Our next stop was Dawson City. To get there we took the road known as the Klondike Loop, a 323 mile stretch of highway which begins north of Whitehorse, goes through Carmacks and Dawson City, crosses into Alaska at Boundary, swings by Chicken, and returns to the Alaska Highway south of Tok.

We found the Klondike loop sprinkled with inviting lodges offering sweets, gifts and unusual ways to entice visitors to stop and check out their hospitality. One of the most interesting phenomena that we are seeing is trees that have huge knots on them. Some of the lodges have had these deformed trees made into the shape of north woods animals. The funniest one we have seen so far is "Alaska's state bird", better know as the mosquito, seen here with Judy! And speaking of sweets, during our travels north we have stopped at several places that sell cinnamon buns, but none have been as large as those we purchased at the Braeburn Lodge. These tremendous goodies are easily big enough to feed four people; however, each couple bought one!

We did not stop at Carmacks, population less than 500. However, it is interesting to know where it got it's name. George Carmacks established a trading post there in the 1890's. He had come north hoping to strike it rich but, after many unsuccessful years prospecting, found himself bankrupt. So in 1896, he moved his family to Fortymile, were he could cut and sell timber. That summer he continued to prospect and began to find gold. During the next winter, he extracted more than a ton of gold from a tiny tributary of the Klondike River that he called Bonanza Creek. Carmacks' discovery led to one of the greatest human sagas the world has ever seen - the Klondike gold rush of 1898.

Continuing along the loop we came to an overlook of the Five Finger Rapids. These rapids got their name because of the 5 channels formed by rock pillars in the river. The rapids were very hazardous and the safest route for the stern-wheelers was through the east passage. Several of us hiked the path to get a better look, including the 268 steps that covered the steepest grades.

When one enters Dawson City, it looks as though the calendar has been rolled back many years. The streets are still dirt and the buildings look like the wild, wild west. Here we found a great opportunity to turn back the pages of time and experience living history. For a short while at the end of the 19th century, Dawson City was a large city boasting a population of over 30,000. (Today, the population is only a little over 2000.) It became the first capital of the Yukon and remained so until 1953 when the federal government moved the capital to Whitehorse. In the early 1960's Dawson City was declared a national historic site and Parks Canada is currently involved with many of the properties there, restoring and reconstructing the buildings.

Our first night in Dawson City (the word "night" does not mean "dark" here) we dined on scrumptious meals at Klondike Kate's and then drove up to Dome Mountain. On June 21st, if you are on Dome Mountain all night, you will see the sun barely dip behind the 6000 foot Ogilvie Mountains before it rises again in a short while. At 9:30 that night, it seemed like the middle of the afternoon. Very strange, indeed.

The morning of the 17th we all took the 1½ hour guided walking tour which highlighted the history and some of the notable characters that lived here. After lunch, we learned about the authors Jack London and Robert Service. Jack London briefly resided in the area and prospected a claim during the gold rush. It was his stay here that inspired him to write "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang". Robert Service, a poet, came to the area when he was in his early 20's. He answered a San Diego, CA ad run by a hotel in Dawson City. They needed a person to recite poetry and strum a guitar. He took a bank job to supplement his income. In 1907, with his bank Christmas bonus of $100, he published a collection of his own poems. He called this book "Songs of a Sourdough". By 1966 over 3.5 million copies of this book had been sold. His two best known poems are "The Shooting of Dan McGrew" and "The Cremation of Sam McGee".

A hundred years ago, U.S. and Canadian currency was measured against the gold dollar - the more gold a country had, the better off it was. But gold production had been slowing for a time, and the Federal reserve at Fort Knox dwindled to the point that many investors feared the United States could no longer back its dollar. A panic erupted, the stock market crashed, and everyone began suffering from the shortage. Only gold could fix the problem. Then suddenly, miraculously, in the summer of 1897, two rusty old steamboats arrived from Alaska, both loaded with tons of gold. It was more than just good news; it was a way out of the depression. Word spread quickly, and the Klondike gold rush was on. An estimated 100,000 people ventured north to the edge of the civilized world, searching for prosperity.

Initially, individuals, or small teams, working with shovels, picks, and the familiar gold pans, dug the gold out of the ground. But soon thereafter, huge machines were brought in to speed the operation. On the 18th, our group set out to find out more about gold mining in the area. Our first stop was at Claim 33 on Bonanza Creek where several of us were slightly successful at panning for gold. We also toured the Gold Dredge #4, which is the largest wooden hull dredge in North America.

Dredge #4 is 2/3 the size of a football field and 8 stories high. It could dig 48 feet below water level and 17 feet above. A hydro plant located 30 miles away, connected by electric cables laid on top of the ground, provided 920 continuous horsepower. The dredge moved along on a pond of its own making, digging gold bearing gravel from in front, recovering the gold through a revolving screen washing plant, then depositing the gravel out the stacker at the rear. It was a very efficient means of mining for gold.

Only four men were required to operate the enormous dredge - one in front to keep an eye on the digging buckets, one in back to keep check on the stacker, one to continually grease the multitude of huge chains and gears, and the captain to operate a series of levers to control the whole operation. But while only four men worked on the dredge, over a hundred more were required on shore to support it. The land had to be cleared of trees and undergrowth, the earth had to be thawed (no small task in the area of permafrost), and the soil had to be drilled and tested to determine the most promising place to dig.

Dredge #4 operated from 1913 until 1959, producing as much as 800 ounces a day. Today, it is a National Historic Site, and is being refurbished to its original condition.

During our stay in Dawson City, we took in two theatrical productions. The first was at Diamond Tooth Gertie's Casino. There we saw cancan girls and the "star" of the show who did a pretty good rendition of Mae West. After a little unserious gambling, we called it a day. The second show was the "Gaslight Follies" held at the Palace Theatre. This was a lighthearted skit about the early days of Dawson City and the folk that came here during the gold rush.

To continue on the Klondike Loop, a ferry must be taken across the Yukon River. Since there is typically a l...o...n...g line in the mornings (up to a 3 hour wait), we decided to cross over after the show. So about 10:00pm the Nelsons pulled onto the ferry. Thirty minutes and 3 trips later, the last coach made the five minute trip across. We drove about 10 miles to the beginning of the Top of the World Highway and spent the night (remember no darkness) in a rest area.

Today our four coaches (the Fursts were at a family reunion and rejoined us in Fairbanks) traveled the very scenic "Top of the World" highway. This part of our trip has been our GRANDEST, but also the most difficult.

The Canadian stretch of this highway is seal coated and the Alaska side is gravel. The scenery is positively breathtaking and you truly feel as though you are on top of the world. However, the highway is closed from mid-October until April and it is difficult to keep the road in good order. Repairs are constant while it is open, and there are times when 15mph is necessary to go over the washboard areas of the road. Other travelers we talked with said the road was in excellent condition, but that had to be a relative term - excellent compared to how bad it could be. Fortunately it was dry, but that caused an incredible amount of dust.

A little town called Boundary is at the Canadian/Alaskan border, at an elevation of 4,127 feet. As we crossed the border, we were asked what citizenship we held, what our purpose in coming to Alaska was, and if we had pets; then told to have a nice vacation and off we went.

Our first stop inside Alaska was at "beautiful downtown Chicken". "Why Chicken?" you may ask. Well, because the original settlers couldn't spell Ptarmigan, which is what they wanted to call the town. You see, this bird was plentiful and it made many a meal for the miners. Chicken's winter population is about 15, which soars to around 40 during the summer. Folks are here to mine gold. The town is closed during the winter since the road is closed. The temperatures may dip to -80 and soar to 45 degrees. There are NO telephones and NO flush toilets. Mail arrives by plane on Tuesdays and Fridays, if the weather is good. There are many 4-legged animals in the area, occasionally bears walk through town. The closest town is 78 miles away. Don't you wish you were living in Chicken?

The night of June 19th, we stayed in Tok (rhymes with poke), which was originally a construction camp on the Alaska Highway (also know as the Alcan). The town name was taken from a young husky pup that was the beloved mascot of the US Army's 97th Engineers Corp. This corps was responsible for building the highway and naming points along the way. Tok is a major overland point of entry into (and exit from) Alaska. It is the only town in Alaska that the highway traveler must pass through twice.

The next day we traveled approximately 100 miles north to Delta Junction. This was a beautiful ride with snow-capped mountains paralleling our route as we drove northbound. An overnight rain in Tok was likely snow in the higher elevations because the peaks were covered in fresh snow. It was a gorgeous sight on a clear morning with the sun hitting the mountaintops. The actual end of the Alaska Highway is in Delta Junction, not Fairbanks as has been reported on occasion. In the early 1980's the Alaska Department of Transportation made some highway sign changes that caused a lot of confusion for travelers. This misunderstanding was easily remedied with a trip to the Visitors Center in Delta Junction where one can see the monument for the official end of the highway.

As we neared Delta Junction, we stopped at the Delta Meat and Sausage Company. They make homemade smoked and fresh sausages. After sampling their products, most of us purchased several items including caribou and elk sausages.

On arrival in Delta Junction, we headed for Rika's Roadhouse, located on the banks of the Tanana River. The Roadhouse is a large building, constructed of logs in the early 1900's. It gave travelers a place to stay on their way from Valdez to Fairbanks. John Haidukovich originally owned the homestead. He would leave it in the care of Rika Wallen while he was trading in the winter and guiding in the summer. After 5 years of hard work with no pay, she asked for and received the homestead in place of back wages.

We toured some of the historic buildings of this 10-acre park and visited the gift shop. Inside, Connie Rishell introduced herself to Vicki Greenleaf, wife of Connie's second cousin Ron. In 1982, Ron and his brother Richard Greenleaf, with their wives and one child each, moved from New England to Alaska, where they have lived for 20 years. Both families are active in a non-denominational Christian group that runs and manages the Roadhouse and buildings via a lease with the state of Alaska. Vicki accompanied us to the restaurant for lunch and then very graciously gave our group a guided tour, encouraging us to try on some of the beautiful items in the gift shop.

The Rishell's were invited back to the Roadhouse for dinner that evening with the full Greenleaf clan. The young Greenleafs (4 from each family plus Gabriel's wife) prepared and served a feast of sockeye salmon including all the trimmings. On the way back to the campground a moose crossed the road in front of the car and lazily dined on the marsh grass not far away.

Other activities during the day included a stop at Nickay's Country Garden. Here we toured an immaculate set of gardens and hydroponics greenhouses. It was interesting to see how well things grow under the midnight sun. While we were there we stocked up on fresh lettuce, onions, cucumbers and tomatoes.

Several of us also checked out the Fur Shack, the Delta Junction furrier that makes coyote headbands and earmuffs. This mom and pop company operates at a roadside stand near the Alaska Pipeline. This is our first viewing of the trans-Alaska pipeline and here it crosses the Tanana River.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

The North Pole, Barrow and Fairbanks - June 21 to 24

"North Pole, Alaska" - That has a Christmassy ring, don't you think? Bon Davis homesteaded this area in 1944. A development company bought the property and named it North Pole, hoping to attract a toy manufacturer who could advertise products as being made at the North Pole. The toy maker concept fell through so the town incorporated in 1953 and adopted the theme: "Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round." You know you have arrived at the North Pole when you see the world's tallest Santa, which stands over 40 feet high.

In 1949, Con Miller began wearing a Santa Claus suit as he traveled on business trips. He found this rewarding because many children were learning about St Nicholas from him for the first time. So, in 1952, Santa Claus House was constructed. This quaint "home" provides millions of guests with an opportunity to visit Santa and his reindeer (which are really domesticated caribou). Santa is a fun person to talk to. It seems he stopped by here to purchase some postcards 13 years ago. A clerk asked his name. He replied, "St Nicholas, of course!" and was immediately hired. He is great with the kids. In a soft-spoken voice, he encourages them to be thankful for what they receive and to help their parents as much as they can. He told us he was so thankful to God for his job and that he finds it a great way to witness. What a great Santa!

One couple in our group, the Nelsons, lived in Fairbanks from 1959 to 1961. They traveled the Alaskan Highway a total of four times when it was all dirt (approximately 1500 miles each way). Now it is a composite of gravel and sand covered with oil. This seems to handle the weather conditions better and is easy to repair. Many of the curves and dangerous areas have been changed, which has shortened the highway by approximately 20 miles. First published in 1949, the "Milepost" gave mile-by-mile information on all major highways and roads in Alaska and northwestern Canada. Early travelers relied heavily on it for gas, food, repairs and lodging information. Today the "Milepost" is directed more toward tourists and is therefore full of advertising. After 43 years, the Nelsons are seeing many changes.

In 1959, Fairbanks was home to approximately 6,000 people. Today, there are over 83,000 in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, with 30,000 living downtown. Fairbanks was founded in 1901 when a steamship traveling up the Yukon River could not navigate the fast-moving, shallow Tanana River beyond the mouth of the Chena River. A passenger, E. T. Barnette, was dropped off at this point. His baggage was the beginning of a trading post, supplying the gold miners during the gold rush days. Mining is still evident today with production from the newest Fort Knox mine. The city holds a yearly 10-day Golden Days celebration in recognition of its mining heritage.

Fairbanks functions as a hub for the interior of Alaska, via river, road and rail and is the second largest city in Alaska. It held a key role during the construction of the trans-Alaska pipeline in the 70's. Extractive industries such as oil and mining continue to play a major role in the economy. Government employment, approximately 50%, is a big boost to the economy along with the University of Alaska and retail businesses. Ladd Field, now known as Fort Wainwright, was the first Army airfield in Alaska and is the city's largest employer.

Temperatures in Fairbanks can dip to 60 below in winter and rise to 90 above in the summer. You haven't lived until you've driven on tires that have frozen flat on the bottom - thump! thump! After months of only a few hours of daylight, returning sunlight in late winter is a welcomed sight. On June 21st Fairbanks has 21 hrs and 59 minutes of sun. There never seems to be a "time" to go to bed.

Fortunately we were in Fairbanks on Saturday, which gave us the opportunity to explore the Tanana Valley Farmers Market. This market began in the mid 70's with the purpose of showcasing a wide variety of "Alaska Grown" produce and "Made in Alaska" arts and handicrafts. It is the oldest established farmers market in Alaska, and the only one located in its own permanent building. We had great fun there, buying more fresh produce from our Delta Junction hydroponics gardener, wild berry jams and jellies, baked goods, reindeer sausage, pottery and a handmade fleece coverlet.

From there we went to the Great Alaskan Bowl Company (see their website at http://www.woodbowl.com). This company can take a single split log and cut up to 8 solid one-piece birch bowls. The bowls are made from freshly cut trees with a 13" or greater diameter. The logs are cut in lengths and then split for turning. The wet bowls are then stacked in a kiln, which monitors the heat and moisture. This is the most critical step in the bowl making process because if it is done incorrectly the results are many cracked bowls. The bowls are removed from the kiln when the moisture content reaches 6-10%. They are then sanded, branded, inspected and lastly dipped in block oil. Each bowl actually goes through 22 individual steps before they are ready to be sold. The bowls can be used for hot or cold foods. Clean up is easy. Simply hand wash in warm, soapy water. Towel dry and oil occasionally. We were impressed and most of us purchased bowls.

After lunch, the group enjoyed the Riverboat Discovery Cruise on the Chena and Tanana Rivers. On boarding the boat we were told that this family-owned operation began in 1950 and that the captain was from the fourth generation. Donuts and coffee were complimentary at all times. This won the hearts of those in our group that have a sweet tooth.

The trip included a bush pilot demonstration; a visit with Iditarod champion Susan Butcher and her dogs at her home; a demonstration on filleting and smoking salmon, and a walking tour of the Chena Indian Village where we learned about Native Alaskan fishing, hunting, clothing and shelters. We also saw the wedding of the Chena and Tanana Rivers. There we noticed the color changes from blue to milky gray, which is caused by glacier runoff. This excursion is rated the #1 boat tour in North America and after our trip we understood why.

Most everyone visited the University of Alaska Museum where we learned about the history of Alaska. The University of Alaska, home to about 8,000 students, was founded in 1917. It sits on a 2200-acre site with two lakes and miles of trails. Some of the highlights that we saw at the museum were: the states largest gold display, a special section on the northern lights, and information on the building of the Alaska pipeline.

On Sunday, June 24th, three couples climbed aboard an Alaska Airlines plane and ventured to Barrow at the "Top of the World" - which we all decided was more like the END OF THE WORLD. Barrow is 330 miles above the Arctic Circle and is the northernmost settlement on the North American Continent. Even though Barrow is only accessible by air or barge it still boasts a population of 4,500 people, most of which are the Inupiaq people.

Barrow has an airport, city hall, police department, hospital, elementary, middle and high schools, a two-year college, hotel and inns, a few restaurants, and a recreation and senior center. Modern facilities include water, sewer, cable TV and advanced communications, made possible by satellite dishes aimed almost parallel to the ground because of being so far north. Weather in Barrow can change by the hour. Summer temperatures vary, but average around 40 degrees. There are NO trees in the Arctic, the waters are icy and the land is mushy tundra.

In Barrow, we found that native culture is still the center of their life. Festivals are held throughout the year celebrating these traditions of the native people. One celebration is held in honor of a successful whaling season and another celebrates the return of the sun after 65 winter days when the sun never shines.

It didn't take long to tour Barrow, since there is a total of only 52 miles of road. This place has 16 taxis and $5.00 will take you anywhere in town. They also have a bus system that picks you up right outside your door - pretty handy when it's 40 below. Our first stop was the Fresh Water Lake, one of the original sources of drinking water. Along the way we spotted a few snowy owls out in the tundra. They look like bowling pins sitting out there. Other birds and three species of flowers were pointed out along this road. To them, this is beauty; but to us, who are used to lush green and lots of color, it seemed a bit unusual. Also along this road was the Imiqsaun Cemetery. Embalming is not required here since burial is in the permafrost where bodies keep forever.

The different schools and other noteworthy buildings were pointed out as we drove around. We stopped at the college, a dog musher's residence, and for lunch before heading out to the northern most point where the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas come together at the Arctic Ocean. A couple of us dipped our toes in the 32-degree ice filled water. On the way back to town we stopped at the Whale Bone Arch to have our picture taken.

Our last stop was the Inupiat Heritage Center, the town's main attraction, completed in 1999. This houses an exhibit of ancient times to the present. We were entertained with native dances, games, blanket toss (scouting groups did this to help locate food) and a chance to buy native arts and crafts.

Across the street was the "Walmart" type store of Barrow. Everything from ATV's to ice cream cones was sold there. After about 8 hours in Barrow we were all ready to get back to the airport and to the REAL WORLD.

Other things we did in Fairbanks included visiting the El Dorado Gold Mine and playing a round of golf under the midnight sun at the North Star Golf Club which is America's northernmost golf course. And, of course, we dined at many of the local hot spots, including the Pumphouse and Pikes Landing. The Nelsons, remembering what it was like 40 years ago, found an entirely different city unfold before their eyes. Very few familiar sites remained downtown, mainly due to a flood of the Chena River in l967. The last night in Fairbanks, they had the pleasure of dining with the widow of Lolly's boss from those days and were given a narrated tour of the old and new.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Denali National Park - June 25 to 28

It was exciting to arrive in Denali National Park and Preserve. Snow capped peaks, vast wilderness and spectacular wildlife define its magnificence. The park is larger than Massachusetts and has North America's highest peak, Mt. McKinley (Denali), which is 20,320 feet high. This mountain's vertical relief of about 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mount Everest. Permanent snowfields cover more than 75% of the mountain and contribute to the many glaciers that surround its base. The mountain consists of granite and slate, which is covered by ice that is hundreds of feet thick in some places.

Denali, meaning "The High One", is the name Athabasean native people gave the massive mountain. In 1896 a prospector named William Dickey named the mountain for presidential nominee William McKinley of Ohio, although McKinley had no connection with Alaska. Protests arose quickly, but it was not until 1980 that the name was changed back to Denali. Through the years the park's boundary has been enlarged from 2 million to 6 million acres.

The park is managed as three distinct units: Denali Wilderness maintains the undeveloped wilderness character of the park; Denali National Park allows customary and traditional subsistence uses by local rural residents; and Denali National Preserve controls sport hunting, trapping and fishing.

Denali is one of the world's last great frontiers for wilderness adventure. It remains largely wild and unspoiled. This expansive wilderness landscape is habitat for caribou, moose, red fox, wolf, lynx, black bear, Dall sheep and grizzly bears. A diversity of wildlife includes 161 species of birds, 37 species of mammals and 450 species of plants. The timberline in the park is at 2,700 feet. Below the timberline are vast areas of taiga and sub-artic tundra. "Taiga" is a Russian word that means northern evergreen forest. In Denali, taiga consists primarily of white and black spruce. "Tundra" is shrubs and small plants. There are two types of tundra, moist and dry. Although small in statue, plants of the dry tundra are important because their nutrients provide food for many species of park wildlife, both large and small. Deep beds of intermittent permafrost underlie portions of the park and preserve. Permafrost is formed when the soil temperature is about 27 degrees and ice slowly forms in the poorly drained soils.

While in Denali, we found a nice variety of sightseeing activities. The first day we were there, several couples got off to a fine start with a helicopter ride to Mt. McKinley. We lifted off from Chulitna Base and almost immediately spied black bears. Forging ahead, we soon encountered Eldridge Glacier. While hovering on one side of the glacier so it could be studied, we were pleasantly surprised as a huge chunk of ice fell down one side. This process is called "calving", and it was learned that this is rare for this particular glacier.

From there the pilot headed by the Moose's Tooth up to the Sheldon amphitheater. Swooping up over the amphitheatre, we got our first glance of Mt McKinley. Words and pictures cannot begin to describe the feelings that were felt at that moment. The return to the base was hardly remembered after that awesome sight.

That evening, we spent some time at the Alpenglow Restaurant and Lodge on a bluff with incredible views and a décor emphasis on mountain climbing. Entertainment following dinner was held in the "Peak Experience Theater", where we learned about the challenges of climbing Mt. McKinley from a local climber. He showed us his equipment and related its importance in the climb. He also showed us some slides and shared some of his unique experiences on the mountain with his companions. The following night, we saw a dinner show that gave us insight into the first successful climb of Mt. McKinley.

A rafting trip was an event for some of us down the Nenana River. This river flows south from Fairbanks to the Denali Park entrance, and then continues eastward. The river is glacial water and very cold, near 37 degrees. Our wet suits were difficult to get on, but we found they were airtight. Our float was scenic with mild, white water.

An 8-hour wildlife tour thru the park was our next delightful experience. Visitors are only allowed to drive into the park 15 miles to the ranger station; beyond this point our licensed tour took us an additional 50 miles on dirt roads. Barry, our driver-guide said, "It might be a mountain day". There is never any doubt which peak is Mt. McKinley. It is so tall it creates it's own weather patterns. The peak is only visible 20% of the time; otherwise clouds obscure it. The thought on our minds, "Would this be the lucky day?" Barry calls out at mile marker 11 "it's out!" Now we're all gazing up at this beautiful mountain, all white against the contrasting blue sky, a sight to behold. Continuing on to Sable Pass, we have our first bear sighting, a sow with 2 cubs, sitting in the sun on a mountain meadow. As our tour continued we saw an abundance of Dall sheep, moose, caribou, another sow and cubs (most often they have twins) and a golden eagle. What an exciting day and a thrilling experience!

And last but not least, on our list of great things to do at Denali, was hiking. Stopping in at the visitor's center, we obtained maps and suggestions of trails. Some of the trails have ranger guides to point out things the average hiker might miss. Several of us took some of the hiking trails and were rewarded with some great views (and some good exercise, too).

As we left Denali, we all considered ourselves very lucky because all of us had seen Mt. McKinley on at least two days. Seventy percent of the visitors to the park never see the mountain at all.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Talkeetna and Anchorage - June 29 to July 2

We left Denali National Park feeling completely overwhelmed by the grandeur of Mt. McKinley, the Alaskan Mountains, the parkland, and the wild animals. Our group decided to pause at the tiny village of Talkeetna on our way to Anchorage. A wayside stop just before the village offered another splendid view of Mt. McKinley and the Alaskan Mountain range.

The village is a few blocks long and the main street is the only one that is paved. The buildings are of yesteryear, quaint and folksy. We found local arts and crafts, gift shops, and a lovely café for lunch. The people were friendly and obviously happy to live there. The village was summertime busy, but the real activity and excitement was at the small airport on the edge of the village. Talkeetna is the spot from which mountain climbers fly to the Mt. McKinley base camp at 7200 feet. About 1000 climbers each year attempt the climb from the base camp to the top (20,320 feet and the highest peak in North America).

After an enjoyable few hours, we headed on to Anchorage, which sits at the base of the Chugach Mountains along the coast of Cook Inlet in South-central Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska's largest city is about the size of New Jersey and has nearly 261,000 people - 42 % of the state's population. Protected by the mountains and warmed by Japanese currents of the Pacific Ocean, Anchorage enjoys a temperate, maritime climate with summer highs close to 80 degrees and winter snows, which often cause the temperature to dip into the twenties. Low humidity also contributes to this more comfortable climate.

On arriving in town, we were greeted by Marti's sister. Joanne and her husband, Tom, moved to Alaska in 1967. He is a pilot and she works for the post office. Thanks to Joanne, the ladies had beauty salon appointments at the largest mall in town. After getting beautified, they all met at the food court for lunch and then took advantage of being at the mall. What a rejuvenating and fun way to start off our time in Anchorage.

On the second day in town, many of us chose to take a narrated trolley tour of the downtown area. We started the tour by going to Lake Hood Air Harbor. This is the largest and busiest floatplane base in the world and is a popular starting point for flightseeing and fly-in fishing trips. Our next stop was Earthquake Park, which is an area destroyed and later dedicated as a park to commemorate the Good Friday Earthquake of March 27, 1964. The highlight of the tour was the visit to the 4th Avenue Theatre. This building is a historic landmark, which was built in 1947. This grand building was the first million-dollar building built in Alaska and was one of the few to survive the 1964 earthquake. There we saw floor to ceiling brass and copper murals depicting life in Alaska during the 1940's. After the tour we had a delicious halibut buffet and a very entertaining show at this theatre. The best part of the show was when the fiancée of one of the young ladies in the show appeared unannounced and proposed to her, right there in front of everyone. Wow! What a surprise. Of coarse it was not until the end that we knew for sure that it wasn't just another part of the show. It certainly brought happy tears to more than one pair of eyes.

The next day we visited the Alaska Experience Center. Our first stop was "Alaska the Greatland". We were seated in front of a 180-degree wraparound screen, which was three stories high. There we saw the majesty of Alaska's wildlife, scenery, and people.

The other part of the Experience Center was the Alaska Earthquake exhibit. We learned that on Good Friday, March 27, 1964 an earthquake lasting 5-1/2 minutes rocked Anchorage. This quake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale was the strongest ever-recorded in North America. Areas in Anchorage dropped up to 100 feet and nine people lost their lives. Tidal waves ripped through the coastal cities wiping out entire towns and adding 154 more fatalities. At the "Experience Center" we relived this history through a movie presentation that had the added feature of shaking and rumbling our seats for an authentic effect. We were glad we were not in Alaska during the earthquake and were amazed that there were not many more people killed.

On another day several from our group toured the Alaska Native Heritage Center. They learned a great deal about Alaska's eleven indigenous cultures through exhibits, displays, dance, storytelling, and recreated village sites.

One night we dined at the Sourdough Mining Co. and our lighter side was explored through attendance at the Dusty Sourdough show. Dusty told jokes, sang and played his guitar. At the end of the show Graham won a very small (one square foot) gold mining claim in Talkeetna, AK. After the show we moseyed over to Wild Berry Products. This was one of the many shops available that feature native and other Alaskan made products.

During the summer, Anchorage is noted for the profusion of flowers and hanging baskets that decorate homes and businesses. Parks, street medians and lampposts are vibrant with the colors of millions of flowers. An estimated 100,000 hanging baskets are seen everywhere. It is obvious that residents love their flowers and are proud of their city.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Pretty As A Postcard Homer and Kenai July 3 to 8

We departed Anchorage on July 3 bound for Homer, on the southwest side of the Kenai Peninsula. Our route paralleled the Turnagain Arm, a long narrow bay off Cook Inlet. There is a tragic history associated with this bay. It is normal to have tide swings in this region in excess of 25 ft, with extremes at low tide exposing long, wide mudflats. These mudflats are composed of glacial mud and silt, which acts like quicksand to the unsuspecting hiker who happens to venture out on them during low tide. Many people have been trapped in this mud and, with the changing tides, have drowned before they could be freed. Signs warn of this danger all along the banks of this bay.

The Kenai Peninsula is a rugged, but beautiful, section of Alaska. The Portage Glacier greeted us at the eastern end of the Turnagain Arm. We passed mountain peaks covered with snow and deep valleys with sparkling rivers. In several places, fog and mist shrouded the mountains as we drove south and west along the Seward and Sterling Highways, past Kenai Lake and along the Kenai River. At the western side of the peninsula, we broke free of the mountains and headed south on the lowlands, along Cook Inlet. To the west, across the inlet, many snow-capped peaks rose toward the sky. This was truly a picturesque drive that anyone visiting Alaska should not miss.

Homer has a population of 4000 and sits on Kachemak Bay. Kachemak is a native word meaning "fog on the bluffs". The town sits in a postcard type setting. Most of the residences are perched on the bluff and hillside, and the business district sits closer to and along the water. Homer is unique in that a long narrow spit (peninsula) extends four miles out into Kachemak Bay. Along the eastern side of this spit is a huge marina, which houses the fishing fleet and other pleasure boats. Several bald eagles flew close by as we drove out onto the spit that first evening. Homer is the Halibut capital of Alaska; in 2001, 12 million pounds were shipped to consumers worldwide.

A FOURTH TO REMEMBER! The fourth of July was a fun day for us. The owners of our campground hosted a noon picnic, supplying halibut, hot dogs, and desert and everyone brought a potluck dish. A raffle was held following ice cream & cake and six of us were lucky winners. Later in the afternoon, several of us witnessed the Homer Independence Day Parade. To our surprise, the motorcycle brigade included the Ricks.

Friday morning saw most of us out on the town visiting the local shops before our noon departure via charter boat, called the Stormbird, for Gull Island and Halibut Cove. The sights and sounds of Gull Island were interesting, but the smell was not. This island is a rocky outcropping, consisting of two acres, but it is estimated that approximately 16,000 birds use it regularly as their nesting site. The island is home to 9 species of birds but many others are found here during migration. It seemed as if the entire island was alive. We were fortunate to see a pair of tufted puffins, which is a somewhat rare sighting.

We continued on to Halibut Cove, a charming village on Ismailof Island, which was home to a herring fishery a century ago. Today a few dozen residents, largely fishermen and artists, inhabit this village.

We visited several artists' galleries, including Diana Tillion's workshop. Diana is known for her sepia colored paintings, done with octopus ink. Sepia color is multiple shades of brown. The word "sepia" is Latin for cephalopod, and an octopus is a cephalopod. Octopi use their ink as a defense mechanism, injecting it in the water to confuse their prey. Diana harvests the octopi, withdraws the ink with a syringe and then returns them to the water where they reproduce their ink supply. She is pretty sure that she has gotten ink from the same octopus on several occasions. The ink is very dense and only a very small amount is needed to produce a painting. The ink is indelible and transparent, so water is added and the paintings are done by using the lightest shades and working to the darkest ones. Most of the paintings she had on display were of landscapes and birds in the area. Strolling the12 blocks of boardwalk, we checked out the other galleries and enjoyed a beautiful day of scenery before boarding our boat for the return to Homer.

For dinner, the night of the 5th, Bill Moore (alias Billy Boots Moore Fun) was our chef and prepared great hamburgers on the grill. The ladies chipped in with other goodies. We all agreed that, up to this point, this was one of our best meals; and it was fun to eat it outdoors in such a beautiful setting.

THANK GOODNESS FOR GOOD FISHERMEN! Saturday was a fishing day for four of the men while the women explored the shops. Gene, John and Bill Moore boarded a halibut charter for a day of halibut and salmon fishing. Bill Rishell visited the Anchor River, with fly rod in hand, in search of Dolly Varden, a sea run trout similar to the brook trout. Each of them was successful in different ways. The charter fishermen caught their limit of halibut plus one small salmon, all of which were processed and shared. Approximately 10 pounds of halibut and the salmon were then taken to a local restaurant where the chef prepared it to our order for dinner that evening. Our trout fisherman caught nothing, but did manage to hook 2 king salmon, fighting each for most of an hour before they broke the 9 lb test fly leader. Both fish were estimated to be about 3 1/2 feet long and weigh thirty pounds or more. Bill said it was an incredible experience and that he "got most of what each fish had to offer."

YUM YUM GOOD! We departed Homer on Sunday for the sixty mile trip north to Kenai, taking with us fond memories of our stay in Homer. As we were preparing to depart, a moose cow with calf crossed the road not far from our campground. This was a fitting climax to our visit to this lovely area. On our way to Kenai we stopped at the General Store in Ninilchik to browse for souvenirs, but the memorable note about this stop was the huge size of the one dip ice cream serving that several of us enjoyed.

We arrived in Kenai and checked into our park overlooking the mouth of the Kenai River where it flows into Cook Inlet. The sockeye salmon were jumping and several fishermen had taken positions along the river to cast for them. That evening we saw several fish that had been caught and were told that the second run of sockeyes was just beginning. Bill Rishell tried his luck the next day with no success.

Later we learned that commercial netters had taken up positions in Cook Inlet at midnight Sunday, thereby significantly reducing the number of fish that would reach the river that Monday. Kenai is a fishing village, as we would learn that evening as we enjoyed a cook out overlooking the bay. The fishing boats began returning to town about four that afternoon. This return began as a trickle but soon became a flood. We could see from our perch above the river as many as fifty boats at one time. This procession continued for four to five hours before it began to slow in numbers. There were literally hundreds of commercial boats returning to Kenai Harbor that evening. It is a wonder that any fish at all got by those nets that day. By Alaska law, these netters are permitted to fish for two twenty-four hour periods each week during the sockeye run. How successful were they? We visited two processors late that evening to see the unloading and processing functions. It was truly an eye opener. There is no accurate way for us to estimate the poundage that was delivered by these fishermen this day, but it must have run into the tens of tons.

HELPING FRIENDS Another notable occurrence that developed this weekend was that the Ricks' fuel tank began to leak diesel fuel. All the guys pitched in to help Graham empty the tank and remove it from his coach. The next day it was taken to a welding shop and repaired. After he reinstalled it in the coach and fuel was added, the engine started immediately. An amazing feat and we were ready to depart Kenai for our next adventure.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Cooper Landing and Seward - July 9 to 11

The drive on the Sterling Highway from Kenai to Cooper Landing was absolutely breathtaking. Going through the lush green Chugach Mountains and tall spruce trees that lined the sides of the road was like driving through a tunnel. The Kenai Princess Lodge RV Park, where we stayed, was a small park surrounded by the mountains. It was a beautiful setting.

Cooper Landing is not your average town. It is a roadside community that stretches for about six miles along the Sterling Highway. Cooper Landing was named after Joseph Cooper, a miner who discovered gold in 1884. A school and post office opened in the 1920's and roads were built in the late 40's and early 50's to Kenai and Anchorage. Today the population of Cooper Landing is around 369 and swells to twice that size in the summer to support the tourism industry.

Although our stay here was only one day, we still found time to get in a few activities including eating and shopping at Gwin's Lodge and store. This lodge is one of Alaska's oldest, traditionally built, log roadhouses. The Gwin's completed the lodge in 1952, after cutting, hauling and hand peeling the logs in true pioneer fashion. In 2000, "USA Today" selected Gwin's as a Top 50 "America's Best Plates" restaurant.

Cooper Landing is sandwiched between two of Alaska's most popular rivers, the Russian and the Kenai. The best way to see these two large rivers is to take a raft trip. This is also a nice way to learn a little history and see some wildlife.

Each summer people come here from all over the state and country to fish for salmon. Cooper Landing boasts the "best sockeye salmon sport fishing on earth" at the confluence of the Kenai and Russian Rivers. Needless to say, our fly fisherman took the opportunity to try his luck.

Every time we leave an area we think it has to be the best we'll see. However, once again we were proven wrong as we journeyed to Seward. Located between Resurrection Bay and the Kenai Mountains, Seward is 127 miles from Anchorage. This stretch of highway, called the Seward Highway, is considered one of the most scenic in the U.S. The population of Seward within the city limits is about 2500, plus another 400-plus prisoners at the state's only maximum security prison, located across the bay. Adding the residents in the vicinity around Seward, there are about 5000 people in the area.

The city was named for William H. Seward, Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of State. He was responsible for buying Alaska from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. At that time (before the later Gold Rush and discovery of oil) the purchase was considered so stupid it was called "Seward's Folly". Seward is among Alaska's oldest and most picturesque communities. It is known as the "Gateway" to the Kenai Fjords National Park, a very spectacular national park. Seward was established in 1903 by railroad surveyors as an ocean terminal and supply center. The railway connecting Fairbanks, in the interior, with Seward was completed in 1923. Today Resurrection Bay is a year-around ice-free harbor and Seward is an important cargo and fishing port.

On Good Friday, in 1964, an earthquake changed Seward's destiny forever. Damage from the earthquake was immense but was just the beginning of Seward's troubles. Oil storage tanks along Resurrection Bay exploded and caught on fire. Afraid, people headed out of town, but the bridge had sunk five feet and there was no way out. Large portions of the waterfront, 50 to 400 feet wide, simply fell into the water. Gigantic waves caused mass destruction. Then came the tsunamis (tidal waves). The first wave, as wide as the bay and 30 feet high, rolled in about 30 minutes after the quake began. They continued until the following morning. It is amazing that only thirteen people in Seward were killed. All of Seward's waterfront industry was totally destroyed. This completely changed Seward's landscape and economy. To us, it looks as though nothing ever happened; but for many of them the scars will remain forever.

Steward has its lighter side. Every Fourth of July the town swells to 25,000 to watch more than 800 runners scramble up and slide down the steep, eroded trail of Mount Marathon. The world famous races take runners 1.5 miles up from sea level to an altitude of 3,000 feet and back down. Current record is 43 minutes 23 seconds for men and 50 minutes 30 seconds for women.

When you say "Alaska", many people think of dog sledding - and so did we. "But certainly not in the summer", you must be thinking! On the contrary, just go high enough and there you'll find snow and huskies. On our first day in Seward, a helicopter ride took part of the group over the mountains, glaciers and Resurrection Bay to Godwin Glacier. We landed on the glacier where 100 Alaskan Huskies greeted us with their excited barking - what a sound! Here we found a small camp, setup for about 3-4 months during the summer, which gives folks an opportunity to drive a dog sled on the glacier. Everything in the camp is flown in just for that purpose and then flown back out at summers end. When we arrived, two dog teams were hooked up and we mushed our way across 2 miles on the Godwin glacier. Many of the dogs on the teams were future and past Iditarod Sled Dogs. In fact, many of the young folks running the camp were past participates in the Iditarod and several are scheduled to run this coming year. The sun was shining, the air crystal clear, and the temperature was unbelievably warm. Boy, what an uplifting experience! We all agreed we would rather mush dogs in these circumstances than in the winter when there is no daylight and the temperatures are below zero.

Later that day we visited Kenai Fjords National Park, which is dominated by the Harding Icefield. This icefield is 50 miles long and 30 miles wide and is a relic of the Ice Age. In spite of it's massive size, it was not discovered until the early 1900s.

No one knows for sure how deep the ice is there. An estimated 150 to 200 inches of precipitation fall on the icefield annually. As layers of snow and ice build up, light fluffy crystals and frozen water are compressed into dense ice. Firnification, which is this process of compacting snow and ice into glaciers, depends upon the balance between accumulation of snow and glacial melting. Wherever precipitation exceeds the melting, layers of "leftover" snow build up. Top layers compress those underneath, changing snow to firn (ice grains) and then into glacier ice. The characteristics of this transformed snow make glaciers look and behave as they do. Beneath sufficient weight and pressure, the glacier's bottom layer melts and becomes supple. Pulled by gravity, it bends and flows as it moves, molding itself to the land. As bottom layers conform to bedrock, the upper part, under less weight and pressure, may stretch past its limit and crack to form deep crevasses.

Bounded by high mountains, the Harding Icefield is not visible except from along the shores of the Kenai Fjords National Park, where it drops into the sea. A fjord is a narrow inlet of water bordered by steep cliffs. The icefield has 38 glaciers, one of which is Exit Glacier.

Explorers crossing the Harding Icefield from the south named Exit Glacier when they found it suitable to "exit" the icefield. Lower temperatures and increased precipitation have caused this glacier to advance. In the warmer summer months melting increases to reduce the size of the glacier. Even though the glacier continues to move forward year round, the excessive summer melt has produced an overall retreat. Exit Glacier is now 3 miles long. During the past it was much longer, perhaps extending all the way to Seward.

Exit Glacier is located in the national park and is accessible by road. Most of us hiked the trail to see the bottom of the glacier. Three of us even hiked all the way to the highest part of the trail to touch the glacier and take pictures - an awesome experience. On the way back down we encountered a little excitement when we spotted a mother black bear and her cub.

We spent the morning of the second day exploring the Alaska Sea Life Center, a world-class facility dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem. The center conducts research projects that help scientists discover the reason for declining marine animal populations and other environmental changes. At the center, sick and injured animals are nurtured back to health. They also have special ongoing educational presentations to help visitors expand their knowledge about Alaska's marine ecosystem. We were able to watch seabirds, sea lions and harbor seals in their naturalistic habitats. On March 24, 1989 the supertanker Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound damaging nearly 1,500 miles of Alaska's shoreline. Thousands of marine birds, mammals and fish died. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Fund and private donations funded this 7-acre waterfront site.

That afternoon we took the Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise. This, one of Alaska's most popular wildlife and glacier tours, took us through Resurrection Bay and around the Aialik Peninsula. We traveled about 110 miles in 6 hours. On the tour we saw sea lions, sea otters, harbor seals, humpback whales and a variety of birds - mostly cute little puffins. The highlight of the tour was when we headed for the Holgate Glacier where we witnessed much calving of the glacier. Calving is caused by tidal water melting the underside of the glacier's face, collapsing massive icebergs into the water. We would hear a thunderous roar and see giant waves that eventually caused our boat to rock. Our guide explained that we were very fortunate to see so much activity from the glacier.

We packed a lot into these two days, so the shopping time was a little short. Oh well, by now we have already seen many of the things in the shops.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Palmer and Valdez - July 12 to 17

After leaving Seward, we decided to make 2 brief stops, one at Whittier and the other at Alyeska. Whittier, named after the poet John Greenleaf Whittier, is nestled at the base of mountains. The US Army created it during World War II as a "secret port" that would be used to deliver petroleum to bases farther north. In 1943, a 2.5-mile railroad tunnel was constructed. This allowed Whittier to become the primary port for troops and cargo to get into Alaska. The Army left Whittier in the 1960's, and in 1969 it was incorporated. In 1973, the city purchased the town site from the federal government. Today it is a small community of only 290 residents.

The only way to reach Whittier is by boat or through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. In June 2000 the railroad tunnel was transformed into the longest vehicle tunnel in North America. This single lane tunnel uses a computerized traffic-control system that regulates both railroad and vehicle traffic. Motorists bound for Whittier usually travel through the tunnel on the half-hour while vehicles leave Whittier on the hour. And, of coarse, there are occasional delays when trains are passing through. The speed limit in the tunnel is 25 mph and it typically takes 6.5 minutes to traverse it. As we entered the tunnel, the sky was clear and the sun shining. We were amazed to find a dramatic change in the weather when we reached the opposite end. In Whittier it was dreary, drizzling and foggy. We only stayed an hour and were pleasantly surprised to find sunshine back on the other side.

Our next stop was Alyeska, which is Alaska's largest ski area. There we took the Ariel Tram up to the 2,300 ft level of Mt. Alyeska. After checking out the view, we ate lunch at the Glacier Express cafeteria. On the trip down we watched hang gliders soaring down from the mountain.

Friday night we stayed at Fox Run RV Campground in Palmer, AK. That campground was probably picked because we all know how much the Ricks' like foxes. Unfortunately, no foxes were spotted except the murals on their coach! Palmer is only a few miles from Wasilla, the location of the Iditarod Headquarters and Museum, so several of us went over to check things out. There we saw a movie on the history of the race and went through the museum seeing pictures and even famous Iditarod lead dogs that had been preserved through taxidermy.

We learned that the sport called Mushing is an important hobby in Alaska. The Iditarod takes place every year during the month of March. In 2002 there were 55 teams from around the world that participated. It costs 10 to 15 thousand dollars to finance an entry. The Iditarod Committee takes great pride in its role of providing excellence in dog care, including pre-race veterinary screening, check point examinations, plus other welfare concerns.

The Alaska natives created a network of trails in interior Alaska in the early 1800's. Segments of these trails later became the Iditarod Trail. The trail got its name from a 19th century Athabascan Indian Village. Dog teams and sleds were the most popular mode of travel. Six to twenty dogs, depending on the weight of the load, were harnessed to pull a freight-laden sled. The Russians introduced the harnessing of the dog teams in-line for better control. During the winter, lakes were covered with snow and ice making the Iditarod Trail the favored winter route by those traveling to mining districts. In 1908, the Alaska Road Commission formally surveyed, cleared, and marked the trail. Roadhouses sprung up. Dog mushing mailmen, gold shipments, and scheduled freight service made the Iditarod the link between many communities in Western Alaska for nearly two decades.

In 1924 bush pilots began flying the mail, freight and passengers in and out of mining camps and villages along the Iditarod Trail. Air service eventually eliminated the need for the trail. Alaskans continued to use dog teams for trapping and local travel until snowmobiles came into prominence. By the 1950's dog teams began to disappear. The Iditarod was almost forgotten for more than 40 years, then in 1973 a dog race was introduced between Anchorage and Nome. Today the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is internationally known as "the last great race". Winter recreational opportunities on the Iditarod Trail include snowmobiling, dog sledding and cross country skiing. In the summer, sections of this 1,150-mile trail are used for hiking and running marathons.

On Saturday we drove to Valdez and what a beautiful site this was. We went over mountains and wound through valleys. We saw snow-capped mountains, another glacier, streams, rivers and breathtaking waterfalls. We even went through Thompson Pass where records indicate that:

• 974 inches of snow fell during the winter of 1952-3,
• 298 inches fell in February of 1953, and
• 62 inches fell in a 24-hour period in December 1955.

Guess there is no wonder that there are glaciers in the area with that kind of snowfall!

Valdez was established in 1897 as a port of entry for prospectors bound for the Klondike goldfields. Until 1964, the town was located about 4 miles east of its present location. The Good Friday earthquake virtually destroyed Valdez. Centered in Prince William Sound, the quake measured 9.2 on the Richter scale. Waves, caused by massive underwater landslides, swept over and engulfed the Valdez wharf, taking 33 people with it. Seismic action shook the whole town with overwhelming power causing much damage, however only the waterfront was completely destroyed. After the earthquake, the Army Corps of Engineers determined the town was unsafe and suggested relocation. By 1968, the last resident was moved to the new Valdez.

Valdez has always been an important gateway to the interior of Alaska, since it is the most northerly ice-free port in the Western Hemisphere. In 1974, construction began on the trans-Alaska pipeline. The 800 mile long pipeline begins at Prudhoe Bay on the Artic Ocean and ends at Valdez. The first tanker load of oil shipped out of Valdez on Aug 1, 1977. On Good Friday in March 1989, again national attention was focused on Valdez when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on Bligh Reef (only 30 miles from Valdez) spilling over 11 million gallons of oil. Today Valdez appears to be a quaint town and we suspect its survival is due to the friendly people.

Upon our arrival to town the Rishell's treated us to a delicious dinner. After dinner we went to the Valdez production "Boom Town Show", a musical comedy from the gold rush era. On entering the show each person was given a "Skeeter" (kazoo - whistle type item that you hum into). During the show when mosquitoes (did you know that mosquitoes live an average of 2 weeks during the summer, although some may live to the ripe old age of 1 month?) were talked about, we were all to hum into the "Skeeter". This audience participation was good for a few more laughs. The show basically gave us a lighthearted look at the historical trials and tribulations of living in Valdez. At the end, we were encouraged to take our "Skeeters" with us since "recycled kazoos are not very popular!"

The next morning a few of us attended church on the 75-foot cruise ship, the Lu Lu Belle. First Baptist Church sponsors this service. We motored into Prince William Sound, then drifted for 45 minutes for hymns and worship. This beautiful boat of teak, mahogany and oriental rugs was certainly not your average place to hold a church service. That afternoon one couple took a narrated tour of Prince William Sound in the Lu Lu Belle. The rest of us investigated the salmon spawning creeks but found we were between spawning runs.

We also learned that tours of the pipeline terminal have been discontinued since 9/11. It has been interesting to note the numerous locations along our travels where we have had sight of the pipeline. The 25-year-old trans-Alaska pipeline stretches from Prudhoe Bay, on Alaska's North Slope, to Valdez, 800 miles to the south. It is one of the largest pipeline systems in the world, and crosses some of the harshest terrain in the world, including three mountain ranges. Although oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay in 1968, it took nine years to get approval from Congress and then to accomplish the design and construction. Employing almost 70,000 workers and costing $8 billion, it was the largest privately funded project in the world at that time.

Here are some other "pipeline facts":

1. The pipe is 48" in diameter and made of high-tensile carbon steel, ½" thick.
2. Maximum operating pressure is almost 1200 psi.
3. Where the pipeline is above ground, it is elevated at least 5 feet to allow wildlife migration.
4. There are 554 designed animal crossings.
5. Almost half of the pipeline is buried.
6. It is designed to withstand earthquakes up to 8.5 on the Richter scale.
7. More than 800 rivers and streams are crossed.
8. There are 7 pumping stations in use, each with a crew of 20 - 25.
9. Approximately 1 million barrels of oil per day flow through the pipe.
10. It takes 8.6 days for the oil to make the complete trip, at about 4 mph.
11. The oil leaves Prudhoe Bay at about 116 degrees, and arrives at Valdez at about 65 degrees.
12. About 40 tankers are loaded at Valdez each month.
13. Five barges and 350 fishing vessels are on contract to provide oil spill response assistance.

During our stay in Valdez, we celebrated Marti's birthday with a potluck at the Moore's coach followed by a game of Spinner (similar to Dominos), which appropriately, Marti won. Our fisherman extraordinaire, Bill Rishell landed a fresh salmon, which was poached and enjoyed together at an impromptu picnic.

Our trip from Valdez to Haines took us back to Tok and briefly through the Yukon Territory, with an overnight at Destruction Bay. This village is located on the shore of Kluane Lake and is one of several towns that grew out of the building of the Alaska Highway. It earned its name when a storm destroyed buildings and materials in Destruction Bay. We thought it was appropriately named because of the destruction and construction of the roads in this area! While at Destruction Bay we saw lots of black spruce burl wood. Bill Moore bought two burl posts, which he had trimmed to 96 inches so they would fit in the basement of the coach. He's not sure if he bought these on an urge or as an investment.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Haines, Juneau and Skagway - July 18 to 23

As we traveled down the Haines Highway, we were rewarded with panoramic vistas. Occasionally there would be an admiring remark between coaches, on our Motorola "Talkabouts" radios. In the Chilkat Valley, where the inside passage meets the northern mainland, is the town of Haines. There one finds an uncommon mix of saltwater fjords (a narrow inlet of water bordered by steep cliffs), dry alpine meadows, sunshine, and sea life.

We have been really looking forward to seeing Haines because it is known as the "Valley of the Eagles". It was planned that Haines be at the end of the trip because, at the end of summer, over 74,000 chum salmon return to this area to spawn and then die, creating a banquet time for eagles. There are typically about 400 eagles that live in Haines year round; however, in the fall, that number swells to over 3500 due to the free chum chow. The town's population of 1,811 also swells as camera-toting eagle-watchers converge on the town, hoping to capture that perfect shot.

Haines straddles a narrow peninsula between the Chilkoot and the Chilkat rivers and is literally at the end of the road, where the Haines Highway meets the sea. Picturesque Haines is drier than many of the southeastern communities and boasts only 60 inches of precipitation during a year. There are a number of things to do in Haines. At Fort William Seward National Historic Landmark, one can explore the cemetery and many historical buildings. Haines is a favorite area for fishermen - after all, 3500 eagles can't be wrong! Haines is also an artist's haven. There is a veritable smorgasbord of handmade items from which to choose. Lolly and Mary Catherine bought an interesting pair of earrings, made from walrus whiskers.

And then there was the American Bald Eagle Foundation, where we saw lots of "stuffed" Alaskan wildlife and learned about eagle migration and habitat. Eagles are known as raptors or birds of prey. But eagles aren't bald. The old Welsh word "bald" meant "streaked or marked with white". These very big birds weigh from 10 to 13 pounds and have a wingspan of 6 to 8 feet. The females are larger than the males and both have the white heads and tail feathers. They typically fly at 30 mph, but increase that speed to 100 mph when they dive for prey. Their strong eyesight allows them to see fish up to two miles away. This powerful vision is 20 to 25 times better than our own vision. It is thought that eagles mate for life, which may last up to 30 years. Their nests are about 5 feet wide and 3 feet deep and have been known to last for up to 50 years. An eagle can build a new nest in 4 days, and in southeast Alaska it is estimated that there is an active nest for every mile of shoreline. Less than 10% of the eaglets survive to become adults. Most die of starvation or are attacked and devoured by their siblings. Eagles must be five years old before they develop the white head and tail feathers. Alaska boasts a total eagle population of 40,000 to 50,000, depending on the salmon runs. (World wide, the population totals between 80,000 and 100,000.) Several evenings we drove along the Chilkoot River and we were delighted to see eagles high in the spruce trees.

The Nelsons and the Moores flew to Juneau for the day. We climbed aboard a six seat Cherokee and 35 minutes later we were landing. After selecting a taxi/tour guide, we were off to see the Capital of Alaska. The population of Juneau is 30,711, making it the third largest city in Alaska. Juneau is located on the Gastineau Channel in the inside passage and is only accessible by boat or plane. It is 600 miles south of Anchorage. Juneau was named for Joe Juneau who, with his friend Dick Harris, found gold in the creek that runs through town. That led to the discovery of one of the largest lodes of gold in the world.

Juneau is a beautiful city. In 1995 the Los Angeles Times listed Juneau among the top ten cruise destinations in the world because of its scenic beauty and shopping opportunities. The Juneau Municipal Airport and Alaska State Ferry system provide transportation services to the city. The longest road in Juneau begins downtown and runs 40 miles north to a place called Echo Cove. There is no road to the outside world, and the terrain forbids building one, since the city pushes up against the Juneau Icefield.

During the trip to Juneau, we visited the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery operated by Douglas Island Pink and Chum, Inc., a major producer of salmon for southeast Alaska. Every summer, salmon make their way home: into Cross Sound, through Icy and Chalkam Straits, down Lynn Canal and into Gastineau Channel, all the way to the Macaulay Salmon Hatchery. They are accompanied by other salmon, all heading to their streams of origin, intent on reproducing, after which they die. It's the natural process. Not all the fish make it back to the hatcheries; predators consume 96%, 2% are caught by commercial fishermen, and 2% (which is over 2 million) return to the hatchery.

There are five different species of salmon. Your fingers provide a simple way of remembering each of them:

1. Pink (pinky finger) are the smallest Pacific salmon and typically weigh in at 3 to 4 pounds. This fish is perfect for dips and spreads because of its softer texture and mild flavor.
2. Silver (for the ring finger) are also known as coho and average 8-12 pounds. They leap and dance when hooked. Silver salmon has a mild flavor and typically the best price.
3. King (the biggest) can weigh up to 126 pounds, but are usually caught when they are 20-40 pounds. King has a strong flavor and thick fillets, making it the best choice for barbequing.
4. Sockeye (it's #1) average 4-8 pounds and are sleek as polished silver in the ocean, but turn scarlet to brick red when they spawn. Sockeye is the premium salmon because of its rich flavor and firm red meat.
5. Chum (which rhymes with thumb) typically weighs 7-18 pounds. It is the prime dinner for Alaska sled dogs, and is great smoked. These fish are the most abundant and mild of the Pacific salmon.

Macaulay Salmon Hatchery is a non-profit organization. It was extremely interesting to watch the salmon returning to the site of their birth. When hatched they identify with the water they are in, which enables them to return there to spawn. When they arrive back at the hatchery, they climb the fish ladder and into holding tanks, where they are held until the hatchery is ready for them. Then they are moved along to an egg taking process. From here the eggs are placed in a container, fertilized, and carefully supplied with oxygen and fresh water. Several months later the eggs hatch, and emerge as fry, or tiny salmon. When the fry are less than one inch long, they are moved to net pens and fed dry fish food. Six months after fertilization, pink and chum salmon fry are ready to enter the salt water. It takes king and silver fry an additional year of freshwater rearing before they can adapt to saltwater. After the fish are released, they are on their own until the day they instinctively know it's time to return, in 3 to 5 years. It is truly miraculous.

The Ricks and the Rishells took the fjord boat trip to Juneau. On the trip we saw seals, porpoise, and eagles, and we saw whales "bubblenetting". This is when a group of ten to twelve whales, led by a dominate female, start at the bottom of the water swimming in a circle. This action causes fish to be trapped in the column of air bubbles. Then the whales begin swimming to the top with their mouths open, to capture all this food. When they reach the top, all of the whales will surface almost simultaneously. What a remarkable sight, and almost impossible to catch on camera!

On arriving in Juneau, we boarded a tour bus to see the sights. We traveled by the Governor's House, a colonial style home built in 1912. Outside the house was the Governor's Totem Pole, which tells the Tlingit (native Alaskans) story of the origin of the mosquito. We visited downtown Juneau, once a home to thirty bars and several bordellos, now full of inviting gift shops, restaurants and art galleries. Within a seven-block radius there are sixty buildings built before 1904, and 143 buildings built before 1914. At the Alaska State Museum we saw Native Alaskan artifacts and learned about Alaska's Russian and American history. The tour ended with a trip to the mighty Mendenhall glacier. Mendenhall is a slow moving river of ice that is presently 13.5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Juneau's ice-age monolith still dominates the valley it once covered. Snow that fell over 200 years ago is just now reaching sea level.

Everyone that saw Juneau agreed that more than one day was needed to really appreciate all that it has to offer.

Skagway is Alaska's northernmost stop on the Alaska Marine Highway's inside passage, so we thought it was in order to go there by boat. By land, the distance between Skagway and Haines is 359 miles, but by water it is only 13 miles. The Alaska Marine Highway System is the longest ferry route in the world. Operating since 1963, the nine-vessel fleet provides regularly scheduled passenger and vehicle service to 33 Alaskan communities. Fortunately for us, any vehicle that is legal on the road system can be shipped on an Alaskan state ferry.

The planked boardwalks, the horse drawn carriages, and the folks in 1890's attire that we saw on arrival to Skagway, all gave us the feeling of taking a giant step back in history. In its heyday, Skagway was the boomtown gateway to the 1898 trail to the Klondike gold fields. The current year round population is about 800, a far cry from the 20,000 that inhabited the town during the gold rush craze. At that time, the notorious "Soapy" Smith ran Skagway.

We learned more about "Soapy", and his demise, at a very enjoyable play called "The Days of '98", that has been running since 1927. It seems that Smith and his motley crew had a thriving con going, fleecing unsuspecting prospectors. On July 8, 1898 this ended abruptly when Frank Reid, the town surveyor, put a bullet in Smith's heart. Reid was also mortally wounded in the shootout, and died 12 days later. The burial sites of both men can be seen at the Skagway cemetery located about 1.5 miles from downtown.

What's a trip to Alaska without visiting a historic saloon? The Red Onion of Skagway, built in 1897, was also a bordello. The brothel consisted of ten tiny rooms called cribs, each 10 by 10 feet. Each room had three exits, one into the hallway and one into each adjoining room. Each room also had a hole in the floor, which connected to the cash register in the bar by means of a copper tube. In order to keep track of which girls were busy, the bartender kept ten dolls on the back bar, one for each of the rooms. When a girl was with a customer, her doll was laid on its back. When she sent her money down the tube, the doll was returned to the upright position letting the bartender know that her customer had left. By late 1899, the business was suffering because most of the women had moved to Dawson to be closer to the gold fields. During World War II the building was used as an army barracks and in the following years housed a laundry, baker, union hall, television station and gift shop. In 1980 it was returned to its original status of being a saloon.

Skagway is currently the 17th most visited port in the world. During the 3 days that we were there, we saw as many as four cruise ships at the docks. The town was bustling with tourists from both the ships and the full RV parks. We met some of these folks on the White Pass train trip that our whole group took. This was a 40 mile, 3.5 hour, narrated summit excursion. An engineering feat, the White Pass and Yukon Route is one of the steepest narrow-gauge railways in the world. Completed in 1900, it climbs 2,865 feet with 4% grades around cliff-hanging turns for 20 miles. In vintage parlor cars, this trip gave us unsurpassed panoramic views of waterfalls, gorges, and Alaska's breathtaking wilderness. It was a real eye-opener to see this incredibly rugged terrain that the stampeders had to traverse to get to the gold fields. It is also interesting to note that of the 100,000 people who headed for the Klondike, only 40,000 made it to Dawson City. Of those, 4000 found gold, with only a few actually striking it rich. And of those few, only a handful had enough left to pass it on to their children.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Stewart, Canada and Hyder, Alaska and getting there! - July 24 to 28

During the next part of our trip we made three border crossings and retraced the section of highway between Whitehorse and Watson Lake in the Yukon. On our return trip we selected different campgrounds in which to stay, however our meal at Mukluk Annie's was so good we decided to return there one night for dinner. After the meal we were invited to cruise the lake on their houseboat. We were rewarded with beautiful scenery and interesting stories about the owner and the area.

On July 25th we began the 188-mile trip down the Cassiar Highway (Route 37) bound for our last Alaskan destination of Hyder. Road reports we had received earlier in our journey caused us some real concern but, in reality, the roads were not all that bad. There were many sections that were under repair, or had been repaired and topped with gravel, but as we slowed to reasonable speeds, they were entirely satisfactory. In fact, we found ourselves driving slowly anyway because of the wildlife and the beautiful scenery in this area.

This day was to be our best bear-sighting day. The first bear was a large black bear that crossed the road in front of our group and ambled up the mountainside before crossing an old logging road and no, we didn't get his picture. Later on, we had four separate sightings of small black bears, each one along the side of the road and usually within camera range. We suspect each was a young cub recently turned out on it's own by mama to fend for itself. They were probably not wise to the dangers presented by humans and roadways and seemed to be feeding on vegetation along the highway.

On the 26th we continued on the Cassier, stopping at Jade City, BC and spending the night at Iskut, BC. Jade City, with the tiny population of 24, is the jade capital of the world. There we saw huge chunks of jade that were cut from the Princess Jade Mine, which is one of the largest jade claims in the world. This mine, found in the Cassiar Mountain Range, furnishes about 75% of the world's jade supply. Here jade can be purchased by the pound or made into items such as jewelry and sculptures. Our stay in Iskut was memorable for two reasons: mosquitoes and a Canadian Mountie. Occasionally he stops by the campground to give campers a chance to shoot him, with their camera, of course.

As earlier mentioned, our destination was Hyder, together with the adjoining town of Stewart, BC. These two towns, separated by only two miles, are located at the head of the Portland Canal on the AK/BC border at the southeastern tip of Alaska. Hyder has about 100 residents and Stewart has approximately 650. This is an area that has glaciers, bears, eagles and salmon in profusion. Summers are cool and rainy and winters are fairly moderate but with heavy snowfall. These two towns are surrounded by soaring mountain peaks that still retain snow in protected areas and higher elevations. The steep mountainsides are covered with cascading waters from snowmelt and glaciers. Since the fog and clouds obscured many of the peaks when we arrived, it appeared that the waterfalls were originating from the base of the clouds. The surrounding lowlands are very lush, very green.

The Portland Canal is a narrow salt-water fjord about 90 miles long, which defines the boundary between southernmost Alaska and Canada. Stewart's deep harbor is Canada's most northerly ice free port. The native Indians gave the head of the canal a name meaning "safe place". They used the surrounding area to hunt birds and pick berries.

With the coming of the white man, gold and silver mining dominated the early economy. Rich silver veins were discovered near Hyder in the upper Salmon River basin. The town became an access and supply center for the mines while Stewart served as the center for Canadian mining activity. By 1956, mining activity ceased with the exception of the Granduc copper mine, which operated until 1984. Today's economy is based upon forestry and tourism.

We set out to explore the towns upon arrival in mid-afternoon. The women visited the shops and made reservations for dinner. Others washed vehicles or visited the Fish Creek Wildlife bear viewing area that is so popular. No bears were visible in the afternoon but we all planned to return following dinner. Our dinner that evening at the Bitter Creek Cafe in Stewart, prepared by chef Debbie Kremzar, was by unanimous agreement "the best we've had on the entire trip," and we immediately made reservations for the next evening.

Following dinner, we returned to the bear viewing area in the late evening and were rewarded by seeing a female grizzly and several eagles as each searched the creek for spawning salmon or carcass remains from other successful hunters. The grizzly prowled the bank not more than 40 yards below our perch on the walkway above the creek as we snapped photos and took videos of her and several eagles. This whole episode lasted for about half an hour and was a thrilling experience for all of us. The salmon in the creek continued their spawning ritual, only fleeing when the bear approached. We had arrived during a chum salmon run and the stream was full of spawning adult chums, some approaching 3 feet in length and 20 plus pounds. A delightful evening!

The next morning, several of us returned to see another grizzly and many eagles repeat the ritual observed the previous evening. After a wonderful breakfast at the Wildflour Cafe in Hyder, we all headed up the Salmon River to its headwaters at the base of the Salmon Glacier. Just 23 miles from Hyder at sea level, we peered down from 4000 feet elevation at the fifth largest glacier in Canada. It is truly a river of ice, slowly grinding and shaping the land as it moves toward its terminus at the river. The fog and clouds would come and go but we had ample opportunity for many pictures.

As we drove through Hyder on several occasions, Ginger, a local horse roaming free on the dirt streets, welcomed us. Alaska observes free range for animals, except in cities, so Ginger was free to greet anyone who stopped. The accompanying photo attests to her friendliness. We dubbed her "an employee of the local chamber of commerce".

Following another fine "dinner by Debbie", Frank, Debbie's husband, gave us a tour of his toaster museum. He proudly showed some of his 800 antique toasters and answered questions we posed. This was a fitting climax to an enjoyable day.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

On to Prince George, Canada where the Monaco 5 become the Monaco 3 - July 29 to 31

We left Hyder the morning of the 29th, thinking that our return to Canada would be a piece of cake. After all we had crossed the borders many times, with no problems, and there's really no place a motorhome can go in Hyder except back into Canada. Boy were we surprised when the Fursts were detained and asked to leave their coach while it was thoroughly searched. Of course, no contraband was found, and this was the only unpleasant reminder on our whole trip of how our lives have been changed since the terrorist attack.

We were told that, by this time of year in Alaska and Canada, there would be lots of recreational vehicles and we found this to be the case. On one stretch of highway we counted five RV's in front of us and 27 behind. Wow, what a caravan!

In Houston, BC, we came across the world's largest fly fishing rod. Since Bill Rishell is an avid fly fisherman, we just had to stop and get his picture. This 60 foot long anodized aluminum rod was designed by a local fisherman and built by local volunteers. It has a 21-inch fly, which is a fluorescent "Skykomish Sunrise". At our request, Bill has furnished us with the following information.

The basic tools of the fly fisherman are a rod and reel, on which is wound a line and leader, to which is attached the fly. Rods come in various lengths, usually from 7 to 9 feet, and weights ranging from very light to heavier rods with more muscle for handling larger, heavier fish. Thus, a 5 weight-eight and one half foot rod is a suitable trout rod - a 2 weight rod of the same length would handle panfish and a 10 weight-9 foot rod would be suitable for larger and heavier Alaskan salmon. Today's rods are made of high tech boron or graphite.

Just like the rod, fly lines come in various weights. They may be made to float or sink, depending on the objective of the fisherman. An 8-weight line would be used with an 8-weight rod and wound on a reel of sufficient size to hold about 100 yards of line. A leader is attached to the end of the line and transfers the energy of the line to cast the fly. The leader is a tapered monofilament (heavier at the butt end where it is attached to the line) and finer at the end to which the fly is tied.

To make a cast, line is stripped from the reel; the rod is lifted overhead and moved smartly forward and backward as the line shoots outward. Timing of this movement is critical to obtaining a desirable cast, but an accomplished fisherman can deliver the fly 50 or so yards and drop it within a desirable area.

The fly contains the hook, which is tied to imitate insects, baitfish, shrimp, larvae or other forms of food. Some flies are tied merely to give flash or color which stimulates the fish to strike. A great diversity of materials is used to construct the fly. These materials include thread, feathers, furs, hair and all manner of synthetic materials. There are literally thousands of "recipes" for the many flies that are in use today.

The ultimate thrill for the fly fisherman is to fool the fish into striking the fly he tied and then enjoying the fight that follows. When the rod and line are matched to the size of the fish, even a small fish can provide a thrill to the fisherman. In many cases, when the fish is brought to hand, it is carefully released to provide a thrill to another fisherman. The joy for most fishermen is in the pursuit and ensuing struggle, and not for putting meat on the table.

The Monaco Five arrived at Prince George, British Columbia in the late afternoon and prepared for our last gathering, as the Monaco Five, with a progressive dinner. We began with cheese fondue at the Moores, and moved to marinate grilled chicken breasts with fancy trimmings at the Rishells, and topped it off with individual Igloo desserts at the Ricks.

COCONUT IGLOOS 1 stick of margarine 1 cup sugar 1 ¼ lb can drained pineapple 1 cup currants 1 cup chopped pecans 1 box (8 oz) butter cookies 1 large Cool Whip 1 package frozen coconut (thawed) Maraschino cherries Blend margarine and sugar. Add pineapple, currants and pecans. Spread mixture between cookies three cookies deep. Let set 8 hours at room temperature. Frost each igloo with the Cool Whip and cover with coconut. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Gene was acknowledged and presented with a token of our thanks for initiating the Alaska trip and choosing the Monaco Five. Benevolence and accolades were given to Mary Catherine and Graham - our tour directors, web site designers and chief electrician. Since all of the guys had acquired a "playmate" during the trip except Graham, he was presented with "Diesel Dog" to remind him of all the diesel fuel the guys handled while repairing his fuel tank. Much reminiscing and picture taking was done and departing good-byes were said.

After a very early morning departure of the Fursts and Rishells, the now Monaco Three set out to see Prince George. This city of 80,000, with an elevation of 1868, is at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers, near the geographical center of British Columbia. In 1906, survey parties for the transcontinental Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad (later the Canadian National Railroad) passed through the area, and with the building of the railroad a great boom took place in this area. Prince George is a fast growing city and is a focal point for financial and professional services, equipment and wholesale firms, machine shops, and businesses related to the timber industry. Speaking of timber, the campground here has a local chainsaw artist that "cuts out" sculptures while you watch. It's very noisy and dusty but he certainly creates some nice things.

We visited the Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum. This museum features a dozen original railway buildings, including 2 stations. Among the 50 pieces of rolling stock are 5 locomotives, a couple of snow plows, a 100-ton steam wrecking crane and a 90-foot turntable. The museum was an interesting industrial heritage attraction in a spacious park-like setting, where we were free to enjoy a "hands on - climb aboard" experience.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Banff and Calgary - Aug 1 to 4

Leaving the Yellowhead Trans-Canada Highway and traveling south on the Icefields Parkway, from Jasper to Banff, was a highlight on our journey. Because the route follows the Continental Divide, it passes through high altitude terrain and a chain of huge glacial ice fields that are never out of sight on a clear day. The highest point is Bow Pass, and it's elevation is 6,875 feet. Bow Pass is a watershed divide. On one side the Bow River flows toward Calgary, and on the other side the Saskatchewan River flows to Edmonton. Along the way we were excited to see a beautiful elk (one with a tremendous rack, a few feet from the road), mountain goats, a large black bear swimming across a river, and deer.

We arrived in Banff in time for dinner at the Banff Springs Hotel, where we celebrated Lolly and Gene's 43rd anniversary.

The town of Banff is named after Banffshire in Scotland, the birthplace of two major financiers of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Cave and Basin National Historic Site of Canada, the birthplace of Canada's National Parks System, is located here. Banff National Park was Canada's first, North America's second, and the worlds third National Park. We took a tour of the park and learned about its history. We also visited the original vent hole where, in 1883, Frank McCabe and William and Tom McCardell lay claim to the thermal springs. Then we went into the cave where the original hot springs pool is located. In 1885, the springs were taken from the men that discovered it and Hot Spring Reserve was established by Canada. In 1930 it was renamed Banff National Park.

On August 3rd we headed for Calgary, Canada's fourth largest city. It is set in the rolling foothills against the Canadian Rockies. The Bow River, well known to the Canadian Fly fisherman, divides the city into north and south. Visitors can fish right downtown and stroll, jog or cycle along the river. On arriving in town we stopped at Canada Olympic Park, where the 1988 Winter Olympics were held. They offered a special family rate for a guided tour. Billy told the nice young lady he was here with his two brothers and three sisters. Graham started to laugh, but she gave us the family rate with a wondering glance.

Canada Olympic Park is a truly unique facility, situated at the gateway to the magnificent Rocky Mountains. It is a multipurpose competition, training and recreation area designed for year-round use by athletes, visitors and the general public. On the tour we explored the Olympic Hall of Fame and Museum. In was neat to get up close to gold, silver and bronze medals.

The Ice House is a unique facility for athletes to practice their starts, including bobsled, luge and the skeleton. Ice is kept frozen on the starting track all year. The technique of each sport was explained and a few of us tried out the equipment, but fortunately we were not moving. We took an elevator up to the 90-meter ski jump tower to view the city and the ski jumps. An athlete preparing to jump never rides the elevator in the tower; they are superstitious, so they use the stairs. Other park offerings included bobsled rides in a sled with rubber tires, and trails for mountain bike riding.

That afternoon we treated ourselves to two power film experiences at an IMAX Theater. We found the images breathtaking on the giant five-story screen, and the unbelievable sound system made the two shows, "The Space Station" and "Horses", quite exciting.

IMAX uses the largest film frame in motion picture history - more than ten times the size of conventional 35mm and three times the size of standard 70mm. That means breathtaking images of unsurpassed size and impact. The IMAX projector uses a unique "rolling loop" to advance the huge film at 24 frames-per-second with a gentle, waving action. There is also a six-channel digital sound system that adds to the sensation of being in the middle of a real event. IMAX Corporate headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada. Each year more than 30 million people worldwide enjoy the IMAX experience. We found that seeing an IMAX film is an amazing experience. It puts you in the center of the action in a way no ordinary movie can, drawing you in with images that are so real you want to touch them. The IMAX theatre we visited in Calgary is the 100th theatre in the IMAX network.

On the way back to the campground, we stopped at a Tony Romas. Some in our group would frequent this restaurant daily if possible. The history of this restaurant chain is kind of interesting. One weekend, back in the 70's, chef David Smith and Tony Roma decided to throw some racks of ribs on the grill. It was only going to be a temporary thing, using chef Dave's own secret barbecue recipe. On Monday, they'd go back to grilling their great burgers and steaks, and it would be business as usual at a little place called Tony Roma's restaurant in North Miami, FL. One taste and customers immediately forced them to change their plans. People started coming from all over. Whenever Dallas Cowboys' owner Clint Murchison was in Miami, he'd go out of his way to stop in at Tony Roma's (kind of like some other folks we know, like Gene Nelson). Because Clint couldn't come to town often enough, he finally just bought the concept and started building them in Texas, California, New York, Hawaii and even in Tokyo, Japan. Today, there are over 200 locations on five continents. And Chef Dave is still proudly manning the grill in one of the Miami locations. And none of us will ever enter a Tony Roma's again without thinking about our great trip to Alaska.

The next morning, a visit to the Devonian Gardens surprised us. Alberta's largest indoor garden, 2.5 acres in the heart of downtown Calgary, was on the third floor! The garden includes 20,000 plants of 138 local and tropical varieties; fountains, waterfalls, reflecting ponds (with fish food available to feed gold fish and rainbow trout), bridges and a playground.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Moose Jaw and Winnipeg, where the Monaco 3 become the Monaco 2 - Aug 5 to 7

The 5th and 6th were long traveling days, averaging about 430 miles each day. We made a brief stop in Medicine Hat to check out the world's tallest tepee. In 1988, at the Calgary Winter Olympics, this giant tepee shaped structure towered over the Olympic cauldron. Upon learning that the 20-story tepee was to be destroyed, a businessman from Medicine Hat saw the opportunity to fulfill his dream of building a monument to the natives of Canada. Built entirely of steel on a concrete foundation, the tepee is said to have more engineering challenges in its construction than the famous Eiffel Tower. The structure weighs almost 1000 tons and is built to withstand extreme temperatures and 150 mph winds. Attached to the tepee are ten large storyboards that depict various aspects of native culture and history.

About halfway between Calgary and Winnipeg is Moose Jaw, where we spent one night. We learned that Moose Jaw boasts a set of underground tunnels in downtown, so we decided to see them for ourselves. Here we found theatrical guides that represented characters of Moose Jaw in the early 1900's, and we saw re-enactments of stories from that era. Our tour was called the "Passage to Fortune". This story began in the late 1800's when the construction of the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway ended. A few Chinese moved into Moose Jaw in hopes of finding job opportunities. This is where the moving story of triumph over adversity began. We took an hour-long journey through the underground tunnels, gaining an understanding of what a struggle the Chinese had.

August 7th was spent sightseeing Winnipeg and boy did we see a lot of sights! The first European settlers came to Winnipeg in 1812, and the town was incorporated in 1870 with a population of 300. The city's existence is due to a few motivated businessmen who convinced the Canadian Pacific Railway to route the railway through the town. Today, Winnipeg is home to over 670,000 people from more than forty different cultures.

We began the morning with a trip to the Royal Canadian Mint. The Mint was originally established in Ottawa (the capital of Canada) in 1908 to produce Canada's circulation coins. It soon became an international producer of coins for countries around the world. The Winnipeg plant that we toured was built in 1976 for high speed and high volume production of circulation coins. We saw a film on the coin production process and then were given a very informative tour through the plant, were we saw the coins being made. At the gift shop we had an opportunity to see up close some of the unusual shapes and sizes that are minted there for other countries.

Next stop was lunch. We picked the highest place in town, with a restaurant that revolved, so we could get a birds eye view of the city.

That afternoon we visited The Forks, a historical area of the city where the Red River and the Assiniboine River converge. For thousands of years, Aboriginal people from across North America came to this spot to hunt, fish and trade. Today, The Forks is still a meeting place where people learn about history and different cultures. It is also a place of special events.

While we were there, we had the opportunity to see Golden Boy being restored. Golden Boy is the statue that sits atop Manitoba's Legislative Building. This statue is over 17 feet tall and weighs 3,640 pound. It was determined that after 82 years the statue's internal support post had corroded and needed replacing. Golden Boy also needed a new coat of gold and some minor surface repairs. The statue was taken to the marketplace at The Forks for this re-gilding process so Canadians could watch. It is being covered in 24-carat gold leaf, which is being applied one very small sheet at a time. The Queen of England will officially unveil the restored Golden Boy during a public ceremony on October 8, 2002. Then it will be returned to the dome of the Legislative Building.

From The Forks we "took a trip to the tropics" at the Club Regent Casino. This casino has Mayan ruins, cascading waterfalls, contiki torches and jungle creatures. One of these jungle creatures, a toucan, struck up a conversation with us when we arrived. We talked with him for a few minutes and then he began to ask to go home with us. Our conservation ended when he suggested that we get rid of Hope the cat and replace her with him! We took a quick tour of the place and left before anyone lost any money.

During the first weeks of August, Winnipeg sponsors Folk-o-rama, the largest and longest running multicultural festival of its kind in the world. Representing cultures from around the world, this two-week event is chocked full of culture, dance, music, food and art. Forty-seven pavilions all over Winnipeg produce traditional home-cooked meals, ethnic displays, and three nightly performances by entertainers.

Since the Nelsons are of Scandinavian descent, we decided to go to that pavilion. We toured their displays, observing demonstrations and making some great needlework purchases. Dinner was a delicious meal of roasted pork, potatoes and red cabbage. While we ate, three generations from the local community presented a show featuring song, dance and age-old customs.

We enjoyed our first pavilion so well that we decided to stop at another one. The African/Caribbean pavilion was within a few blocks so we went there. Before the show we checked out the cultural displays of handmade crafts and clothing. The show featured a very limber Limbo Dancer from Jamaica and a steel drum band. Graham was chosen from the audience to have a Limbo lesson. He bravely and successfully went under the bar!

The morning of the 8th the Nelsons headed home, and then there were only two Monacos left.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Returning to the USA and visiting Mackinac Island - Aug 8 to 10

The next several days the Moores and Ricks traveled across the southern part of Canada, skirting around the top of Lake Superior. They entered back into the United States at Sault Ste. Marie, MI and decided to spend a day on Mackinac Island.

American Indians and the French and British fur traders originally settled Mackinac Island in the early 1700's. It is only accessible by ferryboat or plane. Located in Lake Michigan, 80% of the island is state park and includes historic Fort Mackinac. Surrounded on all sides by water, it has managed to escape the changes of time. Mackinaw Island is a step back in time where transportation is limited to horse and buggy, bicycle or foot. The authentic Victorian setting is preserved and enhanced by a small population of 200 year-round residents and scores of summer visitors.

After a 20-minute ferry ride to the island, we hiked to the Grand Hotel, the focal point of the island. The Grand Hotel opened on July 10, 1887 and has always been considered the world's largest summer hotel. The porch at the Grand Hotel is 650 feet long, across which 100 rocking chairs are lined. Five U.S. Presidents have stayed at the Grand Hotel including Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, Kennedy and Truman.

The hotel boasts a 100-foot long buffet, including a 20-foot long dessert table. Of coarse, we could not pass up this feast! Graham is pretty sure he ate a foot of the desserts. It was certainly tempting to eat dessert first.

After lunch we waddled back down to the docks to catch a carriage tour of the island. The descendants of the original carriage men are still responsible for the Mackinac Island carriages. The company that runs this operation is the oldest livery service in the country, and the world's largest horse-and-buggy livery. They own and operate about 100 horse-drawn vehicles that utilize approximately 400 horses. We found the tour a perfect way to see the island. At the end of the day, we were glad that we could be counted as one of the more than one million people to visit Mackinac Island each year.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Mackinaw City and Holland, MI, the Indiana State Fair and HOME - Aug 11 to 17

On Sunday morning the Moores headed for home, Port Huron, MI. The Ricks still had several more days to travel before reaching home in NC, so we decided to see some more of Michigan while in the area. We began in Mackinaw City, where we watched a 30-minute film on the construction of the Mackinac Bridge.

This, the world's largest suspension bridge, was started on May 7, 1954 and finished only 42 months later, right on schedule on November 1, 1957. Until the bridge was built, it took two hours to travel the 17 miles by ferry, across the great lakes that separate the state of Michigan into two parts. A maximum of 462 cars could be carried at a time. Now that the bridge is finished, over 6000 cars can cross in a single hour. The towers that support the bridge are 552 feet tall (the same height as the Washington Monument). During construction only five workers lost their lives, a phenomenal feat considering over 11,000 people worked on the bridge.

That afternoon we traveled along the beautiful coast of Lake Michigan. On Monday the 11th we took a slight detour over to Silver Lakes where we took a ride on the sand dunes. This 2000-acre area of Michigan is located between Lake Michigan and Silver Lake. Here, huge windswept mountains are moving 10 to 20 feet per year, a few grains of sand at a time. The sand engulfs trees and is gradually filling in Silver Lake as it moves eastward. At Mac Wood's Dune Rides, we hopped aboard "dune buggies" for a seven-mile ride.

Close by we found the Shelby Gem Factory. This company has created a process by which "gems" can be man-made. They are chemically and physically identical to gems produced by nature. The difference between these stones and real ones is that Shelby stones are nearly flawless, since they control the ingredients and cooking temperature. In some cases, like with emeralds, the chemical stones are about 2 times harder and considerable tougher that natural gems. Another advantage is that they are much less expensive. The day we visited, the showroom was low on stock, so fortunately nothing was found that we could not live without!

Traveling on, we came to Holland, MI. Our first stop here was at Veldheer's Tulip farm, but it wasn't tulips that we wanted to see. It was wooden shoes and Delft porcelain.

The wearing of wooden shoes is an old tradition in the Netherlands, dating back to the 1300's. Because of the high cost of leather and Holland's wet climate, which causes leather to rot quickly, wooden shoes developed as the ideal footwear. They are relatively inexpensive and long lasting. Wooden shoes, despite their inflexibility, are comfortable and warm when worn with thick socks. In some regions of the Netherlands, they are still worn today. The shoes are made of willow, a wood that is both hard and water resistant.

Delft is the name given to a type of pottery, which is traditionally blue and white and originates from the Netherlands. Delft was first produced in the city of Delft, from which it derives its name, during the 12th century. It began as an imitation of oriental porcelains, but gradually evolved its own style and became recognized and highly valued for its beauty and handcrafted quality. Today, delft is produced in a variety of colors.

The Delft process is as follows:

The Pour Room - Delft begins as a liquid clay slip, which is poured into plaster molds. The clay is allowed to set until the desired wall thickness is attained. When the piece is removed from the mold, it retains the mold's form, but is fragile and moist. The pottery, at this point, is called greenware. After the greenware is trimmed and polished, it is left to dry before being fired.

The Kiln Room - Firing causes the piece to harden and whiten. The firing takes place in the kilns, or ovens, where the greenware is baked at a temperature of 1600 degrees. The heating, firing, and cooling is a 24-hour process. Pottery at this stage is called bisque.

The Paint Room - All the delft made here is entirely hand painted. The artists employ a special water-based under-glaze, which is imported from the Netherlands and is unavailable commercially. They freehand paint traditional patterns onto the pieces, using strokes which embody the style of delft. It requires nearly two years apprenticeship to learn the art of delft painting.

After the bisque is painted, it is fired again to set the under-glaze, and then dipped into an over-glaze. It is during the third and final firing that a chemical reaction takes place between the blue under-glaze and the clear over-glaze, resulting in the bright blue color associated with delft.

Our last stop in this area was at Windmill Island. Here we found a 230-year-old windmill. "DeZwaan" (The Swan) is the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the United States. Windmill Island has a lot to offer. There is the tour of the windmill, a show by Dutch dancers, a film on the dismantling and reconstructing of the windmill, a 1895 carousel, a miniature Dutch village, and candle artists that dip and sculpt candles while you watch. Summer annuals were in bloom and color was everywhere. They say it is the most beautiful in the spring when the tulips are in bloom. That's hard to imagine.

It took us 5 more days to get home. During those days we stopped in Elkhart, IN and had our chipped front windshield changed. We also spent a few hours in Indianapolis at the state fair. It was hot there, but we had fun looking at "stuff" and eating "junk".

On August 17th we arrived back home. Everything was as we had left it almost 3 months ago. And Hope was REALLY glad to get back home.

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska

Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska . . . Alaska