Monday, May 18, 2009

Alaska Bound, 2009

Today is my first opportunity to down load photos and send a blog. I've been on the road in my motorhome for two glorious weeks. Photos and a digital recorder enabled me to take lots of notes for writing.
My first overnight stop was at Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose, Tx., where I hiked to the river to see the dinosaur foot prints fosselized in stone.
The following morning I visited the Creation Evidences Museum also located on the Puluxy River. Dr. Carl Baugh presented an informative talk on research that shows how God created the world in six days, and that our Earth is "young", not billions of years old.


After a visit with the Parkers in Paris, TX. I followed their directions to Chisom Trail Cowboy Church where I worshiped with music from a six piece cowboy band, and met many families from the area.

A wonderful visit with old friends, the Stoningers, in Antlers, Ok, and place to park in their yard, I followed their directions to Turner Falls, State Park. Due to excessive rains the falls were full and flowing.
Arrived in Teton National Park on May 7 after a climb from Casper, Wy. to the Continental Divide at over 9,000 feet with snow flurrys. Was greated by the sight of the Teton Mountains beyound a frozen lake.


On May 8, the sun woke me to 17 degrees.
The Teton Mountain range reflected in a section of the lake that was not frozen.





Sassie, my collie and I waited for the South Entrance to Yellowstone to open in several feet of fresh snow. Park Rangers were sanding higher elvations of the roadway where ice had formed. The East Entrance was closed due to a rock slide.


Old Faithful Gyser erupted thirty minutes later than predicted but the sight was worth the wait.Gibbons Falls cascaded in a deep canyon to the river far below.



These bison are only a few of the many small herds of bison I saw along the roadway not only in Yellowstone, but in Canada and the Yukon.






Many of the mineral pools and fumerols were closed to closer inspections due to bears feeding in those locations. There was a "bear jam" at one location were cars were parked along the shoulders as visitors watched a grizzly in the forest.
At Mammoth Hot Springs, mineral laiden hot waters boil to the surface and coat the rocks with colorful mineral deposits. Smells like sulfur.


I met my friends, the Martins, at Wal-Mart in Great Falls, Montana. They live in Manteo, North Caroline in the winter and have spent the past eight years on mission to Alaska.


Sunday, Mother's Day, we attended Fairview Baptist Church in Great Falls. This lovely building was built in 1910. After the service, Dale took Lynne and I out to lunch for Mother's Day. Later we visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Records of their exploration make my travels seem puny.

At noon on Monday, May 11, we caravaned across the US/Candadian border to Lethbridge, Alberta. At the border my GPS, which had not been set, spoke up "You have reached your destination." Little did that unseen navigator know that I wasn't even half way there!


This wind gage was at the Visitor's Center in Lethbridge and was an indication of the winds we were to fight as we headed north.



Two days drive across Canada and we finally arrived at Dawson Creek, mile "O" of the Alaskan Highway. Built in 1942, the year I was born. the lure of the route enticed my first trip in 2002.



This black bear, grazing alongside the highway is the first of the four that we saw along the AlCan. Also spotted were stone sheep, caribou, a moose, porcupine and an eagle.
What a place to camp! The frozen Muncho Lake within feet of my front door. Spruce trees, mountains, Ravens and even a sea gull.




A must stop for every Alaskan Highway traveler is Liard Hot Springs Provencial Park. Even though the air temp was in the 40's, the hot springs entices swimmers with it's waters. We chose to explore the boardwalks and upper springs rather than strip to swim suits.




Another obligatory stop is the Sign Post Forest in Watson Lake. A homesick soldier helping to construct the AlCan nailed a sign to a post indicating how far he was from home. Other soldiers and construction workers followed suit, as have many thousands of travelers since.

Many miles, adventures, and days later we arrived at the Alaska border.
Another 100 miles and we arrived in Tok for gas and 100 miles further we arrived at last at Camp Baldwin, Delta Junction, Alaska.
4,678 miles from Beaumont, I thank God for safty and memories of a lifetime.
Until I can email again, Carol






















































































































































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