Skagway, Birthday, Zip Line, (Crazy..? maybe)

7/24 - 7/26
Skagway, City RV Park
Downtown next to the Cruise Ships
A great place, walk to everything

A very small town left over from the Gold Rush.  A beautiful deep water port at the end of a Fjord.  Driving to Skagway is slow, many places to pull over for pictures; take hwy 98 just south of Whitehorse for one of the most scenic trips we have experienced through canyons, lakes, rivers, mountains, valleys and sub-alpine terrain, then The White Pass, at 3,290 ' and using a low gear down through canyons so stunning that pictures cannot do it justice. (At least not mine)

Skagway is located on the north end of Taiya Inlet on Lynn Canal.  There are so many activities that you need several days to see and do it all.  This is a tourist town with 4 - 5 cruise ships every day except Sunday. I was amazed to see so many people, it was like walking through Disney Land, we couldn't even get into the local brewery.  We finally discovered that most of the ship tourists  return to their ship and they leave between four and nine PM.  So we eventually got into the local Skagway Brewery.  The beer was not all that great but the food was fantastic.
While in Skagway there was a 5.5 earth quake a little west of Juneau, the trailer just swayed back and forth for about a minute.  The earthquake broke the internet fiber-optic running from Juneau to Skagway.  Merchants in town had to hand write receipts for people using credit cards.  The internet came back after about 48 hrs.  The internet is very weak to begin with here, especially when the cruise ships are in.  Saturday morning at 0430 I had excellent internet, then by 8 AM no internet, I guess I have to wait until the cruise ships leave tonight.  No such luck.

We drove over to Dyea townsite, (Dyea is long gone) the drive over was beautiful.  Dyea is where the famous Chilkoot Trail to the Gold Fields started.  Now you can get a permit and hike 33 miles of the trail and ride the train back.  It takes about five days to hike the trail.

The beginning of the trail doesn't look too bad, of course this is before you go up the mountain.  I only hiked about 30 min of the trail.

The trail pretty much follows the river before it starts straight up.  The scenery here is beautiful.

There was an Avalanche on the trail that killed about 70 people.  The old cemetery has markers to represent all those that lost their life.

Overlooking the valley of the town of Skagway.  Actually the town is more to the right of the picture.

Stopped at some beautiful gardens and glass blowers at the entrance to Skagway.

These are glass fish in a dry creek bed that was made for the "oops" of glass fish that got cracked or just not up to standards.

More "oops" of glass

While in Skagway I had a birthday and went on a Zip Line Tour.  Eleven lines and several swaying bridges to cross all in the rain forest above a rushing creek.
This is the truck we rode up in to the starting point.  It has 8 gears, you can walk faster than 1st or 2nd gear.  It just climbed straight up the mountain.

They also had sled puppies for sale.

This is the one I wanted.

No more delays, on to the harness room and instructions.

My first landing

Brave enough to look down but not let go.

Another successful landing.

And finally no hands and a spin...!

Walking back to our van and 100 feet away ............

....Luckily he was busy. Our guide carried bear spray with him at all times.

When the cruise ships pack up and leave all the RVers and locals come out, we finally got into the Skagway Brewery.  I told Joe to smile and....
this is what i got.

 We had some samples of Skagway Beer but we were not impressed so we had Alaskan Amber and Alaskan Summer.

Lots of mushroom out in the forest, these red with white spots are very poisonous but very pretty.

Of course we had to stop at the Red Onion

I don't think I have ever seen a collection of bed pans, but here at the Red Onion anything goes.

Picture of a tee shirt is only souvenir

While in Skagway we were going to take a train ride on a narrow gauge rail up through a canyon  with a steam engine but the train derailed and of course all the trains were cancelled until they got it cleared up and repaired the track, and then the inspection, couldn't stay any longer so we left.  This is very popular with the cruise ships so lots of people upset, no train for three days.

The other thing we had planned was to take the Fast Ferry over to Haines, but the "head" had a leak so that was cancelled.  So I guess Haines and the tour of the Haines Underwear factory will have to wait until next time.  :)  lol

It's so nice to have internet again, it's been about 4 or 5 days.  No cell service yet, probably as we get closer to Prince George.

Have a great Day

Nancy

Home Again

July 22 - 24, 2012
Lacey, Washington

Just a short note, not too much going on except washing clothes and shopping for our next outing in just a few days.  We will be home until Friday and then we will go to Pacific, WA, and stay at the Navy FamCamp.  Just like last year, both of my sisters will join us there and we will eat crab, BBQ oysters and shrimp, walk on the beach, eat more and  walk on the beach, probably drink a little wine, I hope two 5 liter boxes will be enough.

Today July 24 is my birthday, at 4:04 pm I will be officially 65 years young, which of course means that I am now covered by medicare and my S/S check will be reduced by $99.00 to pay for the part B.  I have already had one problem:  I had a lab test on May 25 and LabCorp sent me a bill, stating that my military insurance did not pay because I was on Medicare.  What does that mean???  Well starting July 1 is when I started Medicare so there should have been no problem.  I called my insurance, USFHP,  and they assured me that it would be taken care of.

Back to my birthday, Joe is taking me out to dinner to my favorite place, Anthony's Homeport in Olympia.

Safe travels to all and thanks for stopping by.

Joe and Nancy

The Zero Party

Saturday June 30
Lake of the Pines
Auburn, California

So what is a Zero Party?

Any family member that will have a birthday in 2012 and the last digit of their new age is a zero.  The party is put on by my sister and brother in law, Debbie and Gary.  All family and friends are invited, there were about 50 people able to come.  And come they did, from  Texas, Washington, San Diego, San Francisco and Nevada.  Probably other places too.

We traveled from Olympia, WA and my daughter Brenda from San Diego.  My son from Jacksonville FL was not able to come.  Brenda turned 40 this year so she is part of the Zero Party.  I'm not sure how she became 40, it wasn't  that long ago that she graduated from high school.

Joe and I decided that we would leave the trailer at home and take the Jetta which gets 42 mph and we could drive at 70 mph. but we had to stay in a hotel and eat out.  We arrived at my sister's place at Lake of the Pines which is in Auburn, CA Friday 6/29/12 and the party is Saturday.

This post is full of family pictures so look out -  or skip through to the last picture

Traveling through the mountains close to Mt Shasta in northern California

The view of Lake of the Pines from their deck

getting set up - the before picture

Tom in the water helping his girl friend learn how to water ski

 Then it was Tom's turn

Sister Debbie and son-in-law Tom on "poop patrol"

 Just a couple of the five dogs that were there

Brother-in-law Jim from Washington and my daughter Brenda from San Diego

My sister Debbie and one of her brother-in-laws (she has six BILs)

youngest nephew David and his girlfriend 

 Brother in law Gary on left who organized the party, talking to one of his brothers

My other sister Elaine talking with middle nephew Nathan

Caroline petting our dog Buddy

Nephew Jaron and his wife Monica

The shade kept moving so the table had to be moved

The meat had been marinating for 24 hours before the big BBQ

Mr "Hair Man" sneaking around the tree

The first taste of the meet, Gary and Joe

And, the second taste by David

Finally it was time to cut the meat, it was sooooooo delicious 

 Joe and Gary

Mr "Hair Man" sneaking up get food

Mr "Hair Man" and Dick

Fun in the lake

and more fun in the lake

All the Zero People, my daughter Brenda is sitting on the right

All nine of them

Getting late and everyone is packing up to go.  

It was too dark for my camera so picture is a blur but cute

Saturday morning my three nephews arrived and started helping set everything up.  The weather was great, about 75' with a slight breeze off the lake.

As usual lots of pictures of everyone and none of me.  My birthday is coming up this month so it will be my turn then.

Safe travels to all, thanks for stopping by.

Nancy