Star Date 7/25/23

Day 11 Ak to Ohio

815 miles, 14.5 hours

Awoke around 7AM, overcast 80 degrees, muggy. Pack, coffee, leave.  We are just over the border from Nebraska into Iowa.  Driving through Iowa, rolling hills, mega farms’ lush fields of corn and soy beans and no signs of irrigation.  This soil benefits by having large rivers travel through and beautiful thick top soil.  It seems they get enough rain to keep things growing.  Smart farmers using all the soil conservation methods of terracing and contouring with dedicated run-off grassed areas.  Crop dusting planes and copters are at it.  Pass by hundreds of wind turbines, taking advantage of prairie winds. 

We suck it up and decide to cancel our reservation in Joliet, Ill and do the long drive straight home.  There is a good logic to the decision to get home a day early but mileage and hours in the car must be endured.  Sirius Beatles and Springsteen radio helps.  We rise to 90 degrees and it descends into the 70’s later on eastward but air is muggy.  We cross the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois, it’s a huge and impressive river even at this northern latitude.  We drive forward in hopes of missing rush hour around Chicago.  We are somewhat successful; the traffic moves slowly but it’s not a parking lot.  It is always a tangle of highways at the Illinois and Indiana border.  It’s hard to describe the huge numbers of semis carrying product on this cross-country route. Real convoys of seemingly never-ending line of trucks.  It seems America is back!  I80/US30, cuts the country in half down the middle east to west so good for moving product.  We try roadside food.  McDonald’s most accessible and prominent, but we are so done with eating there.  

We cross Indiana and Ohio border and our states look much the same.  We have been traveling just south of the Michigan border.  The sunset is an intense red/orange, more smoke, humidity?  We have seen haze but not sure it is CA smoke.  Where are the mountains? We arrive late evening into Hudson, it’s cool but air is heavy with moisture.  House is in good shape, but it’s dark outside and have to review tomorrow in daylight.  Lots to do to catch up with 2 ½ months away and getting ready for Brenna’s family visit.

We are so grateful for travel mercies, the kindness of strangers and angels in disguise.  We take nothing for granted.  We have made lasting memories and found much joy in the time spent away.  This blog will keep our stories for future review when we can no longer travel in this way.  And glad to know we have shared our memories with loved ones.

Here’s to Alaska trip 2023!  Cheers!

One final Nighty night…

Pat and Chuck

 

 

Star date 7/24/23

Day 10 Ak to Ohio

425 miles, 7 hours (traffic jam, 30 minutes)

Crossed over to Central Standard Time, 1 hour earlier than Ohio, 3 hours later than Ak

Awoke at 7AM, left hotel at 9AM.  74 degrees, quickly rising to mid 80’s, leveling off at low 90’s the rest of the day.  News say it will be getting hotter as we are leaving. What it means for further east we don’t know.  At least we are not caught in some of the bad storms.  Seth says Ohio is rising in temp as we return.  Reports saying that nationally and internationally temperatures are hitting consistent highs never recorded before.  Predict more to come.

We are in prairie of the US, traveling the Oregon Trail, Homesteaded lands, Lincoln Hwy, Pony Express and Transcontinental Railroad (all very historic and pivotal in American history).  Nebraska is the Cornhusker state and there are miles and miles of corn fields.  Some soy beans sown to counteract the corn effect on soil and some wheat.   We hear the annual return of the high-pitched buzz of cicada’s in the trees.   It is very flat as we crisscross the Platte River several times; origins coming from the eastern Continental Divide northward into Wyoming.  It will eventually drain into Missouri River and then Mississippi and then Gulf or Mexico.  This land is flat as a pancake and wherever they dig down it produces sand.  We believe this area was ancient sea bed and the sand is leftover.  Digging down also produces water but it must be pumped to irrigate.  The sand holds water and forms a large aquifer that holds water below the surface.  It still requires pumping it up and irrigating the crops.  We have seen corn fields that are abandoned and not irrigated and they are dead.  The top soil is generally not very rich like Ohio’s.  The controversy over creating a pipeline of very toxic, dirty tar sands oil from Canada to Gulf Coast for refining that would run through the aquifer is of obvious concern given how these clean filtered waters provide for life in the area.  We see crop dusting planes swooping down, flying just feet above the ground as they release their chemical dust.

We cross over the Missouri River into Iowa.  Staying at a Courtyard in Council Bluffs.  Eating at hotel for dinner and maybe breakfast (all paid separately).  Rooms are adequate and clean.  Catching up on blog and sleep.  Two more days until we are home and then we really get busy getting ready for Brenna’s family visit.

Nighty Night.

Star Date 7/23/23

Day 9 Ak to Ohio

531 miles, 8.5 hours

Awoke to mostly sun at 7 AM.  Pleasant 74 degrees (it's still early).  Stop at cute coffee shop on W. 25 right behind the hotel.  All our Marriott offers is Starbucks and we weren’t impressed with it the last visit and expensive.  W. 25^th is party central, lined with boutique shopping, restaurants and bars, old store fronts, lined with hanging flowers. One end of the street is Union Station, the other is a beautiful park.  Their city mascot is a horse and various models are throughout the town. 

We climb from sea level up into the high country.  On the way the canyon is lined with red sand stone that has eroded into various tall columns and shapes.  We see a mother mule deer and fawn in a canyon valley. There is still some small patches of snow higher up.  Today we are high plains drifters.  Rocky soil and scrub brush. Miles of snow fence and winter cautions along the way.  The high mountain peaks in the south, across the Colorado border, have fair amounts of snow still.  The temperature maintains average 80 with heavy cloud cover.  When we get onto I-80 we must deal with very heavy truck traffic.  I-80 is also US30, the Lincoln Hwy that runs through the middle of Ohio. We cross Wyoming at the very far south border above Colorado.  Lots of crop farming that requires irrigation and very rocky scrubby ground cover.  Beef cattle are grazing on federal land granted access for that purpose since it is so sparse.  If you like earth sciences (geology, mineralogy, energy: sustainable windmills, petro and natural gas), paleontology and natural landscape sculpture, you’ll love Wyoming. As we drop out of the high plains we enter grasslands into Nebraska, relatively flat and have lost any mountains on the horizon.  Corn and wheat are the  crops of choice.  Now it’s 99 degrees at 4PM.  We are still on Mountain Time (2 hours from Ohio, 2 hours from Ak) but should be changing to Central Time tomorrow.

We have seen prairie dogs town and a few standing on their domes watching us go by.  We passed over the Continental Divide today at 7000 feet.  All waters on the East drain to Mississippi and Gulf of Mexico. 

Heard from Phyllis and Ray in Australia today via email.  They are reading the blog and on their way to Gold Coast.  Spoke with Seth, he and Carrie are on their way to Lake Erie shore to visit her mom.  They have been successful with their gardening this summer, more to come.  They visited our house and all is well.  Heard from nephew Chris and our family dinner in Buffalo is shaping up with the menu. Cousin Cheryl is getting ready for our visit to her.

We are staying at a Marriott Fairfield Inn in Sydney, Nebraska.  Room is nice but we are located near the highway so restaurants are limited.  There is a town about 2 miles down the road.  We drive to the small farming town and everything is buttoned up tight on a Sunday night.  Gas is cheap but cheaper if we pay by cash, as low as $3.15/gal.  We stop next to the hotel at a Mexican restaurant and the food is  good choice.  The sky is looking stormy but no action.  After dinner temp is 91 degrees.

Resting after such a long day of driving.  Onward tomorrow.

Nighty night...

Star Date 7/22/23

Day 8 Ak to home

435 miles, 6 1/2 hours. Mountain Time

Awoke to sun and cool 74 degrees.  We pack the car and load up on ice.  What a pleasant surprise.  Our sliding door opens to a courtyard filled with blooming flowers and other plantings, small shade trees and a pool.   It is pleasant and peaceful.  We eat on the patio overlooking the pool and gardens; the breakfast has a big variety and good quality.   While it was a conundrum to find it, it is actually better that the one in LA Grande.  Heading out, following the Snake River and see a Mule deer and fawn.  Cousin to the Yakima in terms of its size and importance to agriculture.  The land undulates with low rolling hills, dried grasses and scrub bushes.  Evidence of fire.  It is also an agricultural valley serving some produce, a little wine, no hops, we follow a truck full of watermelons. Famous Idaho potatoes grown here. Dairy is very big through Idaho with a huge cheese factory called Jerome cheese, we think it might be a coop.  Some beef cattle are here too.  The main crops seem to be grown in support of the dairy herds and cattle, lots of hay tents and silage domes.  The temperature has slowly creeped up to 90’s we see dust devils in the distance.  There are warning signs re visibility when it blows.  These landlocked states have weather temperature extremes.  There are warning of snow plows as well.  On the very highest peaks there are tiny patches of snow.  Water is king here, melt (now well over) and river irrigation (there may be wells or aquifer but river seems biggest source).  The land requires constant TLC; a brief lapse and it will return to rock, dust and scrub brush.  We cross into  tah. Eastern Washington and Oregon and Utah look the same with similar agricultural focus.

As we near Ogden, just north of Salt Lake City we are at 102 degrees. We are staying at the same Courtyard Marriott; take quite a few things out of the car into the room and keep the ice going in the cooler.   If it’s 102 outside, the car is 120 inside.  We parked on the east side in the shade from setting sun.  The Wasatch Mountains ring Salt Lake with cities lined up between them.  We have fond memories of Antelope Island on the way north, but know it would be different with very heat stressed animals.  We don’t see smoke although the distant mountains are hazy.  Everything is clear close up.  The highway is littered with lost retread tires mostly from semi’s; it is common practice to retread, but the heat and long distances cause them to fly off.  We are conscience when we follow them.  Even a camper threw tire tread in front of us.  Cars can travel 80 mph, trucks 75 mph.  Gas has been most expensive in WA, Utah cheapest.  Taking a well earned long evening, maybe some TV?  It’s been 7 days since our last viewing.  Trying to keep up with news via computers when we have access.  Our room is on the 8^th floor and nicely appointed with views of Wasatch.  Wondering if we can see Salt Lake City lights after dark, just south of us.   This and all reservations to come we have double checked for no snafus.  We both have sinus symptoms, Chuck is worse, the need for constant AC in the car and the AC at the hotel last night blew on him directly.  A night of rest without stress might help.

We walk next door to Slackwater, the same restaurant we ate at before.  We sit on the deck overlooking the street.  It is well shaded.  The heat is dry and not unpleasant – in the shade.  Server says the area is actually cooler than usual by a few degrees.  She freaked out when we told of server at the Cedars who said they were cool at 103, last  Glad we are not a farm hand who has to be out in the heat.  There is a well represented Hispanic population who now or at one time may be farm help.  Throughout Washington, notably and Oregon, the American Natives have many areas of dedicated land and their culture and language is seen throughout.  There will be more as we move east. 

We will be climbing up through a pass tomorrow leaving Salt Lake behind.  Maybe cooler?  We don’t think so.

A little Netflix and then Nighty night.

Star date 7/21/23

Day 7 Ak to Ohio

Nautical miles same as trip north; car miles 474, 9 hours

We get up in plenty of time to finish packing and share a breakfast.  It’s a sunny warm day and mountains are in view.  We are able to access our car before the majority come.  We are packed between two car elevators and must wait our turn.  One of the car elevators is not working; just one more indication that the Columbia needs some TLC.  (We heard a staff member say the Kennicott is coming back in November – it is the cross gulf ferry.)  Eventually we are able to descend to the road.  We pass through the quaint village of Fair Haven and head south.  It’s 70’s with ocean breeze and bright sunshine.  While the trees and low bushes are lush and green, the ground cover is brown and brittle.  Throughout our trip today we will see small areas of fire and some involving hundreds of acres.  There are signs that say fire danger is high.  We pass through the Skagit valley, lush agricultural area that thrives on volcanic soil and large river irrigation.   The temps start raising into 90’s.  Traffic is very heavy around Everett and Seattle, sometimes at a standstill. Besides the huge population, it’s Friday and people are traveling.  We pass through the heart of the Cascade Mountains, through multiple passes, up and down.  Heavily treed forests covering low mountains.  We can’t see Mt. Ranier. Boo/

We descend into the valley and everything changes.  The rounded hills are treeless and golden with dried grasses and large swaths of scrubby sage brush (we think).  The temperature rises to 100 degrees.  Eventually we enter the Yakima Valley, famous as the fruit and veg basket of America, Del Monte is located here.  And this area produces 70% of America’s hops and large wine production with miles of vineyards.  The Yakima River flows through along with tributaries that provide the irrigation needed, the volcanoes provide the special soil.  There is contrast between golden bare hills and dark green lush crops.  We are between 102 and 103 degrees.  We come to where the Yakima and Snake Rivers join the Columbia.  Clover Island has a yacht club and restaurants.  We treat ourselves to patio dinner at the Cedars, overlooking the Columbia.  Lots of water craft, including a river cruise ship pass by.  We are in the shade and it is hot but it is a dry heat and tolerable.  We cross the Columbia and enter Oregon.  As we move east the temps drop into the 90’s, still contrast dry to lush crops with irrigation.  But as we come down a hill we can clearly see Mt Rainer and the ghost of Mt Adams in the distance.  Both contributors of soil and water.  Volcanoes in Washington, Baker, Rainer, Mt St Helens (catastrophic eruption in recent past decades) and Mt Adams.  And Oregon has their neighbor volcano, Mt. Hood.  We pass into Oregon and we are now on Mountain Time, 2 hours from Ohio EST.  There is a huge cloud of smoke following us.  It looks like it’s from a blast.  Gray/brown but looking sickly peach in the sunlight.  Go away!  Apparently BC is still burning because that is what is north over the border.

We finally start the climb into Oregon high country, one pass is 4500 ft, and we watch the thermometer drop, we actually saw 79 degrees.  Eventually we descend and level off at high 80’s.   Stopped in La Grand at Best Western Plus where we stayed before.  We made the wrong date reservation and had to scramble for alternative.  All local hotels were full with youth baseball competition.  Luckily we found another Best Western 35 miles away.  It was dark by the time we got there but glad to have a bed after such a big travel day.  In the dark things don’t look their best but the staff is kind to give us first floor room and it is clean and comfortable.  Taking another hour to rearrange luggage after ferry trip and readily for last days of travel. 

Catching up with blog from backlog.  Pics will be added as we can.   Realized we didn’t do the map for return trip.  The only change was today and that was a north west to south east diagonal across Washington State:  Ocean, Cascade Mountains, Valleys.

On a sad note.  In all of our activity we have been keeping brother Pete and kids in our thoughts and prayers.  Sister-in-law Wende died while we have been away.  We are so sorry for their and our loss.  We look forward to seeing them in Buffalo when we visit.

Another day of heat tomorrow as we travel across the US.  Fingers crossed the storms will hold off.  Thankful for AC

Nighty Night.

 

Star Date 7/20/23

Day 6 Ak to Ohio

Nautical miles same as trip north

Up at 7AM still on AK time.  Slept very soundly for about 8 hours.  Extra pillows from the purser are helpful.  Fog horn blowing throughout the night.  We are in deep fog with limited visibility all around.  Stressed dog is not here and no others are barking.  Ship opens car decks periodically between ports for animal checks and allows us access to our car as well if we want.  Convenient as car is on our cabin level.  So glad we got underway, it makes small adjustment to tomorrow’s travel.  Anticipating the heat to come, enjoying the cool for now.  This trip is different from northbound in late May.  Hard to describe, this trip many more families with children, all well behaved and full of energy.  More of a variety of ages.  This is not a cruise line, it’s an everyman’s transport.  But still not cheap.  Vehicles and animals and rooms are all extra expense.   Some sleep in lounge chairs, couches and outside in tents or outdoor lounge chairs.  They offer access to showers, laundry, ice, potable water, restrooms, a Keurig  and a microwave.  There is a grill and cold food for breakfast, lunch and dinner with reasonable prices (including cod and chips for $13.00).  Many bring their own food on board.  Plenty of places to sit and relax. The formal dining room serving breakfast and dinner, is a little more expensive with a more sophisticated but still very reasonable to land prices. 

 Fog still dense and horns blowing but the sun is coming through and making an effort to burn-off.  We spend most of the day outside in the quiet watching the fog show.  Still to come, day and night of sailing with no stops so relaxing time before the long drive across US.  More Scrabble, solitaire and catching up with blog, saving in WORD ready to insert when we get Internet access back.  Almost without warning the fog gradually lifted for good.  We see tall mountain peaks, rocky shores of little island and coves.  We see a couple whales spouting and some porpoises.  There are some fishing vessels but not as many as up north.  Less salmon jumping out of the water.  This ferry has a population like a small town and there are all the usual characters here as you find in any town.

We decide to celebrate our last dinner in the formal dining room.  We snag a table by a window and watch the beautiful scenery pass by.  Chuck’s steak dinner was good, Pat’s pasta not so good.  It takes a lot to screw up a pasta dish.  But made better with a complimentary libation.

Earlier in the day a man fell and hit his head.  It seemed crisis averted with treatable injury.  And then he fell again.  We are in middle of nowhere, darkness has fallen, the water deep and cold, no light except from the ferry.  It is decided the man must be air lifted to a hospital, closest likely being Vancouver, BC.  All the tent campers on the open decks must take down their tents and secure their gear.  The coast guard is coming for an air rescue.  Luckily there are not storm conditions.  We stay in our room to be out of the way since there is so much commotion.  The ferry is moving slowly forward as they wait for the helicopter.  We stop and resume within about 15 minutes.  According to staff, the medics were lowered by cable, patient attached and lifted in the basket and then the medics were lifted.  Heroic efforts by crew, pilot and medical staff.  We hope the man is able to get well.

Quiet sailing tonight.  We are getting night darkness now with moving further south.

Nighty night.

 

Star date 7/19/23

Day 5 Ak to Ohio

Nautical miles, same as north trip.

Awoke 7:30AM to rain and the sounds of the engine and a dog barking.  We are above the lower car park and dogs are kept in the cars with periodic access.  We don’t know where this dog gets his stamina, it has gone on continuously for all night.  We feel sorry for it.  A mild sedative may have helped.  But it wasn’t enough to keep us awake.   Apparently, people have complained, there’s talk of them offering ear plugs.    The staff say the owner and dog are getting off in Ketchikan; happy dog, happy travelers.  We passed through Petersburg and Wrangell during the night so we missed the Narrows that runs between them.  Luckily, we saw it on the way north.

Fishing vessels begin to appear and there are misty low hanging clouds, must be Ketchikan.  We have a surprise 8-hour layover so we have a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and play a game of Scrabble.  Afterwards, walk over to the local bus stop and take the local for $2.00 apiece.  We opt to stay on the whole route and pass through shoreline views and neighborhoods and the native village of Saxman where we pass by the front and back view of the Totem Village and Lodge.  We have visited in the past and it is impressive.   There are totems scattered all through Ketchikan. We get off at Creek Street that retains the old boardwalk with houses on stilts.  This is the origins of Ketchikan, bordello’s next to Casino’s next to a church.  Lots of shops and a few restaurants now.  But Dolly’s, the local bordello is open for business – as a tourist attraction.  The areas natural plants are thick and luscious with a constant supply of rain and mist in this rainforest climate.   The Tongass Forest is a major source of logging and environmental controversy with its effect on salmon spawning.  This Creek has salmon swimming upstream to the fish ladder above.  A harbor seal is eating them and sticks his head up every once in a while, for pictures.  We walk over to the downtown, Celebrity and Queen Elizabeth cruise ships are docked so everything is busy.  We have enjoyed the Tongass National Park exhibit in the past and stay for the film.  Our national park pass gets us in free.  We walk around the shops that are geared to the cruise ships with curios, themed clothing and very expensive jewelry.  We are at the end of our trip, there is little interest for more stuff.  Except the cute book store where we find some things for the grandkids.  Starting to spit rain, it’s an off and on thing.  On the local bus back to the terminal, very efficient but one of our drivers was speed and break happy giving us white knuckles. 

We are back hours before we depart.  We saw maintenance people coming on earlier.  Fingers crossed that we are actually able to leave and safe travel, there is a fair amount of open water ahead without the protection of the narrow passages.  We have hotel reservations already made for the rest of the trip and if we can’t keep our schedule, it will require major adjustments.  We have been very lucky in past travels so this may be our challenge.  Decided to do a late dinner and some more Scrabble.  There is a case of books to borrow but other than that, it’s scenery and relaxation that allows time to read, craft, etc.  Since there is no Internet or TV there is no distraction unless you are using downloads.  Cell reception is spotty.  However, there is a cocktail lounge, with limited hours and free popcorn, occasionally someone wanders in to play a guitar or uke.  There is a piano available.  No alcohol allowed outside lounge or restaurant.  As if, there are some who are adept at the camouflage. 

We decide to dine late in the formal room.  Baked cod and pork chops with potatoes and baked cauliflower and a decent Chardonay are had, all excellent quality and reasonably priced.  Very attentive servers.  We are able to sit in our favorite seat with the full 180 window view off the back of the ferry.  Misty clouds play hide and seek with the hillsides.  But the sunset is epic, rosy pink and coral light surrounded by purple and lavender clouds, patterns change as it sets.  There were comments that BC smoke is coming over the coastal mountains so not sure if sunset is affected.  It’s so misty, smoke is not discernable at this time.  The street lights have come on in town and it is twilight.  In the lounge people are socializing and someone is trying to pound out a song on the piano.  Free popcorn! 

We finally get underway at 10:15PM.   We overheard the crew say a part had to be flown in to correct the issue.  Fingers crossed it holds and gets us to Bellingham, a long way to go.  Part of our further delay is due to a person on our deck who has had a medical emergency and the Ketchikan EMS has been called in.  Lucky for that person that we are docked at a significant town with hospital.  Wondering how it would have been handled had we been sailing.  There are no hospitals between here and Bellingham. We wish them well and sorry for their travel interruption.  It is a reminder of the risks of travel so while planning is necessary, stuff happens. 

Have lots of sailing time, so blog is extra chatty.   Nighty night.