Alaska with the Brewer's 06

[Betty Brewer]

WOW, I just can't imagine that the summer season is over already.? What is usual date to get out before being snow-trapped?

Hi Chin,

We are no where near snow trapped.  The snow  we see is in the mountains and  maybe slush in the  high  passes.  This summer seems to be unusual in that the days of summer have not yet appeared. We are still having fun and getting good use out of the rain gear we purchased prior to trip.  We expected rain.  The weather varies from year to year.  It is true some things appear to have  slowed down, but that just means less traffic and crowds for us!
Betty

 

[Betty Brewer]

Looks like winter may be coming early to Alaska?

Wendy,
A woman who lives in Palmer since 1935 summed it up today  when she said, "We had summer, yesterday."  It was a short season. Has not spoiled our good time.
Betty

 

[Betty Brewer]

August 22, 2006    Day 91  Palmer, Alaska   

We fueled up in Glennallen and headed back toward Palmer.  It is amazing how different a road looks when you approach it from the opposite direction. Today was a bit of back tracking to allow us to attend the Palmer State Fair.  It was also the first day of school in Alaska, and Election Day, so it was a big day for many. The scenery has considerably more snow than last time through and is still spectacular.  When we arrived at Palmer Elks Club and went into pay, we were told,?Come back when the bartender is in.?  This is our first stay at an Elks Club and the place is beautiful.  We drove around Palmer and Wasilla.  The Visitor Center offered a nice yet small museum and gardens of rather healthy looking vegetables. We were directed to the Colony House Museum that was the highlight of my day.  This 1935 to 1945 circa building was an original.  The lady who grew up in it gave us the details.  During the Depression Roosevelt selected 203 families from Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota to come to Alaska to begin farming.  Each was given 40 acres, a house, a barn, a chicken coop, a horse and a cow and a few chickens.  They were given $250 from either Sears or Montgomery Ward to buy furniture.  They were also given a $3500 mortgage with payments to begin in 5 years. She showed us the house, which was like d?j? vu for me.  The linoleum was like my grandparents, the toys like mine as a kid.  Do you remember shoe skates?  Did you play monopoly?  They now call these antiques!  Palmer has the distinction of being one of the few Alaskan communities settled entirely based on agriculture.  Most farmers had cattle, hay and vegetables.  Every local in town is talking about the weather.  One lady said that in her 31 years in Alaska, she has not seen so much rain.  Heck it is not foggy here in Palmer so we think it is an improvement!  We tour Hatcher Pass tomorrow.

Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven:  145    Diesel fuel per gallon  $3.24
Wildlife sightings: Chipmunk, eagle in tree.
Temps:  High  49      Low 39    0.66    inches of rain
Camping Costs: $12 per night Palmer Elks Club, 30 amps electric (Our first Elks Club Stay)
GPS: 61.60813, -149.29153

 

[Marsha/CA]

Betty,

Tim and I are in Sioux Narrows, Ontario, Canada and we have noticed that the tips of the trees along the North Shore of the Great Lakes have begin to change color.  We kept thinking that it was trees that had some disease; but no, it's definite leaf change, just barely, but it's there.

Tim has hired a guide to take him out on "The Lake of the Woods" for a day's fishing tomorrow.  One of the neighboring campers brought us samples of their catch of the day.  They caught Wallleye and had deep fried it.  It was wonderful.....!  I'll have to get their receipe, but I think the secret is the deep cast iron oven he had over the stove that made it so delicious.

Marsha~

 

[ChinMusic]

Hi Chin,
? This summer seems to be unusual in that the days of summer have not yet appeared. We are still having fun and getting good use out of the rain gear we purchased prior to trip.? We expected rain.? The weather varies from year to year.? It is true some things appear to have? slowed down, but that just means less traffic and crowds for us!
Betty

Gloomy or sunny, it still has to be a blast up there.  And with such a long trip you get to experience it all.  Less traffic and crowds sounds like a good trade off.

 

[Norm & Connie Lankford]

We've noticed the fireweed is just about done for the season.? This is a good time to head south, as we're doing.? It's incredible how much snow is on the Wrangles since we saw them just a short time ago.? The snow was only about half way down less than 2 weeks ago.

Mukluk Annie's is closed.? We're at the Continental Divide Lodge for one night and the lodge is closed but the campground still had W&E for $20/night, cash.? The owners are leaving on Thursday.? The season is really coming to an end but what a season it's been!

 

[Norm & Connie Lankford]

Like Terry, I think I've had 2 mosquito bites the entire summer.? As for windshields, both the Honda and motorhome windshields were cracked before we left AZ so a few chips up here aren't a problem ? Also, the roads are MUCH better than we expected.? Mostly paved, and only a little gravel or dirt, a pleasant surprise.

Hi Ned & Lorna,

Connie & I have been following your Alaska adventure. Sounds like a trip of a lifetime.. You will have to show us some pictures of your trip. After surgery we have been staying close to Medford.

Stay safe.

Norm & Connie

 

[Norm & Connie Lankford]

Time for a 90 day expense report.

Fuel includes motorhome & auto.
Meals includes groceries & restaurants.
Lodging is campgrounds.
Miscellaneous is everything else...mostly sightseeing/tour fees & souvenirs.

? ?Fuel.....................$2427.71
? ?Meals...................? 2733.29
? ?Lodging................? 1936.19
? ?Miscellaneous.......... 3746.75

? ?Total.................... $10843.94

$3614.65 a month or $120.48 a day for two people. We Have Not SKIMPED on anything.<G>

Betty is happy because our daily expense has dropped almost $5.00 from last month.


.

Hi Terry & Betty,

Looks like you are staying within your budget!!<BG> Have you been using any Elks Camping yet??  Diesel here in Medford is anywhere from $3.39 to $3.46 a gallon. The best investment I have right now is the 120 gallons of diesel in my fuel tank. <G> Stay safe and we will see you this fall in Yuma..

Norm & Connie

 

[Ned]

Norm & Connie,

Don't worry, we have thousands of pictures and we'll show you every one of them   Most of the better ones are already on our photo gallery, but we do have a lot more.  We drove the southern part of the Cassiar Highway today and the leaves are definitely changing and the fireweed is just about gone.  Definitely end of summer.  Diesel today was $1.129/liter, lowest we've seen in Canada for some time.

 

[Betty Brewer]

Have you been using any Elks Camping yet???

Hi Connie and Norm,
Funny you should mention it, we are now staying at our first Elks Lodge in Palmer.? It is beautiful here and they? had 30 amp power until just a few minutes ago when the whole park lost power.? Folks are so friendly!? Their special tomorrow night is liver and onions so Terry is going for that....I won't!

See you in Yuma this fall.
Betty

 

[Betty Brewer]

August 23, 2006? ? Day 92? ?Palmer, Alaska? ? ?

I was born  August 23, 1948, making today my birthday!? Today  was a beautiful day with blue skies and NO RAIN. It has been so long since we had a clear day that I did not quite know what to do.? We took a drive up Hatcher Pass and enjoyed the rushing Suista River, mountain vistas and the Independence Mine.? ?The hillsides are green and lush and while there are a few waterfalls trickling down the hills, they do not compare with those in Valdez. We noted arctic ground squirrels and hoary marmots as the critters of the day!? ?We enjoyed the restored areas of the Independence Mine.? It produced over $5 million dollars worth of gold in l940?s.? The generator took 1000 galloons of diesel fuel daily to run the project, but it only cost 15 cents per gallon then! This pass had been closed for several days due to flooding but we are glad it was opened today, as it is so beautiful.? I bought a core sample from the hills of the mine for myself? as a birthday gift.? Maybe it will have some gold in it!?

Because it was my birthday, I got to pick the restaurant.? I?ve become a fan of Thai food and locals recommended the one we attended.? I order what Russ tells me.? YUM.? Tomorrow is the Palmer State Fair!? ?

Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven: 0? ?
Wildlife sightings: squirrel, marmot, birds magpie's
Temps:? High 64? ?Low 41? ? 0 inches of rain? ?whoooohoooo
Camping Costs: $12 elec. Elks Club Palmer

 

[Wendy]

Nice pictures, as usual. No one can take away those wildlife sightings !! Is Terry wearing socks under his sandals in those pictures???

 

[Marsha/CA]

Wendy,

Hahahahaha....I noticed the same thing--socks on Terry's feet!

When we did the horseback riding trip in Moab, he was miserable in tennis shoes, but he did it.

Marsha~

 

[Lorna]

Betty

Nice pictures and really glad all of you finally got a nice clear day and for your birthday too.

 

[Betty Brewer]

! Is Terry wearing socks under his sandals in those pictures???

Wendy and Marsha,

No socks.  What you saw may have been snow.  I told him to dress warmer!  His feet were very cold!
Betty

 

[Wendy]

Wendy and Marsha,

No socks.? What you saw may have been snow.? I told him to dress warmer!? His feet were very cold!
Betty

Wow !! Sure looked like socks in the earlier picture....awfully white (hmmm, white toes are an early sign of frostbite).

Good for you Terry !! Stay tough and be true to your sockless/shoeless philosophy

 

[Betty Brewer]

August 24, 2006    Day  93  Palmer, Alaska State Fair Opening! 

Today was THE highlight of the sights Terry wished to visit while in Alaska.  We attended the opening day of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer. This was the 70th year of this fair and they expect 300,000 people to attend, with 400 vendors displaying their wares.  The large vegetable displays were the most impressive to me.  This fair has produced at least nine awards in Guinness Book of Worlds Record right here in Alaska. I heard the wife of a world record holder cabbage grower speak about these vegetables.  This has been a good year for vegetable weights with all of the rain.  When you enter a contest under Guinness standards there are very specific harvesting guidelines and the biggest cabbages won?t be harvested for at least a week. We are not going to wait around.  The vegetables are grown from very specific stock.  She gave the analogy, you would not expect a Shetland Pony to grow as big as a Clydesdale just as each cabbage must have it?s own genetic excellence from which to start! The regular home gardener is not going to get one of these big boys!  They all impressed the heck out of me!  Terry ate his way through the Fair; note photos!  My favorite was the lumberjack show.  These hardy young men had their own fan club shouting and cheering!  They are in very good shape.

The final highlight of the day was dinner at the Elks Club.  We met a couple who are well into their 70?s, are full timing and are on second time around relationships both having lost spouses. They met in Quartzsite at a single s gathering!  This is their 4th trip to Alaska and he is a former Exalted Ruler at an Elks. We exchanged stories and had many laughs about our RV travels.  We slowly head toward lower 48 tomorrow with next stop back in Glennallen.

Statistics:
Motorhome Miles Driven: 0  Car fuel, $2.88  per gallon
Wildlife sightings: Several  Fair animals
Temps:  High  60      Low  49    0.23  inches of rain
Camping Costs: $12  Palmer  Elks Club Water only, beautiful setting

 

[Shayne]

As always great pics and accounting of events.? At the rate Terry is eating there, Is that RV going to be big enough to get him back home?? ?You all look relaxed and having a great time. Looking forward to the gallery of pics from all of you.

 

[Wendy]

Boy, you weren't kidding Terry ate his way through the fair !! Didn't see any fried Twinkies, tho.

The giant vegetables are completely different in the picture with the person ! !  Makes my little jalapenos and tomatoes look like minis.

 

[Alaskansnowbirds]

August 24, 2006    Day  93  Palmer, Alaska State Fair Opening! 

Terry ate his way through the Fair; note photos!

Glad you enjoyed the fair. What is Terry eating in photo 29? I recognized everything else but that.

If you ever get a chance, have Sarah take you to the Minn. State Fair. We went with her one year and had a ball.

Have a safe trip south.