We are back❤️

It’s Friday morning, sitting with coffee after a lovely 12 hour sleep.  Sally is across from me plotting out not-to-miss activities for the next two weeks.  I think we will be as busy as we want to be.  

We arrived back in Anchorage Wednesday night, February 21 about 10:20 pm.  No flight problems at all, which was great.  We picked up our car at Budget rentals, a really big 4 Runner which we knew was too much car for us but it was after 2:30 EST, we were tired and didn’t want to lug our bags back to the Budget counter for an exchange.  

So, Thursday morning we visited Fred Meyer for some basics, returned the car for a more suitable Mazda CX5 (felt a bit like Goldilocks, but third car was the charm), stopped by Big Rays for gloves because I left mine in the 4 Runner, went to the Anchorage Iditarod headquarters at the Lakefront Hotel and purchased a 2024 mug and pin, drove downtown and walked through the snow sculptures there then returned back to our friend Terri’s house.  So much for our original thought to just chill and rest on day one.   But night two was a very early night and long, deep sleep.  I feel good today.  And ready for an adventure.

Oh, and we had a beautiful snow and two moose sightings to welcome us on day one.  What a treat.  Everything so far is wonderful.

This wouldn’t be happening without Terri and Lee sharing their home with us.  So very generous and we are so fortunate and thankful.  And very comfortable.  Also Pat and Carol in Richmond who put us up for the night, drove us to the airport and are babysitting our car.  Thanks so much to all.

I hope I remember how to dress warmly.  We are meeting our friend Arleta for a walk soon. Just in the 30’s today, but long underwear, foot warmers, hats, gloves (new!), flannel pants and sub zero coat.  I may be too hot!

Home Day 11 - Lexington to Bristol, TN 10/03

Left Lexington: 8:45

Arrive Bristol:  1:20

Miles Traveled:  224.4

Weather:  Hot!!  80s.

We were looking forward to a shorter day and arriving at our new home.  The mountains here are beautiful; old and wise we recently heard one woman describe them.  We enjoyed seeing familiar names on the road signs, Roanoke, Cumberland Gap and Knoxville, while we continued to listen to Bobby Bones on our favorite Anchorage radio station.  The route had been planned specifically so we would not drive through Virginia.  We had kept our Virginia plates and our inspection sticker had expired in March.  I thought it was unlikely to be a big deal but it was unlawful and why risk it.  So, we were very surprised when we entered Virginia!  Still not sure what happened, but either Ms. Google or I had miscalculated.  We were on a two lane, twisty, countryside road for about 60 miles.  Sal, who was, of course, driving, thought just drive carefully so there would be no need for anyone to stop us.  So, surprise, surprise when we rounded a bend and there, early afternoon, was a police license check. Are you kidding me!!  When it was our turn, Sal showed her license and we held our breaths.  Maybe he would not even notice.  The officer handed back the license and tapped the windshield.  “Get that taken care of,” was all he said.  “Yes, sir.  Tomorrow,” Sal replied, and we were back on our way.  Whew.  

The apartment lady met us at our door and gave us keys and informational papers.  They seem fairly strict about things here or Anchorage was pretty laid back.  I expect the latter.  Anyway, the apartment is three levels.  A huge garage on the bottom level, a big living area, half bath and decent-sized kitchen on the first floor, and three bedrooms, two baths on the second floor.  We learned talking with Larry, the maintenance man for our complex, that it’s all new; new hardwood, carpeting and a beautiful new refrigerator, although we can’t figure out how to make the ice-maker turn on. 😕

We unloaded all from the car.  It was hot work.  How did we fit all that stuff into our Hyundai?  We had had to leave the step stool behind because there wasn’t room in the car, so unloading the car top carrier had to wait.  Fine with me.  We sat on our two camp chairs a bit and hydrated.  After cooling down we made our plan for the afternoon.  Dinner at Chick-fil-A, then Sal’s favorite new hobby, thrifting at Goodwill for maybe a lamp and a few items we had had to leave behind, then Kroger for milk and cleaning supplies.  And broccoli.  I just seem to feel more comfortable when broccoli is in the freezer.  Silly, but I feel if there is broccoli and rice or pasta, I can make a dinner.

We did all that, plus discovered an Amvets store where we hit the jackpot with trash cans, a cheap side table and a “brass” coat tree which makes a statement and is useful until we can get our stuff delivered from Richmond. We got home and found Grey in the corner of my closet.  Now, two days later, it continues to be his safe spot, I suppose.  

We all had quite a trip from Anchorage to Bristol, 4,450 miles total, and it will take a while for all of us to adjust. We definitely miss Alaska and friends there and are glad we can continue to keep in touch via text.  But our niece Katherine has already visited us and son John is coming on Sunday, and family was what I was missing.  We will return to Alaska, absolutely, but I’m ready to enjoy some baby showers, birthdays and holidays with my much loved family.  For the time being, we are home.

Homeward Bound Day 10 - Ann Arbor MI to Lexington KY 10/02

Depart: Ann Arbor MI 10:30am

Arrive: Lexington KY 4:30 pm

Miles: Traveled 332.8

Weather: Sunny and warm. Temps in the low 80s

We decided a few days ago to add a day to our trip. Our original plan has us driving nine hours today. We weren't looking forward to getting up at 5:00am in order to arrive in Bristol by 3:30 or 4:00 so we split the day.  

We enjoy a slower morning since we aren't driving as far.  We have an extra cup of coffee at breakfast. We spend time critiquing this artwork hanging in the hotel's breakfast room.

The images selected for Alaska first catch our attention. The placement of the igloo and tree don't meet with our approval.  Igloos were used by the Inuit who lived above the Arctic Circle.  Why did the artist place the igloo above the Aleutian Islands? We also think the artist used the wrong tree siluette and placed it too far north. We find other things we don't agree with.  Mt. Rushmore doesn't look like it is in South Dakota and the Statue of Liberty doesn't look like it is in New York.  While I don't agree with all the artist's decisions, I actually like this piece of art.

We take care of some business chores.  BB calls and sets up an appointment for getting internet at our new apartment. I call Allstate to cancel insurance on our Anchorage apartment.  

The drive to Lexington reintroduces us to interstate traffic.  There are several workzones on US 23 and I75. Traffic slows and backs up at each of them.  Tractor-trailers are out in force.  It isn't unusual to see 6 or 7 traveling together.

Traffic looks like this for most of our drive.

We see Love's Travel Stops!  Love's and Sheetz are our favorite places to stop when traveling.  We stop at the Love's  in Sydney, Ohio.  It is a wonderful stop!  BB and I have duties when we stop for gas.  BB fills the tank and I clean the windows.  The sponge/squeegee has a long handle and appears brand new!   The bucket has window washer liquid in it instead of water! The price of gas is the lowest we've seen in a year, $3.14.  And there is a fenced in dog park! Just a wonderful stop.

Our night's lodging in Lexington is at a Homewood Suites by Hilton. It's basically a small apartment as it has a bedroom, living room with kitchen and a bathroom.  All the places we've stayed this trip have been great.  Thanks, BB, for all the research you put into finding our lodging!

Today wasn't an exciting day, but it was a good day.

Sal

Homeward Bound Day 9 - Marquette MI to Ann Arbor MI

Depart Marquette:  9:30

Arrive Ann Arbor:7:50

Miles Driven:  

Weather:  Foggy in morning, some rain, some sun

Didn’t seem fair to drive clear across the country and not get Sal at least one National Park passport stamp.  Today was the day.  We had shared a bench with a couple from Michigan while we were at the McCarthy 4th of July parade.  They were happy to talk about their state and raved about Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  So, we put that on our route and cut our driving for the day to just 6.5 hours to allow for some park time.

We got to Marquette after dark last night so we were not able to enjoy the Lake Superior view from our room.  And this morning…the dreaded fog blanketed the lake.  We had a window seat for breakfast and slowly the day began to lighten up.  View from our room at 8:15am:

We walked around our hotel and out on the viewing dock.  Sal is serious about her new birdwatching hobby and spent time with her Merlin app.

We left the hotel later than usual with hopes the day would continue to brighten and we could enjoy the beauty of Lake Superior.  It was about a 40 minute drive to the park, and we had a great morning.  We walked to Munising Waterfall then drove a way through pretty fall foliage and walked to several lookouts of the rocks.  We drove a while along Lake Huron.  All was good at that point.

I had been looking forward to crossing Mackinac Bridge.  Our trip to Mackinaw Island had been derailed by Covid several years ago and I was hoping to catch a glimpse of it.  But miles from the bridge, we hit traffic.  Every route was backed up for miles.  We slowly made our way, doing alternate merges a couple of times, and finally reached the bridge.  We saw that lanes leading up to the bridge were closed due to road work.  Once about halfway over, traffic started speeding up and we were back on our way, an hour behind schedule.

Sal had won a $50 Uber Eats gift card at an apartment party.  We had decided to use it on the trip.  To kill time, I started looking at possibilities for dinner.  I was immediately grabbed by this offering from Blue Tractor BBQ:  waffle fries, pulled pork, cheese sauce, shredded cheese, sour cream, bacon, baked beans and BBQ sauce.  Wow.  We also got salads so we wouldn’t feel so piggy.  The meal was awesome.  We ate while watching Shark Tank, a favorite show.

We had originally planned to be in Bristol tomorrow, but we started worrying if it was realistic to think we could drive from Ann Arbor to Bristol and arrive at the apartment rental office before their 5:00pm closing.  We decided to take one more night on the road.  So, tomorrow we head to Lexington; Bristol, our new home, on Tuesday.

Homeward Bound Day 8 - Grand Forks ND to Marquette MI 09/30

 Depart Grand Forks ND 8:20am

Arrive Marquette MI 7:50pm

Miles Traveled 520

Weather: Thick fog this morning.  Overcast all day. Occasional showers. Lightening as we arrived in Marquette.  Temps in the 60s.

The focus of this trip is getting back to Bristol.  We aren't deviating much from our route to sightsee.  However we  took a 10 minute detour  today to visit the Hiawatha Statue in Ironwood, MI. It claims to be the World's Largest Native American Statue.  The Statue is 52 feet tall and weighs 9 tons. Another biggest item to add to our list.

Ironwood is about 80 miles north of Rhinelander where cousins Peggy and Charlie live.  We hated not detouring for a quick visit.  This decision influenced by a long driving day plus a temperamental cat.  We talk about a trip this summer to come back and visit the cousins and nearby cranberry farms.

We stop at Culver's in Superior, WI for ButterBurgers, fries and cheese curds.  It is drizzly. Instead of a picnic in a park by Lake Superior we eat in the car.

Our drive started in the fog.

Fall colors showed up this afternoon.  We have left the prairie and have trees again.

No large wildlife sightings today.  We do see two turkeys.  And several Vs of geese flying south.

We use IHeart radio to listen to our favorite country music station, KASH 107.5 out of Anchorage.  We are grateful to Cousin Kate for introducing us to the National Parks After Dark podcast.  We've been listening to one or two each day.

The headwaters of the Mississippi River are located in Itasca State Park near Bemidji, MN. We cross over the Mississippi near Bemidji and it is 18 or 20 feet wide.

Sal

Homeward Bound Day 7 - Regina to Grand Forks ND 9/29

 Depart Regina:  8:30am

Arrive Grand Forks:  6:00pm (time change)

Miles Traveled:  458.9 miles

Weather:  Short-sleeve shirt weather!  Sunny in the afternoon

We are back in the USA!  We crossed the border at Portal ND around lunchtime.  We were asked a lot of questions (none, however, about Grey), more so than at any of the other border crossings the past year.  I’m glad we had an Alaska Fish and Wildlife certificate for the moose antler in our car top carrier.  Without it, the agent said we would have had to pull over and let someone inspect it.  Unpacking the antler and fighting the carrier lock, which has been horribly temperamental, would have been a nightmare.  

Our last stop before the border was at a Tim Horton’s for a maple frosted donut.  It’s kind of a thing with us and son, John.  We also grabbed an iced pumpkin spice latte while we were there.  A delicious Canadian send off.

The landscape today remained flat.  I’m afraid our travel through Saskatchewan was boring.  To me, anyway.  Sal maintains it is pretty, just not to her taste.  It was flat and more flat.  North Dakota had some slight rolls and there were fields with round hay bales.  They were kind of pretty.

As we were approaching Grand Forks we started thinking about dinner.  I googled the possibilities and it was a no brainer.  As we closed in, I placed a mobile order at Chick-fil-A, our first in over a year (no CFAs in Alaska).  Once at the hotel, we spread out our sandwiches, side salads and waffle fries.  Our last meal in Canada and first meal back in the lower 48 were both perfect.

Homeward Bound Day 6 - Edmonton to Regina 09/28

Depart Edmonton 8:30am

Arrive Regina 5:40pm

Miles Traveled: 500 per Google maps. To be updated with actual miles.

Weather in mid 60s. Blue sky with white fluffy clouds.

Today's highlights bookend the day.

Last night we stayed at the Elemont Edmonton West. We stayed here on the way to Alaska last August and liked it. The rooms are large and attractive, however it is the breakfast that set it apart.  Breakfast had all the usual cold items; different breads, cereals and yogurt.  Hot items included sausage, fried potatoes and individually made omelets!  We could have cheese, tomato, onion and pepper in our omelets. The chef had three omelet pans going at the same time!

Today was a pretty day for a drive.  The topography has changed from mountainous to high prairie.  We saw lots of cut hay fields, both square and round hay bales, and lots of cows.  The small communities we passed through were spaced far apart.  It was a pretty drive, just not the type of scenery I prefer. 

The Fairfield Inn in Regina has an attached restaurant.  We ordered dinner to go, salads and chicken tenders and an adult beverage.  Celebrity Jeopardy was on the TV.  We were excited when we heard Ken Jennings announce the categories. One category was Alaska! BB and I were ready.  Alaska trivia we learned for the May Cruise is still with us.  We knew all the answers in the Alaska category.

Grey remains out of sorts with BB.  He is relaxing on my bed.

Sal