August 7th - 9th Boone's Big Alaska Adventure Hi, it's me - Boone, the Adventure Dog.  Five and a half pounds of pure personality, stuffed into a van with my humans. Mom says, "Get in the Van," and next thing I know, we're off to who knows where..... Do I like  the van? Hmm...maybe? Not sure, Feels like a roller coaster - up, down, up, down, - and just when I'm about to doze off, Dad finds a pothole the size of a small pond. They wonder why I'm not a "good sleeper" during the day. Uh, hello? Dogs are supposed to get 18 hours. I'm running on three. But...I have to admit, we've stayed at some cool spots. Two nights ago we camped by a river with a family of ducks. They floated juuust out of reach - taunting me. They know I'm not a big swimmer. Then Mom and Dad went to some hot spring pools (no dogs allowed, rude). They came back all happy and 'relaxed," and I got to play in the parking lot while they made breakfast. Fair trade?...

August 3rd - 6th From Girdwood to Denali: Mountains, Magic Buses & Moose Last time we checked in, we were wrapping up our time in Girdwood. from there, we made our way toward Anchorage, where we met up with bob's sister and brother-in-law, fresh off their Alaskan cruise. August 3rd is a special day-Gary's birthday! (We won't say how old he is , but let's just say he looks fantastic.). We shared a lovely breakfast, knocked out some chores Anchorage, and then set off for what turned out to be one of the sweetest surprises of our trip. While dining in Girdwood, we had a chance encounter (some might call it kismet) with a wonderful couple, Doug and Lynn.  They invited us to their home in Wasilla, and what a treat that turned out to be. They welcomed us with warmth, a delicious dinner, and the kind of conversation that stretches late into the night. Their home sits with a stunning view of the mountains surrounding Wasilla and the Palmer area. They even let us park the va...

Slowing Down  After the magic of Homer (and it was magic), we've spent the last several days easing into a slower rhythm. The road trip pace finally caught up with us - a little road weary, a little leg tired - so instead of moving from place to place every day, we decided to set up camp and just be for a while;. The past week has taken us through Hope, Portage, Whittier  and now Girdwood , where we're spending three whole days - a record-breaking pause for this trip! The slower pace has been exactly what we needed. We've been putting in some solid miles on the bikes, riding through forests, along rivers, and on scenic trails that seem to pop straight out of postcards. One of the most memorable moments? A bear ran right across the trail in front of me mid-ride. It was the kind of heart-pounding, oh-my-gosh-did-that-just-happen moment that reminds you exactly where you are: Wild Alaska. We also hiked up to Byron Glacier,  which, as usual for Alaska, was stunning. The ...

  Homer, Alaska - Land's End  & Seaside Beginnings July 26 - 27 From the moment we arrived inn Homer, it felt like Alaska was putting on a show just for us. blue skies stretched wide over the glittering waters of Kachemak Bay, and the breeze-just enough to keep things interesting-seemed to be forever at our backs. we couldn't have asker for better weather for our two-day stay. we kicked things off in style with dinner at the Charthouse at Land's End. Cloth Tablecloths (yes, the real kind-twice mentioned because we were that impressed), polished wine glasses, and a view that made us pause and just take it all in. The food? Incredible! Perfectly cooked halibut, a gorgonzola steak salad that had us both saying yum yum,  and that beautiful view of Katchemak Bay! As lovely as dinner was, the true heart of our Homer experience was Seaside Farm. Let us introduce you to 30 acres of pure Alaskan magic - wildflowers taller than we are, winding grassy paths lined with horses, ch...

  Glaciers, Halibut, Sockeye, and Bears - Alaska Keeps Getting Wilder When we last checked in with everyone, we had just survived the Top of the Wold Highway and Chicken, Alaska (yes,  that's really a place) From there, we headed straight into the heart of Wrangell-St.Elias National Park - the largest  national park in the U.S. because apparently, in Alaska, they don't believe in small. We went to McCarthy and Kennecott which are in the middle of this big park.  They  are technically towns but feel more like time travel destinations where the ghosts of copper miners might still argue about who stole whose shovel. Getting there was an adventure.  There is a sign on the road that basically says, "Tell someone you love them - you might not come back." Comforting right?  We snapped a picture of the sign and texted it to a few people just in case....   We were also told that we needed to carry not one but two spare tires.  But the road turned out ...