Making Our List, Checking it Twice

We are finally off to Baja! The plan is to leave this afternoon, and head towards San Felipe. We will head north and west towards San Quintin from there, make our way south all the way to Cabo....stopping at San Ignacio, Bahia Concepcion and LaPaz along the way.

We are really hoping for some awesome weather. Lots of sun, and very warm temperatures. The weather here has cooled down to the low 70's, and just a bit cool for us.

Merry Christmas to our friends and families!!! AND...Welcome baby Madeline...our third grandchild to be born December 3rd!

A little Geocaching...A little Jeeping

On the wrong road, but the view was great!

On top of Tootsie Roll 'Mountain' - 1st find

Our Baja trip has been postponed until December, so we decided to check out the trails and caches in the area. Turns out, there are over 400 geocaches, so we better get on it!

The first find was Tootsie Roll "Mountain"....a big rock on the top of a hill that resembles a tootsie roll. Then, on to Brown Bear, which entailed lots of skinny trails...you know, the kind that as you approach the top, you cannot see IF the road continues on the other side, or if it is a dropoff. Of course, they all continued on, so we decided on a 3rd cache for the day, which was called 'way down there'. An appropriate name indeed! We parked at the 'way' top, and walked way down into the gulley. We found the cache, always making it worth it.

As the temperatures are cooling here, in the seventies, I am even more anxious to head even further south!

Jack O Lantern aka BlackJack

BlackJack is now 1 year old, and finally weighs over 7 pounds. He is all of 8 lbs. 4 ounces!!

We are thrilled that despite his medical problem; liver shunt (liver disease), he has actually gained over a pound since diagnosed. Finding creative ways to disguise his medication and coaxing him to eat is a daily challenge, but, he is doing fantastic!

In this photo, we had just returned from the vet and the groomer. He's ready for Baja!

Our Baja Accomodations

Inside

And Out.

It's painted white, the stripe is brown, 19 feet front to back, Second hand from a guy in Quartzsite. I rode up with Henry when he went there to get it. Put on a wash, added a shine, A fold up stove and a 3 way fridge. It's just an 'ol '84 Starcraft, 19' flyer, 13" tires.....

And, just our '92 Jeep, with 3 1/2" lift.....5 speed transmission, 167,000 miles.....

Turn it left, steer it SOUTH.......Look out BAJA, HERE WE COME!!!!

The Trip South

Amanda and Tyler

Dad and daughter on the boardwalk
to Liard Hot Springs


Almost a month since our last post, so here goes.

We pulled out of Alaska the 15th of September, with two 20 year olds, our daughter and her fiance. The Alaska Highway was good traveling, with no snow, some rain, and excellent roads. Even the diesel prices were not too bad. It took us only 7 days this trip, as we had to be in Tacoma to pick up Tyler's car.
Gig Harbor, WA.: 1 week in Gig Harbor, while the kids hung out with a couple friends of theirs, and did some shopping. Again, the weather was pretty nice, but a bit on the cool side.
Onward towards Phoenix: After our jeeps arrived almost a week later, we began our caravan southbound. Both kids driving their own vehicles following behind us.
As we got to the Hoover Dam outside Vegas; Amanda and Tyler drove their last 300 miles in to Arizona, and we felt a bit lost as to what we would do next, and very sad as we said our goodbyes to our daughter. Do we ever stop worrying about our kids?
But, nevertheless, we managed to continue on down the road, traveling a mere 160 miles the first day, and 113 the second.
Yuma is home for a couple days at least.....temperatures are in the mid 90's, and we've got some catching up to do on our tans. We feel pretty white in comparison to everyone else we've seen.

Isn't It About The Adventure?

The truck is cleaned up, the trailer is ready for its six new tires and both jeeps are ready to be shipped. No double towing down the highway this time.

I am ready to head for warmer weather, although I must say, the temperatures here have been above normal for this time of year. But, with only 14 hours of daylight now, and the northern lights making an occasional appearance, I know Old Man Winter is just around the corner.

Alaska is a beautiful state and to those adventuresome enough to travel here, I applaud. Yes, the highway has some rough spots, but no worse than lots of highways in the lower 48, (parts of Oklahoma for example). Yes, it is a long way to travel, so take your time, the scenery is breathtaking and the wildlife is not to be missed. Yes, the price of gas/diesel/food is a bit higher, but what's a few pennies more, when you're not paying sales tax.

I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting those this summer who have made the journey. They came from literally all over the world; by motorhome, by motorcycle, and by bicycle. I admire their spirit. They came for the adventure and took home with them an experience of a lifetime.

Where Has The Summer Gone?

The leaves are beginning to turn, and there is a definite chill in the air. The fireweed has topped out; a sure sign that winter is on its way...I've even seen some geese beginning to congregate in preparation for their flight south.

We will have been here four months and have witnessed spring, summer and fall, all from within the confines of this campground. The tourists in May were few; whereas June brought them from everywhere in the lower 48. With the month of July came an influx of Europeans, and the first two weeks of August were consumed with fair vendors and fairgoers. We are still seeing plenty of Europeans, most of whom speak no English, as we head towards September.

But, there is a feeling of unrest amongst our long term campers who have been with us all summer. It is probably the sense of the inevitable winter months ahead and the need to arrange for other accommodations now.

One family, a father and his two sons, are purchasing their airplane tickets to Kauai, Hawaii where they will live. They will leave in 10 days. Another family; husband, wife, two children....I don't believe they have anywhere else to go as of yet. The two single men in campsite 'B' are hurrying to get an apartment, and the family in Site 31 are probably trying to find somewhere to move their Toyota Dolphin Class C to.

One thing everyone is sure of. Winter is coming, and in Fairbanks it comes early.

Now, THAT'S a Zucchini!

BlackJack & the zucchini

19" in length

Flowers are really blooming now!

The zucchini was given to us by the caretaker of the Fairgrounds. 19" in length! I have no idea how I will be able to use it all of it....zucchini bread, zucchini chocolate cake, fried zucchini, baked zucchini? Wow!

Our daughter and her fiance will be traveling with us out of Alaska, all the way to Tacoma, WA. where they will pick up their vehicles which are being shipped, along with our jeep. No double towing for us through BC this time. We will probably have them follow us to Arizona, where they are moving.

For us, on to New Mexico for October, Texas in November, Yuma and Quartzsite, December and January, then Baja, Mexico for the duration of the winter months. That is our plan thus far, always subject to change, of course. The beauty of fulltiming.

As the temperatures cool down....

Our thoughts turn quickly south. The fair is over, the vendors have left and the campground is empty. We are hoping for more tourists to come through as we have till mid September yet. Personally, I would start down the highway and get the heck out before the snow starts to fly, but a little more revenue means more money in our pocket.

The 10 days of the fair brought some interesting people this way, and we had a couple incidents, like kids stealing bikes, and the typical freeloaders, but all in all, it went pretty smooth.

The Fair is in full Swing

The vendors have arrived, the campground is full, and all is well. It's frankly not as 'crazy' as we were told it would be. Because we are full with all vendors, they are gone during the day working their booths, and we have only a couple tent sites to rent out, so the work is minimal.
Nighttime is always a different story though. We still get the knocks on our door at all hours..."here's my situation", "someone is in my sight", "the laundry room is locked", etc. all, despite the sign on our door "Host is OFF duty". One guy said, "Oh, I didn't know what that sign meant." (Duh!).

We are beginning to think about where we will go when we leave here. We are only a month away....YAY!! Wherever the sun is shining and the temperature is above 75 will be fine with us.
Most likely, Arizona first, and will go from there. No schedule, no concrete plan....relaxing is our number one priority.

Brown Barbecue

Okay, not such a great picture of Karen...
the photographer didn't do so good.
But good of the rest of the clan.


Terri and her 'helper', BlackJack


Mike and Terri brought all the fixings for a barbecue! They all came to the campground, because it's difficult for us to leave (fair time). Terri even 'made' chocolate chip cookies, complete with her own label, 'Fred Meyer'. Mike barbecued the hamburgers, we got to meet Justin's girlfriend, Meagan....food was great, the company even better! The rain stayed away for the evening, and the campers left us alone...what a nice break.

Terri always tends to my flowers when she comes by, and last night she had a little help from her friend.

"Can I get 3 feet of tin foil? That's all I need"

Today's ridiculous question from one of the campers. (Ever here of a grocery store?) I guess because we are the campground "Hosts" we are also expected by some to be the local convenience store, medical supplier, local bank, and provider of mechanical tools.

We have been asked for $5,00, $10.00, a box, neosporin, cold medicine, an extra chair, 6 paper plates, tin foil, cork screw, can opener, ice, hammer, grease gun, screwdriver, wrench, scissors, the use of our computer, printer....Yup. I think that's about it.

This weekend begins the real 'craziness' as vendors will arrive for the fair. We are completely exhausted with all of it. If we could just make it through one night with no disruptions, it would help. Friday night was 'domestic disturbance' in Site "C". Saturday night was LOUD talking in the middle of the night by some woman not even staying here. And last night was just the typical campers who sleep all day, but are UP all night. We figure we may have to buy a new door for our 5th wheel trailer, because ours has been knocked on so many times and opened and closed several hundred more, that it will be worn out by September.

Ahh, the life of a campground manager. And they have invited us to come back next year! No thanks.

My 'Bloomin' Roof"!

The campground office complete
with 'hobbit door' and flowering roof
(click images to enlarge)

A closeup of the roof
(wildflowers)

Finally, the wildflowers are blooming on the roof! And....the Carni's are coming! Fair time is just 2 weeks away and the carnival people are beginning to arrive. The campground is adjacent to the fairgrounds and we have been warned about how crazy things will get. Can it get any crazier? Oh my goodness! Hope I'm ready for it.
Between selling Arctic Circle tours, Dri Wash 'n Guard and running the campground, this summer has been nuts.

Motorcyle MotorHome?

This interesting vehicle pulled in to the campground last night as we returned from the wedding. A 'homemade' motorcycle/motorhome combination. Pretty cool!

Great weekend!

Tyler & Amanda (my baby girl)
(click on pictures to enlarge)

Alicen (my granddaughter) and me

Tyler & Alicen being silly


The kids came up from Anchorage, and we celebrated our daughter's 20th Birthday, attended my niece's wedding, and had brunch at Pike's, served by my nephew.

It was a fantastic but flying two days! We taught Tyler how to play "oh heck", and managed to squeeze in a few games. They had brought a bottle of Greek wine, some Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio with them; so we drank some wine, ate Rum cake and Viennese Torte, and Amanda opened her gifts.

The weather cooperated for the wedding last night, so all went well with that. The bride was beautiful!

Stuck in Prudhoe Bay

Well, Henry's day trip to Prudhoe has turned in to a two day trip. As is common for Prudhoe Bay, the clouds and fog roll in, and the planes can't roll out. He won't be back until Tuesday!
What next?

BlackJack and Stuart....

BlackJack on the left..Stuart on the right
Stuart was the Schnauzer we had when we lived
in Anchorage. We had given him to my brother and
his family in Fairbanks. He looks great!

Caden and Stuart. (how cute!)

Exciting Travels?

As our summer is flying by, we feel our fulltime lifestyle has been put on hold untill we leave Alaska.

Working too hard and not playing at all best describes our day to day routines for now.
For example, Henry flew out early this morning, after getting up at 5 a.m. (no one should have to awake at 5:00 a.m. for anything). He flies from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, then boards a bus for a one hour ride to catch a helicopter that will take him to an island northwest of Prudhoe.

I will stay here and run the campground, cleaning out firepits, collecting money, and hopefully booking more tours. The tours have proved to be worth my time. For every tour, whether it's to the Arctic Circle, Chena Hot Springs or Manley Hot Springs, I receive 20% in cash, on the day I book the tour. The Arctic Cirlce tour is everyones preference and earns me some decent money for very little work and time. Talk it up, take their $$, and watch my 20% grow. Far more rewarding than being the campground host'ess'.

Then....Why is it so difficult to find good help anymore? They want the money, but don't want to earn it. The couple I have cleaning the bathrooms receive their site for free plus laundry allowance, yet they take the laundry allowance and buy alcohol with it, drink all night, sleep all day, and from one day to the next, I never know if they will show up to clean. The young people today want it all without working for it, and expect everything to be handed to them. We have created a lazy, 'give me' generation. However, I am SO proud of my own kids! Brian is the head title officer with his OWN office...Amanda is a clinical services coordinator for several audiologists; they both show up for work and are proof that not all kids today are lazy.

On an even brighter side, Amanda and Tyler will be up next weekend for my niece's wedding. I am so excited about seeing them, as her 20th birthday is on the 17th, so we will celebrate while they are here. She wants both my rum cake and viennese torte for her birthday cake...so I've got some baking to do! Can't wait!

Happy 4th of July!

85 degrees in Fairbanks today! Clear sky, lots of sun and hot. I love it! Campground is completely full and my overflow lot is filling up quickly. The minute I sit down, somebody needs quarters for laundry while another is pulling in looking for a site. We have tried putting a sign on the door of our trailer, 'Host-Not On Duty' at 9:00 p.m., but have learned that either people don't read, or more than likely, they truly just don't care....because sign or no sign, they WILL knock on our door. At 7:00 a.m., 1:15 a.m., 11:00 p.m...doesn't matter. We have learned to accept that we pretty much do not have a personal life this summer. Not to say none of it is enjoyable, because some of it is. We've met some really nice people from all over the globe, and it's fun to listen to them talk about where they're from.

We have the tadpole boys staying here, the butterfly man, the bird guys, the taxi drivers, the freeloaders, the down on their luck couples, and last, but not least, the tourists.

Since arriving here, we have been given a case of latex gloves (from the bird guys), a 5 gallon gas can (from the butterfly man), a roll of bubble wrap (from ?), a book about women that travel, halibut, salmon, and a crank for the extensions on a motorhome.

Good help is hard to find! We are on the second set of people to clean the bathrooms and laundry room. The first one I fired, because she simply was not cleaning. The second one is completely undependable. They do a great job when they show up, but are they going to show up today??
Time to go. Gotta run some more.

It's Snowing......cotton

Oh, it's summer in Fairbanks. I actually think I had forgotten some of the telltale signs. Such as the sticky sappy things in May, to the blowing cotton in June...all from the cottonwood trees. It all makes such a mess of everything. To catch a clear blue sky with the sun shining, you have to be up at 5:00 a.m. and up again at midnight. Every time in between is pretty much cloudy, and when it's cloudy, it's chilly. I think today's temperature is 72 degrees, but feels like 65 to me.

We are not experiencing smoky air like Anchorage....no fires close enough, yet.

Today was my first day of having my own wheels to actually leave the campground. So, I ran a couple errands, drove through downtown Fairbanks, and now I'm satisfied that Fairbanks really hasn't changed at all. Some of the streets downtown used to be one way streets and are now two way, and the visitors center is filled with tourists and hanging baskets of flowers. But, other than that, it's still Fairbanks. We did have dinner at the Turtle Club Sunday night with friends that came up for the summer. It was nice visiting with them and hearing their stories of the Alaska Highway and all they've been doing here in Fairbanks. They went to Chena Hot Springs and enjoyed the $15.00 Appletini served in a glass made of ice! Guess I need to check that one out!
Gotta run....got incoming motorhomes.