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2005 - 2006 Cross Country Road Trip

Biography

Southwest May 5 - Jun 15

Weddings Jun 25 - Jul 12

Alaska Jul 30 - Sep 14

East Oct 12 - Dec 17

Limbo Dec 17 - Feb 6

If you click on any word that is underlined, you will be directed towards their website for further information. Also, each picture, if clicked upon, will open in another window at a larger size for better viewing. Pick a topic or just start scrolling down! Alcan Hwy to Alaska, Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, Girdwood, Homer, Seward, Valdez, Kennicott, Cassiar Hwy, Jasper Canadian National Park, Banff Canadian National Park, Vancouver Island, Vancouver City

Alcan Hwy to Alaska - July 30th to August 2nd
Sights along the drive
Road to AK: Before hitting the road to Alaska, we envisioned potholes the size of Buicks littering a dusty rocky road ready to eat your tires and moose, deer, and bear all waiting at every corner to jump on your hood and hitch a ride. Contrary to all the Alcan horror stories chronicled in the travel guides, the trip was smooth sailing. The roads, even the gravel sections, were easy to traverse and gas stations and campsites were abundant. Our favorite stop was the Liard Hot Springs. The heat of the springs has created a tropical oasis in the middle of the Canadian forest. If the place was not already enchanting enough, a light rain that day led to the formation of a double-decker rainbow. The scenery was breathtaking - the pictures can speak for themselves.
The "horrible" Alcan Hwy			Not so bad			Actually, it's beautiful			Our first moose
Breathtaking views			Big horn sheep			Liard Hot Springs sundews growing wild			Liard Hot Springs rainbow on cue
Liard Hot Springs natural swimming area			Buffalo rolling in the dirt			Just an interesting reflection			Sign Post Forest Watson Lake, Yukon
Sign Post Forest Lots of TX signs!			Teslin Bridge			Wild trumpeter swans			Momma moose and calf
Alaskan border!!!

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Fairbanks - August 2nd to August 9th
Fairbanks: While in Fairbanks, we decided to be true tourists (we even purchased a Great Alaskan Tour Saver coupon book which saved us hundreds of dollars); we took the River Boat Discovery tour of the Chena, panned gold at Gold Dredge Number 8, where we struck it rich as you can see in the picture, and visited the University's Alaska museum which had a great exhibit on Alaskan history and culture. We took a day trip to Chena Hot Springs where we soaked in the springs and toured the Ice hotel there. The hotel is made entirely of carved ice and is perfect for those of you who would like to pay $400 a night to freeze your @$$ off (it is pretty impressive though). We also visited the Ice Sculpture museum in Fairbanks where we enjoyed the ice slide. Outside of Fairbanks, we also explored some of the Bureau of Land Management land where Fritz was able to pan for gold. One of our favorite activities was the Tails of the Trail presentation given by Mary Shields. She was the first woman to finish the Iditarod and welcomes you to her home to meet her sled dog team and learn about the sport of mushing. Afterwards, Fritz had to endure weeks of me prattling on about my newly discovered dreams of becoming a dog musher. Thank you: Joan, thank you for all of your great advice on what to see in Alaska. We had a great time visiting with you. We still have the mukluks hanging from the rearview mirror. We love them!
We're nerds, not like you needed this pic to prove it.			Not many signs similar to this in TX			Gold Dredge #8			Gold Dredge #8 Gold we found
River Boat Discovery			River Boat Discovery Summer sled dog training			River Boat Discovery Fish wheel, used to harvest Salmon			River Boat Discovery Native Alaskan beaded parka
River Boat Discovery Mixing of the Chena & the Tanana Rivers			Moose on the way to Chena Hot Springs			Ice Bed at Chena Hot Springs			Chena Hot Springs
Alaskan Pipline						Alaskan Pipline

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Denali National Park August 10th to August 12th
Denali / Talkeetna: We took the Bus Kantishna Wilderness Trails Tour all the way into Denali National Park. By the end of the day, we saw 12 grizzlies, two moose, some Dall sheep, a few caribou, and amazing views of Denali (Mt McKinley). The entire park is breathtaking. In Talkeetna, we toured the town where we had an outstanding breakfast at the Roadhouse. From Talkeetna, we also took a flight seeing tour of Denali. The view of the mountain and its glaciers was incredible. We even landed on one of the glaciers which is fun if you ignore the visions of falling into a deep blue icy crevasse and being lost to the world forever, sorry, I digress. While on the glacier, we saw a rock slide. The sound it makes is quite alarming, a very eerie creaking. We found ourselves staring in awe though. Later, I envisioned the rock cracking and raining down on us as if we were being attacked by a mob of angry prepubescent boys with sling shots. This is when I curse an overly active imagination. Aside from the amazing views of the mountains, we had a bird's eye view of the lush valley and rivers and even a momma grizzly with two cubs.
Grizzly Bear			Caribou			Dall sheep			Scary roads
Momma Grizzly with 2 cubs			Denali (picture by Nicole)			Just a pretty flower			Momma Grizzly with 3 cubs!!
Talkeetna Air Taxi			Very large glacier flow			Denali			Glacier landing
An artsy shot						Another plane landing

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Anchorage - August 13th to August 15th
Anchorage: Our fondest memories of Anchorage are probably the meals we had at the restaurant Orso, where they serve fresh fish, pasta, and the most delectable lemon tart. Ahhh. We spent the rest of our trip proselytizing to other tourists about the virtues of a meal from that restaurant. We had blast in the city visiting the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and riding bikes on the coastal bike trail.
Anchorage on the horizon			Great sunset			Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC)			ANHC
ANHC			ANHC			ANHC			Native athletic games
Native athletic games						Orso Restaurant Don't miss this!

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Girdwood - August 16th
Girdwood: On a day trip to this city we took the Aleyska Tram to the top of the mountain where we spent a couple of hours hiking. The view of the valley was spectacular.
Glacier				That's us				Glad I didn't have to hike this

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Homer - August 18th to August 24th
Homer: We originally planned to stay in Homer for a couple of days but its outstanding scenery and laid back attitude kept us there for a week. Our campsite at Oceanview RV was about 10 feet away from the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean and the glacial mountains across the bay. On one walk, we saw a sea otter hop across the beach to the water and a bald eagle feasting on fresh salmon. Of course, we didn't have the camera. In Homer, we visited the Pratt Museum which has some of the best museum displays we have ever seen. We toured some of the local shops, visited the Carl E. Wynn Nature Center, visited the Island and Ocean Visitor Center, frequented the amazing Two Sisters Bakery, and hung out with some awesome Texans we met at our campsite. Homer was the Alaska we had envisioned: ocean, mountains, glaciers, fields of fireweed, sea otters, and bald eagles. Who could ask for more? We also took a day trip to Halibut Cove which is reached only by a short boat ride from the Homer Spit. While there we enjoyed a nice lunch, visited the art galleries, and hiked along the cliffs. It was beautiful. Thank yous: Jack, Janelle, and Mary: We had such an amazing time hanging out with y'all, especially our late night talks over filtered water! We hope to catch up with you when we return to Austin. Janelle: the sourdough bread was delicious! John and Lynda: It was great visiting with you and talking about your world travels. You have given us some great ideas. We will soon be saving for a couple of around the world airline tickets. Teresa, Kai, and Mara: Thank you for letting us crash with you when we were in Kenai. We had a wonderful time.
Beat that camp site!			How about this view? (picture by Nicole)			Bird Island			Halibut Cove
Halibut Cove			Sea Otter			Island & Ocean Center			Island & Ocean Center
The Homer Spit			Salty Dog Saloon			Freshly caught halibut (man posing did not catch)			Summer fireweed
Fall fireweed						Squirrel

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Seward - August 25th to August 27th
Seward: In Seward we visited the Alaska SeaLife Center which offers great explanations of current ocean research. We took a tour of Kenai Fjords and had outstanding views of wildlife and glaciers. A huge humpback whale entertained us by breaching about a dozen times and we saw many sea otters, sea lions, harbor seals, and watched a glacier calve (drop pieces of ice into the ocean). These are things we could definitely not see in our own backyard and were unbelievably beautiful. At our campsite, we walked to a local stream where we watched salmon attempt to swim upstream after spawning. The nature shows tell you salmon spawn and then die peacefully, while, in fact they fight till the very end, actually devouring their own tissue for the energy. It is fascinating to watch the cycles of nature. On the way out of town we visited Exit Glacier .
Ever seen a seal wring itself out?			Tufted Puffin in captivity			Fish silhouette			Spawning salmon
Salmon eggs			Interesting moss			Harbor Seals lounging			Water patterns
Stellar Sea Lion			Breaching Humpback Whale			Horned Puffin			Wow!
20 rafted sea otters			Glaciers			Glaciers			Fresh halibut
Tufted Puffin						Exit Glacier

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Valdez - August 28th to August 29th
Valdez: What a beautiful place! On the drive to Valdez, we saw the Worthington Glacier , fall colored mountain valleys, waterfalls cascading down cliff faces - it is unreal. While in Valdez, we took a glacier cruise which took us near the Columbia Glacier. The icebergs are a stunning blue and are occupied by harbor seals and sea otters. We had some great bald eagle sightings too.
Worthington Glacier			Glacial crevasse			Glacial crevasse			Bridal Falls
Naping			Look at that face!			Bald Eagle			Stellar Sea Lions
Horned Puffin			Picture taken for Nicole			Columbia Glacier & iceberg			Harbor Seals on pack ice
"cheese"			Sea Otters			Bald Eagle			Fall is coming (picture by Nicole)

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Kennicott - August 30th to September 1st
Kennicott: The only way to access this picturesque town is to travel the 60 mile McCarthy dirt road, walk across a foot bridge, and take a shuttle the last 5 miles to town. The trip is well worth it. We stayed at the Kennicott Lodge (located in the Wrangell St.Elias National Park) which offered great views of the mountains and valleys. We were right down the street from the historic Kennicott Mill which we toured (a great history lesson). We also took a hike to the Jumbo Mine where Fritz enacted his revenge for the Angels Falls hike in Zion. About eleven miles roundtrip, the hike took us up steep switchbacks and finished with a scramble up what resembles a huge rock pile. We also encountered lots of bear tracks and scat. As we all know, I'm afraid of the not so cuddly creature, but Fritz eased my fears by singing and clapping while I wielded two large rocks (hopefully) suitable for beating the s*&t out of any bear that came my way. Luckily, Fritz's singing was enough to scare any wildlife away though he did take requests which was nice. At the top, the view wiped out all the exhaustion. The clouds lifted and we could see for miles: mountains, glaciers, rivers, and bright fall colored valleys. We also enjoyed exploring the mine ruins which appeared to be sliding down the rock face. This trip offers the best history, geological, environmental, and geography lessons one could imagine.
Kennicott structures			Mill house			Mill house			Refining building
Bear tracks!			Bunkhouse sliding down (Nicole in pic for refernce)			Malachite & Azurite litter the ground			Bunkhouse
Artifacts from a trash pile			Arial Tram			Odd place to park a snow plow			Our dirty baby
Fish wheels out of comission				Picture taken for Nicole				Odd, but interesting

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Cassiar Hwy - September 2nd to September 4th
Cassiar Hwy: During our travels on this highway, we saw 15 bears- mostly black bear moms with their cubs but we watched a huge male grizzly strut his stuff as well. I never wanted to take my eyes of the road because there was so much too see. Thank God Fritz didn't either because he was driving.
Aurora Borealis				Grizzly				Grizzly again (looks bigger in this shot)
Black Bear momma and 2 cubs				Bear Glacier (how fitting?)				Hitchhikers

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Jasper Canadian National Park - September 6th to September 7th
Jasper: One of our favorite parks, Jasper offers an amazing number of day and backcountry hikes. We hiked at Maligne Canyon, Athabasca falls and visited the Columbia Icefield. We also canoed at Maligne Lake - we were on emerald green water surrounded by forested coves and mountains. Amazing!
Maligne Lake				Canoeing				Maligne Lake again
Chipmunk				Maligne Canyon				Maligne Falls
Athabasca falls				Athabasca falls				Athabasca falls
Columbia Ice Field				Columbia Ice Field				Columbia Ice Field

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Banff Canadian National Park - September 7th to September 8th
Banff: We hiked Johnston Canyon and walked the trails at Lake Louise. The Canadian parks are gorgeous. When we left Banff, we headed to Yoho where we took a guided hike to the Walcott Quarry of the Burgess Shale. The hike started off with us traversing muddy switchbacks in the rain and progressed to us climbing a steep rock face covered in snow and ice. The sight of fall foliage peaking through the snow and fog hovering low on the mountains, lakes and valleys was nice but paled in comparison to the mini blizzard that was developing. Our waterproof jackets did okay in light rain but were eventually soaked and covered in ice crystals. We also realized Fritz had no traction on his boots so he was forced to borrow someone's hiking poles and pull himself up the face of the rock- Fritz has now added mountain climbing to his repertoire. Instead of being greeted with awe inspiring fossils at the top, we found ourselves in a row with the other hikers dancing or jogging in place to stay warm-at least we would make Richard Simmons proud. Snow covered the quarry and the only viewable fossils sat locked in a bid red metal trunk. SO basically we paid $140 Canadian dollars ( paid in advance and nonrefundable) to hike in the rain, mud, and snow only to be turned into human ice crystals while our geology guide cracked awful dinosaurs jokes and attempted to amuse us with his box of fossil tricks. Why did we hike to a freaking quarry if all the fossils are in a damn box? We could have sat in a museum looking at fossils while people attacked us with super soakers and snowballs and had more fun. Halfway through the guide's lecture, a group of us turned around to head back before the magical red box was even opened- even some geology students who came all the way from California decide the reveal was not worth becoming a human ice cube. By the end of the day our clothes and shoes were sopping wet. Our knees and butts endured several ground assaults- one fellow hiker called me rubber legs because I perfected the art of falling and could pick myself up before the muddy rocks even knew what hit them. Fritz's fingers showed signs of frostbite and mine looked like little frozen sausages- not sexy. After changing into dry clothes, we hopped in the truck and stuffed our faces as we let the heater thaw us out. Upset that Fritz's childhood dream of seeing a fossil laden Walcott Quarry was not only shattered but dragged through the dirt , kicked in the shins, and spit on, I proceeded to cry as if I had just watched Beaches, my dog was run over, and Betty Crocker brownie mix was discontinued. What an exhausting day! If we had known what weather to expect, we could have decked ourselves out like the little brother in A Christmas Story, hiked up the mountain and just rolled back down. Unfortunately we were not adequately prepared-we violated the sacred Boy scout motto and man did it bite us in the rear. We took no chances that night though-we stocked up on Arby's gourmet roast beef sandwiches (high protein to heal our overworked muscles) and rented a hotel room so we could have some freaking heat. Although, we still shudder at the thought of this traumatic experience- am I too dramatic yet?-, we are proud of the fact that we made it back down in one, defrostable piece. Fritz here - We both had a bad feeling about this hike before we met with the guide. I tried to get our money back and cancel our reservation, but no dice. This was the worst hike I have ever had the displeasure to go on. I was very proud of Nicole though, she was trooper the whole way. I'm serious when I say that we both could have easily suffered from hypothermia should we have stopped on the way back. We were both soaked, all the way down to our underwear and socks. The wind was howling at 20+ MPH and the temperature was well below freezing. We cried when we got back in the car, both for joy and sadness. It was a long, scary hike, and very dangerous. We both fell several times and at one point I noticed that the skin on my knuckles was starting to freeze. I reiterate, this is the worst hike I have ever been on. We were unprepared for the cold, rain, snow, terrain, and mentality needed to complete this hike. I hauled the camera the whole 13.6 miles and did not take a single picture. We had nothing to show for this hike except a bad attitude. If you would like the more elaborate, expletive laden, commentary, please just ask.
Johnston Canyon						Lake Louise (rainny weather)

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Vancouver Island - September 10th to September 12th
Vancouver Island: We took a BC ferry to the island where we visited Tofino on the west coast and Victoria at the southern tip. The beaches and forest near Tofino are beautiful and reminded us a lot of the Oregon coast which we love so much. In Victoria, we visited the Butchart Gardens and walked the downtown area. What a city!
Ferry ride across			Fiery sunset			Beach near Tofino (picture by Nicole)			Gunnera Manicata (helluva ditch weed)
Butchart Gardens Sunken Garden			Butchart Gardens Sunken Garden			Celosia Cockscombe (picture by Nicole)			Hot pink
Dahlia			Hibiscus			Japanese Garden			Flowers
Daisy						Honey time

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Vancouver City - September 12th to September 14th
Vancouver City: While in Vancouver, we drove through the downtown area, hiked at Lynn Canyon (there is a great suspension bridge and one of the most detailed and entertaining warning signs discussing the various ways you can injure yourself in the beautiful creek and forest there (never underestimate the number of stupid people out there), and visited Granville Island with its great markets and art galleries. Brian and Lisa: Thank you so much for letting us crash at your place. We had so much fun visiting with y'all and seeing what Vancouver has to offer. Brian: Thank you for nerding out with my husband. He needed a good dose of technical talk with someone who actually understands what he is talking about, although I do try. Lisa: You are a bad ass tour guide; although I am still hurt you did not stop at the Cupcake shop. The cream puff cake did help though! If you are ever near Austin, give us a ring.
Lynn Canyon						Suspension bridge
Granville Island market						Granville Island market

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Biography

Southwest May 5 - Jun 15

Weddings Jun 25 - Jul 12

Alaska Jul 30 - Sep 14

East Oct 12 - Dec 17

Limbo Dec 17 - Feb 6

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