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2007: Top of the World Highway,
Alaska - Yukon Border
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As our family grew older and our business expanded overseas, our vacation destinations spread further afield. Our family gathered in Alaska, Greece, Norway, and New Zealand. Interspersed with these long distance trips were family vacations in our favorite Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Red Rock Country, plus a Great Western Road Trip. (See separate posts about these vacations.)
This post will cover our 2007 trip to Alaska.
2007 - Alaska
In 2007, we hooked up a trailer to our car and set out to Bozeman, Montana to pick up Dustin and his friend Marjo. The four or us wandered north through Canada's Banff and Jasper National Parks, then drove west along the Yellowhead Highway to Prince Rupert on the west coast. There we boarded a ferry and headed up the Alaska Marine Highway to Ketchikan.
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| 2007 - Heading to Alaska, Mary checks out the trailer. |
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| 2007: Osprey nest on a bridge near Castle Mountain, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. |
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| 2007: Marmot at Peto Lake, Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada. |
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| 2007: Eagles along the Yellowhead Highway, British Columbia, Canada. |
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| 2007: Dustin looks out on a rainy ferry trip up the Inside Passage on the Alaska Marine Highway. |
Andrea, Karen, and Becca flew into Ketchikan where we took a boat trip to Misty Fjord National Monument (which was very misty) and Totem Bright State Park. Then we boarded the Alaska Marine Highway ferry and sailed to Juneau, Alaska, where we visited the Mendenhall Glacier.
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| 2007: Misty Fjords National Park, boat trip from Ketchikan, Alaska. |
2007: Becca, Andrea, Karen, & Dustin, Totem Bright State Park, near Ketchikan, Alaska.
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| 2007: Ferry to Juneau, Alaska Marine Highway. |
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| 2007: Karen and Becca stay occupied on a foggy trip on the Alaska Marine Highway Ferry. |
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| 2007: Mary, Becca, Andrea, Karen at Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Dustin and Andrea hiking through the lush rainforest at the base of the Mendenhall Glacier. |
We took a short plane trip from Juneau to Glacier Bay National Park. After a night in the park's hotel, we took a boat trip to the end of Glacier Bay. The trip started out foggy, but we were able to see some impressive wildlife. As we approached the end of the fjord, the clouds lifted and the sun came out, giving us beautiful views of the Glacier Pacific at the end of the bay.
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| 2007: Seals in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Nursing Bears in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Mother and baby Orca, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Grand Pacific Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, |
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| Tom taking pictures as we left Grand Pacific Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Calving Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Glacier Sculptures. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Karen, Becca, and Andrea. Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska. |
We flew back to Juneau with Andrea, Karen, and Becca; Dustin and Marjo stayed a second night and then flew home. We continued on the Alaska Marine Highway to Haines. and then drove north along the Alaska Highway to the Tok Cutoff, where we turned southeast and drove to Valdez. We took another ferry across Prince Williams Sound to Whittier. When we reached the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, we turned south on the famous Seward Highway to explore the Kenai Peninsula.
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| 2007: Rainbow Glacier (background) and Chilkat State Park (foreground). Alaska Marine Highway south of Haines, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Becca and Karen become Junior Rangers at Wrangell St Ellis National Park Visitors Center. |
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2007: Karen & Becca meet sled dogs at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge,
near Wrangell St Ellis National Park, Alaska. |
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2007: Mary, Andrea, & Becca enjoy a sunset lighting up Mt Drum in Wrangell St Ellis National Park,
while staying at Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Andrea, Becca, & Mary at Bridal Veil Falls, near Valdez, Alaska. |
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2007: Salmon returning to their home - Salmon Gulch Fish Hatchery in Valdez, Alaska.
The net limits the number of salmon that can get into the hatchery. The rest are available for seals, bears, and fishing. |
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| 2007: Hubbard Glacier, Prince Williams Sound, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Heading south on the Seward highway. |
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2007: Mary takes a photo of Andrea, Karen, & Becca at the Exit Glacier of the Harding Icefield,
Kenai Fiords National Park, Alaska. |
We headed to Anchorage so Karen could be there as the last Harry Potter book was released, then we headed to Denali National Park. We camped near the park entrance, then took the park bus a slow 85 miles to Wonder Lake Campground the next day. The weather was foggy so we had only a peak at Denali. After a long bus ride back and another night camping at the Denali entrance, and we returned to Anchorage where Andrea, Karen, and Becca flew home.
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| 2007: A view of Denali on the drive from Anchorage to Denali National Park, Alaska |
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2007: The weather did not cooperate during our time at Denali National Park, Alaska, so no views of the mountain.
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| 2007: We got a peak at Denali the next morning. Denali National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: A family of bears on the bus ride back, Denali National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: Andrea a d Becca enjoy s'mores at Riley Creek Campground, Denali National Park, Alaska. |
We drove along the Glen Highway to Wrangell St Ellis National Park, then went north to Tok, where we took the dusty Top of the World highway to Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. Next we headed south on the Klondike Highway to Whitehorse, Yukon, then followed the Alaska Highway to it's beginning in Dawson City, British Columbia. From there it was a day's drive south to Edmonton, then we drove through Saskatchewan to North Dakota and, eventually, home. This was a drive of over 5000 miles.
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| 2007: Another view of Mt Drum in Wrangell St Ellis National Park, Alaska. |
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| 2007: After Andrea, Karen & Becca flew home from Anchorage, we drove the dusty Top of the World Highway to Dawson, Youkan Territory, Canada. |
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| 2007: The pot of gold was just around the corner on the Klondike Highway. |
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| 2007: After we joined the Alaska Highway at Whitehorse, Yukon, we met the Texas 4000 Ride for Cancer. Dustin was one of the originators of this ride when he was in Austin some years earlier. |
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| 2007: The Sign Post Forest at Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada, was dense with signs. |
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| 2007: Bison along the Alaska Highway, British Columbia, Canada. |
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| 2007: Mountain Goats along the Alaska Highway, British Columbia, Canada. |
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| 2007: We made our way to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, the start of the historic Alaska Highway. |
