Alaska Bound

[merle&louise]

Pete,

We bought some elk ground meat and buffalo sausage. I was surprised to learn that elk meat can be easily burned on a grill. Since it doesn't have hardly any fat it will quickly burn. I thing that we will mix some Jimmy Dean pork sausage in with the elk and make burgers. I have done that with vinison and it is good.

We took a river boat cruise this morning; saw how natives lived hundreds of years ago. Salmon was their primary source of food in the summer and moose, elk, and caribou was hunted in the spring and fall. During the winter they relied on food stored from the warmer months.

We also saw the Alaskan Bowl company. They make wooden bowls out of birch wood. The bowls are beautiful and really expensive: how about $1900 for a set of 7 wooden bowls. I told Louise we would continue using paper plates.

Alaska is awesome!

[JIM KELLER]

Hey Tuga, What time does it get dark up there and what time does the sun come up ?

[rfoster]

Tuga and Ken et al: Thoroughly enjoying the post and pix. Keep them coming. I have a request - What are the high temps and low temps for the day?/days?

[merle&louise]

Hey Tuga, What time does it get dark up there and what time does the sun come up ?

Hi Jim,

It really doesn't get dark; it just gets like dusk. Sunset would be about 1AM and sunrise would be about 4AM. We have day/night shades on all of the windows and they are great! You just have to go with the flow and don't sweat it. You get used to it in about a month. It doesn't bother me much, but Louise is still not happy with it. She's getting better though.

To make matters a little worst we are on Alaska time which is 1 hour earlier than Pacific time. We are 5 hours ahead of you.

Alaska is great; if you've never been you owe it to yourself to come and see it. It is awesome. I would come back in a heartbeat.

[merle&louise]

Tuga and Ken et al: Thoroughly enjoying the post and pix. Keep them coming. I have a request - What are the high temps and low temps for the day?/days?

Hey Fast Roger,

The high today in Fairbanks was about 76 which is considerably hotter than other towns. Tok was in the high 60s and Dawson City was in the mid 60s. The lows are usually in the low 50s and high 40s. The climate has been delightful. We had some rain today in Fairbanks, but for the most part it has been clear and beautiful. Blue skies and a slight breeze. I was concerned about bugs and mosquitoes, but the only time we have encountered them was when we boondocked next to a river or creek.

Fairbanks is the most northern point that we will travel to in the coaches, and oddly enough it has been the warmest! Who knows! Monday we leave for Denali National Park and Mt. McKinley (renamed Mt. Denali). This for me will be the highlight of the trip. I have decided that I am going to climb Mt. Denali. It shouldn't take more than a week or so. Louise told me to bring a jacket! You'll read the headlines in the Bristol newspaper "Coonass climbs Mt. Denali".

Ken bet me $100 than I couldn't do it. So I'm on!

Miss you guys!

[rfoster]

Yall just keep on having fun!!

100 Bucks. Gor for it - take his money. He's got more where that came from.

Ken: How is the new roof coating performing? Can you tell a big difference? Are you ready to recommend it?

thanks from a
Poor old bus guy still working for diesel fuel.

[bluevost]

Hey King,

There is a noticeable difference in the heat inside the bus. Nick and I put on 2 thick coats of TempCoat, in a couple of places it's hard to see the rivets. We painted all the way to the clearance/marker lights in front, and I think that may help keep the overhead stereo/electronics a little cooler too.

Ken

[Jim Skiff]

From Tuga : " I was taking a picture of some spruce trees and this darn Grizzly bear walked in front of the camera! "

DSCN1336..JPG DSCN1337..JPG RSCN1343..JPG

and another

DSCN1321..JPG

[Kenneth Brewer]

Ruined those three pictures. A shame.

[JIM KELLER]

That's Funny .