Souvenirs From The Road: September 2017

Friday, September 29, 2017

Wrapping Up the Great Alaska Adventure!

This post will wrap up our Alaska trip. It’s a little late in coming, but we ended our trip earlier to help time our arrival back to our home area to start assisting with Hurricane Harvey clean-up efforts. And if that wasn’t enough, we also made the decision to move from our fifth wheel to a motorhome! So it’s been a busy month!

Day 119, August 28

We traveled today to Black Sandy State Park, located on Hauser Lake near Helena MT. It is beautiful! It’s a little smoky from the fires and our first time of having temps in the 90’s since we left Arizona back in May! It was a beautiful drive over with lots of wheat fields. We are also a little calmer now knowing that our daughters and families got safely evacuated from the hurricane. Tomorrow our friends Donna and Greg will continue on to Yellowstone while we start heading south for Texas. We have been to Yellowstone numerous times so it wasn’t a hard decision for us to not go. But we were looking forward to visiting with park ranger friends that are working there this summer.

On our walk saw this beautiful deer!

Day 120, August 29

Our route today is taking us through Billings MT and into Sheridan WY. We stopped at the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, near Crow Agency in Montana. We were so humbled going here. #1 – Remembering history and Custer’s last stand and #2 viewing the Custer National Cemetery, which is like Arlington – where there is a final resting place for generations of those who served in the U S Armed Forces. The cemetery reached capacity in 1978.

A beautiful smoky sunrise.

Typical scenery in this part of the country.

Along the trail you see Indian memorials, along with 7^th Calvary markers and horses, memoralizing June 25 – 26, 1876 and the fateful Battle of the Little Bighorn. This area memoralizes one of the last armed efforts of the Northern Plains Indians to preserve their way of life. 263 soldiers and attached personnel of the U.S. Army, including Lt. Col. George A. Custer, met death at the hands of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors.

Visitor Center

One of those places you always studied about.

Part of the Indian Memorial

Where they found the horses buried.

We landed tonight at Ranchester WY – Lazy R Campground. It’s a good stop. $32 for a full hookup. Quiet. Watching doves and hearing birds – sounds we haven’t really heard in a while. Saw pictures of our daughter’s house – it looks safe although the water is about an inch from the door. So much flooding……

Day 121 – August 30

It’s a pretty day for driving and we’re getting out of the smoke! Seeing lots of antelope. We need to come back to this area and spend time here. There are a lot of historical spots in this area that we need to visit. We are staying tonight west of Cheyenne at a great state park – Curt Gowdy. Water and electric for $22. Back home the rivers are still rising. Ron’s brother’s house has flooded. Wharton and Boling have experienced horrible, horrible flooding. Still a mandatory evacuation going on.

Day 122 – August 31

Today will be a travel day through Colorado. I25 through Denver and at 10 am there is still horrible traffic! Finally let up once we got through Colorado Springs. Staying the night tonight at Trinidad State Park. We have a really great campsite! Enjoyed watching the sun go down on our lake view. We were busy once we got here – needed an oil change and groceries. They are still projecting river flooding to start in Sweeny tomorrow. Found us a campsite close to home and family once we get there in a few days.

Day 123 – September 1

Crossed Raton Pass NM and here we are in the Texas panhandle in Snyder at a very quiet campground. Stopped at a Mexican food buffet in Dumas – good and authentic. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset and the quiet here. Praying for friends and family at home. Only one family member flooded, but many friends have and will have a long road ahead of them.

Yay! Back on home turf!

Sure have missed those Texas sunsets!

Day 124 – September 2

Up and at them early. A very long day. Met Ron’s twin Don and wife Rene’ in Marble Falls to pick up Ron’s mom. They had evacuated to Austin, but she wanted to change locations and go to where her brother and sister live and we were headed to the same location. Stocked up on groceries. So many of the gas stations here in the hill country did not have fuel which was crazy. We got to Schulenburg RV Park around 4, got set up, took Grandma to her brother’s and headed to go see daughter Amy and family. Got to meet our new step great grandson Marshall. So glad everyone was safe! Our other daughter Liz was safe in East Texas – just really missed not getting to see her and Lucy today!

And a Texas sunrise!

How about some blackened halibut and some fried halibut while everyone's evacuated?

We only find poppyseed rolls here in the hill country!

Some of the water we had to drive through.

Look at Aiden!

Spoiling those grandkids!

Thus ends our great Alaska Adventure of 2017. Great travels for sure! We traveled 15, 389 miles on this road trip. It’s hard to say what was the best part of the trip. There was just too many best parts! We will relive these adventures for a long time.

Here are a few pictures I snapped of Harvey’s aftermath. We got settled into an RV site here in Sweeny. While Ron helped friends tear out sheetrock I did a lot of cooking to keep everyone nourished and energized for the tasks at hand.

Water across the San Bernard River bridge. This is why our trailer would have been swept away if kiddos wouldn't have moved it.

San Bernard river

Stinky mess. Got to be where you couldn't maneuver down the street because of so much debris.

Ruined cotton fields.

We had our little trailer sold before we ever got back home. So thankful that our son-in-law was able to move our big 5^th wheel up to higher ground. Come to find out, it wouldn’t have made it. Where we left it at (where it’s never flooded before) had 5’ of water. Took us a day to move back in to the big one.

Sure was nice to move back into our larger home!

And almost a month later, here we are in our new home! A 2017 Newmar Dutch Star diesel pusher. Wow!!! Drives like a dream but most importantly – it really feels like home! Very sturdy, roomy and just has those features that make it comfortable. Why a motorhome? Well, for the longest we always said – no way, those aren’t for us. But the way we travel we think it’s a perfect fit. We are able to tow our jeep behind it. A jeep makes for a better off road adventure than that big dually truck for sure. We did our homework, talked to a lot of folks that were owners of various makes and models which was so helpful to eliminate certain manufacturers. Swapping over required another big purge – which we really needed to do anyway.

Inside of new motorhome.

Aiden helping his great grandma sew a pillow for his mom's birthday.

Spending time with Lucy!

And the outside of our new home!

We will be heading to a really great Texas State Park in October – Brazos Bend to volunteer through January. The park was severely damaged from the hurricane so we will ultimately be assisting with clean-up. They hope to re-open in November and we will most likely be park hosting then. I will be sharing adventures from there soon! Until we get there, we have a couple of fun family weekends and a whirlwind of those pesky doctor appointments that you put off until you’re back in your home area.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Jasper, Banff and Glacier National Parks

Day 110 – August 19 Once we left Prince Rupert, we took a very pretty drive down Highway 16 – The Yellowfoot. It follows the Skeena River. Stopped for the night at Tyhee Lake Provincial Park. It’s very nice – between Smithers and Telkwa. Weather is cool, cloudy and there’s fresh snow on the mountain tops.

Tyhee Lake

Day 111 – August 20 Heading past Prince George to Purden Lake Provincial Park. It was a good 6 plus hour drive. This is a very pretty lake and campground. Our driving scenery was beautiful – hay fields and cows. And lots of lakes.

Day 112 – August 21 If the weather was clear, we would have been able to have seen a partial solar eclipse. But there are clouds and smoke from the British Columbia wildfires. Still a beautiful drive. Made it to Jasper National Park and are pleasantly surprised with Whistler’s Campground – full hookups and decent scenery.

Day 113 – August 22 It’s a beautiful, clear blue sky morning. Sent Ron to get us lottery tickets to drive the Mt. Edith Cavill road tomorrow. Today we (each couple) decided to do our own thing. First we went to the Jasper Tramway – Sky Tram – to almost the top of Whistler Mountain. It afforded a great view of the town of Jasper. The trail in some parts is difficult and the altitude is pretty high. Beautiful scenery!

Heading to the top of Whistlers Summit

Such outstanding views way up here!

I don't think we are going to get lost....

Beautiful view looking down on Jasper.

Next we drove the Maligne Lake Rd. This is a beautiful drive! There are lots of tourists, so some pull outs we couldn’t find a place to park. Medicine Lake was a pretty view. This lake “seasonally” disappears. The road ends at Maligne Lake, the largest natural body of water in the Canadian Rockies. Had dinner at the Jasper Brewing Company, which was nothing to brag about.

Medicine Lake

Check out that reflection!

I like to think that these Canadian geese are about ready to head south to Texas!

Maligne Lake

Day 114 – August 23 The best thing today was our drive to Mt. Edith Cavell. It takes a lottery ticket to be able to drive in. Worth it! A beautiful, winding road that leads to the mountain. We took the Path of the Glacier hike to the viewpoint where you see Angel Glacier (resembles the University of TX longhorn to me) and Ghost Glacier. One of the prettiest vistas yet and not so crowded due to the lottery. The natives refer to this mountain as the White Ghost for it’s snowy peak. It is named after a WW1 nurse (British) who was executed for helping POWs escape German occupied Belgium.

Neighbors in our campground

Words can't explain the beauty.

Mt. Edith Cavell in the distance.

The Angel glacier that resembles a UT Longhorn

Reflection off of Ghost Glacier.

We spent the afternoon seeing Edith, Annette and Beauvart Lakes. Then took the drive to Miette Hot Springs, which was very disappointing. The biggest bummer was the hour road work delay, and just way too many people.

Athabasca River

Found the red chairs at Edith Lake

Across the river is where Jasper House was located.

Punch Bowl Falls (not too punchy!)

The most exciting thing during our hour stop for construction.

Day 115 – August 24 Leaving Jasper, our first stop was at Athabasca Falls – a beautiful, must see! Pictures do not need captions.

Next stop was the Icefield Centre. Enjoyed their movie. Lots and lots of folks wanting to ride the snowmobile on Athabasca Glacier. Not us!!! We’ve done it twice before.

You will have to zoom in to see the snowmobiles

We are staying at Tunnel Mountain Trailer Village in Banff the next few days. Great views! We are also waiting to see what Hurricane Harvey is going to do to our neck of the woods back in Texas. Our daughter did move our big 5^th wheel to a safer location for us, just in case. Banff is sooooo busy.

Tunnel Mountain has the red chairs too!

Not only delicious food, but check out our view of Tunnel Mountain!

Day 116 – August 25 Our destination today is Moraine Lake and Lake Louise, which requires a very early start to try to beat the crowds. OMG! The traffic! The crowds won. Ron let us out of the truck while he circled the parking lot at Moraine Lake.

Yep, do you see a place to park????

Moraine Lake

Lake Louise is beautiful, but has definitely changed. My first time here I was a youngster, back in 1969, on vacation with my traveling cousins. Yep, that glacier has receded, even a lot from when we brought our kids here in the 1990’s. We treated ourselves to the breakfast buffet at the lodge. Yummy!

Lake Louise

Unbelievable breakfast buffet.

Drove down to see Lake Minnewanka and Two Jake Lake. All such a beautiful turquoise. We canceled some days off of our stay here (don’t need 5 days with the crowds). And Hurricane Harvey is at home, making us ancy to get closer. Ended the day with an awesome salmon dinner. Enjoying these cool temps!

Found a yummy recipe for salmon - mayo, sharp cheddar, green chilies and ritz crackers.

Canadians talking about Hurricane Harvey!

The finished product!

Not looking good back home....

Scenery through this part of Canada looks like the Texas Panhandle.

Yes! Our last border crossing! And he even said "Welcome Back to the USA!"

Day 117 – August 26 Moving on down the road to Glacier National Park. Staying at the St. Mary KOA which isn’t that bad, just way expensive. Took a drive up to Many Glacier. Enjoyed the beauty there. Also saw our biggest bear of the trip – a grizzly on the banks of Lake Sherburne. The flooding from Hurricane Harvey is weighing heavy on us.

Check out the size of this grizzly who was moving fast!

Many Glacier Lodge

Inside the lodge

Have to have a signature drink at the bar!

Day 118 – August 27 We took a drive on the “Going to the Sun” road. There is lots of traffic and lots of smoke from fires. At Logan Pass, again Ron kept circling the parking lot while we got out and checked it out. Our neighbors tonight were so fun to meet and lean about. Brenda and Jeff and friends Chris, Sara and Alexis and Wolf from Germany are on journeys to sail around the world. During hurricane season, they travel by RV. Fascinating! We will be keeping up with them! You never know who you are parked by!