COUNTDOWN TO ALASKA

It's only about 6-7 weeks before we leave the southwestern desert, and start a slow path north, with the ultimate destination being the last frontier.  Once you've been to Alaska, there's something about our largest state, that grabs you, and never lets go.

Our very first exposure to the 49th state, was a cruise ship experience in 1998, or 99.  We sailed from Vancouver to Ketchican, Juneau, Skagway, and got off the ship in Seward, Alaska.  Our friends, Art & Linda Mitchell, and Bob & Denise Dupree, quickly got on an airplane from Anchorage back to CA.  Patty and I rented a car, and spent several days exploring the Kenai Peninsula before flying back home.  That was it, we were hooked, and we began planning our next trip to the far north.

In 2001, we retired from being co-owners of Jamestown Harley-Davidson, and within  a few days, our motor home was burning diesel on the roads north to Alaska.  We spent most of that summer in Alaska, and the Yukon Territory of Canada.  We traveled on most all of the paved roads (and some that were not) in the far north, and by the time we left, Alaska was firmly entrenched in not only our minds, but also our souls.  Even though we considered that this RV adventure of 2001, was probably the trip of a lifetime, we weren't quite finished with our travels north. 

In 2004, we found a way to return to Alaska, to make some money, and live for 5 1/2 months in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  Through workamper.com,  we both found jobs in Skagway, Alaska, working for the Corrington family.  What was supposed to be a 1 year experience, turned into 4 summers of seasonal work in this historic town, that was born during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898. When we left Skagway for the last time in 2007, we both knew that there was probably still a trip or two back to Alaska in our future.

And so, here we are in 2013, and we have made plans to once again drive the motor home to Alaska.  We should be leaving near the end of next month, with stops in CA, OR, & WA, before crossing the border into British Columbia.  Our pal Nancy, will be traveling with us in her motor home, and the plan is to spend most of the summer in our adopted home state.  As with most of our travel plans, nothing is so firmly entrenched, that we won't be free to let our paths follow whatever road we desire.  The countdown has begun!

Marc's surgery appears to have gone well, with he & Chandra returning from Phoenix today.  This is the last day that Laila will be staying with us, and we'll be taking her home tomorrow.  This past week has flown by, but we'll have Laila with us again for a week, during the upcoming Easter vacation.