Sturgis, South Dakota

What does Sturgis have to offer in the off-season? How about dirt cheap motel rooms - our Super 8 room was 40 bucks and we got a goodie bag easily worth half that on our pillow and a complementary continental breakfast the next morning . . . . my only disappointment was that Sturgis Coffee didn't have a t-shirt in my size . . . .

Enchanted Highway, North Dakota

We took a little detour on our way south to Colorado, heading down the Enchanted Highway. The 7 or 8 enormous metal sculptures scattered along the 30-odd miles of the highway were pretty amazing but the true show stoppers were all the pheasant along the road and in the corn fields. I tried countless times to get a decent photo of a male pheasant but whenever I slowed the vehicle they ran or flew away . . . . eventually I gave up in frustration and later got my revenge when I bought some pheasant meat jerky . . . . .

Valley City, North Dakota

Checking In

Cheers, just checking in from the road. We've made it as far as North Dakota, staying with my son the Snow Angel King for a couple days. We hit Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Little Big Horn and Devils Tower on the way over and plan on seeing the Crazy Horse Monument and Mount Rushmore on the way down to Colorado. What a beautiful country we live in! Lots of pictures but I will probably wait until I get back to Dutch harbor before I start posting them so I can maximize my vacation time. Hope everyone is well - we did catch the second episode of DC from a motel room on the road and we're looking forward to next week and the Time Bandit delivery to see more footage from our home 'cause we do miss the island. . . . . . . Steve & Goldfish

Valley City, North Dakota

We had an superb vacation, the best I've ever had, and the number one attraction in my book was - of course - my son's place where Goldfish met the grand daughter for the first time. The top photo has a story behind it; I was helping Aubrey up the stairs to the slide and then lifting her into the tube, while Trevor was catching her at the bottom. Each time she would stand up, turn around, and hold her hands up saying "Grandpa! Grandpa!", offering to catch me. Now THAT is faith . . . .

Devil's Tower

Devil's Tower was amazing! We got there just after 5 PM, the Visitor's Center was closed and again - we were the only people there. There was a light snow falling and a mist was wafting slowly over the top of the tower. Goldfish and I walked around the base and the combination of the solitude, the snow, the trees, the rock - it was magical. One of my favorite stops on the roadtrip . . . . the second photo shows prayer flags tied to trees near the base by members of the local tribe.

Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

I didn't know much more than the basics about Little Bighorn but we both left this National Monument with a lot to think about - and a book or two from the gift shop to fill in the gaps. This was well worth the stop, and it really drove home how attitudes have shifted. The overcast sky and no other visitors set the mood for our quiet reflection.

Crater of the Moon National Monument

Crater of the Moon was closed to vehicle traffic when we got there due to snow removal efforts but we could - and did - hike in and explore to our hearts content. This was the first of many places where we enjoyed parks virtually to ourselves in the "off-season".

Road Trip

We were shocked, amused, and eventually tickled at finding the mid-sized rental car we had reserved for the road trip portion of our vacation turned out to be an electric blue PT Cruiser. I'll admit, after 11 days and 2600 miles it sort of grew on me a bit (but don't tell anyone . . . . . ).

Mourning Dove & Map Rock

The top photo is a mourning dove nesting on my sister's garage - it has no problem with the garage door going up and down just a couple feet away but it is very shy when it comes to being photographed, it took a couple days of being patient.  The other two pictures are of Map Rock along the Snake River.  It dates to pre-historic times and shows what are believed to be the best hunting spots along the Snake River and its tributaries.

Tomorrow we're heading towards Yellowstone, stopping at Crater of the Moon National Monument along the way.  Cheers, hope everyone is safe and happy - steve.

Vacation!

We made our Dutch Harbor to Anchorage to Seattle to Boise, Idaho portion of our travel and we're having fun exploring.  The bird nest is in my sister's yard; she planted four fruit trees 12 years ago for each of her children and they have thrived - the children and the trees - in the years since.  The other pictures are from a trip to Jump Creek this afternoon.  We love Unalaska but it's wonderful to be around family and have that sense of history that binds us all together.  Goldfish is meeting most of my family for the first time, even though I have known her for 13 years.  We're here for a couple more days and then we're renting a car and driving to North Dakota, hitting Yellowstone on the way.  It is actually colder in Idaho right now than it was in Dutch Harbor when we left!

Rainbow Over Bunker Hill

Goldfish and I are hitting the road for a brief honeymoon tour of the US - the dog-sitter is lined up, the house-sitter is lined up, and my in-box is almost emptied out at work. I can't decide if I should post travel pics on my old blog which has a lot of pictures of scenery and wildlife from motorcycling to Maine from Alaska and back, or if I should post them here. What do you all think? Should I keep this as just an island blog - keep it pure? Or does it matter?

My blog friends will be happy and amazed to discover I actually watched Deadliest Catch on Tuesday - Goldfish and I don't really watch television but you rubbed off on me and I wanted to see what the fuss was about . . . plus we get to see our place from the boat perspective when they go through the East Channel . . . .