Category: Antarctica to Alaska

Wednesday, 29 May 2019 Coldfoot (the middle of nowhere), Alaska, USA   Now the real adventure starts. Four days of driving the infamous Dalton Highway through the wilderness. 1,000 miles there and back along a dirt and gravel road. You’ll have heard of the TV series, ‘Ice Road Truckers’. Well. This is the road. Pick… Read more

Saturday, 1 June 2019 Fairbanks, Alaska, USA   Decent sleep considering the black out curtains weren’t that blackout and there’s daylight in my room at 0300hrs. The mechanic’s workshop is open so do a quick tyre pressure check to see if any have deflated overnight. They haven’t. The workshop was closed last night when I… Read more

Thursday, 30 May 2019 Deadhorse, Alaska, USA   Bright blue sky. Just what I need. Do not want any rain for a few days. The dirt roads will be a nightmare. First 35 miles to Dietrich is brilliant tarmac road. Smooth as silk. Then it gets nasty. Following the river, the road is very rocky.… Read more

Monday, 27 May 2019 Fairbanks, Alaska, USA   Jump in taxi to railway station. Young lad taxi driver says, “Ah, I’ve just dropped off some people at the station with your accent.” Really, I say. Where were they from? Australia. A tip is not forthcoming. Video chat with my youngest niece. Except she’s not so… Read more

Tuesday, 28 May 2019 Fairbanks, Alaska, USA Grab a coffee in the hotel breakfast room as the waitress is clearing up the breakfast service. She says something to me about the coffee. Can hear an accent. Ask where she’s from. Alba. Is the reply. She means Scotland. Ask her where from. Meaning where in Scotland.… Read more

Sunday, 26 May 2019 Anchorage, Alaska, USA Absolutely chucking it down. All day. Quick trip on the cable car up to the top of the mountain that I can see from my bedroom window. The views would be magnificent were it not for the rain. Can just about make out the fjord down below through… Read more

Saturday, 25 May 2019 Alyeska, Alaska, USA   Planning on panning at Prospector John’s after a short drive from Cooper Landing. For $20 you could get lucky and find that elusive nugget of gold. It’s a gold panning shop where they teach you how to pan for gold. The soil is brought from a creek… Read more

Friday, 24 May 2019 Cooper Landing, Alaska, USA   Late morning walk along one of the trails from hotel down to the river. The trail head recommends taking a stick from the box and to beware of bears. Off I go for a short leg stretch down the steep path leading to the river. The… Read more

Thursday, 23 May 2019 Cooper Landing, Alaska, USA   Three hour drive down to the halibut capital of the world. Homer. A fishing port at the end of the Kenai Peninsula. There’s not much to see enroute apart from trees. Lots and lots of trees. Reminds me of Siberia. And northern Scandinavia. And lots of… Read more

Wednesday, 22 May 2019 Cooper Landing, Alaska, USA   Mundane day. Picked up hire car. Drove an hour to Cooper Landing through magnificent Alaskan scenery. Snow capped mountains. Lakes. Pine trees. Checked in to the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge (https://www.princesslodges.com/princess-alaska-lodges/kenai-lodge/). Clue is in the title. Wilderness. Middle of nowhere. Overlooks the turquoise Kenai River. Rooms… Read more