Day 6: Prince Rupert, B.C. to Ketchikan, AK

Finally here we are at on the last leg of our long journey to the "Last Frontier". We took a nice hike with Andrea and the dogs, and then said goodbye and went to the ferry terminal. We rode the ferry to Ketchikan, which is supposed to be a 5 hour trek. However, we had HUGE swells, and the boat was rocking from side to side, which the captain said were the worst waves he had ever seen out here. Just my luck. I got pretty darn queasy, but it was a good trip overall. We got in Ketchikan kind of late, and did not get to the Gilmore Hotel until almost 11 pm. We are FINALLY here!!!

Some pics of today's adventure are here.

Day 5: Smithers, B.C. to Prince Rupert, B.C.

Smithers (home of the Smithereens) was a beautiful place surrounded by high mountain peaks all around, but it is nothing compared to the drive from Smithers to Prince Rupert. We saw a number of eagles, birds of all kinds and lots of snow on the ground :) Cold, but we lucked out weather-wise. Prince Rupert is an amazing small town on the coast. It was grey and snowy when we got there. We went to Cow Bay to have lunch at Cowpuccino cafe and read a good book.

We stayed at a brand new Bed and Breakfast called Tall Trees. Andrea, the proprietor, has three dogs that I fell in love with. PK and I hung out with her all night,having dinner, chatting and watching Iron Chef. The Inn is very welcoming, charming, and made me feel instantly at home. I hope to keep in touch with Andrea.

Today's pics are here.

Day 4: Quesnel, B.C. to Smithers, B.C.

We took our time leaving Quesnel this morning, because today's drive was to be very easy compared to the last few days... and it was. But when we got to Smithers at 4 pm, nothing was open!! It is a bummer since today we had time to hang out and experience an AMAZING place. They say the mountains (The Seven Sisters) are like being in Switzerland, and I can see why. For the first time in a long time, we have a view from our hotel room. We look out over Hwy 16, towards a giant mountain. It's a bummer we came here on a Sunday in off-season, because there is so much to do and see here. Maybe we will come back sometime when the weather is better.

Pics from today are here... Click Here

Day 3: Bellevue, WA to Quesnel, B.C.

Today was a much easier driving day than yesterday. Getting through the Canadian border was much easier than I imagined, seeing as our poor SUV is literally crammed full of our belongings and I was scared we would get searched. If you were to open any rear door a catastrophe would ensue. But the guard was really cool, even asking PK questions about TSA regulations for his upcoming holiday in Mexico!!! The initial drive in Canada was amazing, through incredible mountains. Even though we had to cover 500 miles today, most of the time I could drive 100 km/hr on cruise control and made it here to Quesnel, B.C. by 6:30 p.m.

The hotel is surely a let down from the last two nights, but it's decent (part of the Sandman Hotel chain) and reasonably priced. There are not so many options in this part of the country.

We went to a hotel/casino tonight that looks like a riverboat!!! Really freaking cool. It is like a mini Las Vegas casino hotel. We hit the 2 cent slots but did not win anything. Playing is the fun part anyhow.

Anyway, some of today's pics are here: Click here

Day 2: Redding, CA to Bellevue, WA

So here we are on day 2 of our Great Alaskan Adventure. We drove upwards of 10 hours today, and words have cease making sense, so here's a link to some of the amazing things I saw today, like Mt. Shasta, Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, not to mention the beautiful scenery and two states I have never visited before. Here are a few pics from today's looooooonnnnnnggggggg drive. Click Here

On an unrelated note, I met the doppelganger of my sister and her husband tonight, very bizarre indeed. The Hotel Sierra Bellevue is tonight's resting spot, which has far exceeded my expectations. Wendi the bartender was a hoot, and we had yummy Henry Weinhart(?) beers and a couple shots of Jack Daniels, which is making me sleepy, so I must go..... more to come.

Trip Day 1: Los Angeles, CA to Anderson, CA

Yesterday was the first of our long, long drive to Prince Rupert, B.C. We drove 530ish miles, and stayed at a fantastic eco-friendly hotel called Gaia Shasta Hotel. A few pics are posted on Flickr, the link is here: Click Here

This area of Northern California has been on my radar for some time, and I would love to come back to visit the National Parks/Monuments such as Mt. Shasta and Lassen. Even though we are driving 8-10 hours each day, the natural beauty of this great state helps relax me and clear my senses. Dinner at Gaia was phenomenal (The Woodside Grill), and we even took a dip in the outdoor hot tub. Very relaxing and amazing hotel. Had to get up early again the next day--- rinse and repeat.