More Traveling

We have been traveling again.  It is really hard for me to do at this time of year, we Alaskans do not like to leave in May/June.  May is one of the months you really want to be in Alaska.  March, not so much as winter’s novelty has worn off and you are ready to get to spring by then….but May, well…that’s a bit tough.  But being able to make a fun trip rather than just strictly for work is helpful.  This time, it has primarily been to reach a family reunion in North Carolina.  Now, I do not have family from NC (at least not that I know of)  …but my mother-in-law likes the beach there and rented a house for her kids and their families to meet up.  That’s cool.  (I am fortunate to a have a mother-in-law that is not like the stereotypes we all joke about.)  While I am not really a beach guy, any excuse for a long road-trip is good for me.  You see, Elizabeth and I do not like to fly unless there is just no other way.  Granted, I used to spend many many hours doing aerial survey and even took flying lessons at one time.  The flying part in and of itself is fine.  But the airport part, the cramped seats of modern commercial practice, and overall headaches, etc is no good in my book.  Add to it that I can’t exactly bring stuff with me or bring stuff home by commercial flights and it becomes a near certainty that driving will be preferable for us.  Besides, we want to save our airline miles for a trip somewhere exotic.  Lastly, nearly everyone we have ever met while driving–including the customs guys at the Canadian and US borders, have been excellent and friendly.  Way better than how things go while in line at the gate of a busy airport.  And….we get to actually see things this way that we’d miss if we flew.

So, the car got loaded up and away we went.

The trip down to the lower 48 was fairly quick (due to being on a schedule) and uneventful with two minor exceptions:  The first day, before leaving Alaska, we blew up a bird.  Probably a spruce hen.  Sad really.  It flew up from the grass right at the edge of view and was promptly struck with a loud thump.  I am not sure why, but birds along the highways often try to fly across traffic rather than fly away from it.  It’s not a good strategy, nevertheless I never feel good about hitting one.  But it happens sometimes…drive enough remote country roads and the odds are you will have this happen some time.  This one, however, did not bounce off and so in addition to my overall sadness about it, I had the added chore of cleaning it from the lower part of the grill where it had become imbedded and split open with all sorts of bird interior items oozing out.  🙁   I am thinking about adding some decals of big mean eyes onto the rooftop cargo pod in hopes of deterring future bird strikes.  Not sure it will work, but it can’t hurt.

The other delay was caused by snow.  Yes.  Snow.  At about mile 180…..and it was both wet and heavy and accumulated into quite a mess.  We saw multiple ditched cars and when the visibility deteriorated some more, we pulled into the Buckinghorse Lodge with the intention of waiting it out.  While there, it became apparent that it was gonna take a while for the plows to catch up along the road and we heard from others that there had been multiple wipe outs and wrecks down towards mile 143 (Pink Mountain) and on down to mile 126 or so.  Given the hills at Pink Mountain and the Stikine River, it seemed VERY likely that even if we did not get stuck, the road would still be impassable due to those vehicles that did……so we cut the day short and stayed the night.  For lodge owners, a snowstorm–even in mid-May, is a Christmas gift of extra business:  rooms fill up, food and fuel are purchased, coffee consumed.

The rest of the Alcan was beautiful as always.  I love that road, especially in the area between Folded Mountain and just north of Muncho Lake.  Prior to the snow, we had stopped and camped at Liard Hot Springs.  A wonderful sulphury warm pool in the wilderness.  I even set up my new radio gear at the campsite and got to play with it a bit prior to looming clouds and the threat of rain deterring me from further outdoor operations.  A great visit and breakfast with homemade cinnamon bun at Double G Services near Muncho Lake followed, as well as a stop at Tetsa River Lodge for more coffee and another homemade cinnamon bun.  Those two places are the best buns to be had on the highway.  Double G makes a great meal that will challenge your ability to finish without taking some to go.  Always worth a stop.

After leaving the Alcan, we opted to continue eastward across Alberta and Saskatchewan rather than going directly south into Montana or Washington as we’ve done before.

I did manage to add some business into this trip……at least enough to be able to write off a portion of the mileage and expenses.  I picked up a 5 KVA neon bombarding transformer for use in my small portable neon shop setup that I have been working on.  It was actually a FREE unit from a Craigslist ad in Minnesota.  (SCORE!)  …and since the guy did not want to deal with crating and shipping, picking it up was the only way to go.  I also did some telephone troubleshooting for someone (that was an unexpected–and appreciated referral) and there is a possible stop in Whitecourt, Alberta on the way home to see about helping someone set up some neon shop equipment….that last item may just wind up being a quick consult to see if the guy wants to have me come back and spend some time on the set up and training.  So, even the “business” aspects are fun.

As usual, we tend to limit the use of the big interstates, preferring the less traveled roads that allow for finding interesting places to see.  Sometimes, timing works out and you get to visit friends and family along the way, sometimes you get to discover roadside gems.  We got to do all of that along the way with stops in Minneapolis to see an artist friend, Illinois to see one of Elizabeth’s cousins, and another stop to see an old army buddy….and a stop in Kentucky so we could sleep in a wigwam at one of only three of the original Wigwam Village Motels left.  This one is in Cave City, KY.  It is a wonderful place!  Built in 1937.  Of limited amenities, of course, but that is part of the appeal for those like us.  Art Deco inspired teepees in a semicircle and still with the original hickory furniture.  All I can say, is I want one.

I did mention that part of the appeal of the secondary roads is that it is more interesting.  Sometimes, however, it can be too interesting.  After leaving Cave City, we continued working our way eastward and drove through Smoky Mountains National Park…  At some point after this, we opted for Kentucky highway 32 to reach I-40 rather than a more direct route.  Not exactly a highway….although it was high up the hills.  Like many such things, by the time you question it, you are commited…and curious to follow through as far as possible.  Twisting and turning, very narrow.  But it was paved.  However, it was very twisty.  So much so that even at only 20 miles per hour, you could hear the tires beginning to speak….any faster and they would have been singing the soprano notes of the road racer.  At 20 miles per hour.  Twisty.  Fun for a while, but intensive.  After a couple of hours of it, it began to seem more like it would turn into a never ending asphalt river of nausea.  How special.  But….it did not last.  Well, the pavement did not last, anyway.  Yep, it turned into a narrow gravel path.  At this point I did become concerned, because it is the sort of thing that puts the thought into your mind that you have really screwed up and gone too far into a place where you cannot readily turn around from and where the road may actually not be going where you thought it was going.  And.  I thought I heard banjos.  Yes.  Banjos.  Never a good sign after dark in the woods.  Oh yeah, it got dark too.  Did I mention banjos?  Now, I don’t mind banjos.  Although some of my friends despise them.  But I do not.  However, I do not want to hear banjos in the woods in the dark.  Bad movies start that way.

Anyway, we eventually came upon three stopped cars, two of them trying to help the third with a flat tire.  They were coming from the other way and said it was only a few more miles.  They were correct of course, and thankfully they were not playing banjos.  But it was a long and narrow few miles.  I must admit to being somewhat relieved to be on I-40 after that.  Driving in an 80 mile per hour traffic jam down a winding hill into Asheville, NC seemed like a piece of cake at that point.  But of course, you and I know that I would do it all again…..and probably will at some point.  It’s what we do.

We spent a night in Asheville, then went to Raleigh and picked up our daughter, Veronica, who is young enough to still enjoy flying and had done so.  Next, we are headed on to our “official” vacation spot on the outer banks.  By tomorrow at this time, I am supposed to be sitting on a beach with a drink.  Well, that’s what most people do.  In all probability, being the geek that I am, I will have strung up a dipole and set up my portable HAM station with hopes of making some contacts (it may be a busy radio weekend, since Dayton Hamvention is going on)….or I’ll be helping Elizabeth hunt for gold with the metal detector, or out photographing ruins or something like that.  But that’s the point of a vacation.  Hopefully, whatever activity I am doing, I won’t spill that drink while doing it.