Wednesday, August 26, 2009

8/26/2009 Farewell Alaska!

Our plan was to go to Haines and Skagway. Our plans have changed this evening and the reason is threefold. First, we came over the Thompson Pass to get to Valdez and it was quite a task to do so. It's a steep 8% grade for a long 7 miles. Our truck certainly had no problem pulling our 35 footer but with the traffic it was nervewracking and we've heard from numerous sources that the road/hills into Skagway are much worse. Secondly, how many glaciers can you look at? We're at the point where we are looking at each other and saying. "Oh look, another glacier, ho hum." We had the same feeling about buffalo at the end of our first day in Yellowstone. "Oh gee, another buffalo." Thirdly, wild fires. We're hearing about more and more wildfires throughout British Columbia and we certainly don't want to have to deal with that. So we've decided its time to bid farewell to Alaska.

What a trip its been! I've been asked over and over again which town/city did I like best. I have thought and thought about this and I have to say I just loved Seward, I adored Homer and its Spit, I could live in Sodoltna, Cooper Landing scenery was breathtaking, Anchorage has everything you could possibly want in a city, ahhhh Denali and I could go on and on. I think fellow blogger, Jo Wishnie, said it best. "I am a slut for Alaska!" It's an amazing place with so much to offer and we only saw a tiny little bit of it really. We really do understand the thousands of people who come here on vacation and never leave.

We hope someday to get back here. Actually, I feel very sad at leaving but at the same time I'm looking forward to getting back to Arizona so that we will be in one place for awhile. We've moved A LOT this summer. We can set up and break down with our eyes shut and that's not good. Not good you say? No, because we are getting "lazy" about it. We almost took off the other day with antennae still up and fridge still on. We're tired. A good tired, but tired all the same.

So we're taking leave of this, the 49th state, with its outstanding scenery, fantastic fishing and friendly people. We can also say we are not sorry to leave the dust! LOL

So once again, we have a long journey ahead of us. Since we came into Alaska via the Cassiar Highway we've decided to go home via the Alaska Highway.

Tomorrow morning we are on the road again.

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