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Arizona City, Arizona, United States
We are Barbara and Bill Connor formerly of Meadville, PA. We sold our home in October, 2008 and are now living fulltime in a 39' Titanium 5th wheel RV and loving every minute of it! Back to Arizona for the winter. CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Back to the "Mile 0" July 29-Aug 2





BACK TO THE LOWER 48



Finally it's time to head "outside" to the "Lower 48". Ceilidh is glad to be going "home" but little does she realize that she has another 2 months until we are back in Texas for the winter.










We are not the only ones heading south as we follow a long line of RVs through the Yukon Territory on the Alcan Highway. I'm sure all of us are saying the same thing: "What a wonderful summer! Alaska is a magical place."











Early one morning after camping along Kluane Lake in the Yukon Territory we saw this grizzly bear loping along the lake.











Again we drive along miles and miles of Aspen and Spruce trees. The snow on the mountains is gone for now but soon winter will be upon them again. The aspen tree leaves are a silvery color due to a leaf minor disease that eats the chlorophyll out of the leaves.










Our last night on the Alcan was spent at lovely Summit Lake on Stone Mountain. What a view! I love these beautiful mountains and never tire of gazing at them.











We spotted this moose in the fireweed along the roadside in the Yukon Territory. What a magnificant animal. Many people fear them more than the bears as they are very protective of their "space".














Just outside of Dawson Creek you could still see evidence of pine beatle destruction. It is so sad to see the beautiful forests being slowly destroyed. But that is the cycle of nature.

What an awesome, unforgetable summer. I am truly sad that it is over. Maybe someday we will return to the "last frontier" as there are still many places I would like to visit.


A FEW STATISTICS AND "BEST" THINGS WE SAW AND DID:


Total Miles from Dawson Creek back to Dawson Creek: 6038

73 nights of camping averaged: $18.69 per night

Camping and fuel costs: $3480.00

Favorite town: Me, Seward on the Kenai Peninsula

Bill, Palmer

Best eagle viewing: Haines

Best campground: Palmer

Worst campground: Wasilla Municiple (we didn't stay)

Best sunset: Ninilcik over the Cook Inlet

Best wildlife experience: Bear at the rv in Williwaw Campground in Portage

Prettiest flowers: Fireweed

Most picturesque town: Seward and Seldovia

Best cinnamon rolls: Bayside Bakery on the Homer Spit

Most unusual store: Save-U-More, Homer. They actually sell hay in the grocery store AND the have the best ice cream cones for 99 cents!

Best cruise: They were all awesome in their own respect. Fast Ferry to from Haines to Juneau; Major Marine buffet cruise from Seward to Aialik Glacier, and Stan Stephenson's cruise from Valdez to the Columbia Glacier. Each was special in its own way.

Best fish: Salmon patties from Peter Pan Cannery in Valdez

Most educational tour: Bus to the Arctic Circle

Best museum: Wow, hard to say: University of Alaska museum at Fairbanks, Native Alaska Heritage Museum in Anchorage, Maxine and Jessie Whitney Museum in Valdez

Most interesting: '64 earthquake, Alaska pipeline, permafrost.....

Most beautiful: Denali National Park (It's like potato chips-it's hard to pick just one!)

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