I would like to thank my wonderful husband for sharing his dream with me!! He always wanted to take his Harley to Alaska and back. We left home on Thursday July 30 and arrived back home today. We travelled 6190 miles/ 9962km.
Deer in the comfort inn parking lot in Kenora.
In Ignace!!
And finally home!! The only one to greet us was Pepper!!
We made it!!!!!
Long day today. Our last night of vacation. Where did the time go??! We’ve been gone a month. So hard to believe.
It was a great feeling seeing that Ontario sign today and then as we headed into Kenora there was a sign for Thunder miBay. Will be happy to be home! Sleep in our own bed! See everyone and my Pepper!! And back to work on Monday!! Oh reality sucks!!! Lol!!!
We are staying at the Comfort Inn. Nice room. We went to Yesterday’s Restaurant in the Travelodge and had the best pickeral dinner – fresh from Lake of the Woods!!! What a nice way to end our vacation!! All the fresh halibut and cod we had can’t beat our pickeral!! No matter where we visit we love coming back home to Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario!! It’s the best!!!
We went to the Harley dealer first thing this morning so Mac could test drives a few bikes – a 2005 Ultra Classic, 2007 Ultra Glide Classic and a 2015 Ultra Glide Classic. Of course he fell in love with the brand new one. He felt he was riding in heaven!!!
We finally left Lloydminster and headed towards Saskatoon. The skies were still smokey but you couldn’t smell anything.
We stopped for gas in Saskatoon and picked up some fruit at the stand. We ate a yummy pear right there!! Also bought cherries and plums.
Not much to see. Grain fields and farmers harvesting their fields!!
Half way between Saskatoon and Regina my nose got itchy, my chest got heavy and I started coughing!! Oh those allergies!! I’d never be a prairie girl!! We quickly stopped so I could take my puffer and on we went!!
We arrived in Regina around 7:00. We found a hotel and as we were checking in a man asked where abouts in Ontario were we from. I told him Thunder Bay and he gave me the biggest hug. He was born and raised there and moved to Saskatchewan when he was 19. In the meantime Mac was pulling into the spot the man was hugging me in – you could tell Mac was wondering what was going on!! It was quite funny!!
We are riding to Kenora tomorrow. Will be a long ride with a time change as well!!
Better get some sleep!!!
Left St Albert around 10. Said our sad goodbyes and off we rode into the smoke!! Can’t imagine how bad it is in southern Alberta!!
We stopped in lloydminster to get gas then thought we’d stop at the Harley dealer. Mac doesn’t have enough tshirts!! And there is room on the bike cuz we shipped home another box from Prince George!!
On our merry way we went. We got about 10 miles from Lloydminster and the bike felt funny. It felt like we were riding on steel grating and was wobbly. I Looked at the road and it was good. Oh oh !! A flat tire!! Good thing we were on divided highway with a big shoulder. Mac pulled over and checked the tires. The back one was flat!! We called CAA. They sent a tow truck in no time at all. The young guy filled the tire with air and down it went again. Now he had to put it on the deck of the tow truck. On he got rode it on and Mac controlled the deck switches. He tied it all up and we were good to go.
Mac had already called the Harley shop to say we were coming. The guy who answered the phone was the one Mac had been talking to there – he remembered us!!
We waited at the dealer and talked to so many people – the workers and customers. The guy showed us the tire. It had a hole the size of a big nail and there were a bunch of other cracks on it – the gravel roads from Alaska had done there number on it!! Front tire was ok.
I didn’t get any pictures! How sad i
We decided to stay the night and figure out our plans home again. We will stay in Regina tonite and Lenora tomorrow night then home!! We have changed our plans every day this week – good thing we are flexible!!
We got up this morning turned on the weather channel to hear how the smoke was in southern Alberta and it was going to be very bad. I didn’t think I could tolerate the smoke on the bike with my breathing issues so decided to head Edmonton way. I posted our change on Facebook and a friend and cousin from Calgary posted the smoke was very bad so I knew we had made the right decision. Once again we were disappointed we couldn’t go through Glacier National Park and go to Drumheller. We just have to come back!!
We packed up and were on our way
Our dear friend Mary who lives in Fort Saskatchewan had asked us to stop by and we decided we would go visit her. It was so great seeing her. We have been friends for over 40 years. She made us a great dinner and we never stopped talking!! The wine was great too!!! It was very hard saying our goodbyes!!
Back to Edmonton to stay with our dear friends Sue Lee Janie Vickee and Jessica. We had stayed with them on our way out to Alaska. They welcomed us back with open arms. We had a fire, roasted marshmallows and chatted away.
It will be hard to say goodbye again!!!
We have planned the rest of the way home – well actually Sue figured out the mileage and places to stay. Saskatoon Brandon Dryden. That works. We will be home Saturday.
We received an early text message this morning from Macs niece telling us the smoke was really bad in Vernon due to the wildfires. We decided not to go that way and headed towards Jasper instead
The sky was blue. The sun was shining. The warm wind was blowing on our faces. The lush green forest surrounded us. The majestic mountains were in our view. All you could hear was the rumble of the Harley. Could anything be better than this!!! I love Canada and all its beauty!!!
Mount Robson is so beautiful! You can see the smoke in the air.
Not sure if it’s fear or laughter!!!
Drove on to Jasper. Smoke was not great there!!! Check out the Via train!!
Those really are mountains in the background!!!
Jasper
We drove to Hinton for the night.
We arrived at our hotel – the Quality Inn and Suites. We were upgraded to a suite! Sweet!!
Think we will head back to Jasper and go through the park to Calgary. Will decide in the morning.
Mac and Janet did lots of catching up and talked about family genealogy.
We went to the antique forest today. It was about an hour out of Prince George
It was cool to see!!
Went to a pub for dinner. Awesome food!!
Thanks Janet for your hospitality!! Had a great time visiting with you!!!
Heading to Vernon tomorrow!!
Said our goodbyes to Our new friends and left the ferry. Back in Canada!!! Arrived at our motel in Prince Rupert at 3:30am. We drove linto the parking lot and a deer walked right in front of us – now I know why I didn’t want to ride in the dark!!! Mac had called for a room from the ferry. The woman said motel is closed from 11 – 6 am but will open to let us in. Checked in and was told breakfast was from 6 – 10 but if we didn’t get up until after that just ask at the desk and they would get us some breakfast. Now how nice is that!!! Probably helps that they have motorcycles!!
Pics of Prince Rupert
We got up around 8. Very windy this morning and overcast. Chance of rain – 95%!!! By the time we packed up the bike it was raining!!
It rained on and off almost all the way to Prince George. Very few pics again today!!
We stopped in Terrace for gas. There was a laundromat in the back and a bakery in the front. Mac had to have his favorite oatmeal raisin cookies!
After battling the rain we finally arrived in Prince George. Mac called his niece Janet and she came to where we were so we could follow her.
Long long day again!! We are staying here for 2 nights then heading to Vernon.
Sun is shining! Of course we are not riding!!
I wake up so early and Mac is still sleeping. I opened the curtains and watched the scenery. So peaceful!
Now it’s a bit foggy but the sun is peaking through so it should clear.
We docked at Wrangell. I was watching the vehicles unload and load. Then I saw a truck with a long trailer backing down the ramp into the ferry!!! And then another. I was talking to a couple on the deck and they said they have to back off the ferry with their trailer when we get to Prince Rupert! They are half way down the ferry. That is so crazy!!!
I was talking with a retired woman who was traveling alone in her motorhome. She was from Wyoming and had been on the road for 3 months. I know I couldn’t do that! She had sold her house bought the RV and off she went. She didn’t know where she was going to end up. She said God has a plan for me I just don’t know what that plan is yet.
Sun is out!! Just enjoying the calmness and the scenery. We are docking in Ketchikan this afternoon from 2 – 6 so will venture off the ferry and do a bit of sightseeing.
Had a great afternoon. Spent the time with Darla-the woman I spoke of earlier from Wyoming and Paul and Linda from Iowa. We walked around, ate at the Fish House and chatted. Took some pics. Great people. We really enjoyed spending time with them.
We are back on the ferry. We dock in Prince Rupert at 2:15am. Will be a long evening!!!
It is raining! Here we go again! Good thing we did some sightseeing yesterday. Have to leave hotel at 11 and check in is at 2:30.
We went to a mall but nothing there so we are sitting in McDonald’s having a coffee killing some time.
Trying to take some pics through the clouds. We drive for 2 miles and it pours rain then the next 2 miles it’s not raining. Very strange!!!
On ferry – sun is shining!! Took some pics of the glaciers while leaving Juneau. Just beautiful!!
We are in the inside passage so waters should be calm they say. Our bike is being held with one tie down and a wheel chock in front and back – Mac told me to write that I don’t know what the heck that is!!! Lol!!! Last ferry we had 4 tie downs and a wheel chock!!!
Our cabin is twice the size of the last ferry. We have a toilet and shower!!! Yahoo!! We don’t have wet rain gear to hang everywhere in the room this time!!
Beautiful scenery. Watching whales in the distance. You can see the spray. Lots of them. One right in front of the ferry but too quick to catch a pic. Oh I have a pic – if you look at the black dot in the following pic that’s the whale.
While eating our dinner we saw porpoises going by. Dinner was a halibut burger for me and fish and chips for Mac. Yummy!!
We were in our cabin and the captain announced a pod of killer whales were going by. We were too late again!!
Lots of people have expensive cameras – and here we are with our iPhones trying to capture minnows in the water!! Lol!!
It is so peaceful! Water is so calm! It is so beautiful!! Sun is starting to go down.
Docked at Kake. Time for bed soon. Leaving here at 11.
Good nite all!!!
Bev and Mac's Big Adventure 