Selected Trip Journal entries:
9:41 AM = Started car. 8901.1 trip miles. 17966 total.
Final U.S. border crossing today -- the terror level was raised and hopefully the crossing will be uneventful. Before that, on to Jasper and Banff!!!
10:09 PST/8921.5 = 16 East. MOUNTAINS AHEAD! (AND good weather -- at least for now)
Looking forward to some "new" views on the southbound side rather than the northbound...
12:14/8969.2 = Alberta and Jasper National Park
1:40/9032.5 = This rain may be a blessing in disguise -- I'm not stopping anywhere now, making good time!
2:36= At Icefield Centre. Been there, Done that, Didn't do it again. It's not raining now so I've stopped at more places.
2:43/9052.0 = Banff National Park.. its raining again and I'm making good time again!
My last Alaska attempt trip was 22 days and 11200.0 miles -- that makes THIS trip the third longest ever in terms of time and 4th in terms of distance. But its not over yet!!
4:24/9128.7 = Lake Louise.
5:20/9174.0 = Left Banff National Park in rain...
6:07/9232.1 = Entering Calgary with Olympic Park on the right.
7:05 PM/9249.3 = Joined Hwy 2 South @ Southland Drive. Rain thunder lightning -- looking great for a night drive and final international border crossing on this trip!
BEAUTIFUL GOLDEN SUNSET! (at only 8:47 PM)
I'm hoping tomorrow's "last sunset" will be even better than this! Utah has never dissapointed me in the past....
9:06/9376.9 = Exit for 1 Avenue S "to 4/5 via City Centre" in Lethbridge -- the largest town left in Canada on this trip.
After a lot of right turns, left turns, more right turns, more left turns, and going through the whole town, I'm finally on Hwy 4 leaving Lethbridge at 9:23 PM/9382.7.
By the time I reach Vegas, I would've seen miles upon miles of each of the following: rolling green hills, snow-capped mountain peaks, glaciers, icebergs in an ocean, wild animals, an 800-mile-long oil pipeline, the midnight sun, river canyons, arctic tundra, green farmlands, and deserts.
Certainly one to remember for the rest of my life!
I'm not a member of the polar bear club, but I've stood in the Arctic Ocean, walked on several glaciers, shared "quiet moments" with 2 black bears and a grizzly, and seen Canada's tallest mountain from double its height... And I'm seeing lightning again! Its still not over yet, but I dunno when I'll have a trip like this again! And yes, in response to a July 14th entry, Alaska has exceeded even my own expectations and "blown me away" -- I shall return!
The time now is 9:47, it's completely dark except for lightning strikes, and I've got roughly 1/2 hour before I re-enter the good ole U.S. of A. -- IF all is well at customs.
A red full moon on the horizon -- this is amazing, I'm feeling like I did on the night of July 14th!
10:21/9444.2 = Stopped at customs. 6 cars in front... looks like they're grilling people... only 1 car gone so far....
10:43 = In the U.S. Customs was not bad at all considering the circumstances today in LHR!
11:12/9478.9 = I-15x363 in Shelby ... I've been on all of I-15 now.
11:42/9504.0 = Conrad exit (x369). Checked in at Super 8. Last 19 minutes, the "big sky" was white more than 50% of the time, and had hail and rain!
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| August 9 | Contents | August 11 |