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Our journey North to Alaska is over!
Summary
It was another fabulous trip in our classic Thunderbirds and one Harley! The companionship, scenery and sights were beyond
our expectations!
The participants came from various parts of the lower 48 (NJ, CO, Northern CA, and Southern CA).
The Journal below was written while on the road, whenever Internet Connections were available.
Hope you enjoy reading about our 49th in 09, aka North to Alaska, trip as much as we enjoyed the entire trip.
The Road
Many of you are probably wondering what the roads were like in the Yukon Territory and Alaska, especially The Alaska
Highway (Alcan).
The roads in Alaska were quite good -- at least as good as you find in the lower 48. Some road construction and a few
pot holes, but it wasn't all that bad.
The roads in the Yukon Territory are a little rougher -- more sections of hard-packed, oiled gravel. Some small
sections of oiled gravel. Some short sections of gravel. Pot holes! Permafrost heaves. However, it hasn't been as bad
as anticipated.
The only really bad, unimproved, road was the 3 miles to the Matanuska glacier, and 3 miles back, which the Chick,
the Golden Eagle, and Betsy Bird drove so the guys could walk (slip and slide!) on a glacier. Gordon rode with Walter
so Ira didn't have to drive this section of unimproved road.
T-Bird Report
The Thunderbird owners reading this are probably wondering how our 56 and 57 T-Birds are doing on this road trip: Over
all, they are doing quite well and probably as well as any modern vehicle.
All of the T-Birds are dirty. Betsy Bird has never been this dirty -- not on her Route 66 trip or on the 48 in 08 tour.
Instead of white walls, she's sporting 'brown' walls.
Walter's Golden Eagle has been performing extremely well. I don't think he has had any problems other then adjusting
the carburetor and finding high octane fuel in the more remote areas of Alaska and the Yukon Territory.
Betsy Bird picked up a screw in her right, front tire between Richmond and Bellingham. It was on the outer
edge of the tread; had it plugged in Bellingham before boarding the ferry to Juneau. The bulb of her left, rear brake
light/turn signal burned out. Easy fix; Walter replaced it with one of the spare bulbs Lucy carries as part of Betsy's spares;
thank you, Walter. She was a little hard to turn over in Beaver Creek after spending the night in temperatures in the
mid to high 30s; instead of her usual one try, it took 3 tries to get her started. In Healy, her choke was stuck when she
started in the morning. Once again, Walter came to her rescue and showed Lucy how to adjust her choke. In Portland, she vapor
locked and died on I-5, causing a traffic jam at 3:00 PM on a Friday. Somewhere in the Yukon Territory, she received a rock
chip (about the size of a dime) in her windshield, near the rear view mirror.
The Chick Magnet had a few hic-ups. His fuel pump went out while on the Convention Driving Tour in Vancouver. The
spare fuel pump he carried for 48 in 08 was finally used and he was back on the road in a matter of hours. Thank you
to all of the Totem Chapter and other CTCI members who helped the Chick Magnet. The Chick overheated in a tunnel in Vancouver,
BC. The Chick's heater hasn't worked and as of 8/29/09, his windshield wipers aren't working. He also took a rock on the passenger's
side of his windshield; about the size of a quarter, but not all the way through the glass and it did not spider web.
The Chick over heated, again, in Portland on the way home.
Ira had the most problems. His CB and cruise control worked sporadically. His power steering belt was making
a lot of noise so Walter helped Gordon tighten it. On August 28, his battery won't hold a charge. He stopped
at a couple NAPA stores to have it checked; one indicated his alternator was fine and, perhaps, one of the battery cells was
bad. Upon arriving in Fairbanks, Sears said the battery was fine, however, the alternator was bad. Ira's alternator was
replaced on 9/1/09 in Anchorage. On 9/2, Ira started making loud noises, again; don't know what was wrong but it sounded like
it might be a fan belt. In the evening, Gordon greased the speedometer cable to see if the noise would go away. Also
on 9/2, Ira's high beams were turned on and the right one was burned out. Ira's high beams were turned on because his
regular head lights look like high beams to everyone in front of him due to his rear end being a lot lower then
his front. On 9/4, while going over some rougher road, the driver's window came out of its track; Gordon fixed it at the hotel
in Haines Junction that evening. Also, one of the hard top clamps disengaged while on the rough road; Gordon leaned over and
closed it. On 9/5, Gordon decided to check Ira's oil in Whitehorse at a service station; when he pulled on the dip stick,
the entire tube came out with the dip stick! Apparently one of the clamps, which hold the tube in place, was missing when
he left Colorado and the other one was loose. Gordon reattached the one clamp, cleaned his hands with the container of
Goop he carries, and we were on the road again. Through out the trip, it took several tries to get Ira to turn over -- whether
he was cold or hot.
August 16-18
Since our webmaster did not have Internet connection since the beginning of her trip, there weren't any updates or reports
for August 16 through 18. Here's a brief summary.
Betsy Bird made it from So Cal to Richmond, BC (across the river from Vancouver, BC, Canada) in 2 days and 3 hours. The
longest driving day was day two for about 620 miles. The shortest day was day three with only 150 miles from SeaTac (Seattle)
to Richmond. No problems with Betsy Bird; she just cruised along -- happy to be on the road, again.
Central California was very dry, due to lack of water, and mostly dried agricultural fields. The locals are vocal
about the State reducing their water and many signs are posted along I-5, such as "No Water, No Jobs, No Future", "Congress
Created Dust Bowl", and "No Water, No Food".
The further north, the greener it was and cooler. The scenery in Oregon and Washington was lush and green.
Walter was the first of the 49th in 09 flock to arrive in BC. Lucy was second, and then Doc and Gordon.
The Convention welcome party was held Tuesday evening and it was great to see so many CTCI friends from the 48 in 08
tour -- from all over the USA! The party's entertainment was excellent and had many dancing in their seats and the aisles
to great 50's music. The desserts were wonderful, as well, and at least one of our flock ate way too many.
The next update will be whenever we have an Internet connection. This may not be until we reach Juneau, Alaska, as there
won't be any Internet connection available on the Alaska Marine Highway ferry. Using computers on the ferry is also not recommended
due to power surges.
Until our next report, rest assured we are having a good time and enjoying the sights.
August 19, Wednesday
We all made it to Richmond, BC, Canada, without any major incidents -- whether we were coming from New Jersey, Western
Colorado, the San Francisco Bay, or Southern California.
We cleaned up our T-Birds for the CTCI Concours which was held today -- some put in a major cleaning effort and
a couple of us just cleaned off the dirt/grime, bugs and tar.
Walter entered his Golden Eagle in Concours II, Gordon entered Touring, and Doc & Lucy were in Display.
August 20, Thursday
Another great day at the B.C. Convention. Betsy Bird and the Chick Magnet started the day with a quick bath because
both were covered with sap from trees. Then we were off on the Driving Tour with the other T-Birds. Lovely B.C. scenery and
not one, not two, but THREE car collections! All had beautiful and great cars so we can't pick a favorite between the Terry
& Donna Johnson's Car Collection, the Creme d'la Classics and Grandpa's Old Cars Museum. Lunch at Rosie's Diner on the
chicken ranch was mouth watering good! (Thank you, ladies!)
This evening we're off to the Convention Awards Banquet. We have our fingers crossed that Walter and Gordon do well.
August 23, Sunday
Finally, we have Internet access in Ketchikan across from the ferry terminal. Only here for an hour or so, so this will
be brief.
We drove from Richmond to Bellingham Friday, August 21, morning. Betsy Bird picked up a screw in
her front, right tire so that was repaired in Bellingham before boarding the ferry.
We met a lot of people in line and on board. Our T-Birds are on the Upper Car Deck which means they rode in an elevator
after driving onto the ferry. We get to visit our Birds three times a day on the Car Deck and they are doing well.
Yesterday, August 22, we cruised along the B.C. coast all day and evening. The scenery was beautiful.
We listened to lectures by the US Forestry Service; my favorite was about the whales. We also saw movies on board, including
"Bedtime Stories" and "Definitely, Maybe".
This morning, August 23, we arrived in Ketchikan around 7 A.M.
August 25, Tuesday
Yesterday, August 24, we also stopped in Wrangell and Petersburg on the ferry.
This morning, we disembarked the M/V Columbia in Juneau at 3:45 AM! We drove from the ferry terminal into downtown Juneau
(about 12 miles) on dark, winding roads in light rain.
Gordon had a passenger from Teluride, CO. Briann is on her way to visit friends in Seward. Since the taxi ride from the
ferry terminal into Juneau is $50, Gordon offered to give her a lift into town.
When we arrived at the Capitol building, it was still dark, but no traffic. By the time we lined up the T-birds in front
of the Capitol steps, it was a little lighter so we took pictures. From there, we went in search of coffee -- nothing
seems to open in Juneau until 7 AM.
After breakfast at The Westmark Hotel, we wandered the streets of downtown Juneau and parked our cars in the municipal
lot at the library. Parking is very scarce in Juneau and, what parking is available, is very short term.
We checked into The Alaskan Hotel which was built in 1913 and is the oldest hotel in Juneau. We even have radiators in
our rooms! The building is old with old furnishings, but comfortable and they have Wi Fi! It is also located downtown so everything
is a short walk from the hotel.
Doc and Lucy then took a city/glacier bus tour. Walter took a nap. Gordon wandered around and then took a nap.
Tomorrow afternoon we board a ferry to Skagway. We get into Skagway very late at night.
August 26, Wednesday
Yesterday, August 25, we wandered the streets of Juneau in the morning and had to be at the Juneau/Skagway
ferry terminal by 1 PM for a 3 PM departure. We picked up Subway sandwiches on our way to the terminal and ate those for lunch
while we waited to board the ferry. This ferry, the M/V Marispina, was smaller then the M/V Columbia so the cars did
not get a ride in an elevator. It rained most of the way from Juneau to Haines to Skagway. However, we did see Hump Back Whales!
We also had a chance to watch a couple movies, 'Escape to Witch Mountain' and 'Eagle Eye' while on the ferry.
We spent last night, August 25, at the Historic Skagway Inn. Absolutely delightful! This was a
brothel during the gold rush so all the rooms are named after the 'ladies'. Walter was in Dottie's room, Doc & Gordon
in Ida's room, and Lucy in Essie's room. We enjoyed a full, hot breakfast this morning at the Skagway Inn.
Today, August 26, was filled with beautiful scenery as we left Skagway and started cruisin' (driving!)
our Thunderbirds to Whitehorse, through Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon Territory. We started the day in rain, then
switched to a large patch of fog, and it has been dry ever since. It is cloudy and cold (in the 50s).
The Border Crossing was easy; we were the only ones in line. Our stop in Carcross was relatively short but we all took
time to indulge in double-dip ice cream cones and toured the railroad depot.
Arrived in Whitehorse and checked into our hotel, the High Country Inn. The hotel did not have Lucy's reservation which
was made through Orbitz. After showing them a copy of the confirmation, they honored the lower rate. As Doc and Lucy were
departing the hotel parking lot to tour the city, John and Connie rode in on Red Th' Zed. Lucy and Doc stopped at the government
building (the Yukon Territory Capitol building) to take photos; then we toured the SS Klondike and took a ride on
the trolley. We tried stopping at the Harley dealer and the local brewing company, however, they had already closed (it was
shortly after 6 PM).
August 28, Friday
The days have been going by all too quickly. So much to see and so little time! The scenery has been breathtaking. Unfortunately,
we haven't been able to pull over to the side of the road to take photos of some of the more spectacular scenery.
Yesterday, Thursday, August 27, we drove from Whitehorse to Beaver Creek. It rained -- more like showers
- for part of the day. We tried to stop in Burwash Landing but never found the town. We did find the Burwash Landing Resort,
but no sign of a town.
When we arrived in Beaver Creek, YT, we checked into the Westmark Inn at Beaver Creek. No Internet connections in our
rooms and the one computer in the lobby was unbelievably slow -- it was as slow as a 14.4 K modem! The hotel made up for the
lack of Wi Fi/DSL by having a great dinner show called the Beaver Creek Rendezvous. The food was average but the show was
very entertaining.
This the morning, August 28, we crossed back into the USA around 8:30 AM. Quick and easy Border
Crossing without hassles from US Customs.
Stopped in Tok, AK, for breakfast at Fast Eddie's. Lucy checked out the stuffed, life-size moose (they are BIG) at the
Alaska Gifts and then checked out souvenirs at the Burnt Paw Gift Shop. Lucy bought a pair of Forget-Me-Not (the Alaska
state flower) earrings at the Burnt Paw.
We arrived in Delta Junction early afternoon and checked into the Alaska 7 Motel. Then most of us toured the Historic
Rika's Roadhouse in Big Delta. Doc, Lucy and Walter did laundry at the local laundramat. Gordon had his battery charged; for
some reason, his battery is not holding a charge.
Lucy purchased 'End of the Alaska Highway' certificates for the 49th in 09 tour participants at the
Visitor's Center. (Delta Junction is the end of the Alaska Highway.)
Most of us had a fabulous dinner at the Trophy Lodge in Delta Junction -- all you could eat prime rib, round potatoes,
rice, salad, steamed vegetables, beverages, and -- the piece d'resistance -- strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries
and real whipped cream.
Side note: This was the first day, since leaving Vancouver, BC, we did NOT have rain! We actually had a little sun! But,
not to worry, as we left the Trophy Lodge, after a divine, all you can eat, prime rib dinner, it started to drizzle.
Also, all of our cars are covered in dirt and mud. Our white walls look like brown walls. Betsy Bird has never been this
dirty, and she was dirty on the Route 66 trip and the 48 in 08 tour.
In the morning, we're heading to North Pole and Fairbanks, AK.
August 29, Saturday
For the first time, everyone was ready early so we pulled out of Delta Junction at 6:50 AM. We only went about 5 miles
down the road and stopped for our first photo op of the day: the Alaska Pipeline.
To our surprise, we saw two moose between Delta Junction and Salcha. Both were near the road. Unfortunately, we weren't
quick enough to get our cameras out and capture them on film.
Our next stop was at the Mid-Way Restaurant/Bar for breakfast in Salcha, AK. Good breakfast. If anyone is interested,
the place is for sale.
Then we proceeded to North Pole and Santa's House. Took a lot of pictures and most of us mailed post cards. Doc
forgot his address book so he was frantically calling family and friends to get addresses for the post cards he purchased.
It was a short drive from North Pole to Fairbanks, AK. Our rooms were not ready, so Gordon went to Sears to check
on a battery (they determined his alternator is bad). Doc, Walter and Lucy went to the University of Alaska's Museum of the
North. Fabulous! We enjoyed the films, exhibits and art.
Not sure about our dinner plans. We're staying at the Regency Fairbanks Hotel and tonight they have a special -- all
you can eat Dungeness crab.
August 31, Sunday
Yesterday (Sunday, August 30) we drove from Fairbanks to Denali
National Park with a 2-1/2 hour stop in between in Nenana, AK. We had breakfast at the Roughwoods Inn, a cute, local cafe
in Nenana, while waiting for Gordon to catch up to the rest of the caravan; Gordon had stopped at McDonald's for senior
coffee a few blocks from our Fairbanks hotel. Since he hadn't caught up to us 55 miles later, and we knew he had an alternator/battery
problem, we stopped in Nenana to wait for him. We tried to raise him on the CB every few minutes for over an hour and left
messages on his cell phone. Gordon didn't check his cell until he was in Denali; then he called Doc back while we were still in Nenana waiting for him. Anyway, we missed
the 11:30 AM Denali tour bus. When the rest of the caravan
arrived in Denali, we toured two of the Visitor Centers, watched their videos, and checked on the tours
for the following day. In the evening, we had fish & chips for dinner and checked into our hotel, the Nord Haven (very
nice!). It rained all day. John & Connie left Denali to ride to Wasilla to visit friends.
On Monday, August 31, Gordon drove to Anchorage
to check on an alternator. Connie & John spent the day with their friends in Wasilla.
Doc, Walter and Lucy took the 8 hour Denali
National Park bus tour. It was cloudy so we never really had a good look at Mt.
McKinley (Denali) which is rarely visible anyway. However, it is now fall in the
park, the colors were beautiful and there was fresh snow on the mountains. Someone said the valleys looked like
coral reefs. We saw golden eagles, Dall sheep, grizzly bears, wolves, rabbits, squirrels, and moose. The day was
cool but stayed dry for the entire tour. When we finished dinner in the evening, it started to rain.
Tomorrow, Walter is heading to the Anchorage airport to meet a niece who is
flying in from Homer, AK, to see him.
Doc and Lucy will also drive to Anchorage in the morning and will probably
stop in Trapper Creek, Willow, Wasilla, and Chugiak on the way.
In the evening, we are having dinner with T-Bird owners who live in the Anchorage
area. (This means this website will not be updated until sometime after Anchorage -- whenever we have an Internet connection.)
September 2, Wednesday
Yesterday, September 1, Doc and Lucy drove from Healy to Anchorage with a stop in Trapper Creek for
breakfast at a local restaurant. Walter left Healy extra early to drive to Anchorage so he could meet his niece at the Anchorage
airport at 11:30 AM.
Gordon spent last night in Wasilla at John & Connie's friend's home. Gordon bought a new alternator from the Napa
Warehouse in Anchorage and installed it.
It rained all day. Lucy had to stop on the highway for a moose crossing the road!
Doc and Lucy stopped at Art and Tamea Isham's home in Chugiak for lunch. Walter and his niece met us there. We thoroughly
enjoyed seeing Art's car collection. Lucy especially enjoyed seeing Tamea's (the Alaska Master Gardener) gardens.
We all had dinner with the Anchorage T-Bird owners at Gwennie's Old Alaskan Restaurant in Anchorage. It was a lot of
fun! Thank you, Tamea and Art for organizing a get together with the Anchorage T-Birders, sharing your car
collection, and hosting a marvelous luncheon.
Today, Wednesday, September 2, we cruised from Anchorage to Glennallen, with many stops in between.
This was our second day of no rain. It is still evening so who knows if it will rain tonight.
Our first stop was at the Thunderbird Falls sign.
Our second stop was in Palmer. Had breakfast and a long visit at the Palmer Vistor's Center. We watched a film about
the first settlers of Palmer -- Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan farmers brought to Alaska under one of President Franklin
Roosevelt's programs during the Depression to start an agricultural community. Doc and Lucy toured their beautiful gardens.
The State Fair didn't open until one in the afternoon, so we skipped that.
We stopped at numerous scenic pull outs. The scenery between Palmer and Glennallen was breath taking the entire way.
We drove the gravel road (3 miles) to the Matanuska Glacier so the boys could walk on a glacier -- first time experience.
Had dinner at the Eureka Roadhouse and then drove the last 60 miles to Glennallen. Spending the night at the Caribou Lodge.
Tomorrow we're off to towns with Alaskan names such as Gulkana, Gakona and Chistochina. Then through Tok, AK, and
cross the border into Canada. We plan to spend tomorrow night in Beaver Creek. The Westmark Inn Beaver Creek is closed for
the season (we spent the night there the first time through Beaver Creek), so we plan to stay at Ida's Motel.
September 3, Thursday
What a beautiful day! Our second day of no rain and our first full day of SUN! The perfect weather, combined with the
most beautiful of scenery, made for a perfect day of touring and cruisin' in our classic Thunderbirds.
Everyone was up early so we were on the road at 6:45 AM -- after scraping frost off our windshields. (This was our first
frost and probably the first time ever Betsy Bird has seen frost.)
From Glennallen, we cruised past Gulkana and stopped at Gakona Lodge & Trading Post; we were too early for the lodge
to be open so we continued on. Stopped in Chistochina at Posty's General Store for hot coffee and a few souvenirs, plus
chatting with the 'locals'. From Chistochina we went to Tok and picked up the Tok Cutoff to Beaver Creek.
We made many stops at the various scenic outlooks (photo ops) throughout the day. It seemed each stop was better then
the last.
We were stopped at the US Border -- mostly so the border patrol could admire our T-Birds. About 20 miles later, we stopped
at Canadian Customs. Only took a few minutes for each of us to get checked by the Canadian Customs personnel.
After crossing the border, we went through two road construction areas. Neither were very long but it was dirty and dusty,
plus some tar covered gravel.
Upon arriving in Beaver Creek, YT, the guys started their laundry and Lucy started updating this website.
Tomorrow we're off to Koidern and then try to find Burwash Landing (missed it the first time through), Kluane Lake
and overnight in Haines Junction.
September 4, Friday
Everyone was up early and we were on the road at 6:30 AM. The only problem was that it was very dark and started to rain.
(We changed time zones, again, yesterday so it was darker this morning.) The scenery was beautiful, especially along Kluane
Lake.
We had breakfast at the Burwash Landing Resort and then took photos of our cars by the world's largest gold pan. Then
we toured the Kluane Museum and watched their film.
Had to stop for one road construction area where four men were high on the mountain removing rocks so they would not
fall on the road.
The road was rough between Beaver Creek and Burwash Landing. This section has been the worst road we've encountered on
the highway, but it really wasn't all that bad -- permafrost heaves, pot holes and some oiled gravel.
We are now traveling at the end of the 'the season'. Many of the hotels/motels and restaurants are closed and will
re-open in the spring. Many closed September 1st. When new snow appears on the mountains late August/early September, the
locals call it 'termination dust' because it means the end of summer and most everything starts to close (and their summer
season staff is terminated).
Checked into the Stardust Motel in Haines Junction. Doc has come down with a cold so he was sent to bed for most of the
afternoon. Gordon worked on fixing his window. Lucy used the extra time to work on this website. Everyone, except Doc, went
out for dinner; we brought soup, crackers and a salad back for Doc.
September 5, Saturday
Left Haines Junction bright and early and enjoyed the beautiful sunrise as we cruised down the two-lane highway. Stopped
in Whitehorse for more sightseeing: the world's largest weather vane and the MacBride Museum. Also had breakfast in Whitehorse
and stopped to do a little shopping - the Harley dealer and Wal Mart. Gordon stopped in the Wal Mart McDonald's for senior
coffee. Doc bought a pair of Alaskan Xtra Tuff rain boots.
The next stop was in Carcross for an ice cream break. Crossed the border between B.C. Canada and the USA. Re-entry into
the USA outside of Skagway was quick and easy -- no lines. Guess it is paying off to travel at the end of 'the season'.
Arrived in Skagway and checked into the Historic Skagway Inn. John and Connie were waiting for us to arrive. Since the
shops would close at 5 PM, there was less then an hour to shop. The end of the season means sales, sales and more sales --
from 10% to 80% off! Lucy found some note paper for Doc that says "Alaska Chick Magnet" and gave it to him at dinner in Olivia's
Restaurant.
It's to bed early tonight because we have to be at the ferry terminal by 4:45 AM. The Skagway Inn will have coffee and
a continental breakfast waiting for us in the morning before we depart.
September 6, Sunday
We were all up bright and early, had a continental breakfast at the Historic Skagway Inn, and in line to board the ferry
before 5:00 AM. The Inn was only a few blocks from the ferry terminal. Chatted with a lot of people while waiting
to get on the ferry.
This ferry ride was delightful -- very little rain so we could see what we missed on the way to Skagway. We saw many
glaciers, water falls, light houses, and whales.
Arrived in Juneau at 1:30 PM and enjoyed the 12 mile drive from the ferry terminal into downtown Juneau -- no rain on
that winding road! Stopped at the Capitol building to take more photos -- in day light and no rain! Then we checked into The
Historic Alaskan Hotel. Gordon and Doc had an interesting encounter as they were checking into their room -- approached by
a hooker! You have to ask them for the details of their encounter. (For many of its 96 year history, The Alaskan Hotel was
also a brothel.)
After getting settled in our rooms and parking our vehicles, it was time to explore. The first stop was the Alaskan
Saloon (attached to our hotel). From there we went to the frame shop to pick up the 'North to Alaska, 49th in 09' photo mats
we ordered the first time through Juneau. By then it was time for dinner so we stopped at the Red Dog Saloon; most of us had
the beer brat and sauerkraut.
Tomorrow is Labor Day, however, it appears most stores and sites will be open. We've been invited to an AFL-CIO Labor
Day picnic on Douglas Island.
September 7, Monday – Labor Day
We didn’t sleep well last night because locals and tourists were celebrating
Labor Day weekend at the Alaskan Bar last night with a live, loud, hip-hop band. Walter’s room was directly above the
bar. Lucy’s room was two stories above the bar. Doc, Gordon, John and Connie were on the second floor. There was also
a domestic dispute in the hallway of the third floor between two and four in the morning.
Even without a good night’s sleep, we were up and out to spend our full
day in Juneau.
Doc, Connie and John headed out to the Mendenhall Glacier
Visitor Center. Gordon and Walter went in search
of an ATM. Lucy went on an architectural/history walking tour of downtown Juneau.
We all met around noon at the Public
Library’s Municipal Parking Lot and drove across the bridge to Douglas Island
and Sandy Beach. Yesterday, Ruth Danner, a candidate for City Assembly, invited us to the AFL-CIO Labor Day Picnic at Sandy
Beach. (You can read about Ruth Danner at www.DannerForAssembly.com.) It was a family affair and included all of the Union Locals (IBEW, Laborers, etc.). They know how to put on a picnic! We
had great food, music, and a few speeches by candidates running for the School Board and City Assembly. The T-Birds had special
parking near the shelter.
Anyone who knows John, won't be surprised to know we also stopped at the Alaskan
Brewing Company for free samples.
September 8, Tuesday
This was our last extra early morning. We were at the Juneau Ferry Terminal
at 4:45 AM to board the M/V Columbia back to Bellingham.
The four T-Birds were taken via elevator to the Upper Car Deck for their ride to Washington.
After checking into our cabins, we found coffee in the Snack Bar. Later in the day, we uploaded the pictures from the T-Birders’
camera memory cards onto flash drives (the guys purchased in Whitehorse) so we have copies of everyone’s trip photos.
The weather was good all day with only a few sprinkles which made the scenery
more spectacular then it was on the way to Juneau. The M/V Columbia stopped in
Sitka late afternoon. Then we had dinner in the Columbia’s
Dining Room. The halibut was excellent.
September 9, Wednesday
This is our second full day on the M/V Columbia. The ferry stopped in Petersburg
around 3:45 AM for about an hour. Most of us slept through that stop. It was dry
most of the day.
The ferry was late arriving in Wrangell so it was a quick unload and load of
freight, vehicles and passengers. The sign at the Purser’s Desk still says we are scheduled to arrive in Ketchikan
at 2:15 PM. I’ll try to update this website at The Landing Hotel/Restaurant
in Ketchikan (our only chance of an Internet connection before Bellingham).
If not in Ketchikan, this site will not be updated until we’re in the lower
48 (Washington, Oregon or California).
Tomorrow, September 10, Thursday, we spend our last full day
on the Columbia. We’re scheduled to arrive and disembark in Bellingham,
WA, at 8:00 AM on September 11, Friday. From there,
everyone is heading south: Walter to OR, Gordon to CO, the Herrells to CA Gold Country, Doc to the San
Francisco Bay area, and Lucy to Southern California.
September 10, Thursday
The ferry cruised along the B.C., Canada, coast all day and night. It was dry and we had a little sun. Saw whales. Spent
the day in the forward viewing lounges. Had dinner in the Columbia's Dining Room -- all you could eat buffet.
September 11, Friday
The ferry arrived in Bellingham a few minutes before 7:00 AM Alaska Time which would become 8:00 AM as soon as we drove
off the ferry onto terra firma.
Zed th' Red was sandwiched between the big rigs on the main deck and was off the boat and on her way almost immediately.
The T-Birds had been tucked onto an upper deck (by elevator) and took a bit longer disembarking. Gordon went in search of
a Trader Joe's for '2 bit chuck'. Walter headed for Seaside, OR. Doc and Lucy were the last off the ferry and started cruisin'
down the road through Washington and Oregon.
Betsy Bird had vapor lock in Portland on I-5 around 3 PM and caused a traffic jam in the middle lane. Finally, a
couple guys stopped to push her to the side of the road.
Doc and Lucy both spent the night in Cottage Grove, OR. Connie needed to get home promptly, was dropped off at SEATAC,
and arrived home later that day. John laid over in Roseburg, OR.
September 12, Saturday
Doc arrived home in the early evening, just in time for his Neighborhood Block Party and received a hero's welcome. John
arrived home in Jackson, CA. Gordon arrived home in Colorado. Walter arrived in Seaside, OR, to spend time with family. (He's
not sure when he'll start his journey to New Jersey, but he'll drive to Boulder, CO and New Bern, NC on his way to NJ.) Lucy
spent the night in Coalinga, CA, after driving 640 miles.
September 13, Sunday
Lucy arrived home at 10:00 AM and returned Betsy Bird to her nest. Picked up Spot from Petopia Spa and Resort at 3:30
PM. Total mileage from home to Alaska and home again was 5,023 miles.
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