Alaska trip - Part VIII

Back into the U.S. of A Eh!! and heading South towards Great Falls, MT where we will spend the night.

Shelby, MT in the distance.

Mom and her baby. She thought maybe we would leave if she stamped her hoof. When we didn't she jumped the fence and the fawn went under it.

A hawk looking for breakfast. This was on highway 3 heading South towards Harlowton, MT

Lots of windmill farms along this stretch of Hwy 3

Big Sky Montana.

At Big Timber, MT we joined up with I-90 and headed East towards Billings, MT and our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Dos Machos

Nearing Billings on I-90

After lunch Fran wanted to do a little shopping in the Rimrock Mall so I went to the car wash and made the van lighter and more aerodynamic by washing all that AK, YT, BC, AB, MT mud off.

Into our favorite state.

There must have been forest fires in the Bighorns as it was too hazy to get good pictures.

Fran finally got to see a caboose.

Heading East towards our next stop at Spearfish, SD

Scenery just before Spearfish.

Fran wanted to spend at least one night in a log cabin so this was her last chance cause we only have one more night and that was to be in a hotel.

Enjoying an evening on the porch. The KOA had an "all you can eat ice cream bar" so we had to go sample their IC.

Next morning, Thursday, we headed up into the mountains to Mt. Rushmore and Keystone.

Town has changed a little since we were last here due to a flood that wiped out part of the town years ago. Fran did a little shop hopping but really didn't find much she wanted to buy. Made Al happy!!!

After the brief visit to Mt. Rushmore we were back on the road again. We decided to take the Badlands National park loop that starts at Wall, S.D.

These are some of the pictures fran took as we drove through.

Back on I-90 and not a lot to see. Did enjoy seeing the bales of hay alongside the road.

Headed South on I-29 and spent the night at a Hampton Inn at Sioux Falls as it was too humid for a KOA and either cabin or van sleeping.

Getting towards dark by the time we got to the Hampton Inn.

 Fran enjoying the airconditioned room.

That lap pad on the bed gave Fran the idea to get one so when we got home she used a gift card to Barnes and Noble that Daryl gave her to buy one. It is nice when using the laptop.

 Typical view as one drives South on I-29

 Joined up with I-80 at East of Omaha, NE

 Back in the traffic heading East

Home about 7:30 Friday, July 6th. Four days ahead of projected arrival but after 23 days it was good to be home.

Gas prices at Berrien were 3.859 when we left so this looks better.

These were our baby blue birds when we left.

This is one of the babies when we got back.

 Looks like 3 of the 4 babies have made it this far.

PaPa blue bird keeping an eye on the food stash.

Hey Dad how about another one of those meal worms eh.
Well that concludes our Alaska adventure. I will post some facts and funny pictures on another posting.

Alaska trip - Part VII

Back into my birth province of Alberta. Strange that even though I've been gone for over 48 years it still feels good to be back in Alberta.

the road as one approaches Jasper National Park.

Love the mountains. So how do you figure I'm living in Michigan!!!

Athabaska falls is a major tourist attraction. When Daryl and I were on our bike ride from Wyoming to Alberta we stopped here and heard that a lady tourist had been swept over these falls.

I made sure this "lady tourist" stayed well away from the edge!!

Other side as falls flow down canyon and continue on through the park.

The Columbia Icefields has really changed.

The glacier at Columbia Icefields use to reach almost to that pile of gravel in 1982 when Daryl and I rode through here.

This was the picture taken from almost same spot back in 1982.

Settled in to our campsite at the icefields campground. This is where the kids fed the ground squirrels.

 This was Daryl feeding squirrel.

 Shawn getting more peanuts.

Lori not too sure about that critter on her leg. You have to realize that these pictures were taken in 1982 so the squirrels have changed!!!

This was a kitchen campers could use so we had soup and sandwiches. About the only time we actually cooked a meal for ourselves. Usually it was just fruit and sandwiches or vegies.

Still lots of snow in the high country. Woke up to 43 F and rainy.

On the road around 7:30 and just after starting out Al's favorite animal was standing on the left side of the road - a wolf. We stopped and the wolf actually started to walk towards the car then went over to left side. Al grabbed the camera and the wolf stopped at edge of woods and posed broad side for him. Only problem was Al didn't check the batteries and the camera was DEAD. So the following is the picture I should have gotten. Life can be so mean!!!

Our wolf was actually a fairly dark one but you get the idea.

Some of the scenery as one heads South down the Banff-Jasper highway.

We wanted to take a picture of Peyto lake but it was raining so here's what it would have looked like as this was taken in 1982. (next picture)

The color of the water changes drastically depending on the angle of sun and clouds. You are looking back North towards Jasper in this picture. The highway runs down the valley.

Just before our turn into Peyto Lake we saw this big grizzly. Course so did 20 other tourists. This was a major difference we saw between Banff-Jasper National park and Alaska. There are so many more tourists in Banff-Jasper. Often in Alaska or wilderness areas of Yukon and BC we would be the only car stopped looking at some wildlife so they were not as spooked.

More scenery as one heads for Calgary.

These wildlife overpasses over the TransCanada highway allow the wildlife to cross from one side of highway to other side. When I drove truck through this area, especially in winter, the highway would always have deer, elk, moose, or bears on it. The gov't fenced both sides of the highway but then realized that some of these animals were migrating from South to North or visa versa and needed to cross the highway so up went these overpasses. They have grass growing on them and they are well fenced so animals don't jump on passing vehicles.

Going through Calgary,AB Fran took this picture. She just looked away and I saw a caboose nearby. She didn't have time to take a picture!! Everytime we saw a train she would say "there better be a caboose on this one". Course there never was.

This is the view off to the West (right) as on heads South out of Calgary towards the US border at Coutts, AB. You can see the mountains off in the distance.

This is the train trestle coming into Lethbridge, AB

Not sure but I think this is rapeseed growing in this field.

Almost out of Canada.

U.S, Canadian, and Alberta flag. By the way for you non-Canadians, Alberta and BC are provinces which are the same as states down here. Yukon territory is a territory much like Puerto Rico is to US.

Canada is so beautiful that they want to make sure you haven't changed your mind. We decided it was time to get home.

The flags of two of the greatest nations on earth. I am amazed that two countries can get along so well and have miles of unguarded border. May it always be that way.

Well come back for Part VIII as we go from US border to home.