Judith and Robert RAYMOND 's Travel log

Our bags had to be out the door by 10pm last night. We had to be out of our room by 8.00am.  Not a worry. Up at 6.30am dressed and then to a leisurely breakfast.  We had to meet in the restaurant at 7.55am ready to go. All went according to plan until the bus driver informs us that we have to wait 45minutes before we could go through the tunnel. The trains have the right away. It is a one way tunnel, then they have to get the level of carbon oxide down before the buses could on through. They took our bags into town and we were meeting the RV people at the airport, so had to go into town then back to the airport and wait until the van came to pick us up.  A trip that should have been 40minutes took 2.15 hours.   Still I got my sim card in city before we went back to the airport.  People at the ‘greatalaskan holidays’ depot were not as nice as the ones on the phone.  Still the RV was nice, I was getting nervous because it was so big but when I saw it, it wasn’t as big as I had thought.  Once we got in the RV we were away. No maps supplied. We had rung Tony and Jackie Oney, friends of Graham in Australia where we store our van, and they were just around the corner. About 2 miles away. So we went to meet them. Parked in the school opposite as it was after school holidays. Their home is right on the lake in a very exclusive part of town.  We met them and they were so friendly. We met their daughter,2 sons their wives and grandchildren. They all made us welcome. You have never seen so many hunting trophies as these people had. From polar bears, buffalo, dear, wolves, beavers everything you could think of. Most people over here are or were hunters. The houses were great and there transport helicopters where out front. Some people have planes, some helicopters. It’s a different place to anywhere I have been before. It’s a world out on it’s own.  Jackie went to an aging cream sale party, she is at the top of the chain and when she came back she had just one a new Lexus for the top amount of sales, they do it big over here. So we went and celebrated over the lake at their son’s home. Back at 10.30 but still light as if it was .pm in NZ. Sun still high in the sky. Hard to get used to. Slept in the RV in the school grounds then left about 11.am 30^th May to head down south to Seward and Homer. We left the school and went to get a few things from the store we left out yesterday.

30^th June 2013 Then we set off. We missed the turn off to the main highway to Homer so had to go about 5miles before we could turn around and get back on the right road. You might have guessed, more mountains and lakes. We came down the same road we had come up on from the ship for about a hour then it was new roads. Easy driving but still have to remember when we pull out to get on the right not the left side. Made few stops to take even more photos, then had to find somewhere to stay for the night. Could keep driving in the daylight until midnight but didn’t want to.  It is not so warm tonight.  In fact it was really cold at night, watched a DVD that we got rom Jackie, she gave us half dozen, then we went to bed.  Robert went for a trek today could be away 3-4 hours. So I am catching up on my diary. The sun has just come out and its 12 midday so hope it warms up. Oh no just a quick look at us then went behind the low cloud. First overcast day so can’t complain. Well Rob back quicker than I thought. Only away 3 hours up and back. Cooked tea and had a good night sleep as it was so quiet. Woke up at 8 o’clock and by the time we got going it was after 9.30am.  The stay cost $14per night at these sort of Doc camps.

31^st May 2013

We went into Seward. We were told it was quite a quant town. Well peoples quant and ours are so different.  It is not a very nice town, old and unfriendly. Not like some of the other towns we have been in.  We were quite hungry when we go there so went to have lunch at the famous Nellie’s lunch bar, and it cost us $40.00 for one Halibut and chips and one bacon and egg burger.  Well the burger was all tasteless mince patties and you couldn’t see yet along taste the bacon.  Robert had halibut and chips which was deep fired but the pieces of fish were so thin you could hardly taste it.  So I would not recommend this famous place at all.  They wouldn’t give us a table we wanted because it had to go in order so the next people to come in sat there.  

1^st June 2013

Left Seward to the cruise ships and headed towards Homer.  We both hoped this would be a lot better than here.  We called into Petersons Lake and stayed the night. Freedom camp about .8 mile off the road so quite quiet. Reasonable sleep, up at 8 again this morning and set of too  Homer.  The views were nice but not spectacular from what we have been getting.  Arrived at 2pm and pulled in to a RV campsite on the water’s edge. We had just pulled up when a RV pulled in alongside and it was Jean Graham who was very friendly. The camp was very busy.  We decided to walk to the end of the Spit.  But we got ¾ along the walkway and turned back it was a lot further than we thought.  So we thought we would take the RV up there and just gamble that we would get a spot. When we got back Jean was there and she asked us if we would like to take a tour around and bring her car back.  So we jumped in and we got the kings tour.  We went to see the cabins that where made out of old fishing boat, old train carriage and other beside. Then we went around the town and saw a moose, flash houses etc.   Then we went down to the spit and it was quant.  Lots of little shops and things to see. So we took her for a cuppa and afternoon tea at the end of the spit to watch the boats come. Then we got talking to the people next to us, Jean knew them a little and they were from Anchorage as well.  Then when we went to pay the bill the other people had put it on their account.  So friendly.  What a town, it is so friendly. Never had this done to us before.  They just loved our company and wanted to show us that Americas were friendly and nice people. Got back to the RV and put the heater on as it is cold and it is raining a little.  But the view out our windows are still lovely.  Snow-capped mountains and the calm sea.

2^nd June    we had a good night sleep once we got to sleep. Finding it hard to go to sleep because it is so light and the RV doesn’t have black out blinds. Most of the blinds are white. Still we slept in until 7.30

And by the time we had breakfast and said our farewells to Jean it was after 9am.  We went down to the spit and looked around the shops in the village. Tried to find the dump station but couldn’t see it, so decided to dump at Anchorage. On our way out we saw a RV dumping so we filled up with water, and dumped the black waste but couldn’t find out how to empty the grey water. After getting the manual out, we figured it out. It wasn’t anything like the DVD you had to watch before you picked up the RV.  Went shopping for a few things and tried to fill up with petrol. Another first and what a performance, you have to pay first then the receipt wouldn’t print out so didn’t now if it went through. Finally I got the receipt inside only to find it didn’t fill the tank up. We will have to fill up on the other side of Anchorage. On the road again, Rob not happy about having to back track on the same road, but there isn’t any other way out. The weather was really nice, nippy but fine. We came across a moose and her two calves, we got some great shots of them. The views were great yet again. Got to a camp site about 5.30. We are both ready for bed. Our body clocks are not adjusting to these light nights very well.

3^rd June.  Day dawned a little nippy and a few spots of moisture around.  We finally left the park, which was so quiet, at about 9am.  This seems to be the norm. We had a big drive today. We are heading up to Denali National Park. First we have to get to anchorage then through the city and onto State Hwy 3. When we got through Anchorage, filled up with gas.  This was a mission, first you have to pay, which we estimated we would need about 45gallons so they take $200.00off your card and let you fill up. Then when you are done you go back in and get a receipt for the actual amount used, this was $180.10 and the balance is put back on your card. I hope it worked or we are of out $20.00. Thought we had been though all the traffic then we get to Walliss and it is worse than Anchorage. So a bit of a slow trip here. Then on the open rods and back to the road works. They are everywhere. Apparently the roads expand with the ice then contract and crack. This is an ongoing trouble and an all year round repair.  We finally stopped for the night at 3pm in a layby about 100miles from Denali.  A little closer to the road than we would have liked but beggars’ can’t be choosers. Robert is very tired due to all the driving he has been doing. You have to concentrate and make sure you are on the right side and turning the way etc.  We don’t realise how much we take our driving for granted. We need to have a day off and just sit still and do nothing, but you know him, places to see that he hasn’t seen before.

4^th June     We got to Denali about 12noon and the weather was Ok. We booked in the Campground, and that is what they are, at $22.00 for 2 nights. All you get is a small place to park among the trees, and drop toilets, not anything more than staying on the road. Still since we were going on a bus trip tomorrow we thought it would be safer here than on the road.  The bus trip is 8 hours long.   62 miles up to a Eilston Visitors centre and return I hope it is worth it.  Only cost us $33.50 each so not bad.  We settled in our site then went for a 1.3 mile walk to the visitors centre and then 1.3 miles back to see where we get the bus tomorrow.  It turned out to be only a 10 minute walk from our camp site.  The visitors centre was great.  A lot of information about all the animals we might see o the trip, and about the gold fever around here and how they got the supplies over the mountain range etc. Rjob isn’t the best today, he has the flu or hay fever.  I think it is hay fever because his eyes are running and he is sneezing a lot.  So its take it easy this evening and watch a DVD that Jackie loaned us.  You are allowed to use the generator between 8-10am and 4-8pm only.  No powered site here so can’t charge my computer or tooth brush or camera battery. Never mind it will have to wait until Fairbanks. Had a bit of a rough day with dad been gone one year today in NZ as we are a day behind.

 5^th June.    We were up early as the sun hardly ever sets over here. Today the sun rose and 3.29 and sets at 11.59pm so you can see how long the days are.  I have to get used to sleeping in the light. Up and over at the bus at 8.05 for our 8.30 departure. We got the third row back so quite good really.  The bus driver Paul Christenson was very nice, and very talkative.  This is what you call a shuttle bus so you can get on and off when you like. You just wave the next green bus down and they will pick you up. We were only about 15 miles n and we spotted caribou, about 6 of them.  Just look like deer with large antlers on. Vary in colour some white to light brown and some dark brown and all shades in between. Then we saw our 1^st grizzly bear in the wild. It was eating small vegetation by the edge of a stream.   The difference between a grizzly bear and a brown bear is the grizzly eats 85% vegetation and the brown bear lives of fish and by the ocean and the rivers where the salmon run, and are a lot bigger. We then saw more Caribou and what they call Dall Sheep, they are a cross between a mountain goat and a sheep. They have huge horns and live high in the mountain ridges. Then another grizzly bear and more Caribou.  The bus trip went quite quick because you are looking for animals and the stopping for rest stops every 1.1/2 hours or so. It took us 4.5 hours to get up to the Visitors Centre and 3.5 hours back.  Not so many animals on the way back. Or not so many wanting to take photos.  We also saw and huge black and white rabbit they call a snow bunny. It is three times at least as big as our rabbits. The right by the bus was a red fox eating a ground squirrel and didn’t move until he had finished it.   We then saw another grizzly bear digging for a ground squirrel it was like a dog after a rabbit.

We loved the trip, very interesting and well worth taking 8 hour to do. The only thing we didn’t see was the Denali Mountain.

We had a nice chicken burger at the only eating house here, and then back to the RV for a shower and bed.