Our Boat Ride

After posting the Blog on the 22nd we went on a river boat ride on a stern wheeler. While on the ride we stopped at a mock up of a Chena village where they talked about the different living methods of the Indians over the years before white man and after white man.
Tempory Shelter
Birch Bark Canoe
Beautiful coat
Alaskan Furs (The little white one to he right of the girl they call Texas Polar bear)
These Indians had been living in Alaska for 10,000 years before white man came along.
We also got to see the kennels of Susan Butcher the lady who won four Iditarod sled dog races.
Dog Training ATV has no Engine

Train we road in Skagway
Interesting shot on train ride

Didn’t get to post a blog report onboard the ship. They wanted a ridiculous amount to get on the internet so I refused to pay. Had a great time visiting Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchecan , and Victoria, BC.
Four couples of us; Tom and Anne Davis invited their friends Ken and Carol. We invited our friends and boating buddies, Rick and Deanna.

Juneau, the Capital of Alaska was wet and overcast so much that I don’t think I took a picture. In Skagway we took a train ride and saw some beautiful country and a black bear feeding. Both Juneau and Skagway were wall to wall shops to trap the tourist. Glacier Bay was the best stop even though we didn’t leave the boat but lots of beautiful scenery and we got to see a Glacier calve and I got some still shots of the whole thing.
These three shots were shot less than 5 seconds apart
No.2
No. 3
Ketchecan was a great stop with lots of interesting sights within easy walking of the boat. Including a Totem Pole Museum and a house of ill repute where the woman who owned it turned her last trick in her seventies.
Ketchecan Harbor
Sunken Gardens in Victoria BC

One of the many beautiful flower shots
Our favorite subjects
Old folks in Garden
Art shot at wine tasting
After the cruise moved over south of Seattle where I worked on the fifth wheel’s 12 volt system. That ended up costing about $900.00 We then went to Blaine, Washington for a couple of days before heading into Canada.
Mile zero Dawson Creek
We took two days to Prince George and another day to Dawson Creek, mile zero of the Alcan. We spent an extra day here to do a little touring and learning more about the building of the road.
One day up to Fort Nelson where I had been forty years before when I worked for Sinclair oil.
First Sheep
Free Roaming Buffalo
Interesting stop
Some of over 61,000
Our addition
The next day we drove to Watson Lake, the home of the Sign post forest, where we stayed an extra day so we could add our own sign. On the drive to Watson Lake I started feeling poetic and wrote my “Ode to the Alcan”.

Ode to the Alcan
By
Gordon Wyatt

The old road still casts her spell over those who venture north

Normal men who sleep till ten can’t seem to slow and comprehend

The road is in the rear view mirror by six

With the sun now playing tricks

Many miles you must make

Till satisfaction is there to take

She lures us on ever on, to the land of Seward, Northern lights and Palin, too.

Like a snake she winds her way thru emerald forest

Calling come on, come on, there’s much to see

She shows much with Elk, Bear, and Caribou

Service lived and wrote here when Sam and Dangerous Dan were near

The modern musher does not seek her gold to take

Just the beauty in her land and lakes

She winds her way thru forest and glen, and keeps luring you till the end

Left from 1942

From Whitehorse we did a longer day than expected and ended up in Tok, Alaska to spend a couple of days waiting on mail, celebrating our 44th Anniversary and washing the truck and fifth wheel for the first time on the trip.
Friday the 19th we left Tok and drove three hours to Fairbanks and an Air force base where we will spend about a week taking boat trips and train rides in Fairbanks and just touring.

As usual we only post about every ten days. The last ten days have been very busy with lots of sight seeing and touring. After leaving Coyote rock we stayed three days in Vancouver, Washington visiting with my high school buddy Tom Davis and his wife Ann.
We stayed at the Elks lodge about 3 miles from his house. While we were there they took us sight seeing up the Columbia River and to several beautiful waterfalls on the Oregon side and then the next day to a replica of Fort Vancouver that was a trading post for the Hudson Bay company.
Us in front of one of the many waterfalls
Tom and Ann Davis
Some of the beautiful flowers in front of Tom and Ann's house
Inside Fort

We left Vancouver on Friday and drove back to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where the Spruce Goose aircraft built by Howard Hughes is now on display. I just had to see such a famous airplane.
Right wing of Spruce Goose
We left Saturday morning for Astoria, Oregon where winter quarters for Lewis and Clark is located. There is also a wonderful Maritime museum there so we spent Saturday and Sunday getting a history lesson.
Winter quarters where Lewis spent winter on west coast
A real 44' that worked the Mouth of the Columbia not only was she rolled over many times she was once pitched poled and survived
Trolly we rode for a dollar
Monday we drove up the Washington coast to Port Angeles, Washington where we spent a night and went to see the movie, Angels and Demons.
Tuesday we drove to Bremerton, Washington where we are now parked at an Elks lodge. We have found a great bird shop to leave the parrots while we are on the cruise ship. We have now toured down town Seattle a little bit.
Famous Fish Market where they throw fish in Seattle
We came back to the 5th wheel and our friends from LA that are going on the cruise with us were here so had dinner together and played dominos last night.

The next posting will be from the Norwegian Pearl as we sail the Inland Passage to Alaska.

Napa Valley

We left Travis Air Force on Tuesday 5th of May one week ago today after touring Wine country in Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

We only drove about 50 miles to Petaluma Coast Guard Training center. This was a beautiful little Base with a small campground and lots of Canadian geese.
Local Neighbors at Petaluma
Spent two days getting out very little as it was overcast and rainy. Left on Thursday and drove up the California coast about 150 miles and stayed at a RV Park right on a beach. It was expensive but beautiful. Had a nice walk along the beach.
Gordon on Beach Northern California
Left the next morning continuing up the coast into Redwood country. Coming off the coast drove some of the worst Highway yet encountered. As we rejoined US 101, we saw and followed signs to the Redwood tree that you can drive a car through. The girl in the gift shop said the drive through was carved in the 1930’s. It doesn’t seem to have hurt the tree that is now 2400 years old.
Truck wouldn't fit
Leaving there we continued north driving the Avenue of the Giants through the largest and oldest living things on earth. Redwood trees!
Would make a lot of Toothpicks
Stopped for three days in Smith River, California just three miles south of the Oregon border.
Smith River Campground
We had mail coming in and had to wait for it and go out for Mothers Day.
Both boys called Jayne, that just made her day. On Monday continued up the Oregon coast. Stopped in Port of Newport and went through the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
Had Hitch-hikers when we left Aquarium
A very nice Aquarium ranked in the top ten. We then went up the coast another 20 miles to a beautiful RV Park called Coyote Rock right on a river.
Coyote Rock rough life some one has to do it

After leaving Grand Junction, CO we drove all day to Ely, Nevada and stayed at an Elks Lodge. Walked over to a casino for dinner and a little blackjack. Rain turned to snow and we awoke to freezing weather.

April 25th 2009

Hurriedly getting underway we headed for California. Arrived at June Lake around 4 pm and stayed a couple of days.

June Lake with Sierras in background
Beautiful camp ground

We tried to get to Yosemite but all roads were closed until Memorial Day. So, we wound up in Sacramento at Travis Air Force Base. Here we sit trying to get over a bad cold. Hope to get in some touring at Napa Valley Wine country this 1st day of May. However, it appears rain is headed our way, so we’ll see.

Small portion of RV’s and Entertainment Tent at Rally

Papa Doo Run Run on last night of Rally

Aztec Ruins in Aztec New Mexico

Spent the night in Durango, Colorado and continued on to Grand Junction on Wednesday. The drive through The San Juan Mountains in SW Colorado is one of the most beautiful and hair-raising drives I have ever taken especially towing a 33ft Fifth wheel. See attached Pictures.

Going through passes at up to 11,000 ft.

Stream along side road
Lunch break and time to relax. We are out of the Mountains.

Spent two nights in our friends driveway. Had a great time visiting and telling old sea stories. We hadn’t seen Dick and BJ for about 17 years. On Thursday Dick took us for a drive through Colorado National Monument.

Jayne and BJ at overlook in Colorado National Monument

A look at one of the many Canyons in the Monument. Dick said the large flat top blue Mountain in the far back ground is the largest flat top mountain in the world.