Heading for AK

Jake and I will be taking off for Alaska in a day or two.  We're planning a different route than we came down, but last time the "plan" fell apart in less than two days so we'll see... weather could push us east again.

We're planning to visit friends and relatives (that are friends TOO!) in CA, tour Evergreen State College in Olympia, visit Seattle (on the bus from Oly) and a friend on Bainbridge and then pretty straight home via the trench (Mackenzie to Watson Lake). We're not going to camp out unless forced to and probably fly more hours per day than last time. We're also bringing winter gear - The Yukon and AK will probably be fine, but anything can happen in early May.

The SPOT tracker link on top left of this page and http://tinyurl.com/southbound2011 will work. We'll probably post on this blog (davidearl.com links to here too), more often if I can figure out how to get Blogger mobile to post photos that aren't blurry.

Also, do you realize that we have to file with Customs and Border Protection to LEAVE the US?  Doesn't that seem wrong?  When I was a kid I remember thinking that was one of the things wrong with Eastern bloc countries... "They have to get Permission to leave!".  And to get back in, we have to file electronically, 90 day password changes, 24 hours in advance, with threats of 5000 dollar fines if we miss our arrival window.  But to get into Canada?  A phone call. "Land of the free" my ass.

End