09/08/2024
A summary of our Alaska trip, with the good, better & wet reviews.... and a few more photos. I have more, but my tablet is hiding them on me.
We started planning this trip last fall, but did not have a strict itinerary. We don't travel that way. We had a couple of must dos, but most of it was go & see Alaska. And that we did. We saw a small portion.
Things I wish would have been better....the weather. It rained every day. And because of the rain, a lot of the wildlife was not out. I spent the first 3 days there not seeing a single animal. I was getting very discouraged. I had a list I wanted to see & really expected to see them. Whales were on my list. I did not get to see any whales. Nor did I see caribou, Dall sheep or wolves. I did see bears (black & brown), eagles, moose (only females & babies), sea lions, sea otters, & puffins. Fishing also was not good for Randall. He caught nothing. Even the salmon he "snagged" and could not keep it. He fished lakes and rivers both. It was terrible. This Missouri boy was ready to come back for some bluegill, bass & catfish.
The good...the views. Beautiful!!! Everywhere you turned. The mountains, the rolling hills with pine trees and the waterfront. All beautiful even in the rain. Autumn colors arrived while we were there and we fell in love with the quaking aspen. I think I need to plant some in our yard. The sad part of the views included were forest fires have wiped out large portions & the pine beetles that are killing millions of pine trees. Unbelievable how many acres are dead.
If you like to hike, Alaska is the place to go. There were trails everywhere.
The best parts of this entire trip. The people we met along the way. Alaska people are proud of their state. They care for it. You did not see a lot of litter or vandalism. Anchorage primarily. The environment was just very laid back. A simpler life. Homes were smaller and nothing fancy. It was the basics only, and everyone was OK with that.
And the fellow travelers like us were amazing. We met so many people who either spent the entire summer traveling from the lower 48 through Canada & Alaska or flew in like us and RVing it. Alaska really is the best place to RV. For one, hotels are few and far between...and many are questionable. Places to camp are plenty, from RV parks, state parks or just pulling off the side of the road. Something you don't see in the lower 48. I was never worried about sleeping on the side of the road. Randall & I did the state parks (avg fee is $20/night) or side of the road. We never had hookups, only "boondocking" with battery or generator (only short periods to use the microwave). We filled our water tank 3 times & dumped the same and filled our propane 2 times. Several gas stations had places to do this for $10 plus propane. Gas prices ranged around the $3.70/gallon.
The absolute best part of this trip and every trip we take....our time together!! I encourage all couples, take the trips. Spend the time together. I know it's hard when you have littles or struggle financially....but most important, make the time for each other. This was our 30th wedding anniversary trip (anniversary is Oct 15), but we had someone think we were newlyweds, married less than 6 months or so. Show your spouse some love. Hold hands, hug, sit next to each other, pray together over meals, sneak a kiss every once in awhile. And help each other. During our people watching, we noticed how many husbands would jump out of the car & take off, leaving the wife 10 steps behind, or dealing with unloading children, bags, etc. And wives, don't speak negative of your husbands. We heard that a lot. Men open the doors, hold the hand, unload "your" children, take the selfies, dance in the rain...love like when you first fell in love.
I felt a spiritual lesson out of this trip...when you think something should be a certain way, but God has a different plan....don't get discouraged, just enjoy the ride, the end destination is still the same. I planned a trip to Alaska & expected it one way, but got a different experience, still the same destination...Alaska!
So was it a great trip? ABSOLUTELY!! But a little secret, I liked Colorado better.😉
If anyone wants details of what we did or costs, feel free to message.
See you all soon with a "reveal" of our next big adventure.
