There's lots to learn! 4.19.09

We've had a good week so far, have been learning lots! There is a ton of stuff to learn and although history has never been my forte I'm learning as much as possible. Indians and all of thier clans, moieties, lineage, stories, totems - good god how many totem poles and stories behind them ARE there?!! haha!! And each one has a story!! There's not just one totem park, there's 4! With 20 or so totems at each of them, not to mention all of the totems all around town, it's a lot to learn.



It was sunny the first 3 days we were here, and rainy the past 4. It's supposed to be not-rainy about 3 days next week too. The 1st cruise ship comes into town on Wednesday but we're not working that day, we work the following week - Wednesday and then Saturday. Then I think I work one day, and Michael works another day. After that - it's 5-7 days a week....until the end of October! Whew! It gives me plenty of time to train, on my own dime. Luckily, it isn't costing us a thing to get into places - we just tell them we work for the Hummer tours and we're let in at no charge, given any & all training materials we want, and get personalized info. Ask a question, get an answer. We've met lots of people and everyone is very nice. Very welcoming & pleasant. We're in an apartment until the boat is ready, which will be a bummer leaving. It's nice & cozy, has internet & pretty much everything we need. Although, we're out in the boonies, way away from town (HAha!!). The town is 18 miles North of downtown, 12 miles South. There's lots of hiking as the island is large but the town is small.

So far, we've been to Saxman Totem Park, Totem heritage center, Southeast Discovery Center, Totem Bight, & Potlach park. We haven't been on any hikes, but plan to do that when it's sunny this week. There are 2 hikes we can take guests on. We have setup our own training class with the local U.S. Forest service representative who will take us on a hike & show us all kinds of stuff. I'm pretty stoked about that and have been trying to study up so I have a clue when we go out. Difference between trees - shrubs, berries, lichens, mosses, birds, wildflowers, bears, etc.

I've learned the 5 types of Salmon (who knew?!), what they look like & what they're used for!



Bald Eagles are all over. I've seen 4 so far - one out on a pole, one flying right above us and landing in a tree just above us. Then two were out over the water & landed on a dock we were watching.



It was way cool. I was pretty much screaming at Michael - LOOK!! I hope I don't freak out in front of my passengers like that. I have to work on being calm. Yeah, like that will happen. haha... There are over 500 ships stopping in Ketchikan - with over 886,000 people coming through. Whew! This is Alaska's 50th anniversary so there's lots of anniversary events happening this summer. We got the Van registered & titled in Alaska and have a nice new license plate that kinda matches! haha... So...lots of stuff going on here. Lots of learning. Lots of new stuff, new people, new places.

I uploaded more photos, check them out! Enjoy...
Rene

Ketchikan, Alaska 4.13.09

Well, we made it. It was a crazy couple of days.

We had plans to stop in Prince George or somewhere along the way to Prince Rupert, but the weather continued to drive us on. Also, we learned there was a Sunday ferry to Ketchikan and we figured we could make it. I checked the schedule and found it was to leave at 10:15 in the morning on Sunday morning. So we hightailed it to Prince Rupert, arriving around 11pm. We found the ferry terminal with 'No overnight camping' signs everywhere so we drove over to the RV park, just up the road. It was closed so we parked right outside the office and crashed. We were both exhausted.



The next morning we arrived in front of the Ferry Terminal promptly at 7:15 (passengers with vehicles were supposed to be there 3 hours before departure) and waited....and waited....and waited.



There was absolutely no activity anywhere except a deer that came out of the clearing and crossed the street in front of us.



We waited until I couldn't hold it no more (haha!) and drove down the street to find information and a restroom. We were informed that this Sunday's ferry leaves at 8pm! Doh!! We busted butt to get to Prince Rupert the evening prior, then got up at o-dark-thirty to get in line. Oh well!

So we hung out in Prince Rupert for the day. We had a nice early dinner, found a couple of geocaches, & did some sightseeing. It was a cute town and we were amazed to see so many people out walking around town! We stopped at a convenience store and I asked the guy behind the counter about it and he said it was the 1st day in the past 2 months that they had seen sunshine & no rain. I also asked him what was a 'must see' in Prince Rupert. He answered... Hmmm... you should walk along the boardwalk in front of the water and....well....you can play pool just down the street! haha... He said most people just stay inside.



We made it back in line for the ferry at 6pm and it took off around 8:30 or so. The bummer part was it was night and couldn't see anything. We will make sure to take a day ferry next time so we can see where we're going! The ferry was mostly empty so we had our pick of seats and we ended up on the floor asleep, as were the majority of everyone else, until we arrived in Ketchikan around 2am.

We drove off of the ferry and found our first parking lot which was right in front of the marina and slept for the night. We were exhausted, again.

Today we contacted our employer and met up with the owner & office manager who got us all employed and setup. We were supposed to live on the owner's boat, but he informed us it was in the yard so we will have to stay in a one bedroom condo until it's ready. Oh...how awful! haha... So we unpacked & are hanging out in a heated room, with TV & Cable, internet, & even managed to cook our own meal this evening. How decadent!

It was sunny again today, with more locals telling us to 'count our blessings' and that it was sunny only 25 days the entire summer last year. I hope it's a better summer than last year! :-) I will tell you - it's lighter later here. It is dark around 9pm or so right now. It's crazy!

Tomorrow we start our intensive training learning the city and Alaska information so we can be experts!

More to follow...
Rene

It’s SNOWING!!! 4.11.09

It has snowed on us twice so far today. SNOW!! What were we thinking?!!



We woke up this morning and the inside of the van was 40 degrees. BRRR!!! Thank goodness we brought both a blanket and a comforter so we can stay decently warm while we’re sleeping. And we were parked close enough to the bathrooms that I could open the van door and do the crazy chilly dance only a couple seconds until reaching the bathroom doors and make it inside the nice warm bathroom. Ahhh…now that’s living! Haha…

We got on the road quickly as Michael read we had snow coming and we don’t want to get caught in it. And of course, hours later, once the coffee has finally kicked in, I can find no such report so I think he was just messing with me. So cruel… The scenery has become more and more white. We’ve climbed in elevation to about 1,100 feet so far and everywhere we look there is snow or ice. All of the lakes & streams are mostly iced over and there’s about a foot of snow everywhere else you look. The roadways are clear and it’s been a pretty nice drive. The Van is doing perfect, no issues at all. It’s not setting any land-speed records but it’s chugging right along and still getting about 20mpg even on the crazy hills we’ve been climbing. The heater works very well on my side and of course, I’m all bundled up – sweats, 2 shirts, a jacket, & ugg boots. Michael….stands out like a sore thumb in his shorts & tank top. Only today has he begun wearing a sweatshirt. I swear he’s part polar bear!!

We continue to see animals everywhere. We saw a bald eagle today, resting high on the top of a tree. We’ve seen Canadian geese, ducks, deer on the side of the road munching the grass, cattle, horses, sheep & lambs, and a bear! Well, it may have been a dog – but it was a bear shaped dog and the biggest dog I’ve ever seen! Haha… We’ve seen signs warning of moose in the roadway, but haven’t seen one yet. And there are lumber yards all over – with thousands – probably more – trees cut down waiting to be made into wood. It’s amazing to see that many trees piled up. And it’s impossible to get a picture of them! I have tried each time we see them and haven’t managed to get one single clear photo. Oh well.



We drove up Highway 97, known for the gold rush ‘houses’, stopovers for weary travelers in the Gold Rush of 1858. We are now on the Canadian Hwy 16, where we will go up & over the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Our plan is to drive until almost dark tonight and find a place to stop. No matter where we stop, it will be cold so there’s no place better than the next. I’ve been bored silly on this trip so far. I have finished sewing my pillows (which look great!) with leftover material from the curtains & porta potty cover, have read, & read, and watched the scenery go by. It’s a hard knock life for us.

More to follow!
Rene

Canada eh! 4.10.09

We left Cheney at first light. I was reading in the AAA book the insurance requirements and it stated we needed a “yellow Non-Resident Inter-province Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card” – CRAP! We didn’t have one. So we quickly called our insurance agent in Texas. Lucky for us, he answered the phone by mistake as the office was closed for the day (who knew it was Good Friday?!) and he just happened to be in the office checking mail. He had to do some research onto the requirement and then found out, he couldn’t do a thing about it, but could send us to a Farmer’s office in Washington to pick one up. He made arrangements for one town and when we got there were told we didn’t need it! But we were called by another agent who had been called by our agent and she knew all about it and could help us out. Success! It seems this special yellow card is not a requirement, but if you don’t have one and are in an accident, you’re in big trouble. So we’re glad we took the time to get it, even if it took two special stops. We also stopped for the required geocaches in Washington, bringing our state total up to 10!

We made it the rest of the way through Washington and crossed the Canadian border at Osoyoos, B.C. right outside of Oroville. Woohoo! We made it!



Of course, not without Border Patrol and the drug dog going through the vehicle. What is it about us that we look so darn guilty?! Is it the fact we’ve travelled in and out of Mexico or Latin America so many times in the past few years? That we are driving a hippie-mobile? Maybe it’s that our license plate is Colorado, our drivers license California, our state of residency Texas and we’re headed to Alaska for the summer? Or is it that Michael just has that guilty face…WHAT?!!… Haha… Actually, it turned out to be one of the most pleasant interrogations we’ve had so far (wait, THAT’s an oxymoron?!) – they only interrogated Michael, leaving me along, and then took the dog through the van. We even got to chat a bit with the officer after he was finished and he told us stories of people who had just purchased a vehicle or were in rental vehicles where they had found drugs. We weren’t worried but were still relieved when we were given our pass.

The scenery is beautiful! There are budding apple trees everywhere, dormant grape vines, bee boxes, beautiful mountains (with LOTS of snow on them!), and semi-frozen lakes that are just thawing.



The mountains are very rocky with few trees, but are colorful with muted reds, orange, beige, & greys.



The homes & farmhouses are still sparsely located and colorful and we’ve seen a bunch of fresh fruit stands, wineries, bakeries, & honey stands. There are horses and their foals, cows & calves, & the occasional llamas! There are “NO National Park” signs everywhere…I’ll have to ask around as to what is being proposed. Gas is 95.9 CDN per liter, or approx 3.05/gallon. It’s overcast today, high gray clouds looming over us. I hope it doesn’t rain tonight. I spoke too soon – it just started sprinkling. Bummer!

We drove to a little place called Cache Creek and found a lovely campground called Brookside Campsite that we stayed for the evening. It was about $20 to stay but had showers and electricity and a handful other campers. I told Michael I want to own a campground when I’m old. It seems like a great retirement business! And the people are always so nice.



I’ll upload photos when I can find an internet café soon!
Rene

Over the river and through the woods....4.9.09

To grandmother's house we go! We left Bend, OR yesterday morning after getting a good night's sleep and sleeping in a little. Oregon was pretty...cute little towns with a 1 or 2 block main street, sporadic houses, & lots of nothing.



As we approached the Columbia river, the mountains & hills became suddenly majestic as our path was carved between them. The fluffy white clouds really brought out the blue of the sky in contrast to the yellow green of the pastures all around us. It's been windy today, with gusts up to 30mph, pitching us all over the road as there are two fronts around us - one to the South and one to the East. There were lots of trains paralleling the highway and very few vehicles.



We stopped for a quick geocache before leaving Oregon - making our State total (the amount of states we have found a geocache in) now 9!

We spent the late afternoon chatting with Michael’s grandma.



She is in an assisted living facility in Cheney, Wa. It was great chatting and catching up with her. She made arrangements for us to camp in the parking lot of the restaurant she worked for 15 years as a baker so we drove on down and made it for dinner. After dinner, we popped up the top on the van and began to get settled in for the evening. It was our first time getting it all set up so it took a little more time than it should have searching for the things we were looking for! While at Sue’s house, we made a curtain to go in the front windshield & side doors and couldn’t find it to save our lives! And it was cold out!!

And did I mention that the restaurant was right alongside both the main highway and a set of train tracks!! So as you can imagine, we listened to lots of noises the whole night. In the morning, Michael got up & went into the restaurant for some coffee and sat at the bar chatting with some 'good ol boys'. The guys were asking him the standard questions - 'you from around here?', 'you passing through?', 'you got family in town', 'you're ALVINA's grandson?!!' Oh please tell her I said hi. Then the next guy heard, and the next and he ended up talking to many at the restaurant! haha... But the funniest thing he told me was he overheard a guy go into the kitchen and talk to the owner of the restaurant, Mike. You must read this aloud in your most good-ol-boy accent... The guy said "Did ya see ya have a camper out there in the parking lot?", Mike said yeah. "Are they paying ya rent?" haha!! I have to admit, I laughed out loud when he told me that...and kept laughing when I would think about it.

So the first night of camping was a success - no problems other than it taking a little longer than it should have to setup. We were plenty warm, even though the temps dipped into the 40's overnight, and aside from all of the noise all night, we slept pretty comfortably.

We spent the entire day with Grandma on Thursday - chatting & looking at photo albums. She went down memory lane, taking us with her. It was a nice day. We went on a roadtrip to dinner, which was a bit of a hoot since we figured she would have a lot of difficulty getting into the van. She proved us wrong & climbed right in!



That evening we decided to get a hotel room as we feared it would rain on us and we needed a better night sleep so we checked into a hotel - right on the railroad tracks - and slept fine.

Canada tomorrow!!
Rene

Bend, Oregon 4.7.09

We made it to Bend with no issues. We’re still getting our spittle of oil and a couple drips but it doesn’t appear to be a problem. We didi find a problem with the refrigerator, it doesn’t work in battery mode for some reason so we will have to figure out if there’s a bad relay or what. The van is doing well – cruising along and earning about 20mpg. And that’s fully loaded! So we are not complaining. OK, I’m complaining a little bit. What in the world made us trade in our nice new vehicle for a 25 year old vehicle?! With 25 year old seats!! I’m sure they are made out of hardwood! I’m glad to get out of the vehicle and stretch whenever possible. Haha. We did find a nice selling feature of our particular van….the heat vents are all routed to the passenger side! And as you know, Michael is the ‘Polar bear’ of the family, needing no heat at all while I’m often cold so it seems to be a good thing! Now I might change my mind when we are heading back down to Mazatlan, but for the cold temps, it’s perfect! Keeps my toes nice and toasty warm.

The drive is pretty boring – Oregon is so beautiful it puts me to sleep. We came up the 5 to the 97 into Eastern Oregon. Lots of rolling hills, snow capped mountains, cattle, tall trees, sheep, & not much else. I will say Spring is definitely in the air…the trees are budding and beginning to flower with beautiful colors, the animals that we see all have little ones running alongside, and the grass is trying to go green. Today has been in the upper 60’s and overcast. We saw Klamath mountain and lake, which was very pretty.

We came into Bend and took the scenic route until finding a place to stay the night. We haven’t slept well for the past couple nights and are looking forward to a good night’s sleep.

Tomorrow we’re heading to Cheney, Washington, near Spokane where Michael’s grandma Alvina lives.

More to follow…
Rene

On the road again….to Alaska! 4.6.09

We’re off! We left Sue’s house super early Monday morning and trucked up to San Francisco for our first stop. Dale Matheny, a friend of Michael’s family, is in San Francisco and we spent the day with him. We visited him last year and had such a great time. We made it in time for lunch and visited all afternoon & evening – sitting outside in the sunshine on the porch watching the world go by and talking. I’m sure I mentioned he collects carnival glass, of which I’m mesmerized. It’s such a fascinating hobby & collection and he has met such wonderful people also into collecting and has amazing stories.

The van ran well, though we had some ‘spittle’ of oil on the back end that we’re puzzled how it’s getting there. It’s not serious, but has Michael scratching his head. We’ll know more in the next few days whether it’s a problem.

Tomorrow is a long drive – to Bend, Oregon – about 12 hours of driving. Whew! It should be a nice drive though. The total trip to Alaska is approx 2300 miles and we must be there by the 16th when we have a Ferry reservation from Prince Rupert, Canada to Ketchikan. 10 days and counting!

More to follow!
Rene

Final preparations for Alaska 4.4.09

We’ve had a super busy two weeks! I can’t believe two weeks has flown by. We have had errands to run each and every day. In addition to running all over the county for boat parts, van parts, & visiting friends! We have nothing ‘left’ in Ventura but friends & acquaintances but we still consider it ‘home’. And Sue & Dennis have allowed us to have a ‘home away from home’ and we’re super appreciative!!

We’re all ready (or we hope we are!). We purchased our ‘uniforms’ we’re required to wear – khaki pants, blue button up shirts, & a leather jacket, purchased all of our boat parts we will need for next season in Mexico, waxed the van, and everything we should need in Alaska. Whew! It was a lot of work. Throw in seeing a lot of friends and spending time with Sue & Dennis and it was a full week. We’re bummed to go, we hate to leave. And we’re both excited & nervous to go to Alaska. It’s something new & exciting and NEW! Haha… We hope to have lots of cool stories & pictures for you in the upcoming months.

More to follow!
Rene