ALASKA WILD

While driving throughout Alaska, it surprised me how many free fishing spots there are in this wild state. Alaska produces more than half the fish caught in waters off the coast of the United States, with an average wholesale value of nearly $4.5 billion a year. Alaska’s fisheries are among the best managed, most sustainable in the world. (reference: Alaska NOAA Fisheries)

Cooper Landing, AK

Every port town we wandered thorough amazed me with the large amounts of fish caught, the freshness of the fish and the massive size of their catch.

Annual fishing derbies bring out the most competitive fishermen. The record for the heaviest halibut for this season exceeded 300 pounds, caught by Frida, a female fisherwoman – You go Girl!

Frida’s catch

It is impossible to find fresh fish to buy at the docks as a direct consumer. Because of the volume of fish caught, the fish must be flash frozen and vacuum sealed immediately to keep its freshness. All fish for sale are previously frozen. Instead of cooking fresh fish inside Wonder, we enjoy our halibut and salmon at restaurants.

On the road to Homer I thought about signing up for an all-day (twelve) hour charter boat for salmon, halibut and black cod. At the end of the day, I watched customers haul out their catch. Charter boat fishing expeditions range from the high of $450 to the low of $250 a day, which is only ½ the cost of this sport. Adding the cost for tips to the captain and crew, hiring a fish cutter to filet the fish, hiring a vacuum sealer, and finally shipping the fish home, would have of cost me close to $1,000 for the day. That’s expensive fish!

Someone in Alaska once told me, “You have to be a lawyer to fish in Alaska”. The fishing
regulations are complicated, extremely enforced and if you are caught violating the rules, you will be fined, your fishing equipment and gear seized, and possibly the seizure of the transportation vehicle carrying the contraband (Wonder)? I decided that I would not fish in Alaska without a fishing license.

Wildlife sightings while driving to Alaska did not disappoint us. Most of Alaska’s highways have 40 feet of low brush clearings on both sides of highways. This helps drivers identify wildlife ahead and hopefully prevents auto and wildlife collisions. Driving head on with a 800 plus pounds moose or bear could be a bad day for Wonder. It’s sad news when the State of Alaska posts the count of bear and moose hits on the road. Annually, hits in Alaska range into the high hundreds. Luckily our 2 close encounters avoided hitting the animal.

We spotted the following throughout our twenty-five days of driving in Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia:

10 – black bears

2  – grizzly bears

7 – stone sheep

6 – moose and baby moose

1 – caribou

Herds buffalo but very few cows and horses

Alcan hwy

Haines hwy

Alcan hwy

Be careful on the roads, stay alert and slow down for wildlife!

HOMER HIGHLIGHTS

Homer Spit is one of our favorite places in Alaska. It’s a 4.5 hour drive south of Anchorage.

This charming seaside village on the Kachemak Bay is located at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. Our first glimpse of the spit is “Wow!” Views of the surrounding ocean, glaciers, and high peaks are absolutely stunning.

Homer is known for halibut fishing, bear watching and tours to neighboring islands. We sign up for a tour to Gull Island and Halibut Cove. With a day’s wait for the ferry, we explore the spit.

Ahoy mate! It’s time to take a break at the Salty Dawg Saloon. This historic pub has thousands of signed dollar bills covering the walls, ceiling and doors. According to folklore, a customer tacked a dollar bill on the wall with intentions to buy a drink for a friend… and this act of kindness carries on!

It’s show time! The morning fishing boat has just returned and fisherman are vying for bragging rights of the biggest catch of the day.

We take time to enjoy sites along and near the Homer spit boardwalk.

Shopping

Mermaids!

Art gallery

Peaceful memorials

Beluga Slough boardwalk is a great place to birdwatch and to explore the wetlands.

Got Halibut Chips? We finally find a reasonably priced cafe for fish & chips at the Boardwalk Cafe. The basket full size of crunchy halibut chips cost $24, a deal compared to the basket in Seward for $54!

Finally, the day has arrived to set sail to Gull Island and Halibut Cove. What a special day to celebrate our 35th anniversary! The morning is overcast, but our spirits are high as we begin our voyage. We are handed rain ponchos and a warning that we will get sprayed by the seas. The question is how soaked will we get?

Danny J

Sailing by Gull Island we see Kittiwake gulls roosting in rock crevices, common mures flapping their wings and puffins fluttering in the sky. All of a sudden, there’s commotion among the colony. A juvenile eagle is hovering above and causing quite a commotion. The army of birds take flight to scare away this intruder as he realizes Gull Island is a no fly zone!

Halibut Cove is a 60 minute ferry ride across the Kachemak Bay. The waters are rough leaving the harbor, bearable crossing the bay, and become still upon entering the cove. We quietly glide into the narrows.

This quaint charming village is accessible only by boat and has no roads. Homes, tucked away in private coves are built on stilts. Can we stay for a few more days?

We dock at the Saltry Restaurant and escorted up to our table overlooking the waters. Taking our seats in weather beaten chairs, we breathe in a sigh of relief … to the many days on the road … in cramped quarters of the van. Ahhh. .. we have arrived.

Lunch is delicious, homemade rolls, mussels fresh from the local farm, seafood chowder, and a sampler plate of Saltry’s signature appetizers – Halibut ceviche, pickled salmon with sweet kelp, and salmon pate. And lastly, we can’t forget the chocolate cheesecake!

The boardwalk stroll after lunch is just as delightful as the meal. Surprises greet us at each corner we turn.

Halibut cove has the only floating post office in Alaska. This cute houseboat shack is permanently tied to the dock.

The walk to the post office

It’s 3:45pm and time to board the Danny J ferry back to Homer. All passengers have been accounted for, with surprisingly no overstays. The ferry ride back is silent as we reflect on images of this very special place.

ALONG THE PARKS

In 1924, the Parks highway was named in honor of Alaska Territory’s first governor, George Alexander Parks. We drive from Fairbanks to Anchorage on the Parks highway and visit Denali National Park and Preserve and Denali State Parks.

Denali National Park and Preserve encompasses over 6 million acres of Alaska’s wilderness. It’s centerpiece is Denali mountain, towering at 20,310 ft, North America’s tallest peak. On most days the summit is hidden by clouds formed by moisture from the Gulf of Alaska. For a better a view of the peak, go to Denali State Park’s north and south viewpoints.

It’s free park admission on the first 15 miles into Denali National Park. To go further you’ll need to purchase a tour, or have reservations for lodging/camping. We stop at milepost 15 and hike along the Savage River. After a week of buggy weather, today is crisp, clear and so enjoyable!

Denali’s Savage River Trail

Low tundra in Denali NP attracts lots of MOOSE!!! An old cow is taking her time munching a snack along the road. Since vehicles are limited in the park, she has no worries of people or cars.

Denali NP is the only national park with a team of working dogs. These dogs carry on the traditions of dog sledding in Alaska. In the winter, Canine Rangers help park rangers patrol the borders and bring supplies to camps not accessible by vehicle. Visit the kennels or attend a sled dog demonstration to learn more about these amazing creatures that are born to run.

A $ buck for Buck

Patiently waiting

Haw( left) or gee (right)

After leaving the Denali Area, we take the Talkeetna turnoff. On Friday night, this busy little town is filled with families strolling Main St. The locals have gathered in the City Park to listen to live music. We blend into the crowd, relaxing in our soccer chairs, with a slice of Mountain High Pizza Pie and a refreshing Alaskan brew.

The Iditarod Trail headquarters in Wasilla is along the Parks Highway, just 45 mins north of Anchorage. Each March, the Iditarod Dog Sled race takes place on this historic trail. Mushers and their sled dog teams of 12 to 14 race from Anchorage to Nome, over 1,000 miles in 8-15 days. The trail headquarter has a good video on the history of the race, with emphasis on how the dogs are bred and cared for. In the summer, you can take a ride in a cart pulled by sled dogs in training.

We spend 3 days along the Parks highway, but one can easily make the trip longer if wilderness tours are included in your itinerary (ie: bus, aerial plane, helicopter, glacial, grizzly viewing, etc). Go slow and watch out for animals because they will appear when you least expect them!

NAILS, ALASKA

Ever been to Nails, Alaska?

It took us six days of driving from WA thru Canada to get to Alaska. It was a wonderful wooded drive however it rained most of the time.

The roads were fairly empty because not too many peeps are willing to drive this distance to get to Alaska? All went well thru BC however when we got into Yukon Territory the roads changed from good to worst. Ever been to Nails, Alaska?

We ran into lots of road construction work delays and frost heaves. These are like speed bumps while going 60 mph. Ouch!! Frost heaves occur and makes deep dips in the road due to the winter snow compressing some parts of the road. Alaska repairs roads during their very short summer season. Wonder didn’t like the heaves but we caught some air at the same time.

Stripes warn for loose gravel

Ok, back to Nails, Alaska which is NOT a location but an experience. Wonder experienced a nail in two different tires within three days. Wow this was work!! The first tire I changed out to the spare tire in the rain, and the second, I found a gas station to help me out. We drove around Fairbanks and could not find a replacement spare tire. Finally I found a used spare to buy in Anchorage.

Wonder’s tires are insured for puncture insurance, however the WA tire company wants to see in-person the non repairable tire. So Wonder is carrying back 6 tires back to WA. Oh yea, the old tire smells like old rubber too 😦

Wish us well, because we are not even one third thru our Alaska adventures yet. Gotta get back to enjoying Alaska!

Another sticker to our collection

T, Vanlife Driver and Tire Handyman

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Travelers to Alaska refer to their highways by names of people or places, such as the Cariboo (gold fields), Stewart-Cassiar (mining district), Parks (1st governor of AK) and the ALCAN.

The ALCAN highway (Alaska/Canada hwy) is an amazing feat of team power and national pride. It connects the contiguous United States to Alaska across Canada. It begins at Dawson Creek, BC, runs through Whitehorse, Yukon and ends at Delta Junction, Alaska. The original 1,500 mile highway was completed in 1942 during WWII, and finished in just 18 months by over 19,000 Army Corps soldiers, citizens and volunteers. Today, with reconstruction and rerouting the hwy has been shortened by 60 miles to 1,382 miles in total.

The end of ALCAN

Official seal

We drive a portion of the ALCAN from Yukon to Fairbanks, AK and will complete the ALCAN returning home.

Yukon Territory

alpine lupine

Roads that go on forever

What do vanlifers do to keep entertained during long stretches of roads? Brochures picked up from gas stations give us local info and ideas on sights to see.

Quirky sights

Bear aware

Smash ‘em

Finally Alaska!

How do vanlifers keep fueled? Costco gas and the app GasBuddies show us where to go for the cheapest gas.

At the beginning of our trip, we picked up several bagged meals and snacks for the road. Fresh rice with an instant pot makes a nice warm hearty meal. Since we were cautious of crossing the Canadian borders with fresh fruits and veggies, we opted for dried fruits, nuts and canned vegs for the first week.

Trader Joe’s fare

Costco 5 lbs meat, NOT!

1st dine-in meal after 6 days on the road

Kettle corn!

Ahhhh, we’ve reached the uppermost destination of our journey, Chena Hot Springs, 1 hour away from Fairbanks. This is exactly what we need after 6 days of sitting in a car. The temps from the ground are discharged at 153° degrees. But with a cooling water source from several fire hoses, it’s “just right” at 106°. We soak in the magical healing powers of this natural hot spring and are ready to explore Alaska!

VANLIFE SURPRISES

We’re off to a great start on Day 2 of our 1 month long journey to Alaska. Making good time through beautiful British Columbia, we rest for the night at Burns Village Lake. This town has graciously provided free lakeside camp spots with restroom facilities and an inviting waterslide into the lake.

Where are the swimmers? Either it’s still too cold or too many mosquitos. We’re not brave enough to test it out!

Day 3, along the Stewart-Cassiar Hwy brings early morning surprises. Before I can yell “MOOSE!!!” out from the bushes, a young adult bull rushes in front of Wonder. We narrowly clip his hooves as he gallops to the other side. Our hearts are pounding as we recover from this close encounter. Watch out over there, there’s a black bear in the distance! Luckily there’s plenty to time to allow for a safe crossing. Was the moose chasing the bear or vice versa?

We settle into a beautiful wild camp spot on the shores of Mehan Lake. The following morning is cloudy and wet as we receive one more surprise.

Oh, no! Wonder’s front dash panel flashes LOW TIRE PRESSURE. T finds a construction nail lodged inside the tire tread. We’re 200 miles away from the next big town, and it’s a Sunday when most repair shops are closed. Luckily, Bell 2 Adventure Lodge is off the next hwy exit and surprisingly their maintenance shop is opened. This lodge is so remote, and the drive is so far, many travelers arrive by helicopter. T borrows the shop’s garage bay and air tools, and quickly replaces the flat with our spare. Whew that was a close one.

On long road trips to remote areas, pack a tire jack, tools, tire repair kit and a full sized tire (or 2 spares while traveling to AK). Don’t rely on Google for instructions because in the wilderness, there’s no cell service out there. Call AAA for a tow? – only in your dreams!

Gas stations are far and few in between when driving BC’s scenic Stewart-Cassiar highway. Depending on the time of year, not all stations are opened. In these areas, we carry a 5 gallon container of spare gas. Bring more than one credit card (ie: visa, Mc Amex) because fuel machines have rejected our cards with no explanations.

Yikes, an expensive big rig fill up!

When driving to Alaska through remote territory, you really need to be reliant on your own self. Whatever can happen, will happen. We’re only 3 days into our month long trip and these surprises have created exciting stories to share around a warm campfire.

COASTAL TREASURES OF FRANCE

Escape the summer crowds and beat the heat by heading north to the rugged coast of Normandy France. It’s mid August and temps are soaring. As we leave Paris, we welcome the cool breezes of the English Channel and Atlantic Ocean.

Early morning is the best time to visit popular sights. We begin our day with a short hike to the highest point on the Alabaster coast, Fecamp’s Cap Fagnet. This 120 km stretch of limstone cliffs is astonishingly beautiful. 19th century impressionist painter Claude Monet and other painters immortilized these cliffs with their sun dappled style of painting. A short drive south on the Alabaster coast is Eretat’s 3 natural arches which can be viewed from the beach, by kayak or paddleboard.

In front of WWII bunkers

It’s windy out here!

Chapel Notre-Dame du Salut

Fecamp

L’Heure du Bain, Fecamp

A 2 hour drive from Fecamp is Omaha Beach, one of 5 landing areas in Normandy used by Allied forces in the WWII D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. These operations were the beginning of France’s liberation and laid the foundation for the Allied victory on the western front. The stainless-steel sculpture Les Braves Memorial honors the courage of American soldiers.

Les Braves

Mont Saint-Michel is a national treasure, UNESCO heritage site and a symbol of France’s independence. As the 3rd most visited sight in France with over 2.5 million visitors annually, timing is crucial when visiting. Visiting the Mont is free, but visiting the inside of the Abbey requires advance tickets for 11€. We purchase online tickets 3 days in advance for the first entry at 9am.

Waking before sunrise at 5:15am, we find the large 4,000 car parking lot on the mainland empty! The stroll on the causeway from dusk to dawn is surreal, and one of our most memorable moments during our 20 day road trip. As the morning sun reflects on the Abbey, each minute reveals more and more details. The Abbey was built during three renovation periods and sits on top of 284 ft of solid rock. But, the bay surrounding the island with it’s low and high tides, has patches of quicksand. So beware!

Due to tides that can range up to 50 ft, pilgrams were only able to visit during low tide. With a newly constructed causeway, the island is accessible to all.

We arrive at the base of Mont Saint-Michel. The village shops below the Abbey are quiet with its inhabitants, some monks and nuns, just beginning to stir. Enjoying the solitude, we continue up the cobbelstone paths to the Abbey.

With plenty of time before our 9am timed entry, we explore the ramparts and little gardens that surround the exterior. Inside the Abbey, they do a good job of limiting the amount of visitors so all can have a more enjoyable experience.

Bell ringing rope

The Normandy coast has so many astounding sights – breath taking cliffs, historical memorials, the magic of the Mont, and so much more. Stay a few days and take your time to savor all this coast has to offer.

BONJOUR MES AMIS!

Hello Friends!

It’s the beginning of August and we have finally arrived in France! With a rented camper van, we will explore the roads of France while sleeping under the stars at farms and wineries. As expected summer temperatures are soaring but we are prepared with lots of cool fun adventures to share with you.

Planning for this big 20 day trip is a little intimidating. Our biggest concerns are where to go, navigation, and the scorching heat. Eventually, we find our groove with Rick Steve’s free online road trip itinerary. This route takes us through many regions in France, counterclockwise. Why stress about an itinerary when the experts have done all the work?

6 months in advance, T rents a VW Volkswagen California camper van from Yescapa. This company has good user reviews, and we can rent directly from the owner. The van is nearly new with low mileage. For airfare, we use United frequent flyer miles to London. We purchase a Garmin mini sd card for navigation. This mini card, the size of a thumb print, has maps of all Europe that slides into our existing gps. It’s expensive at $90 and worth every penny since we are hoping to reuse this for future European camping trips. We download a few other useful apps for our iPhone. And lastly, we upgrade to an international phone plan with 10GB data for internet on the road and local phone coverage in case of emergencies.

With all tools in hand, we are ready! To avoid lost luggage, we pack only what we can carry on our backs. After a few plane and train rides, we finally arrive in Paris, The City of Lights. One more train ride brings us to the suburbs to pick up our rental van. With so many flights of stairs at the train stations, we are thankful for packing light!

Train hobos!

London Gare du Nord

Eurostar to Paris

Lightest guide book

Helpful apps

The owner of the rental van picks us up at the train station and gives us a thorough orientation of the features of the VW California van. OMG, we can pop the top! When things heat up and we need our own space, one of us can crawl up to the 2nd level to cool down.

Keys in hand, and giddy with delight, we set the gps to our first stop, Giverny – home and gardens of impressionist painter, Claude Monet.

Bon Voyage!

RETURNING TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Aaahhh… the Puget Sound’s salty marsh air and beautiful scenery entice us to return to this magical place in Pacific Northwest.

Many think of Seattle only when visiting this region, but there is so much more. We take our time to explore some of the islands that dot the Puget Sound. Starting from Seattle, we travel counter clockwise around the Sound.

Our first stop is Camano Island, a hidden treasure only a 1 hour drive north of Seattle. With 2 State Parks, Iverson Spit Preserve and secluded pebbly beaches, there’s plenty of opportunities to watch the gentle waves and relax. Many busy Seattle-lites go to this quiet residential island to escape the hustle bustle of city life.

T breathing in the views of the Puget Sound.

There’s beauty on Camano Island’s Iverson Spit Preserve with bleached driftwood strewn on the shores of Livingston Bay.

Traveling north to Fir Island, we stop at Snow Goose Produce, a roadside farmer’s market. The aromas of home made waffle cones leads us to the ice cream counter that serves a generous scoop! This is a good stop to pick up fresh baked bread and cheese for a picnic lunch on the islands.

La Connor is the perfect weekend getaway. We are greeted with warm and friendly smiles as we stroll this historic village on the banks of the Swimnomish channel. At days end, we watch the changing of the tides as new waters rushes in to replace the old.

We continue north to the Anacortes ferry terminal to spend a few days on the San Juan Islands.

What?!? 2 ferries back to back are cancelled. We wait 2 hours, with no guarantee the 3rd ferry will sail. Perhaps mechanical or staffing issues? We decide to skip the San Juan’s for another time. Folks in the ferry line are not too bothered with the delays. Tis’ the way of life in the PNW!

First in line

Still waiting

For the evening, we stealth camp in a parking gravel lot at the Anacortes harbor. At 11pm, we are awakened by loud knocks on Wonder’s side door. The Port Security guard explains that 72 hour parking IS allowed, but sleeping inside a vehicle on harbor property is NOT allowed. He kindly asks us to move Wonder across the street. Booted out again!

Anacortes Harbor

Heron gone fishing

UTOPIA IN ROCKY MTN NP

Finally, the skies are clear to visit Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) in north central Colorado. We thank the stars the park has been spared the devastation of wildfires this year. In 2020 over 30,000 acres, or 10% of the park burned from the East Troublesome and Cameron Peak wildfires.

RMNP has west and east entrances. We enter through the quieter west entrance near Grand Lake and travel east towards the busy Estes Park entrance.

Reservations are REQUIRED to enter the park. There are 2 types of timed entry:

1) General park entrance or

2) Bear Lake corridor entrance.

These only cost $2 and can be purchased on Recreation.gov. In addition, there’s a vehicle entrance fee of $35 (free with an American the Beautiful annual pass). We purchase both timed entries on separate days, while leaving the park for the evening to wild camp outside. The park service releases many timed entry slots at 5pm the day prior for the next day entrance, which is ideal for vanlifers.

Before entering the park, we stealth camp outside the west entrance at Grand Lake. This lake is the largest natural body of water in Colorado. iOverlander.com points us to a gravel parking lot behind the library, but upon arrival, the lot is torn up from construction! We ask a local for an alternative and he points us to the lake’s marina parking lot.

In the morning, taking advantage of the lakes beauty, I pull out Wonder’s floor mats and do a sunrise yoga session.

RMNP’s Trail Ridge Road leads drivers from Grand Lake to Estes Park for a distance of 48 miles. The Grand Lake entrance is eerily quiet and still. We are saddened to see the destruction of last years fires, but on the positive note, nature heals herself as we see greenery gently pushing through the charred landscape.

The Continental Divide is an amazing natural phenomena. It runs in a north-south direction through RMNP and divides the watershed flow. Water drainage west of the Divide flows west towards the Pacific Ocean and on the other side of the Divide, it flows east towards the Atlantic Ocean.

Trail Ridge Road leads to the Alpine Visitor Center at 11,796 ft elevation with epic views of the mountains. Since we’ve been at high altitude for over a week, there’s no need for canned oxygen!

It’s elk rutting season! Beginning Sept-Oct, some of the park roads will be closed after 5pm due to elk mating. Do not disturb nature!

Moose!!!

Elk grazing on Estes Park soccer field

An alluvial fan was created in the flood of 1982 after the Lawn Lake Dam gave way. A torrent of water, rocks, sand and silt rushed through this site leaving a triangle shape form of debris. This flood caused damage to the town of Estes Park with water levels rising above 5 ft and the lost of 3 lives.

The popular Bear Lake area requires a timed entry reservation to drive the corridor. Parking is extremely tight, so it’s recommended to take a shuttle from the Glacier Bay campground. Also from outside RMNP, free shuttles are available from the Estes Park Visitor Center with reservations.

Lovely Sprague Lake is a popular area for wildlife sightings. We saw a teenage elk wearing fuzzy antlers.

We love visiting our National Parks. On the trails most people say “Hi” or nod hello. There is no separation of color, beliefs or orientation here. We are all united and in tuned with nature.

Initially, we were discouraged by all their reservation requirements. Since RMNP is the 3rd most visited NP in the U.S., it actually makes sense to limit the number of visitors. Less visitors means more space to enjoy the scenery, plus with COVID, this keeps the park staff safe.

Since we did not do much serious hiking on this visit (D recuperating from achilles tendinitis), we definitely will have to revisit again to witness our little bit of Utopia!

Bird house at the Grand Lake Coffee Co.