Although we left Tok, Alaska almost a month ago, our memories of Alaska will never leave us. Here, in no particular order, are a few photos of some of our favorite places and adventures.
Our favorite place was Oceanside RV Park in Haines, Alaska where we could sit and watch for whales, watch eagles fly by, and watch the ferries and cruise ships sail by.
Cocktail hour whale watching with Ted and RuthyBald Eagle at Chilcoot Lake State Park, Haines, AKDeadliest Catch!
The most exciting and most memorable experience of the entire trip was the South Face McKinley flight-seeing tour and landing on Ruth Glacier with Talkeetna Air Taxi.
We went really close to Mt. McKinleyLoving every minute of our time on Ruth glacier
We loved all of the boat trips we took.
Whale Pectoral Fin on day trip to JuneauStellar Sea Lions on day trip to JuneauSeeing ice calving on Aialik Glacier on the Kenai Fjords trip from SewardA pair of Orcas on Columbia Glacier tour from ValdezSea Otters on Columbia Glacier tour from Valdez
Driving to the Coldfoot, sixty miles north of the Artic Circle was a drive to remember.
Wandering Dawgs at the Arctic Circle
Catching Halibut and watching the sunset in Ninilchik, Alaska.
Four of these fish are ours!Mount Redoubt Sunset
Denali National Park.
Moose beside the road on the way out of the parkLukor liked it on top of his houseBeautiful green valley at Polychrome OverlookAnother group of Caribou up on a ridge
Driving the Top of the World Highway, panning for gold, going for a train ride on the Alaska Railroad, watching for wildlife on the side of the road, seeing the Fireweed blooming everywhere, seeing glaciers off in the distance and up close are all highlights of the trip we will never forget.
Every day was memorable, every day was special, every day we saw something spectacular.
On day 106 of our incredible Alaska journey, after driving 4,644 miles in 23 days from Tok, Alaska, the Titanium was set up in its home in Central Georgia. One day later we were back at our home in Coastal Georgia.
This was truly the trip of a lifetime. Alaska is a very special place and I am so happy we were able to spend so much time exploring there. Stay tuned for some final thoughts on our trip in a later post.
Even though we have taken other cross country RV trips, this was by far the longest we have ever been away from our home in 30 years. While we were gone I didn’t realize how much I missed it until we drove the final miles across the salt marsh to our home.
Here are some final statistics from the trip.
Number of nights on the road
105
Number of nights in Alaska
50
Total miles driven
14,454
Number of different campgrounds
54
Number of States where we camped
17
Number of Provinces and Territories where we camped
Day 102: Sunday, August 25, 2013. Currently in Blue Springs Missouri.
Fort Caspar, Wyoming
After leaving Sheridan we drove through the high plains where we saw ranches, several herds of pronghorn antelope, and prairie dogs beside the road. We spent a night in Casper, Wyoming at Ft. Caspar RV Park where we visited Fort Caspar on the North Platte River.
Relaxing at our campsite by the Big Thompson River in Loveland, CO
Before heading into the plains of Kansas we stopped for two nights at Riverview RV Park in Loveland, Colorado where we had a campsite right on the Big Thompson River. Kicking back and listening to the river was pure heaven.
The next day we drove about 30 miles to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park to make the drive along Trail Ridge Road. On our visit to the park Memorial Day weekend in 2011 we attempted the drive but had to stop near the beginning of the road because of snow on the road. The drive was beautiful and we saw plenty of wildlife. We went over the highest point of the Trail Ridge Road. At 12,183 feet, it was the highest elevation we have been to on this entire trip.
Rocky Mountain National Park
Big Horn Sheep on Trail Ridge Road
Big Horn Sheep on Trail Ridge Road
Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park
A marmot basking in the sun on top of the rock
Wild Turkey in Rocky Mountain National Park
The drive from Loveland to our next stop at the Wakeeney KOA in Kansas took us through cattle country. We drove by stockyards with more cattle than I have ever seen. The winds were strong all day and Henry was fighting a strong headwind for much of the day. We passed by huge wind farms in Colorado and Kansas. After driving almost 400 miles we stopped in Wakeeney, Kansas for the night to rest up before another long day of driving through Kansas.
The next morning we continued our trek east through Kansas where we continued to see cattle and fields of corn, wheat, and other grains. Wild sunflowers grew beside the highway. We started hitting city traffic in Topeka and drove through Kansas City, the biggest city in Missouri. Going through the city was a lot like going through downtown Atlanta – not fun. We spent the night in Blue Springs Campground, a nice, quiet county park in Blue Springs, Missouri. Our wildlife sighting of the day was two deer in the park.
Day 96: Monday, August 19, 2013. Currently in Sheridan, Wyoming
Grand Coulee Dam, Washington
Our homeward journey took us through Washington state where we passed by Grand Coulee Dam. We left the state highways behind when we got on I-90 east of Spokane. We traveled through the panhandle of Idaho into Montana where we had several miles of a long, steep grade before crossing the Continental Divide.
Our first night in Montana was at Campground St. Regis where wood carvings are scattered around the campground. As we continued east on I-90 through Montana we passed by a wildfire close to the west bound lanes. Flames could be seen from the interstate and the the fire crews were hard at work. We spent our second night at Camp Three Forks where I woke up to a beautiful Montana Sunrise.
Wood Carving at Campground St. Regis, Montana
A Bear cub with fish in our campsite in St. Regis, Montana
Montana Sunrise
Montana Sunrise
Two nights in Sheridan, Wyoming for chores and then we will continue to be homeward bound.
Day 91: Wednesday, August 14, 2013. Williams Lake, BC to Oroville, Washington, USA. River Oaks RV Park Site 43. 393 miles traveled. One of our longest driving days since leaving home.
Our last night in British Columbia was in Williams Lake where we stayed at Stampede RV Park next to the rodeo grounds.
Willams Lake Stampede Grounds
As we drove south we left the snow peaked mountains behind as we began to see more and more farmland and ranches. In one area we passed by the Painted Hills which reminded me of the Painted Desert. The road was good and even though there were still steep grades and curvy roads as we descended into and out of valleys we were making really good time. At some point along the way we decided we were going to cross the border in Washington.
Painted Hills in southern British Columbia
We were driving on Highway 97 which runs right beside Okanagan Lake for many, many miles. There are several provincial parks along the lake and we could see boaters in the beautiful blue water. We passed several beaches full of swimmers trying to cool off in the 90 degree weather.
And then we entered Kelowna which is nothing but big box stores and chain restaurants for miles with stoplights at every intersection. It was bumper to bumper traffic and we wondered where all these people were coming from on a Wednesday afternoon. There were many big homes and condos high up on the hills overlooking the lake.
The canal next to the road in Penticton was full of people rafting to beat the 90 degree heat
Finally we were past Kelowna and started to move along at a good pace again. In the town of Penticton a canal runs through town right beside the highway. The canal was full of people in rafts floating down the canal in colorful rafts of every size and description. As I rolled down the window to take some pictures these people waved as me as we went by.
After that we began to see fruit stands selling the famous Okanagan Valley peaches, cherries, and other produce grown in the valley. Orchards and vineyards grew in fields as far as the eye could see. We must have passed about 50 wineries all offering wine tasting.
Finally, about 5:00 we reached the American border in Oroville, Washington and went through customs. Everyone in an RV had to pull over to be inspected so we waited our turn and soon were on our way. I looked at my phone and had cell service so I called an RV park in Oroville and we got a site for 2 nights.
Our first day back in the states was filled with resting, doing laundry, and going to the grocery store. Once the chores were done we went to the Okanogan Winery shop in Oroville where I bought some delicious Chardonnay and Pino Grigio. We went to dinner at Trino’s, a very popular Mexican restaurant in town.
Wandering Dawgs 