HILL COUNTRY RESORT

Thank goodness for wheels. If we don't like something where we are: ROLL ON

Effective January 10, 2013 our address will be:

 Hill Country Resort & Event Center 

17740 State Highway 16 North   -   Site #6

Medina, Texas 78055 -    

830.589.7475-

www.rvtexasresort.com

🎅 MERRY CHRISTMAS 🎅

Sharon took this picture at Bandera city park, on the Medina River and wanted me to use it. A little western flare from Texas.

She also put our Christmas 🎄and decorations up today so we are getting in the spirit. There are a few other decorations around the Koyote Park and of course in nearby towns.

We want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and our hopes for a tremendously Happy New Year.🎉🎊

Admittedly, it will be a little lonely here Christmas Day. We will compensate by trying to comfort other RVers as they will also be missing loved ones. Our friends from Kansas, Mike & Christa, should be here and we will support each other. The people around us are mostly a friendly group and we help each other. We are glad we are missed but we want you to continue your family celebrations knowing that we love you and want you to have fun.

With all our electronics, we will be near and in touch. You can't really get away from us!

Blessings to all.

Love,
Sharon & Lon

BIG TEXAS HEAT

Saturday nights on CMT a cop show, BIG TEXAS HEAT, features Trinity, Texas police. Haven't seen it but imagine all you small town family members can relate.

Trinity is the address and community where our friends Barbara & Denis live close to. While visiting our friends we did visit Trinity & attended a supper at the Methodist Church there with Denis & Barbara.

Just a way we can relate to Trinity. Could be Monroe City, MO, Finger, TN, or any other small community. If you are home Saturday evening and can pick up CMT you might get a chuckle out of it.

We can't get CMT where we are so I'll look forward to hearing your comments.

Sent from my iPhone


I AM THE LAW

KOYOTE (BIKER) RANCH

Lots of these "Bad Boys" here. This seems to be a favorite hill country park for bikers. Not everyone is riding but many of the rigs are toy haulers and most of the cabin clientele has a trailer.

Thanksgiving week, only three work days, seems to have brought them out for a long weekend. There are bikes & trikes of different sizes and colors. The weather is perfect so everyone seems to be having fun. 78 & sunny this afternoon. Most of the guys & gals left by late morning headed for the hills.

"The Three Sisters" (AKA-The Twisted Sisters) motorcycle ride is a favorite among those coming here to ride. The scenery is about as good as it gets. Clear rivers, twisty mountain type curves, roller coaster twists over and around large hills through real Texas ranches.

From Medina, head west on Ranch Road (RR)337, to the town of Leakey. At Leakey, go north to RR 336 north until you come to Texas 41. Head west for 15 miles to RR 335. Head left, East, on RR 335 and drive south to Camp Wood, where you take another left on to RR 337 and finish the loop at Leakey.

Be aware, there are few opportunities to get fuel along this route. Watch for sharp turns,loose gravel, deer, and slow moving vehicles. If you are coming from Kerrville to Medina, Hwy 16 is not a good choice with trailers and RV's. You will find Hwy 173 from Kerrville much more big rig friendly.

Sound exciting? Come on down and join the fun.

TUCKERED OUT

This retirement just wears me out but mom & dad won't get me a decent pillow. Oh well, I'll just improvise.

KOYOTE RANCH

Located in the center of "Hill Country" between Kerrville and Medina, TX.




Our site is on the back row. Nice level site with concrete pad and fireplace. We attended the ice cream social last nite. Settling in & getting acclimated today.

WHAT'S NOT TO LIKE?

We have had a wonderful experience with Barbara, Denis, & KC here at Lake Livingston. Thanks for sharing your home, food, time, sunsets, and KC to entertain Sophie. It has been an awesome spin off from the Alaska summer.

SAM HOUSTON MEMORIAL

Huntsville, Texas--

Barbara & Denis took us to Huntsville, yesterday. Huntsville is the home of Sam Houston and several state prisons.

LAKESIDE RV RESORT

Lake Livingston, Onalaska, Texas

SCENES FROM GREER'S FERRY

Greers Ferry, AR

We arrived at Greer's Ferry early Monday afternoon. It was a pretty, four hour drive from Paul & Brenda's home near Marshfield. From Branson on south the trees were in peak color.

FUN TIMES

Eddie (Doc) & Teresa are friends from Majestic Oaks and the years we spent RVing at Lake of the Ozarks. We all had fun times together with many of you who read this blog. Just want to thank them for taking time to come see us.

Brad & Joy will be by this evening and then we will begin preparations for hooking up tomorrow. We are planning to leave here about noon tomorrow. We hope you all have safe winter months until we are back in MO to see you next spring.

"On the Road Again"

Lon & Sharon

WINTER ADDRESS

Effective November 15th:

Lon & Sharon

Koyote Ranch, Site 106

23195 Highway 16 N.

Medina, TX 78055

The Livingston address can be used any time. They forward it to wherever we are.

Sent from my iPhone

REUNION

We had a fun time this weekend when Dave & Sally Blasingim, from Greer's Ferry, AR stopped to see us here at Lake Village. Dave and Sally were on the Alaska trek with us this summer. We enjoyed their company and friendship throughout the Trip. They were headed to Iowa, Saturday and veered off their path somewhat just to come see us.

We had a campfire, shared some viddles and a late, into the evening "Happy Hour". It was great to relive experiences from the trip, share memories, & find out who they had heard from that we had not. Some of our trek group are organizing a reunion next summer at Branson. It will be interesting to see if it happens and a great location for us. Time will tell.

This is our last full week at Paris. It is beautiful today, more like spring than fall. However, the weekend will bring much cooler days, and nights into the 30's. We will pull out next Wednesday and stop at Brenda & Paul's for a few days. They have been great to let us have space to store clothes. We will leave some of our short sleeves in exchange for some more cool weather, sweaters & jackets. Won't be much because we had a lot of fall clothes for Alaska.

Thanks to everyone here who has been so kind to us. We do appreciate it.

Thanks again Dave & Sally. It was great fun.

Happy Trails, til we see you again!

CHANGE IN THE AIR

The leaves are falling, crops being harvested (what there is), the nights are cooling, and "Snowbirds" are moving south.

We had a great adventure to Alaska over the summer. Since returning, we have had great visits with family and friends, attended ball games, dinners, parties, and school events. Pic: Gma & Aiden at school Grandparents Day. It has been fun and we have had a good time with all of you.

We are ready now to join other snowbirds in the migration to the south. Our plan is to leave Paris in about two weeks and travel to Niangua, to visit Brenda & Paul. From there, we will make stops in Arkansas and Texas to visit friends we made this summer on the Alaska trip.

We will meet friends from last winter at Koyote Ranch, Medina, TX, where we will be at least two months and may decide to stay longer.

Here is hoping that the Missouri winter will be mild and much easier to endure than the 2012 summer.

We wish everyone a happy holiday season and good health. We will be anxious to see you in the spring of 2013.

Be safe!

WINTER 2012

We are finally making some decisions for winter plans. We will be at Koyote Ranch, Medina, Texas beginning November 15th. Medina is in Texas Hill Country just south of Kerrville.

As of today, Sharon's father does NOT have surgery scheduled. Therefore, for now, we are making plans to head south in a few weeks.

We will be staying with David's four sons in Lee's Summit, from September 28, through October 07, while mom & dad celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in HAWAII. We have doctor appointments in Columbia the week following that.

Our plan is to finish our visit at Paris near the end of October. Then, we will work our way south, stopping for some visits along the way.

Mike & Christa Kirk, our good friends from last winter, will also be coming to Koyote Ranch and we are excited about seeing them again and anxious to hear about their summer of workamping in Buena Vista, Colorado.

With our trip to Alaska, the summer went fast. It has been great to see everyone here. Now, we want to head south before the cold winter nights return to MO.

Then, before you know it, it will be spring 2013. How fast time passes.

Happy Trails!

Welcome Back

What a sunrise our first morning back in Paris, MO. And, Sophie is so glad to sit on my lap and chew on her toy. We are all content to sit rather than jumping in the truck to take off again.

It was a great adventure. Only 10,460 miles! After all that riding, we are ready to remain parked for a while. We arrived here Thursday afternoon.

We have seen Sharon's parents. It will take a while to see everyone and get the RV and truck cleaned inside and out. One day at a time, don't have a time schedule now. We will be here until we get "Hitch Itch".

RAPID CITY VISITOR CENTER

Today we made it to Wall, SD. We aimed to get a little farther but, we stopped in Rapid City a couple of hours for a visit and wore ourselves (and Sophie) out visiting.

Most who read the blog do not know Beth, Lee, & Obi. A few of you will. We stayed next to them at Kerrville last winter. Obi & Sophie are best friends and had a great time romping and playing again today. We certainly enjoyed seeing them and talking about old times, Alaska (they have been too), and RVing. They are full time also and will be headed to TX in Oct. Thanks guys, for driving up to meet us.

It is hot & dry here in SD too...93 now. We have 625 miles to go. Probably try to get near Sioux City, IA tomorrow. If we do, we can probably get to Paris, Thursday. Hot here too, so no use to pay for another night on the road when we have a site waiting on us.

Happy Trails Everyone!

WELCOME HOME

"Old Glory" was flying high when we rolled into Great Falls yesterday. It was great to see and reminded us of what a wonderful nation we live in. We are glad to be back.

Tonight we are in Sheridan, WY. What a difference several hundred miles makes. It is hot and dry here and on our trip, it was always cool and often wet. Hopefully, we will bring some "cool/wet" back to you guys.

It looks like we should be back in MO on Thursday or Friday barring any unforeseen events. We have friends workamping near Rapid City and we may try to make connection for a short visit tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you who read the blog and for all your positive comments. Thanks also for being you and doing all you do to support us and each other. We certainly do miss you.

Wherever you are in your travels,
Be Safe!

LAKE LOUISE

Another mountain lake. Sure it will be pretty but so are the many others we have seen. We parked the truck and put Sophie in her crate. The parking lot is half full at 9:00 a.m. What is the big deal?

We start the trail and walk a short distance through the trees, all of a sudden I look up and cannot believe my eyes. Oh my! I see what the big deal is.
Talk about "awesome"! There just are no words to describe the sight. And, No, the picture does NOT capture the beauty, nor the vastness, of this beautiful lake and the mountains behind it.

I could sit and look at this for hours and hours. I am sure people do.

We moved on and drove to Banff via the Bow Valley Parkway. We had been assured of seeing wildlife on this route. Other than a squirrel and a couple of birds, we saw no wildlife. We did see plenty of bikers along this 35 mile stretch.

Arriving at Banff, I wanted fuel. The fuel stations at Jasper and Lake Louise were so crowded and tight, I was hoping for something bigger. It was not to be. I wiggled in and found the diesel pump while vehicles kept crowding in. When I had finished and climbed into the truck, Sharon said, "There is no way you are getting out of here." Well some how I did.

We parked the truck in a shaded spot and abandoned Sophie once more. We walked to downtown Banff and to the Visitor Center. After browsing there, we went across the street to Starbucks to use their wifi. We need to check in with our whereabouts occasionally.

Then to St. James Gate, Irish Pub for fish and chips, and a Guiness. We browsed the shops for a while after eating and then decided maybe Sophie Rose would like out of the crate. It took us three times around the area to remember where we parked but, both the truck and Sophie were right where we left them.

Banff, though a crowded little community, on this August day, is a clean, upscale, pretty place. Beautiful place to visit, wouldn't like to live there place!

We again took 1A, Bow Valley Parkway, returning to our campsite at Lake Louise Campground. Just before we got back, we did see a black bear. He was good size but was in the trees enough that he did not show up in our pictures.

Banff National Park is a scenic area. With the other lakes, mountains, and wildlife, Lake Louise is a perfect way to end this chapter of our adventure.

Tomorrow, August 19, (Happy Birthday Brenda) we head back to the USA. We have had the trip we had hoped for and now we are excited about returning to Missouri to see family and friends.

ABATHASCA FALLS

We have spent three days in Jasper National Park with 781 camp sites in Whistler's Campground where we stayed. There are others but not this big.

We were warned of bears in the park however, we have not seen any. We have seen several elk.

We have visited the city of Jasper, eaten at Tim Horton's, driven the 93A mountain road, seen the Whistler Mountain Tram, The Columbia Icefields and glaciers, and the Athabasca River and Falls.

Tomorrow, it is on toward Banff and we will be staying at Lake Louise Campground.

TOP OF THE WORLD HIGHWAY

 The Top of the World Highway is so named because much of its route meanders along the tops of mountains and ridges with endless views. Those driving along this route are able to see beautiful vistas including spectacular alpine valleys.  

Five of us on the Alaska Trek opted to leave the group and travel Top of the World Highway. We went over the 108 miles from Chicken to Dawson City in five and one half hours. We averaged less than 20 mph. Arriving at the Yukon River, we drove our rigs on the ferry which took us across to Dawson City. The ferry ride was a story itself. 

The views from the highway were awesome and  breath taking. From the mountain tops we could see for miles. We took pictures, however, they just do not capture the vastness of what we were looking at. 

As you can see, the road is rough. Mostly dirt and often "wash board" like. It was not as narrow as we had been led to believe. There were some very steep hills, both up and down, with no railings and a long way down if you would run off. I was very glad it was not raining and slick. 

After arriving at Dawson City, with only one paved street, we rewarded ourselves with dinner at "The Drunken Goat". It was one of the best meals we had on the trip. Of course, we were pretty dry after that ride so, we did need to quench our thirst too.



Then, we had to see one of the great shows of the Yukon at "Diamond Tooth Gerties". All the guys enjoyed the dancing girls. Diamond Tooth Gertie was a great singer but not much to look at.

Dawson was a really fun place and probably one of our favorite cities on the trip. If you ever come this way, don't miss it.

We spent the night in Dawson City and then went half way to Whitehorse the next day. Whitehorse was where we rejoined the group. Thankfully, we missed the stretch the rest of the group was traveling from Beaver Creek to Destruction Bay. Most of us felt this was the worst highway we have ever seen. It was after this drive that we had our slide out issues.

Top of the World Highway was quite an experience. Yes, it is rough and most people don't choose to do it, however, we are glad we did it and happy the truck and RV were able to hold up to complete the ride. Read about it, study on it, and make your own decision. For us, it was one of the highlights on our trip.

This trip really is the adventure of a lifetime. We recommend "Adventure Treks" and feel the staff did an excellent job of making our experience the adventure it was, into the "Last Frontier".

FAREWELL

Haven't updated for a while. We have been on the move and the Internet we have had was not very reliable.

We arrived at Prince George, BC this afternoon. This is our final day with our tour group. The "Farewell" dinner is this evening. It has been a great group and we have made some terrific new friends.

We have had a great experience and we will all have stories to tell. We have seen mountains and glaciers, whales and bears, dirt roads and highways, as well as sharing meals and campfires.

I didn't have a picture of the entire group but, I do have a picture of all the dogs making the "Trek". They have all done well too."

Happy Trails to you all,
Til we meet again!

VALLEY RV SERVICE DEPT

 When we arrived at the border crossing July 02, to enter Alaska, the U.S., the customs agent asked if we had purchased fruit in Canada? I told him we had four peaches from Canada and he told me to pull forward, get the peaches, and bring them for him to see. He said they must be a product of the USA or they could not come in. Okay, I thought, no problem. That is when a major issue began.

 I opened the RV door, to access the switch, to push the street side slide out so I could get to the refrigerator. CRUNCH, POP, GRIND, SQUEAL! You got it. The slide would NOT go out.

 When we got to Tok, we found that neither slideout would work. Both seemed to have the same problem and sounded the same when activated.

 What a "sinking" feeling. We got a new RV so we wouldn't have problems on the trip! Now what?..... What are the options? What would my buddy, Paul do?? Gosh I wish he was here to look at this with me. Well, he's not, so what next? I crawled under the RV and could see the gear and rail mechanism were full of sand and small rocks. That must be the crunch, grind, pop, squeal sound.

Since we were in Tok just over night, I decided to wait until we got to Fairbanks tomorrow to deal with it. Tonight, we would climb over the corner of the kitchen counter and swing our legs through the four inch space between the slideout and the counter. We could get to almost everything, refrigerator, most cabinets, kitchen sink, etc. Not convenient, but workable. Going to the bathroom and bedroom was no problem, not blocked.

 I know, if you are not familiar with RV's, or this floor plan, it maybe difficult to visualize. Basically, when that slide comes in, your house is full of slide out and you have no room in there.

Well, not wanting to tell friends & family that I had torn up my "new" RV on the roads to Alaska... You know..... The "I told you so" factor, I have not blogged about this before. OK, I'll call Paul. He will understand and misery loves company. I need company, I feel miserable.

 Paul, and Brenda, were understanding and tried to offer suggestions and commiserate with us. Bottom line, none of us could believe it and weren't sure what to do. Sharon kept reminding me, "It's under warranty". Ok, tomorrow we will go to Fairbanks, find a Forest River dealer, make an appointment, get them fixed, and go on with our trip. Great plan, right?? WRONG!

 When we got to Fairbanks, we found two RV dealers. One does warranty work for Forest River. Great, right??? WRONG! They could get to us in about five to seven days and they would NOT recommend the other dealer with only one technician. We couldn't wait a week so, I called the other dealer. After a short conversation, I knew I didn't want to use them.

Talked to Paul again. He did web search for "Forest River Dealers in Alaska". Came up with one in Palmer, AK.

 In the mean time, I decided to work on it myself. Hooked up my hose and washed out sand and gravel on both sides, no help. Several "Good Sammers" arrived on the scene, with a plethora of suggestions. Me, I didn't like any of them. I found another mechanic, in Fairbanks, who agreed to look at it but, they would not be a warranty dealer. Okay, worth a shot anyway. Maybe I can send the bill to Forest River?

 To speed this story up, after nearly eight hours, they did get one slideout to work. That was good. However, the one they fixed was not the one we need to slide out so we can enter the kitchen area without climbing over the kitchen counter. We can't keep doing that? Can we?

 I called VALLEY CAMPER and got an appointment during the time we were scheduled at Anchorage. After "climbing" for eleven days we arrived at Valley Camper, in Palmer for an assessment of the problem by Forest River approved technicians. We were assured that their man could fix it but, Not Today! "We are swamped", can you come back Monday morning?? You bet, I will drive the 35 miles back from Anchorage, and Sharon can stay with friends and do the trolley tour of Anchorage. We were excited, finally we can quit this climbing in & out.

 Another disappointment! After 4 hours in the shop, they came to the conclusion that they needed parts and would need to talk with the manufacturer. Sharon was NOT a "Happy Camper" when I told her our predicament. We would have to continue with our current situation and return to Palmer, after our visit to Homer, ONLY another ten days.

 I won't keep dragging this out. We returned to Valley Camper at Palmer, on July 23rd. After another six hours and a questionable outcome, we returned to the shop to find the slide does work. Three weeks we could not have access to the kitchen and living room area of our new rig, without the climbing inconvenience. And of course, as soon as we would climb in, we needed something on the other side or someone was at the door.....climb back.

Well, all is well, that ends well. Both slides work again but, is this the end of the story??? RETURN TRIP!!!!!

 Oh yeah, the peaches were products of the USA and we got to keep them.

VALDEZ

The drive to Valdez was beautiful. The sun was actually shining. Mountains like this one surround us. We also saw Worthington Glacier, the Alaska Pipeline, Bridal Veil & Horsetail Falls, and crossed over Thompson Pass to the long, steep 7.5 mile downgrade following the summit.

We have not had time to explore yet, I am told however, that we cannot get near where oil is loaded aboard the ships. Saturday we do take a cruise on Prince William Sound. We will be looking again for seals, whales, otters, and puffin and the Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in the world. Looking forward to that and hope this weather holds out until then.

Last night we were in Tolsona Wilderness Campground, much like a state park, small sites with water & electric only. What they did share was lots of huge, hungry mosquitoes. Thanks to my buddy Jim, I had the Therma Cell, from Bass Pro Shop, to help me deal with them.

The day before, we spent in Palmer, and I will write more about how that time was spent at a later time. Oh, I won't forget!

We did visit the only domestic musk ox farm in the world and that evening our "Adventure Trek" leader and tail gunners prepared dinner for us. Of course, it was rainy, but we had a shelter to hold our dinner in.

FYI: When we leave Valdez, we go to Tok & Chicken. We, along with a few other couples, are contemplating crossing "Top of the World Highway" to Dawson City. We would drive from there ( in two days ) and rejoin our group at Whitehorse. (You can read about this route online.)

By doing this, we would have the experience, see Dawson City, and do something we all wanted to do that was not a part of this trek. In addition, we would not have to retrace our path from the Canadian border to Destruction Bay, to Whitehorse, which most of us felt was the worst stretch of highway we have ever driven.

We will make the decision in Tok and/or Chicken when we can see what the weather is like. Also, we hope to get an assessment of Top of the World Highway from someone who has just driven it from Dawson City.

The "Alaska" portion of our trip will be over in only five more days. We will try to keep you posted so you will know which route we take. Keep your fingers crossed that it is Top of the World. We would love to miss that other 400 mile stretch. This route is not shorter but we think, lots more fun, and very little further.

ONLY 8% of Americans visit Alaska. 70% of that 8% do it by ocean cruises or flying. That leaves 2-2.5 % who drive and even less who do it by RV. Since we have made the sacrifice to come, we want to do it "our way" and our Trek Leader is fine with whatever we decide.

Happy Trails!

AT AIALIK GLACIER

This is where we were, however, this is not our boat. As we moved away from the glacier this boat moved in where we were and I took this picture.

ORCA

It is rainy and cold today so we are sitting inside enjoying our pictures and remembering the great experience we had Thursday on the boat trip. This is one of the killer whales.

MONSTERS IN THE WATER

Yes, yesterday was one of the most awesome days of my life. Just could not believe how everything worked out so perfect. Beautiful sunny day to start. Thought about not dressing so warm.

But cool & breezy on upper deck of boat behind the cabin, on back end. Had barely gotten out of harbor into ocean and the captain announced, "Sea Otter lying on his back eating a crab". Cool!

Then soon, Humpback Whales in a cooperative feed. Very unusual, he said he has seen it but not often. Must have been 4 of them. Difficult to get pics. Came up & back down.... Got mostly pics of tails or water.

Then Puffins, birds that look like little penguins, high on the sides of cliffs & mountains which stick out of the water. As we left that area, the fog set in. I thought it was all over. We rode along in fog with the Captain sounding the ship horn occasionally to let smaller vessels know we were there. He apparently had radar & could tell when they were not changing course.

We rounded a cape and out of the fog. I could see mountains with glaciers around us. I was snapping pictures of the awesome glaciers, as I could tell we were approaching this one big glacier which went all the way down the mountain and into the water. Aialik Glacier.

The boat slowed becaus the water around us was full of ice. To our left were hundreds of seals who had climbed up on the chunks of ice. The crew brought the boat as close to the glacier as they dared and killed the engine. We sat there in awe and silence shooting our pictures when, all of a sudden a sound rang out and I heard a woman call out. I thought someone had been shot. I looked up and a hunk of ice was falling into the ocean. You could see and hear it falling. Then a loud, plop as it hit the water. The glacier was "calving", a sight I never expected to see. I have seen similar events on TV, but to witness it in person is a breath taking experience.

We lingered there taking it in until another boat arrived and we slowly moved away. As we left, I could see the fog again and I knew we were on a collision course with it. I was just so happy to have had the experience at the glacier, I didn't care if I couldn't see anything on the return trip.

"Killer Whales" off to the right of the ship, came the announcement. "They are coming our way". I could see several with two coming right toward the ship. What a site! I can't remember if I even tried to take a picture. I was so excited. There were six or seven of them in this pod. They would blow water and all of a sudden three or four would surface together. Then, there goes that huge tail into the water. Again, the engines stop as we sit to watch the whales.

When we move again, we head right into the fog. Shortly, we pull in closer to rock formations where we see seals all over the rocks in the ocean and hundreds of birds clinging to the rock walls above.

Again, into the dense fog as we cruise along unable to see anything for an hour. As we approached Fox Island for dinner the fog cleared again. Just off the bow, were several porpoise and whales. It was difficult to tell who was chasing who as they surfaced and dived again and again.

On to the island for dinner and the Captain announced, "When you hear the ship's horn, return to the boat. If you hear it sound twice, run for the boat. If you hear it sound three times, wave goodbye".

Our food was excellent. The best meal we have had on the trip. As we pull back to the harbor, I am amazed at what a day this had been. As perfect as I could have planned. Even the fog seemed to move out of our way at just the right times. On the other hand, I wonder what else that fog may have concealed??

Sent from my iPhone

AIALIK

Today had to be the most awesome day of our trip so far. This is AIALIK Glacier, up close. The glaciers don't look big when you are far away..... So different up close. There are lots of smaller ones. This one is "calving", large & small pieces fall off into the water. It makes a loud sound like someone firing a rifle close by, as the ice breaks loose, and then a loud pop as the ice hits the water, unbelievable. This has to be one of the most exciting sights of my life.

Not to be outdone by glaciers, the sea life put on it's own show. The day was mostly sunny but cold. Layers of clothing kept the cold bearable. Occasional layers of fog made visibility near zero. Thank goodness for a captain and crew who know what they are doing.

We saw Humpback Whales, Orca's, Sea Lions, Puffins, Porpoise, Sea Otters, and Seals. I'm probably forgetting something but you get the idea, I was blown away. Even the mountains which surround this place are amazingly decorated, some in shades of green, some gray, and some white.

We ended our eight hour trip by stopping at Fox Island for dinner.
G R E A T prime rib, crab if you wanted it, several sides and desserts. Just a wonderful day. We took lots of pictures, but none capture the magnificence we have witnessed today.

Alaska is proving to be the trip of a lifetime. It is rugged, but it is beautiful. If you get the opportunity to make this trip, DO IT! It is long and hard, but it is well worth the sacrifice it takes.

And then to top it off, Sophie stayed loose in the RV by herself and did not make a mess.... 9:00 a.m.- 6:45 p.m.....
Nearly ten hours!!!

I hope I can store this day in my memory and always remember it.

JULY 4TH RACE

Here in Seward, they race up this mountain on the 4th of July. ( It just happens to be right behind our RV at Waterfront RV Park )

This year, a man in his 60's disappeared during the race and has not been found. The mountain does not look that formidable. I was thinking about running up it tomorrow morning before breakfast. Maybe I had better swim the bay instead! OK, I know I can't do either!

While we were in Anchorage, and just a few days before we left for Homer, a plane blew over on a little lake as you approach the "Spit". A woman drowned in that accident. The Spit?.......I could say, look it up! Actually, it is about a three mile gravel bar that runs out into the bay. The Harbor is out there and lots of restaurants and gift shops. It is a fun place and you can even take your RV and camp for $85 a night.

Seward is a "cool" place too. Harbor just up the street, mountains all around, and just about half the size of Homer.

Tomorrow we are going out on a boat to see whales & other sea life a n d,
Ooooh, Ahhhh, Glaciers. Should get some great pictures. We bought some Dramamine....... Never have gotten sick but some of the guys who went out on fishing trips did get sick so just don't want to take a chance.

Happy Trails !

HOMER, ALASKA

This afternoon we visited the Homer Boat Harbor on the "Spit". We had a great tour by a local fisherman. Samples of several kinds of smoked fish were available at the end of the tour.

Then off to Bear Creek Winery for wine tasting. Several great wines. Their grapes are shipped in and combined with local berries to make their local versions. Rhubarb & Black Current Reserve won our awards.

Last on our tour was the Islands & Ocean Visitor's Center. Now we have to decide whether to eat "in" or eat "out". Several seafood restaurants on the "spit" we're recommended by today's tour guide. I guess we all know what the women will want to do.

STILL COLD & RAINY

The fog has moved in and these mountains are not visible now. Mid 40's and rainy. We are in Homer this evening. It is a beautiful place, if the sun would come out!

Our RV Park is right on the water. I was looking forward to a great happy hour outside this evening. The cocktails are good but the happy hour is INSIDE.

Maybe tomorrow!?!?