The skinny
Good morning everyone.
The new year is upon us. I've made a resolution to lose some weight.
It's been creeping up on me for a few years now, since I retired in 2004. I really need to get back out on the road.
So, E2 and I have decided to commit to one last adventure, driving the Alcan Hiway in our little Toyota mini-motorhome.
The plan is, in late spring, to drive up to Bremerton, WA. and loading the motorhome onto the ferry and cruising the inside passage up to Ketchikan, Alaska and doing a slow scenic drive back.
We are planning on four to six weeks travel time.
I've much more research to do, including internet access, which may impact my hosting Tuesday Open Thread.
Would love to take and post photos all along the way, but that too will have to be planned for.
Will fill in the details as we get them.
Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all.
Thread is open.
Comments
Sounds like a great adventure
Did some boating in the Vancouver / Seattle area.
It's very beautiful. Islands of rocks and trees
shooting out of the blue - green waters. Wicked
currents with seals and whales swimming about.
A notch above coastal Maine IMO.
Enjoy your end-of-the-year celebrations!
question everything
Did some diving
up in the sound. Yeah, the currents can be wicked. But I did get to see a giant octopus (about 8' across) which was pretty awesome.
Have a good new year.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good morning e1. Sounds like a wonderful, if cold, trip.
From what I've heard, the ferry+RV Alaska venture isn't that uncommon, so it shouldn't be uncharted territory for you. Meanwhile, though that trip sounds intriguing, my spouse and I shall stll right here except for a 11 or 12 day trip to the mexican Riviera, which is starting to become a regular annual thing for us. Being 26 miles from a cruise terminal makes it hard to resist the quick run south, hell, half or more of the bay area commutes further than that.
High thirties in the mornings lately, which is simply not something that is pleasant to put up with, especially as the body and joints age, one hangs up a washer load of clother early enough to hopefully be dry by dusk and then has to spend 45 minutes trying to revive the hands and knees. Meanwhile there's a really wonderful panaderia just waiting for me in Mazatlan, ya know. ...
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
This will probably be
our last big excursion in the little MH. It's getting up there in mileage and we don't want to get stuck out on the road to far from home. It will still be useful around the PNW for years to come.
Maybe even Southern California, Nevada, and Utah.
Those are close compared to Fairbanks.
I've got Latino inlaws that bring me homemade tamales for Christmas and I'm not to shabby a cook myself. After all, I grew up in SoCal.
Thanks for the post.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
PNW Waters
I grew up gillnetting salmon in the inland waters of Washington State (Puget Sound, Salish Sea, Straits of Juan de Fuca) from the age of 11. My younger brothers and I took turns running our own 22-foot boat starting at the ages of 14, 13, 11 and 10, and we fished at night, returning in the morning to sell our catch to tender boats anchored in a little sheltered bay before fighting the swirling currents in Deception Pass on our way back to my parents' little fishing cabin on Whidbey Island. The men running the tender boats offered us a beers because we were doing "men's work." We had lots of harrowing experiences in the sometimes very rough waters in the middle of the night, but we all survived and thrived. I may be biased, but I think our waters are the most beautiful on Earth, and despite the politics and gloomy weather there is no place I would rather live.
You will LOVE your AL-Can adventure!
You had a great time growing up.
I grew up in the city (LA) and had to always travel to the mountains or desert to experience nature. I guess that's why I covet the great outdoors now.
We haven't yet explored n/w Washington fully. In fact, have never been north of Seattle. Have done the Olympic Peninsula and everything south and east of it.
And Vancouver Island. Awesome gardens there.
Looking forward to moar exploring.
Have a great new year.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
@earthling1 Happy New Year to
Happy New Year to you and everyone here! It gets better the further north you go - more fish, more whales, more shellfish, less people -- Vancouver and Seattle excepted.
My goodness what an experience. I fished fifteen
years for salmon in a 22 foot boat (1st aluminum hull with volvo-penta; 2nd Reinel fiberglass with inboard 4 chevy, which was on the motor puller more than in...left us motorless on an outbound tide off of Vancouver Island at Bamfield...boat almost got shot; 3rd custom Washington built boat with walk through windshield, steep step, big outboard could go 50 mph on chop and a small trolling both outboard. A very fine boat.)
Fished from Northern California to west of Port Hardy in BC. Favorite spots were buoy 10 out the mouth of the Columbia, outside the jaws of Tillamook Bay, Hog line in the Willamette below the falls, anywhere around Bamfield west coast of Vancouver Island.
We got caught in a big sea change one day outside and a little south of the jetty at Tillamook. Suddenly swells went to 22 feet and wide. Guys coming out would be surfing the faces of those swells. We were taking turns over fish pods just out of the surf, when the change came. We got lucky to be outside. The boats close in were thrown ashore. Something to see.
Up at Kyuquot (kai-u-cut) we caught Halibut, Squid, Salmon, Black Bass, Red Snapper, of course Sand Sharks. We always salted or canned at camp coming home with fabulous fish.
So many tales, so little time. Thanks for triggering many memories.
A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit. Allegedly Greek, but more possibly fairly modern quote.
Consider helping by donating using the button in the upper left hand corner. Thank you.
Tamales sounds good
Today is cooking day, prep for brunch tomorrow.
The Russian sourdough rye is on final rise.
Sauteing mushrooms with wine to go with the
sausage gravy and pastry egg cups.
Next up are the salmon / cream cheese roll-ups
with dill and cukes. This way the morning only
requires the eggs, gravy and cranberry mimosas.
Love cooking! We may be poor, but eat well.
question everything
Hear ya
That menu sounds scrumptious. Do you have your own sourdough starter? If so, how long have you been cultivating it?
We love sourdough, which is part of my weight problem.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
yeah, sour dough starter is on my list too
this was a quick and dirty
proofed yeast, rye flour, hot water
and a thick slice of onion concoction
for a few days prior - stir 2x / day
remove onion, more rye and warm water
let rise and fall, good to go
question everything
Why bother with the truth when you have propaganda and
the MSM on your side?
I think the proles
are starting to figure out the fake news they are being fed. Christ, when Jeff Bezos tells his Washington Post people "They don't believe us anymore", you know things are bad.
Have a great new year, humphrey.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good afternoon, e1!
Your trip sounds like fun!
I haven't made it to Alaska yet. I have at least 6 friends who have actually lived their. From their stories, I would limit my stay to a sight seeing tour, and get back home to the hot weather I am used to navigating.
My resolution is to avoid being held in contempt of court and jailed for knocking the shit out the rude female attorneys that come to the boonies from around Houston.
An easy way to start the weight loss is smaller portions and eating slowly. Start that, then eliminate sweets, etc. I broight some Texas=grown pecans, caramel, and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream as a celebration treat. I probably will not touch ice cream for 6 months. It will help me sign off on this year of mostly bad news from around the world.
If I can resist getting into a fight, why can't governments?
Thanks for the OT and let us know if we need to draw straws and fill in for you.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
We have acclimated
to the cool and wet weather now after 30 years. Coming up here from the s/w desert was like coming home (I was born in West Virginia) to green forests and wilderness areas to frolic in.
We are called "Rainbirds" for a reason.
Hope to be able to host from the road, assuming there is cel service thru Canada. But thanks for the backup offer.
Have a great new year.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Hi earthling
Thank you for your Tuesday musings, may this year bring further inspiration.
Happy New Year all!
That's beautiful!
Have a lot of fun on your trip! Hopefully Alaska has stayed nice -- it was all right when I hitchhiked to Cordova (with the help of some ferryboats) in the summer of 1981.
The ruling classes need an extra party to make the rest of us feel as if we participate in democracy. That's what the Democrats are for. They make the US more durable than the Soviet Union was.
Almost midnight.
Simplicious does a short article wrapping up 204, ending with a 12 minute video from a Russian general (I think) wishing the Russians a happy New Year.
Short read, short vid, I skipped the video featuring Zelenskye because he gives me indigestion.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/onward-ho-end-of-year-wrap-up-and?ut...
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981