Heading for the Horizon - 2012
It is more than a week ago now, that the A380 landed at LAX, two hours late. We had flown over the Channel Islands NP, and crossed the coast over Ventura. The flight path took us over greater LA, before heading back west to land on the east-west runway. Bonus was that we got a fantastic view of the spectacular Sierras, all covered in snow, and sparkling like diamonds on this clear spring morning. A wonderful welcome to North America.
My flight some hours later, to Philadelphia, via Atlanta, took us over the deserts of southern AZ and NM. As I sat there in amazement at the view below me, I kept snapping away with my camera to record this wonderful desert scenery. (The photos are nowhere near clear enough to publish.) Having always maintained that you don't see as much flying, as you do driving, I was left to eat my own words. This special area of the country, through which I have driven at least four times, looked so much more special from the air. I was able to pick out a few landmarks, in particular I-10, and if I had had a map with me, am sure I could have picked out many more. It was such a clear day, and the landscape was just spectacular.
Doylestown PA
Until I purchased my van, I had never heard of this place, but it will now forever hold a special place among my souvenirs. On my arrival I was met by my couchsurfing host, who together with his wife made me most welcome and comfortable. Much of my time there was spent resting and sleeping. Still we got in quite a few activities, and I had lots of opportunities to meet some of the locals.
On the day after my arrival (Wed), I was invited along to a Women's Business Forum, which was almost a full day, with many excellent speakers as well as a chance to see some of the products of local businesses. On Friday we went to Philadelphia, where a Doylestown artist, another couchsurfer, had organised a luncheon for the folks involved in Philadelphia Magic Gardens Project and the Clay Studio. This project was started by Lilly Yeh more than 25 years ago, and the luncheon was in her honour. It was great to walk through the project with her, and hear how things evolved, and why things are where they are. I need to learn a lot more about this project, which should be one of the attractions for Philadelphia. As it is, it is something which 95% of those visiting the city would never see, and I venture to say that many living in the city are not aware of it.
That evening I was invited to attend a dinner in a small cafe, with a showing of a documentary made by an elderly local film maker. Unfortunately he was not able to be present, due to ill health. The film told the story of Charles Eames, architect and furniture designer. I had heard of him. His furniture turns up from time to time, on the (British) Antique Roadshow - one of my favourite shows.
All these activities gave me great opportunities to get a real feel of what life is like, these days, in that little corner of the world.
The Ford
After my day at the forum on Wednesday, I had made arrangements to pick up the vehicle I had purchased. I was not disappointed. It seems to be everything I had thought it would be. It is clean, runs well, and handles like the truck it is. My arms and shoulders are getting exercise like they have not had for a long time. I am slowly getting used to having a very short nose in front of me, and although its overall length is no longer than my Outback, there is a lot more vehicle behind me. It has a very large turning circle, so much so, that it is difficult to do a U turn. I have now taken to going round the block. And its width..... I shall have to get used to that soon. So far I have hit the kerb a few times, and knocked over some of those orange lane markers at construction sites. I am terrified that one day I will hit a vehicle, or side-swipe a parked car. Especially in the narrow winding streets of suburban Boston.
But there is much I really like. The large windows all around give fantastic vision, and the large side mirrors almost eliminate blind spots. It also has the small round extra mirror, which gives an even wider view. The three large windows have blinds, which look like they have never been used. And when I lay down the sofa/bed back seat, it looks like it will be big enough for me to sleep on. Am now having serious thoughts of leaving that seat in there, rather than replacing it with a mattress.
The vehicle searching/purchasing/registering thread can be found here.
The auto electrician
On the Thursday, I drove the car to West Chester, where Jerry, the auto electrician, installed an auxiliary battery for me. This is needed to make sure that when I run my fridge off the battery overnight, I will still be able to start the engine, the next day. Jerry did a wonderful job, even covering the battery with carpet to match the interior. The only thing he impressed on me is where the fuses are, and what they are for. The drive to West Chester had been quite traumatic, so rather than have me wait a couple of hours for him to do the work, Jerry had his wife take me out for a cup of tea and lunch.
Lunch was at one of those nice little old places that has been there for ever and a day. It too, is the sort of thing which should be among the 'attractions'. A real gem. The only place where I have been served a pot of tea with bone china cup and saucer. And all that for less than $3. The lunch was great as well, and just as reasonable. After lunch we called in at the AAA so that I could pick up the maps I am going to need over the next couple of weeks. And while there, took out a AAA membership. She was a great sales lady... and convinced me that I should have a premium membership. So now I'm all set up - to break down! lol
Lifey
Some pictures to accompany the above text.
Now that I have had another close look at my pictures, they may come out OK, on here. (Ignore the dates on the photos. I have no idea why it kept jumping back and forth from 26th to 27th and back to 26th. And to complicate matters further, it is on Australian time.)
I could go on. This project is something you have to see to appreciate, and then, I doubt you would without the commentary to which we were privilidged. There are many more photos of it in my USA 2012 album.
If you put the address into Google maps, you can get the little yellow man to walk you through most of it. It covers quite a few house sites, and crosses over two streets.
The Germantown Avenue area of Philadelphia, is a very run down area. Many buildings are empty and vandalised. In an effort to bring traders back to the area, and rejuvinate it, the city has employed artists to redecorate some 140 buildings. I saw the video of what it will look like, and I have to say, it will be stunning. I sincerely hope it has the desired effect, because the young people with whom we spoke are proud of their city, and full of confidence for their future.
Lifey
Boston MA to St Paul MN, via Canada.
After ten days in Boston, celebrating a birthday and Easter, it was time to move on. Leave 8am on Tuesday morning. Two hours to the NY border, on the MassPike, and then straight up the NY Thruway to Buffalo. The hotel was booked in London ON. A long day, but there would not be any sightseeing. Just a matter of covering the miles.
Well! That was the plan.
Reality is that I finally got away just after 9am. Traffic was light. Progress was good. That is, until ten miles east of Springfield. I did not note for how many miles, but it was well over half an hour that the traffic progressed at less than 5mph... that is when it was not stationary. There were three such patches. When I got to the border I was already more than two hours behind schedule.
The first rest area to which I came in NY - and needed to stop - was closed. That is how I came to stop at the next rest area...
Besides having lunch, I explored this area a little, in fact, far too little. Some of these rest areas are attractions in themselves. I was told that most of the history of which it speaks is less than five miles away. On some future pass through this area, I plan to have sufficient time to check out.
With minimum stops, I made it to Buffalo, by 6pm. I had to have time out of the van, and spent an hour shopping for necessary supplies and filling the tank. It was then on to the border. Once in Ontario, I was totally reliant on my gps, a most uncomfortable feeling. Without any further stops I arrived at the hotel just after 10pm. It is the last time I have booked accommodation. If I had not booked that non-refundable room, I would have stopped in Buffalo. (587 miles.)
Next day was not an early start, as I made my way non-stop to the border and on to Detroit. Destination American Jewelry and Loan, a.k.a. Hardcore Pawn. They were not filming on this day and Les, Seth and Ainsley were not present. I absorbed the atmosphere... just as one sees it on television. The guys there were great, especially when they realised why I had come. Being the salesman he is, Bobby G managed to sell me a souvenir keyring. The guys also directed me to other things I wanted to get in Detroit. It was a great experience.
Then on to Orland Park IL, straight down I-94. It was here, somewhere in central MI, whilst I was overtaking a large truck, that I heard a loud boom behind me! Glancing in the mirror, I saw the complete tread of one of the truck's back wheels flying across the road, narrowly missing the car behind me. Arrived at friend's place just in time for me to accompany the family out to dinner. That was such a great night. Good food, great company and a pleasant ambiance, despite the fact that it was a trivia night. Actually we all had a bit of fun, trying to answer the trivia questions.
[Which three States have Commonwealth in their title? What is the only country in Africa which has all the vowels in its one-word name?]
My hosts were very good to me, and made me comfortable. I had a chance to get to a hairdresser and do some shopping in my favourite department store. Managed to find 9 audio tapes of my favourite music. Now I can play music in my van. Later, in Goodwill in St Paul, I was able to double this collection, giving me a great selection of tapes. (Frank Sinatra, Marty Robins, Perry Como, Paul Anka, Dean Martin, Louis Armstrong, etc. etc.)
All too soon the time was up, and early on Friday morning I set off for St Paul MN. Rather than traverse through Chicago, I chose to take I-80 west to I-39 north, and then onto I-90 and I-94, straight into St Paul. The best thing here was that I was able to drive straight to my destination, without a map and leaving madam Nuvi nicely tucked away in my glovebox. Arrived just before dinner time. (I do time things well, don't I?) It was a great drive, that Friday. (458 miles)
The van is getting easier to handle, and its size more managable. All the way from Boston to St Paul, I had the cruise set at 65mph. This resulted in a 16 mpg fuel consumption, despite the go-slow on the MassPike. I was quite pleased. The driver's seat is extremely uncomfortable. It does not have any lumbar adjustment. For the last leg of this trip I put the pillow in my back. This helped a lot. Seems like a few cushions will solve this.
By now I have put 2000 miles on this vehicle, and have resolved not to drive more than about 400 miles on any one day. It is not giving me enough time out of the vehicle, and is simply too exhausting.
Lifey
National Bison Range, Moiese MT.
During my time in Missoula I had picked up quite a few brochures and other information about the surrounding area. One which caught my interest was about the National Bison Range at Moiese.
Since it was on my way, it became my first port of call. And did not disappoint.
Even though it was long before the 20 mile loop road was opened - in fact the staff told me that more snow had fallen overnight - I was still able to drive the 5 miles of road at the lower level, there and back. This section of road remains open during winter. (The summer road rises some 2000 ft over the mountains, with many switchbacks and steep grades. Vehicle restrictions apply on this road.) The roads are gravel, and even on the 5 mile stretch there are steep grades and lots of potholes to negotiate. But the drive was so worth it.
The wildlife was prolific and active.
As well as bison, there are bear, sheep and several types of deer.
It was obvious that there was going to be a huge population explosion soon. The ranger told me that most of the deer give birth to two or three young, but that only a small number survive. Despite great efforts to hide their offspring, coyotes and wolves feast on the rest. The bison calves do not suffer such fate.
This is a place worth visiting, when in the area. It says to allow an hour for the winter route, and two hours for the 20 mile summer loop. I was there for much longer. For one thing, the bison were on the road, and none of us (3 cars) were going to push our way through.
Back in the car park there is an Antler Tree which grows each year.
For those who do not have the NP annual pass, there is a $5 per car charge in summer. Winter is free. Trailers are able to be left in the carpark while visiting the Range.
One of my favorite places!
Lifey,
Nice photos -- Yes, this is one of the places we've recommended hundreds of times over the years. My first visit was in 2005 and here are some photos of one of the bison calves...
Up 200 and over the border on 1 in ID.
On my last trip I had taken highway 200 from Missoula MT to I-15. I recall it being a most pleasant and scenic trip. So I figured since 200 is also marked as scenic from Missoula into ID, it would be the ideal road to take me towards the Canadian border in ID.
Almost all the way it runs along rivers and lakes, and the scenic turnouts are numberous. I tend to spend far too much time at these serene and scenic spots.
Highlight along the route was a torch run which I met near Thompson Falls. I had at intervals seen small groups of young people along the road, with identical red shirts, but not taken all that much notice. Now I realised that they were all waiting for their turn to carry and accompany the torch.
There was no time to stop to take this photo, despite having seen the accompanying police vehicle. Later when I met some of the runners, they told me it was for the Special Olympics.
What stood out most about this route was the unusually high number of white crosses by the side of the road - including many where there were two or more. It is not as if it was a busy road. It winds along with the river, and up and down hills, but not as if it is a dangerous road. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this two lane road has a speed limit of 75... and most who travel it feel obliged to drive at that speed. It was really very comfortable at 65.
At Sandpoint I headed north to Bonner's Ferry, where I stayed the night at the 3 Mile Truckstop.... three miles from town! Chuck, who has owned this facility for more than three decades was a most obliging and friendly person. We spent quite some time talking about the roads and truck stops in general. On his advice I planned to cross the border on highway 1 in Idaho, to Creston, which I was told was much quicker than 95, just to the east.
Chuck relates well to travellers, and aims to provide the best facility for them. It is not a huge truck stop, but there were quite a few trucks, as well as a small selection of others spending the night. For the benefit of the drivers, Chuck makes wifi available for free. Something the big boys may like to think about. From the drivers with whom I have spoken I get a clear message that whoever provides free wifi will have the lion's share of the market.
Crossing the border was a bit of a let down, after my last experiences. This guy was not busy, was not talkative, just asked the standard three or four questions, and I was on my way. Doubt I would have been stationary for more than 60 seconds.
Once in Canada I followed 3A all the way along Kootenay Bay.
The ferry which runs between 3A and 31 near Balfour, only runs every hour and a half or so, during the winter months. And this, the end of April, was still winter schedule. It was more than an hour till the next ferry went, yet there were already many cars and trucks. After making myself a drink and a snack, I got to chatting with the lady in the car behind me. She explained that there was a slide (avalanche) on the pass on route 3, so all the trucks had been rerouted north through Nelson. Discussing whether we may miss out on a spot on the next ferry, she assured me, from her experience, I would not have a problem. When the ferry finally arrived, and all the vehicles, including logging truck, were off, it was time for the waiting vehicles to start loading. Imagine my horror when I was the very last vehicle on. I did feel so bad.
Later on, at Galena Bay, there was yet another ferry crossing. This one however, much shorter and nowhere near as busy.
Spent the night in Sicamous. Both these days were around 250 miles - a comfortable distance on the two lane highways.
Lifey
Whitehorse and the Klondike Highway
It was on the morning of Thursday, 10th May, that I left Watson Lake. This section of the Alaska Highway was not new to me, and I planned to cruise my way to Whitehorse. The one thing which stands out is the Bald Eagle. It flew across the front of my van. Seemed to be flying ever so slowly, and although I appreciated getting a really good look at it, I prayed it would not hit the van. (So far I have had two larger birds fly into my van... no damage to the van, but the birds would have come of second best.)
Whitehorse is a lovely city, easy to get around and all the services you would get in a larger city. It also has the best camping store I have come across north of the Canadian border. It is here that I bought myself a small camping stove and accessories. Went to a camera store to see if they could help me retrieve the photos off the camera. No luck! They sent me to another place; who referred me to yet another; and they referred me again; until I started being referred back to the places I had already been. Still, no one was able to help me. My best photo - the one of the bear across the road - was stuck on the camera, and it looked like I would not be able to get it off.
Once again I stayed at the RV park where I had stayed before. It is a Good Sam park, and although it has the typical shop / office up front, it is very pleasant out in the park. Well spaced out and most sites covered with trees, very good and clean facilities and good wifi. What more could you want?
At this point my driving days since leaving Joplin had averaged 288 miles. A very pleasant and comfortable pace.
On Sat morning I left Whitehorse, backtracked along the Alcan to the Klondike Highway and headed for Skagway, via Carcross. Last time I went to Carcross (2004), it was a more hurried trip, and I did not get time to stop for very long at the sights along the way. This time I hoped to have more time, but since there was only one ferry that day, in the afternoon, and not another till Monday, I did not want to take the chance of missing it.
Still, I cannot bring myself to rush through this wonderful scenery.
The first turn-out is at Emerald Lake - a magnificent sight. One of the most beautiful lakes in the YT. It is the limestone gravel carved from the surrounding mountains and deposited by glaciers, some 14000 years ago, which gives the lake its bright green colour. What a magnificent spot to build that home overlooking the lake.
Emerald Lake is one of a large system of 'Southern Lakes' formed by glaciers. The Alcan skirts the east side of Teslin Lake - one of the largest in the system - for some 50 miles.
Only a few miles further on one comes across the smallest desert in the world - Carcross Desert - a real surprise along this road amid the snow peaked mountains and glacial lakes still partly covered with ice.
A mere 260 hectares, it is the remains of the sandy bottom of a glacial lake, from the last ice age.
From the desert it is walking distance to the tiny settlement of Carcross.
It was mid morning, and the place looked almost like a ghost town. Not a soul to be seen, and only a couple of visiting cars driving around.
Since there did not appear to be a visitor centre, to get some more information, I moved on. Little was I to know what lay ahead. Sections of this road were gravel, but that did not detract from the magnificent drive it was.
Stopped at several scenic points along the Tutshi River and Lake.
Just before the Canadian / US border is Fraser Rest Area, with its magnificent view of Fraser Lake. I am really glad I read this somewhere, as I would never have known. All I could see was snow.... and information signs which I could not read from a distance, and which I was unable to approach.
Up until this point the weather had been fine, but that was to end as the road climbed up towards White Pass.
Once over the Pass the weather deteriorated rapidly. The road was now quite steep and in places narrow, the snow had turned to rain and visibility was limited. On a fine day, I am sure this would be a spectacular drive, but for me it was best over and done with as quickly as possible. So was the border crossing. No one wanted to get drenched.
Lifey
Oh, How I wish I Was There!
I've been busy this week and finally got on the computer this morning to check for your updates. Wow, what interesting and absolutely beautiful are the places you're going through. The next time I drive to Alaska, I'm definitely going to check out this route. Great pictures, particularly of the very large bears you've seen.
Thanks you so much for these reports. I'm getting the fever to make that Alaska trip again.
Bob
