Tag: Roadtrip

Icebergs

On By rrainefioreIn Beautiful Things, Travel1 Comment

Today, I was supposed to go to Columbia glacier to kayak around the icebergs. It was a 10 hour tour, but there was also the chance of seeing whales, sea lions, and seals. After the Aurora tour when I felt so exhausted, I called the company I was kayaking with and asked if I could change to the shorter kayak tour that went to a nearby lake and kayaked around the icebergs in the lake.

It would have been nice to see Columbia glacier, but it was also nice to have a shorter day.  There were no whales in the lake.  Although the lake is 600+/- feet deep.  There were only 5 of us plus the guide.  That was a nice sized group.  We paddled around the lake.  Made a shore stop for lunch and then paddled some more. 

The clouds finally lifted.  It’s nothing but steep mountains everywhere.  It’s impossible to tell that this is a port town as every finger of land has mountains on it.  It looks like you are in a mountain-locked bowl.  The mountains rise straight up from sea level – nothing gradual here.  It really is so stunning.

Our tour guide raved about some of the food trucks in town, so I had some ginger chicken from the Thai food truck after we got back.  Later, I went for a walk around the neighborhood with Hannah and Colin and the dogs.  Saw a mamma and baby moose in their backyard. 

I am so in love with ice.  I’m completely drawn in by it.  I’ve seen glaciers and ice before, and it still feels like my first encounter with it.  I love the shades of blue, black, white, and clear.  It has so many textures.  Some ice is smooth, clear, and glistening, like ice cubes in your glass.  Some of the clear ice has beautiful patterns of cracks and bubbles trapped below the smooth surface.  Other ice is dimpled, opaque, and looks fuzzy like a stuffed animal from afar.  There are black streaks where the glacier wore down rocke into a fine black dust.  Some icebergs still have rocks in them, or the ice above the rocks melted, leaving a roof of black rocks.  These icebergs look like the shoreline, but they aren’t.  There are holes, caverns, ice bridges, and mini waterfalls.  We kayaked through open water and mini canyons of ice. 

Alaska

On By rrainefioreIn Beautiful Things, TravelLeave a comment

Days 11 and 12 of my roadtrip were mostly driving. I left Whitehorse and got to drive past Kluane National Park again. It was just as beautiful. The road was quite bad most of the way. There were giant potholes and undulations in the pavement that almost threw you into the air, or maybe they did. So there was quite a bit of speeding up, cussing and slowing down.

I got to the Alaska US border. The border guy was way less enjoyable than the guy when I entered Canada. He started off with an accusatory tone like how dare I try to come into the US and just kept going.

Border Dude: “Where are you going”?

Me: “Valdez”.

BD: “Why”?

Me: “To visit my friends that just moved there and bring them their truck”. [In my head: To see Alaska, duh]

BD: “Why are you driving it”?

Me: “Because they just moved there”. [As I just told you]

BD: “Why didn’t they drive it”?

Me: “Because 2 people can’t drive 3 vehicles. [in my head: haven’t you ever moved?]

BD: “What are their names”?

Me: “Hannah and Colin” [You know them?]

BD: “How are you getting home”?

Me: “Flying” [This is not the job for you].

He did let me through, but I still don’t understand why he had such a chip on his shoulder. The rest of the drive to Tok was beautiful as was the next day to Valdez. The leaves were even more yellow than the Yukon. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see much of the mountains in Valdez because it was cloudy and raining. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. The clouds were stunning. They engulfed everything around them or they outlined other things. It was a quiet, heavy, and beautiful. Also so fun to see Hannah and Colin’s new home!

No Trees

On By rrainefioreIn Beautiful Things, TravelLeave a comment

I kind of knew the first day of driving to Alaska would be a long barren drive.  It was.  Knowing it ahead of time doesn’t make it not mind numbing.  The first couple hours weren’t too barren as I was heading north through Colorado, through Grand County and Jackson County.  It is a very uninhabited part of Colorado, so there was not much traffic to deal with. 

Slowly, the mountain terrain turned more to hilly grassy terrain with little to no trees.  Only 3 hours in, and it felt like a whole day of no trees.  No trees, no towns, nothing.  More nothing.  Hey!  Look at that – nothing!  Thank god for the invention of audio books. 

Windmills, more windmills, and windmills as far as the eye can see.  The windmills at least add some interest to the treeless hills.  I’ve driven by wind farms before.  Every time I do, I am amazed again by the shear size of them.  They are so tall and each blade so long and sleek, spinning very slowly as if there isn’t a care in the world. 

Four hours in and not a tree or town in sight.  Rolling endless hills of brown grass.  I started wondering if I would see a gas station or restaurant before Montana.   Four hours into the day – only 4.5 more hours of barren brown.  Finally, I saw a restaurant next to a gas station.  It was just in time for lunch.  It’s a diner that serves breakfast all day – score.  I ordered a breakfast sandwich that comes with a side of peaches.  I love peaches, and it’s peach season, so I was excited.  My breakfast was delivered and I almost cried.  It was canned peaches.  I forgot that canned peaches exist and didn’t think for a second that would be what I got.  People eat these….on purpose?  I haven’t had canned fruit since I was a kid.  Maybe I remembered them wrong.  Maybe they were good.  NO.  They taste nothing like a peach to me.   The sandwich was good and redeemed the meal. 

Back to driving.  Back to listening to Dune Messiah.  Finally, I got to the Welcome to Montana sign.  I should have taken a picture.  Somehow, I thought the terrain would change.  It didn’t.   Still no trees all the way to Billings.  Nine hours after starting, I arrived at my hotel.  Overall it was a good day, a good book, a good truck, a good sandwich, good driving time, no wind, and no rain!

The truck I’m driving is all decked out in camouflage seat covers.  After an exciting dinner at Applebee’s, I decided to girl up the truck a little. I found a furry steering wheel cover with bear ears.  The bear and I will head out tomorrow morning – Calgary bound.