Some of the trailer park gang hanging in our “front yard”, an area perfect for unwanted heavy machinery. PC: Kendra Wilson

A Hui Hou, Alaska

September 13, 2019 by Hope Moore

As the summer comes to a close up here in Talkeetna, Wes and I are preparing to move on toward our next adventure with bittersweet feelings. When we arrived back in early May, we weren’t sure what the next few months would bring, but Talkeetna and its people have definitely exceeded our expectations. It is proving harder to leave this place than we originally thought. Tomorrow morning, we are heading up towards Denali National Park and starting our road-trip back down to Redding, California. We lost Kelly. Not literally, she’s still around, but she and Nick are venturing to Maui for the winter. Being just the two of us now, I hope we can survive backing up the trailer without murdering each other. Kelly was always a good mediator.

At this very moment, the three of us are hanging at the trailer. Wes just asked where his hats are even though I just told him an hour ago that they are now under the bed. As we bicker for a few seconds about that, Kelly admits that she is really going to miss us. I am not so sure. We are going to miss her though. Wes said if Kelly hears of a body on the side of the road that needs identifying, it will be his. Luckily, she replied that he’d already be dead so it wouldn’t matter to him anymore and she would then need to protect me from being caught. Soooo there’s that. Problem solved.

We are getting ready to head into town for dinner and some drinks at the Teepee and Fairview with our neighbors and friends, Arwen and Dave, and whoever else decides to come play. Last night in town so we gotta do it right! Hopefully, Hurricane Hope stays under a category three tonight. She’s been gaining strength the last few nights so it’s getting kinda scary. Ask Vincent (Wesley). However, no one has evacuated yet regardless of last night’s solid category two. Not my fault, there was flip cup and beer pong involved.

Viva Las Vegas Prom Night at The Fairview Inn with Nick and Kelly. PC: The Fairview Inn Photo Booth

To pick up where I left off, Prom was a blast from what I remember. Nick made Prom King and the whole town was pretty much there. Aunt Julie gifted me her kaleidoscope goggles which were a big hit. That’s about all I can recall. We basically spent the rest of our time this summer hanging out around Talkeetna with friends. We made a couple of trips to Hatcher Pass, which was one of my favorite places that we visited. Tons of awesome trails (that kicked our asses) and as a post-hike reward, or self-torture, Matt and I took a very quick dip in the sparklingly blue alpine lake. A tad chilly. We rented one of the cabins at the Hatcher Pass Ski Lodge for a night once Kendra and Rhino made their way back up from Anchorage too. Such a beautiful place with beautiful people.

Marmots everywhere on Marmot Mountain, go figure.

April Bowl Hike with Denali, Hunter, and Foraker in the background

Lunch at the Hatcher Pass Lodge with Matt and Sam.

Our cozy little cabin. PC: Kendra Wilson

Nick, Kelly, and I made it to the Alaska State Fair for a day and saw the record breaking 2,051-pound pumpkin. Also, saw my first lumberjack show, which did not disappoint. Wes’ parents, Mary and John-Jack, and his sister, Meghan, arrived in August for a week and we had fun showing them around. I mean, there isn’t too much to do up here in Talkeetna, but they were able to see Denali through a flightseeing tour with K2 and they had fun ziplining. We also took a quick trip to Denali National Park and 49th State Brewing in Healy. Saw a moose. We had quite a few laughs in that week. Meghan got to know the Fairview Inn, where we danced our butts off on one of the most random and fun nights out this summer.

Wes, me, Meghan, Mary and John-Jack at Christiansen Lake.

49th State Brewing, home to the magic bus. #alexandersupertramp

Wes and I took a second trip back down to Seward for about three days and it was awesome. We ate some great food at The Cookery. Fresh halibut and steak with half-priced oysters. Yum! I love everything about Seward. They even have public campgrounds right on the water where you can watch a raft of otters float by. It doesn’t get better than that. We got the hookup not only for the Stoney Creek Zipline, which is a sister course to the zip where I worked, but also for a Kenai Fjords Tours boat trip. In addition to humpbacks, fin whales, seals, otters, sea lions, and many adorable puffins, we also saw a pod of resident Orcas! I can cross that off my list! I was so excited that we saw them and it was amazing. They swam right under and around the boat for nearly half an hour. Spy-hopping, breaching, and entertaining us curious humans. It was an experience that I had been anticipating for a while now. Still excited about it!

Crazy clouds at Resurrection Bay, Seward.

Delicious meal at The Cookery in Seward.

Hey there…Puffins at the Alaska Sealife Center.

While we feel that we have done a lot with our time here this summer, there is still so much to explore and we are already talking of when we can come back to visit. Planning to meet up with new friends in the near future. Leaving is always hard and we will miss the friends that we have come to spend so much time with this summer, but new adventures await and we are excited to have the opportunities that we do. Although we are missing Kona, we are heading to Delaware for the winter. Delaware? Where, why? To work at my mom’s super successful restaurant, Egg, and hang out with family and friends. Duh. And to save some money. We were supposed to be growing up this year, but then our dear friend from Kona, Dave, bought a boat and he NEEDS us to sail around Fiji with him next summer. Soooooooo yeeeaaaaah, we kinda have to do that. But first, we need to survive the road trip…

Late night puzzling with Arwen and Dave!

Life is Good

July 17, 2019 by Hope Moore

It has already been over two months since we arrived in Talkeetna. Time is flying by and we are loving it up here! Within the first week of being here, we felt right at home and met most of the friendly people who make this little, weird town so great. Talkeetna is an awesome haven at the end of the road, literally. The Chulitna, Susitna, and Talkeetna Rivers merge right near town and there are always friends hanging out by the river bank on the daily. It is an excellent spot to view the Alaskan Range on a clear day. Talkeetna inhabits about 800 people year-round, but that number almost doubles in the summer months with the additional seasonal employees. It is definitely a place for outdoor lovers with plenty of nearby activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking. Those are the freebies of course.

The best thing about working in Talkeetna is that most of the businesses spread the word by hooking up fellow tourism industry employees with MAJOR discounts on their tours. It is sweet. Wes and I were lucky enough to take a flightseeing tour with K2 Aviation about a week after we arrived. We waited on standby for two seats to open up and managed to score the glacier landing tour, which was two hours. We went up in a small ten-seater Twin Otter and our pilot, Mark, was great. We were a part of the ten percent of people who actually get to see the summit of Denali since it was such a clear and sunny day. With skis on the plane, we landed on the Amphitheater Glacier, where we were able to get out and take some photos. It was incredible.

Three rivers merging with the Alaskan Range in the background.

Kelly and I have been out on each other’s tours as well. She came out on my first zipline tour as a guinea pig and I returned the favor with a few of my other Denali Zipline Tour friends. Kelly nailed it of course. It was like she had been rowing for Talkeetna Rafting Guides for years. We had a fun little trip down the Talkeetna River and since that first time, I have been out a few times with her and our friend, Nick. There is a cool little spot to stop and hang out along the river called “Holiday Beach.” The TRG guides are lucky enough to be able to use the boats for booze cruises, which occur pretty frequently. I haven’t gone on too many yet, but I made the one I did attend count. I may not remember most of the summer solstice celebration night, but I am sure I had fun.

Kelly rowing me, Sara, Neil, and Andy down the Talkeetna.

I am absolutely loving work at Denali Zipline Tours. Unfortunately, my schedule would not work out with the bartending job at the Denali Brewpub, but who needs money, right?! I was a little bummed that I could not work it out, but I am here to explore and experience Alaska, not work seven days a week. It was an intense and exciting week of training to become a zipline guide and I feel like I was trained by the best! I have been enjoying the job so far and I am glad that I have the opportunity to work with a fun group of friends. Everyone up here is fantastically weird like us. Wes and I are so lucky to get to know them. Wes is enjoying work at Denali Brewpub and is killing it there to say the least. His co-workers are equally as fun. That discount on to-go beer is quite the perk too.

The Denali Zipline gang got to go and check out Alaska Sled Dog Tours one evening and it was so cool. Dallas Seavey is a four-time Iditarod champion and he has over 100 dogs in training. While we did not get to meet him, we met a great group of people, including Leddy who is a former zipline guide. She showed us around and led us on a dog mushing tour. We actually were able to steer the carts with the dogs pulling us through the trails. It was so much fun! Wes loves dogs so that’s great. We are planning to go back and do the full tour again before the season is over. It was a unique experience that I never thought I would have and those dogs are pretty incredible, I have to admit.

Leddy leading us through the trails! Wes was driving…

Wes thanking the pups for towing us around.

There are quite a few lakes close to town, which we have been taking advantage of so far. The kayaks have been great to have up here. Christiansen Lake is a favorite with a little shore to hang out on while watching the float planes take off and land. It has also been incredibly, and uncharacteristically, hot in Alaska this summer. Ninety plus degree weather for two weeks in a row, leading to fires and rising water temperatures. Global warming at its finest. However, on a lighter note, the lakes are fairly warm right now and being able to swim in them has been a treat. Lee Lake, formerly an old quarry and the only one that seems to be leach free, is right around the corner from our home and on the way to the zipline course, which is very convenient. There is always someone you know there and it’s great to have a spot to take a dip and sip a beer after sweating in a harness all day. There is even a little “beach” to set up a chair and soak in some sun, although we mainly stay in the water the entire time. When the sun is out, it feels about ten degrees hotter and when it is cloudy it feels about ten degrees cooler than the actual temperature. Layers are a must at all times up here.

Kendra and Rhino finally made it up to Talkeetna in early June and stayed for a few weeks. They pitched their mansion of a tent right outside our door and it was great to see them. We mainly hung around town and went out on the lakes since Wes, Kelly, and I were working most of the time. Kendra started her job as a guide for a smaller cruise-ship style company toward the end of June so they both headed south toward Seward, but they will be back later in the season.

Downtown Talkeetna is a pretty fun place. There is usually live music happening somewhere. The Teepee and Fairview Inn are the local hangouts. The bars here are open for what seems like forever and since it is light outside for about 20 hours a day, it sneaks up on you. You go out for a few drinks and all of a sudden, its 1am. Kind of crazy to get used to and I am still one of the losers who normally goes to bed early around midnight, while everyone else is out until three in the morning. Monday night karaoke is my favorite night to go out, mainly to see what surprise song my friend, Matt, has prepared. Everyone is usually there dancing and having a blast. There is definitely a charming quality to this place.

The Resonant Rogues are a folksy band from Asheville, NC and they visited the Fairview Inn and played one night. The accordion, banjo, and violin are some of their main instruments of choice. They were so good that we wanted to see them again. Nick, Kelly, Matt, Wes, and myself ended up heading down to Girdwood, where they played a secret forest show. It was an intimate setting at the top of a small trail in the woods. The five of us camped for the night there with another awesome couple, Greta and Landon, who were traveling around. It was a fun night and a beautiful place to stay. We drove down to Whittier, where we waited in a traffic line to pass through the mountain by way of a one lane tunnel. Glad no one was claustrophobic. The Portage Pass trailhead was waiting on the other side and the seven of us enjoyed the hike immensely. It was a beautiful day with gorgeous spots to see the Portage Glacier. I need to hike more because I am definitely out of shape.

We headed to 49th State Brewing in Anchorage on the way back home. Good beer and food. Until that night, I was the only person in Alaska who had not yet seen a moose. It had been a month and a half here and nothing. However, Matt came in clutch in the back seat when he spotted a moose on the side of the road! Finally! I was getting tired of all the taunting texts from everyone sending me moose photos from their backyards. Since then, I am happy to report that I am a moose magnet. They love me. They were probably just intimidated before because of my RBF, but word is out that I am a nice bitch.

Just out for an evening stroll around the neighborhood.

A few weeks ago, we hiked Ermine Hill in Denali State Park with stunning sights. Matt, Sam, Wes, and I hiked the eight mile trail to the top on one of the clearest days we have yet to see here. Streams, flowers, and alpine lakes. Mt. Denali, Mt. Hunter, and Mt. Foraker were visible the entire time. I wasn’t super stoked on hiking the extra steps to the very top, since my legs were screaming “no”, but I am sure glad that I did. We could not have asked for a better day. And I did not have to use my bear-spray sooooo bonus! I thank my friend and neighbor, Arwen, for the use of her bear bells.

My uncle, Steve, and cousin, Jill, came to visit me at the beginning of July and it was such a good time. They were only here for five days, but I managed to get the time off and it was so nice to see them. It was hot as hell though and no one up here has AC, except for us in the trailer. We are pretty much living large in the fifth wheel. Fat cats. Anyway, Arwen hooked them up with a flightseeing tour, we ziplined, made use of the kayaks, and hiked around a lake where a moose came out to say “hey.” Again, they love me. The six-hour hurricane train ride was probably the highlight of the weekend. We didn’t really see any wildlife and we were delayed an hour, but we did get to see some old telegraph poles and Todd’s house. I mean, there were a couple good spots along the way, but thank god I packed a cooler.

A quick stop at a river where the salmon were swimming.

Hanging out with new friends is the best part of our summer. We just had a neighborhood (aka trailer park) dinner the other night and Prom is coming up this week at the Fairview. It’s Las Vegas themed and it sounds like it is going to be awesome. Everyone is going. We are all pretty excited. Kelly and Nick went thrift store shopping the other day and we are all well on our way to being deemed “best dressed.”

We Made It!

May 05, 2019 by Hope Moore

Seward had been a place of interest to visit for all of us from the get-go. From Tok, it was about a nine-hour drive to Seward. However, the highway was the worst one that we had encountered so far on this trip. We hadn’t had too much trouble with frost heaves until the road from Tok to Sutton. We decided to stop for a couple nights at the Sheep Mountain Lodge because it was not only an incredibly picturesque spot, but because it was also a much slower drive than we expected. The views of the surrounding mountains were amazing! It was a quick drive to view the nearby Matanuska Glacier during the day, but most of our time was spent enjoying all of the amenities that were offered at the Lodge, including free firewood and a hot tub with a view. The cabins were really cute too. Technically, the lodge was not set up to open until May 12th, but the hosts were very accommodating and they were putting in a lot of work on the restaurant and common areas. It will be even more charming than it already is in the coming weeks. We definitely would not mind staying there again.

After two days of living our best life, we decided to continue on toward Seward as our last stop before Talkeetna. The highway down to Seward was even worse than the last segment to Sutton. We hit some good bumps here and there. There were plenty of construction zones to improve the road for the summer traffic, but they have a lot of work cut out for them. I tried to go off-roading with the fifth-wheel in one of the zones by mistake. I put some fear in the eyes of the excavator operator for sure. In my defense, I was the lead vehicle and why would you skimp on the cones, people?! We arrived in Seward by late afternoon and got a spot right next to the water at Resurrection Bay. It was so beautiful waking up next to the ocean and snow-capped mountains. We happily stayed four nights.

I could get used to waking up to this every morning :)

The first day, Wes spotted a bald eagle in a tree next to our trailer. It was the first of many that we saw in Seward, but it was definitely the closest we had come to one so far. Everywhere you turned there was an eagle. It was so cool. Same with the otters. Popping up all over the place! After the eagle’s photo shoot, we wandered around town a bit and ended up at the Seward Alehouse for a few beers. The bartender, Jane, was a very sweet girl who gave us a short list of things to do while in town. We planned to return later that night to see a local band, Blackwater Railroad, kick off their Tuesday night summer ritual. We met some friendly people and the band was awesome.

We may have stayed out a little too late and had one too many beers because we could definitely feel it when we went out with Major Marine Tours the next day. Apparently, we will never learn. Our vessel was the Orca Song and there was plenty of room since it was still so early in the season. The chances of seeing orcas were slim, but we have had pretty good luck with the wildlife so far, so we were hopeful. We saw an otter devouring a crab on the way out, which was pretty sweet. The captain was able to get fairly close since the otter was a bit preoccupied with his lunch. There were plenty of eagles and shorebirds flying around the bay and we saw a bunch of Steller sea lion getting their tan on in the sun. We found whales! Humpbacks and a couple of fin whales, which we had never seen before, but sadly no orcas. There were great views all around Resurrection Bay and it was so nice to be out on the water again.

We headed to Seward Brewing Company a couple times while in town, which conveniently opened on the first of May. Their beer and food were excellent. They had the BEST homemade salt & vinegar chips ever! Their dessert was crazy good too. Mr. Sweet Tooth, Wes, ordered the vanilla ice cream cookie sandwich with a salted caramel drizzle and a potato chip crust. We are going to start running regularly in Talkeetna.

In addition to the awesome house brews, they had guest taps as well. I enjoyed the Raspberry Wheat from Broken Tooth Brewing.

Pinbone IPA and salt & vinegar chips…yum.

Our last day in Seward, we went for a short hike at Lowell Point, where Jane had suggested. It was a really pretty walk through the woods and opened up onto a black sand beach. Didn’t spend too much time on the beach because there was a school field trip, which meant children running wild all over the place. Eagles everywhere again. Kelly drank that so cold and so fresh Alaskan water straight from the source. She’s still alive. It was a nice way to spend the afternoon and we went to happy hour afterwards at Chinooks Waterfront Restaurant. We tried our fifth and final poutine appetizer along our journey. None of them have been as good as the first at McMenamins Edgefield. The search continues. We really need to start running.

We loved Seward and cannot wait to go back and try again for some orcas, but it was time to leave. Finally, on May 3rd, we started the last leg up to Talkeetna. When we reached the construction zones this time, there was an appointed “lead car” to follow. Coincidence? Maybe I scared them more than I thought. I called Vern, owner of the Swiss Alaska Inn and our new landlord for the summer, when we were close to Talkeetna as he instructed. We followed him into town and he got us all set up with our new spot for the summer. He just added four brand new camper spots with full hookups across from the Inn and we are lucky enough to have one. It’s a five-minute walk into town from our place. Couldn’t be any closer. Vern offered to drive us through town since we hadn’t seen it yet. After the seven-minute exclusive tour, we figured out the best way to set up our summer home. I am sure there will be some ongoing improvements made throughout the season. The mosquito warnings about Alaska were no joke. And according to a few locals that we have met so far, they will get smaller and faster in a few weeks.

Look at those blues! Some lake along the Seward Highway on the way up to Talkeetna.

After a couple months of incredible wandering, it is time to get back to work. Wes and I start at the Denali Brewpub on Monday, which seems like a fun place. Later in the week, Kelly starts at Talkeetna River Guides and I start at Denali Zipline Tours. We are all very excited and it should be an adventurous summer for us happy campers!

Into the Wild...

Tok, Alaska

April 28, 2019 by Hope Moore

We left Vancouver on Tuesday, April 16th to head towards Williams Lake. It was about a six to seven-hour drive, a decent distance to cover for a day. We passed through Hope, BC where there was pretty much nothing. We may as well get used to that from here on out. After a painstakingly slow lunch break, we continued on and arrived at the Wildwood Campground later in the evening. Norma and Wayne were the camp hosts and we almost stayed one more day because they were so awesome. Norma’s baked goods were so tasty and Wayne had a lot say. We all really enjoyed talking with him and will definitely stay there again just to see them if it is on our return route. The campsite itself was not very big and it was right off the highway, but those two added a homey charm and made it worth the while. We only had the one day in the area, which seemed like plenty of time. We walked the short trails at Scout Island on Williams Lake and went to the Cowboy Hall of Fame for half an hour. Stocked up on some groceries and beer. Headed back for camp to get ready for our eleven-hour drive to Stewart, BC the following day, but got a little sidetracked talking to Wayne for an hour while he hand-delivered Norma’s delicious lemon pound cake.

“Has anyone in this family even seen a chicken?” -Michael Bluth

Always on the lookout…Williams Lake, BC.

I am a miserable morning person. The plan was to wake up at 5am and leave the campsite by 6am. While Wes and Kelly packed everything up, I got up and ready around 5:50. We left at 6:30, so not terribly behind schedule, but I was definitely responsible for the late departure. I cannot read or sleep in cars, so I didn’t mind driving the entire day to Stewart. When we arrived at Bear River RV Park, Twila and her husband were very accommodating even though they were not technically open for another month. While attempting to hook up the water, the pipe severed at the joint and sprayed Wes with freezing cold, brown water. Twila’s husband, whose name escapes me, came and shut off the valve that was hiding in a two-foot bath at that point. He grabbed us a longer hose and we were able to use the water hookup from the site next to us since we were the only ones at the park. He joked that we were allowed to break one thing a day. Again, very nice people.

Stopped to play with the drone somewhere between Williams Lake and Stewart, BC.

We were lucky they had room for us at Bear River RV Park.

We stayed three nights in Stewart with not much to do. We walked around town the first day. Walked along the estuary pier and down main street for twenty-five minutes. Then we stumbled upon the only bar open where we had a few rounds of beer while the locals placed their bets on the Keno machines. We headed back to camp and started our ten-dollar, four-movie Lethal Weapon collection. Exciting stuff happening! The second day in Stewart we were going to drive to the Salmon Glacier in Hyder, Alaska. Stewart is right on the border, so we crossed with no border security, into Alaska and drove for about forty minutes until we couldn’t go any further because there was four feet of snow on the road ahead, according to the group headed out for some snowmobile fun. We stopped at a bear viewing site on the way back, but no luck. Driving through Hyder, we pulled over and got out to walk around the ten-building, mining ghost town that was apparently run by dogs. One of the dogs was extremely excited to have someone play fetch with him.

Strolling along the estuary pier in Stewart, BC.

The Hyder, AK welcoming committee. Dogs, they love me!

Heading back into Stewart, the Canadian Border Agent happily stamped our passports since she had a little bit more time on her hands than the other agent at the Washington border. It was such a nice day, so we went to check out the Bear Glacier, which we passed on the way into Stewart a couple days prior. Got some glamour shots in front of the glacier and Wes played with the drone a bit more. We headed back to camp where Wes beat Kelly and I repeatedly at cornhole. Lethal Weapon 2 under our belts. Stewart was a beautiful place.

Wes is basically a drone flying pro now.

Woke up at 5am, 5:50am for me, again the next day to head to Teslin in the Yukon Territory, another eleven-hour drive. Wes and Kelly split the driving, which was a nice break for me. We arrived at the Yukon Motel and RV Park around 6:30pm and Wes and I went to the Yukon Restaurant on the property for dinner. The food was pretty good and they had elk sausage and pierogi! Happy Easter! (Disclaimer: I feel obligated to say that though decent, the pierogi were obviously not as good as Granny’s recipe that Aunt Mimi has perfected, but they were as good as I could get on Easter Sunday.)

The next day we decided to get out of the house and see Teslin. We drove across the street to the grocery/motel/gas station to get some food for dinner and a few more five-dollar movies. Afterwards we wanted to see the sights, so we drove two minutes across the bridge. Took a mediocre photo and then decided to head back home after the long and adventurous outing. The wind had picked up and according to our weather reports there were gusts of wind up to 70 mph expected for the evening and into the night. We were deep into Lethal Weapon 3 when the power went out around 5:30pm. What?!? No! Riiiiiiiggsss! Apparently, about thirty yards away, a pretty tall tree had fallen and taken down some power lines. We obviously were at a crucial gun-fight scene towards the end of the movie because none of us noticed. That tree, plus a few fallen others, knocked out the power for the entire town…both sides of the street! At least it was light out until 11pm because there was nothing to do except drink and play Bananagrams. At least the beer would stay cold. We piled on clothes and blankets yet again to prepare for a cold night’s sleep until the hard-working employees of the power company could fix the lines by the early morning.

Got my traditional pierogi for Easter dinner and elk sausage!

We stopped at Yukon Brewing, which was only a couple hours away in Whitehorse, on our way to Haines Junction. It was snowing on and off during the drive, but it really started coming down when we got to the brewery. We took a short tour and had some beers with the locals. Haley was a great tour guide and while chatting over some beers after the tour, she suggested we stay the night. Since leaving Williams Lake, it had been very hard to find RV parks that were open this time of year. Haley very sweetly offered to have us park in front of her house for the night so we could use her electric for heat. So that was decided. The three of us parked the trailer and walked a few blocks to the Dirty Northern for dinner. The pizza was pretty damn tasty. A couple more beers later and we were feeling pretty good, but it was only 7pm and there was a bar called the Woodcutter’s Blanket on the way back. Before we could have a seat at the bar, we had met everyone there. We had a little too much fun with our new friends Dave, Lyle, Andrew, Tom, and Larry over the next three hours or so. The bartenders were awesome and super tolerant, I think. They probably hated all of us. We now have to visit Dawson, YT on the way back to California to drink the famous “Sourtoe Cocktail” (look it up), especially since Dave and Lyle did it with pictures to prove. That is as far as I will elaborate on the night. It was all downhill from there, but totally worth it.

The middle…no pictures of the end, sorry…

The following morning, at a nearby Tim Horton’s, we sipped our Coca-Cola’s and ate our hash browns while being sure to take steadying breaths in between bites. We slowly came back to life. After a two-hour ordeal of desperately searching for a place to fill our drinking water tank, we headed out of town to the Takhini Hot Springs. They were much needed. Nice clean hot pools with a decent view to rejuvenate ourselves before heading onto Haines Junction for the night.

Takhini Hot Springs just outside of Whitehorse, YT.

Sunset over the mountains on our way to Haines Junction.

Since leaving Vancouver, we have seen so many different types of wildlife along the highways…bison, deer, cattle, horses, elk, caribou, ravens, hawks, bald eagles, black bears, and even a grizzly bear! The moose has escaped us so far. The views on the drive from Haines Junction to Tok were the best we have seen along our entire trip. It was also the stretch where we saw the grizzly…by far our favorite sighting! The last day traveling through Canada was so epic that once we crossed the border, we were almost sad to leave. However, it wasn’t long before Alaska’s beauty captivated us as well.

Grizzly Bear saying goodbye from the Yukon!!!

Pickhandle Lake, YT. Best rest stop ever! Good thing I had to pee.

Tok was a nice first stop where we took it easy for a couple days. I swear I was still hungover from Whitehorse three days later. Thanks, 30. We stayed at Tok RV Village right off the highway. Like most places this time of the year, they only had electric hookups, but that’s all we really need for heat. We were finally able to conclude Lethal Weapons 3 and 4. Okay, Okay, Okay. Now we could put our minds at ease and check out the only gift shop that was open to kill some time. Lots of stuffed dead animals. I am glad we saw the grizzly bear from the truck. We stopped at the Tok Lounge Bar, where we had several beers with the longtime locals and heard some interesting stories about living in the area. Everyone was very friendly and we learned that gold-panning is not considered mining at all to the commercial miners. Mainly due to the weather this time of year, there may not be too much to explore as far as outdoor activities are concerned since leaving Vancouver, but it has given us a chance to meet and spend time with some really interesting and kind-hearted people.

Rainy Days and Fundays

Vancouver, BC

April 19, 2019 by Hope Moore

Wes, Kelly, and I decided to head to Mt. St. Helens area for three nights after leaving Portland. Although a bit cold and rainy…surprise, surprise…we were able to get a couple of hikes in during our stay. I have to admit that I am a little paranoid about mountain lions and bears. And spiders, but that is unrelated. I’ve lived in Hawaii and Delaware where there are next to no dangerous predators, so I am going to have to get used to it and quickly. Bear spray is expensive, but I will soon have an arsenal that I will use appropriately (I promise I love nature). However, the hikes were very enjoyable regardless of the “three step look back” technique that became a crucial part of my hike. Although cloudy, the hike provided amazing views of Mt. St. Helens and the river that flowed below. Wes also tried out our new drone for the first time right outside of the park boundaries, which I am happy to report he did not crash. He made it look surprisingly easy and we got a terrible first flight photo so we will have to work on that. We messed with Sasquatch after the hike. I think he appreciated it.

The following day we woke to some heavy rain, but decided to go through with the plan to hike the Ape Caves located an hour or so south. I can’t say it was the best hike I have been on since it was fairly wet and cold. The caves, or lava tubes, were also wet and cold. Although, the tube was really long and was large enough that I never had to bend down until the very end. Okay, more impressively, six-foot-two Wes did not have to bend down. They were cool. Literally, very cool. To warm up and dry off, we stopped in the very small town of Cougar, to have a beer and some food. Pretty sure all of the residents of Cougar were there.

We arrived in Seattle on Saturday, April 6th and met up with friends, Miyon (a birthday buddy) and Trevor, for a delicious birthday dinner at Matt’s in the Market. My mom spoiled us by calling ahead for a couple celebratory bottles of wine and the food was just as awesome as the company! My favorite dish was the seared foie gras appetizer with all things rhubarb, including a sorbet……yum.

Double birthday celebrations at Matt’s in the Market!

Delicious foie gras at Matt’s in the Market.

On my actual birthday, April 7th, I brought in my 30th year on top of the Space Needle, along with all of the other touristy things. We lasted a full rotation on the needle and then checked out the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum. Really beautiful installations. We may have snuck in a beer to hold us over while we educated ourselves in the fine arts. Classy. Afterwards, we roamed around Pike Place Market and got some cheese at Beecher’s. We ate some fantastic pizza at The Alibi Room for dinner. The waitress gave us gum to contribute to the wall outside. I disgustedly dropped mine from an inch away onto the wall where it stuck. Gross. So gross.

Space Needle terror. My palms were so sweaty.

Our favorite campsite so far was in Fairview just outside of Seattle, Tall Chief RV & Camping Resort. It was a gated park where you were able to choose your own campsite in the thick of the trees. We loved it so much, and Seattle, that we stayed two extra nights. They even had a miniature golf course where against my best efforts, Wes won, and Kelly remembered, after the first two holes, that she was right-handed.

Our sweet campsite at Tall Chief RV & Camping Resort.

We checked out some waterfalls, including Snoqualmie Falls, where apparently some show called “Twin Peaks” was filmed in the 90s? Wes is old so he knew. It was a pretty hike to Twin Falls, once again in the rain. This time we warmed up and dried off at Snoqualmie Brewing Company where Wes and I tried our fourth poutine appetizer. None of them are as good as the first one at McMenamins Edgefield though. I guess we will just have to keep ordering poutine until we find an equivalent or better.

Seattle was our last overnight stop before reaching Canada. On the way up, we stopped at the Tulip Festival in Skagit, Washington. There were many different fields of blooming tulips along the way, but we stopped at the most trailer-accessible place, Roozengaard. The gardens were beautiful and the fields were incredibly vibrant. We tiptoed through the tulips and took way too many photos.

Peace out ‘Merica. We made it through the border! Eh? It was a pretty short wait in line to enter and we headed straight for Vancouver, BC. Still not sure what the flashing green light signal means at intersections, but we just drive slowly and it seems to be working. Naaah, we googled it. Safety first, moms! We parked the trailer, and Kelly, in Vancouver for four nights total, but Wes and I decided to take a ferry over to Victoria on Vancouver Island for a night. We rented an AirB&B to give Kelly some peace and quiet for two days, which I am sure she thoroughly enjoyed. When we arrived in Victoria it was really rainy and windy so we hit up some of the breweries. Vancouver Island Brewing and Phillips Brewing were our favorites. Afterwards, we walked by the harbor to see the Parliament Building and The Empress Hotel lit up at night, which was very cool. The AirB&B where we stayed was great too. The owners, Graeme and Amy, were very accommodating and paid attention to all of the little details. We even received a hand written card welcoming us into their home. Graeme provided great advice for us including restaurant suggestions, cab numbers, proposed hikes, and other fun things to do in Victoria. His recommendations did not disappoint.

The harbor and Parliament Building lit up at night in Victoria, BC.

We had to book the 10:10pm ferry out of Nanaimo, which was an hour and a half away, so Wes and I had the entire following day to explore the area. We drove to Craigdarroch Castle and took the self-guided tour through the estate. It was built for the Canadian coal baron, Robert Dunsmuir and his family. Not only were the original design and belongings of the Dunsmuir family impressive to see, but the diverse past of the castle itself, after the family had moved on, was fascinating. The castle was a hospital during WWI and it was the original University of Victoria, formally Victoria College, among other things.

View from the lawn at Craigdarrock Castle.

Looking up the oak stairwell to the fifth floor from the foyer.

We revisited the Parliament Building during the day and it was spectacular. Beautiful architecture and decent weather that day, despite being a little bit chilly. We made our way over to Fisherman’s Wharf, my personal favorite spot in Victoria. I am currently trying to convince Wes that we should buy the only floating house that is for sale. It is Hawaii themed, so I am pretty sure it is meant to be. He is not convinced. The wharf was such an awesome spot with not only floating homes, but floating restaurants as well. We got some beers and buck-a-shuck oysters for happy hour while watching a few otters pop their heads up here and there. Otters are adorable! A friendly man passed by and said, “Didn’t think ya’d be wearin’ a tooke when ya woke up today did ya, eh?” We smiled and gave an appeasing chuckle. According to google, a “tuque”, is a knitted winter hat. And no, we did not expect it to be so cold, so we took a water taxi back to The Flying Otter Restaurant for a nice dinner. Deep. Fried. Cheesecake. Wow. We had a great view of the water and.....more otters! There was even a fisherman cleaning his catch right behind the restaurant while a hungry harbor seal patiently waited for his turn.

Floating homes of Fisherman’s Wharf, Victoria, BC

Harbor seal waiting for a snack behind The Flying Otter Restaurant.

Back in Vancouver, we spent two days exploring the city. The three of us rented mountain bikes for a day and rode through Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver. We ate lunch in Chinatown and stopped at Yaletown Brewing Company on the way back to the bike shop to soak in some of the rarely-seen sunshine with a beer. The city was very bicycle friendly with large bike lanes and paths throughout most of the area. I am not really a city person, but Vancouver was really fun and the two days flew by.

Too much to see and do in too little time. We may have to stop in Vancouver and Victoria again on the way back to California in the fall.

Disneyland for Adults

Portland, Oregon

April 09, 2019 by Hope Moore

Oregon was beautiful! Being from the flattest state ever (Delaware), I was very excited to see the mountanous terrain of the Pacific North West. After taking care of all of the trailer business, Wes and I were able to really get out and explore the Bend and Portland areas. We drove to Smith Rock State Park to hike the Misery Ridge Trail. Daunting name. We were obviously a little skeptical since our luck so far had not been great, but it turned out to be an amazing day with beautiful weather. The hike, although steep, was a fairly short ascent, and provided some incredible views along the way.

There were also plenty of trails at the park that were not as steep as Misery Ridge, if only we had more time. It was definitely an adventure park. I wouldn’t mind mountain biking on some of the lower trails or even climbing on some of the lower rock formations, but some of these guys were nuts in my opinion. I wish I was that brave. We watched the skilled climbers with our feet safely on the ground.

Wes watching in awe as a climber ascends Monkey Face.

Mt. Hood was our next stop where we checked out the Timberline Lodge. I feel like I actually used my history degree for a half a second, and learned a little bit too. FDR dedicated the Lodge in 1937 when it first opened. Lots of cool history there. We cruised back down the mountain and stopped for a couple beers at Mt. Hood Brewing. Nice, cozy feel to the place and the beer wasn’t too bad either.

Portland was the last stop in Oregon. We met up with our friend, Kelly, there. Her cousin took us to this place called McMenamins Edgefield aka Disneyland for Adults. It is this magical place where you wander around on the extensive property with your beer and stumble upon at least five or so different pubs and bars, including a Jerry Garcia themed one. There is also a small winery. It is awesome. I didn’t take any photos because we were too busy drinking while running around like kids on Christmas. I think they had a golf course too.

Multnomah Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Wes, Kelly, and I took a quick day trip to Multnomah Falls just outside of Portland. It was a really pretty drive with tons of waterfalls along the way and there was a short trail to walk from one to the other. We even saw a woman walking with her rabbit wrapped in blankets like an infant. Guess the rabbit told her that he wanted to go for a hike that day. I hope he enjoyed it.

Pok Pok. If you don’t know, now you know. Probably the best Thai food we’ve ever had. I had the privilege of dining at the Brooklyn, NY location a few years ago and visiting Chef/Owner Andy Ricker’s original location in Portland was top of my list. It’s sooooo delicious. I cannot say any more about it. Get the fish sauce wings!

The best part about Oregon was getting to meet up with old friends from Hawaii! It was great to spend a day with Adam and Jess in Bend. We hadn’t seen Adam in four years, but it was like we didn’t skip a beat! Although a quick visit with Sandra, it was great to see her and catch up on things. Wes and I were lucky to meet some friends of Kelly’s while in Portland as well, which only made our trip greater. We are definitely lucky to have amazing friends all over the place that we can visit on our journey. Now, off to Washington!

California to Alaska...Here We Go

Bend, Oregon

April 04, 2019 by Hope Moore

We decided to start the road trip from Redding, California up to Alaska by first stopping in McCloud. My partner, Wes, and his family have a cabin there and since I have never visited any of the Pacific North West area, it seemed like a great idea. And it was. The cabin was really cute, as was the town, and we were lucky to be able to spend a couple extra days with his family there. Neat little place. I even was privileged enough to hang out with “Randy Legend”, aka Wes’ Uncle. Check out Siskiyou Brew Works for more on that subject.

Thursday rolled around and it was time to head up to Bend, Oregon to really start our adventure. We were excited, but also a little nervous since it was borderline blizzard conditions at the pass from McCloud to I-5. There were truckers pulled over chaining up, but the roads weren’t that bad and we made it through easily.

Thank goodness for Bill Hall’s Mobile RV Service!

The drive through Oregon to Bend was beautiful. We arrived at the campground around 5pm and successfully set up the fifth wheel fairly quickly. However, there was a small mishap where I managed to hook the heel loop of my Keen hiking boot onto the front hook of the opposite shoe, giving the impression that I was casually crossing my legs at the ankle. Unfortunately, this happened as I was stepping out of the F-250 and I fell hard with my hands in my pocket on the pavement. Laughing hysterically with me, Wes came over and asked what I was doing since he didn’t see the whole thing, and heroically unhooked my boots from one another. The bruise was huge. Clearly, things were going well, but I will admit, I was getting a bit hangry after driving all day and not eating.

I went into the trailer to turn on the heater while Wes was finishing hooking up the water and such. All of the sudden, the heater started making a loud high-pitched squeal intermittently. We also noticed that it was not heating up at all, only blowing cold air from the vents. We turned it on and off a few times to see if it would work properly, but it didn’t.

Okay. Let’s try to light the small propane heater…nope. Wes goes out to check the propane and it is clearly leaking. We have to shut it off. Well, at least the electric is working. Yes, but I cannot make dinner without propane and apparently the refrigerator is not working either. It’s okay because we have a small space heater under the bed. Turns out, it’s from 1901. I think it is going to catch the trailer on fire.

So, we have electric (but no fridge). Check. We have water (cold). Check. We have sewer (I think). Check. It is going to be 24 degrees tonight so let’s go into Bend, which is only 20 minutes away, and grab a couple space heaters and some dinner. We can deal with the rest tomorrow. Perfect. It is already 8pm when we head into Bend and not even a quarter mile down the road there was an accident of some sort and we get rerouted, which adds another 25 minutes onto our trip. “Babe, it is okay, it could be worse, could be raining right?” Well it started to rain.

We arrive at Target at 9pm and to our astonishment they do not have any space heaters. Home Depot is right across the street, they will have some. Nope. To set the scene, at this point in time, Hurricane Hope, (without booze surprisingly), is in no mood to be told that space heaters are now not available in two locations where space heaters were expected to be found. Her lips curled into an even meaner look than the normal resting bitch face. Let’s just eat. Wes, being the incredibly patient and tolerant man that he is, looks up Walmart and notices they are open 24 hours. There is a McDonalds nearby, I’m over it. I tell Wes to order me a 10-piece chicken nugget with a coke and honey mustard while I use the bathroom. Apparently, I did not specifically say, “fries” or “meal”, so I ended up with neither. That was a mistake on both of our parts. Did I mention that I was hangry? While at the Mickey D’s, I decided I should call Walmart to make sure they had space heaters beforehand and after 20 minutes of elevator music, the sweet lady told me that they did not have any in stock. Who knew that in Oregon you couldn’t find a space heater in March?

Hurricane Hope was on the brink of losing it. We got into the truck and she said, “I am about to lose it”, with the conviction of a psycho killer. Wes said very sweetly, “Okay we can go back to camp, but we need to get fuel first.” Okay, fine. We pull into the Chevron and the pump says “Closed”. She starts laughing manically. We pass a second gas station…clearly closed at 11pm. Find a third one that is thankfully open, but the spot we saw to turn in says boldly “DO NOT ENTER”. In an effort to obey the law, we pass it, make the next left, and pull into a DEAD-END parking lot to turn around. “WHERE IN THE F*** ARE WE?!”, Hurricane Hope exclaims. She slams it into reverse rather aggressively, heads back to the light and around the block to enter the gas station cursing all the way there. Wes calmly gets out to give the attendant his card and chit chats with her as she fuels for us. I try to relax on the 45-minute ride back to the park in silence. When we arrive back I apologize for my (Hurricane Hope’s) freak out. Wes says that it is understandable and no big deal because he was upset too. Clearly. I don’t deserve him.

We pile 8 blankets on the bed and turn the barely functioning space heater on. That helped. We somehow manage to still love each other and put on our beanies before falling asleep. The high was 24 degrees, so obviously it was fine.

Well rewarded at Crux Fermentation Project.

Sasquatch Golden Ale in Sasquatch country.

The next morning proved to be better. I dressed under the covers and we asked the receptionist at Bend/Sisters Garden RV Park for a suggestion and she pointed us to Bill. He showed up in 20 minutes and over the next two hours replaced our motor for the furnace, fixed numerous things in the refrigerator, and replaced the regulator valve and hoses for the propane. Yes! Now we are set. Breweries here we come!