Travel Escapades-United States



	United States

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	General:			My travel documentaries of neat things to do and see in the U.S.A.

	Alaska & Yukon			We traveled to Alaska aboard an Alaskan ferry with a group from Weyerhaeuser Co. The ultimate destination was a hike through the old gold rush trails of the Chilkoot pass. We traveled from Seattle, WA to Skagway. Along the way we stopped at Ketchikan and Juneau. On the way back the ferry took us North to Sitka before returning to Seattle. This added one extra day to our return trip. (3 days up and 4 days back.) Chilkoot#2 Yukon Territory Klondike-S.Times

				To cut costs we did not have cabins on board the ferry. We stored our gear and hung out at the end of the ship, outside under the heat lamps. They had cots available on the ship and we slept or sat on those with our sleeping bags. Rather a nomadic life style that seemed to fit right in with the other travelers. A couple nights we had a few jam sessions. Some travelers had brought along their instruments. To pass the time we also played cards, read, visited, and ate in the dining hall. For me this was the hardest part of the trip as I get a little stir crazy and felt a little trapped. Kind of like I do when it snows and I'm stuck at home for a few days.

				The hike took us 6 days, although I'm sure many probably finish sooner than this. Our guide wanted to pitch camp at a camping area each night. This worked well with the spacing of our hikes. We staying in small tents, there were cabins but our guide said they had more critters inside the cabins than outside. We had to hang our food at night to keep the bears away from the food and us. There were outhouses along the trail the first 2 or 3 days but after we passed the tree line, you had to go all natural. Not much fun as the wind is gusty, it is freezing, and you don't even have a tree to hide behind. I managed to go the whole day with out going, if you know what I mean. There were outhouses at each camp.

				We did see traces of bear along the trails and actually saw one black bear in the not to far distance. I did a lot of whistling and talking along the trail to be sure I didn't surprise any on the way. Quite often we'd get separated from our group. Most of the trail was marked with stacked rocks, but you really had to watch for them. A few times I worried we had wandered off the trail, but we didn't. There are some beautiful lakes on the trail and it is so quiet all around.
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				The first 2 days were very easy traveling. But the third day I almost died. That's the day we went up over the pass. This is where it really got cold. I'm not in the best shape and I hate heights. Somehow it didn't seem so steep in the pictures and the brochure sounded like such a nice trip. I really was scared. If there was a way to turn around and go home I probably would have, but this trip went in one direction and we had to finish to catch the bus back.

				Climbing up the rocks were loose and wiggled a lot. I remember walking the edge of a big rock, or cliff, my arms strattling a large boulder. I was thinking, oh my God what am I doing here? Just like in the movies, only it was real. There were pieces of metal in some of the boulders left over from the gold rush days, I hung on to a few as I pulled myself up to the top of the pass. (I'm not very brave, I guess. But I felt much better when one of my companions had a terrified look on her face and told me her friend had to pull her the whole way!)

				After you get over the pass the Canadians greet you in the small shed with hot cocoa. From there you head down the other side of the pass. The walk down is rather difficult, it is on packed ice. We had to dig our boots into the snow to hang on. At the bottom was a huge lake. I could just see myself falling and sliding down into the icy water with all my gear and heavy clothes. We ended down by an old train station along a lake and camped there until the next day when we caught our ride back.

				I'm glad I can say I did this, but I'd never do it again. My husband and all the guys on the trip loved it. There were three of us crazy ladies that thought this would be fun. Six days no hot water, using outhouses, and no outhouses, and don't forget the bears and the 60 pound packs!
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				I really did enjoy the scenery on the trail and all around Alaska. The people are all down to earth types and most are very friendly. Some of the mountains, lakes, glaciers, etc. are breathtaking. We did see lots of eagles on the way up also. Sometimes you can see whales, but we didn't see them on our trip. We also had a very neat guide who made the trip a lot of fun. He even took half my gear when it came time to go over the pass, as I think he could tell I'd probably poop out if I had to carry it all. (Hey Murray, where ever you are, we'll never forget this trip!!)

				More to come soon.

	California			Disneyland:

	Florida			Disneyworld and Kennedy Space Center

	Hawaii			Aloha Oahu

	Montana			Glacier Park

	Nevada			Reno, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe

	Virginia			Arlington

	WA DC			Really a neat place to visit. There is so much to do! More to follow: WA DC

	WA-State			This page is in progress but has some details added!

				Check the other pages on this site!
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	Conclusion:			This concludes my notes on traveling the United States. There are many other areas to discover. I have been through many other states but do not feel I can provide enough detail to make a complete page. There are many other resources by state on the web, happy hunting!

	Disclaimer:			The links provided are links I found in searching the net. Some are to travel agents or other services. I have not used most of these services, so I am not recommending any. I am only adding these links to provide additional information to my travel documentaries above.

				I suggest you do your own research before traveling and only book your travel adventures through a reputable travel company. Buyer beware: there are lots of scam artists that use the travel industry to make a quick buck, don't be a victim. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.



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