Day 19 - Saskatoon to Fergus Fall, MN

LONG day -- 14 hours. Best part of the day was getting pulled over at Customs because they detected something with our trailer or our bikes that appeared to be radioactive. It was a false-positive and we were on our way again but it did have us wondering if something had been done to the trailer while we had it parked in Saskatoon. Wasn't allowed to take any pictures during this episode.

Did anyone know that Rugby, North Dakota, is the geographical center of North America? We came a different route and saw this as we came into town.

Day 18 - Edmonton, Alberta to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Today was another completely cloudy day -- BUT NO RAIN (we're looking for the positives here). It was also another cold day and very windy. We were all glad that we only had about 350 miles to go. The winds were gusting around 41 mph.

We stopped for gas at a truckstop in Lloydminster and learned that Saskatoon had a terrible storm in the night -- 4-5 inches of rain fell and washed over part of the road. They weren't sure if eastbound was open. Being the adventurers we were, we decided to try it and see what happened.

Sure enough, there was water over the road but the road crew had cleaned up at least one lane so that we were able to get through by riding on the berm.

Made it to Saskatoon without any other incident. Anna was so glad she kissed the truck.

We have a lot of great memories and photos to share with you all.

Day 17 - Fort Saint John to Edmonton

It was a cold start today but NO RAIN!! It was a nice riding day, according to Bill except he wishes we were heading into Alaska, not away from it.Stopped in Dawson Creek to take a picture of us at Mile Marker Zero. The town was a little disappointing to me. Maybe we missed something but I thought there would have been more to do with the town's heritage but all we saw was a string of modern businesses and NO SHOPPING!!

Once we were in Alberta, the landscape changed to prairies. Lots of wide open spaces. Gone were the mountains. Large canola fields that were beautiful, bright yellow against the cloudy horizon. You can definitely tell we were on the prairie because of the wind, whipping across the fields. Since grain is a huge industry, we saw lots of grain elevators. Lots of farms along the highway with beef cattle.

Rolled into Edmonton about 4 p.m. Large town, LOTS of traffic. Something we haven't been used to for a long time.

Tomorrow is our last bike riding day -- into Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where we left the truck and trailer.

Day 16 - Liard to Fort Saint John

The trip started out OK for the first 35 miles. We saw a couple more bears, bison, and 4 caribou. I have so many pictures of bear and bison that I didn't even take any of these.

Stopped to have breakfast at Muncho Lake Lodge. By the time we left, it was raining and it didn't stop much of the day. We actually were on a stretch of road that would have been beautiful IF we could have seen it.

Had some more construction. On the way to Alaska, Harry kept mentioning that he was really surprised that we didn't have much construction. Guess they didn't start working until July 6 because we sure have had a lot of construction on the way back. Raingear

on, we rode through it all.

Here's what we saw behind us. I took a picture over my shoulder of Harry and Anna and what we came from. We kept trying to run out of the rain but it kept following us.

Day 15 - Whitehorse to Liard Hot Springs

Nice relaxing ride. But it was time for breakfast. We stopped at Jake's Corner, a little priviately owned gas station and cafe. Peg and Anna walked in and got the bad news ... the power was out. Now remember, it's MILES down the road to the next stop (like 90 miles). But Jake came to the rescue. He said he could still fix us some breakfast. These people can really adjust to whatever comes along. I had a HUGE pecan, cranberry sticky bun and my COFFEE. Everyone else had eggs and hashbrowns and coffee. Bellies full, we're on our way again.

Motored on to Watson Lake. Bill dropped off the keys to the hotel we had stayed at on our way down. We tried to make a phone call to the Liard Hot Spring Lodge about 120 miles down the road. BUT we were in the Yukon Territory and the lodge was in British Columbia. Phones didn't work that way. So we decided to try our luck.

On the way we saw 8 black bear and herd of bison. We saw a forest fire along the way too. Happens a lot up here. Sometimes they are control burns and sometimes they happen because of ligthening strikes.

WHEW, we got the last 2 rooms. We all checked in and then Bill and I headed for the hot springs. OHHHH, heavenly. Relaxation seeps into your body as you ease into the second largest hot spring in Canada. The hot springs complex is of national ecological significance and is well known for its natural setting in a lush boreal spruce forest. A boardwalk that leads to the hot spring pools passes through a warm water swamp and boreal forest that supports rich and diverse plant communities, as well as mammal and bird species. There are two hot springs at Liard, with water temperatures ranging from 42°-52° C (107°-126°F). We started out at the lower temp pool, then tried the hotter one but it was TOO HOT.

After a great dinner, Bill and Peg decided to hop back on the bike and look for more wildlife AND to get gas. It was only supposed to be 20 minutes down the road. Bill's gas light came on and we were holding our breath. Just when we thought we were going to need to use that extra gallon of gas that he hauls along, we saw a gas station. Here's some of what we saw.

And then lastly, look at this sunset. We should have known the good weather wouldn't last, particularly since we were riding in British Columbia (where we had the rain on our way to Alaska). Read on to find out more about that.

Day 14 - Valdez to Whitehorse

LONG day. We were going to stop at Haines Jct but there weren't any rooms. It is Friday and everyone was getting out of town -- Whitehorse. So that's where we had to head -- another 90 miles. Take a look at this electric pole, leaning just a little (and this wasn't the only one. The weather plays havock with lots of things here, particularly the roads. We had a long stretch of road that had permafrost. It was like being on a roller coaster ride, up and down. Good thing Anna and I don't get car sick. Sometimes when you hit these bumps, you fly 12 inches off the seat. Bill and I were the bump scouts. Harry and Anna would watch how high my butt would lift off of the seat. Then they would decide which side of the road was better for them to traverse. I think my Strong Women program is really paying off. My neck and back didn't get sore at all and I was really worried about that.

Finally made it. We were so tired when we got to town that all we had time to do was get a beer.

Here are a couple of shots along the way. Thought you'd enjoy seeing some of the different types of gas stops we made. We had some that were similar to a small Unimart but most of them were operated by private individuals.

This is Bill coming out of the woods after a road construction stop.

Day 13 - Valdez Glacier Boat Ride

Slept in today – what a treat. Bill and I decided to take a walk … 7 miles later!! We were walking on a trail and saw a black bear about 20 feet in front of us. Got this picture before he turned away. We decided NOT to go down that trail any more.

It was time for the glacier ride. We rode on the LuLuBelle. The captain gave a running commentary on life in Valdez. He really knew his boat. He maneuvered it into spots that I didn’t think a boat could go. On the way to the glacier, we saw puffins, humpback whales, dophns, sea otters, and tons of sea lions.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, we came to the Columbia glacier. The Columbia Glacier is a glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the early 1980s. The water was 70 meters deep and the icebergs weren't moving because they were stuck on the bottom.

The weather was perfect. Blue skies and warm temps. Since the boat ride took 6 hours, we didn't get in to port until 9 p.m. Long day but it was the most interesting boat ride we've taken in a long time.

Day 12 - Seward

Today started off with a 1.3 mile hike to a Exit Glacier, just outside of Seward. It was interesting to see how far the glacier has receded since 1917. We were able to get to the glacier and feel how cold the water is …must have been about 32 degrees.

Jumped on the bikes and rode to Whittier to catch the Alaska Marine Highway to Valdez. Had to ride through a 2-mile railroad tunnel (not at the same time as the train). Bill and Harry had to keep the bikes between the tracks. Met a couple from Ohio. Peg learned that she can buy a blue-tooth microphone with radio to fit her helmet. That’ll be my birthday present.

Before we boarded the ferry, we had a about an hour so Bill and I took at walk to a glacial waterfall. Lots of water coming down the mountain. Harry and Anna decided to go see if they could find where the salmon are running. They found the spot but unfortunately, the salmon aren't running yet.

Here we are getting the bikes ready for the ride.

The ferry ride took about 5 hours. Can you believe that we were sitting in lounge chairs sunning ourselves. It was 80 degrees. Couldn't believe how hot it was. However, it did get colder as we headed farther out. We saw lots of whales, a walrus, and another bald eagle. Docked at Valdez. Took a nice hike around a salt marsh.

Tomorrow we’ll walk around town some and then catch a glacier tour on the LuLu Belle.

Day 11 - Fairbanks to Anchorage and then to Seward

Left Fairbanks and headed south to Anchorage. Could see Mt. McKinley but still lots of smoke. Before we hit Anchorage, we peeled off the extra layers of clothing since it was at least 80 degrees. The locals say this is very unusual. Last year it didn't get above 55 degrees and rained a lot. Glad we picked this year to journey to Alaska.

Anchorage is a "big" city, for Alaska. Didn't really see anything that interested us here so we decided to go check out Seward on the Kenai Peninsula. What a beautiful ride on the Seward Highway, a national scenic by-way along the Cook Inlet, and then across the mountains into Seward. This was an unexpected trip but glad we didn't miss it. It's a little city of over 3,000 and home to charter fishing boats and glacier cruises.


Up to now, I hadn't really seen a Bald Eagle up close. Today I've seen two!!

Tomorrow, we're going to get up early and take a walk to a glacier, then a ferry ride on the Marine Highway.

Day 10 - Laying Around Fairbanks

Well, today was an easy day, as riding days go. We decided to get some laundry done before the Harley store opened. Harry had to get a new tire and Bill needed to get a clean air filter. While the boys were playing at the Harley store, Anna and I visited the Alaska Bowl Company. Their shop and store are in the same building. They are world renown for their bowls and they SHIP!!. If you get a chance, take a look at their Website http://www.woodbowl.com/).

Anyone know what these are used for? Let me know by commenting to me. Will give you the answer tomorrow night.

Next, it was on to the University of Alaska to visit their museum and the large animal research farm (LARs). We saw musk ox, caribou, and reindeer. Very well done presentation by an intern from Austria at the LARs. The museum was full of Alaskan culture and traditions. We met several students who were interns from the lower 48 as well as overseas. They all said their Alaskan experience is one they will never forget.

Time to eat again. But first, we found the Alaskan Pipeline information. The Alaskan pipeline runs about 1 million dollars of oil an hour from Prudo Bay to Valdez. I found a local brewing company, the Silver Gulch. Definitely visit them if you’re in the Fairbanks area. Good eats and GREAT beer!!

Have I mentioned that there are about 20 hours of light up here? Here's a pic of the sun at 9 p.m. I haven't been to bed much before 11:30 each night. It seems too nice out to be inside.

Tomorrow we’re heading for Whittier, just south of Anchorage. It will be a long day

Day 9 - Denail National Park

Have reservations for the 10 a.m. shuttle bus to the Eielson Visitor Center. This is an eight-hour ride into Denali. Take a look at the road we were on. Linda Z, it was more of a drop-off than the ride you and I did in Santa Fe!!

Wish we had more time so we could hike. On the ride there, we could smell smoke. As we got closer to Denali (2 hr ride from south from Fairbanks), the smoke got heavier. Found out there was a control burn plus there was 2 fires that started from lightening strikes.

We saw quite a lot of wildlife as our bus driver gave told us about Denali and it's inhabitants.


We saw Dahl sheep up on a mountainside but too far away for a picture. Then we saw a bald eagle soaring. So peaceful. Here's a quote from one of the rest areas we stopped at: "Each moment of the year has its own beauty, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson.

We saw bears, mamma moose and her baby, and caribou that came running right to our bus. She looked scared but we couldn’t see what might have spooked her. When we saw the grizzly bear ambling along, the Ranger had all of us leave the trails and head back to the Visitor’s Center. They said that bears can move fast. Saw a wolf looking for his lunch.

You'll be able to see the smoke in this picture.

At one of the visitor centers, Anna and I had some fun with a pair of caribou antlers. Take a look at these moose antlers. It's 2 moose who got their horns locked while fighting ... probably over a girl :-)

Sorry I didn't get to post much last night. Boy, are we spoiled with our Internet in the lower 48 states. Here in Fairbanks, the only good spot I could find was in the Internet Pub, then we found a Internet Cafe ($8/hr) that had a laundry beside it, so that's what we're doing while I'm posting. Harry hadn't done laundry in a LONG time, so he had to ask the attendant some questions. She told him that the first time is always the hardest. We laughed.

Weather is really pretty nice today. We talked to a restaurant owner last night who said that last year the temperature didn't get above 55 degrees the whole summer. Glad we decided to wait til this year to come. Yesterday the temp got to at least 75 degrees. Really nice. EXCEPT, hotels don't have air conditioning so they are pretty hot unless there's a lot of ventilation. Ours doesn't have that ventilation. But it's been an experience.

Talk to you later