Summary of Trip to Idaho & Alaska - August 2012

Just a final word (or two) on our trip this summer of 2012 to Idaho and Alaska with a few other states thrown in (Montana, Washington and Oregon). 

Trip highlights would be:

Stanley, Idaho, and the Sawtooth Mountain range

The Lewis & Clark Highway (US 12) from Lolo, Montana, to Kooskia, Idaho

Coeur d’Alene and Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho

The Italia Trattoria restaurant in Spokane, Washington

The fertile Wenatchee Valley and Yakima Valley in Washington

The pretty town of Walla Walla, Washington

The Hamley Steakhouse in Pendleton, Oregon

The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, Oregon

Eating freshly caught salmon and halibut and salmon and halibut and……….

The many beers we sampled from small, local micro breweries

Denali National Park and getting to see Mt. McKinley on a clear, sunny day

Spotting wildlife (grizzly bears, moose, caribou, and Dahl sheep) in Denali NP

Alaskan sourdough pancakes

Crossing the Arctic Circle in Alaska

Chinooks seafood restaurant in Seward, Alaska

Kenai Fjords National Park with sea otters, humpback whales and orca whales

The many glaciers of Alaska but mainly Holgate and Hubbard glaciers that we saw

The Royal Caribbean seven day cruise

The views of Juneau from the top of Mount Roberts

The well preserved historic town of Skagway, Alaska

Tracing the gold trail from Skagway into Yukon Territory, Canada

The many whales sighted up close at Icy Strait Point near Hoonah, Alaska

Creek Street in Ketchikan, Alaska

Vancouver, Canada, and especially the Capilano Suspension Bridge

Some things I learned:

Alaska is beautiful – in summer.  I don’t think I could stay one long, dark, cold winter there.

There’s little difference between a caribou and a reindeer.  Some say reindeer are domesticated caribou.  I’m guessing the rein in reindeer mean they are trained to respond to reins.

There are many places along the Oregon Trail where one can view the original wagon ruts.

Prices are still high at the Pendleton Woolen Mills outlet/retail store.

There’s not much to see at the Grand Coulee Dam.

Vancouver must be one of the world’s most livable cities.

The one dollar coin in Canada is called a “loonie” and the two dollar coin a “toonie”.

Before their trip to the moon, NASA astronauts did some preparation for their mission at the Craters of the Moon National Park.

In Alaska people can purchase and carry rifles, shotguns, handguns or big knives without a permit.  We saw several with knives.

Jack London was one of the hopeful gold miners who crossed the White Pass into Yukon Territory.

The native Tlingits thought William H. Seward was stingy (he didn’t throw them a party after they threw one for him) and defamed him in a totem pole.  They painted his ears and nose red which indicates stinginess.  

And I’m sure a lot more that I can’t remember right now.

Things we didn’t see that I wished we did:

Wolves in Denali National Park

Beluga whales in Captain Cook Inlet

The northern lights (Aurora Borealis)