Muskox!!

June 21, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

The University of Alaska has a research facility that studies large animals including the muskox.

The muskox are quite strong and powerful!

This is a bumper sticker that everyone needs!

Fairbanks Tour!

June 20, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

Since I started driving in Canada and Alaska, I have been trying to get a photo of a moose. So far, this hefty fellow is the best I can do. Hopefully, I can photograph a live moose soon!

It was amazing to watch this pontoon boat come in for a smooth landing next to our boat!

After a few minutes, the pilot took off and had a very smooth liftoff!

The tour included hearing from a guy who trains dogs that pull dogsleds! I was impressed with the dog power!

I learned that reindeer are domesticated caribou. These guys are losing some of their fur for summer.

Since I have been in Alaska, I have noticed that it has rained for a little while each day. This has resulted in very green foliage everywhere and many beautiful flowers. I love the colors in this flower.

This woman was gracious and allowed me to take her photograph. This coat has the modern convenience of a zipper, otherwise it is like a traditional coat worn in Alaska made from different animal furs. The hood is incredibly amazing to me! I think that many layers of fur are needed to survive 60 degrees below zero during winter in Fairbanks.

Although these guys are no longer alive, they demonstrate the fierce intensity when moose fight.

Maybe it is because I have lived so many years in Arizona and Texas, but I have been absolutely captivated by the intensity and variety of green colors in the foliage throughout Alaska. I find myself simply staring at the trees and marveling at the thickness of the forest.

It has been said that “everything is bigger in Texas.” However, Alaska likes to point out that their state is much, much larger than Texas (plus California, plus Montana). Alaska is truly huge!!

Fairbanks!!

June 19, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

The Museum of the North was quite impressive! There were excellent displays that discussed the people, animals, and industries in the area. I spent hours going through the exhibits. It was tough for photography because no flash was allowed inside.

More modern art was also included in the museum.

Artwork of native peoples in Alaska was interesting.

The size of the bison is truly impressive!

The size of the moose and the moose chair amazed me.

The wingspan of this owl was certainly surprising!

Remember the movie and book about the guy who went to Alaska, burned his money, and ended up dying in this bus? It is going to be moved to the Museum of the North.

This is a beautiful scene as I was driving into Alaska. The mountains are so incredibly impressive here!

Alaska is #50!!

June 16, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

I am happy to have the opportunity to explore all 50 states!!

In terms of traveling, today was a big day for me. I traveled from Whitehorse, Yukon to enter Alaska! This is the first time I have been to Alaska. It is also the 50^th state I have visited and the 49^th state I have visited with a motorhome. Maybe I should rent a motorhome in Hawaii so all 50 states are addressed? I am really looking forward to exploring Alaska!

When I crossed the Alaskan border today, my odometer read 4,080 miles so far for this adventure. That is a long journey that started 21 days ago and is filled with many fun stops along the way!

I loved the pink colors shining on the mountains!

I started driving quite early today and I loved the sunrise shining on the mountains as I drove through Haines Junction, Yukon. I had to pullover and take some photos from the driver’s seat. I saw two moose, but those rascals ran into the trees before I could grab my camera. There were many elk enjoying the day, but I did not see any bears today.

Spectacular sunrise creates nice colors and shadows!

There is mystery in the clouds and mountains!

Sign Post Forest!!

June 14, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

There are thousands of signs from all over the world posted here.

It is certainly quirky, but Watson Lake, Yukon is probably most famous for its Sign Post Forest. Started by a guy from the army while working on the Alaska Canada Highway, people from all over the world have added to the forest of sign posts. It was fun to walk through it and read so many signs people have hung. I met a couple from outside Toronto that wanted to hang a sign in honor of the guy’s father. His father traveled all over Canada as a trucker, but had yet to visit Sign Post Forest. They planned a trip to visit it, but the father died before they could begin the trip. So, the son and his wife traveled to Watson Lake so the son could hang a sign in honor of his father. I too a picture of him and his wife standing next to their newly hung sign and he took a photo of me standing under the Sign Post Forest sign. One of the fun things about traveling is to meet people and learn about their stories.

There is an amazing variety of signs posted here!

The next time I visit, I will be prepared and bring my own sign to hang!

Yukon!!

June 14, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

I had a wonderful time traveling through Yukon to Watson Lake. What impressed me most was the wildlife I saw during the trip. I started driving before 6:00 am to see more wildlife and not have as many people on the road.

This guy was checking me out while pretending to look straight ahead. I loved the horns on these Thinhorn sheep.

I loved the texture of this guy’s horns!

They were curious about me and I was curious about them.

This guy moved to the front to protect the herd as I walked a bit closer to take their photo.

I think this is the first caribou I have ever seen in real life in the wild!

I yelled hello to him and he turned and gave me a brief stare.

Although I also saw a black bear and moose, they did not cooperate for photos. The moose scampered into the forest when I slowed the motorhome. While the black bear was not too visible until I had already passed him. I will still work to get photos of these to creatures.

Dawson Creek!!

June 12, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

I am very happy to start driving on the Alcan Highway!!

I made it to the first leg of the Great Alaskan Highway!! More commonly know as the Alcan (Alaska Canada) highway. This is mile 0 of the highway between Dawson Creek, British Columbia and Fairbanks, Alaska.

It is sort of odd because I have driven 2,884 miles since this trip began when I left Arizona, with a detour through part of California. Now that I reached mile 0 of the Alcan highway, I still have a long way to travel. Fairbanks is 1,523 miles away!! I am more than halfway to Alaska, but it is not “just around the corner.” Alaska is a long way away, but I have very much enjoyed the beauty traveling through Canada.

This was a very important road to be built around World War II.

This is a fun mile marker to finally reach!

Dawson Creek visitor center even gave me a certificate for reaching the beginning of the Alcan Highway!

The Elk That Said Hello!!

June 11, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

I was so startled that this elk was eating dinner at my campsite!!

I was reading a novel in my campsite in Jasper National Park, we I looked up and realized there was a huge elk eating dinner in my campsite. I slowly grabbed my camera and she posed for several photos.

She was gracious and posed for a photo in front of our motorhome!

She was so quiet, I did not realize she was right next to me!!

She was simply enjoying dinner, regardless of me.

Here I maneuvered to to get a different angle and she thought I was getting too close so she walked toward me to get me to back off. I quickly scooted into the adjacent campsite.

Icefields Parkway!!

June 10, 2022July 2, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

This is Bow Lake. Very beautiful while still frozen!

Canada continues to amaze and inspire me. Today I drove between Banff and Jasper. This road is called the Icefields Parkway. Early in my RV travels I started meeting people and often RVers would say that the drive between Banff and Jasper is the most beautiful road they have ever traveled. I cannot disagree with this assessment. The photos below speak for themselves. It is simply one marvel after another. When you think there cannot possible be a more beautiful scene, you suddenly catch your breath again. God’s creativity is a marvel to behold.

Another view of Bow Lake with the sun breaking through in the background.

I love the light shinning on the mountain!

The mountains are beautiful surrounded by clouds!

I love this river flowing in the foreground with so much greenery!

The snow runoff produces gorgeous waterfalls!

The wispy clouds highlight the rugged mountains!

This mountain was in the shade, but moved into the sunlight just as I was driving by. I pulled over quickly to see the features in the mountain!

I love the contrast between the snow and the mountain structure!

This is Athabasca Falls. My campsite is quite near these falls.

These falls create quite a bit of mist. Take the photo quickly before the lens is covered by mist!

Water flows mightily with the snow melting!

Emerald Lake!!

June 9, 2022 / Ed Armstrong

I had a wonderful trip to see Emerald Lake! I left the campground before 6:30 am and drove for an hour in order to catch the morning light shining on the lake and the nearby mountains. I was absolutely beautiful! I was told that the minerals brought down by the glaciers produce the beautiful green color in lake.