We made it to Alaska!!! It took us about three weeks to make it to Fairbanks and it has been a great trip so far! Alaska is a BIG state. It is 2.5 times larger than Texas, if broken in half it would still be the first two largest states, and its mass is equal to 1/5th of the entire continental US. Just some quick facts for ya’.

After passing through US Customs at the Alaskan border we headed to Fairbanks. The weather in Fairbanks was cool and rainy for most of the time we were there and we experienced very little of the culture and cuisine. This was mostly in part to other things we wanted to do outside of the city center, but also because, frankly there isn’t much to do in Fairbanks.

Our first day in Fairbanks was dedicated to running errands, which was not nearly exciting as it sounds. Doing laundry, going to Walmart, and putting air in the tires is not the ideal way to spend time in Alaska, but it was necessary and a good productive day. Dinner consisted of Italian food from a Lonely Planet noted restaurant, Gambardella’s Pasta Bella  but was subpar to our palettes standards. My Lumache tasted as if the pasta was previously frozen and the Ricotta tasted watered down. The only thing that saved my meal was a glass of riesling, not a local wine, but I have a feeling that was a good choice. To give you an overall idea of our meal… Jack asked the waiter if there were any sorbet choices for dessert and he received a blank stare in return. The waiter had never heard of sorbet but offered us seven different kinds of “New York Style” cheesecake instead so we kindly asked for the check and left.

Our second day in Fairbanks we headed up to the Arctic Circle which is 180 miles from the city and is geographically the lowest point at which the sun is visible 24 hours a day at the summer solstice and subsequently dark for 24 hours a day at the winter solstice. We took a tour van with our driver John, a local politician who referred to Sarah Palin simply as Sarah and told us his platforms, for he was running again for state legislature. Regardless of the political discussion we did get to learn a bit about the history of Fairbanks, Prudhoe Bay, and the Arctic Circle. We also got to see the oil pipe which in its full length runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay in the Arctic Ocean to the Valdez. Another couple who was with us for the twelve hour tour, who hailed from South Africa told limitless stories of their world travels and time spent in the bush. It all made for interesting conversation and an overall relaxing day.

The landscape is interesting driving up north towards the Arctic Circle and primarily consists of a spongy surface of moss and berry plants which is rooted into a layer of soil about a foot deep and underneath is the permafrost. We got to walk for a bit on the tundra and feel the texture of the soft ground underneath us, which is way different than anything we’ve ever walked on. The day ended with food and beers with our tour group at Silver Gulch a refreshing brewery and restaurant located ten miles north of the city in a small town called Fox. I’d highly recommend the porter and portabello burger with red pepper aoli sauce.

After Glacier Natl. Park we swung up to Canada to check out Calgary and grab some lunch and groceries before heading to Banff Natl. Park. From what little of Calgary we saw we gathered its a diverse city with a good population but a short drive five minutes outside of the city leads back to rural Alberta farmlands.

Products are expensive in Canada even more so than in NYC and the exchange rate is barely in our favor. We didn’t realize this until we went to the local Safeway grocer and wanted to purchase a few items. A gallon of water costs $3.99 not including GST (tax) and a recycling / deposit fee. Gasoline is another whole story. Some places charge $1.24 per liter, and there is about 3.7 liters per gallon…so you can do the math…to fill the tank one day in our little Rav4 cost us $60 and it wasn’t even on empty! These prices still apply in the more rural and impoverished areas and we don’t understand how those people get by.

Banff National Park, located west of Calgary boasts a backdrop of the snowcapped Candian Rockies. We camped there for two nights and did some hiking trails along the Johnston Canyon and Lake Louise areas. Johnston Canyon is actually the campsite where we stayed so we walked across the street to take a short walk along the Canyon catwalks to see the Lower Falls and Upper Falls. At the Lower Falls visitors can walk through a small dark tunnel and come out directly at the base, standing in mud and getting soaked with mist from the cool waters.

On our second day we walked around Lake Louise and watched rock climbers scale the walls of the mountainous surroundings. We toyed with the idea of getting a canoe but decided to sit on a rickety wooden bench on the rocks surrounding the lake and let the time pass by. There’s a posh resort at the entrance of the lake area where tourists like to sit and sip red wine and gather in large groups taking pictures of their kids but we made our way about a half mile from the hotel and found ourselves in a nice quiet area void of tourists. At the end of the lake trail you can opt to head back or hike up the mountain about two miles more miles to a Tea House in the woods.

After our day of hiking we made a dinner of mushroom and herb risotto with veggie chicken alongside a good Canadian Pinot Blanc from White Bear Winery. In most cities we try to stick local in terms of produce and wine / beer and we have yet to be disappointed.

Leaving Banff we drove through Jasper National Park on the Icefields Parkway, one of the world’s most scenic drives. Shortly after entering Jasper we saw several cars pulled over and people taking pictures from inside their vehicles (which normally suggests there is a carnivorous animal around). Finally we got to see what the fuss was about…and we really lucked out! We got to see an entire pack of black wolves crossing the street with their young pups. It was one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed as wolves are a rare creature to be seen and happen to be one of my favorite animals!

Making our way further north and following the east access route in the Milepost we found a well kept campground, outside of Grand Prairie, AB CA and the next day made our way to Dawson Creek, home of the official start of the Alcan (Alaska Highway) constructed by the Army Corps. of Engineers during WWII. The next night we stayed at Tetsa campground renowned for their “galactic-famous” Cinnamon Buns. Since we were the only tent campers there that evening they let us set up camp underneath a gazeebo to avoid the rain, which was very nice of them and convenient for us breaking down the tent in the morning. Before heading out we did try the homemade Cinnamon Buns ($5 canadian) which were delicious and a the perfect ratio of cinnamon to dough.

On our way to Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory we stopped in Watson Lake, a barren town also located in the Yukon which is world-famous for it’s Signpost Forest. The forest was first started during the construction of the ALCAN highway and had one sign: a milage post back to one of the workers hometowns. The forest now boasts over 55,000 signs from all over the world which is an incredible sight to see. We stayed one night in Whitehorse before hightailing it to fairbanks…Whitehorse is an interesting little city. It has a few cute shops and a Starbucks but the rest of the town seems to be stuck in time.

We had a couple of long driving days, the first was 412 miles, the second 420 miles and the third was 620 miles. We didn’t feel like staying long in these desolate places and we were understandably eager to get to Fairbanks. Making our way through Canada we came across several ghost towns along the Alaska highway. Abandoned gasoline stations and rotted away cafes with the windows missing are a common scene. Occasionally we would see a tractor trailer or RV pass us by going in the opposite direction. Other than that there wasn’t much to see along the road, and the drive at times began to feel interminable.

There isn’t much else to say about the Yukon or the more northern parts of BC and AB, other than expect a whole lot of nothing and if you aren’t a fan of long drives through the “middle of nowhere” than looking into the Alaskan Marine Highway System might be a great alternative option.

Full set of pictures here!

The drive through Montana offered gorgeous views of the Swan Mountains and a 360 degree view of the sky. It’s no wonder its called “Big Sky Country”. The green landscape can seem never-ending however. There’s no houses in sight and every ten miles or so a clump of five mail boxes rests crooked and rusted against each other. There are also more cows and horses than people (so we saw).

We stayed at a Motel 6 in Helena before heading Northwest to Glacier – for a one star hotel it was clean and the room was a decent size as well as the bathroom. What surprised me in a good way was Motel 6’s  ”green initiative” (as every good American company has these days) offering recycled products in their rooms. It’s refreshing to see a corporate establishment, especially so far in the middle of nowhere – that does not rely on Kimberley Clark a company that was (until recently) infamous for turning Ancient forests into toilet paper for their paper needs. The rest of the state (at least where we stopped in for groceries) offered little organic products which is disheartening.

We stayed at Glacier Natl. Park for two nights at the Rising Sun Campground which is in the shadow of one of the Lewis or Livingston mountain ranges. While setting up our tent we were approached by a Park Ranger and told to be extra alert of bears as three were in the campsite the evening before because of the surrounding Huckleberry bushes. After setting up our tent and battling some heavy winds to do so we made a delicious dinner of Four Cheese Agnoletti and Mushroom Agnoletti in an olive oil, basil, garlic and parsley sauce with chopped plum tomato thrown in. It was by far the best dinner we have made on the road and thinking about it now is making my mouth water.

Our second day in Glacier we hiked the Iceberg Lake Trail – a 10 mile hike climbing 1,200 feet up to Iceberg Lake where Icebergs (although few) are still visible. Squint your eyes long enough against one of the three ridges that make the walls of the Lake and you will see small white dots making their way from side to side – these of course are Mountain Goats which reside here. An older gentleman who was kind enough to let Jack use his binoculars to view the said Goats had a few gashes on his leg. When inquired by another hiker the old man simply responded “I saw a Grizzly over there and I wanted to get closer…”. There’s never a dull moment on the trail.

The Largest Remaining Iceberg at Iceberg Lake

Making your way up to the lake you are treated to dozens of kinds of wildflowers, small streaming creeks and waterfalls Moose feeding down below, a tree top view of pine trees for miles, and of course Glaciers in the distance.

Dozens of types of wildflowers align the trail

After our hike we made another tasty dinner of vegetarian chili over a bed of Basmati rice topped with oregon cheddar cheese. For dessert we treated ourselves to Boysenberry pie with vanilla ice cream for Jack and Raspberry Cherry pie with a big glass of Soymilk  for me at the Park Cafe (which was highly recommended to us by a gentleman in Bozeman). The pie might as well be the best we’ve ever had and the atmosphere of the cafe was warm and inviting. All of the food they made looked absolutely delicious and we were kind of bummed we filled up on Chili beforehand. The cafe offered tons of veggie options from Thai Baked Potatoes, Greek food, Wraps and Omelettes.

Glacier Natl. Park was our favorite hike and park so far. The trails are well kept and although busy you do get to meet some pretty interesting people as a result. Glacier which used to be home to some 180 Glaciers only has 26 left and all of them are expected to be melted by 2030. I would highly recommend seeing this park more so than others as the full beauty of this park is fleeting.

We spent several days in Wyoming, the first being in a small town by the name of Worland. We rolled in pretty late in the evening and most of the stores were closed so we made peanut butter and jelly in the dark at our campsite. We went to the local grocery and got a kick out of the products they sell in the stores. For instance, Fat Boy Ice Cream Sandwiches and organic pancake batter in an aerosol can, which was both ironic and alarming.

Our first real stop in Wyoming was the Grand Teton mountains. Snow covered mountains create the backdrop for lakes, wildflowers and lots and lots of lodgepole pine trees. Grand Teton Natl. Park is where “bear country” begins so extra precautions must be taken to make sure bears are not attracted to the campsite. Thankfully we didn’t run into a bear on our three mile hike but a fellow camper did!

Grand Teton as the sun sets

The next two days we spent at Yellowstone, more specially the Grant Village camping area. We saw Old Faithful and drove several of the scenic driving loops that Yellowstone has to offer. Making your way around narrow mountain roads you come across dozens of bison, mule deer, elk, and moose and even Grizzly Bears! Old Faithful was impressive – shooting scolding water 70 feet into the air. The Old Faithful area also has several cafes which thankfully offered veggie options and we dined on the veggie lasagna -it was nothing special but it was still tasty and sufficed.

The Geysers as well as other thermal areas are easily accessible by overlooks and small trails and are gorgeous with their yellows, blues and greens. The yellow in most cases is pure sulfa and its important to be aware that some of the pools dispense toxic gasses also the Geysers smell like rotting eggs. My favorite thermal pool was the turquoise pool, it looked very inviting and reminded me of a pool I swam in once in the Bahamas. I would be more tempted to jump in if they were serving some delicious margaritas but at a minimum 160 degrees, I had to pass.

Our second day in Yellowstone we drove up to the Canyon junction where we hiked three miles of the Grand Canyon at Yellowstone. Ospreys who nest in the canyon walls are often seen, but unfortunately we did not see any bald eagles which are also indigenous to the area. We made our way down 500 feet on Uncle Tom’s trail to the bottom of the Lower Falls and then up to Artist point which offers spectacular views of the canyon and is the most photographed area of Yellowstone and its no wonder. A deep orange and yellow canyon surrounded by pine with a blue green waterfall running down the middle, and a rainbow to boot is natures spectrum at its finest. The evening brought a hail storm and 42 degree weather which wasn’t the most pleasant of sleeping conditions but we were toasty in our double ll bean bag!

Wyoming offers thousands of hiking trails and a crisp clean pine scented air which is unique to the area. Grand Teton is less of a tourist area than Yellowstone but both offer a great view of the American landscape.

Grand Teton pictures here.

Yellowstone pictures here.

We’re back and in effect! It’s been a bit difficult to find wifi and some time to put up posts but finally here we are.

Our first stop was at the Corn Palace, which was interesting. Each year since the 1800’s the “palace” has different designs made entirely out of cornhusks created on its outside walls. Inside offers tourist gimmicks, and lots and lots of corn themed gifts.

Heading further west we stayed at the Badlands for two nights next to a ranch on the outskirts of the park.  The campground had a unhindered view of the rock formations and some bison who lived next door. The Badlands are a desolate desert territory two and a half hours east of Mt. Rushmore. The closest vegetarian restaurant was over 300 miles away! Once a shallow ocean the formations give way to yellows and reds as their different levels of rock are exposed. The scenic drives along the winding roads are unparalleled in their color and shapes. The first night we drove down to a trailhead as the moon was coming over the horizon with shooting stars overhead we attempted to take some pictures with my camera using the tripod.

The next morning we spent sealing up the tent so it could dry in the hot arid sun after we put some much needed sealant and waterproofing spray onto it. In the afternoon we headed into the heart of the Badlands to go on a 6.6 mile hike. This was not the best idea we have ever had as noon was fast approaching and the temperature was already 95 degrees. We made our way onto a trail with little shade, a never changing scenery of grass and rock,  “beware of rattlesnakes” signs and only two bottles of water. About an hour into the hike I already drank one 32 ounce water and wasn’t feeling too great. The sun was a bit too hot and we weren’t very prepared so we decided to play it safe and end the hike early. Grabbing some lunch and going into an air conditioned museum felt like an oasis.

On our way out to Wyoming we drove by Mt. Rushmore, and checked out Crazy Horse which (when completed) will be the worlds largest monument. To give you some perspective, the entire statue of Mt. Rushmore could fit in uncompleted left part of the head of Crazy Horse (see below). Crazy Horse was amazing, it’s family run and built and refuses any funding from the government, which is refreshing.

Full set of South Dakota pictures here.