Day 19. Back to reality (for Jim)

Jim has returned from the trip of a lifetime. He flew from Fairbanks AK to Boston MA without incident, except a lack of sleep on the red eye. He left Pepe to continue the great journey.

We look for Pepe to occasionally update the blog on his continuing adventures.

Day 18. Leaving Fairbanks

Today is Jim's last day of the great northern adventure. Pepe will take Jim to the airport at about 1:00pm today for a 3:49pm flight to Seattle & then Boston. It has been a great trip & will be remembered a long time.

We had a special treat last night with a great dinner at the Pump House restaurant & a few beers & pool at the famous Howling Day Saloon.

We set our alarms for 1am to get up to see the northern lights (Aurora Borealis). It was a great show & something worth getting up for. It is definitely one of the 100 things to see. The Japanese rate this the 2nd best thing to see in your lifetime. Pretty neat.

We are blogging at the Fairbanks Visitor Center & Pepe will try to keep it going although Jim is taking the 2 laptops home (1 is having problems).

Day 17. Soaking in the hot springs

We slept late today & had a big, messy breakfast of corn beef hash, eggs, & toast. After cleaning up, we headed out to the Alaska pipeline about 10 miles away. We then went to the Chena Hot Springs Resort (about 60 miles for our campground). The hot springs were very warm & smelled of sulphur. We soaked about 3 hours until we could bearly move.

We headed back to camp for an early day. Pepe did some laundry & Jim bought some souvenirs.

Jim treated Betsy to a car wash. Pepe hopes nothing falls up now that it is clean.

We are off to a nice dinner in town tonight to celebrate Jim's last day of the trip & Pepe's freedom. Starting on Monday, Pepe will to be able to run the show exactly as he sees fit.

On Monday, Jim flys back to Boston about 3:45pm.

This may be the last blog unless Pepe feels inspired to keep it going.

Day 16. Arriving in Fairbanks AK

We had a short drive of about 300 miles on the Top of the World Hwy & up Route 2. It was an easy drive & we arrived in Fairbanks early, about 1:30pm. We had the oil changed & checked into the Riveredge RV Park.

We went to Fred Meyer store to by some groceries. We had fresh, wild Sockeye salmon & califlower. It was the best meal of the trip so far. We toured Pioneer Park & found out that a good Aurora Borealis is scheduled for Sunday night. We will set our alarms for 1am in hopes of clear skies to watch the show. We also met a probable classmate of Kent's from JFK Junior High, 1973-74. We didn't remember him.

We also quickly toured the University of Alaska, which is near our campground.

Day 15. Striking it rich

We tried our luck at panning for gold at Claim #6, Bonaza Creek, Dawson City. We rented 2 pans for $2 each & started digging. We dug up the side of a hill, hauled the dirt & rocks to the creek, & panned in the stream. We did this over & over & over without success. Pepe found a nice rock. Jim found a new muscle in his sore back & decided to keep his day job.

We had lunch in Dawson City, crossed by ferry over the muddy Yukon River, & drove about 100 miles to Chicken AK. We crossed the border without incident. We spent a quiet night in Chicken AK. Pepe & Jim signed a UCONN hat that Pepe brought. He stapled to the middle of the back wall of the Chicken Creek Saloon with all the other hats. In future years, we leave it up to Greg, Alex, Allannah, Angelique, Davis, & JC to find that signed hat in Chicken AK & add their names.

Over the last two days, we travelled about 600 miles & managed to cross 3 time zones. Pepe noticed that the time zones get smaller the further north you go.

A special congratulations to the Chevy Van (Pepe named Betsy) for tolerating the Dempster Hwy & Canada so well.

Next stop -- Fairbanks.

Day 14. Driving the Dempster

We decided to stay in Inuvik for the night. We found a nice campground about a miles south of town. They had good showers. We ate in Inuvik at the McKenzie Hotel. It seems the only retaurants are in hotels in Inuvik. Later that night, we celebrated our journey to the farthest point north you can drive with a beer or two.

We got up early, at 6:30am, grabbed a quick coffee in Inuvik, & started driving the entire length of the Dempster Hwy -- all 450 gravel miles. We timed the two ferries perfectly & only stopped for coffee, gas, & bathroom breaks. We changed drivers every 2 or 3 hours.

Along the way, we finally saw a small group of 4 caribou (too small to be called a herd). We also saw an eagle & a mother grizzlie & her 2 cubs. After 9 hours of concentrated driving, we conquered the Dempster in one shot.

We drove to Dawson City & stayed in the Bonanza Gold RV Park. We had a great dinner of salmon & halibut fish & chips. Later, we saw a can-can show at Diamond Tooth Gerties. Jim even got to dance on stage to the amusement of hundreds.

Day 11. Turning true North

We left Liard River on a long ride to Minto River, about 550 miles away. We left around 8:00am after a hearty breakfast. We had a long but good drive. Along the way. we saw a herd of Bison, a small black bear, a mother moose & small calf, & a long coyote.

We arrived at Minto River resort to find it closed. We headed 45 miles further north to Pelly Crossing & stayed at a closed Selkirk First Nation campground. It was already closed, so we stayed free next to the Yukon river. We had a roaring campfire just before the rains came.

We are 2 days away from our goal of Inuvik. We are nearly on the Dempster Hwy, a 500 miles gravel road to Inuvik.

Day 10. Heading to the sulphur spring at Liard River

We left Dawson Creek on our way to Liard River at around 8:00am, again. Our destination was Liard River campground about 500 miles away. We drove through a great mountain road along Muncho lake where Pepe almost cried. The road winded back & forth along the 10 mile along lake. It was almost sprirtual.

We arrived around 4pm at Liard River. Pepe showed Jim the natural sulphur springs. The water was very hot, around 115F with a strong smell of surphur. We soaked in the waters twice & had a relaxing night at the campsite. The campground was so popular, it was sold out.

The sulphur spring is a must. You can relax amongst the pines, soak in the waters, & meet people from many different places.

Day 9. On the long, long road again

We need to cover about 2,000 miles over the next 4 days. We headed north out of Banff at about 8:00am. We stopped for coffee & scones at Wild Flour one last time. We did a little sightseeing at Lake Louise, but Pepe was not impressed by all the Japanese tourists.

We drove through the Columbia Icefields & out of Banff & Jasper National Parks. Then we find several great little deserted backroads while heading north. Pepe said "the roads are "matsugu." Meme will give a prize for the correct translation.

As we neared Dawson Creek, we saw several elk farms. That must make elk hunting easy since there are hundreds to choose from.

The answer to the liter to gallon question is -- 1 gallon = 3.785 liters. That makes gas in Canada cost about $4.20 per gallon at equal exchange rates.

We are now in British Columbia & have reached the Pacific time zone, so we are now 3 hours behind you.

Day 8. Taking in the mineral waters

We spent the entire day in Banff. After breakfast, we spent several hours at the Internet coffee shop where Pepe earned his blogging wings. Afterwards, we went to the sulfur springs & soaked in the 41C water (first one to figure out degrees F gets a prize from Pepe).

After the spring, we took a gondola ride up Sulfur Mtn & saw a smoky haze. The smoke is from fires in MT & ID. Later, we went sightseeing along the Minnewanka Lake where Pepe harassed a herd of Mtn. Goats. He fit right in. Anyone know why goat's lick the road (this is NOT a trick question)?

Tonight, we need to buy gas at 1.069 candadian dollars per liter. First one to figure out the cost in US dollars per gallon gets a prize from Kent.

We expect rain tonight & for the next several days. So, we have packed the tent & will sleep in the van to stay dry.

We are not sure about Internet access or cell service over the next few days so don't worry if you don't hear from us.

Day 7. Hello Canada, blogging by the fire

We got up early & ate another hearty breakfast of eggs & toast. We packed up & left the park at
8:00am. We headed due North & sailed through customs without a hitch. We wandered through Calgary a few times until finally heading west into Banff.

We are staying in Banff for 2 nights & again pitched the tent. We finally have a campfire. Until now, it has been too hot or too dry for fires. We are blogging in the dark in front of the campfire. The computer doesn't seem to mind the smoke, although Jim does.

We did a little site seeing in Banff including the Banff Springs Hotel (Jim & Karen stayed there when Karen was pregnant with Gregory). We ate at a little restaurant in town where Pepe had Bison & Jim had Elk. They were both tasty.

Tomorrow, we'll explore Banff a little more. We'll let you know what we do.

Day 6. In seach of Hidden Lake

We apologize to all you blog readers for not posting yesterday. Internet & cell phone access in
Glacier National Park is difficult. We stayed in the park for 2 nights & pitched the tent for the first time. It is very easy to setup (thanks Tina).

We spent the entire day in the park. We got up around 6:30am, ate a huge breakfast of 3 eggs, steak, onions, green peppers, toast, & coffee. We took the free park shuttle bus at 8:30am up the Road to the Sun to the Logan Lodge. The Lodge is located on the Continental divide at 6,646 ft. We hiked up 1.5 miles & another 1,000 ft to Hidden Lake. Along the way we saw Marmots, Rams, & Mt. Goats. Jim only had to carry Pepe once (kidding, he did great). We battled several chipmunks over our snacks. After snacking, we headed back to the Lodge & took the shuttle bus to the St. Mary falls trail. After about 0.8 mile hike, we saw a nice water fall. We froze our feet in the glacial water & hiked back.

We continued to have deer in our campsite.

After a good dinner, we hid in the van to avoid the gnats. we headed to bed early, no shower & no electricity makes for early nights. Jim stayed out a few minutes to watch the bats.

Day 5. Hazy, lazy days (no really)

We left 59F Big Timber at 8:05am. At last, a break from the 90 degree weather. We drove from Big Timber, MT to St. Mary MT via many small back roads at 70 mph (the speed limit). We encountered hazy smoke the entire trip from several large wild fires. Most of the Rockies were hidden by the smoke.

We arrived at Glacier National Park from the east side at St. Mary MT around 3:20pm. We got a great campsite in the park called Sunrise. We are under a 100 foot cliff & have wild deer running through our campsite. We cooked our first real camping meal of pepper & onion cube steak. Very tasty.

We expect a cold night in the 50s again. Time to digout the warmer clothes.

We don't have Internet access at the campsite, so we are traveling 5 miles towards the entrance to send this. We will probably have spotty Internet & cell phones over the next few days.

Day 4. Blogging by the river

We have reached Big Timber MT, although, there isn't any timber. We are about 80 miles due North of Yellowstone Park. We lefted Cheyenne WY at 8:10am, travelled through hazy, hot (94F) weather, & arrived here at 4:30pm after driving 553 miles.

We have a great little campsite on the Boulder River. We hear running water over the rocks. It looks a lot like Swift River in NH. The campground is also a trout ranch with ponds full of 10 inch trout. They must feed them by hand because the fish follow you when you walk to the edge of the water. We could have fished for our dinner at $0.45 per inch, but we decided to checkout a local eatery.

We continue to travel well together, argue little, & share the driving. It has been an easy trip so far & Jim is learning Pepe's routine.

Tomorrow is a short day & we are heading to Glacier National Park on the Canadian border.

Day 2. Hot time in the olde town tonight (Omaha NE)

We have reached our day 2 destination just west of Omaha NE. We arrived about 3:20pm to 97F temperatures after driving 445 miles in air conditioned luxury.

We have found ways to keep cool by staying in air conditioned places like; the Strategic Air Command (SAC) Air & Space Museum, the Wal-mart, & a great bar-b-que at Famous Dave's. But, we are now in the 'heat of the night."

Meme said CT was 55F today. Please send some cool weather our way.

We lost our "jersey barrier bed separtor" when we forgot we left it on the roof of the van. Duhhhhhhhh!

We start to turn north tomorrow & we are hoping for cooler weather.

Day 1, a day of firsts

Jim & Pepe are finally on the the road. We left Enfield at 6:48pm with a full tank of gas, high expectations, & 20 days of stories.

We headed South on 91, West on 84, almost got lost in Scanton PA, & reached Wilkes-Barre PA around 11:00pm. We spent the night in the Mifflinville rest stop with light rain & noisy trucks.

Both Jim & Pepe survived the first night thanks to the jersey barrier bunk separator.

We started Friday morning at 6:48am to head west, west, & more west on Route 80. We are in Ohio, near Toledo while Jim is updating this blog. Yes, we have internet in the van.

T-0, D-Day

Finally, departure day has arrived.

Jim is working a full day at Genzyme in Framingham MA until 4pm. Then, he is on VACATION. Jim will meet Pepe in Enfield around 6pm. After quickly loading the van & a brief bite for dinner, they will head out on the road.

Leaving Enfield on 91S & then 84W, they plan to spend the first night near Wilkes-Barre, PA.

While they are on the road, remember to root on the Red Sox. GO SOX!!!

T-2 days & counting

Preparations are nearly complete. Packing is done & only a few minor items remain to be bought.

Our excitement is soaring as launch day nears. READY -- SET -- GGGGGG!

Coffee, coffee, coffee. Jim is in search of the perfect cup of mobile coffee. No quick stops for Starbucks on this trip. Jim has found some great beans - pre-ground, dusted off an old bodum (coffee press), found somewhat healthy non-diary creamer, & dugout some old stainless steel travel mugs. Jim is hopeful this works. If not, he'll need to convince Pepe that Starbucks stops are a good thing.

T-6 days and counting

This is the first entry for Fran's & Jim's 2007 cross continent trip from Connecticut USA to Inuvik, Yukon Territory, Canada. Jim will wimp out after 2 1/2 weeks by flying back from Fairbanks Alaska. Fran will continue his journey for about 4 more week via California & Texas to return to Connecticut.

With less than a week to go, preparations are nearly complete. Shopping is at a fever pitch & we are starting to pack.

We will be traveling with our laptop & have wireless broadband access. If we have adequate wireless coverage, we will post our status & observations during our travels.

We hope to share our adventure of the wilds of Canada. So, stay tuned.