Imagine riding into an unfamiliar city in the Friday night peak hour. We were now in Quebec Province and all the traffic signs had magically converted into French (no English). It had been raining intermittently for most of the day but had decided to turn into a downpour as we were funnelled towards Montreal. The speed limit was posted at 100 kph but nobody was doing less than 110 kph. The motorway was old and had lots of uneven surfaces and in many places whee...

Preparing for the ride to Fairbanks two days later was the same dilmemna facing us every day. Wet weather gear, warm and insulated or comfortable and risky. Dell went for the motorcycle jeans and I opted for the heavy duty pants. Initially it showered, then it stopped, then it started again but the temperature was definitely improving and I eventually lost out as I got hot and had to shed some underwear. We stopped at Skinney Dick's Bar before Fairbanks as so...

Preparing for the ride to Fairbanks two days later was the same dilmemna facing us every day. Wet weather gear, warm and insulated or comfortable and risky. Dell went for the motorcycle jeans and I opted for the heavy duty pants. Initially it showered, then it stopped, then it started again but the temperature was definitely improving and I eventually lost out as I got hot and had to shed some underwear. We stopped at Skinney Dick's Bar before Fairbanks as some...

We had to rise at 5am to catch the ferry from Valdez to Whittier a 6hr very scenic trip via a mountain lined inland passage. Despite the unusual freezing conditions it was stunning and one the best ferry rides ever. Whittier was wet wet wet! And the 2.5 mile tunnel out of the place was closed due to one way traffic until the following hour. Yuk yuk and nowhere to hide. We headed down to Seward a picturesque coastal port where the 'demon' cruise ships docked to ...

The remainder of our stay with Paul and Jeanine was relaxing and comforting in the thought that we were with people who really cared about their friends. Paul's business involved fabricating canopies and roof frames primarily for boats. However he had put his skills to all sorts of jobs that used industrial material and a sewing machine. Both artists had workspaces that wreaked of creativity both with Jeanine's glass art and Paul metal craft. The pics of their ...