June 16 to July 15, 1999

July 15:  They’re back in Canada.  Camped four nights at Exit Glacier in Kenai Fiords did the glacier thing.  John and Betty managed to work in the 6 hour Fiords boat cruise.  While on board, they saw humpbacks, a sea lion colony, harbor seals, sea otters, puffins, and orcas.  Back in Seward, they visited the Alaskan Sea Life Museum where Muzzy got to see Puffins swimming as well as Puffins flying.  The Museum was built after Ginger's tenure at Exit Glacier.

Then back to Anchorage for a real visit, and went to Earthquake Park, which was set up after the quake of ‘82.   Here, they had an "adventure".  In the Park, a city park with lots of RV's etc around, they walked down to fault and looked around for about 30 minutes.  While away, some one broke into the Jeep and stole Muzzy’s purse and book bag (there was no money in the purse, but there were Traveler’s checks and credit cards which all had to be replaced as well as May and Pete’s telephone number.  That took three days in Anchorage to straighten out.  This theft included their journals which they had been keeping from the beginning thus violating the dual journal rule: never keep them together.)  They traveled Hatcher Pass, 2/3 of the 50 mile trip is gravel.  They also stopped in Independence Mine State Park where you can tour 3 played out gold mines.

Then back into Yukon last evening.  Today, they saw a grizzly in a construction zone.  He didn’t seem to bother anyone, but looked real interested in the all of the activity.  Meeting the Koppels in Takhini Hot Springs near Whitehorse tomorrow.  May and Pete will be along for 10 to 14 days.
 

July 7:  Seward!  John and Betty plan to spend the next ten days in the greater Seward area as May and Pete are scheduled meet them in Seward around the 17th.  They are currently staying in the Vandergrift Hotel in Seward and plan to head back out camping for about a week.

During the past ten days, John and Betty traveled the Trans-Alaska Highway.  This took them from Scagway through Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, back into Alaska and onto Anchorage.  Just north of Anchorage near Wasilla, there is a great fertile valley which is home to almost all of the fresh produce grown in Alaska.  After a stop in Anchorage, they ventured onto to Homer.  John said Homer reminded him, of all places, Key West, FL.  Apparently it's full with the RV and boating crowd this time of year.  Homer is also host to some of the best halibut fishing along the coast; John did the charter boat thing and caught several halibuts.   As they are traveling light, these were shared with three other couples they had met over an Alaska seafeast complete with lemon and blueberry pies.  Homer also has a wildflower museum, which pleased Betty.  Besides the wildlife, Betty has identified wild geraniums, lupines, and a yellow Indian paintbrush.  They have seen too many icefields to count and visited the coastal volcanoes which are visible from over 50 miles distant.

Update on the vehicle saga: they were forced to leave behind the rear seats of the Jeep in Wyoming (too big).  They have acquired a screen house to keep the mosquitoes down to tolerable (this is a trick out of our bag).  They are spending most nights using the Jeep for shelter.

June 29:  Arrived in Scagway and spent the evening.  Stopped in at the Red Onion Saloon and toasted their voyage with glasses of Alaska Amber, a local brew.  On their ferry, they saw whales, sea lions, and eagles, etc.  John sent Muzzy out a rope footbridge just for the photo-op; she was not amused.  The Jeep is doing OK; they're just "dialing- in" the effective range of the gas tank.

June 20:  Got involved a major fender bender on an Indian reservation in Wyoming, about 250 miles north of Evanston; both John and Betty are fine.  However, there is a slight change in plans; the Dodge is not making the trip.  Instead, they purchased a Jeep Cherokee for their journey, and will pick up the Dodge on the way back through the lower 48.  Lost one day travel time due to the accident, as their ferry to Alaska leaves Friday June 25.  Muzzy said she'd have new material about every ten days, so check back often!

June 16, 1999:  Departed Pittsburgh for Bellingham, Washington.