Friday, September 29, 2006

Weather!!

It's been raining all day and now the temperature is starting to drop. It seems to be hovering around 32-34 and the rain keeps getting thick and looking like snow but nothing is sticking to the ground. It's not even October 1st! Things are good here. I started work this week and it seems to be going well, looks like it might turn into a permanent job. There are some Oktoberfest events going on around town this weekend and we'll likely check them out. Other than that, we're still exploring and finding new things to do!
We miss you all!!

Friday, September 15, 2006

We made it to Fairbanks!!


After over 3800 miles of road (mostly paved), Trace and I rambled into Fairbanks yesterday afternoon. It was quite an experience and gave us a pretty decent perspective on just how far away we are now living. The initial drive through the Canadian Providences was a bit trying due to hundreds and hundreds of miles of straight flat highways through the heart of farmland. Although the gas station restrooms were the cleanest we've yet to experience, the coffee was easily the weekest ever. We saw millions of round bales and combines (farm terms for you city folk) through Sask, Manitoba and parts of Alberta. There were surprisingly a small number of trees until we got past the Edmonton area. This is when the scenery truly started to get intense. Northern British Columbia, specifically the Muncho Lake Provincial Park area, is probably the most beautiful area we've had the opportunity to drive. The fall colors were beginning to erupt with explosive yellows and oranges punching their way through the boreal forest. The sun made the colors even more intense as it battled heavy storm clouds for ground coverage. There were countless rivers and lakes that were cutting through the landscape and Tracie swore that they were the color of blue popsicles. Wildlife finally came out of hiding as we started to gain elevation and edge closer to the days stopping point, Liard Hot Springs. We saw several caribou, deer, moose, buffalo, fox, coyotes, eagles and hawks. At one point, we had a bull caribou and a few of his companions running right next to our truck. Of course I had Trace hold the steering wheel as I held the camera out the driver side window to get the craziness recorded... sorry Trish, it was safe I swear! Liard Hot Springs were a much needed stop as we were able to take a nice long dip before we got back on the road the next day. It was our third night in a row in the tent and I think our backs truly needed the heat. The Yukon was intense and probably equally as beautiful as BC. There seemed to be more red colors soon after we crossed the border. The mountain peaks were much larger in the distance and most of them were heavily covered in snow. A few of them had some hanging glaciers resting in large crevasses just below their peak. Kluane National Park was amazingly huge and our drive took us on a long winding drive around Kluane Lake... there were postcard views in every direction. We spent the night in a small shack of a motel in Beaver Creek just east of the US border. We were ahead of schedule and had a minimal 5 hour drive the next day to get to Fairbanks. We had absolutely no trouble at the border into the US and the 5 hour drive was again amazing. We pulled into Fairbanks around 2 and had no problem finding our new winter shack. It's a two bedroom duplex with some retro kitchenware and wood paneling. It'll suit us just fine for the winter and we've already started making plans to paint some of the rooms....
Well, I suppose that's enough rambling for now. I'm excited to start the new job on Monday morning and Trace has her third interview with a hospital just down the road on monday as well. More pics to come soon!!

Friday, September 08, 2006

Almost leaving

We've got the truck packed up and we're leaving first thing in the morning!! Hope to get some pics on soon. We've got cell coverage for the next 2 days only!! Not much extra space in the truck but we've got a goody bag and some books, cd's and each other for entertainment!!

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

09/05/06


4 days left before we leave! We are tying up all loose ends and getting pretty anxious to get on the road. I'll be posting pics from the road when I can!