Alaska2018

We spent some time at our land in south central PA - Abby and one of her friends from Cru Summer Mission joined us!  Then we headed home on Saturday.  We recounted the amazing things we did and what went well as well as what we would want to see more of should there be a next time.   All told, Ken drove just shy of 11,000 miles.  We went through four Canadian provinces, 13 states, 10 National Parks, and had a wonderful time. Our house sitter did a great job here at home - thank you so much, Robin!!!! We made it to church this morning - always a blessing, and were welcomed home by many friends.  

Visiting Ken's brother and family today then heading to our property in South Central PA  before heading home.  Ken worked remote today while we ladies picked elderberries.  Then we played Ticket to Ride: Rails and Sails (so much fun!) and enjoyed some Sheetz MTO for dinner before driving to Happy Handful Acres - our little piece of paradise in the woods.   Ken and the boys are enjoying a campfire under the stars since the rain has cleared and I am reading "On the Medieval Origins of the Modern State" in preparation for the quickly approaching academic year.  We will have a week at home, unpacking, going to appointments, catching up on chores and such before the next homeschool year begins in earnest.  

Back to PA to wrap up he last few days of our vacation.  We met some friends at Kings Resteraunt in Grove City, then headed to visit family in Portage, PA after a quick stop to drop off a baby gift at Maranatha.

We stayed at Huron Valley campground for a couple nights.  Ken and the kids went to Cedar Point evening hours, the next day, we all went all day and closed it down at night.  We did the water park during the day then headed to the Roller Coaster Capitol of the World for the afternoon and evening.  We had a blast!  Sadly, my favorite coaster (The Raptor) wasn't open when we got to it.  But the girls really enjoyed Gemini and Blue Streak.  Apparently, Annie "screams like a girl" lol.  We watched in awe as a newer contraption called "The Top Thrill Dragster" ran - none of us were crazy enough to try it.  

Yesterday was the longest drive yet... Over 800 miles.  We slept in a Cracker Barrel parking lot in Columbia, MO.  There are some businesses which allow camping overnight - Cracker Barrel is one of them, with the idea that you sleep in their RV space then eat breakfast there, which we did.  Cabelas, most Walmarts, and Camping World are others which allow overnight camping. It is interesting how different neighboring states can be.  Kansas is flat, dry, brown, and has few trees.  There are some rolling hills as you approach the Missouri River.  Crossing from Kansas City, KS to Kansas City, MO and into Missouri, it is suddenly green and covered with trees and hills. Listening to J. Vernon McGee on the radio this morning as we head into St. Louis.  Driving east through the time zones has caused some confusion.  We didn't realize that the time changed in KS and that we are only one hour behind now, at any rate, sadly, we missed church this morning. St...

View from our campsite in Estes Park, CO Rocky Mountain NP - early birds. The boys love doing Jr. Ranger programs! Quick mile hike in the NP.  It is pink shirt day.  Ever since the kids were little (we had 5 under 8), anytime we are traveling, at a museum, park, amusement park, fair, etc., we wear the same color shirts to help keep track of each other. The "color shirts" live in the camper -- it makes packing easy as well, S-curves through a canyon. Last glimpse of the Rockies before we turn east to the Great Plains.   Kansas.  Enough said.  Ken and I have both been to Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri, but the children have not.  I was six the last time I was in Kansas.  It hasn't changed except for the massive wind turbine farms - they are almost eerie at night with their flashing red lights.  Yesterday we hit the part of vacation where none of us actually knew where we were, what day of the week it is, or what time zone we are in.  But figuri...

During dinner last night, Ken was speaking with Pastor Knight about our travels thus far:  "On this trip, the Lord has been with us in the car, but two things have followed close behind us - our camper and the heat!!"   The heat is not giving up either.  We stopped at Walmart for produce and a couple automotive things, and when I checked for food and water, I realized that we had already gone through 9 cases of water and were down to only a case and a half.  So, three more cases of water were purchased and stored under the table bed. My guess is we will need three more before we arrive home in a little over a week. We spent the night at Itch-Kep-Pe campground in Columbus, MT.  It was busier than we expected, but was a pleasant no reservation - donation only campground.  There was an informal Bluegrass festival going on.   The morning brought a delicious home cooked breakfast at the  Bickel home!  Krystal and I have known each other for over 1...

It is still quite smoky here, but we will not be deterred.  Quick morning hike at the Many Glacier area then we are headed to Butte. Lake Sherburne Ken and Zeke taking pictures of some falls. Swift current Creek There is a dog in the back herding these cattle along the roadside inside the national park.  All the children started yelling "stampede!" as I watched in disbelief as the lady in the car in front of us got out of her car to take a photo.  Our photos aren't great, but we took them from -inside- the vehicle as the cattle ran past us. This is Lewis and Clark territory -- and Blackfeet Nation. Wheat fields and beehives.   Fields and cattle.   It is 94deg at 1p on the road from Glacier NP to Butte, MT.  We have had a few days, especially on the Alaska Highway, that were in the 70s, but for the most part, it has been hot - even in Fairbanks, AK and Glacier NP.  We expect the heat to continue as we head east and south.  We are very thankful that...

No pictures from me - but some excellent ones to come from the big camera when we can upload later.  All of us to the Going To The Sun busses across the park and back, stopping to hike the Hidden Lake Lookout trail.  It was incredible!  We saw a lot of wildlife, wildflowers, waterfalls, hoodoos and more.  The only possible complaint is the wildfire smoke which is obscuring our view and causing some sore throat issues.  But, it was worth the hike for sure!  Later, Ken and I hiked the St. Mary's Falls trail.  It was a quick 1.2 miles each way because the sun was quickly setting. The children stayed in the camper (their choice) while we did our hike.   Tomorrow we will try one more waterfalls hike before heading to Butte to have dinner with the Knight family.  Then a few hard days of long driving to get us east.  We are still figuring out our route.  Everyone is healthy and one child has declared Glacier to be her favorite ground level...

Driving the Icefield Parkway through Canadian Rockies National Parks Jasper and Banff.  Our target campground for last night was full, as were all the campgrounds in Jasper NP.  It was a great blessing that we didn't get asked to move out of our sleeping spot in a pull out along CAN-16 just inside Jasper NP.  Hopefully we find a good place to sleep tonight. Some sight seeing and walking planned for today. Ken had some really interesting driving today between successfully navigating between a semi and a telephone pole in a narrow alley and the extremely congested narrow parking areas at the falls within Jasper NP.  That said, the views are fantastic!   Athabaska Falls Alpine glacier near the Icefields Centre.  We stopped here to have some lunch. Jasper NP Explorer program. Banff NP We are so very blessed to have ANY campsite tonight, and due to someone canceling (as we pulled up to the registration kiosk!) we got a site with full hook ups!  Every single...

After a much needed solid night of sleep, Ken cooked up some bacon and omelets for breakfast as well as coffee and tea while I got our laundry caught up and cleaned the camper.  Then we packed everything up and headed east.   Side note:  The campground we stayed in requires "clean and bare" sites due to grizzly bear activity.  I have been a stickler about cooking outdoors and keeping all food outside so that our camper with its canvas end beds wouldn't smell of food or toiletries.  The back of our SUV is stacked with plastic storage bins of pantry foods and one big bin of cleaning supplies and toiletries. It is a bit inconvenient, but we haven't had any problems with bears or other critters. We are recalling the 1988 Winter Olympics and the children are wishing they had packed Cool Runnings as we pass through Calgary today.  I told them about the Calgary Stampede as we passed a large horse farm. Winter Olympic ski jump and bobsled? tracks. Ken has been in c...

We are back in Dawson Creek for lunch and groceries, then onto Jasper and Banff National Parks.   Taco night at a "user maintained campground" on Alberta route 40. Smoky River bridge construction.  Not fun. They wet the road between lines of traffic passing through - it cuts the dust, but thickens the mud. This is one of a few times we have been very thankful for the decision to get new tires in Anchorage! Beautiful sky!

Today, we travel the Tok Cutoff from Glennalllen to Tok, then back into  Canada, retracing the Alaska Highway. Dad and Mom are heading along the same path, but we need to move along faster now, so we aren't staying right together.  Eventually they will head south as we continue east.  It was wonderful to travel together for just over two weeks! Tok Cutoff - excellent views of the Wrangell mountains, including Mt. Sanford, but the worst road conditions we have driven so far.  It is paved, but very damaged by frost heaves. Our border crossing went well although there was a line of six vehicles in front of us. We drove late into the night and were rewarded by a large nursery herd of Elk! Better photos on the big camera later!  I estimate somewhere upwards of 50 elk were alongside the road.

Abby returned home from Wildwood Summer Beach Mission with Cru today. The weather today is warmer and less cloudy without the rain we had yesterday.   Ken's drill was not turned in at the Sign Post Forest.  It was accidentally left there when we hung up our sign two weeks ago, sadly nobody turned it into lost and found. Some of the smoke rising from a nearby wildfire.  We have witnessed some unique vehicles.  The one above is a double cab pickup with a truck camper, towing a homemade storage trailer.  That trailer is a small flatbed trailer with the upper part of an old pickup bed and cap mounted on top!!!  We have seen all kinds of configurations of fifth wheel trailers with travel trailers, quads, water tanks, kayaks and more on the fiver-flat bed!   A sign at Contact Creek Lodge and gasoline says "higher prices ahead" with regard to fuel.  They aren't kidding.  CAN$1.39/L here, CAN$1.91/L at the next stop south.    That is $3.92/...

Update:  My foot is much better today, it is tender to the touch, but I can get back into my trek shoes and hiking boots!  So glad I packed the rice pack into the freezer before we left home! Tolsona Wilderness Campground is excellent - a true jewel!  Their laundry is the best pricing we have seen, their wifi is good and Ken was able to work remote today, it is quiet and we got side by side sites with my parents in the sun for their solar recharge and us in the shade for our expandable beds.  There are water and electric hookups and thanks for Mom and Dad's Passport America membership, it was $35 for two nights!  The kids have loved the creek and the wifi. It is buggy here, but we solved our mosquito problem in the camper.  There is a gap where the expandable bed folds down. The gap is the size of a golf ball on both sides on the expandable bed hinge.  So, I stuffed an extra pair of clean socks in the gap, then covered it with a single sock which I sme...