2007 Great Northwest Excursion

Brett's

Blog

Brett's

Blog
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6/11/7 Welcome to the DARK SIDE BLOG.  The reports here with be fluff-less.  Only the opinions of the facts will be represented here.  Today started BRUTALLY early with a flight to Dallas, then Seattle.  I did not start enjoying myself until I felt the bounce of our plane's landing gear grabbing the pavement on the runway at SEATAC.  We got a cobalt blue Chevy Cobalt for a rental, and headed up the western most parts of Washington to catch the ferry to Victoria, Canada, our stop for the night!
 
6/12/7 1st thing we caught a ferry from the island of Vancouver to the city of Vancouver(I still haven't figured that one out!).  Next was a quick DRIVE-BY of Vancouver, followed by the construction-laden trek up to the 2010 Olympics' alpine. nordic and sliding venues (AKA Whistler-Blackcomb ski area.)  We stopped and tried to buy souvenirs, but they were unbelievably few and far between.  After a bite at Mickey D's, we headed out for Williams Lake, BC.  Our goal was to get there to minimize the MEGA-DRIVES scheduled for the next two days!
 

6/13/7

 Day 3 means....Drive, Drive, Drive, Drive, Drive!  Our goal was to make Ft Nelson in British Columbia.  All the online maps told us the would be a 13 hour backbreaker of a drive.  Even with a Rita Moment for a Waterfall Picture, we made it in 10 1/2 hours!  That allowed us to unwind in the hot tub, correct all the website issues and get ready for our second 13 hour drive to Whitehorse, YT!
 
6/14/7 The 2nd 'Long Haul' was a little faster than the first.  During our drive we saw several native wildlife which we photographed.  Also, we stopped in Watson Lake to see all the road signs from around the world that are displayed there.  All these photos are posted on this site!  We pulled in to Whitehorse, YT at 5:30pm-ish and bought some necessities, checked in to our hotel, updated the website, had dinner and chilled!
 
6/15/7 Finally! Alaska!  We set off for Skagway, AK.  We arrived and were immediately disappointed that there were NO ROOMS AT ALL!  Our only options seemed to be either sleep in our car or pitch a tent!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!  CAMPING IN ALASKA....NO WAY!!  I told Rita that we should go back to Whitehorse and blow-off our ferry to Haines, AK.  So we made a reservation back in Whitehorse, then shopped, took pictures then rode a train through the famous White Pass.  After the train ride, we headed back to Whitehorse!  The change in plans actually makes for an easier Saturday then we had planned!
 
6/16/7 Not much today.  A short drive to Tok, Alaska, overcoming some treacherous road conditions in the western-most parts of the Yukon Territory.  Some stretches were dirt and gravel and the last 100 miles were full of hidden dips in the road.  Some were so severe that we were bounced around the car!  From the US border on, it was much better!
   
6/17/7 Not much today!  A short 4-hour drive to Valdez via the Worthington Glacier and a couple waterfalls.  We took some time to see the marina and the Pipeline from across the bay.  We also saw some of the local sights.  There are several pictures on the website!
   
6/18/7 Another BRUTALLY EARLY start.  We had to catch the 8:00am ferry to Whittier and then drive to Anchorage.  We needed to be in line by 7:00am.  Immediately, we saw some porpoises, and sea otters.  Fairly soon after that came the icebergs.  Just a few in the beginning, but then tons of them released from the Columbia Glacier.  We were lucky that our ferry went right through the area that they were located!  After that we has several hours of dozing in and out of sleep awakened by the other passengers ''ooing and awing about the whales that they saw!  Once in Whittier, a short drive through this 1 lane tunnel, and we were off to Anchorage.  I had Alaskan King Crab in Alaska for dinner then prepared for the next day.
   
6/19/7 8:00am start towards Mount McKinley.  3ish hours into the drive we got out 1st glimpses of it 20,000 foot peak.  It dwarfed all the other peaks by a lot.  Luckily we took a picture or two then, 'cause when we got to the park, it could not be seen without driving into the park a long way.  We watched the movie at the visitor center, bought some souvenirs and started on to Fairbanks.  Once there we had to work through our lodging issues, then it was off to play golf at the northern-most course in North America.  I played an extremely good round, took some pictures then went back to the hotel to get mom and go exploring the city.  By the way, sunset in Fairbanks tonight is 2:47am and sunrise is 2:58am.  Only 11 minutes of 'Dusk', the other 23 hours and 49 minutes it is DAYLIGHT!!!!  Tomorrow is the daunting trip to the Arctic Circle!!!
   
6/20/7 6:00am start to the A.C.  I knew it would be gravel most of the way, but read everywhere that is was a 'state of the art' gravel road...blah...blah....blah!   IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!  It reminded me of any gravel section-line in Oklahoma.  And when we got some pavement it was full of severe dips in the road!  5 hours each way and the destination, Coldfoot Camp, was 3 or 4 trailer houses and a gas pump!  The only redeeming thing was the (A)rctic (C)ircle itself.  We should have turned around there!  I couldn't wait to get back!  Tomorrow we go back to Canada for several days!
   
6/21/7 Last day in Alaska!  Got a few unanticipated glimpses of Mount McKinley....WOW is it awesome!  Our drive to Dawson City, Yukon started out ok, until we had to drive through some TOUGH, narrow, and mountainous dirt roads..again!  It made for a stressful 60 minutes until we reached the Canadian border.  The final chunk to awson City was better, but not great!  In Dawson City, I got to do some Gambling......only slots, but I did hit a $45.00 and a $60.00 jackpot!!!
   
6/22/7 Not much today.  A quick stop at some old mining town on the Yukon river, etc.  We're back in Whitehorse for the night. Tomorrow it's back to Fort Nelson before a long drive to the Northwest Territory with lots of gravel roads!  MY FAVORITE!!!!              NOT!!!
   
6/23/7 Today was ZOO DAY in the Klondike.  A long and winding road filled with zoo-type moments for the camera.  Now in Ft Nelson, dreading the drive into the NW Territory with more GRAVEL ROADS!!
   
6/24/7 Weary from the trip, we decided to blow-off the NW Territory,  THANK YOU!!  That would have been long-drive after long-drive for the rest of the trip!  Instead we headed to Edmonton!  Much more reasonable drives remain towards to end of our trip!!
   
6/25/7 Today was an excellent day!  It had everything that a trip needs to contain to be successful.....Short drives, high speed-limits and plenty of Sports Related pictures!!!!  After a Rita moment at the Alberta provincial headquarters.....it was Sports, Amusement Parks(sort-of), and More Sports!!  The Edmonton Oilers....Edmonton Eskimos.....Calgary Flames........Calgary Stampede and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary contributed to one of  the best days yet this trip!!!  Check out the Pix!!
   
6/26/7 WOO-HOO!  The end is near!  I can see the finish line in the distance.  Don't get me wrong, it has been beautiful, surprising, majestic, etc, etc, etc but I haven't seen my family in two weeks.  Never, in my life, have I been away from them this long!!  I cannot wait to return to them!  HOME IS A GLORIOUS PLACE !!!  OK1 we set out from Calgary towards Banff by way of Kasiska (1988 Olympic Alpine Venue), then to Banff & Lake Louise.  Enjoy the Pictures !!!
   
6/27/7 A reasonable 6 hour drive back into the US!  We made a stop in some town called Kamloops for a museum then it was our last border crossing of the trip.  We stayed in a hotel in Burlington, WA, 90 miles north of Seattle.  We had a celebratory dinner at Outback, then returned to pack up for tomorrow's flight back to OKC!!  
   
6/28/7 Last day of the trip!  Seattle is just an hour away, the airport another 30 minutes.  Stopped in downtown and took one photo of the space needle.  3 1/2 hours to Dallas, the 45 minutes to fly home.  It's good to be home!