We entered back into the United States on September 25th! Whew! It was an adventure of a lifetime. We started in Tampa Florida on January 20th and headed west over 13,000 miles. We visited ten states, three Canadian Provinces and one Territory along the way. It feels good to be home in the U.S. and we really feel proud to have accomplished this bucket list adventure.
Our route from Tampa Florida to Port Angeles Washington (5900 miles)
Our route from Port Angeles, Washington to Great Falls Montana (7418 miles)
Highlights of our adventure...
Betty's RV Park
Abbeville, LA
Abbeville, LA
Lost Dutchman State Park
Apache Junction, Arizona
Hearst Castle
San Simeon, California
California Coastline
Fern Canyon Hike
Redwoods State Park
California Redwood Trees
Haystack Rock
Cannon Beach Oregon
Olympia National Park
Washington
Washington
Butchart Gardens
Vancouver Island
Zodiac Boat Trip
Tolfino, Vancouver Island
Peak to Peak Gondola Ride
Whistler, BC
Okanagan Wine Country, BC
Chetwynd Chainsaw Festival, BC
Liard Hot Springs, BC
Grizzly Bear checking out a fish hut (he eventually got stuck in the window)
Funniest moment
Haines, Alaska
Grizzly Bear eating wildflowers
Destruction Bay, Yukon
Lulu Belle Glacier Cruise
Valdez, Alaska
Our traveling friends (Valdez, Alaska)
Cooking King Crab Legs
(best meal ever)
Valdez, Alaska
Kenai Fjords Cruise
Seward, Alaska
Watching Game and Fish sort salmon
Salmon Rodeo
Ninilchik, Alaska
Brown Bear Watching
Ketmai National Park and Preserve
Mt. Denali
Denali National Park
Chicken Alaska
Dempster Highway
Yukon
Salmon Glacier
Hyder, Alaska
Aurora Borealis (we saw it but not photos)
Most awesome experience
Pelly Crossing, Yukon
K'san Historical Village
Hazelton, BC
Columbia Icefield, Alberta
Jasper National Park, Alberta
Chateau Lake Louise ,Alberta
A few observations....
The roads in Alaska were in better shape then we had expected
Having campground reservations in advance worked out well. Probably would not have needed them in August and September except in the Canadian Rockies
The Glacier Boat Trips in Valdez and Seward were amazing
The trip to Kenai National Park and Preserve to see the Brown Bears was worth every penny
Gasoline and alcohol in Canada is very expensive
We saw less wildlife in Alaska then expected
It took longer to drive from one campground to another because you have to drive much slower
Weather was better then expected
Long sleeve shirts and long underwear were worn most of the time
There were very few mosquitoes
Groceries except in Skagway were reasonable. Finding fresh vegetables was more difficult in Alaska
Hiking the trails is the best way to really appreciate Alaska and Canada
Alaska is so VAST
We loved all the wildflowers growing along the sides of the roads in Alaska
Did not see the moon or stars due to the midnight sun for several months
Getting used to the almost constant daylight in June and July took some getting used too. Black out shades are a must
We enjoyed this adventure even more than expected and our expectations were high!!!
Excellent recap, Carol. Loved seeing so many highlights that we enjoyed and some we didn't. I would have to add Llaird Hot Springs to mine. Also, many of your observations were similar to ours, good roads, no mosquitos, and VAST! Welcome home. Look forward to seeing you on the coast in June, where Margueritas shouldn't be nearly so expensive@
ReplyDeleteYum, margaritas! Llaird Hot Springs is amazing. The hike out to it is just as impressive.
DeleteThat was a great trip! We need to go to western Canada:)
ReplyDeleteWestern Canada will take your breath away! Be prepared for crowds, however, once you get out on the trail the masses dissipate quickly.
DeleteThat's quite a collection of fabulous memories! We've been to many of the places in your photos, but Alaska is still a big one on our to-do list. The photo of the grizzly checking out the fish hut is hilarious!
ReplyDelete