Alaska!

I crossed the border this morning about 8:30 AM after questioning by a very nice border guard -- easiest border crossing I think I've ever had! 

The landscape is changing again -- the trees are different and they are shorter, much shorter. I think these are black spruce, and they can't be more than about 15 feet tall.

It was a long way into Tok, the first town you come to of any size, and I stopped here for lunch, at the insistence of my sister Jane. Ever since I first started planning this trip, she said I had to stop there because she and her family had stopped on their trip (in the middle of winter 1991) and liked it so much. So I had my first meal out -- and I must admit, it tasted really good (a chicken ranch burger and onion rings -- and a diet Coke!).

After lunch, I sat in the parking lot for a while, knowing that I had some major decisions to make right now. I need to be in Fairbanks on Saturday to see a friend, but today was only Tuesday.  That meant I had 3 1/2 days to play with. What to do.  So after looking at the map, and remembering a conversation with the campground host from last night (who said the weather for the next few days would be awful in Fairbanks but beautiful in Valdez) I'm on my way to Valdez. On the way, I'll stop at the Kennecott copper mine (the area where many of the mystery novels that were part of the inspiration for this trip are set), then perhaps do a cruise out of Valdez on Thursday. That leaves Friday and part of Saturday to get to Fairbanks!!Seems like a great plan, especially since tonight's campground is an especially beautiful one.

There was some wildlife today, a bear, a couple of moose (one with a baby) but the moose ran from the sound of cars and there was no way to get a photo -- it was funny to see them literally running away!!  Most of all today was mountains.  From the Canadian side, the Wrangel St. Elias National Park is beautiful, but from the Alaskan side, down the road between Tok and Glenallen, it is spectacular. Mount Drum is the second highest mountain in Alaska (Mt. McKinley is tallest), and that and a companion whose name I don't know yet, were the focus of that drive. I took about 100 photos of the mountain -- every few miles I'd pull over to take a picture.

All along, I've been watching for Tundra Swans in the lakes. No luck till this afternoon, when I saw a pair in a lake near the road. They were still pretty far away, so I got out the super duper long lens, and propped it on the edge of the car window, and got these photos. I can't wait to play with the one of the swan extending it's wings. I actually have 2 or 3 of this; glad I was in the right place at the right time with the right equipment!

There's been quite a bit of road construction, and I've been behind several of these -- it's really interesting talking to the sign holders.  They are all quite talkative, and when you get them going, it sure passes the time in a fun way!

Tonight's campground is the most beautiful I've been in. It's about 14 miles out of my way outside of Glenallen, but it looked really nice in the Milepost, and it's just lovely.  I'm listening to the creek just at the back of the camper, and on the ground just behind the van is a pile of moose nuggets -- I wonder if the moose will come by tonight?!! What a place to have dinner!!