One Sharp Hound Dog!

We are in Homer Alaska, parked on the 4 mile long Homer Spit, another unique and beautiful setting. But more about that another day. Today we got up at 5am as we were to go halibut fishing with our neighbor in the Fishing Hole Campground. But, alas, the trip had to be cancelled due to windy conditions. So we decided to get Jaxon groomed. I provide below the BEFORE and AFTER photos for your viewing enjoyment.

Jaxon had not had a haircut since March. Several people thought maybe he was part poodle, so we figured it was time! Once before, when camping with Barb and Bill in Montana, he was identified as small lamb! This time he may have been even a bit further along…



We took Jaxon to Lisa Ann’s Grooming and Mari was tickled to see Jaxon as she is the happy owner of a 4 month old minature schnauzer. We left her with a photo of Jaxon showing how we like him

Just take a look at the sheep dog now……………




Great Job, Mari!  Thanks.

Encouragement from Mom

We were traveling south on the Parks Highway, between Denali and Wasilla. Coming around a curve we could see a few cars and RV’s stopped in the road. As we approached we could see what the excitement was about. Dee captured the following sequence. A cow moose was crossing the busy highway with her calf. But she chose a route with guard rails which were a major hurdle for the calf. Somehow it had made it over the first rail and was starting across the road to the other side. Mother had gone on but the little calf was confused on how to get over. But Mom came back to the rail and with a little encouragement got the calf to clear the second hurdle so they could safely continue their journey. We were fortunate to witness this young calf’s learning experience.

Way to Go!

Denali National Park and The Big Six

Denali National Park is the single most popular tourist attraction in Alaska. The top two priorities for visitors are to view the wildlife and to see Mt. McKinley. We spent a week there and had a wonderful time. We were extremely fortunate to see see Mt. McKinley in full view. The weather was perfect on our third bus ride into the park. The photo above shows the awesome view we had of the mountain that day. They say only 30% of the visitors get to see the mountain, as it is usually hidden behind the clouds. And only 15% get to see the entire mountain with no cloud cover. We were lucky!

But, in our minds, the wildlife was just as impressive. Here are the Big Five we spotted (making the Big Six with The Mountain).

Cow moose and two calves

Gray Wolf

Caribou

Grizzly Bear

Dall Sheep – really!

Ptarmigan (Not one of the big five but Alaska’s state bird)

Here are a couple more photos of Mt. McKinley

Typical cloudy day look

One of the “30%” views

We stayed inside the park for four nights at a remote campground called Teklanika. We had to leave our Jeep in an entrance parking lot and could only drive the motor home to the campground, 29 miles, and then out four days later. It was a neat experience. And there is a great shuttle bus system that runs frequently in the park.

When we drove in to Teklanika Campgroud it was raining so the dirt/gravel road did a job on the motor home.

Here is a bonus picture that I snapped at Nenana, on the Parks Highway traveling to Denali. In Alaska you need to be prepared and that might include carrying your snowmobile on the roof of your station wagon.

And here is a wild caribou with Mt. McKinley in the background…

Quite a rack, huh?

On to Anchorage and south…….

DAMN!! And an Important Tip for Travelers

We needed some groceries so we decided to give one of the local Fairbanks Fred Meyers stores a try. Dee does most all of the actual grocery shopping. My primary job is to check out the magazine and book section, inspect the bakery/doughnut departments and pick up any specific item I am tasked to locate. I do my job pretty well.

This time I was on a mission to get some clam chowder in the deli. Our friends, Jerry and Nancy, raved about Fred Meyer’s chowder. Unfortunately there was no clam chowder this day. There was NO soup with meat in it! What’s that all about?

BUT, as I was strolling and inspecting I came upon one of my favorite delicacies – CORN DOGS! And they were going fast, so I go two. Both for me as Dee hates corn dogs. She was to fend for herself. I got my dogs and headed back out to the motor home to enjoy my lunch.


So there I was sitting at the table with my two corn dogs and a can of A&W Root Beer, diet of course, which is my beverage of choice. I was dipping my first dog in a pile of mustard, which by the way is the absolute best condiment for a corn dog. I also had Marty Robbins playing on the iPod, just for the ambiance.

When, WHACK, a sharp bang startled me. Jaxon leaped off the couch and ran under the table. I gathered my composure and started looking around to see what had happened. At first I thought someone had shot the motor home, but I could see no new bullet holes in the walls. Then I saw it

A big chip in the windshield. Right dead center to my field of view on the driver’s side. DAMN! A guy had been mowing grass about 100 feet away and his tractor threw up the rock.

I calmed Jaxon down and headed into the store to talk to the manager. He grabbed a camera and an incident form and we headed back out. Here he is inspecting the damage.

I think he had done this before as he was prepared with a store sticker to put on the window to show the relative size in the photo he took. Notice Jaxon in the window keeping an eye on things. I believe he looks a little pissed! Anyway, to make a long story short, the Manager was very accommodating and Fred Meyer’s will replace our windshield. I think I will wait until we are back in the lower 48 to get it done as who knows what else might happen on this trip. I had some concerns about glass damage from the roads/trucks etc. up here so to have this happen in a parking lot was quite unexpected.


NOW for the tip to travelers, especially those of you coming to Alaska:

DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT, eat corn dogs in your RV,

when parked in a Fred Meyer’s Parking Lot.

                             

The Wooden Bridge and Machete Man

I thought I had posted this a couple weeks back but………the internet must have screwed up again……  This is a good one!

The Kiskatinaw River Bridge is the only original timber bridge built along the Alaska Highway that is still in use today. It curves 531 feet long as it crosses the river on the old highway.

Near Dawson Creek, Alberta Canada

Now that I have your attention, let’s talk about the Machete Man. We were taking Jaxon for a walk below the bridge. Dee saw a guy strap a big “knife” on his back and asked him what it was for. He said it was to cut a path when he was hiking in the bush. Now that is a real man! He then strapped on an impressive day pack and climbed aboard his mountain bike, ready to hit the back country.

About then his wife/girl friend/whatever climbed out of the pickup with their little dog. You can see what she was wearing. Obviously, with Machete Man in the lead, she didn’t need much else. And off they went into the bush.

                  

These folks Up North are rugged individuals!

Interesting People and Places–Chapter 2

We continue our journey north….
Watson Lake Signpost Forest, The Yukon
This is a famous tourist stop, often the first stop in the Yukon for travelers headed to Alaska. The first sign was posted in 1942 by a lonesome US Army GI who was working on the Alaska Highway. As of the day we visited there were over 71,000 signs posted by travelers from all over the world.



Tidbit:  They Yukon is about 2/3 the size of Texas and it’s population is approximately 35,000. About 25,000 live in the Whitehorse area. Whitehorse is a surprisingly urban/contemporary city with most of the major retailers present. We liked it.
Mom’s Sourdough Bakery – about 30 Miles Northwest of Whitehorse
Located on a gravel road off the Klondike Highway, we almost passed Mom’s up. That would have been a BIG mistake! Mom (Tracie Harris) is an amazing lady. She is a third generation gold prospector, managing two claims with a crew on each. She runs her bakery herself, doing almost all of her cooking in a European outdoor oven. Her baked goods are out of this world. In the fall, when it starts to get really cold, she closes everything up and drives to Mexico, where she has a home. We invited her to stop and see us at North Ranch on her way and are hopeful she will do that. We were lucky to meet Mom. I won’t tell you her age but she is truly an inspiration to do the things she does at this stage of her life.

     
    
    

Dawson City, Yukon
This is the home of the Klondike Gold Rush which began in the 1890’s. Prospectors from all over the world headed for the Yukon. Today, the Klondike is undergoing somewhat of a rejuvenation with the high prices of gold. Modern equipment and techniques have brought operations back into the area. A lot of the old buildings in town are being restored and a huge mining dredge is being renovated by the Yukon government. We greatly enjoyed our two days in Dawson City, especially the walking tours by costumed tour guides and the very informative tour of Dredge #4 on Bonanza Creek.


Dawson from the Midnight Dome             The remains of the extensive dredging

The Trek, crossing the Yukon River on the way out of Dawson City.

Chicken, Alaska

After crossing the Top of the World Highway the first settlement you come to is Chicken. It has three or four businesses and a Post Office. The only obvious trade is tourism and the three competitive businesses are driven to hide the other two from the passing tourist. Makes for an interesting environment We chose the “original Chicken Café, Saloon, Liquor Store and Gift Shop.

Patrons donate their caps to cover the ceiling of the of the Chicken Saloon.

Ladies donate their underwear!

Susan Wiren, the poprietor.
North Pole, Alaska
Just before Fairbanks, we had to stop at the North Pole. We called Boone and Ruby and will send them cards. Also, Dee gave Santa her Christmas Wishes……