Montana to Florida

After almost a month crossing the lower 48 and visiting with kids and grand kids we arrived home on October 25. Throughout this portion of the trip the weather cooperated and we appreciated the warmth.

As we drove along the roads in Montana we passed through ranches and farms with horses and cattle. The color was mostly brown with very few trees but lots and lots of hay fields.



When entering North Dakota the terrain changed to some rolling hills sprinkled with the flat hay fields and ranches like we had seen in Montana. We added another National Park to our lists of parks visited when we stopped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western ND. We remembered that when we were going in the other direction in April the snow was so heavy that we couldn't see the sign for the park. We much preferred the travel through the state in October.



As we traveled to Minnesota we encountered more rolling hills and flat lands, and cornfields were added to the scenery. We got our first glimpse of autumn in the lower 48 as some of the trees and shrubs burst into colorful reds and oranges. The sky was clear and the temperatures were in the mid 80's. What an enjoyable ride!




Wisconsin scenery was very similar to what we saw in Minnesota. When we stopped for the night in Lodi, WI Dan discovered that one of the tires in the UHaul trailer had a nail in it. Fortunately there was a UHaul dealer a few miles away so we had them check it out. They pulled out the nail and said that it had not punctured the tire, and we were good to go. That was a relief because we knew that the next day we were driving around Chicago and didn't want to have any problems. The next day we got through Madison, WI and Chicago without difficulty, but at mile 54 of the Indiana Turnpike a man came past us furiously blowing his horn. We pulled over to find out what the problem was and discovered that the tire that had the nail removed had blown out. Fortunately we were only two miles from a service plaza so we crept along the side of the road and called UHaul for help. A mechanic came and within a few hours we were back on the road as good as new. The rest of the trip was mechanically uneventful.

We had a few choice words to say to Lana (our GPS) when she took us to a side road behind a service plaza in Indiana instead of taking us to the entrance onto the turnpike. Since there was no way for Dan to turn around he backed up into an area where there was a small opening in the fence. There were only inches to spare and once again he did an extraordinary job of maneuvering.

After passing through Indiana we drove to Uniontown, OH and visited with our son Dan, Kelly, Mitch, Lacey, and Matt. We attended the homecoming game which Hoover High lost. Yes, they go to Hoover High! The next day was the homecoming dance, and we enjoyed seeing the older two get dressed up and head off to dinner and the dance. Watching the winning Steelers game with the guys on Sunday and feasting on a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner on Monday topped off the Ohio visit.

As we made our way to the flat lands of South Carolina we travelled through the wild wonderful hills of West Virginia. The leaves were close to their peak of changing colors.  It had been several years since we we had seen the gorgeous fall colors and we appreciated the beauty of Mother Nature.


On our way to Myrtle Beach, SC we stopped at Mayberry Campground near Mt. Airy, NC. Since we like to take a walk every day we decided to drive to the city and walk around. It was delightful to see Barney's Cafe, Aunt Bee's kitchen, and Floyd's Barber shop. In front of the Andy Griffin museum is a statue of Andy and Opie that was erected as a tribute by TV Land. It brought back fond memories of more simple times.




We had a fun time at Myrtle Beach with our daughter Donna and her children Jessica, and Chris who at age almost 13 passed me up in height. We enjoyed walking on the beach, playing ping pong, corn toss, Rummikub and cards. Although we tried we were unable to see Jessica perform her color guard routine with the band. Happily they won the regional competition and go on to State for the final challenge. The week went by quickly.

We only had to drive two hours south to visit with our Navy son Doug and his children Mary, Daimen, and Cheyenne in Goose Creek, SC. We all went to the South Carolina Aquarium and Frankie's Fun Zone where we played miniature golf and the kids rode go carts. Daimen played his trumpet with Goose Creek band, but they did not win their competition. Dan, Doug, and Daimen went to a bar to watch the Steelers win while I hung out with the girls. A good time was had by all!

And now after almost seven months we are home. What a journey!!! We logged 5503 miles on the way south in addition to the 5410 going north. It was an amazing adventure that we will always remember.

Back in the USA!

After driving for nine days through Alaska, Yukon Territory, British Columbia, and Alberta we crossed the border at Coutts, AB. Just like on the way up the scenery was spectacular, and we followed the same route in our Alaska Milepost 2011 book. There were other choices of routes but we decided to keep it simple and familiar.

We left Mt. McKinley with the trees ablaze in golden colors and went north to Fairbanks where the trees were mostly bare. We had to drive to Denali several weeks earlier and saw those trees in their glory. Summer was short, autumn came quickly, and we were glad to leave before the snow started to fly. From what Alaskans say it could happen any day. My favorite part of the stop in Fairbanks was a trip to WalMart and Sam's Club to stock up on supplies for the trip home. After not cooking all summer it was an adjustment trying to decide what to buy. The only thing we didn't like were the high prices. One bus driver on one of our trips called it the AGF - Alaska Gouge Factor.

The next day we drove past the North Pole (a city in Alaska) to the Canadian border. We began the following day by crossing into Canada with no difficulty. The roads were very bumpy with frost heaves for many miles so we took our time. After passing beautiful scenery along the Kluane River and mountains we stopped at Whitehorse, YT at a rustic campground. We bundled up and took a walk on their trail and then huddled in the RV to keep warm.



The following morning dawned with gray skies, freezing temperatures, and frost on the Blazer. As we traveled the fog was so bad in spots that we had to creep along. Then the snow started to spit. When we traveled to a higher elevation the snow came in full force. Fortunately the roads did not get snow covered, and we drove out of it when when we descended. We had to use our memory of the beautiful scenery on the trip north because all we saw that day was dreariness. The trip from Whitehorse to Watson Lake, YT was not our favorite.



What a difference a day makes! Our trip from Watson Lake, YT to Fort Nelson, BC was filled with awesome scenery of colorful leaves as we went up and down the hills and around the curves. We passed horses, buffalo, and caribou grazing on the side of the road. We passed through Summit Point which is the highest point on the Alaskan highway at 4,250 feet.  The next day we continued on our journey to Dawson Creek, BC (mile 0 of the Alaskan Highway) with sunshine and magnificent views. Our moment of excitement came when Dan had to swerve to dodge a deer. His quick reaction saved the day! This is a picture of Summit Lake.



Another scene of British Columbia:



After we set up at the campground we decided to unhitch the Blazer and go exploring. Much to our dismay he discovered that the frame under the Blazer was very loose. Fortunately we were in a town large enough to find someone who could look at it and hopefully weld it back together. After the mechanics checked it they said that it could not be fixed. So our choices were for me to drive following the RV or rent a UHaul trailer to carry it. We opted for the UHaul, and there was a dealer nearby. The Blazer was drivable but we could not tow it. Dan thought of putting a sign on the side of the  Blazer saying, "I did NOT survive the Alaskan Highway." All in all we are very grateful that the Blazer did not break off and disconnect while we were driving down the road. That could have been a disaster.

The rest of the trip through Canada was pleasant and mostly uneventful. We ran into construction around Edmonton, AB where we had to retrace our route because there were no signs to show us which way to go. The way we were supposed to go was blocked. It reminded us of Pittsburgh back in the day when people constantly got lost in the construction zones. Between the maps and GPS we found our way out of the mess. The scenery changed from mountains and rolling hills to mostly flatlands with farms and ranches. The colorful leaves on the trees came in bursts of vibrant red, orange and gold. There was a strong southerly wind that brought up some warm temperatures. When we arrived across the border in Sweet Grass, MT the temperature was 88 degrees. Warmth at last!!!!

At that point we had traveled about 2500 miles. We were glad to go back to thinking in gallons not liters, miles not kilometers, and farenheit not celcius. The gas price spiked at Fort Nelson, BC to $1.42 a liter which if I calculated correctly was $5.41 a gallon. That's also where we bought milk for $6.13 a gallon. We called it the CGF (Canadian Gouge Factor) but felt sorry for the folks who have to pay those prices on a daily basis.

More to come about our travels in the USA....