On August 22, 2001, Kathy and I flew from Providence to Anchorage for two weeks of exploring the state of Alaska. We rented a pickup truck camper and drove 2000 miles between Anchorage, Denali National Park, Fairbanks, Valdez, Seward, Homer and Whittier. In addition, we took a 500+ mile flight from Fairbanks to the Inupiat Eskimo village of Barrow on the Arctic Ocean, several hundred miles above the Arctic Circle and reported to be the most northern town in North America, plus a 12 hour ferry trip through Prince William Sound from Valdez to Seward.

There are two things Alaska has plenty of, open space and wildlife. We saw moose, black bears, two types of whales (Beluga and ?), sea otters, sea lions, seals, bald eagles, Dall sheep, goats, a snowy owl and a herd of caribou among other things.

All in all, it was a great trip, and we have brought back a lot of memories. From dipping our hands into the frigid Arctic Ocean waters, to swimming in the 103 degree geothermal waters in Chena Hot Springs, to eating Mexican food at the northernmost Mexican restaurant in the world, to watching thousands of salmon spawning in the streams, to touching a glacier, we have added to our experiences as much as two weeks would permit.

Following are a few of the 200 pictures we took on this trip:

Kathy in anchorage airport, packed for a two week stay.

Heading north, we stopped off at Denali National Park for a short hike.

A reminder that we are not in Rhode Island anymore.

Scenery along the road in Denali.

Arriving in Barrow, Alaska. 71 Deg N Lat, 157 Deg W Lon.

Barrow dog sled team.

Kathy touching the Arctic Ocean in Barrow.

Top of the World Tour Bus in Barrow.

Pepe's Mexican Restaurant, subject of "Taco's on the Tundra" book. Good food!

One of the main streets in Barrow, along the Arctic Ocean.

Inupiat woman and children wearing fur garments she made.

Jawbones of bowhead whale, and sealskin whaling boat frames.

Another reminder we are not at home. Polar bears wander the Barrow streets in winter.

Kathy standing inside the jaw bones of a whale in Barrow.

Jim next to the Alaska pipeline in Fairbanks.

One of the many moose we saw.

Where Santa lives in North Pole, Alaska.

The mosquitos really are as big as they say!

Kathy at the end of the Alaska Highway.

Kathy admiring the roadside scenery.

Our camping spot on the Denali Highway.

Jim at one of the 100,000 glaciers in Alaska.

Kathy at the marina in Valdez. The pipeline terminal is across the bay.

We caught this black bear raiding a dumpster in Valdez.

Leaving Valdez for the 12 hour ferry trip to Seward through Prince William Sound.

The ferry captain took us for a 1 hour sightseeing detour to view this glacier.

Our $10 oceanfront camping spot in Seward.

A view of the Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park.

Sunset from our campsite in Homer.

A 19th century Russian church in Kenai.

Results of the 1964 earthquake when the town of Portage sank in the mud.

Kathy found one bear she didn't have to fear.

Kathy standing in snow left over from last winter.

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