A better Glacier tour with Jack

Hi, We are in Seward, AK, it's the worst weather we have had so far. This is a Puffin at the local Aquarium but we have seen them on our Glacier tours.

Took this picture in a shop in Homer. The farthest western point you can drive in the continental USA. Its like KW, Outer Banks and Martha' Vineyard.

This is the color emitted from Icebergs.

The smokey part at the bottom of the glacier is ice falling off the side of the glacier, which is called calving. It's so cool to watch and doesn't happen that often.

Tomorrow we are taking a tour of Seward, then another cruise to see wildlife. Hopefully we will see Whales, Otters, Puffins and more.
After this we are still heading north and its cold!

Love Jack and Gail

Colombia Glacier Cruise and Anchorage

Hi, I'm on a cruise from Valdez in Prince William Sound (remember the Exxon Valdez oil spill) to the Columbia and Meares Glaciers. The trip was going to be about 9 hours. Our tour guides said it's always great weather but it wasn't this year. Jack decided to stay on land, which was a good thing. We spent about a hour in rough water on our way out to Columbia Glacier. This is one of the first Icebergs I've ever seen with Sea Lions on it. The Captain cut the trip short and we made it about nine miles from the Columbia because of the Iceberg flows and he couldn't find an opening.

Thats the Iceberg flow in the background. I haven't been this cold in 7 years but it was so cool!!!

To the left of my head, way back in the distance is Columbia Glacier. We had to navigate between the Icebergs and big Ice chunks. I got to hold a piece weighting about 10 pounds. Going back to Valdez we hit some more rough seas. By this time everyone on the caravan said it was a good thing Jack stayed on land. I really had a wonderful time and saw Otters, Sea Lions, Whales, Dolphins, Bald Eagles and other birds including Puffins.

On our way to Anchorage, via a stopover at Mendeltna Lodge Campground (in the middle of nowhere but a cool lodge and great pizza), we stopped at a Musk Ox farm. They comb the Ox for their hair and native american women weave scarves, sweaters and hats. This is an 11 week old Musk Ox named Storm. When he wasn't eating the grass, he was trying to eat anyone's shoes laces he came close to.

After a tour of downtown Anchorage, which has about 300,000 residents we took a tour bus to the Alaska Wlidlife Conservation Center about 50 miles south of Anchorage, near Portage. It's a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Alaska's injured and orphaned animals. Most cannot be released back into the wild and live at the center for the rest of their lives. Now we have seen about 6 Moose and this one was the friendliest. It didn't hurt that there the fence was between us. There were Bears, Elks, Musk Ox, Reindeer and baby Moose.

Tomorrow is a free day in Anchorage but we are pulling away from the pack and going to Whittier so Jack and I can go on another Glacier Cruise, where the waters are calmer. It's is 8:17 pm, the sun had finally come out after about 5 days, so hopefully we will have a little sun on the western side of Prince William Sound. We will be in Homer on Sunday. It's as far west one can drive on the American continent.

Happy Birthday, Kelly.

Later, Love Gail

Almost 360 degrees of Valdez, AK

Hi, The weather is pretty foggy and raining most of the time but it's still beautiful. We walked up to this lookout and could see all of Valdez. Looking forward to the Glacier cruise tomorrow.

Love Gail

Skagway to Valdez

Hi, We were so happy the weather was beautiful coming down the mountains into Skagway and when we left on Thursday, the 16th it was so foggy, it wan't that scary climbing back up those hills. We drove about 100 miles to Whitehorse, a stop at Walmart and saw the "Frantic Follies Vaudeville Revue". The next day was a 264 mile drive to Destruction Bay, YK. If you blinked you missed it. It was a construction camp during the building of the Alcan Highway in 1942. Now it has a population of 37 and 86 dogs. It's next to Kluane Lake (biggest lake in the Yukon), has one store, one gas station and a small cafe with a campground. We met a delightful man named Lauren , who owns the cafe and campground. He had quite a few stories of his life up there in the wintertime. This last winter he had 6 weeks where the temp. never got above -40 below 0 and darkness for 3 months. The lake froze 8 feet down and it finally melted June 16th. He made dinner for the caravan. BBQ and the best Potato Salad we have ever had. Even Jack had 2 servings! Lauren also entertained us with his singing and Guitar playing with a couple of locals. Lauren is in the middle and that's his dog, Shady. Horsetail Falls above Valdez

After leaving Des. Bay we drove 264 miles to Tok, AK, another camp for the building of the Alcan Highway. Its actual name of the settlement was 'Tokyo Camp" but was shorten after the Japanese attacked Alaska during WW11. Now its a stop over for campers and RVs.
Today we drove another 265 miles to Valdez. A drive 2700 feet up the mountains, over Thompson Pass, then a drive down to sea level. Weather was foggy and rainy. We stopped at the Worthington Glacier, Bridal Falls and Horsetail Falls. It has been raining ever since we got to the campground. The whole city is surrounded by mountains and glaciers. Hopefully we will see them tomorrow. On Tuesday we are taking a 9 hour cruise thru Prince William Sound to see Columbia and Meares Glaciers. I think Jack is going. We'll see.
Thanks for the comments and emails. Love Gail

Skagway, the Cruiseship Capitol of AK

Hi, We are in Skagway, Alaska and it's like being in Key West during season but wearing long pants and coats. Just today there are 6 Cruise ships in town, yesterday there were 5. Broadway St. is their Duval St. The streets are packed during the day, by 8:00 there's no one on the street and not one car. The town has almost the same shops as KW, except the Tee Shirt shops are beter hidden. Our high speed boat to Juneau to see 2 Glaciers was cancelled, so they offered a hour tour over a Glacier in a 4 seater single prop plane. Jack went with the camera and said it was the best experience he ever had. The wind on the ground was about 25 to 30 miles but once up he said it was very smooth. He saw Killer Whales and a couple of Mountain Goats. He took a lot of photos and it's hard to delete any of them. White Pass & Yukon Route Railway

Can you see the line and bridges about two thirds up. We are in the first car of the train and headed for that route. It's a 3 hour trip, about 20 miles to the White Pass Summit at 2865 feet (we started at sea level). Up there they unhook the engine, switch tracks and connect it to the last car up the mountains. So going down the mountains we are now in the last car. Jack and I spent the whole time outside and we had a blast. One side of the tracks is mountains straight up and the other side is straight down hill, crossing some bridges over rivers and waterfalls. We also went thru 2 Tunnel which were pitch black.
We are having a great time and enjoying the people we are traveling with. Tomorrow we will be in Whitehorse, Yukon to see a Follies show. It is the Gold Rush country.
Thanks for the comments, would love to get more. Love Gail

Finally in the Yukon, getting close

Hi, Everyone on the Caravan signed their names on the white sign above me and nailed it up at Signpost Forest in Watson Lake, Yukon. There are over 60 thousand, plus signs that people put up over the years since 1942.

At our campsite last night, about 50 Buffaloos and 6 Calves just wandered in while we were having a cookout. Very docile animals, thank God. Except when Jack got between a Calf and his Mom. He had to climb up a ladder to a top of a gas tank, 8 feet in the air before she would of charged him. I couldn't figure out where he went because he was up there for about 20 minutes. Until the Leader of the pack got the Calf up and moved him down the road.

50 or so Buffaloos GO where ever they feel like and this poor motorcyclist drove thru the parking lot and dumped his bike. You can figure out the rest.

This Mom and her babe checked in just before us!

Beautiful country and we have seen 9 Bears, 4 Moose, 1 Caribou, 1 Bald Eagle, LOTS of Buffaloos and a family of Ducks.

The people on the Caravan are very nice and seems to be a good group.

Should have internet tomorrow in Teslin, Yukon and will post more pictures. We have been briefed on the up coming Train ride on the side of a mountain and Catamaran trip to a Glacier
in the next few days outside Skagway, Alaska. Should be very thrilling!
Would love to hear from you, just click on Comment and at the bottom type in a message. Thanks for ones we have gotten. Love Gail

Begginning of Alcan Highway Trip

Hi, This is the group shot in our matching blue windbreakers at the beginning of the Alaskian Highway. Jack and I are in front and center. Everyone seems very nice and we had dinner at the George Dawson Inn to get to know each other.

Today we started the trip. 300 miles to Fort Nelson, BC. Saw this mama Bear with 2 cubs, 2 other Black Bears and a Moose. Got our first chip in the windsheild. Most windsheilds up here are cracked. Finally seeing Mosquitos and we are outside to get this done. So will write later. Laird Hot Springs, BC tomorrow. Love Gail

Look Back

First snow we have seen in 7 years!

Bow Lake, eastern side of the Canandian Rockys

This is Dawson Creek at Mile Post O., British Columbia, the beginning of our trip on the Alcan Highway to Alaska. Our trip had been great, especially visiting our friends along the way. We loved the Canadian Rockys and thats a trip all in its own. We have met up with the caravan and will leave here on Thursday. We got our name tags that we have to wear every day and Jack feels like a Bus person. We watched a movie on how the Arm Forces build the Alaskian Highway in 8 months in 1942 to protect Alaska against Japan during WW2. They had no map route or professional road or bridge builders. The Army just bulldozed their way north to Fairbanks and it worked. Luckily, its been improved. Hopefully we will have WiFi but you never know up here in God's Country. Love Gail

This is Jack's post

of all the things to take a picture of. That's right it's a garbage can in Banff. Having not traveling outside the U.S. in 35 years it's been quite an eye openinger. As you can see it's not that hard. One side is for paper middle garbage end for cans and bottles with the silver box for butts. I have only seen three people smoking and the street are spotless not because its cleaned by the city but people don't litter. nobody's overweight except for the tourist. When working in KW I remember tourist coming up and asking what to do with there cigarette butts which I can understand now. I can understand why people around the world have little respect for America's. Prices have been quite a shock. Cigarettes 13.00 a pack,gas 4.40 a gallon, 12 pack of miller bottles 27.40, 6 pack of cornona, 15.60 and a fifth of Bacarti 55.00. We're in Dawson Creek BC had to arrive early because the campgrounds in Jasper AL were booked for the week. So we're sitting at a gravel parking lot until Thursday. It's 55 degrees and raining not supposed to stop until Wednesday. Have met most of the people of coarse we are the young couple. On the way here fron Hinton to Grande Prairie about 200 miles we did see 3 moose. Very little traffic mostly coal mining lumber and natural gas. And by the way, Micheal this is where the satelite died. It's going to be hard not seeing CNBC for 45 days. We're getting bored so if I can Wifi tomorrow we'll probably do an update. later Jack

Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper

Hi, We are at Earl's Lounge in Jasper, Alberta and we finally have WiFi. The pictures are backwards, hopefully I'll figure this out. The last picture is the top of MT. Sulfer in Banff. We took a Gondola up. Yep, I did it! 360 degree view of Banff and all the way to Lake Louise. We took a 3 hour tour ($52.00 each) of Banff, Bow River Valley (that's us in front of the falls), Cave and Basin, where they discovered the beginning of the Hot Springs, Tunnel Mt. and Lake Minnewanka, where we saw Big Horn Sheep. Next is Lake Agnes Tea House about 3.5 Kilometers UPHILL from Lake Louise. The staff lives there, only walk down once a week to shower and do laundry, no running water or electricity, serves lots of different teas and the PB & J sandwich was $7.50. 90 minutes up and 40 down. No Bears! We spent Canada Day, July 1st (like our 4th of July) at Lake Louise. Beautiful lake between a Glacier and the Fairmont Lake Louise Chateau. We now know what the color Ice Blue is. We walked half way around LL about 2 miles and about a mile and half around Lake Moraine. This morning we hiked to the Athabasca Glacier in the Columbia Icefields. Freezing! Spending the night in Jasper and working our way to Dawson's Creek, BC by the 6th. Probably won't get WiFi til then so Happy 4th of July. Loved to hear from you all. Lynn, call Karen because she is the only one I can call with her 800#. The # is on a postcard. Love Gail and Jack