Archive for the 'Alaskan Journey' Category

• 03.30.04 back in MD.. posted in Alaskan Journey

  Well, the journey has ended.. and I can safely say it was a success. It is hard to believe sitting here at home that the past 2 weeks really happend. Unforunately thought, reality is starting to sink back in. We arrived early this morning, and shortly there after I had to make my way to school for my first class (After driving all night, than driving to school I was less than happy to be there). I can not describe what it feels like to go from our trip to a classroom, but it certianly wasn’t good Now time can be dedicated to uploading the pictures and journaling all the stories we have to tell. I can truely say it was an unforgetable trip that is a once in a life time expirence…

  I know everyone is dying to see the pictures… We are working on it!

  I also wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped out with this project/trip, especially our families. I know we could not have done it without you!

• 03.30.04 Almost home (for me)… posted in Alaskan Journey

  Well, I’m almost home. Miami will be coming later this evening but for now, I’m at my parents in Maryland. Chris and I drove through the night from our stay at the Holiday Inn in South Dakota and made it here at exactly 9am this morning. We hit rush hour on 695, hard rain in Ohio, and heavy fog in Maryland. I can’t believe it’s over! It’s so nice to be out of the car but I’ll sure miss our adventures. Stay tuned for the next week or so as we organize pictures and stories of our journey. Thanks for keeping up to date with us.

• 03.28.04 off we go… with a few small stops along the way posted in Alaskan Journey

  We are currently at the Holiday Inn Express in Oacoma, SD 57365. After a rewarding long drive we made it all the way from Edmonton, AB to SD without stopping. The drive was long, hard, and exhausting… but we are running out of time to get back. According to our best calculations we are looking at a solid 22-24 hours of driving remaining.

  Today did have some high points though. We stopped at the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn. For those of you who are a bit rusty on your history, this is the site of Custard’s Last Stand against the Indian Chief Sitting Bull. Unfortunately, to even enter the parking lot you are faced with a $10 fee before you can even evaulate if its worth it. Luckly (in my humble opinion) it was a worth while stop. The primary focus of the park was this 5 mile drive-through tour of the battle site. It was a self guided tour in which we stayed in the van and followed along with the posters of each important marker along the way. It was a powerful presentation between the realism of actually standing there and the military style graves.

  Our next stop along the way took us to Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. We made our way up Route 16 to the carved out mountain side, to be greeted yet again by a pay-to-park type of deal. This time the fee was $8.00, but we decided not to pay as we could see very well from the road and took a few pictures there. The most astonishing part of the area is how OVER-CAPITALIZED it is. There are more shops and places to eat than Ocean City. I could have never fathomed that a National Park could spawn such a town. The town was nearly deserted because most of the “activities” do not reopen until May 1st. Which wasnt a bad thing, after all I came to see Mount Rushmore not play mini-golf .

  I just got out of the shower here and Jason is already asleep. At the very least I got the basics of the day here and should probably head of to bed myself. Busy day of driving ahead!! Stay tuned…

• 03.27.04 snow, snow, snow, snow, snow, and rain… woes! posted in Alaskan Journey

  Last night we ended up falling about 100-110 kms short of Edmonton due to the weather conditions. Jason was driving and at random it started snowing like crazy. The snow kept coming down hard and the temperature was around 20. The road conditions kept getting worse. After about 2 hours of driving in the stuff Jay had only covered about 45 kilometers. We switched drivers and I drove another 100 or so until we reached Whitecourt, AB where we stayed at the Ramada Limited. Unfortunately they did not have any rooms with 2 beds, only 1 bed and a sleeper sofa. I slept on the sofa bed, it had that typical attacking spring feeling, but sleep found me soon enough! We got up this morning and went to Red Lobster again for lunch… What a great lunch, our waitress was a bit bitchy (I think because Jay was on the phone when she first came over) but the food was still rather tasty! I got the shrimp platter and JJ got a lobster/steak meal. *YUM!* We are heading South-bound on route 2 to Calgary, AB then to the US (entering through Montana) I can honestly say I know nothing about Montana (other than they named a minivan after it, or maybe the other way around? ) , so now would be a great time to learn!

  [This next part was dictated to me while Jay drives] SUBJ: DOG!

  We have been driving the past few days. ALOT. I dont know about Chris, but I’m “done”! I think I have developed a cold of sorts and of course I have lost all my medicine (You know how I am about my meds).. So things are good now though, because the wintery mix has stopped and visibility is good. We have this cinnibun from Toad river, YT and we are about to ROCK IT! Seldon were passing some cow farms, but the lighting is not that great for pics… so you will just have to deal.

• 03.26.04 Back in service! (For good hopefully!!) posted in Alaskan Journey

  Well, it has been an interesting few days…. Where to begin?

  We have not had mobile internet for some time, but now that we are back in BC it has returned… Some updates are definately in order!! The past couple days has been a real adventure. After staying in Edmonton we did not stop again until we reached Ft. Nelson in BC. We stayed at some generic motel called the Ft. Nelson Motor Inn. The next day we drove all the way until we reached Whitehorse, YT (Yukon). Departing Whitehorse, we pushed onward to the Alaska border. This is where things got interesting… We pulled off on a side road called ‘Craig River Trail’ and to make a long story short, ended up getting ourselves stuck (The full story will be posted when we return!) after a 6 hour digging session with the help of a local Alaskan named Mark, the van was free to roam the country again! The removing of the van entailed digging and being pulled by Mark’s 1989 Dodge pickup with chains (33+ inch tires, a real beast). Not to frown upon the van though, the only reason it was stuck was due to the fact that the snow was higher than its ground clearance (We took pictures of the whole thing, so you can see all the action!) This was something that neither us nor Mark ever dreamed was in our future.

  Finally back on the road, completely drained both mentally and physically from the incident, we checked into Kelly’s Alaska Country Inn (Delta Junction, Alaska. 38 Miles up the Al-Can from the Craig River Trail adventure). This was BY FAR the nicest room we had stayed in thus far, we slept very well. The town of Delta Junction was very friendly, the locals were eager to chat with us and offer their advice/comments on the trip. Before we checked into the room we filled up with gas and met a local named Andrew. He was a cool guy and chatted with us a bit about the hunting/game situation in the area. I had no idea there was a issue in the community about rules regarding hunting of certain game etc. It also gave me a chance to hear/understand the towns opinion about it. In particular the owner of the inn and her sister were extremely kind and provided us with alot of good information on the conditions that were to come. Her son owned the Texaco next door and we met him as well. We stopped into that Texaco in the morning before we left to have a coffee. When we pulled up the parking lot was fairly full and there were alot of people inside. When we entered the Texaco, we were greeted by all and to our suprise knew most of the people there already from the night before. This really gave me the feeling like we were part of the their community, atleast in a small way. It was a nice feeling and raised our spirits a bit before we set off for Fairbanks.

  Reaching Fairbanks, we stopped at the gas station refueled and filled the reserve tank we braught. Strapping the reserve tank to the roof, we were north bound for the Dalton. The Dalton highway is an extremely difficult road to drive on, full of big rigs, narrow bridges, and ice. While on the Dalton we passed through the Artic circle, this was truely an amazing expirence and gave us a real sense of accomplishment. We ended up deciding that Cold Foot, Alaska would be the final destination. This is around 200 miles south of Prudhoe Bay, but without a previously obtained permit we could not go to Prudhoe. We expireneced temperatures around -31F degrees *burr* !!! All I can say is, DAMN IT WAS COLD

  We are on the return journey now, and have decided to take a slightly different route home which will bring us through Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Iowa. We are expecting some great scenery on the altered route!

  The van has become so dirty on the outside you can hardly see through the backwindow! Thats OK though because with all the mud, salt, and dirty snow comes a sense of accomplishment. Not to mention it looks pretty hardcore! From this point forward we should have little if ANY interruption in mobile internet service, so stay tuned!

• 03.21.04 Dawson Creek and British Colombia posted in Alaskan Journey

  Dawson Creek is the start of the Alaskan Highway and we just started it about 45 minutes ago. The drive starts us through British Colombia and the beginning of the Rockies. It’s a shame it’s late here because I’ve seen some nice cliffs and stuff to the side of our van already.

  I’m not sure how long Chris is going to want to continue driving but our destination, White Horse, may end up eluding us this evening. In some ways that might be a good thing because that will give us the day tomorrow to see the rockies — something I really am looking forward to.

  This is my first time actually on the mobile Internet, till now I’ve been stuck writing in my personal journal because I’ve been unlucky to get stuck with no service while I’m not driving. We just passed some really great overlook. Stupid sun. Come back!

• 03.21.04 South?? hmmm posted in Alaskan Journey

  We were driving towards Grande Praire and the road literally stops in front of us, changing into a very small dirt/mud road. We look at each other, completely baffeled, and keep going for a good 1-2km. I think this was partly just the desire and yearning for dirt/mud roads , but there is no way to be sure. hehe… Reason eventually set in and we wondered where we were going and decided it was best to reference the map and turn around. This also provided a bit more driving through the mud, so spirits were high! Driving back into GR (Grande Praire)the road was now labled 43-South, which we *definately* didnt want to go south! Turns out that is the way you are suppose to go until you reach the ’staples’ and make a Right onto “97″.. Highly sophisticated directions we ere provided at the local Petro-Canada, but it got us there… So were happy with that!

  * NEW PICS IN THE GALLERY *

• 03.21.04 a few thoughts… posted in Alaskan Journey

  The tundra has changed, instead of flat open fields (like farmland), we are now looking at tall evergreens along with mountains to the West & South. There is less snow than yesterday, likely due to the slightly warmer climate. Although everything other than the road has snow on it.

  It is warmer today. 40 Degrees, instead of the single digits, which makes a tremendous difference.

  I am hoping that the mountain terrain continues and that our drive will be increasingly more interesting. The scenery is truely breath-taking and makes for a very enjoyable drive. I do hope though, that the mountains do not slow us down nor hurt our time.

• 03.21.04 updated location, power, and the joy of mobile internet posted in Alaskan Journey

  We are currently about 150miles out of Edmonton, Alberta heading North-Northwest on Canada-43. Our target goal for today is to reach Whitehorse , in the Yukon Territory. The approximately mileage between the two cities (According to our on-board GPS) is 987miles. We are driving at around 120-125 km/h and should make decent time.

  We spliced some extra cabling we baught and properly installed the new 700Watt power inverter. Everything seems to be working well and the laptop is charging. At the current time we are lucky enough to have strong cell/mobile internet signal and should be able to post a few pictures. We are most likely going to be back out of service when we left the great province of Alberta.

  Last night was more of a laid-back evening, we had a delicious feast at the Edmonton Red Lobster and relaxed. After dinner we checked-in to the Super-8 Motel…

  So much for signal, it is fading in the mountains right now…. so this post is ending a bit sudden!

• 03.20.04 Lost In Canada posted in Alaskan Journey

  [Transcribed by Adam-D via mobile phone for JasonPLancaster]

  Unfortunately the battery in our laptop has died. We can not make any more updates from the road until we recharge.

  Last night we drove through North Dakota and through the Canadian border and continued straigt up to Winnipeg!

  There was a rather severe storm that hit us just as we went through the Canadian border with winds gusting upwards of 50 mph and snow that had visibility at 10 feet. The temperature was approximately 4 degrees and considering it was 2 AM and we had been driving all day, it was rough.

  We took a couple-hour break waiting for sunrise and have been driving since then towards Edmonton, Alberta. Once we arrive we plan to get a hotel, a good dinner and a good night’s sleep.

  Photos, updates and more are coming!

• 03.19.04 Power inverter woes posted in Alaskan Journey

  Our power inverter is evidently not strong enough to handle the load of all the power demands that we have. So, we stopped at a Target in MN and purchased a 700Watt… After 30miles we stopped to hook it up and OF COURSE it was the type that must be hardwired to the battery. *OK* …. but they do not even put enough cord to hook it up. So we are on limited power but, no problem we can get creative!

  Our progress thus far is less than we expected, we have made our way out of Chicago, thru Wisconsin, MN, and now entering North Dakota. We will begin to drive north bound after reaching Fargo, toward Canada.

  To make up for lost time we will be powering through the night and go as far as possible.

  Stay tuned!

• 03.19.04 Early morning phone calls…. posted in Alaskan Journey

  Dont you just love it when your half a sleep and you hear a phone ringing from locations unknown. (7:35AM, CST) First you must wake, then orient yourself to your foreign surroundings realizing that your lovely cell phone is screaming for you to get out of bed. Yet still, I can not find it as I do not recall where I put it the night before. Naturally, when located the call was missed. This was from an anonymous caller, likely telemarketing. After settling back into bed for a few hours more rest, just as sleep had found us once again. Yet another phone call! We truely love phone calls at 7AM! (*Sarcasim* )

  Always optimistic we decided to make the best of it catching up on some old times and discussing today’s action plan. Busy day today, it was probably good that the phone was attacking so early. Time to shower and depart, watch for more updates on the road…. and hopefully some new pictures depending on mobile internet connection speeds.

• 03.19.04 Officially in Chicago!! posted in Alaskan Journey

  We found each other with no problem today at Chicago Midway! Tonight we are staying at the best western near the airport, WAY over priced. Nearly $100… *crazy*, but we wont let that get our spirits down

  After a ‘gourmet’ meal from the local taco bell, we are planning out tomorrows route and schedule… then off to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day, at the very least our target is to reach Winnipeg, Manitoba: Canada. Stay tuned!

• 03.18.04 Leaving… posted in Alaskan Journey

  Off to the airport I go. Goodbye all!

• 03.18.04 Have you seen our van? posted in Alaskan Journey

  If you saw our van and the sticker advertising this website, please let us know where and when you saw us by filling out the form below. If you are looking at our van right now while browsing our website, come say hi to us. We won’t bite you!

  Thank you,
  Jason & Chris

• 03.17.04 Last minute panic! posted in Alaskan Journey

  Ever have that feeling you forgot something? Yeah, me too. Unfortunately, I cant even imagine what it is yet! Still in a desparate search for a can opener… No luck thus far, but perhaps the grocery will have one.

  Today we got our first post of a “sighting” of the van, very exciting! We haven’t even put the ‘tracking’ interface up yet.. Departure time from Baltimore, MD is 6:25pm EST on 3/17/04. Here we go….

• 03.17.04 Departure posted in Alaskan Journey

  Today is the day of departure! A lot to do with little time to do it. Putting the finishing touches on the van, and *hopefully* the rear fog lights. If not, we will have to attempt to install them in Chicago! Slept in till 9:30 today, but I will need the energy!!

  New pics of the van with decals are posted now. I did a decent job of keeping the lines straight!

• 03.16.04 Packing list posted in Alaskan Journey

  Chris asked me for a packing list of things that he should have in the van when we meet in Chicago. Here is what I can think of so far that he should have:

  my snowpants
  my airwalk jacket
  my red winter jacket
  first aid kit
  flashlight
  tire chains
  ice scraper
  cb radio
  maps of alaska, canada, and basic route information
  spare tire
  additional tire
  2 super-warm sleeping bags
  blankets/pillows
  ac power converter
  food and snacks
  digital camera
  digital camera battery charger
  digital camera usb uplink cable
  laptop and accessories
  headphones to listen to music privately
  cell phone charger
  cell phone
  book in case we have to die a slow and painful death
  water
  cooler
  blank cdr’s
  nextel laptop adapter
  gps
  flares
  music to listen to
  fix a flat
  tire pump
  battery charger

  I am responsible for:

  snow shoes
  camping goo to build a fire
  matches
  fruit and produce
  misc snacks
  clothing
  hat
  gloves
  sweater/sweatshirt
  pocket knife
  buck knife
  laptop
  digital camera
  ipod
  phone cable for laptop modem to dial up

• 03.15.04 3 days to go… posted in Alaskan Journey

  Today I went shopping for some snow boots to take with me. Finding a nice pair of hiking boots/snow boots in Florida seems rather hard. I’ll have to go again tomorrow and try again. Sounds funny, but I also need some boxers. I don’t have enough to go over a week without laundry. Guess I’ll be at the mall tomorrow evening!

• 02.25.04 The Alaskan Journey posted in Alaskan Journey, Vacations

  I was scolded for having a flashback to High School. People tell me I need to write more relevant things in their lives so they can comment. Mmmmhmmm. You guys suck!

  The Alaska trip seems to be coming along at a good pace. I’ve got my money stashed away and Chris seems to have a good visual of the trip as a whole. I know that we’re going to try and see Anchorage, Nome, the Bering Straight, and the Artic Circle. Denali National Park looks really nice. The whole Alaskan Range thing makes me all get all excited, expecially the thought of seeing Mount McKinley in person so I’m hoping we can work it into the schedule. I think we’re going to start near the southeast corner and work our way clockwise around. I’ll have to ask Chris on that one — he says he has a map of what he’d like to do.

  It’s going to be cold up there. I’m already in a panic about clothes. I don’t even own gloves or a hat or anything. I guess I’ve truly become a Floridian in that sense.

  Chris asked me if I would register a domain and host it where we can post pictures, comments, and a bunch of information about our trip. I’ll probably order that later today and link to it. Be on the lookout.