Bob and Lorraine's Latest Adventure: From Valdez to Haines

Scenery along our journey has been fantastic, beautiful and inspiring. New friends we have met along the way have been equally as fantastic. We added Jay and Tara Yunker to our friends list. Former Wisconsin residents now Alaskans and living in Valdez. Tara's sister is Maggie's vet back in Wisconsin. They welcomed us into their life with fishing and a guided tour of Mineral Creek canyon. We challenged the rocky canyon trail with their electric golf cart "Bumble Bee." We ran a little low on juice and had to push the "Bee" up a few hills but the adventure was way worth it. Four "North of 8" folks had lots of laughs about the "Bee."

Tara showed us where to pick wild blueberries near Thompson pass. We ate lots of them before the bears did. They are busy fattening up on salmon down by the ocean.

We want to return to Valdez, pan for gold to help pay for Jay's new boat when he gets one. Gold mining and fishing in Valdez, I can dream, can't I. Thank you, Yunkers, for the great memories!! Come see us if you ever end up back in Wisconsin - North of 8!

Lorraine says "we need to come back with a bigger lens on our camera." I checked the SD card in the camera this morning and she has used 21g on the 32g SD card. She is closing in on 7,000 pictures. That is not a miss print.

Valdez to Tok then Kluane lake and now parked in Haines - our drive has taken us through beautiful country. Fall is slowly descending on Alaska and the Yukon. The Fireweed blossoms have died out, a sure sign of the end of summer. Trees are starting to change color giving us a sneak preview of what is coming. Life on the road is still an adventure. When we start out in the morning and we never know where we will end the day. We are getting good at boondocking and camping without electricity. Thanks to Bob Keller who loaned us a small Honda generator to our arsenal of camping gear. Fire up the "Genny", make a pot of coffee and down the road we go. Maggie the third member of the "Three Amigos" is doing great.

We have been "North of 60" for awhile now but that will change soon.

We are headed to Juneau on Saturday. Taking a ferry down that way hoping to see more Humpback whales. We spotted a Humpback whale near Homer and two of them near Valdez.

Maggie doesn't know it yet but she is spending Saturday with a Russian woman named Ivanka (she is the "I Do Paws" lady) in Haines.

We will be in Haines until Sunday then head towards B.C. There are more sights to see down that way. And how can you beat this already! But it can! What a place to be, it never ends. Then into the "lower 48." Maybe by mid-September we will be back in Wisconsin, maybe!

"Happy Trails to you until we meet again"!

Bob and Lorraine (the one Maggie loves best!)