Denali day

We got up early to meet the train here in Fairbanks and rode it down to Denali National Park.

The weather in Fairbanks was supposed to be sunny and 78. When we got to Denali around 12, it had turned cloudy and windy. But we enjoyed out time there anyway.

finally fairbanks

We saw mountains in the distance

Blue lakes with a color made by glacial mud.

More mountains

A welcome sign

At the end of a long road.

Tomorrow a train trip to Mount Mckinley and Denali.

Fridays map

Click here to go to the Google Map

Fort Nelson to WhiteHorse

This was the longest day of the trip so far.We saw this guy walking along the road and a bunch of others just hanging out.

The mountain goats were standing by the side of the road.

I think these are Elk, or Caribou. The ones we saw were losing their winter coat for summer, so they looked a bit rough.

At one point we had to follow some traffic through newly laid down gravel.

A couple times we lost the car ahead in the dust.

This lake turned out to be a photo dream.

signposts in Lake Watson
click for more info

We went out of our way to see this one, the DC3 is a wind direction indicator.

Fort Nelson

We took a shorter initial drive today, and got to Fort Nelson about noon.
A quick subway, and check in and then we set off straight north so we could visit the Northwest Territories.
The second drive proved that up here when you start down a big hill there will be a river at the bottom.
We went over two rivers on the way to the border. We also got to sit for 20 minutes with the car off, while we waited for the repair trucks to work on the road. Anyway, we got it done, and tomorrow we will be on the road for 11 hours up to White Horse, Yukon territory. Look at a Canada map, we have covered most of the territories, or provinces at this point. I told Bill one of my next trips would be to Maine, so I could say that I Have been on all 4 corners of the United States.

Waking up in Fort Saint John BC

It was a quiet night here. The ac worked until the evening cooled off. The morning brought a blue sky marbled with clouds.
Fort Saint John is the largest town in the area and is mostly a place to stop on the Alaska Highway or home for oil and lumber workers.
We crossed the Peace river yesterday, which came as a little surprise.
The road had been winding a bit through farms and oilfields and pine woods, when we saw a grade sign, and the road started dropping. Bill took us through a 10 per cent grade and we figure about a thousand feet of elevation change down to the river. We crossed a metal suspension bridge and then climbed out the other side, next to a coal distribution center.

From there it was more of the same gently rolling hills covered with patches of brilliant yellow, something that we have been seeing since we entered Canada, but have not yet identified.

The feller at the Gas station we stopped at in Alberta just before we hit BC spent some extra time to squeeze all the gas he could into the tank, stating that we were going to Bring Cash, and then launched into a short tirade about the taxes in that province. The gas went up about ten cents per liter, which I think tranlates to about 40 cents on the gallon in BC, so he may have had a point.

Today we head up to Fort Nelson, a fur trader outpost that has since turned into a place for people to stop on the way to Alaska. More when we get there.

Starting up the Alaskan Highway

We go to Fort Nelson tomorrow, and then up to the northern territories.
Then 2 eleven hour days in a row, and we will be in Fairbanks.

Beaver from Beaverlodge

The town put up this giant beaver in honor of their name. Had to share a picture

Moose and her Baby

We saw a Moose and her baby. She ran the baby across the road, and then stopped to give us the eye.

Rainbow

I almost forgot, we saw a rainbow today that was probably the most complete I have ever seen.
It had at least 4 distinct colors, and we could see both ends.

Pics from Banff and Jasper National Parks

In no particular order, this is the Banff Hotel

Not sure where the lake is, but it had some good color

Lake Louise, proabably looks better in the sun

A mountain

My camera took a picture of me while I was not looking

Vans that take tourists on the Glacier from a few miles away

The same glacier next to me

Athabasca fall, aka basketball falls

A bear
We could tell when there was one by the side of the road, as the traffic backed up.

Spot Plots

Click for a map of the spots from the trip through Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada.

Regina to Canmore

More Flat is what we saw.
Via Moosejaw, Calgary.

This looked like the Salt Lakes in Utah.

Then it started to rain.

For mom, you know why.

Olympic ski jumps at Calgary.

Going into the Canadian Rockies, after Calgary, near Banff, headed for Canmore.

Not Flat.

From Fargo to Regina Canada

Canada is a long straight road from what we have seen here.
We left Fargo 8 in the morning and after a few questions at the border were in Canada.

Ousside St Leon Manitoba we ran into Canada's largest Windmill Generator Farm.

Looking back down the road.

There was a lot of this crop growing, from the moving car and in a picture it is hard to re-create the yello

Another Long Look
Our destination for the Day Regina, was a welcome site.

First leg and Entering Canada

Bill drove a truly long leg in the morning. We ate lunch in Brandon at a Quisno's and I got a coffee at a Tim Horton's


View First leg In Canada in a larger map

Waking up in a Comfort Inn in Fargo

We originally had intended to go for Great Falls, but cut it short as time and daylight hinted it would be best. The drive was clear and the day was sunny after I got off the planes.
The day started with getting up at 4 and getting to the plane. After the plane was completely loaded, we got off the plane because it was broken. The next plane was boarded and we taxied out, only to get stuck on the runway waiting for the storm to pass O'hare. When I finally got there I had missed my connect flight by an hour.

After standing in line for 1/2 hour, i got a new ticket and then got some lunch and watched people.
The next plane was ready, and I got on board only to find out that I was sharing the seat set with a guy almost my size. The plane was full and the flight was short, so we made the best of it, and I found out aboot deer hunting in the upper peninsula.

While flying in I got a great view of the Chicago skyline. On the second flight I saw Oshkosh and Milwaukee and Sheboygan airports, before landing in Appleton.

Today we will cross into Canada, and head for Winnipeg, and then turn left as Bill says to head west for Regina. Looks like about 9 hours of driving today, probably like what we saw yesterday, flat and green.

More as I have internet and time to post.

Weather delay

Going flying again at 1155 for appleton.

Ellie waiting for biskit