Dog Tavern. Then we drove into town to check out the Elks club which we had seen on the way in. They have spaces for RV parking but it is not as inexpensive as others we have used. However, the drinks were reasonable and the view superb so we stayed for a couple of rounds.
I put a pork roast in the crock pot when we got here and invited Dave & Margo for dinner. We enjoyed a fire while Margo & I were finishing dinner prep and then enjoyed a nice dinner. We chatted with a couple next door – Bill & Cynthia – from Connecticut.

July 7th – Sat
We didn’t do too much this morning except look for gloves & rain gear, pack a lunch and try to get on & stay on the internet. About 11 we all drove partway down the spit and found a parking spot. We picked up our boarding pass for the fishing boat and browsed through a couple of shops before carefully walking down the very steep ramp to the boat docks. It was very steep because the tide was out.
We were all on the boat when the captain gave his mandatory safety speech and then said that we were waiting for 2 more customers who had called and said they were running late. We finally left about 12:45, 15 minutes late. We went about 1 hour & 45 minutes to the fishing area. It took longer than usual as we were running against a large tide but we –and 24 others! - were on a 57 foot boat so the ride was smooth.
We expected a huge mess with so many people fishing but their system works pretty well. We anchored at the front so the tide was running towards the back of the boat. Some people let out lines at the back of the boat and the rest moved up the sides to the very front. As the first person let out line, he/she moved towards the back and the next person could let out line. When someone caught a fish or needed new bait, the whole line of people moved down to fill the space and the people who had to put out a line again did the “excuse me dance” to the front again. There were amazingly few tangled lines even when fish were caught.
Because of the running tide, we had 3 pound chunks of lead on our lines. They were hard to reel in and really a work-out with a fish on. I caught a keeper halibut early. When I caught my second fish, Terry was right beside me and I asked him to reel it in as my arm was really sore by now. He had a hard time getting it in and said my reel was much harder to turn than his. The rules of the boat (and possibly Alaska fishing regs) say that the fish belongs to the person that sets the hook. Some people had the crew reel in their fish.
Everyone on the boat caught their 2 fish limit – we guessed in the 10 to 20 pound range - and we headed back just after 4:30. The crew filleted the fish as we travelled and we each had a bag of lovely halibut which were heavier than we expected. We came back to our rig and started cutting off the skin, cleaning & packaging the meat. We had 2 fillets left in the 3rd bag when we had to go for dinner.
Dave found out about a restaurant that will cook your catch for dinner and made a reservation for 7:15 based on the usual time that boats get back. We took 3 smaller fillets and had them cooked in the 3 styles offered by the restaurant – grilled, deep fried and baked. This meal cost $17.50 per person and included the normal side dishes offered with their meals – a huge salad, bread and baked potatoes with all the fixings. We got a window table and enjoyed the meal immensely.
When we got back we finished dealing with the halibut before relaxing a bit with the news & weather on TV.

June 30th to July3rd - Portage to Soldatna

June 30th – Sat – to Portage area
We got up early, all dumped our waste tanks and were in convoy formation and on the road at 7:45. The reason for the early start and driving together was to try to get camping sites at Williwaw campground just out of Whittier. I had tried to get reservations in the 21 sites that are reservable and they were all reserved for the days that we wanted. But there are 79 sites so we figured we would give it a shot.
In less than 2 hours we drove past the “campground full” sign as we figured correctly that it was from last night. We started driving around and we and Dave & Margo passed one back-in site that Rick then nabbed. Then we saw a back-in for Dave and a pull-through which we took. It was reservable but the out date was today. Margo drove us to the entry where we saw the camp host just leaving to put a reserved sign on the spot that we were in. But we saw another available pull-through so I went back to sit at the table while Margo told Terry to move. The site was big enough that Dave & Margo pulled in behind us to share the site as they were quite a ways away. Rick & Pat are just around the corner.
Set up is quick without hooking up electric & water so we all went to Girdwood and took the tram up to the Alyeska ski area. There was a beautiful view from the top and we watched para-gliders taking off and floating down to the valley floor. We had an expensive – but good- lunch and headed back down the tram. On the way back we stopped at the animal rehabilitation center – there was a line of cars to get in! – and walked all around the facility where we saw musk ox, wood bison, moose (including 3 long-legged babies), caribou, eagles, bears, lynx, owls and lovely views of the end of Turnagain Arm.
When we got back it was time for happy hour. Our site was in sunlight and protected from the breeze so we got chairs & mosquito repellant out and enjoyed the outdoors. Actually, the mosquitoes were fairly plentiful but not much of a bother. This campground is wooded and the sites are separated so it is very peaceful and pretty.

July 1st – Sun – Portage/Whittier
We all met up at 10 to go to Whittier just a few miles away. You have to drive through a 2 ½ mile, one-way tunnel to get there. The tunnel is shared with trains so when one shows up it gets priority. Otherwise, the tunnel is opened for 15 minutes for traffic about every half hour. You pay the $12 return trip toll and line up in a staging area like ferry traffic lines. A traffic light spaces out the cars just a bit and you straddle the rails driving through.
Once in the small town of Whittier, we parked and walked. The clouds were hanging low over the mountaintops but there were still beautiful reflections of boats in the calm water of the protected harbor. We chatted about fishing and the town with 2 men from Anchorage who come here for recreational fishing. We got coffee, hot chocolate, doughnuts & cinnamon rolls at a little stand and went through the pedestrian tunnel that runs under railway tracks to “town”.
We eventually lined up for the trip back through the tunnel. We had seen a young lady at the coffee stand and she was working at the tunnel so we talked to her while we waited. She has been here for a little over a year and isn’t real happy with her sister who talked her into coming. She said that most of the 200 or so residents of Whittier live in a 14 story condo & office building and that she does consider her job to be a good one.
When we got back, we had a sandwich for lunch and took the bikes off the rack. Even with the cover they were totally dusty so Terry cleaned them up and we went for a ride with Dave & Margo. There is a lovely paved/boardwalk/concrete trail that runs past the campground. We rode the 1 ½ miles to the visitor center at Portage Lake, took pictures of glaciers & icebergs and went through the displays at the visitor center where our Golden Age passes got us in for free. We watched a film mostly about glaciers and were awestruck at the end when the screen went up and curtains opened to a huge window looking out at the lake, mountains & glaciers.
Back at the campground, we got out chairs & bug spray again, lit a fire and enjoyed our usual happy hour(s). After dinner, Terry watched a couple of movies and I read my book.

July 2nd – Mon – Portage
We went for a long bike ride with Dave & Margo this morning. We went the opposite way from yesterday and went 3.3 miles before hitting the end of the trail at Moose Flats and heading back. The weather was cloudy but we didn’t get any rain during the ride.
After lunch we all went on a one hour glacier cruise on Portage Lake. You can see a very small portion of the glacier from the visitor center but the cruise takes you around the corner and right in front of the glacier. We slowly moved along the front of the glacier a couple of times but it did not oblige by calving.
We had another fire and happy hour and went our own ways for dinner again.

July 3rd – Tues – Portage
We and Dave & Margo went for a long walk this morning. The trails are really nice, the streams are clear and the flowers are lovely but there are no fish spawning and we didn’t see any wildlife. Rick & Pat borrowed Dave & Margo’s bikes and did most of the ride that we did yesterday.
Then we and Dave & Margo went to Girdwood for lunch before going to watch the tidal bore. Rick & Pat had eaten lunch so followed a bit later in their truck. What is a tidal bore? you ask. If the low tide is a minus tide, when the tide comes back in the water catches on the exposed sand and stalls. The water coming in behind pushes the water ahead into a wave which breaks like the surf coming into a beach. Dave had read about this phenomenon and wanted to see it which we all thought would be fun. The charts tell you to adjust by +-30 minutes so we ended up waiting for over an hour before it showed up after 5. Several people were waiting on surf boards and rode the wave for miles. We moved from one turnout to another and watched the surfers and the waves. The wave was not as high as we expected but it was a fun thing to do.
We had a late, large lunch so no dinner accompanied happy hour drinks which were inside due to intermittent rain.
We are very sad to say that due to personal conflicts, Pat & Rick will no longer be travelling with us on this trip.

July 4th – Wed – to Soldatna
We left just after 8 for the short, 2 hour drive to Soldatna which is on the Kenai Peninsula. The king salmon run is practically non-existent this year so rivers have been closed to fishing including the Kenai. This means there were no fishermen lining the banks and parking areas were empty.
We checked into the city’s Centennial campground where there were lots of sites to choose from. After setting up, we and Dave & Margo went for a sightseeing drive. We were detoured by a parade in the town of Kenai so we stopped at a Subway for lunch before continuing north on the Kenai Spur Road. This is a flat part of the Kenai peninsula which borders on Cook Inlet. We drove to Captain Cook Recreation Area at the end of the road and parked for a while. The tide was way out and a lot of people were walking on the exposed sand & rocks. Lots of ATVs and a few pickup trucks drove around a corner and out of our sight. Someone said they had some kind of traps or nets set up and were emptying them on the low tide. People were looking for agates so Margo & I went for a walk but we weren’t exactly sure what they looked like and we liked the different colored rocks better!
When we got back, we went to Fred Meyers to look for a couple of items. Then it was back to the campground, happy hour & dinner which Margo made for all of us. A couple of drinks, a restless night last night and driving suddenly caught up to Terry so we were in bed very early.

June 28th & 29th - Wasilla area

June 28th – Thurs – Wasilla/Anchorage
I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast but we had too many electric things running – fireplace, hot water tank, fridge & microwave – so first we blew a breaker and even after we turned off all but the microwave it took a long time to heat the convection oven and we were late finishing our breakfast. We all left just after 9 to sightsee in Anchorage.
Pat wanted to go to a film about the 1964 earthquake here so we headed there first. We walked through a lot of pictures & text about the earthquake and then attended a 15 minute film where the seats shook when the earthquake hit. The quake and tsunamis caused an incredible amount of damage including Valdez sliding into the ocean and having to be completely rebuilt. Several blocks of downtown Anchorage sank and had to be rebuilt after scraping out the sand layer that liquefied and caused so much earth movement.
We walked several blocks of a couple of streets downtown and visited 3 gift shops that offered free gifts in our coupon book. We drove to an Ulu (curved knife) factory and then watched people fishing as we walked along a river – Ship Creek - and across a couple of pedestrian bridges. We had a little drizzle but otherwise it was cloudy and quite cool. We went to Costco for lunch and no one bought anything else! We went to a Best Buy where Rick got a Garmin GPS and then we drove back to our RV park.
We got together at Rick & Pat’s for happy hour and tried to figure out what we are doing when we leave here on Saturday. We all headed to home for dinner.

June 29th – Fri – Wasilla area
We all drove about 12 miles back towards Anchorage and to a trailhead for Thunderbird Falls. There is a wide 1 mile long path with a viewing platform over the canyon at the halfway point and a stretch of boardwalk just before the viewing platform for the falls. We were the only vehicle parked when we started the walk but we passed a lot of people near the end as we were going back and there were many vehicles in the parking lot. It was a lovely walk to pretty but uninspiring falls.
Next we headed to Hatcher Pass but ran into road construction and a closed bridge. We decided to just return to Palmer and a Friday farmers’ market. On the way we stopped at a viewpoint to take pictures of the Matanuska River and stopped at the Musk Ox farm but only Margo really wanted to take a tour so we carried on to Palmer.
There were a lot of vendor tents set up for the 10th anniversary of the farmers’ market and a trio of women provided music. We all had something to eat for lunch and wandered around. We discovered that an unusual colonization effort during the depression brought 203 families from Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin to settle in Palmer. A lot of items around town – museum, plaques, signs – provide a lot of information about this event. Pat & I enjoyed walking through a large garden by the museum and taking pictures of flowers.
After a brief stop at the park, we went with Rick & Pat to get fuel, booze and a few groceries at the nearby WalMart. Then we both did laundry before happy hour. Margo did laundry when we were shopping so they went for groceries and joined us – of course – for happy hour.
The clouds have cleared and we are getting to see the tops of mountains around us.
We are leaving here tomorrow and are not sure if we will get wifi for a few days so I will post the blog tonight.

June 25th to 27th - Denali to Wasilla

June 25th – Mon – to Denali
We barely had enough water for very quick showers this morning. The mosquitoes were really out when we dumped our tanks and put in fresh water. We checked the rear truck tire that was low in Tok and found that it was low again. Terry dug out his fairly new air pump and it would not work! So we had to find somewhere with an accessible air hose before we hit the Parks Highway. We finally found a lube business, aired up the tire and headed out about 9:30 for the 2 hour drive.
The clouds did not cooperate so we didn’t see Mt McKinley – aka Denali – from the highway. Dave & Margo had just finished checking into Denali Park RV and Motel when we arrived. They could not reach the power box from the first site they tried so we are parked together with Rick & Pat a few sites away.
It is quite a bit cooler here than the last couple of hot days in Fairbanks so we changed to long pants before going to check things out. We drove into the park, stopped at the visitors’ center, watched part of a film and looked at nicely done exhibits. Then we went back to the Wilderness Access area where Dave & Margo booked a trip into the park for tomorrow. We drove up a very steep, winding road to a large hotel complex (Grande Denali) where we wandered through a gift shop and took pictures from a beautiful viewing deck. We stopped at one touristy store in Denali village before deciding it was time to head back for happy hour.
At 8 we all left for “Dinner Nite” back at the village. It was a family style, all-you-can-eat salmon & ribs dinner with a musical “play” performed by the servers after dinner. Attendees are taken by a shuttle bus from a hotel to the log “cabin” on a “treacherous” road. Terry had to check this out earlier when we were driving and had to back out of a dead end to get out of the labyrinth of cabins as one road was blocked by an incapacitated truck being loaded onto a trailer by a forklift. We all enjoyed the evening and got back in full daylight at 10:45.

June 26th – Tues – Denali
Rain, rain, rain!! Dave & Margo left early for their bus trip. Pat ran over in the rain and invited us to have waffles & bacon for breakfast. Her new waffle iron was not working too well but we ended up with a lovely breakfast. It was still pouring rain so Terry went to our place and came back with the card shuffler so we could play a game of Ponytail canasta. The guys won a hard fought game.
We then went into Denali village and had lunch. We were heading for a place that advertised “fish & chips” but it was little & cold so we went to a larger place that advertised “halibut & chips”. None of us had the halibut but we had very good, late lunches. We wandered through a couple of tourist shops and then headed back to the RV park but first we drove to Healy so Rick could get diesel at $4.60 a gallon.
I made a batch of brownies so when Pat & Rick came over (after Rick had a nap), Pat, Terry & I had brownie sundaes for dinner. Shortly after Rick & Pat left, Dave & Margo returned from their 12 hour bus tour. We spoke with them long enough to see how their trip went – they were glad they went – and they were ready to call it a day. We watched TV for a while and headed for bed.

June 27th – Wed – to Wasilla
Our truck tire was low again when we were ready to leave so we borrowed Dave’s air pump to fill it and pulled out about 9. It was cloudy the entire way to Wasilla so we did not get to see Denali (Mt McKinley). We did not have enough fuel so we stopped at Cantwell and got $50 of diesel at $4.90 a gallon!! We also got a sandwich for an early lunch at Subway.
We were right behind Rick & Pat checking in at the Big Bear RV park between Wasilla & Palmer. The address is Palmer but it is close to Wasilla?! Dave & Margo were not too far behind. Once we set up, we decided that maybe we should stay for 3 days rather than the 2 that we paid for. So we checked with the others and all went to the office to pay for another day.
We all went our own way for a few hours. We went to a tire shop where they found a screw in the leaky tire and repaired it. Pat went to a chiropractor and then Rick got an oil change. Dave & Margo found a Mexican restaurant for a late lunch. We and Rick & Pat also stopped at a large WalMart for a few items. When we got back, I made a salad for us and then we went to Dave & Margo’s for HH. Rick & Pat had just returned as we were leaving so they joined us.
Back to our own rigs for dinner. We got General Tsao chicken at WalMart so I added teriyaki noodles from a mix for an easy dinner. There are still high clouds and we have the fireplace on but it is not raining.