Home!

We are finally home. I was just too tired and too busy in the last few days to post. Sorry. Most of the places we stayed at on the way home had crap for internet, so I just didn't try.


From where I left off in Banff, we spent the morning up at Johnston creek trail. It is a mountain stream that has cut  multiple waterfalls along the way.
This tells a bit about it, but fails to describe the beauty. 
http://www.banff.ca/activities-events/summer/banff-hiking/johnston-canyon.htm

We left there and headed south towards Glacier National Park
there were a lot of animals in Banff Area that were just strolling and licking at the road. I think that maybe they salt the roads in winter and that is what attracts them.

After a nice casual day of riding we stopped just before going back into the states to spend the night and relax.

Wednesday we headed across the border and through Glacier National Park. The road construction what a royal pain. Doing 3 mph in a line of 100 cars following a flag car through the park was not a lot of fun.

After exiting the park and stopping for lunch we decided to head to a little town called Hot Springs Mt. where they had a mineral springs resort that was from the early 30's. The building looked like it. LOL
The rooms were comfortable and the food and service were excellent, but it had 1 little quirk. They believed in the mineral water so much, they used it for heating the building and for all the hot water in the building. The pools were great, but if you have ever been in a mineral pool, you know you fell slimy from all the minerals and sulpher in the water. In order to take a shower you have to use the mineral water and mix it with cold water. (the cold is fresh water) and when you are done cleaning up, you have to turn off the hot water entirely to get fresh water to clean the minerals off. Like I said; Quirky :-) 
http://www.symeshotsprings.com/

Thursday morning we wandered up Hwy 200 to Lake Pend Oreille and into Sandpoint Id, where Lori and Gina HAD to stop to do some shopping again. I thought we were getting off too easy... LOL
That town has more boutique shops and art gallerys than just about anyplace I have ever been. A lot of fruits and nuts there, I tell ya.
I was sitting outside one of the galley's waiting for Gina and Lori to come out and a lady about 40 or so was walking by. She stopped for second right in front of me and told me I had better go get a lottery ticket. I looked at her and asked why? She replied, because it was my lucky day. I met her... And then she walked off.  See, I told ya. Fruits and nuts...

We got out of town before the rush hour got too bad and stopped in Newport, Wa for the night. There is a little bed and breakfast there that was unique. 
http://www.thewaldenhouse.com/
The four of us rented the whole downstaris of the house with a full living room and two bedrooms for the night. It also includes a self serve breakfast in the upstairs guest kitchen. It is just like being at home. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, it is all for guests. pots and pans are beside the stove if you wish to cook something and the hot tub is out on the rear deck. You can use it anytime...  Real casual and friendly.

If we go back into the area, I will stay there again.

Friday we headed north along Hwy 20 and then south, staying in Wenatchee for the night. We have a favorite hotel there. It is the Super 8 and has a great pool and hot tub. Both are just the right temperature and after riding in the heat all day it feels soo good to cool down and relax.

Saturday we went into Leavenworth and a little more shopping (go figure.) and over Stevens pass and home. We went down to see mark and Lori and pick up the dogs and today we are just relaxing and unwinding. A great trip and John and Gina are a fun couple to travel with. 4400 miles total in two weeks and too many sights to mention.

Until the next trip...

Into Banff

We are in Banff and relaxing for a couple of days before we head south towards Glacier National Park and head in the general direction of home.

Overall for the trip it has been a great one with sooooo much to see that I cannot accurately describe it all.

The trip into Valemount was Interesting. The construction up here is not motorcycle friendly. In fact, they make the motorcycles follow right behind the flag car so they can keep an eye on them. The sections that are being worked on are pretty bad off camber and a lot of loose gravel so it wears on your nerves trying to keep the bikes from sliding sideways.

I did learn that running a darkside tire on loose gravel is one the few drawbacks to it. It is like trying to walk on a board over a sea of marbles. It moves under you without warning and you don’t know which way it is going to go next. There were a couple of times I was sideways. Not a fun time.

I was real proud of Lori as she made it through about 30 miles of gravel, which she hates, and didn’t stop, or complain, and kept the bike under control.

We made it into Valemount with only one little mishap. We were headed down a steep grade when  a car coming at us hit a deer. It just so happened that at the exact same spot there was chunks of rubber from a semi tire that had come apart all over the road. So we were dodging rubber pieces, deer parts and bumper parts from the car that hit the dear. It was an exiting few seconds, but we all made it through.

Gina was at this point about ready to just head for home. She said that if another thing would have happened that would be it.

We checked into the Ramada in Valemount and relaxed in the pool and got caught up on some laundry chores.  

The next morning we slept in a little and then headed south towards Jasper. We would be spending most of the day running through National Parks on the way into Banff. All I can say is, It is beautiful. 

I am going to try and put together a slide show of some of the pictures of Canada. With the scenery and the mile after mile of sweeping curves and all the people are so friendly, it is no wonder that the people here are so proud of it.

We just got back from shopping. After dragging the girls on a full circle tour of British Columbia, I guess they deserve a little shopping time. The great part for John and I, is we are on motorcycles, not a whole lot more can fit. (I am glad they didn’t think of the shipping it home option… LOL)

I will try and write some more when we get back into the states.

Day 6 and 7 - From Dease Lake to Dawson Creek

Well the day started with a steady downpour. As we suited up and got ready, everyone at the hotel looked at us as if we were crazy. Maybe we are, just a little.

We left Dease lake and headed North. This was to be our most northern day of the trip as we would cross into the Yukon territory before hitting the Alaska Hwy and heading SE.

We made it all of about 20 miles before we had to stop and add more clothes. It was cold! 

We made it about an hour out before our second stop at a Jade store of all places, Out in the middle of no where is a place called Cassiar Mountain Jade store. The only real reason we stopped was we were all cold and they had a sign out for free coffee. We relaxed and BS’d with the locals for a bit before we started out again.

A little further up the road we ran into a motorhome stopped in the middle of the road. John pulled up to the drivers window and asked if everything was ok. The driver just pointed over John’s shoulder where there was a momma bear and two cubs about 25 feet behind him. Gina, and Lori and I had stopped by this time and I hurried to get the camera out. Just as I got it out John revved his bike to scare the bears away. I missed the picture of the mom but I did manage to get a fuzzy picture of one of the cubs panicking and climbing a tree.

This was not to be our last sighting of the day as we say quite a few more spaced out during the day.

We made it into Watson Lake and stopped at the visitors center where they have a forest of road signs and home made signs. Over 74,000 of them to date. It was quite a sight.

By this time we were hungry wet and cold. We stopped for lunch and then hit a local department store that was about the size of a 7-11. The biggest store in town… We had to get better gloves and warmer socks. It was just too much to be that wet and cold.

With full belly’s and warm hands and toes we headed East towards tonight destination,                Liard Hotsprings! 

We arrived about 4:30 and immediately changed and hit the hot springs and relaxed and warmed up. For about 4 hours.

We got back to the resort to find the store and the restaurant both had closed at 8pm. Good thing we had the ice chest with us. We snacked on Boiled eggs, cheese and a package of little weenies that we warmed up in the community microwave. Add in a few bottles of water and we are good. Time for bed. It was an exhausting day.

After a relaxing breakfast in the morning we took off SE along the Alcan Hwy. After finding that the Cassiar Hwy was better than we expected, we found the Alcan was MUCH worse than we expected. There were ruts and bumps and gravel and contruction. After seeing and going by over 100 traffic cones with a "slow" sign stuck in it and having just a little bump we got a little complacent about them. What a mistake.

We came up on another that looked like all the others and suddenly we were airborn. With a resounding thump we touched down about 10 feet further up the road. I think that instead of a small traffic cone with a "slow sign stuck in it, this bump should have a big reader board that says;

1. Launching pad ahead, please slow down and then accelerate hard for smoothest landing.

2. Do not use brakes when in mid air.

3. Make sure brakes are released before touching down

4. long wheelbase rigs might have clearance issues.

5. motorcyclists should sit back in seat as far as possible away from the gas tank if you wish to have any more kids.

Yah, it was that bad. LOL

We did see a lot of animals today. Lots of elk, a cariboo, mountain sheep, a bison, and most of these were in the road, or right on the edge.

We did go by Muncho Lake and get a couple of pictures.

And got to see Folded mountain

We found that fuel was nut a real issue as long as you traveled during business hours. We were never more than 130 miles away from fuel. We found however that we came at the last of the season. Lots of the smaller places were clearing everything out and getting ready to close for the season and head south. Labor day weekend is it.

Most of the rest of the day was dodging gravel patches and marauding semi's on a mission and generally getting covered with dirt. By the time we got to Dawson Creek we were all filthy with dirt and mud.

Well, time for bed. Tomorrow we go to Valemount and then into Banff on Sunday to relax for a couple of days.