Red rock and ancient civilizations -10/25 - 28

Dave Taylor welcomed us back to Utah with a comfy bed, great meal at the Red Iguana, and a fun slide show of the possibilities awaiting Kat and I in southern Utah. Dave has spent a bunch of time over the last 10 years checking out remote little visited Anasazi sites. Armed with maps and our trusty 4 wheel drive Explorer we headed south to Cedar Mesa. 

This turned out to be a great call. After a long drive and a bit of 4 wheeling we found ourselves overlooking a canyon full of ancient sites. Better yet the other two camps on the bluff turned out to be great neighbors, (unlike the boy scout troop we had next to us the night before in Goblin valley). On one side we had Pam who had spent 20 years exploing the area and on the other side was Rick and Donna, recent transplants from  Soldotna AK who had just moved to Salida CO. We spent the day hiking and the evening chatting as Rick played the Guitar. 

Kat got her first taste of playing on the slick rock as some of the sites were in exposed places and required careful climbing. 

We're now in Kanab where we hope to connect with Alaskan friends Tim and Michelle and Mark and Ann tomorrow. The fun continues. 

Re-entry - Sandpoint, Yellowstone and Grand Teton

We crossed into Idaho and connected with  long time friend Karen Duchow. She is a fellow wonderer. Her wondering are a little more upscale with a Mercedes Van but we're only a little envious. Karen's brother is a long time Sandpoint resident . We spent an enjoyable evening and morning with Karen and Kay.

The next day we were off for Yellowstone where we spent two days exploring the nearly deserted Park. Lots of cool geothermal stuff... geysers, hot springs, mud pots, bubbling lakes. This is a fun spot for photography... so heres a few geo inspired images from the Park. 

Yellowstone also offers lots of animal life. We saw lots of elk, bison, a fox and some wolves (at a distance).

Grand Teton was our next destination. We got there in time for a hike around Jenny lake 

So much to see ....

Urban hike in Nelson BC 10/18 -19

With the car parked at the Alpine Inn we spent the day exploring Nelson on foot. I've always been fond of Canadians and have enjoyed my experiences when traveling in Canada. On this trip I've been impressed with the Canadian Parks (facilities much nicer then AK parks and our National Parks) and with the people. The communities seem like stepping back in time with an emphasis on quality of life for people rather then things. Homes are smaller and tidy. The Nelson community had a great trail system surrounding the town.

They even had a lakefront park with functional exercise equipment. Kat and I stopped to work off our Indian lunch. The path we choose was suggested by a knowledgable person at there info center and turned into quite the hike. We toured downtown then the lakeside and completed our loop on a hillside trail above town. Along the way we found a great bookstore and some friendly people.

We finished the day off with some dancing to an excellent jazz/jam band. It was a fun car free day in a very cool community.

Fall in BC 10/16 &17

It feels like a real fall here. Lots of color. We camped at Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park and visited the Lussier Hot Springs. It's the most natural hot springs we've visited.

Kat and I were amazed by the variety of organically grown squash and peppers. These vegetables were the last to harvest. The Creston area is the breadbasket for BC. Mountains, hot springs, big trees, friendly people and now great vegetables. I think I'm liking this place. 

Good  hiking too. 

Birthday Girl 10/15

The Birthday Girl hiking the Johnson Falls trail near Banff. Its been a fun couple of days exploring the country around Jasper and Banff. We had thought about trucking through to warmer weather but we were drawn in by exceptional scenery, friendly people and some amazing food.

Its been great to get out of the car and stretch our legs. We've spent the last two days doing multiple short hikes (so many places so little time) followed by gourmet meals. I didn't expect great food in Canada and at least in Banff and Jasper we've been treated to some gourmet surprises. I had a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant named Nourish in Banff that set new standards. Kat has also been making friends with the locals. 

Tonight we're in Radium Hot Springs where we have opted for a motel after our dip at the springs. The Explorer has been a bit chilly the last couple of morning so we're enjoying the luxury of a warm room for Kat's birthday. 

Beaverlodge, Canada 10/11/13

Its been quite the adventure... We've crept through two really good snowstorms, driven through caribou and wood bison herds, visited two mechanics, passed closed campground after closed campground, curled up in the back of the explorer as temps inside dropped below freezing... and we've finally made it to Beaverlodge, Alberta, home of the really huge beaver.

The dots on the road are caribou

We got a lot closer to the Wood Bison. If you ever need a head shot of a Bison I have some. 

No trip down the Alcan would be complete without a trip to the Laird hot springs. Sunshine caught up with us making the day and the drive through Muncho Park incredible. Beautiful area.

The Explorers been a good but squeaky home for us. The new serpentine belt we put on in Seward was the wrong belt leading to several visits to mechanics to discover what was chirping. In Fort Nelson we replaced the belt and are now chirp less. 

Heading South 10/6

September passed by in a blur. Our last tour took place on Fox September 5th. After that it was clean up time.  Lots of details to wrap up, buildings to close down, preparations for 2014 to implement and people say goodbye to for the winter. Staff headed off in all directions - Florida, New Zealand, Iowa, Utah, Canada, Guatemala... Now its our turn.

Its been 20 years since I've driven the Alcan down to the lower 48. This year Kat and I decided to pack up and head south. We've turned my Explorer into a mini RV with his and her toppers and a comfy bed in the back. It will be our home for the next month.

To kick off our adventure we joined a bunch of our Anchorage friends at a fundraising dinner and auction for our favorite Alaska ski area,  Arctic Valley. Our friends Harry and Courtney were especially excited about the auction item they bid on.

We spent this morning at the Apple Store in Anchorage attempting to make sense of i cloud, google drive and the interplay between multiple computers and i phones. Can't say we've master it yet but the programs we need seem to work. An evening in the Mat-Su Valley with friends John, Paul, Dana, and Dori completed the day. 

While Sept was a bunch of work we did slip away on a few of the nice days to play in the neighborhood.  

Sunny Cove's end of season PARty

It seems like yesterday that we were hosting the Orca Raising Party and now we're celebrating season's close. This summer flew by with more shorts and t-shirt days then I can remember. June and July surpassed all expectations with many calm, sunny days. Resurrection Bay known for wind was surprisingly mellow.

The weather wasn't the only thing that worked this summer.  We had an incredible staff. I couldn't ask for a harder working, dedicated, talented, committed group of people. From the office to our guide staff to the coffee bar we rocked this summer. Just ask our clients (or check out our trip advisor reviews). Some of that same energy goes into our parties. Our end of season party is always a costume affair with a theme selected by Stephanie and Audrey (who will be having a baby any day now).

One of the party highlights was the presentation by Forest and Jack of the Men of Sunny Cove calendar   they put together for our Operations Manager Stephanie.