Alaska2018

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...

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...

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...