Ferry to Alaska is Next!

We made it to Prince Rupert yesterday in order to be ready for the ferry to Alaska.  We didn't want to take any chances of being late, so we took a couple of days and did a lot of miles!  It has been rainy since we arrived, so we are enjoying a cozy day in the van, reading, writing and soon will start some movie time.

When we last posted, we were in Sumas, WA with some kind and neighborly folks. Dan the manager was extremely helpful, and others around us friendly and welcoming.  Our closest neighbor was John and his pup, Brandy.  John shared his homemade smoked Chinook Salmon with us and fixed a door handle part that had slipped out of place.  All he would take in return was a big "thanks" and a promise to pass on the kindness.  Thanks John.

As we waved goodbye, we were grateful for the visit in Sumas. All the errands complete as we headed for the border.  As we arrived at the booth, the stern-faced guards asked the necessary questions and decided we were okay to pass along.

Off we went down the highway, never quite knowing what to expect, and soon were surprised by a caravan of circus trucks moving in our direction.

Tone couldn't resist a photo like that.  Soon we traveled through country scenery that looked like it came right off a calendar. 

Much of the early miles going north in BC from Abbottsford toward Prince George followed the longest river in the province, Fraser River.  We passed places like Hell's Gate where the River narrows dramatically, and the Boston Bar, a favorite fishing spot early on of folks from the states.  We also went through seven mountain tunnels and enjoyed the fact that the River, the railroad and the highway found the best way through this valley as we all moved along together.

We stopped at a little town called Cache Creek for the night. The next day after breakfast at Cheryl's Place ( thinking of Tone's sister ) we headed for Prince George.  

We had a chance to capture a picture of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters building there.

It was starting to rain and the driving was a bit tedious, but it was still early in the day so we pressed on. After we passed through Prince George, we found a site at a campground on Fraser Lake, about 100 miles east toward Prince Rupert.

         The lake the day after the rain.

The monstrous carved bear was fun, and as always was rewarded with a friendly pat!

A wonderful surprise happened for me during the night when I was awakened to the call of a loon!  It was a wonderful experience that did leave me a bit homesick in the morning!  Latona and I walked to the edge of the lake and were rewarded.

The next day, we decided to go a far as we could toward Prince Rupert.  It is impossible to describe the beauty of this route as we traveled through the snow-covered peaks, saw our first glacier in BC, and marveled at the beauty of the high lakes, meadows and waterfalls,

                          

    The edge of the glacial shelf is partially visible in the valley between the two peaks above.

 The River rushing in Moricetown Canyon inspired these photos. At this point, we have left the Fraser Valley and entered the Bulkley Valley which we followed for many miles.

As we traveled we noticed that many of the buildings we saw were made from logs, either pine or white spruce.  

    And we noticed small wooden churches nestled in little towns.

We recorded several other things we noticed: there was almost NO litter along the roadsides, almost no For Sale signs anywhere, and within one ten mile stretch, warning signs for Moose crossing, Elk crossing, and Deer crossing. One could only hope! 

 The province also provided many many Rest Stops all along the roads we traveled. This is one of the smallest ones we found.

We pushed through the day and made it to Prince Rupert around six in the evening and found a suitable spot for a few days.  We saw two deer, one fox and one black bear along these final three hundred miles.  

It was good to arrive, have a resting day or two, and anticipate getting on that ferry, and entering Alaskan waters.

It has been a long, long road and sometimes I wonder about the miles we have yet to cover and then I stop and try to realize that it is the journey that counts.  Each day is a gift, and we will try to embrace each one we are given! That is, in reality, all we have.

PS.  Latona is having a catnap as I write this post!  Smile!

The next step feels like a BIG one!

We are sitting about a mile from the border with Washington and British Columbia in a little town called Sumas. We found a small campground that is a mixtures of campers, travelers, and homeless folks. All those we have met have been friendly and hospitable to us.

We found it online and the price was good, so here we are preparing for entrance into Canada on Tuesday. By then we will have filled the gas and propane, re supplied the groceries and done the laundry. The last errand will be to go to a bank to get some Canadian money and head for the border.

But, first let me share a few notes from other posts. First I misspelled the name of the wonderful Oregon cheese that we are so enjoying. Here it is I picture form!

Second, I want to add a note about naming what we see.  We use the area guides done by the  National Audubon Society Field Guiide to the Pacific Northwest, for example, as well as the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America. Of course, these are only as good as the person using them, so I will say we are doing our best to learn new names and share those we feel some confidence about. Please forgive our mistakes, typos and other errors. 

Okay, back to the journey!  We had and a chance to learn a bit about Lewis and Clark's trip. We both had vague memories from our history classes but had a chance to visit a replica of their fort on the Columbia River. They and the army group they traveled with lived here for four months after they completed their mission given them by President Thomas Jefferson.

Of course the country looks quite different to us, and we crossed an amazing bridge across the beautiful Columbia River into Washington heading for a state park called Cape Disappointment.

Exploring the lighthouses long the beach brought some fun experiences.  We met a local man who taught us how he catches Dungeess Crabs for his table...

We also saw a flock of Caspian Terns near the Northern Jetty.  One bird flew over the flock making loud calls while carrying a small fish.  Soon, another one came out of the flock and they both flew to a spot on the beach where they would apparently share the fish. Out of the blue, came a large Western Gull and stole the fish. The terns kept trying and were eventually successful. Breeding ritual I assumed.

We walked on toward the North Head Light before deciding we would venture into town and try to find some Dungeness Crabs, too.

It was going to be a Mother's Day treat for us.

We found what we wanted to try as well as another friendly person who taught us so much about the area delicacies. First, it was how to eat one of these very large Crustaceans.

                                 

As you can see, we were successful thanks to Shaun the owner of The Crab Pot. He also told us about oysters that come for Willipa Bay, one of the most pristine bodies of water on earth.  We learned how the oysters are nurtured for the years it takes for them to grow to market size, five to seven years.

We also learned about the clams of the area and enjoyed his humor evident in the fish market.

                    

 The final day here we visited the other lighthouse of this area, Cape Disappointment, and the Coast Guard staff who maintain it. 

Living along the coast of Maine, we have an appreciation for the service of this special group. We thanked them before heading along to other sights on the trail.

When we decided on our route, we made a plan to travel along the east side of the Olympic Penisula and headed for Dosewallips State Park. Beautiful travel through the forests of WA with snow-covered peaks everywhere.

This park sits on the Dosewallips River, a salmon river, and the Hood Canal which is the western most arm of Puget Sound. We enjoyed a walk to the flats where we learned about the clam and oyster season.  We also enjoyed the eagles soaring overhead.

Time to move north again and we landed at Port Townsend and traveled on the ferry to Whidbey Island hoping to reconnect with another friend from the trail. " Trauma Junkie", an ER nurse hiked with for two months, but got sick and left the trail. We didn't find him but enjoyed the state park on the island.

We rode north crossing Deception Pass as we left Whidbey Island behind and headed for the border and the town of Sumas.  We had an amazing lunch stop along the road and enjoyed the views of Mt. Baker.

So here we are just a few days from heading into BC and the ferry terminal at Prince Rupert. We board the ship May 27 and start a weeklong trip up the Inland Passge to Alaska.  It is exciting and overwhelming to think that very soon we will be in ALASKA!  Wow! 

We both feel so blessed by the special sights we are seeing, the special local food we have tasted, and most of all, the special people we have met. We are forever grateful.

Footnote: I thought you might "enjoy" seeing the knees of Latona after her trip on the edge of a parking lot. She was doing something fun and foolish as only she can and paid the price of scuffed knees.  She is still laughing!