Friday, November 18, 2011

Some more pics



Fancy graphics. All it takes is money

I like anything in pink

Reproduction Curtis Flyer. Yes it flew & flew very well too

The only airworthy B29 left. Quite a sight to see flying by.
Remember when they were stationed in Bermuda?
We got stuck in this. Slick as snot. Got out without assistance.
Demo derby at a Michigan county fair
This damage should buff out real easy
More mayhem
A thunderstorm passes by

And folks is about all for the Alaska trip 2011









Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Sault St Marie back to Maryland

I know, we have been back in Bermuda, Gone again & returned.
I finally found my 'roundtooit' needed to finish the Alaskan trip

For this installment it would help  to be an aviation fan, not just for earning air miles.

Besides childrens clothing Oshkosh, WI is known as general aviation Mecca with the largest collection of private aircraft in the world flying in for the two week show.

Beautifully restored Lockheed

Watching the show

AA Ford trimotor: Cruise speed about 120MPH

The unusual

In the background is the worlds bussiest control tower...well
during the days of the show it is.

Does this spinner make me look fat?

Rides in a Fokker trimotor for $75

Flying  history: A Mitchell bomber

P38 Lightning

P51 Mustang

Mustangs lined up



Remember when these were stationed in Bermuda?















Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Michigan U P

Maritime Museum inside the hold of a 1917 Great Lakes ore carrier
On deck: Museum below
Sunset at the locks: Sault St Marie
These high school kids were GOOD.
Part of a steel band something like 40 strong

Approaching Macinac Island
Except for emergency vehicles & a couple of trash
trucks there is NO powered traffic on Makinac Island.
Makinac Hotel
One of many imaculate guest houses on Makinac
A gem in Makinac harbour
Beautiful gardens everywhere on Makinac Island
One of the Makinac high speed ferrys.
The island is serviced by an ice road in winter.
The 'Mighty Mac Bridge' linking Michigans upper
and lower penninsulars between lake Huron &
Lake Michigan.












Monday, August 22, 2011

Blog #8 Washington to Maryland

The Run East

 
The waypoints shown are places overnighted

 
The homeward leg took us some places we have been before but that is OK it always looks new after a few years break. Most of the stretch across Montana, N Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconson & Michigan upper penninsula was on hwy #2 which for the most part has very little traffic except near towns. Set the cruise control at about 65mph, what we need to do to stay comfortably in 6th gear, & go. Stop every couple of hours to change drivers.

July 6, Day 100, mile: 10,050
Steamboat Rock State Park

This is the day when there is major change in direction of travel. Everything is east now & we start losing hours going through the time zones. First stop is Wallace, Idaho, a little mountain town started by silver & gold. These days people come to ride bicycles, ATVs 4WDs over the forest service roads & trails. Neat little western town.

Wallace, ID
Elevated section of I90 goes over part of Wallace

July 7th, Day 101, Mile:10,225
Wallace to LoLo, Montana.

We stop at this Missoula area town for a squaredance weekend. Years ago BC (before children) we used to squaredance quite regularly. Sorry, no pics for you to laugh at.

 
July 10th, Day 104, Mile: 10,350
LoLo to Fort Bennet, Montana.

Bye Bye to the mountains and east across the plains. Not much to see out here. It is cattle country. No trees, just prairie.

July 15th, Day 109 Mile 11,288
Grand Forks, North Dakota

We are always on the lookout for something different to do. Small city motorsports is always loud, exciting and cheap. These cars spend most of their time drifting sideways.

Outlaw racing

Crossing Minesota we had a bit of a run in with a thunderstorm. It was dead behind us and catching up fast. It was sort of like being caught on tracks with a train bearing down. Simple solution. Step sideways. Found a road to headed north for 12 miles or so and watched it blow by to the south of us, returned to our original road and followed behind the storm.

Saturday, July 16, Day 110, Mile 11,625
Ashland, Wisconsin

Another little town that most have never heard of that seems to be making its way on tourism. Nice waterfront Campground only a few blocks from downtown.

Ashland sunset
Mural on Ashland street











Saturday, August 13, 2011

Post #8 Haines, Alaska to Coulee Dam, Washington

Haines, Alaska to Coulee Dam, Washington
June 27th to July 7th
Mile 8,090 to 10,050


This leg of the trip took us on mostly a series of one nighters down through British Columbia

Tuesday, June 28th, Day 93 Mile 8090 to Mile 8252
Haines to Hainses Junction, Yukon

This was a bit of a long day milagewise but easy driving with little traffic and our best day for bear sightings. When you see someone stopped at a random spot roadside you always, at the very least, slow down to see why. Mostly it is because they have found an animal. This is how we was the first bear of the day. A California couple with good eyes had spotted one. We stopped, got out took pictures, chatted for a bit then they left ahead of us. We caught up with them again. Another bear. This cycle went on for at least an hour. Nice to have good spotters in front.

This fellow paid no mind to us at all


Wildflowers


Wednesday June 29th to Wednesday July 6th
Day 93 to Day 100
Mile 8252 to Mile 10,044

Everyday is noticably shorter as we travel south. We take advantage of the wonderful Provincial Parks almost all the way to the US. There is quite a change in climate from nothern BC down to the bottom of the Okanagan valley in the south. The volume of traffic increases also as we get into the populated south. We have been spoiled for too long with very little traffic.

The result of a wildfire in May.
The view out the door, Boya Lake Provincial Park, BC

Boya Lake site
Boya Lake, a very pretty place
Boya Lake
Boya Lake sunrise
Same sunrise just a few minutes later
No need to lock the campground host's truck when there is security
The old boat grill really gets around

Carolyn & her flowers


Somewhere in BC
Snow in July
Roadside flowers
The Coulee Dam with all sluice gates open
The Coulee makes us look small. The roar
of the water would give Niagara Falls competition.