Christmas in Juneau

picnic shelter on shore of Auke Bay

This Christmas was certainly not like any other - in the past, if we didn't spend Christmas Day at "home", we traveled to Detroit, Dallas or Louisville to spend the holiday with whatever family was available.  There was always some child to share the day with, but not this year.  While I certainly regret not being able to spend the day with family, we did skype/talk to everyone, and enjoyed a quiet morning.  On Christmas Eve day, we went to a local production of  "A Christmas Carol", which was amazingly good!  The theater was quite small, but a 2 p.m. Christmas Eve performance was sold out.  The production followed the popular movie, but was given the "Readers Digest" treatment (trimming where needed, but not affecting the story).  The actors, including the children, were very well-rehearsed and the show was completely entertaining.  Scrooge himself was so similar to George C. Scott that we had to look twice - which we did, because we were in the third row!  After the play, we returned home until church, and later that evening, we visited for a brief time with some people we had met who so graciously invited us to their house.  After some wine and a slice of homemade banana cream pie (chocolate cream for Bill), we went home and watched the Midnight Mass from Rome.  Christmas Eve was rainy, but Christmas Day dawned cloudy and dry so we decided to walk off that aforesaid pie.

view across to unnamed islands

We are lucky to live in the area surrounding the Auke Lake Recreation Area, which includes many picnic shelters, some with massive fireplaces and a paved trail that winds around the towering Sitka Spruce right along the ocean.  We walked to a place called Point Louisa, which is a spit of land in Favorite Channel.  I'm using the correct words for places since I hear them all the time but have no idea where or what they are, so I'm learning with you!  The weather, up to that point, was calm with just a break in the clouds.  As we walked to the (literal) end of Point Louisa, the wind on one side was very strong and biting, with white-capped waves.  On the other side of the Point, things were calm, with little wind and no need for caps or mittens as we walked.  I was wearing my

looking across Favorite Channel

Packer sweatshirt in anticipation of the game (which for us started at 4:15 p.m. - a great time to watch a football game!) and some others who were "out and about" mentioned it (some thought it was Oregon colors!).  We shared the scenery with photographers, dog-walkers and some others with children who we think were meeting for a Christmas Day family outing.  As we walked, we heard an Alaskan drummer (similar to American Indian drums) beating the drum and chanting.  The sound rose over the water and made for a very reflective moment  - secular Christmas is fun and we did miss the annual reading of gift tags (some of you know what I'm referring to!) and seeing Jonah and Alana open their gifts, and the making of dozens (and dozens) of cookies.  And we certainly look forward to the next time that we are all together (thank goodness for skype!) in person.  However, we were reminded that Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus' birth - and God gave us here in Juneau a wonderfully scenic way to remember.

panoramic view towards Indian Point

Tide is in!

our deck is 3rd from the right, on the second floor

Our condo is awesome - we live on "stilts" over the tidal basin, part of Auke Bay.  Twice a day the tide comes in and, if high enough, goes under our stilts so it looks like we live IN the ocean!  There are two high tides and two low tides per day, and the time always changes.  When the tide is "out", or low, the tidal basin is hard and people have walked their dogs in the basin. 

View at high tide - 10:36 a.m. on 12/22

The tide numbers don't indicate the depth of the water, but how high over sea level the water will go, but the water is probably 10-12 feet deep at high tide.  The water will go well under our deck and against the barrier in the parking lot.  We are expecting high tides on December 24 and 25, as indicated in the photo (19.6 ft at 12:15 p.m. on Christmas Eve). 

the tide book opened to December

Today, the high tide is 18.6 feet and is already covering the tree trunk that I use under my deck as a benchmark.  If the water covers the trunk, I know that it is as high as I've seen it.  In late October, just before we arrived, the high tide was 20.6 feet.  With a bit of wind like we have today, I can assume that the water was pushed somewhat into the parking lot.  It has not been that high since then. During high tides, the water is full of activity.  We have harlequin ducks, ravens, seagulls, the eagles, and, today, harbor seals are swimming around.  I hear in the summer, it is even busier, and more beautiful.  The photo of our condo (above) was taken in the summer and you can see the beautiful green foliage.  While there have been whales in Auke Bay, the bay that drains into our tidal basin, they don't get this far.   The book is a free publication of the yearly tide tables, meant for fishing and hiking.

I love my "leg lamp" lights!

There are many warnings on the hiking trails to pay attention to tides because when they come in, they come in fast (from low tide to high is about 4-6 hours) and you may be stranded, with no way back except to swim (not recommended!). 

When I open my patio door, I can hear the birds, listen to the waves and feel like I am in paradise - only colder and darker!

It ain't the North Pole, but it's close!

After the initial shock of missing "black Friday" shopping this year, I think I can say that I like this lower-key holiday season.  It's kind of interesting that people I talk to who have lived in the lower 48 (as they call the "contiguous" U.S.) talk nostalgically of the shopping opportunities that they left behind to move to the Land of Santa Claus.  Really, when you think about it, what can't you buy at Walmart?  And, if Fred Meyer has a coupon, you can buy it there cheaper.  No need to "price check".  Granted, that sweater you have your eye on only comes in blue and you had better pick up the XL when you have a chance - almost all the advertisements have the words "limited to stock on hand" for almost all sale items.  However, Freddies (as we "locals" call it!) offers a 10% discount on Tuesdays in December for those 55+, and I have taken advantage of that (even though you actually have to ASK for it - how loudly can you say "I am OLD - give me my discount!").  I do miss Walgreens - I thought a fun game show would be to give someone $100 on Christmas Eve at 5:00 p.m. and challenge them to purchase a complete "Christmas" in one hour.  You could do it - complete with presents, food, even wine at some stores!   We Meier's actually had to do it one time many years ago, when Millie was ill and there wasn't going to be a Christmas - until she "rallied" and Grandpa Ed sent us to Walgreens for all the fixins' of a fine Christmas dinner!   Alas, there isn't a Walgreens and I'm getting a bit tired of the Walmart.  I have shopped (shhh - don't tell the grandkids!) online and had the gifts shipped (for free!) to Milwaukee where Uncle Brian will transport them to Louisville.  Ad's come with the Sunday paper - five sheets for Freddie alone!  One for toys, one for groceries, one for electronics, one for "fine" jewelry and one for seasonal specials.  The local Walmart ad comes in Thursday's paper, and that is it!  There is a Radio Shack and a Joanne Fabrics in the Nugget Mall along with a Hallmark Cards and an Alaskan Outfitter (like an REI).  Since this is all we have here in Juneau, it is plenty.  My Pastor's wife used to live in St. Louis when her husband was in the seminary and she said she misses Kohl's.  Of course, you can find anything you'd ever want online, but you can't try on the jeans or see if your shirt sleeves are long enough or if the brown curtain panels are really brown, not taupe.  Of course, shopping isn't all one can do around Christmas time.  Bill and I bought our tree from the Juneau High School Swim Team ( a fundraiser) for $40 and we went to the beautiful Chapel By the Lake (at Univ. of Alaska - Southeast) for a community choir Christmas Concert.  On Christmas Eve afternoon, we have tickets for a performance of "A Christmas Carol" that has gotten terrific reviews in the paper ("Scrooge" was flown in from Anchorage!) and we were invited to share a "cup" of Christmas Cheer on Christmas Eve with someone we met last weekend at the Juneau Electric Christmas Party (the Meier's didn't hit the hay until 2 A.M.!).  That is what the holiday is about - new friends and familiar Christmas tree ornaments, skyping with family just before the Packer game, and sharing my vast selection of cookies with neighbors (I'll leave them with the morning paper!)

Out the road

Some questions answered ...

Today's snowy view

Here are the answers to your most burning questions regarding Alaska, Juneau specifically.  Is it dark there all the time? No, not in Juneau.  For example, on December 31, 2011, the sun will rise at 8:46 a.m. and set at 3:13 p.m.  The shortest day of daylight is on the "winter solstice" of December 22 with sunrise at 8:52 a.m. and sunset at 3:04 p.m. The longest day in Juneau is in June, and is sometimes referred to as the "Midnight Sun". There are 18 hours and 18 minutes of daylight that day, and the sun never really "sets" -- it just dips below the horizon, where its glow keeps illuminating the sky until it reappears the next morning just a few hours later.  When Bill was in Juneau over the 4th of July, the fireworks weren't fired off until well after midnight.  Sometimes in the winter, because it can be cloudy more often than sunny, it seems like it is dark all day.  For instance, today is snowy and the mountain and ferry dock are obscured, but it is still "light" out and still beautiful.  However, if you go to Barrow, on the north coast of Alaska, it is dark all the time in December.  In fact, they don't even record a sunrise/sunset from November 20 (sunrise at 1:05 p.m, sunset at 1:20 p.m.) through January 24 (sunrise 1:07 p.m., sunset 2:11 p.m.).  One of the reasons why I don't live in Barrow.  Is it always cold/snowy/rainy in Juneau?  Short answer - yes, it can be all three on any day in Fall/Winter.  Summer on the other hand is beautiful with temperatures in the 60's & 70's, with some rain but nothing all day.  I'm wondering about thunder storms, though.  I will miss them if we don't have them.  I'll have to check on  that!  Snowfall averages 94" a year, with 26" of that coming (on average) in December.  However, as far as temperature goes, the day time high is always above 0 degrees, with an average in Dec-Feb of 29.  Now, if you see Fairbanks weather, it can be below 0 for a daytime high well into March.  In fact, just within the last few weeks, the high for 10 days straight in Fairbanks did not get above minus 10 degrees, with lows about 30 below.  Again, don't want to live in Fairbanks.  Mail service - cell phone service?  The U.S.P.S. delivers everyday, with the standard time being about 4-5 days for a letter to be received from the "lower 48".   I've found out that some online sites (Amazon, for instance) still will ship free with minimum purchase and my things arrived within five-seven days of ordering.  I switched all my magazine subscriptions to my new address and did not have to pay a "surcharge" although my weekly Entertainment Weekly magazine does not come until Wednesday the week following (I used to get it on Fridays).  My other magazines have arrived without problems.  Cell phone service is available (we currently use ATT) but have a problem with getting enough coverage going around the mountains.  Sometimes it just takes turning 180 degrees - 4 bars!!  What are  "Xtra Tuffs"?  What?  This wasn't a burning question?   Sometimes called "Alaskan Nikes" Xtra Tuffs are a brand-name knee-high rubber boot that everyone wears due to the wet weather.  They are khaki green with a brown sole. Seriously - people where them with everything and wear them all day.  Bill now has a pair ($79 on sale at Fred Meyer's).  I'm still waiting for a pair in basic black....  (they only come in green - no kidding). 

The last two weeks have been emotionally challenging.  I hesitated for the last few days to try to explain myself since I don't want to have anyone "read between the lines".  Today, however, is a bright, sunny day and I want everyone to know that things here in Juneau are good.  Last week, after the buzz of the move wore off, I found myself in a strange (but beautiful) place both physically and emotionally.  I missed my house, I missed my kids/friends/family, I missed having that feeling that everything was familiar.  I started questioning whether we had done the right thing.  Those of you who know me best realize that this is a foreign thought - I've always known that this move was the "right thing" (right?).  However, I started thinking that maybe I had read all the "signs" incorrectly - was this really what we should have done?  Did we ignore other messages about our future?  I was a bit weepy at times.  Then, this week, we watched something on television that touched me - it was a story about a guy who walked the entire width of Alaska, showing the incredible natural beauty of the state.  At the end, he used a quote from Mark Twain:
 
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

 This is what we have done - sailed away.  However, it is not "from" something but "to" something else.  Is there failure if we return to "port"?  I don't think so - we all need to try something outside of our comfort zone.  Go and sail away from your "safe harbor".  While difficult, it will be worth it.  Believe me.
 

Working in Juneau

I have been fortunate to have been able to make major occupational changes in my life. Many of these changes occurred out of the necessity to earn a living; providing yourself and family food and shelter are highly motivational factors. My background in Industrial Maintenance led me to the Field Service Technician Position. Employers are often seeking people to travel to exotic locations such as East Chicago or Detroit. If you possess the skill to sleep in a rental car, you may have an edge over the other person competing for your job. When we began researching jobs in Alaska, it became a completely different experience. There are very few manufacturing plants in Alaska. The questions became, how far can my knowledge of mechanical and electrical carry into other totally unknown occupations? We had two very difficult hurdles to overcome: We wanted to live in Juneau and I needed to have a good paying job. Searching for jobs in Alaska is easy, in Juneau their are usually one or two jobs on the internet to apply for. I found the one job I felt I could apply for: Working as a HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning???) technician.  It was perhaps not that I had the best skills for the job, but that I (we) really wanted to move to Juneau. Apparently most people don't, go figure. I have been in the job since May. I service many of the buildings in downtown as they are controlled by our systems. It has not been an easy transition as it often involves working on things I have never seen before in my life. My days are often spent in noisy rooms hidden in rooftops or mezzanines of large buildings behind doors that are stenciled with the words "Mechanical Room Authorized Personnel Only". I am now the "authorized personnel" they speak of. In these rooms reside things called boilers, chillers, huge noisy fans and lots of moving air. What controls these devices is my domain. Hidden in these rooms is a control panel with a computer designed to make all these devices work in harmony to keep people comfortable. When they are not comfortable, my cell phone rings. Every day is usually a new experience and I tuck those away to make future jobs easier. Some days are physical when I am installing wiring or controls. Other days involve work at the laptop trying to figure out why one area control will not talk to another. Why can't we all just get along? Well so much for what I do. We are where we want to be and yes it does rain a little. (posted by Bill)

Tongass National Forest

the sun coming up over Shelter Island

the Auke Bay picnic area

one of the houses on the "hill" looking over the ocean

a view from my walking route

this is the mountain overlooking my condo & parking area

We live in Auke Bay, considered "out the town" (not "of") from Juneau.  It is north of Juneau, 13 miles from the end of the road and 13 miles from downtown Juneau.  It is part of the Tongass National Forest, and the mountains around our neck of the woods are covered in tall pines.  The very tops are snow covered, and when it snowed last week, it looked like a picture out of a book.  Otter Road is just outside of our drive way (National Park Service Road) and is a short dead-end street, ending at a turn-around at the Auke Bay Picnic Area, and has become my 1.5 mile walking route.  At the turn-around point, there is a set of stairs going down to the picnic table and fire ring, and looks out on Lena Cove and Shelter Island.  The road winds between houses built on the water and those rising up the mountain side.  I want to drive around and get some perspective as to the views from various parts of town so I can compare since I can't imagine anything else quite so beautiful.  The views are incredible everywhere, especially of the mountains.  Since Juneau is built between the ocean (Gastineau Channel, part of the Inside Passage) and the Fairweather Range, there is little room for roadways and businesses (or any buildings).  Downtown, of course, is called "little San Francisco" because of the steep roads (there are stairs in strategic locations to help those on foot) and is home to the Federal buildings, the state buildings, Governor's mansion and tourist attractions.  In the Valley, which is where the Mendenhall River empties the run-off from the Mendenhall Glacier into the ocean, there is plenty of room for the Walmart, Fred Meyer, gas stations, Home Depot, and even a branch of the downtown Library.  North of the Valley, there is no business to speak of, save for a gas station and a convenience store and a few restaurants.   I know my way around pretty well now - with the lack of stores to buy things at (like shoes), I know where the things are that I need.  There is no "window shopping" in Juneau - you get what you need and get out.  Not sure how I'll survive on Black Friday - I'll have to settle in to Cyber Monday!  Next time, I'll give you some comparison to the grocery costs now that I've done a fair amount of grocery shopping.

First week, continued

see all the ducks?

the view with our snow (last Friday)

Tuesday and Wednesday last week, I spent the days shopping for "incidentals" including a new lamp for the bedroom, more hangars (did I really need to mail all my clothes?), a wall clock (still used to my work day routine!), and some plastic storage containers.  Our condo has lots of closets and deep shelves (too deep?) but I don't like things just rattling around.  I also need to look for a rug to "anchor" my living room.  There is a consignment furniture shop in the valley that I may go look for today.  On Tuesday, I was fed up with my no-cable cable.  On our lease (as in most cases here in Juneau), it says "preferred cable television included in rent", but when we plugged our 24" HD flat screen (that I packed in the car) into the cable, all we could view were the three channels.  Yes, there were hundreds on the list, but no picture/no sound.  What is nice about living in a small town is that all your "services" are represented in areas of town that are easy to get to, so I looked up the local cable company, checked my map and saw a nice lady who said that indeed I did receive cable with my lease (per my address) but that I needed to sign up in order to use it.  Sign me up, I said.  Instead of a $100+ cable bill monthly, I now pay $6 per month for the DVR capability, the rest covered in my rent.  As soon as I got home - voila! - hundreds of HD channels, including the music channels ("Sounds of the Season", here I come!).  Another blog might be about how addicted I am to television. 

view of the harbor

The Hat Trick - fresh prawns

fry 'em up in a pan!

On Saturday, as we were driving back from Home Depot (with picture hangars), we noticed a bright pink sign on the road advertising "Prawns" with a name (Hat Trick) and phone number.  We saw the sign again as we were going past the harbor (for those of my family who traveled here - it is where the "Hot Bite" is), and turned in, Bill assuming that the "Hat Trick" was a boat in the harbor selling it's catch.  We walked down the gangway to the wharf and saw the Hat Trick, a small fishing boat.  The owner was selling prawns for $10/pound, fresh caught.  We bought 2lbs, freezing some and making the rest for dinner by sauteing garlic in olive oil, adding the shrimp, 2 T. brandy, hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  They tasted like lobster with absolutely no grit or fishy taste.  Wonderful.  I hope I see the sign again.

My first week

Greetings from 3105 National Park Service Rd, B9.  This is the view from my 2nd story deck, overlooking a tidal basin.  The tide comes in twice per day, usually once in the morning and once overnight (or early a.m.).  This picture was taken on Wednesday morning, when the sun came up about 8:30 a.m.  By 11:00 a.m., the water was up to the pilings which hold up the lower and (my) upper deck.  From my patio door, it looks like I am living in the ocean! You are looking at Auke Bay, which is home to the ferry dock.  Two high-speed ferries and two normal-speed ferries sail between Bellingham, Washington to the south and Haines to the north, with stops in-between at smaller towns and over to the major section of the state of Alaska, via Seward and Homer.  Other than air, it is the only way to travel outside of the city of Juneau.  Juneau's main north-south highway stretches for 45 miles along beautiful coastline and with incredible snow-covered mountain views.  I'll take some more pictures (when it stops raining!).  Our apartment is called the Auke-Nu Condo's, with about 20 (10 lower and 10 upper) units and are all separately owned.  We are renting our 1 bed/1 bath with loft condo from the current owner of the unit.  Rents in Juneau are a bit steep (I think) but this location can't be beat.  Plus, I got most of the things I was looking for - dishwasher, washer/dryer in the unit, deck with a view and covered parking.  The loft will make do for the 2nd bedroom for our guests (this means YOU!).  We arrived last Sunday and Bill had to work on Monday.  I woke up to a house with two lawn chairs, one coffee table with three legs (Bill had fixed the fourth one with a really long screw) and the television that we bought from home (which, without cable, pulled in three stations - one a "live shot" of the Juneau flats with classical music playing), and a full-sized mattress set that Bill bought in May when he arrived.  We had done some grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon and picked up hangars, some garbage cans and laundry detergent (did I say how much I appreciate not having to go to a laundromat to wash my clothes?) but not much else.  Monday found me a bit overwhelmed with what we had done - what was I thinking??  I had about 30 boxes to unpack, but I couldn't because I had no place to put anything.  I reorganized all the kitchen cupboards, decided that I should get the top drawer in the bathroom vanity and washed the sheets on the bed.  Then it was 10:00 a.m.  I didn't have the car because Bill's company truck was being used by another person who was filling in while Bill was in the lower 48 for three months and we wouldn't see that truck until Monday night.  I watched "Price is Right", an episode of Bonanza and then played Pandora radio on my computer.  I made a grocery list, organized my scrapbooking stuff (which I brought with me in the car since it was way too heavy to mail) and waited until Bill came home.  I said "let's go shopping" before he had his shoes off.  He couldn't (or wouldn't) say "no" so it was off to one of two larger furniture stores in Juneau.  I had measured the space to make sure the furniture we bought wasn't oversized and with Bill's help, purchased a nice mid-size leather sofa, two swivel/rocker "bucket" chairs, two leather upholstered counter-height bar stools and a queen-sized mattress, headboard and large dresser.  When asked when I wanted it delivered, I said tonight, but the store clerk said Wednesday would be the earliest.  I could live with that.  Then, since it was already almost 7:00 p.m., we decided to stop at a local bar that Bill said served food.  Well, it had changed hands since he was last in Juneau in August and the food menu was still being determined.  After we ordered our beer (Alaskan Brewery now sells in Milwaukee!), some gentleman deliberately rang a large ship's bell at the bar.  Twice.  The dozen or so people on the stools thought this was a great thing - and I did like the sound.  The bartender (Bill liked her - it was Halloween and she was dressed... barely) asked what we wanted "on the bell".  My eyebrows must have formed a question mark, because she said that, when someone rings the bell, they are buying a round for the "house".  So, now two beers and still no supper.  Luckily, we were near the campus of U of Alaska-Southeast and there was a waffle/sandwich/coffee shop in the same building as the bar.  Waffles for dinner - sounded just right by me!  Strawberries, whipped cream and homemade belgian (or is it "Belgium"?) waffles with a cappuccino on the side.    Furniture, a good little buzz and strawberries & whipped cream.  What a good day!

Forgive my "french" canadian...

the seaplane cove in Prince Rupert

Our stateroom on the Taku

the cafeteria where we spent most of our time

My one foray into the "open"

but the ferry ride to Juneau SUCKED.  Let me rephrase - it SUCKED BIG TIME.  It started with our four hour entrapment in our car (read a book until the light was obliterated by the monsoon rains), then used Bill's head lamp to play a game of Scrabble (with the tiniest letters ever).  Tried to snooze but we weren't tired.   So we spent the time going in-and-out of the ferry terminal to warm up a bit.  Thank goodness I had that "poutine" which filled me up for quite some time When we did load the ferry, we found our "stateroom", left our things and headed for the bar.  Yes, the Taku Bar is on the ship and was fully stocked.  The bartender was on her "seven days on - seven days off" schedule and on her second day of those seven 'on' days.  She was very friendly, and served up our beers even with the rocking ship under her feet.  While there, we met one man who had moved from the lower 48 years ago and we small-talked about our trip so far.  Then, it was after 10 p.m. (and well-past Bill's bedtime!) so off we went.  When we left  port, the weather was getting quite nasty, with heavy rains and high wind warnings.  What we thought might be a "bit" of normal wave activity turned into Bill-almost-fell-out-of-the-top-bunk seas!  We rolled around sideways, then lengthways, listening all the time to the engines as they sputtered and strained against the ocean. We didn't want to see (nor could we since it was pitch-black on the water) how high the waves were.  In the morning, it seemed things had calmed down but we could see towels under the exit doors near the bow passenger areas.  The good thing is that neither of us felt one bit of sea-sickness, and celebrated with a good, old-fashioned pancake and eggs breakfast.  The weather outside left nothing for us to see for the entire trip - simply gray skies, sheets of rain and a distant "mound" which we could only assume was land.  No wildlife (again) so we waited until the bar opened at 11:00 a.m. and went to see our friend, Carol, the bartender.  This time, we met a younger man and his dad who, we found out, out drove us by starting in Vermont, doing Vermont to Prince Rupert in five days of 12-14 hours of driving.  The younger man would be starting a new "career" managing the Eagle Crest Ski Area on (our favorite) Douglas Island right here in Juneau.  He said that his wife was still at home, and the thought would be for her to arrive sometime between January - April.  We have heard him twice now on the radio, explaining what is in store for Southeast Alaska's premier ski hill.  I'm going to bake some bread this weekend and go "welcome" him to Juneau - no, not in the hopes of getting a discounted season pass!  Well, maybe.  Anyway, we read, did a jigsaw puzzle and ate dinner, then hit the bar again for a night cap.  The gentlemen were there again, and we exchanged names and numbers - and had a coffee with baileys, and a shot of whiskey, which was recommended by the drunk on the next stool.  Oh wait - that was Bill!  (just kidding - he didn't recommend the whiskey....)  We got our early morning wake up call through a loud speaker in our cabin - "30 minutes to Juneau" - at 3:45 A.M.  We were in our car, down the one mile to our condo and back in bed by 4:40 A.M.  Now the adventure REALLY starts!

NOW (finally) Prince Rupert

One of many waterfalls

a view from the road

I jumped the gun a bit with our arrival in Prince Rupert - I wanted to tell you about an awesome stretch of road just outside of the coastal town.  During my last post, I told you how the road followed the Canada National Railway route, along the Skeena River.  The river was the main route from the middle of the Canadian Rockies to the coast with lots of logging and mining materials being shipped along the waterway until the railroad was built.  What was interesting is that this last 30 miles or so of the road/train tracks seemed to be blasted out of hard, black volcanic rock.  If  you have been to the "big island" of Hawaii, you will know what it looks like.  The steep cliffs were towering over the road, and our car was sandwiched between these two impossible things - the fast-flowing river and the rock-hard cliffs.  However, the sharp edges of the cliffs were broken up impossibly by hundreds of waterfalls, tumbling down the cliff sides.  We had to actually drive under one, as it made it way across the road.  I truly could not get enough but it was really hard to get a photo.  As we drove into Prince Rupert, we realized that the "hard part" of our trip was over.  We were certainly looking forward to the ferry ride and our arrival in Juneau.  We did have a very nice room in Prince Rupert, one that overlooked the bay and even had binoculars in the big bay window in our room.  On Friday, we did a bit of sight-seeing - watching the float planes take off and land in the cove and I had the most famous of all Canadian food delights - the poutine - which is french fries covered in brown gravy and topped with cheddar cheese curds.  mmmmmmm  I believe they started selling it at Miller Park this summer.  Then it was off to the ferry - were we sat for FOUR HOURS in our car, waiting for the ferry gates to open and to go through US customs.  We were told to arrive between 3 - 4 hours before departure time (which was 9:15 p.m.) so we pulled up to the barrier at 4:50 p.m.  Then, we waited.  We read, we slept, we went inside the ferry terminal to warm up and use the facilities.  Since we knew the ferry was supposed to leave at 9:15 p.m., we were certainly concerned that the customs officers didn't start checking cars until 9:00 p.m.  While it went fast once we cleared customs (we had no problem), we realized that the ferry time was on Alaskan time, which is one hour behind Pacific time, which we were using.  So, instead of 9:00 p.m., it was only 8:00 p.m. and still "on time".  

Finally - Prince Rupert!

Turn your computer sideways to see (part of) the World's Largest Fly Fishing Rod

the "cairn" of King Arthur

Moricetown Falls

Can't really see the "falls", but you can get a sense of how high the bridge is

One-lane bridge over Murtle River Falls

The end of our road trip was Prince Rupert.  That is where we would catch the car ferry for a 38 hour (Friday night - Sunday morning) trip to Juneau.  For Bill it meant no more trying to use the cruise control on the tough mountain roads and I didn't have to rotate my Mile Post travel guide, the atlas and the map of British Columbia to make sure we were on the right route.  The ferry, when it arrives in Juneau, will let us off less than a mile from our condo.  What we didn't expect on this last day of driving was the exquisite views of this part of Canada.  In contrast to the mountainous province of Alberta, British Columbia is in the western Rockies and much more like Northern Wisconsin.  Lots of trees that were just finishing turning color along winding rivers with some serious rapids - in fact, there were a number of kayak entry areas along the route we took.  As we exited the mountains, we found ourselves in prime fly-fishing area (like "A River Runs Through It" - watch it just for Brad Pitt) although we didn't see anyone actually fishing, as we wound our way to the coast following the Canadian National Railway route.  We did stop at a rest area that advertised that a "cairn" (a stacked stone tower) that supposedly was part of Tintagel Castle, birthplace of King Arthur.  We also stopped in Houston at the "World's Largest Fly Fishing Rod" - a 60 foot rod with a 21" fly - which was planned and executed by volunteers.  This part of the trip was the most calming - the scenery seemed familiar, the roads following the train tracks and the rivers through canyons, rather than up-and-down.  We took a break at the small town of Moricetown, and saw the canyon and waterfall there.  Like I said, I can't pass up a good waterfall!  Now, instead of (non-existent) "moose crossing" signs, we saw lots of "danger - falling rocks" signs, but again, saw no falling rocks, but in this case it was a good thing!  The small villages that we drove through were mostly native indian reservations, with few services.  We had lunch in the car after an A&W drive-through (in Canada, A&W's are like Walgreens - on every corner!) and made one more stop at the Murtle River Falls, which flow over volcanic rock through a narrow gorge.  It is best seen by walking across a one-lane road and stopping in the middle, leaning over the waist-high barrier and taking a picture.  NOT IN MY LIFETIME.  I let Bill do it......

Trying to catch up...

Part of the glacier in the Columbia Icefields

See all the snow? See the sun?  How does that happen?

This is where it starts to get windy and snowy

Athabasca Falls

We were without phone service and wifi for a few days as we "ferried" to Juneau (arriving on Sunday morning at 4:00 a.m.) so my apologies for the lack of updates.  When last we talked, we were driving through the Columbia Icefields amid wind and snow.  It was so quiet - not many cars, no tourists - and the scenery was (again) incredible.  The icefields are covered with glaciers, many of them you can walk on if the weather cooperates (our weather did not) and as we left the Canadian Rockies we realized that we were in the heart of the mountains, as close to heaven as we could get here on earth.  We wanted to make good time to Prince George, our next stop, but I wanted to stop at one more waterfall, closer to Jasper, at Athabasca Falls.  A series of walkways took one across the canyon to the falls.  While not a high waterfall, the water rushes through a narrow gorge and makes a stupendous display of power.  I was glad we stopped.  The rest of our trip today would take us to Prince Edward, our stop for the night.  We were now winding our way out of the mountains (even though most of this part of Canada is mountainous) into a more "temperate rainforest" similar to Juneau.  Here there were many turn-offs for campgrounds and hiking trails, most closed for the season.  We did see Mount Terry Fox, which was a mountain named after the canadian who ran across (most of) Canada after loosing a leg to cancer.  If you haven't heard of his story, you should look him up.  It was a very inspirational young man.  We found ourselves in Prince Edward, a rather large town but we didn't have a room reservation for the night, thinking that it can't be busy in the middle of the week at the end of October.  Well, three hotels later, we were still looking.  The "full" hotels were helpful, giving us ideas on where to try.  Finally - success!  The Sandman would be our home away from home tonight even though we didn't need the full kitchen in our "suite".  This chain is somehow connected to Denny's restaurants, since there seems to be one at every Sandman we saw hereafter.  You know how you never see a red car until you buy a red car?  That is the way it was with the Sandman - we noticed them in each and every small town we drove through from here on out.  The next morning, since we had over 447 miles to drive to Prince Rupert, we left in the dark (6:45 a.m.) with a quick stop at the local Starbucks.  There breakfast sandwiches are surprisingly good!  On our way again - except this would be our last day of driving!

Columbia Icefields Fountain of Youth

Bill with the "fountain of youth"

We motored past the Columbia Ice Fields, which to me was one of the most impressive glacier fields I have ever seen. My mother-in-law had visited this spot in the spring and told us how she and her friend were encouraged by the guide to drink the glacier runoff. It was a local tale that you could gain an extra seven years of life by drinking it. Sadly, my mother-in-laws friend refused the offer and unfortunately passed away this summer. Not being one to resist the opportunity to provide my wife with an additional seven years of my presence, I found a spot where I could walk to the runoff and collect some water. Lacking the cup of a Carpenter I utilized my old coffee cup. Sharon and I toasted to an additional seven years of life. We have noticed many things on our trip, one has been the price of gas which while expensive provides additional mileage. Our car calculates mileage per tank, when we first began using the Canadian fuel, I noticed there was no "blend". Apparently the Canadians don't believe in putting that garbage ethanol in their tank. Like me they believe corn is for eating and subsidies do not good farm practices make. The gain in mileage per tank is almost 40 mpg. Yes the Candiens do a lot of things right.  Thanks for all your prayers - we are doing well!  Love to all, Bill

Lake Louise and vicinity

a view made famous by a Canadian Railway photographer

Lake Louise

another view of Lake Louise

Our picnic

me in the view from our picnic site

After our relaxing visit at the hot springs in Banff, we wanted to drive to Lake Louise, which is a fairytale-esque area of the Canadian Rockies.  Our route took us about 35 miles outside of Banff.  We noticed some overpasses that looked unique - in Canada (at least in this portion), they build overpasses not for cars but for the abundant wildlife.  The 23 overpasses in the Canadian Rockies are covered in grasses, trees and sod, and make a natural habitat through which they can cross the busy highway.  In Alaska, there are under passes through which the animals go to get to the other side (insert chicken joke here).  I noticed on our map of the area that there was a parallel road that was a two-laner drive through mountains rather than our four-lane freeway and we took the turn-off in honor of Robert Frost,  (the "one less traveled by") and it certainly did make a difference!  It was gorgeous at every turn (ho hum - everything here is beautiful!) and we stopped often since we had the time.  We arrived at Lake Louise just as the sun was starting to appear and walked the icy path to the viewing area.  Lake Louise is a small lake surrounded by mountains which are reflected in the still, icy-cold water.  The Fairmont Chateau is the famous resort on the lake - way to pricey for us, but looked interesting.  We took a few snapshots in the cold air (it was probably less than 32 degrees F) and decided to head back along the same route (Highway 1A) and stop for an impromptu picnic - our favorite thing to do!  I had crackers, two kinds of cheese, a hunk of fresh baked bread from the Banff bakery, a chunk of German salami, some Linder chocolate truffles and a bottle of red wine (Shiraz, I believe).  In anticipation of this, I had packed in our fully-loaded car a small folding table and our two camping stools.  We stopped at a famous "photo op" which was a railroad bridge with the mountains and a mountain stream in the distance and had a wonderful picnic (the sun was out by now and was much warmer).  We finished our drive back in Banff, where we decided to have a really nice dinner at a Tyrolien Swiss Chalet restaurant - I had duck with calvados and apple sauce and Bill had Elk short ribs with homemade spaetzle.  We started dinner with a Swiss cheese and fruit tray (three kinds of cheeses, homemade date/nut bread, grapes and melon and toasted whole walnuts) and finished by sharing a creme caramel with sugar dome.  Fancy!   Then, back to our condo for a fire and to finish our bottle of Shiraz.  Bill fell asleep.  Everything is as it should be. 

A moose conspiracy

We are driving through some seriously remote roadways - some of which have no fences to keep wildlife off the road.  In fact, we have seen many, many signs with a picture of a moose or deer indicating that they may be "crossing" for the next few kilometers (those crazy canadiens - they have to make everything difficult - distance, money, gas prices).  Anyway, at first we took the signs seriously and scanned the roadsides for signs of these elusive animals.  I mean even the large semi trucks had "cow catchers" on the fronts  so there must be something to these moose sightings.  Every time we drove through a rather marshy area, or where there was a small lake with a clearing, we looked.  And we looked.  Another "crossing" sign - still no moose.  In fact, the whole way on our trip we expected to see buffalo (none, except on a buffalo farm near Head-bashed-in (see previous post)), deer, elk (yes they have signs with BIG horns on a deer-type body) and of course moose.  Nothing.  The moose obviously can't read.  If they did, they would know where to cross to make the most impact on tourists.  I now believe that it is a conspiracy formed by the tourism board - make everybody drive through Canada thinking they are going to see moose running wild which will be a big boost for tourism (hotels, restaurants).  There really AREN'T moose in Canada except on the shot glass I bought that says "Canadian Rockies".  In ending, let me say that the one sign they didn't have was "bear crossing", and, of course, what did we see?  Yes, a bear.