Annapolis

The Bay was stormy so one of the tall ships that participated in the 200th anniversary of the writing of the Star Spangled Banner in Baltimore stayed for a few days and we were lucky enough to catch it on Patti's and my 20th anniversary trip up there. 

St Ignace

St Ignace, with its ubiquitous ferry's is a picturesque as ever. Many nice restaurants and a view of Lake Huron to die for.

Duluth

Our RV park was right on the harbor in Duluth on a  narrow spit that protected it from the lake. Access was provided by the lift bridge shown in the top photo that was not RV friendly - white knuckle narrow! The view was spectacular and the local restaurants were delicious. This was our first stop back in the USA and it was a relief from kilometers and high Canadian prices, especially the $1.40 per liter diesel costs (5.60 per gallon).

Evolution of the MAP

 From the final map for Bessie to the current map of Scarlet, we've see a whole lot of the good old USA and Canada. Its been a hoot!!

Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay is a significant grain loading port as these shots document. There is a small waterfall and rapid just as the river dunps into the lake that makes for an idyllic spot.

The view from our rail car to Anchorage

We had a wonderful train ride to Anchorage from Denali ensconced inside a full dome coach complete with a tour guide and bartender and on the lower level a dining room. What's not to like!!! We had a picture perfect day, even the crew were taking photos of Denali.

Wonderful Denali

Our bus tour of Denali was more than just wildlife. Great scenery was also in abundance under the cloud cover. Did Imention the bus tpur was 125 miles on a gravel road, with potholes, with 1500 foot drop offs on one side, AND 8 HOURS LONG!!!.

Denali Tundra Tour

We took a bus tour to the heart of Denali, 125 miles round trip, on a gravel road, for 8 hours, no toilet facilities on the bus, only two rest stops along the way. Grizzles, Dall sheep, Caribou, and Moose. Very wild but also very looooooooog.

Mushers

Patti got to hold one of the musher's puppies and of course we took seventy-leven photos. The mushers use many types of wheeled vehicles to provide resistance for the dogs when they train in the summer, the ATV is preferred because it has brakes to slow the dogs when they get carried away. On the trip back to the hotel we spotted a Mosses with its calf. Some fool stopped his car a got out whereupon our driver quipped " tqke his picture, it could be the last one of him alive". Moose are not known to be very friendly:)

Denali

We were blessed with a clear day for our bus trip from Seward to Denali. We stopped at iew point and wer very lucky to get some shots of the mountain. Normally its covered with clouds. They paint the tour busses with nature scenes indigenous to Alaska. Ours had bears on it.