Knock, Knock...Anyone Out There?

The heat is HOT and it is time to roll. We are loading up the Escape and will soon be heading out again.

So stay tuned and see what's up-cool(er) weather here we come!

Things to Know When Traveling to Alaska

Near the end of our trip I had these thoughts on our travel. If you are planning this type of trip I hope this helps.

Alaska Travel Notes

Roads

• Most highways in Canada and Alaska are 2 lane 55-65 mph, not interstates we are used to
• Most roads in a line north from Edmonton are in poor shape with frost heaves that require you to slow down
• Most of these frost heaves are marked by small orange cones
• Many of the roads are gravel, some in decent shape
• Just because the speed limit is 55-65, many times you have to go much slower
• Canadian drivers take many risks passing on double yellow lines, even going uphill; stay alert
• The road between Edmonton, AB and Dawson Creek, BC is horrible! The oil boom is going strong, lots of traffic very slow going due to conditions
• Expect delays due to construction

Campgrounds

• Most of the Provincial (state) parks in Canada and the state parks in Alaska are very nice, but have limited to no facilities (maybe a pit toilet)
• Although there is usually water available it is almost always not potable without BOILING first (no books tell you this)
• Many "full service" RV parks are electric and water only with a dump station
• Costs of most Provincial and state parks was about $15.00
• RV parks were in the upper $30s
• Many RV parks are nothing more than gravel lots 
• Use the Allstays app for good information (but not always complete)
• Many cities have their own CG facilities, be aware of those as they are usually cheaper and usually quite nice
• If staying in Whitehorse, YT stay at the Pioneer RV park. Full hookups and the best prices on everything in town

Source Information (Books and Apps)

• The Milepost is the standard and good but can be quite complicated to read
• “Travelers Guide to Alaskan Camping" by Mike and Terri Church was our go to campground reference book. This book lists all the CGs in Canada and AK by highway with good information on each
• "Allstays" is a great CG and general information app for RVers
• Always have a paper map for each new state/province, still no substitute for these
• Welcome centers are everywhere, stop and take advantage of them

Internet and Phone Service

• Phone service throughout Canada can be very expensive (check with your provider). It may be best to turn it off and forget it
• You will be in "no service" areas most of the time
• Same for internet but many RV parks have wifi
• Use wifi when available (Starbucks, Tim Hortons, etc.)

RV Care and Abuse

-  Make sure you rigs are in top condition BEFORE leaving home

• This trip will test your equipment (truck and RV) to it's fullest
• We had minimal damage traveling in AK but I think this was the exception
• Two complete, mounted spares are recommended, use your best judgement by the route you choose (we only had one for each vehicle)
• I would suggest protecting you sewer and grey tank drain system (I had to change my black tank valve due to damage)
• Your rigs will get very DIRTY!
• I would strongly recommend a solar system (we have a 95 watt panel). In northern Canada and AK electric hookups are not common and the solar will keep you going
• We used our furnace almost everyone night for several months and never had a problem with battery capacity

Weather and Bugs

• We were lucky with cool to cold temps for most of our trip, but a few years ago AK was very hot
• We needed the furnace but have only used the AC a few times
• Have good rain gear (coat, pants and shoes)
• Need to carry warm and cool weather clothes
• We did have to deal with mosquitos but our experience was not too bad, it really depends on where you are and at what time of the season
• Take mosquito “hat” nets and purchase clothing with repellant built into the cloth 

Food

• Eating out is much more expensive than at home
• But the food can be really good
• Breweries are quite numerous, most serve food
• Grocery stores in Canada do not necessarily have the same things you may be used to at home
• In AK Halibut is a must have, but quality can vary

Border Crossing and Safety

• DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BRING A WEAPON AND/OR AMMUNITION INTO CANADA! Being caught with these is a mandatory jail sentence (that is usually pleaded out to a hefty fine)
• Remember that Canada is a FOREIGN country
• You cannot bring mace into Canada 
• You can bring bear spray as long as it is marked as such
• We felt absolutely safe the entire time in both Canada and AK
• You must have passports
• You are limited to very little alcohol going into Canada
• You must have your pet's health information (verify what is needed on line)
• Depending on the situation waits coming back into the US (especially the lower 48) can be long, our longest wait was 1 ½ hours

Tourist Tidbits and Souvenirs

• There are many opportunities for boat trips, plane trips, dog sled rides, etc. If planning to do these take extra money as they can be quite expensive
• In Valdez, we recommend the Lu Lu Belle boat ride into Prince William Sound
• In Talkeetna, AK take one of the plane rides with glacier landing to Mt. McKinley (expensive, unfortunately we did not do this)
• At Denali NP, sign up for the bus ride deep into the park. Make reservations months before going
• Budget separately for this category
• There are opportunities to purchase original artwork from First Nations artists, do so if possible
• The Museum of the North in Fairbanks is excellent
• Try to get to the Arctic Circle, not much there but well worth the experience

We Made it Home!

Well actually we have been home now for a couple of weeks. By the time we made it home I was not feeling too good, was too tired and just too lazy to finalize the trip posts. So here we go...

21,039 Miles Total

Some stats from the trip:

6 months on the road
26 states
4 provinces
8 border crossings
21,039 miles traveled
13.25 mpg-pretty good pulling a 4,000 lb trailer
2 great family weddings
Reconnected with friends and family from 20+ years ago
Met a lot of great locals
Saw an incredible amount of the beauty in CN and the US

So give me time to forget how tired my butt got from all the driving and I will be ready to go again!

We had another great family event in Maine and were able to see most of the same family we visited with in Toronto plus others. The Maine coast is a spectacular setting for a wedding and after a good rainy day on Saturday the weather cleared for a wonderfully clear, sunny evening. We knew that with an early start planned to get going south we cut our evening short and went back to the trailer-needed to get that rest.

Monday morning we had an appointment with a local tire store to replace the 2 oldest trailer tires. We had already changed out 2 but we did not feel confident the older ones would make the trip home. Travel trailer tires are notorious for failing at the worst possible time so we did a little PM to eliminate this issue (and it worked). Due to this work we started a little later than normal and thus began our journey south. Within two days we had driven through ME, NH, MA, PA, MD, WV and into KY. A quick overnight in Lexington to visit my niece Stacie and her family, then back on the road again headed south . Next we hit TN, AL, MS and into the New Orleans area for a weekend rest and another visit with close friends. Then one week after leaving ME we arrived in Friendswood with a quick visit to Galveston and then home on Wednesday! Whew!!!

Can you tell we were ready to get home? We had become good road warriors but needless to say we were tired and ready to be back. Of course in the few weeks we have been back nothing has slowed too much with getting the house and trailer back in order. A an incredible thanks to our friend Robert for taking great care of the house-this really let us enjoy the journey so much more!

That about wraps up this journey. One more post to come with some specific thoughts then the blog will probably go quiet for a awhile...

UNTIL THE NEXT ADVENTURE STARTS!!!!

Thanks for following along.

Four States in One Day

Well kind of. But first things first.

Before crossing back into the US we stopped in St. Catherine's, ON. This is the town where my Mom was born and raised long before becoming a Texan. Her dad was a tailor and had a shop downtown. We found the building easily identified with the "Hoffman" name which now houses a bistro. Like most downtown areas this one looks to be struggling but there does appear to be life with many businesses still open. And like most cities this downtown is competing with the "burbs". Still cool to see our name on the building.

The "Hoffman" building

We first crossed back into the states at Niagara Falls. Cynthia had never seen the falls before and it was on our way so we made a quick top. As crowded as ever we only stayed long enough to get a view of the two main falls then we moved on.

The power and beauty is awesome

The "Maid of the Mist" takes you close to the base of the falls

Need I say more?

From here we travelled a little further east to the first of three NY state parks that we stayed in. We stopped for the night close enough that we could easily get to Rochester the next day. There we wanted to go the George Esatman House and to also visit a former colleague of mine that I had not seen in 30+ years. Micheal is a Professor at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Along with other schools RIT has one of the best photo and art schools anywhere. The facilities are amazing and of course the price of tuition goes with those amazing facilities. But as they say you get what you pay for! Also while visitng the schools Cynthia was apple to get an appointment with the curator of the RIT book collection. She presented her handmade book which was well received. Hopefully they will add hers to their collection.

That afternoon we visited the GEH, which is of course the home to the inventor of modern photography and Kodak. His mansion was spectacular and an addition has been built to house the curatorial staff, exhibits spaces and collections.

History of photography room with camera displays and photo exhibit

Music room

Gardens

Newer section at back

From Rochester we continued east driving through the Adirondacks. Late in the day we stopped at Lake Pleaseant and had a wonderful evening on the lake shore being entertained by the ducks swimming by.

Early morning fog on the lake

We had one more stop in NY, near Glen Falls. While driving south we decided to shop for the weekend in the area. I was able to get a bike ride in but in reality it was hike than bike but it was good to get some exercise.

Now for the four states in a day. We left early the next morning and were quickly in New Hamshire, then just an hour or so later we passed into Vermont and then finally into Maine.

Today we arrived in Camden and will be here for a few days. Friday we head to Boothbay for our final family event, the wedding of another cousin. The next Monday we head south or rather southwest, time to get back home. With a few stops on the way we should be back by the end of the month or thereabouts.

More to come...

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The Soo Locks

One the great tourist "to do's" is a boat ride through the Soo Locks. For only $25 you travel up the St. Mary's River into the locks and then into the Lake Superior side of the river. You then go up river a bit get closer to the Canadian side of the river and back through the locks again. This point of the river has a 21 ft drop from the Lake Superior side to the Lake Huron side of the river. There are actually 4 parallel lock chambers but two have been shut down and only the Poe and MacArthur locks still in use. The largest of the two, the Poe, is over 1,000 ft long and 100+ ft wide thus allowing the largest of the cargo ships to pass. Of particular interest is that the ship's captain pilots these huge vessels into the locks without the use of a channel pilot or tug boat like would be used in coastal shipping. In about 15 minutes the water level rises or drops 21 feet all due to the power of gravity. No pumps are used or needed to fill or empty the lock chamber. Here are the photos.

 

Entering on lower side

 

Exiting after the "raise"

 

Water level at full

 

Leaving on the "high" side

 

Ore carrier Edgar Speer-painted in the colors of it's cargo. Rust for iron ore, black for coal and grey for grain (IIRC). This is one of the larger vessels on the Great Lakes.

 

Return through the lock at low side

 

View at low side

 

We did the Valley Camp and lock tour on the same day so we decided to head downtown to the local Irish pub where we met some locals, played bingo and had an enjoyable evening.

 

The next morning we crossed back into Canada headed toward the Parry Sound area which is a couple of hours north of Toronto. We then spent the weekend at my cousin's wedding having a great time visiting the family and meeting new people. The wedding was beautiful and was held at the summer camp where the couple met-fortunately the rain held off for the entire day.

Monday was time to move on again, this time into New York.

 

More to come...

 

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Sault Saint Marie, MI

Although we still had a week to go we needed to move closer to getting back into Canada. We knew we would be crossing at Sault Saint Marie, MI and on the advice from our WI camping friends we headed to the local municipal CG there. This was a pretty spectacular CG as it is on the St. Mary's River and literally just a hundred feet or so from the shipping channel. The St. Mary's is the river that connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. All boats going into and out of Lake Superior must go through these locks and thus sail right in front of the CG. As the ships go by the campers all go to the water's edge to watch, sometimes even receiving a "captain's salute" from the horn on the ship.

Ore carrier at the CGs edge

 

There is quite a bit to do in SSM and as expected most of the activities revolve around the locks and shipping. The two most impressive things we did was tour the locks via boat and then tour the Valley Camp, a retired ore carrier, still floating, but made into a museum (for a description of the ship see the first photo below).

 

The Valley Camp

 

This tour was quite fascinating especially if you have never been on this type of vessel. It is huge! You enter about midship and only the rear half is used as a museum. There are numerous exhibits on Great Lakes shipping, the Coast Guard, types of ships, the "who" of Great Lakes shipping and two of the life boats recovered from the Edmond Fitzgerald. Below are photos from all aspects of the ship. These exhibits are located in the "hold" of the ship well below deck.

 

General exhibit area-notice the wavy floor caused by years of cargo beating on the steel

 

Ships gauges in engine room

 

Display of tools used in engine room

 

These ships were coal burners

 

Profiles of ships sailing the Great Lakes

 

Lifeboat from the Edmond Fitzgerald

 

Captains dining room

 

Galley

 

On the deck-note all the cargo hatches open to one massive cargo hold

 

The bridge

 

Communications gear

 

The pilot house

 

This was a great way to get an idea of the size and scope of theses ships. The vessels used today while more modern, are still the same basic design. The longest ships able to sail the Great Lakes is about 1,000 ft, limited only by the size of the Soo Locks.

Next up the Soo Locks.

More to come.....

 

 

 

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Upper Pennisula

Our next stop was at the Pictured Rocks National Seashore, still on Lake Superior. This is an area that was established both for it's beauty and historical significance. Again we were hampered by rain but the cliffs of the seashore are very dramatic when viewed from the water (which we did not do) and the shoreline contains several shipwrecks, some from over a hundred years ago. We set up camp in the NFS CG but much too our dismay was just like camping on the beach. We were located high above the shoreline in the tress but essentially we were still in the sand dunes and there is nothing worse than wet sand to contend with! But we finally arrived in an area with a noteworthy event we could partake in. The Au Train Light House was commemorating it's 140th birthday and the park service held a special evening shoreline walk to view several shipwrecks then on to a tour of the lighthouse. This was a very interesting evening. The next day we spent in the small town of Gran Marais, another very small lakeside town, not much there but we met some interesting folks. This was another nice area to visit (except for the sand!) but it was time to move again.

 

View of shoreline

 

 

Shpiwreck debris

 

Same wreck but different perspective

 

In Gran Marias we toured a small musuem dedicated to the lighhouse keepers. One item of particular interest. This bike from the 1890s was ridden from Montana to this small town (actually a man and woman each rode their own bike)! Note the direct drive assembly, no chain! Pretty remarkable for the time and in most all other aspects looks like any bike today.

 

1890s bike

 

Direct drive

We have been told to try to visit Mackinac Island so we headed that direction. Our campground was in the town of St. Ignace, MI which is where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet separated only in part by the Mackinaw Bridge. Mackinac Island is a short boat ride out into Lake Huron but is quite unique in that no cars or motor powered vehicles are allowed, only bikes and horse drawn carriages! It is really great to see streets lined only with bikes; bikes, bikes everywhere! Also watching the UPS delivery man pull packages from the back of a horse drawn wagon was unique. We rented cruiser bikes and rode the 8.2 island loop, very easy and a good way to see the perimeter of the island. Unless you are staying on the island your time there is limited due to the ferry schedule, the last boat leaves at 7 p.m.

UPS delivery on the island

 

No cars!

 

Bellman picking up bags at the dock

 

Another interesting tour in this area is the USCG Icebreaker Mackinaw. This ship, located in Mackinaw City just across the bridge from our CG, was impressive. Built for use during WWII to keep the Great Lakes free of ice so iron ore could be moved to help the war effort, it was decommissioned on 2006 and now is a museum. We took the self guided tour with docents in strategic places and information videos and placards elsewhere. It is important to note that this vessel never once got stuck in the ice (the new replacement has) and served the Great Lakes for over 50 years.

USCG Icebreaker Mackinaw

 

 

Ship's mission embedded on deck

 

We knew that our route into Canada would take us through Sault Sainte Marie, MI and our WI camping neighbors provided us with great information on that area.

 

More to come....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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