Bear, a hole, dinner, movie 6-29-10

Today I woke up to the sound of my dog barking and a lot of banging outside. Of course the first thought that came to mind was that a bear was outside. I'm still not sure what it was, but it apparently broke several boards at the bottom of the cabin to get underneath it. It's still a mystery. It was rather frightening though. I suppose I should eventually invest in some bear spray.

After waiting to make sure there was no more noise, Eddy and I made tons of noise going to the outhouse, got ready, and headed for the kettle corn stand. It looked to be a pretty decent day - overcast, but no rain! After everything was set up and I started popping the first batch, I noticed a small hole in the botto of the kettle. I finished the batch, called Ray, and stopped popping. Ray ended up having to drive to Homer to take the kettle to a welder to be fixed. Apparently the hole was pretty bad, but could be repaired.

We went to dinner, rented a movie, and started packing to go to Seldovia tomorrow. We packed our big backpacks, since we decided to camp there for the night. It should be quite fun!

Here comes the sun... 6-28-10

I woke up to another overcast day and didn't have very high hopes for seeing the sun. I managed to drag myself out of bed and took off to set up the stand. The day started so slowly that I thought about quitting, especially when Ray called to invite me fishing with his family, but I stuck it out, and I was glad I did in the end.

The sun came out, and suddenly people wanted kettle corn. A few hours of business led to a decently profitable day. :-)

So I had some Ohio people (wearing Ohio State clothing) show up to the stand, so I walked over and did the traditional Ohio greeting. "O-H!" They stared back at me like I had three heads. Awkward. I silently whispered "I-O" under my breath and asked what they would like. I asked where they were from, thinking perhaps they were just foreign Ohio State fans, and they said Cleveland. Am I in an alternate universe? People do still say that in Ohio, right my Ohio friends??

Anyway, I also met a nice couple who greeted me by asking if Eddy was my dog. I said yes, and they went on and on about what an amazing dog he is, and how they couldn't believe he'd just stay in the car like that all day, and how they miss their dogs when they travel. Anyway, a few hours later when they were walking back, I was closing the stand and trying to get rid of the last bit of corn, so I gave them a little bag. The guy came back a few minutes later with a CD that he'd apparently written and recorded songs on. It's a childrens' CD of music. I haven't listened to it yet, but I thought that was pretty neat.

After work, Eddy and I took our walk on the beach, which is becoming an after-work habit that we both enjoy. Today it was particularly nice because we weren't walking in the rain. It was beautiful outside. There were sailboats, a blue sky, the ocean was a beautiful shade of turquoise, and the mountains behind it are still covered in snow. Does it really get better? (Other than skiing).

I have to confess I'm feeling a little homesick for Leadville, my house, familiarity, friends, etc..., but I am glad I'm here too. I have a lot to do before I go back to Leadville.

Rain, rain, go away! 6-27-10

Today I got up, cursed at the rain, and headed to the Spit to start popping. Unfortunately, the rain decided to stick around, no matter what I yelled at it, and not many people came to the Spit today. I packed up early, went to the laundry mat to finish drying some clothes that didn't get dry yesterday, filled some water jugs at Safeway, bought some really great outdoor boots, and came back to the cabin. I worked on dishes for at least an hour, but they are all done! After that, it was me, beer, Grey's Anatomy, and chips and salsa for dinner. It was a pretty restful day.

Riding my bike is starting to sound great, but I'm not hardcore enough to do it in the rain. Something I would like to do is go for a bike ride in the semi-light at midnight. I know it's weird, but it's just something I would like to do, but not necessarily by myself.

I'm really hoping Jess decides to visit me here for my last week and ride back with me. Come on, Jess, you can do it!!

I was told today by a local, Dwaine, that I looked like a local when I was popping corn because I was wearing a beat-up hoody, messed up pants, and a hat. He said all I needed were the Alaskan boots. I guess since I picked some up today, perhaps I'll blend in. We'll see! I'm just tired of people asking me where things are or where the best burger is because I have no idea what to tell them. I do know where the restrooms are though, so that's a start.

It sounds like we're taking Wednesday off to do something "Alaskan." I'm not sure what that will be yet, but I'm sure it will be fun. :-)

Semi-frantic popping day, bonfire on the beach 6-26-10

I got to the stand a little later than I'd hoped, but it wasn't bad. I had trouble getting the tent open for some reason, so some good people stopped to help me raise it. It must have been stuck or something. Once we got the tent raised and I praised them with eternal gratitude, I got started. It was a little crazy because I had to make an extra 35 small bags for Ray's friend, Jane, to sell somewhere else, but it got done in the end.

After work, I went to the local laundry/shower/coffee place to take a shower and get some clean clothes. I LOVE that place, by the way. They have really nice showers and a coffee shop, wifi, an arcade, snacks, etc... all while you wait for laundry. I could almost just hang out there.

After that, Eddy and I went to the bonfire on the beach. It was nice, but I didn't really know anyone except the guy who invited me, Matt, who I'd met at Ray's party two days before. I met a few more nice people though, and Eddy got to run on the beach with tons of new doggie friends. :-) It was beautiful.

Alone all day, crab on the beach 6-25-10

It was a pretty nice day. I met some interesting people buying kettle corn. When we finished, Eddy and I went for a walk on the beach and found a full dead crab. I guess it's pretty weird that the birds hadn't gotten to it. I called Ray to see if he wanted it (we like to collect things from the beach), and he did. I hadn't thought about the fact that I'd have to pick it up. If you don't know anything about me and sea creatures, you have to understand that I have a really weird phobia of them. It seems like they all either pinch, sting, bite, or eat you. I knew the crab was dead, but it looked awfully disgusting. After freaking out about how to do it, I finally got him shoved onto a rock on which to carry him. I put him on the floor at the passenger seat of the car so I could make sure I wouldn't have a "Tommy Boy" not-so-dead deer in the car moment, and actually got him safely home. :-)

Mostly working alone, halibut party 6-24-10

This morning Ray helped me set up, but had to leave to get ready for the halibut party this evening. It went pretty well for my first time working alone. I was a little stressed about closing everything because there was so much to remember, and I'd really only done it once with Ray. I think I figured it out for the most part.

The halibut party was really fun. We had some really great beer again (I really like this Homer brewing company) and I met a lot of really nice people. Did I mention it's going to be hard to leave?

My first day popping fo rmyself, Homer, 6-23-10

Today Ray and I got up decently early to get the booth set up on the spit. The spit is sort of a narrow peninsula going out from Homer into Kachemak Bay, and Cook Inlet. It's absolutely gorgeous with ocean on both sides, mountains across the Bay, seagulls overhead, and cute little shops lining both sides of it. There's a huge dock for boats on one side too, from where charters seem to leave to take tourists fishing. It's a postcard.

We set everything up and I got to learn to pop the kettle corn. It was slightly intimidating being so close to something so large, hot, and prone to throw hot grease and popcorn kernals into my face or any exposed skin. I had to wear a long sleeved t-shirt, hat, and sunglasses to protect as much as possible. I was pleasantly surprised by how few times I got burned. It was actually really fun. People were all very nice, and the atmosphere there is so restful and relaxed.
It was a rather slow day, business-wise, but I'm sure it will pick up. We packed everything away and took our dogs for a walk on the beach. We found a bunch of great rocks, crab legs, jelly fish, shells, and clams. It was pretty great, and just gorgeous! We had dinner at a local bar, Duggens, rented a movie, and got a growler (grizzler) of beer from a local brewing company. It's wonderful beer, by the way.

Tomorrow I'll be mostly on my own, as Ray has to get ready for a party he's throwing here tomorrow evening involving eating some fresh halibut! I'm very excited about that! :-)

Soldotna and Homer, 6-22-10

I forgot to mention I got my bike fixed. It cost $190, but at least I'll have my bike for the summer. I do love my bike. It's nothing fancy or expensive, but it does well for me, and it's already rigged up for Eddy to be Biker Dog!

Today we got up rather late, since we were exhausted. Ray's mom made us breakfast.
Finally, Ray and I drove to Homer. Words can't describe how beautiful it is here. It's amazing. I fell in love immediately. We drove around town, had dinner, went to the beach, and had beer at the Salty Dog. It was a great evening.
We rented "Alice in Wonderland," which turned out to be far better than I'd imagined. Who can't love Johnny Depp?

Tomorrow we'll be up early to set up the stand on the spit in Homer. I really hope this goes well. This place is just so amazingly beautiful. I can't wait to see more of it!

Driving to Soldotna from Fairbanks, 6-21-10

After driving for about 45 minutes, Ray called and said he was too sleepy and needed to pull over. I was really glad, because I was feeling the same way. Considering we didn't even get done with the festival until 12:45am, and we were all hungry and went to find food, we didn't get much sleep last night. We pulled over at a cafe in the middle of nowhere and slept for about an hour.
It was decided that we would drive to Soldotna, where Ray's parents live, rather than all the way to Homer tonight. We're all too tired and it's pretty late, and we still have to switch kettles and stuff.
I get to sleep in a really comfortable bed tonight. Ahhhh...

The Solstice Festival, Fairbanks, 6-20-10

This morning came very early, as we'd been up quite late talking. We set up the kettle corn stand and got breakfast at a nearby coffee shop. It was quite good. After breakfast, we finished getting the booth ready. This was all new to me, so I wasn't really much help. It poured rain all morning and some of the afternoon too, which did not help matters.
My job was pretty mindless after a while, but it was really exhausting. I salted, mixed, and bagged the kettle corn. It pretty much involved bending over all day. The festival lasted 12 hours. It was fun, but by the end of the day I could hardly stand up straight, or any other way for that matter. My stupid index finger swelled up quite a bit too, but I'm not exactly sure why.
We did pretty well today, especially after the weather cleared. It was also really nice to be paid instead of just spending money on gas and food!
We are staying in the same place tonight. It's nice not to have been driving all day and to know where I'll end up at night.

Bored in Fairbanks 6-19-10

Eddy and I made our way to Fairbanks after leaving the B&B. I had no idea where we were going or what we would do, as Ray wouldn't be there until 8pm or later, so we decided to head for Pioneer Park. I had no idea what this place was, but had been told I could walk Eddy around there. Both of us wanted some time outside the car.
Pioneer Park was not very exciting, but it did get us out. Oh, and I had the worst BLT sandwich EVER. It was actually hot there, and I wasn't impressed. We did meet a couple of nice ladies with their dogs and children who asked if we were going to the Solstice Festival. I said we were actually working a kettle corn stand there, and they said they'd stop by. Ray got hold of me and said he and his sister Mary were running late. I was so bored already I almost cried.
After driving around a little more, we found another park by the river. I threw Eddy's fake stick a few times before he got bored with bringing it back, so we started walking. After narrowly escaping the creepy guy who followed be up a bridge and kept asking me strange questions, we went back down the bridge and left the park.
After driving around aimlessly, I found my savior... a Barnes & Noble. It was actually a really cool store in that they had a huge open stone fireplace completely surrounded by lounge chairs. After messing around on the internet for a bit, I snuggled up in a chair and read more of the book I was working on, "The Book Thief." It's a really great book so far, by the way. The time was finally melting away when Ray called and said where to meet him.
We met in the parking lot near where we'll be working tomorrow. It was so nice to see a familiar face! Ray treated us to dinner at Boston's, and we went to stay at his cousins' place in THE North Pole, home of the tallest Santa in the world, I do believe. Apparently if you mail things from the North Pole, they stamp it in a special way, especially around Christmas.

Destruction Bay, YT to Fairbanks, AK 6-18-10

I got a late start again this morning, partially due to sleeping in and partially due to lack of motivation to load the car in pouring rain. We eventually took off and headed slightly west to find some food. The place I found sufficed, but took a really long time. After that, we headed west yet again.
The weather cleared as we drove, and we finally got to the border crossing. This one was much better, and the guy was really nice. He even welcomed me to Alaska!
I thought about staying in Tok, but really wanted to get farther, so we ended up coming all the way to Fairbanks, where we are staying at the Fox Creek Bed and Breakfast. I really should be at a campground, but the grizzly sighting really disenchanted me with sleeping in tents all alone.
The hosts of the B&B are a little eccentric and rather strange, but nice just the same. Their house is gorgeous. I know this because I got an extensive tour of the house, sauna, and rock gardens. Eddy and I were placed in sort of a basement apartment. It was very comfortable.

River View Campground to Destruction Bay, YT, 6-17-10

Sidenote: When I miss days in this blog, I copy out of my written journal, which is why I always write as if it were that day... :-)

Today was rather uneventful. This morning I had coffee with Godfried and Heidi in their beautiful camper. It was fun because Eddy didn't see where I went (due to the fact that he was eating when I left), and we watched from their window while he looked for me. He kept going back and forth between the tent and my car, looking and sniffing. They said he's a very good dog to know where his place is, and to always be waiting for me.

We said our goodbyes and got on the road. Everything is becoming a blur of beautiful scenery, small towns, no cell phone service, and mostly no internet. I stopped at a cafe that had internet today, then kept going. Eventually we got to White Horse, where there was cell service very briefly. Ray and I decided to meet in Fairbanks rather than have me drive all the way to Homer just to turn around and drive 700 miles back there for the Solstice Festival.

I was just debating on whether or not to go ahead and camp when we rounded a curve in the road, and a grizzly bear ran out from the bushes in front of my car. After a moment of horrific shock, I was slamming on the brakes and searching for my camera at the same time. I did manage to get two shots of the bear, which was awesome! That was definitely the coolest part of my trip so far. I also decided then and there to get a hotel room. I'm not into sharing a tent with a grizzly bear.

We crashed in Destruction Bay, of the Yukon Territory. It was next to a gorgeous lake, though not right by it. It's exciting to think that tomorrow we'll finally be in Alaska! It'll be nice to have cell service!

Smithers, BC to River Crossing Campground (between towns) 6-16-10

This morning, I woke up in the tent around 3:45am, and either it was still light, or it had been dark and had become light. It is now 11:00pm, and once again, the sun has yet to set.

We left the campground in Smithers at 9:30am and set out west on 16. Eventually we got on the Cassiar Highway. It's been a beautiful drive today, but I'm getting rather tired of being on the road. We stopped in a couple places for gas and snacks, but other than that it was mainly just driving.

Tonight we're in a place called River Crossing campground. It's absolutely beautiful. I pitched the tent right next to a lake. It looks like a picture from a Marmot ad in a magazine.

As soon as I got out of the car, a guy happened to be walking through my campsite and he started talking to me. He had a German accent. He invited me to come over to hang out with his group near his mounstrous bus-like camper. After setting up the tent and eating peanut butter and jelly, I joined them for quite some time. They live in BC, and apparently I drove right through their property on my way here. Their names are Godfried and Heidi, both from Germany originally. They are traveling with her sister and brother-in-law, who only speak German. They are all very nice. We drank some yummy wine and chatted for a few hours.

On the way back from the bathroom I met another couple from Holland. They were very nice too. All these people are actually on the way back from Alaska.

Tomorrow we'll be driving a little longer, and may end up in a hotel. It's about time for a shower and a really good night's sleep. I'm a little worried about bears tonight. They were saying I should get bear spray in my tent just in case. They also told me they call Highway 16 the "Highway of Tears" because so many girls traveling alone have disappeared from it. That made me feel much better...

I haven't had cell service or internet all day, which also makes me feel rather alone, but at the same time it's kind of nice to be away from my troubles. I really am rather paranoid about bears, so I hope it's not dark tonight. It feels safer when I can see better. There's no food in the tent, so hopefully they won't be interested. The lake is so beautiful.

McBride, BC aftermath to Smithers, BC 6-15-10

Well, after talking to Tom LaVergne, who is a really great source for good advice (stop laughing, Tom, it's true), I called my insurance company and they said they might be able to help out and to fax them an estimate from the body shop.

After talking to them, I talked to the hotel people. They told me where to go for a mechanic. Once I drove to the mechanic, he said I'd have more luck at the body shop in town. When I got to the body shop, I met this German/Canadian guy who worked there and said he'd bring his pickup to the hotel to get my rack, box, and bike. He wired everything back onto the car so I could keep going and get it fixed at a dealer somewhere in Alaska.

Today I didn't get as far as the last couple days, just because I wasn't able to leave until noon. Unfortunately, the rack wasn't the end of my troubles for the day. After driving 30 miles out of town, I stopped to get some water out of the back. Unfortunately, the back was locked, so I went to the driver door, hit the button, and shut it. After trying the back door again and finding it locked, I realized in sheer terror that I'd hit the button the wrong way, and had locked myself out. The car was running, Eddy was inside, and I had absolutely nothing on me. After kicking the car a couple times, cursing at myself, and feeling like a complete moron, I flagged down a passing car. Fortunately, they were able to open the door with a wiener roaster. Wow.

After that ridiculous start to the day, it was smooth sailing and beautiful scenery. Tonight, Eddy and I are camping in Smithers, BC. It's beautiful here. We met a couple from Vancouver headed for Alaska as well. They are riding motorcycles, but not obnoxious Harleys. :) They are really nice.

I've noticed that Canadians in general seem to be much friendlier and respectful of others than Americans as a whole. It's rather refreshing.

Tomorrow we're taking the Cassiar Highway. Christine, my Alaska consult/phone tour guide, says it's gorgeous. Everything here is gorgeous! I hope this campground doesn't get extremely cold overnight. I can't believe it's almost ten and it's still very light.

Northern Montana to McBride, BC, 6-14-10

Well, we finally made it to Canada, via a really rude border crossing person. I really wanted to ask if she was always like that, or if they told her to be mean and rude. Anyway, she let us in. Shortly after that, my Garmin GPS decided it didn't want to work anymore. This made Calgary very interesting.

After we finally got out of that wretched city and into the mountains, we had a great time. Banff was gorgeous, as was Jasper. I'd love to spend more time there on the way home. There was so much to see! I never thought I'd say a place was more beautiful than Leadville, but the mountains around there definitely surpassed it. Lake Louise was my favorite stop. It was really breathtaking.

We drove all day through the two National Parks, and decided at the end to get a hotel room for the night. I was exhausted, and really needed to sleep well. We finally arrived in a little town called McBride, and found a hotel that seemed like it would work (thanks to Christine's research skills).

When I pulled into the parking lot, I didn't think about it, but I went under the awning in front of the hotel. There was a very loud crashing/scraping sound, and I realized I'd just ran my bike into the awning. Great. After sitting in the car in a stunned, horrified paralysis, I managed to look at the damage. The bike's rear tire rim was completely bent out of shape and the handle bar controls were pushed underneath the bars. It had ripped the factory rack off the car, along with the crossbars and box. It was a mess.

The guy at the hotel was really nice. He came out to see what had happened, got me a room (at a discount), and locked my bike up for me, and helped me carry the rack with the attached box top to my room so it would all be safe. He said not to worry about it, but to get some sleep and he would tell me where to go in the morning. This will not be a restful night. Panic is setting in.

Denver to some random place in Montana, 6-13-10

I decided to start a blog for this trip because I have a feeling it could end up being quite the adventure. I don't really care if anyone ever reads this. It's more for me to remember the whole thing and not lose any details.

Today I got on a plane in Ohio at 6 in the morning, flew to Denver, got picked up by the awesome Jane Heins (who also brought Eddy down from Leadville), got the car from Karl's house (who was wonderful and fixed my thermostat among other things while I was gone), and took off for Alaska. This probably wasn't the best way to do it, but I really didn't want to drive back to Leadville only to back track.

We drove all day, stopping at random places. The most memorable place we stopped was the Little Bighorn Battlefield. It was a really interesting place. Other than the obvious, there was a little baby bird crying on the sidewalk. I wanted to do something for it, but figured maybe the mom would come back... poor thing.

At sunset, I got to see some windmill sillhouettes. I don't know why I have a thing for windmills. We drove until dark, got too tired to continue, and slept in the back of the car at a truck stop in the middle of nowhere. Seriously... the middle of nowhere. At this point, I feel pretty nervous about the trip, but basically feel like it's something I have to do.