Driving off the ferry. Yee-haw! Kodiak!

This is a video. I thought the spinning elevator system for getting the cars on and off the ferry was AWESOME! And I have the video to prove it. We don't think you can get video on this blog, but we can try emailing it to you if you want.

Oh, some island. Part of the Kodiak Archipelago.

A serious game of rummy, or gin rummy, or just gin. Chris isn't sure. He taught it to me on the ferry in Canada and creamed me, but I came back strong and beat him in this game. He took several pictures of me with the same expression.

Port Lions, on Kodiak Island. We stopped here after lunch because the ferry was unable to stop before it picked us up in Homer. That ramp below me is where the cars drive off... more on that later.

This is our stateroom. Sounds so grand, doesn't it? That's a window behind me (with shade down) and there is a little sink by the door. I must say that the bunks were quite comfy as we rocked in the stormy seas. Woke up at one point and thought to appreciate the motion and then thought better of it when my stomach started to appreciate the motion. Went back to sleep. (Our bag did not stay hanging on the wall as an announcement was made later to "tie down your bags.")

Just got on the ferry at Homer on the mainland, bound for Kodiak. The ferry was delayed due to a storm at sea, that apparently wasn't quite over. We would be making additional stops as well since they couldn't stop on the way to getting us. I am reading the directions for how to get in and drive away in this life pod thingy. (Seriously, there does appear to be a stearing wheel of sorts) Unfortunately they were missing steps 2 and 7 from the little diagramed directions and I must say they were sketchy at best. Plus, they included the word "aft". I think I'll be encountering that word a lot form now on and I should probably figure out exactly where it refers to...

Qiviut is the wooly undercoat of the musk ox. It is 8 times warmer than wool by weight, with no smell or oil, as wool has. 250 or so native women are part of the cooperative that knits qiviut. They live throughout Alaska and knit designs native to their place. One of the items they knit is called a smoke ring. It is a tube that you can wear as a scarf, hat (in a couple ways) and a mask. It is so lightweight it just sticks where you put it. This is their shop in Anchorage. The musk ox are super cute. They are much littler than you'd expect with oversized feet and heads. Their closest relative is the goat. They were hunted to extinction in AK. The current herd was reintroduced with animals from canada and iceland.

Some Fall colors along a river. ("colors" because we're back in America now.)

Mmmm more Wrangells...

Wrangells...

I took this! (Karina)

It was really pretty.

More of that mountain. We liked it.

A Wrangell Mountain with clouds. The mountains were gorgeous and immense.

A stretch of the Wrangell Mountains reflected in a lake.

The wet, muddy, dirt road from Tok to Anchorage. OK, it was only like this for a little bit. Later there was a stretch Chris likened to silken tofu. "It's really smooth and you're not quite sure if you like it..."

We must be in Alaska now. Can you see the rifles in the cabs? Notice the truck in true camouflage. (Tok, AK)

Yea!!! We made it to Alaska. (You'll have to trust me, the sign really does say "Welcome to Alaska.")

The black pather in camouflage for the alaskan highway.

can you read this sign? It says that the "spectacular colour is caused by the presence of suspended particles called glacial flour, which reflect blue light waves....."

Kluane lake doesn't just have blue waters.

Master of the universe.

In front of Kluane lake. That's some blue water.

Let's make that 95% of her travel. She woke up for the good stuff.

Approaching Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory, Canada.

Self portrait off the highway.

Sunset off the Cassiar Highway in BC.

Karina liked the jade switch plates and sink handles the best.

Jade City. 75% of the World's Jade from here.

Stopped at a small lodge called the Red Goat in Iskut, BC. Pretty lake. Big mountains.

Got sick of driving, so we decided to go the rest of the way by helicopter from Bell 2.

It's a really long road.

And then the other 90% of Karina's travel.

and smiles...

All Smiles.

We took the 16 from Prince Rupert to the Cassiar Highway (37) which took us up to the Alaska Highway (1).

Back on the road in BC.

Later, we're going to Alaska.

Oh, Canada, Oh Canada....

Canad's inside passage, calm waters, waterfalls, few hump back whales and dolphins.

We're going to Alaska!!!

Karina was up all night the night before making curtains. Caught up a bit on the ferry.

enterting the great whale.