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Here are a few photos of the rich colors created by the thermal activity in the Yellowstone Park along other pictures we took while driving to the park.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.650120795010095.1073741852.392545607434283&type=1
The beautiful Yellowstone National Park
HIKING IN THE YELLOWSTONE
We arrived a day before the park closed due to the government shutdown but we didn't let that stop us. We parked the vehicle away from the general traffic and went off hiking to the Shoshone lake.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.649724741716367.1073741851.392545607434283&type=1
The hot mineral water releasing fog in the cool evening.
SWIMMING IN THE BOILING WATER
Well it wasn't actually in the Boiling River itself but in a "lagoon" where the underground hot mineral water river gushes to the surface and then in a series of waterfalls and cascades falls into the cold "normal" river. Approaching the site where the two rivers meet I noticed fog in the distance created by the mixing of the very hot mineral water with the cold mountain river. We arrived in the late afternoon finding very few people there and they soon left. Joe wasn't in the mood for a dip so in the end I was left completely alone. At first it is difficult to navigate through the cold river to the area where the water is pleasantly hot but once in the correct spot it was heaven. The hot mineral water falling down into the small lagoon created a sense of being in an gigantic jacuzzi bubbling around and massaging my skin. The sun was setting and as the outside temperature fell to the lower 40's F the fog built up creating a sense of other-worldliness. Sitting in the warm area all I had to do to cool off is to move a few feet towards the cold river where the water temperature suddenly changed to about 40F as well. Watching the sunset color the adjacent hills, listening to the sounds of the birds and the falling water, absorbing the unique ambiance of the magical place I felt it was to date my favorite experience of the expedition.
View photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.649262081762633.1073741849.392545607434283&type=1&l=a9f640ad17
Seattle
Driving south from Vancouver we crossed the border back to the lower 48 and soon entered Seattle. It was a cloudy day with intermittent rain. After being awed by Vancouver on a sunny day this was a bit of a let down. But I still enjoyed going to the top of the Space Needle and the EMP Museum. In spite of offering sparse inventory in contrast to its grandiose exterior, it allowed a sci-fi nerd like me the opportunity to see Captain Kirk's command chair and other Stargate/Star Wars memorabilia. The next day we started driving towards our next destination, the Yellowstone National Park.
View photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.645520488803459.1073741848.392545607434283&type=1&l=f77de5497c
Tranquil Vancouver
It's hard to believe the city has a million rain jokes when all we had was sun and blue skies. This is truly one of the elegant cities in the Western Hemisphere. And what can beat "all you can eat sushi"? :)
See photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.644677262221115.1073741847.392545607434283&type=1&l=cfa9000b44
Vancouver is one of our favorite places we've visited so far. This is the "Evening/Night" album showing the pleasant atmosphere and scenery of the city. We really enjoyed watching the unicycle hockey and chatting with the goalie- Julien Hart. Can't wait to see the video recording of the game!
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.644075985614576.1073741846.392545607434283&type=1
Othello Tunnels, once used to transport raw materials by rail.
On the way to Vancouver we stopped at a few places, notably the town of Hope, where the original Rambo movie was recorded. The nearby creek and river were full of salmon that migrated there to reproduce. The Othello Tunnels, a remnant of a railway no longer in use, were also utilized in the Rambo movie. I hope you can see from the photo that they make a beautifully picturesque setting for an afternoon stroll.
Here is a link to a photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.641812509174257.1073741845.392545607434283&type=1&l=53f94e4db9
The picturesque storefronts in Dawson City.
After the harrowing drive on the Top of the World Highway we arrived to the historic Dawson City. The unpaved streets with raised planked sidewalks and Gold Fever era buildings transports one into a different, more romantic and adventurous time.
When we came many businesses were closed or getting ready to close for the winter. Not many residents endure the long, dark and cold winter of the north Yukon.
After walking around, visiting various shops (usually attracting tourists with a show of gold nuggets) and general sight seeing/video recording, we started heading south back to one of our favorite cities in the north, Whitehorse.
Here is a photo album:
Our last few days spent in Alaska were exploring the picturesque towns of Seward and Wittier and doing some hiking to the Exit and Byron Glaciers.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.636822976339877.1073741839.392545607434283&type=1
Took a boat ride from Seward unto open sea as well as the surrounding fjords exploring the sea life and the glaciers.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.635607789794729.1073741837.392545607434283&type=1
Albeit relatively short, our Denali Park was truly enjoyable and relaxing. We saw our first Grizzly, hiked a bit, had fun scaling a couple of rocks and did perhaps the more difficult thing in the park: we took photos of Mt. McKinley.
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.634159039939604.1073741836.392545607434283&type=1
Top of the World Highway
We were doing good time traveling and thought when going back from Alaska to Whitehorse we could take the northern route to the historic gold mining town Dawson City. In order to do that we had to drive the Top of the World Highway. This should be one of the most beautiful driving experiences as the dirt road was daringly built across uncountable mountain peaks in dizzying heights. What we didn't know was
1) that the day we were to drive there it was the last day vehicles were allowed to pass through there before the summer season starts again.
2) The border crossing to Canada also closed that night, at 9pm. We passed through it at 8pm. Made it by a hair.
3) It snowed the day before.
What shocked us was the condition of the dirt "highway". I'd say this road was comparable to the infamous Alaskan Dalton highway except it was much, much worse and dangerous. The American side had construction which meant we were driving up and down steep hills where wheels were buried half way in mud. We couldn't go slowly because we'd get stuck and there is no saying how long we'd have to wait for rescue as no one was crazy enough to drive there. Thanks God we somehow made it to the Canadian border. The van was completely covered in mud, just like from one of the off road Subaru commercials. We didn't think things could possibly get worse but they did. The road past the border was completely covered in ice and snow. There were numerous steep up and down slopes, curves where on one or the other side (or both) was what seemed like a bottomless cliff. If the vehicle lost traction we would surely plunge to our deaths and someone might find us in the Spring, when the snow thawed. But again, thanks to God (I said many prayers that evening) we somehow made it safely to Dawson City.
A part of a glacier falls into the ocean.
Today is September 19th, we are back in Anchorage after spending 3 days in a few interested places nearby....our first trip took us to a place called Seward - city in Kenai Peninsula Borough, a community of about 3,000 people. There are a few tourist agencies that take you for a tour along the coast where you can see glaciers from near distance as well as a sea life and just enjoy the moment. While James took advantage of one of these 6-hour tours, I took a walk through the city with a little downtown filled with local gift shops, bars and restaurants and just enjoyed a beautiful weather by the shore. That night was really nice warm outside with the sky filled with shining stars. Next day we went to see a glacier about 10 miles from Seward and took a hike to see it and enjoyed a cold wind that blows at you while you enjoy a blueish color of the monumental structure. What we learned is the blue color is caused by the thick layer of ice absorbing all colors of the spectrum and only reflecting blue. Nice view...From Seward we traveled to Whittier, a small city that's located at the head of the Passage Canal on the western edge of Prince William Sound, about 60 miles southeast of Anchorage. The only way to get there is through a tunnel which takes you 6 minutes 18 seconds of driving at 25mph. Impressive ride! When you get there you may be lucky to see an ocean liner taking off as well as Alaskan Express train taking tourists back and forth...we've seen both...we spent the last night at a place above the city with a beautiful view. We also cooked a dinner provided by eFoodsDirect and enjoyed the evening. Today morning we left Whittier and on the way we met a mayor of the city while waiting for a green light to let us go through the tunnel and than slowly arrived to Anchorage, enjoyed walking through the downtown, which is really nice and clean and our next step will be east part of Alaska close to the Canadian border. There are a few points of interest along the way we will inform you about them as we go!
One of the semis flipped over along the Dalton.
ICE ROAD TRUCKERS, THE FALL EPISODE
Driving back south on the Dalton Highway there was such a dense fog at night I could see only about 5 feet ahead of my vehicle. Got lucky and found a small rest area on the side of the road where we spent the night. I saw the trucks passing by without noticeably slowing down and I thought, how do they do it? Aren't they gonna crash?
The next day the weather cleared and we could see the carnage :D
Denali Park with Mt. McKinley in the background.
Today is Sunday 15th, yesterday we left Fairbanks and started driving towards Anchorage. Weather was pretty nice and the road is so far great. About 55 miles southwest of Fairbanks there lies a small town called Nenana we wanted to stop by. Early 1900's brought intense activity to the region as the gold was discovered in Fairbanks and the community was incorporated as a city in 1921. It's famous for its Nenana Ice Classic - where entrants buy a ticket and pick the date and time to the closest minute in April or May when the winter ice on the Tanana River breaks. This lottery began in 1917 when a group of surveyors working for the Alaska railroad while the time they spent waiting for the river to open and boats with supplies to reach them by forming a betting pool. Each year a large striped tripod is placed on the frozen river with a string connected to the clock. The winner is whoever comes closest to guessing when the ice beneath it will weaken to the point where it falls through to the water beneath. There's a big money a participant can win each year....seeing Nenana disappearing in rear view mirror we continue driving towards our next place we want to explore a little bit - famous Denali National Park and Preserve. Season is almost over it ends Sep 24th, so we enjoyed the resort being less occupied than, say, June through August. The season here starts in May. We spent last nigh about 1 mile before the resort having a beautiful view at the river and the mountains surrounding us. This morning we decided to pay visit to local stores/gift shops before anything else. After storming the very first one we were pretty much done shopping but there has to be a reason why they have "husband's waiting benches" around here. Then we drove to a local visitor center where we obtained pass letting us drive up to 15 miles into the park. About 9 miles into the road there's a beautiful view of Mount McKinley, the highest mountain in North America. Taking pictures here is a must and meanwhile we enjoy watching thousands of cranes migrating south being pretty loud. The we reached our permitted 15th mile and climbed a few rocks enjoying the beauty around us. Spending a while on the rocks we drove back and finally we were gifted to see our first bear in Alaska....we kept driving to McKinley Chalet Resort where we write this blog from. It is a really beautiful place and if you want to spend good time either with your family or just to get alone time for a week or so for a reasonable budget this would be our tip....before we leave this place we will enjoy lunch from our sponsor eFoodDirect and than go towards Anchorage. Another great day in such a beautiful place called Alaska....take care everyone, we'll keep you posted!
Sub Arctic changing to Arctic. Road to Deadhorse.
Chena Hot Springs Mineral Water Pool.
CHENA HOT SPRINGS
Today is Saturday 14th our last day in Fairbanks and we are heading south. Last night we spent in Chena Hot Springs, a beautiful place about 60 miles from Fairbanks where we enjoyed the healing effects of hot mineral water, did some walking around the place and just enjoyed the peacefulness of the resort. After arrival and looking around we discovered a hot spring right by the river where we created our own little pond trying to mix a very hot stream of mineral water and a cold river stream with not the best results....while your but is burning your feet are ice cold but nevertheless it was a good experience enjoying a first mixed drink on our tour. Then we decided to go to main pool that opens at 7 am and closes by midnight and you stay in as much as you please for $15....it can't get much better and you have "your own space" there's no overcrowding . A great place for a weekend getaway. The pool itself has a different temperature at different areas as the springs stream flows through it but over all is very warm about 105F. In the middle of the pool there's a sprinkler creating a sensation of a cold heavy rain as well as cooling the water. You can also get a massage from a streaming water right from the rock. After dusk you find yourself looking at the stars laying on the rock or under a heavy rain colored by fog created every about 15 minutes and green/red lights. With a little imagination you can place yourself in the middle of a horror movie scene. Again, unforgettable memories we are taking from here....after midnight we enjoyed a snack from eFoodsDirect and got well deserved sleep....check our next steps as we progress our expedition! Have a great weekend everyone!
Here is a link to Chena Hot Springs: http://www.chenahotsprings.com/
At the start of the famously dangerous Dalton Highway.
KNB - WELL DESERVED REST
Today is Friday 13th, this is our second day staying in Fairbanks. After the crazy hike we put ourselves through we spent yesterday on our laptops having some junk food, did some essential shopping in local stores and we also did some maintenance on our van such as changing oil, checking the fluids and overall mechanical check up. All looks well. The van got washed- it really needed it! Last night we also cruised Fairbanks around the University of Alaska where we also spent last night after having our well deserved meal from our sponsor eFoodsDirect, Inc. Today we decided to wake up earlier because we discovered a laundromat close by that has also showers! That word must have some magic hidden in it! At least for us at the very moment! It has also Wi-Fi where we are writing this post from....today's plan, after finishing all this less adventurous but important stuff, is to soak our bodies in the Chena Hot Springs mineral water pool just to relax the mind and body. A few beers may a be good company as well. Later today we are going to drive towards Anchorage with a few places along the way we want to stop by. We'll keep you posted with our latest photos and comments as we go.....
HDR rendering of the Alaskan wilderness with the famous Alaskan pipeline running across the photo.
We've experienced incredible adventures freezing our butts off while camping in the Arctic Tundra a few miles from the ocean, then dipping our feet in the freezing water, kayaking down the Kanuti river right below the Arctic Circle, hiking through seemingly impassable Alaskan wilderness that included scaling a couple of mountains, trying not to get stuck or sprain an ankle in the minefield of marshes floating above the permafrost, and getting scraped and slashed while taring our way through a dense forest trying to avoid bears. Thank God and eFoods Direct we had dehydrated food with us (we were advised before the hike by a park ranger to take either a bear barrel with us where we’d store all our food or to take dehydrated food so as not to attract Grizzly or Black bears which at this time of year are more aggressive at searching for food). Sleeping in our van felt like a 5 star hotel treatment after our frosty mountain camping. Pure, non-diluted Alaskan wilderness is beautiful from afar but savage up close. We are left with unforgettable memories, a few bruises, and an experience that will last a life time.
Two small gold mining villages located high above the Arctic Circle in the middle of nowhere. Coldfoot was occupied briefly before the minders got "cold feet" and retreated south. The village of Wiseman is still inhabited and very picturesque.
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.629666030388905.1073741829.392545607434283&type=1