Bill gets picked for some time with the "Good Time Girls"

In Skagway, at a "DAYS OF 1898" Show..... Lucky Bill was the chosen one to go on stage, and later UPSTAIRS with two of the cast. Although he'll never reveal what went on 'upstairs' it was clear he blushed several deep shades of purple!

Hammer Museum in Haines Alaska...

This place had many THOUSANDS of Hammers....including one for Siamese Twins that had 2 handles, an Autopsy hammer for removing the top of the skull, a cattle stunning hammer, and one to keep wives in line !!

Left Alaska to Canada, back to Alaska, back to Canada...

Would like to share some pics but can not find any decent wifi connections to do so! Currently we are in Canada heading south to see the bears back in ALASKA at Hyder...however, there was a landslide on the road we were supposed to take and it is unclear whether it will be passable anytime soon.....may not get decent wifi till we get back to the lower 48.



We discovered what was at the end of the rainbow in ALASKA...After leaving Alaska, we travel through Canada to get BACK to ALASKA in the vicinity of Skagway and Haines; we took a ferry to check out Juneau. Its the only US Capitol accessed by boat and plane only.

Last of Homer, and on to Seward and Valdez....

In Valdez (Area of 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill), you could not tell the spill ever happened. Here you see a close up of some of the MILLIONS of Pink salmon trying their best to get upstream to spawn. These fish are really T H I C K !! No exageration.... there were about 4 or 5 fish PER SQUARE FOOT in the entire mouth of the river! After spawning, they die and stink up the area. Tough week on the piggybank - had to drop $1600 for a new compressor for the motorhome.... oh well, if you want to play, ya gotta pay!

Do you like the view of our behind? Another example of the incredible scenic roads in our 49 th state..... IMPORTANT NOTE RE: why Alaska is 'OUR' state .... Ilea, born in '49 ....Alaska became the 49 th state in '59 , the year Bill was born!

Overnighted in a rest area with this outstanding view.

Roadside view on route to Valdez.

Took a tram ride several THOUSAND feet up to a ski resort to take a look around from up above ..... apparently, when they blow up potential avalanches during ski season (they get 500 inches each winter!) .... they occasionally , uhhh misplace their exposives!!

Ilea can not get enough of these Alaskan flowers!! It is so BRIGHT in this photo b/c of the glare off the glacier seen above.

A closer view of the glacier.....

Little sailboat off to the left is being powered by GLACIAL WINDS! As the warmer water rises above and away from the water, the much cooler and heavier air from the glacier rushes down to the water to replace the rising warmer air.... you can also see the whitecaps on the water.

Had this fortunate encounter with a mama humpback whale with her baby while we were in the Kenai Fjords National Park.

During a cruise from Seward to the Kenia National Park Fjords .... have bunch of sea lions hanging on a boulder with the glaciers in the background.

One of many views of glaciers we have seen.... this one, we could walk right up to, and see it melting before our eyes into the stream which you also see here.

Another view from the Homer beach area of our campground.

Snuck up on this terrific Bald Eagle on the shores of a Homer campground ....note the appropriate sign he is hanging out on!! I was only about 30 feet away from him.

Saw this SEA OTTER along a side trip to Seldonia (2 hour boat ride from Homer.)

While in Homer...

A view of Homer from above, and a view of the Homer Spit AKA the 'End of the Road', just like Key West....... AND- Bill has success at Halibut Fishing!!

On to HOMER Alaska.....

After surviving the raft trip, we celebrated at most likely Alaska's only WINERY. Instead of grapes, they only use BERRIES....blue-,rasp-, goose-, straw-, and rhubarb!

We dared to do some rafting along the riverside which was known to be frequented by hungry bears.... hoped we would not fall in and be mistaken for a salmon!

WARNING : DUE TO GRAPHIC NATURE OF THES PHOTOS...viewer discretion advise!

These pix are from the day trip to Katmai National park - Brooks Lodge. GRUESOME! Nature at its best in bear country here! Note the seagull waiting for a scrap......

Anchorage & trips from ...........

Bear walks right past a patient seagull which waits for any tiny morsels which might float by....

At Katmai - Brooks Lodge, there were DOZENS of bears to be seen in all different directions, some only 75 to 100 feet away.

Shot from floatplane on route to Katmai to see the bears.

Bill went on a side trip to Katmai National Park to see Brooks Lodge (Ilea sat this one out b/c of ear problems when flying.) This place is the one you may have seen on TV where the bears all wait at the edge of the waterfalls as the salmon are jumping up the falls trying to spawn upstream. The bears actually CATCH the fish in mid-air. Place is only accessible by FLOATPLANES.

We tried to run, but we couldn't hide!! Yogi got us good!

Downtown Anchorage has a 'Salmon on Parade' art festival ...here is one of MANY.

You'll never guess ........ Bill is doing a dramatization of blowing a seal........
UP! The eskimos skinned seals , then tied off the neck end, and plugged up the butt end (except for a small straw placed in the anus - where one would blow air up the butt end ! Its a real seal pictured here) This was done so that it could be effectively used as a bouy that was attached by rope to a spear which had been stuck into a whale; whale may try to swim down and away, but in unable b/c the bouyant seal bouy brings the whale back to the surface! That really blows for the whale, huh?

1964 major earthquake that shook Anchorage has an actual PARK in remembrance of that day the earth cracked like an egg.

This was a view of Mt. McKinley from a rest stop we drydocked at recently.

Uhhh, hand me those binoculars.....Grizzly approaching....I think!!(Heard while kayaking recently)

Bullwinkle came within 10 feet of our car!