Pictures from June 25-27

Here are some more photos for your enjoyment:

https://picasaweb.google.com/103566755770288566930/Jun25Jun27?authkey=Gv1sRgCLSS0efIh5-RCw

The HIGHWAY

If there was ever a day that the Alaska Highway lived up to its name, it was today!  What a disastrous mess of a road!  For all its greatness and beauty, today was just ugly.  Let me explain...

First, we left Whitehorse, YT, this morning around 8 a.m., after seeing Frantic Follies Klondike humor/can-can girls, etc. last night at the Westmark Hotel in Whitehorse.  Whitehorse is about as close to an actual city as one gets in the Yukon Territories.  We ate at a real restaurant called Klondike BBQ Ribs and Salmon.  I had the halibut fixed with brie and wild berry compote while Brad had the orange-glazed salmon.  Both were excellent.  After such as nice night, what could go wrong today?  I had to ask.

First, within minutes of leaving the city limits, we were faced with all types of road issues, which we had been expecting to some degree:  erosion, frost heaves, construction delays, all gravel with no lines, some pavement with lines, potholes, and just a general lack of "smooth" anything!  If you have a chance to look at the pictures, they don't really describe the road because every time I tried to take a picture of the road, it would come out blurry.  I guess I should have left one of those pictures in the mix to prove my point! 

 

In terms of driving the road, Brad and I typically take two-hour shifts.  He drove this morning from approximately 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.  I then drove from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.  Today, however, we couldn't find any pull-offs at 12 noon.  If it was designated as a pull-off, we weren't sure we could ever pull back on!  I drove until 12:30 p.m. when Brad finally said, "Please pull off at the next turn in.  Your fingers are permanently curled to the steering wheel, you have one foot on the gas pedal, and one foot permanently glued to the brake."  He was right.  We ate a quick lunch, and then he took over, driving until 5 p.m. Alaska time, when we finally rolled into Tok, AK, RV Park.  Hallelujah!   That's the good news!  (The bad news is we have to cover that portion of the highway when we return from Valdez, AK, and drive to Skagway, AK.  I may call our travel agent and see if there is a car ferry from Valdez to Skagway!  Otherwise, I just can't think about that now.)

Our second major issue occurred prior to getting to Tok.  Within the final two hours of Brad's second time at the wheel, I began to notice a noise.  I know what you are thinking….women always hear "noises," and it is nothing.  Yeah, right.  It wasn't "nothing."  The noise wasn't heard by Brad, however, although he kept trying to hear it.  He finally pulled off the side of the road, walked around the camper and truck, saw nothing, heard nothing, and resumed driving.  But, I kept hearing the noise and offered many suggestions over the next two hours.  Could there be a chain dragging?  No.  Could there be a problem with the tires on the camper?  No.  Could there be an embarrassing RV hose of some type (you know what I mean) dragging.  We kept seeing those along the highway.  No.  Could something be sliding around in the back of the truck?  No.  Could something be rattling in the backseat, for heaven's sakes!  It sounds like something dragging or scraping.  Hmmm.  We stopped again.  Nothing.

The noise continued through U.S. Customs (where by the way I lost two red skin potatoes to the border guard, and I just know he is eating them with pot roast tonight for supper, you know?  That ticked me off to say the least as I had just bought them the night before AND made sure I had no fruit.  Guess what?  No fruit, no vegetables without labels, no meat without labels, and no plant or plant products are now permitted at the border.  There are just two reasons I can think of for this 1)  The U.S. is extremely picky about its food when compared to Canadian customs.  Or, 2) the border guards are 35 miles from any grocery store.  Hmmmm.)  Anyway, to continue the story, we were about 35 miles from our destination of Tok, AK, and Brad finally stopped at a highway truck stop.  He had me drive the truck, and he listened for the noise while I moved the truck ahead slowly.  In my mind I am thinking that if others are watching us, they are probably thinking, "What the heck are those two doing?  How crazy are those two loonies?"  But, it was worth the embarrassment as Brad finally HEARD it!  It was in the driver's side rear truck tire, and he thought it was a stone scraping the disc brake--not good.  Hopefully, he is wrong.  (Side note:  Those of you who know Brad, know that actually the odds are in his favor for a correct diagnosis.)

So, we hopped back into our respective seats, and we screeched into Tok, AK, finally around 5 p.m.  We got to our campsite, unhooked, and opened up the camper.  OMG!!!  It looked like a hurricane had gone through our trailer while we were driving it!  The bed had slid forward at least 8 inches, not allowing a single human being to enter the bedroom.  That was not good, because someone had to get in there to replace the drawers that had come out of the sides of the bed.  Books, jewelry, alarm clocks, magazines, etc. were thrown all over the bedroom.

As I went forward to investigate with Brad right behind me, I almost stumbled onto a kitchen drawer on the floor, which had come open, dropped to the floor, and dumped kitchen utensils all over the place.  (Will someone get me out of this nightmare?  Falling is the last thing I need to do.)  I tried to put the drawer back in, but saw that the glide was bent, so I laid it aside, still trying to reach the bedroom while tip-toeing through the utensils.  As I entered the bathroom to get to the bedroom, I noticed the shower door looked funny.  I went to unlock it, and the entire door came off in my hands.  Are you kidding me?  Brad came up behind me, stepping over the kitchen drawer as well as the utensils on the floor and grabbed the shower door out of my hands.  I stepped back onto a roll of toilet paper which had come unrolled from the holder at least one-half of the way.  Someone is going to see a footprint on that roll, and I can't help it.  I walked back into the kitchen while Brad was putting the shower door back on the hinge when I noticed bubbles of all sorts in the kitchen sink.  When I mentioned this, Brad said, "I think it's just soap suds."  I said, "From two days ago?"  We are still debating this, but Brad starting looking under the trailer again and noticed water is now coming from our fresh water tank.  If there is anything I have learned while RVing, it is that water should not come out of any tank anywhere unless you want it to.  Period.  Water should not be coming from our fresh water tank….this is not a good sign.  After thinking about this for awhile, he now believes that rocks from the highway  hit the tank and cracked one of the plastic valves.  Oh, boy.  WHERE DO WE BEGIN?

Lucky for us, there was a mechanic on duty at a Chevron dealership in Tok (population 400?)  After we described in detail what we had heard for the past two hours, he said, "No problem.  I hear this story about twice every day.  You've got a rock stuck in the disc brake."   Within 30 minutes, he took care of the problem with the rock, rotated the tires, and recalibrated them.  Brad had been right.  Yippee!  One problem fixed!

And, we are slowly putting the trailer back together tonight….well, Brad is really as I'm writing this blog.  The handyman (Brad) has put new screws in the shower door, straightened out the glides for the kitchen drawer, re-wound the toilet paper (with the footprint), moved the bed back onto its frame, put the stuff in the drawers beside the bed once again, and he just told me he took the end of a pencil, some duct tape and pipe strap and made a plug for the fresh water tank.  What a guy!!  

We're ready to roll to Fairbanks tomorrow!  It's rather unfortunate as we have to continue to drive the HIGHWAY!

Jane and Brad 

PS:  Brad wants to add that our truck and camper now look like the Jeep commercial where the Jeep shakes off the mud like a dog.  We are headed to the wash tomorrow a.m.

PSS:  Brad just reminded me that between Toad River and Whitehorse, we saw the most animals ever, and those photos are in our latest link.  By the way, no animals today; however, we were concentrating on the road so much, we could have missed them!

Alaska Pictures June 10 to June 24, 2011

https://picasaweb.google.com/103566755770288566930/BriggsAirstreamAdventures?authkey=Gv1sRgCJLE2da2rra0AQ&feat=directlink

Updated Itinerary - Alaska 2011

For an updated version of the Alaska itinerary, click: itinerary

Little Gems

Hello from Northern British Columbia--Toad River Lodge and RV Park, to be exact.  One of the cool little gems of the road, Toad River Lodge is a former highway lodge used when the Alaska Highway was built.  We have passed many of these lodges over the past two days since leaving Dawson Creek's Mile "0" of the Alaskan Highway.  They have it all--greyhound bus stop, RV Park (about 20 sites), tiny motor inn lodge rooms (about 10), a small kitchen/dining room (1-2 entrées and ice cream), a small gift shop, and fuel.  This one even has an airstrip across the road.  Some advertise the best cinnamon buns, best steak, best view, or even that Sasquatch has been there. There have been many we have passed along the way, some out of use, others still able to make a profit in the short span of a few months when the roads are passable, and others, like Toad River, which are truly little gems of our trip.  

Toad River Lodge and RV Park came recommended from a few key sources I like to use when we travel by RV:

•  Travel Life/Woodall's RV listings (scale of 1-10 on facilities, cleanliness, and overall operations)
• GoodSam RV Park designations (we happen to be GoodSam Life Members, so 10% comes off the bill at each of these parks)
• Advertising brochures from Visitor Centers
• Online RV Forum, which rates RV parks in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico
• Word of mouth!

With a pine-shaded, beautiful view of the mountains and lake out the trailer window just 50 feet away, a back-in space with water, electric, sewer, cable, and free Wi-Fi hookup, and an overnight fee of $28 total, who could ask for more, especially when last night we actually received 1--that's 1--television channel in a town five times the size of Toad River!

But before we arrived at Toad River today, I should back up a bit.  Our trip from Grande Prairie, Alberta, to Fort St. John, British Columbia, took us about five hours, including a two hour stop-over in Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Mile "0."  It was in Dawson Creek that we found another little gem. 

While Brad took a quick side trip to the GMC dealership for a key fob (don't ask), I went inside the Visitor's Center for what else--brochures, brochures, and more brochures!  (Side note to Cousin Gretchen….I almost had double brochures on every city in British Columbia and wondered if you wanted the second copy!!)

As I often do when perusing a Visitor's Center, I ask where a good place to eat or have tea/coffee might be.  I mentioned a donut place I saw across the street; she looked at me and said, "Well, if you want something like Dunkin Donuts, I guess it would be okay.  But, just up the street next to our building is a little log cabin that is a Swedish Bakery.  It has only been open about 3-4 weeks and has no sign, but I hear it is great."  Of course, that is all it took!  Even if I wasn't hungry, who can pass up a Swedish bakery (or any European bakery, for that matter).  

What a little gem!  I ordered a chocolate croissant from a glass case, had wonderful hot tea, took in the wonderful views, and decided that in a Northern British Columbia, dusty, "drive through it" type of town, there is now a very good reason to stop--the little gem of the Swedish Bakery!  (And, yes, of course, I bought a cheese Danish and cinnamon bun for Brad, two fresh meat pasties right out of the oven for dinner that night, and a few freshly-baked buns for hotdogs or brats.)  We got lots of mileage from that one little gem of a bakery!

Today we traveled from Fort St. John (at Charlie Lake) to Toad River.  We are really about 200 kilometers northwest of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, which is the major town you might see on a map.  We traveled through Fort Nelson today, getting diesel at a Shell for $1.43/liter for full service that included a wipe down of headlights and tail lights.  BOY, did they need it!

Animal update:  One moose and calf running across the road, three deer, several sheep, and several mountain goats with baby goats right on the highway.

We head tomorrow to Watson Lake, then Whitehorse, then a long drive to Tok, ALASKA!

See you on the road….

Jane and Brad

Park Cafe Chili Burrito

Sharing a recipe for foodies!

Chili Burrito, Park Café, St. Mary, Glacier NP

1 flour tortilla

1/2 cup (?) thick Tex-Mex Chili, already heated through
1 long piece of Monterrey Jack cheese, sliced thin
  (measured about 3 inches by 9 inches, depending upon tortilla width)
salsa
sour cream
black olives

Place tortilla on the grill or pan to warm.  Carefully place heated chili down the center of the burrito in a middle third.

Flip up sides of the burrito to close.  Seal closure with a long piece of Jack cheese.  Place lid over to make sure cheese melts and closes the burrito.  Once cheese melts, move to a plate.

Top cheese with salsa, sour cream, and black olives.

Yummy!

OFF THE GRID in Glacier National Park, MT

The past four days have been quite the experience.  If you have not had the chance to go OFF THE GRID (not requiring utilities such as electricity, water, etc.), it is worth the effort.

We arrived at St. Mary Visitor's Center and Campground on Thursday, June 16, after a harrowing 3 hour drive from Great Falls, MT.  (Note to self:  Never, ever again travel Route 89 from Browning, MT, to St. Mary, MT.)

Upon entering the park, a fee of $25 gave us the opportunity to travel anywhere in Glacier NP for seven days.  The nightly campground fee was $23/night.  We watched a movie about the early years of Glacier NP development, stood in line with backpackers at least half our age or younger carrying BIG backpacks, and obtained maps.  Whereas their questions focused on trails and maps, my questions focused on where to eat and the locations of the Glacier lodges.  (Note to self:  age matters when selecting activities at a national park with mountains.) 

Brad assured me all would be well in living OFF THE GRID for 4 days.  We decided to give him an actual job title, "Power and Water Czar."  From the time we arrived and set up camp (by the way, setting up camp without any hookups is relatively painless as you just pull in the RV and disconnect), the wind, rain, and cold were ever-present.  We found what we believed to be a nice high site, overlooking the Rockies and the St. Mary's lake; the downside was the wind, rain, and cold.  Every morning, Brad reviewed our game plan for the day which involved when and if we could shower, when and if we could turn on any lights, and when and if we could run the heater.  He reminds me even yet today, that "if I had known there were no hook-ups at Glacier, I could have planned better for this event."  Oops!  (Note to self:  always communicate with Brad when we have no hook-ups for the RV ahead of time as when we are OFF THE GRID.)

Needless to say, the first night was really cold--about 40 degrees; RVers were pulling out off and on for the next 24 hours.  We braved it with our RV mainly because we had enough propane, two batteries with a solar panel, full water tank, and empty holding tanks.  We brought out all blankets from the RV and truck and ran the heater for 30 minutes to take off the chill.  However, the next morning when it was warmer (50 degrees), Brad had to brave the elements and fix the heater, as it was making a terrible clanging noise.  After about an hour, he got it to work beautifully.  (Note to self:  make sure you have an RV repairman with you when camping OFF THE GRID.)

Highlights from our four days OFF THE GRID included

·        visiting Glacier Park Lodge - yes, those trees in the lobby are as big as they look in the documentaries, approximately 4 feet in diameter, and they were brought in on rail from CA

·        visiting Many Glacier Lodge at Swiftcurrent Lake - our pick for a Glacier NP stay because of location, scenery, and amenities

·        visiting Two Medicine and hiking a short nature trail of medicinal plants to waterfall

·        driving "Going-to-the-Sun Road" for 13 miles in from east side; about 27 miles of the road was still closed because of earlier heavy snowfall; park personnel hope to open the road by July sometime

·        riding the REALLY COOL restored, 1930s White Motor Company (Cleveland, OH) red jammer touring busses.  (http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/glacier_jammer_tours.php)

·        visiting  Prince of Wales Lodge in Waterton, Alberta, CAN, located in the International Peace Park; a related park to Glacier NP which meets at the U.S./CAN border; took High Tea (excellent tea and views of the lake)  (Note to self:  repeat this experience of High Tea at Prince of Wales as often as possible--pure vacation!)

Animals viewed on drives and tours:

·         Day 1:  an adult moose (150 feet away) and big beaver lodges (100 feet away) - road toward Many Glacier

·         Day 2:  six mountain goats (10 feet away) - road toward Two Medicine

·         Day 3:  twenty mountain goats (grazing on steep hillside) and one black bear (40 feet away) - road toward Many Glacier

Interesting side notes for any foodies reading this blog….

·         Huckleberries were the delicacy (pie--mixed with blueberries, ice cream, taffy, twizzlers, jam, jelly, and cordials).  Taste was delicious; we were reminded, however, that huckleberries were not in season yet.  (Note to self:  any huckleberries served are from last year's crop, no matter what the waitress says.)

·         High Tea at Prince of Wales was extra special with harp music, waitresses in Scottish dress, and a picture-perfect view of lakes and mountains.

Advantages of being "Off the Grid"…

·         lots of reading with books (not Kindle or I-Pad)

·         walking and talking to new people, including retirees who held summer jobs at Glacier NP and were living in dormitory-style housing

·         peace and quiet

·         confidence in knowing you could do without if you had to

·         time to work on card playing skills

Disadvantages of being "Off the Grid"…

·         limited showers

·         no Internet access

·         no television

·         still had to cook

Update June 20:

We have moved on from Glacier NP.  Spending tonight in Cochran, AB, CAN, near Calgary at a beautiful, five-star RV Park owned by the local Rotary and Lions clubs.  Proceeds are used for philanthropic projects in the Cochrane area.

Note:  Six loads of laundry (from being OFF THE GRID) cost $39 dollars CAN.  Groceries at local Safeway with Safeway card totaled over $100.  Example:  1 gallon of milk (actually 4 liters of milk) was $4.99 CAN.  Diesel is running $1.12/liter CAN.  Easy border crossing from U.S. to CANADA--handled at the truck window--passports, vehicle registrations for truck.  We answered typical questions about where we were going, for how long, and where we were from.

Good news:  We are BACK ON THE GRID!  :)

If It's Wednesday, It Must Be Montana!

Since the last post, we stayed at the Governor's Inn and Conference Center and RV Park and Restaurant and Indoor WaterPark.  Yes, I believe that name is relatively correct.  Out here in "The West," one business has the corner market on everything.  There was a gravel parking lot and one big building.  Everything I named above was contained in that facility or just around it.  Immediately when we pulled up, a lady asked to take a picture of our Airstream.  We found out later that she had been at the hotel for over a month with her highway work partner as they were road workers.  She was absolutely bored to tears.  If she is taking pictures of our Airstream, well, I think you get the idea.  Brad was glad, however, that they had received his sewer hoses before we got there as he ordered them from home and had them delivered to this spot in ND to meet up with us at the right time.  Good package delivery service through FedEx is alive and well in ND.

After leaving Governor's Inn, etc., early, we drove across southern North Dakota--a straight shot, really, on I-94.  We did see some flooding--ranch land is very wet; even though we had sun and wind most of the way across the state, large pools of water are everywhere.   I know why the quilting guilds are strong in this state....there is nothing else TO DO!  We crossed the Missouri River at Bismarck, ND, with no problems.  Every ND road side rest had a different theme to their restrooms, but if I'm writing about that, well, you get the message--not a lot to tell really. 

We did have one nice highlight, though.  We decided to stop at the Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We unhooked the Airstream at the Painted Valley Visitor's Center, and drove into Medora, an old, touristy-type of Old West town at the entrance to the South Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt NP.  We made the 36-mile loop around the ND Badlands in the park, and did come across prairie dogs (to be expected) and bison, who roam the park freely.  We came across two males, then a small herd of about 15 bison, and then we were stopped when cars ahead of us were trying to get a group picture in front of 25 bison with calves.  We couldn't believe they were out of their cars; then, of course, Brad hopped out to take a few pictures as the bison were running away from the people, thankfully.  I guess bison are fast on their feet (not like a Dallas Maverick, of course), but still fast.  You are instructed to keep picture-taking to the confines of your vehicle.  So much for people following the rules.

Before I forget to report, diesel fuel prices are hovering around 3.84/gallon to 4.01/gallon. It isn't pretty when we stop for fuel!  To date, we have traveled around 2,000 miles.

We passed into a new time zone once again; we are now on Mountain Time, waking at 5:30 a.m. today in Glendive, Montana.  We are at the Glendive RV Park (an old KOA).  Last night we had a very strange sight:  around 5 p.m., everyone started walking out of the campground from RVs all over the park.  It was like they were called to something.  Brad and I looked at each other, looked at the people, looked outside, and then I squinted while reading a small sign in a building up the road from the campground.  It said "casino."  Aha!  That answers that question.

Today we go "off the interstate" following Route 200S (which runs east-west) from Glendive, MT, to Great Falls, MT.  We have a full tank of diesel, which should help us travel the 309 miles Mapquest said it should take.  I think there is one big town which should have diesel fuel....well, if you don't read anymore posts....you'll know we're still walking in Montana to find diesel.  We're glad Brad brought two containers of reserve diesel fuel! 

Jane and Brad

Sunday in Minnesota

The last two days have been a reminder of American history and our pioneer spirit.  We started the day in North Liberty, IA, near the interstate intersection of I-80 and I-380 (Iowa City area). 

We spent last evening visiting the Amana colonies, where German Pietists (aka Community of True Inspiration) continued their way of communal living and craftsmanship.  Any time you might be going by on I-80, it is worth the few miles off the interstate to take a look at this slower way of life in the seven Amana colonies.  And, yes, this is the place where appliance production has its roots.  I still have a working Amana microwave, which was used in my first apartment.  It still works and hasn't needed repair.  Ah, if everything we purchased could be made so well.  http://amanacolonies.com/pages/about-amana-colonies.php

Because we had the time, we drove on the back roads of northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota.  We saw the heart of America's farming communities--corn, corn, and more corn.  The early pioneers who worked this ground demonstrate the perseverance that has made America great.  Clearing the fields, enduring the wind and elements, and living in such isolation are evidence of a sacrifice of great proportions.

We end our Sunday at the Flying Goose, a beautiful campground on a lake near Fairmount, MN.  This is the stereotype I have of Minnesota...small lakes, campers around, birds and trees, and cool evenings.  We came in during a drizzly rain, but ended the evening with cool sunlight.  As we walked around the lake, we are reminded of the beauty of nature around us.  http://www.flyinggoosecampground.com/

Happy travels.

Jane and Brad

Day 2 - All is Well!

After being on the road two days, all is well.

The truck and camper see to be doing well.  Gas prices are astronomical (no surprise there), and we are stopped tonight in Coralville, near Iowa City, and plan to visit the Amana Colonies at least for dinner.  Afterall, who can eat another sandwich, right?

Wireless connections are different at every campground; but, if they offer free Wi-Fi, then we try to use their services if at all possible.  Tonight, I'm using Tengo Internet as provided by our campground, Colony Country Campground.  So far, so good.

Weather is beautiful, 65 degrees.  We had no problems crossing the Mississippi River at Davenport....as we talk with travelers, the problems are in Western Iowa with the Missouri River, so when we get to Sioux Falls, that could be another story. 

More later as we continue our travels.

Jane and Brad

ETD: 4 Days

Where did the time go?  We can't believe we leave this Friday, June 10, for Alaska. 

Two weeks ago, we made up the inevitable To-Do List, which gives us some organization to leaving for this length of time (7-8 weeks).

This list included (but is/was not limited to)....

• What in the world are we going to eat?  I'm on vacation and don't really want to cook....hmmm.  This one remains a mystery.  If you have a suggestion, I'll take it.  No, I won't take SPAM.
• Renew AAA Card (for 28+ years, I've been a member).  BUT, this year, I accidentally cut up the wrong card, joined again, lost my original number, got a personal phone call asking if I wanted my old AAA number back, and was very impressed that customer service is alive and well in Ohio AAA.
• Order a TripTik - something to do close to leaving for the latest in road construction;  I did this online and the person who sent it out warned that I had better see a AAA agent face-to-face to make sure I've got this set up right.  Hmmm.
• Medicines...making sure we have over a 90-day supply reminds me of my grandparents and parents who traveled to Florida for several months/year.  NOW I know what they were always rushing around about.
• Mail...when I called, the U.S. Post Office would only hold it for 30 days and someone had to come in and pick it up; however, I decided to try face-to-face, and I was able to just list the first day we were gone, NO pick up date, and the Post Master signed saying quietly...."no problem."  :)
• Packing....my clothes are in the camper; Brad hasn't started.  'knuff said.
• Coins...needed for laundry and tolls (and maybe bathrooms).  We just did $20 in quarters because of changing out money at the border for Canadian money.  At this writing, it is about an even exchange of $1 US = $1 CAN
• Camper updates....Brad is working on the grill cover/screen to keep rocks out.  He also wants to wax the top of the camper, mount the TV, etc., etc., etc.   After living with Brad for 23 years, there will always be more to do than what can be accomplished in the given time.
• Bills...we moved every bill to online pay this past year; I'm taking stamps (first-class and post card), labels, envelopes, and an extra packet of checks
• Work on trailer done by Eastside Storage...pack wheel bearings, check brakes....
• House stuff...timers on lights, mount some additional outside lights, spray weeds, clean house
• Hire someone to mow lawn (Leo across the street)
• Hire someone to water plants/collect papers/spray weeks (Kearstin, college student from church)
• Dog....since she would be considered bear food, we're taking her to Mom and Dad's on Wednesday
• Documents to make sure we take:  passports (and have an extra copy of those items in case one gets lost), Canada requires Passports now; Vehicle registration, title, liability coverage; Trailer registration, title, liability coverage
• Stuff to do along the way...Kindle with lots of books uploaded.  Extra books if Kindle isn't charged, etc., Nintendo DS with scrabble, cross-stitch project, school "stuff"
• Cell Phone/Internet connections decisions:  We decided not to get an i-phone or i-pad at this time...not enough coverage to warrant the monthly fee; we are activating the dongle on a month-to-month plan for times when we do have Internet; from all reports, this will be spotty and we're off the grid, probably in the Yukon
• Things to pack in the back of the truck....bear repellent (thanks, Bob Largmann), generator, diesel fuel can (we can only have an additional 5 gallons coming back on the ship from Skagway to Prince Rupert), tie rope (in case we get stuck), 1-2 plastic tubs with extra camping supplies
• We are not taking a big cooler....too often we have to give up meat/veges/fruit at the borders...we will get about 1-2 weeks of food at a time
• Plastic container with itinerary and maps, books, etc. for behind driver's seat of truck
• On-Star subscription service for truck continued
• Home answering machine turned off
• Camping Cards:  AAA, GoodSam, and KOA Value Cards
• Cash and Gas gift cards
• First aid kits
• Camera, Tri-pod
• Laptop
• Sun Glasses + Extra Glasses + copies of eye prescriptions
• Address Book
• Call Sheriff to make Vacation Visits
• Dispatch already cancelled
• Suspend Waste Management Trash pick-up

I'm sure we'll add to the list before Friday's take off.  That's why we just are driving to the other side of Indianapolis (Crawfordsville KOA).  We know how this first day will go.... "honey, did you remember to pack the ????"  (No, did you?)