September 2015 - Juneau Alaska and travels south

photos from my hike at Ten Mile Lake BC...that little frog was tiny!

my view from my housesit out the road in Juneau (apologies for the spots....using old camera until I can find a new one)!

Plan to continue my research in Sioux City IA and Omaha NE before heading east to Carthage IL (where my ggg grandfather was a judge) and then to my cousin's in Bloomington IL.


30 September 2015 Wednesday - Omaha NE to Centerville IA (208 miles)
Wonderful afternoon at Sharon Bluffs State/County Park. The manager Mark talked about the history of the Mormons (this is the Mormon Trail) and showed me his wife Sandy's garden and their wildlife center. I then walked the local hiking trails and camped on the Chariton River.


29 September 2015 Tuesday - Omaha NE
Another day researching my mother's ancestry. Visited her childhood home and the Douglas County Historical Society at Fort Omaha where Max was very helpful finding some old marriage certificates. I had to visit the Douglas County courthouse downtown to find those after 1915. I then stopped at Kountze Church where my mother and father were married. Another night at Cunningham city park with the geese, ducks, rabbits and black squirrels.




28 September 2015 Monday - Sioux Falls SD to Omaha NE (200 miles)
Now to research my mother's ancestry in Omaha! Spent time at Forest Lawn Cemetery where Mel and Kelly helped me find gravesites in this very large cemetery. Overnight at Cunningham Lake City Park.

27 September 2015 Sunday - Sioux Falls SD
Spent a few hours researching our family tree with my second cousin Gene. We then visited Palisades State Park and Devil's Gulch near Garretson SD. This is where Jesse James (supposedly) evaded capture by spurring his horse to leap the ravine in September 1876 after his gang had tried and failed to rob a bank in Minnesota. We then enjoyed the full moon and eclipse.

26 September 2015 Saturday - Fort Randall to Sioux Falls SD (128 miles)
Meeting with my dad's cousin son to share genealogy stuff!

25 September 2015 Friday - Spencer NE to Fort Randall SD (149 miles)
Looking for gravesites of my great great grandparents (Henry Capel and Elizabeth Goode Hartland) in O'Neill NE but the computer kiosk was broken and no help from the courthouse or library or mortuary......and it was too big to search....but their photos are on findagrave! Overnight at Randall Creek campground on the Missouri River near Fort Randall dam and great walk among the remains of the military post established in 1856 to help keep peace on the frontier.

24 September 2015 Thursday - Burke SD to Spencer NE (51 miles)
Nasty morning fog and heaps more rain but did find my way across the border to Spencer Nebraska and with the help of the village clerk and the local grocer RB Drickey, I found my grandfather Fred and my great great grandfather/mother (Henry Baker and Olive) at the Union Cemetery, in addition to children of my great grandfather that died at a very young age (Alice and Martha). When we were young and would visit my grandfather and his second wife in Spencer, we would stay at the Skyline Motel...so decided to stay here for hot shower and free wifi....and for not much more than cost of campsite!

23 September 2015 Wednesday - Chamberlain to Burke SD (80 miles)
Thunderstorms and wind woke me in the night!
Now off to research the other side of my dad's family, the Bakers, and to meet my dad's cousins. I met Dale Baker in Burke and we had lunch at the local Senior Center where a crown fell off while I was eating the scalloped potatoes....now to find a dentist? We then we drove to visit his brothers Frank (and Mary) and Glenn (and Margaret) in Fairfax. We visited the Highland Cemetery where my great grandfather and mother (Leonard Cutler Baker and Winifred Hartland) are buried with many other relatives. We also visited their old farm at Scalp Creek and the ghost town of Baker Flat, started by my great grandfather. Camped overnight at Burke Lake.

22 September 2015 Tuesday - Chamberlain SD (61 miles)
Spent all day researching my great great grandparents Ole and Sarah Thompson Askland, originally from Norway and the grandparents of my dad's mother. Visited their gravesites in Pukwana and their homestead in at Red Lake. Met with the pastor of the Lutheran Church and he introduced me to some local folks who had historical books on the area in addition to visiting the library and the Brule County Courthouse where I found land records and their death records and the woman who runs the historical society (she owns the local electrical store).
www.lbroots.org

21 September 2015 Monday - Rapid City to Chamberlain SD (255 miles)
Early start driving east on route 44 through the Buffalo Gap Grasslands then route 240 through the Badlands National Monument.....short visit to Wall Drug then east on I 90 to Chamberlain to find my great great grandparents gravesite in Pukwana. Visited the Brule County Courthouse to research their land ownership records but may have to stay another day because I barely got started.....very interesting stuff...plus they had several errors for the records on the gravesites!
A very HOT day....close to 90....now camped on the Missouri River in the trees!

20 September 2015 Sunday - Rapid City SD
Wonderful drive with Darcey to Marcus SD to visit the grave of Opal Vivian Thompson, sister to my grandmother, who died at age six months....my father was also born in Marcus but the sod house is now gone.

19 September 2015 Saturday - Gillette WY to Rapid City SD (180 miles)
Short hike at Devils Tower WY then visited my father's gravesite at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis then my cousin Darcey and his wife Edna and daughter Tasha and dog Henry in Rapid City SD! Weather is much warmer in Rapid.

18 September 2015 Friday - Bozeman MT to Gillette WY (349 miles)
Sunny day on the interstate! Only problem travelling east early in the morning is the sun in the eyes!

17 September 2015 Thursday - Kalispell to Bozeman MT (302 miles)
Beautiful drive on route 93S by Flathead Lake then onto I90E. Weather is turning cold and not sure that I want to cross the passes in Idaho so have changed my route to head east and visit the rellies!
Thunderstorms and cold at these higher elevations (almost 5000')!

16 September 2015 Wednesday - Kikomun BC to Kalispell MT (113 miles)
A bit of a surprise in the morning shower.....a large furry rat crawled in under the door but I shooed him away. Easy crossing of the border at Roosville dodging a few elk along the way. Spent the morning in Whitefish getting the tires/brakes/batteries checked at Les Schwab and then oil change at Reggies then shopping at Safeway.

15 September 2015 Tuesday - Fairmont to Kikomun Provincial Park BC Canada (102 miles)
A slow drive down route 93/95 exploring the small towns.....overnight on Koocanusa Lake with nice two hour hike around the campground.....found the painted turtles at Hidden Lake.

14 September 2015 Monday - Golden to Fairmont Hot Springs BC Canada (85 miles)
Rained most of yesterday with spots of sun and today is mostly heavy overcast and cooler.....Fairmont Hot Springs is a very big RV resort but managed to find an unserviced campsite in the forest away from the maddening crowded. Enjoyed time at the hot pool and chatted with many fellow travellers. They say that there are bear, cougar and skunk in the campground....hoping that I have no personal encounter with any of these critters.

13 September 2015 Sunday - Illecillewaet Park to Golden BC Canada (66 miles)
As I left the campground early this morning, I encountered a major truck accident on the highway....it had occurred at 2am and the road had been closed for about four hours. The entrance to the campground is at a very big curve and the driver lost it.....but both guys in truck survived....kinda hard to believe based on what I saw! Rain today so a good thing I did the pass in the sunshine! Overnight south of Golden at Eco Adventure Ranch......where I have hookups and showers and laundry and wifi.....a day to catch up! Previously driving east on route 1 now heading south on route 95.

12 September 2015 Saturday - Kamloops to Glacier National Park BC Canada (178 miles)
Wonderful drive along Shuswap Lake with great farmers market in Sorrento so stocked up on some nice veggies.....that I need to eat before I cross into USA because not sure what all the rules are these days per customs. Another farmers market in Revelstoke and had a quinoa clucker hot dog for lunch. Had planned to stay at Canyon Hot Springs but the campsites are not the best and the Korean owner had a very nasty attitude! So continued onto Rogers Pass at 1330 meters because it was such a sunny day! Overnighted on Illecillewaet River and slept very well to the sound of the rushing waters!

11 September 2015 Friday - Quesnel to Kamloops BC Canada (240 miles)
Early morning fog (a big challenge for driving!) but now gorgeous sun here in Williams Lake for internet at the visitor center....then nice drive along route 97 south that I had traversed May 2014....decided to hotel it on a Friday night in Kamloops and then head east on route 1 tomorrow to Canyon Hot Springs near Revelstoke. It is a gorgeous weekend so everyone will be at the campgrounds which are mostly on the lakes and rivers.....which means crowds, noisy kids, barking dogs!

10 September 2015 Thursday - Fraser Lake to Quesnel BC Canada (169 miles)
Early start with clear sky and heavy fog and heaps of roadworks.....using internet in Prince George.... overnighted at Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park near Quesnel with two hour hike along the lake and in the woods past a few beaver ponds.....gorgeous northern lights early this morning.

9 September 2015 Wednesday - Kleanza Creek PP to Fraser Lake BC Canada (245 miles)
Rainy day for drive along the Yellowhead Highway east (route 16)....overnight at Beaumont Provincial Park on Fraser Lake with short walk to remains of Fort Fraser.

8 September 2015 Tuesday - Prince Rupert to Kleana Creek PP BC Canada (102 miles)
Ferry arrival at 8am and went quickly through customs.....first stop Tim Hortons for mocha then bank for money then Safeway for the basics for beautiful drive along the Skeena River. Overnight on Kleanza Creek....same hosts as last year and an empty park!

7 September 2015 Monday - Juneau Alaska
Plan to be on early morning ferry (330am) Matanuska to Prince Rupert via Petersburg, Wrangell and Ketchikan.

5 September 2015 Saturday - Juneau Alaska
A day of running errands.....found a local gallery that will take my Alaskan art originals on consignment! Afternoon boat ride to Orca Lodge on Colt Island for a salmon bake......a thank you to us from the visitors bureau for our volunteer efforts this summer!

2 September 2015 Wednesday - Juneau Alaska
A sunny day for hike up to John Muir Cabin with the hiking group

1 September 2015 Tuesday - Juneau Alaska
Termination dust on the mountains.....winter is on its way!