Our 2013 Alaska RV Adventure

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Lincoln, NE to Home

We departed York, NE after a brief overnight stop for Lincoln, NE on I-80. After Lincoln, we joined Highway 2 to Nebraska City, NE passing the Victorian Gardens RV Park where we spent our first night on the road in May just before joining I-29 southbound to Kansas City, MO.

This is nearly the first time we had to run our air conditioners as the temps heading to 100 degrees. We stopped overnight at the Worlds of Fun RV Park in northeast Kansas City for the evening. This permitted us to clean up some things in the motor home, do some packing, and prepare to arrive home. Right next to us was a couple also traveling by motorhome we met in the evening. Turns out he was also an American Airlines captain recently retired heading off on their first extended trip as they begin to full-time live and travel.

Wednesday morning we departed once all the chores were done and headed home about 4 hours. This permitted an early afternoon arrival and a quick initial unloading of food and clothing. Temps again were in the 90's as we made quick work of it and got the motor home back to its storage facility. More work will need to be done in the next week or so as it cools off a bit here in St. Louis.

Once we get settled once again at home, I plan to update our mileages, average costs, etc. for our Alaska journey.

If you have followed us along, thanks for keeping an eye on our blog. We traveled 9,609 miles in our motor home and probably another 5,000 or so in the Jeep touring, not to mention a couple thousand more miles by airliner and light airplane in Alaska.

God has so blessed us with a safe journey and the ability to see His beautiful creation of mountains, oceans, sea-life, animals of all descriptions and many wonderful people. Our thanks to our lifelong friends Sharon and Bob Relyea who we met up with and traveled to Alaska and back. Last we heard they were enjoying a few last days in Colorado before returning home to Texas.

Our last morning on the road at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City

Safely home after 9,609 miles

Unpacked (first try) and headed by to the storage lot
after a wonderful trip of almost four months

Monday, September 9, 2013

Boise, Idaho to Lincoln, Nebraska

9/7/13

Saturday morning we departed Boise eastbound on I-84 toward Ogden, Utah. We arrived once again just ahead of more storms in the Salt Lake area. A quick setup and we were out the door for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant called Café Rio. Think of it as Q’doba on steroids – everything was made to order right in front of you but with a great menu to choose from.

A short and disappointing stop

3 nice sand dunes, and that's about it

9/8/13

Sunday we departed eastbound now along I-84 where it joins I-80 through the Wasatch mountains in moderate rain and fog. Out into Wyoming we continued in occasional light rain for most of the day. We encountered some strong rain showers near Laramie, WY as we continued toward Cheyenne, WY for the night at a new KOA.

I-80 in western Wyoming is stark but beautiful

Just east of Rock Springs on I-80

Approaching more road construction

9/9/13

This morning we departed early continuing along I-80 into Nebraska, stopping just west of Lincoln, NE for the evening at the Double Nickel Campground. We are unaccustomed to the hot weather today as we encountered 100 degrees and strong southwesterly winds making the drive challenging. We pulled into the campsite, plugged in only the electric power and are now inside (most likely for the rest of the day). Tomorrow we plan to move closer to home but not make all they way as we have some tasks to complete in preparation for our arrival home.

I guess Wednesday evening we will be sleeping at home in Dardenne Prairie for the first time since May 19^th.

Sorry, no pictures today with the high temps and high winds it was all we could do to hang on! Getting closer to home makes us less inclined to take pictures, I guess.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Heaven's Gate to Boise, Idaho

Wednesday morning we headed south once again on US 95 toward Riggins, ID where we checked in at the Canyon Pines RV Resort for the night, before unloading the Jeep and heading up the National Forest Service’s Seven Devils Trail – an 18-mile climb to a summit viewing platform more than 8,300 feet above sea level. The “seven devils” are mountain peaks. At the top is the NFS forest-fire observation post named “Heaven’s Gate”.

Our daughter commented on hearing where we went “you went from Hell’s Canyon to Heaven’s Gate in one day?” Yes, we had to agree. It was in the low 70’s on the mountain top but upper 90’s in the valley below. We enjoyed a quiet evening.

Thursday morning didn’t start out too well – while cleaning the windshield of the motor home, checking the tires, etc. I noticed that the left-rear tire on the Jeep was flat! No use crying about it, that’s the price we paid to see the views yesterday on a lousy road. Changed the tire out with the spare, and then repaired a small hole in the tread with a kit we brought for just such a purpose. Got a late start around 11 AM as we resumed our journey south along US 95 climbing and descending for the rest of the day. Just northwest of Boise we passed through the little town of Weiser, ID – hometown of our friend John Kirk at home.

We have been to several Lewis & Clark museum's on this trip

Headed south out of Lewiston, ID on US 95

About 100 miles from Boise we encounter road work

Then a very steep hill with 4 runaway truck ramps

More than an 8% downgrade for about 10 miles

We now encounter the Salmon River - "The river of no return"

Traveling along the Salmon north of McCall, ID

Our afternoon drive of 18 miles

Gravel roads headed up more than 8,000 feet

Nearing the top the road gets narrow and rough

NFS Observation Station

Peaks of the Seven Devils are visible now

Fall foliage is present at this elevation

Grandeur in every direction

We rolled into Boise just ahead of some fierce thunderstorms getting settled at the Riverside RV Park in Garden City, ID. The storms brought heavy rain, wind, and hail but we escaped any damage at the park.

Friday we did some cleaning, checking the tire pressures, a little Jeep work, and other odds and ends in preparation now for the press homeward. This afternoon we traveled about 75 miles southeast to visit Bruneau Dunes State Park to look at some desert sand dunes before returning to Boise. Tomorrow we plan to head east to visit the Craters of the Moon National Monument. Then it’s homeward bound 1,600 miles. Our route will take us to Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, North Platte, Kansas City, and finally Dardenne Prairie.

Off to a late start at Canyon Pines RV Park

A rainy morning as we head south on US 95

High country on US 95

Approaching Weiser, ID

We pass through Weiser - hometown of a friend

Sign as we pull into Riverside RV Park in Boise just before storms

Sand dunes in south central Idaho

Bruneau State Parks dunes

Snake River valley provides a green swath through desert

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Hell's Canyon, Idaho

Tuesday morning we awoke to overcast skies and threats of rain, but walked about 100 feet to the dock to catch our Snake Charmer jet-boat tour for the day. After an engine problem and a quick change of boats we were off traveling 60 miles up the river. We stopped for a catered lunch at the National Park Service site at Cache Creek staffed in 30-day increments by volunteers. All travel past this location must be logged and approved for safety reasons, I guess.

The sun came out around noon offering an unparalleled view of the rocky slopes surrounding the river on both sides. At a historical site where Nez Perce Indians crossed the river to evade Union cavalry troops we turned around and headed back to Clarkson. This site on the Snake River at Clarkston is where the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1805-1806 camped for some time with the help of the Nez Perce.