July 20, 2006 - Alaska Portion

Selected Trip Journal entries:

3:27 PM JULY 20, 2006 A.D. PDT = 3,238.3 miles after leaving home:
ALASKA!!!!

"Livin' in the Land Down Under"

I'VE BEEN TO ALL 50 STATES!!

3:02 PM/3238.3 miles = reset clock -1 hour for Alaska time!

3:12 PM = 3238.3 = Left border area, now on the way to Fairbanks! Tok = +93 miles. Fairbanks = +298 miles.

3:15 PM = Border checkpoint line (2 vehicles in front of me...) "I come from the land down under" is still playing in repeat mode on the CD!!

3:27 PM = Out of border checkpoint area -- again no probelms -- these people are NICE! I guess everyone is assumed to be a tourist over here, I doubt any terrorists would make it this way!

I AM IN ALASKA!!!! :-) FINALLY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, MORE THAN A DECADE, I'M HERE!

"I come from the Land down under...."

The customs inspector asked me where I'm going in Alaska, I said "everywhere". Then with a small smile: "Everywhere, huh?" ... "Well, everywhere where there is a road...."

:-) I'M IN ALASKA!

(He smiled big and let me go)

3:39/3249.5 = Now "Life in a northern town" is on repeat...

4:00/3270 = "I've had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you..."

4:10/3278.8 = Mountain range in the distant horizon straight ahead and to the left

4:40 = At one of the viewpoints, met a German couple who were also at the breakfast in Watson Lake this morning ... Alaska plates ... they flew into Anchorage, then did loop around Homer, Seward, Denali, Fairbanks, Tok, Dawson City, Haines Junction, Haines, Haines Junction -- and today with me -- till Tok, then tomorrow to Valdez and back to Anchorage, then back to Germany! 2 1/2 week trip -- I want to do that someday (including the Germany part!)

5:24 = Parked at Alaska visitor center in Tok (at JCT Hwy's 1/2) 3328.2 miles. Till 5:41. also went to giftshop next door... 109 miles to Delta Junction; 205 miles to Fairbanks!

6:15/3358.4 = I'm 80 miles from the official end of the Alaska Highway (at Delta Junction) and 195 miles from Fairbanks ...

7:26/3435.1 miles = End of Alaska Highway!

8:00-8:05 PM = 3446.4 trip miles = First view of the oil pipeline, at the Tenana river.

8:30/3467 miles = Can see snow- and cloud-covered Alaska range about 50 miles south of here.

9:35/3532.1 = ENTERED FAIRBANKS!

July 20 - Canada Contents July 21