Trip Recap

As you read, we are home, but the "adventures" continue. (see previous entry)
We were away from Tucson for 176 days, just one week short of half the year. We traveled 11,771 miles by automobile, about 940 by ferry, 15 minutes by helicopter, and uncounted blocks on foot.
During the season, but not always on a tour, I counted 101 black bears, 13 grizzlies, and 5 moose. In transit, we added 3 more moose, two more bears, 6 caribou, LOTS of deer, bison, and a bighorn. We also observed bald eagles, harbor seals, sea otters, sea lions, and whales. For the second year in a row, and the first two in my life, we avoided even one day of 100+ temperatures. It was a good season. ( "Season" is the term used by Skagwayans, or Skags, to refer to the time of cruise ship arrivals.)
We got to know more people who are either full-timers ("locals"), or seasonals, like us. Every one is a story unto themselves.
We traveled, not by RV, but by jeep. We stayed in mostly very nice motels while on the road. We ate in local restaurants, avoiding all chain-type establishments. The weather was nice most of the time, and was never a serious concern. (Okay, there was that one tour I had to modify due to snow, but you know I enjoyed that.) The landscape we traversed was all beautiful and varied, though the stretch of I-10 from Phoenix to Tucson leaves something to be desired. Anybody who hasn't been to British Columbia should plan a visit, and not to a city only, but into the wilderness.
Sometime in the coming days or weeks we will put together one or more albums of photos, so stay tuned.