Memorial Weekend Campout - Part II

This has been a long time coming... I figured I'd better get on the ball, since I've already got ideas for new posts. =)

Side note from Part I: The memorial we stopped at is just after Byers Lake and it's called the Alaska Veterans Memorial. The memorial reads: "We dedicate this quiet place to the remembrance of the veterans of Alaska who have served their country at home and throughout the world. We honor their heroism and dedication." Hear, hear!!

Campout 2007 #1: Part 2 - Chatanika & Fairbanks

We were lucky to find two adjacent sites next to a river. The other sites around us were separated by trees, so it was like we had our own private space. And across the river was what looked like a moose - if the light was right and you had smoke in your eyes. =)

Looking up-river from our site

The "moose" across the river

We had lots of fun. Some went caching, some stuck around the campfire. One of the days, we all loaded up together. We started *that* day with a shower and breakfast, courtesy of Chatanika Lodge. Smelling much nicer, we headed into Fairbanks for a riverboat tour and a nice dinner. Another lovely afternoon where we caught lots of rays. We all enjoyed the boat ride - interesting information about Fairbanks, dog mushing, and Alaskan native life.

Paddle-wheel boat ride

The rest of the time we spent primarily at camp. Heather requested a coconut, which we cracked open, cleaned out, and refurbished as the camp mascot - Dr. Blah. It seems that coconut shells burn very well - our last fire was full off odd things like the mascot and Greg's shoes. Mmmmmm. Another interesting combination: red licorice on a ham & turkey sandwich (with dijon mustard - *not* yellow). I've been told it's very tasty, particularly the mustard & licorice combination. I'm still not brave enough to try it...

Our mascot - Dr. Blah

Ham, turkey, & licorice (with dijon)

Our last evening was filled with more caching (of course!), disc golf, killing Dr. Blah, and packing up some of the odds & ends so we could get an early start - the drive home taking around 7 hours or so. Good thing we packed early - we woke the next morning to rain and temps around 50. Brrrrrrrr!! It didn't take long to dismantle one tent and pack the rest of the gear. It was the last ride for the Green's tent - so we left it standing in the rain. Maybe it'll be a nice summer getaway for some other lucky family... The ride home was interrupted by a stop in Glitter Gulch (just outside Denali national park - according to the MilePost, it's Denali Park Commercial Area) so we could dine at Bub's Subs. Greg & I have eaten there before - when Mom & M came up and we went river rafting. Highly recommended!! And now Greg, Brian, & Todd have matching t-shirts. Awwww. =)

Packing in the rain

So ends the saga of the first camping trip for 2007. We've already got more planned - the next one is over 4th of July, back to Squirrel Creek. Wahoo!!

Memorial Weekend Campout - Part I

Three days after we returned from Salt Lake and the family visit, we headed out on the first campout of the summer. Wahoo!! I have so many cool pictures that it's hard to decide which ones to post. So that I can get more in (without being too boring) I've broken up the post into parts.

Campout 2007 #1: Part 1 - From Byers Lake to Chatanika

After work on Wednesday (the 22nd), I headed home to pack some clothes and help finish packing what was left. We ended up hitting the road a few hours later than anticipated, but made it to the first stop (Byers Lake) before midnight. Set up only necessities, & started a fire. It had been raining so things were a bit damp, but it was still an enjoyable evening.

Mossy Tree at Byers Lake

Mossy Tree up Close

The next morning, we headed North. Destination: Chatanika - which is about 40 miles outside Fairbanks (which is about 350 miles north of Anchorage). Before getting there, we stopped at a Memorial Site - fitting, since this is the weekend before Memorial Day. Very awe-inspiring and humbling. We never would have known the place was there, except that Greg & Brian were reading the Milepost and watching for caches. (A great benefit to GeoCaching is that you end up places you've never been before...) I'll have to look up the name of the place and add it as a note to Part II.

Memorial

View from Memorial

Interesting Flora at Memorial

From there, we drove to Cantwell and had lunch... we were *starving* and the food really hit the spot! When we left home, it was cloudy and threatening rain. The farther North we drove, the clearer the skies were and we had much warmer temps! By the time we hit Fairbanks, temps were close to 80 (leaving home, they were around 50) and there was blue sky everywhere... a good omen for our trip!

View just outside Fairbanks

Eek! A Bee!!

Greg & Brian stopped at Freddie's in Fbx to get some missing supplies, and the rest of us headed off to our new site: Upper Chatanika. Once we were unpacked, it was fire time! And time to think of dinner - Hobo Dinner, to be exact. Ya know: hamburger, potato, carrots, & onions wrapped together in tinfoil and set in the coals. Mmmmm.

Enough for now - I'll post Part II tomorrow, since it's almost 11pm and I'm still catching up on sleep... =)