4 days on a ferry....Arrival in Dutch Harbor

Day 10:  Homer (Tuesday)

-         Wally the Whale feeding and showing himself in Ottis’s Otter Canal J

7:30 – heading to the ferry terminal.  Got parked and met up with David.  Load up and David found us a table and bench (short one, but at least we got one!)  Unloaded all my stuff (there’s A LOT of it!)

8:30 – forgot my nalgene bottle so am running back to the motorhome to get it.  Find M&D on the beach collecting round rocks J

10:30 – take off.  Got pictures of the beach and the motorhome as we sail away.

Head to bed pretty early….listen to my iPod…a little rocky (some sickies during the night)

Day 11:  Sea to Kodiak to sea (Wednesday)

-         Got into Kodiak at 845 – David and I head off the boat (with Chet) for a brisk walk.  We make it halfway across the bridge then Julie calls – she recommends  getting a taxi and going to see the bears at the park or reserve. 

-         Taxi lady doesn’t know anything about it – Visitor’s Center doesn’t know – National Wildlife Museum doesn’t know…we call Julie back – she doesn’t really know either J

-         So we walk to Subway, split a sandwich and visit as we watch the bay

-         I head back to the ferry in hopes of planning for t he beginning of the year.  Instead I take a little nap…

-         2:30 – up and heading off the boat for a beer with David @ The Village

-         4:00 another Subway sandwich and head back to the boat

-         4:45 leaving Kodiak………..

-         600-700: heading thru Whale crossing

o   Seeing puffins and other sea birds

o   Humpback whales and Finbacks

-         715: Pass by “Otter Island” – a brazillion of them!!  J  Apparently this area is safe from Orca and has a good food supply for them.  Then are ALL over!

All of those "things" in the water are Sea Otters!!!!

-         800: we are allowed down to our cars – I get the bed roll for David (he put up the tent on the upper area

-         830ish:  Movie and bedtime (I took my Bonine – supposed to be 15 foot swells tonight – it was only 8 foot swells last night)

Day 12:  Sea to Chignik to Sea to Sand Point to Sea (Thursday)

-         Up at 900…a little rough but feeling pretty good….just tired

-         1130 – 100 : Chignik ….walked around a bit.  Saw the famous doughnut shop..took a shower

-         Met the other teacher and her nephew – VERY nice!  Lucas will be in my room

-         Names in a drawing for a FREE 1-hour tour around Cold Bay – both David and my names were drawn

-         1030pm-1200am – Sand Point…the sun was still out when we landed….much classier place than Chignik

Day 13:  Sea to King Cove to Sea to Cold Bay to False Pass (Friday)

-         Slept in….didn’t wake up at King Cove…

-         Stopped at Cold Bay and got loaded up into the tour vans…very sunny and beautiful!!  Saw lots of birds, FOX and 2 KITS!!!!  Lots of volcanoes and mountains…gorgeous!

    

-         Back on the boat – saw 2 bears on the water’s edge

-         ate lunch

-         1:30 ::  weekly fire and boat drill

-         4:30 :: passing through False Pass – good bear spotting territory….keeping our fingers crossed! J …no bears, but beautiful scenery!

-         5:00 - False Pass until 645…..very windy!  Choosing not to get off the ship

Day 14:  Arriving in Dutch Harbor!!!  (Saturday)

We finally arrive in Dutch Harbor at about 915 and there is a crew there to meet me!  Julie and her mama, Superintendent, both principals, the office manager - it was a pretty big deal!  Finally figured out where my house is and followed the caravan to Unalaska.  My place is sweet!!!  Met Mary, a friend of one of the roommates since they both couldn't be there and Trent, another friend, who grew up in Olney - crazy small world!!  

Julie and her mom helped me unload my car and I got settled in.  Then off to the school for a Community Potluck.  Saw the kids dancing traditional dances and singing songs. Pretty cool!  Then met up with Julie, her mom, and many of her friends so I could meet the "crew" for dinner and dancing.

Sunday:

Hiking Bunker Hill with Julie and her mom, followed by more unpacking.  They later invited me over for a delicious dinner!  Alex got home this evening - I think I'm really going to like her!  :)

          

Monday:

Got into the classroom today and met with the School District people.  

Look closely - you can see salmon jumping...

Very productive.  Later in the evening, Alex and I went to the beach to look for beach glass and pick Salmonberries - delicious!

    

Tuesday:

Happy Birthday, Sheryll!!  halibut dinner to celebrate!  yummy!!

Wednesday:

More classroom time - it is starting to come together very nicely!  Then dinner and movie with Julie.  Mary and Alex called and drug us out to the beach to watch the sunset and go for a walk!  It is so beautiful here!

Thursday:

Another teacher took us out on the boat to one of the far off bays - we saw whales, seals, puffins, and lots of waterfalls!!  AND the sun was out - I even got a little bit of a sunburn!  It was wonderful!!!

Mary.....Alex

Alex

whale :)

                      

Friday:

Mexican Fiesta with Julie's crew

North to Alaska : : 2,868 miles

***Sorry this has taken so long to get up and posted!  The internet here is SUPER slow and it takes a llllllllloooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggggggg time to load pictures.  I have given up and decided to move on to newer and funner (sorry for those of you who don't like this word...) posts!  Missing everyone!  Love, Am


Day 1: Home to Clatskanie (Sunday)

Off to a bit of a rocky start....Minnie Winnie doesn't much care for hills.  Stopped at the scales to check out weight and then wouldn't start again.  :(  Dad ran for parts in the Trooper.  When he got back, the motorhome started and we headed to the Meier house.  They were very gracious - feeding us and garden tours (Thanks, Jamee!) as well as assisting in mechanical maintenance (Thanks, Matt!)

   

  

Day 2:  Clatskanie to Kamloops, B.C. (Monday)

- up at 6 a.m. (well the parents were at least…), I was up shortly later.  But you know with a long trip like this, a body has to keep their strength up!  :)  Mom is following us in "Gutless Gertie" for the first short leg in order to check on how the motor home will do...We meet up again in Kelso!

    

- border crossing – no stamp, but successful crossing!  Here we come Canada, eh!
   

- Hope: The Minnie Winnie also does not like regular fuel....she's kinda picky.  So we added fuel booster and then back on the road.  However, turns out, we lost gas cap L

 - Kamloops: discovered no gas cap….search commences to find a replacement.  We are sent to Walmart, then to Canadian Tire.  Success!!

    

Day 3:  Kamloops, B.C. to Grande Cache, Alberta (Tuesday)

- Up at 5 a.m.

- Valemount

  

    

 - Entered Mount Robson Park...beautiful!!  :)

- Enter Alberta….on the Fraser River - also beautiful!!

- LOTS of animal spotting:

o   Wolf

o   Mountain goats

o   Deer

o   Elk

o   Beaver

o   Eagle

o   Swallows

-         Came upon a wreck just ahead of us…only 15 minutes away from our final destination....pretty hairy car accident causing the road to be closed for 8 hours, but luckily we had our "home" with us and could just wait it out.

o   Met Don “the acrobat man” and 2 other truckers….Mama fed them chili (she sure is a pretty sweet lady!)

-         Road finally clear at 11 and head to Grande Cache to spend night in the gas station bay since we were almost out of gas...P.S. Alberta is an hour ahead of Oregon!

  

Day 4:  Grande Cache, Alberta to Tetsa River RV Park (Wednesday)

-         Got up at 4 a.m. (but Alberta is 1-hour ahead of us…5:00) to fuel up.  On the road at 5:30…

-         Heading toward Fort Nelson – passing beautiful canola fields

-         Cross the Mighty Peace River

-         Stopped at Sasquatch Crossing – mile marker 144 (not the classiest of places – and to top it off, he wasn’t even crossing…LAME!)

-         Coming into Tetsa – “all those who hate speeding tickets, raise their right foot”

-         Reach Fort Nelson at 4p.m.

-         Stayed the night at Tetsa River RV Park…. “all showered up – a little scary but warm”

Day 5:  Tetsa River RV Park to Whitehorse (Thursday)

-         Up at 5….again.  On the road at 0530

-         Pastry for breakfast at fuel stop @ 830…~$7.75 per gallon – what a steal!

-         Muncho Lake:: LOTS of critters and VERY beautiful – blue green lake…advertisements say “one of the most beautiful”

o   3 caribou & baby

o   Porcupine

o   2 mountain goats

o   Mama moose + baby

o   BLACK BEAR!!!!

o   Buffalos – 2 herds

o   Stone sheep ram

o   Coyote

-         Float plane taking off

-         Liard Hot Springs:  was planning to stop for a “Leg-stretching” break at the urging of the Fox family – but due to delays and a park fee…movin’ on, but it looked like a hockova spot

-         Watson Lake to fuel up = Yukon Territory:  Larger Than Life

o   Sign Post Forest

o   Visitor’s Center: Rena was oober helpful and gave us lots of free stuff!  Thanks, Rena!!!

-         3pm – Continental Divide :: not as impressive as it sounds

-         Travelled ~1,800 miles from home

-         Whitehorse – Walmart…they allow campers to stay the night in their parking lots for free

o   Mom records in her journal, “we always talk about the class of people that you see at Walmart and I just realized that that’s us…Wal-Martians”  J

Day 6:  Whitehorse to  “Moose Lake” (Friday)

-         Up and moving at 530, but only as far as the Coffee shop…

-         On the road again…

-         Heading north on Alaska Hwy. 1/Klondike Hwy (every time I hear Klondike, my head says, “What would you do-oo-ooo for a Klondike Bar?”)

o   Dad’s door flies open….he says, “that’s better than a second cup of coffee”

-         0800: Haines junction = Cozy Corner Restaurant….yummy-ness

-         Burwash

-         Customs check at 3:30….entering Alaska (pronounced: “a-lask-uhhhhh”)

o   No stamp there either….thanks a lot

-         Tok, AK at 5 p.m.

-         Home Sweet Home at mile marker 57 :: we named it Moose Lake – saw 4 moosies…including Lucy the Moosie

Day 7:  “Moose Lake” to Anchorage/ Turnagain Arm of Chickaloon Bay (Saturday)

-         On the road before 6 a.m. (Dad doesn’t believe in sleeping in….burning daylight)

-         0800: Glennallen – gassing up and coffeeing up

-         Pull over to see a beautiful glacier

-         Anchorage

o   Costco

o   Re-packing “Gertie”

o   To Wal-Mart….dinner and settle for the night

§  Apparently Anchorage Wal-Mart’s are different from EVERY other one on the planet, because the Security Guard rousted us out at 12:30 – whatever Wal-Mart…

·        “He’s right here….”  J  hahaha!

o   At 0130 A.M. Dad finds a new “Home Sweet Home” next to Turnagain Arm of Chickaloon Bay…

Day 8:  Turnagain Arm of Chickaloon Bay to Homer (Sunday)

-         At 5:30 we watch the fastest, speediest incoming tide waves to cover the dry bay floor – WOW!!  On the road again

-         Stop at Girdwood for coffees……trouble with cashregister, so free coffees!  Sweet!

-         Driving through Chugach National Forest….looking at Portage Glacier

-         Signs triggers a Dad memory:  “Remember, folks, only you can prevent forest fires”

-         Cooper Landing to mail postcards and spy a bird nest

-         Crooked Creek (say that 3 times fast…)

-         Clam Gulch…we didn’t know clams lived in gulches

-         Ninilchik

-         Homer

o   Viewpoint

o   Cruising the Spit

o   Settling in to Homer Spit Campground….Lucky number 75

§  Exactly 2,868 miles from home!!  Woot woot!! J

§  Beach strolling with Mom (Dad settling us in)….LOTS of good stuff

o   Skyped with Julia trying to coordinate her flying in on Stand-by, but flights weren’t available for each direction….L…but glad to have a chance to catch up.  We sure do miss that girl!

o   Beach combing with Dad

o   Ottis the Otter feeds back and forth…just for us

o   Went to bed at 11 p.m. but it’s still DAYLIGHT outside!!!

Day 9:  Homer (Monday)

-         Slept in until 8:30 (even DAD!!!  He was tired from a LOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG trip of driving!)

-         Heading to beach for the -4 foot tide at 10:10…..so much good stuff to see and play in

-         Check in with Alaska Ferry Adventure office…

-         FAMILY GAME NIGHT!!!  J  wahooooooo!!!!

Day 10:  Homer (Tuesday)

-         Wally the Whale feeding and showing himself in Ottis’s Otter Canal J