Disclaimer* Not a Blog Professional.. I can't figure out why my text and things are messing up..
We crossed the border into Alaska on Saturday. Yay!! Hank was excited to not have to convert kilometers to miles and liters to gallons anymore! :) The neatest birthday gift for me was to be in two countries on the same day! Also very special was a gift (a box of pretty notecards) that Nikita had packed in her bag & brought along because she had thought ahead. And not to mention the breakfast fixed by Hank & Nikita, with helpers, Brandy, Aspen & Lacy. We dined on sausage & eggs and biscuits- all homemade! It was delicious! We stayed at a pull out along the road almost to Northway Junction.
Ate our supper at the picnic table in the woods
My little boy- not a baby any more
After having Devotions the next morning, we took our time and headed toward Tok, Alaska. One of the first things we wanted to do upon entering Alaska, was to get our fishing license.( which we did.) We made it to Tok and went on past,almost to Dot Lake, to a smaller lake called Jan Lake, that we were told had some fish to catch. We wanted to camp there overnight, but the sign said 'No Overnight Parking'.. even though the other two RV's looked like they had been there for a few days...we didn't stay there overnight. We were there to catch some fish! Hunter had just went to sleep for his nap, & I was feeling tired myself, so I thought I'd just take a nap too while every one else went fishing. Then, I couldn't let them go & have all the fun! Since we were way back off the road & the pond wasn't far, & he usually sleeps a long time, we locked the doors and off we went. Our first fishing experience...was exactly that, an experience. We had a grand time! Walked down the path to the pond. It had this grass-like stuff all around the outside edge. At the place where the grass-like stuff was the closest to shore, a man & woman were already there fishing, and were standing out in the water to do their fishing... Soo, we started through the woods around the lake. Got to a spot far enough away from the other two people fishing so we wouldn't be on top of them and headed out of the woods to the pond edge. Except that grass-like stuff was there and it grows in the water. You can't walk up to the edge of the pond and cast in your fishing hook. What one does is wades out in the grasses and then you can fish.
Nikita waded out in those tall grasses right behind Shane
The girls are standing in water at the 'edge' of the pond.. Shane is at the edge of the grasses..
Had alot of fun, they got wet, & we trekked back through the woods to the bus. Hunter still slept on even with all the commotion of the girls all changing clothes & such. We headed Gus back towards Tok. It was probably around 30 mile or so. We didn't see any fish at Jan Lake, but we did see the tallest Dandelion we'd ever seen before!!
On the way, we stopped along the road several times at pull-off's and Shane, Hank, & Nikita would go fishing. We got back to Tok, then turned off the Alaska Highway onto the Tok Cutoff or Glenn Highway towards Anchorage, went a ways when we found a nice turn-off beside 'Little Tok River'. A pond was close by so, so we tried fishing at both. We then decided to have everyone practice casting a fishing line with a weight on the end and reeling in on the gravel. There was a puddle near that made a good target. The girls had alot of fun and got pretty good at it. We stayed here the night.
Hank fishing in the pond
Keeping Hunter from getting to close to the water..
Traveled on down the Glenn Highway towards Anchorage, and after we passed Glennallen there was a campground called Tolsona Wilderness Campground & RV Park. We pulled in there early, alittle after lunch, and were the only campers for several hours. Shane took the children out fishing and I got our lunch. Ramen noodles(without the flavor packs, I used my own seasonings & used chicken bullion with no MSG) crackers & cheese, & carrots & dip. Some of us put Tabasco or Cayenne Pepper or Hot red pepper flakes on our noodles to spice it up. When they came in for lunch, Hank had caught a fish!! Our supper was on the stringer.. After lunch, Shane said he'd stay in with Aspen & Lacy while they took a nap & I could go fishing. Hunter had already taken his nap, so Hank, Nikita, Brandy, Hunter & I took off. Four fishing poles, tackle box, map & toddler. Oh and took the mosquitoes also! Was using something natural that we took and used in Thailand, which was vanilla diluted with water in a spray bottle. That seemed to work in the Thailand, and seemed to work at the other places we stopped.. but not today. Maybe I diluted it to much? or the mosquitoes are way more plentiful here? Did I mention at this campground that the Tolsona Creek winds through the campground with every site being a creekside site? It is a beautiful campground and all, but they do have the mosquitoes that try to carry you off. Soo, out came the spray with 100% Deet. That worked, only our two little bottles that had some spray in them are now empty. I mistakenly thought one was full when I packed it. Back to the fishing, I caught a fish! Hank & I both caught Artic Grayling. They weren't very big, but we had them for supper along with our beans and rice. The fish was good, what there was of it!
We are planning to get to David & Holly's tomorrow night. Yay! Praising God that we have had this time of traveling with our family. It has been a tremendous blessing. God has been teaching me so much!
