Home again home again, Jiggity Jig!

Tuesday, August 17, 5 PM
8,567 miles

HOME! What fantastic 5 weeks. The past 3 days have been long drives, with a very different kind of scenery; wheat fields, oil rigs, swollen rivers and streams and flat farm land.
On Monday, we did 630 miles, North Battleford, Saskatchewan to Carrington ND, where we stopped at a rest area in the rain, thunder, lightening and wind. Tuesday we drove home, just over 400 miles.

Some of our observations -

• The mosquitos in Alaska were nothing compared to those in the Wal-Mart lot in North Battleford, Saskatchewan! We never even used any mosquito repellant in Alaska.
• There seem to be lots more stormy weather in the lower 48. Alaska had some cool, misty rain, but no storms.
• food and gas are much cheaper in the Lower 48 thank goodness, we're almost out of $$
• There is none of that beautiful fuschia fireweed in MN or WI, yet! Jean and I have seeds....
• "free WiFI" does not necessarily mean  reliable or fast WiFi
• Highways in the lower 48 are sooo much better than "up north"
• Everything in Alaska is big!
• Highlights: Bob - the town of Chicken; Lowell - Kenai River Fishing; Jean - Fairbanks and Skagway, for the shopping; Jackie - probably Skagway, but I am having a tough time deciding!
• Next time:  more time to pan gold in Chicken,  catch fish at the end of the trip and just bring a freezer in the camper! Hike more, in Denali & other places, raft one of the rivers, try some halibut fishing, more time in Dawson city,  a bigger notepad for keeping score of card games!!

We're better friends now than when we left 5 weeks ago! We certainly know alot more about each other now :-) We're even planning our next trip (look out Stockholm, WI!)