Day 6 - Whitehorse, YK to Tok, Ak

It was supposed to be a 7 hr drive.  Due to the construction to fix frost heaves it was much longer.  Great weather and my body is not balking too much.  Grateful to be home in Alaska! 

Day 5 - Ft Nelson BC to Whitehorse, Yukon

My longest drive (11 hr) through stunning topography.  Animals I saw: grizzly bear, black bear, stone sheep, elk, deer, moose, and bison.  Hit 6 hours of no cell signal which gave me time to ponder plans for worship at Soldotna next Sunday.

Seven hours to Tok,Alaska tomorrow and 7 to Anchorage on Tuesday.   Still in love with his ministry adventure! 

Day 4 - Quesnel, BC to Ft Nelson, BC

Ten hr drive with sunshine, rain, and no drowsiness thanks to an energy drink that was new to me.

Jeremy often downed similar liquids to keep him awake on the road and at work.   Thanks, son.

I have to say that God is filling my heart and mind with peace and joy.  I find myself tearing up with a simple smile.  I listened to a podcast on delight.  One takeaway was the comment that we can experience deep joy in the aftermath of deep pain. God is blessing me for sure.

Day 3 - Marysville, WA to Quesnel, B.C.

Leaving family in Washington made this trip feel more real.  Crossing the border into Canada accomplished this also.  I enjoyed figuring out the conversion from English to metric.  When I was a middle school science teacher in the 70's I supported a movement in the US to convert entirely to metric.

The main challenge today was fighting drowsiness.   Cool fact: slapping your face actually helps! 

Day 2 - Salem, OR to Marysville, WA

Not my favorite route on I-5 north through Portland, Tacoma, and Seattle.   But it was sunny and bright.  A good day.  What usually takes 4.5 hours took 5.5 hours.  I think this will be the last of large urban cities as I cross into Canada tomorrow. 

I enjoyed spending the evening with my son-in-law, Aaron Smith and his parents. 

Day 1 - Drive 3 hr from Bend to Salem

No doubt this will be the shortest drive of the trip.  OMG the Cascade Mountains are gorgeous.  

Kim and Kodos drove separately.  We landed at Jenny and Aaron's new apartment as they move from Washington to Salem.  Lauren and Rob's family were there as we enjoyed pizza.  I gathered my four grandkids alone to share why I was going to Alaska.   Partly due to being in the land Jeremy loved.  One of them asked, "Papa, are you crying?"

Yes, I am crying.  I also said that I felt strongly that God was guiding me to Soldotna.  It was a special moment. 

Another Alaskan Adventure Begins!

 

It's raining and hailing in Bend, Oregon on June 19.  In two days I will drive this car over the Cascade Mts to Salem in order to say farewell to my family.  I plan to be in Soldotna, Alaska on June 30 where I will begin serving Soldotna United Methodist Church as interim pastor on July 1.  

This car bag is my third iteration.  First was a DIY camper which I decided to sell after I built it.  

#2 was a huge cargo box mounted to the hitch.

I'm feeling much better about the trip with #3.

My hope is to post each day of this journey with a photo or two and a word about how I am doing.  

Grace Always,

Dave