Author Topic: Back to Alaska (Read 17677 times)

Jeff · « **Reply #30 on:** July 04, 2015, 04:03:08 PM »

This is our third trip up here; a cruise in 2004, m/h in 2007 driving both ways, and now this trip. Ferry hopping has really been a treat We now wish we had stopped in Petersburg and spent more time in Sitka.

We will be here until late August and I want to come back again already! And we just finished a discussion about shortening our summer excursions.

BigLarry · « **Reply #31 on:** July 04, 2015, 11:03:02 PM »

Our fix this year is going to have to be a couple weeks on Vancouver Island in September. We like to go back there every few years. We lived in Sequim for three years in the early 1970's. Our Son was born in PA and we still have friends up there.

Dragginourbedaround · « **Reply #32 on:** July 05, 2015, 09:28:37 AM »

We were on an Alaskan cruise in August 2010 and stopped at Juneau. Went to the Red Dog saloon and that same guy was singing for tips to fill his Viagra tip jar. It was a fun saloon. Thanks for posting, brings back a lot of memories.

Jeff · « **Reply #33 on:** July 07, 2015, 02:06:07 AM »

After 5 days in Skagway (because a ferry schedule change that we were told about a few weeks ago) we took a one hour ferry ride to Haines where we will spend the next few days.

The Oceanfront RV Park looks out on the serene channel between Skagway and Juneau surrounded by ice covered mountains. We also have HD Directv here so we are in touch with the world again.

Jeff · « **Reply #34 on:** July 10, 2015, 01:56:01 AM »

Spent our last day in Haines visiting the Eagle Center with fantastic live and preserved exhibits and watched the last of the cruise ships and ferries make their way down the Lynn Canal from Skagway. We head north tomorrow into the Yukon headed for Tok.

Gary RV_Wizard · « **Reply #35 on:** July 10, 2015, 10:13:43 AM »

Thanks for the photos - Haines is one of our favorites stops.

BigLarry · « **Reply #36 on:** July 10, 2015, 02:53:59 PM »

We spent a week in Haines. Its a real place. We were very disappointed in Skagway. Most of the businesses in town are owned by the Cruise ship companies! Once the cruise ships left it was absolutely dead!!!!! The drive into Skagway is the best thing about visiting there.

Jeff in Ferndale Wa · « **Reply #37 on:** July 11, 2015, 04:42:59 PM »

Do you plan to take the ferry out to Dutch Harbor and back?
I am currently in King Cove where the ferry makes a stop each way.

Jeff · « **Reply #38 on:** July 12, 2015, 09:54:26 PM »

Jeff we are done with the ferries. Homer is about as close as we will get to you.

Jeff · « **Reply #39 on:** July 13, 2015, 03:22:19 AM »

We have spent the last two days on the Alaskan Highway in the Yukon driving from Haines up to Tok, AK. Beautiful landscapes, horrible roads in the Yukon.

Jeff in Ferndale Wa · « **Reply #40 on:** July 13, 2015, 09:53:53 AM »

Quote from: Jeff on July 12, 2015, 09:54:26 PM

Jeff we are done with the ferries. Homer is about as close as we will get to you.

If you were able to find the time, it might be worth the trip to park your rig in Homer for a few days and take the round trip ferry ride. Coastal Alaska is so much different that the interior.

Gary RV_Wizard · « **Reply #41 on:** July 13, 2015, 09:55:06 AM »

Any idea what happened to that Shadow Cruiser in the last photo? Looks like it encountered a very low bridge!

Jeff · « **Reply #42 on:** July 14, 2015, 01:28:42 AM »

Quote from: Gary RV Roamer on July 13, 2015, 09:55:06 AM

Any idea what happened to that Shadow Cruiser in the last photo? Looks like it encountered a very low bridge!

Gary it appeared he came over the rise ahead of us, saw the wet gravel and slid out if control while trying to slow down. The pickup and its occupants were OK, that's them carrying stuff to it but the trailer went over the bank. The wrecker had pulled it upright and back onto the road.

Another case of slow down while up here.

Jeff · « **Reply #43 on:** July 14, 2015, 01:31:25 AM »

Quote from: Jeff in Ferndale Wa on July 13, 2015, 09:53:53 AM

If you were able to find the time, it might be worth the trip to park your rig in Homer for a few days and take the round trip ferry ride. Coastal Alaska is so much different that the interior.

Jeff time is the problem.

Jeff · « **Reply #44 on:** July 14, 2015, 02:14:30 AM »

We pulled out of Tok this morning and drove to Anchorage to have a few days before our daughter Jami and family arrive Friday. We followed the Richardson Highway past the Wrangell Mountain Range and The Glenn Highway through beautiful glaciers and down the Matanuska Valley to Palmer. Look carefully in the last photo and you can see the trail of one of the three moose we saw today. (Not fast enough with the camera)

We must be back in civilization, saw our first MacDs in three weeks.

Anchorage is a city of 300,000 with every big box store and restaurant chain imaginable but just past the "Welcome to Anchorage" sign is a "Caution Moose" warning.

Hfx_Cdn · « **Reply #45 on:** July 14, 2015, 05:53:12 AM »

Jeff, in my hunting days, that what we referred to as "track stew", it isn't very tasty nor very filling. Better luck with the trigger finger next time.

Ed

JX2Fields · « **Reply #46 on:** July 18, 2015, 11:05:39 AM »

Jeff
My wife and I are in the very early stages of planning a trip to Alaska pulling our fifth wheel. What are you traveling in and I thought the ferry was very expensive. We were there in 2003 on a cruise and enjoyed it, them my son and I went on a fishing trip in 2010. Really will enjoy hearing about your trip and will help us plan ours.

John

Jeff · « **Reply #47 on:** July 29, 2015, 04:31:19 AM »

John a 41' DP towing a CRV. We made five legs on the ferries that totaled just over $2700.00. Saves a couple of hundred on fuel, probably some wear and tear.

That part of the trip was priceless.

Jeff · « **Reply #48 on:** July 29, 2015, 04:44:35 AM »

We have had our daughter and family from Hawaii with us the past week and still have our two granddaughters with us for another 11 days so we have been busy!

Picked them up in Anchorage and to satisfy their request went up to Talkeetna, Denali, and Fairbanks. The adults flew home from there and we than drove back to Anchorage and out to Seward.

We have done shore fishing, dinner shows, glacier landings, riverboats, hot springs, The Alaska Sealife Center in Seward, and a dinner cruise today with seals, porpoise, sea lions, eagles, puffins, murre, glaciers, and ice burgs. More salmon fishing with granddaughter in the AM and then we head to Homer.

Gary RV_Wizard · « **Reply #49 on:** July 29, 2015, 11:49:06 AM »

Going halibut fishing in Homer? Your granddaughter would get a thrill if she landed ~~a big~~ most any halibut!

Jeff · « **Reply #50 on:** July 29, 2015, 09:21:39 PM »

Decisions decisions.

Jeff · « **Reply #51 on:** July 31, 2015, 02:29:24 AM »

We are parked at one of our favorite sites in Alaska, Mariner Park on the Homer Spit looking Southwest across the Gulf at the chain of glacier-covered volcanoes that lead out to the Aleutian Penninsula. The beach is shallow and at low tide the kids were out several hundred feet hunting sea life.

Dinner tonight was pie iron pizza and apple pie followed by roasting marshmallows and sitting around a beach campfire. Can't be beat!

Sure hope the girls remember this. (it's getting to the point I hope we remember this)!

Jeff · « **Reply #52 on:** August 05, 2015, 03:04:39 AM »

Finished up our time on the Kenai Peninsula with a fishing charter with granddaughter Emily where we saw whales and sea otters. On our way back to Anchorage we spent the afternoon at the Alaska Wildlife Refuge with its various exhibits.

We spent the night at the Aleyeska Ski Resort and rode the tram up for a beautiful view of the Turnagain Arm. Today the girls flew back to Honolulu on Alaska Airlines and had a great flight while parents and grandparents held their breath for six hours.

ArdraF · « **Reply #53 on:** August 05, 2015, 04:58:05 PM »

It looks like a great time was had by all! Love those smiles!

ArdraF

Tom · « **Reply #54 on:** August 05, 2015, 06:38:52 PM »

Jeff, I'm enjoying your reports and photos. You have a beautiful family, but you already knew that. This trip will surely be remembered for the rest of their lives.

Jeff · « **Reply #55 on:** August 28, 2015, 09:29:04 PM »

Time to wrap this up as we have been to Palmer, Valdez, Chicken, drove over the Top of The World highway to Dawson where I toured Dredge Four that a RV friend Glenn Dewick worked as a young man. At Chicken we ran into Todd from Alaska Gold Rush and later passed a couple of claims before crossing the Yukon border.

We then grove down to Whitehorse where we joined the Alaska Highway down to Dawson Creek with a quick detour up to Fort Liard in the Northwest Territories to say we have been there.

We also spent a night in Watson Lake to find Tim and Jan Lynchs' RV Forum sign in the sign forest, and stops in Jasper and smokey Banff where we said goodbye to our friend Helen Harmon who has traveled with us all summer. Will spend the next couple of days in Calgary sightseeing and then head to Chicago to see the other half of our family. Had a great time driving smooth 4 lane highways lately!

We crossed into Canada on the 13th of June and should be back in the lower 48 by the 1st of September. It has been a great 2 1/2 months! Going back to Alaska has been high on my list and we had a great summer doing it.

ArdraF · « **Reply #56 on:** August 29, 2015, 12:12:26 AM »

We've enjoyed returning with you!

ArdraF

Kevin Means · « **Reply #57 on:** August 29, 2015, 03:03:49 AM »

I've really enjoyed your trip reports and pictures too Jeff. Everytime I read yours and other posts about RVing to Alaska it churns up the urge to make the trip myself. Ahhhhh... someday.

Kev

Ned · « **Reply #58 on:** August 29, 2015, 06:56:46 AM »

Welcome home, and happy you had such a great trip. Our AK summer was the highlight of our many years on the road and your reports and pictures brought back many memories.

Dean & Linda Stock · « **Reply #59 on:** September 03, 2015, 10:50:38 PM »

Jeff and Sue, it is so good to re-connect! Dean and I have done the cruise tour and the land route clockwise and counter-clockwise. We can't ever seem to get enough of Alaska, and we plan to go again. I'd like to try your route as something to give us new memories. We didn't know about the fireworks in Skagway. Is that new? Your friends are lucky to have you as an escort. Happy travels, and keep writing! We love it!

News:

Author Topic: Back to Alaska (Read 17677 times)